bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‫جغرافية اللغات‬ (Geography of Languages)
Authors: ‫غنيم‬ (Ghoneim) ‫عمرو‬ (Amr)
Published: February 2014

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
External egg structure of the Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) and the search for characters with phylogenetic importance
Authors: MATESCO VIVIANA CAUDURO , BIANCHI FILIPE MICHELS , FÜRSTENAU BRENDA BIANCA RODRIGUES JESSE , DA SILVA PRISCILA POOCK , CAMPOS LUIZ ALEXANDRE , GRAZIA JOCELIA
Published: February 2014

The chorionic structure of sixteen pentatomid species is described. Morphological patterns in different taxonomic levels are discussed. In addition, egg characters useful in cladistic analyses are listed, and some of those characters are tested for congruence with two cladistic analyses previously conducted within Pentatomidae. Descriptive studies were conducted with Banasa induta, Capivaccius bufo, Catulona pensa, Chinavia armigera, Chinavia aseada, Chinavia brasicola, Chinavia runaspis, Dichelops furcatus, Euschistus heros, Euschistus riograndensis, Euschistus paranticus, Mormidea cornicollis, Podisus distinctus, Podisus nigrispinus, Serdia apicicornis, and Thoreyella maracaja. The eggs were examined and photographed under light and scanning electron microscopy. Based on literature data, a list of 40 egg characters with potential phylogenetic importance has been compiled. Some of these characters were included in the cladistic analyses of the genus Nezara (six characters) and of the Chinavia obstinata group (five characters). Both analyses were performed in TNT with equal weighting of characters. The eggs of most of the Neotropical species studied were barrel-shaped, chorion translucent and spinose, with aero-micropylar processes that were short and clubbed. The patterns of egg morphology could be identified in Carpocorini, Procleticini, and in the genera Banasa, Chinavia, Euschistus, Mormidea, and Podisus. In the cladistic analyses, the inclusion of egg characters did not affect the topology of the trees shown in the original papers. For the analyses, the egg characters were somewhat informative. At present, a total of 286 Pentatomidae species have their egg stage described.
A new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) from two caves and a spring in western Maryland, USA with additional records of undescribed species from groundwater habitats in central Maryland
Authors: HOLSINGER JOHN R. , ANSELL LYNNETTE
Published: February 2014

A new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus is described from two caves and a small spring on the Appalachian Plateau in Garrett County in western Maryland, USA. The description of this species brings to six the total number of species in the genus Stygobromus from the state of Maryland. The other five species are recorded from shallow groundwater habitats (e.g., seeps and springs) in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. In addition, at least four new species of Stygobromus from central Maryland are recognized but remain undescribed to date.
Aradidae from Vietnam III. Trichosomaptera gibbosa n.gen., n.sp., an apterous Carventinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae)
Authors: PHAM MINHLAN , BAI XIAOSHUAN , HEISS ERNST , CAI WANZHI
Published: February 2014

A new apterous flat bug genus of the subfamily Carventinae, Trichosomaptera n.gen., is described and illustrated to accommodate gibbosa n. sp. from Vietnam. The species could not be placed in any known genus.
Probabilistic Gaussian Copula Regression Model for Multisite and Multivariable Downscaling
Authors: Ben Alaya M. A. , Chebana F. , Ouarda T. B. M. J.
Published: February 2014

Atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) are useful to simulate large-scale climate evolutions. However, AOGCM data resolution is too coarse for regional and local climate studies. Downscaling techniques have been developed to refine AOGCM data and provide information at more relevant scales. Among a wide range of available approaches, regression-based methods are commonly used for downscaling AOGCM data. When several variables are considered at multiple sites, regression models are employed to reproduce the observed climate characteristics at small scale, such as the variability and the relationship between sites and variables. This study introduces a probabilistic Gaussian copula regression (PGCR) model for simultaneously downscaling multiple variables at several sites. The proposed PGCR model relies on a probabilistic framework to specify the marginal distribution for each downscaled variable at a given day through AOGCM predictors, and handles multivariate dependence between sites and variables using a Gaussian copula. The proposed model is applied for the downscaling of AOGCM data to daily precipitation and minimum and maximum temperatures in the southern part of Quebec, Canada. Reanalysis products are used in this study to assess the potential of the proposed method. Results of the study indicate the superiority of the proposed model over classical regression-based methods and a multivariate multisite statistical downscaling model.
Entrepreneurship as a Mobility Process
Authors: Sørensen Jesper B. , Sharkey Amanda J.
Published: February 2014

We advance a theory of how organizational characteristics, in particular the structure of opportunity within organizations, shape the decision to become an entrepreneur. Established organizations play an important yet understudied role in the entrepreneurial process, because they shape the environment within which individuals may choose to enter self-employment. Yet, despite the fact that sociologists have long recognized that inequality within organizations plays an important role in career attainment and mobility, we lack an understanding of how it shapes the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities. We develop a formal model in which entrepreneurial choice is driven by differences in the arrival rate of various types of advancement opportunities. Entrepreneurship then arises as a result of matching processes between workers and employers, as well as the features of opportunity structures in paid employment. Analyses using Danish census data provide support for empirical implications derived from the model.
Financial Crisis of 2008 and Shifting Economic Power
Authors: Agarwal Manmohan , Samanta Sayan
Published: February 2014

This article analyses shifts in economic power over the last five decades or so. While developing countries (DCs) and regions have increased their share of incremental world income and incremental world exports over this period, there is very little shift in the relative rankings according to size of GDP of the 25 largest economies in 2011. The economies of South Korea and Brazil have become relatively much larger; the other changes have been minor. The correlations between the ranks over the years are very large showing that there has been little change in the rankings. Also, the GDP and per capita GDP of other countries and regions have increased relative to the US but this increase has been slow, particularly after 1982. The GDP of most of the large DCs has increased relative to that of the US but far fewer have increased their relative per capita GDP suggesting slow rates of growth of productivity and limited structural change of shift in economic activity from low productivity to high productivity sectors. Aggregating 20 indicators to form an index of economic power, we find that there has been little change in the rankings according to this index. Further, measuring the distance of individual countries from the US on the basis of these indicators, we find that most countries have been converging on the US, but very slowly. There is no evidence that the 2008 financial crisis has resulted in a hastening of the decline of the US.
Transformation of Health Insurance Schemes in China
Authors: Nundy Madhurima
Published: February 2014

Health insurance has been one of the major forms of health financing in China since the 1950s. Health insurance in China has seen dramatic shifts given the different economic and political contexts. From an almost universal coverage and access to health services in the pre-reforms period, China witnessed tremendous inequities in access with the breakdown of its collective financing structures and rising costs of health care in the 1980s and 1990s in both rural and urban areas with the onset of economic reforms. As a result policies in the late 1990s and 2000s shifted towards universalising access by introducing different insurance schemes for the urban and rural population. This article attempts to trace this transformation in insurance schemes through three distinct phases and draws lessons for access to health services.
Philosophy and the French Invention of Sinology
Authors: Cheng Anne
Published: February 2014

At a time when Chinese intellectuals and academics are more and more interested in the way Westerners, especially sinologists, approach and study Chinese culture, it seems relevant to pause and reflect on the critical and diversified approaches contributed by European sinologies. Special attention should be paid more particularly to the French tradition, which was the very first to be set up in the early nineteenth century within various prestigious academic institutions that are still very much alive today, but which has been somewhat pushed to the background by the powerful thrust of American, and more generally Anglophone, sinology ever since the aftermath of the Second World War. This article proposes to look at the way the French invention of sinology in the nineteenth century was under the influence of the concomitant rise of philosophy as a specifically European academic discipline.
Neoliberalism and water rights: The case of India
Authors: Subramaniam Mangala
Published: February 2014

As water is increasingly subjected to market imperatives and transformed into a means for capital accumulation, the state has been unable to manage the resource. Building on the concept of accumulation by dispossession this article focuses on local neoliberalisms, arguing that collective governance of water resources is contentious. Local neoliberalism is atypical in that it brings within its fold a localized institution, the nongovernmental organization (NGO), engaged in mobilizing citizens and contributing to accumulative practices. Privatization practices of the state and NGOs serve as an impetus to mobilize local citizens to manage water resources. Citizens resist accumulative practices but challenges to local neoliberalisms are complex as politics of inequities exacerbate inequalities based on gender, class, and caste and limit the possibilities of collective governance. The article analyzes Indian government policy documents on water and the case of Tarun Bharat Sangh, an NGO in the state of Rajasthan, India, to show that accumulation by dispossession redefines the common property of water by appropriating a basic resource and suppressing local notions of consumption and maintenance.
Transcriptional Factor ATF6 is Involved in Odontoblastic Differentiation
Authors: Kim J.W. , Choi H. , Jeong B.C. , Oh S.H. , Hur S.W. , Lee B.N. , Kim S.H. , Nör J.E. , Koh J.T. , Hwang Y.C.
Published: February 2014

ATF6 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane-bound transcription factor that regulates various cellular functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ATF6 in odontoblast differentiation. Rat tooth germs were isolated, changes in gene expression were evaluated over time, and localization of ATF6 was determined by immunohistochemistry. Human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were cultured with 50 µg/mL ascorbic acid and 5 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate or 100 ng/mL bone morphogenetic protein 2 to induce differentiation. Translocation of ATF6 was observed by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Overexpression of ATF6 was performed with an adenoviral vector. Matrix mineralization was evaluated by alizarin red staining. Immunoreactivity to anti-ATF6 was observed in the odontoblastic layer of the molar tooth germ, and expressions of ATF6, dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) increased gradually during tooth germ development. When HDPCs were cultured in differentiation media, ATF6, DSPP, and DMP1 expression increased with the expression of unfolded protein response (UPR) markers, BiP and CHOP. Immunofluorescence results showed that ATF6 protein moved from cytoplasm to nucleus when cells were exposed to differentiation media. Notably, overexpression of ATF6 increased DSPP and DMP1 expression, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and matrix mineralization in HDPC cultures. Inhibition of ATF6 decreased ALP activity and mineralization. These results suggest that ER membrane-bound transcriptional factor ATF6 may be involved in odontoblastic differentiation.
Improving Comprehension of Narrative Using Character Event Maps for High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Williamson Pamela , Carnahan Christina R. , Birri Nicole , Swoboda Christopher
Published: February 2014

Few studies examine specific interventions for increasing narrative text comprehension for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, both the cognitive reading profiles common in ASD and the focus on access to complex text for all learners suggest the need for interventions to support narrative text comprehension. Using a multiple baseline design, the current study examined the effectiveness of an intervention package that included scaffolded completion of a character event map paired with a review of the previous session’s map to make a prediction about the coming chapter on the narrative text comprehension of three male adolescents with ASD. There was an immediate change in comprehension scores for all three participants during intervention. Comprehension for all participants remained high through intervention and follow-up. Implications for research and practice are addressed.
Correctional Officer Excessive Use of Force
Authors: Rembert David A. , Henderson Howard
Published: February 2014

Despite recent research demonstrating the impact of inmate perceptions of correctional legitimacy on order maintenance, the extant literature has failed to examine the contextual reality of correctional excessive use of force claims. Utilizing legal cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S. District Courts, this article examines correctional officer excessive use of non-deadly force and identifies recurring themes in these claims. Findings highlight the common occurrence of retaliatory violence, negative attitudes, failure to listen to inmate concerns, inadequate training, and an inability to decipher reliable threat cues consistently present in correctional officer use of non-deadly force claims. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are offered.
Media and the scaling of ritual spaces in Morocco
Authors: Zillinger Martin
Published: February 2014

The author explores how members of the Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods of the ‘Isāwaand Ḥamadša shape their activities and transnational networks through the use of technical media. Trying to think beyond notions of the local, regional and transnational, the article focuses on the mediators and practices by which actors understand the scope of their actions and redefine their agency at different locales through ‘scaling’. More particularly, he explores how actors engage in ‘downscaling’ complex issues into ritual procedures, and in ‘upscaling’ these procedures by inscribing them into a media chain and a more encompassing network of people, signs and things.
Religion publique et médiation religieuse chez les musulmans mauriciens
Authors: Eisenlohr Patrick
Published: February 2014

The uses of sound reproduction among Mauritian Muslims illustrate the links between public religion and religious mediation. These two dimensions of religion rely on material objects and media technologies, coalescing in what are frequently the same media practices. In this essay I investigate the ambiguous relationships between these two mediated forms of religion, tracing their mutually supporting and conflictual relationships. Their articulations also provide insights into questions of religious authority and authenticity that are prominent in a diasporic location such as Mauritius, as well as into the constitution of the boundary between religion and non-religion through media practices.
Christian religious radio production in Benin: The case of Radio Maranatha
Authors: Grätz Tilo
Published: February 2014

The author focuses on a Christian broadcaster in Parakou, northern Benin, and analyses its main production structures, its programming, and the actors and their motives involved. It demonstrates how religious media, themselves an assemblage of institutions, actors, significations and infrastructures, participate in consituting the religious domain. Religious culture in Parakou and, more generally, in Benin is not dictated by religious authorities alone: it is made by pastors, lay presenters and their listeners – especially when they participate in interactive radio shows, or join a listeners’ club. Both producers and listeners find new avenues to live their faith. Radio producers and their listeners occupy new spaces to live their faith and gain new media experiences to valorise their skills and knowledge, as well as to experience themselves as part of a larger religious community.
Evangelicals in democratic Chile: Clash of generations?
Authors: Fediakova Evguenia
Published: February 2014

Historically, the Chilean evangelical Churches belonged to a marginal religious category, discriminated against by the dominant Catholic culture. Nevertheless, during the last 20 years, new generations of believers are challenging the authorities and traditional power relations in their Churches, elaborating new forms of civil participation and changing the previous evangelical identity. The higher levels of education and living standards allow the religious youth to question their pastors’ power and to form more secular relations with national politics and society. This could be leading to a clash between the new generations of evangelicals with a university education and the established Church authorities, producing more diversity within evangelical religiosity, conflicts inside the communities, and/or ‘extra-ecclesial’ forms of the religious manifestations: inter-denominational movements, research centers, non-governmental organizations, websites. From another perspective, higher education and relative secularization are helping to liberate young evangelicals from marginality and include them in society, with the same socio-political status as Catholic and agnostic Chileans.
Mobile Sunna: Islam, small media and community in Niger
Authors: Sounaye Abdoulaye
Published: February 2014

In Niger, Izala is a well established Islamic reform movement that is known for its strategic use of small media. The author investigates how these media are produced and circulated during the Wa’zin kasa, a three-day international preaching rally, and how they play an active role in popularizing Izala’s discourses and practices and in shaping a moral community. The author illustrates that the mobility of these small media has instigated a media dynamic that has transformed the mediascape in Niger and produced new actors and new religious discourses. These ‘Sunna media’ have played an important role in the spread of the reformist movement, and in the establishment of new forms of authority. In the case of the Izala movement, they have also generated a specific religiosity.
Sociogenèse des Églises pentecôtistes africaines en France
Authors: Mottier Damien
Published: February 2014

Despite the growing interest in Pentecostalism in a migratory context, studies on Charismatic Pentecostal Churches in France remain minimal. However, on account of sub-Saharan migrations, notably of Congolese, these Churches have grown significantly over the last three decades. This growth forms part of the restructuring of French Protestantism and, more generally, of the globalization of the contemporary world. This article adopts a historiographic and sociographic rather than ethnographic perspective. The author reviews the processes that led to the formation of these Churches in France during the 1980s by means of a joint analysis of the roles played by the Congolese migrations, which served as a crucible for the identity politics of these Churches, and by an Indian minister, whose influence and connection to the faith gospel networks have contributed to the internationalization of the French migrant context.
Tourism Risk and Uncertainty
Authors: Williams Allan M. , Baláž Vladimír
Published: February 2014

The analysis of risk in tourism is fragmented and uneven and focuses relatively narrowly on risk as a set of negative outcomes to be avoided by individuals, firms, or destinations. This article contends that, because of general, and sector-specific, limitations to knowledge, systematic and unsystematic risks are central to all forms of tourism activities. There is a need for a stronger theoretical understanding of the different concepts of tourism risks and tourism uncertainties that engages with how these are manifested at different scales, and can be analyzed from competing perspectives. The contribution and potential of both rationalist and constructivist approaches are assessed, focusing on individuals, firms, intermediaries, and destinations. The article concludes by identifying priorities for future research relating to both theoretical positioning and scale-specific issues ranging from individual decision making to the securitization of national tourism policies.
Initiating and developing clinical services, training and research in a low resource setting: the Malawi ENT experience
Authors: Mulwafu Wakisa , Nyirenda Thomas Elliot , Fagan Johannes J , Bem Chris , Mlumbe Kumvana , Chitule Jean
Published: February 2014

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa countries like Malawi have a paucity of ear, nose and throat (ENT) data, services and training opportunities.

Objective

To reflect on new Malawian ENT experience and to propose guidelines to poorly resourced countries.

Design

Analysis of data predating and following establishment of ENT services in Malawi.

Results

In 2008 the first and only Malawian ENT specialist established ENT services with external funding. Fifteen clinical officers have been trained and a nurse placed at each outreach hospital. In 2012, 15,284 consultations were recorded: 543 (3.6%) from outreach clinics. Forty-nine percent needed medical treatment, while 45% needed medical advice. Surgery was performed on 2.7% of patients; 21% for foreign bodies in the nose and throat and 18% for foreign bodies and biopsies of ears.

Conclusions

To establish accessible and sustainable specialist ENT services in a poor country requires building on an established local health delivery system, careful planning and investment in personnel, infrastructure, training and data collection.
Myocardial injury following multiple bee stings
Authors: Nisahan Balasingam , Selvaratnam Gowri , Kumanan Thirunavukarasu
Published: February 2014

Envenomation by the honey bee can cause multi-organ dysfunction as a result of toxic effects and may cause a severe anaphylactic reaction. Acute myocardial ischemia is an extremely rare complication of bee envenomation. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman with acute myocardial injury following massive bee envenomation.
The Relationships Between Internal and External Threats and Right-Wing Attitudes
Authors: Onraet Emma , Dhont Kristof , Van Hiel Alain
Published: February 2014

The interplay between threat and right-wing attitudes has received much research attention, but its longitudinal relationship has hardly been investigated. In this study, we investigated the longitudinal relationships between internal and external threats and right-wing attitudes using a cross-lagged design at three different time points in a large nationally representative sample ( N = 800). We found evidence for bidirectional relationships. Higher levels of external threat were related to higher levels of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and to both the egalitarianism and dominance dimensions of Social Dominance Orientation at a later point in time. Conversely, higher levels of RWA were also related to increased perception of external threat later in time. Internal threat did not yield significant direct or indirect longitudinal relationships with right-wing attitudes. Theoretical and practical implications of these longitudinal effects are discussed.
Medical Assistant Coaching to Support Diabetes Self-Care Among Low-Income Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations
Authors: Ruggiero Laurie , Riley Barth B. , Hernandez Rosalba , Quinn Lauretta T. , Gerber Ben S. , Castillo Amparo , Day Joseph , Ingram Diana , Wang Yamin , Butler Paula
Published: February 2014

Innovative, culturally tailored strategies are needed to extend diabetes education and support efforts in lower-resourced primary care practices serving racial/ethnic minority groups. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the effect of a diabetes self-care coaching intervention delivered by medical assistants and the joint effect of intervention and ethnicity over time. The randomized repeated-measures design included 270 low-income African American and Hispanic/Latino patients with type 2 diabetes. The 1-year clinic- and telephone-based medical assistant coaching intervention was culturally tailored and guided by theoretical frameworks. A1C was obtained, and a self-care measure was completed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models with and without adjustment for covariates. There was a significant overall improvement in mean self-care scores across time, but no intervention effect. Results revealed differences in self-care patterns across racial/ethnic subgroups. No differences were found for A1C levels across time or group.
Contextualization and the advancement of entrepreneurship research
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Wright Mike , Abdelgawad Sondos G.
Published: February 2014

This article analyzes the role of context in the advancement of entrepreneurship research. It defines contextualization and discusses why and how it is important in entrepreneurship research analysing the evidence relating to different dimensions of entrepreneurial context, focusing on temporal, industry, spatial, social and organizational, ownership and governance. The nature of entrepreneurship research, with and without contextualization, is explored and finally, the article considers the challenges in undertaking contextualized entrepreneurship research.
The dark side of the entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation interplay: A new product development perspective
Authors: Morgan Todd , Anokhin Sergey , Kretinin Andrey , Frishammar Johan
Published: February 2014

This article examines the dark side of the entrepreneurial orientation–market orientation interplay, and introduces consumer learning to the research stream. In a sample of 206 mid-sized manufacturing firms, the study shows that entrepreneurial orientation has a positive impact on new product development performance, but the effects are reduced when firms simultaneously implement a market orientation philosophy. While having both an entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation philosophy may hinder new product development performance, the article examines how a high market orientation may help reduce consumer learning and enhance the adoption of radical new products.
The aortic valve: structure, complications and implications for transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Rozeik MM , Wheatley DJ , Gourlay T
Published: February 2014

The aortic valve operates in a complex haemodynamic environment, opening and closing over 100,000 times a day. When complications arise, such as aortic stenosis, prognosis can be very poor, leading to death within the first few years. Surgical valve replacement is currently the standard treatment for aortic stenosis. A thorough understanding of the anatomy and function of the native valve is imperative when developing a prosthetic replacement that can withstand the complex demands of the heart. This review focuses on the anatomy, structure and disease of the aortic valve and the implications for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Current complications with TAVR, such as major vascular bleeding, conduction disturbances and patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM), can be overcome by reducing the delivery profile and through the use of more accurate imaging technologies to work towards a fully functional and durable prosthesis.
A comparison of psychotropic medication prescribing patterns in East of England prisons and the general population
Authors: Hassan Lamiece , Senior Jane , Frisher Martin , Edge Dawn , Shaw Jenny
Published: February 2014

While the prevalence of mental illness is higher in prisons than in the community, less is known about comparative rates of psychotropic medicine prescribing. This is the first study in a decade to determine the prevalence and patterns of psychotropic medication prescribing in prisons. It is also the first study to comprehensively adjust for age when making comparisons with the general population. Four East of England prisons, housing a total of 2222 men and 341 women were recruited to the study. On census days, clinical records were used to identify and collect data on all prisoners with current, valid prescriptions for hypnotic, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, antimanic, antidepressant and/or stimulant medication, as listed in chapters 4.1 to 4.4 of the British National Formulary. Data on 280,168 patients were obtained for comparison purposes from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. After adjusting for age, rates of psychotropic prescribing in prison were 5.5 and 5.9 times higher than in community-based men and women, respectively. We also found marked differences in the individual psychotropic drugs prescribed in prison and community settings. Further work is necessary to determine whether psychotropic prescribing patterns in prison reflect an appropriate balance between managing mental illness, physical health risks and medication misuse.
Distributed assembly with online workload balancing and visual error detection and correction
Authors: Worcester James , Hsieh M. Ani , Lakaemper Rolf
Published: February 2014

We consider the assembly of a three-dimensional (3D) structure by a team of heterogeneous robots capable of online sensing and error correction during the assembly process. We build on our previous work and address the partitioning of the assembly task to maximize parallelization of the assembly process. Specifically, we consider 3D structures that can be assembled from a fixed collection of heterogeneous tiles that vary in shapes and sizes. Given a desired 3D structure, we first compute the partition of the assembly strategy into Na subcomponents that can be executed in parallel by a team of Na assembly robots. The assembly robots then perform online workload balancing during construction to minimize assembly time. To enable online error detection and correction during the assembly process, mobile robots equipped with visual depth sensors are tasked to scan, identify, and track the state of the structure. The result is a cooperative assembly framework where assembly robots can balance their individual workloads online by trading assembly components while scanning robots detect and reassign missing assembly components online. We present the integration of the planning, sensing, and control strategies employed in our framework and report on the experimental validation of the strategy using our multi-robot testbed.
Effect of nicardipine on renal function following robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency
Authors: Huh Hyub , Kim Na Young , Park Seol Ju , Cho Jang Eun
Published: February 2014

Objective

To investigate the renoprotective effect of nicardipine in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP).

Methods

Men with preoperative renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2) were enrolled and randomized to receive either 0.5 µg/kg per min nicardipine continuous infusion (nicardipine group) or normal saline (control group) during RALRP. Renal function was determined by eGFR and serum creatinine concentration.

Results

Serum creatinine levels on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 3 were significantly lower than baseline values in the nicardipine group ( n = 50). In the control group ( n = 50), eGFR was significantly higher on POD 3 than baseline, and was significantly higher than baseline on POD 1 and 3 in the nicardipine group. The change in eGFR from baseline to POD 1 was significantly higher in the nicardipine group than the control group.

Conclusion

Continuous infusion of nicardipine during RALRP improved postoperative renal function on POD 1 in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency.
The Worm Turns
Authors: Garza-Cuartero L. , Garcia-Campos A. , Zintl A. , Chryssafidis A. , O’Sullivan J. , Sekiya M. , Mulcahy G.
Published: February 2014

A reductionist approach to the study of infection does not lend itself to an appraisal of the interactions that occur between 2 or more organisms that infect a host simultaneously. In reality, hosts are subject to multiple simultaneous influences from multiple pathogens along the spectrum from symbiotic microflora to virulent pathogen. In this review, we draw from our own work on Fasciola hepatica and that of others studying helminth co-infection to give examples of how such interactions can influence not only the outcome of infection but also its diagnosis and control. The new tools of systems biology, including both the “omics” approaches and mathematical biology, have significant promise in unraveling the as yet largely unexplored complexities of co-infection.
Porcine Circovirus
Authors: Ellis J.
Published: February 2014

Porcine circoviruses (PCVs) belong to the genus Circovirus and the family Circoviridae, and they are the smallest known viruses that replicate autonomously in mammalian cells. They are nonenveloped, and they have characteristic single-stranded, negative-sense, circular DNA. Two types of divergent PCVs are recognized: PCV1 and PCV2. About 20 years ago, PCV2 began to emerge as a major pathogen of swine around the world, leading to burgeoning knowledge about the virus and porcine circovirus–associated diseases. However, much of the history of its discovery, including the controversy related to its importance, is not recorded. This review examines current issues related to the biology of PCV2 in the context of the original studies related to determining its causal association with disease and to the evolving understanding of the complex pathogenesis of PCV2 infections.
Gammaherpesviruses and Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Williams K. J.
Published: February 2014

Progressive lung fibrosis in humans, typified by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in people. Similar diseases have been described in dogs, cats, and horses. The cause and pathogenesis of such diseases in all species is poorly understood. There is growing evidence in human medicine that IPF is a manifestation of abnormal wound repair in response to epithelial injury. Because viruses can contribute to epithelial injury, there is increasing interest in a possible role of viruses, particularly gammaherpesviruses, in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. This review provides background information on progressive fibrosing lung disease in human and veterinary medicine and summarizes the evidence for an association between gammaherpesvirus infection and pulmonary fibrosis, especially Epstein-Barr virus in human pulmonary fibrosis, and equine herpesvirus 5 in equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. Data derived from experimental lung infection in mice with the gammaherpesvirus murine herpesvirus are presented, emphasizing the host and viral factors that may contribute to lung fibrosis. The experimental data are considered in the context of the pathogenesis of naturally occurring pulmonary fibrosis in humans and horses.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Authors: Kipar A. , Meli M. L.
Published: February 2014

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is one of the most important fatal infectious diseases of cats, the pathogenesis of which has not yet been fully revealed. The present review focuses on the biology of feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection and the pathogenesis and pathological features of FIP. Recent studies have revealed functions of many viral proteins, differing receptor specificity for type I and type II FCoV, and genomic differences between feline enteric coronaviruses (FECVs) and FIP viruses (FIPVs). FECV and FIP also exhibit functional differences, since FECVs replicate mainly in intestinal epithelium and are shed in feces, and FIPVs replicate efficiently in monocytes and induce systemic disease. Thus, key events in the pathogenesis of FIP are systemic infection with FIPV, effective and sustainable viral replication in monocytes, and activation of infected monocytes. The host’s genetics and immune system also play important roles. It is the activation of monocytes and macrophages that directly leads to the pathologic features of FIP, including vasculitis, body cavity effusions, and fibrinous and granulomatous inflammatory lesions. Advances have been made in the clinical diagnosis of FIP, based on the clinical pathologic findings, serologic testing, and detection of virus using molecular (polymerase chain reaction) or antibody-based methods. Nevertheless, the clinical diagnosis remains challenging in particular in the dry form of FIP, which is partly due to the incomplete understanding of infection biology and pathogenesis in FIP. So, while much progress has been made, many aspects of FIP pathogenesis still remain an enigma.
Posterior Sternoclavicular Joint Injuries in the Adolescent Population
Authors: Tepolt Frances , Carry Patrick M. , Heyn Patricia C. , Miller Nancy H.
Published: February 2014

Background:

Sternoclavicular dislocations are relatively infrequent and are generally divided into anterior and posterior disruptions, the former being the most common. While posterior sternoclavicular joint (PSCJ) injuries are very rare, they may be associated with life-threatening complications. The ideal management of these injuries, particularly in the adolescent population, has not been well described.

Purpose:

Through a meta-analysis of PSCJ injuries in the adolescent, we aimed to (1) describe the epidemiology of PSCJ injuries in relation to the mechanism of injury, associated complications, and treatment preferences; (2) compare the success of closed reduction when attempted <48 versus >48 hours after the initial injury; and (3) compare the outcomes of closed versus open treatment.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis.

Methods:

A thorough review of the English literature was performed to identify all cases of PSCJ dislocations or medial clavicular physeal fractures in patients aged 12 to 18 years. Patient-level data for 140 patients were extracted from 79 studies.

Results:

The mean age of the patients was 15.24 years. Forty-nine patients (35.00%) underwent closed treatment only, 42 (30.00%) open treatment alone, and 47 (33.57%) closed treatment followed by open treatment. Also, 55.8% of closed reductions performed within 48 hours were successful compared with 30.8% of those performed more than 48 hours after injury. After initial treatment, 92.31% of patients treated with closed reduction regained full function without recurrence as compared with 95.83% of patients treated operatively.

Conclusion:

Closed and open methods have proven highly effective for the treatment of PSCJ injuries. However, follow-up data reported in the literature vary considerably. Closed reduction is most effective when attempted less than 48 hours after the initial injury.
How Hyperalimentation May Be Necessary to Reverse Severe Malnutrition in Selected Patients Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Edakkanambeth Varayil Jithinraj , Hurt Ryan T. , Kelly Darlene G.
Published: February 2014

Standard predictive equations may under‐ or overestimate caloric requirements in disease states such as obesity or in patients with a low body mass index (BMI). Although this principle is common knowledge among nutrition specialists, it is often not prioritized with other clinicians outside the intensive care unit (ICU). Indirect calorimetry (IC) is often used in the ICU to estimate caloric requirements. This article outlines a very complicated case of a cachectic man with an enterocutaneous fistula who had lost more than 50% of body weight over 2 years. In rehabilitating this patient, we found that the most common formulas of basal needs greatly underestimated the calories required to prepare him for restorative surgery. Key learning points are that in malnourished ambulatory patients, predictive equations may not adequately estimate caloric needs and IC may be required.
Multi-objective optimization of upsetting parameters of Al–TiC metal matrix composites: A grey Taguchi approach
Authors: Sahu Mohit K , Valarmathi A , Baskaran S , Anandakrishnan V , Pandey Rupesh K
Published: February 2014

This work is a novel attempt to identify the optimum process parameters in cold upsetting of Al–TiC metal matrix composites with multiple responses using grey Taguchi approach. The formation of barrel and workability are the important attributes that greatly influence the process of upsetting. Three independently controllable process variables, namely, aspect ratio, friction factor and load, each at four levels are considered to find their optimum levels which yields maximum barrel radius and workability simultaneously. Grey Taguchi analysis has been performed to optimize the levels of input parameters. Both the quality characteristics are improved significantly at the optimal process condition as verified by the confirmation test. The effect of individual process variables on the responses is determined using analysis of variance.
A study of the effects of working fluids on micro-hole arrays in micro-electrical discharge machining
Authors: Zhu Guozheng , Bai Jicheng , Guo Yongfeng , Cao Yan , Huang Yongyi
Published: February 2014

This article investigates the impact of dielectrics on the properties of micro-holes fabricated by micro-electrical discharge machining. Based on experiments using kerosene and deionised water as the working fluid, the machining in different dielectrics is investigated. The flow of the water is analysed by means of a flow field simulation, and corresponding experiments are also conducted to verify the simulation results. Suitable parameters are obtained to process a micro-hole array with 256 holes, a configuration widely used in printer ejector mechanisms. The average diameter of the holes is 44.47 µm, and the maximum diameter deviation is 1.3 µm.
Experimental investigations on wear resistance characteristics of different die materials for advanced high-strength steel blanking in close section
Authors: Wang Changsheng , Chen Jun , Yu Xiangyu , Xia Cedric , Ren Feng
Published: February 2014

Advanced high-strength steels are being used widely in automotive industry to achieve lightweight construction and fuel efficiency. During advanced high-strength steel blanking, the die components have to sustain higher pressure, and this may result in some problems such as chipping, cracking, galling and severe die wear, which has a great effect on the die life. This study aims to investigate the wear resistance performances of five die materials (carburized 4Cr13, conventional SKD11, Caldie, A2 and tungsten steel D60) using a featured blanking die setup combining five different die materials. The surface topography and microstructure of punching die materials are measured by optical profilometer and microscope. Based on the measured results, the specified wear rate and worn profiles of die inserts are obtained and compared. It is demonstrated that Caldie and A2 have higher wear resistance performance than SKD11 and 4Cr13. Moreover, the experimental results display that the most severe wear locations occur at the interfaces of straight lines and circular arcs.
Deformation behavior and fracture morphology in the uniaxial tension process of stainless steel sheets under the fluid pressure
Authors: Li Feng , Zhang Xinlong , Yuan Shijian
Published: February 2014

The sheet metal hydroforming technique is easy to achieve lightweight and is widely applied in the aerospace and automotive fields. In order to realize the reliability test for uniaxial tensile forming properties of sheet metals under the condition of three-dimensional stress, experimental apparatus and dedicated fixtures for uniaxial tensile tests of sheet metals under fluid pressure are designed in this article. The stainless steel 304 is employed for this experiment, and commercial finite element software ABAQUS is also adopted to study the deformation behavior of sheet metals under fluid pressure. The results indicate that when the fluid pressure of gauge length reaches a certain value, the specific region will present “double necking” and the peak values of equivalent stress and reduction rate are much lower than that of the conventional ones. When the strain rate is 0.01 s−1, the elongation of the 0.95-mm thickness sheet increases more obviously, reaching 24.1%. With fluid pressure, the fracture morphologies of stainless steel thin sheets and thick sheets are all ridge distributed from both sides to the center of symmetry, and tiny dimples distribute mainly in the rest parts. Based on the results of the experiment and finite element method, the uniaxial tensile forming properties of sheet metals under fluid pressure have been evaluated successfully and easily by this experimental apparatus.
A modified method to compute the reliability with arbitrary independent random variables
Authors: Lai Xiongming
Published: February 2014

For reliability problems with arbitrary independent random variables, the variables are always transformed into normal variables for the convenience of reliability analysis. Usually, the probability density function (PDF) of normal variables do not always well reflect the real probability feature of the tail of the original PDF. Hence, non-negligible equivalent normalization error affects the accuracy of the computed reliability results, especially when the original probability of failure of the reliability problem is quite low. In order to tackle this problem, the paper introduces a modified estimation of the unified form of the maximum entropy PDF (MEPDF) of these variables. Since the modified MEPDF brings the benefits for getting a better approximation in the tails of the original PDF, during the reliability analysis, the paper uses the MEPDFs as the surrogate of the original ones and exploits the first and second order moment approach by resorting to facilitation brought by the unified form of the MEPDF. Lastly, the presented examples show that the proposed method achieves better accuracy of the computed reliability results.
Flow field velocity on the flight deck of a frigate
Authors: Mora Rafael Bardera
Published: February 2014

This paper presents the main results of the test campaign performed on a frigate ship model in a low-speed wind tunnel in order to investigate the ship superstructure airwake by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV). On board wind velocities measurements above the flight deck were carried out by a sonic anemometer and results were compared with these obtained in wind tunnel tests, providing information about the influence of the ship environment on the helicopter safe operational limitations during launch and recovery operations. The first step in the helicopter–ship qualification program is determine the wind limitations in order to build a candidate launch and recovery wind envelope. Thus subsequent steps of the program, additional effects produced by the helicopter rotor and ship motion must be evaluated, and finally flight trial on the ship must be performed to evaluate the pilot workload.