bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The design and construction of filled building platforms
Authors: McNicholl Denis Patrick
Published: March 2011

Building platforms are described, and their purposes are explained. Historically, construction standards for engineered fill were not good, but following development of new specifications in the UK, and after major failures in Hong Kong, good practices were established to improve the construction of building platforms. In the UK this work was strengthened by the Building Research Establishment, with valuable contributions from individual authors. The paper summarises the advice in the literature in the context of almost 50 years' experience in the UK, central Europe and China, and sets out recommended procedures for constructing filled building platforms. Site practices in the UK and elsewhere do not always follow the established guidelines. Several examples of good practice and departures from best practice are provided, with some photographs. For legal and commercial reasons the cases are not identified.
On the relationship between molecular spectroscopy and statistical mechanics: Calculation of vibrational-rotational energy levels and partition functions in the ground electronic state of BC2
Authors: Sencanski Milan , Stojanovic Ljiljana , Jerosimic Stanka , Radic-Peric Jelena , Peric Miljenko
Published: March 2011

The results of extensive ab initio calculations of the vibrational-
rotational energy spectrum in the ground electronic state of the BC2 molecule
are presented. These data were employed to discuss the evaluation of the
corresponding partition functions. Special attention was paid to the problems
connected with the calculation of the partition functions for the bending
vibrations and rotations about the axis corresponding to the smallest moment
of inertia.
The Impact of IV Connectors on Clinical Practice and Patient Outcomes
Authors: Macklin Denise
Published: March 2011

It has only been during the past decade that contamination of the intraluminal fluid pathway has gained recognition as a cause of CR-BSI. The IV connector is the gate keeper of the intraluminal fluid pathway. The care and maintenance of catheters is the complete responsibility of the primary nurse. The primary CR-BSI causative agent is biofilm formation. Biofilm formation depends on the number of cells, the presence of surface conditioning and the flow rate of the solution. Staph epidermis, and Staph aureus have surface cell receptors which assist in fibrin, fibrinogen location enabling the microorganisms to successfully adhere. Therefore, intraluminal contamination prevention strategies must be two-pronged - to prevent active and passive microorganism migration into the intaluminal fluid pathway and to prevent microorganism adhesion by minimizing fibrin build-up on the internal surface. The two care and maintenance procedures nurses use to protect the intraluminal pathway are swabbing the connector septum and flushing the connector after use. Individualizing the care based on the patient has not been studied. Since every patient is unique, different catheters and connectors are used, and even the nurse's experience and knowledge are different, achieving consistent positive outcomes using a one-size-fits-all approach has shown to have inconsistent outcomes. An overview of swabbing and flushing is discussed and then how IV connector design affects these practice and outcomes is reviewed. It is imperative to recognize what procedures are performed for improved patient outcomes, versus what procedures are performed to overcome IV connector design features. If flushing and swabbing procedures are standardized to general time requirements alone and connector design is overlooked, it should be understood that outcomes may vary and this variance may not be related to inconsistent nursing adherence to IV connector related swabbing and flushing procedures.
Challenges in the Accurate Identification of the Ideal Catheter Tip Location
Authors: Nakazawa Nadine
Published: March 2011

The chest radiograph has been the primary tool to identify the catheter tip location after bedside placement of central venous access devices (CVADs), especially with peripherally inserted central catheters. The targeted ideal landing zone for a CVAD has evolved over time to the lower third of the superior vena cava, near the juncture of the right atrium. This article will discuss the evolution in the narrowing of the ideal targeted zone for landing the CVAD tip, and the issues around perception of “seeing” the catheter tip in the chest radiograph that can be imprecise and inaccurate. A brief overview of emerging technologies that capitalize on individual patient's internal physiologic characteristics to better identify this ideal landing zone will be presented.
FTO, Type 2 Diabetes, and Weight Gain Throughout Adult Life
Authors: Hertel Jens K. , Johansson Stefan , Sonestedt Emily , Jonsson Anna , Lie Rolv T. , Platou Carl G.P. , Nilsson Peter M. , Rukh Gull , Midthjell Kristian , Hveem Kristian , Melander Olle , Groop Leif , Lyssenko Valeriya , Molven Anders , Orho-Melander Marju , Njølstad Pål R.
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVE

FTO is the most important polygene identified for obesity. We aimed to investigate whether a variant in FTO affects type 2 diabetes risk entirely through its effect on BMI and how FTO influences BMI across adult life span.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Through regression models, we assessed the relationship between the FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms rs9939609, type 2 diabetes, and BMI across life span in subjects from the Norwegian population-based HUNT study using cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives. For replication and meta-analysis, we used data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) and Malmö Preventive Project (MPP) cohorts, comprising a total sample of 41,504 Scandinavians.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis revealed a highly significant association for rs9939609 with both type 2 diabetes (OR 1.13; P = 4.5 × 10−8) and the risk to develop incident type 2 diabetes (OR 1.16; P = 3.2 × 10−8). The associations remained also after correction for BMI and other anthropometric measures. Furthermore, we confirmed the strong effect on BMI (0.28 kg/m2 per risk allele; P = 2.0 × 10−26), with no heterogeneity between different age-groups. We found no differences in change of BMI over time according to rs9939609 risk alleles, neither overall (∆BMI = 0.0 [−0.05, 0.05]) nor in any individual age stratum, indicating no further weight gain attributable to FTO genotype in adults.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified that a variant in FTO alters type 2 diabetes risk partly independent of its observed effect on BMI. The additional weight gain as a result of the FTO risk variant seems to occur before adulthood, and the BMI difference remains stable thereafter.
Diabetes-Related Distress and Physical and Psychological Health in Chinese Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Ting Rose Z.W. , Nan Hairong , Yu Mandy W.M. , Kong Alice P.S. , Ma Ronald C.W. , Wong Rebecca Y.M. , Loo Kitman , So Wing-Yee , Chow Chun-Chung , Ko Gary T.C. , Wing Yun-Kwok , Chan Juliana C.N.
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVE

To validate a Chinese version of the Diabetes Distress Scale (CDDS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The CDDS was derived using forward-backward translation and administered in 189 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients with evaluation of its psychometric properties.

RESULTS

On the basis of principal-component analysis, three factors of the 15-item version of the CDDS (CDDS-15) accounted for 63% of the variance. The correlation coefficient between the original 17-item and 15-item scales was 0.99. The Cronbach α for internal consistency was 0.90, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.74. The CDDS-15 score was significantly associated with glycemic control, obesity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

The CDDS-15 is a valid and reliable instrument to assess diabetes-related distress.
Risk of Malignant Neoplasm of the Pancreas in Relation to Diabetes
Authors: Chen Hua-Fen , Chen Peter , Li Chung-Yi
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVE

We prospectively assessed the age- and sex-specific incidence and relative risk of malignant neoplasm of the pancreas in Taiwan’s diabetic population.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 615,532 diabetic patients and 614,871 age- and sex-matched control subjects were linked to inpatient claims (2000–2006) to identify the admissions for malignant neoplasm of the pancreas (ICD-9: 157). The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the age- and sex-specific relative risk of pancreatic neoplasm.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the diabetic patients had a significantly increased risk of pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54 [95% CI 1.39–1.71]). The higher and significant age-specific HRs were observed in diabetic men (1.91) and women (1.80) aged 45–65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Middle-aged diabetic men and women were associated with the most increased risk of malignant neoplasm of the pancreas.
Coronary Calcium Score and Prediction of All-Cause Mortality in Diabetes
Authors: Agarwal Subhashish , Morgan Timothy , Herrington David M. , Xu Jianzhao , Cox Amanda J. , Freedman Barry I. , Carr J. Jeffrey , Bowden Donald W.
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVE

In diabetes, it remains unclear whether the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score provides additional information about total mortality risk beyond traditional risk factors.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 1,051 participants, aged 34–86 years, in the Diabetes Heart Study (DHS) were followed for 7.4 years. Subjects were separated into five groups using baseline computed tomography scans and CAC scores (0–9, 10–99, 100–299, 300–999, and ≥1,000). Logistic regression was performed adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, and LDL cholesterol to examine the association between CAC and all-cause mortality. Areas under the curve with and without CAC were compared. Natural splines using continuous measures of CAC were fitted to estimate the relationship between observed CAC and mortality risk.

RESULTS

A total of 17% (178 of 1,051) of participants died during the follow-up. In multivariate analysis, the odds ratios (95% CIs) for all-cause mortality, using CAC 0–9 as the reference group, were CAC 10–99: 1.40 (0.57–3.74); CAC 100–299: 2.87 (1.17–7.77); CAC 300–999: 3.04 (1.32–7.90); and CAC ≥1,000: 6.71 (3.09–16.87). The area under the curve without CAC was 0.68 (95% CI 0.66–0.70), and the area under the curve with CAC was 0.72 (0.70–0.74) (P = 0.0001). Using splines, the estimated risk (95% CI) of mortality for a CAC of 0 was 6.7% (4.6–9.7), and the risk increased nearly linearly, plateauing at CAC ≥1,000 (20.0% [15.7–25.2]).

CONCLUSIONS

In diabetes, CAC was shown to be an independent predictor of mortality. Participants with CAC (0–9) were at lower risk (0.9% annual mortality). The risk of mortality increased with increasing levels of CAC, plateauing at approximately CAC ≥1,000 (2.7% annual mortality). More research is warranted to determine the potential utility of CAC scans in diabetes.
Editorial Vol.7(2) 2010
Authors: Editor The
Published: March 2011

DOI: 10.3126/saarctb.v7i2.4397SAARC J. TUBER. LUNG DIS. HIV/AIDS 2010 VII(2)
Tuberculosis: Studies on Role of Gender, Age and Drug Addiction in Eastern Part of India
Authors: Maiti S , Patra S , Nandi D , Bandyopadhyay B , Mondal KC , Pati PR
Published: March 2011

Objectives: The objective of the present investigation was to determine the socioeconomic conditions, age and gender relations to tuberculosis with evaluation of drug (smoking/ alcohol) influences on it and correlate the clinical data to an animal experiment result of antioxidant system of drug treated male rats. Settings: The investigation was carried out in a rural and an urban part of Eastern India. Methodology: Acid-fast bacillus (AFB) staining of sputum was performed in rural Indpur (total human individuals 498, male 384) and urban area Kamarhati (total 1017, male 735) following WHO guidelines. Catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and level of non-protein soluble thiol (NPSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in lung of rats exposed four weeks to nicotine (0.2 mg/kg s.c.) and/or ethanol (20% [w/v] at 3 g/kg orally). Results: Mean AFB score was greater in all age groups of Kamarhati. Smoking/ alcohol alone significantly and synergistically even in greater extent increased TB severity in both places, furthering it in backward classes. Drug treatment significantly increased MDA level and SOD activity with a decrease in NPSH level and catalase activity in rat. Conclusions: Males are greater sensitive to TB and urban area is affected more. Clinical findings paralleled with animal experiments pointing the disastrous consequences of nicotine. Up-gradation of socioeconomics in rural area, avoiding of reckless unscientific changes of demographic profile of a region, and minimization of pollutions in urban areas may diminish disease outbreak. Key words: Tuberculosis; Rural and urban; Risk factors; Antioxidant systems; Rat lung DOI: 10.3126/saarctb.v7i2.4398SAARC J. TUBER. LUNG DIS. HIV/AIDS 2010 VII(2) 1-9
Retrospective Analysis of Use of Empiric Anit Tuberculosis Treatment in Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Central Sri Lanka
Authors: Madegedara D , Kulathunga KMCN , Nakandala SC
Published: March 2011

Objective: To critically analyze the outcome of sputum negative pulmonary TB patients who were managed in the Respiratory unit, Kandy Sri Lanka. Setting: Respiratory Unit, Teaching hospital, Kandy. Method: The subjects were between age 12 years or older and visited chest clinic Kandy, between January -December 2008 with a suspicion of pulmonary TB. 84 patients were reviewed with admission note, microbiology results and chest radiography. The characteristics of patients such as age, sex, clinical features, laboratory and radiographic findings were analyzed. Results: The diagnosis of definite or probable smear negative pulmonary TB was made on treatment outcome at one month with ATT medication. At this endpoint, 67 (79.76%) had clinical and radiological improvement, 7(8.33%) had clinical improvement and 3 (3.57%) had radiological improvement. Mantoux test was positive in 46(78%) of definite cases and 6(85.7%) in probable cases. Mycobacterial culture was positive in 5 patients. 7 (8.3%) cases were diagnosed as ‘non-TB’ based on absence of clinical / radiological improvement or discovery of another cause at or before this study end point. In non TB group 3 had carcinoma, 2 had pneumoconiosis, 1 had bronchiectasis while in 1, cause was indeterminate. Mantoux became positive in 6 (83.3%) in non Tuberculosis group. There was no association between positive Mantoux and presence of active pulmonary TB. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that empirical anti TB treatment is an acceptable practice if clinical suspicion of tuberculosis is high and patients show supportive radiological evidence of active TB. Keywords: Smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis; empirical anti tubercular treatment  DOI: 10.3126/saarctb.v7i2.4400SAARC J. TUBER. LUNG DIS. HIV/AIDS 2010 VII(2) 15-18
Prevalence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Among HIV Infected Drug Users in Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal
Authors: Verma SC , Dhungana GP , Joshi HS , Kunwar HB , Jha RK , Pokhrel AK
Published: March 2011

Introduction: Studies conducted in different countries suggest that HIV infected drug users have a higher chance of acquiring pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in comparison to general population. However, there is no information about the prevalence of PTB among HIV infected drug users in Nepal. Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to document the socio-demographic and behavioral attributes; clinical symptoms and prevalence of PTB in HIV infected drug users in Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we enrolled 62 HIV infected drug users not diagnosed with PTB in the past from five HIV care centers in Pokhara. Using questionnaire, first we documented participants’ socio-demographic and behavioral attributes and clinical symptoms. This was followed by tuberculosis testing in all enrolled participants at the Regional Tuberculosis Center (RTC) in Pokhara. Results: Of the 62 HIV infected drug users, PTB was diagnosed in 3 (4.8%) participants. All of them were male in the productive age group. Cough was the major clinical symptoms (54.8%) in the study participants. About 91.9% participants reported they had acquired HIV infection through injecting drug use. Buprenorphine/heroin was the major drug used (48.4%) for addiction. Conclusion: This study provides first evidence of prevalence of PTB in HIV infected drug users in Nepal. The findings suggest tuberculosis testing be conducted in HIV infected persons including the HIV infected drug users in Nepal. Early detection of PTB in HIV infected drug users may help to reduce the morbidity and mortality as well as spread of TB in the community. Keywords: Drug users; HIV/AIDS; Nepal; Pokhara; TuberculosisDOI: 10.3126/saarctb.v7i2.4401SAARC J. TUBER. LUNG DIS. HIV/AIDS 2010 VII(2) 19-25
Application of the Taguchi approach to investigate the softening kinetics of AISI 304 stainless steel during hot deformation
Authors: Rasti Javad , Meratian Mahmood , Najafizadeh Abbas
Published: March 2011

The Taguchi approach was employed to determine the softening kinetics of AISI 304 stainless steel during post-dynamic recrystallization. Analysis of variance was done to evaluate the effectiveness of parameters quantitatively. Using regression analysis, four equations for the time corresponding to softening of 50 % during pass intervals were obtained. The equations were related to the four strain regions ranging from 0.25 to 2 times the peak strain. With mathematical manipulation of some equations, relations for the transition strain and the corresponding time of 50 % softening were derived and explained by considering microstructures evolved during dynamic recrystallization.
Grizzlies and Gondolas: Animals and the Meaning of Skiing Landscapes in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Stoddart Mark C.J.
Published: March 2011

This article examines several ways in which animals are brought into skiing in British Columbia, Canada. Discourse analysis, interviews with skiers, and field observation are used to analyze how skiing joins together skiers, mountain landscapes, and non-human animals. First, animals enter ski industry discourse primarily as symbols of nature, or as species that ski corporations manage through habitat stewardship. Second, environmentalists recruit animals—particularly bears and mountain caribou—into a discourse of wildlife and wilderness values that are threatened by ski industry expansion. From this standpoint, skiing landscapes transform wildlife landscapes to meet the needs of a global tourist economy. Finally, skiers' talk about their own encounters with animals illustrates how embodied animals also shape skiers' experience of mountainous nature.
Landscape Perception in Marginalized Regions of Europe: The Outsiders' View
Authors: Solymosi Katalin
Published: March 2011

Using the concept that landscapes are ideas formed by viewers about their physical surroundings, this article examines visitors' landscape perceptions of two peripheral regions of Europe: Gyimes in the Romanian Eastern Carpathians, and Las Hurdes in the Northern Extremadura of Spain. Both are characterized by exceptional, historically-evolved cultural landscapes and a population that culturally or ethnically differs from the national mainstream surrounding them. Based on literature review, expert consultations, and a questionnaire survey conducted in the research areas, I conclude that due to historical developments, socio-economic settings, and ethnic differences, the outsiders' view of these landscapes can be strongly distorted. In the tourist, misinformation and wishful thinking create a “mental map” that does not represent reality. I also note that along with having a possible impact on inhabitants' landscape perception and their strong regional identity, the outsiders' view might influence policy decisions and therefore the general development of a region.
Did the Buddha Speak Pāli? An Investigation of The Buddha-Vacana and Origins of Pāli
Authors: Chowdhury Chipamong
Published: March 2011

Traditionally South and Southeast Buddhism, which we now call Theravada Buddhism, claims that the language of the Buddha is "Pali" and hence the language of their sacred texts (Tipitaka=three canons). In this essay, I investigate the notion of the Pali language by reconstructing existing Pali literatures and contemporary works on Pali studies. Among other issues, this investigation explores the following issues: the language (vacana) of the Buddha, the multilingualism and geopolitics, the home of Pali, and the origination of Pali. Key words: Buddhism; Pali language; Pali literaturesDOI: 10.3329/dujl.v2i4.6899Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics Vol.2(4) August 2009 pp.43-57
Identifying the English language needs of humanities students at Dhaka University
Authors: Chaudhury Tazin Aziz
Published: March 2011

Till recently freshmen at all the departments of the Faculty of Humanities of Dhaka University compulsorily attended a centrally conducted English language skills development course titled the English Foundation Course. Since 2006 the Foundation Course was discontinued and replaced by individual courses conducted by the respective departments. However neither the English Foundation Course nor the present individual courses were designed on the basis of Needs Analysis - the primary pre-requisite of any curriculum design nor have they ever been evaluated. This article presents the findings of a formal needs analysis and evaluation conducted by the researcher. Key Words: Needs Analysis; Evaluation; Language skills and sub-skills; Course usefulness and difficulty; Classroom teaching styleDOI: 10.3329/dujl.v2i4.6900Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics Vol.2(4) August 2009 pp.59-91
Outlines of Bengali Phonology in the light of Generative Phonotactic
Authors: Bhattacharja Shishir
Published: March 2011

According to the theory of G(enerative) P(honotactic) (elaborated in Singh 1984, 1990), a phonemic inventory and a list of the W(ell)-F(ormedness) C(onditions) in addition to three hierarchically arranged strategies (Assimilation/ Substitution > Epenthesis > Deletion) to repair the sequences that violate these WFCs represent the essentials of a phonological description. For instance, the phonology of Panjabi, Chittagonian and Walpiri has, each, a WFC which bans the cluster /sk/ in onset. If these languages must adapt the English loan word school, then, Panjabi and Chittagonian repair it with epenthesis. In Walpiri, the word becomes /kul/ through deletion because no syllable begins with a vowel in this language, and its phonemic inventory lacks fricatives (/f/, /s/, /z/, etc.). The present is an exhaustive account of the phonology of Bengali in the light of GP. Keywords: Well-formedness conditions; Epenthesis; Deletion; Substitution; Mechanism of repairDOI: 10.3329/dujl.v2i4.6901Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics Vol.2(4) August 2009 pp.93-114
Postoperative Pain Following Multi-Visit Root Canal Treatment of Teeth with Vital and Non-Vital Pulps
Authors: Farzana F , Hossain SMI , Islam SMN , Rahman MA
Published: March 2011

Introduction: Post-obturation pain is one of the primary problems following root canal treatment. Although in most cases pain does not last long, but could be a source of embarrassment to the dentist and annoying for the patient.Objectives: This prospective study was conducted to assess the incidence of postoperative pain after multivisit root canal treatment of teeth with vital and nonvital pulps.Methods: Total, 52 patients with teeth requiring endodontic treatment were identified and included in this study. The patients were randomly assigned and treated in a military hospital and in government dental college hospital into two groups. The teeth of patients in group 1 were with vital inflamed pulp; group 2 were with non-vital pulp with or without periapical radiolucency (0-5mm). Patients were treated in multiple visit procedure. They were asked whether they experienced any postoperative pain to rate the level of discomfort as no, mild, moderate, or severe pain. Data were analyzed statistically using the chi-square test.Results: No significant difference in postoperative pain was found between vital and non-vital pulps (p=0.2). Mild and moderate pain occurred in 4.34% and 4.34% respectively in teeth with vital pulp and 17.3% and 3.44% in teeth with non-vital pulp respectively. There was no significant difference in postoperative pain between the two groups (p>0.05).Conclusions: The incidence of postoperative pain did not differ between vital and non-vital teeth.Key words: Postoperative dental pain; root canal treatment; vital and non-vital pulp DOI: 10.3329/jafmc.v6i2.7271JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 6, No 2 (December) 2010 pp.28-31
Is English as a Medium of Instruction Problem for Undergraduate Medical Students?
Authors: Hossain S , Shamim KM , Shahana N , Habib MA , Rahman A
Published: March 2011

Introduction: The students of a country like Bangladesh, where language of medical education is completely English, suffer from a lot of problems in grasping English and also Latin and Greek terms used in English.Objective: This study was aimed to estimate the extents and to identify the nature of the problems faced by the undergraduate students in different aspects of English used in Anatomy.Methods: The study was conducted on 191 third year medical students, who had just passed the Anatomy portion of their undergraduate course from two renowned government medical colleges and one private medical college of Bangladesh. A written assessment test of students' performance was designed using two sets of questions as the instrument of the test. Each student was graded, according to the percentage frequency of correct responses, as having Grade IV difficulty (up to 20%), Grade III difficulty (20.01% to 40%), Grade II difficulty (40.01% to 60%), Grade I difficulty (60.01% to 80%) and Grade 0 with 'no difficulty' (above 80.01%). Comments were also collected from the students regarding their problems with English used in Anatomy.Results: An average of only about 48.2% responses on 'English used in Anatomy' was correct, ranging from about 20 to 70%. An arbitrary grading of difficulty level showed that 75% of the students were suffering from Grade II to Grade III difficulties. Performance of the students showed that the undergraduate medical students of Bangladesh were facing varying but noticeable amounts of difficulty with most of the areas of 'English used in Anatomy'.Conclusion: Organized, regular ways of dealing with these problems should be devised taking into consideration the specific aspects showing weakness and based on principles of terminology and English rather than on individual terms or words. Key words: English used in Anatomy; difficulty; undergraduate medical student DOI: 10.3329/jafmc.v6i2.7272JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 6, No 2 (December) 2010 pp.32-36
Attenuation of Cardiovascular Response During Laryngoscopy and Endotracheal Intubation by Using Pethidine with Lignocaine
Authors: Mollick MT , Hossain MD , Ali NP
Published: March 2011

A prospective comparative study was done on lignocaine versus lignocaine with pethidine to observe the effect on cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. One hundred such elective surgical patients of active age group (16 - 60 years) having American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) physical status I & II irrespective of surgical procedure were randomly assigned to one of the two groups of 50 each. Group I received injection lignocaine 1 mg/kg intravenously 02 minutes before induction of general anaesthesia. Patients in group II received injection pethidine 1 mg/kg body weight and injection lignocaine 1 mg/kg body weight intravenously 02 minutes before induction of general anaesthesia. Haemodynamic parameter i.e. blood pressures (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean blood pressure), heart rate, rate pressure product were monitored after 1st, 3rd, 5th minutes following intubation. There were statistically significant (p<0.001) increase in blood pressures, heart rate and rate pressure product in group I i.e. pretreatment with 1 mg/kg body weight intravenous lignocaine and remained so after 5 minutes. On the other hand there were no statistically significant (p>0.05) increase in heart rate, blood pressures and rate pressure product in group II, where pretreatment done with pethidine 1 mg/kg body weight with lignocaine 1 mg/kg body weight and the values returned control level before 5 minutes. The study showed that pethidine 1 mg/kg body weight with lignocaine 1 mg/kg body weight pretreatment suppresses the cardiovascular response due to laryngoscopy and intubation. Key words: Cardiovascular response; laryngoscopy; lignocaine with pethidine. DOI: 10.3329/jafmc.v6i2.7274JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 6, No 2 (December) 2010 pp.40-43
Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)
Authors: Hamid S , Islam MS , Chowdhury ZI
Published: March 2011

An eleven-year-old boy reported with increasing body weight and appetite since birth. He is suffering from insulin dependent diabetes since ten years of age and underwent extensive investigation including MRI of brain. His physical findings, biochemical and MRI findings were consistent with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). DOI: 10.3329/jafmc.v6i2.7276JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 6, No 2 (December) 2010 pp.46-47
Modulating Biofunctional starPEG Heparin Hydrogels by Varying Size and Ratio of the Constituents
Authors: Welzel Petra Birgit , Prokoph Silvana , Zieris Andrea , Grimmer Milauscha , Zschoche Stefan , Freudenberg Uwe , Werner Carsten
Published: March 2011

Heparin and four-armed, end-functionalized polyethylene glycol (starPEG) were recently combined in sets of covalently linked biohybrid hydrogel networks capable of directing various therapeutically relevant cell types. To extend the variability and applicability of this novel biomaterials platform, the influence of size and molar ratio of the two building blocks on the hydrogel properties was investigated in the present study. Heparin and starPEG were converted in various molar ratios and in different molecular weights to tune swelling, stiffness and pore size of the obtained polymer networks. Hydrogels with a range of elastic moduli could be generated by controlling either the crosslinking density or the chain length of the starPEG, whereas altering the molecular mass of heparin did not significantly affect hydrogel strength. The concentration of heparin in the swollen gels was found to be nearly invariant at varying crosslinking degrees for any given set of building blocks but adjustable by the size of the building blocks. Since heparin is the base for all biofunctionalization schemes of the gels these findings lay the ground for an even more versatile customization of this powerful new class of biomaterials.
Temporal Stability of the Velodyne HDL-64E S2 Scanner for High Accuracy Scanning Applications
Authors: Glennie Craig , Lichti Derek D.
Published: March 2011

The temporal stability and static calibration and analysis of the Velodyne HDL‑64E S2 scanning LiDAR system is discussed and analyzed. The mathematical model for measurements for the HDL-64E S2 scanner is updated to include misalignments between the angular encoder and scanner axis of rotation, which are found to be a marginally significant source of error. It is reported that the horizontal and vertical laser offsets cannot reliably be obtained with the current calibration model due to their high correlation with the horizontal and vertical offsets. By analyzing observations from two separate HDL-64E S2 scanners it was found that the temporal stability of the horizontal angle offset is near the quantization level of the encoder, but the vertical angular offset, distance offset and distance scale are slightly larger than expected. This is felt to be due to long term variations in the scanner range, whose root cause is as of yet unidentified. Nevertheless, a temporally averaged calibration dataset for each of the scanners resulted in a 25% improvement in the 3D planar misclosure residual RMSE over the standard factory calibration model.
Camera-Variant Calibration and Sensor Modeling for Practical Photogrammetry in Archeological Sites
Authors: Nakano Kazuya , Chikatsu Hirofumi
Published: March 2011

With the appearance of low-cost and high-resolution consumer-grade digital cameras, a practical three-dimensional (3D) measurement system using a consumer-grade digital camera is greatly anticipated in various fields. In these circumstances, the authors have been concentrating on developing a practical 3D measurement system that includes photogrammetric software called the Image Based Integrated Measurement (IBIM) system. The IBIM system device consists of full/half-mirrors, a consumer-grade digital camera, and a laser distance meter. The most remarkable advantage of the system is its ability to calculate exterior orientation parameters, interior orientation parameters, and pseudo ground control points (GCPs) without using scale bars or the GCPs in the object field. The system has the ability to calibrate multiple cameras of different resolutions using a camera-variant parameter set. However, there remains one issue that needs to be resolved before this system can be effectively used, namely, improvement of the system which does not depend on the IBIM system device. With this motive, a practical photogrammetry method using a consumer-grade digital cameras and a hand-held laser distance meter is proposed. To test our proposed method, the bundle of distances from the center camera position to the feature points in the object field were measured individually at archaeological sites in Greece. In order to evaluate the possibility and practicability of the proposed photogrammetry method, this paper describes and evaluates the camera calibration techniques using images from multiple cameras of different resolutions and a bundle of distances.
Simple Random Sampling-Based Probe Station Selection for Fault Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Huang Rimao , Qiu Xuesong , Rui Lanlan
Published: March 2011

Fault detection for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has been studied intensively in recent years. Most existing works statically choose the manager nodes as probe stations and probe the network at a fixed frequency. This straightforward solution leads however to several deficiencies. Firstly, by only assigning the fault detection task to the manager node the whole network is out of balance, and this quickly overloads the already heavily burdened manager node, which in turn ultimately shortens the lifetime of the whole network. Secondly, probing with a fixed frequency often generates too much useless network traffic, which results in a waste of the limited network energy. Thirdly, the traditional algorithm for choosing a probing node is too complicated to be used in energy-critical wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we study the distribution characters of the fault nodes in wireless sensor networks, validate the Pareto principle that a small number of clusters contain most of the faults. We then present a Simple Random Sampling-based algorithm to dynamic choose sensor nodes as probe stations. A dynamic adjusting rule for probing frequency is also proposed to reduce the number of useless probing packets. The simulation experiments demonstrate that the algorithm and adjusting rule we present can effectively prolong the lifetime of a wireless sensor network without decreasing the fault detected rate.
La crise : levier strategique d'apprentissage organisationnel
Authors: Boumrar Julie
Published: March 2011

Résumé : Dans la littérature managériale, il existe une dichotomie concernant le concept de crise : elle est, soit considérée comme un événement, soit comme un processus. En considérant la crise comme un processus, il est possible de constater qu’elle a une histoire. En amont, il est important de savoir repérer les signaux déclencheurs pour préparer l’organisation et ainsi minimiser les effets néfastes de la crise. La gestion aval permet de gérer les conséquences en maximisant les effets positifs et minimisant les effets négatifs. De cette manière, il est possible de capitaliser sur le processus de crise qui représente une opportunité d’amélioration de l’organisation. Dans ce contexte, les questions de gestion de crise et d’apprentissage organisationnel paraissent centrales.
Une analyse critique du traitement de la crise des subprimes par la Big Bank et le Big Government de Minsky
Authors: Diop Samba
Published: March 2011

Résumé : Dans l’analyse de Minsky, les mesures contra-cycliques de l’État sont les seules à même de permettre au système économique en crise d’échapper à une déflation par la dette. Le spectre de la Grande Dépression ne pourra s’éloigner que si les économies capitalistes se dotent de Big Bank et de Big Government de taille suffisamment importante pour contrecarrer les forces du marché. Ces deux institutions sont des équivalents de ’’stabilisateurs automatiques’’ qui permettent d’enrayer les spirales négatives et de faire redémarrer l’économie sur de nouvelles bases. Les limites inférieures sur le prix des actifs que l’intervention de la Big Bank instaure et la substitution d’une demande privée par une demande publique que l’action du Big Government organise introduisent des forces de rappel. Et ces dernières combattent les effets récessifs du marché qui ont tendance à pousser le système vers l’enlisement dans un processus de déflation à la Fisher. Cet article essaie d’analyser dans une perspective minskyenne les plans d’action mis en œuvre pour venir à bout de la crise des subprimes.
Banks as creators and transmitters of information in historical perspective
Authors: Di Caprio Debora , Santos-Arteaga Francisco J.
Published: March 2011

Résumé : Cet article soutient que les banques commerciales ont eu recours aux principaux développements en NTIC des trente dernières années pour se spécialiser à la fois dans la création et la transmission de l’information. La capacité à créer de l’information financière confère aux banques un avantage stratégique important qui s’accroît avec les innovations technologiques permettant une plus grande concentration industrielle et informationnelle des grandes banques. Ce processus de concentration se réalise au détriment des plus petites banques qui ne peuvent faire face à l’assimilation et au développement des technologies de l’information récentes. Cet article présente une analyse descriptive, illustrant comment ce type de processus de transformation structurelle est survenu au sein de l’évolution de l’industrie bancaire états-unienne, et étudie le lien avec la crise des subprimes.
Innover dans la recherche publique en France : la responsabilite sociale de la recherche est-elle mesuree ?
Authors: Dou Henri
Published: March 2011

Résumé : Cet article montre comment l’innovation et l’intelligence économique peuvent être introduites en France dans les laboratoires publics de recherche. L’utilisation sans discernement des indicateurs d’évaluation peut conduire à une distorsion de la perception des activités de recherche d’une part et d’autre part à éloigner les laboratoires de recherche d’un de leurs objectifs : l’utilisation d’une partie de leurs compétences et savoirs pour résoudre des problèmes liés au développement de la société et pour accroître la cohésion sociale. Des exemples sont fournis et une solution est présentée passant par l’intégration des méthodes et des outils de l’Intelligence Economique : les UMSR 1 . L’importance du rôle de telles structures au sein des universités et des centres de recherche est analysée en détail. Un concept nouveau est ensuite évoqué, celui de la RSR (Responsabilité Sociale de la Recherche), qui rejoint l’idée de participation des entités de recherche et d’enseignement à la création de richesses locales et nationales.
Revisión taxonómica de los conuláridos en la colección del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid (España)
Authors: Sendino C. , Santos C.
Published: March 2011

Este trabajo recoge la revisión taxonómica de la colección de conuláridos (Scyphozoa) del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC). Esta colección esta formada básicamente por muestras ordovícicas del Parque Nacional de Cabañeros (Castilla-La Mancha). Se han redeterminado y analizado químicamente los ejemplares, con lo que algunos de los mismos se han excluido del grupo.
Liver X Receptors Inhibit Macrophage Proliferation through Downregulation of Cyclins D1 and B1 and Cyclin-Dependent Kinases 2 and 4
Authors: Pascual-García Mónica , Carbó José M. , León Theresa , Matalonga Jonathan , Out Ruud , Van Berkel Theo , Sarrias Maria-Rosa , Lozano Francisco , Celada Antonio , Valledor Annabel F.
Published: March 2011

Macrophages serve essential functions as regulators of immunity and homeostasis, and their proliferation contributes to pathogenesis of certain disorders. In this report, we show that induction of macrophage proliferation by the growth factor M-CSF is negatively modulated by agonists that activate the nuclear receptor liver X receptor (LXR), both in vitro and in vivo. Both isoforms LXR α and β are involved in the antiproliferative actions of LXR ligands in macrophages. In contrast, M-CSF does not exert negative effects on LXR-mediated gene expression. Treatment with LXR agonists results in the accumulation of macrophages in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle without affecting ERK-1/2 phosphorylation. The use of small interfering RNA or genetically modified mice revealed that, in contrast to other cellular models, functional expression of either the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27KIP1 or the cholesterol transporters ATP-binding cassette A1 or ATP-binding cassette G1 was not required for the antiproliferative effects of LXR agonists in macrophages. Western blot analysis revealed that protein expression of key molecules that regulate progression through the cell cycle, such as cyclins D1 and B1 and cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4, was downregulated upon LXR activation. These observations suggest a role for LXR agonists in limiting macrophage proliferative responses associated to pathogenic disorders.
CCL17 Controls Mast Cells for the Defense against Filarial Larval Entry
Authors: Specht Sabine , Frank Jutta K. , Alferink Judith , Dubben Bettina , Layland Laura E. , Denece Gaelle , Bain Odile , Förster Irmgard , Kirschning Carsten J. , Martin Coralie , Hoerauf Achim
Published: March 2011

Filarial parasites have to trespass many barriers to successfully settle within their mammalian host, which is equipped with mechanical borders and complex weaponry of an evolved immune system. However, little is known about mechanisms of early local events in filarial infections. In this study, bone marrow-derived dendritic cells not only upregulated activation markers CD40 and CD80 upon in vitro stimulation with filarial extracts, but also secreted CCL17, a chemokine known to be produced upon microbial challenge. Mice deficient for CCL17 had an up to 4-fold higher worm burden compared with controls by day 10 of infection with the murine filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis. Also, numbers of mast cells (MCs) invading the skin and degranulation were significantly increased, which was associated with enhanced vascular permeability and larval establishment. This phenotype was reverted by inhibition of MC degranulation with disodium cromoglycate or by blockade of histamine. In addition, we showed that CCL17-mediated vascular permeability was dependent on the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts and TLR2. Our findings reveal that CCL17 controls filarial larval entry by limiting MC-dependent vascular permeability.
Histone Deacetylase 7 Regulates Cell Survival and TCR Signaling in CD4/CD8 Double-Positive Thymocytes
Authors: Kasler Herbert G. , Young Bryan D. , Mottet Denis , Lim Hyung W. , Collins Amy M. , Olson Eric N. , Verdin Eric
Published: March 2011

CD4/CD8 double-positive thymocytes express the transcriptional repressor histone deacetylase (HDAC)7, a class IIa HDAC that is exported from the cell nucleus after TCR engagement. Through signal-dependent nuclear export, class IIa HDACs such as HDAC7 mediate signal-dependent changes in gene expression that are important to developmental fate decisions in multiple tissues. We report that HDAC7 is exported from the cell nucleus during positive selection in mouse thymocytes and that it regulates genes mediating the coupling between TCR engagement and downstream events that determine cell survival. Thymocytes lacking HDAC7 are inefficiently positively selected due to a severely shortened lifespan and exhibit a truncated repertoire of TCR Jα segments. The expression of multiple important mediators and modulators of the response to TCR engagement is altered in HDAC7-deficient thymocytes, resulting in increased tonic MAPK activity that contributes to the observed loss of viability. Remarkably, the activity of protein kinase D, the kinase that mediates nuclear export of HDAC7 in response to TCR signaling, is also increased in HDAC7-deficient thymocytes, suggesting that HDAC7 nuclear export governs a self-sustaining autoexcitatory loop. These experiments add to the understanding of the life/death decision in thymic T cell development, define a novel function for class IIa HDACs, and point to a novel feed-forward mechanism whereby these molecules regulate their own state and mediate stable developmental transitions.
Mal Mediates TLR-Induced Activation of CREB and Expression of IL-10
Authors: Mellett Mark , Atzei Paola , Jackson Ruaidhri , O’Neill Luke A. , Moynagh Paul N.
Published: March 2011

TLRs initiate immune responses by direct detection of molecular motifs that distinguish invading microbes from host cells. Five intracellular adaptor proteins, each containing a Toll/IL-1R (TIR) domain, are used by TLRs and play key roles in dictating gene expression patterns that are tailored to the invader. Such gene expression is mediated by transcription factors, and although TIR adaptor-induced activation of NF-κB and the IFN regulatory factors have been intensively studied, there is a dearth of information on the role of TIR adaptors in regulating CREB. In this paper, we describe a role for the TIR adaptor Mal in enhancing activation of CREB. Mal-deficient murine bone marrow-derived macrophages show a loss in responsiveness to TLR2 and TLR4 ligands with respect to activation of CREB. Mal-deficient cells also fail to express the CREB-responsive genes IL-10 and cyclooxygenase 2 in response to Pam2Cys-Ser-(Lys)4 and LPS. We reveal that Mal-mediated activation of CREB is dependent on Pellino3 and TNFR-associated factor 6, because CREB activation is greatly diminished in Pellino3 knockdown cells and TNFR-associated factor 6-deficient cells. We also demonstrate the importance of p38 MAPK in this pathway with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 abolishing activation of CREB in murine macrophages. MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), a substrate for p38 MAPK, is the likely downstream mediator of p38 MAPK in this pathway, because Mal is shown to activate MK2 and inhibition of MK2 decreases TLR4-induced activation of CREB. Overall, these studies demonstrate a new role for Mal as a key upstream regulator of CREB and as a contributor to the expression of both pro- and anti-inflammatory genes.