bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of rock salt dissolution and its impact on land subsidence
Authors: Zidane A. , Zechner E. , Huggenberger P. , Younes A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Extensive land subsidence can occur due to subsurface dissolution of evaporites such as halite and gypsum. This paper explores techniques to simulate the salt dissolution forming an intrastratal karst, which is embedded in a sequence of carbonates, marls, anhydrite and gypsum. A numerical model is developed to simulate laminar flow in a subhorizontal void, which corresponds to an opening intrastratal karst. The numerical model is based on the laminar steady-state Stokes flow equation, and the advection dispersion transport equation coupled with the dissolution equation. The flow equation is solved using the nonconforming Crouzeix–Raviart (CR) finite element approximation for the Stokes equation. For the transport equation, a combination between discontinuous Galerkin method and multipoint flux approximation method is proposed. The numerical effect of the dissolution is considered by using a dynamic mesh variation that increases the size of the mesh based on the amount of dissolved salt. The numerical method is applied to a 2-D geological cross section representing a Horst and Graben structure in the Tabular Jura of northwestern Switzerland. The model simulates salt dissolution within the geological section and predicts the amount of vertical dissolution as an indicator of potential subsidence that could occur. Simulation results showed that the highest dissolution amount is observed near the normal fault zones, and, therefore, the highest subsidence rates are expected above normal fault zones.
An Overview of Measuring Impulsive Behavior in Mice
Authors: Dent Claire L. , Isles Anthony R.
Published: June 2014

Impulsive behavior is a key constituent of many psychiatric illnesses, with maladaptive response control being a feature of disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, mania, and addiction. In order to understand the neurological underpinnings of impulsivity, a number of behavioral tasks have been developed for use with animal models. Data from studies with rats and other animals have led to the idea of the existence of dissociable components of impulsivity, which in turn informs studies of human disorders and potentially the development of specific therapies. Increasingly, mouse models are being used to investigate the known genetic contribution to psychiatric disorders in which abnormal response control leads to altered impulsive behaviors. In order to maximize the potential of these mouse models, it is important that researchers take into account the non‐unitary nature of response control and impulsivity. In this article, we briefly review the tasks available to behavioral neuroscientists and how these can be used in order to tease apart the contribution of a specific genetic lesion into the discrete aspects of impulsive behavior. Curr. Protoc. Mouse Biol. 4:35‐45 © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Myrrhanolide D and Myrrhasin A, New Germacrane‐Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Resin of Commiphora opobalsamum
Authors: Shen Tao , Li Guo‐Hui , Zhong Qing‐Qing , Wang Shu‐Qi , Ren Dong‐Mei , Lou Hong‐Xiang , Wang Xiao‐Ning
Published: June 2014

Two new germacrane‐type sesquiterpenoids bearing an epoxy ring, myrrhanolide D (1) and myrrhasin A (2), together with eight known compounds, 3–10, were isolated from the resinous exudates of Commiphora opobalsamum. Their structures were elucidated based on the analyses of their spectroscopic data. The isolated compounds 1, 2, 6, and 8 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human prostate cancer DU145 and PC3 cells.
The impact of obesity on adult tracheostomy complication rate
Authors: Cordes Susan R. , Best Amy R. , Hiatt Kelly K.
Published: June 2014

Objectives/Hypothesis

Prospectively compare tracheostomy‐related complications in obese patients with complications in nonobese patients.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

Adult patients undergoing tracheostomy were studied. Patients who had a prior tracheostomy were excluded. Complications were classified as intraoperative, early (within the first 2 weeks), or late.

Results

A total of 151 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Fifty‐five percent of obese patients experienced at least one tracheostomy‐related complication; 19.5% of the control group had a complication. Mean procedure duration for patients with body mass index <30 was 24.74 minutes and for obese patients was 46.17 minutes. There was a statistically significant effect of body mass index on complication rate (P < .0001) and on procedure duration (P < .0001). The relationships between body mass index and intraoperative complications (P = .027) and early postoperative complications (P = .001) were significant.

Conclusions

The tracheostomy‐related complication rate is significantly higher for obese patients, especially for body mass index ≥35, especially in the intraoperative and early postoperative time periods. Procedure duration is significantly longer in obese patients.

Level of Evidence

2b. Laryngoscope, 125:105–110, 2015
Augusta Browne: From Musical Prodigy to Musical Pilgrim in Nineteenth-Century America
Authors: MILLER BONNY H.
Published: June 2014

Augusta Browne Garrett composed at least two hundred piano pieces, songs, duets, hymns, and sacred settings between her birth in Dublin, Ireland, around 1820, and her death in Washington, D.C., in 1882. Judith Tick celebrated Browne as the “most prolific woman composer in America before 1870” in her landmark studyAmerican Women Composers before 1870. Browne, however, cast an enduring shadow as an author as well, publishing two books, a dozen poems, several Protestant morality tracts, and more than sixty music essays, nonfiction pieces, and short stories. By means of her prose publications, Augusta Browne “put herself into the text—as into the world, into history—by her own movement,” as feminist writer Hélène Cixous urged of women a century later. Browne maintained a presence in the periodical press for four decades in a literary career that spanned music journalism, memoir, humor, fiction, poetry, and Christian devotional literature, but one essay, “The Music of America” (1845), generated attention through the twentieth century. With much of her work now easily available in digitized sources, Browne's life can be recovered, her music experienced, and her prose reassessed, which taken together yield a rich picture of the struggles, successes, and opinions of a singular participant and witness in American music of her era.
Nondestructive gender identification of silkworm cocoons using X-ray imaging with multivariate data analysis
Authors: Cai Jian-rong , Yuan Lei-ming , Liu Bin , Sun Li
Published: June 2014

A rapid, reliable and nondestructive method for the gender discrimination of silkworm cocoons is of great importance for the production of high-quality silk by the mulberry silkworm industry.
Control of charge generation and recombination in ternary polymer/polymer:fullerene photovoltaic blends using amorphous and semi-crystalline copolymers as donors
Authors: Mangold Hannah , Bakulin Artem A. , Howard Ian A. , Kästner Christian , Egbe Daniel A. M. , Hoppe Harald , Laquai Frédéric
Published: June 2014

Transient absorption spectroscopy on amorphous and semi-crystalline PPE-PPV copolymers gives insight into the processes governing the photovoltaic device performance.
Direct access to 4,8-functionalized benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophenes with deep low-lying HOMO levels and high mobilities
Authors: Zhu Enwei , Ge Guidong , Shu Jingkun , Yi Mingdong , Bian Linyi , Hai Jiefeng , Yu Jiangsheng , Liu Yun , Zhou Jie , Tang Weihua
Published: June 2014

A methodology for versatile and direct access to 4,8-functionalized benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophenes with high mobilities is developed.
A facile general strategy for synthesis of palladium-based bimetallic alloyed nanodendrites with enhanced electrocatalytic performance for methanol and ethylene glycol oxidation
Authors: Zheng Jie-Ning , He Li-Li , Chen Fang-Yi , Wang Ai-Jun , Xue Meng-Wei , Feng Jiu-Ju
Published: June 2014

PdM (M = Pt, Co, and Ni) nanodendrites were fabricated by a co-reduction strategy. The nanodendrites displayed the enhanced catalytic activities and stabilities for methanol and ethylene glycol oxidation.
Thermoelectric properties of Sn-doped p-type Cu3SbSe4: a compound with large effective mass and small band gap
Authors: Wei Tian-Ran , Wang Heng , Gibbs Zachary M. , Wu Chao-Feng , Snyder G. Jeffrey , Li Jing-Feng
Published: June 2014

Sn-doped Cu3SbSe4 with enhanced zT possesses a large effective mass, small band gap and moderate deformation potential with a complex band structure.
The role of emissive charge transfer states in two polymer–fullerene organic photovoltaic blends: tuning charge photogeneration through the use of processing additives
Authors: Clarke Tracey M. , Peet Jeff , Lungenschmied Christoph , Drolet Nicolas , Lu Xinhui , Ocko Benjamin M. , Mozer Attila J. , Loi Maria Antonietta
Published: June 2014

One polymer:PCBM blend has an emissive charge transfer state that is quenched by a processing additive, while the other's charge transfer state dissociates very efficiently.
Systemically interfering with immune response by a fluorescent cationic dendrimer delivered gene suppression
Authors: Shen Dongxu , Zhou Fan , Xu Zejun , He Bicheng , Li Miao , Shen Jie , Yin Meizhen , An Chunju
Published: June 2014

A water-soluble, fluorescent, cationic dendrimer systemically delivers dsRNA into insect cells and tissues, resulting in the suppression of the immune gene.
On the evolution of vortex rings with swirl
Authors: Naitoh Takashi , Okura Nobuyuki , Gotoh Toshiyuki , Kato Yusuke
Published: June 2014

A laminar vortex ring with swirl, which has the meridional velocity component inside the vortex core, was experimentally generated by the brief fluid ejection from a rotating outlet. The evolution of the vortex ring was investigated with flow visualizations and particle image velocimetry measurements in order to find the influence of swirling flow in particular upon the transition to turbulence. Immediately after the formation of a vortex ring with swirl, a columnar strong vortex along the symmetric axis is observed in all cases of the present experiment. Then the characteristic fluid discharging from a vortex ring with swirl referred to as “peeling off” appears. The amount of discharging fluid due to the “peeling off” increases with the angular velocity of the rotating outlet. We conjectured that the mechanism generating the “peeling off” is related to the columnar strong vortex by close observations of the spatio-temporal development of the vorticity distribution and the cutting 3D images constructed from the successive cross sections of a vortex ring. While a laminar vortex ring without swirl may develop azimuthal waves around its circumference at some later time and the ring structure subsequently breaks, the swirling flow in a vortex ring core reduces the amplification rate of the azimuthal wavy deformation and preserved its ring structure. Then the traveling distance of a vortex ring can be extended using the swirl flow under certain conditions.
Interface boundary conditions for dynamic magnetization and spin wave dynamics in a ferromagnetic layer with the interface Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction
Authors: Kostylev M.
Published: June 2014

In this work, we derive the interface exchange boundary conditions for the classical linear dynamics of magnetization in ferromagnetic layers with the interface Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (IDMI). We show that IDMI leads to pinning of dynamic magnetization at the interface. An unusual peculiarity of the IDMI-based pinning is that its scales as the spin-wave wave number. We incorporate these boundary conditions into an existing numerical model for the dynamics of the Damon-Eshbach spin wave in ferromagnetic films. IDMI affects the dispersion and the frequency non-reciprocity of the travelling Damon-Eshbach spin wave. For a broad range of film thicknesses L and wave numbers, the results of the numerical simulations of the spin wave dispersion are in a good agreement with a simple analytical expression, which shows that the contribution of IDMI to the dispersion scales as 1/L, similarly to the effect of other types of interfacial anisotropy. Suggestions to experimentalists how to detect the presence of IDMI in a spin wave experiment are given.
Sparse and distributed coding of episodic memory in neurons of the human hippocampus
Authors: Wixted John T. , Squire Larry R. , Jang Yoonhee , Papesh Megan H. , Goldinger Stephen D. , Kuhn Joel R. , Smith Kris A. , Treiman David M. , Steinmetz Peter N.
Published: June 2014

Significance

The ability to form episodic memories in rapid succession depends on the hippocampus, but how do hippocampal neurons represent such memories? Most neurocomputational models envision a sparse distributed coding scheme in which individual neurons each participate in the coding of a few memories, and each memory is coded by a small fraction of hippocampal neurons. We investigated this issue with epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial monitoring and found evidence consistent with sparse distributed coding in the hippocampus. These findings shed new light on the basic neural mechanisms that underlie the ability to remember events. A detailed characterization of those mechanisms is an essential part of the larger effort to understand memory loss associated with normal aging and dementia.
SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE reduces gibberellin biosynthesis at the
Arabidopsis
shoot apex to regulate the floral transition
Authors: Andrés Fernando , Porri Aimone , Torti Stefano , Mateos Julieta , Romera-Branchat Maida , García-Martínez José Luis , Fornara Fabio , Gregis Veronica , Kater Martin M. , Coupland George
Published: June 2014

Significance

In plants the transition from vegetative growth to flowering is induced by environmental cues. The amplitude of these responses is enhanced by repressors that strongly delay flowering under non-inductive conditions. In
Arabidopsis thaliana
, the transcription factor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) has a major role among these repressors. We show that SVP has an unrecognized function in repressing biosynthesis of the plant growth regulator gibberellin (GA) at the shoot apex. Under inductive photoperiods,
SVP
expression falls, contributing to increased expression of a GA biosynthetic enzyme that accelerates flowering. These results link GA biosynthesis to the established regulatory network controlling flowering and illustrate one of the mechanisms by which the levels of growth regulators are synchronized with the floral transition.
Helium pickup ion focusing cone as an indicator of the interstellar flow direction
Authors: Chalov S. V.
Published: June 2014

The spatial distribution of pickup He+ in the helium focusing cone during the most recent very quiet solar minimum is studied numerically by solving the transport equation for the anisotropic velocity distribution function of the ions, which takes into account pitch-angle scattering, adiabatic cooling, and focusing in the interplanetary magnetic field. It is shown that the pickup He+ focusing cone observed with the STEREO spacecraft can be shifted in ecliptic longitude relative to the neutral helium cone, and thus can be considered as an indicator of the interstellar flow direction only in the case if all relevant transport effects are taken into account. The value of the shift depends on the mean free path of pickup ions. The larger is the mean free path, the larger is the shift. Under unusually quiet solar wind conditions during the recent solar minimum the shift can reach 5°.
Musical Improvisation and the Philosophy of Music
Authors: Alperson Philip
Published: June 2014

This chapter argues that the prevailing orienting concepts and tenets of contemporary philosophy of music—the centrality of aesthetic objects, the assumption of the mono-functionality of music, the paradigm of European classical music, and the spectatorialist perspective—do not provide the basis for an adequate understanding of musical improvisation. The essays calls for a more robust philosophical consideration of the gamut of improvisational activity, including the aesthetic aspects of musical improvisation, the range of musical and social skills made manifest by improvisers, and the deeper social meanings of the practice, including the implicit reference to human freedom and situated meanings that arise from the national, ethnic, racial, gendered, and socio-economic contexts in which the music arises. Such a view would be theoretically nuanced, empirically informed, phenomenologically sensitive, and ineliminably indexed to the manifold ways in which improvised music situates itself in the complex of human affairs.
Improvisation in Management
Authors: Ingram Paul , Duggan Bill
Published: June 2014

Improvisation is informing new models for strategy and organization design and determining how improvisation can create more productive interactions between individuals in an organization. Management research offers something to the study of improvisation in the form of evidence that groups that combine access to diverse ideas with internal cohesion are more creative and better able to develop those ideas into effective products and performances. One example of a management practice informed by improvisation is the concept of strategic intuition, which explains how the combination of lessons from history and presence of mind can produce new ideas.
The Genetic Basis of Positive Emotionality
Authors: Reuter Martin , Montag Christian
Published: June 2014

The chapter addresses the molecular genetic basis of the personality trait positive emotionality (PE). Beginning with historical aspects of heritability estimation and personality assessment, the main portion of this chapter discusses the molecular genetics basis of PE, which is investigated far less frequently than that of negative emotionality (NE). The studies reviewed focus on individual differences in PE in healthy subjects and include only those studies that assess PE by broadly accepted personality inventories. The review is concentrated on dopaminergic and serotonergic genes because these genes show the most association with PE.
Perinatal Experiences of Adolescent Mothers
Authors: Logsdon M. Cynthia , Monk Catherine , Hipwell Alison E.
Published: June 2014

The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the developed world. Pregnancy and parenting prior to age 20 are associated with compromised biopsychosocial outcomes for the mother, the fetus, and the future child—though the strong coupling of poverty and early pregnancy indicate that these outcomes may not be uniquely attributable to maternal age. This chapter reviews psychological as well as biological factors associated with risk for adolescent pregnancy, such as the potential correlation between conduct disorder and pregnancy, as well as data suggesting that environmental factors as varied as exposure to endocrine disrupters and psychosocial stress may contribute to the earlier onset of puberty, sexual activity, and, ultimately, conception. Pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and the child are reviewed, as well as what is known about mental health status in pregnant and parenting teenagers. This chapter covers the importance of social support for this population and the treatment of perinatal psychopathology in childbearing adolescents.
New Media and Political Campaigns
Authors: Owen Diana
Published: June 2014

New media have been playing an increasingly central role in American elections since they first appeared in 1992. While television remains the main source of election information for a majority of voters, digital communication platforms have become prominent. New media have triggered changes in the campaign strategies of political parties, candidates, and political organizations; reshaped election media coverage; and influenced voter engagement. This chapter examines the stages in the development of new media in elections from the use of rudimentary websites to the rise sophisticated social media. It discusses the ways in which new media differ from traditional media in terms of their form, function, and content; identifies the audiences for new election media; and examines the effects on voter interest, knowledge, engagement, and turnout. Going forward, scholars need to employ creative research methodologies to catalogue and analyze new campaign media as they emerge and develop.
Private Pensions
Authors: Ghilarducci Teresa
Published: June 2014

The American retirement income security system fails in many ways: it does not cover every worker, provide adequate retirement income, operate efficiently, or distribute government subsidies effectively and fairly. Only about half of workers have a pension at work—one of the best and most practical ways to save for retirement. Many of those pensions are rather small. Workers who do save have limited access to the best quality investment managers, appropriate portfolio structures, low fees, economies of scale, and cost-effective annuities because of the growing use of 401(k) plans that favor the highest-income workers. Consequently, many American workers will face economic hardships when they retire.
Muslim–Christian Relations in the United States
Authors: Makari Peter
Published: June 2014

In the United States today, it would be dangerous to attempt to understand Muslim-Christian relations as simply positive or negative or even to characterize trends in dialogue and relationships as being polarized. This chapter examines the current context of Muslim-Christian dialogue in the United States; explores the intersection of the US domestic context and the global context to demonstrate that each impacts the other in contexts of Muslim-Christian dialogue and that events in each setting have significant influence on the other; and provides examples of initiatives that offer hope for relations and dialogue between American Muslims and American Christians.
Politonomy
Authors: Loughlin Martin
Published: June 2014

This chapter situates Schmitt as a jurist and specifically as a scholar occupying a distinctive position within German state theory. Schmitt’s overall objective was to build a theory of the constitution of political authority from the most basic elements of the subject, and in this respect he sought to make a contribution to the discipline of politonomy. A concept first alluded to by Schmitt but one he never developed, politonomy concerns the inquiry into the most basic laws and practices of the political. The chapter examines Schmitt’s ambivalent position in politonomy, which was rooted in his distrust of the scientific significance of general concepts. To the extent that Schmitt acknowledged the existence of a law of the political, this chapter argues that it is found implicitly within his embrace of institutionalism in the 1930s and later in his account of nomos as the basic law of appropriation, division, and production.
Opening cultural heritage in the age of OAI-PMH: finding Armenia in the OATD discovery service
Authors: Joseph Greenberg Charles
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD) distinguishes itself from other ETD databases by providing immediate access to theses that are freely available online. The Republic of Armenia is a small geographical area in Central Asia with a population of only three million, yet an estimated total of five to seven million people of Armenian ancestry live outside of Armenia. What knowledge of Armenian cultural heritage can be discovered by searching OATD for open access theses that relate to Armenian history and culture?. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The OATD database was searched for the terms Armenia or Armenian. Discovered thesis records were exported into citation management tools and analysed for subject content, year of publication, institutional repository source, and a determination of whether Armenia was a primary or secondary topic. Access to theses was also tested to verify their open access. The remaining thesis records (n=152) were exported into an Excel spread sheet for numerical analysis and graphic production.

Findings

– From the records getting enhanced metadata (n=152), slightly more (52 per cent) were master's theses. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) used the Republic and culture of Armenia as a primary theme. English was the predominant author language (85 per cent) with Portuguese and French represented less than 5 per cent. World history and social sciences research were the most represented subjects. Most open access theses on Armenia or Armenian culture date from after 2000. All enhanced records, along with their abstracts and direct links, are available in a searchable RefWorks shared folder.

Originality/value

– The OATD database was evaluated for scholarly representation of a particular country and culture.
Solving the ‘Woman Problem’ in British Abortion Politics: A Contextualised Account
Authors: Amery Fran
Published: June 2014

Research Highlights and Abstract

This article

Explains how a historical account may be usefully combined with an analysis of the constitutive representation of gender in order to provide insights into the substantive representation of women; Provides an empirical account of how MPs favouring restrictions on legal abortion have historically constructed women as victims of unethical doctors in order to undermine the foundations of the 1967 Abortion Act; Helps explain recent attempts to strip abortion providers of the ability to provide counselling; Demonstrates that when set against the medicalised regulatory regime established by the 1967 Act, the contributions of pro-choice MPs may be criticised as problematic attempts to reconcile a feminist abortion politics with the status quo.

In 2011, Parliament debated an amendment to the government's Health and Social Care Bill which would have mandated that abortion counselling be provided by independent organisations. While many attacked the amendment as anti-feminist, its principal sponsor, Nadine Dorries, claimed to be acting on behalf of women. This article argues that a historical approach may be fruitfully utilised in order to make sense of such conflicting ‘feminist’ claims. Through analysis of parliamentary debates, it demonstrates that when historical and discursive context is taken into account, the Dorries amendment can be viewed as part of a broader attack on the foundations of the 1967 Abortion Act. This historical approach also allows the contributions of pro-choice women representatives to be criticised as problematic attempts to reconcile a feminist abortion politics with the status quo.
In Search of the Politics of Security
Authors: Bright Jonathan
Published: June 2014

Research Highlights and Abstract

This article

Provides an exploration of why security politics might change the behaviour of parliaments or legislatures, bringing together theory from diverse fields; Illustrates a series of potential ways of measuring legislative behaviour; Is a systematic quantitative test for the existence of security politics in a field which relies almost exclusively on qualitative methodology; Contributes to the current debate in the field of critical security studies over the definition of the politics of security.

This article takes up the recent challenge to critical security studies posed by Browning and McDonald to define the effects of ‘the politics of security’. It focuses in particular on the behaviour of legislatures during the passage of legislation relating to crime and security. Effective scrutiny of this type of policy is crucial, but legislatures are often accused of failing to provide it. However, empirical work in the area remains limited: we know little about exactly how legislatures change their behaviour at such critical junctures. This article seeks to fill this gap. It offers firstly an exploration of diverse strands of work on the notion of ‘security politics’. Secondly, it offers an empirical test based on a dataset covering UK legislation from the period 2007–2012. The results suggest the appearance of security legislation causes parliament to heighten scrutiny, raising questions about the real nature of ‘security politics’.
Overdose with modified‐release paracetamol (Panadol Osteo®) presenting to a metropolitan emergency medicine network: A case series
Authors: Graudins Andis
Published: June 2014

Background

There are currently no large cases series documenting poisoning with paracetamol modified‐release (Panadol Osteo®, GlaxoSmithKline, Sydney, NSW, Australia). Management guidelines recommend at least two serum paracetamol concentrations 4 h apart and initiating treatment with N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) if more than 10 g is ingested.

Objective

To describe a cohort of Panadol Osteo® poisoning and determine if the management of identified cases was consistent with existing guidelines.

Method

Descriptive retrospective case series presenting to a metropolitan hospital network with paracetamol poisoning from October 2009 to September 2013.

Results

There were 42 cases of Panadol Osteo® poisoning identified. Twenty‐nine patients (median ingested dose 19 950 mg) were treated with NAC, of which 27 were acute single ingestions. Of NAC‐treated patients, 85% (23/27) had an initial serum paracetamol concentration that was above the nomogram line. However, 15% (4/27) had an initial non‐toxic concentration that later increased above the line. In 14 untreated patients (median ingested dose 7980 mg), one was an unrecognised late line‐crosser with initial non‐toxic serum paracetamol concentration. Only 43% (6/14) had a repeat paracetamol concentration measured. Three patients had a 4 h paracetamol >500 μmol/L. Late line‐crossing was seen in the NAC‐treated group at this level. In two untreated patients, NAC should have been commenced on the reported dose.

Conclusion

Most patients presenting with Panadol Osteo® poisoning requiring NAC treatment had an initial serum paracetamol concentration indicating need for treatment. A small number of late treatment nomogram line‐crossers was seen on repeat paracetamol estimation. The current guideline for Panadol Osteo® poisoning would have detected all cases requiring NAC treatment.
Evolution of Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Association with Neuromuscular Disorders and Survival in Left Ventricular Hypertrabeculation/Noncompaction
Authors: Stöllberger Claudia , Gerger Daniel , Jirak Peter , Wegner Christian , Finsterer Josef
Published: June 2014

Background

Left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) is frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) and electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities. The prognostic relevance of newly developed ECG abnormalities in LVHT and its dependency on NMD is largely unknown. Aim of the following retrospective cohort study in LVHT patients was thus to assess the development of new ECG abnormalities and its dependency on NMD and survival

Methods

Included were patients in whom (a) LVHT was diagnosed between 1995 and 2011, (b) baseline ECG recordings (bECG), and (c) follow‐up ECG recordings (fECG) were available. Survival status was assessed in June 2013.

Results

Included were 105 patients (mean age 55 years, 36 females, 67 with NMD). The interval between bECG and fECG was 3.6 years. ECG abnormalities increased in 46%, were unchanged in 44% and decreased in 11%. Increase was associated with age (59 years vs 49 years, P = 0.0169), exertional dyspnea (79% vs 53%, P = 0.013), heart failure (81% vs 47%, P = 0.0149), a left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter >57mm (76% vs 43%, P = 0.004) and a left ventricular fractional shortening <25% (68% vs 42%, P = 0.0429). New ECG abnormalities were ST–T wave abnormalities (n = 35), left anterior hemiblock (n = 6) and Q waves (n = 6). During 71 months, 40 patients died. Multivariate analysis identified age, male gender, “constant” (in bECG as well as fECG) atrial fibrillation, disappearance of atrial fibrillation, development as well as disappearance of low voltage ECG, increase of QRS width, constant QRS width >120 ms and constant tall QRS complexes as predictors for mortality.

Conclusions

LVHT‐patients develop frequently new ECG abnormalities of prognostic relevance.
Severe radiotoxicity in an allogeneic transplant recipient with a heterozygous ATM mutation
Authors: Ostendorf Benjamin N. , Terwey Theis H. , Hemmati Philipp G. , Böhmer Dirk , Pleyer Uwe , Arnold Renate
Published: June 2014

Patients receiving radiotherapy often experience toxicity of the skin and mucous membranes. While radiotherapy is a mainstay of myeloablative conditioning for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT), no risk factors for radiotoxicity have been identified in this setting. Here, we report on a patient with excessive radiation‐induced toxicity after ASCT who carried a heterozygous mutation in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. This is the first case to suggest a genetic basis for increased radiotoxicity after myeloablative ASCT.
Sparse representation for classification of dolphin whistles by type
Authors: Esfahanian M. , Zhuang H. , Erdol N.
Published: June 2014

A compressive-sensing approach called Sparse Representation Classifier (SRC) is applied to the classification of bottlenose dolphin whistles by type. The SRC algorithm constructs a dictionary of whistles from the collection of training whistles. In the classification phase, an unknown whistle is represented sparsely by a linear combination of the training whistles and then the call class can be determined with an l1-norm optimization procedure. Experimental studies conducted in this research reveal the advantages and limitations of the proposed method against some existing techniques such as K-Nearest Neighbors and Support Vector Machines in distinguishing different vocalizations.
Dying on the Inside
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: June 2014

Immune cells find a way to kill intracellular bacteria without killing the host cell.
Postural tachycardia syndrome is associated with significant symptoms and functional impairment predominantly affecting young women: a UK perspective
Authors: McDonald Claire , Koshi Sharon , Busner Lorna , Kavi Lesley , Newton Julia L
Published: June 2014

Objective

To examine a large UK cohort of patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), to compare demographic characteristics, symptoms and treatment of PoTS at one centre compared to the largest patient group PoTS UK and to verify if their functional limitation is similar to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Design

A cross-sectional study assessed the frequency of symptoms and their associated variables.

Patients and setting

Two PoTS cohorts were: (1) recruited via PoTS UK, (2) diagnosed at Newcastle Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust 2009–2012. Patients with PoTS were then compared to a matched cohort with CFS.

Main outcome measures

Patients’ detailed demographics, time to diagnosis, education, disability, medications, comorbidity and precipitants. Symptom assessment tools captured, Fatigue Impact Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Orthostatic Grading Scale (OGS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire.

Results

136 patients with PoTS participated (84 members of PoTS UK (170 cohort; 50% return) and 52 (87 cohort; 60%) from Newcastle Clinics). The PoTS UK population was significantly younger than the clinic patients, with significantly fewer men (p=0.005). Over 60% had a university or postgraduate degree. Significantly more of the PoTS UK cohort were working, with hours worked being significantly higher (p=0.001). Time to diagnosis was significantly longer in the PoTS UK cohort (p=0.04). Symptom severity was comparable between cohorts. The PoTS total group was compared with a matched CFS cohort; despite comparable levels of fatigue and sleepiness, autonomic symptom burden (OGS) was statistically significantly higher. The most common treatment regime included β-blockers. Overall, 21 treatment combinations were described. Up to 1/3 were taking no treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with PoTS are predominantly women, young, well educated and have significant and debilitating symptoms that impact significantly on quality of life. Despite this, there is no consistent treatment.
Tips for small group teaching
Authors: Bell Catriona , Paterson Jessie , Warman Sheena
Published: June 2014

This article, the fourth in a series aimed at providing veterinary staff and students with tips and tools to enhance teaching and learning, looks at how to make the most of small group teaching situations.
Financial aspects of veterinary herd health management programmes
Authors: Ifende V. I. , Derks M. , Hooijer G. A. , Hogeveen H.
Published: June 2014

Veterinary herd health management (VHHM) programmes have been shown to be economically effective in the past. However, no current information is available on costs and benefits of these programmes. This study compared economics and farm performance between participants and non‐participants in VHHM programmes in 1013 dairy farms with over 40 cows. Milk Production Registration (MPR) data and a questionnaire concerning VHHM were used. Based on the level of participation in VHHM (as indicated in the questionnaire), costs of the programmes were calculated using a normative model. The economic value of the production effects was similarly calculated using normative modelling based on MPR data. Participants in VHHM had a better performance with regard to production, but not with regard to reproduction. Over 90 per cent of the VHHM participants were visited at least once every six weeks and most participants discussed at least three topics. In most farms, the veterinarian did the pregnancy checks as part of the VHHM programmes. There was a benefit to cost ratio of about five per cow per year for VHHM participants, and a mean difference in net returns of €30 per cow per year after adjusting for the cost of the programme. This portrays that participation in a VHHM programme is cost‐efficient. There is, however, much unexplained variation in the net returns, possibly due to diverse approaches by veterinarians towards VHHM or by other factors not included in this analysis, like nutritional quality or management abilities of the farmer.
An improvement of PLSA-based community detection algorithm
Authors: Zhang Zhiyuan , Feng Xia , Huo Weigang
Published: June 2014

Community detection is an important task in analyzing some real-world complex networks such as social networks and biological networks and draws lots of attention. PLSA-based community detection algorithm is a popular statistical approach for finding overlapping communities. It uses a probabilistic model for link graphs and can automatically find overlapping communities in both synthetic and real-world networks. However, sometimes PLSA community detection model may find separated communities with no connections linking them at all. This paper introduces a new iteration equation to improve it. We also use a simple merging method to determine an appropriate community number which should be specified in PLSA model in advance. Experiments on four real-world networks show that our improved equation can find specified number of communities for most times.
A novel multimode interference wavelength division demultiplexer in photonic crystal
Authors: Fan Hongming , Liao Qinghua , Zhang Xuan , Dan Yi , Yu Tianbao , Huang Yongzhen
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we propose a novel wavelength division demultiplexer (WDDM) based on multimode interference (MMI) effect. The structure of WDDM is composed of three MMI regions, which can efficiently make two wavelengths (1310 nm and 1500 nm) to get through and one wavelength (1550 nm) to reflect back. In addition, it may also realize the separation for 1310/1500 nm. The transmittance higher than 97% and the crosstalk lower than -25 dB are achieved. It can also be extended to other wavelengths by changing the parameters of structure. The proposed device may have practical applications in photonic integrated circuits.
Incremental Analysis of Power Grids Using Backward Random Walks
Authors: Boghrati Baktash , Sapatnekar Sachin S.
Published: June 2014

Power grid design and analysis is a critical part of modern VLSI chip design and demands tools for accurate modeling and efficient analysis. The process of power grid design is inherently iterative, during which numerous small changes are made to an initial design, either to enhance the design or to fix design constraint violations. Due to the large sizes of power grids in modern chips, updating the solution for these perturbations can be a computationally intensive task. In this work, we first introduce an accurate modeling methodology for power grids that, contrary to conventional models, can result in asymmetrical equations. Next, we propose an efficient and accurate incremental solver that utilizes the backward random walks to identify the region of influence of the perturbation. The solution of the network is then updated for this significantly smaller region only. The proposed algorithm is capable of handling both symmetrical and asymmetrical power grid equations. Moreover, it can handle consecutive perturbations without any degradation in the quality of the solution. Experimental results show speedups of up to 13× for our incremental solver, as compared to a full resolve of the power grid.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure Refinement, and Electrical Conductivity of Pb(8−x)Na2Smx(VO4)6O(x/2)
Authors: Savankova Tatiana M. , Akselrud Lev G. , Ardanova Lyudmyla I. , Ignatov Alexey V. , Get’man Eugeni I. , Gladyshevskii Roman E. , Loboda Stanislav N.
Published: June 2014

Solid solutions of Pb(8−x)Na2Smx(VO4)6O(x/2)were studied using X-ray diffraction analysis including Rietveld refinement and scanning electron microscopy and by measuring their electrical conductivity. Crystal structure of the solid solutions was refined and the solubility region0≤x≤0.2was determined for samarium substitution for lead under the scheme2Pb2++□→2Sm3++O2-. The influence of degree of substitution on the electrical conductivity of solid solutions was established.
The Nested Site Selection Model for Water Treatment Plants Based on the Optimization of Water Supply Radius
Authors: Li Yan , Zhang Lianying
Published: June 2014

This paper analyzes the site selection problems of water treatment plants by utilizing the set covering model. Fully consider the influence of the pipe network arrangement on the site selection when confirming the covering radius, analyze the best water supply radius of water treatment plants combining investment benefits and pipe network optimization theory, and take the best water supply radius as the covering radius. Make the pipe network optimization nest into the site selection problem meanwhile confirming the covering radius, which fully reflect the viewpoints of the integrated logistics arrangement system. Considering the multiple solutions of the set covering model, this paper introduces the model of which the cost’s present value is minimum to make the quadratic optimization and get the best site selection results of water treatment plant. At last, this paper verifies the model by combining with the cases of water supply project construction of a county; the results prove that the model is feasible and effective. This paper expects to provide some reference for the planning design of regionally centralized water supply projects concerning villages and small towns and the site selection and construction of water treatment plant.
Treatment Outcomes in a Decentralized Antiretroviral Therapy Program: A Comparison of Two Levels of Care in North Central Nigeria
Authors: Okonkwo Prosper , Sagay Atiene S. , Agaba Patricia A. , Yohanna Stephen , Agbaji Oche O. , Imade Godwin E. , Banigbe Bolanle , Adeola Juliet , Oyebode Tinuade A. , Idoko John A. , Kanki Phyllis J.
Published: June 2014

Background.Decentralization of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services is a key strategy to achieving universal access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. Our objective was to assess clinical and laboratory outcomes within a decentralized program in Nigeria.Methods.Using a tiered hub-and-spoke model to decentralize services, a tertiary hospital scaled down services to 13 secondary-level hospitals using national and program guidelines. We obtained sociodemographic, clinical, and immunovirologic data on previously antiretroviral drug naïve patients aged ≥15 years that received HAART for at least 6 months and compared treatment outcomes between the prime and satellite sites.Results.Out of 7,747 patients, 3729 (48.1%) were enrolled at the satellites while on HAART, prime site patients achieved better immune reconstitution based on CD4+ cell counts at 12 (P<0.001) and 24 weeks (P<0.001) with similar responses at 48 weeks (P=0.11) and higher rates of viral suppression (<400 c/mL) at 12 (P<0.001) and 48 weeks (P=0.03), but similar responses at 24 weeks (P=0.21). Mortality was 2.3% versus 5.0% (P<0.001) at prime and satellite sites, while transfer rate was 8.7% versus 5.5% (P=0.001) at prime and satellites.Conclusion.ART decentralization is feasible in resource-limited settings, but efforts have to be intensified to maintain good quality of care.
Genetic Characterization and Evolution of H1N1pdm09 after Circulation in a Swine Farm
Authors: Boni Arianna , Vaccari Gabriele , Di Trani Livia , Zaccaria Guendalina , Alborali Giovanni Loris , Lelli Davide , Cordioli Paolo , Moreno Ana Maria
Published: June 2014

Following the emergence of the A(H1N1)pdm09 in humans, this novel influenza virus was reverse transmitted from infected people to swine population worldwide. In this study we investigated the molecular evolution of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus identified in pigs reared in a single herd. Nasal swabs taken from pigs showing respiratory distress were tested for influenza type A and A(H1N1)pdm09 by real-time RT-PCR assays. Virus isolation from positive samples was attempted by inoculation of nasal swabs samples into specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) and complete genome sequencing was performed on virus strains after replication on ECE or from original swab sample. The molecular analysis of hemagglutinin (HA) showed, in four of the swine influenza viruses under study, a unique significant amino acid change, represented by a two-amino acid insertion at the HA receptor binding site. Phylogenetic analysis of HA, neuraminidase, and concatenated internal genes revealed a very similar topology, with viruses under study forming a separate cluster, branching outside the A(H1N1)pdm09 isolates recognized until 2014. The emergence of this new cluster of A(H1N1)pdm09 in swine raises further concerns about whether A(H1N1)pdm09 with new molecular characteristics will become established in pigs and potentially transmitted to humans.