bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homologous Recombination Using Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes
Authors: Lai Cary , Fischer Tobias , Munroe Elizabeth
Published: February 2015

This protocol introduces the technique of homologous recombination in bacteria to insert a linear DNA fragment into bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs). Homologous recombination allows the modification of large DNA molecules, in contrast with conventional restriction endonuclease-based strategies, which cleave large DNAs into numerous fragments and are unlikely to permit the precise targeting afforded by recombination-based approaches. The method uses a phage lambda-derived recombination system (using exo, beta, and gam) as well as other enzymatic activities provided by the host (Escherichia coli). In the method described here, a DNA fragment encoding enhanced cyan fluorescent protein is inserted immediately after the start codon of the gene encoding choline acetyltransferase (“ChAT”), the final enzyme in acetylcholine biosynthesis, using homologous recombination between sequences that are present both on the introduced DNA fragment and in the target BAC. The desired recombination products are identified via positive selection for resistance to kanamycin. In principle, the resulting modified BAC could be used to produce transgenic mice that express this fluorescent protein in cholinergic neurons. The approach described here could be used to insert any DNA fragment.
Preserving the past in the face of a new future
Authors: Abeles Tom P.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is an expanded review of “Wired for Success”.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article comprises an extended book review.

Findings

– The authors do not address the critical insight of Peter Drucker that the “campus” as it exists today will exist in a new, undefined set of embodiments in the future. It also fails to consider the changing environment of and expectations for educational institutions, as competencies and other criteria not only change the very nature of education but also as “big data” can support more complex relationships for knowledge acquisition, globally.

Originality/value

– This review provokes and challenges the readers to challenge their own and the authors’ thoughts of what could and how education would evolve in light of the discomfort of many with current models and outcomes.
Effects of shrub encroachment on the anuran community in periodically flooded grasslands of the largest Neotropical wetland
Authors: Dorado‐Rodrigues Tainá Figueras , Layme Viviane Maria Guedes , Silva Fernando Henrique Barbosa , Nunes da Cunha Cátia , Strüssmann Christine
Published: February 2015

In many parts of the world, replacement of natural grasslands by woody plants has resulted in a decrease of pasture areas and in habitat loss for a variety of animal species, including amphibians. Wetlands are especially susceptible to invasive plants, both native and exotic, but the effects of such invasions on animal assemblages remain poorly understood. Here, we present information on the impact of selected environmental variables, especially coverage by the native shrub Combretum laxum Jacq., on the structure of an anuran assemblage in the Pantanal, a huge flood‐pulsed South American wetland. Anurans were surveyed during the rainy season in 17 plots, which differed in extent of C. laxum coverage, leaf litter volume, soil moisture and distance to permanently wet areas. Effects of these environmental variables on the species number, relative abundance and composition of the anuran assemblage were evaluated using multivariate statistical analyses. We captured 1203 anurans, of 21 species from four families. Both the number of species and the relative abundance of anurans were lower in plots with greater C. laxum coverage, which also influenced anuran species composition. Number of species was highest in plots located closest to permanently wet areas, which provide protection from desiccation and other resources during the Pantanal dry season, and so could be considered source areas of anurans. While many anuran species were negatively affected by the homogenization of the landscape caused by shrub encroachment, some seemed to be favoured in such circumstances. For these, dense shrub encroachment into natural grasslands may provide safer migratory routes to permanently wet habitats. Thus, at the mesoscale, a mosaic of areas with different levels of coverage by C. laxum (shrub islands) may aid anuran assemblages in the Pantanal wetlands, facilitating the maintenance of higher beta and gamma diversity.
Clinical predictive factors of sildenafil response: a penile hemodynamic study
Authors: Elhanbly S. M. , Elkholy A. A.‐M. , Alghobary M. , Abou Al‐Ghar M.
Published: February 2015

Phosphodiestrase‐5 inhibitors are an important line of treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). To detect the clinical and hemodynamic predictors of sildenafil response, we conducted this study on 124 Egyptian men with ED. All patients were evaluated by thorough history and clinical assessment with measurement of the abridged international index of erectile function‐5 (IIEF‐5) score. All patients were then subjected to intracavernosal injection (ICI) of trimix and pharmaco‐penile duplex ultrasonography (PPDU). Patients were then classified into sildenafil responders and non‐responders after six consecutive doses of 100 mg sildenafil. On doing the binary logistic stepwise regression analysis, only ED duration, IIEF‐5 score, and response to ICI were the significant independent predictors of sildenafil response. These three parameters together correctly predicted the sildenafil response by 81.5% (p value <0.001). With the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the cut‐off value of ED duration was 2.5 years and it was 14 for the IIEF‐5 score. These findings indicate that ED duration, the IIEF‐5 score and response to ICI are more significant predictors of sildenafil response than the more expensive and time‐consuming PPDU testing.
Longitudinal Associations of Childhood Parenting and Adolescent Health: The Mediating Influence of Social Competence
Authors: Boyer Brittany P. , Nelson Jackie A.
Published: February 2015

The current study examined a process through which parenting during the primary school transition contributes to cardiovascular health in adolescence, a foundational period for adult health trajectories. Using path analyses, social competence was tested as a mediator between parental sensitivity and adolescent health among 884 families. Results indicated that mothers’ and fathers’ sensitivity was associated with increasing social competence from first grade (age 7) to sixth grade (age 12), which was associated with higher awakening cortisol in ninth grade (age 15) and decreasing blood pressure from sixth to ninth grade. Results suggest that social competence mediates associations between childhood parenting and adolescent cardiovascular risk, and may be protective to children's health over time.
Impact of diabetes on eye care service needs: the National Indigenous Eye Health Survey
Authors: Tapp Robyn J , Boudville Andrea I , Abouzeid Marian , Anjou Mitchell D , Taylor Hugh R
Published: February 2015

Background

To assess the proportion of Australian Indigenous adults who require eye care services (separately among those with and without diabetes) and determine implications for eye care service planning.

Design

The National Indigenous Eye Health Survey (NIEHS) was a population‐based study of 30 randomly selected geographical areas.

Participants

The NIEHS included 1189 Indigenous adults aged 40–80 years.

Methods

A standardized eye examination was performed.

Main Outcome Measure

The number requiring eye care services by diabetes status.

Results

Those with diabetes were older (median 53 years) than those without diabetes (median age 50 years), P < 0.001. The total estimated population‐based need for annual eye care in the NIEHS population was 52% (n = 615), and of those 72% were people with diabetes. Among those with diabetes, 29% required further primary referral for diabetic retinopathy, 12% for cataract, 1% for trachomatous trichiasis and 5% for uncorrected distance refractive error. Among those without diabetes 13% required further primary referral for cataract, 0% for trachomatous trichiasis and 5% for uncorrected distance refractive error.

Conclusion

This study has shown that among Indigenous adults, those with diabetes form 72% of those requiring an eye examination in any year. A key strategy to close the gap for vision for Australia's Indigenous population is to ensure those with diabetes undergo annual eye screening, have clearly defined care pathways and receive timely treatment. Establishing care pathways for those who have diabetes would also improve access to eye care services for others in the community.
Visualizing eggs of Nesidiocoris tenuis (Heteroptera: Miridae) embedded in tomato plant tissues
Authors: Rozenberg Tamir , Shaltiel‐Harpaz Liora , Coll Moshe
Published: February 2015

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a predator of some major pests of Solanaceae crops, yet it is scarcely used in biological control because it also feeds on plants and may damage crops. The study of N. tenuis biology may promote the ability to use it as a biological control agent. Because N. tenuis, like some other insect taxa, oviposits into plant tissues, its eggs are hard to detect. This limits our ability to study N. tenuis – plant interactions. We therefore looked for a staining method for plant‐embedded eggs, which will allow their detection within tomato plants, a common host of N. tenuis. We first used lactophenol solution with acid fuchsin to stain eggs inside tomato foliage. Because of the high toxicity of lactophenol, we later substituted lactophenol with a lactoglycerol solution, which was found to be similarly efficient. Five minutes immersion in the staining solution at 80°C followed by a two‐minute soak in hot water made the eggs stain deep red, while the foliage became transparent and was stained weak red. Eggs within leaves were easily visible under 10–30× magnification with sub‐stage lighting; top‐lighting was needed for the detection of eggs embedded in less‐transparent tissues such as stems. This rapid staining method improves the ability to study some important biological aspects of N. tenuis, such as its fecundity. Also, the elimination of phenol made the method cheaper and safer to use. Finally, this method may be adapted for other arthropod–plant systems.
Deviant typicality: gender equality issues in a trade union that should be different from others
Authors: Dean Deborah
Published: February 2015

A union possesses characteristics research indicates makes gender equality activity likely, yet it acts like most unions in its limited, variable engagement with women's interests. Studies of the union 1997–2010 enable consideration of Dickens's three‐pronged approach to equality action and develop Heery's conclusions on influences on union behaviour.
EXPERIENCES OF RECIPIENTS AND LIVING DONORS THE FIRST THREE DAYS AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION
Authors: Bertelsen Kathrine Hainer , Rasmussen Katrine , Ludvigsen Mette Spliid , Finderup Jeanette
Published: February 2015

Background

Living donor transplantation is described as a stressful and complex process for both recipients and donors. Few studies have described the experiences of recipients and donors in the first three post‐operative days after living kidney transplantation.

Objectives

To explore how recipients and living donors experienced the first three post‐operative days after kidney transplantation.

Design

A qualitative phenomenological‐hermeneutic framework was used to uncover the meaning of lived experiences through interpretation of transcribed interviews.

Participants

Seven dyads of kidney recipients and donors admitted at a Danish university hospital were included from September 2013 to November 2013.

Approach

Fourteen semi‐structured qualitative interviews were analysed using Malterud's principles of systematic text condensation.

Findings

Recipients and donors both experienced post‐operative discomfort, though not the same. Both recipients and donors expressed that it gave them peace of mind to be able to follow each other at close hand sharing the same room during the post‐operative period. All recipients saw receiving a kidney as a huge gift; donating a kidney gave donors a feeling of satisfaction.

Conclusion

The first three post‐operative days were characterised by different types of post‐operative discomfort and caring needs. Recipients and donors all experienced benefits from staying in the same room during hospitalisation. All patients in this study were related; this may have influenced their experiences, choices and opinions.
Older Women With Intellectual Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Autonomy
Authors: Strnadová Iva , Evans David
Published: February 2015

Women with intellectual disabilities often experience limitations to their autonomy despite the enactment of international treaties, such as United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the World Health Organization's Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. The authors examined the perception of autonomy experienced by 55 older women with intellectual disabilities resident in New South Wales (Australia) and Czech Republic (Europe). The aim was to identify factors both limiting and contributing to a perception of autonomy held by older‐aged women with intellectual disabilities. The women were recruited via support groups, employment agencies for persons with disabilities, day centers, sheltered workshops, self‐advocacy groups, and nongovernmental organizations. The women were interviewed and the data from the interviews were analyzed following a grounded theory approach. The study identified two factors with potential to limit autonomy of women with intellectual disabilities: (1) intra‐individual factors (e.g., health issues); and (2) environmental factors (e.g., living arrangements, finances). Drawing on responses from the women, the authors propose factors that may have a potential to strengthen autonomy among these women. The implications of the findings were reviewed and it is suggested that families and service providers should be made aware of ways to support autonomy of older women with intellectual disabilities.
Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell‐derived hepatocytes express tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 4 and follistatin
Authors: Xin Jiaojiao , Ding Wenchao , Hao Shaorui , Jiang Longyan , Zhou Qian , Wu Tianzhou , Shi Dongyan , Cao Hongcui , Li Lanjuan , Li Jun
Published: February 2015

Background & Aims

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSC) transplantation is expected to become an alternative regenerative technique for liver diseases. However, the mechanism by which hBMSCs differentiate into hepatocytes is still unclear. The aim of this study was to establish the specific characteristics of hBMSC‐derived hepatocytes (hBMSC‐Heps) for future clinical applications.

Methods

Potential hBMSC‐Hep biomarkers were screened using cytokine arrays. Significant biomarkers were then validated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in vitro and in an in vivo xenotransplantation model in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) pigs.

Results

After 20 days of differentiation, the expression levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 4 (TIMP‐4) and follistatin (FST) in functional hBMSC‐Heps were significantly increased, whereas those of activin A, osteoprotegerin and platelet‐derived growth factor α polypeptide (PDGF‐A) were significantly decreased. The high levels of TIMP‐4 and FST were validated by ELISA in hBMSC‐Heps grown in differentiation medium. The in vivo xenotransplantation model in FHF pigs showed that the serum levels of TIMP‐4 and FST were significantly increased 6 h after hBMSC transplantation and reached their highest levels at 24 and 48 h, respectively, after hBMSC transplantation. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that TIMP‐4 and FST were expressed in cultured hBMSC‐Heps and in implanted hBMSC‐Heps in pig livers.

Conclusions

The transdifferentiation of hBMSCs into hepatocytes is associated with the expression of TIMP‐4 and FST. TIMP‐4 and FST represent potential novel biomarkers for the characterisation of hBMSC‐Heps and may be useful for future clinical applications.
Microbubble dynamics monitoring using a dual modulation method
Authors: Fouan Damien , Achaoui Younes , Payan Cédric , Mensah Serge
Published: February 2015

An experimental method for characterizing microbubbles' oscillations is presented. With a Dual Frequency ultrasound excitation method, both relative and absolute microbubble size variations can be measured. Using the same experimental setup, a simple signal processing step applied to both the amplitude and the frequency modulations yields a two-fold picture of microbubbles' dynamics. In addition, assuming the occurrence of small radial oscillations, the equilibrium radius of the microbubbles can be accurately estimated.
Modelling parallel assemblies of porous materials using the equivalent circuit method
Authors: Pieren Reto , Heutschi Kurt
Published: February 2015

Recently, the accuracy of the parallel transfer matrix method (P-TMM) and the admittance sum method (ASM) in the prediction of the absorption properties of parallel assemblies of materials was investigated [Verdière, Panneton, Elkoun, Dupont, and Leclaire, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136, EL90–EL95 (2014)]. It was demonstrated that P-TMM is more versatile than ASM, as a larger variety of different backing configurations can be handled. Here it will be shown that the same universality is offered by the equivalent circuit method.
Modal response of a computational vocal fold model with a substrate layer of adipose tissue
Authors: Jones Cameron L. , Achuthan Ajit , Erath Byron D.
Published: February 2015

This study demonstrates the effect of a substrate layer of adipose tissue on the modal response of the vocal folds, and hence, on the mechanics of voice production. Modal analysis is performed on the vocal fold structure with a lateral layer of adipose tissue. A finite element model is employed, and the first six mode shapes and modal frequencies are studied. The results show significant changes in modal frequencies and substantial variation in mode shapes depending on the strain rate of the adipose tissue. These findings highlight the importance of considering adipose tissue in computational vocal fold modeling.
Single particle motion in a sheared colloidal dispersion
Authors: Khair Aditya S. , Bechtel Toni M.
Published: February 2015

The motion of a spherical Brownian “probe” particle addressed by an external force immersed in shear flow of a colloidal dispersion of spherical neutrally buoyant “bath” particles is quantified. The steady-state nonequilibrium microstructure of bath particles around the probe—induced by the applied force and ambient shear—is calculated to first order in the volume fraction of bath particles, ϕ. The distortion to the equilibrium microstructure caused by the moving probe is characterized by a Péclet number Pef (a dimensionless pulling force), and the distortion due to the shear flow is represented by another Péclet number Pes (a dimensionless shear rate). Matched asymptotic expansions are employed to quantify the microstructure at small Péclet numbers; specifically, within the distinguished limits Pes3/2≪Pef≪Pes1/2≪1. The nonequilibrium microstructure is subsequently utilized to compute the average rectilinear velocity of the probe through O(ϕPes3/2Us), for an arbitrary orientation of the external force to the shear flow. Here, Us is the Stokes velocity of the probe in a pure Newtonian fluid. It is also shown that to O(ϕPes3/2Us) the torque-free probe simply rotates with the ambient shear; a modification to the angular velocity of the probe is at most O(ϕPesPefUs). In particular, a probe forced along the flow axis of shear is demonstrated to experience a cross-streamline drift velocity of O(ϕPesUs), to leading order, which acts to propel the particle to streamlines of the ambient shear that move in the same direction as the external force. A mathematical connection between this result and cross-streamline drift of a particle in a Newtonian fluid at small, but nonzero, Reynolds numbers is drawn. The magnitude of the cross-streamline drift velocity is found to be sensitive to the degree of hydrodynamic interactions between the probe and bath particles, which are tuned via an excluded-annulus model. It is also demonstrated that a probe forced along the vorticity axis of the shear experiences a shear-driven enhancement in rectilinear velocity of O(ϕPes3/2Us), to leading order: This nonanalytic dependence originates from the microstructural deformation in the shear dominated (outer) region far from the probe. A connection of this finding to recent work on particle sedimentation in orthogonal shear flow of viscoelastic liquids is discussed.
Optimizing the Exercise Drug for Metabolic Rehabilitation
Authors: Braun Barry
Published: February 2015

The concept that participation in exercise/physical activity reduces the risk for a host of chronic diseases is undisputed. Along with adaptations to habitual activity, each bout of exercise induces beneficial changes that last for a finite period of time, requiring subsequent exercise bouts to sustain the benefits. In this respect, exercise/physical activity is similar to other “medications” and the idea of “Exercise as Medicine” is becoming embedded in the popular lexicon. Like other medications, exercise has an optimal dose and frequency of application specific to each health outcome, as well as interactions with food and other medications. Using the prevention of type-2 diabetes as an exemplar, the application of exercise/physical activity as a medication for metabolic “rehabilitation” is considered in these terms. Some recommendations that are specific to diabetes prevention emerge, showing the process by which exercise can be prescribed to achieve health goals tailored to individual disease prevention outcomes.
Baicalin Inhibits the Fenton Reaction by Enhancing Electron Transfer from Fe2+ to Dissolved Oxygen
Authors: Nishizaki Daisuke , Iwahashi Hideo
Published: February 2015

Sho-saiko-to is an herbal medicine that is known to have diverse pharmacological activities and has been used for the treatment of various infectious diseases. Here, we examined the effects of baicalin, a compound isolated from Sho-saiko-to, and the effects of the iron chelator quinolinic acid on the Fenton reaction. The control reaction mixture contained 0.1 M 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO), 0.2 mM H 2 O 2, 0.2 mM FeSO 4( NH 4)2 SO 4, and 40 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Upon the addition of 0.6 mM baicalin or quinolinic acid to the control reaction mixture, the ESR peak heights of DMPO/OH radical adducts were measured as 32% ± 1% (baicalin) and 166% ± 27% (quinolinic acid) of that of the control mixture. In order to clarify why baicalin and quinolinic acid exerted opposite effects on the formation of hydroxyl radicals, we measured oxygen consumption in the presence of either compound. Upon the addition of 0.6 mM baicalin (or quinolinic acid) to the control reaction mixture without DMPO and H 2 O 2, the relative oxygen consumption rates were found to be 449% ± 40% (baicalin) and 18% ± 9% (quinolinic acid) of that of the control mixture without DMPO and H 2 O 2, indicating that baicalin facilitated the transfer of electrons from Fe 2+ to dissolved oxygen. Thus, the great majority of Fe 2+ turned into Fe 3+, and the formation of hydroxyl radicals was subsequently inhibited in this reaction.
Supersymmetry, shape invariance and the solubility of the hypergeometric equation
Authors: Das Ashok K. , Kalauni Pushpa
Published: February 2015

It has been shown earlier [D. Bazeia and A. K. Das, Phys. Lett. B 715, 256 (2012)] that the solubility of the Legendre and the associated Legendre equations can be understood as a consequence of an underlying supersymmetry and shape invariance. We have extended this result to the hypergeometric equation. Since the hypergeometric equation as well as the hypergeometric function reduce to various orthogonal polynomials, this study shows that the solubility of all such systems can also be understood as a consequence of an underlying supersymmetry and shape invariance. Our analysis leads naturally to closed form expressions (Rodrigues' formula) for the orthogonal polynomials.
The Hierarchy of Distributional Chaos
Authors: Fu Heman , Xiong Jincheng , Wang Huoyun
Published: February 2015

For each λ ∈ [0, 1], λ-power distributional chaos has been defined via Furstenberg families to strengthen distributional chaos. For the sake of distinguishing them, we present a class of dynamical systems, called wedge-shape systems. Through a thorough analysis of dynamical behaviors of all point-pairs, we show that wedge-shape systems can be λ-power distributionally chaotic and admit no λ′-power distributionally scrambled pairs for any λ′ ∈ [0, λ). Then we unfold a picture of distributional chaos with rich hierarchical structures, which helps to improve our comprehension of the diversity of chaos.
Fuzzy Responses and Bifurcations of a Forced Duffing Oscillator with a Triple-Well Potential
Authors: Hong Ling , Jiang Jun , Sun Jian-Qiao
Published: February 2015

Responses and bifurcations of a forced triple-well potential system with fuzzy uncertainty are studied by means of the Fuzzy Generalized Cell Mapping (FGCM) method. A rigorous mathematical foundation of the FGCM is established as a discrete representation of the fuzzy master equation for the possibility transition of continuous fuzzy processes. The FGCM offers a very effective approach for solutions to the fuzzy master equation based on the min–max operator of fuzzy logic. A fuzzy response is characterized by its topology in the state space and its possibility measure of membership distribution functions (MDFs). A fuzzy bifurcation implies a sudden change both in the topology and in the MDFs. The response topology is obtained based on the qualitative analysis of the FGCM involving the Boolean operation of 0 and 1. The MDFs are determined by the quantitative analysis of the FGCM with the min–max calculations. With an increase of the intensity of fuzzy noise, noise-induced escape from each of the potential wells defines two types of bifurcations, namely catastrophe and explosion. This paper focuses on the evolution of transient and steady-state MDFs of the fuzzy response. As the intensity of fuzzy noise increases, steady-state MDFs cover a bigger area in the state space with higher membership values spreading out to a larger area. The previous conjectures are further confirmed that steady-state MDFs are dependent on initial possibility distributions due to the nonsmooth and nonlinear nature of the min–max operation. It is found that as time goes on, transient MDFs spread around three potential wells. The evolutionary orientation of transient MDFs aligns with unstable invariant manifolds leading to stable invariant sets. Two examples of additive and multiplicative fuzzy noise are given.
Normal Forms for Polynomial Differential Systems in ℝ3 Having an Invariant Quadric and a Darboux Invariant
Authors: Llibre Jaume , Messias Marcelo , de Carvalho Reinol Alisson
Published: February 2015

We give the normal forms of all polynomial differential systems in ℝ3 which have a nondegenerate or degenerate quadric as an invariant algebraic surface. We also characterize among these systems those which have a Darboux invariant constructed uniquely using the invariant quadric, giving explicitly their expressions. As an example, we apply the obtained results in the determination of the Darboux invariants for the Chen system with an invariant quadric.
Mixed convection analysis for blood flow through arteries on Williamson fluid model
Authors: Akbar Noreen Sher
Published: February 2015

In this paper, the blood flow through a tapered artery with a stenosis by considering axially non-symmetric but radially symmetric mild stenosis on blood flow characteristics is analyzed, assuming the flow is steady and blood is treated as Williamson fluid. The effects of mixed convection heat and mass transfer are also carried out. Perturbation solutions have been calculated for velocity, temperature, concentration, resistance impedance, wall shear stress and shearing stress at the stenosis throat. The graphical results of different types of tapered arteries (i.e. converging tapering, diverging tapering, non-tapered artery) have been examined for different parameters of interest. Streamlines have been plotted at the end of the paper.
Bilateral Pseudoexfoliation Deposits on Intraocular Lens Implants
Authors: Bonafonte Marquez Elena , Bonafonte Royo Sergio
Published: February 2015

We present a rare case of bilateral pseudoexfoliative deposits on both intraocular lens (IOL) implants in an 83-year-old woman with no other associated pathology, 5 years after cataract surgery. Pseudoexfoliation syndrome is the most common cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma worldwide and these deposits are usually found on the natural lens. The fact that pseudoexfoliative deposits have been found on IOL implants implies the need for a thorough examination in pseudophakic patients, for it could be the only sign of secondary glaucoma.
Effect of Exercise on Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Dashtipour Khashayar , Johnson Eric , Kani Camellia , Kani Kayvan , Hadi Ehsan , Ghamsary Mark , Pezeshkian Shant , Chen Jack J.
Published: February 2015

Background. Novel rehabilitation strategies have demonstrated potential benefits for motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD).Objective. To compare the effects of Lee Silverman Voice Therapy BIG (LSVT BIG therapy) versus a general exercise program (combined treadmill plus seated trunk and limb exercises) on motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.Methods. Eleven patients with early-mid stage PD participated in the prospective, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Both groups received 16 one-hour supervised training sessions over 4 weeks. Outcome measures included the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Five patients performed general exercise and six patients performed LSVT BIG therapy. Post-intervention evaluations were conducted at weeks 4, 12 and 24.Results. The combined cohort made improvements at all follow-up evaluations with statistical significance for UPDRS total and motor, BDI, and MFIS (P<0.05).Conclusion. This study demonstrated positive effects of general exercise and LSVT BIG therapy on motor and non-motor symptoms of patients with PD. Our results suggest that general exercise may be as effective as LSVT BIG therapy on symptoms of PD for patients not able to readily access outpatient LSVT BIG therapy.
South Korean Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrating Information and Communication Technologies into Literacy Instruction
Authors: Pang Sangho , Reinking David , Hutchison Amy , Ramey Deanna
Published: February 2015

We investigated South Korean literacy and language arts teachers’ perceptions about integrating interactive communication technologies (ICTs) into instruction. The survey addressed their access to various applications and technologies associated with ICTs, access to technological support, frequency and importance of use, and obstacles to and conceptions of integrating ICTs. Descriptive and correlational data are reported suggesting that although classroom use of ICTs is mandated at the national level, South Korean teachers perceive access to some tools and applications, as well as the availability of technical assistance at both the school and district level, to be limited. We compare data from this study to our findings from a similar study conducted in the USA and discuss what the findings reveal about integration of ICTs into literacy instruction in South Korea. The implications for education policy in South Korea and for continued research to clarify findings across national and cultural boundaries are discussed. For example, despite reporting greater impact of obstacles and less technical support than their US counterparts, South Korean teachers reported using ICTs more frequently than teachers from the USA.
Comparison of Wave Packets Associated with Extratropical Transition and Winter Cyclones
Authors: Torn Ryan D. , Hakim Gregory J.
Published: February 2015

Differences in the development of wave packets associated with midlatitude cyclones and the extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific (WNP) and Atlantic basins are diagnosed observationally by compositing Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data over a 32-yr period and applying the null hypothesis of no difference in the development, structure, propagation, or downstream extent. While the development of midlatitude cyclones during the fall (August–October) and winter (November–March) amplifies a preexisting wave packet moving through the midlatitude storm track, ET is associated with the quasi-stationary amplification of the midlatitude flow. The ET cases involving the interaction of the decaying TC with a preexisting midlatitude trough are associated with a greater downstream amplitude and longer-lasting downstream response than ET cases that do not involve the interaction with a trough. In the WNP, ET wave packets have greater amplitude than those associated with winter midlatitude cyclones, but are similar to those associated with fall midlatitude cyclones. Moreover, ET events are associated with larger wavelengths and a statistically significant meridional wind anomaly farther downstream. By contrast, ET wave packets in the Atlantic basin have less amplitude and do not reach as far downstream as wave packets associated with fall and winter cyclones. WNP ET is characterized by larger integrated moisture flux convergence and, thus, latent heat release relative to its midlatitude counterpart, while Atlantic basin ET has smaller moisture flux convergence compared to midlatitude cyclones, which could explain why Atlantic ET is associated with less-amplified wave packets.
Organo-bentonites with improved cetyltrimethylammonium contents
Authors: Kooli F.
Published: February 2015

Organo-bentonites were prepared using a bentonite and an aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide solution. The ratio of the surfactant (in mmoles) to the cation exchange capacity varied from 0.5 to 20, with 20 being the highest ratio ever reported in the literature. At high surfactant to cation exchange capacity ratios, the interlayer spacing increased to 3.75 nm due to the formation of a paraffin-type bilayer of surfactant cations, which was shown to be mainly in gauche conformations using solid state 13C CP/NMR. When the exchange reaction was carried out in a methanol-water mixture, the expansion of the organo-bentonites depended on the concentration of methanol (% by volume). The decomposition temperatures of the organic cations depended on the basal spacing of the organo-bentonites, and in situ X-ray diffraction revealed that the basal spacing of our organo-bentonites was stable up to 210°C. Above this temperature, the basal spacing shrunk to 1.47 nm due to decomposition of the surfactants.
Improvement of brightness of kaolin by superconducting magnetic separation and characterization of the impurities
Authors: Li Y. , Jiang H. , Zhang W. , Xu L.
Published: February 2015

In the present study, changes of iron content, brightness, particle size, mineralogy and paramagnetic properties of kaolins before and after superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (SHGMS) were investigated. The Fe2O3 contents of the feed decreased by 56% after 3.5T SHGMS with 1# steel wool, but higher magnetic intensity to 5.5T did not remove additional iron. The ISO brightness of the kaolin sample after SHGMS was improved from 56.9% to 76.7%. The D50 value of the magnetic rejects was 35% larger compared to the feed. Large particles might block the micro-pores in the steel wool matrix. Compared to the feed, the dark or red impurities significantly decreased in the non-magnetic product. Paramagnetic species in the kaolin sample were sensitive to SHGMS. The resonances at g = ~2.0 and g = 4.0 decreased significantly in the concentrate compared to the feed in the ESR spectra. Iron components in the non-magnetic product were more likely to be non-paramagnetic. The results are useful for understanding the SHGMS in kaolin treatment, and might be a guide for optimizing process parameters.
Online auction-based relay selection for cooperative communication in CR networks
Authors: Jing Tao , Zhang Fan , Cheng Wei , Huo Yan , Cheng Xiuzhen
Published: February 2015

Cognitive radio and cooperative communication are two new network technologies. So, the combination of these two new technologies is a novel solution to solve the problem of spectrum scarcity. Two main challenges exist in the integration of cognitive radio and cooperative communication. First, there is a lack of incentives for the participating wireless devices to serve as relay nodes. Second, there is not an effective relay selection policy. In this paper, we propose an online auction-based relay selection scheme for cooperative communication in cognitive radio (CR) networks. Specifically, we design an auction scheme through adopting stopping theory. The proposed scheme ensures that the primary user (PU) can effectively select a CR relay to transmit its packets in a given time bound. In addition, we have analytically proven the truthfulness and the individual rationality of our online auction scheme. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed relay selection scheme can always successfully and efficiently select a proper relay for a PU and can achieve a higher cooperative communication throughput compared with the conventional schemes.
North–South relations and human rights
Authors: Keethaponcalan Soosaipillai
Published: February 2015

There are apparent differences between the developed North and the economically weak South. The relations between the North and South are marked by dichotomies and in order to deal with the challenges posed by the South, the North choses control and cooperation. The North uses several instruments including economic assistance to achieve its objectives. One of the new tools that is increasingly taken advantage of is human rights. Although there exists a genuine concern about human rights standards in the South, action on these issues almost always depends on national interest of the states in the North. This paradigm is proved true by the present human rights campaign the United States is undertaking against Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council. The US and its Western allies believe that serious human rights violations have been committed during the last phase of the war in Sri Lanka. Promoting accountability and insisting on an international investigation, the US has successfully presented three resolutions on Sri Lanka since 2012. This paper argues that the US action is motivated primarily by its national interest. At the secondary level the US is interested in curtailing what is called the Sri Lanka model of conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation.
Inversion of seismic refraction and reflection data for building long-wavelength velocity models
Authors: Wang Haiyang , Singh Satish C. , Audebert Francois , Calandra Henri
Published: February 2015

Long-wavelength velocity model building is a nonlinear process. It has traditionally been achieved without appealing to wave-equation-based approaches for combined refracted and reflected waves. We developed a cascaded wave-equation tomography method in the data domain, taking advantage of the information contained in the reflected and refracted waves. The objective function was the traveltime residual that maximized the crosscorrelation function between real and synthetic data. To alleviate the nonlinearity of the inversion problem, refracted waves were initially used to provide vertical constraints on the velocity model, and reflected waves were then included to provide lateral constraints. The use of reflected waves required scale separation. We separated the long- and short-wavelength subsurface structures into velocity and density models, respectively. The velocity model update was restricted to long wavelengths during the wave-equation tomography, whereas the density model was used to absorb all the short-wavelength impedance contrasts. To improve the computation efficiency, the density model was converted into the zero-offset traveltime domain, where it was invariant to changes of the long-wavelength velocity model. After the wave-equation tomography has derived an optimized long-wavelength velocity model, full-waveform inversion was used to invert all the data to retrieve the short-wavelength velocity structures. We developed our method in two synthetic tests and then applied it to a marine field data set. We evaluated the results of the use of refracted and reflected waves, which was critical for accurately building the long-wavelength velocity model. We showed that our wave-equation tomography strategy was robust for the real data application.
Wes Anderson's the Grand Budapest Hotel –psychiatry in the
movies
Authors: Keynejad Roxanne
Published: February 2015

I never lost my childhood awe of the author's creative power to craft
characters from pure imagination. Perhaps this is why I chose psychiatry:
the personalities and experiences of each patient remain far more vivid than
anything I could think up. Wes Anderson, often lauded for his novel approach
to film-making, challenges the perceived originality of creative genius in
his latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Speaking of his
success as the fictional Republic of Zubrowka's national hero, Tom
Wilkinson's ‘The Author’ confesses at the outset that his much-loved classic
is pinched from mundane reality.
Responses of Two Tall Buildings in Tokyo, Japan, before, during, and after the M9.0 Tohoku Earthquake of 11 March 2011
Authors: Çelebi Mehmet , Hisada Yoshiaki , Omrani Roshanak , Ghahari S. Farid , Taciroglu Ertugrul
Published: February 2015

The 11 March 2011 M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake generated significant long duration shaking that propagated hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter and affected urban areas throughout much of Honshu. Recorded responses of tall buildings at several hundred km from the epicenter of the main shock and other events show tall buildings were affected by long-period motions of events at distant sources. This study presents behavioral aspects of 29-story and 30-story neighboring buildings in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, Japan, as inferred from records retrieved from a sparse array of accelerometers deployed in the superstructures, at ground and 100 m below the ground level over a time interval covering before, during, and after the main shock. Such long-period effects are common in several regions of Japan as well as in the United States and in other seismically active countries. Permanent shifts in fundamental frequencies are observed. Drift ratios indicate possible structural nonlinear behavior occurred during the main shock. The need to consider risks to built environments from distant sources, including those in neighboring countries, is emphasized.
Hurricane Winds:VallenatoMusic and Marijuana Traffic in Colombia's First Illegal Drugs Boom
Authors: Britto Lina
Published: February 2015

This essay, based in large part on local oral history, uncovers the lived experience of the rural and urban popular sectors who participated in the 1970s marijuana boom along the northernmost section of the Colombian Caribbean coast. In particular, the piece narrates how the country's first class of illegal drugs merchants helped shape a key element of modern Colombian nationalism by promoting vallenato music on the local stage and hastening its conquest of the national market and imaginary in the 1970s. Marijuana intermediaries — popularly known as marimberos — sprang into action from the most marginalized rural and urban sectors of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and La Guajira region. Soon they constituted a new entrepreneurial class whose profile as successful merchants was articulated as a regional masculine identity found in popular expressions such as vallenato music. That process helped marimberos to open space for themselves in regional society and to turn vallenato into a supreme expression of Colombian popular culture. This essay examines that cultural-political process while seeking to explain why the marimberos' role in vallenato's history has been largely erased from national memory.
Flora da Bahia: Asteraceae – Subtribo Vernoniinae
Authors: Ogasawara Helen Ayumi , Roque Nádia
Published: February 2015

The subtribe Vernoniinae is one of the most representative of the tribe Vernonieae in Americas with six genera and 49 species in Brazil. The taxonomic treatment of Vernoniinae (Asteraceae, Vernonieae) in Bahia state is presented here. Twenty expeditions were undertook in the state between the years 2010 and 2013 and materials from the main Brazilian herbaria were examined. The subtribe is represented in the state by three genera and 11 species: Vernonanthura (7 species), Cyrtocymura (3) and the monotypic genus Albertinia. Vernonanthura vinhae is endemic to Bahia. Identification keys for genera and species, descriptions, illustrations, maps of geographical distribution and comments on the taxa are presented.
A new trend in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with the use of sodium-dependent glucose transporter-2 inhibitors
Authors: Kadzharyan V G , Kapshitar’ N I
Published: February 2015

Insulin is traditionally the main application point on which all methods for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus are targeted. One of the new strategies for the treatment of this pathology utilizes sodium-dependent glucose transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors transforms this approach making kidneys the new point of application of antidiabetic therapy. SGLT-2 functions as a tunnel built into the epithelial wall of the initial segment of the proximal tubules in the nephron. When the channel is open, glucose is filtered into primary urine and can be reabsorbed in the proximal tubule. Based on this observation, the pharmaceutical companies began to search for the chemical substances that could be used to close the SGLT-2 tunnels and thereby interfere with the reverse flow of glucose from urine to blood, i.e. stimulate glycosuria. During the last decade, a few alternative molecules have been synthesized capable of selective inhibition of SGLT-2. At present, two of them, dapagliflozin and canagliflozin, are approved for the clinical application.
Learning to see the infinite: Measuring visual literacy skills in a 1st-year seminar course
Authors: Palmer Michael S. , Matthews Tatiana
Published: February 2015

Visual literacy, defined as the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in an image, was a stated learning objective for the fall 2009 iteration of a first-year seminar course. To help students develop visual literacy skills, they received formal instruction throughout the semester and completed a series of carefully designed learning activities. The effects of these interventions were measured using a pre-/post-semester methodology where students were asked to look at two different—but stylistically similar—paintings and write a response to the following two questions: what do you see and what do you think it means? Students’ responses were analyzed based on the visual evidence recorded, and 2) the strength of their arguments using Toulmin’s argument model. After instructional interventions, paired t-tests indicate that students made significantly more basic and advanced observations, offered more supporting visual evidence for their best-supported claims, and made stronger connections between their claims and the visual evidence.