bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interwell Connectivity Evaluation in Cases of Frequent Production Interruptions
Authors: Soroush M. , Kaviani D. , Jensen J. L.
Published: June 2013

Evaluating interwell connectivities can provide important information for reservoir management by identifying flow conduits, barriers, and injection imbalances. Injection and production rates, in ideal conditions, contain connectivity information. A number of methods have been proposed to predict connectivity based on these data. Unfortunately, many of these rate based methods have not proven to be as successful as intended because of factors external to the reservoir. Field maintenance procedures, such as shut-ins and work-overs, cause production rate changes which are not caused by injection rate fluctuations but which mislead connectivity estimators. We have developed a method which is tolerant to changes caused by external factors.

This method, called the Multiwell Compensated Capacitance Model (MCCM), is based on the superposition principle. It can analyze injection and production data when producers' skin factors change, new producers are added, or active producers are shut-in. The MCCM also deals with another common problem in field data, which is when there are frequent producer shut-ins within sampling intervals (mini-shut-ins). For example, a producer is shut-in for a few days when flow rates are measured every month. By deriving the MCCM equations using average rates, we have developed an efficient approach to overcome this problem.

In several synthetic cases with varying skin, long term shut-in, and frequent mini-shut-ins, the MCCM successfully determined the true connectivity parameters and predicted the production rates accurately. For a set of field data from a heavy oil waterflood in Saskatchewan, we could improve the R2 of the predicted rates by 20 to 35% compared to another method and observed good agreement with geological information.

In general, we may not find a long enough time interval of injection and production data where the producers' conditions stay constant. Applying earlier methods in such cases may give misleading connectivity results and inaccurate rate predictions. Adopting the approaches described in this paper helps geoscientists and engineers to have a better understanding of reservoir heterogeneity and its effects on fluid flow in the reservoir.
Mobility, binding behavior and potential risks of trace metals in the sediments of the fifth largest freshwater lake, China
Authors: Li Guolian , Liu Guijian , Zhou Chuncai , Kang Yu , Yuan Wanqing , Xie Fazhi
Published: June 2013

The trace metal pollution of sediments in Chaohu Lake, one of the most highly eutrophic lakes in East China, was investigated. Surface sediment (0–5 cm) samples were collected from 35 different positions and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry to determine trace metal contents. Results showed that the mean content of trace metals was as follows: Cr, 85.09 mg kg−1; Cu, 34.49 mg kg−1; Ni, 26.46 mg kg−1; Pb, 34.17 mg kg−1 and Zn, 107.46 mg kg−1. The trace metal concentrations from different sampling sites displayed spatial diversity; the heavily polluted sampling sites were close to where estuaries flow in to the lake. A four-step sequential extraction was used to examine the partitioning of the trace metals. Results demonstrated that the percentage of the species bound to the oxidizable phase for all trace metals ranged from 15.6 to 37.7%, while for Cu, Cr and Ni, the main forms were residual (41.3, 62.3 and 69.8%, respectively). Trace metals in the oxidizable fraction may mainly exist in the form of sulfides. The ecological potential risks of trace metals decreased as follows: Pb > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni.
Electrolytic removal of ammonia from aqueous phase by Pt/Ti anode
Authors: Li Liang , Huang Yuanxing , Liu Yan , Li Yangyang
Published: June 2013

This study investigated the mechanism and kinetic modeling of electrolytic degradation of ammonia with Pt/Ti anode. The results show that ammonia oxidation from direct oxidation or indirect oxidation with hydroxyl radicals was slow but can be observed under pH 9 and high initial ammonia concentration of 1,050 mg N L−1. Indirect oxidation with HOCl was the mechanism for the chloride-mediated electrolytic removal of ammonia. In this process, pH between 3 and 9 had little effect on the ammonia removal rate, but current density (j) and chloride concentration ([Cl−]) showed a linear relationship with ammonia removal rate within the range of 3.8–15.4 mA cm−2 and 30–300 mg L−1, respectively. The ammonia removal could be described by a pseudo-zero order kinetics with a mathematic equation of k = 0.0003 × [Cl−] × j − 0.076. Treatment of the actual wastewater effluent from a secondary clarifier in a local wastewater treatment plant showed an ammonia removal rate of 0.8 mg N L−1 h−1 and energy cost of 14 kJ per mg N ammonia.
Separation of metals and phosphorus from incinerated sewage sludge ash
Authors: Ito A. , Yamada K. , Ishikawa N. , Umita T.
Published: June 2013

Microbial acidification of incinerated sewage sludge ash and dissolution of metals from the acidified ash were investigated using a semi-batch reactor at different solid retention times (SRTs). The average pH values ranged from 0.91 to 1.2 at SRTs longer than 10 days, whereas the reduction of SRT to 4 days resulted in an increase in the pH value to about 2. The dissolution efficiencies of Al, As, Cd, Cu and Mn were greater than 60% at a SRT of 4 days. Moreover, the effect of pH on precipitation of metals and P (dissolution of 80%) in the filtrate removed from the acidified sewage ash suspension, and the separation of phosphorus and the other metals in the filtrate using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or ferric ion, were examined. Although neutralisation of the filtrate to a pH of 5 simultaneously precipitated 100% of Al and 80% of P recovered from the acidified sewage ash, the addition of EDTA decreased their precipitation to 70 and 50%, respectively, at the same pH value, which would promote precipitation of P as calcium phosphate. Furthermore, neutralising to a pH of 2.5 after the addition of ferric ion precipitated P separately from Al and heavy metals.
Designing domestic rainwater harvesting systems under different climatic regimes in Italy
Authors: Campisano A. , Gnecco I. , Modica C. , Palla A.
Published: June 2013

Nowadays domestic rainwater harvesting practices are recognized as effective tools to improve the sustainability of drainage systems within the urban environment, by contributing to limiting the demand for potable water and, at the same time, by mitigating the generation of storm water runoff at the source. The final objective of this paper is to define regression curves to size domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH) systems in the main Italian climatic regions. For this purpose, the Köppen–Geiger climatic classification is used and, furthermore, suitable precipitation sites are selected for each climatic region. A behavioural model is implemented to assess inflow, outflow and change in storage volume of a rainwater harvesting system according to daily mass balance simulations based on historical rainfall observations. The performance of the DRWH system under various climate and operational conditions is examined as a function of two non-dimensional parameters, namely the demand fraction (d) and the modified storage fraction (sm). This last parameter allowed the evaluation of the effects of the rainfall intra-annual variability on the system performance.
A co-beneficial system using aquatic plants: bioethanol production from free-floating aquatic plants used for water purification
Authors: Soda S. , Mishima D. , Inoue D. , Ike M.
Published: June 2013

A co-beneficial system using constructed wetlands (CWs) planted with aquatic plants is proposed for bioethanol production and nutrient removal from wastewater. The potential for bioethanol production from aquatic plant biomass was experimentally evaluated. Water hyacinth and water lettuce were selected because of their high growth rates and easy harvestability attributable to their free-floating vegetation form. The alkaline/oxidative pretreatment was selected for improving enzymatic hydrolysis of the aquatic plants. Ethanol was produced with yields of 0.14–0.17 g-ethanol/g-biomass in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation mode using a recombinant Escherichia coli strain or a typical yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Subsequently, the combined benefits of the CWs planted with the aquatic plants for bioethanol production and nutrient removal were theoretically estimated. For treating domestic wastewater at 1,100 m3/d, it was inferred that the anoxic–oxic activated sludge process consumes energy at 3,200 MJ/d, whereas the conventional activated sludge process followed by the CW consumes only 1,800 MJ/d with ethanol production at 115 MJ/d.
Three-dimensional cone beam computed tomographic image reorientation using soft tissues as reference for facial asymmetry diagnosis
Authors: Lee Jae-Kyu , Jung Pil-Kyo , Moon Cheol-Hyun
Published: June 2013

Objective:

To investigate discrepancies in results of facial asymmetry analysis using different cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image reorientation methods and the effectiveness of soft tissue as a reorientation reference for analysis of facial asymmetry.

Materials and Methods:

An asymmetric group of 30 patients with 4 mm or more of chin point (menton [Me]) deviation and a symmetric group of 30 patients with less than 4 mm of deviation of Me were chosen as study subjects. Three orientation methods were used to calculate and compare Me deviation values of the 60 subjects. Two methods used only skeletal landmarks for reference, and one method included the soft tissue landmarks around the eye. Preferences of an expert group for the facial midline as determined by each reorientation method were also examined.

Results:

The examinations showed significant discrepancies in Me deviation values between the three reorientation methods. The expert group showed the greatest preference for the facial midline reorientation method that incorporated soft tissue landmarks of the eye.

Conclusions:

These study findings suggest that the inclusion of soft tissue landmarks, especially those around the eyes, is effective for three-dimensional CBCT image reorientation for facial asymmetry analysis.
Activation of Selected Ankle Muscles During Exercises Performed on Rigid and Compliant Balance Platforms
Authors: Harput Gulcan , Soylu A. Ruhi , Ertan Hayri , Ergun Nevin
Published: June 2013

Study Design

Experimental laboratory study.

Objective

To compare how the design of 2 balance platforms affects ankle musculature activation for various weight-bearing exercises.

Background

Balance platforms are widely used in both training and rehabilitation, and a better understanding of how platform design and type of exercise modify the demands on the ankle musculature may be helpful in staging exercise progression.

Methods

Surface electromyography was used to measure the activation level of the fibularis longus, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius while performing 4 exercises on 2 different balance platforms (compliant and rigid). Twenty-four (12 females, 12 males) healthy, sedentary subjects participated in the study. Analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis.

Results

There was no significant interaction between balance platforms and exercises (P>.05), and the type of platform did not influence muscle activation for the 3 muscles monitored (P>.05). The highest activation level for the fibularis longus and medial gastrocnemius was obtained during single-leg stance, and for the tibialis anterior during the single-leg squat (P<.05).

Conclusion

In this study, although the demands on the ankle musculature were similar for selected exercises performed on a compliant versus a rigid balance platform, muscle activation level varied based on the exercise. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013;43(8):555–559. Epub 11 June 2013. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.4456
Cognitive Functional Therapy for the Management of Low Back Pain in an Adolescent Male Rower: A Case Report
Authors: Cañeiro J.P. , Ng Leo , Burnett Angus , Campbell Amity , O'Sullivan Peter
Published: June 2013

Study Design

Case report.

Background

Contemporary low back pain models propose that the experience of and responses to pain result from a complex interaction of biopsychosocial factors. This supports the need for a management approach that addresses the biological, psychological, and social components that may be related to the pain disorder. This case report demonstrates the application of, and outcomes associated with, a cognitive functional intervention that considers neurophysiological, physical, psychosocial, cognitive, and lifestyle dimensions for the management of a rower with nonspecific chronic low back pain.

Case Description

An adolescent male club-level rower with nonspecific chronic low back pain was classified as having a motor control impairment with a lower lumbar compressive-loading pattern in flexion. Evaluation of this patient included ergometer rowing analysis (clinical and laboratory) before and after an 8-week intervention, and outcome measures at a 12-week follow-up. The intervention consisted of a cognitive functional approach that targeted optimization of movement behavior, providing the rower with alternative movement strategies to minimize sustained flexion loading.

Outcomes

Reduced temporal summation of pain while ergometer rowing and reduced functional disability were observed preintervention to 12 weeks postintervention by changes in Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire score (12/24 to 1/24) and the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (4/30 to 26/30), and associated improvements in lower-limb and back muscle endurance and changes in hip and spinopelvic kinematics during ergometer rowing. In particular, there was a greater use of available range of movement in the lumbar spine postintervention.

Discussion

The cognitive functional intervention for this patient resulted in reduced pain and functional disability related to ergometer rowing, which was associated with a change in lumbar kinematics and improved lower-limb and back muscle endurance. The results suggest that providing the rower with greater use of his available range of movement may enhance load distribution during the drive phase of rowing. Registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12609000565246).

Level of Evidence

Therapy, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013;43(8):542–554. Epub 11 June 2013. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.4699
Invisibility cloaking based on geometrical optics for visible light
Authors: Ichikawa H. , Oura M. , Taoda T.
Published: June 2013

Optical cloaking has been one of unattainable dreams and just a subject in fiction until recently. Several different approaches to cloaking have been proposed and demonstrated: stealth technology, active camouflage and transformation optics. The last one would be the most formal approach modifying electromagnetic field around an object to be cloaked with metamaterials. While cloaking based on transformation optics, though valid only at single frequency, is experimentally demonstrated in microwave region, its operation in visible spectrum is still distant from realisation mainly owing to difficulty in fabricating metamaterial structure whose elements are much smaller than wavelength of light. Here we show that achromatic optical cloaking in visible spectrum is possible with the mere principle based on geometrical optics. In combining a pair of polarising beam splitters and right-angled prisms, rays of light to be obstructed by an object can make a detour to an observer, while unobstructed rays go straight through two polarising beam splitters. What is observed eventually through the device is simply background image as if nothing exists in between.
Tunable, low frequency microwave generation from AWG based closely-spaced dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fibre laser
Authors: Ahmad H. , Latif A. A. , Taib J. M. , Harun S. W.
Published: June 2013

Stable, closely-spaced Dual-Wavelength Fibre Lasers (DWFLs) have high potential for applications such as Radio-over-Fibre and optical sensing. In this work, a DWFL using two Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWGs) to generate a closely-spaced dual-wavelength output is proposed and demonstrated. A 1 m long highly doped Leikki Er80-8/125 Erbium Doped Fibre (EDF) is used as the linear gain medium, while two AWGs are used to generate the closely-spaced lasing wavelengths. A Mach-Zehnder modulator, driven at 180 kHz, splits the closely spaced wavelengths into two clearly defined wavelengths, while a 7 cm long un-pumped Leikki Er80-8/125 EDF and sub-ring cavity is used to suppress unwanted side-modes. Close spacing of between 0.01 to 0.03 nm are obtained, with beating frequencies of between 1.4 to 3.2 GHz. The output is highly stable, with almost no fluctuations over the test period.
Cixous, Derrida and Psychoanalysis: The Principle of Intermittence, or Dwelling on the Angle
Authors: Segarra Marta
Published: June 2013

If we consider the role of psychoanalysis in Hélène Cixous's and Jacques Derrida's writing, we must assume that both differ considerably. Derrida's work, from its beginning, includes several essays on psychoanalysis (although referring to Derrida this usual expression fails to be appropriate). Cixous, faithful to her conception of writing as philosophical fiction, prefers to present the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, as a character in many texts, above all in her famous Portrait of Dora (1976), but also in others like OR, Les lettres de mon père (1997). I have chosen this book by Cixous for my analysis, since, in my view, OR proposes a performative way of thinking about ‘life death’ which Derrida conceptualizes in several of his books.
Sex Dilemmas, Amazons and Cyborgs: Feminist Cultural Studies and Sport
Authors: Tolvhed Helena
Published: June 2013

In this article, I discuss sport and physical activities as a field of empirical investigation for feminist cultural studies with a potential to contribute to theorizing the body, gender and difference. Sport has, historically, served to legitimize and rein-force the gender dichotomy by making men “masculine” through developing physical strength and endurance, while women generally have been excluded or di-rected towards activities fostering a “feminine suppleness”. The recent case of runner Caster Semenya, who was subjected to extensive gender tests, demon-strates how athletic superiority and “masculine” attributes in women still today stir public emotions and evoke cultural anxieties of gender blurring. But the rigid gender boundaries have also made sport a field of transgressions. From the “Soviet amazon” of the Cold War, transgressions in sport have publicly demonstrated, but also pushed, the boundaries of cultural understandings of gender. Gender verification tests have exposed a continuum of bodies that cannot easily be arranged into two stable, separate gender categories. In spite of the so called “corporeal turn”, sport is still rather neglected within cultural studies and feminist research. This appears to be linked to a degradation, and fear, of the body and of the risk that women – once again – be reduced to biology and physical capacity. But studies of sport might further develop under-standings of the processes through which embodied knowledge and subjectivity is produced, in a way that overcomes the split between corporeality and discursive regimes or representations. Furthermore, with the fitness upsurge since the 1980s, the athletic female body has emerged as a cultural ideal and a rare validation of “female masculinity” (Halberstam) in popular culture. This is an area well-suited for “third wave” feminist cultural studies that are at ease with complexities and contradictions: the practices and commercialized images of the sportswoman are potentially both oppressive and empowering.
Perfume Packaging, Seduction and Gender
Authors: Petersson McIntyre Magdalena
Published: June 2013

This article examines gender and cultural sense-making in relation to perfumes and their packaging. Gendered meanings of seduction, choice, consumption and taste are brought to the fore with the use of go-along interviews with consumers in perfume stores. Meeting luxury packages in this feminized environment made the interviewed women speak of bottles as objects to fall in love with and they de-scribed packages as the active part in an act of seduction where they were expecting packages to persuade them into consumption. The interviewed men on the other hand portrayed themselves as active choice-makers and stressed that they were always in control and not seduced by packaging. However, while their ways of explaining their relationship with packaging on the surface seems to confirm cultural generalizations in relation to gender and seduction, the article argues that letting oneself be seduced is no less active than seducing. Based on a combination of actor network theories and theories of gender performativity the article points to the agency of packaging for constructions of gender and understands the inter-viewees as equally animated by the flows of passion which guide their actions.
Pourquoi et comment faire de l'humour en classe ? Les représentations sociales de la compétence humoristique dans des interactions didactiques en Suisse romande
Authors: Petitjean Cécile , Priego-Valverde Béatrice
Published: June 2013

L’objectif de cet article est de mieux comprendre le rôle des représentations sociales (RS) dans les processus d’évaluation des différentes dimensions de la compétence d’interaction (CI) dans le contexte de la classe de français. Nous nous intéressons à l’un des aspects de la CI, à savoir la compétence humoristique. Comment les acteurs de la classe privilégient-ils, de façon située et moment par moments dans l’interaction, certaines manières de faire rire ? Nous promouvons une approche praxéologique de la compétence humoristique et des RS y relatives, qui émergent et se remodèlent dans et par les pratiques interactionnelles des acteurs de la classe. À partir d’un corpus constitué d’interactions didactiques recueillies en Suisse romande avec des élèves âgés de 13 et 14 ans (Corpus CODI), l’analyse de nos données, inspirée de l’Analyse Conversationnelle, permettra de montrer de quelles façons enseignant et élèves négocient les connaissances partagées qui leur permettent de définir une échelle de valeurs des différents aspects de la compétence humoristique, et ce au travers de la manière dont ils rendent ou non pertinents, dans leurs pratiques, certains savoir-faire en matière d’humour en interaction. Il s’agit donc d’observer, d’une part, la manière dont les acteurs implémentent on line les logiques institutionnelles amenant à la légitimation de certaines facettes de l’humour, et, d’autre part, la façon dont ils reconfigurent dans le même temps ces contraintes, au travers de l’ajustement dynamique de leurs pratiques.
L'institutionnalisation de la norme sociale entre stigmatisation et dénonciation
Authors: Brugidou Mathieu
Published: June 2013

Cet article se propose, à partir de l’étude d’une question ouverte issue d’une enquête sur les économies d’énergie, de mettre en évidence les différences entre des énoncés de stigmatisation – qui traduisent la présence d’une norme et la justifient par la sanction d’une transgression – et des énoncés de dénonciation, critiquant notamment les dispositifs de politiques publiques mettant en œuvre cette norme. L’étude décrit d’abord une méthode d’enquête et d’analyse pour identifier des énoncés de stigmatisation à propos d’une norme en cours d’institutionnalisation. Elle propose notamment de combiner une approche grammaticale des énoncés de stigmatisation et une analyse sémantique des topoï repérés grâce au vocabulaire des émotions. À partir de la distinction proposée par L. Kaufmann entre sémantique du On et sémantique du Nous (Kaufmann, 2010), l’analyse s’attache à caractériser le type de collectif suscité par ces énoncés. Ils apparaissent, dans le cas de la stigmatisation, comme la réactualisation d’une communauté héritée – faite d’habitudes et de traditions – et dans le cas de la dénonciation comme la projection d’un collectif formé sur l’accord des volontés individuelles, constituant de ce fait une proposition politique. L’étude montre toutefois que ces deux types d’énoncés, bien distingués d’un point analytique, peuvent donner lieu à des formes hybrides ou « proto-politiques », utiles pour comprendre les mécanismes de politisation.
Effect of Kluyveromyces thermotolerans on polyketide synthase gene expression and ochratoxin accumulation by Penicillium and Aspergillus
Authors: Ponsone M.L. , Kuhn Y.G , Schmidt-Heydt M , Geisen R. , Chulze S.N.
Published: June 2013

In a previous study, it was demonstrated that Kluyveromyces thermotolerans strains can reduce both growth and ochratoxin A (OTA) accumulation by Aspergillus section Nigri strains. There is no information about the mechanisms related to this reduction. A viable hypothesis can be that the presence of biocontrol agents can affect OTA biosynthesis by influencing the transcriptional activity of the polyketide synthase (pks) gene, one of the key enzymes in the OTA biosynthetic pathway. The aims of this work were to determine the effect of two selected strains of K. thermotolerans as potential biocontrol agents and to evaluate if their presence can affect the otapks gene expression of ochratoxigenic Aspergillus and Penicillium species. Growth, OTA and ochratoxin B (OTB) biosynthesis by the fungal strains at the phenotypic and molecular levels were monitored. The results obtained showed that both K. thermotolerans strains evaluated had a strong influence on growth, OTA and OTB biosynthesis, and expression of the mycotoxin biosynthesis genes. However, no direct correlation between the influence of the biocontrol yeasts on pks gene expression, OTA and OTB production could be found. These results could indicate an inhibitory mechanism by the yeasts, which apparently involve a post-transcriptional mechanism. The data obtained could imply that the production of mycotoxins can be regarded as a kind of adaptation mechanism to environmental stress conditions by these mycotoxigenic species.
Moving Beyond Warfarin—Are We Ready?: A Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Novel Anticoagulant Agents Compared to Warfarin for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults
Authors: Ogbonna Kelechi C. , Clifford Kalin M.
Published: June 2013

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias seen in clinical practice. Stroke risk in patients diagnosed with AF increases from 1.5% in the fifth decade of life to 23.5% in patients older than 80, emphasizing the need for effective and appropriate therapies. Over the past 50 years, vitamin K antagonists—namely warfarin (Coumadin
®
)—have been the mainstay for stroke prevention. The introduction of dabigatran (Pradaxa
®
), rivaroxaban (Xarelto
®
), and apixaban (Eliquis
®
) has caused both patients and providers to question whether better alternatives to warfarin therapy exist. These agents have shown to be at least as effective as warfarin in stroke risk reduction with no need for international normalized ratio monitoring. This review will examine these newer anticoagulant agents’ safety and efficacy and provide clinical considerations for treating older adults with AF. Clinicians with patients unable to tolerate warfarin or with difficulty managing therapy will need to consider patient characteristics, cost, adherence, lack of a reversal agent, and long-term efficacy before prescribing these agents. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 39
(7), 8–17.]
Virtual Worlds in Nursing Education: A Synthesis of the Literature
Authors: De Gagne Jennie C. , Oh Jina , Kang Jeongae , Vorderstrasse Allison A. , Johnson Constance M.
Published: June 2013

Although the literature has highlighted the use of virtual worlds in teaching–learning, little is known about the concepts associated with this technology in nursing education. Moreover, the application of virtual worlds to education has been underdeveloped theoretically, with much of the work being exploratory. Thus, the aim of this integrative review was to identify the current evidence on the use of virtual worlds in the education of nursing and other health professional students and to describe emerging themes surrounding this phenomenon. We searched seven electronic databases for relevant articles and used Whittemore’s and Knafl’s integrative review method to synthesize the literature. Twelve articles met the selection criteria for this review, from which three overarching themes emerged: (a) critical reasoning skills, (b) student-centered learning, and (c) instructional design considerations. This integrative review extends our understanding of virtual worlds in nursing education and the potential barriers and facilitators of their use. [
J Nurs Educ.
2013;52(7):391–396.]
Corneal Endothelial Cell Characteristics After Pediatric Cataract Surgery
Authors: Ramasubramanian Aparna , Mantagos Iason , Vanderveen Deborah K.
Published: June 2013

Purpose:

To describe the corneal endothelial cell characteristics after pediatric cataract surgery.

Methods:

Retrospective case series of 29 study eyes and 26 controls were evaluable. Specular microscopy was performed and endothelial cell features were correlated with clinical and surgical features.

Results:

Mean age at testing was 106 months in the study group and 116 months in the control group with a mean interval of 78 months after cataract surgery. Mean endothelial cell density in study eyes was 2,668 cells/mm
2
(control eyes, 3,002 cells/mm
2
,
P
< .01). Mean coefficient of variation was 35% (control eyes, 31%,
P
< .01), and mean percentage of hexagonal cells was 40% (control eyes, 51%,
P
< .01). There was no significant difference based on age, duration since cataract surgery, contact lens use, glaucoma, number of intraocular procedures, or presence of intraocular lens.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates endothelial cell loss with polymegathism and pleomorphism in children undergoing cataract surgery. This poses a risk of developing long-term corneal complications and hence close monitoring of the endothelial cell count is advisable.

[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2013;50(4):251–254.]
Jaroslav J. Polivka y el Guggenheim Museum de New York
Authors: Martín-Sáiz D.
Published: June 2013

El Guggenheim Museum es un claro ejemplo de arquitectura influenciada por su estructura. La arquitectura de Frank Lloyd Wright se nutre de una fusión especial con la estructura, en ocasiones difícil de diferenciar de otros elementos. Esto llevó a Wright hacia planteamientos novedosos, como el de las láminas de hormigón armado, que implicaban un mayor grado de complejidad técnica.
Notch-Regulated Periphery B Cell Differentiation Involves Suppression of E Protein Function
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhao Ying , Sun Xiao-Hong
Published: June 2013

Notch signaling pathway plays important roles in promoting the generation of marginal zone (MZ) B cells at the expense of follicular (FO) B cells during periphery B cell maturation, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. We hypothesize that Notch favors the generation of MZ B cells by downregulating E protein activity. In this study, we demonstrated that expression of Id2 and ankyrin-repeat SOCS box-containing protein 2 was elevated in MZ B cells and by Notch signaling. Id2 inhibits the DNA binding activity of E proteins, whereas ankyrin-repeat SOCS box-containing protein 2 facilitates E protein ubiquitination. Next, we examined the phenotypes of splenic B cells in mice expressing constitutively active Notch1 and/or two gain-of-function mutants of E proteins that counteract Id2-mediated inhibition or Notch-induced degradation. We found that upregulation of E proteins promoted the formation of FO B cells, whereas it suppressed the maturation of MZ B cells. In contrast, excessive amounts of Notch1 stimulated the differentiation of MZ B cells and inhibited the production of FO B cells. More interestingly, the effects of Notch1 were reversed by gain of E protein function. Furthermore, high levels of Bcl-6 expression in FO B cells was shown to be diminished by Notch signaling and restored by E proteins. In addition, E proteins facilitated and Notch hindered the differentiation of transitional B cells. Taken together, it appears that Notch regulates peripheral B cell differentiation, at least in part, through opposing E protein function.
Neutrophil Recruitment to the Lung in Both C5a- and CXCL1-Induced Alveolitis Is Impaired in Vitamin D–Binding Protein–Deficient Mice
Authors: Trujillo Glenda , Habiel David M. , Ge Lingyin , Ramadass Mahalakshmi , Cooke Nancy E. , Kew Richard R.
Published: June 2013

Knowledge of how neutrophils respond to chemotactic signals in a complex inflammatory environment is not completely understood. Moreover, even less is known about factors in physiological fluids that regulate the activity of chemoattractants. The vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) has been shown to significantly enhance chemotaxis to complement activation peptide C5a using purified proteins in vitro, and by ex vivo depletion of DBP in physiological fluids, but this function has not been determined in vivo. DBP null (−/−) mice were used to investigate how a systemic absence of this plasma protein affects leukocyte recruitment in alveolitis models of lung inflammation. DBP−/− mice had significantly reduced (∼50%) neutrophil recruitment to the lungs compared with their wild-type DBP+/+ counterparts in three different alveolitis models, two acute and one chronic. The histology of DBP−/− mouse lungs also showed significantly less injury than wild-type animals. The chemotactic cofactor function of DBP appears to be selective for neutrophil recruitment, but, in contrast to previous in vitro results, in vivo DBP can enhance the activity of other chemoattractants, including CXCL1. The reduced neutrophil response in DBP−/− mice could be rescued to wild-type levels by administering exogenous DBP. Finally, in inflammatory fluids, DBP binds to G-actin released from damaged cells, and this complex may be the active chemotactic cofactor. To our knowledge, results show for the first time that DBP is a significant chemotactic cofactor in vivo and not specific for C5a, suggesting that this ubiquitous plasma protein may have a more significant role in neutrophil recruitment than previously recognized.
Different Modulation of Ptpn22 in Effector and Regulatory T Cells Leads to Attenuation of Autoimmune Diabetes in Transgenic Nonobese Diabetic Mice
Authors: Yeh Li-Tzu , Miaw Shi-Chuen , Lin Ming-Hong , Chou Feng-Cheng , Shieh Shing-Jia , Chuang Yi-Ping , Lin Shih-Hua , Chang Deh-Ming , Sytwu Huey-Kang
Published: June 2013

Ptpn22 encodes PEST domain–enriched tyrosine phosphatase (Pep), which negatively regulates TCR proximal signaling and is strongly associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases in humans. The net effect of Pep on the balance of immunity and tolerance is uncertain because of the simultaneous inhibition of TCR-mediated signaling of effector and regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study, we generated transgenic NOD mice that overexpressed Pep in T cells. The transgenic mice had a significantly lower incidence of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes, which was accompanied by fewer IFN-γ–producing T cells, and an increased ratio of CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs to CD4+IFN-γ+ or to CD8+IFN-γ+ T cells, respectively, in pancreatic islets. Transgenic T cells showed markedly decreased TCR-mediated effector cell responses such as proliferation and Th1 differentiation. By contrast, the inhibitory effect of transgenic Pep on TCR signaling did not affect the differentiation of Tregs or their suppressive activity. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that transgenic splenocytes exhibited attenuated diabetogenic ability. To examine further the pathogenic features of transgenic T cells, we generated Ptpn22/BDC2.5 doubly transgenic mice and found reduced proliferation and Th1 differentiation in CD4+ T lymphocytes with additional Pep in pancreatic lymph nodes but not in inguinal lymph nodes of NOD/SCID recipients. This finding indicates that transgenic Pep attenuates T cell functions in an islet Ag–driven manner. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Pep overexpression in T cells attenuates autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice by preferentially modulating TCR signaling–mediated functions in diabetogenic T cells but not in Tregs.
Contrasting Effects of Anti-Ly49A Due to MHC Class I cis Binding on NK Cell–Mediated Allogeneic Bone Marrow Cell Resistance
Authors: Alvarez Maite , Sungur Can M. , Ames Erik , Anderson Stephen K. , Pomeroy Claire , Murphy William J.
Published: June 2013

NK subsets have activating and inhibitory receptors that bind MHC-I. Ly49A is a mouse inhibitory receptor that binds with high affinity to H2d in both a cis- and trans-manner. Ly49A cis-associations limit trans-interactions with H2d-expressing targets as well as mAb binding. We demonstrate that cis-interactions affect mAb effector functions. In vivo administration of anti-Ly49A depleted NK cells in H2b but not H2d mice. Despite lack of depletion, in vivo treatment with anti-Ly49A reduced NK killing capabilities and inhibited activation, partially due to its agonistic effect. These data explain the previously described in vivo effects on bone marrow allograft rejection observed with anti-Ly49A treatment in H2d-haplotype mice. However, prior treatment of mice with poly(I:C) or mouse CMV infection resulted in increased Ly49A expression and Ly49A+ NK cell depletion in H2d mice. These data indicate that, although Ly49 mAbs can exert similar in vivo effects in mice with different MHC haplotypes, these effects are mediated via different mechanisms of action correlating with Ly49A expression levels and can be altered within the same strain contingent on stimuli. This illustrates the marked diversity of mAb effector functions due to the regulation of the level of expression of target Ags and responses by stimulatory incidents such as infection.
Viral Infection of the Pregnant Cervix Predisposes to Ascending Bacterial Infection
Authors: Racicot Karen , Cardenas Ingrid , Wünsche Vera , Aldo Paulomi , Guller Seth , Means Robert E. , Romero Roberto , Mor Gil
Published: June 2013

Preterm birth is the major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity, and bacterial infections that ascend from the lower female reproductive tract are the most common route of uterine infection leading to preterm birth. The uterus and growing fetus are protected from ascending infection by the cervix, which controls and limits microbial access by the production of mucus, cytokines, and antimicrobial peptides. If this barrier is compromised, bacteria may enter the uterine cavity, leading to preterm birth. Using a mouse model, we demonstrate, to our knowledge for the first time, that viral infection of the cervix during pregnancy reduces the capacity of the female reproductive tract to prevent bacterial infection of the uterus. This is due to differences in susceptibility of the cervix to infection by virus during pregnancy and the associated changes in TLR and antimicrobial peptide expression and function. We suggest that preterm labor is a polymicrobial disease, which requires a multifactorial approach for its prevention and treatment.
A Fatal Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Infection in a Traveler Returning from Madagascar: Clinical, Epidemiological and Veterinary Investigations
Authors: Larrieu Sophie , Cardinale Eric , Ocquidant Philippe , Roger Matthieu , Lepec Richard , Delatte Hélène , Camuset Guillaume , Desprès Philippe , Brottet Elise , Charlin Cyril , Michault Alain
Published: June 2013

A 58-year-old woman living in Reunion Island and returning from Madagascar was hospitalized for neuroinvasive encephalitis and died 1 month later. West Nile virus (WNV) infection was biologically confirmed by detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) reactive with WNV antigens in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum, and weak neutralizing activity was also detected. A veterinary survey performed in her traveling area showed a seroprevalence of WNV of 28.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 21.1–36.3) in adult poultry, confirming an active circulation of the virus. Development of a severe form could be related to a weak antibody response, because the patient presented low IgM and IgG titers. This case report underlines the constant risk of emergence of West Nile in Indian Ocean territories, including Reunion Island where competent vectors are widely present during the whole year.
Knowledge and Practice Related to Compliance with Mass Drug Administration during the Egyptian National Filariasis Elimination Program
Authors: Abd Elaziz Khaled M. , El-Setouhy Maged , Bradley Mark H. , Ramzy Reda M. R. , Weil Gary J.
Published: June 2013

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) has been targeted for global elimination by 2020. The primary tool for the program is mass drug administration (MDA) with antifilarial medications to reduce the source of microfilariae required for mosquito transmission of the parasite. This strategy requires high MDA compliance rates. Egypt initiated a national filariasis elimination program in 2000 that targeted approximately 2.7 million persons in 181 disease-endemic localities. This study assessed factors associated with MDA compliance in year three of the Egyptian LF elimination program. 2,859 subjects were interviewed in six villages. The surveyed compliance rate for MDA in these villages was 85.3% (95% confidence interval = 83.9–86.5%). Compliance with MDA was positively associated with LF knowledge scores, male sex, and older age. Adverse events reported by 18.4% of participants were mild and more common in females. This study has provided new information on factors associated with MDA compliance during Egypt's successful LF elimination program.
Free troposphere ozone and carbon monoxide over the North Atlantic for 2001–2011
Authors: Kumar A. , Wu S. , Weise M. F. , Honrath R. , Owen R. C. , Helmig D. , Kramer L. , Val Martin M. , Li Q.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. In-situ measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) at the Pico Mountain Observatory (PMO) located in the Azores, Portugal are analyzed together with results from atmospheric chemical transport modeling (GEOS-Chem) and satellite remote sensing (AIRS for CO and TES for O3) to examine the evolution of free-troposphere CO and O3 over the North Atlantic for 2001–2011. GEOS-Chem captured the seasonal cycles for CO and O3 well but significantly underestimated the mixing ratios of CO, particularly in spring. Statistically significant (using a significance level of 0.05) decreasing trends were found for both CO and O3 based on harmonic regression analysis of the measurement data. The best estimates of the trend for CO and O3 measurements are −0.31 ± 0.30 (2-σ) ppbv yr−1 and −0.21 ± 0.11 (2-σ) ppbv yr−1, respectively. Similar decreasing trends for both species were obtained with GEOS-Chem simulation results. The major factor contributing to the reported decrease in CO and O3 mixing ratios at PMO over the past decade is the decline in anthropogenic CO and O3-precursor emissions in regions such as North America and Europe. The increase in Asian emissions does not seem to outweigh the impact of these declines resulting in overall decreasing trends for both CO and O3. For O3, however, increase in atmospheric water vapor content associated with climate change also appears to be a contributing factor causing enhanced destruction of the O3 during transport from source regions. These hypotheses are supported by results from the GEOS-Chem tagged CO and tagged O3 simulations.
A statistical study on O+ flux in the dayside magnetosheath
Authors: Slapak R. , Nilsson H. , Westerberg L. G.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. Studies on terrestrial oxygen ion (O+) escape into the interplanetary space have considered a number of different escape paths. Recent observations however suggest a yet insufficiently investigated additional escape route for hot O+: along open magnetic field lines in the high altitude cusp and mantle. Here we present a statistical study on O+ flux in the high-latitude dayside magnetosheath. The O+ is generally seen relatively close to the magnetopause, consistent with observations of O+ flowing primarily tangentially to the magnetopause. We estimate the total escape flux in this region to be ~ 7 × 1024 s−1, implying this escape route to significantly contribute to the overall total O+ loss into interplanetary space.
Experiência de envelhecimento: trabalho e aposentadoria
Authors: Gontarski Giseli , Rasia José Miguel
Published: June 2013

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo principal compreender a experiência de envelhecimento de doze homens e mulheres, com idades entre 68 e 95 anos, moradores da cidade de Mafra-SC. O trabalho e a aposentadoria foram fundamentais na construção dos significados da velhice. A pesquisa demonstrou que existem diversas formas de envelhecer, tanto positivas, quanto negativas. Além disso, há uma grande distância entre os discursos elaborados sobre o envelhecimento e a forma como os entrevistados efetivamente experimentam essa etapa da vida. Nesse momento, não é a velhice sinônimo de perda e decadência que está sendo mencionada e sim uma outra velhice, bem mais positiva, que considera sobretudo as trajetórias individuais.
A feminização da violência contra o idoso e as delegacias de polícia
Authors: Grin Debert Guita , Oliveira Amanda Marques de
Published: June 2013

A violência contra o idoso é considerada violação dos direitos humanos, e o Brasil tem se empenhado em garantir os direitos dos mais velhos. Com o interesse de discutir os dilemas envolvidos nas iniciativas adotadas no país, o artigo analisa como as agressões contra homens e mulheres mais velhos são tratadas pela polícia, revelando a desconexão entre a imagem que os policiais têm da velhice e o idoso que de fato recorre à polícia. O argumento central é que essa desconexão leva à invisibilidade da violência perpetrada, à feminização da velhice e à consideração de que os crimes são fruto de um déficit da moral familiar. A dinâmica do funcionamento das delegacias as transforma em instâncias voltadas à judicialização das relações na família, e o idoso, de sujeito de direitos, passa a ser objeto da violência familiar.
ONG's e neoliberalismo no Brasil contemporâneo
Authors: Marmanillo Pereira Jesus
Published: June 2013

Resenha do texto de: COUTINHO, Joana A. : Utopia-Regular;"ONGs e políticas neoliberais no Brasil. Florianópolis: Ed. UFSC, 2011. 148 p.
Flow of a Giesekus Fluid in a Planar Channel due to Peristalsis
Authors: Ali Nasir , Javed Tariq
Published: June 2013

An attempt is made to investigate the peristaltic motion of a Giesekus fluid in a planar channel under long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations. Under these assumptions, the flow problem is modelled as a second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation. Both approximate and exact solution of this equation are presented. The validity of the approximate solution is examined by comparing it with the exact solution. A parametric study is performed to analyze the effects of non-dimensional parameters associated with the Giesekus fluid model (a and We) on flow velocity, pressure rise per wavelength, and trapping phenomenon. It is found that the behaviour of longitudinal velocity and pattern of streamlines for a Giesekus fluid deviate from their counterparts for a Newtonian fluid by changing the parameters a and We. In fact, the magnitude of the longitudinal velocity at the center of the channel for a Giesekus fluid is less than that for a Newtonian fluid. It is also observed that the pressure rise per wavelength decreases in going form Newtonian to Giesekus fluid. Moreover, the size of trapped bolus is large and it circulates faster for a Newtonian fluid in comparison to a Giesekus fluid.