bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Food Components on in vitro Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Secretion—A Potential Mechanism for Dietary Influence on Migraine
Authors: Slavin Margaret , Bourguignon Julia , Jackson Kyle , Orciga Michael-Angelo
Published: July 2016

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a pivotal messenger in the inflammatory process in migraine. Limited evidence indicates that diet impacts circulating levels of CGRP, suggesting that certain elements in the diet may influence migraine outcomes. Interruption of calcium signaling, a mechanism which can trigger CGRP release, has been suggested as one potential route by which exogenous food substances may impact CGRP secretion. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of foods and a dietary supplement on two migraine-related mechanisms in vitro: CGRP secretion from neuroendocrine CA77 cells, and calcium uptake by differentiated PC12 cells. Ginger and grape pomace extracts were selected for their anecdotal connections to reducing or promoting migraine. S-petasin was selected as a suspected active constituent of butterbur extract, the migraine prophylactic dietary supplement. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in stimulated CGRP secretion from CA77 cells following treatment with ginger (0.2 mg dry ginger equivalent/mL) and two doses of grape pomace (0.25 and 1.0 mg dry pomace equivalent/mL) extracts. Relative to vehicle control, CGRP secretion decreased by 22%, 43%, and 87%, respectively. S-petasin at 1.0 μM also decreased CGRP secretion by 24%. Meanwhile, S-petasin and ginger extract showed inhibition of calcium influx, whereas grape pomace had no effect on calcium. These results suggest that grape pomace and ginger extracts, and S-petasin may have anti-inflammatory propensity by preventing CGRP release in migraine, although potentially by different mechanisms, which future studies may elucidate further.
Estimation of Forest Topsoil Properties Using Airborne LiDAR-Derived Intensity and Topographic Factors
Authors: Li Chao , Xu Yanli , Liu Zhaogang , Tao Shengli , Li Fengri , Fang Jingyun
Published: July 2016

Forest topsoil supports vegetation growth and contains the majority of soil nutrients that are important indices of soil fertility and quality. Therefore, estimating forest topsoil properties, such as soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (Total N), pH, litter-organic (O-A) horizon depth (Depth) and available phosphorous (AvaP), is of particular importance for forest development and management. As an emerging technology, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can capture the three-dimensional structure and intensity information of scanned objects, and can generate high resolution digital elevation models (DEM) using ground echoes. Moreover, great power for estimating forest topsoil properties is enclosed in the intensity information of ground echoes. However, the intensity has not been well explored for this purpose. In this study, we collected soil samples from 62 plots and the coincident airborne LiDAR data in a Korean pine forest in Northeast China, and assessed the effectiveness of both multi-scale intensity data and LiDAR-derived topographic factors for estimating forest topsoil properties. The results showed that LiDAR-derived variables could be robust predictors of four topsoil properties (SOM, Total N, pH, and Depth), with coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 0.46 to 0.66. Ground-returned intensity was identified as the most effective predictor for three topsoil properties (SOM, Total N, and Depth) with R2 values of 0.17–0.64. Meanwhile, LiDAR-derived topographic factors, except elevation and sediment transport index, had weak explanatory power, with R2 no more than 0.10. These findings suggest that the LiDAR intensity of ground echoes is effective for estimating several topsoil properties in forests with complicated topography and dense canopy cover. Furthermore, combining intensity and multi-scale LiDAR-derived topographic factors, the prediction accuracies (R2) were enhanced by negligible amounts up to 0.40, relative to using intensity only for topsoil properties. Moreover, the prediction accuracy for Depth increased by 0.20, while for other topsoil properties, the prediction accuracies increased negligibly, when the scale dependency of soil–topography relationship was taken into consideration.
Single-Use Disposable Electrochemical Label-Free Immunosensor for Detection of Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV)
Authors: Molazemhosseini Alireza , Magagnin Luca , Vena Pasquale , Liu Chung-Chiun
Published: July 2016

A single-use disposable in vitro electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of HbA1c in undiluted human serum using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was developed. A three-electrode configuration electrochemical biosensor consisted of 10-nm-thin gold film working and counter electrodes and a thick-film printed Ag/AgCl reference electrode was fabricated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Micro-fabrication techniques including sputtering vapor deposition and thick-film printing were used to fabricate the biosensor. This was a roll-to-roll cost-effective manufacturing process making the single-use disposable in vitro HbA1c biosensor a reality. Self-assembled monolayers of 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were employed to covalently immobilize anti-HbA1c on the surface of gold electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the excellent coverage of MPA-SAM and the upward orientation of carboxylic groups. The hindering effect of HbA1c on the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide electron transfer reaction was exploited as the HbA1c detection mechanism. The biosensor showed a linear range of 7.5–20 µg/mL of HbA1c in 0.1 M PBS. Using undiluted human serum as the test medium, the biosensor presented an excellent linear behavior (R2 = 0.999) in the range of 0.1–0.25 mg/mL of HbA1c. The potential application of this biosensor for in vitro measurement of HbA1c for diabetic management was demonstrated.
Using Modified Remote Sensing Imagery to Interpret Changes in Cultivated Land under Saline-Alkali Conditions
Authors: Gao Hui , Liu Jintong , Eneji A. , Han Lipu , Tan Limei
Published: July 2016

Managing the rapidly changing saline-alkali land under cultivation in the coastal areas of China is important not only for mitigating the negative impacts of such land on the environment, but also for ensuring long-term sustainability of agriculture. In this light, setting up rapid monitoring systems to assist decision-making in developing sustainable management plans is therefore an absolute necessity. In this study, we developed a new interpretation system where symbols are used to grade and classify saline-alkali lands in space and time, based on the characteristics of plant cover and features of remote sensing images. The system was used in combination with the maximum likelihood supervised classification to analyze the changes in cultivated lands under saline-alkali conditions in Huanghua City. The analysis revealed changes in the area and spatial distribution of cultivated under saline-alkali conditions in the region. The total area of saline-alkali land was 139,588.8 ha in 1992 and 134,477.5 ha in 2011. Compared with 1992, severely and moderately saline-alkali land areas decreased in 2011. However, non/slightly saline land areas increased over that in 1992. The results showed that the salinization rate of arable lands in Huanghua City decreased from 1992 to 2011. The moderately saline-alkali land southeast of the city transformed into non/slightly saline-alkaline. Then, severely saline-alkali land far from the coastal zone west of the city became moderately saline-alkaline. Spatial changes in cultivated saline-alkali lands in Huanghua City were such that the centers of gravity (CG) of severely and non/slightly saline-alkali land moved closer the coastline, while that of the moderately saline-alkali land moved from southwest coastal line to northwest. Factors influencing changes in cultivated lands in the saline-alkali ecosystem included climate, hydrology and human activity. Thus, studies are required to further explore these factors in order to build a better understanding into the relative contributions of the changes saline-alkali state on the functions of coastline ecosystems.
Dielectrophoresis of gold nanoparticles conjugated to DNA origami structures
Authors: Henning-Knechtel Anja , Wiens Matthew , Lakatos Mathias , Heerwig Andreas , Ostermaier Frieder , Haufe Nora , Mertig Michael
Published: July 2016

DNA nanostructures are promising construction materials to bridge the gap between self-assembly of functional molecules and conventional top-down fabrication methods in nanotechnology. Their positioning onto specific locations of a microstructured substrate is an important task towards this aim. Here we study manipulation and positioning of pristine and of gold nanoparticle-conjugated tubular DNA origami structures using ac dielectrophoresis. The dielectrophoretic behavior was investigated employing fluorescence microscopy. For the pristine origami, a significant dielectrophoretic response was found to take place in the megahertz range, whereas, due to the higher polarizability of the metallic nanoparticles, the nanoparticle/DNA hybrid structures required a lower electrical field strength and frequency for a comparable trapping at the edges of the electrode structure. The nanoparticle conjugation additionally resulted in a remarkable alteration of the DNA structure arrangement. The growth of linear, chain-like structures in between electrodes at applied frequencies in the megahertz range was observed. The long-range chain formation is caused by a local, gold nanoparticle-induced field concentration along the DNA nanostructures, which in turn, creates dielectrophoretic forces that enable the observed self-alignment of the hybrid structures.
A FAST AND ACCURATE METHOD TO PREDICT RELIABILITY OF PROJECT COMPLETION TIME
Authors: LI Chun-Qing , ZHANG Guomin , HOSSEINIAN Mahdi
Published: July 2016

To meet the target completion time of a construction project is one of the most important performance indi­cators of project management. This paper proposes a fast and accurate method for evaluating the reliability of project completion time in large construction projects, using reliability theory. The proposed method is developed to overcome the limitations of existing methods, including the inaccuracy of the program evaluation and review technique and the long computational time of the narrow reliability bounds method. The proposed method is established in three main parts: (i) calculating the statistics of paths duration in the network; (ii) truncating insignificant paths of the network; and (iii) proposing an innovative solution to accurate estimate for reliability of project completion time. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated using an example project. It is found that the results of the proposed method on the reliability of completion time are accurate. It is also found that the proposed method significantly reduces the number of analysed network paths and the computational effort. The method proposed here can serve as a fast and accurate tool for project managers and project planners in project planning, re-planning, and project control phases.
CASE-STUDY ANALYSIS OF CONCRETE LARGE-PANEL APARTMENT BUILDING AT PRE- AND POST LOW-BUDGET ENERGY-RENOVATION
Authors: KUUSK Kalle , KALAMEES Targo , LINK Siim , ILOMETS Simo , MIKOLA Alo
Published: July 2016

The paper presents a case study analysis of low-budget renovation of a typical concrete large-panel apartment building. Focus is on the measurements and analyses of energy consumption, indoor climate, CO2 concentration, air leakage rate, thermal transmittance of thermal bridges, and thermal transmittance of the building envelope before and after the renovation. Results indicate that the renovation project was generally successful, with delivered energy need de­creasing by 40% and heating energy need decreasing by 50%. However, some key problems need to be solved to achieve full energy efficiency potential of the renovation works. Those critical problems are the performance (thermal comfort, heat recovery) of ventilation systems, thermal bridges of external wall/window jamb and economic viability. Currently, a major renovation is not economically viable, therefore financial assistance to the apartment owners’ associations is required to encourage them to undertake major renovations.
Risk analysis of BOT contracts using soft computing
Authors: SHAHRARA Neda , ÇELIK Tahir , GANDOMI Amir H.
Published: July 2016

Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts have been widely implemented in developing countries facing budget constraints. Analysing the expected variability in project viability requires extensive risk analysis. An objective analysis of various risk variables and their influence on a BOT project evaluation requires study and integration of many sce­narios into the concession terms, which is complicated and time-consuming. If the process of negotiating the financial parameters and uncertainties of a BOT project could be automated, this would be a milestone in objective decision-mak­ing from various stakeholders’ points of view. A soft computing model would let the user incorporate as many scenarios as could be provided. Extensive risk analysis could then be easily performed, leading to more accurate and dependable results. In this research, an artificial neural network model with correlation coefficient of 0.9064 has been used to model the relationship between important project parameters and risk variables. This information was extracted from sensitiv­ity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation results obtained from conventional spreadsheet data. The resulting consensus would yield to fair contractual agreements for both the government and the concession company.
RESEARCH OF THE TAXATION JUSTICE AND THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY / APMOKESTINIMO TEISINGUMO IR SOCIALINĖS ATSAKOMYBĖS LIETUVOJE TYRIMAS
Authors: Skačkauskienė Ilona , Valentinovič Jelena
Published: July 2016

The article deals with the content of taxation justice, it’s value and compatibility with other principles of taxation, analyses the features of the Lithuanian tax system formation. The article ex¬amines the conception of social responsibility and it’s possibilities for assessment too. The research findings show that the principle of taxation justice is implemented only partially in Lithuania. The assessment of social responsibility through quantitative and qualitative indexes shows that some of its principles in Lithuania are being implemented more successful. However, it should be noted that significant amounts of funds for these initiatives and projects are received from the EU. It is very important to continue all the projects when funding from the EU runs out. Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas apmokestinimo teisingumo turinys, jo reikšmė bei suderinamumas su kitais apmokestinimo principais, analizuojami Lietuvos mokesčių sistemos formavimo ypatumai. Taip pat darbe nagrinėjama socialinės atsakomybės samprata ir jos įvertinimo galimybės, pateikiami kiekybiniai vertinimo metodai. Atliktas apmokestinimo teisingumo vertinimas leidžia teigti, kad šis principas Lietuvoje įgyvendintas tik iš dalies. Socialinės atsakomybės vertinimui pasitelkus kiekybinius ir kokybinius rodiklius, galima teigti, kad Lietuvoje kai kurie jos principai diegiami vis sėkmingiau. Tačiau pabrėžtina, kad Lietuva gauna nemažas lėšų sumas iš ES šioms iniciatyvoms vykdyti, todėl, kai baigsis finansavimas, reikėtų stengtis pradėtas iniciatyvas ir projektus toliau vykdyti.
GLOBAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE REAL ESTATE MARKETS IN THE EU / GLOBALIZACIJOS PROCESŲ ĮTAKA EUROPOS SĄJUNGOS NEKILNOJAMOJO TURTO RINKOMS
Authors: Švogžlys Povilas , Chlivickas Eugenijus
Published: July 2016

The place, neighbourhood, infrastructure, and apartment plan are the main factors which have an influence on price for the buyers, sellers, investors, or brokers participating in the buying and selling processes of real estate. Participants of the process forget frequently that there are more crucial factors which can affect not only the prices of property, but the prices of real estate in the whole region as well in the future. The article uses benchmarking and discuss the main external factors which affect the real estate market in the European Union, the current events and the proposals are presented and the specific conclusions are identified.
Pirkėjai, pardavėjai, investuotojai ar tarpininkai, dalyvaujantys nekilnojamojo turto pirkimo-pardavimo procesuose, esminiais faktoriais, veikiančiais kainą, dažniausiai laiko vietą, kaimynystę, infrastruktūrą bei buto planą. Dažnas proceso dalyvis užmiršta, jog yra nemažai esminių veiksnių, kurie ateityje gali nulemti ne tik būsto, bet ir viso regiono nekilnojamojo turto kainas. Straipsnyje pasitelkiant lyginamąją analizę yra aptariami pagrindiniai nekilnojamojo turto rinką visoje Europos Sąjungoje veikiantys išoriniai faktoriai, šių dienų aktualijos, pateikiami siūlymai bei iškeliamos konkrečios išvados.
ANALYSIS OF FREQUENCY SYNTHESISERS FOR MULTISTANDART WIRELESS TRANSCEIVER / DAŽNIO SINTEZATORIŲ DAUGIASTANDARČIAMS BEVIELIO RYŠIO SIŲSTUVAMS IR IMTUVAMS ANALIZĖ
Authors: Jurgo Marijan , Navickas Romualdas
Published: July 2016

Frequency synthesiser is one of most important blocks in wire-less transceiver. Generally phase locked loop (PLL) is used as frequency synthesiser in multistandart wireless transceivers. Two main structures of PLL are conventional (mixed, charge pump) PLL and All-Digital PLL. Newest works, related to design of conventional PLLs, are oriented to minimise power consumption and chip size, increase loop bandwidth and decrease frequency locking time. Main focus of All-Digital PLLs design is to reduce quantisation noise. New figure of merit (FOM) is proposed to compare frequency synthesisers of different type. This function depends on all main parameters of frequency synthesizer for multistandart transceiver: phase noise, operation frequency, frequency tuting range, power dissipation, used area of silicon. Used CMOS technology is also assessed in proposed FOM. From the calsulated FOM value for newest published frequency synthesisers it is seen, that in nanometric technologies All-Digital frequency synthesisers are superior to conventional synthesisers. Although, performance of conventional frequency synthesisers, implemented in larger technologies (0.18 µm ir 0.13 µm), is comparable or better than performance of All-Digital synthesisers.
Dažnio sintezatorius yra vienas iš svarbiausių blokų bevielio ryšio siųstuvuose-imtuvuose. Kaip dažnio sintezatorius daugiastandarčiams bevielio ryšio siųstuvams ir imtuvams dažniausiai yra naudojama fazės derinimo kilpa (FDK). Dvi pagrindinės FDK struktūros yra klasikinė (mišri, krūvio pompos) ir visiškai skaitmeninė fazės derinimo kilpa. Naujausiuose darbuose, susijusiuose su klasikinės FDK projektavimu, siekiama mažinti galią ir plotą, dažnio suderinimo trukmę, platinti praleidžiamų dažnių ruožą. Pagrindinis dėmesys projektuojant visiškai skaitmenines FDK skiriamas kvantavimo triukšmui mažinti. Įvairių struktūrų ir tipų dažnio sintezatoriams palyginti yra siūloma nauja kokybės funkcija (FOM). Ši funkcija priklauso nuo visų pagrindinių sintezatoriaus, tinkančio daugiastandarčiams siųstuvams-imtuvams, parametrų: fazinio triukšmo, darbinio dažnio, dažnio perderinimo ruožo pločio, vartojamosios galios, luste užimamo ploto. Taip pat įvertinama naudojama KMOP technologija. Iš apskaičiuotų kokybės funkcijos rezultatų naujausiems publikuotiems dažnio sintezatoriams matyti, kad nanometrinėse technologijose visiškai skaitmeninės struktūros dažnio sintezatoriai yra pranašesni už klasikinius, tačiau didesnėse (0,18 μm ir 0,13 μm) technologijose įgyvendinti klasikiniai dažnio sintezatoriai yra lygiaverčiai arba pranašesni už visiškai skaitmeninius sintezatorius.
EVALUATION OF INTEGRATED ANALOG RC FILTER STRUCTURES FOR MULTISTANDARD TRANSCEIVERS / INTEGRINIŲ ANALOGINIŲ RC FILTRŲ STRUKTŪRŲ DAUGIASTANDARČIAMS SIŲSTUVAMS-IMTUVAMS TYRIMAS
Authors: Kiela Karolis , Mamajev Aleksandr , Navickas Romualdas
Published: July 2016

Multistandard transceivers usually have high order low pass filters in their receiver chains. Different filter topologies may have various component variation tolerances and different output noise. In this work, three 6th order filter with different topologies are analyzed for use in multistandard transceivers. Filters are designed in 0.18 µm and 65 nm CMOS technologies and simu-lated using Cadence software. The results show, that the filter frequency response variation in integrated circuits does not de-pend on the filter topology. Simulation results also show that the Leapfrog filter topology has the smallest integrated output noise in the filter bandwidth and is most suited for low noise applications. Daugiaustandarčiuose siųstuvuose-imtuvuose naudojami aukštesnės eilės žemųjų dažnių filtrai. Skirtingos filtrų struktūros gali būti nevienodai jautrios jas sudarančių elementų nuokrypiams ir daryti skirtingą įtaką daugiastandarčių siųstuvų-imtuvų triukšmams. Darbe pateikti trijų šeštosios eilės skirtingų struktūrų aktyviųjų RC filtrų, skirtų daugiaustandarčiams siųstuvams-imtuvams, tyrimo rezultatai. Filtrų struktūros modeliuojamos naudojant 0,18 μm ir 65 nm KMOP integrinių grandynų gamybos technologijas ir Cadence Virtuoso programinę įrangą. Iš imitacijos rezultatų matyti, kad moderniose integrinių grandynų technologijose filtrų dažninių amplitudės charakteristikų (DACh) parametrų nuokrypis beveik nepriklauso nuo filtro struktūros. Tarp analizuotų filtrų struktūrų mažiausia praleidžiamųjų dažnių juostoje integruota išėjimo triukšmo vidutinė kvadratinė vertė gaunama naudojant šuolinių grįžtamųjų ryšių struktūros filtrus.
DEAD-TIME GENERATION IN SIX-PHASE FREQUENCY INVERTER / TRANZISTORIŲ VALDYMO SIGNALŲ VĖLINIMO GRANDINĖS ŠEŠIAFAZIAME DAŽNIO KEITIKLYJE
Authors: Pitrėnas Aurelijus
Published: July 2016

In this paper control of multi-phase induction drives is discussed. Structure of six-phase frequency inverter is examined. The article deals with dead-time generation circuits in six-phase frequency inverter for transistor control signals. Computer models of dead-time circuits is created using LTspice software package. Simulation results are compared with experimental results of the tested dead-time circuits. Parameters obtained in simulation results are close to the parameters obtained in experimental results.
Šiame straipsnyje atskleistas daugiafazių asinchroninių pavarų valdymas, išnagrinėta šešiafazio dažnio keitiklio sandara. Straipsnyje nagrinėjama šešiafazio dažnio keitiklio inverterio tranzistorių valdymo signalų vėlinimo grandinės. Sudaryti jų kompiuteriniai modeliai, naudojant LTspice programinį paketą gauti grandinių imitaciniai rezultatai, kurie palyginti su eksperimentiniais šių grandinių tyrimo rezultatais. Gaunamos imitacinių rezultatų parametrų vertės yra artimos eksperimentinių tyrimų rezultatams.
THE UV-BRIGHT QUASAR SURVEY (UVQS): DR1
Authors: Monroe TalaWanda R. , Prochaska J. Xavier , Tejos Nicolas , Worseck Gabor , Hennawi Joseph F. , Schmidt Tobias , Tumlinson Jason , Shen Yue
Published: July 2016

We present the first data release (DR1) from our UV-bright Quasar Survey for new z ∼ 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) across the sky. Using simple GALEX UV and WISE near-IR color selection criteria, we generated a list of 1450 primary candidates with FUV < 18.5 mag. We obtained discovery spectra, primarily on 3 m-class telescopes, for 1040 of these candidates and confirmed 86% as AGNs, with redshifts generally at z > 0.5. Including a small set of observed secondary candidates, we report the discovery of 217 AGNs with FUV < 18 mag that previously had no reported spectroscopic redshift. These are excellent potential targets for UV spectroscopy before the end of the Hubble Space Telescope mission. The main data products are publicly available through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.
Epidemiological characteristics and pathogens attributable to hand, foot, and mouth disease in Shanghai, 2008–2013
Authors: Fu Yifei , Sun Qiao , Liu Bo , Xu Hongmei , Wang Yuanping , Zhu Weiping , Pan Lifeng , Zhu Linying
Published: July 2016

Introduction: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood illness caused by enteroviruses. A passive surveillance system has been implemented in Shanghai Pudong since 2008 and etiology surveillance since 2009.We characterized the epidemiology and the etiology of HFMD in Pudong from 2008–2013. Methodology: Health care providers were required to report any clinically diagnosed HFMD to Pudong District Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For all severe cases and randomly selected mild HFMD cases, throat or rectal swabs or feces were collected for enterovirus detection by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: A total of 50,149 cases were reported, with average 8,508 per year (range: 3,577–13,202) and average incidence of 167.5/100,000 persons (range: 81.4–254.1/100,000 persons). HFMD was more likely to occur in children under five years of age (85.6%), while severe cases were more likely to happen in children under three years of age (63.9%). Every year in May or June, HFMD peaked in the region; two peaks were observed from 2011 to 2013.The most common etiologic agents are EV71 and CA16.Different types of enterovirus circulate in different years. EV71 was the predominant pathogen in severe cases. The proportions of EV71 in severe cases was higher than in mild cases at the children’s medical center (p<0.001). Conclusions: HFMD remains an important public health issue in Shanghai. HFMD pathogen surveillance is required for more types of enteroviruses besides EV71 and CA16, which would give a better picture of the etiology of HFMD.
Detection of phenotypes, virulence genes and phylotypes of avian pathogenic and human diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in Egypt
Authors: Ramadan Hazem , Awad Amal , Ateya Ahmed
Published: July 2016

Introduction: The purpose from this study was to determine phenotypes, intestinal virulence-associated genes, and phylotypic profiling of human diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Methodology: A total of 108 chicken visceral organs (liver, spleen, heart) from 36 diseased birds (three organs per each bird) and 78 human stool samples (50 diarrheic patients and 28 healthy persons) were randomly collected during the first half of 2015 in the district of Mansoura city, Egypt. Conventional culturing, serotyping, and molecular characterization of virulence genes and phylogroups were performed. Results: Sixty-five (35%) biochemically identified E. coli isolates were detected from chicken visceral (29/108; 26.9%) and human stool samples (36/78; 46.2%). Serotypes O78, O2, and O1 were the most prevalent serotypes (62%) distinguished from APEC isolates, and only two similar serotypes (O119:H4 and O26:H11) were identified from both APEC and DEC isolates. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the respective percentages of 100 and 35 with eae and Shiga toxin genes were detected from APEC isolates while 50%, 27.8%, and 19.4% of human DEC isolates harbored eae, stx1, and stx2 genes, respectively. Phylogrouping revealed a significantly higher occurrence of pathogenic phylogroups (D and B2) in APEC (19/29; 65.5%) than in human DEC isolates (8/36; 22.2%). Conclusions: APEC isolates shared serotypes, virulence genes, and phylotypes with human DEC isolates, which is a subsequent potential public health concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in Egypt that determines virulence gene and phylogroup coexistence between APEC and DEC isolates.
Application of protein profiling of virulent Haemophilus parasuis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry
Authors: Moreno Luisa Z. , Silva Givago F. R. , Gomes Vasco T. M. , Matajira Carlos E. C. , Silva Ana Paula S. , Mesquita Renan E. , Lotto Nicholas P. , Ferreira Thais S. P. , Christ Ana Paula G. , Sato Maria Inês Z. , Gherpelli Yuri , Dottori Michele , Bonilauri Paolo , Luppi Andrea , Moreno Andrea M
Published: July 2016

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Surveillance and characterization of Candida bloodstream infections in a Serbian tertiary care hospital
Authors: Stojanovic Predrag , Stojanovic Nikola , Stojanovic-Radic Zorica , Arsić Arsenijević Valentina , Otasevic Suzana , Randjelovic Pavle , Radulović Niko S
Published: July 2016

Introduction: Candida spp. frequently cause hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (BSI) with a high mortality rate (up to 70%). We analyzed the frequency, infection characteristics, potential predisposing factors, susceptibility to antifungal drugs, biofilm production and other virulence characteristics of Candida spp. isolates obtained from a tertiary care hospital in Niš, Serbia, during a one year period. Methods: Medical histories, characteristics of isolated strains and drug susceptibility, as well as the effect on the function of isolated macrophages and other virulence features were evaluated. The obtained results were subjected to student’s t-test and multivariate statistical analyzes. Results: Herein we report an annual incidence of 3.65 cases of C. albicans, C. lusitaniae and C. lipolytica infections per 105 population. Out of eight isolated strains, two (25%) were shown to be strong biofilm producers, one (12.5%) caused hemolysis on blood agar and in two (25%) cases macrophages were able to completely eliminate the yeast colonies. Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, malignant and other diseases were present in 37.5, 62.5, 50 and 75%, respectively, in the study group. All patients with Candida BSI received antifungal therapy (amphotericin B), however, hospital mortality was observed in 25% of patients. Conclusions: Evaluation of local Candida epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility and virulence factors, as well as personalized patient risk factors are important for the surveillance of Candida BSI, especially in intensive care unit patients and may contribute to the improved options and outcome for patients with Candida BSI.
Zika virus infection, associated microcephaly, and low yellow fever vaccination coverage in Brazil: is there any causal link?
Authors: De Góes Cavalcanti Luciano Pamplona , Tauil Pedro Luiz , Alencar Carlos Henrique , Oliveira Wanderson , Teixeira Mauro Martins , Heukelbach Jorg
Published: July 2016

Introduction: Since the end of 2014, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has been rapidly spreading in Brazil. Methodology: To analyze the possible association of yellow fever vaccine with a protective effect against ZIKV-related microcephaly, the following spatial analyses were performed, using Brazilian municipalities as units: i) yellow fever vaccination coverage in Brazilian municipalities in individuals aged 15-49; ii) reported cases of microcephaly by municipality; and iii) confirmed cases of microcephaly related to ZIKV, by municipality. SaTScan software was used to identify clusters of municipalities for high risk of microcephaly. Results: There were seven significant high risk clusters of confirmed microcephaly cases, with four of them located in the Northeast where yellow fever vaccination rates were the lowest. The clusters harbored only 2.9% of the total population of Brazil, but 15.2% of confirmed cases of microcephaly. Conclusion: We hypothesize that pregnant women in regions with high yellow fever vaccination coverage may pose their offspring to lower risk for development of microcephaly. There is an urgent need for systematic studies to confirm the possible link between low yellow fever vaccination coverage, Zika virus infection and microcephaly.
Risk of Serious Infection for Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Starting Glucocorticoids with or without Antimalarials
Authors: Herrinton Lisa J. , Liu Liyan , Goldfien Robert , Michaels M. Alex , Tran Trung N.
Published: July 2016

Objective.

To compare serious infection risk for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients starting glucocorticoids (GC), antimalarials (AM), or their combination.

Methods.

We conducted a new-user, historical cohort study, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 1997–2013. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to calculate adjusted HR and 95% CI.

Results.

The study included 3030 patients with SLE followed an average of 4 years. Compared with patients starting AM without GC (9 infections/1461 patient-yrs), the HR for the risk of infection was 3.9 (95% CI 1.7–9.2) for those starting GC ≤ 15 mg/day without AM (14 infections/252 patient-yrs), while it was 0.0 (0 infections/128 patient-yrs) for those starting the combination. We split the 14 patients with a serious infection and with GC < 15 mg/day into 2 groups: < 7.5 and ≥ 7.5–15 mg/day. The HR for < 7.5 mg/day was 4.6 (95% CI 1.8–11.4) and for ≥ 7.5–15 mg/day, 3.1 (95% CI 1.0–9.7). For patients starting GC > 15 mg/day (reflecting more severe SLE), the risk of infection was nearly the same for the combination of GC and AM (9 infections/135 patient-yrs) and GC alone (41 infections/460 patient-yrs), but the combination users had evidence of more severe disease. Patients with SLE had a 6- to 7-fold greater risk of serious infection than the general population.

Conclusion.

Our findings suggest that the benefits of AM treatment for SLE may extend to preventing serious infections. Although the study included > 3000 patients, the statistical power to examine GC dosages < 15 mg/day was poor.
El Instituto Español de Entomología (CSIC) y la multitud molesta
Authors: Martín Albaladejo Carolina , Notario Gómez Antonio , Carrascosa Santiago Alfonso V.
Published: July 2016

En 1941 se creó el Instituto Español de Entomología (IEE), heredero directo de la antigua Sección de Entomología del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Entre las labores encomendadas al nuevo establecimiento estaba la de aportar «a los Centros de aplicación los datos resultantes de los trabajos que en él se efectúen con los insectos, de interés económico y sanitario». Gonzalo Ceballos fue nombrado Director y sus propuestas, junto al trabajo de las instituciones encargadas de la gestión forestal, hicieron del IEE uno de los centros motores de muchas iniciativas en este campo. Su dirección supuso, además, una excelente oportunidad para cumplir los objetivos con los que fue concebido el Instituto. En este artículo se distinguen tres formas de participación respecto al estudio, gestión y control de plagas forestales. Por un lado, la implicación del IEE en la resolución de consultas de particulares, empresas e instituciones; en segundo lugar, el desarrollo de proyectos subvencionados por el Patronato Juan de la Cierva y, finalmente, las colaboraciones con diferentes cuerpos dependientes del Ministerio de Agricultura. Se constata que la falta de personal especializado en plagas adscrito al IEE supuso un grave inconveniente para que las iniciativas de Ceballos se desarrollaran más allá de su gestión.
Análisis de la mortalidad expósita de la Inclusa de Toledo (1900-1930)
Authors: Martín Espinosa Noelia M. , Villena Espinosa Rafael , Cobo Cuenca Ana I.
Published: July 2016

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la mortalidad expósita y sus causas en una cohorte de niños abandonados en la inclusa toledana, aquellos que nacieron en la Maternidad aneja, como grupo homogéneo que partía de unas condiciones de alumbramiento similares y fueron institucionalizados al nacer. Ello permite comparar esta mortalidad expósita con la de otras inclusas españolas y con la mortalidad poblacional, a la vez que explica los distintos factores que pudieron condicionarla.
Hacia la generalización de la rehabilitación integral o arquitectónica de la edificación española
Authors: Ludevid J.
Published: July 2016

El artículo reflexiona sobre la necesidad de fomentar un enfoque integral en la rehabilitación de los edificios. Se trata de identificar los aspectos más relevantes que debería contemplar este enfoque de carácter arquitectónico para la rehabilitación así como las herramientas que harían posible su implantación a gran escala, teniendo como marco de la nueva Ley 8/2013 de rehabilitación, regeneración y renovación urbanas. Para ello, se considera fundamental la participación de los profesionales de la arquitectura en colaboración con las administraciones públicas, de manera que se garantice que las intervenciones sobre el parque edificado se realicen contemplando la complejidad de cuestiones que afectan a los edificios (estructurales, ambientales, energéticas, urbanísticas, de salubridad, de accesibilidad, valores patrimoniales y culturales). En este sentido, se propone la creación de un documento, denominado sello básico, que a modo de informe evalúe de forma integral el estado de un edificio y las posibles mejoras desde un enfoque arquitectónico, que necesariamente debe tener un enfoque integral. Los objetivos finales de este planteamiento son el fomento de una rehabilitación masiva e integral del parque edificado que conduzca a la mejora de la calidad de vida para los ciudadanos, la conservación del patrimonio construido y la reducción del impacto ambiental de nuestras ciudades.
Potencial del nuevo marco normativo para el impulso de la rehabilitación y la regeneración urbana en los ámbitos autonómico y local
Authors: Rubio de Val J.
Published: July 2016

El nuevo marco normativo (Ley 8/2013) ofrece posibilidades de intervención sobre el parque de viviendas, a implementar desde los ámbitos autonómico y local. De no desarrollarse en estos ámbitos, se perderá una oportunidad de comprobar los posibles resultados de la ley en un momento económico especialmente necesitado de políticas de estímulo y de inversión en el parque inmobiliario más obsoleto de nuestro país. Desde la experiencia en Zaragoza, se proponen fórmulas de gestión para el impulso de la rehabilitación y la regeneración urbana: apoyo en los primeros pasos del proceso, creación de entes mixtos público-privados y la canalización de ayudas europeas.
L’affirmation de l’exemplarité environnementale comme stratégie de métropolisation des villes nordiques
Authors: Girault Camille
Published: July 2016

Les villes d’Europe du Nord sont souvent perçues par de multiples acteurs comme des modèles de durabilité urbaine. Leurs ambitions et leurs performances environnementales nourrissent fortement la construction de ce modèle nordique urbain et ses différentes déclinaisons. Pour des villes marquées par une certaine périphéricité européenne et mondiale, l’affirmation d’une telle exemplarité environnementale participe en fait d’une volonté d’intégration métropolitaine en Europe et dans le monde. Cet article propose ainsi d’analyser l’articulation entre les logiques métropolitaines et la production du modèle nordique de durabilité urbaine. En développant un modèle de durabilité urbaine environnementalo-centré pour s’affirmer dans un contexte globalisé et compétitif, les différents acteurs urbains mettent en réalité en œuvre une stratégie partagée de métropolisation.
Circulation d’un modèle urbain "alternatif" ?
Authors: Douay Nicolas , Prévot Maryvonne
Published: July 2016

L’urbanisme tactique propose à tout citoyen d'agir matériellement sur son environnement urbain immédiat et quotidien afin de le rendre plus agréable à vivre, et ce sans attendre que les autorités/acteurs en charge de l'aménagement et de l'urbanisme répondent à ses aspirations. À première vue cela remet en cause le rôle central des institutions publiques dans la régulation et la maîtrise de l'espace public et des aménagements. En ce sens, les conditions sociétales de l’émergence même de ces nouvelles initiatives d’appropriation citoyenne d’espaces publics, délaissés ou pas, doivent être analysées. Si l'urbanisme tactique s'attache à démontrer que chacun est en capacité de transformer, à l'échelle locale, la manière de penser et de faire la ville, ce n'est pas tant en son nom propre qu'au nom d'intérêts partagés par d'autres membres de sa communauté. Ce modèle urbain alternatif s’appuie donc sur une large communauté connectée aux réseaux sociaux qui permet la circulation des initiatives prises ou des pratiques adoptées et leurs adaptations dans différents contextes locaux. L'urbanisme tactique porte-t-il « l’étendard des échanges désintéressés et des valeurs du don promus par la génération des pionniers du Net » (Dagnaud) en étant le vecteur d’une démocratie « impliquante » ou ne serait-il désormais qu'un des visages renouvelés des solutions dominantes (mainstream) - d’aménagement urbain ? Le cas de Paris permet d’illustrer cette réception du modèle et son institutionnalisation somme toute assez rapide.
Phosphorus-Doped p-Type ZnS Nanowires and their Photodetecting Applications Based on Device Construction
Authors: Zhang Xi Wei , Hu Dan , Meng Dan , Tang Zhen Jie , Wang Zhi
Published: July 2016

Phosphorus-doped p-type ZnS NWs were synthesized by chemical deposition method. The as-synthesized NWs shows obvious p-type conduction with a hole concentration of 8.35 × 1017 cm-3. ZnS-Si core-shell nanoheterojunction was fabricated by depositing Si thin film on the surface of ZnS NWs through a sputtering method. The core-shell nanostructure exhibited excellent photoresponse to white light and UV light. Under UV light illumination, a high performance with a responsibility of ~ 0.14 × 103 AW-1, a gain of ~ 0.69 × 103 and a detectivity of ~ 1.2 × 1010 cmHz1/2W-1 were obtained based on the ZnS-Si core-shell nanoheterojunction. This new nanostructure is expected to play an important role in the next-generation optoelectronic devices.
Structural Analysis of CoCrMoSi6 Alloy Used in Medical Applications
Authors: Minciună Mirabela Georgiana , Vizureanu Petrică , Achiţei Dragoş Cristian , Al Bakri Abdullah Mohd Mustafa , Sandu Andrei Victor
Published: July 2016

Increase the life exploitation of implants has been the motor factor in the elaboration of the new biocompatible alloys based on cobalt. The paper aims the complete structural characterizations for CoCrMoSi6 alloy, based on modern investigation methods, like compositional analysis by EDX method, optical and electronic microscopy analysis, X-ray diffractrometric analysis, fracture analysis. The experiments aimed to establish all the structural aspects for CoCrMoSi6 alloy and his recommendation for using to manufacture the components for medical applications. The results obtained from the SEM microstructural analysis, for the original version allied with silicon in percentage of 6%, certify a dendritic structure specific to the cobalt base alloys. This paper established the structural aspects for a new variant of CoCrMoSi6 alloy and recommends their use successfully in the production of components for medical applications.
Colonial morphology of Escherichia coli: impact of detection in clinical specimens
Authors: Barcella Lucia , Barbaro Angelo Pasquale , Rogolino Santa Beatrice
Published: July 2016

As part of bacteriological identification, the macroscopic observation of the colonies on a culture medium is a critical step as it allows the clinical microbiologist to conduct a primary screening of microorganisms and in some cases even to identify them. This study shows how the macroscopic observation of the colonies, in particular of the colonies of Escherichia coli isolated on MacConkey agar from various clinical specimens, allowed to identify 5 classes of morphological variants of the colonies or colonial morphology, thanks to the knowledge and the experience gained by the clinical microbiologist.
The history of tuberculosis: from mummies to multidrug resistance across the Royal Touch
Authors: Morazzoni Cristina , DePaschale Massimo
Published: July 2016

Writing about a complete history of tuberculosis would obviously require more than the space we have available; therefore, this brief manuscript is just aimed to summarize some of the most curious and potentially less known aspects of this long lasting disease that likely started to accompany the mankind from the very beginning and still is among the most worrying illness affecting the poorest classes worldwide.
Antimicrobial resistance global emergence: healthcare facilities or environmental microbiota as the most important reservoir of antibiotic resistant microorganisms?
Authors: Migliavacca Roberta , Sambri Vittorio
Published: July 2016

The ecosystems contamination caused by drugs and by their biologically active transformation products has become an emerging environmental issue: recently developed analytical and sensitive methods have allowed the detection of these pollutants in different matrices (like water, soil, sediment). [...]
Prefixation Ability Index and Verbal Grammar Correlation Index prove the reality of Buyeo group
Authors: AKULOV Alexander
Published: July 2016

All suggestions about reality of Buyeo group were based on the representation of a language as a heap of lexemes: such method allows different scholars to make different conclusions and doesn't suppose verification. Language is first of all structure/grammar, but not a heap of lexemes, so methods of comparative linguistics should be based on comparison of grammars. Prefixation Ability Index (PAI) and Verbal Grammar Correlation Index (VGCI) are typology based tools of comparative linguistics. PAI allows us to see whether languages are potentially related: if values of PAI differ more than fourfold, it's a sign of unrelatedness, if PAI values differ less than fourfold, there is a possibility for some further search to find proves of relatedness. VGCI completely answers questions about relatedness/unrelatedness: if VGCI value is 0.4 and more then languages are related, if VGCI is 0.3 and less then  languages are unrelated. PAI of Japanese is 0.13, PAI of Korean is 0.13; it means they can be related. VGCI of Japanese and Korean is 0.57, it's almost the same as VGCI of English and Afrikaans that is 0.56, so it means that Japanese and Korean belong to the same group, but not just to the same family.
Análise fitossociológica de um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Decidual: Parque Estadual do Turvo, RS
Authors: Balbinot Rafaelo , Lambrecht Fernanda Raquel , Breunig Fábio Marcelo , Trautenmuller Jonathan William , Galvão Lênio Soares , Denardi Luciano , Vendruscolo Rafael
Published: July 2016

O ecossistema formado pela Floresta Estacional Decidual (FED) predomina na região do Alto Uruguai no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar de forma descritiva a composição florística e fitossociológica dos componentes arbóreos de um fragmento de FED presente no Parque Estadual do Turvo (PET), localizado no Município de Derrubadas, RS (floresta do Yucumã). Utilizou-se o método de área fixa, sendo instaladas 18 unidades amostrais de 1.000 m2 de forma aleatória, orientadas de acordo com a estrada principal no parque. Todos os indivíduos arbóreos com diâmetro a 1,30 m do solo (DAP) superior a 10 cm foram medidos e identificados. Verificou-se a presença de 842 indivíduos, distribuídos em 32 famílias botânicas, 67 gêneros e 83 espécies (12% não foram identificados). As famílias que apresentaram maior riqueza de espécies foram Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, Myrtaceae e Sapindaceae. O Índice de Shannon estimado foi de 3,72.Phytosociology analysis of a fragment of Seasonal Deciduous Forest: Parque Estadual do Turvo, RS, BrazilThe ecosystem formed by the Seasonal Deciduous Forest (SDF) predominates in the region of Alto Uruguay in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. This study aimed to analyze descriptively the floristic composition and the phytosociology of trees from a fragment of SDF present in Parque Estadual do Turvo (PET) located in the Municipality of Derrubadas, Rio Grande do Sul State (Yucumã forest). We used the method of fixed area, based on 18 sample units with 1,000 m2 installed randomly oriented by the main road of the park. All wood species with diameter at 1.3 m above ground level (DBH) greater than 10 cm were measured and identified. It was observed the presence of 842 individuals belonging to 32 families, 67 genera and 83 species (12% were not identified). The families with the highest number of species were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, Myrtaceae and Sapindaceae. Shannon index estimated was 3.72.Index terms: Forest inventory; Floristic diversity; Yucumã