bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-Surgical Repair of Cleft Scar Using Fractional CO2 Laser
Authors: Mossaad Aida , Kotb Amr , Abdelrahman Moustapha , Al Ahmady Hatem
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND: Postoperative scarring is a common cause of patients dissatisfaction. Several modalities have been developed to overcome such a problem following surgical repair. Despite precise surgical technique, still, some scars would remain over the time, mostly due to the weak formation or inadequately replaced collagen fibres in the underneath dermis especially those following unilateral or bilateral cleft lip repair surgery.AIM: of this study is to evaluate whether a 10,600 nm fractional ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) used early during the healing period would result in better postoperative scars.METHODS: In the present study six patients complained from cleft lip scars resulting from lip revision surgery. Each patient had six fractional ablative CO2 laser sessions for treatment along six months to obtain a complete collagen cycle. Vancouver Scar Scale VSS was used as a method of evaluation of the scar using 4 points scale evaluating vascularity, pliability, thickness & colour of the skin and Visual Analogue Scale VAS from (0-10) was used to assess the severity of pain as well as a survey questionnaire for the rate of patient’s satisfaction. Also, digital clinical photos assessment before&after were compared.RESULTS: Patients expressed a significantly greater degree of satisfaction with the treatment using a subjective 4-point scale. All patients observed dramatic improvement in their lip scars after FCO2 laser sessions following their surgeries with the better psychological state. The assessment was done by clinical observation according to VSS before (9.17 ± 2.2) while after (3.33 ± 1.9) with a highly significant P value <0.001 and VAS for the rate of pain & satisfaction that ranged from (8.0 ± 0.9) as well as series of photos taken before and after the procedure. No long-term complications were noted however patients complained of annoying pain during the session as well as crust formation that lasted up to 5 days after surgery. In the present study, we introduce the effectiveness of ablative fractional 10,600 nm CO2 laser for treatment of postoperative cleft lip scar after secondary surgical cleft repair rather than ablative CO2 due to its reported complications such as postoperative infection, erythema and pigmentary changes along with prolonged downtime healing. In the current study, we chose early laser treatment within the first six months before complete collagen organisation which will be easier to manage the older scars. Patients mostly complained about the pain during the session as well as dark-coloured crust formation post session that stayed from 3-5 days however they all observed a massive improvement of their scars following treatment protocol.CONCLUSION: Facial wounds sutured in layers heal in a good manner. Patients prefer early treatment with a fractional CO2 ablative laser for postoperative surgical scars. The use of a CO2 fractional laser is safe and effective also causes high patients satisfaction.
TP53 Mutation in Correlation to Immunohistochemical Expression of P53 Protein in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Nikolova Dafina , Chalovska-Ivanova Viktorija , Genadieva-Dimitrova Magdalena , Eftimov Aleksandar , Jovanovik Rubens , Janevska Vesna
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND: Mutations causing p53 inactivation are among the most common genetic alterations in human malignant tumours including hepatocellular carcinoma. Detection of p53 gene mutations in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) should provide relevant data for the patients from the Republic of Macedonia and should allow the survivals additional therapeutic option as is gene therapy.AIM: We aimed to detect p53 gene mutations in HCC tissue, and to correlate them with the immunoexpression of p53 protein and multiple clinicopathologic characteristics of a tumour.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed thirty patients with HCC for multiple clinic-pathological characteristics. Tumour tissue samples were immunostained for p53 and detection of p53 gene mutations was performed by polymerase chain reaction followed by Sanger sequencing.RESULTS: Changes in p53 gene sequence were detected in four patients (13.33%), one of them a polymorphism and the other three were missense point mutations with p53 immunoexpression of 50%, 0%, 0% and 90%, respectively. All patients with p53 mutations had cirrhosis. Two of them had Hepatitis B infection, moderately differentiated tumour and T2 status. There was one case with a well-differentiated tumour and one with T4 status. All of them were with vascular invasion. The size of the tumours was in the range of 2.5 cm to 16 cm. All 3 mutations were located in exon 7.CONCLUSION: Mutations in p53 gene are not always associated with obviously altered immunoexpression of p53 protein. Detection of p53 gene mutations is necessary in each case because the new therapeutic modalities offer to apply gene therapy.
Morphological re-description and molecular identification of Tabanidae (Diptera) in East Africa
Authors: Mugasa Claire M. , Villinger Jandouwe , Gitau Joseph , Ndungu Nelly , Ciosi Marc , Masiga Daniel
Published: June 2018

Biting flies of the family Tabanidae are important vectors of human and animal diseases across continents. However, records of Africa tabanids are fragmentary and mostly cursory. To improve identification, documentation and description of Tabanidae in East Africa, a baseline survey for the identification and description of Tabanidae in three eastern African countries was conducted. Tabanids from various locations in Uganda (Wakiso District), Tanzania (Tarangire National Park) and Kenya (Shimba Hills National Reserve, Muhaka, Nguruman) were collected. In Uganda, octenol baited F-traps were used to target tabanids, while NG2G traps baited with cow urine and acetone were employed in Kenya and Tanzania. The tabanids were identified using morphological and molecular methods. Morphologically, five genera (Ancala, Tabanus, Atylotus, Chrysops and Haematopota) and fourteen species of the Tabanidae were identified. Among the 14 species identified, six belonged to the genus Tabanus of which two (T.donaldsoni and T.guineensis) had not been described before in East Africa. The greatest diversity of tabanid species were collected from the Shimba Hills National Reserve, while collections from Uganda (around the shores of Lake Victoria) had the fewest number of species. However, the Ancala genus was found in Uganda, but not in Kenya or Tanzania. Maximum likelihood phylogenies of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) genes sequenced in this study show definite concordance with morphological species identifications, except for Atylotus. This survey will be critical to building a complete checklist of Tabanidae prevalent in the region, expanding knowledge of these important vectors of human and animal diseases.
Examination of Phase Transition of Mine Methane to Gas Hydrates and their Sudden Failure – Percy Bridgman’s Effect
Authors: Bondarenko Volodymyr , Kovalevska Iryna , Astafiev Denys , Malova Olha
Published: June 2018

The analysis of sudden outbursts of coal and gas in coal mines is presented in the article. Phase transitions of gas to gashydrate state are investigated in the laboratory. Thermobaric parameters of phase transitions of mine methane are established. The new hypothesis is described of sudden outbursts of gas that is based on a gashydrate condition of methane in mines at depths (near 1000 m and more) and their explosion-like failure – Percy Bridgman’s effect.
The Mathematic Model and Method for Solving the Dirichlet Heat-Exchange Problem for Empty Isotropic Rotary Body
Authors: Berdnyk Mykhailo
Published: June 2018

It is the first generalized 3D mathematic model, which is created for calculating temperature fields in the empty isotropic rotary body, which is restricted by end surfaces and lateral surface of rotation and rotates with constant angular velocity around the axis OZ, with taking into account finite velocity of the heat conductivity in the form of the Dirichlet problem. In this work, an integral transformation was formulated for the 2D finite space, with the help of which a temperature field in the empty isotropic rotary body was determined in the form of convergence series by the Fourier functions.
Integrated Evaluation of the Worked-Out Area Partial Backfill Effect of Stress-Strain State of Coal-Bearing Rock Mass
Authors: Malashkevych Dmytro , Sotskov Vadym , Medyanyk Volodymyr , Prykhodchenko Dmytro
Published: June 2018

The paper gives information on the engineering solution concerning the extraction of thin coal seams with partial backfill of the worked-out area. Geomechanical model of coal-bearing rock mass has been substantiated. A technique to carry out computational experiment aimed at the processes of coal-bearing rock mass displacement within a zone of extraction influence has been represented. Curves of rock pressure stress components distribution (i.e. horizontal stresses, vertical stresses, and stress intensity) within the front bearing pressure and worked-out area for traditional methods (if roof is controlled by means of complete rockfall) and for selective mining with partial backfill have been plotted. Relying upon the carried out studies of stress-strain state of coal-bearing rock mass, overall conclusion has been made on the advantage of selective mining with partial backfill from the viewpoint of geomechanics of the rock mass behaviour.
Obtaining Proton-Exchange Membranes of Fuel Cells from Natural Filling Agents to be Used for Vehicles
Authors: Svietkina Olena , Bartashevskyi Stanislav , Nikolsky Valeriy , Bas Kostiantyn , Chlens Peter , Zaharchuk Victor
Published: June 2018

Methods to increase travel distance of mine electric locomotive from one charging at the expense of fuel cells with proton-exchange membrane and to improve efficiency of the process as a result of using selective composite materials have been considered. It has been demonstrated that the use of activated natural materials will make it possible to increase membrane conductance up to 3.6·10−2Cm·cm−1; that will allow increasing energy-efficiency of fuel cells for their operation in terms of mine electric locomotives.
Shielded Development of Marine Bottom Gas Hydrates by Fracking a Layer
Authors: Haiko Hennadii , Ogorodnyk Yevhen , Pyha Lyubov , Durove Juraj
Published: June 2018

The concept and a new method for the shielded development of bottom gas hydrates have been proposed, the technological phases and constructive elements of their implementation have been substantiated. The research provides for the realization of the idea suggesting the simultaneous dissociation of the vast areas of a gas hydrate deposit, management of the targeted process of the penetration of methane recovered from gas hydrates into water space and its accumulation under the extensive gas-collecting shield wherefrom it is removed by bottom pipe transportation facilities. To do hydraulic fracturing, a well is drilled into the plane of the junction of the surface of a gas hydrate deposit and the rocks of a roof, the open system of fissures in the rocks of a roof is made through which produced gas is released to a gas-collecting blanket in a water.
Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges
Authors: Nel Marius
Published: June 2018

Several leaders in the early Pentecostal movement interpreted the outpouring of the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and other places as a sign that the Spirit would now unite Christians across the borders of denominations in a new Pentecost that concurs with the events of Acts 2 which led to the formation of the Early Christian Church. They did not actively pursue ecumenism, but expected it as a natural and spontaneous result of the Spirit’s work, carried by their primitivist and restorationist impulses. Instead of the other churches appreciating and accepting Pentecostal experiences as interventions by the Spirit, most main-line churches alienated and rejected Pentecostals as a heretical sect. Within one generation, Pentecostalists entered denominationalism and by the 1940s, in an upward social mobility surge, aligned themselves with some evangelicals with a biblicist-literalist hermeneutics. Today Pentecostalism has accepted that Spirit baptism did not bring the expected unity of the Christian church and entered into formal ecumenical relations with several international ecumenical bodies and para-church organisations. It is argued that an ecumenical impulse need to originate on grass roots level. Ecumenism will only succeed when the local assembly and its members become involved. This can be done, for example by building ecumenical relations with historical churches that experience a charismatic renewal, neo-Pentecostalist groups and African Indigenous Churches, especially those with a historical connection with Pentecostalism, and motivating assemblies to cooperate with assemblies of their denomination in instituting a regular worship service in a common language where members may fellowship together. The aim of such contacts would not primarily be to realise organisational unity, but mutual understanding and communication leading to cooperation and trust.
Isolation of bioactive compounds of Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook. growing in South Africa by liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy profiling, and their antibacterial activities
Authors: Lawal Ibrahim O. , Galadima Mustapha , Ogunbamowo Paul O.
Published: June 2018

Clausena anisata possesses several ethnopharmacological properties. It is used for the treatment of several diseases and health conditions, including oxidative stress and respiratory infections. This study was aimed at isolating and validating the potency of some bioactive compounds in this plant using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. A bioautography method was used for the antibacterial assay. Quercetin 3,4’-dimethyl ether was identified with a molecular mass of 330.2288 Da at a retention time of 0.72, clausine B was identified at a retention time of 24.31 and 24.37 with a molecular mass of 271.0844 Da, clausenocoumarine was identified at a retention time of 5.42 with a molecular weight of 366.1011 Da, while terpineol was also identified with the inhibition of the growth of the test organisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Subtilis cereus) to quercetin 3,4’-dimethyl ether, clausine B and clausenocoumarin observed at Rf values of 0.24, 0.52 and 0.54, respectively, on the plate using hexane/ethyl acetate (2:1) as mobile phase. A novel enantiomer of anisocoumarin derivatives and three known compounds were isolated and identified from a fraction showing a single band in the acetone leaf extract of C. anisata. Their chemical compounds were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance. The pharmacological potency of these compounds was discussed.
Capacitated vehicle routing problem model for carriers
Authors: Rojas-Cuevas Irma-Delia , Caballero-Morales Santiago-Omar , Martinez-Flores Jose-Luis , Mendoza-Vazquez Jose-Rafael
Published: June 2018

Background: The Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) is one of the most important transportation problems in logistics and supply chain management. The standard CVRP considers a fleet of vehicles with homogeneous capacity that depart from a warehouse, collect products from (or deliver products to) a set of customer locations (points) and return to the same warehouse. However, the operation of carrier companies and third-party transportation providers may follow a different network flow for collection and delivery. This may lead to non-optimal route planning through the use of the standard CVRP.Objective: To propose a model for carrier companies to obtain optimal route planning.Method: A Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem for Carriers (CVRPfC) model is used to consider the distribution scenario where a fleet of vehicles depart from a vehicle storage depot, collect products from a set of customer points and deliver them to a specific warehouse before returning to the vehicle storage depot. Validation of the model’s functionality was performed with adapted CVRP test problems from the Vehicle Routing Problem LIBrary. Following this, an assessment of the model’s economic impact was performed and validated with data from a real carrier (real instance) with the previously described distribution scenario.Results: The route planning obtained through the CVRPfC model accurately described the network flow of the real instance and significantly reduced its distribution costs.Conclusion: The CVRPfC model can thus improve the competitiveness of the carriers by providing better fares to their customers, reducing their distribution costs in the process.
Serotype Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance of Shigella Species in Bangui, Central African Republic, from 2002 to 2013
Authors: Breurec Sebastien , Rafaï Clotaire , Onambele Manuella , Frank Thierry , Farra Alain , Legrand Arnaud , Weill François-Xavier
Published: June 2018

Shigella is a major cause of severe diarrhea in children less than the age of 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to describe the (sub-)serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of Shigella serogroups from Centrafrican patients with diarrhea between 2002 and 2013. We collected 443 Shigella isolates in total. The most common serogroups were Shigella flexneri (N = 243, 54.9%), followed by Shigella sonnei (N = 90, 20.3%) and Shigella dysenteriae (N = 72, 16.3%). The high diversity of (sub-)serotypes of S. flexneri and S. dysenteriae may impede the development of an efficient vaccine. Rates of resistance were high for ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and cotrimoxazole but low for many other antimicrobials, confirming recommendations for the use of third-generation cephalosporins (only one organism resistant) and fluoroquinolones (no resistance). However, the detection of one extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing Shigella organism highlights the need for continued monitoring of antimicrobial drug susceptibility.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services in Public Health-Care Facilities in Indonesia: Adoption of World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Service Ladders to National Data Sets for a Sustainable Development Goal Baseline Assessment
Authors: Odagiri Mitsunori , Cahyorini  , Azhar Khadijah , Cronin Aidan A. , Gressando Yulian , Hidayat Indah , Utami Widya , Widowati Karina , Roshita Airin , Soeharno Rooswanti , Warouw Sonny P. , Ardhiantie
Published: June 2018

Provision of basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in health-care facilities is gaining increased attention, given growing acceptance of its importance to the maternal and newborn quality of care agenda and the universal health coverage framework. Adopting and contextualizing an emerging World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Program Monitoring service ladder approach to national data collected in 2010/2011, we estimated the national coverage of primary health centers (PHCs) (N = 8,831), auxiliary PHCs (N = 22,853), village health posts (N = 28,692), and village maternity clinics (N = 14,396) with basic WASH services in Indonesia as part of a Sustainable Development Goal baseline assessment. One quarter of PHCs did not have access to a combination of basic water and sanitation (WatSan) services (23.6%) with significant regional variation (10.6–59.8%), whereas more than two-third of PHCs (72.0%) lacked handwashing facility with soap in all three locations (general consulting room, immunization room, and delivery room). More than a half of the three lower health service level facility types lacked basic WatSan services. National health facility monitoring systems need to be urgently strengthened for tracking the progress and addressing gaps in basic WASH services in health facilities in Indonesia.
Case Report: Fulminant Murine Typhus Presenting with Status Epilepticus and Multi-Organ Failure: an Autopsy Case and a Review of the Neurologic Presentations of Murine Typhus
Authors: Stephens Benjamin E. , Thi Meilinh , Alkhateb Rahaf , Agarwal Apeksha , Sharkey Francis E. , Dayton Christopher , Anstead Gregory M.
Published: June 2018

Murine typhus (MT) is an important cause of febrile illness in endemic areas, and there is an epidemiologic resurgence of this infection currently transpiring in Texas and California. Fatal cases and severe neurological complications are rare. A fatal case of MT in a middle-aged man is reported with a course culminating in multi-organ failure and refractory status epilepticus. An autopsy revealed hemorrhagic pneumonia, acute tubular necrosis, and ischemic necrosis in the liver, adrenals, and brain. We have also reviewed the neurologic complications of MT.
Efficacy of Artemisinin-Based Combination Treatments of Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria in Under-Five-Year-Old Nigerian Children Ten Years Following Adoption as First-Line Antimalarials
Authors: Ebenebe Joy C. , Ntadom Godwin , Ambe Jose , Wammanda Robinson , Jiya Nma , Finomo Finomo , Emechebe George , Mokuolu Olugbenga , Akano Kazeem , Agomo Chimere , Folarin Onikepe A. , Oguche Stephen , Useh Francis , Oyibo Wellington , Aderoyeje Temitope , Abdulkadir Mohammed , Ezeigwe Nnenna M. , Happi Christian , Sowunmi Akintunde , _ _
Published: June 2018

The efficacies of 3-day regimens of artemether–lumefantrine (AL), artesunate–amodiaquine (AA), and dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (DHP) were evaluated in 910 children < 5 years old with uncomplicated malaria from six geographical areas of Nigeria. Parasite positivity 1 day and Kaplan–Meier estimated risk of persistent parasitemia 3 days after therapy initiation were both significantly higher, and geometric mean parasite reduction ratio 1 day after treatment initiation (PRRD1) was significantly lower in AL-treated children than in AA- and DHP-treated children. No history of fever, temperature > 38°C, enrollment parasitemia > 75,000 μL−1, and PRRD1 < 5,000 independently predicted persistent parasitemia 1 day after treatment initiation. Parasite clearance was significantly faster and risk of reappearance of asexual parasitemia after initial clearance was significantly lower in DHP-treated children. Overall, day 42 polymerase chain reaction–corrected efficacy was 98.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 96.1–100) and was similar for all treatments. In a non-compartment model, declines of parasitemias were monoexponential with mean terminal elimination half-life of 1.3 hours and unimodal frequency distribution of half-lives. All treatments were well tolerated. In summary, all three treatments evaluated remain efficacious treatments of uncomplicated malaria in young Nigerian children, but DHP appears more efficacious than AL or AA.
Iron Deficiency is Prevalent among HIV-Infected Kenyan Adults and is Better Measured by Soluble Transferrin Receptor than Ferritin
Authors: Frosch Anne E. P. , Ayodo George , Odhiambo Eliud O. , Ireland Kathleen , Vulule John , Cusick Sarah E.
Published: June 2018

Iron deficiency (ID) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection frequently coexist. Little data exist on ID in HIV-infected individuals, partly because the iron marker ferritin is altered by inflammation common in HIV infection. We measured iron biomarkers (ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor [sTfR], hepcidin) and red cell indices (hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume [MCV]) in newly diagnosed, antiretroviral therapy-naive, HIV-infected (N = 138) and uninfected (N = 52) Kenyan adults enrolled in a study of the immune response to malaria. We compared markers between infected and uninfected groups with t test and Wilcoxon Rank–Sum, used Spearman correlation to determine the association between iron and inflammatory markers, and applied logistic regression to determine which markers best predicted anemia. HIV-infected individuals had lower hemoglobin (P < 0.001), lower MCV (P < 0.001), higher sTfR (P = 0.003), and a greater prevalence of ID (sTfR > 8.3 mg/L) than uninfected individuals. Ferritin was elevated in HIV-infected individuals and was more strongly correlated with C-reactive protein (ρ = 0.43, P < 0.001) and hepcidin (ρ = 0.69, P < 0.001) than with hemoglobin. The best predictor of anemia in HIV-infected participants was sTfR, with a one log-unit increase in sTfR associated with a 6-fold increase in the odds of anemia (odds ratio = 6.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.8–21.8). These data suggest a significant burden of ID among treatment-naive HIV-infected Kenyan adults. Soluble transferrin receptor may be a reliable marker of ID in HIV-mediated inflammation.
Protobothrops mucrosquamatus Bites to the Head: Clinical Spectrum from Case Series
Authors: Yeh Ying-Tse , Chen Min-Hui , Chang Julia Chia-Yu , Fan Ju-Sing , Yen David Hung-Tsang , Chen Yen-Chia
Published: June 2018

Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus) is a medically important species of pit viper with a wide geographic distribution in Southeast Asia. Bites by P. mucrosquamatus mostly involve the extremities. Little is known about the toxic effects of P. mucrosquamatus envenoming to the head because of the infrequency of such occurrence. To better delineate the clinical manifestations of envenoming to the head, we report three patients who suffered from P. mucrosquamatus bites to the head and were treated successfully. All three patients developed progressive soft tissue swelling extending from head to neck, with two patients expanding further onto the anterior chest wall. Mild thrombocytopenia was noted in two patients. One patient had transient acute renal impairment and airway obstruction, necessitating emergent intubation. All three patients received high doses of species-specific antivenom with recovery within 1 week. No adverse reactions to antivenom were observed.
Calcified Neurocysticercosis and Headache in an Endemic Village: A Case–Control Study Nested to a Population-Based Cohort
Authors: Del Brutto Oscar H. , Robles Ana M. , Mera Robertino M. , Costa Aldo F. , Darsan Elizabeth , Milla Lucía , Montes Jessica , Lama Julio , Del Brutto Victor J. , Zambrano Mauricio , Sedler Mark J.
Published: June 2018

Headache in patients with calcified neurocysticercosis (NCC) is probably common but has been largely overlooked. We aimed to assess the presence, characteristics, and diagnosis of headache across patients with calcified NCC and their matched controls. In this case–control study nested to a population-based cohort, Atahualpa residents aged ≥ 20 years with calcified NCC were identified as case patients and paired 1:1 to age- and gender-matched randomly selected controls. A culturally adapted questionnaire was derived from the EUROLIGHT. Headache diagnosis was established according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Conditional logistic regression models for matched paired data were fitted to assess the independent association between calcified NCC (as the exposure) and headache variables, after adjusting for education, alcohol intake, depression, and epilepsy. The selection process generated 106 case patients and their matched controls. Lifetime headache prevalence (odds ratio [OR]: 4.18; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.79–9.75; P = 0.001), current headaches (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 1.92–9.16; P < 0.001), and intense headaches (OR: 9.47; 95% CI: 2.88–31.19; P < 0.001) were more frequent among cases than in controls. In addition, migraine (but not other forms of headache) was more frequent among subjects with calcified NCC (OR: 4.89; 95% CI: 2.36–11.39; P < 0.001). This study shows a robust epidemiological association between headache—particularly migraine—and calcified NCC.
How Far Are We from Reaching Universal Malaria Testing of All Fever Cases?
Authors: Plucinski Mateusz M. , Guilavogui Timothée , Camara Alioune , Ndiop Médoune , Cisse Moustapha , Painter John , Thwing Julie
Published: June 2018

Universal malaria diagnostic testing of all fever cases is the first step in correct malaria case management. However, monitoring adherence to universal testing is complicated by unreliable recording and reporting of the true number of fever cases. We searched the literature to obtain gold-standard estimates for the proportion of patients attending outpatient clinics in sub-Saharan Africa with malarial and non-malarial febrile illness. To correct for differences in malaria transmission, we calculated the proportion of patients with fever after excluding confirmed malaria cases. Next, we analyzed routine data from Guinea and Senegal to calculate the proportion of outpatients tested after exclusion of confirmed malaria cases from the numerator and denominator. From 12 health facility surveys in sub-Saharan Africa with gold-standard fever screening, the median proportion of febrile illness among outpatients after exclusion of confirmed malaria fevers was 57% (range: 46–80%). Analysis of routine data after exclusion of confirmed malaria cases demonstrated much lower testing proportions of 23% (Guinea) and 13% (Senegal). There was substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity in this testing proportion, and testing in Senegal was correlated with malaria season. Given the evidence from gold-standard surveys that at least 50% of non-malaria consultations in sub-Saharan Africa are for febrile illness, it appears that a substantial proportion of patients with fever are not tested for malaria in health facilities when considering routine data. Tracking the proportion of patients tested for malaria after exclusion of the confirmed malaria cases could allow programs to make inferences about malaria testing practices using routine data.
Quantifying the large-scale electrification equilibrium effects in dust storms using field observations at Qingtu Lake Observatory
Authors: Zhang Huan , Zheng Xiaojing
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Dust/sand electrification, which is a ubiquitous phenomenon in dust events, has a potentially dramatic effect on dust/sand lifting and transport processes. However, the effect of such electrification is still largely unclear, mainly due to its complexity and sparse observations. Here, we conducted an extensive observational analysis involving mild and severe dust storms with minimum visibility, ranging from ~ 0.09 to 0.93 km, to assess the electrical properties of airborne dust particles in dust storms. The space charge density has been estimated indirectly based on Gauss’s law. Using the wavelet coherence analysis that is a method for evaluating the correlations between two non-stationary time series in the time-frequency domain, we found that the space charge density and dust concentration were significantly correlated over the 10 min timescales that is on the order of the typical integral time scale of atmospheric turbulence. We further presented a simple linear regression (SLR) model to quantify such large timescale correlations and found that there was a significant linear relationship between space charge density and dust concentration at given ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH), suggesting that the estimated mean charge-to-mass ratio of dust particles was expected to remain constant (termed as the equilibrium value μ*). In addition, the influences of ambient temperature and RH on μ* were evaluated by a multiple linear regression (MLR) model, showing that the μ* is nonlinearly related to environmental factors. The present study provides observational evidence for the environmental-dependent electrification equilibrium effects in dust storms. This finding may reduce challenges in future quantifications of dust electrification, as it is possible to exclude effects, such as the particles’ collisional dynamics, on dust electrification.
Preparation of primary standard mixtures for atmospheric oxygen measurements with uncertainty less than 1 ppm for oxygen mole fractions
Authors: Aoki Nobuyuki , Ishidoya Shigeyuki , Mastumoto Nobuhiro , Watanave Takuro , Shimosaka Takuya , Murayama Shohei
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Primary standard mixtures with less than 1 ppm or 5 per meg standard uncertainty for O2 mole fractions or for O2/N2 ratios were prepared to monitor changes, which occurred in atmospheric oxygen. These mixtures were crafted in 10 L high-pressure aluminum cylinders using a gravimetric method in which unknown uncertainty factors were identified and subsequently reduced. The mole fractions of the constituents, CO2, Ar, O2, and N2, were mainly determined using the masses of the respective source gases that had been filled into the cylinders. To precisely determine the masses of the source gases used in each case, the differences in the masses of the cylinders before and after filling were calculated and compared to nearly identical reference cylinders. Although the mass of the cylinder with respect to the reference cylinder tended to vary in relation to temperature differences between both cylinders, the degree of change could be reduced by measuring both cylinders at the same temperature. The standard uncertainty for the cylinder mass was determined to be 0.82 mg. The standard uncertainties for the O2 mole fractions and O2/N2 ratios in the primary standard mixtures ranged from 0.7 ppm to 0.8 ppm and from 3.3 per meg to 4.0 per meg, respectively. Based on the primary standard mixtures, the mole fractions of atmospheric O2 and Ar on Hateruma Island, Japan. In 2015, the O2 and Ar mole fractions were found to be 209 339.1 ± 1.1 ppm and 9334.4 ± 0.7 ppm.
The asymmetric geospace as displayed during the geomagnetic
storm on August 17, 2001
Authors: Østgaard Nikolai , Reistad Jone P. , Tenfjord Paul , Laundal Karl M. , Rexer Theresa , Haaland Stein E. , Snekvik Kristian , Hesse Michael , Milan Steve E. , Ohma Aanders
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Previous studies have shown that conjugate auroral features are displaced in the two hemispheres when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has a transverse (Y) component. It has also been shown that a BY component is induced in the closed magnetosphere due to the asymmetric loading of magnetic flux in the lobes following asymmetric dayside reconnection when the IMF has a Y component. The magnetic field lines with azimuthally displaced footpoints map into a banana shaped convection cell in one hemisphere and an orange shaped cell in the other. Due to the Parker spiral our system is most often exposed to a BY dominated IMF. The dipole tilt angle, varying between ±34 deg, leads to warping of the plasma sheet and oppositely directed BY components in dawn and dusk in the closed magnetosphere. As a result of the Parker spiral and dipole tilt, geospace is most of the time asymmetric. The magnetic storm on August 17, 2001 offers a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of the asymmetric geospace. IMF BY was 20–30 nT and tilt angle was 23 deg. Auroral imaging revealed conjugate features displaced by 3–4 hours magnetic local time. The latitudinal width of the dawnside aurora was quite different (up to 6 deg) in the two hemispheres. The auroral observations together with convection patterns derived entirely from data indicate both dayside, lobe and tail reconnection in the north, but most likely only dayside and tail reconnection in the southern hemisphere. Increased tail reconnection during substorm expansion phase reduces the asymmetry.
A spatiotemporal reconstruction of sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic during Dansgaard–Oeschger events 5–8
Authors: Jensen Mari F. , Nummelin Aleksi , Nielsen Søren B. , Sadatzki Henrik , Sessford Evangeline , Risebrobakken Bjørg , Andersson Carin , Voelker Antje , Roberts William H. G. , Pedro Joel , Born Andreas
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Here, we establish a spatiotemporal evolution of the sea-surface
temperatures in the North Atlantic over Dansgaard–Oeschger (DO) events 5–8
(approximately 30–40 kyr) using the proxy surrogate reconstruction method. Proxy data
suggest a large variability in North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures during
the DO events of the last glacial period. However, proxy data availability is
limited and cannot provide a full spatial picture of the oceanic changes.
Therefore, we combine fully coupled, general circulation model simulations
with planktic foraminifera based sea-surface temperature reconstructions to
obtain a broader spatial picture of the ocean state during DO events 5–8. The
resulting spatial sea-surface temperature patterns agree over a number of
different general circulation models and simulations. We find that
sea-surface temperature variability over the DO events is characterized by
colder conditions in the subpolar North Atlantic during stadials than during
interstadials, and the variability is linked to changes in the Atlantic
Meridional Overturning circulation and in the sea-ice cover. Forced
simulations are needed to capture the strength of the temperature variability
and to reconstruct the variability in other climatic records not directly
linked to the sea-surface temperature reconstructions. This is the first time
the proxy surrogate reconstruction method has been applied to oceanic
variability during MIS3. Our results remain robust, even when age
uncertainties of proxy data, the number of available temperature
reconstructions, and different climate models are considered. However, we
also highlight shortcomings of the methodology that should be addressed in
future implementations.
Brief Communication: Meteorological and climatological conditions
associated with the 9 January 2018 post-fire debris flows in
Montecito and Carpinteria California, USA
Authors: Oakley Nina S. , Cannon Forest , Munroe Robert , Lancaster Jeremy T. , Gomberg David , Ralph F. Martin
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The Thomas Fire burned 114,078 hectares in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, southern California, during December 2017–January 2018. On 9 January 2018, high intensity rainfall occurred over the Thomas Fire burn area in the mountains above the communities of Montecito and Carpinteria, initiating multiple devastating debris flows. The highest rainfall intensities occurred with the passage of a narrow rainband along a north-to-south oriented cold front. Orographic enhancement associated with moist southerly flow immediately ahead of the cold front also played a role. We provide an explanation of the meteorological characteristics of the event and place it in historic context.
Increased efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy after bevacizumab in lung oligometastases from colon cancer
Authors: Mazzola Rosario , Tebano Umberto , Aiello Dario , Paola Gioacchino Di , Giaj-Levra Niccolò , Ricchetti Francesco , Fersino Sergio , Fiorentino Alba , Ruggieri Ruggero , Alongi Filippo
Published: June 2018

Aim:

Metastases from colorectal cancer are poorly responsive to stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) due to intratumoral hypoxia. Intratumoral oxygenation is improved by administration of angiogenesis inhibitors. Thus, there could be a clinical synergistic effect of SABR with bevacizumab on metastases from colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of SABR after bevacizumab in lung oligometastases from colon cancer.

Methods:

The data of patients with lung metastases from colon cancer who underwent SABR were retrospectively evaluated according to the following inclusion criteria: number of metastases ≤3; lung oligometastases from colon cancer in patients who underwent SABR; patients receiving previous chemotherapy alone or in combination with bevacizumab; Karnofsky performance status >80; life expectancy >6 months; at least 6 months’ follow-up after SABR; presence of KRAS mutation. The results were compared with those of a similar cohort of patients with irradiated lung lesions from colorectal cancer in whom bevacizumab was not previously administered.

Results:

A total of 40 lung metastases were analyzed. The complete response rate after SABR was higher in patients who had received bevacizumab than in those who had not (p = 0.04). Additionally, in the bevacizumab group, a higher rate of post-SABR complete response was observed in case of oligopersistent versus oligorecurrent metastases (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

In the setting of lung oligometastases from colon cancer the present study attested the higher efficacy of SABR after bevacizumab administration. Further studies in this field of research are strongly advocated.
“To Battle for Human Rights”: Afro-Creole Spiritualism and Martyrdom
Authors: Clark Emily Suzanne
Published: June 2018

From 1858 to 1877 a group of Afro-Creole men in New Orleans practiced American Spiritualism and received messages from the spirit world. The spirits of the dead advised the Cercle Harmonique, as they called themselves, on issues of theology and politics. Though the Spiritualism practiced by the Cercle Harmonique was similar to that of white, northern Protestants, the practice of the Afro-Creoles was a distinctively African American religion. One of the clearest ways to navigate the process in which Spiritualism became Afro-Creole Spiritualism is by attending to the group's use of the language and rhetoric of martyrdom. Martyrdom provided the Cercle Harmonique a language for understanding the racial violence that surrounded them, and that language also offered the proper response to the violence. The Spiritualist martyrs who engaged the Cercle Harmonique were those who died in defense of Black rights and in contest with white supremacy.
Telegraph Spirits and Muertos Chinos: Technologies of Proximity and Distance in the Material Commemoration of the Dead in Cuba
Authors: Santo Diana Espirito
Published: June 2018

As a technology for the production of historicized spirit forms, espiritismo continually forges its own cosmology from the raw materials of a Cuban syncretistic imagination, with permutations of figures such as the “Congo” and the “Indio” bringing its more visible agencies to the forefront. These yield extensive material forms—dolls, statues, photographs, altars, vessels, and consumables. In this article I ask whether understandings of the “substance” of spirits are tied to, or yield, concepts of the self, and vice-versa. Are selves “deeper,” more connected to the “beyond,” if the spirits are anonymous? Are they “flatter” and more material, the more aesthetically personalized they become? In order to answer these questions I explore two ethnographic contexts divided by ontological assumptions as well as by practitioners. The first is a “scientific” spiritist society, and the second is made up of individuals who worship Chinese spirits from their extended families. Each context exemplifies an extreme of personalization and distance.
Epistemology or Ideology? Toward a Relational Perspective on Islamic Knowledge in Africa
Authors: Seesemann Rüdiger
Published: June 2018

This article analyzes theories and practices of Islamic knowledge as articulated among Muslims in Africa and examines the relationship between epistemology and ideology as it plays out in the field of Islamic knowledge. The paper follows three lines of investigation. First, it posits the theme of Islamic epistemologies at the center of inquiry into the transformation of Islamic knowledge practices and, by extension, of Muslim societies in Africa. Second, it distinguishes three modalities of knowing, introduced as distinct paradigms but not conceived of as given entities: the sanad (chain of transmission) paradigm, the dalīl (evidence) paradigm, and the maqāṣid (purposes, objectives) paradigm. Third, the paper proposes a relational perspective on Islamic knowledge in Africa in order to explain how the complex web of relations connecting and producing the three paradigms has yielded hybrid and, at times, even contradictory results.
The Magic of Comparison: Religio-Racial Identities in Process
Authors: Clark Emily Suzanne
Published: June 2018

Judith Weisenfeld's New World A-Coming pushes the field to rethink its approach to religion and race. To achieve this, she centralizes groups typically relegated to the margins of African American religions, tracks those groups thematically rather than chronologically, and offers the field the concept of “religio-racial” identities.
A New World [of Research] A-Coming
Authors: Sigler Danielle Brune
Published: June 2018

Judith Weisenfeld makes extensive use of government records in New World A-Coming, her study of Black religion during the Great Migration. In combination with archival materials, these records allow Weisenfeld to offer a more complete description of the lives of individual members and to understand how they expressed religio-racial identities.
New World A-Coming, Author's Response
Authors: Weisenfeld Judith
Published: June 2018

This essay responds to the commentaries on New World A-Coming. I discuss the research process and reflect on the challenges the authors provide for expanding or deepening the book's interpretive frameworks regarding race, nation, and gender, and consider questions related to the archival material on which we draw for research on race and religion.
Formação acadêmica, participação política e identidades profissionais - histórias de vida de professores de Sociologia em Maringá-PR
Authors: Lima Raony
Published: June 2018

A história de vida tem se apresentado como uma rica ferramenta de pesquisa na área educacional. Desde a década de 90 temos um crescimento na utilização desta metodologia, conforme apontado por Belmira Bueno et al (2006). Pensamos a história de vida na área educacional em consonância com Antônio Nóvoa, pesquisador português que apresenta a riqueza de abordagens possíveis dentro desta perspectiva. A abordagem que apresentaremos aqui é a que Nóvoa chama de “essencialmente teórica voltada para a profissão professor”, com isso dizemos que nosso trabalho estará focado na figura do professor como um profissional e nos aspectos relacionados ao modo que ele concebe essa profissão. Para tanto realizamos entrevistas colhendo a história de vida temática de alguns profissionais desta área e a analisamos à luz da teoria sociológica e pedagógica.
Práticas docentes em construção: considerações sobre performances e identidades de professores no espaço escolar
Authors: Costa Samuel Farias
Published: June 2018

A construção da professoralidade envolve o desempenho de práticas específicas relacionadas ao campo profissional da docência. Por outro lado, as subjetividades, trajetórias, histórias de vida, entre outras características particulares, são diacríticos na construção dessas práticas. Também não podemos desconsiderar os contextos educacionais e as configurações escolares, nas quais os sujeitos estão inseridos. Todos esses elementos são relevantes para entendermos a construção de identidades e performances docentes. A proposta deste artigo é refletir sobre esse processo a partir de experiência de estágio docente ao longo de 2011 e 2012. Utilizo técnicas de observação no espaço escolar, com foco, sobretudo, na figura do professor de sociologia, entrevistas com professores e relatos autobiográficos. O resultado se mostra profícuo para pensar alguns elementos gerais e particulares da construção da professoralidade, especificamente no campo do ensino de sociologia.