bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case-Management of Malaria in Children Attending an Outpatient Clinic in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Iwelunmor Juliet , Belue Rhonda , Nwosa Iriowen , Adedokun Ayoade , Airhihenbuwa Collins O.
Published: July 2014

This study examined the case-management of malaria in 135 febrile children attending an outpatient clinic in southwest Nigeria. Specifically, we examined the degree of concordance between physician's diagnosis of malaria, maternal perceptions of child febrile illness, and the results of malaria rapid diagnostic tests. The results indicate poor concordance in the diagnosis of malaria by physicians and the results of malaria RDTs (κ = 0.030, p-value = 0.269) as well as between mother's perception of malaria in their children and malaria RDTs (κ = 0.071, p-value = 0.369). While physicians can correctly identify children that have malaria according to the RDT test (Sensitivity = 95.23%), they were poor identifiers of children who do not have malaria (Specificity = 13.15). On the other hand, while mothers are poor identifiers of children that have malaria according to the malaria RDT test (Sensitivity = 38.1%), they are better at identifying children who do not have malaria (Specificity = 71.1%). The findings demonstrate the importance of exploring the contextual factors that influence case management of child malaria in outpatient clinics.
HIV/AIDS Stigma and Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Rural Ghana
Authors: Anafi Patricia , Mprah Wisdom Kwadwo , Asiamah Ebenezer
Published: July 2014

This qualitative study investigated community and family members' perceptions and attitudes toward persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in rural Ghana and how PLWHAs viewed themselves. The purpose was to provide insights into the nature and extent of HIV/AIDS-related stigma for program and policy interventions. Interviews and focus group discussions examined the stigma. Seventy-four participants 18 years and above (60 community members, 10 PLWHAs, 2 family members of PLWHAs, and 2 HIV/AIDS counselors) participated. Results showed that PLWHAs experienced various forms of negative perceptions, were stigmatized by community and family members, and held strong negative views of HIV/AIDS, which negatively affected the way they lived. To reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma in rural areas, HIV/AIDS education programs that call for strong community and family member support for PLWHAs are essential.
Fixed point theorems for weakly contractive mappings on a metric space endowed with a graph
Authors: Samreen Maria , Kamran Tayyab
Published: July 2014

In this paper we define the notion of weakly G-contractive mappings and
obtain some fixed point theorems for such mappings. Our theorems generalize,
extend and unify some recent results by Harjani and Sadarangani and those
contained therein. Moreover, we also furnish with an application and an
example to substantiate the validity of our results.
The multiplicative spectrum and the uniqueness of the complete norm topology
Authors: Marcos J.C. , Velasco M.V.
Published: July 2014

We define the spectrum of an element a in a non-associative algebra A
according to a classical notion of invertibility (a is invertible if the
multiplication operators La and Ra are bijective). Around this notion of
spectrum, we develop a basic theoretical support for a non-associative
spectral theory. Thus we prove some classical theorems of automatic
continuity free of the requirement of associativity. In particular, we show
the uniqueness of the complete norm topology of m-semisimple algebras,
obtaining as a corollary of this result a well-known theorem of Barry E.
Johnson (1967). The celebrated result of C.E. Rickart (1960) about the
continuity of dense-range homomorphisms is also studied in the
non-associative framework. Finally, because non-associative algebras are very
suitable models in genetics, we provide here a hint of how to apply this
approach in that context, by showing that every homomorphism from a complete
normed algebra onto a particular type of evolution algebra is automatically
continuous.
Trees T satisfying W(L3(T))= W(T)
Authors: Knor Martin , Macaj Martin , Potocnik Primoz , Skrekovski Riste
Published: July 2014

Let G be a graph. Denote by Li(G) its i-iterated line graph and denote by
W(G) its Wiener index. We find an infinite class of trees T satisfying
W(L3(T)) = W(T), which disproves a conjecture of Dobrynin and Entringer
[Electronic Notes in Discrete Math. 22 (2005) 469-475].
Coxeter groups as automorphism groups of solid transitive 3-simplex tilings
Authors: Stojanovic Milica
Published: July 2014

In the papers of I.K. Zhuk, then more completely of E. Moln?r, I. Prok, J.
Szirmai all simplicial 3-tilings have been classified, where a symmetry
group acts transitively on the simplex tiles. The involved spaces depends on
some rotational order parameters. When a vertex of a such simplex lies out
of the absolute, e.g. in hyperbolic space H3, then truncation with its polar
plane gives a truncated simplex or simply, trunc-simplex. Looking for
symmetries of these tilings by simplex or trunc-simplex domains, with their
side face pairings, it is possible to find all their group extensions,
especially Coxeter?s reflection groups, if they exist. So here, connections
between isometry groups and their supergroups is given by expressing the
generators and the corresponding parameters. There are investigated
simplices in families F3, F4, F6 and appropriate series of trunc-simplices.
In all cases the Coxeter groups are the maximal ones.
Two upper bounds for the degree distances of four sums of graphs
Authors: An Mingqiang , Xiong Liming , Das Kinkar
Published: July 2014

The degree distance (DD), which is a weight version of the Wiener index,
defined for a connected graph G as vertex-degree-weighted sum of the
distances, that is, DD(G) = ?{u,v}?V(G)[dG(u)+dG(v)]d[u,v|G), where dG(u)
denotes the degree of a vertex u in G and d(u,v|G) denotes the distance
between two vertices u and v in G: In this paper, we establish two upper
bounds for the degree distances of four sums of two graphs in terms of other
indices of two individual graphs.
Quasi-special Osserman manifolds
Authors: Andrejic Vladica
Published: July 2014

In this paper we deal with a pseudo-Riemannian Osserman curvature tensor
whose reduced Jacobi operator is diagonalizable with exactly two distinct
eigenvalues. The main result gives new insight into the theory of the duality
principle for pseudo-Riemannian Osserman manifolds. We concern with special
Osserman curvature tensor and propose new ways to exclude some additional
duality principle conditions from its definition.
Some fixed point results for (α,β)-(ψ,Φ)-contractive mappings
Authors: Alizadeh Sattar , Moradlou Fridoun , Salimi Peyman
Published: July 2014

In this paper, we introduce the notions of cyclic (?,?)-admissible mappings,
(?,?)-(?,?)-contractive and weak ? - ? - ? - rational contraction mappings
via cyclic (?,?)-admissible mappings. We prove some new fixed point results
for such mappings in the setting of complete metric spaces. The obtained
results generalize, unify and modify some recent theorems in the literature.
Some examples and an application to integral equations are given here to
illustrate the usability of the obtained results.
A Decade after Sarbanes-Oxley: The Need for Ongoing Vigilance, Monitoring, and Research
Authors: Franzel Jeanette M.
Published: July 2014

SYNOPSIS

After more than a decade since passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the creation of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), it is appropriate and necessary to ask questions about the present state of audit quality and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of PCAOB's oversight programs. Written from the viewpoint of a current PCAOB Board member and former Managing Director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), this paper discusses the warning signs of serious auditing problems in the years preceding the Act, and the role that the GAO played in analyzing those risks and calling for greater oversight of the accounting profession's auditing public companies. We must be vigilant and continually examine the activities of the auditing profession and the regulatory regime to ensure that audit independence and audit quality remain front and center to ensure investor protection and safeguard the public interest. Academic researchers play a key role in this system of vigilance. This paper provides views on many areas within the auditing profession that would benefit from further research and analysis, as well as opportunities for research that could be useful to the PCAOB as it considers current and future regulatory priorities.
Late Secularization and Religion as Alien
Authors: Bruce Steve
Published: July 2014

The argument that modernization and secularization are linked in some non-accidental and nontautological manner is sometimes rebutted with the assertion that the statistical evidence of decline in indices of interest in religion in the UK and elsewhere in the modern world is a mere trend that may be changed by a revival of interest in religion. This essay considers the obstacles to such a revival. It makes the case that ‘late secularization’ differs in three important ways from ‘early secularization’. The shared stock of religious knowledge is small, the public reputation of religion is poor, and religion is carried primarily by populations that are unusual in being drawn either from a narrow demographic or from immigrant peoples. Given the role of affective social bonds in religious conversion, the alien nature of the carriers of religion makes religious revival extremely unlikely.
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Response to Posteriorly Directed Pressure Applied to the Cervical Spine in Young, Pain-Free Individuals: A Randomized, Repeated-Measures, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Yung Emmanuel , Wong Michael , Williams Haddie , Mache Kyle
Published: July 2014

Study Design

Randomized clinical trial.

Objectives

To compare the blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) response of healthy volunteers to posteriorly directed (anterior-to-posterior [AP]) pressure applied to the cervical spine versus placebo.

Background

Manual therapists employ cervical spine AP mobilizations for various cervical-shoulder pain conditions. However, there is a paucity of literature describing the procedure, cardiovascular response, and safety profile.

Methods

Thirty-nine (25 female) healthy participants (mean ± SD age, 24.7 ± 1.9 years) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Group 1 received a placebo, consisting of light touch applied to the right C6 costal process. Group 2 received AP pressure at the same location. Blood pressure and HR were measured prior to, during, and after the application of AP pressure. One-way analysis of variance and paired-difference statistics were used for data analysis.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between groups for mean systolic BP, mean diastolic BP, and mean HR (P >.05) for all time points. Within-group comparisons indicated statistically significant differences between baseline and post-AP pressure HR (−2.8 bpm; 95% confidence interval: −4.6, −1.1) and between baseline and post-AP pressure systolic BP (−2.4 mmHg; 95% confidence interval: −3.7, −1.0) in the AP group, and between baseline and postplacebo systolic BP (−2.6 mmHg; 95% confidence interval: −4.2, −1.0) in the placebo group. No participants reported any adverse reactions or side effects within 24 hours of testing.

Conclusion

AP pressure caused a statistically significant physiologic response that resulted in a minor drop in HR (without causing asystole or vasodepression) after the procedure, whereas this cardiovascular change did not occur for those in the placebo group. Within both groups, there was a small but statistically significant reduction in systolic BP following the procedure. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(8):622–626. Epub 16 July 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.4820
Pressure Pain Sensitivity Changes After Use of Shock-Absorbing Insoles Among Young Soccer Players Training on Artificial Turf: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Madeleine Pascal , Hoej Brian P. , Fernández-de-las-Peñas César , Rathleff Michael S. , Kaalund Søren
Published: July 2014

Study Design

Prospective, randomized, controlled single-blind intervention trial.

Objectives

Shock-absorbing insoles (SAIs), compared with usual insoles, were hypothesized to result in larger increases in pressure pain threshold (PPT) after 3 weeks of use.

Background

Shock-absorbing insoles can decrease self-reported pain among young soccer players training on artificial turf. However, nothing is known about the underlying changes in pain sensitivity assessed by PPT.

Methods

Seventy-five players were included from the youth teams of under 15, under 17, and under 19 years of age, playing for the Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB) professional sports club. After a randomization stratified by team and age, players were divided into 2 groups, one that received SAIs and a control group that used their usual insoles. Assessments were made in both groups after 3 weeks of training on artificial turf (baseline) and 3 weeks later (follow-up). The primary outcome was change in PPTs from baseline to follow-up, with PPTs measured over 13 locations on the plantar surface of the foot, leg, and low back of the nonpreferred kicking leg.

Results

A significantly larger increase was found in PPTs from baseline to follow-up for the SAI group compared with the control group (mean difference, 62 kPa; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40, 85 kPa). The PPTs increased significantly more among the SAI group compared with the control group (P<.05) for the abductor digiti minimi (mean difference, 82 kPa; 95% CI: 6, 157 kPa), tibialis anterior (mean difference, 125 kPa; 95% CI: 20, 230 kPa), medial gastrocnemius (mean difference, 83 kPa; 95% CI: −6, 171 kPa), and erector spinae (mean difference, 86 kPa; 95% CI: −17, 188 kPa).

Conclusion

The use of SAIs resulted in increased PPTs after 3 weeks of training on artificial turf compared with controls, suggesting a protective role of SAIs in pressure sensitivity and pain perception. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(8):587–594. Epub 16 July 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5117
A New Model for Student Support in High-Poverty Urban Elementary Schools
Authors: Walsh Mary E. , Madaus George F. , Raczek Anastasia E. , Dearing Eric , Foley Claire , An Chen , Lee-St. John Terrence J. , Beaton Albert
Published: July 2014

Efforts to support children in schools require addressing not only academic issues, but also out-of-school factors that can affect students’ ability to succeed. This study examined academic achievement of students participating in City Connects, a student support intervention operating in high-poverty elementary schools. The sample included 7,948 kindergarten to fifth-grade students in a large urban district during 1999–2009. School- and student-level treatment effects on report card grades and standardized test scores in elementary through middle school were estimated. Propensity score methods accounted for pre-intervention group differences. City Connects students demonstrated higher report card scores than comparisons and scored higher on middle school English language arts and mathematics tests. This study provides evidence for the value of addressing out-of-school factors that impact student learning.
Doctor Who: Christianity, Atheism, and the Source of Sacredness in the Davies Years
Authors: Balstrup Sarah
Published: July 2014

Abstract:

This article investigates the religious worldview presented by the television program Doctor Who between 2005 and 2009, when outspoken atheist Russell T. Davies worked as head writer. It is argued that in the Davies period, Doctor Who is religiously significant in three ways. Symbolically, it is deeply concerned with Christianity and the function of the Christ figure, while ideologically the program is aligned with New Atheism. At a subtler level, romantic love and friendship then take on quasi-mystical qualities through their definition as ultimately important and through their association with the unexplained.
Jewish Performativity onSex and the City
Authors: Silverman Rachel E.
Published: July 2014

This article examines the character Charlotte York from Sex and the City to argue for the performativity of Jewish identity. During season six, Charlotte converts to Judaism; throughout her conversion and ensuing Jewish life, Charlotte is forced to reiterate Jewishness on her person in order to mark herself as Jewish. Because of the normative assumption of Christianity on television and in real life in Western culture, Charlotte’s Jewishness is rendered invisible except in the moments when Jewishness is being performatively constructed. By comparing the performativity of Jewish identity to the performativity of LGBT identity, which are argued to be similarly performative constructions of identity, this article works to create a Jewish-LGBT community and an understanding of similar difference.
“There’s a New World Coming”: The Eschatology of Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball
Authors: Allen Spencer L.
Published: July 2014

The economic realities facing the characters on Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball (2012) are so dire that many would rather anticipate a new world order in which society is transformed through humanity’s efforts than continue living in the world as it is. Avoiding apocalyptic language, the new world presented in “Jack of All Trades,” “Rocky Ground,” and other songs closely resembles the eschatological wish famously described in the Pater Noster, or the Lord’s Prayer. This article explores the present-day fears and the future-oriented optimisms underlying these eschatological wishes, including when Springsteen’s vision parallels and departs from Jesus’s Kingdom of Heaven.
Technological aspects of the final phase of drilling borehole 5G and unsealing Vostok Subglacial Lake, East Antarctica
Authors: Lukin Valery V. , Vasiliev Nikolay I.
Published: July 2014

This paper considers the state of the deep ice borehole 5G at the Russian Antarctic Vostok station after penetration to the surface water of Vostok Subglacial Lake. It discusses the peculiar features of drilling the ‘fresh frozen’ lake water that has risen in the borehole and the technology for subsequent study of the lake water layer via borehole 5G filled with a kerosene–Freon® mixture. The extremely high rise of lake water via the borehole is attributed to a hydraulic fracture at the side of the borehole, which diverted a large amount of drilling fluid. The proposed technology for the study of the water layer envisages minimal environmental impact and excludes penetration of any of the kerosene–Freon® mixture to the water layer. This technology has been presented several times at different international forums. There was no critical comment on the Environmental Impact Assessment of the technology at the 37th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2014 and it was adopted for implementation.
Productive and Economic Responses in Grazing Dairy Cows to Grain Supplementation on Family Farms in the South of Brazil
Authors: Filho Luiz , D’Ávila Leandro Martins , Da Silva Kazama Daniele , Bento Lauana , Kuhnen Shirley
Published: July 2014

Pasture-based dairy production has been a major source of income for most family farms in the south of Brazil. Increasing milk prices have spurred an increase in grain supplementation, which has been poorly implemented, resulting in low levels of efficiency. To evaluate the consequences of supplementation on milk production and composition, grazing behavior and economic return, the widely used grain management system (CC-commercial concentrate, containing 21% CP, offered at 1 kg per 3.7 L of milk) was compared with an energy supplement (GC-ground corn, with 9.5% CP, offered at 0.4% of live weight). Ten Holstein cows were paired into two groups, and subjected to the two treatments in a crossover design. The cows remained in the same grazing group, and the grain supplement was offered individually at milking time and consumed completely. Each experimental period lasted 14 days, with 10 days for diet adaptation and four days for data collection; individual milk production and samples were collected to determine levels of fat, protein, lactose, carotenoids, vitamin A and N-urea. Grazing behavior was observed (scans every 5 min) in the first 4 h after the morning milking, and chemical composition of hand plucked samples of forage were measured. The cost of the supplement and profitability per treatment were calculated. Cows supplemented with GC consumed herbage with higher crude protein (CP: 16.23 vs. 14.62%; p < 0.05), had higher biting rate (44.21 vs. 39.54 bites/min; p < 0.03) and grazing time (22.20 vs. 20.55 scans; p < 0.05) than when receiving CC. There were no differences in milk composition between treatments (p > 0.05). However, higher concentrations of β-carotene and total carotenoids were detected in the milk of cows at 70–164 days of lactation, compared to <70 days of lactation (p < 0.05). Milk production was higher (13.19 vs. 11.59 kg/day; p < 0.05) when cows consumed CC, but resulted in lower profitability compared to GC (US$ 4.39 vs. US$ 4.83/cow per day). Our results show that higher productivity does not necessarily improve profitability. Cows receiving supplement with lower levels of protein were able to adjust their grazing behavior to meet their protein needs and this level of diet modification did not alter milk composition.
Attitudes and Defaults Save Lives and Protect the Environment Jointly and Compensatorily: Understanding the Behavioral Efficacy of Nudges and Other Structural Interventions
Authors: Kaiser Florian , Arnold Oliver , Otto Siegmar
Published: July 2014

A better understanding of when and why nudges (e.g., defaults, visibility or accessibility alterations) and other structural behavior-change measures work or fail can help avoid subsequent surprises such as unexpected political opposition. In this paper, we challenge the unilateral focus on structural interventions—which seemingly control people's behavioral decisions—as such a focus ignores the flipside—namely, attitudes or, as they are called in economics, preferences. We argue for a conceptual understanding of individual behavior that views personal attitudes and behavioral costs as its two separate compensatorily effective determinants. This classical understanding was reintroduced into attitude research as the Campbell paradigm. In the logic of the Campbell paradigm, a person's attitude becomes obvious in the face of the behavioral costs the person surmounts. Technically, individual attitudes reveal themselves in a set of cost-dependent transitively ordered performances. Behavioral costs in turn reflect the structural boundary conditions that are relevant as obstructive and/or supportive environmental forces that generically affect a specific behavior. So far, our research on people’s attitudes toward environmental protection has demonstrated that the Campbell paradigm—and thus its conceptual account of individual behavior—holds true for approximately 95% of the people in a given society.
Human Brain Networks: Spiking Neuron Models, Multistability, Synchronization, Thermodynamics, Maximum Entropy Production, and Anesthetic Cascade Mechanisms
Authors: Haddad Wassim , Hui Qing , Bailey James
Published: July 2014

Advances in neuroscience have been closely linked to mathematical modeling beginning with the integrate-and-fire model of Lapicque and proceeding through the modeling of the action potential by Hodgkin and Huxley to the current era. The fundamental building block of the central nervous system, the neuron, may be thought of as a dynamic element that is “excitable”, and can generate a pulse or spike whenever the electrochemical potential across the cell membrane of the neuron exceeds a threshold. A key application of nonlinear dynamical systems theory to the neurosciences is to study phenomena of the central nervous system that exhibit nearly discontinuous transitions between macroscopic states. A very challenging and clinically important problem exhibiting this phenomenon is the induction of general anesthesia. In any specific patient, the transition from consciousness to unconsciousness as the concentration of anesthetic drugs increases is very sharp, resembling a thermodynamic phase transition. This paper focuses on multistability theory for continuous and discontinuous dynamical systems having a set of multiple isolated equilibria and/or a continuum of equilibria. Multistability is the property whereby the solutions of a dynamical system can alternate between two or more mutually exclusive Lyapunov stable and convergent equilibrium states under asymptotically slowly changing inputs or system parameters. In this paper, we extend the theory of multistability to continuous, discontinuous, and stochastic nonlinear dynamical systems. In particular, Lyapunov-based tests for multistability and synchronization of dynamical systems with continuously differentiable and absolutely continuous flows are established. The results are then applied to excitatory and inhibitory biological neuronal networks to explain the underlying mechanism of action for anesthesia and consciousness from a multistable dynamical system perspective, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for general anesthesia using the network properties of the brain. Finally, we present some key emergent properties from the fields of thermodynamics and electromagnetic field theory to qualitatively explain the underlying neuronal mechanisms of action for anesthesia and consciousness.
A Geospatial Approach for Prioritizing Wind Farm Development in Northeast Nebraska, USA
Authors: Miller Adam , Li Ruopu
Published: July 2014

Being cleaner and climate friendly, wind energy has been increasingly utilized to meet the ever-growing global energy demands. In the State of Nebraska, USA, a wide gap exists between wind resource and actual energy production, and it is imperative to expand the wind energy development. Because of the formidable costs associated with wind energy development, the locations for new wind turbines need to be carefully selected to provide the greatest benefit for a given investment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been widely used to identify the suitable wind farm locations. In this study, a GIS-based multi-criteria approach was developed to identify the areas that are best suited to wind energy development in Northeast Nebraska, USA. Seven criteria were adopted in this method, including distance to roads, closeness to transmission lines, population density, wind potential, land use, distance to cities, slope and exclusionary areas. The suitability of wind farm development was modeled by a weighted overlay of geospatial layers corresponding to these criteria. The results indicate that the model is capable of identifying locations highly suited for wind farm development. The approach could help identify suitable wind farm locations in other areas with a similar geographic background.
Novel and Functional DNA Sequence Variants within the GATA6 Gene Promoter in Ventricular Septal Defects
Authors: Li Chunyu , Li Xianke , Pang Shuchao , Chen Wei , Qin Xianyun , Huang Wenhui , Zeng Changqing , Yan Bo
Published: July 2014

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect in humans. Genetic causes and underlying molecular mechanisms for isolated CHD remain largely unknown. Studies have demonstrated that GATA transcription factor 6 (GATA6) plays an essential role in the heart development. Mutations in GATA6 gene have been associated with diverse types of CHD. As GATA6 functions in a dosage-dependent manner, we speculated that changed GATA6 levels, resulting from DNA sequence variants (DSVs) within the gene regulatory regions, may mediate the CHD development. In the present study, GATA6 gene promoter was genetically and functionally analyzed in large groups of patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD) (n = 359) and ethnic-matched healthy controls (n = 365). In total, 11 DSVs, including four SNPs, were identified in VSD patients and controls. Two novel and heterozygous DSVs, g.22169190A>T and g.22169311C>G, were identified in two VSD patients, but in none of controls. In cultured cardiomyocytes, the activities of the GATA6 gene promoter were significantly reduced by the DSVs g.22169190A>T and g.22169311C>G. Therefore, our findings suggested that the DSVs within the GATA6 gene promoter identified in VSD patients may change GATA6 levels, contributing to the VSD development as a risk factor.
Limitations of Aneuploidy and Anomaly Detection in the Obese Patient
Authors: Zozzaro-Smith Paula , Gray Lisa , Bacak Stephen , Thornburg Loralei
Published: July 2014

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and can have a profound effect on pregnancy risks. Obese patients tend to be older and are at increased risk for structural fetal anomalies and aneuploidy, making screening options critically important for these women. Failure rates for first-trimester nuchal translucency (NT) screening increase with obesity, while the ability to detect soft-markers declines, limiting ultrasound-based screening options. Obesity also decreases the chances of completing the anatomy survey and increases the residual risk of undetected anomalies. Additionally, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is less likely to provide an informative result in obese patients. Understanding the limitations and diagnostic accuracy of aneuploidy and anomaly screening in obese patients can help guide clinicians in counseling patients on the screening options.
Variation in the Bioactive Compound Content at Three Ripening Stages of Strawberry Fruit
Authors: Voća Sandra , Žlabur Jana , Dobričević Nadica , Jakobek Lidija , Šeruga Marijan , Galić Ante , Pliestić Stjepan
Published: July 2014

During the harvest season of two consecutive years, five strawberry cultivars (‘Arosa’, ‘Elsanta’, ‘Marmolada’, ‘Miss’ and ‘Raurica’), grown in the continental part of the Republic of Croatia, were examined. Strawberry fruits quality was evaluated by individual phenol compounds, individual anthocyanins and fruit color. Fruits were harvested in three different periods. Analyzed strawberry cultivars show very good average values of the studied phenolic acids and flavonoids with predominant caffeic acid and epicatechin content in all researched strawberry cultivars. Considering the content of individual anthocyanins, pelargonidin 3-glucoside is predominant in strawberry extract followed by cyanidin-3-glucoside and pelargonidin 3-rutinoside. The correlation between individual anthocyanin content and chromaticity parameters was detected in all strawberry cultivars, additionally correlation coefficients and statistical significance were much lower. The results show a positive association between cultivar and harvest time on strawberry pulp color, with each of the color variables, a, b, a/b ratio, C, L and h° values.
Preparation and Biological Properties of Ring-Substituted Naphthalene-1-Carboxanilides
Authors: Gonec Tomas , Kos Jiri , Nevin Eoghan , Govender Rodney , Pesko Matus , Tengler Jan , Kushkevych Ivan , Stastna Vendula , Oravec Michal , Kollar Peter , O'Mahony Jim , Kralova Katarina , Coffey Aidan , Jampilek Josef
Published: July 2014

In this study, a series of twenty-two ring-substituted naphthalene-1-carboxanilides were prepared and characterized. Primary in vitro screening of the synthesized carboxanilides was performed against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. N-(2-Methoxyphenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide, N-(3-methoxy-phenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide, N-(3-methylphenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide, N-(4-methylphenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide and N-(3-fluorophenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide showed against M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis two-fold higher activity than rifampicin and three-fold higher activity than ciprofloxacin. The most effective antimycobacterial compounds demonstrated insignificant toxicity against the human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cell line. The testing of biological activity of the compounds was completed with the study of photosynthetic electron transport (PET) inhibition in isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. The PET-inhibiting activity expressed by IC50 value of the most active compound N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]naphthalene-1-carboxamide was 59 μmol/L. The structure-activity relationships are discussed.
Preparation of Crosslinked Amphiphilic Silver Nanogel as Thin Film Corrosion Protective Layer for Steel
Authors: Atta Ayman , El-Mahdy Gamal , Al-Lohedan Hamad , Ezzat Abdelrahman
Published: July 2014

Monodisperse silver nanoparticles were synthesized by a new developed method via reaction of AgNO3 and oleic acid with the addition of a trace amount of Fe3+ ions. Emulsion polymerization at room temperature was employed to prepare a core-shell silver nanoparticle with controllable particle size. N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and potassium peroxydisulfate (KPS) were used as a crosslinker, and as redox initiator system, respectively for crosslinking polymerization. The structure and morphology of the silver nanogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM). The effectiveness of the synthesized compounds as corrosion inhibitors for steel in 1 M HCl was investigated by various electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Monolayers of silver nanoparticle were self-assembled on the fresh active surface of the steel electrode and have been tested as a corrosion inhibitor for steel in 1 M HCl solution. The results of polarization measurements showed that nanogel particles act as a mixed type inhibitor.
Dynamic Changes of Flavonoids Contents in the Different Parts of Rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis During the Thermal Drying Process
Authors: Zhu Yan , Pu Bing-Qing , Xie Guo-Yong , Tian Mei , Xu Fang-Yun , Qin Min-Jian
Published: July 2014

The dried rhizome of Belamcanda. chinensis (L.) DC. is an important traditional Chinese medicine. Previous chemical and pharmacological investigations indicated that flavonoids may be responsible for the bioactivity of the herb. In this paper, the effects on the contents of twelve flavonoids in the three subunit parts of the rhizome of B. chinensis during the thermal drying process under treatment temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 120 °C at 10 °C intervals were investigated. The results showed that the content of most of the individual flavonoids except that of tectorigenin in the fresh eldest parts of the rhizome that originate directly from the seedling was higher than those of the other junior parts. The change trends of flavonoids contents were similar for three subunit parts of the rhizome during the drying process under the same treatment temperature. Most of the individual flavonoid contents in the rhizome increased in the early stages of the drying processes and decreased as the process was prolonged. The durations required to reaching the points of the maximal amounts of flavonoids revealed a significant negative correlation with the temperature. The variation of the content of mangiferin, iristectorigenin A, irigenin, irilone and dichotomitin was positively correlated with irisflorentin that is the chemical marker used for the quality control of this herb. Taking into account of the production effectiveness and flavonoid yields, the appropriate drying temperature for this herb was suggested to be 100 °C.
Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) as Production Platform for Vaccines against Influenza and Other Viral Respiratory Diseases
Authors: Altenburg Arwen , Kreijtz Joost , De Vries Rory , Song Fei , Fux Robert , Rimmelzwaan Guus , Sutter Gerd , Volz Asisa
Published: July 2014

Respiratory viruses infections caused by influenza viruses, human parainfluenza virus (hPIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronaviruses are an eminent threat for public health. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines available for hPIV, RSV and coronaviruses, and the available seasonal influenza vaccines have considerable limitations. With regard to pandemic preparedness, it is important that procedures are in place to respond rapidly and produce tailor made vaccines against these respiratory viruses on short notice. Moreover, especially for influenza there is great need for the development of a universal vaccine that induces broad protective immunity against influenza viruses of various subtypes. Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) is a replication-deficient viral vector that holds great promise as a vaccine platform. MVA can encode one or more foreign antigens and thus functions as a multivalent vaccine. The vector can be used at biosafety level 1, has intrinsic adjuvant capacities and induces humoral and cellular immune responses. However, there are some practical and regulatory issues that need to be addressed in order to develop MVA-based vaccines on short notice at the verge of a pandemic. In this review, we discuss promising novel influenza virus vaccine targets and the use of MVA for vaccine development against various respiratory viruses.
Précisions apportées à la classification des Musa du groupe de cultivars AAA
Authors: de Ribaupierre René
Published: July 2014

Details of diagnostic value are given concerning the cultivated Bananas of the Group AAA. « Gros Michel » is distinguished by his white style from the cultivars of the « Cavendish Subgroup » which have a purple dotted style.
Intrathecal Transplantation of Autologous Adherent Bone Marrow Cells Induces Functional Neurological Recovery in a Canine Model of Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Gabr Hala , El-Kheir Wael Abo , Farghali Haithem A. M. A. , Ismail Zeinab M. K. , Zickri Maha B. , Maadawi Zeinab M. El , Kishk Nirmeen A. , Sabaawy Hatem E.
Published: July 2014

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in demyelination of surviving axons, loss of oligodendrocytes, and impairment of motor and sensory functions. We have developed a clinical strategy of cell therapy for SCI through the use of autologous bone marrow cells for transplantation to augment remyelination and enhance neurological repair. In a preclinical large mammalian model of SCI, experimental dogs were subjected to a clipping contusion of the spinal cord. Two weeks after the injury, GFP-labeled autologous minimally manipulated adherent bone marrow cells (ABMCs) were transplanted intrathecally to investigate the safety and efficacy of autologous ABMC therapy. The effects of ABMC transplantation in dogs with SCI were determined using functional neurological scoring, and the integration of ABMCs into the injured cords was determined using histopathological and immunohistochemical investigations and electron microscopic analyses of sections from control and transplanted spinal cords. Our data demonstrate the presence of GFP-labeled cells in the injured spinal cord for up to 16 weeks after transplantation in the subacute SCI stage. GFP-labeled cells homed to the site of injury and were detected around white matter tracts and surviving axons. ABMC therapy in the canine SCI model enhanced remyelination and augmented neural regeneration, resulting in improved neurological functions. Therefore, autologous ABMC therapy appears to be a safe and promising therapy for spinal cord injuries.
Variation in susceptibility to wind along the trunk of an isolated Larix kaempferi (Pinaceae) tree
Authors: Minamino Ryoko , Tateno Masaki
Published: July 2014

• Premise of the study: The force of the wind is a significant hazard to the survival of trees and can affect tree morphology. However, the actual distribution of the stress that wind causes to a tree trunk is not well understood in spite of its expected importance to tree morphology. The uniform stress hypothesis (i.e., tree trunks take a form that equalizes the distribution of stress along the outer surface of the stem) has been tested indirectly as a model, placing high importance on the mechanical safety of a trunk, and rejected theoretically. But stress on a tree's trunk has not yet been measured directly.

• Methods: Actual strains at the surface of the trunk of an isolated Larix kaempferi tree due to wind loads were measured at seven heights on the trunk for 1 yr.

• Key results: During the measurement period, wind‐induced stress was higher in the upper portions of the trunk than in the lower portions, regardless of wind speed, and the difference increased as wind speed increased. The deflection of the trunk recorded at each position was also larger in the upper portions than in the lower portions.

• Conclusions: The results indicate that the upper portions of the trunk of an isolated Larix kaempferi tree are more susceptible to wind than are the lower portions. These results do not support the uniform stress hypothesis and suggest that another limitation (either mechanical or nonmechanical) acts on the morphology of the tree.
Highly NO2 sensitive caesium doped graphene oxide conductometric sensors
Authors: Piloto Carlo , Notarianni Marco , Shafiei Mahnaz , Taran Elena , Galpaya Dilini , Yan Cheng , Motta Nunzio
Published: July 2014

Here we report on the synthesis of caesium doped graphene oxide (GO-Cs) and its application to the development of a novel NO2 gas sensor. The GO, synthesized by oxidation of graphite through chemical treatment, was doped with Cs by thermal solid-state reaction. The samples, dispersed in DI water by sonication, have been drop-casted on standard interdigitated Pt electrodes. The response of both pristine and Cs doped GO to NO2 at room temperature is studied by varying the gas concentration. The developed GO-Cs sensor shows a higher response to NO2 than the pristine GO based sensor due to the oxygen functional groups. The detection limit measured with GO-Cs sensor is ≈90 ppb.
Regulation of Intestinal IgA Responses by Dietary Palmitic Acid and Its Metabolism
Authors: Kunisawa Jun , Hashimoto Eri , Inoue Asuka , Nagasawa Risa , Suzuki Yuji , Ishikawa Izumi , Shikata Shiori , Arita Makoto , Aoki Junken , Kiyono Hiroshi
Published: July 2014

Enhancement of intestinal IgA responses is a primary strategy in the development of oral vaccine. Dietary fatty acids are known to regulate host immune responses. In this study, we show that dietary palmitic acid (PA) and its metabolites enhance intestinal IgA responses. Intestinal IgA production was increased in mice maintained on a PA-enriched diet. These mice also showed increased intestinal IgA responses against orally immunized Ag, without any effect on serum Ab responses. We found that PA directly stimulates plasma cells to produce Ab. In addition, mice receiving a PA-enriched diet had increased numbers of IgA-producing plasma cells in the large intestine; this effect was abolished when serine palmitoyltransferase was inhibited. These findings suggest that dietary PA regulates intestinal IgA responses and has the potential to be a diet-derived mucosal adjuvant.
Therapy of Peritoneally Disseminated Colon Cancer by TAP-Deficient Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived Macrophages in Allogeneic Recipients
Authors: Haga Eriko , Endo Yuko , Haruta Miwa , Koba Chihiro , Matsumura Keiko , Takamatsu Koutaro , Ikeda Tokunori , Nishimura Yasuharu , Senju Satoru
Published: July 2014

We established a method to generate a large quantity of myeloid lineage cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, termed ES cell–derived proliferating myeloid cell lines (ES-ML). ES-ML continuously proliferated in the presence of M-CSF and GM-CSF. ES-ML genetically modified to express an anti-HER2 (neu) mAb single-chain V region fragment reduced the number of cocultured mouse Colon-26 cancer cells expressing HER2. Stimulation of ES-ML with IFN-γ plus LPS or TNF resulted in almost complete killing of the Colon-26 cells by the ES-ML, and the cytotoxicity was mediated, in part, by NO produced by ES-ML. When ES-ML were injected into mice with i.p. established Colon-26 tumors, they efficiently infiltrated the tumor tissues. Injection of ES-ML with rIFN-γ and LPS inhibited cancer progression in the mouse peritoneal cavity. Coinjection of TNF-transfected or untransfected ES-ML with rIFN-γ inhibited cancer growth and resulted in prolonged survival of the treated mice. In this experiment, transporter associated with Ag processing (TAP)1-deficient ES-ML exhibited therapeutic activity in MHC-mismatched allogeneic recipient mice. Despite the proliferative capacity of ES-ML, malignancy never developed from the transferred ES-ML in the recipient mice. In summary, TAP-deficient ES-ML with anticancer properties exhibited a therapeutic effect in allogeneic recipients, suggesting the possible use of TAP-deficient human-induced pluripotent stem cell–derived proliferating myeloid cell lines in cancer therapy.
Late summer forage yield, nutritive value, compatibility of warm- and cool-season grasses seeded with legumes in western Canada
Authors: Biligetu B. , Jefferson P. G. , Muri R. , Schellenberg M. P.
Published: July 2014

Biligetu, B., Jefferson, P. G., Muri, R. and Schellenberg, M. P. 2014. Late summer forage yield, nutritive value, compatibility of warm-and cool-season grasses seeded with legumes in western Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 1139–1148. In late summer and fall, quality and quantity of forage are important for weight gain by grazing animals in western Canada. The objective of this study was to evaluate forage nutritive value, dry matter (DM) yield, and compatibility of crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.], meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.), green needle grass [Nasella viridula (Trin.) Barkworth], northern wheatgrass [Elymus lanceolatus (Scribn. & J. G. Sm.) Gould], western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey], Russian wildrye [Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski], big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), or switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in eight grass monocultures, and their binary mixtures with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.), or cicer-milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) harvested once in August or September. A field study was conducted over a 7-yr period from 1998 to 2004 near Swift Current (lat. 50°25'N, long. 107°44'W, 824 m elev.), SK, Canada, using a randomized complete block design. Forage DM yield was similar between August and September harvests (P>0.05). Binary mixtures of alfalfa–grass produced highest (P<0.05) DM yield ranging from 2449 to 2758 kg ha−1. The monoculture of crested wheatgrass (2143 kg ha−1), sainfoin with crested wheatgrass (2061 kg ha−1), and cicer-milkvetch with green needle grass (1838 kg ha−1) or cicer-milkvetch with western wheatgrass (1861 kg ha−1) produced the second highest (P<0.05) DM yields in the ranking. The two warm-season grasses produced the lowest (P>0.05) DM yields over the 7-yr period. Monocultures of green needle grass or northern wheatgrass had the highest acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), while warm-season grasses with legumes had the lowest. Alfalfa with western wheatgrass and alfalfa with Russian wildrye had the highest crude protein (CP) concentrations. Monocultures of meadow bromegrass, crested wheatgrass, green needle grass, or cicer-milkvetch with meadow bromegrass, and sainfoin with crested wheatgrass had the lowest CP concentrations. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was greater for mixtures than for the grass monocultures. Concentration of Ca and P was greater for warm-season grasses than cool-season grasses. Alfalfa with western wheatgrass was the best combination considering yield, quality, and compatibility for deferred grazing in late summer and fall in the semiarid prairies. Tested warm-season grasses are not recommended for seeding as binary mixtures with legumes for southwestern Saskatchewan.
Compact Commutators of Rough Singular Integral Operators
Authors: Chen Jiecheng , Hu Guoen
Published: July 2014

Let b ∊ BMO(ℝn) and TΩ be the singular integral operator with kernel Ω(x)/|x|n, where Ω is homogeneous of degree zero, integrable, and has mean value zero on the unit sphere Sn-1. In this paper, using Fourier transform estimates and approximation to the operator TΩ by integral operators with smooth kernels, it is proved that if b ∊ CMO(ℝn) and satisfies certain minimal size condition, then the commutator generated by b and TΩ is a compact operator on Lp(ℝn) for appropriate index p. The associated maximal operator is also considered.