bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historical data and modern methods reveal insights in measles epidemiology: a retrospective closed cohort study
Authors: Paterson Beverley J , Kirk Martyn D , Cameron A Scott , D'Este Catherine , Durrheim David N
Published: January 2013

Objectives

Measles was endemic in England during the early 1800s; however, it did not arrive in Australia until 1850 whereas other infectious diseases were known to have arrived much earlier—many with the First Fleet in 1788—leading to the question of why there was a difference.

Design

Ships surgeons’ logbooks from historical archives, 1829–1882, were retrospectively reviewed for measles outbreak data. Infectious disease modelling techniques were applied to determine whether ships would reach Australia with infectious measles cases.

Setting

Historical ship surgeon logbooks of measles outbreaks occurring on journeys from Britain to Australia were examined to provide new insights into measles epidemiology.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Serial intervals and basic reproduction numbers (R0), immunity, outbreak generations, age-distribution, within-family transmission and outbreak lengths for measles within these closed cohorts.

Results

Five measles outbreaks were identified (163 cases). The mean serial interval (101 cases) was 12.3 days (95% CI 12.1 to 12.5). Measles R0(95 cases) ranged from 7.7–10.9. Immunity to measles was lowest among children ≤10 years old (range 37–42%), whereas 94–97% of adults appeared immune. Outbreaks ranged from 4–6 generations and, before 1850, were 41 and 38 days in duration. Two outbreaks after 1850 lasted longer than 70 days and one lasted 32 days.

Conclusions

Measles syndrome reporting in a ship surgeon's logs provided remarkable detail on prevaccination measles epidemiology in the closed environment of ship voyages. This study found lower measles R0and a shorter mean clinical serial interval than is generally reported. Archival ship surgeon log books indicate it was unlikely that measles was introduced into Australia before 1850, owing to high levels of pre-existing immunity in ship passengers, low numbers of travelling children and the journey's length from England to Australia.
Is a high level of general practitioner consultations associated with low outpatients specialist clinic use? A cross-sectional study
Authors: Deraas Trygve S , Berntsen Gro R , Hasvold Toralf , Ringberg Unni , Førde Olav Helge
Published: January 2013

Objective

To examine if increased general practice activity is associated with lower outpatient specialist clinic use.

Design

Cross-sectional population based study.

Setting

All 430 Norwegian municipalities in 2009.

Participants

All Norwegians aged ≥65 years (n=721 915; 56% women—15% of the total population).

Main outcome measure

Specialised care outpatient clinic consultations per 1000 inhabitants (OPC rate). Main explanatory: general practitioner (GP) consultations per 1000 inhabitants (GP rate).

Results

In total, there were 3 339 031 GP consultations (57% women) and 1 757 864 OPC consultations (53% women). The national mean GP rate was 4625.2 GP consultations per 1000 inhabitants (SD 1234.3) and the national mean OPC rate was 2434.3 per 1000 inhabitants (SD 695.3). Crude analysis showed a statistically significant positive association between GP rates and OPC rates. In regression analyses, we identified three effect modifiers; age, mortality and the municipal composite variable of ‘hospital status’ (present/not present) and ‘population size’ (small, medium and large). We stratified manually by these effect modifiers into five strata. Crude stratified analyses showed a statistically significant positive association for three out of five strata. For the same three strata, those in the highest GP consultation rate quintile had higher mean OPC rates compared with those in the lowest quintile after adjustment for confounders (p<0.001). People aged ≥85 in small municipalities had approximately 30% lower specialist care use compared with their peers in larger municipalities, although the association between GP-rates and OPC-rates was still positive.

Conclusions

In a universal health insurance system with high GP-accessibility, a health policy focusing solely on a higher activity in terms of GP consultations will not likely decrease OPC use among elderly.
The Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns (SMILE) study: cluster randomised trial of humour therapy in nursing homes
Authors: Low Lee-Fay , Brodaty Henry , Goodenough Belinda , Spitzer Peter , Bell Jean-Paul , Fleming Richard , Casey Anne-Nicole , Liu Zhixin , Chenoweth Lynn
Published: January 2013

Objectives

To determine whether humour therapy reduces depression (primary outcome), agitation and behavioural disturbances and improves social engagement and quality-of-life in nursing home residents.

Design

The Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns study was a single-blind cluster randomised controlled trial of humour therapy.

Setting

35 Sydney nursing homes.

Participants

All eligible residents within geographically defined areas within each nursing home were invited to participate.

Intervention

Professional ‘ElderClowns’ provided 9–12 weekly humour therapy sessions, augmented by resident engagement by trained staff ‘LaughterBosses’. Controls received usual care.

Measurements

Depression scores on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, agitation scores on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, behavioural disturbance scores on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, social engagement scores on the withdrawal subscale of Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects, and self-rated and proxy-rated quality-of-life scores on a health-related quality-of-life tool for dementia, the DEMQOL. All outcomes were measured at the participant level by researchers blind to group assignment.

Randomisation

Sites were stratified by size and level of care then assigned to group using a random number generator.

Results

Seventeen nursing homes (189 residents) received the intervention and 18 homes (209 residents) received usual care. Groups did not differ significantly over time on the primary outcome of depression, or on behavioural disturbances other than agitation, social engagement and quality of life. The secondary outcome of agitation was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared with controls over 26 weeks (time by group interaction adjusted for covariates: p=0.011). The mean difference in change from baseline to 26 weeks in Blom-transformed agitation scores after adjustment for covariates was 0.17 (95% CI 0.004 to 0.34, p=0.045).

Conclusions

Humour therapy did not significantly reduce depression but significantly reduced agitation.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry -ACTRN12611000462987.
IFN production ability and healthy ageing: mixed model analysis of a 24 year longitudinal study in Japan
Authors: Uno Kazuko , Yagi Katsumi , Yoshimori Masayo , Tanigawa Mari , Yoshikawa Toshikazu , Fujita Setsuya
Published: January 2013

Objective

To track changes in interferon (IFN) production in healthy individuals to shed light on the effect these changes have on the course of healthy ageing.

Design

Study is based on data that were collected over 24 years from a cohort of individuals whose IFN-α production was quantified as a part of their annual routine health check-up.

Setting

All individuals in this study underwent regular health check-ups at Louis Pasteur Center for Medical Research.

Participants

295 healthy individuals (159 males and 136 females) without a history of cancer, autoimmune diseases and hepatitis C virus (HCV) whose IFN-α production was quantified more than five times within 24 years were selected. Finally, 29 males and 4 females whose IFN-α production was quantified more than 25 times were selected and their data were analysed using a mixed model.

Main outcome measures

HVJ stimulated IFN-α  production was quantified. Healthy individual's periodical log transformed IFN-α values (y) were plotted versus age (x) and fitted to linear (y=mx+n) and quadratic formula (y=ax2+bx+c) expressions to reveal changes in the IFN-α  production in these healthy individuals.

Results

The linear expression showed that log (IFN-α) had a slight tendency to decline (3% over 10 years). However, the quadratic formula analysis showed the quadratic expression to be more positive than negative (a concave U-shaped pattern) which means that individuals’ once declining IFN production recovered as they aged.

Conclusions

Although we observed a marginal decline in IFN-α  production, we also observed that IFN production recovered even in individuals in their mid50s to early 60s. These results combined with our previous cross-sectional studies of patients with various diseases suggest that in healthy individuals, the impairment of IFN production is triggered more by the onset of disease (notwithstanding the cause) rather than by ageing.
Current state of knowledge of post-traumatic stress, sleeping problems, obesity and cardiovascular disease in paramedics
Authors: Hegg-Deloye Sandrine , Brassard Patrice , Jauvin Nathalie , Prairie Jérôme , Larouche Dominique , Poirier Paul , Tremblay Angelo , Corbeil Philippe
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The impacts of emergency work on firefighters have been well documented and summarised, but this is not the case for paramedics. This paper explores the literature regarding the impact of work stress on paramedics.

Objective

To identify the literature available on the effect of paramedics’ jobs on their health status.

Methods

Electronic database used: MEDLINE (Ovid, PubMed, National Library of Medicine) between 2000 and 2011. Key words used for the computer searches were: paramedics, emergency responders, emergency workers, shift workers, post-traumatic symptoms, obesity, stress, heart rate variability, physiological response, blood pressure, cardiovascular and cortisol. Exclusion criteria were: studies in which participants were not paramedics, participants without occupational exposure, physical fitness assessment in paramedics and epidemiological reports regarding death at work.

Results

The electronic databases cited 42 articles, of which we excluded 17; thus, 25 articles are included in this review. It seems clear that paramedics accumulate a set of risk factors, including acute and chronic stress, which may lead to development of cardiovascular diseases. Post-traumatic disorders, sleeping disorders and obesity are prevalent among emergency workers. Moreover, their employers use no inquiry or control methods to monitor their health status and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Conclusions

More studies are needed to characterise paramedics’ behaviour at work. These studies could allow the development of targeted strategies to prevent health problems reported in paramedics.
Trauma survival prediction in Asian population: a modification of TRISS to improve accuracy
Authors: Chan Canon King On , Yau Kelvin KW , Cheung Moon-Tong
Published: January 2013

The probability of survival (PS) in blunt trauma as calculated by Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) has been an indispensable tool in trauma audit. The aim of this study is to explore the predictive performance of the latest updated TRISS model by investigating the Age variable recategorisations and application of local Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Revised Trauma Score (RTS) coefficients in a logistic model using a level I trauma centre database involving Asian population.

Methods

Prospectively and consecutively collected 5684 trauma patients’ data over a 10-year period at a regional level I trauma centre were reviewed. Four modified TRISS (mTRISS) models using Age coefficient from reclassifications of the Age variable according to their correlation with survival by logistic regression on the local dataset were acquired. RTS and ISS coefficients were derived from the local dataset and then applied to the mTRISS models. mTRISS models were compared with the existing Major Trauma Outcome Study (MTOS)-derived TRISS (eTRISS) model. Model 1=Age effect taken as linear; Model 2=Age classified into two groups (0–54, 55+); Model 3=Age classified into four groups (0–15, 16–54, 55–79, 80+) and Model 4=Age classified into two groups (0–69, 70+). Performance measures including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the various models. The cross-validation procedure consisted of comparing the PSobtained from mTRISS Models 1 and 2 with the PSobtained from the MTOS derived from eTRISS.

Results

A 5147 blunt trauma patients’ dataset was reviewed. Model 1, where Age was taken as a scale variable, demonstrated a substantial improvement in the survival prediction with 91.6% accuracy in blunt injuries as compared with 89.2% in the MTOS-derived TRISS. The 95% CI for ROC derived from mTRISS Model 1 was (0.923, 0.940), when compared with the hypothesised ROC value 0.886 obtained from eTRISS, it clearly indicated a significant improvement in predicting survival at 5% level. Furthermore, ROCs have shown clearly the superiority of Model 1 over Model 2, and of Model 2 over MTOS-derived TRISS. The recategorisation of the Age variable (Models 3 and 4) also demonstrated improved performance, but their strength was not as intense as in Model 1. Overall, the results point to the adoption of Model 1 as the best model for PS. Cross-validation analysis has further assured the validity of these findings.

Conclusions

The present study has demonstrated that (1) having the Age variable being dichotomised (cut-off at 55 years) as in the eTRISS, but with the application of a local dataset-derived coefficients give better TRISS survival prediction in Asian blunt trauma patients; (2) improved performance are found with certain recategorisation of the Age variable and (3) the accuracy can further be enhanced if the Age effect is taken to be linear, with the application of local dataset-derived coefficients.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of routine total body CT compared with selective CT in trauma patients
Authors: Healy Donagh A , Hegarty Aidan , Feeley Iain , Clarke-Moloney Mary , Grace Pierce A , Walsh Stewart R
Published: January 2013

Background

Full-body CT scanning is increasingly being used in the initial evaluation of severely injured patients. We sought to analyse the literature to determine the benefits of full-body scanning in terms of mortality and length of time spent in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

A systematic search of the Pubmed and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Eligible studies compared trauma patients managed with selective CT scanning with patients who underwent immediate full-body scanning. Using random effects modelling, the pooled OR was used to calculate the effect of routine full-body CT on mortality while the pooled weighted mean difference was used to analyse the difference in ED time.

Results

Five studies (8180 patients) provided mortality data while four studies (6073 patients) provided data on ED time. All were non-randomised cohort studies and were prone to several sources of bias. There was no mortality difference between groups (pooled OR=0.68; 95% CI 0.43 to 1.09, p=0.11). There was a significant reduction in the time spent in the ED when patients underwent full-body CT (pooled effect size of weighted mean difference=−32.39 min; 95% CI −51.78 to −13.00; p=0.001).

Conclusions

We eagerly await the results of randomised controlled trials. Firm clinical outcome data are expected to emerge in the near future, though data on cost and radiation exposure will be needed before definitive conclusions can be made.
Traumatic lacerations: what are the risks for infection and has the ‘golden period’ of laceration care disappeared?
Authors: Quinn James V , Polevoi Steven K , Kohn Michael A
Published: January 2013

Objective

To determine risk factors associated with infection and traumatic lacerations and to see if a relationship exists between infection and time to wound closure after injury.

Methods

Consecutive patients presenting with traumatic lacerations at three diverse emergency departments were prospectively enrolled and 27 variables were collected at the time of treatment. Patients were followed for 30 days to determine the development of a wound infection and desire for scar revision.

Results

2663 patients completed follow-up and 69 (2.6%, 95% CI 2.0% to 3.3%) developed infection. Infected wounds were more likely to receive a worse cosmetic rating and more likely to be considered for scar revision (RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.9). People with diabetes (RR 2.70, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.5), lower extremity lacerations (RR 4.1, 95% CI 2.5 to 6.8), contaminated lacerations (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2  to 3.4) and lacerations greater than 5 cm (RR 2.9, 95% CI 1.6 to 5.2) were more likely to develop an infection. There were no differences in the infection rates for lacerations closed before 3% (95% CI 2.3% to 3.8%) or after 1.2% (95% CI 0.03% to 6.4%) 12 h.

Conclusions

Diabetes, wound contamination, length greater than 5 cm and location on the lower extremity are important risk factors for wound infection. Time from injury to wound closure is not as important as previously thought. Improvements in irrigation and decontamination over the past 30 years may have led to this change in outcome.
Analgesic response to morphine in obese and morbidly obese patients in the emergency department
Authors: Patanwala Asad E , Holmes Karen L , Erstad Brian L
Published: January 2013

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to compare the analgesic response to morphine in non-obese, obese and morbidly obese patients for acute pain.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in a tertiary care emergency department in the USA. Consecutive adults who received intravenous morphine 4 mg for pain were included. Patients were categorised into three groups based on body mass index (BMI): non-obese (18.5–29.9 kg/m2); obese (30.0–39.9 kg/m2); and morbidly obese (≥40 kg/m2). Baseline and post-dose pain scores were recorded. Pain was measured on a 0–10 numerical rating scale (0=no pain; 10=worst possible pain). Analgesic response was defined as the difference between the initial pain score and post-dose pain score.

Results

300 patients were included in the study (100 in each group). The median baseline pain scores were 8.5, 8 and 8.5 in the non-obese, obese and morbidly obese groups, respectively (p=0.464). The median analgesic response after morphine administration was 2, 3 and 2 in the non-obese, obese and morbidly obese groups, respectively (p=0.160). In the linear regression analysis (R2=0.006), BMI was not predictive of analgesic response (coefficient −0.020; p=0.199).

Conclusions

Obesity status did not influence analgesic response to a fixed dose of morphine. This suggests that obese and morbidly obese patients do not require a higher dose of morphine for acute pain reduction compared to non-obese patients.
Pre-procedure P2Y12 reaction units value predicts perioperative thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications in patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with the Pipeline Embolization Device
Authors: Delgado Almandoz Josser E , Crandall Benjamin M , Scholz Jill M , Fease Jennifer L , Anderson Ruth E , Kadkhodayan Yasha , Tubman David E
Published: January 2013

Background

There is wide variability in the reported incidence of perioperative thromboembolic (0–14%) and hemorrhagic (0–11%) complications after Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) procedures for cerebral aneurysm treatment, which could be partly due to differences in patient response to the P2Y12 receptor antagonist administered while the PED endothelializes. This study aims to identify an optimal pre-procedure P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) value range and determine the independent predictors of perioperative thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications after PED procedures.

Methods

We recorded patient and aneurysm characteristics, P2Y12 receptor antagonist administered, pre-procedure PRU value with VerifyNow, procedural variables and perioperative thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications up to postoperative day 30 after PED procedures at our institution during an 8-month period. Perioperative complications were considered major if they caused a permanent disabling neurological deficit or death. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of perioperative complications in our cohort.

Results

Forty-four patients underwent 48 PED procedures at our institution during the study period. There were eight thromboembolic and hemorrhagic perioperative complications in our cohort (16.7%), four of which were major (8.3%). A pre-procedure PRU value of <60 or >240 (p=0.02) and a technically difficult procedure (p=0.04) were independent predictors of all perioperative complications. A pre-procedure PRU value of <60 or >240 (p=0.004) and a history of hypertension (p=0.03) were independent predictors of major perioperative complications.

Conclusions

In our cohort, a pre-procedure PRU value of <60 or >240 was the strongest independent predictor of all and major perioperative thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications after PED procedures.
Histopathological findings in the livers of cats with a congenital portosystemic shunt before and after surgical attenuation
Authors: Swinbourne F. , Smith K. C. , Lipscomb V. J. , Tivers M. S.
Published: January 2013

Histopathological changes are reported in the livers of cats with congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) before and after surgical attenuation. Medical records, portovenograms and liver biopsies from cats treated surgically for CPSS were reviewed. Biopsies were graded for histopathological features characteristic of CPSS. Of 40 cats with CPSS included in the study, all had portal vein hypoplasia and arteriolar hyperplasia at initial surgery, 20 (50 per cent) had hepatocyte swelling with microvesicular vacuolar change, 17 (42.5 per cent) had fibrosis, 12 (30 per cent) had hepatocyte swelling with macrovesicular vacuolar change, 8 (20 per cent) had biliary hyperplasia and 2 (5 per cent) had haemosiderin within Küpffer cells. Cats with macrovesicular vacuolar change were significantly older than cats without (P = 0.001), with median ages of 18.5 months and 8.5 months, respectively. Twenty‐five cats had partial attenuation of the CPSS at initial surgery, and 16 of these had follow‐up biopsy samples. There were no significant differences in the histopathological features of biopsies before and after partial attenuation. From first to second surgery, there was a significant improvement in intrahepatic vasculature on portovenography both before (P = 0.001) and after (P = 0.039) temporary complete attenuation. Following partial CPSS attenuation, there was no significant change in histopathological features despite an improvement in intrahepatic vasculature on portovenography.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in boxer dogs: a retrospective study of survival
Authors: Caro‐Vadillo A. , García‐Guasch L. , Carretón E. , Montoya‐Alonso J. A. , Manubens J.
Published: January 2013

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate survival in a population of 62 boxer dogs with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), without left ventricular systolic failure, based on the following factors: age at diagnosis, presence of syncopal episodes, Holter arrhythmia classification and administered treatment. Medical records of boxer dogs with a diagnosis of ARVC between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. Results showed that median survival time (MST) was longer in younger ARVC dogs than in the older ones P<0.001). MST was statistically different (P=0.012) between dogs with syncope (365 days) and dogs without syncope episodes (693 days), the probability of death within a year being 4.8 times greater in dogs with syncope (95% CI 1.48 to 15.99) than in dogs without syncope. Regarding Holter classification results, MST was 547.5 days in Holter class‐2 dogs and 365 days in Holter class‐4 dogs (P=0.030). There were no differences regarding treatment options; MST was 365 days (95% CI 193.615 to 536.4) in the sotalol group, 365 days (95% CI 92.86 to 637.14) in the mexiletine plus atenolol group, and 547.50 days (95% CI 170.45 to 924.55) in the procainamide group (P=0.383). According to this study, the best prognosis is for the younger boxer dog without syncope. There were no differences in survival times in relation to the different treatment options used.
Population screening for the mutation associated with osteogenesis imperfecta in dachshunds
Authors: Eckardt J. , Kluth S. , Dierks C. , Philipp U. , Distl O.
Published: January 2013

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder causing defects in the development of collagen type I. Clinical signs of affected dachshunds include multiple fractures of bones, joint hyperlaxity and dentinogenesis imperfecta. Recently, a recessive mutation in the SERPINH1 gene was detected in dachshunds and enabled the development of a DNA test to identify dachshunds carrying the mutation. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the dachshund breeding population for the frequency of the SERPINH1 mutation among the nine different breed varieties in dachshunds, birth years and countries of origin. We genotyped the OI‐associated SERPINH1 mutation in 1352 dachshunds from 12 different European countries including all nine varieties. Genotyping was done using a restriction fragment length polymorphism validated by DNA sequence analysis. The overall frequency of OI carriers was 12.9 per cent. Across all different size varieties, the SERPINH1 mutation was over‐represented in wire‐haired dachshunds with 17.3 per cent OI carriers. Among the different countries, the proportion of OI carriers was highest in Germany with 20.4 per cent. The test is useful for dachshund breeders to prevent the occurrence of OI‐affected dogs and as a diagnostic tool for veterinarians.
A review of RSPCA research into wildlife rehabilitation
Authors: Grogan A. , Kelly A.
Published: January 2013

Wildlife rehabilitation is defined as ‘the treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased, and displaced indigenous animals, and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild’ (Miller 2012). Vets are frequently presented with wildlife casualties and although there are a number of texts available to help vets with the treatment of wild animals, such as the BSAVA Manual of Wildlife Casualties (Mullineaux and others 2003) and papers produced by experienced wildlife vets (eg, Bexton and Couper 2010, Couper and Bexton 2012), there still remains questions regarding which individual animals can, or should, be treated, which animals will survive treatment and which animals will survive after they have been released back to the wild. The RSPCA believes that the welfare of wildlife casualties can be improved by investigating which injuries or illnesses are most likely to result in a successful release for each species, and by collecting data on postrelease survivorship. As a result, there have been a number of papers published based on the work of the RSPCA's four wildlife centres: East Winch in Norfolk, Mallydams Wood in East Sussex, Stapeley Grange in Cheshire and West Hatch in Somerset. This paper summarises this research, to guide those in the profession with an interest in this subject to papers that may prove useful to them.
Characteristics of electronic training collars for dogs
Authors: Lines J. A. , van Driel K. , Cooper J. J.
Published: January 2013

A wide range of electronic dog training collars (e‐collars) is available in the UK, but information enabling purchasers to compare the important characteristics of these collars is not available. In this research, the electrical characteristics of 13 e‐collar models were examined, and an approach to ranking the strength of the electrical stimuli was developed. To achieve this, the electrical impedance of dogs' necks were measured so that e‐collars could be tested under realistic conditions. This impedance was found to be about 10 kΩ for wet dogs and 640 kΩ for dry dogs. Two replicates of eight e‐collar models and single copies of a further five models were then examined. The stimuli generated by these collars comprised sequences of short high‐voltage pulses. There were large differences between e‐collar models in the energy, peak voltage, number of pulses and duration of the pulses, but little variation between the replicates. The peak voltage varied with the impedance, from 6000V at an impedance of 500 kΩ to 100V at 5 kΩ. The highest voltages were generated for a few millionths of a second. Stimulus energy levels at the maximum strength setting with a 50 kΩ load ranged from 3.3 mJ to 287 mJ. A stimulus strength ranking indicator was then developed to enable the strengths of e‐collars with diverse electrical characteristics to be ranked. This ranking shows a wide range in the stimulus strengths of collars, and that the relationships between ‘momentary’ and ‘continuous’ stimuli for various models differ significantly.
Urinary tract infections in sows in Italy: accuracy of urinalysis and urine culture against histological findings
Authors: Bellino C. , Gianella P. , Grattarola C. , Miniscalco B. , Tursi M. , Dondo A. , D'Angelo A. , Cagnasso A.
Published: January 2013

In order to investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI) in sow, lower urinary tract (LUT), kidney and urine samples were collected at slaughterhouse from 65 multiparous culled sows. Histopathology was performed on urethra, urinary bladder and ­kidney sections. Urine collected by cystocentesis was analysed for physical and biochemical parameters, in addition to microscopic examination of the sediment and quantitative culture ( > 105 CFU/ml urine). The diagnostic accuracy of urinalysis and urine culture was calculated for the parameters that correlated with histological diagnosis: bilateral chronic lesions were found in 54 per cent of kidney samples and diffuse/multifocal lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the submucosa in 53 per cent of the bladder and 68 per cent of the urethra samples. In 49 per cent of cases, the co‐occurrence of bladder and urethra lesions was statistically significant (P < 0.009). Turbid urine (80 per cent sensitivity, 50 per cent specificity),  > 5 white blood cells per high‐power field (34 per cent sensitivity, 90 per cent specificity), intracellular or free bacteria (43 per cent sensitivity, 90 per cent specificity), and urine culture (49 per cent sensitivity, 97 per cent specificity) correlated with a finding of histopathological changes in the bladder. UTI appears to be common in culled sows in northern Italy. Compared with histopathology, urinalysis and urine culture showed low sensitivity but high specificity in detecting UTI.
Does oral administration of the amino acid tyrosine affect oestradiol‐17β concentration and sexual behaviour in the bitch?
Authors: Spankowsky S. , Heuwieser W. , Arlt S. P.
Published: January 2013

The oral administration of the amino acid, tyrosine, has been for years recommended in order to improve fertility, especially to improve copulation behaviour in female dogs. However, evidence is comparatively poor. The objective of our study was to determine whether oral administration of tyrosine has an effect on oestradiol‐17β concentrations and the oestrous behaviour in the bitch. Fifty bitches were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups in which each dog received 100mg/kg/day of either tyrosine or milk sugar orally between Day 3 and Day 9 of heat. Every two to three days, a gynaecological examination was performed and blood samples were taken to determine oestradiol‐17β and progesterone concentrations. The day of ovulation was estimated by clinical findings, and according to the specifications of the laboratory, once progesterone values exceeded 12.7nmol/l. The observed copulation behaviour was not different between the groups. No differences in volume and visual nature of vaginal discharge were observed. At the day of ovulation, mean oestradiol‐17β concentration in the treated group was 163.4pmol/l and 162.2pmol/l in the placebo group, respectively. In conclusion, feeding tyrosine to female dogs between Day 3 and Day 9 of heat did not alter visual signs of heat or copulation behaviour, and did not alter oestradiol‐17β concentration.
Genetic differentiation in an artificial population of the threatened plantLupinus oreganus(Fabaceae)
Authors: Severns Paul M.
Published: January 2013

Reintroduction, supplemental planting for genetic rescue, and the creation of artificial seed production populations are common methods to conserve rare plant species, but empirical studies assessing the effects of artificial selection on genetic diversity are rare. I conducted a retrospective DNA genotyping study on an artificial population (hereinafter Office) of the threatened plant, Lupinus oreganus Heller, to determine whether the process of establishing the Office population facilitated genetic differentiation and if genetic diversity was maintained in the Office cohort. Genotyping indicated that uncommon maternal lineages (cpDNA haplotypes) were selected for in the artificial population and that the Office population was genetically distinct from both seed source patches. Furthermore, despite a small population size of seven individuals, cpDNA haplotype and nDNA simple sequence repeat allelic diversity was maintained in the surviving Office cohort. This study suggests that small artificial rare plant populations may be beneficial for capitalizing on the existing within-population genetic diversity, but they may also select for uncommon allelic diversity and facilitate genetic differentiation.
A SIGNAL-TUNED GABOR TRANSFORM WITH APPLICATION TO EEG ANALYSIS
Authors: TORREÃO JOSÉ R. A. , VICTER SILVIA M. C. , FERNANDES JOÃO L.
Published: January 2013

We introduce a time-frequency transform based on Gabor functions whose parameters are given by the Fourier transform of the analyzed signal. At any given frequency, the width and the phase of the Gabor function are obtained, respectively, from the magnitude and the phase of the signal's corresponding Fourier component, yielding an analyzing kernel which is a representation of the signal's content at that particular frequency. The resulting Gabor transform tunes itself to the input signal, allowing the accurate detection of time and frequency events, even in situations where the traditional Gabor and S-transform approaches tend to fail. This is the case, for instance, when considering the time-frequency representation of electroencephalogram traces (EEG) of epileptic subjects, as illustrated by the experimental study presented here.
126 GeV HIGGS BOSON PAIR PRODUCTION AT THE LINEAR COLLIDER IN THE NONCOMMUTATIVE SPACE–TIME
Authors: DAS PRASANTA KUMAR , PRAKASH ABHISHODH
Published: January 2013

We study the 126 GeV Higgs boson pair production through e+e- collision in the noncommutative extension of the standard model using the Seiberg–Witten map of this to the first order of the noncommutative parameter Θμν. The process is forbidden in the standard model at the tree level. We study the time-averaged cross-section of the pair production at TeV scale linear collider and investigate the sensitivity of the cross-section on the orientation angle η and the noncommutative scale Λ. We found that Λ lies in the range 0.5 TeV–1.0 TeV, which can be reached by the upcoming linear collider.
GENERATION OF AN EIGHT-WING CHAOTIC ATTRACTOR FROM QI 3-D FOUR-WING CHAOTIC SYSTEM
Authors: QI GUOYUAN , WANG ZHONGLIN , GUO YANLING
Published: January 2013

This paper presents an eight-wing chaotic attractor by replacing a constant parameter with a switch function in Qi four-wing 3-D chaotic system. The eight-wing chaotic attractor has more complicated topological structures and dynamics than the original one. Some basic dynamical behaviors and the compound structure of the proposed 3-D system are investigated. Poincaré-map analysis shows that the system has an extremely rich dynamics. The physical existence of the eight-wing chaotic attractor is verified by an electronic circuit FPGA.
CHAOTIC REGIMES, POST-BIFURCATION DYNAMICS, AND COMPETITIVE MODES FOR A GENERALIZED DOUBLE HOPF NORMAL FORM
Authors: REEVES BRANDON , VAN GORDER ROBERT A. , CHOUDHURY S. ROY
Published: January 2013

We discuss the post-bifurcation dynamics of the general double Hopf normal form, which allows us to study two intermittent routes to chaos (routes following either (i) subcritical or (ii) supercritical Hopf or double Hopf bifurcations). In particular, the route following supercritical bifurcations is somewhat subtle. Such behavior following repeated Hopf bifurcations is well-known and widely observed, including the classical Ruelle–Takens and quasiperiodic routes to chaos. However, it has not, to the best of our knowledge, been considered in the context of the double Hopf normal form, although it has been numerically observed and tracked in the post-double-Hopf regime.

We then apply the method of competitive modes to verify parameter regimes for which the double Hopf normal form exhibits chaotic behavior. Such an analysis is useful, as it allows us to potentially identify specific parameter regimes for which the system may exhibit strange or irregular behavior, something which would be extremely difficult otherwise in a system with so many parameters. Indeed, it is conjectured that for parameter sets with two of the square-mode frequencies competitive or nearly competitive, chaotic behavior is likely to be observed in the system. We apply the method of competitive modes to two representative cases where intermittent chaos is found, and the competitive mode analysis there seems to verify the occurrence of chaos in each of the two types of regimes.
WAVELET BIFURCATION ANALYSIS OF DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY IN OSCILLATIONS OF CHARA CORALLINA TRANSMEMBRANE POTENTIAL
Authors: POSTNIKOV E. B. , LAVROVA A. I. , KISELIOV R. V. , PLYUSNINA T. YU.
Published: January 2013

We consider oscillations observed in the mathematical model describing the dynamics of transmembrane potential and changes of proton concentration outside and inside the cell of alga Chara corallina. This model shows sufficiently nonlinear regimes such as periods of birth/disappearance as well as parameter regions of chaotic motion. We perform bifurcation analysis of these complex oscillations via the Continuous Wavelet Transform with the Morlet wavelet. We show that this method, compared to classical bifurcation analysis allows to make numerical simulations at the continuous change of the key parameters and to obtain the spectral characteristics.
ASYMPTOTIC EXPANSIONS OF MELNIKOV FUNCTIONS AND LIMIT CYCLE BIFURCATIONS
Authors: HAN MAOAN
Published: January 2013

In the study of the perturbation of Hamiltonian systems, the first order Melnikov functions play an important role. By finding its zeros, we can find limit cycles. By analyzing its analytical property, we can find its zeros. The main purpose of this article is to summarize some methods to find its zeros near a Hamiltonian value corresponding to an elementary center, nilpotent center or a homoclinic or heteroclinic loop with hyperbolic saddles or nilpotent critical points through the asymptotic expansions of the Melnikov function at these values. We present a series of results on the limit cycle bifurcation by using the first coefficients of the asymptotic expansions.
Hierarchical power management for adaptive tightly-coupled processor arrays
Authors: Lari Vahid , Muddasani Shravan , Boppu Srinivas , Hannig Frank , Schmid Moritz , Teich Jürgen
Published: January 2013

We present a self-adaptive hierarchical power management technique for massively parallel processor architectures, supporting a new resource-aware parallel computing paradigm called invasive computing. Here, an application can dynamically claim, execute, and release the resources in three phases: resource acquisition (invade), program loading/configuration and execution (infect), and release (retreat). Resource invasion is governed by dedicated decentralized hardware controllers, called invasion controllers (
i
ctrls), which are integrated into each processing element (PE). Several invasion strategies for claiming linearly connected or rectangular regions of processing resources are implemented. The key idea is to exploit the decentralized resource management inherent to invasive computing for power savings by enabling applications themselves to control the power for processing resources and invasion controllers using a hierarchical power-gating approach. We propose analytical models for estimating various components of energy consumption for faster design space exploration and compare them with the results obtained from a cycle-accurate C++ simulator of the processor array. In order to find optimal design trade-offs, various parameters like (a) energy consumption, (b) hardware cost, and (c) timing overheads are compared for different sizes of power domains. Experimental results show significant energy savings (up to 73%) for selected characteristical algorithms and different resource utilizations. In addition, we demonstrate the accuracy of our proposed analytical model. Here, estimation errors less than 3.6% can be reported.
Using implications to choose tests through suspect fault identification
Authors: Dworak Jennifer , Nepal Kundan , Alves Nuno , Shi Yiwen , Imbriglia Nicholas , Iris Bahar R.
Published: January 2013

As circuits continue to scale to smaller feature sizes, wearout and latent defects are expected to cause an increasing number of errors in the field. Online error detection techniques, including logic implication-based checker hardware, are capable of detecting at least some of these errors as they occur. However, recovery may be expensive, and the underlying problem may lead to multiple failures of a core over time. In this article, we will investigate the diagnostic capability of logic implications to identify possible failure locations when an error is detected online. We will then utilize this information to select a highly efficient test set that can be used to effectively test the identified suspect locations in both the failing core and in other identical cores in the system.
Traffic-Aware Data Delivery Scheme for Urban Vehicular Sensor Networks
Authors: Ma Chunmei , Liu Nianbo
Published: January 2013

Vehicular sensor network (VSN) is a promising technology which could be widely applied to monitor the physical world in urban areas. In such a scenario, the efficient data delivery plays a central role. Existing schemes, however, cannot choose an optimal route, since they either ignore the impact of vehicular distribution on connectivity, or make some unreasonable assumptions on vehicular distribution. In this paper, we propose a traffic-aware data delivery scheme (TADS). The basic idea of TADS is to choose intersections to forward packets dynamically as the route from a source to destination based on link quality and remaining Euclidean distance to destination. Specifically, we first present an optimal utility function as the criteria of intersection selection. Besides the packet forwarding through intersections, we also propose an improved geographically greedy routing algorithm for packet forwarding in straightway mode. Moreover, in order to decrease the routing overhead brought by the traffic information gathering, we build a traffic condition prediction model to estimate the link quality. The simulation results show that our TADS outperforms existing works on packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and routing overhead.
A Case of Incomplete Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Associated with Short Posterior Ciliary Artery Occlusion
Authors: Makino Shinji , Takezawa Mikiko , Sato Yukihiro
Published: January 2013

To our knowledge, incomplete central retinal artery occlusion associated with short posterior ciliary artery occlusion is extremely rare. Herein, we describe a case of a 62-year-old man who was referred to our hospital with of transient blindness in his right eye. At initial examination, the patient’s best-corrected visual acuity was 18/20 in the right eye. Fundus examination showed multiple soft exudates around the optic disc and mild macular retinal edema in his right eye; however, a cherry red spot on the macula was not detected. Fluorescein angiography revealed delayed dye inflow into the nasal choroidal hemisphere that is supplied by the short posterior ciliary artery. The following day, the patient’s visual acuity improved to 20/20. Soft exudates around the optic disc increased during observation and gradually disappeared. His hemodynamic parameters revealed subclavian steal syndrome as examined by cervical ultrasonography and digital subtraction angiography. We speculate that his transient blindness was due to ophthalmic artery spasms. In this particular case, spasms of the ophthalmic artery and occlusion of the short posterior ciliary artery occurred simultaneously. As the short posterior ciliary artery branches from the ophthalmic artery, the anatomical location of the lesion might be near the branching of both arteries.
Permutations and Pairs of Dyck Paths
Authors: Barnabei Marilena , Bonetti Flavio , Silimbani Matteo
Published: January 2013

We define a map v between the symmetric group Sn and the set of pairs of Dyck paths of semilength n. We show that the map v is injective when restricted to the set of 1234-avoiding permutations and characterize the image of this map.
A Comparative Study on the Interaction of Sulfonamide and Nanosulfonamide with Human Serum Albumin
Authors: Behbehani G. Rezaei , Hossaini Sadr Moayed , Nabipur H. , Barzegar L.
Published: January 2013

Binding parameters of the N‐phenyl benzene sulfonyl hydrazide, sulfonamide, and nanosulfonamide interaction with human serum albumin were determined by calorimetry method. The obtained binding parameters indicated that sulfonamide in the second binding sites has higher affinity for binding than the first binding sites. The binding process of sulfonamide to HSA is both enthalpy and entropy driven. The associated equilibrium constants confirm that sulfonamide binds to HSA with high affinity (2.2 × 106
and 3.86105 M−1 for first and second sets of binding sites, resp.). The obtained results indicate that sulfonamide increases the HSA antioxidant property. Nanosulfonamide has much more affinity for HSA (3.6 × 106 M−1) than sulfonamide.
Reviewing the Literature on the Effectiveness of Pressure Relieving Movements
Authors: Schofield Rachel , Porter-Armstrong Alison , Stinson May
Published: January 2013

Sitting for prolonged periods of time increases seating interface pressures, which is known to increase the risk of developing pressure ulcers. Those at risk of developing pressure ulcers are advised to perform pressure relieving movements such as “pushups” or “forward leans” in order to reduce the duration and magnitude of pressure acting on the vulnerable ischial tuberosity region. The aim of this review was to synthesize and critique the existing literature investigating the effectiveness of pressure relieving movements on seating interface pressures. The twenty-seven articles included in this paper highlight the need for further research investigating the effect of recommended pressure relieving movements on the pressures around the ischial tuberosities. Furthermore, this review found that the majority of individuals at risk of developing pressure ulcers do not adhere with the pressure relieving frequency or magnitude of movements currently recommended, indicating a need for pressure ulcer prevention to be explored further.