bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of pulmonary regurgitation in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot by 2D phase-contrast MRI: Differences between the standard method of velocity averaging and a pixel-wise analysis
Authors: Sotelo Julio , Bächler Pablo , Urbina Jesús , Crelier Gerard , Toro Lida , Ferreiro Myriam , Valverde Israel , Andia Marcelo , Tejos Cristian , Irarrazaval Pablo , Uribe Sergio
Published: September 2017

Objectives

To compare the values of pulmonary regurgitation in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot quantified from two-dimensional phase-contrast data, by using a new pixel-wise analysis and the standard velocity-averaging method.

Design

Quantitative in silico and in vivo analysis.

Setting

Hospital Sótero del Río. The magnetic resonance images were acquired using a Philips Achieva 1.5T scanner.

Participants

Twenty-five patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging requested by their referring physicians were included in this study.

Main outcome measures

Using a computational fluid dynamics simulation, we validated our pixel-wise method, quantifying the error of our method in comparison with the standard method. The patients underwent a standard two-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging acquisition for quantifying pulmonary artery flow. Pulmonary regurgitation fraction was estimated by using our pixel-wise and the standard method. The two-dimensional flow profiles were inspected looking for simultaneous antegrade and retrograde flows in the same cardiac phase. Statistical analysis was performed with t-test for related samples, Bland–Altman plots, and Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results

Estimation of pulmonary regurgitation fraction using the pixel-wise analysis revealed higher values compared with the standard method (39 ± 16% vs. 30 ± 22%, p-value <0.01). Eight patients (32%) had a difference of more than 10% between methods. Analysis of two-dimensional flow profiles in these patients revealed simultaneous antegrade and retrograde flows through the pulmonary artery during systole–early diastole.

Conclusion

Quantification of pulmonary regurgitation fraction in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot through a pixel-wise analysis yields higher values of pulmonary regurgitation compared with the standard velocity-averaging method.
Outcome of coronary endarterectomy with coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease in Bangladesh: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ranjan Redoy , Adhikary Dipannita , Mandal Sabita , Seedher Anjali , Adhikary Asit Baran
Published: September 2017

Background

In this study, we aimed to review the consequences of coronary endarterectomy with coronary artery bypass grafting, and assess outcomes of this combined surgical technique for patients with diffuse coronary artery disease in a single surgeon’s practice.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed outcome of 1198 endarterectomized coronary artery in 1000 patients with diffuse coronary artery disease, who have had experienced coronary endarterectomy with off pump coronary artery bypass grafting in between 2009 and 2016.

Results

The mean age was 61.5 ± 5.5 years. Coronary endarterectomy was performed on 74.7% in the left coronary territory (43.2% left anterior descending, 26.6% diagonal, 4.9% Obtuse Marginal), and 25.3% in the right coronary territory. Post-operative intensive care unit mortality rate was 1.9%, and there were 11 (1.1%) late deaths. Mean intensive care unit stay was 36.6 ± 6.7 hours. Patients were extubated following a mean of 9.8 ± 1.25 hours. The mean duration of hospital stay was 10 ± 1 days. One-year survival rate was 97.8% and 89.5% survival rate was at 5 years follow up. However, 91.8% of patients were angina free at median follow-up of 2.5 years.

Conclusion

Coronary endarterectomy with off pump coronary artery bypass grafting is attainable and accomplishes surgical revascularization in coronary artery disease patients when there is no other alternative for sufficient revascularization.
Menopause: A complex and controversial journey
Authors: Chalouhi Salam
Published: September 2017

Menopause is defined as permanent cessation of menstrual periods, determined retrospectively after a woman has experienced 12 months of amenorrhea without any other obvious cause. Over the years, the discourse surrounding the Climacteric was mainly elicited as a “disease of the castrates”, as opposed to the feminist views. There has been a large feminist contribution to both the debate of contraception and menopause in the last few years. Over the years, menopause has been treated in a uniform fashion, as a disease, excluding the different circumstances and lived experiences that patients go through during this sensitive period. Every primary care provider should be familiar with the menopausal process and be able to provide adequate care for these women, respecting patient's autonomy and decision making. A brief historical of menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be reviewed in this paper. We will also discuss the different views of the menopausal discourse as well as the benefits and risks, compliance rates and reasons for discontinuation of HRT.
Alliance of antagonism: Counterpublics and polarization in online climate change communication
Authors: Kaiser Jonas , Puschmann Cornelius
Published: September 2017

Debates around climate change are a prominent example of polarized online communication. We examine the German climate hyperlink network and evaluate the degree to which it is shaped by mainstream and skeptical views. By combining the theoretical frameworks of the networked public sphere and counterpublics, we describe the relation between publics and counterpublics and discuss the role of hyperlinks in delineating communities. Our analysis of blogrolls and link lists shows the debate’s structures to be polarized along factional lines with political and scientific institutions supporting the mainstream “climate-friendly” position. We find that skeptics form a counterpublic that is only loosely connected to the mainstream as neither skeptics nor the mainstream want to be affiliated with each other. Skeptics, thus, are mostly excluded within the German online climate network. However, skeptics are part of an “alliance of antagonism” with other groups, such as conspiracy theorists, men’s right groups, and right-wing sites.
Nursing students' motivation regulation and its relationship with engagement and burnout
Authors: Mäenpää Kati , Pyhältö Kirsi , Järvenoja Hanna , Peltonen Jouni
Published: September 2017

Motivation regulation, study engagement, and students' wellbeing are critical components of skillful self-regulated learning. However, few studies have focused on these factors and their relationship in nursing education and as there is an increased usage of blended learning in nursing education, measuring students' learning in this setting is increasingly important. This person-oriented, quantitative study explored first-year nursing students' ( N = 90) motivation regulation related to study engagement and study burnout in blended and traditional learning environments in two undergraduate nursing programs. Regardless of the learning environment, the majority of the nursing students (65.6%) had a highly developed motivation regulation profile. They performed highly on motivation regulation, showed strong engagement, and exibhited reduced exposure for study burnout compared to those with less-developed motivation regulation profiles. It is suggested that motivation regulation, study engagement, and experienced burnout influence nursing students' learning. These components should be emphasized in developing nursing education and facilitating nursing students' learning.
Congenital Heart Disease in Cleft Lip and Palate Patients: How Common Is the Association?
Authors: Akhiwu Benjamin I. , Efunkoya Akinwale A. , Akhiwu Helen O. , Adebola Rafael A.
Published: September 2017

Aims and Objectives:

To determine the prevalence of congenital heart disease in patients with orofacial cleft in a Nigerian population.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective review of all the case files of patients with orofacial cleft managed at the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital between 2007 and 2014. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

Results:

A total of 133 patients with cleft lip and palate were seen during the period of study comprising 77 males and 56 females, giving an M:F ratio of 1:0.7. The age range was 15 days–36 years with a mean age of 6 years. There were five cases of congenital heart disease made up of two males and three females, giving a prevalence of 3.76 per cent.

Conclusion:

This study showed that the prevalence of congenital heart disease in patients with orofacial cleft was low. However, the need for routine echocardiography in all orofacial cleft patients especially children should not be overlooked.
A New Leap in Periodontics: Three-dimensional (3D) Printing
Authors: Patel Ruchir , Sheth Tejal , Shah Shilpi , Shah Mihir
Published: September 2017

Dentistry is truly a great profession and recently it is coming to the terms of use of technology and tech-savvy dentists, who nowadays use smart devices to make their life easier. Researchers are constantly innovating to integrate techno-logy into dentistry. Of all the latest technological innovations in dentistry, the most talked about innovations are three-dimensional (3D) printing and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), which have made the treatment planning and execution a whole lot easier. Three-dimensional printing like CBCT has been gaining much popularity in the masses. Three-dimensional printing technologies are evolving rapidly in the recent years and can be used with a wide array of different materials. In addition to rapid prototyping, the dominant use in the past, they are now being used in all manner of manufacturing applications in a diversity of industries such as sports goods, fashion items such as jewelry and necklaces to aerospace components, tools for automobile industry, and medical implants also in dentistry for producing models, making scaffolds, etc. In future, 3D printing has ability to change the way many products are manufactured and produced and bring an era of ‘personal manufacturing’. This article introduces 3D printing and gives little information about the technology behind the working of 3D printers. It also gives information about the applications of 3D printers and materials most often used for 3D printed scaffolds for periodontal regeneration.
Prevalence of Self-medication Practice among People Attending Oral Health Outreach Programmes in Madurai East, Tamil Nadu
Authors: Subhashini  , Garla Bharath Kumar , Karuppaiah Muthu , Taranath
Published: September 2017

Aims and Objectives:

The practice of self-medication may lead to lack of clinical evaluation by a trained medical professional and delay in effective therapy. This study was aimed to find the prevalence of self-medication and identify the common causes of illness/symptoms that necessitate self-medication awareness and develop perception regarding methods to prevent the growing trend of self-medication and associated factors among population those who visit a community outreach programme in Madurai, India.

Material and Methods:

A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey in which a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 238 participants were included in the study with respect to the final sample size. Data were analysed using SPSS software with a significance level of 0.05, and statistical relationship between the variables was analysed using chi-square test.

Results:

The prevalence of self-medication is 69.32 per cent. Headache (59.6%), fever (60%), cough (51%) and toothache (25%) were the most common symptoms for self-medication. The most commonly used drugs/substances were analgesics (65.54%), warm saline (38.23%) and hot drinks (27.73%). The most common reason for resorting to self-medication practice was previous experience of successfully treating a similar illness. The majority of the participants (56.97%) were in their third–fourth decade of life. The association of self-medication with characteristics such as male gender, urban locality, and upper-and lower-middle class was statistically significant at a p-value of 0.005.

Conclusion:

Self-medication practices were quite high in this study, and these practices were also prevalent among the educated people. The physicians and health professionals have to spend some extra time in educating patients regarding the same. Improved knowledge and understanding about self-medication may result in rationale use and thus limit emerging microbial antibiotic resistance issues.
Quantifying Parental Influence on Youth Athlete Specialization: A Survey of Athletes’ Parents
Authors: Padaki Ajay S. , Ahmad Christopher S. , Hodgins Justin L. , Kovacevic David , Lynch Thomas Sean , Popkin Charles A.
Published: September 2017

Background:

Youth athlete specialization has been linked to decreased enjoyment, burnout, and increased injury risk, although the impact of specialization on athletic success is unknown. The extent to which parents exert extrinsic influence on this phenomenon remains unclear.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The goal of this study was to assess parental influences placed on young athletes to specialize. It was hypothesized that parents generate both direct and indirect pressures on specialized athletes.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A survey tool was designed by an interdisciplinary medical team to evaluate parental influence on youth specialization. Surveys were administered to parents of the senior author’s orthopaedic pediatric patients.

Results:

Of the 211 parents approached, 201 (95.3%) completed the assessment tool. One-third of parents stated that their children played a single sport only, 53.2% had children who played multiple sports but had a favorite sport, and 13.4% had children who balanced their multiple sports equally. Overall, 115 (57.2%) parents hoped for their children to play collegiately or professionally, and 100 (49.7%) parents encouraged their children to specialize in a single sport. Parents of highly specialized and moderately specialized athletes were more likely to report directly influencing their children’s specialization ( P = .038) and to expect their children to play collegiately or professionally ( P = .014). Finally, parents who hired personal trainers for their children were more likely to believe that their children held collegiate or professional aspirations ( P = .009).

Conclusion:

Parents influence youth athlete specialization both directly and by investment in elite coaching and personal instruction. Parents of more specialized athletes exert more influence than parents of unspecialized athletes.
National Football League Skilled and Unskilled Positions Vary in Opportunity and Yield in Return to Play After an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Authors: Yang JaeWon , Hodax Jonathan D. , Machan Jason T. , Secrist Eric S. , Durand Wesley M. , Owens Brett D. , Eltorai Adam E.M. , Dodson Christopher C.
Published: September 2017

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries pose a significant risk to the careers of players in the National Football League (NFL). The relationships between draft round and position on return to play (RTP) among NFL players are not well understood, and the ability to return to preinjury performance levels remains unknown for most positions.

Purpose:

To test for differences in RTP rates and changes in performance after an ACL injury by position and draft round. We hypothesized that skilled positions would return at a lower rate compared to unskilled positions. We further hypothesized that early draft-round status would relate to a greater rate of RTP and that skilled positions and a lower draft round would correlate with decreased performance for players who return to sport.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Utilizing a previously established database of publicly available information regarding ACL tears among NFL players, athletes with ACL tears occurring between the 2010 and 2013 seasons were identified. Generalized linear models and Kaplan-Meier time-to-event models were used to test the study hypotheses.

Results:

The overall RTP rate was 61.7%, with skilled players and unskilled players returning at rates of 64.1% and 60.4%, respectively ( P = .74). Early draft-round players and unskilled late draft-round players had greater rates of RTP compared to skilled late draft-round players and both unskilled and skilled undrafted free agents (UDFAs). Skilled early draft-round players constituted the only cohort that played significantly fewer games after an injury. Unskilled UDFAs constituted the only cohort to show a significant increase in the number of games started and ratio of games started to games played, starting more games in which they played, after an injury.

Conclusion:

Early draft-round and unskilled players were more likely to return compared to their later draft-round and skilled peers. Skilled early draft-round players, who displayed relatively high rates of RTP, constituted the only cohort to show a decline in performance. Unskilled UDFAs, who exhibited relatively low rates of RTP, constituted the only cohort to show an increase in performance. The significant effect of draft round and position type on RTP may be caused by a combination of differences in talent levels and in opportunities given to returning to play.
Transient Serous Retinal Detachment Possibly Related to Strenuous Exercise
Authors: Anderson Matthew Frederick , Fielden Michael , Ells Anna
Published: September 2017

Purpose:

To report a case of transient serous retinal detachment, which may have been caused by hypertensive choroidopathy associated with exercise.

Methods:

Case report with optical coherence tomography and fundus fluorescein angiography imaging.

Results:

A 26-year-old woman noticed loss of vision in her left eye following sprinting maximally on a treadmill. Her left vision reduced to Counting Fingers, and she had a serous retinal detachment involving the left macula and inferior fundus. Optical coherence tomography confirmed a serous retinal detachment. Fluorescein angiography showed multilobular pooling of dye in the subretinal space. One week later, her vision had improved spontaneously to 20/25, and the detachment had resolved. Results of her uveitis workup were normal.

Conclusions:

In the absence of other plausible etiologies, we suggest that the rapidly, spontaneously resolving detachment may have been due to hypertensive choroidopathy, secondary to marked elevation in her blood pressure during maximal exercise.
Recurrent Vitreous Hemorrhage Secondary to Sulcus Positioning of a One-Piece Acrylic Intraocular Lens Haptic: Report of 3 Cases and Management With Retrocapsular Haptic Repositioning
Authors: Mantopoulos Dimosthenis , Prenner Jonathan L. , Wheatley H. Matthew
Published: September 2017

Three pseudophakic patients presented with recurrent, unilateral vitreous hemorrhage, one of which also had uveitis, glaucoma, and hyphema, consistent with “uveitis–glaucoma–hyphema (UGH)-Plus” syndrome. Arcuate transillumination defects secondary to inadvertent placement of 1 intraocular lens (IOL) haptic in the sulcus were identified in each case. The second haptic and optic were located in the capsular bag. The IOLs were all single-piece foldable acrylic lenses with square-edge haptic design. Surgical repositioning of the malpositioned haptic from the sulcus to the retrocapsular space resulted in the resolution of the recurrent vitreous hemorrhage. This series highlights the fact that recurrent vitreous hemorrhage secondary to iris chafing, with or without UGH, may occur in cases where a square-edge IOL haptic is placed in the sulcus. Vitrectomy with repositioning of the malpositioned IOL is a simple alternative to IOL exchange in these cases.
Socialization in the Family: Implications for Music Education
Authors: Conkling Susan Wharton
Published: September 2017

Socialization in the family commonly is considered a process by which children acquire self-understanding and learn to successfully interact with others in a specific cultural context. At one time, scholars conceived of socialization as a process limited to early childhood; thus, greater understanding about socialization, including how music is used in processes of socialization, exists for that stage of development. Now scholars view socialization as a process that continues throughout the life span. The emergent research includes studies on cultural variation in socialization processes, as well as on how parents continue as important socializing agents even as children mature and become influenced by schooling and a peer group. Relevant to music education are findings that parents and caregivers select and support older children’s and adolescents’ participation in specific extracurricular activities to help ensure their well-being and develop a desirable peer group.
Predicting epiglottic collapse in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Azarbarzin Ali , Marques Melania , Sands Scott A. , Op de Beeck Sara , Genta Pedro R. , Taranto-Montemurro Luigi , de Melo Camila M. , Messineo Ludovico , Vanderveken Olivier M. , White David P. , Wellman Andrew
Published: September 2017

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by pharyngeal obstruction occurring at different sites. Endoscopic studies reveal that epiglottic collapse renders patients at higher risk of failed oral appliance therapy or accentuated collapse on continuous positive airway pressure. Diagnosing epiglottic collapse currently requires invasive studies (imaging and endoscopy). As an alternative, we propose that epiglottic collapse can be detected from the distinct airflow patterns it produces during sleep.

23 OSA patients underwent natural sleep endoscopy. 1232 breaths were scored as epiglottic/nonepiglottic collapse. Several flow characteristics were determined from the flow signal (recorded simultaneously with endoscopy) and used to build a predictive model to distinguish epiglottic from nonepiglottic collapse. Additionally, 10 OSA patients were studied to validate the pneumotachograph flow features using nasal pressure signals.

Epiglottic collapse was characterised by a rapid fall(s) in the inspiratory flow, more variable inspiratory and expiratory flow and reduced tidal volume. The cross-validated accuracy was 84%. Predictive features obtained from pneumotachograph flow and nasal pressure were strongly correlated.

This study demonstrates that epiglottic collapse can be identified from the airflow signal measured during a sleep study. This method may enable clinicians to use clinically collected data to characterise underlying physiology and improve treatment decisions.
“I have lost in every facet of my life”: the hidden burden of severe asthma
Authors: Foster Juliet M. , McDonald Vanessa M. , Guo Michael , Reddel Helen K.
Published: September 2017

People with severe asthma are thought to face a sizeable daily disease burden. This study aimed to explore the little-known life experiences of people living with severe asthma.

Adults with severe asthma were invited for telephone interview. Semistructured interviews were conducted until no new themes emerged. The 25 interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Four themes emerged. 1) “The body as a hindrance”: severe asthma placed broad limits on life from daily chores to career, relationships and family life that left interviewees feeling emotionally distressed. 2) “Burden of treatment”: participants mostly accepted the need to take treatment, but were particularly concerned about side-effects of oral corticosteroids. 3) “Alone with asthma”: interviewees felt misunderstood and alone in their experience of breathlessness and frightening exacerbations; practical and emotional support needs were often lacking and the emotional distress of severe asthma was amplified in those with little support. 4) “Striving to adapt”: patients used both positive strategies (acquiring self-management skills) and less positive strategies (avoidance of physical exertion) in the process of adjustment to living with severe asthma.

Severe asthma imposes long-term, debilitating burdens and should be considered differently to milder disease. There is an urgent need to improve practical and emotional support services for patients and their carers.
TRPA1 activation in a human sensory neuronal model: relevance to cough hypersensitivity?
Authors: Clarke Rebecca , Monaghan Kevin , About Imad , Griffin Caoimhin S. , Sergeant Gerard P. , El Karim Ikhlas , McGeown J. Graham , Cosby S. Louise , Curtis Timothy M. , McGarvey Lorcan P. , Lundy Fionnuala T.
Published: September 2017

The cough reflex becomes hyperresponsive in acute and chronic respiratory diseases, but understanding the underlying mechanism is hampered by difficulty accessing human tissue containing both nerve endings and neuronal cell bodies. We refined an adult stem cell sensory neuronal model to overcome the limited availability of human neurones and applied the model to study transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel expression and activation.

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were differentiated towards a neuronal phenotype, termed peripheral neuronal equivalents (PNEs). Using molecular and immunohistochemical techniques, together with Ca2+microfluorimetry and whole cell patch clamping, we investigated roles for nerve growth factor (NGF) and the viral mimic poly I:C in TRPA1 activation.

PNEs exhibited morphological, molecular and functional characteristics of sensory neurons and expressed functional TRPA1 channels. PNE treatment with NGF for 20 min generated significantly larger inward and outward currents compared to untreated PNEs in response to the TRPA1 agonist cinnamaldehyde (p<0.05). PNE treatment with poly I:C caused similar transient heightened responses to TRPA1 activation compared to untreated cells.

Using the PNE neuronal model we observed both NGF and poly I:C mediated sensory neuronal hyperresponsiveness, representing potential neuro-inflammatory mechanisms associated with heightened nociceptive responses recognised in cough hypersensitivity syndrome.
Adult disinhibited social engagement in adoptees exposed to extreme institutional deprivation: examination of its clinical status and functional impact
Authors: Kennedy Mark , Kreppner Jana , Knights Nicky , Kumsta Robert , Maughan Barbara , Golm Dennis , Hill Jonathan , Rutter Michael , Schlotz Wolff , Sonuga-Barke Edmund
Published: September 2017

Background

Early-life institutional deprivation produces disinhibited social engagement (DSE). Portrayed as a childhood condition, little is known about the persistence of DSE-type behaviours into, presentation during, and their impact on, functioning in adulthood.

Aims

We examine these issues in the young adult follow-up of the English and Romanian Adoptees study.

Method

A total of 122 of the original 165 Romanian adoptees who had spent up to 43 months as children in Ceauşescu's Romanian orphanages and 42 UK adoptees were assessed for DSE behaviours, neurodevelopmental and mental health problems, and impairment between ages 2 and 25 years.

Results

Young adult DSE behaviour was strongly associated with early childhood deprivation, with a sixfold increase for those who spent more than 6 months in institutions. However, although DSE overlapped with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms it was not, in itself, related to broader patterns of mental health problems or impairments in daily functioning in young adulthood.

Conclusions

DSE behaviour remained a prominent, but largely clinically benign, young adult feature of some adoptees who experienced early deprivation.
Theoretical Aspects of the Economic Security of the Oil and Gas Sector of the Russian Federation
Authors: Козырь Н. , Kozyr' N. , Коваленко В. , Kovalenko V.
Published: September 2017

The article explored and described the theoretical bases of economic safety in the oil and gas sector: the concept, relationship with energy security, potential and real threats, and the measure and evaluation stages. The analysis of the main indicators of the oil and gas sector of the Russian Federation was conducted, and recommendations were proposed for eliminating threats to economic security. The priority tasks assigned to the oil and gas complex of the Russian Federation as the main locomotive of the national economy of the state are highlighted in the work. In addition, possible ways to increase the efficiency of geological exploration and oil and gas production in Russia are identified. Conclusions are drawn about the world community’s lack of development of theoretical aspects of economic security in the oil and gas sector, identified key problems of this sector and the main directions for the future study of the issue; The concept of economic security of the oil and gas complex was proposed.
The Comfort app prototype: introducing a web-based application for monitoring comfort in palliative care
Authors: Pinto Sara , Almeida Filipe , Caldeira Sílvia , Martins José Carlos
Published: September 2017

Aim:

To introduce a web-based application for monitoring comfort in patients receiving palliative care.

Methods:

Multi-phase electronic application development process that concluded with a pilot design to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the developed app (n=7 patients).

Results:

The app is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows. The results from phases I and II provided the knowledge about monitoring comfort. In phase III, five experts analysed the content of the app. The assessment of comfort comprises 11 self-reported items (pain, tiredness, drowsiness, nausea, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, depression, anxiety, fear of the future, peace and the will to live). In phase IV, a total of 117 messages were retrieved. Participants considered the app simple, easy to use and useful.

Conclusions:

This prototype is feasible and user-friendly. Further research is needed to continue the app development, particularly in terms of data protection.
A New Ant Species, Temnothorax ansei sp.n. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Arid Environments of South-eastern Spain
Authors: Catarineu Chema , Barberá Gonzalo G , Reyes-López Joaquín L
Published: September 2017

We describe here a new ant species in the genus Temnothorax, species grouplaurae, based on morphological evidence supported by other biologicalinformation. It has been discovered at two locations in southeast Spain:Pulpí (Almería) and Lorca (Murcia). This species is a member of the lauraespecies group based on the following characters: large eyes, long and erecthairs on alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole, rectangular head and metanotalgroove. Other characters unique to new species are: dark brown in color,decumbent pilosity, and smooth and shiny head and pronotum. In addition,this new species is distinctly nocturnal in its activity patterns. Based on themorphological measurements of the queens and the workers, as well as ourobservations in the laboratory, we predict that this species has a dependentcolony founding. An identification key to the Iberian Peninsula species ofthe laurae group is also provided.
Bee Life in the City: an Analysis of the Pollen Provisions of Centris (Centris) flavifrons (Centridini) in an Urban Area
Authors: Dorea Marcos Costa , Santos Francisco De Assis Ribeiro dos , Aguiar Cândida Maria Lima , Martins Celso Feitosa
Published: September 2017

Due to deforestation and fragmentation of ecosystems, the management of bee populations targeting pollination services is increasingly urgent. Because urban environments are stressful, the dietary knowledge in such areas can help to cope with this issue in the near future. Using palynological analysis the floral resources used by Centris flavifrons, an important pollinator of crops and native plants was studied in an urban area. Byrsonima sericea type, Solanum paniculatum type, Cestrum type, and Myrcia type 1 together accounted for more than 93% of pollen grains foraged by females. It is noteworthy that this bee population depends on few plant species both for pollen and for oil. Furthermore, females showed flexibility to replace the primary pollen source in different breeding seasons, as well as one female could provision different cells in the same nest with different predominant pollen types. It is highlighted the importance of wastelands for keeping bee populations in urban areas.
Social wasp guild (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) visiting flowers in two of the phytophysiognomic formations: Riparian Forest and campos rupestres
Authors: Clemente Mateus Aparecido , Vieira Karine Munck , Campos Núbia Ribeiro , Del-Claro Kleber , Prezoto Fábio
Published: September 2017

Social wasps are part of the floral visitor guild. In this study we investigated the distribution of flower-visiting wasp species in two phytophysiognomies in the State Park of Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We inspected flowering plants with visiting wasps along a 1 km transect in riparian forest and another 1 km transect in campos rupestres over the course of one year, for a total sampling effort of 240 hours. We found a total of 103 individuals with 15 species distributed among 7 genera, the most common belonging to the Erythroxylaceae (n = 10) and Asteraceae (n = 10) families. Asteraceae had the highest abundance (N = 55). The diversity and evenness of these insects was higher in riparian forest (H '= 0.78 and J' = 0.75) than in campos rupestres (H '= 0.30, J' = 0.39). All species visited flowers of 19 plant species in riparian forest, and eight wasp species visited 11 plant species in campos rupestres. These Polistinae acted as regular floral visitors, thus, conservation programs in these areas may be relevant for the maintenance of social wasp diversity.
Multiple Aggressions Among Nestmates Lead to Weak Dominance Hampering Primitively Eusocial Behaviour in an Orchid Bee
Authors: BOFF SAMUEL , Saito Claudia Akemi , Alves-dos-Santos Isabel
Published: September 2017

Reproductive conflict expressed as aggression is common in social Hymenoptera. In eusocial species, as in honeybees, several mechanisms alleviate the conflicts and reduce aggressive interactions. Unlike their sister group, the orchid bees do not exhibit eusociality. Instead, most of the species seem to have lost sociality and some species have retained vestigial social behaviour. In the current study we investigated the aggressive interactions of females of Euglossa annectans Dressler through five generations of phylopatry and reuse of the natal nest. Although network analysis indicates that central individuals, those with more interactions, were more commonly the aggressors and others were more commonly the recipients, multiple attacks and several potential dominant female within the nest indicated a labile sociality. This suggests that there is an unstable social hierarchy in the species. Euglossa annectans, despite having overlapping generations, during which several individuals share a nest, there is no division of labour into reproductive and interactions are often competitive. Aggressive behaviours conducted by multiple fertile females were often followed by egg, larvae or pupae replacement.
Image-making – image management: White House photos and the political iconography of the Obama presidency
Authors: Bernhardt Petra
Published: September 2017

This article explores the role of Official White House Photos for political image-making and image management during the Obama presidency. Official White House photographers have privileged access to the president in domestic and public situations. They provide high-quality handout photos reflecting the intentions of the Obama administration and are responsible for some of the best-known photos of the President with strategic and historical value. Distributed via the social networking services of the White House, these photos can bypass mainstream journalistic outlets and limit what the public gets to see of certain situations or events. Taking the ‘Years in Photos’ galleries on the official White House Flickr account as a case study, the article qualitatively examines visual choices by the Obama presidency. The dataset consists of 639 photos posted between 2009 and 2015. The author draws on the method of political iconography to reconstruct core motifs of political self-representation. The analysis gives insight into visual strategies central to the President’s image management by focusing on visual portrayals in different roles, settings and relation to others.
The politics of the heart: The history, evolution and success of a post-ideological political symbol
Authors: Novelli Edoardo
Published: September 2017

After a brief historical overview on the diffusion of the heart symbol and its meanings over the centuries in different cultures and civilizations, this article focuses on the last century, emphasizing that, in the early twentieth century in Western culture, the symbol of the heart retained a religious connotation and was totally alien to the iconographic lexicon of politics. The review of the political posters produced in the main Western and European countries reveals very few exceptions. The extensive iconographic output of the three main twentieth-century ideologies – fascism, nazism and communism – did not use the heart symbol, although they extensively employed visual communication and symbolic language. Its powerful religious meaning and appeal to sentiments like love and mutual support were irreconciliable with those of the three ideologies. The heart’s absence from the political–symbolic repertoire continued even in the post-World War II era. The article points out that this symbol began to make its way into political iconography in the last twenty years of the previous century after the creation of the symbol ‘I ♥ N.Y’ in 1977. The great popularity of Milton Glaser’s invention started a new life for the heart symbol. It acquired new values and meanings and became a symbol of pleasure, friendliness and empathy, in tune with the language and culture of advertising and consumer goods. From this point on, this symbol entered the visual vocabulary of a politics that was facing phenomena such as secularization and de-ideologization. Focusing then on recent Italian history, the article shows that the heart is widely present in the political posters of the so-called Second Republic, which officially started in 1994. The key Italian players of the new political season began to deploy the heart symbol in their visual vocabulary, not with traditional meanings but with new ones, trascending historical political groupings and the traditional left/right ideological axis. Through an extensive visual documentation of some of the most striking cases, the article shows how the use of the symbol of the heart in Italian political iconography continued in the years that followed, always characterized by little or no political meaning. In its final part, the article claims that the emotional trend in the candidates’ and parties’ communication, which found its highest expression in the use of the heart symbol, free of any political or manifesto-related content, is not confined to Italy. The analysis of posters produced in different countries documents how the political use of the heart symbol is now international, from north to south, from east to west, and common to different political alignments, from left to right. In conclusion, the article links the prevalence and great success of a post-ideological and emotive symbol such as the heart with some of the ongoing processes in modern mediatized public life and political communication.
Sovereign Tropes: A Rhetorical Critique of Contested Claims in the South China Sea
Authors: Hartnett Stephen J. , Reckard Bryan R.
Published: September 2017

The South China Sea is the world’s busiest and most important waterway, serving as the crossroads of global capitalism and the connective tissue of Southeast Asia. With shipping routes, underwater resources, and hundreds of small islands claimed by Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and others, the area stands among the world’s most contested regions. Since 1945, the United States Navy has dominated the area, but that hegemony is now in question as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) becomes more assertive as a rising power. In efforts to justify their clashing claims over the region, the United States and the PRC have launched campaigns against each other, producing a rhetorical crisis that may foreshadow war. To try to make sense of the rhetoric driving this crisis, the first part of this essay unpacks some of the colorful history of the South China Sea—its legacy of rogues, pirates, opium wars, and so on—to argue that it has always been less of a governed and ordered place and more of a transitory and heterodox space crisscrossed by overlapping intentions, designs, and dreams. From this perspective, any nation’s claims to sovereignty are fictions that aspire to be constitutive, albeit by erasing the constitutive claims of others. The second section of the essay then addresses the PRC’s use of “traumatized nationalism” to advocate for its rights in the South China Sea, while the third section tackles the United States’ use of “belligerent humanitarianism” to justify its actions. The essay concludes with an appeal for a postnational version of shared governance, called for in the name of defending the global commons from the militarized encroachments of nation-states.
An experimental investigation of heat transfer characteristics of water based Al2O3 nanofluid operated shell and tube heat exchanger with air bubble injection technique
Authors: Thakur Gaurav , Singh Gurpreet
Published: September 2017

The thermal performance of shell and tube heat exchangers has been enhanced with the use of different techniques. Air bubble injection is one such promising and inexpensive technique that enhances the heat transfer characteristics inside shell and tube heat exchanger by creating turbulence in the flowing fluid. In this paper, experimental study on heat transfer characteristics of shell and tube heat exchanger was done with the injection of air bubbles at the tube inlet and throughout the tube with water based Al2O3 nanofluids i.e. (0.1%v/v and 0.2%v/v). The outcomes obtained for both the concentrations at two distinct injection points were compared with the case when air bubbles were not injected. The outcomes revealed that the heat transfer characteristics enhanced with nanoparticles volumetric concentration and the air bubble injection. The case where air bubbles were injected throughout the tube gave maximum enhancement followed by the cases of injection of air bubbles at the tube inlet and no air bubble injection. Besides this, water based Al2O3 nanofluid with 0.2%v/v of Al2O3 nanoparticles gave more enhancement than Al2O3nanofluid with 0.1%v/v of Al2O3 nanoparticles as the enhancement in the heat transfer characteristics is directly proportional to the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles in the base fluid. The heat transfer rate showed an enhancement of about 25-40% and dimensionless exergy loss showed an enhancement of about 33-43% when air bubbles were injected throughout the tube. Moreover, increment in the heat transfer characteristics was also found due to increase in the temperature of the hot fluid keeping the flow rate of both the heat transfer fluids constant.
Salinity Has no Effect on Polysomatic Pattern in Seedlings of Trifolium pratense and T. repens
Authors: Kocová Valéria , Bubanová Dominika , Rákai Albert , Kolarčik Vladislav , Mártonfi Pavol
Published: September 2017

Endopolyploidy is a condition of a cell containing reduplicated genetic material in its nucleus. Cells with the nuclei of different ploidy levels are often present within a single polysomatic organism. Endoreduplication is thus a modified cell cycle that omits cytokinesis and leads to chromatin replication in the endopolyploid cells. This study aimed to research the effect of salinity on endopolyploidy ofTrifolium pratenseandT. repens. Both species are important pasture legumes and belong to the genusFabaceaewith the well documented endopolyploidy occurence. Endopolyploidy levels in the seedlings treated with 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 mM NaCl were investigated by flow cytometry. The seedling organs were evaluated during three ontogeny stages. The cytometric data plotted on a histogram showed the presence of 2C-16C nuclei inT. pratenseand 2C-8C inT. repens. The hypothesis that salinity induces additional endocycles was not confirmed. Our results show that the distribution of nuclei among ploidy levels does not differ markedly between the treatment groups and the control ones. Additionally, only minor changes were observed among the endoreduplication indexes (EI) of plant organs after exposure to various salt concentrations. Endopolyploidy patterns within the salt-treated seedlings during ontogeny are similar to the controls. We suggest that endopolyploidy inTrifoliumspecies is a conserved genetic trait, rather than an adaptation to salinity stress. The analyses of the roots ofT. pratenseat stage III show that with the increased concentrations of NaCl the length of roots decreased, but no evident changes in endopolyploidy occured.
Life assessment of marine ethylene propylene rubber power cables based on hardness retention rate
Authors: Meng Xiaokai , Wang Zhiqiang , Li Guofeng
Published: September 2017

The lifetime of ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) insulated cables will decrease because of complex aging processes. From the safety perspective, insulation condition assessment of the cable is essential to maintain an efficient and reliable operation. As a nondestructive and online evaluation method, a hardness retention rate was used to estimate the lifetime of cable. First, accelerated thermal aging tests in the laboratory were performed to measure the elongation at break retention rate (EAB%) and a hardness retention rate at different temperatures. Second, the aging values were processed by the Arrhenius equation and time temperature superposition to assess aging lifetime of insulation at different temperatures and end levels. As the insulation condition assessment of the cable by hardness retention test has no approved standard, the EAB% data were correlated with hardness retention to provide an evaluation basis. The results show that when EAB% picks out the time corresponding to a certain amount of 50% degradation, 10% of hardness retention was chosen as the termination index.
Multi-layer observer as new structure for state estimation in linear systems
Authors: Bernat Jakub , Kołota Jakub , Superczyńska Paulina , Stępień Sławomir
Published: September 2017

A new structure to design observers for linear systems is presented in this work. The key step is the construction of two layers where the first consists of multiple observers and the second connects them providing the weighted estimation state. The main difficulty is to find a new feedback which is responsible for control weights. To define observation law, we rely on multi observers from the first layer. The proposed structure significantly improves the transient characteristics of the observation process, which is shown in illustrative examples.