bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance assessment of fragrance finished cotton with cyclodextrin assisted anchoring hosts
Authors: Khanna Shelly , Sharma Swati , Chakraborty J. N.
Published: October 2015

Infusion of textiles with aromatic essential oils makes them immense value enriched for the aesthetic dominated fashion
consumers to attain cosmeto-therapeutic and medicinal benefits. However, longevity of aroma on the textile with the time passage and subsequent launderings is a major concern for researchers and consumers too. In this work, essential oils of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender, Jasmine, Clove and Cedarwood were applied directly on cotton as well as with anchoring hosts as cyclodextrin in native and modified form viz. monochlorotriazine-β-cyclodextrin (MCT-βCD) to assess their stability of retention on the fabric surface. The release rate of oils, in isolation, had revealed the disappearance of fragrances rapidly with time as a result of weak physical forces between essential oils and textile surfaces in the absence of any anchoring hosts. MCT-β-CD showed enhanced fragrance stability with added advantage of exhibiting no major change in tensile strength, stiffness and air permeability of cotton.
Affective Technologies of War
Authors: Mesok Elizabeth
Published: October 2015

This article analyzes the gendered performances of American military women during the US-led occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Through an examination of Lioness teams and female engagement teams—all-female teams used to navigate “cultural norms,” present the US military as humanitarian, and facilitate engagements with occupied civilian women—the article argues that the affective labor of women soldiers and marines was strategically instrumentalized for population-centric counterinsurgency warfare. In addition to the gendered labor women perform as counterinsurgents, the article also considers the emotional and often maternal labor military women perform among their comrades, as a means to develop relationships as well as to protect themselves from sexual violence. Ultimately, this article is invested in developing a conversation about women's military participation that considers how gender matters to war, how gendered subjectivities are constituted by, and instrumental in, US imperialism, and what potentially subversive subjects may emerge as a result.
The Sexual Fields of Empire
Authors: David Emmanuel
Published: October 2015

This article examines how global call centers serve as affective zones of contact at the crossroads of sex and empire. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews with transgender call center workers in the Philippines, this essay explores how global outsourcing has reconfigured imperial histories and ethnosexual relations, particularly through the microlevel administration of affect, emotion, and desire in interactions between employees in the global South and their customers in the global North. After exploring the imperial and military origins of these call centers, especially those on former US military bases, this article investigates linkages between call center technologies and global sexual economies. Combining a sexual fields analytic framework with new empire scholarship, this essay examines how subjects in the global outsourcing industry participate in and resist the logics of racialized sex, empire, and global capitalism through everyday talk and bodily gestures.
Both ciliary and non-ciliary functions of Foxj1a confer Wnt/β-catenin signaling in zebrafish left-right patterning
Authors: Zhu Ping , Xu Xiaolei , Lin Xueying
Published: October 2015

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is implicated in left-right (LR) axis determination; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Prompted by our recent discovery that Wnt signaling regulates ciliogenesis in the zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle (KV) via Foxj1a, a ciliogenic transcription factor, we decided to elucidate functions of Foxj1a in Wnt-regulated LR pattern formation. We showed that targeted injection of wnt8a mRNA into a single cell at the 128-cell stage is sufficient to induce ectopic foxj1a expression and ectopic cilia. By interrogating the transcription circuit of foxj1a regulation, we found that both Lef1 and Tcf7 bind to a consensus element in the foxj1a promoter region. Depletion of Lef1 and Tcf7 inhibits foxj1a transcription in the dorsal forerunner cells, downregulates cilia length and number in KV, and randomizes LR asymmetry. Targeted overexpression of a constitutively active form of Lef1 also induced an ectopic protrusion that contains ectopic transcripts for sox17, foxj1a, and charon, and ectopic monocilia. Further genetic studies using this ectopic expression platform revealed two distinct functions of Foxj1a; mediating Wnt-governed monocilia length elongation as well as charon transcription. The novel Foxj1a-charon regulation is conserved in KV, and importantly, it is independent of the canonical role of Foxj1a in the biosynthesis of motile cilia. Together with the known function of motile cilia movement in generating asymmetric expression of charon, our data put forward a hypothesis that Foxj1a confers both ciliary and non-ciliary functions of Wnt signaling, which converge on charon to regulate LR pattern formation.
Opposing Shh and Fgf signals initiate nasotemporal patterning of the retina
Authors: Hernández-Bejarano María , Gestri Gaia , Spawls Lana , Nieto-López Francisco , Picker Alexander , Tada Masazumi , Brand Michael , Bovolenta Paola , Wilson Stephen W. , Cavodeassi Florencia
Published: October 2015

The earliest known determinants of retinal nasotemporal identity are the transcriptional regulators Foxg1, which is expressed in the prospective nasal optic vesicle, and Foxd1, which is expressed in the prospective temporal optic vesicle. Previous work has shown that, in zebrafish, Fgf signals from the dorsal forebrain and olfactory primordia are required to specify nasal identity in the dorsal, prospective nasal, optic vesicle. Here we show that Hh signaling from the ventral forebrain is required for specification of temporal identity in the ventral optic vesicle and is sufficient to induce temporal character when activated in the prospective nasal retina. Consequently, the evaginating optic vesicles become partitioned into prospective nasal and temporal domains by the opposing actions of Fgfs and Shh emanating from dorsal and ventral domains of the forebrain primordium. In absence of Fgf activity, foxd1 expression is established irrespective of levels of Hh signalling, indicating that the role of Shh in promoting foxd1 expression is only required in the presence of Fgf activity. Once the spatially complementary expression of foxd1 and foxg1 is established, the boundary between expression domains is maintained by mutual repression between Foxd1 and Foxg1.
Intracellular lumen formation in Drosophila proceeds via a novel subcellular compartment
Authors: Nikolova Linda S. , Metzstein Mark M.
Published: October 2015

Cellular tubes have diverse morphologies, including multicellular, unicellular, and subcellular architectures. Subcellular tubes are found prominently within the vertebrate vasculature, the insect breathing system, and the nematode excretory apparatus, but how such tubes form is poorly understood. To characterize the cellular mechanisms of subcellular tube formation, we have refined methods of high pressure freezing/freeze substitution to prepare Drosophila larvae for transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis. Using our methods, we have found that subcellular tube formation may proceed through a previously undescribed multimembrane intermediate composed of vesicles bound within a novel subcellular compartment. We have also developed correlative light/TEM procedures to identify labeled cells in TEM-fixed larval samples. Using this technique, we have found that the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) and the V-ATPase regulator Rabconnectin-3 are required for subcellular tube formation, probably in a step resolving the intermediate compartment into a mature lumen. In general, our methods should be applicable to analyzing the many cell biological problems which can be addressed using Drosophila larvae.
Rabaptin5 is recruited to endosomes by Rab4 and Rabex5 to regulate endosome maturation
Authors: Kälin Simone , Hirschmann David T. , Buser Dominik P. , Spiess Martin
Published: October 2015

Rab GTPases control membrane identity, fusion, and transport by interaction with effector proteins. Effectors that influence the activation/inactivation cycle of their own or other Rabs contribute to the timely conversion of Rab identities. Rab5 and its effector Rabaptin5 are generally considered the prime example for a positive feedback loop in which Rab5·GTP recruits Rabaptin5 complexed to Rabex5, the GDP/GTP exchange factor of Rab5, to early endosomes, thus maintaining the membrane's Rab5 identity. By deletion analysis, we found membrane recruitment of Rabaptin5 to require binding to Rab4 and Rabex5, but not Rab5. Deletion of either one of two Rab5 binding domains or silencing of Rab5 expression did not affect Rabaptin5 recruitment, but produced giant endosomes with early and late endosomal characteristics. The results contradict feedback activation of Rab5 and instead indicate that Rabaptin5 is recruited by Rabex5 recognizing ubiquitinated cargo and by Rab4 to activate Rab5 in a feed-forward manner.
High Removal Efficiency and Regeneration Property of Formaldehyde Capture by Ti4+-based Porous Coordination Polymer
Authors: Mito-oka Yasuko , Sawada Yuki , Masumori Tadao , Horike Satoshi , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Kitagawa Susumu
Published: October 2015

The formaldehyde capture process is investigated by a titanium ion (Ti4+)-based porous coordination polymer (PCP), MIL-125-NH2. This framework contains aromatic amino groups on the pore surface, which effectively capture formaldehyde. The removal efficiency and regeneration properties of MIL-125-NH2 are better than the conventional amine-impregnated activated carbon, and the material does not degrade even after >140 adsorption/desorption cycles.
The Next Generation of the Penn World Table
Authors: Feenstra Robert C. , Inklaar Robert , Timmer Marcel P.
Published: October 2015

We describe the theory and practice of real GDP comparisons across countries and over time. Version 8 of the Penn World Table expands on previous versions in three respects. First, in addition to comparisons of living standards using components of real GDP on the expenditure side, we provide a measure of productive capacity, called real GDP on the output side. Second, growth rates are benchmarked to multiple years of cross-country price data so they are less sensitive to new benchmark data. Third, data on capital stocks and productivity are (re)introduced. Applications including the Balassa-Samuelson effect and development accounting are discussed. (JEL C43, C82, E01, E23, I31, O47)
Efficient Firm Dynamics in a Frictional Labor Market
Authors: Kaas Leo , Kircher Philipp
Published: October 2015

We develop and analyze a labor market model in which heterogeneous firms operate under decreasing returns and compete for labor by posting long-term contracts. Firms achieve faster growth by offering higher lifetime wages, which allows them to fill vacancies with higher probability, consistent with recent empirical findings. The model also captures several other regularities about firm size, job flows, and pay, and generates sluggish aggregate dynamics of labor market variables. In contrast to existing bargaining models with large firms, efficiency obtains and the model allows a tractable characterization over the business cycle. (JEL E24, J64, L11)
The foundation of the Melbourne Code Appendices: Announcing a new paradigm for tracking nomenclatural decisions
Authors: Wiersema John H. , McNeill John , Turland Nicholas J. , Orli Sylvia S. , Wagner Warren L.
Published: October 2015

A newly expanded digital resource exists for tracking decisions on all nomenclature proposals potentially contributing to Appendices II–VIII of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. This system owes its origins to the Smithsonian Institution's “Proposals and Disposals” website created by Dan H. Nicolson to track conservation/rejection proposals, but now also treats proposals to suppress works or requests for binding decisions. The new resource was created to accommodate the steadily expanding content of the Appendices in relation to the main body of the Code. A database is now available to generate these Appendices, as has been done for the Melbourne Code. A web interface allows users to query database content in various ways to review proposal histories or to extract all or part of the Appendices. An analysis of the underlying data was conducted to make comparisons between proposals submitted for the various editions of the Code. These include the type of nomenclatural remedy sought, the major group concerned, the numbers of names involved, the timeliness of the proposal evaluation process, the proposal success rate, and the diversity of proposal authorship. The success of proposals was also evaluated by the type of remedy sought and by major groups.
Typification of Linnaean names in the genus Vitis (Vitaceae)
Authors: Iamonico Duilio , Galasso Gabriele , Banfi Enrico , Ardenghi Nicola M.G.
Published: October 2015

The typification of the Linnaean names Vitis laciniosa and V. vinifera var. apyrena is discussed. The names are lecto‐ and neotypified, respectively, using specimens from LINN.
Philyrophyllum (Asteraceae) transferred from Gnaphalieae to Athroismeae based on phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and plastid DNA sequence data
Authors: Bentley Joanne , Klaassen Esmerialda S. , Bergh Nicola G.
Published: October 2015

The small southern African genus Philyrophyllum (Asteraceae) has traditionally been placed amongst the basal lineages of tribe Gnaphalieae, close to the Namibian‐centred genus Pentatrichia. However, a recent plastid phylogeny placed Philyrophyllum distant from Pentatrichia within the Gnaphalieae crown radiation, a finding that is strongly contradicted by a suite of morphological synapormorphies that are otherwise unvarying within the crown radiation. In the present study, two linked nuclear loci (ITS, ETS) and one plastid region (trnL‐trnF) are sequenced to determine the phylogenetic position of Philyrophyllum, with the addition of available plastid psbA‐trnH spacer and ndhF sequences for outgroup taxa. Maximum likelihood bootstrap and Bayesian analysis is used to assess support for phylogenetic relationships. Individual plastid and nuclear, as well as combined data, strongly support a close relationship between Philyrophyllum and the African‐centred, morphologically diverse genus Anisopappus, currently placed in subtribe Anisopappinae of the anomalous tribal assemblage Athroismeae. Athroismeae is the sister group of Feddeeae and the “Heliantheae tribal alliance”, a large mainly northern hemisphere grouping that is phylogenetically distant from Gnaphalieae.
Ideas about childbearing among childless men
Authors: Jensen An-Magritt
Published: October 2015

Norway is internationally praised for its generous welfare services and its promotion of gender equality in combination with its high fertility rates. However, in recent decades, a sharp increase in the number of childless men has taken place. This analysis is based on a sub-sample of upper-middle- and working-class men without children. Social influences on the desire to have children transmitted through personal networks and wider social environments are explored. While a positive attitude to having children is uncovered, the timing of the first child is a means of controlling the future and where ambivalence flourishes. Children are perceived as a sign of fulfilment, but not necessarily as a personal drive. A connection is traced between relationship behaviour and class. Upper-middle-class men tend to live in partnership and have year-long discussions on the timing of the first birth, while few working-class men are involved in gendered negotiations regarding children because few have stable relationships.
Top-down, bottom-up, or both?: Successful structures and processes in youth radio training projects
Authors: Huesca Robert
Published: October 2015

Beginning in the early 1990s, radio training projects aimed at teaching young people (aged 15 – early 20s) the basics of audio production began emerging throughout the United States. By decade’s end, these ‘youth radio’ training programmes mushroomed to about 40 different places across the country due to the availability of grants from individuals, foundations and state agencies with a variety of agendas. Despite more than a decade of experience, youth radio training programmes have received some journalistic attention, but little to no scholarly analysis. This article responds to this lack of scholarship of this robust area of media practice by examining the experiences of participants at four well-established, yet structurally diverse youth radio training programmes. Making sense of these experiences can be accomplished from multiple theoretical perspectives including media literacy, feminist criticism, cultural studies, etc. For the purposes of this research, however, theoretical contributions from alternative and community media and development communication will be used. The remainder of this article will review the alternative, community, and development communication literature in terms of the conceptual framework and the research questions that guided this study. It will then identify the research settings and methods of data collection and analysis. The bulk of the article, however, will present the findings from the research before turning to a summary discussion and conclusions section.
Radio documentary production as cognitive mapping in sound: The making of La Frontera
Authors: McNaughton Colm
Published: October 2015

In response to the depthlessness and fragmentation of postmodern experience, Marxist literary critic Fredric Jameson offers the anticipatory and utopian concept of cognitive mapping. Cognitive mapping holds out the promise for radical social transformation, in times when such possibilities can seem remote. One of the limitations of Jameson’s articulation of cognitive mapping is that he does not offer a viable practice of cognitive mapping. The making of the radio documentary, La Frontera: A journey into the borderlands of Mexico and the United States, is an experiment in cognitive mapping in sound, grounded in an emergent practice: the art of listening. To draw out and explain the thinking and practices that constitute the making of La Frontera, I examine the pre-production, production and post-production phases in turn. To conclude I draw out the implications of this experiment for the field of radio studies.
Doing radio in the age of Facebook
Authors: Bonini Tiziano
Published: October 2015

This article begins with the hypothesis that social media are the prosecution of radio by other means; its aim will be to focus on the changes that radio has undergone since it started to mix with social media, in particular Facebook (FB). How deeply have such changes affected the relationship between radio producers and listeners? The article will analyse the cases of three Italian radio programmes that have developed an intense interaction with their listeners through FB. It will report on quantitative observation of the social media activity of these programmes over an entire week and show the different social media strategies implemented by the selected programmes, as well as their different dramaturgical relations with the listeners.
Radio formats and social media use in Europe – 28 case studies of public service practice
Authors: Bonini Tiziano , Fesneau Elvina , Perez J. Ignacio Gallego , Luthje Corinna , Jedrzejewski Stanislaw , Pedroia Albino , Rohn Ulrike , Sellas Toni , Starkey Guy , Stiernstedt Fredrik
Published: October 2015

The aim of this article is to report, summarize and spread the results of a largescale European research project funded by EBU Radio in 2011 to map best practices in social media and European public radio, focusing on the way successful public service radio formats have incorporated social media in their production flow. The programmes have been selected for one of the following reasons: programmes that are audience leaders in their country, use innovative radio language or are youthoriented productions. The survey has been carried out by a team of ten European researchers from seven countries on a sample of 28 public radio programmes analysed for two months between January and February 2011. The research team attempted to answer the empirical question: ‘How social media are used by public service?’. Are there some common threads and shared practices among successful programmes in different countries? The team adopted an empirical approach based on social media content analysis and interviews with radio producers. This article will present the main results of this empirical research project. It will conclude with practical guidelines for public radio production and social media innovation.
El periodismo finisecular de Ramiro de Maeztu
Authors: Alarcón Sierra Rafael
Published: October 2015

El presente artículo analiza la crónica y el periodismo finisecular antes de centrarse en el caso de Ramiro de Maeztu, del que estudia su práctica y concepto del periodismo, el análisis que en sus artículos hace de la situación española tras el «desastre», sus propuestas de «regeneración» y su crítica economicista del Estado y la Iglesia. También analiza su posición frente al anarquismo y sus puntos de contacto con Nietzsche (creación de una ética, un estilo y una máscara textual). Antecede a las conclusiones el estudio de su papel como crítico literario y artístico en las polémicas del modernismo.
El más literato de todos los periodistas o el más periodista de todos los literatos: Mariano de Cavia en El Liberal. La retórica argumentativa de la serie «Plato del día»
Authors: Bellido Navarro Pilar
Published: October 2015

Mariano de Cavia es una de las figuras más destacadas del periodismo literario de fin de siglo. Sin embargo, su obra todavía permanece en el olvido. La dificultad de acceder a una producción tan amplia, dispersa y sujeta a la actualidad ha provocado el desapego de los estudiosos. Con todo, su análisis es indispensable para conocer la evolución de la prosa española durante los siglos XIX y XX. Dos son los objetivos del presente trabajo: abordar, primero, el estudio de su personalidad, formación y deontología profesional para ubicarlo dentro de la generación «puente» entre el grupo realista y la generación de fin de siglo. Por otra parte, he realizado una primera cala en una de sus series más conocidas, «Plato del día». El análisis de su retórica argumentativa me ha permitido detectar un eslabón importante en la evolución de la prosa decimonónica hacia el siglo XX.
Melchor Almagro San Martín y sus colaboraciones en revistas literarias de su primera etapa (1896-1914)
Authors: Correa Ramón Amelina
Published: October 2015

El presente artículo constituye un repaso de las colaboraciones en revistas literarias de la primera etapa (1896-1914) del escritor Melchor Almagro San Martín (1881-1947), quien destacó en el género de la pequeña historia y mantuvo durante toda su vida una muy activa y fecunda relación con la prensa escrita, en sus más diversas variantes.
Miguel Moya y la revista La América (1879-1882)
Authors: González Soriano José Miguel
Published: October 2015

En 1879, un año clave dentro de su trayectoria profesional, el periodista, político y empresario Miguel Moya comenzó a escribir en la revista quincenal La América, cabecera doctrinal de las más importantes, longevas y difundidas de todo el siglo XIX español. En ella se ocuparía, durante algo más de dos años, hasta marzo de 1882, de efectuar la crónica de política interior y de actualidad cultural, al mismo tiempo que su maestro y amigo Emilio Castelar llevaba a cabo el comentario de la política exterior. Su lectura resulta hoy de gran interés y amenidad para seguir de cerca la vida pública de nuestro país durante el intervalo que duró su colaboración, y proporcionó a su autor un decisivo espaldarazo intelectual, además de servirle de plataforma de difusión para sus múltiples actividades político-sociales.
Literatura y literatos españoles en la revista Les Matinées Espagnoles (Madrid-París, 1883-1888)
Authors: Lafarga Francisco
Published: October 2015

Descripción y estudio de los artículos de escritores españoles que aparecieron en la revista Les Matinées Espagnoles, publicada entre Madrid y París de 1883 a 1888 (antes de convertirse en la Nouvelle Revue Internationale), que contó entre sus colaboradores habituales a personajes como E. Castelar y E. Pardo Bazán. La revista, dirigida por Marie Létizia de Rute y con la mayoría de textos en francés, no ha sido usualmente considerada española, extremo que el autor intenta asimismo justificar.
La República de las Letras (1905): entre el regeneracionismo y el republicanismo militante. Correspondencia inédita con Galdós
Authors: Rodríguez-Moranta Inmaculada
Published: October 2015

El presente artículo pretende ser un trabajo complementario a mi primera aproximación a La República de las Letras («¡Buscamos lectores! La redención por la cultura en La República de las Letras (1905)» (De esclavo a servidor, J. Urrutia & D. Thion, eds., Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva, 2014), donde tracé las líneas ideológicas fundamentales de este semanario. En este caso, además de profundizar en los fundamentos ideológicos de la revista, se darán a conocer y se analizarán cuatro cartas inéditas dirigidas a Galdós (escritas por Luis Morote y por Pedro González Blanco), que arrojan luz sobre la participación del escritor canario en dicha publicación −de tinte republicano y socialista− y sobre otros pormenores desconocidos de la gestación y trayectoria del semanario.
La Ilustración de Madrid (1870-1871). Revista de transición del romanticismo al realismo
Authors: Rubio Jiménez Jesús
Published: October 2015

La Ilustración de Madrid (1870-1871) fue una revista que trató de aunar información política y cultural con una presentación gráfica cuidada, realizada por artistas españoles. Dirigida por Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer e impulsada en su parte gráfica por Valeriano Bécquer, la revista perdió en gran parte su orientación cuando fallecieron los dos hermanos, Valeriano en septiembre y Gustavo Adolfo en diciembre de 1870. Aun así sobrevivió una año más y resulta hoy una de las publicaciones periódicas fundamentales para el estudio de la transición del romanticismo al realismo.
Emilia Pardo Bazán en La España Moderna (1889-1910)
Authors: Sotelo Vázquez Marisa
Published: October 2015

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las colaboraciones de Emilia Pardo Bazán en La España Moderna, la revista cultural más importante del último tercio del siglo XIX, comparable a la Revue des deux mondes. La escritora coruñesa contribuyó de forma decisiva junto a su director Lárazo Galdiano a la fundación de la revista para la que consiguió la colaboración de los mejores escritores de su tiempo. Ella misma ejerció la crítica literaria a través de artículos y reseñas, publicó algunos de sus trabajos más relevantes sobre feminismo, así como cuentos y novelas por entregas. El análisis demuestra que Pardo Bazán llevó a cabo una importante tarea cultural desde postulados eclécticos y con un marcado carácter regeneracionista y europeísta.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection with Cardiac Tamponade
Authors: Goh Anne C.H. , Lundstrom Robert J.
Published: October 2015

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical presentation ranges from chest pain alone to ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, and sudden death. The treatment of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection is challenging because the disease pathophysiology is unclear, optimal treatment is unknown, and short- and long-term prognostic data are minimal.

We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with an acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction secondary to a spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery. She was treated conservatively. Cardiac tamponade developed 16 hours after presentation. Repeat coronary angiography revealed extension of the dissection. Medical therapy was continued after the hemopericardium was aspirated. The patient remained asymptomatic 3 years after hospital discharge. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous coronary artery dissection in association with cardiac tamponade that was treated conservatively and had a successful outcome.
A Reminder of Methylene Blue's Effectiveness in Treating Vasoplegic Syndrome after On-Pump Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Manghelli Joshua , Brown Lisa , Tadros Hany B. , Munfakh Nabil A.
Published: October 2015

The inflammatory response induced by cardiopulmonary bypass decreases vascular tone, which in turn can lead to vasoplegic syndrome. Indeed the hypotension consequent to on-pump cardiac surgery often necessitates vasopressor and intravenous fluid support. Methylene blue counteracts vasoplegic syndrome by inhibiting the formation of nitric oxide.

We report the use of methylene blue in a 75-year-old man who developed vasoplegic syndrome after cardiac surgery. After the administration of methylene blue, his hypotension improved to the extent that he could be weaned from vasopressors. The use of methylene blue should be considered in patients who develop hypotension refractory to standard treatment after cardiac surgery.
Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome: Diagnostic Challenge and the Importance of Heightened Clinical Suspicion
Authors: Henkin Stanislav , Negrotto Sara , Pollak Peter M. , Cullen Michael W. , O'Cochlain D. Fearghas , Wright R. Scott
Published: October 2015

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is an uncommon condition of positional dyspnea and hypoxemia; symptoms occur when the patient is upright and resolve with recumbency. Causes can be broadly categorized into 4 groups: intracardiac shunting, pulmonary shunting, ventilation-perfusion mismatch, or a combination of these.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome should be suspected when normal arterial oxygen saturations are recorded while an individual is supine, followed by abrupt declines in those saturations when upright. Further investigations with use of imaging and cardiac catheterization aid in the evaluation. When platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is due to intracardiac shunting without pulmonary hypertension, intracardiac shunt closure can be curative.

In this article, we report a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in an 83-year-old woman who was successfully treated by means of percutaneous transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect.
Aspergillus Mediastinitis after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation: A Case Report
Authors: El-Sayed Ahmed Magdy M. , Almanfi Abdelkader , Aftab Muhammad , Singh Steve K. , Mallidi Hari R. , Frazier O.H.
Published: October 2015

A 55-year-old woman was admitted for orthotopic heart transplantation. Her medical history was notable for multiple cardiovascular problems, including ischemic cardiomyopathy that necessitated circulatory support with a left ventricular assist device. Five weeks after undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation, she developed Aspergillus calidoustus mediastinitis, for which she underwent a prolonged course of antifungal treatment that comprised (in sequence) posaconazole for 11 days, voriconazole for 10 days, and amphotericin B for 42 days. During this period, she also underwent repeated mediastinal drainage and sternal débridement, followed by sternal wiring and coverage with bilateral pectoralis advancement flaps. Four months postoperatively, she was discharged from the hospital with a successfully controlled infection and a healed sternum. To our knowledge, only 3 previous cases of Aspergillus mediastinitis after orthotopic heart transplantation have been reported in the literature, none of which was Aspergillus calidoustus.
Present-Day Hospital Readmissions after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Large Single-Center Study
Authors: Hernandez Ruben E. , Singh Steve K. , Hoang Dale T. , Ali Syed W. , Elayda MacArthur A. , Mallidi Hari R. , Frazier O.H. , Meyers Deborah E.
Published: October 2015

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy improves survival, hemodynamic status, and end-organ perfusion in patients with refractory advanced heart failure. Hospital readmission is an important measure of the intensity of LVAD support care.

We analyzed readmissions of 148 patients (mean age, 53.6 ± 12.7 yr; 83% male) who received a HeartMate II LVAD from April 2008 through June 2012. The patients had severe heart failure; 60.1% were in Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support class 1 or 2. All patients were observed for at least 12 months, and readmissions were classified as planned or unplanned. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of unplanned readmission.

Twenty-seven patients (18.2%) had no readmissions or 69 planned readmissions, and 121 patients (81.8%) had 460 unplanned readmissions. The LVAD-related readmissions were for bleeding, thrombosis, and anticoagulation (n=103; 49.1%), pump-related infections (n=60; 28.6%), and neurologic events (n=28; 13.3%). The readmission rate was 2.1 per patient-year. Unplanned readmissions were for comorbidities and underlying cardiac disease (54.3%) or LVAD-related causes (45.7%). In the unplanned-readmission rate, there was no significant difference between bridge-to-transplantation and destination-therapy patients. Unplanned readmissions were associated with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR]=3.3; P=0.04) and with shorter mileage from residence to hospital (OR=0.998; P=0.046).

Unplanned admissions for LVAD-related sequelae and ongoing comorbidities were common. Diabetes mellitus and shorter distance from residence to hospital were significant predictors of readmission. We project that improved management of comorbidities and of anticoagulation therapy will reduce unplanned readmissions of LVAD patients in the future.
Massive Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm Causing Left Main Coronary Artery Compression in the Absence of Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Yeh Doreen DeFaria , Ghoshhajra Brian , Inglessis-Azuaje Ignacio , MacGillivray Thomas , Liberthson Richard , Bhatt Ami B.
Published: October 2015

We report the case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with classic symptoms of stable angina. Cardiac images and catheterization results revealed absent pulmonary valve syndrome and compression of the left main coronary artery by a massively dilated pulmonary artery aneurysm. The patient's anginal symptoms were relieved after pulmonary arterioplasty.

Others have described proximal left main coronary artery compression in the presence of a dilated and hypertensive pulmonary artery. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which a pulmonary artery aneurysm caused left main coronary insufficiency in the absence of pulmonary hypertension—a clinically important complication of congenital pulmonary valve-related pulmonary arteriopathy.
Design Of Hollow Section Overlap Joints With Reinforcing Rib Plate. Joint Resistance
Authors: Bródka J.
Published: October 2015

These joints are used when the designer and contractor anticipate difficulties during the construction of overlap joints. They were not included in the PN EN 1993-1-8 in full scale. Resistance assessment of such joints is presented in accordance with standard rules. The results were compared with the experimental studies carried out at the “Mostostal” Centre; while the former research activities and the legitimacy of the proposed method of assessing the resistance of these joints was confirmed. This is an example of an overlap joint calculation.
Flexural Behaviour Of Strengthened RC Beams With Multi-Directional Basalt Fibre - Reinforced Polymer Composites
Authors: Chandran A. , Neelamegam M.
Published: October 2015

The paper describes an experimental behaviour of the basalt fibre reinforced polymer composite by external strengthening to the concrete beams. The BFRP composite is wrapped at the bottom face of R.C beam as one layer, two layers, three layers and four layers. The different characteristics - are studied in - first crack load, ultimate load, tensile and compressive strain, cracks propagation, crack spacing and number of cracks etc. To - investigate, total of five beams size 100mm× 160mm×1700mm were cast. One beam is taken as control and others are strengthened with BFRP composite with layers. From this investigation, the first crack load is increased depending on the increment in layers from 6.79% to 47.98%. Similarly, the ultimate load carrying - capacity is increased from 5.66% to 20%. The crack’s spacing is also reduced with an increase in the number of layers
Load-Deflection Characteristics Of Steel, Polypropylene And Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams
Authors: Tamil Selvi M. , Thandavamoorthy T. S.
Published: October 2015

Concrete is the most widely used construction material because of its specialty of being cast into any desired shape. The main requirements of earthquake resistant structures are good ductility and energy absorption capacity. Fiber reinforced concrete possesses high flexural and tensile strength, improved ductility, and high energy absorption over the conventional concrete in sustaining dynamic loads. The aim of this paper is to compare the properties of concrete beams in which three types of fibers are added individually. Steel fibers, polypropylene fibers and hybrid fibers were added to concrete in the weight ratio of four percentages in the preparation of four beam specimens. The fourth specimen did not contain fibers and acted as a control specimen. The dimensions of the beam specimens were 150 mm × 150 mm × 700 mm. The reinforced concrete beams of M30 grade concrete were prepared for casting and testing. Various parameters such as load carrying capacity, stiffness degradation, ductility characteristics and energy absorption capacity of FRC beams were compared with that of RC beams. The companion specimens were cast and tested to study strength properties and then the results were compared. All the beams were tested under three point bending under Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The results were evaluated with respect to modulus of elasticity, first crack load, ultimate load, and ultimate deflection. The test result shows that use of hybrid fiber improves the flexural performance of the reinforced concrete beams. The flexural behavior and stiffness of the tested beams were calculated, and compared with respect to their load carrying capacities. Comparison was also made with theoretical calculations in order to determine the load-deflection curves of the tested beams. Results of the experimental programme were compared with theoretical predictions. Based on the results of the experimental programme, it can be concluded that the addition of steel, polypropylene and hybrid fibers by 4% by weight of cement (but 2.14 % by volume of cement) had the best effect on the stiffness and energy absorption capacity of the beams.
Selected Aspects Of Design Lifespan Of Flexible Pavement With Anti-Fatigue Course
Authors: Nagórska M. , Nagórski R. , Błażejowski K.
Published: October 2015

The aim of the study is to compare flexible pavement design lifespans and the main factors which create their values for a standard structure and one with an anti-fatigue course AF at different parameter values of pavement and its load, relevant to their design processes. Depending on the mixture used for the anti-fatigue course or the course thickness, durability improvement of the pavement (compared to the durability of a standard structure) can be obtained by extending the design lifespan of the asphalt base course or by extending the design lifespan of the AF course. On sections with predominantly slow traffic, the lifespan decreases significantly compared to sections with typical vehicle speed - the relative decrease is greater if anti-fatigue course is applied.
The Problem Of Imputation Of The Missing Data From The Continuous Counts Of Road Traffic
Authors: Spławińska M.
Published: October 2015

Missing traffic data is an important issue for road administration. Although numerous ways can be found to impute them in foreign literature (inter alia, the most effective method, that is Box-Jenkins models), in Poland, still only proven and simplified methods are applied. The article presents the analyses including an assessment of the completeness of the existing traffic data and works related to the construction of SARIMA model. The study was conducted on the basis of hourly traffic volumes, derived from the continuous traffic counts stations located in the national road network in Poland (Golden River stations) from the years 2005 – 2010. As a result, the proposed model was used to impute the missing data in the form of SARIMA (1.1,1)(0,1,1)168. The newly developed model can be used effectively to fill in the missing required days of measurement for estimating AADT by AASHTO method. In other cases, due to its accuracy and laboriousness of the process, it is not recommended.
Modal Parameter Identification Of Cable Stayed Bridge Based On Exploratory Data Analysis
Authors: Khan I. , Shan D. , Li Q.
Published: October 2015

In order to identify the modal parameters of civil structures it is vital to distinguish the defective data from that of appropriate and accurate data. The defects in data may be due to various reasons like defects in the data collection, malfunctioning of sensors, etc. For this purpose Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) was engaged to envisage the distribution of sensor’s data and to detect the malfunctioning with in the sensors. Then outlier analysis was performed to remove those data points which may disrupt the accurate data analysis. Then Data Driven Stochastic Sub-space Identification (DATA-SSI) was engaged to perform the modal parameter identification. In the end to validate the accuracy of the proposed method stabilization diagrams were plotted. Sutong Bridge, one of the largest span cable stayed bridge was used as a case study and the suggested technique was employed. The results obtained after employing the above mentioned techniques are very valuable, accurate and effective.
Fuzzy Estimation Of Activities Duration In Construction Projects
Authors: Ibadov N.
Published: October 2015

During implementation of construction projects, durations of activities are affected by various factors. Because of this, both during the planning phase of the project as well as the construction phase, managers try to estimate, or predict, the length of any delays that may occur. Such estimates allow for the ability to take appropriate action in terms of planning and management during the execution of construction works. This paper presents the use of the non-deterministic concept for describing the uncertainty of estimating works duration. The concept uses the theory of fuzzy sets. The author describes a method for fuzzy estimations of construction works duration based on the fact that uncertain data is an inherent factor in the conditions of construction projects. An example application of the method is presented. The author shows a fuzzy estimation for the duration of an activity, taking into consideration the distorting influence caused by malfunctioning construction equipment and delivery delays of construction materials.
Predicition Of Compressive Strength In Light-Weight Self-Compacting Concrete By ANFIS Analytical Model
Authors: Vakhshouri B. , Nejadi S.
Published: October 2015

Light-weight Self-Compacting Concrete (LWSCC) might be the answer to the increasing construction requirements of slenderer and more heavily reinforced structural elements. However there are limited studies to prove its ability in real construction projects. In conjunction with the traditional methods, artificial intelligent based modeling methods have been applied to simulate the non-linear and complex behavior of concrete in the recent years. Twenty one laboratory experimental investigations on the mechanical properties of LWSCC; published in recent 12 years have been analyzed in this study. The collected information is used to investigate the relationship between compressive strength, elasticity modulus and splitting tensile strength in LWSCC. Analytically proposed model in ANFIS is verified by multi factor linear regression analysis. Comparing the estimated results, ANFIS analysis gives more compatible results and is preferred to estimate the properties of LWSCC.
Durability Assessment Of Monolithic Rammed Earth Walls
Authors: Narloch P. L. , Woyciechowski P. , Dmowska E. , Halemba K.
Published: October 2015

One of the main threats to constructions made from rammed earth is destruction due to exposure to water. The way to limit this dangerous phenomenon is to supplement the local soil mixtures with stabilizing agents. The main component used is Portland cement. This article analyses the results of research which focused on the resistance of rammed earth to water erosion. Because of the lack of national standards regarding the method of examining the durability of rammed earth, the research was based on the New Zealand standard NZS 4298: 1998. The results confirm the possibility of using rammed earth stabilized by cement in a temperate climate.
Nonlinear Vibration Analysis Of Prebuckling And Postbuckling In Laminated Composite Beams
Authors: Abdollahzadeh G. , Ahmadi M.
Published: October 2015

In this stud y, we attempt to analyse free nonlinear vibrations of buckling in laminated composite beams. Two new methods are applied to obtain the analytical solution of the nonlinear governing equation of the problem. The effects of different parameters on the ratio of nonlinear to linear natural frequencies of the beams are studied. These methods give us an agreement with numerical results for the whole range of the oscillation amplitude.
Investigation of the effects of vitamin D and calcium on intestinal motility: In vitro tests and implications for clinical treatment
Authors: Giraldi Guglielmo , Fioravanti Angelo , De Luca d’Alessandro Eugenia , Palmery Maura , Martinoli Lucia
Published: October 2015

The presence of vitamin D receptors in small intestine muscle cells may lead one to think that vitamin D may act locally, influencing intracellular calcium concentration and contributing to the contraction-relaxation regulation of the intestinal smooth muscle cells. This study investigates the potential effects of vitamin D and calcium on intestinal motility using an in vitro test.

Different calcium concentrations added to the tissue not pre-treated with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1α,25(OH)2D3] produced no response at low doses (1.25 × 10−3 and 2.0 × 10−3 mol L−1) and only a very weak response at higher concentration (3.0 × 10−3 mol L−1). The addition of 1α,25(OH)2D3 (1.44 × 10−10 mol L−1) had no effect on isolated ileum motility. When calcium (3.0 × 10−3 mol L−1) was added after at least 3 hours, it evoked evident and persistent contractions for 60–90 minutes. The contractions were at about 40 % of the peak produced by acetylcholine. Thus, simultaneous intake of vitamin D and calcium might be a useful co-adjuvant in intestinal atony therapy aimed to stimulate normal gut motility in humans. These findings imply that supplemental vitamin D may be important in all cases where calcium has to be prescribed.
Contribution to diagnostics/prognostics of tuberculosis in children. II. Indicative value of metal ions and biochemical parameters in serum
Authors: Luterotti Svjetlana , Kordić Tončica Vukman , Letoja Ivka Zoričić , Dodig Slavica
Published: October 2015

Newly introduced methods of assaying simultaneously copper and zinc and zinc alone in serum by flame atomic-absorption spectrometry are simple and economical, especially in saving the consumption of serum material. Along with biochemical parameters, they have been successfully applied to diagnostics/prognostics of tuberculosis in children, through analyses of sera from pediatric patients with lung tuberculosis or suspected tuberculosis, enabling the follow-up of therapeutic efficiency. The prognostic strength of Cu and Cu/Zn ratio together with C-reactive protein, complement components C3 and C4, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate have been documented.