bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synchronization of atmospheric indicators at the last stage of earthquake preparation cycle
Authors: Pulinets Sergey A. , Morozova Lidia I. , Yudin Ilya A.
Published: June 2015

We consider the dynamics of different parameters in the boundary layer of atmosphere and low level cloud structure around the time of three recent moderate and strong earthquakes: Virginia M 5.8 earthquake on August 23 2011 in USA, Van M 7.1 earthquake on October 23 2011 in Turkey, and Northwestern Iran M 6.4 earthquake on August 11, 2012, Iran. Using as indicators the water vapor chemical potential correction value, aerosol optical thickness, and linear cloud structures appearance we discovered their coherence in space and time within the time interval 3-5 days before the seismic shock. Obtained results are interpreted as synergetic result of the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling process.
Love as the core of the diaconal dimension of the church
Authors: Eurich Johannes
Published: June 2015

This article will discuss different understandings of love. In particular, two modern perceptions of love will be differentiated: love as consisting of individual, often inconstant, emotions between human beings, and a Christian understanding of love, which is often expressed through caring for other members of the community. Aspects of Christian love will then be examined in ethical terms, emphasising the relevance of love for the diaconal dimension of the church. Before one is able to help one’s neighbour, one first has to be actively identified within the complex social structures of society. Next, the nature of diaconal action has to be defined and adapted to individuals who are in need, or who have become needy or been disadvantaged by society, for example, migrant workers, refugees or asylum seekers. A central aspect of diaconal action – in addition to meeting basic needs – lies in giving a voice to such individuals and in empowering them, including politically, to represent their own interests in public life.
Christelike etiek vanuit die perspektief van naasteliefde: Rudolf Bultmann en Stoïsynse etiek
Authors: Van Aarde Andries G.
Published: June 2015

Christian ethics from the perspective of neighbourly love: Rudolf Bultmann and Stoic ethics. This article consists of various sections. The first concerns a cultural-sensitive explanation of the meaning of the term ‘neighbour’. The second exemplifies Rudolf Bultmann’s understanding of the meaning of the love commandment which is found in the Jesus tradition and in the New Testament. This explanation represents a paraphrase of Bultmann’s reflection on the notion ’neighbourly love’ in Afrikaans. The article elaborates on Bultmann’s interpretation by means of expanded exegetical comments. The article also endorses Bultmann’s juxtaposition of Christian ethics with Greek Stoic ethics. This Greek heritage is described in an expanded way. The article discusses Bultmann’s understanding of neighbourly love within the context of the core values of his hermeneutics. The results are made relevant for the present-day Christian ethical perspective on the adherence to the so-called natural law, applied to the South African sociopolitical situation.
To study the correlation of serum S-100 protein level with the severity of stroke and its prognostic
implication
Authors: Kumar Harish , Lakhotia Manoj , Pahadiya Hansraj , Singh Jagdish
Published: June 2015

Objective: This study investigated correlation between mortality, stroke subtype and stroke severity with serum S-100 protein level prior to the treatment of the patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed with a stroke. Methods: Pretreatment sample were collected from the patients (n = 142) to determine S-100 protein level, age and sex-matched healthy individuals (n = 40) served as control. All patients had cranial computerized tomography scan/magnetic resonance imaging in the first 24 h. The neurological evaluation was made with the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in the acute stage. Results: Compared with controls, S-100 protein level were significantly higher in the stroke groups. In stroke groups, S-100 protein level was more significantly higher in the ischemic group than hemorrhage and transient ischemic attack group and highest in expired patients. Conclusion: Serum S-100 protein measurement can be used as an early marker of brain damage. There is a role of S-100 protein as a co-predictor of outcome in patients with acute stroke.
Disappointing reliability of pulsatility indices to identify candidates for magnetic resonance imaging screening in population-based studies assessing prevalence of cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Del Brutto Oscar H. , Mería Robertino M. , la Luz Andrade María de , Castillo Pablo R. , Zambrano Mauricio , Nader Juan A.
Published: June 2015

Background: Diagnosis of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a challenge in remote areas where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not available. Hospital-based studies in high-risk or stroke patients have found an association between the pulsatility index (PI) of intracranial arteries - as derived from transcranial Doppler (TCD) - and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin. We aimed to assess the reliability of cerebral pulsatility indices to identify candidates for MRI screening in population-based studies assessing prevalence of SVD. Methods: A representative sample of stroke-free Atahualpa residents aged ≥65 years investigated with MRI underwent TCD. Using generalized linear models, we evaluated whether the PI of major intracranial arteries correlate with WMH (used as a proxy of diffuse SVD), after adjusting for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Out of 70 participants (mean age 70.6 ± 4.6 years, 57% women), 28 (40%) had moderate-to-severe WMH. In multivariate models, there were no differences across categories of WMH in the mean PI of middle cerebral arteries (1.10 ± 0.16 vs. 1.22 ± 0.24, β: 0.065, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.084-0.177, P = 0.474) or vertebrobasilar arteries (1.11 ± 0.16 vs. 1.29 ± 0.27, β: 0.066, 95% CI: −0.0024-0.156, P = 0.146). Conclusions: Cerebral PI should not be used to identify candidates for MRI screening in population-based studies assessing the burden of SVD.
Hypercoagulability in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with epilepsy
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Sehnal Ernst
Published: June 2015

Recent data indicate that in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic teleangiectasia (HHT), low iron levels due to inadequate replacement after hemorrhagic iron losses are associated with elevated factor-VIII plasma levels and consecutively increased risk of venous thrombo-embolism. Here, we report a patient with HHT, low iron levels, elevated factor-VIII, and recurrent venous thrombo-embolism. A 64-year-old multimorbid Serbian gipsy was diagnosed with HHT at age 62 years. He had a history of recurrent epistaxis, teleangiectasias on the lips, renal and pulmonary arterio-venous malformations, and a family history positive for HHT. He had experienced recurrent venous thrombosis (mesenteric vein thrombosis, portal venous thrombosis, deep venous thrombosis), insufficiently treated with phenprocoumon during 16 months and gastro-intestinal bleeding. Blood tests revealed sideropenia and elevated plasma levels of coagulation factor-VIII. His history was positive for diabetes, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, cerebral abscess, recurrent ischemic stroke, recurrent ileus, peripheral arterial occluding disease, polyneuropathy, mild renal insufficiency, and epilepsy. Following recent findings, hypercoagulability was attributed to the sideropenia-induced elevation of coagulation factor-VIII. In conclusion, HHT may be associated with hypercoagulability due to elevated factor-VIII associated with low serum iron levels from recurrent bleeding. Iron substitution may prevent HHT patients from hypercoagulability.
Pneumocephalus in cerebellopontine angle and meningitis secondary to chronic otitis media in a child
Authors: Ratre Shailendra , Yadav Yadram , Choudhary Sushma , Parihar Vijay , Kher Yatin , Hedaoo Ketan
Published: June 2015

Pneumocephalus is a rare complication of chronic otitis media. Despite its rarity intra-cranial air carries a potential risk of increased intra-cranial pressure or meningitis, which requires immediate therapy. A 10-year-old child presented to us with complaints of fever, headache, vomiting, and decreased hearing from left ear. He had history of left ear discharge since 2 years. Clinical examination revealed neck rigidity and left chronic otitis media. Contrast enhanced computed axial tomography scan of head [Figure 1] and [Figure 2] showed pneumocephalus in left cerebellopontine angle, opacification of left middle ear and nonpneumatisation of left mastoid. Child was immediately put on empirical intravenous antibiotics and decongestants. He showed clinical improvement in 3 days. Pneumocephalus secondary to chronic otitis media is extremely rare; we are reporting one such case in a child with review of literature.
Accuracies and Contrasts of Models of the Diffusion-weighted-dependent Attenuation of the Mri Signal at Intermediate B-values
Authors: Nicolas Renaud , Sibon Igor , Hiba Bassem
Published: June 2015

The diffusion-weighted-dependent attenuation of the MRI signal E( b) is extremely sensitive to microstructural features. The aim of this study was to determine which mathematical model of the E( b) signal most accurately describes it in the brain. The models compared were the monoexponential model, the stretched exponential model, the truncated cumulant expansion (TCE) model, the biexponential model, and the triexponential model. Acquisition was performed with nine b-values up to 2500 s/mm2 in 12 healthy volunteers. The goodness-of-fit was studied with F-tests and with the Akaike information criterion. Tissue contrasts were differentiated with a multiple comparison corrected nonparametric analysis of variance. F-test showed that the TCE model was better than the biexponential model in gray and white matter. Corrected Akaike information criterion showed that the TCE model has the best accuracy and produced the most reliable contrasts in white matter among all models studied. In conclusion, the TCE model was found to be the best model to infer the microstructural properties of brain tissue.
Duality functors for quantum groupoids
Authors: Chemla Sophie , Gavarini Fabio
Published: June 2015

We present a formal algebraic language to deal with quantum deformations of Lie–Rinehart algebras — or Lie algebroids, in a geometrical setting. In particular, extending the ice-breaking ideas introduced by Xu in [34], we provide suitable notions of “quantum groupoids”. For these objects, we detail somewhat in depth the formalism of linear duality; this yields several fundamental antiequivalences among (the categories of) the two basic kinds of “quantum groupoids”. On the other hand, we develop a suitable version of a “quantum duality principle” for quantum groupoids, which extends the one for quantum groups — dealing with Hopf algebras —originally introduced by Drinfeld (cf. [8], §7) and later detailed in [12].
Equivalence of two approaches to Yang–Mills on noncommutative torus
Authors: Chakraborty Partha Sarathi , Guin Satyajit
Published: June 2015

There are two notions of Yang–Mills action functional in noncommutative geometry. We show that for noncommutative n-torus both these notions agree. We also prove a structure theorem on the Hermitian structure of a finitely generated projective modules over spectrally invariant subalgebras of

C

*-algebras.
Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of Orthodontic Mini-implants in the Transmucosal Profile Region
Authors: de Aguiar Adelson Mota , de Aguiar Arilton Mota , Pinzan-Vercelino Célia Regina Maio , Bramante Fausto Silva
Published: June 2015

Aim

This study sought to compare the fracture resistance of three trademarked orthodontic mini-implants in the transmucosal profile region. Thirty-six mini-implants of three different brands, separated into groups I, II and III, were tested. Each group consisted of 12 mini-implants of 6 mm in length. The mean diameter and length of the transmucosal profile of the mini-implants were 1.90 and 2.0 mm in group I, 1.77 and 1.0 mm in group II and 1.50 and 1.0 mm in group III, respectively. The tests were performed on a universal testing machine in compression mode, with a 2,000 kgf load, a speed of 4.0 mm per minute and a chisel-shaped active tip, which acted crosssectionally on the transmucosal profile. Single-criterion analysis of variance was used to compare the three brands. A significance level of 5% and test power of 80% were adopted. The mean fracture resistance achieved by the mini-implants was 172.03 ± 25.59 N for group I, 162.35 ± 30.81 N for group II and 139.69 ± 42.99 N for group III. There was no statistically significant difference in mean fracture resistance among the tested mini-implant brands.

Conclusion

The transmucosal profile diameter does not seem to be a deciding factor in the choice of mini-implants to minimize the risk of fractures.

Clinical significance

Although being an in vitro study it is possible to believe that this new brand has a very satisfactory resistance to fracture and enables its use with great efficiency.

How to cite this article

de Aguiar AM, Bramante FS, de Aguiar AM, Pinzan-Vercelino CRM. Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of Orthodontic Mini-implants in the Transmucosal Profile Region. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):372-375.
Evaluation of the Effects of Dental Implants on Oral Lesions
Authors: Agha-Hosseini Farzaneh , Rohani Bita
Published: June 2015

Objective

To determine whether dental implants impress oral lesions, and to evaluate the nature of their effect on the lesions.

Materials and methods

A comprehensive search was done via Google and PubMed for articles (including case reports and literature reviews) containing the keywords ‘oral squamous cell carcinoma’ (OSCC), ‘oral lichen planus’ (OLP), ‘lichenoid contact reaction’ (LCR), ‘osseointegrated implants’, and ‘dental implants’, in the last 10 years (2002-2012).

Results

The study included 24 articles involving patients with dental implants, and some oral lesions (e.g. oral lichen planus and oral squamous cell carcinoma) or with a history of lesions. In these publications, there is evidence suggesting the possibility of emergence, exacerbation, recurrence, or even malignant transformation of the oral lesions after implant placement in some cases.

Conclusion

Based on our review of the literature, implant treatment does not seem to be completely safe under any circumstances, but may have some complications in subjects with certain diseases (e.g. oral lesions, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, allergic reactions, etc.). Therefore prior to treatment, patients should be fully informed of the risks.

Clinical significance

Implant treatment is best done with caution in patients with cancer or mucocutaneous disorders.

How to cite this article

Agha-Hosseini F, Rohani B. Evaluation of the Effects of Dental Implants on Oral Lesions. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):400-406.
Emergency preparedness of families of children with developmental disabilities: What public health and safety emergency planners need to know
Authors: Wolf-Fordham, JD Susan , Curtin, MSW Carol , Maslin, MEd Melissa , Bandini, PhD Linda , Hamad, PhD Charles D.
Published: June 2015

Objective: To assess the emergency preparedness knowledge, behaviors, and training needs of families of children with developmental disabilities (DD).Design: An online survey.Participants: A sample of 314 self-selecting US parents/guardians of children with DD, aged birth-21 years.Main outcome measures: 1) Preparedness self-assessment; 2) self-report regarding the extent to which families followed 11 specific preparedness action steps derived from publicly available preparedness guides; and 3) parent training and support needs.Results: Although most participants assessed themselves to be somewhat to moderately well prepared, even those who reported being “very well prepared” had taken fewer than half of 11 recommended action steps. Most participants expressed a need for preparedness support; virtually all the respondents felt that training was either important or very important.Conclusions: Children with disabilities are known to be particularly vulnerable to negative disaster impacts. Overall, parents in this study appeared under-prepared to meet family disaster needs, although they recognized its importance. The results suggest opportunities and methods for public health and safety planning, education and outreach to parents of children with DD who would benefit from targeted training such as information and skill building to develop effective family preparedness plans and connections to local emergency management and responders.
Effects of sternal intraosseous and intravenous administration of Hextend on time of administration and hemodynamics in a swine model of hemorrhagic shock
Authors: Johnson, PhD Don , Penaranda, BSN Christian , Phillips, BSN Kent , Rice, BSN Daniel , Vanderhoek, BSN Lauren , Gegel, CRNA, DNAP Brian , Burgert, CRNA, DNAP James , Blanco, MD Jose
Published: June 2015

Objective: Disasters may cause traumatic injuries leading to hemorrhage. Hemorrhage is the leading cause of death for military and civilian trauma casualties. The US Army's Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines recommend administering a 500 mL Hextend bolus via the intravenous (IV) or intraosseous (IO) routes for patients in hypovolemic shock. The purposes of this study were to compare administration time of Hextend and the effects on hemodynamics when Hextend is administered by the sternal IO (SIO) and IV routes in a swine model of hemorrhagic shock.Design: This was a prospective, experimental study with random assignment.Setting: The study was implemented at an animal vivarium.Subjects: Yorkshire-cross (N = 21) swine were used.Intervention: Each swine was hemorrhaged 30 percent of their total blood volume to simulate a class II hemorrhage; 500 mL of Hextend was administered by the SIO and IV routes after hemorrhage. The control group did not receive any resuscitative fluids.Main outcome measurements: The predetermined variables of the study were time of administration and hemodynamics over 8 minutes. Hemodynamic data were collected every 2 minutes until administration was complete.Results: There were no significant differences in the time to administer Hextend between the SIO (616 ± 166 seconds) and the IV groups (534 ± 151 seconds) (p = 0.37). There were no significant differences between the SIO and IV groups relative to hemodynamics (p 0.05), but both were significantly different than the control group (p 0.05).Conclusion: The SIO route is an effective method of administering Hextend.
Use of an automated drug distribution cabinet system in a disaster response mobile Emergency Department
Authors: Morchel, MD, MEE, BSEE Herman , Ogedegbe, MD, MPH Chinwe , Desai, BS RPh, MBA Nilesh , Faley, PharmD Brian , Mahmood, MS Nasir , Del Moro, BS, AHIMT Gary , Feldman, MD Joseph
Published: June 2015

Objective: This article describes the innovative use of an automated drug distribution cabinet system for medication supply in a disaster response mobile Emergency Department vehicle. Prior to the use of the automated drug distribution cabinet system described in this article, the mobile hospitals were stocked as needed with drugs in individual boxes and draws. Experience with multiple deployments found this method to be very cumbersome and labor intensive, both in preparation, operational use, and demobilization.Setting: For a recent deployment to provide emergency medical care at the 2014 Super Bowl football event, the automated drug distribution cabinet system in the Institution's main campus Emergency Department was duplicated and incorporated into the mobile Emergency Department.Results: This method of drug stocking and dispensing was found to be far more efficient than gathering and placing drugs in onboard draws and racks.Conclusions: Automated drug distribution cabinet systems can be used to significantly improve patient care and overall efficiency in mobile hospital deployments.
Evaluating motives: Two simple tests to identify and avoid entanglement in legally dubious urine drug testing schemes
Authors: Barnes, Esq. Michael C. , Worthy, Esq Stacey L.
Published: June 2015

Objective: This article educates healthcare practitioners on the legal framework prohibiting abusive practices in urine drug testing (UDT) in medical settings, discusses several profit-driven UDT schemes that have resulted in enforcement actions, and provides recommendations for best practices in UDT to comply with state and federal fraud and anti-kickback statutes.Methods: The authors carefully reviewed and analyzed statutes, regulations, adivsory opinions, case law, court documents, articles from legal journals, and news articles.Results: Certain facts-driven UDT arrangements tend to violate federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, including Stark law, the anti-kickback statute, the criminal health care fraud statute, and the False Claims Act.Conclusions: Healthcare practitioners who use UDT can help ensure that they are in compliance with applicable federal and state laws by evaluating whether their actions are motivated by providing proper care to their patients rather than by profits. They must avoid schemes that violate the spirit of the law while appearing to comply with the letter of the law. Such a simple self-evaluation of motive can reduce a practitioner’s likelihood of civil fines and criminal liability.
Opioid treatment of experimental pain activates nuclear factor-κB
Authors: Compton, RN, PhD Peggy , Griffis, CRNA, PhD Charles , Crabb Breen, PhD Elizabeth , Torrington, MD Matthew , Sadakane, BS Ryan , Tefera, MS Eshetu , Irwin, MD Michael R.
Published: June 2015

Objective: To determine the independent and combined effects of pain and opioids on the activation of an early marker of inflammation, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).Design: NF-κB activation was compared within-subjects following four randomly ordered experimental sessions of opioid-only (intravenous fentanyl 1 μg/kg), pain-only (cold-pressor), opioid + pain, and a resting condition.Setting: University General Clinical Research Center.Participants: Twenty-one (11 female) healthy controls.Interventions: Following exposure to treatment (fentanyl administration and/or cold-pressor pain), blood samples for NF-kB analysis were obtained.Main outcome measures: Intracellular levels of activated NF-κB, in unstimulated and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 15 and 30 minutes.Results: Neither pain nor opioid administration alone effected NF-κB levels in cell populations; however, the combination of treatments induced significant increases of NF-κB in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell, lymphocytes, and monocytes.Conclusions: The combination of acute pain with opioids, as occurs in clinical situations, activates a key transcription factor involved in proinflammatory responses.
Positive subjective measures in abuse liability studies and real-world nonmedical use: Potential impact of abuse-deterrent opioids on rates of nonmedical use and associated healthcare costs
Authors: White, PhD Alan G. , LeCates, PhD Joseph , Birnbaum, PhD Howard G. , Cheng, MPH, MPhil Wendy , Roland, PharmD, MS Carl L. , Mardekian, PhD Jack
Published: June 2015

Objective: To quantify the potential impact of reductions in positive subjective measures from human abuse liability studies on real-world rates of nonmedical use of prescription drugs and associated healthcare resource utilization and costs.Design: Positive subjective endpoints “overall drug liking,” in-the-moment “drug liking,” and “drug high” Emaxs (peak effects) were recorded from published studies. Nonmedical use data were obtained from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and Drug Abuse Warning Network surveys. Multivariate regressions evaluated the association between the positive subjective endpoints and nonmedical use rates, controlling for prescription volume, whether the drug is an opioid, and controlled substance schedule. A published budget-impact model was used to assess healthcare resource utilization and cost impacts of abuse-deterrent opioid formulations.Results: A five-point reduction in overall drug liking/drug liking/drug high Emax was associated with a 0.25/0.10/0.05 (standard errors: 0.11/0.12/0.07) percentage point decrease in the NSDUH lifetime nonmedical use rates. Those decreases yielded a 11.3/4.2/2.1 percent reduction compared to the samples’ lifetime nonmedical use rates of 2.21/2.38/2.36 percent. On the basis of a number of assumptions, these reductions were associated with private payer cost reductions for a morphine and oxycodone abuse-deterrent formulation in the ranges of $147.9-324.1 million and $230.7-958.7 million, respectively.Conclusions: Reductions in overall drug liking were significantly associated with reduced real-world nonmedical use, healthcare utilization, and costs. Associations using drug high and drug liking were directionally consistent with this finding though not statistically significant. A reduction in positive subjective measures associated with an abuse-deterrent formulation has potential to reduce abuse and associated healthcare utilization and costs.
Communication about opioid versus nonopioid analgesics in the emergency department
Authors: McCarthy, MD, MS Danielle M. , Cameron, PhD, MPH Kenzie A. , Courtney, MD, MS D. Mark , Adams, MD James G. , Engel, MD Kirsten G.
Published: June 2015

Objective: The Medication Communication Index (MCI) was used to compare counseling about opioids to nonopioid analgesics in the Emergency Department (ED) setting.Design: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected audio recordings of ED patient visits.Setting: Urban, academic medical center (>85,000 annual patient visits). Participants: Patient participants aged >18 years with one of four low acuity diagnoses: ankle sprain, back pain, head injury, and laceration. ED clinician participants included resident and attending physicians, nursing staff, and ED technicians.Main outcome measures: The MCI is a five-point index that assigns points for communicating the following: medication name (1), purpose (1), duration (1), adverse effects (1), number of tablets (0.5), and frequency of use (0.5). Recording transcripts were scored with the MCI, and total scores were compared between drug classes.Results: The 41 patients received 56 prescriptions (27 nonopioids, 29 opioids). Nonopioid median MCI score was 3 and opioid score was 4.5 (p = 0.0008). Patients were counseled equally about name (nonopioid 100 percent, opioid 96.6 percent, p = 0.34) and purpose (88.9 percent, 89.7 percent, p = 0.93). However, patients receiving opioids were counseled more frequently about duration of use (nonopioid 40.7 percent, opioid 69.0 percent, p = 0.03) and adverse effects (18.5 percent, 93.1 percent, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, opioids (β = 0.54, p = 0.04), number of medications prescribed (β = −0.49, p = 0.05), and time spent in the ED (β = 0.007, p = 0.006) were all predictors of total MCI score.Conclusions: The extent of counseling about analgesic medications in the ED differs by drug class. When counseling patients about all analgesic medications, providers should address not only medication name and purpose but also the less frequently covered topics of medication dosing, timing, and adverse effects.
Daily home opioid use in adults with sickle cell disease: The PiSCES project
Authors: Smith, MD Wally R. , McClish, PhD Donna K. , Dahman, PhD Bassam A. , Levenson, MD James L. , Aisiku, MD, MSCR Imoigele P. , Citero, MD Vanessa de A. , Bovbjerg, PhD, MPH Viktor E. , Roberts, MD John D. , Penberthy, MD, MPH Lynne T. , Roseff, MD Susan D.
Published: June 2015

Background: Although opioid prescribing in sickle cell disease (SCD) can be controversial, little is published about patterns of opioid use.Objective: To report on home opioid use among adults with SCD.Design: Cohort study.Participants: Adults with SCD (n = 219) who completed daily pain diaries for up to 6 months and had at least one home pain day.Main measures: Use of long-acting or short-acting opioids, other analgesics, or adjuvants; the proportion of home days, home pain days, and home crisis days with opioid use; these two outcomes according to patient characteristics.Key results: Patients used opioids on 12,311 (78 percent) of 15,778 home pain days. Eighty-five patients (38.8 percent) used long-acting opioids with or without short-acting opioids and 103 (47.0 percent) used only short-acting opioids. Twenty-one (9.6 percent) patients used only non-opioid analgesics and 10 (4.6 percent) used no analgesics. Both pain intensity and pain frequency were higher among opioid users (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p < 0.0001). Opioid users used hydroxyurea more often than nonusers, even when controlling for mean pain on pain days. Among all patients, significant relationships were found between any opioid use and somatic symptom burden, SCD stress, negative coping, and physical and mental quality of life (QOL); the relationship with SCD stress and physical QOL remained when controlled for mean pain. Among opioid users, similar associations were found between frequency of opioid use and some disease-related and psychosocial variables.Conclusions: In this adult SCD sample, opioids were used by the majority of patients. Pain was the overwhelming characteristic associated with use, but disease-related and psychosocial variables were also associated.
A technique for quantifying heterogeneous ice nucleation in microlitre supercooled water droplets
Authors: Whale T. F. , Murray B. J. , O'Sullivan D. , Wilson T. W. , Umo N. S. , Baustian K. J. , Atkinson J. D. , Workneh D. A. , Morris G. J.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. In many clouds, the formation of ice requires the presence of particles capable of nucleating ice. Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are rare in comparison to cloud condensation nuclei. However, the fact that only a small fraction of aerosol particles can nucleate ice means that detection and quantification of INPs is challenging. This is particularly true at temperatures above about −20 °C since the population of particles capable of serving as INPs decreases dramatically with increasing temperature. In this paper, we describe an experimental technique in which droplets of microlitre volume containing ice-nucleating material are cooled down at a controlled rate and their freezing temperatures recorded. The advantage of using large droplet volumes is that the surface area per droplet is vastly larger than in experiments focused on single aerosol particles or cloud-sized droplets. This increases the probability of observing the effect of less common, but important, high-temperature INPs and therefore allows the quantification of their ice nucleation efficiency. The potential artefacts which could influence data from this experiment, and other similar experiments, are mitigated and discussed. Experimentally determined heterogeneous ice nucleation efficiencies for K-feldspar (microcline), kaolinite, chlorite, NX-illite, Snomax® and silver iodide are presented.
A new high transmission inlet for the Caltech nano-RDMA for size distribution measurements of sub-3 nm ions at ambient concentrations
Authors: Franchin A. , Downard A. J. , Kangasluoma J. , Nieminen T. , Lehtipalo K. , Steiner G. , Manninen H. E. , Petäjä T. , Flagan R. C. , Kulmala M.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Reliable and reproducible measurements of atmospheric aerosol particle number size distributions below 10 nm require optimized classification instruments with high particle transmission efficiency. Almost all DMAs have an unfavorable potential gradient at the outlet (e.g. long column, Vienna type) or at the inlet (nano-radial DMA). This feature prevents them from achieving a good transmission efficiency for the smallest nanoparticles. We developed a new high transmission inlet for the Caltech nano-radial DMA (nRDMA) that increases the transmission efficiency to 12 % for ions as small as 1.3 nm in mobility equivalent diameter (corresponding to 1.2 × 10−4 m2 V−1 s−1 in electrical mobility). We successfully deployed the nRDMA, equipped with the new inlet, in chamber measurements, using a Particle Size Magnifier (PSM) and a booster Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) as a counter. With this setup, we were able to measure size distributions of ions between 1.3 and 6 nm, corresponding to a mobility range from 1.2 × 10−4 to 5.8 × 10−6 m2 V−1 s−1. The system was modeled, tested in the laboratory and used to measure negative ions at ambient concentrations in the CLOUD 7 measurement campaign at CERN. We achieved a higher size resolution than techniques currently used in field measurements, and maintained a good transmission efficiency at moderate inlet and sheath air flows (2.5 and 30 LPM, respectively). In this paper, by measuring size distribution at high size resolution down to 1.3 nm, we extend the limit of the current technology. The current setup is limited to ion measurements. However, we envision that future research focused on the charging mechanisms could extend the technique to measure neutral aerosol particles as well, so that it will be possible to measure size distributions of ambient aerosols from 1 nm to 1 μm.
Short-term changes in a microplankton community in the Chukchi Sea during autumn: consequences of a strong wind event
Authors: Yokoi N. , Matsuno K. , Ichinomiya M. , Yamaguchi A. , Nishino S. , Onodera J. , Inoue J. , Kikuchi T.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. An increase in atmospheric turbulence in the Chukchi Sea due to the recent drastic sea-ice reduction during summer months has been reported. The importance of the effects of this atmospheric turbulence on the marine ecosystem in this region, however, is not fully understood. To evaluate the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the marine ecosystem, high-frequency sampling (daily) from five layers of the microplankton community between 0 and 30 m at a fixed station in the Chukchi Sea from 10 through 25 September 2013 was conducted. During the study period, a strong wind event (SWE) was observed on 18 and 19 September. The abundance of microplankton was 2.6 to 17.6 cells mL−1, with a maximum abundance reported at 20 m on 22 September, while diatoms were the most dominant taxa throughout the study period. The abundances of diatoms, dinoflagellates and ciliates ranged between 1.6 and 14.1, 0.5 and 2.4 cells mL−1 and 0.1 and 2.8 cells mL−1, respectively. Diatoms belonging to seven genera consisting of 35 species (Cylindrotheca closterium and Leptocylindrus danicus were dominant), dinoflagellates belonging to seven genera consisting of 25 species (Prorocentrum balticum and Gymnodinium spp. were dominant) and ciliates belonging to seven genera consisting of eight species (Strobilidium spp. and Strombidium spp. were dominant) were identified. Within the microplankton species, there were 11 species whose abundance increased after the SWE, while there was no species whose abundance decreased following the SWE. It is conjectured that atmospheric turbulences, such as that of an SWE, may supply sufficient nutrients to the surface layer that then enhance the small bloom under the weak stratification of the Chukchi Sea shelf during the autumn months. After the bloom, the dominant diatom community then shifts from a centric diatom to a pennate diatom, thus suggesting that an SWE accelerates the seasonal succession of the microplankton community from summer to winter.
Measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in the northeastern Atlantic and Nordic Seas during summer 2012
Authors: Humphreys M. P. , Achterberg E. P. , Griffiths A. M. , McDonald A. , Boyce A. J.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The stable carbon isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) in seawater was measured in a batch process for 552 samples collected during two cruises in the northeastern Atlantic and Nordic Seas from June to August 2012. One cruise was part of the UK Ocean Acidification research programme, and the other was a repeat hydrographic transect of the Extended Ellett Line. In combination with measurements made of other variables on these and other cruises, these data can be used to constrain the anthropogenic component of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the interior ocean, and to help to determine the influence of biological carbon uptake on surface ocean carbonate chemistry. The measurements have been processed, quality-controlled and submitted to an in-preparation global compilation of seawater δ13CDIC data, and are available from the British Oceanographic Data Centre. The observed δ13CDIC values fall in a range from −0.58 to +2.37 ‰, relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite standard. The mean of the absolute differences between samples collected in duplicate in the same container type during both cruises and measured consecutively is 0.10 ‰, which corresponds to a 1σ uncertainty of 0.09 ‰, and which is within the range reported by other published studies of this kind. A crossover analysis was performed with nearby historical δ13CDIC data, indicating that any systematic offsets between our measurements and previously published results are negligible. Data doi:10.5285/09760a3a-c2b5-250b-e053-6c86abc037c0 (northeastern Atlantic), doi:10.5285/09511dd0-51db-0e21-e053-6c86abc09b95 (Nordic Seas).
Pregnancy Outcomes Complicated by Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes: Retrospective Review of Cases in Three Institutions in Kazakhstan
Authors: Imankulova Balkenzhe , Aimagambetova Gulzhanat , Saiddildina Layzzat , Ukybassova Talshyn
Published: June 2015

Introduction. Pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is one of the leading causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. This complication is diagnosed in 3% of pregnant women in Kazakhstan, and it is the leading cause of pre-term deliveries. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of pregnancies complicated by PPROM in gestation periods between 24 to 32 weeks among three institutions in Kazakhstan.Methods. This is descriptive analysis of 154 cases with PPROM observed between 24 to 32 weeks of gestation at Perinatal Centers #2 and #3 and the National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, Astana, Kazakhstan. Cases were selected on the basis of retrospective chart review where PPROM diagnosis occurred in 2013. Descriptive statistics were utilized for data analysis.Results. The most frequent complications associated with PPROM were threat of miscarriage (13.6% of cases) and chronic placental insufficiency (7.8%). The mean time between PPROM and onset of spontaneous labor was 12.1 ± 2.3 days.  Spontaneous labor within 3 days after PPROM started in patients with an amniotic fluid index of 3.0 ± 0.2 cm. Complications experienced by PPROM women during delivery and early postpartum period included: precipitous labor (6.4%), weakness of labor activity (16.2%), atonic hemorrhage (1.2%), and chorioamnionitis (3.2%). 37.6% of newborns in this study were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Their health complications included pneumonia (7.7%), conjunctivitis (1.3%), omphalitis and infectious-toxic shock (3.8%), intraventricular hemorrhage  (7.8%), and respiratory distress (10.3% ).Conclusion. Thus, preterm rupture of membranes is associated with preterm delivery and an increase of neonatal morbidity. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to effectively manage PPROM, including developing new techniques to restore the amniotic fluid volume in women experiencing PPROM during 24 to 32 weeks of gestation.
Introduction
Authors: Sugimura Yasuhiko
Published: June 2015

The French Introduction to a special issue on Ricoeur and Theology.
Impact of working capital management on profitability: Evidence from Pakistan oil sector
Authors: Raza M.Yousaf , Bashir Muhammad , Latif Khalid , Shah Touqeer Sultan , Ahmed Mushtaq
Published: June 2015

This study explores the impact of working capital management on the profitability of the firms in the oil sector of Pakistan. For the purpose of testing this relationship data from the annual reports of the sample companies is used from the period 2006 to 2010. Cash conversion cycles (CCC), average receivable, Average inventory, average payable, and current ratio are used as a measure of working capital management, while gross operating profit is used as a measure of profitability of the firm. There are three major issues in financial management that are capital budgeting, capital structure, and working capital management. So working capital management is one of the three major issues in financial management. A commercial firm consists of two types of assets, which are fixed assets and current assets. Current assets of a firm consist of cash, bank balance, account receivable, raw material, work in process, and finished goods. While fixed assets of the business require capital expenditure and these are used in increasing the production of the business, the Current assets are used in utilizing the fixed assets in day to day transactions.  Hence Current assets are regarded as lifeblood for any business firm, the play vital role in the daily operations of the business. Current assets and current liabilities regarded as are very important component of total assets and they need to be carefully managed for the long term success of the business. In this paper working capital management provide us profit by using average payable and gross operating profit but other variables in hypothesis shows negative relationships with each other.
An Evaluation of Grade Six English Curriculum of Beaconhouse School System in Pakistan
Authors: Tauseef Muhammad , Kazim Shah Syed , Tul Zahra Sulehri Fatima , Kalsoom Mehwish
Published: June 2015

Curriculum and instruction material are considered fundamental tools in ELT throughout the world. Consideration of utmost significance of the curriculum requires its evaluation process for measuring its effectiveness in facilitating teaching/learning objectives. The present study is an attempt to evaluate grade six English curriculum of Beaconhouse School System. To the end, features based on the objectives of the curriculum were evaluated to determine whether learning of language, listening, reading, speaking, and writing, vocabulary and understanding of grammar, literature (both fictional and non-fictional), personal understanding and global perspective, composition and presentation skills, punctuation, spelling, handwriting, critical thinking, cultural identity and interdisciplinary links with other subjects have their particular relevance to the curriculum, textbook and the workbook used at this level. The evaluation was carried out through a checklist specifically designed to meet the situation to find out whether the curriculum and related course books are based on curriculum objectives. The present study is both qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative aspects were analyzed by careful assessment of course book through checklist items. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS 13.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) which revealed the results that except few, curriculum was effectively facilitating the attainment of most of its teaching/learning objectives.
3D Hand Gesture Analysis through a Real-Time Gesture Search Engine
Authors: Yousefi Shahrouz , Li Haibo
Published: June 2015

3D gesture recognition and tracking are highly desired features of interaction design in future mobile and smart environments. Specifically, in virtual/augmented reality applications, intuitive interaction with the physical space seems unavoidable and 3D gestural interaction might be the most effective alternative for the current input facilities such as touchscreens. In this paper, we introduce a novel solution for real-time 3D gesture-based interaction by finding the best match from an extremely large gesture database. This database includes images of various articulated hand gestures with the annotated 3D position/orientation parameters of the hand joints. Our unique matching algorithm is based on the hierarchical scoring of the low-level edge-orientation features between the query frames and database and retrieving the best match. Once the best match is found from the database in each moment, the pre-recorded 3D motion parameters can instantly be used for natural interaction. The proposed bare-hand interaction technology performs in real time with high accuracy using an ordinary camera.
What’s in a word? : Rethinking facet headings in a discovery service
Authors: Nelson David , Turney Linda
Published: June 2015

The emergence of Discovery systems has been well received by libraries who have long been concerned with offering a smorgasbord of databases that require either individual searching of databases or the problematic use of federated searching.  The ability to search across a wide array of subscribed and open-access information resources via a centralized index has opened up access for users to a library’s wealth of information resources.  This capability has been particularly praised for its ‘google like’ search interface, thereby conforming to user expectations for information searching.  Yet, all discovery services also include facets as a search capability and thus provide faceted navigation which is a search feature that Google is not particularly well suited for.  Discovery services thus provide a hybrid search interface.  An examination of e-commerce sites clearly shows that faceted navigation is an integral part of their discovery systems.  Many library OPACs also now are being developed with faceted navigation capabilities.  However, the discovery services faceted structures suffer from a number of problems which inhibit their usefulness and their potential.  This article examines a number of these issues and it offers suggestions for improving the discovery search interface.  It also argues that vendors and libraries need to work together to more closely analyze the user experience of the discovery system.
Evaluating Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Step-by-Step Guide
Authors: Deodato Joseph
Published: June 2015

Selecting a web-scale discovery service is a large and important undertaking that involves a significant investment of time, staff, and resources. Finding the right match begins with a thorough and carefully planned evaluation process. In order to be successful, this process should be inclusive, goal-oriented, data-driven, user-centered, and transparent. The following article offers a step-by-step guide for developing a web-scale discovery evaluation plan rooted in these five key principles based on best practices synthesized from the literature as well as the author’s own experiences coordinating the evaluation process at Rutgers University. The goal is to offer academic libraries that are considering acquiring a web-scale discovery service a blueprint for planning a structured and comprehensive evaluation process.
Varying Levels of the Dian Lakes and the Dian Lakes Culture
Authors: Lustig Terry Leslie , Kunsheng Li , Zhilong Jiang , Guo Chen
Published: June 2015

Historical records state that the Dian kingdom was based on thousands of square li of rich flat land around Dianchi Lake. However, through use of a digital elevation model of the area, it is found that this area was about 800 li2—substantially less. Even if the other major Dian Lakes—Fuxian, Xinyung and Qi Lu—are included, the area increases to only about 1,000 li2. In the process of checking the area stated in the historical records, some issues warranting further exploration have been brought to light: the possibility of a human role in the recurring floods of Dianchi Lake from the 13th c CE; the idea that the settlement site found near Wangjiadun village and tentatively assigned to the early Bronze Age, could be dated to at least 4,500 BP, well before; and that the Shizhaishan and Lijiashan elite cemeteries may have looked out over water to their east. The seemingly limited area of fertile land also suggests that other sources of wealth such as trade and minerals played a greater role, and that the population was relatively small. This calls into question the nature of the socio-political structure within the Dian lakes culture.