bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What is the knowledge of tubercular patients about risk factors contributing to development of their disease
Authors: Ilic Miroslav
Published: July 2015

INTRODUCTION. Present knowledge of population on basic characteristics of
tuberculosis is a significant issue of prevention of tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE.
The objective of our study was to determine the level of knowledge on risk
factors of tuberculosis among tubercular patients. METHOD. A total of 115 new
patients with the active pulmonary tuberculosis were interviewed by means of
anonymous questionnaire, who has been treated at the Institute of Pulmonary
Diseases, Sremska Kamenica during six-month period (October 2003-March 2004).
RESULTS. The patients fulfilled the questionnaire; 37.6 % had no or finished
only elementary school, and 58.6 % considered genetics the main risk factor
of tuberculosis. Every second patient believed that he could not catch
tuberculosis if he suffered from diabetes mellitus or any kind of tumor. 8.7
% of patients who suffered from diabetes mellitus had been informed by their
physicians that could catch tuberculosis one day. Every third patient did not
possess sewage system and nearly 20% lived in moist flats. Around 85% had no
regular salaries or these were significantly under the average Serbian income
per capita in this period (12820 dinars-CSD). Leading risk factors that can
contribute to development of tuberculosis were as follows: irregular
nutrition (91.4 %), smoking (74.2 %), alcohol consumption (65.5%) and
associated diseases (diabetes mellitus, tumors). Only 15% of them believed
that all these risk factors (smoking, alcohol, irregular diet) could
participate together in development of tuberculosis, and not as individual
factors. Analyzing the patients? knowledge on risk factors of tuberculosis,
in relation to their educational level and alcohol and cigarettes
consumption, there was no significant difference (p<0.05). Nevertheless,
analyzing the quality of life in patients? houses, in relation to salary and
bad habits (alcohol, cigarettes) as risk factors of tuberculosis, significant
statistical difference was found (p>0.05). CONCLUSION. Intensive and
permanent education of population is necessary primarily considering the
knowledge on tuberculosis that would be the basis of reducing the number of
patients and leading to possible eradication of this disease.
Education of medical examiners qualified for death certification
Authors: Alempijevic Djordje , Savic Slobodan
Published: July 2015

INTRODUCTION. Death certification is very important from public health
perspective, in particular, referring to gathering of data for mortality
statistics on local and national level. When examining the deceased, medical
examiner is capable of detecting indications of violent death and report the
case for further inquest. The Public Health Care Act of the Republic of
Serbia defines the responsibilities of medical examiner (ME) to certify death
and estimate the time and cause of death. On the territory of Belgrade, this
Service is organized by Department of Public Health of the City Council.
Education of doctors-medical examiners certifying death in Belgrade area was
organized during 2002 and 2003. OBJECTIVE. Demonstrate the structure of the
Program of continual medical education (CME) of medical examiners in Belgrade
area, to look into some aspects of their professional career, and to analyze
the results of their testing. METHOD. Based on the Program of CME for medical
examiners, test consisting of 13 questions was prepared. These questions were
related to thanatology and current legislation. The evaluation of test
results as well as particular characteristics (age, duration of professional
engagement, etc.) of tested doctors was carried out. RESULTS. A total of 138
participants of CME Program were subjected to test. Mean age of tested MEs
was 40.27?8.06 years, while an average duration of professional engagement
was 13.43?8.00 years. Almost 2/3 of tested MEs were employed as general
practitioners, while the rest were specialists, mainly in internal medicine
and emergency medicine. Slightly more than 1/5 of tested MEs (21.7%) failed
on the test (less than 60% of maximum score). CONCLUSION. Given the fact that
slightly more than 1/5 of tested MEs (21.7%), regardless of duration of their
professional engagement, did not pass the test, the level of their specific
knowledge of death certification was not sufficient. Therefore, it is
necessary to organize periodical CME on specific topics, including practice
related to death certification. Accordingly, the Institute of Forensic
Medicine in cooperation with Center for CME, Faculty of Medicine, University
of Belgrade, has created a specific program of CME whose realization is in
progress.
Application and significance of fortification in prevention of micronutrient deficiency-induced diseases
Authors: Lazarevic Konstansa , Nikolic Maja , Mitrovic Vladimir
Published: July 2015

Fortification is defined as adding of one or more essential elements to food
article, regardless of whether it has been already added to food or not, in
order to prevent or correct deficiency of one or more nutrients in the
general population or specific population group. Food fortification with
minerals and vitamins helps eliminate diseases such as goiter, rickets,
beriberi, and pellagra. Significant results have been also achieved in
prevention of anemia and vitamin A deficiency. The aforementioned
deficiencies can be prevented and eliminated by means of appropriate and
diverse nutrition and supplementation of deficient micronutrients, but on the
national level, food fortification is the best solution. Two basic conditions
for the application of fortification are the following: that the food article
is in wide use and that it is cheap (available). The purpose of our paper was
to show the results achieved by means of fortification in various countries
in order to build up the basis for similar propositions in our country
(Serbia and Montenegro). Owing to fortification in Asia, the number of
cretinism cases has been reduced by half while sugar fortification
significantly reduced the number of children with vitamin A deficiency. For
more than 50 years, flour fortification with iron in order to prevent its
deficiency and anemia, has been successfully applied in the United States and
Canada, and as of recently in some countries of Africa and South America. The
analysis of the results leads to the conclusion that food fortification has
had beneficial health effects in the communities where it has been applied.
Our disputes, divisions and conflicts about foundation of the School of medicine in Belgrade
Authors: Antic Vukasin , Vukovic Zarko
Published: July 2015

Disputes, divisions and even conflicts, so frequent in Serbia, have not
bypassed physicians-members of the Serbian Medical Society; ones of the most
important occurred at the crossroad of the 19th and 20th centuries related
to foundation of the School of Medicine in Belgrade. The most prominent and
persistent advocate of foundation of the School of Medicine was Dr. Milan
Jovanovic Batut. In 1899, he presented the paper ?The Medical School of the
Serbian University?. Batut`s effort was worth serious attention but did not
produce fruit. On the contrary, Dr. Mihailo Petrovic criticized Batut by
opening the discussion ?Is the Medical School in Serbia the most acute
sanitary necessity or not?? in the Serbian Archives, in 1900. However, such
an attitude led to intervention of Dr. Djoka Nikolic, who defended Batut`s
views. He published his article in Janko Veselinovic`s magazine ?The Star?.
Since then up to 1904, all discussions about Medical School had stopped. It
was not even mentioned during the First Congress of Serbian Physicians and
Scientists. Nevertheless, at the very end of the gathering, a professor from
Prague, Dr. Jaromil Hvala claimed that ?the First Serbian Congress had
prepared the material for the future Medical School?, thus sending a message
to the attendants of what importance for Serbia its foundation would have
been. But the President of both the Congress and the Serbian Medical
Society, as well as the editor of the Serbian Archives, Dr. Jovan Danic
announced that ?the First Congress of Serbian Physicians and Scientists had
finished its work?. It was evident that Danic belonged to those medical
circles which jealously guarded special privileges of doctors and other
eminent persons who had very serious doctrinal disagreements on the
foundation of the Medical School. All that seemed to have grown into clash,
which finally resulted in the fact that Serbia got Higher Medical School
within the University of Belgrade with a great delay, only after the First
World War.
Absent Aortic Valve in DiGeorge Syndrome
Authors: Bertsch Elizabeth C. , Minturn Lucy , Gotteiner Nina L. , Ernst Linda M.
Published: July 2015

A 20-week-old fetus with the 22q11.2 deletion characteristic of DiGeorge syndrome is described with vertebral segmentation abnormalities and complex cardiovascular anomalies including an absent aortic valve. This is only the second known case of absent aortic valve in association with DiGeorge syndrome. We discuss the association of absent aortic valve with other conotruncal defects and the utility of fetal echocardiography in the diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome.
Rare Presentations of Epstein-Barr Virus–Associated Smooth Muscle Tumor in Children
Authors: Arva Nicoleta C. , Schafernak Kristian T.
Published: July 2015

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has oncogenic potential and has been implicated in the etiology of a wide range of malignancies. Certain EBV-driven neoplasms, such as smooth muscle tumors (SMTs), manifest typically in immunocompromised patients. In children, these neoplasms have been encountered in the setting of primary immune disorders, specifically severe combined and common variable immunodeficiency syndromes. Human immunodeficiency virus infection and posttransplant immunosuppression, in particular liver and kidney transplantation, likewise increase the risk in the pediatric population. The location of these neoplasms appears related to the type of immunodeficiency: in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome they are frequently located intracranially or intraspinally, whereas after transplant they usually involve the liver or lung. We report 2 distinct cases of EBV-related SMT, unique through their coassociated immunosuppressive state or location: the 1st occurred in a patient with immunodeficiency secondary to NEMO gene mutation following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; the 2nd developed in the orbit after heart transplant.
Pathologic Findings in NEMO Deficiency: A Surgical and Autopsy Survey
Authors: Huppmann Alison R. , Leiding Jennifer W. , Hsu Amy P. , Raffeld Mark , Uzel Gulbu , Pittaluga Stefania , Holland Steven M.
Published: July 2015

Hypomorphic mutations in nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) essential modulator (NEMO), encoded by IKBKG, lead to a variable combined immunodeficiency, which puts patients at risk of early death from infectious complications. The spectrum of clinical manifestations includes inflammatory disorders, especially colitis. Because of the multiple complications of NEMO deficiency, a variety of biopsy, excisional, and autopsy materials from these patients may be subject to pathologic examination. Therefore, using samples from a cohort of patients with this disorder, we aimed to survey the pathologic spectrum of NEMO deficiency and search for correlations between specific genotypes and phenotypes. Clinical and laboratory data, mutation analysis, and pathology from 13 patients were examined, including 6 autopsies. No specific genotype-pathology correlation was identified. However, we confirmed an association between ectodermal dysplasia and inflammatory conditions. We found no characteristic pathology to identify patients with NEMO deficiency; therefore, history, physical examination, and specific infections must remain the clues to suggest the diagnosis. Variability among patients and by infection makes the pathologic recognition of NEMO deficiency challenging.
A Study of Measurements of Spinal Canal at the Level of Lower Three Lumbar Vertebra by 16 Slice CT Scanner in Nepalese Population
Authors: Mallik Mukesh , Paudel Keshav , Subedi Nuwadatta , Sah Sanjay , Subedee Anish , Adhikari Deepak
Published: July 2015

Background and Objective: The study was conducted with the objectives to establish the measurements of spinal canal and lumbar vertebra at L3 to L5 region in Nepalese population.Methodology: It is a cross-sectional study among 36 patients (17 males and 19 females) having age variation from 20-60years whose abdomen was scanned by GE bright speed 16 slice CT scanner with slice thickness 10mm and then reconstructed at 1.2mm for images in different body plains for the measurement of spinal canal.Results: Almost all the parameters increase from L3 to L4 to L5 but the difference is more between L4 and L5 than between L3 and L4 except in vertebral body width (VBW) where it increases smoothly, however canal body ratio (CBR) remained constant at 0.6. All the parameters were larger in males than in females except antero-posterior dimension of canal in transverse section (APT) which is larger in females. It also shows that none of the parameters vary significantly depending upon sex except vertebral body width (VBW) at L3 which is 39.041 ± 4.1334 in males and 36.474 ± 2.8509 in females (p=0.036).Conclusion: Antero- posterior dimension in trans-verse and sagittal is almost identical but the chances of measurement error is higher in transverse due to trigonal shape of canal so AP diameter should be done in sagittal section as this is consistent and measures 14mm at L3, 14mm at L4 and 15 mm at L5 hence defining average antero-posterior canal dimension in sagittal section to be 14 mm but CBR constant at 0.6.JCMS Nepal 2014; 10(4):6-11
Correlation between T and N Stages of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Koirala Krishna , Sinha Bimal , Baskota Dharma Kanta
Published: July 2015

Background and Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region is a common pathological entity. Advanced primary lesion (T) and neck node metastasis (N) both are bad prognostic features for the carcinoma. Purpose of this prospective cross sectional study is to see if T stage of primary Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma correlates with N stage of Neck node metastasis.Materials and Methods: Patients of all ages and both sex with biopsy proven squamous cell carcinoma of Head and Neck region were included in the study. After detailed history taking and clinical examination to identify the clinical T and N status of the disease, biopsy was taken from the primary site under local or general anesthesia. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) of the palpable neck node (s) was performed. Correlation of T stage of the primary tumor was seen with that of N stage of the neck by applying the statistical tests.Results: There was significant correlation of the T status of the primary head and neck carcinoma with N status of the secondary neck.Conclusion: The T status of primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma correlates with the N status of Neck in general. By knowing the T status of the primary tumor, we can predict the nodal status in most of the cases of head and neck carcinomas which can be used in planning the treatment modalities also.JCMS Nepal 2014; 10(4):26-31
Promoting Education for Sustainable Development: Roles of Teacher
Authors: Bakhati Pramila
Published: July 2015

Human beings are considered as the most intellectual living beings in this Universe because they are able to cope with all the natural resources for their personal needs and preserving the things as well. Due to the growing population and immense using of resources, the things which we get from the nature are being destroyed by using in improper way. Our common home: the Earth is now in crisis as a result of limited awareness, egotism and understanding about the real values of nature and natural resources. In this problematic situation, Sustainable Development (SD) is emerged as a window of hope and later Education for Sustainable Developed (ESD) is appeared to promote the SD. However, if the knowledge is not transformed into behavior and practical life, the knowledge will be nothing or the meaningless.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jtd.v1i0.13086 Journal of Training and Development Vol.1 2015: 21-26
Outcome and complications of endovascular embolization for vein of Galen malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yan Jun , Wen Jing , Gopaul Roodrajeetsing , Zhang Chao-Yuan , Xiao Shao-wen
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

There have been many multidisciplinary approaches to the treatment of vein of Galen malformations. Endovascular embolization is the first option for treatment. However, the effects of the treatment remain controversial. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of endovascular embolization to treat patients with vein of Galen malformations.

METHODS

This paper includes a retrospective analysis of a sample of 667 patients who underwent endovascular embolization to treat vein of Galen malformations. The data were obtained through a literature search of PubMed databases. The authors also evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment. Mortality within the follow-up period is analyzed. Pooled estimates of proportions with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated using raw (i.e., untransformed) proportions (PRAW).

RESULTS

In the 34 studies evaluated, neonates accounted for 44% of the sample (95% CI 31%-57%; I2 = 92.5%), infants accounted for 41% (95% CI 30%–51%; I2 = 83.3%), and children and adults accounted for 12% (95% CI 7%–16%; I2 = 52.9%). The meta-analysis revealed that complete occlusion was performed in 57% (95% CI 48%–65%; I2 = 68.2%) of cases, with partial occlusion in 43% (95% CI 34%–51%; I2 = 70.7%). The pooled proportion of patients showing a good outcome was 68% (95% CI 61%–76%; I2 = 77.8%), while 31% showed a poor outcome (95% CI 24%–38%; I2 = 75.6%). The proportional meta-analysis showed that postembolization mortality and complications were reported in 10% (95% CI 8%–12%; I2 = 42.8%) and 37% (95% CI 29%–45%; I2 = 79.1%), respectively. Complications included cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral ischemia, hydrocephalus, leg ischemia, and vessel perforation.

CONCLUSIONS

The successful treatment of vein of Galen malformations remains a complex therapeutic challenge. The authors’ analysis of clinical history and research literature suggests that vein of Galen malformations treated with endovascular embolization can result in an acceptable mortality rate, complications, and good clinical outcome. Future large-scale, multicenter, randomized trials are necessary to confirm these findings.
Early surgical removal of migrated coil/stent after failed embolization of intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Turek Grzegorz , Kochanowicz Jan , Lewszuk Andrzej , Lyson Tomasz , Zielinska-Turek Justyna , Chwiesko Jan , Mariak Zenon
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

Distal coil or stent migration is a rare, but potentially morbid complication of intracranial aneurysm embolization. At present, there is no established standard of surgical evacuation of displaced material—in particular, there is no consensus on the optimum time for such intervention. The authors report their positive experiences with an ultra-early surgical evacuation of 2 migrated coils and a flow-diverter stent.

METHODS

Uncontrolled coil or stent migration occurred in 3 (0.75%) of approximately 400 patients treated between 1999 and 2012 in the authors' institution. In all 3 cases, the materials moved from their intended position to the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Surgical evacuation was started immediately (within half an hour) after a futile attempt of removing them via intraarterial route, under the same anesthesia and with no active reversal of heparinization.

RESULTS

No excessive bleeding was observed. Displaced coils were extracted through an incision of a branch of MCA—the anterior temporal artery, the stent was removed through a direct incision of MCA. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) was injected to the stem of the internal carotid artery toward the end of the procedure, with no discernible adverse effects. Two patients were discharged with no deficit (Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS] Score 5); the other patient was conscious with mild hemiparesis (GOS Score 4) at discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The experiences of these 3 cases suggest that immediate removal of a migrated stent/coil is feasible and may be effective. Indirect access to the MCA through its branch helps to shorten the time of temporary clipping of the artery to a minimum. Maintaining active heparinization and direct intraarterial injection of rtPA are helpful in promoting blood flow in the MCA.
Endoscopic endonasal clip ligation of cerebral aneurysms: an anatomical feasibility study and future directions
Authors: Szentirmai Oszkar , Hong Yuan , Mascarenhas Lino , Salek Al Amin , Stieg Philip E. , Anand Vijay K. , Cohen-Gadol Aaron A. , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

The expansion of endovascular procedures for obliteration of cerebral aneurysms highlights one of the drawbacks of clip ligation through the transcranial route, namely brain retraction or brain transgression. Sporadic case reports have emerged over the past 10 years describing endonasal endoscopic clip ligation of cerebral aneurysms. The authors present a detailed anatomical study to evaluate the feasibility of an endoscopic endonasal approach for application of aneurysm clips.

METHODS

Nine human cadaveric head specimens were used to evaluate operative exposures for clip ligation of aneurysms in feasible anterior and posterior circulation locations. Measurements of trajectories were completed using a navigation system to calculate skull base craniectomy size, corridor space, and the surgeon's ability to gain proximal and distal control of parent vessels.

RESULTS

In each of the 9 cadaveric heads, excellent exposure of the target vessels was achieved. The transplanum, transtuberculum, and transcavernous approaches were used to explore the feasibility of anterior circulation access. Application of aneurysm clips was readily possible to the ophthalmic artery, A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery, anterior communicating artery complex, and the paraclinoid and paraclival internal carotid artery. The transclival approach was explored, and clips were successfully deployed along the proximal branches of the vertebrobasilar system and basilar trunk and bifurcation. The median sizes of skull base craniectomy necessary for exposure of the anterior communicating artery complex and basilar tip were 3.24 cm2 and 4.62 cm2, respectively. The mean angles of surgical corridors to the anterior communicating artery complex and basilar tip were 11.4° and 14°, respectively. Although clip placement was feasible on the basilar artery and its branches, the associated perforating arteries were difficult to visualize, posing unexpected difficulty for safe clip application, with the exception of ventrolateral-pointing aneurysms.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors characterize the feasibility of endonasal endoscopic clip ligation of aneurysms involving the paraclinoid, anterior communicating, and basilar arteries and proximal control of the paraclival internal carotid artery. The endoscopic approach should be initially considered for nonruptured aneurysms involving the paraclinoid and anterior communicating arteries, as well as ventrolateral basilar trunk aneurysms. Clinical experience will be mandatory to determine the applicability of this approach in practice.
Unsung hero: Donald Darrow Matson’s legacy in pediatric neurosurgery
Authors: Rehder Roberta , Lohani Subash , Cohen Alan R.
Published: July 2015

Donald Darrow Matson made seminal contributions to the field of pediatric neurosurgery. Born in 1913 in Fort Hamilton, New York, Matson was the youngest of four sons of an army colonel. He graduated from Cornell University and, years later, from Harvard Medical School. Matson selected Peter Bent Brigham Hospital for his neurosurgical training, which was interrupted during World War II. As a neurosurgeon, he worked close to the front lines under Brigadier General Elliot Cutler in Europe, earning a Bronze Star. Matson returned to Boston to become Franc Ingraham’s fellow and partner. He was a masterful surgeon and, with Ingraham, published Neurosurgery of Infancy and Childhood in 1954, the first pediatric neurosurgery textbook in the world. Upon Ingraham’s retirement, Matson became chairman of the department of neurosurgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Peter Bent Brigham. In 1968, he became the inaugural Franc D. Ingraham Professor of Neurological Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Among his neurosurgical accomplishments, Matson served as President of the Harvey Cushing Society, later known as the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He was unable to preside at the 1969 meeting that marked the 100th anniversary of Cushing’s birth, having contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Matson died at the age of 55, surviving his mentor Ingraham by only 4 years.
Screening for Sugarcane Brown Rust in the First Clonal Stage of the Canal Point Sugarcane Breeding Program
Authors: Zhao Duli , Davidson R. , Baltazar Miguel , Comstock Jack , McCord Per , Sood Sushma
Published: July 2015

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala Syd. & P. Syd.) was first reported in the United States in 1978 and is still one of the great challenges for sugarcane production. A better understanding of sugarcane genotypic variation in response to brown rust will help optimize breeding and selection strategies for disease resistance. Brown rust ratings were scaled from non-infection (0) to severe infection (4) with intervals of 0.5 and routinely recorded for genotypes in the first clonal selection stage of the Canal Point sugarcane breeding program in Florida. Data were collected from 14,272 and 12,661 genotypes and replicated check cultivars in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Mean rust rating, % infection, and severity in each family and progeny of female parent were determined, and their coefficients of variation (CV) within and among families (females) were estimated. Considerable variation exists in rust ratings among families or females. The families and female parents with high susceptibility or resistance to brown rust were identified and ranked. The findings of this study can help scientists to evaluate sugarcane crosses and parents for brown rust disease, to use desirable parents for crossing, and to improve genetic resistance to brown rust in breeding programs.
Predictions of Daily Milk and Fat Yields, Major Groups of Fatty Acids, and C18:1 cis-9 from Single Milking Data without a Milking Interval
Authors: Arnould Valérie , Reding Romain , Bormann Jeanne , Gengler Nicolas , Soyeurt Hélène
Published: July 2015

Reducing the frequency of milk recording would help reduce the costs of official milk recording. However, this approach could also negatively affect the accuracy of predicting daily yields. This problem has been investigated in numerous studies. In addition, published equations take into account milking intervals (MI), and these are often not available and/or are unreliable in practice. The first objective of this study was to propose models in which the MI was replaced by a combination of data easily recorded by dairy farmers. The second objective was to further investigate the fatty acids (FA) present in milk. Equations to predict daily yield from AM or PM data were based on a calibration database containing 79,971 records related to 51 traits [milk yield (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily); fat content (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily); fat yield (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/day); levels of seven different FAs or FA groups (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/dL milk), and the corresponding FA yields for these seven FA types/groups (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/day)]. These equations were validated using two distinct external datasets. The results obtained from the proposed models were compared to previously published results for models which included a MI effect. The corresponding correlation values ranged from 96.4% to 97.6% when the daily yields were estimated from the AM milkings and ranged from 96.9% to 98.3% when the daily yields were estimated from the PM milkings. The simplicity of these proposed models should facilitate their use by breeding and milk recording organizations.
Assessing the Correlation between Land Cover Conversion and Temporal Climate Change—A Pilot Study in Coastal Mediterranean City, Fethiye, Turkey
Authors: Cinar İsmail
Published: July 2015

The rapid growth and expansion of urbanized landscapes in cities has resulted in an increase in air temperature and has lowered the bioclimatic comfort levels in urban landscapes. Recent studies to estimate the climatic response of urban landscape conversion have mostly examined the relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) change and land surface temperature (LST) data collected using advanced remote sensing (RS) techniques instead of atmospheric temperature. In this respect, four decadal Landsat images from the 1980s were used to investigate the impact of landscape transformation on atmospheric temperature. The mean and average minimum and maximum monthly air temperature datasets were used in the analysis. The CORINE (Coordination of Information on Environment) index was used to determine LULC diversity in an urban development boundary and urban periphery. Consequently, clustered LULC change values for the last three decades were integrated with decadal air temperature anomalies. The findings revealed an important relationship between monthly mean air temperature and land changes over recent decades, which resulted in an increase in urban fabric land use, deforestation land cover changes and conversion of permanent crop fields to artificial green houses for earlier vegetable production; the R-sqr values for these regressions were 97.7%, 88.5% and 90.6% respectively. On the other hand, the most important increasing temperature trends were obtained for the average monthly minimum air temperature, which supports the global warming concerns of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and related studies, which have concluded that an increased nighttime temperature results in urban heat islands (UHIs). The results should be used to support better urban landscape plans and architectural designs to improve human thermal comfort for sustainable urban life in Mediterranean cities. Street geometry and orientation to wind breeze, the Height/Width H/W ratio of buildings, and sizes of open and green spaces should be examined carefully in urban planning and design for climate adaptation.
Identification and Characterization of GABAergic Projection Neurons from Ventral Hippocampus to Amygdala
Authors: Lübkemann Robert , Eberhardt Judith , Röhl Friedrich-Wilhelm , Janitzky Kathrin , Nullmeier Sven , Stork Oliver , Schwegler Herbert , Linke Rüdiger
Published: July 2015

GABAergic local circuit neurons are critical for the network activity and functional interaction of the amygdala and hippocampus. Previously, we obtained evidence for a GABAergic contribution to the hippocampal projection into the basolateral amygdala. Using fluorogold retrograde labeling, we now demonstrate that this projection indeed has a prominent GABAergic component comprising 17% of the GABAergic neurons in the ventral hippocampus. A majority of the identified GABAergic projection neurons are located in the stratum oriens of area CA1, but cells are also found in the stratum pyramidale and stratum radiatum. We could detect the expression of different markers of interneuron subpopulations, including parvalbumin and calbindin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and cholecystokinin in such retrogradely labeled GABA neurons. Thus GABAergic projection neurons to the amygdala comprise a neurochemically heterogeneous group of cells from different interneuron populations, well situated to control network activity patterns in the amygdalo-hippocampal system.
The Role of nAChR and Calcium Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer Initiation and Progression
Authors: Schaal Courtney , Padmanabhan Jaya , Chellappan Srikumar
Published: July 2015

Pancreatic cancer shows a strong correlation with smoking and the current therapeutic strategies have been relatively ineffective in improving the survival of patients. Efforts have been made over the past many years to understand the molecular events that drive the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer, especially in the context of smoking. It has become clear that components of tobacco smoke not only initiate these cancers, especially pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) through their mutagenic properties, but can also promote the growth and metastasis of these tumors by stimulating cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Studies in cell culture systems, animal models and human samples have shown that nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) activation enhances these tumor-promoting events by channeling signaling through multiple pathways. In this context, signaling through calcium channels appear to facilitate pancreatic cancer growth by itself or downstream of nAChRs. This review article highlights the role of nAChR downstream signaling events and calcium signaling in the growth, metastasis as well as drug resistance of pancreatic cancer.
The Undiagnosed Diseases Program Integrated Collaboration System (UDPICS): One Program’s Experience Developing Custom Software to Support Research for Complex-Disease Families
Authors: Guzman Jessica , Lee Elizabeth , Draper David , Valivullah Zaheer , Yu Guoyun , Sincan Murat , Gahl William , Adams David
Published: July 2015

The Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) was started in 2008 with the goals of making diagnoses and facilitating related translational research. The individuals and families seen by the UDP are often unique and medically complex. Approximately 40% of UDP cases are pediatric. The Undiagnosed Diseases Program Integrated Collaboration System (UDPICS) was designed to create a collaborative workspace for researchers, clinicians and families. We describe our progress in developing the system to date, focusing on design rationale, challenges and issues that are likely to be common in the development of similar systems in the future.
Skill Assessment of Water Supply Outlooks in the Colorado River Basin
Authors: Harrison Brent , Bales Roger
Published: July 2015

Water-supply outlooks that predict the April through July (snowmelt) runoff and assist in estimating the total water-year runoff, are very important to users that rely on the major contributing watersheds of the Colorado River. This study reviewed the skill level of April through July forecasts at 28 forecast points within the Colorado River basin. All the forecasts were made after 1950, with considerable variation in time period covered. Evaluations of the forecasts were made using summary measures, correlation measures and categorical measures. The summary measure, a skill score for mean absolute error, indicated a steady increase in forecast skill through the forecast season of January to May. The width of the distribution for each monthly forecast over the 28 locations remained similar through the forecast season. The Nash-Sutcliffe score, a correlation measure, showed similar results, with the Nash-Sutcliffe median showing an increase from 0.4 to 0.8 during the forecast season. The categorical measures used a three-section partition of the April through July runoff. The Probability of Detection for low and high flows showed an increase in skill from approx. 0.4 to 0.8 during the forecast season. The same score for mid-flow years showed limited increase in skill. The low False Alarm Rate illustrated the under forecast of high-flow years. The Bias of the mid-runoff forecasts indicated over forecast early in the forecast season (January to March), with lower Bias later in the forecast season (April and May), ending the forecast season at 1.0, indicating no Bias. Forecasts for both low and high runoff were under forecast early in the season with a Bias near 0.5, improving to nearly 1.0 by the end of the forecast season. The Hit Rate measure illustrated the difficulty of mid-flow forecasts, starting at 0.5 in January and increasing to 0.75 in May due to the forecasting assumption of normal climatology for the remaining forecast period. There was no relationship between basin elevation and forecast skill, reflecting the snow vs. rain dominance in all basins.
Parasitic Manipulation of Host Behaviour: Baculovirus SeMNPV EGT Facilitates Tree-Top Disease in Spodoptera exigua Larvae by Extending the Time to Death
Authors: Han Yue , Van Houte Stineke , Drees Gerben , Van Oers Monique , Ros Vera
Published: July 2015

Many parasites enhance their dispersal and transmission by manipulating host behaviour. One intriguing example concerns baculoviruses that induce hyperactivity and tree-top disease (i.e., climbing to elevated positions prior to death) in their caterpillar hosts. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of such parasite-induced behavioural changes. Here, we studied the role of the ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) in tree-top disease in S. exigua larvae. Larvae infected with a mutant virus lacking the egt gene exhibited a shorter time to death and died before the induction of tree-top disease. Moreover, deletion of either the open reading frame or the ATG start codon of the egt gene prevented tree-top disease, indicating that the EGT protein is involved in this process. We hypothesize that SeMNPV EGT facilitates tree-top disease in S. exigua larvae by prolonging the larval time to death. Additionally, we discuss the role of egt in baculovirus-induced tree-top disease.
Ethnic/Race Diversity and Diabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Muthuppalaniappan Vasantha , Yaqoob Muhammad
Published: July 2015

Ethnicity and race are often used interchangeably in the literature. However, the traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related to biological (bone structure and skin, hair, or eye color) and sociological factors (nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language) respectively. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a huge global public health problem. As the number of individuals with Type 2 DM grows, the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), which is one of the most serious complications, is expected to rise sharply. Many ethnic and racial groups have a greater risk of developing DM and its associated macro and micro-vascular complications.
Nrf2 and NF-κB Signaling Pathways Contribute to Porphyra-334-Mediated Inhibition of UVA-Induced Inflammation in Skin Fibroblasts
Authors: Ryu Jina , Kwon Mi-Jin , Nam Taek-Jeong
Published: July 2015

In this study, we examined the protective effects of porphyra-334 against UVA-irradiated cellular damage and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Porphyra-334 prevented UVA-induced cell death and exhibited scavenging activities against intracellular oxidative stress induced by UVA irradiation in skin fibroblasts. We found that porphyra-334 significantly reduced the secretion and expression of IL-6 and TNF-α, reduced nuclear expression of Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and sustained NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation. Further mechanism research revealed that porphyra-334 promoted the Nrf2 signaling pathway in UVA-irradiated skin fibroblasts. Our results show that the antioxidant effect of porphyra-334 is due to the direct scavenging of oxidative stress and its inhibitory effects on NF-κB-dependent inflammatory genes, such as IL-6 and TNF-κ. Therefore, we hypothesize that boosting the Nrf2- NF-κB-dependent response to counteract environmental stress is a promising strategy for the prevention of UVA-related damage.
Caesalpinia decapetala Extracts as Inhibitors of Lipid Oxidation in Beef Patties
Authors: Gallego Maria , Gordon Michael , Segovia Francisco , Almajano María
Published: July 2015

In this study we investigated the effects of Caesalpinia decapetala (CD) extracts on lipid oxidation in ground beef patties. Plant extracts and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were individually added to patties at both 0.1% and 0.5% (w/w) concentrations. We assessed the antioxidant efficacy of CD by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and evaluated their potential as natural antioxidants for meat preservation by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values, hexanal content, fatty acid composition and color parameters. These were tested periodically during 11 days of refrigerated storage. TBARS levels were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in the samples containing plant extracts or BHT than in the non-treated control. In addition, the beef patties formulated with the selected plant extracts showed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) better color stability than those without antioxidants. These results indicate that edible plant extracts are promising sources of natural antioxidants and can potentially be used as functional preservatives in meat products.
Coupled Ground- and Space-Based Assessment of Regional Inundation Dynamics to Assess Impact of Local and Upstream Changes on Evaporation in Tropical Wetlands
Authors: Schwerdtfeger Julia , Da Silveira Sérgio , Zeilhofer Peter , Weiler Markus
Published: July 2015

Modifications of human land use and climate change are known to be a threat for the health and proper functioning of tropical wetlands. They interfere with the seasonal flood pulse, which is seen as the most important driver for biodiversity and directly controls evaporation. In order to investigate the impact of local and upstream changes on wetlands, a regional assessment of evaporation is crucial but challenging in such often remote and poorly gauged ecosystems. Evaporation is the major water balance component of these wetlands and links the flood pulse with the ecosystem. It can therefore be seen as a proxy for their functioning. In the last decades, information from space became an important data source to assess remote wetland areas. Here, we developed a new approach to quantify regional evaporation driven by inundation dynamics as its dominant control. We used three water and vegetation indices (mNDWI (modified Normalized Difference Water Index), NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index)) from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) surface reflectance products to assess regional inundation dynamics between the dry and wet seasons. Two years of continual in situ water level measurements at different locations in our study area, the Pantanal wetland of South America, provided the reference to evaluate our method. With process-based modeling that used the inundation dynamics to determine the water available for evaporation, we were able to estimate actual evaporation (AET) on a regional scale. Relating AET to changes in discharge due to upstream flow modifications and on local precipitation over the last 13 years, we found that the Pantanal is more vulnerable to alternated inundation dynamics than to changes in local precipitation. We concluded that coupling ground- and space-based information in this remote wetland area is a valuable first step to investigate the status of the Pantanal ecosystem.
The Spread of Knowledge Management in SMEs: A Scenario in Evolution
Authors: Cerchione Roberto , Esposito Emilio , Spadaro Maria
Published: July 2015

This paper deals with knowledge management (KM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Through a literature review, three research questions have been identified concerning the barriers hindering the spread of KM practices in SMEs, the main knowledge management systems (KMSs) adopted by SMEs and the impact of the use of KM practices on SME performance. The research questions were subsequently addressed through a field analysis conducted on a sample of SMEs. The empirical evidence highlights that the scenario has changed in the space of but a few years. Although SMEs are generally characterized by poor financial and human resources, they are able to overcome the barriers preventing the spread of KM practices. The SMEs investigated perceive the strategic value of KM and consequently adopt a variety of KMSs. Nevertheless, such systems are generally outdated in comparison with cheaper, more recent, and user-friendly applications. Finally, the paper emphasizes that the use of KM practices can contribute to the overall growth of SMEs by simultaneously and significantly enhancing their performance.
A Methodological Comparison between Energy and Environmental Performance Evaluation
Authors: Pagliaro Francesca , Cellucci Lucia , Burattini Chiara , Bisegna Fabio , Gugliermetti Franco , De Lieto Vollaro Andrea , Salata Ferdinando , Golasi Iacopo
Published: July 2015

The European Union is working on strategies in order to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. A useful solution is to identify the energy performance of buildings through the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), as it provides information for the comparison of buildings with different architectural typology, shape, design technology and geographic location. However, this tool does not assess the real energy consumption of the building and does not always take into account its impact on the environment. In this work, two different types of analysis were carried out: one based only on the energy efficiency and the other one based on the environmental impact. Those analyses were applied on a standard building, set in three different Italian locations, with the purpose of obtaining cross-related information. After the evaluation of the results, interventions on some parameters (walls insulation, windows frame, filler gas in the insulated glazing) have been identified in order to improve the energy behavior of the building with an acceptable environmental impact. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology that integrates the EPC with green building rating systems, leading to a more conscious choice of retrofit interventions as a compromise between energy performances and environmental impact.
Reconstruction of Lake Level Changes of Groundwater-Fed Lakes in Northeastern Germany Using RapidEye Time Series
Authors: Heine Iris , Stüve Peter , Kleinschmit Birgit , Itzerott Sibylle
Published: July 2015

Groundwater-fed lakes in northeastern Germany are characterized by significant lake level changes, but for only a few lakes are in situ water level measurements available. In this study, we test the potential of RapidEye satellite images for indirectly reconstructing lake level changes. The lake levels are derived by intersecting water-land borders with a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM). Based on Lake Fürstenseer (LF), we define requirements and limitations of the method. Water-land borders were extracted automatically from the 37 RapidEye images available for the period between 2009 and 2014. Otsu’s threshold was used for the NIR band and for the normalized difference water index (NDWI). The results were validated with in situ gauging, contour lines from the DEM, and in situ Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) measurements of the shoreline. Using an ideal shoreline subset, the lake levels could be reconstructed with decimeter accuracy using the NIR water-land border, but the levels were systematically underestimated by 0–20 cm. The accuracy of the reconstructed lake level retrieval strongly depends on the precision of the water-land border retrieval, on the accuracy of the DEM, and on the lake level itself. A clear shift of the water-land border with increasing lake level is also essential for the unambiguous reconstruction of different levels. This shift needs to be several times larger than the pixel size. The biggest challenges for lake level reconstruction are the presence of vegetation at the shorelines, the quality of the topographic data in the underwater area, the slope of the shoreline, and shadows in combination with low solar angles.