bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of foot arch on ankle joint torques andon sEMG signal amplitude in selected lower leg muscles
Authors: Żebrowska Kinga , Homoncik Katarzyna
Published: April 2017

Introduction: This study sought to assess the influence of proper foot arch on electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of foot arch on the activity of selected muscles and to determine whether electromyography might help to identify types of flat feet resulting from muscle- or ligament-related causes.

Material and methods: The experiment involved 24 students of the Faculty of Rehabilitation, University of Physical Education in Warsaw. To determine Clarke’s angle, all study participants were examined with a podoscope. Based on the obtained results, the subjects were divided into two groups. The experimental group consisted of 12 individuals with low foot arches, while the control group included students with proper foot arches. The surface EMG (sEMG) signal was recorded from the following muscles: peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and soleus. First, the sEMG signal was recorded while measuring MVC for ankle extensors and flexors. Then, it was recorded in the following positions: free standing, two-leg standing on tiptoe, one-leg standing on tiptoe, pressing the first metatarsal head to the ground standing on heels.

Results: No significant differences in muscle activity between the groups with low and proper foot arches were noted (p>0.05). Muscle activity did not prove to be a differentiating factor. Moreover, no differences were found in torques of ankle extensors and flexors between both groups.

Conclusions: The findings of the study confirmed the hypothesis that the size of the foot arch had no effect on electromyographic activity of lower limb muscles. It was also revealed that flat feet did not lead to the weakening of muscle strength of ankle flexors and extensors.
Preterm birth among women living within 600 meters of high voltage overhead Power Lines: a case-control study
Authors: Sadeghi Taktom , Ahmadi Amirmasoud , Javadian Maryam , Gholamian Sayyed Asghar , Delavar Mouloud Agajani , Esmailzadeh Sedigheh , Ahmadi Bahare , Hadighi Mozhgan Sadat Hassanpour
Published: April 2017

Aim. The issue of preterm birth due to exposure to magnetic fields from power lines is unclear. Exposure to electromagnetic field in uterus has been hypothesized as possible preterm birth. The aim of the present study was to determine whether living closer to high voltage power lines increased the risk of preterm labor. Methods. In a nested case-control study, 135 cases of singleton live spontaneous preterm birth in Rohani hospital, Babol, Iran, during the period between 2013 and 2014 were studied. The 150 control subjects were singleton term live birth in the same year of birth and city of residence using randomized-digit dialing. The shortest distance to any of the high voltage power lines to the maternal residence during pregnancy was measured using ArcGIS software for every case and control. To test the association between the preterm births and the residential proximity to power lines, stepwise multiple logistic regression was used. Results. There were 28 households, 20 cases (14.8%) and 8 controls (5.3%) situated within 600 meters of high voltage power lines. The adjusted OR for spontaneous preterm birth and birth defect in women who were living in less than 600 meters from high voltage power lines was higher compared to those living at farther distance (OR = 3.28, CI: 1.37 to 7.85) and (OR = 5.05, CI: 1.52 to 16.78), respectively. Conclusions. Therefore, installing overhead power lines and stations within 600 meters or making overhead underground would be useful in the prevention of both preterm birth and birth defect.
La sémiotique juridique verbale et nonverbale comme stratégie de communication du droit: Signs, symbols, and meanings in law
Authors: Wagner Anne
Published: April 2017

Law exposes the variety and complexity of legal language. The mastery of the cultural and spatio-temporal artefacts is thus necessary to understand the social institutions of a country. Their mode of production may be considered as creating “forms of life,” “language games,” or “institutional practices of the interpreting community.”
The influence of legal tradition on Italian arbitration discourse
Authors: Gotti Maurizio
Published: April 2017

In the last few decades, arbitration has been increasingly adopted in trade and commerce to resolve conflicts. As this method of settling commercial disputes is commonly considered an efficient, economical and effective alternative to litigation, the language used in arbitration documents is usually deemed to differ from that of litigation texts. However, in recent years there has been a narrowing between the two practices, as litigation processes and procedures have increasingly been seen to influence arbitration practices. In view of these considerations, the paper investigates the nature and the extent of the “colonization” of commercial arbitration discourse by litigation language in the Italian context, and explores the motivations for such an interdiscursive process. To better understand how and to what extent language forms/functions correlate to the “colonization” of arbitration discourse, the paper focuses on the lexico-semantic elements of the Italian arbitration texts examined here and on the linguistic expression of their rhetorical-pragmatic strategies. In particular, it examines whether key linguistic features of Italian legal language are also present in the texts taken into consideration. The analysis is based on the recording of recent Italian arbitral proceedings as well as awards of commercial arbitration cases, and also examines documents used in Online Dispute Resolution, a field which is supposed to be more user-friendly and accessible to laymen wishing for clear resolutions to resolve their disputes. Relying on the analysis of the texts, the chapter shows the presence of the main lexical, syntactic and textual patterns typical of Italian legal language. The presence of these features can be explained not only by the legal background of many of the arbitrators but also by a process of standardization which seems to condition also the non-legal experts working in this field.
Psychometric characteristics of the scale for measurement of readiness for active involvement in physical education classes in elementary school
Authors: Petrović Jelena , Milošević Zoran , Petrović Ivan
Published: April 2017

School curriculum and syllabus of physical education sets in front of the pupils the objectives and tasks that could be, by their nature, both physical and sociopsychological while the level of mastering of the contents is measured with a mark that is seen as the result of efficiency of overall educational process at a certain education level. However, the mark in physical education is a composite of numerous factors, one of which is motivation that can be considered within a school environment as readiness for an active engagement of pupils during classes (contrary to passive and mechanical fulfilment of requirements and acting based on the teachers' demand, or open and direct obstruction of a class, disturbing of discipline and refusal to actively implement the curriculum). Therefore, it is important to take pupils' motivation into account in order to fulfilthe sense of physical education classes, remedy the potential shortcomings, and improve additionally the planned syllabus. The Scale for measurement of readiness for active involvement at physical education classes in elementary school has been designed with that aim since early adolescence is considered a critical period for adopting of healthy lifestyles and its metric characteristics have also been tested. The Scale consists of five levels, of Likert's type and it consists of two sub-scales (Commitment and Winning) with nine statements in total. With good psychometric characteristics, easy understanding, concise contents and short and simple setting it is recommended for further work and additional research in the field of motivation in physical education in both elementary and secondary school.
Mathematical–Physics Investigation on the Behaviour of a Metamagnetic System
Authors: Grado-Caffaro M.A. , Grado-Caffaro M.
Published: April 2017

In order to exemplify, we consider a finite itinerant-electron metamagnetic gas at sufficiently low absolute temperature so that relevant new results are obtained. In fact, we study key aspects related to derive the electronic energy of the abovementioned metamagnetic gas in relation to the Fermi levels of the spin-up and spin-down electron bands and in relation to the exchange energy and magnetic susceptibility. Within an unprecedented mathematical–physics approach, the abovementioned electronic energy is reinterpreted by defining it as an averaged quantity from the corresponding nonrelativistic, time-independent, Schrödinger equation with two-band energy-eigenvalue spectrum. In parallel, a matrix formulation is presented.
Structural study of the coordination behavior of a tetradentate NO3-donor amino alcohol ligand toward a CdII:HgII mixture
Authors: Mardani Zahra , Golsanamlou Vali , Khodavandegar Saba , Moeini Keyvan , Slawin Alexandra M.Z. , Woollins J. Derek
Published: April 2017

In this work, the reaction of 2,2′,2″-nitrilotriethanol (NTE) with a 1:1 mixture of CdI2 and HgI2 is investigated. The complex [Cd(NTE)2][Hg2(μ-I)2I4] was synthesized and identified by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of the [HNTE]Cl salt is also presented. In the crystal structure of the complex, the cadmium atom has a CdN2O6 environment in a slightly distorted cube geometry. This geometry is one of the rare cube geometries with a minimum distortion among the Cambridge Structural Database structures for cadmium complexes. The anionic moiety has a binuclear structure with the mercury atoms being in tetrahedral environments. In the network of the complex, in addition to O−H · · · I hydrogen bonds, there are I · · · I interactions which lead to ten-membered rings.
Diffusion Pathways and Activation Energies in Crystalline Lithium-Ion Conductors
Authors: Wiedemann Dennis , Islam Mazharul M. , Bredow Thomas , Lerch Martin
Published: April 2017

Geometric information about ion migration (diffusion pathways) and knowledge about the associated energy landscape (migration activation barriers) are essential cornerstones for a comprehensive understanding of lithium transport in solids. Although many lithium-ion conductors are discussed, developed, and already used as energy-storage materials, fundamental knowledge is often still lacking. In this microreview, we give an introduction to the experimental and computational methods used in our subproject within the research unit FOR 1277, “Mobility of Lithium Ions in Solids (molife)”. These comprise, amongst others, neutron diffraction, topological analyses (procrystal-void analysis and Voronoi–Dirichlet partitioning), examination of scattering-length density maps reconstructed via maximum-entropy methods (MEM), analysis of probability-density functions (PDFs) and one-particle potentials (OPPs), as well as climbing-image nudged-elastic-band (cNEB) computations at density-functional theory (DFT) level. The results of our studies using these approaches on ternary lithium oxides and sulfides with different conduction characteristics (fast/slow) and dimensionalities (one-/two-/three-dimensional) are summarized, focusing on the close orbit of the research unit. Not only did the investigations elucidate the lithium-diffusion pathways and migration activation energies in the studied compounds, but we also established a versatile set of methods for the evaluation of data of differing quality.
Adaptive Value Normalization in the Prefrontal Cortex Is Reduced by Memory Load
Authors: Holper L. , Van Brussel L. D. , Schmidt L. , Schulthess S. , Burke C. J. , Louie K. , Seifritz E. , Tobler P. N.
Published: April 2017

Adaptation facilitates neural representation of a wide range of diverse inputs, including reward values. Adaptive value coding typically relies on contextual information either obtained from the environment or retrieved from and maintained in memory. However, it is unknown whether having to retrieve and maintain context information modulates the brain’s capacity for value adaptation. To address this issue, we measured hemodynamic responses of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in two studies on risky decision-making. In each trial, healthy human subjects chose between a risky and a safe alternative; half of the participants had to remember the risky alternatives, whereas for the other half they were presented visually. The value of safe alternatives varied across trials. PFC responses adapted to contextual risk information, with steeper coding of safe alternative value in lower-risk contexts. Importantly, this adaptation depended on working memory load, such that response functions relating PFC activity to safe values were steeper with presented versus remembered risk. An independent second study replicated the findings of the first study and showed that similar slope reductions also arose when memory maintenance demands were increased with a secondary working memory task. Formal model comparison showed that a divisive normalization model fitted effects of both risk context and working memory demands on PFC activity better than alternative models of value adaptation, and revealed that reduced suppression of background activity was the critical parameter impairing normalization with increased memory maintenance demand. Our findings suggest that mnemonic processes can constrain normalization of neural value representations.
Microbial response to oil enrichment in Gulf of Mexico sediment measured using a novel long-term benthic lander system
Authors: Orcutt Beth N. , Lapham Laura L. , Delaney Jennifer , Sarode Neha , Marshall Kathleen S. , Whaley-Martin Kelly J. , Slater Greg , Wheat C. Geoff , Girguis Peter R.
Published: April 2017

Weathered crude oil sank to the seafloor following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, removing this oil from further physical and photo-chemical degradation processes and leaving benthic processes as the mechanisms for altering and remediating this hydrocarbon source. To quantify potential microbial oil degradation rates at the seafloor, and associated changes in sediment microbial community structure and pore fluid composition, we used a benthic lander system to deploy novel sediment flow-through chambers at a natural hydrocarbon seep in the Gulf of Mexico (at a depth of 1226 m in lease block GC600) roughly 265 km southwest of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead (at 1500 m depth). Sediment amended with 20% unweathered crude oil had elevated rates of sulfate reduction over the course of the 5-month-long experiment as compared to an unamended control, yielding potential rates of sulfate reduction (600–800 mmol m–2 d–1) among the highest measured in hydrocarbon-influenced seafloor sediment. Oil amendment also stimulated methane production towards the end of the experiment, and led to slightly higher cell densities without significant changes in microbial community structure, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries and fatty acid profiles. Assuming a link between sulfate reduction and hydrocarbon degradation, these results suggest that electron acceptor availability may become limiting in heavily oiled deep-sea environments, resulting in minimal degradation of deposited oil. This study provides unique data on seafloor sediment responses to oil deposition, and reveals the value of using observatories to fill the gap in understanding deep-sea microbial processes, especially for ephemeral and stochastic events such as oil spills.
Acute vs chronic exposure to high fat diet leads to distinct regulation of PKA
Authors: London Edra , Nesterova Maria , Stratakis Constantine A
Published: April 2017

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is an essential regulator of lipid and glucose metabolism that plays a critical role in energy homeostasis. The impact of diet on PKA signaling has not been defined, although perturbations in individual PKA subunits are associated with changes in adiposity, physical activity and energy intake in mice and humans. We hypothesized that a high fat diet (HFD) would elicit peripheral and central alterations in the PKA system that would differ depending on length of exposure to HFD; these differences could protect against or promote diet-induced obesity (DIO). 12-week-old C57Bl/6J mice were randomly assigned to a regular diet or HFD and weighed weekly throughout the feeding studies (4 days, 14 weeks; respectively), and during killing. PKA activity and subunit expression were measured in liver, gonadal adipose tissue (AT) and brain. Acute HFD-feeding suppressed basal hepatic PKA activity. In contrast, hepatic and hypothalamic PKA activities were significantly increased after chronic HFD-feeding. Changes in AT were more subtle, and overall, altered PKA regulation in response to chronic HFD exposure was more profound in female mice. The suppression of hepatic PKA activity after 4 day HFD-feeding was indicative of a protective peripheral effect against obesity in the context of overnutrition. In response to chronic HFD-feeding, and with the development of DIO, dysregulated hepatic and hypothalamic PKA signaling was a signature of obesity that is likely to promote further metabolic dysfunction in mice.
SETDB1 plays an essential role in maintenance of gonocyte survival in pigs
Authors: Liu Tiantian , Zhang Pengfei , Li Tianjiao , Chen Xiaoxu , Zhu Zhenshuo , Lyu Yinghua , Li Xueliang , Tian Xiue , Zeng Wenxian
Published: April 2017

Histone methyltransferase SETDB1 suppresses gene expression and modulates heterochromatin formation through H3K9me2/3. Previous studies have revealed that SETDB1 catalyzes lysine 9 of histone H3 tri-methylation and plays essential roles in maintaining the survival of embryonic stem cells and spermatogonial stem cells in mice. However, the function of SETDB1 in porcine male germ cells remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to reveal the expression profile and function of SETDB1 in porcine germ cells. SETDB1 expression gradually increased during testis development. SETDB1 was strongly localized in gonocytes. Knockdown of SETDB1 gene expression led to gonocyte apoptosis and a decrease in H3K27me3, but no significant change in H3K9me3. These observations suggested that SETDB1 is a novel epigenetic regulator of porcine male germ cells, and contributes to the maintenance of gonocyte survival in pigs, probably due to the regulation of H3K27me3 rather than H3K9me3. These findings will provide a theoretical basis for the future study of epigenetic regulation of spermatogenesis.
Assessing riveted connections to Eurocode 3
Authors: Gent Dave , Ianakiev Anton
Published: April 2017

The focus of this paper is the assessment of wrought iron and early steel riveted connections in the future, with recommendations as to how different codes currently deal with the assessment and what may change if alternative codes are adopted. As British standards are being replaced by Eurocodes for design, it is inevitable that assessment codes of practice based on British standards will be replaced by those based on Eurocodes. This progression will ensure that future structures are designed and assessed using codes based on similar philosophies. However, this will also lead to older structures designed according to older codes based on different philosophies and constructed of materials not covered by the Eurocodes also being assessed according to Eurocode-based assessment codes. A similar situation already exists with structures being assessed using British standard-based assessment codes, which were written for the design of steel structures. This has resulted in the leading asset-owning organisations, such as Network Rail and Highways England, including guidance on adapting calculations to account for different material types.
FRP reinforced-concrete slabs: a comparative design study
Authors: Stuart Valerio , Cunningham Lee S.
Published: April 2017

Durability of concrete structures represents a major challenge today for both existing and new structures. Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite rebar offers a highly durable alternative to steel rebar. Research on the use of FRP rebar has been conducted over the past 40 years; however, its widespread application is yet to occur. This paper investigates the use of FRP as reinforcement, in particular the application to slab elements and associated performance at serviceability and ultimate limit state. Existing design guidance such as the ACI and CSA standards are reviewed and a number of slab designs with dimensions common in practice are undertaken. A third approach that follows the Eurocode design philosophy is also reviewed. The design of the different slab forms is assessed according to these codes, and results compared with the behaviour predicted by non-linear finite-element analysis. The relative costs of each resulting slab design are also discussed. The findings highlight differences in the relative accuracy of the different code recommendations and indicate the need for further research to exclude potentially non-conservative design. The work presented is intended to provide a contextual comparison of existing design approaches, which will be useful to practitioners involved in design of concrete structures with FRP rebar.
La inmunorreactividad a Calbindina en células de purkinje del cerebelo de ratones no es afectada por la infección con virus de la rabia
Authors: Naizaque G. Julián Ricardo , Torres-Fernández. Orlando
Published: April 2017

Introducción: La calbindina (CB) es una proteína reguladora del calcio intracelular y la célula de Purkinje del cerebelo es la neurona con más alta concentración de CB. Se ha demostrado pérdida de inmunorreactividad a CB en diferentes áreas del sistema nervioso en ratones inoculados con virus de la rabia, pero faltaba estudiar este fenómeno en el cerebelo. Objetivo: Determinar el efecto de la inoculación con virus de la rabia sobre la expresión de CB en células de Purkinje del cerebelo de ratones. Metodología: Se inocularon ratones con el virus por vía intramuscular. Se sacrificaron los animales cuando alcanzaron la fase avanzada de la enfermedad y se fijaron mediante perfusión intracardiaca con paraformaldehído al 4%. Se les extrajo el cerebelo y se hicieron cortes sagitales de 50 micrómetros de espesor en un vibrátomo. Estos se procesaron mediante inmunohistoquímica para revelar la presencia de CB o de antígenos del virus de la rabia. El mismo procedimiento se realizó con animales no infectados (controles). Resultados: Las células de Purkinje fueron masivamente infectadas con el virus de la rabia. En las imágenes panorámicas observadas en el microscopio se comprobó que sólo estas células fueron inmunorreactivas a CB. No se hallaron diferencias significativas en la inmunorreactividad a CB, evaluada por densitometría óptica, entre los animales infectados y los controles. Conclusión: La expresión de CB en las células de Purkinje del cerebelo parece no afectarse por la infección con rabia, a diferencia de lo que se ha demostrado en otras áreas del sistema nervioso del ratón.
Determinación de las medidas de bioseguridad en clínicas y consultorios de pequeños animales en la ciudad de Pasto, Nariño
Authors: Vallejo Timarán Darío Antonio , Benavides Melo Carmenza Janneth , Astaiza Martínez Juan Manuel , Higidio Miranda Paula Sthefanny , Benavides Zambrano Mario Andrés
Published: April 2017

La medicina veterinaria es considerada como una de las profesiones más expuestas a sufrir daños a la salud humana como consecuencia de accidentes y enfermedades profesionales relacionadas con los animales, las enfermedades zoonóticas son el principal riesgo laboral que enfrenta el personal veterinario a diario. El presente estudio se realizó en la ciudad de Pasto, en ocho clínicas y consultorios veterinarios, con el objetivo de determinar las medidas de bioseguridad que implementan durante la prestación de sus servicios profesionales. La recolección de los datos se realizó mediante encuestas para determinar las medidas profilácticas que usan los médicos veterinarios en su ejercicio profesional para prevenir el contagio de enfermedades zoonóticas. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de la encuesta personal revelan que el 87,5% de los profesionales desconocen los alcances de la ley 776 de 2002 sobre accidentes de trabajo y enfermedades profesionales. Las enfermedades zoonóticas que conocen son principalmente rabia (100%) y brucelosis (87,5%). El 87,5% de los profesionales se encuentran vacunados profilácticamente contra tétanos y solo el 25% contra rabia. El 37% de los profesionales ha sido afectado por alguna enfermedad zoonótica durante el tiempo de su ejercicio profesional. Las principales medidas profilácticas implementadas son el lavado de manos y depósito de material cortopunzantes en recipientes adecuados. El uso de barreras de protección varía dependiendo del procedimiento y tipo de paciente. En conclusión, los profesionales encuestados dedicados a clínica y cirugía de pequeñas especies, conocen los riesgos a los que están expuestos en su práctica profesional y la necesidad de implementar medidas profilácticas, sin embargo no cuentan con un esquema de bioseguridad que sigan estrictamente.
Sleep Bruxism and Anxiety Impacts in Quality of Life Related to Oral Health of Brazilian Children and their Families
Authors: de Alencar Nashalie Andrade , Leão Cecília Sued , Leão Anna Thereza Thomé , Luiz Ronir Raggio , Fonseca-Gonçalves Andréa , Maia Lucianne Cople
Published: April 2017

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of parent reported sleep bruxism, trait anxiety and sociodemographic/socioeconomic features on quality of life related to oral health (OHRQoL) of children and their families. Study Design: Healthy children aged 3–7 years, with (n=34) and without (n=32) bruxism were select for this study. Data was collected by applying the following instruments: The Early Childhood Oral Health Scale (B-ECOHIS) and Trait-anxiety Scale (TAS). The sociodemographic/socioeconomic characteristics were obtained by interviews with parents. Multiple logistic regression tests were performed to observe the influence of sociodemographic/socioeconomic characteristics, bruxism and trait-anxiety on the children's OHRQoL. Results: No association between sleep bruxism and all evaluated sociodemographic/socioeconomic conditions, with exception of being the only child (p=0.029), were observed. Mean B-ECOHIS and TAS scores were different (p<0.05) between children with (3.41 ± 4.87; 45.09 ± 15.46, respectively) and without (0.63 ± 1.28; 29.53 ± 11.82, respectively) bruxism. Although an association between bruxism and OHRQoL (p=0.015) was observed, it was dropped (p=0.336; OR=1.77) in the logistic regression model. Trait anxiety was the variable responsible for the impact on the OHRQoL of children (p=0.012; OR=1.05). Conclusion: Our results indicated anxiety as the main factor that interfered in the OHRQoL of children with sleep bruxism
Intentional Replantation of an Immature Incisor with a Transverse Root Fracture and Endo-Perio Condition: 4 Year Follow-Up
Authors: Oishi Atsushi
Published: April 2017

This case report describes the importance of continual examination for dental trauma and the efficacy of intentional replantation with retrograde root canal filling for a transverse root fracture in an immature incisor accompanied by subsequent periodontal-endodontic disease. In the treatment of traumatically fractured roots in immature incisors, continual examination is indispensable for the final diagnosis because roots in immature teeth are less calcified, resulting in less detailed radiological examinations. Thus, common dental trauma complications such as pulp necrosis may appear months after the initial examination. Endodontic treatment for transverse root fracture is mainly determined according to radiographic examination findings; for fractured immature roots, apexification with calcium hydroxide of the coronal fragment is generally applied. However, this method requires removal of considerable amounts of enamel and dentin to allow access to the cavity for preparation, which may increase the risk of future fractures. In contrast, intentional replantation with retrograde root canal filling does not require the removal or long-term application of calcium hydroxide. However, it requires careful extraction of the tooth, maintenance of root wetness during the extraoral procedure, rigid splinting, and oral hygiene control. Management of tooth mobility is also important in the post-replantation course.
Factors Responsible for Unfavorable Dental Arch Relationship in non Syndromic Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Children
Authors: Haque Sanjida , Alam Mohammad Khursheed , Khamis Mohd Fadhli
Published: April 2017

Objectives: Multiple factors are whispered to be crucial cause of unfavourable dental arch relationship in cleft lip and palate (CLP).This study aims to evaluate the dental arch relationship of Bangladeshi children with non syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) following cheiloplasty and palatoplasty. Also to explore the various congenital (UCLP type, UCLP side, family history of cleft, family history of class III) and environmental (cheiloplasty, palatoplasty) factors that affects dental arch relationship of UCLP patients. Study design: This was a retrospective study where 84 dental models were taken before orthodontic treatment and alveolar bone grafting. The mean age was 7.69± 2.46 (mean± SD). The dental arch relationship was assessed by GOSLON (Great Ormond Street, London and Oslo) Yardstick. According to GOSLON Yardstick, five categories are rated; named- 1: excellent; 2: good; 3: fair; 4: poor; 5: very poor. Also the groups have been dichotomized into favorable (category ratings 1–3) and unfavorable (category ratings 4 and 5) groups. Kappa statistics was used to evaluate the intra- and inter-examiner agreements and logistic regression analysis was used to explore the responsible factors that affect dental arch relationship. Results: Total 37 subjects (44% of all subjects) were categorized into unfavourable group (category rating 4 and 5) using GOSLON yardstick. Intra- and inter-examiner agreements were very good. The mean GOSLON score was 3.238. Using crude and stepwise backward regression analysis, significant association was found between family history of skeletal class III malocclusion (p = 0.015 and p = 0.014 respectively) and unfavourable dental arch relationship. Complete UCLP (p = 0.054) and left sided UCLP (p = 0.053) also seemed to be correlated but not significant with unfavourable dental arch relationship using crude and stepwise backward regression analysis respectively. Conclusion: This analysis suggested that family history of skeletal class III was significantly correlated with unfavourable dental arch relationship of Bangladeshi UCLP children.
An Energy Demodulation Based Fiber Optic Sensing System for Landslide Early-Warning
Authors: Wang Xing , Shi Bin , Wei Guangqing , Chen Shenen
Published: April 2017

To help reduce the impact of geohazards, an innovative landslide early-warning technology based on an energy demodulation-based fiber optic sensing (FOS-LW for short) technology, is introduced in this paper. FOS-LW measures the energy change in a sensing fiber at the segment of micro-bending, which can be caused by landslide movements, and automatically raises an alarm as soon as the measured signal intensity in the fiber reaches a pre-set threshold. Based on the sensing of micro-bending losses in the fiber optics, a two-event sensing algorithm has been developed for the landslide early-warning. The feasibility of the FOS-LW technology is verified through laboratory simulation and field tests. The result shows that FOS-LW has some unique features such as the graded alarm, real-time responses, remote monitoring, low cost and passive optical network, and can be applied in the early-warning of landslides.
Special Issue on Innovative Technology for Nursing Care and Nosotrophy
Authors: Mori Taketoshi ,   Project Professor, Department of Life Support Technology (Molten), Graduate school of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Kobayashi Yo
Published: April 2017

As life expectancy has become longer, the number of those who have some handicaps or diseases as well as the families, caregivers and medical staff who support them has been also increasing. While modern medical science has rapidly advanced by adopting the innovation of engineering technology especially in the fields of mechanical and electric engineering, the support for nursing, care and assistance by making use of engineering technology has only just begun. This special issue on “Nursing Engineering,” a combination of nursing and engineering, covers a wide range of themes such as the measuring equipment characterized by non-invasiveness, unconstraint and real-time for the purpose of helping patients and healthcare professionals and the development of the related technology; the development of the technology for the equipment to support recuperation, rehabilitation or convalescent life of patients; and active introduction of information technology and user interface technique into nursing study and its case studies. “Nursing Engineering” is expected to play increasingly important role to support medical treatment and everyday life of patients along with the highly professional medical staff by making practical use of the technology of robotics and mechatronics and incorporating rehabilitation science, welfare engineering and technology for assistance.
Measurement of Distal Ulnar Hounsfield Units Accurately Predicts Bone Mineral Density of the Forearm
Authors: Wagner Scott C. , Dworak Theodora C. , Grimm Patrick D. , Balazs George C. , Tintle Scott M.
Published: April 2017

Background:

Hounsfield unit (HU) measurement obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans of the wrist is a potential new screening method for low bone mineral density (BMD). We hypothesized that HU measurements of the ulnar head obtained from CT scans would correlate with BMD assessed with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the forearm.

Methods:

Patients with both upper-extremity CT and DXA scans performed at a single institution were included in the study. Hounsfield units were manually measured in the distal part of the ulna by 1 author blinded to the DXA results. Average values were then compared with forearm BMD values as determined with a DXA scan.

Results:

Seventy-seven CT scans of 74 patients were included. Average HU values were significantly lower in the osteoporotic and osteopenic groups in comparison with the normal BMD group. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for osteopenic patients was 145.9 HU. The average forearm T-score for patients with an HU value at or below the cutoff of 146 was significantly lower than the average T-score for those with an HU value of >146 HU (p < 0.0001). Sensitivity and negative predictive value for low BMD using this cutoff value were calculated to be 91% and 89%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Distal ulnar HU measurements accurately reflect the BMD of the forearm as diagnosed with a DXA scan. Our results suggest that distal ulnar HU measurements of ≤146 HU are strongly associated with low BMD and that values above this cutoff accurately rule out low forearm BMD with a high degree of sensitivity and negative predictive value. Utilizing this technique may improve the capture of at-risk patients and streamline the screening process for osteoporosis.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Formal Physical Therapy After Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Not Required
Authors: Austin Matthew S. , Urbani Brian T. , Fleischman Andrew N. , Fernando Navin D. , Purtill James J. , Hozack William J. , Parvizi Javad , Rothman Richard H.
Published: April 2017

Background:

The value of formal physical therapy after total hip arthroplasty is unknown. With substantial changes that have occurred in surgical and anesthesia techniques, self-directed therapy may be efficacious in restoring function to patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

Methods:

We conducted a single-center, randomized trial of 120 patients undergoing primary, unilateral total hip arthroplasty who were eligible for direct home discharge. The experimental group followed a self-directed home exercise program for 10 weeks. The control group received the standard protocol for physical therapy that included in-home visits with a physical therapist for the first 2 weeks followed by formal outpatient physical therapy for 8 weeks. Functional outcomes were measured using validated instruments including the Harris hip score (HHS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) preoperatively, at 1 month postoperatively, and at 6 to 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

Of 120 randomized patients, 108 were included in the final analysis. Ten patients (19%) were randomized to unsupervised home exercise and 20 patients (37%) were randomized to formal outpatient therapy crossed over between groups. There was no significant difference in any of the measured functional outcomes between patients receiving formal therapy (n = 54) and those participating in unsupervised home exercise (n = 54) at any time point (HHS, p = 0.82; WOMAC, p = 0.80; and SF-36 physical health, p = 0.90).

Conclusions:

This randomized trial suggests that unsupervised home exercise is both safe and efficacious for a majority of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, and formal physical therapy may not be required.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Структура популяций Rapana venosa (Gastropoda, Muricidae) севастопольских бухт (Чёрное море)
Authors: Бондарев И. П.
Published: April 2017

Хищный брюхоногий моллюск-вселенец Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) в настоящее время является важным звеном экосистемы бентали Чёрного моря. Систематический мониторинг его популяций –– неотъемлемый элемент мониторинга Чёрного моря. В летний период 2015 г. проведено исследование популяций R. venosa в четырёх бухтах Севастополя: Голубой, Казачьей, Круглой, Стрелецкой. Определены и сопоставлены основные популяционные характеристики R. venosa. Проанализирован размерный, массовый, возрастной и половой состав популяций рапаны исследованных бухт. На основе полученных сведений дана оценка современного состояния и перспектив развития локальных популяций рапаны этих бухт. Наиболее сбалансирована по структурным показателям локальная популяция рапаны бухты Круглая, которая находится в относительно устойчивом состоянии. Локальные популяции R. venosa в остальных бухтах в разной степени квазиустойчивы. Предполагается, что основным фактором, определяющим структурные особенности популяций рапаны бухт Севастополя, является кормовая база.
Электронная коллекция паразитов рыб Мирового океана Института морских биологических исследований им. А. О. Ковалевского
Authors: Дмитриева Е. В. , Лях А. М. , Корнийчук Ю. М. , Полякова Т. А. , Попюк М. П.
Published: April 2017

Биологические коллекции — основа для таксономических исследований и изучения биологического разнообразия регионов. Задача настоящей работы — создание электронного каталога коллекционных образцов и таксономической базы данных (БД), а также развитие веб-ресурса для доступа к ним с целью интегрирования биологических коллекций в исследовательский процесс. Коллекция паразитов рыб Мирового океана ИМБИ РАН послужила материалом для создания сайта, который написан на PHP с использованием сценариев JavaScript и работает под управлением веб-сервера Apache. Управление БД осуществлено при помощи СУБД MySQL. Сайт marineparasites.org включает каталог коллекционных материалов, таксономическую базу данных и библиотеку публикаций о видах паразитов рыб. Интерфейс сайта обеспечивает доступ к перечисленным ресурсам. В основе функционирования сайта лежат четыре связанные друг с другом сущности: объект хранения, организмы, таксоны и публикации. Каждому понятию соответствует таблица базы данных. В процессе ввода система автоматически формирует связи между коллекционными экземплярами организмов, их типовым статусом и прочими атрибутами. Посетители сайта при помощи выборок и фильтров делают запросы и получают целостное представление о коллекции. Страница таксона состоит из данных о систематическом положении вида и его синонимах. На странице о виде-паразите расположен индикатор наличия экземпляров вида в коллекции, перечень атрибутов коллекционных экземпляров, публикации, где упоминается данный вид, типовой район и хозяин вида-паразита, а также другие места и хозяева находок, описания и изображения видов. Таким образом, пользователь планомерно переходит от описаний видов паразитов к их хозяевам, от коллекционных образцов — к изображениям и диагнозам видов, к публикациям и обратно. Сайт сделан англоязычным, что даёт возможность зарубежным и отечественным исследователям получить информацию о коллекции паразитов рыб Мирового океана ИМБИ РАН и интегрировать её в международные веб-ресурсы по биоразнообразию. Аудитория сайта — профессиональные исследователи паразитов, но заложенные идеи позволяют достроить сайт до виртуальной коллекции любых организмов или до веб-портала о разнообразии флоры и фауны любого региона. Сайт является результатом плодотворного взаимодействия биологов и программистов, способствует интенсификации обмена коллекционными данными и образцами и служит инструментом исследования паразитарной компоненты морских сообществ.
Пространственное распределение и питание желетелых хищников в прибрежных районах Крыма в зимний период 2016 г.
Authors: Финенко Г. А. , Дацык Н. А. , Аннинский Б. Е.
Published: April 2017

Желетелые хищники ― важнейший компонент экосистемы Чёрного моря. Несмотря на многочисленные исследования различных аспектов их биологии (горизонтального и вертикального распределения, биоэнергетических показателей роста и трансформации энергии на организменном и популяционном уровнях) сведения о состоянии популяций и их функционировании в зимний период остаются крайне скудными. В настоящей работе численность, биомасса, размерная структура желетелых хищников (медузы Aurelia aurita, гребневиков Mnemiopsis leidyi, Beroe ovata и Pleurobrachia pileus) и интенсивность питания двух доминирующих видов (A. aurita, M. leidyi) исследованы на 17 станциях на шельфе Крыма в зимний период 2016 г. Сбор материала осуществляли модифицированной сетью Богорова ― Расса с диаметром входного отверстия 80 см, ячеëй 300 мкм, которой производили вертикальные траления от дна (10–100 м) до поверхности. Биомасса A. aurita, доминирующего в это время вида желетелых, изменялась в пределах 30–1990 г·м-2 с более высокими величинами в южных районах. Биомасса других видов желетелых была значительно ниже (максимальные величины — 170 г·м-2 для M. leidyi, и 60 г·м-2 для P. pileus). Высокая биомасса B. ovata (85 г·м-2 ), сравнимая с летней величиной, отмечена на одной из станций в западной части шельфа. Достоверных различий в биомассе отдельных видов желетелых по районам не выявлено, за исключением различий в биомассе B. ovata между западным и южным районами (p < 0.01). Популяции A. aurita и M. leidyi состояли из взрослых особей, в то время как большую часть популяции B. ovata составляли неполовозрелые гребневики длиной 20–30 мм. Основным видом пищи были велигеры двустворчатых моллюсков у A. aurita и различные стадии Copepoda— у M. leidyi. Cуточные рационы медуз составляли 0.009–0.107, M. leidyi — 0.02–0.28 % C тела и были значительно ниже пищевых потребностей животных в данных температурных условиях.
Сезонная динамика гидрофильного орнитокомплекса бухты Круглая (Севастополь, Чёрное море)
Authors: Гирагосов В. Е. , Бескаравайный М. М.
Published: April 2017

Актуальность изучения гидрофильных птиц в городских зонах черноморского побережья обусловлена их важной ролью в структуре прибрежных биоценозов и необходимостью сохранения биоразнообразия в условиях антропогенной трансформации береговой зоны Крыма. Исследована динамика видового состава и численности птиц бухты Круглая (Севастополь). Материал собран в 1995 и 2005–2016 гг. В бухте Круглая установлено пребывание 51 вида водных и околоводных птиц из 8 отрядов. Зимний орнитокомплекс наиболее разнообразен и многочислен (32 вида: 14 Anseriformes, 7 Charadriiformes, 5 Podicipediformes, 3 Gruiformes, 2 Pelecaniformes, 1 Gaviiformes). Регулярно зимуют и количественно доминируют 8 видов – Cygnus olor, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya ferina, Aythya fuligula, Fulica atra, Larus ridibundus, Larus cachinnans и Larus canus. Определены численность всех видов птиц, возрастной состав Cygnus olor и половой состав Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya ferina и Aythya fuligula. Основу орнитокомплекса составляли бентофаги (не менее 13 видов), ихтиофаги (5) и эврифаги (4). Отмечено 30 пролётных и кочующих видов, преимущественно Charadriiformes (11), Anseriformes (7) и Ciconiiformes (5). Гнездовой орнитокомплекс отсутствовал, только в 2016 г. зарегистрировано гнездование Ixobrychus minutus. Весенний пролёт проходил с конца февраля до мая, осенний –– с августа до первой декады ноября. Для сохранения данной бухты как ценного природного и эколого-воспитательного объекта целесообразно придание ей статуса природного парка.
Коллекция культур диатомовых водорослей Карадагской научной станции (Крым)
Authors: Давидович Н. А. , Давидович О. И. , Подунай Ю. А.
Published: April 2017

Несмотря на исключительную важность диатомовых в природных экосистемах, их генетический и биопродукционный потенциал почти не используется вследствие слабой изученности биологии и чрезвычайно низкой представленности в коллекциях культур. Отсутствует необходимый опыт выделения клонов (штаммов) диатомовых, постановки и содержания в культурах, недостаточно полны представления о жизненных циклах диатомовых. На Карадагской научной станции (Крым) занимаются изучением диатомовых водорослей более 40 лет. К настоящему времени сформирована рабочая коллекция, которая включает более 400 клонов, относящихся к 27 морским и 7 пресноводным видам. Регулярно пересеваемые культуры содержатся на жидких средах. Помимо Чёрного моря, морские виды отобраны в различных регионах всех океанов, а пресноводные –– в отдельных регионах Евразии. Результаты исследования коллекции культур необходимы как для решения ряда научных проблем (выявления репродуктивных особенностей, биогеографии видов, внутривидовой изменчивости), так и для потенциального практического использования диатомовых водорослей в биотехнологиях.