bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process of Acquisition and Renovation of Biomedical Technology
Authors: Obando Reina Fabiola M. , Bermúdez Banguero Olga Lucía , Bastidas Bastidas Katerine Lizeth
Published: October 2017

Inefficient use of resources in biomedical technology and low quality in the provision of health services, support the need to implement a process of acquisition and renovation of biomedical technology such as that set out in this Article. It also includes the recommended procedures within this process, which are intended to be standards for all the Institutions that provide Health Services in Colombia.
O uso da natureza em ações urbanísticas: a privatização do acesso ao solo em Recife-Brasil
Authors: Castilho Claudio Jorge Moura de , Souza Amanda Cristina Perboire Emerenciano de
Published: October 2017

Neste artigo discute-se o uso da natureza, através do problema do acesso ao solo em Recife, na tentativa de compreender a complexidade das relações sociedade-natureza na cidade. Visando operacionalizar este objetivo, utilizou-se de uma abordagem metodológica ampla e aberta com base em resultados da revisão bibliográfica executada na construção de um projeto de pesquisa sobre o tema. Como principal contribuição, tem-se que a gestão urbana deve levar em conta o “princípio de natureza” como bem coletivo no processo permanente de produção do espaço urbano, senão os espaços das nossas cidades tornar-se-ão ainda mais insustentáveis à vida
Is Mianzi the only Face of Chinese Consumers of Wine?: A Typology of Chinese Consumers of Imported Wine
Authors: Masson Josselin , Sánchez Carlos Raúl Sánchez , Celhay Franck
Published: October 2017

This paper describes a cluster analysis, using the K-means method, conducted on a quota sample of 1,260 Chinese consumers of imported wine interviewed via an online questionnaire. Agreement is broad that the Chinese market has great potential for many products, including wine. With its huge population of 1.37 billion and its growing middle class, China is very attractive for winemakers, particularly the European wineries hoping to compensate for the decrease in domestic wine consumption by exporting to China. However, consumers of a product category are rarely homogeneous and market segmentation is needed to adapt the product appropriately to consumer groups presenting similar needs and wants. Studies on the segmentation of the Chinese wine market are nevertheless scarce in the academic literature. This paper aims to address that lack. The analysis described identified six clusters (indifferent occasionals, wine lovers, relaxed amateurs, social networkers, stay-at-home connoisseurs and infrequent money-minded) and provides winemakers with greater detail on the various profiles of Chinese consumers of imported wine. This should help them to make their offerings more suitable to their targeted segments.
Modelos para enseñar y aprender a escribir: bosquejo histórico
Authors: Mostacero Rudy
Published: October 2017

En este artículo de revisión se presenta un bosquejo histórico de varios modelos de escritura que durante cuatro décadas han tratado de ofrecer propuestas pedagógicas para enseñar y aprender a escribir. Se trata de una visión panorámica de cómo han evolucionado las teorías y, del mismo modo, la pedagogía sobre la escritura. Con el propósito de sistematizar la información sobre este tópico, de conocer la evolución de las teorías y su impacto en la práctica docente, se expone una caracterización de tres clases de modelos y se busca así contribuir a la consolidación de una pedagogía del discurso y, por ende, de los géneros discursivos.
La investigación en pedagogía de la lengua materna en la formación posgradual
Authors: Quitián Bernal Sandra Patricia
Published: October 2017

Este artículo presenta algunos de los resultados obtenidos en la investigación documental Estado del arte de la investigación en la Maestría en Pedagogía de la Lengua Materna. Este estudio cualitativo de corte interpretativo permite caracterizar las tendencias presentes en los proyectos de investigación desarrollados por los estudiantes de la maestría, durante el período 2009-2013. Así mismo, se analizan los aportes de este proceso tanto al desarrollo y consolidación de las líneas de investigación de la maestría como a la formación profesional de docentes investigadores en pedagogía de la lengua materna, su pertinencia e impacto en contextos educativos.
La culebra sigue viva
Authors: Duque Javier
Published: October 2017

Crítica del libro La culebra sigue viva: miedo y política de la politóloga Luz Margarita Cardona.
Los campos de exterminio de la desigualdad
Authors: Carrillo Urrego Abelardo
Published: October 2017

Crítica del libro Los campos de exterminio de la desigualdad del sociólogo y profesor sueco Göran Therborn.
Aplicación de los criterios de evaluación del CEAACES y su impacto en la gestión de la calidad de la UCACUE
Authors: León Martínez Fernando , Cañizares Medina Andrés , Méndez Carpio César
Published: October 2017

El presente artículo pretende mostrar el impacto que han tenido en la gestión de la Universidad Católica de Cuenca, laaplicación de los criterios e indicadores como estándares de desarrollo institucional y su desarrollo en el trabajo diariode cada uno de los integrantes de la Comunidad Educativa Católica. Con la categorización presentada a la UniversidadCatólica de Cuenca por parte del Consejo de Evaluación, Acreditación y Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la EducaciónSuperior (CEAACES) y, cumpliendo con las acciones de corrección planteadas a la misma, la Universidad puso en marchaun plan de fortalecimiento institucional, que luego de aplicarse respetando todas las normativas que lo anteceden y losformatos entregados por los órganos de control, alcanza un 93% de ejecución eﬁciente, lo que permitió aplicar un procesode autoevaluación asistida por lineamientos externos pudiendo veriﬁcar los avances alcanzados durante los dos últimosaños, con miras a la recategorización exitosa de esta prestigiosa Institución. Con los instrumentos de control adecuados yluego de un proceso de autoevaluación planiﬁcada y cumplida en todos los estamentos de la Universidad, se consigue pasarde un puntaje inicial de 29,11% de ejecución, a un posible 51,75% en consideración con las evidencias de los dos períodosacadémicos anteriores evaluados y mejorando la calidad en la presentación de sus resultados. El objeto de la investigaciónes analizar el puntaje diferencial entre la categorización emitida por el CEAACES y la actual realidad institucional.
Aplicación del software GeoGebra en prácticas matemáticas bajo una metodología constructivista
Authors: Sarmiento-Espinoza William , Luna-Altamirano Kleber
Published: October 2017

Las prácticas realizadas tienen un doble objetivo, primero: que el estudiante a través del conocimiento aporte con sucreatividad un instrumento medible, que facilite el entendimiento en un menor tiempo; el segundo: generar a través dela práctica ejercicios y problemas a partir de modelos estudiados que logren destrezas signiﬁcativas capaces de aplicar alcampo administrativo. Este trabajo tiene aplicación en temas como funciones, derivadas e integrales, las mismas que sonmejoradas año tras año y evidencia la trascendencia de tal aplicación. Los datos recogidos en las pruebas exploratoriasy las encuestas se analizaron utilizando estadística descriptiva. Los hallazgos de estudio fueron: los conocimientos, lacreatividad y el trabajo en grupo considerados como las capacidades más apreciadas. Por lo tanto, el estudio aportóevidencias favorables para aplicar el software GeoGebra, como herramienta didáctica en las prácticas bajo una metodologíaconstructivista.
Modes of existance
Authors: Bunge Mario
Published: October 2017

En este trabajo afirmo que el llamado cuantificador existencial debe ser reintrepretado como el cuantificador de cantidad. También sostengo que la existencia no es unívoca, sino quíntuple: real, fenomenal, conceptual, semiótica y fantástica. Estos cinco conceptos están definidos y ejemplificados, y se evoca un concepto general de existencia.La existencia misma invalida todos los argumentos contra las pruebas de existencia de Anselmo, que implican la supuesta inexistencia de un predicado existente.
Measles outbreak linked to European B3 outbreaks, Wales, United Kingdom, 2017
Authors: Currie Jonny , Davies Llion , McCarthy Joanne , Perry Malorie , Moore Catherine , Cottrell Simon , Bowley Mererid , Williams Chris , Shankar Ananda Giri , Stiff Rhianwen
Published: October 2017

The United Kingdom achieved interrupted endemic measles transmission for 36 months in 2016. Despite this, ongoing challenges from sporadic measles cases typically imported from abroad remain. We summarise a B3 measles genotype outbreak in south-east Wales occurring between May and September 2017, linked with other European outbreaks, and lessons learnt. Seventeen confirmed cases and one probable case occurred principally in education and healthcare-settings. Six confirmed cases attended healthcare settings when infectious, without being isolated.
Nutrition Status of Young Children in Periphery of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Sudarshan , Pradhan Pranil Man Singh , Limbu Netrika Prasad Maden , Shrestha Sushan Man , Pandeya Pooja , Regmi Bipana
Published: October 2017

Background & Objectives:Under nutrition in young children is a major public health concern in countries like Nepal. Despite high rate of chronic malnutrition in young children, very less focus has been given to reduce it, thus affecting the lives of these children during adolescence. Objectives: To assess the nutritional status of young children aged between 6 to 12 years in Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district of Nepal.Materials & Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in all the households of Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district during Community Diagnosis Program. Out of 338 young children, 319 were assessed by anthropometric measurements and the data was compared to the standards developed by World Health Organization.Results:A total of 319 children were assessed. Mean height, weight and BMI were high in children from Chhetri ethnicity and low in Dalit children. BMI for age was less than 5th percentile in 23.2% of children. The proportions of underweight and stunted children were 10% and 8.3% respectively. The percentage of underweight (16.9%) and stunted (12.2%) girls was more than that of boys.Conclusion:Nutritional status of young children in Dukuchhap village was found to be low especially considering the high proportion of underweight girls.
Community Diagnosis on Health Seeking Behavior and Social Problems in Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok Districts of central Nepal
Authors: Manandhar Pratibha , Manandhar Naresh , Chandyo Ram Krishna , Joshi Sunil Kumar
Published: October 2017

Background & Objectives:The main objectives of this study were to assess the health status, health seeking behaviors and social problems of Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok districts and also to learn the research skills and establish relation with community for students.Materials & Methods:This  was a cross sectional study conducted by students of second year MBBS for educational purposes of community diagnosis program (CDP) in one week period in nine VDC (village development committee) of Bhaktapur district along with one VDC and one municipality of Kavrepalanchok district. Household were selected based on convenient sampling method for the feasibility of students. Ethical clearance for the study was taken from Institutional Review Committee (IRC) of Kathmandu Medical College.Results:A total of 211and 105 households from Bhaktapur and  Kavrepalanchok districts respectively were included in this study .  In Bhaktapur district, a slight female predominance 549 (50.42  %) was observed, whereas in Kavrepalanchok district male predominated marginally 270 (51.1%).   In Bhaktapur district, 35 (47.9%) were addicted to alcohol and smoking behaviors, whereas in Kavrepalanchok district it was 12 (29.3%). In  Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok districts, 102 (48. 3%) and 50 (47.61%) households respectively consulted in  hospital  when became sick. The most prevalent health problem was cardiovascular diseases in both the districts i,e  39 (39%) in Bhaktapur and 14 (37.8%) in Kavrepalanchok district  respectively.Conclusion:Community diagnosis program assisted students to identify problems in the community, to raise the health awareness, practicing research skills and establishing relations with the community. The community also benefitted by getting knowledge on improving the health status and social aspects from the students during their door to door visit.
Status of liver stiffness following directly acting antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A Nepalese study
Authors: Sharma Dilip , KC Sudhamshu , Shrestha Ananta , Jaishi Bikash
Published: October 2017

Background & Objectives:Chronic hepatitis C is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease in our country. With the introduction of directly acting antivirals, many patients are benefitted these days. Transient elastography is one of the newer technologies for measuring liver stiffness and quantifying liver fibrosis and has excellent accuracy for the diagnosis of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Our study analyzes changes of liver stiffness and its associated factors in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with directly acting antivirals (DAAs).Materials & Methods: One hundred and seven patients with chronic hepatitis C, who were treated with DAAs (Sofosbuvir 400 mg and velpatasvir 100mg) and have significant fibrosis (>7.0 kPa) at baseline were included. Liver stiffness was measured at the time of enrollment, and after completion of DAAs with fibroscan and changes of stiffness and its associated factors were analyzed.  Results:The study showed significant decrease in liver stiffness at the end of treatment, which continued after treatment only in patients who achieved a sustained virological response.Conclusion: Liver stiffness decreased following 12 weeks of successful DAAs therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C at the end of treatment who achieved sustained virological response.
Spectrum of upper gastrointestinal bleed in patients with cirrhosis of liver
Authors: Bhattarai Subash , Dewan Khus Raj , Shrestha Gaurav , Patowary Bhanumati Saikia
Published: October 2017

Background & Objectives:Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI)  bleeding is a serious medical problem in patients with cirrhosis of  liver associated with high mortality. Gastro-oesophageal variceal bleed is the most common complication of portal hypertension in patient with liver cirrhosis. This study  was undertaken to establish the causes of UGI bleed in cirrhosis, their relative incidences, clinical presentation , endoscopic findings, outcomes during hospitalization including rebleeding and mortality were studied.Materials & Methods:One hundred and twenty patients with clinical features, sonological and endoscopic evidence of portal hypertension and cirrhosis of liver who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleed were included in the study. After haemodynamic stability, each patient underwent UGI endoscopy usually within 12 hours and the aetiology with diagnostic findings were documented. Results:Ruptured oesophageal varices was the  most common cause of UGI bleed in cirrhotic patients. Non variceal causes of UGI bleed accounted for 33.3 % of cases. The majority of non variceal bleed was peptic ulcer disease and accounted for 19.2 % of total UGI bleed in liver cirrhosis. This was followed by portal hypertension gastropathy, erosive gastropathy, mallory-weiss tear and others.Conclusion:The most frequent causes of acute gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhosis was  oesophageal varices. Peptic ulcer disesase is also a common aetiology of UGI bleed in cirrhosis. Cirrhotic patients with variceal etiology have more chances of rebleeding and have higher mortality than those with non variceal aetiologies.
Effectiveness of Tagetes patula against chronic nonbacterial prostatitis in rat model
Authors: Liu Xueying , Ran Xiaoku , Dou Deqiang , Cai Decheng
Published: October 2017

The effectiveness of water decoction of Tagetes patula was studied against the chronic nonbacterial prostatitis in a rat model induced by estradiol  subcuta-neously in a castrated male rat. The low-dose decoction of T. patula  significantly ameliorated the prostatitis. The low-dose of polysaccharide and supernatant constituent of T. patula decreased the levels of IL-1?, TNF-?, PSA, and EGF, and improved the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in vivo. Further, the chemical study indicated that flavonoids were predominant in the supernatant constituent of T. patula. The flavonoids and polysaccha-rides were the effective constituents against prostatitis and this effect may be mediated by keeping hormone balance and a down-regulation of the in?ammatory mediator level of the prostate.

Video Clip of Methodology:

9 min 43 Sec   Full Screen   Alternate
Incidents and Injuries in Foot-Launched Flying Extreme Sports
Authors: Feletti Francesco , Aliverti Andrea , Henjum Maggie , Tarabini Marco , Brymer Eric
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND: Participation rates in extreme sports have grown exponentially in the last 40 yr, often surpassing traditional sporting activities. The purpose of this study was to examine injury rates in foot-launched flying sports, i.e., sports in which a pilot foot-launches into
flight with a wing already deployed.METHODS: This paper is based on a retrospective analysis of the reports of incidents that occurred between 2000 and 2014 among the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association members.RESULTS: The majority of the 1411 reported injuries
were in the lower limb, followed by the upper limb. The most common lower limb injury was to the ankle and included fractures, sprains, and dislocations. The distribution of injures was different in each discipline. The calculated yearly fatality rate (fatalities/100,000 participants) was
40.4 in hang gliding, 47.1 in paragliding, 61.9 in powered hang gliding and 83.4 in powered paragliding; the overall value for foot-launched flight sports was 43.9.DISCUSSION: Significant differences in injury rates and injury patterns were found among different sport disciplines
that can be useful to steer research on safety, and adopt specific safety rules about flying, protective clothing and safety systems in each of these sports.Feletti F, Aliverti A, Henjum M, Tarabini M, Brymer E. Incidents and injuries in foot-launched flying extreme sports. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):1016–1023.
Risk Factors for Cervical Pain in F-15C Pilots
Authors: Chumbley Eric M. , Stolfi Adrienne , McEachen James C.
Published: October 2017

INTRODUCTION: Many fighter pilots report cervical pain during their careers. Etiology likely relates to +Gz exposure, physical positioning with maneuvers, and varying load associated with headgear. We evaluated whether selected risk factors predicted cervical pain
in this population.METHODS: An Institutional Review Board-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, controlled crossover study of the use of home cervical traction was undertaken with 20 male F-15C pilots. We recorded pilot age (mean 38 yr, range 34–49),
total high-G hours (2338 h, range 1038–4645), and previous neck problems and measured cervical range of motion. For 12 wk, pilots logged pre- and postflight pain, whether the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was employed, maximum +Gz experienced, and sortie duration.
Pain with and without JHMCS was compared using paired t-tests and correlations assessed with Pearson or Spearman coefficients.RESULTS: Mean flight-related pain increased by 0.73 on the numerical rating scale with JHMCS and 0.52 without. Neck extension coupled with JHMCS use
correlated negatively with increased pain (r = −0.551). Higher numbers of previously reported neck problems correlated with pain when using JHMCS (r = 0.629). Age, maximum +Gz per sortie, total high-Gz hours flown, and hours per sortie did not correlate.DISCUSSION:
To our knowledge, this is the first prospective evaluation of risk factors for fighter pilots’ cervical pain. Neck pain was significantly worse with JHMCS use and with flexed posture or history of prior neck problems combined with JHMCS use. This information will help guide countermeasure
development for high-G pilots.Chumbley EM, Stolfi A, McEachen JC. Risk factors for cervical pain in F-15C pilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):1000–1007.
Aircrew and Handheld Laser Exposure
Authors: Dietrich Kevin C.
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND: Laser devices are ubiquitous in everyday operations. These devices pose a hazard to the eye and numerous injuries have been documented. However, there lies a misunderstanding in the propensity to damage aircrews’ eyes during an exposure. Patient encounters and
article review is presented in hopes to raise awareness that aircrew laser exposure at altitude, outside of critical phases of flight, is a distraction and not a threat. Also, to propose a change to Air Force policy regarding such exposures and further educating flight surgeons.METHODS:
An electronic medical record (EMR) search at a deployed clinic was performed from July 2016 through Jan 2017. The “reason for visit” column was perused for any reference to the eye and laser exposure. Subsequently, the patient encounters were scrutinized specifically for eye injury,
optometry visit, color of laser, and suspension of flight duties. All members were military aircrew spanning loadmasters, boom operators, and pilots. No protective lenses or other forms of optics were employed at time of exposure.RESULTS: There were 21 encounters reviewed; 1 patient
was seen twice due to 2 separate instances. Of the encounters, 14 were green lasers, 6 did not comment, and 1 indicated white. Zero acute injuries were discovered.DISCUSSION: Patients were needlessly sent for further examination and prohibited from performing their duties. Following
military patient encounters and civilian literature regarding laser injury, the evidence highly supports the hypothesis that hand-held laser exposure in flight from a ground base does not engender eye injury. More emphasis should be placed on recognizing the laser threat as a distraction or
disruption to critical phases of flight, and a policy change may be in order for the USAF laser exposure guide.Dietrich KC. Aircrew and handheld laser exposure. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):1040–1042.
Effects of Physical Driving Experience on Body Movement and Motion Sickness During Virtual Driving
Authors: Chang Chih-Hui , Chen Fu-Chen , Kung Wei-Ching , Stoffregen Thomas A.
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND: In previous research on motion sickness in simulated and virtual vehicles, subjects’ experience controlling the corresponding physical vehicles has been confounded with their age. During driving of virtual automobiles in a video game, we separated chronological
age from experience driving physical automobiles.METHODS: Subjects drove a virtual automobile in a driving video game. Drivers were young adults with several years of experience driving physical automobiles, while nondrivers were individuals in the same age group who did not have
a driver’s license and had never driven an automobile. During virtual driving, we monitored movement of the head and torso. We collected independent measures of the incidence and severity of motion sickness.RESULTS: After virtual driving, motion sickness incidence did not
differ between drivers (65%) and nondrivers (60%). Game performance and the severity of symptoms also did not differ between drivers and nondrivers. However, movement differed between subjects who later became motion sick and those who did not. In addition, physical driving experience influenced
patterns of postural activity that preceded motion sickness during virtual driving.CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the postural instability theory of motion sickness, and help to illuminate relationships between the control of physical and virtual vehicles.Chang
C-H, Chen F-C, Kung W-C, Stoffregen TA. Effects of physical driving experience on body movement and motion sickness during virtual driving. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):985–992.
Dysrhythmias in Laypersons During Centrifuge-Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight
Authors: Suresh Rahul , Blue Rebecca S. , Mathers Charles H. , Castleberry Tarah L. , Vanderploeg James M.
Published: October 2017

INTRODUCTION: There are limited data on cardiac dysrhythmias in laypersons during hypergravity exposure. We report layperson electrocardiograph (ECG) findings and tolerance of dysrhythmias during centrifuge-simulated suborbital spaceflight.METHODS: Volunteers participated
in varied-length centrifuge training programs of 2–7 centrifuge runs over 0.5–2 d, culminating in two simulated suborbital spaceflights of combined +Gz and +Gx (peak +4.0 Gz, +6.0 Gx, duration 5 s). Monitors recorded pre- and post-run
mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), 6-s average heart rate (HR) collected at prespecified points during exposures, documented dysrhythmias observed on continuous 3-lead ECG, self-reported symptoms, and objective signs of intolerance on real-time video monitoring.RESULTS: Participating
in the study were 148 subjects (43 women). Documented dysrhythmias included sinus pause (N = 5), couplet premature ventricular contractions (N = 4), bigeminy (N = 3), accelerated idioventricular rhythm (N = 1), and relative bradycardia (RB, defined as a transient
HR drop of >20 bpm; N = 63). None were associated with subjective symptoms or objective signs of acceleration intolerance. Episodes of RB occurred only during +Gx exposures. Subjects had a higher post-run vs. pre-run MAP after all exposures, but demonstrated no difference
in pre- and post-run HR. RB was more common in men, younger individuals, and subjects experiencing more centrifuge runs.DISCUSSION: Dysrhythmias in laypersons undergoing simulated suborbital spaceflight were well tolerated, though RB was frequently noted during short-duration +Gx
exposure. No subjects demonstrated associated symptoms or objective hemodynamic sequelae from these events. Even so, heightened caution remains warranted when monitoring dysrhythmias in laypersons with significant cardiopulmonary disease or taking medications that modulate cardiac conduction.Suresh
R, Blue RS, Mathers CH, Castleberry TL, Vanderploeg JM. Dysrhythmias in laypersons during centrifuge-stimulated suborbital spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):1008–1015.
Analysis of Hydration-Mechanical-Durability Properties of Metakaolin Blended Concrete
Authors: Wang Xiao-Yong
Published: October 2017

Metakaolin (MK) is a highly active pozzolanic material and MK is increasingly used in producing high performance concrete. This study presents an integrated hydration-mechanical-durability model for evaluating various properties of metakaolin blended concrete. First, a blended hydration model is proposed for simulating the hydration of composite binders containing MK that considers the dilution effect and pozzolanic reaction due to metakaolin addition. The interactions between the metakaolin reaction and cement hydration were taken into account by means of the contents of calcium hydroxide and capillary water in hydrating the composite binder. The reaction degrees of cement and metakaolin were calculated using the hydration model. Second, the gel-space ratio of the MK blended concrete was determined based on the reaction degrees of the composite binders and proportions of concrete mix. Moreover, concrete compressive strength was calculated using the gel-space ratio. Third, the volumetric phase fractions were calculated based on the reaction degrees of the binders. Chloride penetrability of metakaolin blended concrete was analyzed through the capillary porosity of concrete. The proposed integrated hydration-mechanical-durability model is valuable for the material design of metakaolin blended concrete.
Factors Associated with Malnutrition among Under-Five Children: Illustration using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2014 Data
Authors: Talukder Ashis
Published: October 2017

Child malnutrition remains one of the major public health problems in many parts of the world, especially in a developing country like Bangladesh. Several socioeconomic and demographic factors are responsible for this condition. The present study was conducted to uncover the risk factors associated with malnutrition among under-five children in Bangladesh by analyzing the data from a nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) in 2014. The ordinal dependent variable—child nutrition status (severely malnourished, moderately malnourished, and nourished)—was developed by calculating weight-for-age Z score (WAZ). Bivariate analysis was conducted by performing gamma measure and chi-square test of independence to explore the association between child nutrition status and selected independent variables. To know the adjusted effects of covariates, a popular ordinal model—namely, the proportional odds (PO) model—was considered. All the selected covariates were found highly significant (p < 0.01) in the bivariate setup. However, in the multivariate setup, father’s and mother’s education, wealth index, mother’s body mass index (BMI), and antenatal care service during pregnancy were found highly significant (p < 0.01) factors for child malnutrition. Among the divisions, only Dhaka had more control on child malnutrition, compared to the Sylhet division. Birth interval of children was also reported as a significant factor at a 5% level of significance. Finally, the results of this paper strongly highlighted the necessity of increasing parent’s education level, improving the mother’s nutritional status, and increasing facilities providing antenatal care service in order to achieve better nutrition status among under-five children in Bangladesh.
Is There a Causal Relationship between Intussusception and Food Allergy?
Authors: Aydin Emrah , Beşer Omer , Ozek Esra , Sazak Soner , Duras Ensar
Published: October 2017

Although intussusception and food allergy are common health problems in childhood, the relation between these two diseases remain obscure. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between food allergy and intussusception, and the factors associated with both. Patients diagnosed with intussusception by the Brighton Collaboration Intussusception Working Group criteria were prospectively investigated for food allergy per the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Guideline. They were analyzed per demographic features, clinical, physical and laboratory findings. There were eight (38.1%) patients diagnosed with food allergy, while 13 (61.9%) patients were non-allergic. The mean number of days of presenting symptoms was 1.13 days in the allergy group and 7.85 days in the non-allergy group. The mean number of intussusception attacks was 1.63 in the allergy group while 1 in the non-allergy group (p < 0.05, relative risk (RR) = 2.6). In the allergy group, one (13%) patient was followed up, six (75%) patients were reduced with pneumatic and one (13%) patient reduced manually. In the non-allergy group, four (31%) patients were followed up, six (46%) patients were reduced with pneumotic, one (7%) patient was reduced manually, and resection anastomosis was performed in two (15%) patients. Food allergy is an unrecognized associated factor for intussusception patients, which increases the risk for recurrence. Due to the small patient population, these results should be interpreted with caution.
Cosmographic Thermodynamics of Dark Energy
Authors: Luongo Orlando
Published: October 2017

Dark energy’s thermodynamics is here revised giving particular attention to the role played by specific heats and entropy in a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe. Under the hypothesis of adiabatic heat exchanges, we rewrite the specific heats through cosmographic, model-independent quantities and we trace their evolutions in terms of z. We demonstrate that dark energy may be modeled as perfect gas, only as the Mayer relation is preserved. In particular, we find that the Mayer relation holds if j − q > 1 2 . The former result turns out to be general so that, even at the transition time, the jerk parameter j cannot violate the condition: j t r > 1 2 . This outcome rules out those models which predict opposite cases, whereas it turns out to be compatible with the concordance paradigm. We thus compare our bounds with the Λ CDM model, highlighting that a constant dark energy term seems to be compatible with the so-obtained specific heat thermodynamics, after a precise redshift domain. In our treatment, we show the degeneracy between unified dark energy models with zero sound speed and the concordance paradigm. Under this scheme, we suggest that the cosmological constant may be viewed as an effective approach to dark energy either at small or high redshift domains. Last but not least, we discuss how to reconstruct dark energy’s entropy from specific heats and we finally compute both entropy and specific heats into the luminosity distance d L , in order to fix constraints over them through cosmic data.
The Prior Can Often Only Be Understood in the Context of the Likelihood
Authors: Gelman Andrew , Simpson Daniel , Betancourt Michael
Published: October 2017

A key sticking point of Bayesian analysis is the choice of prior distribution, and there is a vast literature on potential defaults including uniform priors, Jeffreys’ priors, reference priors, maximum entropy priors, and weakly informative priors. These methods, however, often manifest a key conceptual tension in prior modeling: a model encoding true prior information should be chosen without reference to the model of the measurement process, but almost all common prior modeling techniques are implicitly motivated by a reference likelihood. In this paper we resolve this apparent paradox by placing the choice of prior into the context of the entire Bayesian analysis, from inference to prediction to model evaluation.
Stochastic Dominance and Omega Ratio: Measures to Examine Market Efficiency, Arbitrage Opportunity, and Anomaly
Authors: Guo Xu , Jiang Xuejun , Wong Wing-Keung
Published: October 2017

Both stochastic dominance and Omegaratio can be used to examine whether the market is efficient, whether there is any arbitrage opportunity in the market and whether there is any anomaly in the market. In this paper, we first study the relationship between stochastic dominance and the Omega ratio. We find that second-order stochastic dominance (SD) and/or second-order risk-seeking SD (RSD) alone for any two prospects is not sufficient to imply Omega ratio dominance insofar that the Omega ratio of one asset is always greater than that of the other one. We extend the theory of risk measures by proving that the preference of second-order SD implies the preference of the corresponding Omega ratios only when the return threshold is less than the mean of the higher return asset. On the other hand, the preference of the second-order RSD implies the preference of the corresponding Omega ratios only when the return threshold is larger than the mean of the smaller return asset. Nonetheless, first-order SD does imply Omega ratio dominance. Thereafter, we apply the theory developed in this paper to examine the relationship between property size and property investment in the Hong Kong real estate market. We conclude that the Hong Kong real estate market is not efficient and there are expected arbitrage opportunities and anomalies in the Hong Kong real estate market. Our findings are useful for investors and policy makers in real estate.
Ride Comfort Optimization of In-Wheel-Motor Electric Vehicles with In-Wheel Vibration Absorbers
Authors: Liu Mingchun , Gu Feihong , Zhang Yuanzhi
Published: October 2017

This paper presents an in-wheel vibration absorber for in-wheel-motor electric vehicles (IWM EVs), and a corresponding control strategy to improve vehicle ride comfort. The proposed in-wheel vibration absorber, designed for suppressing the motor vibrations, is composed of a spring, an annular rubber bushing, and a controllable damper. The parameters of the in-wheel spring and rubber bushing are determined by an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm, which is executed under the typical driving conditions and can absorb vibration passively. To deal with negative interaction effects between vehicle suspension and in-wheel absorber, a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) algorithm is developed to control suspension damper, and meanwhile a fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) method is developed to control in-wheel damper as well. Through four evaluation indexes, i.e., vehicle body vertical acceleration, suspension dynamic deflection, wheel dynamic load, and motor wallop, simulation results show that, compared to the conventional electric wheel, the proposed suspension LQR control effectively improves vehicle ride comfort, and the in-wheel absorber exhibits excellent performance in terms of wheel and motor vibration suppression.
Correlated EEMD and Effective Feature Extraction for Both Periodic and Irregular Faults Diagnosis in Rotating Machinery
Authors: Liang Jiejunyi , Zhong Jian-Hua , Yang Zhi-Xin
Published: October 2017

Intelligent fault diagnosis of complex machinery is crucial for industries to reduce the maintenance cost and to improve fault prediction performance. Acoustic signal is an ideal source for diagnosis because of its inherent characteristics in terms of being non-directional and insensitive to structural resonances. However, there are also two main drawbacks of acoustic signal, one of which is the low signal to noise ratio (SNR) caused by its high sensitivity and the other one is the low computational efficiency caused by the huge data size. These would decrease the performance of the fault diagnosis system. Therefore, it is significant to develop a proper feature extraction method to improve computational efficiency and performance in both periodic and irregular fault diagnosis. To enhance SNR of the acquired acoustic signal, the correlation coefficient (CC) method is employed to eliminate the redundant intrinsic mode functions (IMF), which comes from the decomposition procedure of pre-processing known as ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), because the higher the correlated coefficient of an IMF is, the more significant fault signatures it would contain, and the redundant IMF would compromise both the SNR and the computational cost performance. Singular value decomposition (SVD) and sample Entropy (SampEn) are subsequently used to extract the fault feature, by exploiting their sensitivities to irregular and periodic fault signals, respectively. In addition, the proposed feature extraction method using sparse Bayesian based pairwise coupled extreme learning machine (PC-SBELM) outperforms the existing pairwise-coupling probabilistic neural network (PC-PNN) and pairwise-coupling relevance vector machine (PC-RVM) by 1.8% and 2%, respectively, to achieve an accuracy of 93.9%. The experiments conducted on the periodic and irregular faults in the gears and bearings have demonstrated that the proposed hybrid fault diagnosis system is effective.
Co-Digestion of Napier Grass and Its Silage with Cow Dung for Methane Production
Authors: Prapinagsorn Wipa , Sittijunda Sureewan , Reungsang Alissara
Published: October 2017

Methane production from co-digestion of grass with cow dung and silage with cow dung was conducted by a bioaugmentation technique. For self-fermentation, maximum methane yield (MY) of 176.66 and 184.94 mL CH4/g-VSadded were achieved at a ratio of grass to cow dung and silage to cow dung of 1:1, respectively. A higher maximum MY of 179.59 and 208.11 mL CH4/g-VSadded was obtained from co-digestion of grass with cow dung and silage with cow dung bioaugmented with anaerobic sludge at a ratio of 3:1. The solid residue left over after co-digestion at a ratio of 3:1 was pretreated by alkaline plus enzyme before used to produce methane and a maximum MY of 333.63 and 301.38 mL CH4/g-VSadded, respectively, was achieved. Overall power generated from co-digestion of grass with cow dung plus pretreated solid residues and co-digestion of silage with cow dung plus pretreated solid residues were 0.0397 and 0.007 watt, respectively.
Constant Power Loads (CPL) with Microgrids: Problem Definition, Stability Analysis and Compensation Techniques
Authors: AL-Nussairi Mohammed Kh. , Bayindir Ramazan , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Mihet-Popa Lucian , Siano Pierluigi
Published: October 2017

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the major concepts associated with the μgrid, such as constant power load (CPL), incremental negative resistance or impedance (INR/I) and its dynamic behaviours on the μgrid, and power system distribution (PSD). In general, a μgrid is defined as a cluster of different types of electrical loads and renewable energy sources (distributed generations) under a unified controller within a certain local area. It is considered a perfect solution to integrate renewable energy sources with loads as well as with a traditional grid. In addition, it can operate with a conventional grid, for example, by energy sourcing or a controllable load, or it can operate alone as an islanding mode to feed required electric energy to a grid. Hence, one of the important issues regarding the μgrid is the constant power load that results from the tightly designed control when it is applied to power electronic converters. The effect of CPL is incremental negative resistance that impacts the power quality of a power system and makes it at negative damping. Also, in this paper, a comprehensive study on major control and compensation techniques for μgrid has been included to face the instability effects of constant power loads. Finally, the merits and limitations of the compensation techniques are discussed.
Saliva as a Blood Alternative for Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling by Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) Sequencing
Authors: Staunstrup Nicklas , Starnawska Anna , Nyegaard Mette , Nielsen Anders , Børglum Anders , Mors Ole
Published: October 2017

Abstract: Background: Interrogation of DNA methylation profiles hold promise for improved diagnostics, as well as the delineation of the aetiology for common human diseases. However, as the primary tissue of the disease is often inaccessible without complicated and inconvenient interventions, there is an increasing interest in peripheral surrogate tissues. Whereas most work has been conducted on blood, saliva is now becoming recognized as an interesting alternative due to the simple and non-invasive manner of collection allowing for self-sampling. Results: In this study we have evaluated if saliva samples are suitable for DNA methylation studies using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation coupled to next-generation sequencing (MeDIP-seq). This was done by comparing the DNA methylation profile in saliva against the benchmark profile of peripheral blood from three individuals. We show that the output, quality, and depth of paired-end 50 bp sequencing reads are comparable between saliva and peripheral blood and, moreover, that the distribution of reads along genomic regions are similar and follow canonical methylation patterns. Conclusion: In summary, we show that high-quality MeDIP-seq data can be generated using saliva, thus supporting the future use of saliva in the generation of DNA methylation information at annotated genes, non-RefSeq genes, and repetitive elements relevant to human disease.
EHMT1/GLP; Biochemical Function and Association with Brain Disorders
Authors: Adam Manal A. , Isles Anthony R.
Published: October 2017

The gene EHMT1 that encodes the Euchromatic Histone Methyltransferase-1, also known as GLP (G9a-like protein), has been associated with a number of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. GLP is a member of the euchromatic lysine histone methyltransferase family, along with EHMT2 or G9A. As its name implies, Ehmt1/GLP is involved in the addition of methyl groups to histone H3 lysine 9, a generally repressive mark linked to classical epigenetic process such as genomic imprinting, X-inactivation, and heterochromatin formation. However, GLP also plays both a direct and indirect role in regulating DNA-methylation. Here, we discuss what is currently known about the biochemical function of Ehmt1/GLP and its association, via various genetic studies, with brain disorders.
Helping Health Services to Meet the Needs of Young People with Chronic Conditions: Towards a Developmental Model for Transition
Authors: Farre Albert , McDonagh Janet
Published: October 2017

The transition to adult healthcare has been the subject of increased research and policy attention over many years. However, unmet needs of adolescent and young adults (AYAs) and their families continue to be documented, and universal implementation has yet to be realised. Therefore, it is pertinent to re-examine health transition in light of the principles of adolescent medicine from which it emerged, and consider this particular life transition in terms of a developmental milestone rather than a negotiation of structural boundaries between child and adult services. Health transitions are an integral part of AYA development and as such, occur alongside, and in connection with, a range of other important transitions that affect many other areas of life. In this paper, we discuss the interrelated nature of health transitions and AYA development; outline the underpinnings of a developmentally appropriate approach to transitional care; and consider the outcome measurement of such care based on existing evidence. A developmental approach has the potential to refocus transition on the fundamental principles of adolescent medicine, enabling health transition to be integrated along with other life transitions into routine AYA developmental assessments rather than being limited to the geographies of different healthcare settings and a potential health crisis.