bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some Climatological Aspects of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO)
Authors: Lafleur Donald M. , Barrett Bradford S. , Henderson Gina R.
Published: May 2015

One of the most commonly used metrics for both locating the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) geographically and defining the intensity of MJO convective activity is the real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) index. However, a climatology of the MJO, particularly with respect to the frequency of activity levels or of consecutive days at certain activity thresholds, does not yet exist. Thus, several climatological aspects of the MJO were developed in this study: 1) annual and 2) seasonal variability in MJO intensity, quantified using four defined activity categories (inactive, active, very active, and extremely active); 3) persistence in the above-defined four categories; 4) cycle length; and 5) low-frequency (decadal) variability.

On an annual basis, MJO phases 1 and 2 occurred more often, and phase 8 occurred less often, than the other phases throughout the year. Notable seasonality was also found, particularly in the frequency of extremely active MJO in March–May (8% of days) compared with June–August (only 1% of days). The MJO was persistent in time and across intensity categories, and all activity categories the following day had at least an 80% chance of maintaining their amplitudes. Implications of this climatology are discussed, including length of complete MJO cycles (the shortest of which was 17 days) and correlations between MJO amplitude and atmospheric response.
Aerosol Optical Thickness Measurement with Elevation-Scanning Lidar
Authors: Ionov Pavel I. , Mollner Andrew K.
Published: May 2015

High-accuracy measurement of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) τa with an elevation-scanning lidar is demonstrated and the results are compared with a collocated Cimel 318 sun photometer. Linear regression of the time-coincident data from a 2-week measurement campaign with the two instruments is found to be τalidar = (1.00 ± 0.17)τaphot + (0.025 ± 0.019) (1σ). The method proved to have sufficient accuracy to measure AOTs of 0.1–0.2 commonly seen in relatively clear atmosphere. The measurement is absolute and thus does not depend on any external calibration standards.
CXCR4+granulocytes reflect fungal cystic fibrosis lung disease
Authors: Carevic Melanie , Singh Anurag , Rieber Nikolaus , Eickmeier Olaf , Griese Matthias , Hector Andreas , Hartl Dominik
Published: May 2015

Cystic fibrosis airways are frequently colonised with fungi. However, the interaction of these fungi with immune cells and the clinical relevance in cystic fibrosis lung disease are incompletely understood.

We characterised granulocytes in airway fluids and peripheral blood from cystic fibrosis patients with and without fungal colonisation, non-cystic fibrosis disease controls and healthy control subjects cross-sectionally and longitudinally and correlated these findings with lung function parameters.

Cystic fibrosis patients with chronic fungal colonisation byAspergillus fumigatuswere characterised by an accumulation of a distinct granulocyte subset, expressing the HIV coreceptor CXCR4. Percentages of airway CXCR4+granulocytes correlated with lung disease severity in patients with cystic fibrosis.

These studies demonstrate that chronic fungal colonisation withA. fumigatusin cystic fibrosis patients is associated with CXCR4+airway granulocytes, which may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in fungal cystic fibrosis lung disease.
Polysulfide Evokes Acute Pain through the Activation of Nociceptive TRPA1 in Mouse Sensory Neurons
Authors: Hatakeyama Yukari , Takahashi Kenji , Tominaga Makoto , Kimura Hideo , Ohta Toshio
Published: May 2015

Background

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is oxidized to polysulfide. Recent reports show that this sulfur compound modulates various biological functions. We have reported that H2S is involved in inflammatory pain in mice. On the other hand, little is known about the functional role of polysulfide in sensory neurons. Here we show that polysulfide selectively stimulates nociceptive TRPA1 and evokes acute pain, using TRPA1-gene deficient mice (TRPA1(–/–)), a heterologous expression system and a TRPA1-expressing cell line.

Results

In wild-type mouse sensory neurons, polysulfide elevated the intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca2+]i) in a dose-dependent manner. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of polysulfide was less than one-tenth that of H2S. The [Ca2+]i responses to polysulfide were observed in neurons responsive to TRPA1 agonist and were inhibited by blockers of TRPA1 but not of TRPV1. Polysulfide failed to evoke [Ca2+]i increases in neurons from TRPA1(–/–) mice. In RIN-14B cells, constitutively expressing rat TRPA1, polysulfide evoked [Ca2+]i increases with the same EC50 value as in sensory neurons. Heterologously expressed mouse TRPA1 was activated by polysulfide and that was suppressed by dithiothreitol. Analyses of the TRPA1 mutant channel revealed that cysteine residues located in the internal domain were related to the sensitivity to polysulfide. Intraplantar injection of polysulfide into the mouse hind paw induced acute pain and edema which were significantly less than in TRPA1(–/–) mice.

Conclusions

The present data suggest that polysulfide functions as pronociceptive substance through the activation of TRPA1 in sensory neurons. Since the potency of polysulfide is higher than parental H2S and this sulfur compound is generated under pathophysiological conditions, it is suggested that polysulfide acts as endogenous ligand for TRPA1. Therefore, TRPA1 may be a promising therapeutic target for endogenous sulfur compound-related algesic action.
Is quality certification in fruit and vegetable production a market-driven choice in Greece?
Authors: Tselempis Dimitrios , Karipidis Philippos , Pavloudi Alexandra , Semos Anastasios
Published: May 2015

This study examines whether the implementation of a quality management system (QMS) and the choice of a certain quality assurance scheme (QAS) were decided as responses by fruit and vegetable producers to market conditions, separating certification decisions into two components. A survey study is conducted and two discrete choice models are estimated: ordered logit for the implementation of QMS and binary probit for the choice of QAS. It is found that the buyers’ demand for certification and the efforts of farmers to differentiate their products from others in an area that may present local quality problems lead farm businesses to accelerate QMS implementation. Regarding the choice of a private QAS, it is a market-driven decision. The conclusion is that certifications are characterised by a market-driven approach and the increased interest in certified products can lead to the diffusion of certification. Because the absence of information provision and the controls exerted by public authorities have an impact on QMS implementation, the diffusion of certification depends also on public policy measures, indicating the crucial role of a public policy mix properly designed to promote certification.
Lingering in Girlhood: Dancing with Patriarchy in Jordan
Authors: Yessayan Maral Tatios
Published: May 2015

This article investigates issues of modesty, sexuality, and womanhood in a community of young Jordanian women working in folkloric dance companies in twenty-first-century Amman. Using feminist performance ethnography, it contrasts the gendered codes in play in the hoshiyya—a Bedouin courtship dance—with how women dancers enact and revise such codes in everyday life. The article explores choreographies of gender through a careful reading of tensions between the moving bodies of men and the embodied practices of the woman soloist onstage. It also compares this model with the narratives and corporeal practices of the women dancers in daily life. I argue that the women rationalize their professional dancing and protect their reputations in a patriarchal context through self-disciplining practices and by disavowing their sexuality during what they understand as a temporary period of girlhood.
Grammars of Disguised, Multiple, and Missing Critique inDreams of TrespassandTomorrow We’ll Get Our Land Back
Authors: Campbell Ian
Published: May 2015

This article extends critical analysis of Fatima Mernissi’s 1995 semiautobiographical Dreams of Trespass to Fatima al-Rawi’s 1967 novel, Tomorrow We’ll Get Our Land Back (Ghadan tatabadal al-ʾard), which shares with Dreams the trope of Moroccan women imprisoned by patriarchal power and cooperating through storytelling. Both narratives reflect their own forms of “multiple critique.” Tomorrow confronts the exploitation of the working class in postcolonial Morocco but does so in a way that disguises a frontal challenge to the masculinist context of the 1960s and the undemocratic postcolonial state. Examining Tomorrow through a gendered lens opens up a new perspective on Dreams. The harem imprisonment of the Mernissi women marks the family’s vast wealth and class privilege, which are not meaningfully addressed in Dreams. The liberation of young, privileged women in both works depends on the imprisonment of slaves and servants, whose conditions are only partly considered in Dreams and not at all addressed in Tomorrow.
The Potent Eunuch: The Story of Wei Zhongxian
Authors: McMahon Keith
Published: May 2015

Literary and historical sources assumed ulterior, even diabolical, motives in the man who voluntarily became a eunuch. If he was lucky, he could become the ruler's confidant and even usurp imperial power. Focusing on Ming eunuch Wei Zhongxian (1568–1627), the article addresses key questions in the portrayal of eunuchs: How and why did a man become a eunuch? What were his motives, as far as can be learned from historical cases; and what did storytellers and other writers think his motives were? In the case of powerful and influential eunuchs, the question also became, how, after his act of self-destruction, did the eunuch reconstruct himself? How did he re-create himself as a newly potent man?
regionReport: Interactive reports for region-based analyses
Authors: Collado-Torres Leonardo , Jaffe Andrew E. , Leek Jeffrey T.
Published: May 2015

regionReport is an R package for generating detailed interactive reports from regions of the genome. The report includes quality-control checks, an overview of the results, an interactive table of the genomic regions and reproducibility information. regionReport can easily be expanded with report templates for other specialized analyses. In particular, regionReport has an extensive report template for exploring derfinder results from annotation-agnostic RNA-seq differential expression analyses.
In silico analysis suggests repurposing of ibuprofen for prevention and treatment of EBOLA virus disease
Authors: Veljkovic Veljko , Goeijenbier Marco , Glisic Sanja , Veljkovic Nevena , Perovic Vladimir R. , Sencanski Milan , Branch Donald R. , Paessler Slobodan
Published: May 2015

The large 2014/2015 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa points out the urgent need to develop new preventive and therapeutic approaches that are effective against Ebola viruses and  can be rapidly utilized. Recently, a simple theoretical criterion for the virtual screening of molecular libraries for candidate inhibitors of Ebola virus infection was proposed. Using this method the ‘drug space’ was screened and 267 approved and 382 experimental drugs as candidates for treatment of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been selected. Detailed analysis of these drugs revealed the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen as an inexpensive, widely accessible and minimally toxic candidate for prevention and treatment of EVD. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism underlying this possible protective effect of ibuprofen against EVD is suggested in this article.
Strategies to Reduce the Formation of Acrylamide in Potato Chips: A Market and Consumer’s Prospective
Authors: Israilides Cleanthes , Theodoros Varzakas
Published: May 2015

Acrylamide, a toxic compound and possible carcinogen is formed in high heated starchy foods like potatoes through the process of the Maillard reaction in which reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine play a major role.
Various strategies which are described in this paper have been employed to reduce the formation of acrylamide in potato chips. Among these tuber genetics, harvesting time, storage conditions frying temperatures and time, soaking and use of various additives seem to be effective tools for the industry as well as for consumer food preparation.
The results of various studies will help the industry to adopt practical effective and innovative ways to reduce the levels of acrylamide even further and calm the markets from demanding to provide warning labels and the manufactures to pay penalties and higher costs
Reliability of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Measurements taken by Community Health Nurses
Authors: Saeed Hibbah , Mogendi Joseph , Akparibo Robert , Kolsteren Patrick
Published: May 2015

Mid upper arm circumference-based diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition is seen as very attractive because it is assumed to be simple to use in measuring the arm and also requires a single cut-off without having to compute an index or compare to a reference population. The circumference of the left upper arm measured at the mid-point between the tip of the shoulder and the tip of the elbow is referred to as mid upper arm circumference (MUAC). MUAC was originally used in emergency settings where huge populations had to be screened within a short time. However, in the past few years the development of community therapeutic care of acute malnutrition implied a need for a diagnostic tool. The general objective of the study was to assess the inter- and intra-observer variability in MUAC measurements of under-five children by community health nurses in selected communities of the Northern Region in Ghana. A community-based cohort study was conducted on a convenience sample of 120 community health nurses and nursing students from selected communities in the Northern region of Ghana. Each CHN measured MUAC for four unique children on three consecutive days to assess intra-observer variability. To assess inter-observer variability, 50 independent nursing students took MUAC measures of four children on the same day. Bland Altman plots showed a high degree of agreement of MUAC measures taken repeatedly for three days by the same observers and ICC= 0.993. MUAC measures among observers (inter-observer) and ICC =0.042 showed a considerable level of variability among different observers. This study showed that MUAC is reliable when repeated measures are taken on children by the same observers, but using different observers for the same children showed a high level of variability.
High Fiber Caribbean Diets with Low-Intermediate GI Improve Glycemic Control, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Indicators in Overweight Persons with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Control Study
Authors: Singh Perceval , Riley Cliff K , Wheatley Andrew , Boyne Michael , Morrison Errol , Asemota Helen
Published: May 2015

This study focused on the effect of consumption of indigenous Caribbean foods with low and intermediate glycemic index (GI) high fiber contents on glycated haemoglobin (A1c), insulin, fasting blood glucose, homocysteine (tHCY), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), HOMA-IR and lipoprotein profile levels in overweight persons with type 2 diabetes. The methodology followed a randomized controlled parallel design, which compared two dietary treatment modalities in adult Jamaicans who were overweight and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (mean age 42.5 ± 2.0 years, 55% females, mean A1c 9.30 ± 0.56%) over six months. The intervention group (n=32) underlined the consumption of low-intermediate-GI foods, whereas the control group (n = 33) were not so advised and consumed a high-GI diet. Attempts were made to ensure that both groups were isocaloric with 45-50% of energy from carbohydrates. Consumption of low-intermediate GI foods resulted in significant reductions (p<0.005) in A1C compared to participants who consumed high GI foods (-0.84 ± 0.26 vs. -0.35 ± 0.04%), hs-CRP (-0.52 ± 0.17 vs. -0.17 ± 0.31 mg/dL) and tHCY (-1.32 ± 0.39 vs. -0.59 ± 0.38 µmol/L). Insulin sensitivity, HDL-C and triglycerides significantly improved in participants who consumed the low-intermediate-GI diet. The data strengthen the metabolic benefits of meal plans that emphasize the consumption of low and intermediate GI high fiber foods, particularly, indigenous Caribbean complex starchy foods.
Nutritional Status and Dietary Habits of Subjects with Urolithiasis
Authors: Somashekara H. M , Urooj Asna
Published: May 2015

The lifestyle, environmental factors, nutritional status and dietary habits of patients with Urolithiasis, visiting the major hospitals in Mysore city was studied. The mean age of onset of the disease was > 20 y. A higher incidence was found in men belonging to younger age group. Subjects exhibited a positive urinary tract infection, difficult urination and pain. Somatic assessment indicated a low protein status. Urea, creatinine and other biochemical parameters were within the normal range for majority of subjects. Subjects were involved in heavy activity as they were agricultural laborers. Dietary were mixed types, with the cereals being the predominant items of the daily meals. Consumption of green leafy vegetables/ fruits was very low. The energy intake was lower than RDA. Higher intake of finger millet and horsegram, which are rich sources of calcium, oxalate and dietary fiber, and low fluid intake was reported by the subjects. Research is needed to identify risk factors specific to different geographical regions.
Gamma Irradiation Treatment of Cherry – Impact on Storage Quality, Decay Percentage and Post- Refrigeration Shelf-Life Extension
Authors: Parveen S , Hussain P. R , Mir M. A , Shafi F , Darakshan S , Mushtaq A , Suradkar P
Published: May 2015

Present study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation on storage quality and post refrigeration shelf-life extension of cherry. Two commercial varieties of cherry fruit (Misri and Double) after harvest at commercial maturity were gamma irradiated in the dose range of 0.3 -1.5 kGy followed by storage under ambient (temperature 25 ± 2 0C, RH 70%) and refrigerated (temperature 3 ± 1 0C, RH 80%) conditions. Among treatments, dose of 1.2 and 1.5 kGy effectively maintained the storage quality and significantly (p≤0.05) delayed the decay of the cherry varieties. In samples treated with dose of 1.2 and 1.5 kGy no decay was recorded up to 9 days of ambient storage. Under refrigerated conditions, cherry samples of control and those irradiated in the range of 0.3 – 0.9 kGy started decaying after 14 days of storage. No decay was observed in 1.2 and 1.5 kGy samples of both the varieties up to 28 days of refrigerated storage. The treatments of 1.2 and 1.5 kGy gave an extension of 6 days in shelf life of cherry varieties during post-refrigerated storage at 25 ± 2 0C, RH 70% following 28 days of refrigeration. Firmness comparison of treatments revealed that dose of 1.2 kGy was found to be better compared to 1.5 kGy due to decrease in firmness observed in cherry samples irradiated at 1.5 kGy. Thus, radiation processing of Kashmiri Cheries at 1.2 kGy can prove beneficial in facilitating the marketing of the fruit to distant places other than the local markets, thereby benefiting the growers.
Nutritional Profile Of Children (0-5years) In The Service Villages Of Gandhigram Rural Institute
Authors: Pushpa K. S , Rani D
Published: May 2015

India is home to largest child population in the world with around 157.86 million children, constituting 15.42 percent of India’s population, who are below the age of 6 years. More than 60 percent of children living in South Asia are malnourished. In this study, socio economic background of children, age at marriage of parents, pregnancy related complications and health and nutritional status of children are focused. Door to door survey was conducted in13 service villages of GRI. The sample frame consists of 538 children .A self structured interview schedule was used to collect the data. Interview method was chosen for collecting data from the mothers of children. The general objective of the study has to prepare nutritional profile of children in the age group of (0-5 years) in the service villages of Gandhi gram Rural Institute Tamil Nadu. Out of 538 children 50.2 percent boys than girls population constituted 49.8 percent. Over weight was found among 8.6 percent of children. As per mid upper circumference, 87.2 percent of children were normal, 10.4 percent of children were in the stage of underweight and risk of malnutrition, 2.4 percent of children had severe malnutrition. It is also seen that the nutrient intake of calcium and minerals by the selected children were below the RDA. Intake of calcium and iron among 0-1 year children was slightly excess of RDA by 0.04 and 0.02 percent. The nutritional status of children below two years in rural areas is yet to be improved as one out of ten children are malnutrition. This condition needs to be changed by the better implementation of maternal and child health programmes.
Managing Bariatric Patients in Dentistry
Authors: Chandler Debbie , Vallé-Jones Richard
Published: May 2015

Obesity is a growing issue across the world, presenting a range of challenges to society. Management of obese or bariatric patients in the dental environment has become more commonplace. This article considers an overview of obesity, reviews its dental impact and offers some solutions to minimising those challenges in the dental setting.
Notes from the Editors, May 2015
Authors: The Editors -
Published: May 2015

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As we write these notes in March 2015, the Pentagon's official Vietnam War Commemoration, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. media, is highlighting the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. ground war in Vietnam, marked by the arrival of two Marine battalions in De Nang on March 8, 1965. This date, however, was far from constituting the beginning of the war. The first American to die of military causes in Vietnam, killed in 1945, was a member of the Office of Strategic Services (a precursor of the CIA). U.S. intelligence officers were there in support of the French war to recolonize Vietnam, following the end of the Japanese occupation in the Second World War and Vietnam's declaration of national independence as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French recolonization effort is sometimes called the First Indochina War in order to distinguish it from the Second Indochina War, initiated by the United States. In reality, it was all one war against the Viet Minh (Vietnamese Independence League). By the time that the Vietnamese defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the United States was paying for 80–90 percent of the cost of the war.

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My Enemy's Enemy Is My Friend
Authors: Payne Steve
Published: May 2015

Like many other leftists working in labor or community organizations, I have long struggled to understand the role I can play in building a larger left movement. I have spent nearly a decade organizing for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and have only recently caught a glimpse of what a vibrant and popular leftist practice could look like.&hellp; In this analysis, I take inspiration from Antonio Gramsci's ideas. He described a "war of position"—a protracted revolutionary effort to create an anti-capitalist hegemony—as a methodology for anti-capitalists in advanced industrial countries. Counter-hegemony is a process, built by concrete effort both through political education and political action. As a labor union organizer, I have become quite skilled at political action, but not at political education.&hellp;One alignment of organizations in Minnesota—Minnesotans for a Fair Economy (MFE)—has the potential to be part of such a counter-hegemonic process. On a day-to-day basis, member organizations of MFE organize people to confront their bosses and banks, as well as the corporations holding back their communities. On a sporadic basis, the member organizations come together to create a new narrative of what kind of a world we want.&hellp; It was in a MFE "week of action" that I first began to understand how the process of creating a counter-hegemony might play out in practice.

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An Evaluation of Vancomycin Dosing for Complicated Infections in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Durham Spencer H. , Simmons Marroyln L. , Mulherin Diana W. , Foland Jason A.
Published: May 2015

Objective:

To determine the incidence with which a vancomycin dosing regimen of 15 mg/kg per dose every 6 hours achieves steady-state trough concentrations of 15 to 20 mg/L in pediatric patients with complicated infections.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review for patients admitted to our children’s hospital between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2011. Patients were included if they were between 1 month and 18 years of age, had at least 1 steady-state vancomycin trough obtained, received an initial vancomycin dose of 15 mg/kg per dose every 6 hours, and were being treated for a diagnosis of meningitis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, bacteremia/sepsis, or endocarditis.

Results:

Seventy-four patients were enrolled, mean age of 4.2 ± 3.9 years and weight of 17.0 ± 11.2 kg. Five (6.8%) patients obtained an initial trough of 15 to 20 mg/L. Patients between 1.0 and 5.9 years of age were significantly less likely to achieve an initial trough of 15 to 20 mg/L compared with other age groups evaluated (P = .041). Thirty-four patients with initial subtherapeutic troughs received a dose adjustment and a follow-up vancomycin trough. Of these patients, 15 (44.1%) achieved a trough between 15 and 20 mg/L. The median dose for patients achieving a therapeutic trough at any point during the study was 80 mg/kg per day.

Conclusions:

A vancomycin dosing regimen of 15 mg/kg per dose every 6 hours is not likely to achieve a trough concentration of 15 to 20 mg/L in pediatric patients with complicated infections. An initial regimen of 80 mg/kg per day for these patients may be more likely to result in therapeutic steady-state concentrations of vancomycin.
Didelphimorphia and Rodentia (Mammalia) from Sierras de Tecka and surrounding areas, northwestern Chubut, Argentina
Authors: Schiaffini Mauro I. , Giménez Analía L. , Martin Gabriel M.
Published: May 2015

The small mammal fauna from northwestern Chubut Province (Argentina) is poorly known. We herein report small mammal assemblages from three new localities: Sierras de Tecka, an extra-Andean system elevated 900 m.a.sl.; Estancia La Mimosa on the Tecka river valley (at ca. 650 m.a.sl.); and Arroyo Pescado (at ca. 620 m.a.sl.) 40 km north of the other sites. Specimens were recovered from disaggregated owl pellets. Total species richness includes 16 native (13 sigmodontine and two caviomorph rodents, and one marsupial) and one introduced species. Estancia La Mimosa had the highest richness (n = 14), while Arroyo Pescado the lowest (n = 11). Four species were only recorded at Estancia La Mimosa (Akodon iniscatus, Calomys musculinus, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus and Mus musculus), two in Sierras de Tecka (Notiomys edwardsii and Microcavia australis) and one in Arroyo Pescado (Geoxus valdivianus). This work also adds new localities for Akodon iniscatus, Geoxus valdivianus, Lestodelphys halli and Notiomys edwardsii in western Chubut Province.
Herpetofauna of São João da Barra Hydroelectric Plant, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Authors: Ávila Robson W. , Kawashita-Ribeiro Ricardo A.
Published: May 2015

This paper provides a checklist of the herpetofauna at the São João da Barra Hydroelectric Plant in the municipalities of Juara, Nova Monte Verde and Nova Bandeirantes in the northern portion of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Representatives of 30 amphibian and 31 reptile species were obtained during an environmental impact study carried out in the study area. Three new state records and the distribution of six species are discussed, contributing to the knowledge on the poorly known transition zones between the Cerrado biome and Amazon forest in the state of Mato Grosso.
Squamata, Serpentes, Viperidae, Bothrocophias hyoprora (Amaral, 1935): distribution extension in the state of Acre, northern Brazil
Authors: Bernarde Paulo Sérgio , De Souza do Amaral Everton , Damasceno do Vale Marcus Augusto
Published: May 2015

The Amazonian toadheaded pitviper Bothrocophias hyoprora (Amaral, 1935) is known from Brazil (states of Amazonas and Rondônia), Colombia, eastern Equador, Peru, and Bolivia. We report the first record of this species from the state of Acre (Brazil) in the Serra do Divisor National Park. This record extends the species distribution in 540 km to the southwest of Tabatinga, state of Amazonas, which was the nearest record of this species in Brazilian Amazon.
Odocoileus virginianus, Zimmermann, 1780 (Mammalia: Cervidae): confirmed records and distribution extension in the northern Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Mendes-Oliveira Ana Cristina , Linke Iori Hussak Van Velthem , Coelho Mônica , Lima Eldianne
Published: May 2015

We present details of five new field records of Odocoileus virginianus from the northern Brazilian Amazon, extending its known range from Suriname to the Brazilian state of Pará. We also document four sight records and four records based on specimens held in collections of white-tailed deer distribution from the states of Amapá and Roraima, reinforcing this inferred distribution. Confirmation of the occurrence of O. virginianus in the Brazilian Amazon is important for its conservation, since it is an important game species for traditional human populations and requires population-level management.
Urostrophus vautieri Duméril and Bibron, 1837 (Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: Leiosauridae): distribution extension, Paraná, Brazil
Authors: Filho Gilberto Alves de Souza
Published: May 2015

Urostrophus vautieri (Leiosauridae) is a Brazilian endemic lizard occurring in southeastern and southern Brazil. At the southern portion of its range, in state of Paraná, this species was recorded in the municipalities of Campo do Tenente, Curitiba and Ribeirão Claro. Here I report the collection of four specimens of U. vautieri in the municipality of Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, a locality ca. 140 km southwest from the nearest previously known site in the state.
Checklist of freshwater ichthyofauna from coastal streams of Juréia-Itatins reserve, southeastern Brazil
Authors: Gonçalves Cristina Da Silva , Braga Francisco Manoel de Souza
Published: May 2015

The Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station (JIES) is one of the few protected areas in the state of São Paulo, which harbor a significant portion of the Atlantic forest. Although there is high diversity and endemism of fish species in this region, knowledge of the ichthyofauna in JIES is incipient. A total of 4,809 specimens belonging to six orders, 15 families and 31 species were captured during April 2009 to February 2010, using electrofishing, gillnets and traps. The family Characidae was predominant, mainly due to the abundance of freshwater species such as Astyanax ribeirae, Mimagoniates microlepis, and Hollandichthys multifasciatus. Although the estuarine regions were rarely sampled in this study, six brackish water species were captured. In this study, nine species previously unknown from JIES were discovered. Five endangered fish species, endemic to the Atlantic forest, occur at JIES, thus the presence of protected areas, as a conservation measure, is particularly relevant.
Check list of wild angiosperms of Bhagwan Mahavir (Molem) National Park, Goa, India [with erratum]
Authors: Datar Mandar Nilkanth , Lakshminarasimhan P.
Published: May 2015

Bhagwan Mahavir (Molem) National Park, the only National park in Goa, was evaluated for it’s diversity of Angiosperms. A total number of 721 wild species belonging to 119 families were documented from this protected area of which 126 are endemics. A checklist of these species is provided here.
Fishes of the Salonga National Park (Congo basin, central Africa): a list of species collected in the Luilaka, Salonga, and Yenge Rivers (Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Authors: Iyaba Raoul J.C. Monsembula , Stiassny Melanie L.J.
Published: May 2015

A list of fishes collected in and around the periphery of the Salonga National Park in Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo is provided. While noteworthy for a wide array of rare and endangered terrestrial vertebrates, the fish fauna of the Salonga National Park, the largest protected area in Africa, is very poorly known. One hundred and fifty two species distributed in 24 families are reported on here; of which 9 represent putatively undescribed taxa currently under investigation. Lack of up-to-date taxonomic and distributional knowledge of African fishes is particularly acute in the central Congo basin and the present report, while undoubtedly incomplete, provides a foundation for much needed further work in the region.
The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Hamdan Breno , Coelho Daniela Pinto , D’Angiolella Annelise Batista , Dias Eduardo José dos Reis , Lira-da-Silva Rejâne
Published: May 2015

Brazilian scientific collections represent an important sample of the country’s biodiversity and are a testament to its history. The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia from Universidade Federal da Bahia (CRMZUFBA) has 5,206 specimens and 185 species (13 endemic to Brazil and 9 threatened) with one quarter of the known reptile species listed in Brazil, from over 175 municipalities. Although the CRMZUFBA houses species from all Brazilian biomes there is a strong regional presence. Knowledge of the species housed in smaller collections could avoid unrepresentative species descriptions and provide information concerning intraspecific variation, ecological features and geographic coverage.
Plant species of Okhla Bird Sanctuary: a wetland of Upper Gangetic Plains, India [with erratum]
Authors: Manral Upma , Raha Angshuman , Solanki Ridhima , Hussain Syed Ainul , Babu Mattozbiyil Mani , Mohan Dhananjai , Veeraswami Gopi G. , Sivakumar K. , Talukdar Gautam
Published: May 2015

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS), a man-modified floodplain wetland having high human impact, is located in an urbanized landscape. Its location in the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds makes it an ideal transit and wintering ground for birds. This paper describes the vegetation composition and significance of the Sanctuary as a bird habitat. A floristic survey was carried out from winter 2009 to spring 2010 while preparing a management plan for OBS. 192 species of plants belonging to 46 families were recorded from the area. Thirteen species of weeds were observed covering 70% of the sampled area in peak summer. Among trees, highest density was found for two exotic species viz., Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis juliflora. The aquatic system is facing threat from proliferation of Eichhornia cressipes and Typha angustifolia. Strategic eradication of invasive and plantation of native species in the sanctuary are needed for better management.
An illustrated angiosperm flora of Cerrado and Riparian Forest, São Carlos, Brazil
Authors: Urbanetz Catia , Shimizu Gustavo Hiroaki , Lima Maria Inês Salgueiro
Published: May 2015

We surveyed a Cerrado and Riparian Forest vegetation area located at São Carlos Federal University (21°58’ S, 47°51’ W). The objective of the survey was to provide a full inventory of the area’s angiosperm flora. This inventory was conducted in a region in which few remnants of Cerrado and Riparian Forest are left because of the destruction of these habitats to provide land for sugar cane and citrus cultivation. We identified 188 species. These species belong to 140 genera and 55 families. We obtained images of 117 species, including details of inflorescences, flowers and fruits, to support our identifications. These results highlight the importance of the preservation of this reserve because the area offers a species-rich flora in a location where few fragments of native vegetation exist and because the area could be of interest for establishing ecological corridors.
The current status of knowledge on Lycidae Laporte, 1836 from Brazil (Insecta: Coleoptera) [with erratum]
Authors: Nascimento Elynton Alves do
Published: May 2015

Lycids are often very aposematic toxic beetles, and are considered models in mimicry systems. They are cosmopolitan, with the highest diversity around tropical regions, however the knowledge of the South American lycids is yet relatively poor. Here I present an overview of the Brazilian lycids including a complete list of species and updated occurrence data.
The aquatic macrophyte flora of the Pandeiros River Wildlife Sanctuary, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Pivari Marco Otávio Dias , Viana Pedro Lage , Leite Felipe Sá Fortes
Published: May 2015

The São Francisco River forms one of the main Brazilian hydrographic basins of ca. 645,000 km2. The Pandeiros River is a tributary situated on the left margin of the São Francisco and is considered a strategic component for conservation of biodiversity of that hydrographic basin. An inventory of the aquatic macrophyte flora of the Pandeiros River Wildlife Sanctuary was carried out, using collections of botanical samples and examination of specimens at the BHCB Herbarium. Aquatic environments in the study area were classified as follows: the Pandeiros riverbed, floodplains, oxbow lakes, and swamps. A total of 101 species was inventoried, distributed in 37 families (1 charophytes, 1 liverworts, 3 ferns and 32 angiosperms) and 71 genera. The species were classified into seven life forms, with the amphibian and rafted plants the more representative. The area shows a high diversity in its aquatic macrophytes and has an important role in the conservation of biodiversity of the region.
Range extension of Rhacophorus dulitensis Boulenger, 1892 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) in western Borneo
Authors: Dehling J. Maximilian , Dehling D. Matthias
Published: May 2015

We report on a record of Rhacophorus dulitensis from Kubah National Park in western Sarawak. The new record extends the known geographical range of the species 300 km to the west.
Microglanis cottoides (Boulenger, 1891) (Siluriformes: Pseudopimelodidae): distribution extension to Salí-Dulce River basin, northwestern Argentina
Authors: Fernández Luis , Gonzo Gladys
Published: May 2015

Microglanis cottoides (Boulenger 1891) is a known Paraná-Plata River basin catfish. Its geographic distribution is herein extended to a new drainage system, the Salí-Dulce River system, northwestern Argentina, which is a separate drainage from the Paraná-Plata basin.
Oscar Peterson’s piano prostheses
Authors: Lubet Alex
Published: May 2015

In 1993, Oscar Peterson had a stroke that rendered him in essence a right-hand-only pianist. He resumed performing from 1994 until shortly before his death in 2007. The stroke. This paper examines how Peterson and his handlers employed “piano prostheses” to assist him. Two categories of prosthetic, analogous to uses of actual artificial limbs, are observed: 1) “performance;” band mates provide accompanimental support different from his pre-stroke groups 2) “cosmetic,” a non-disabled appearance is attempted, mostly by record annotators, by denying/minimizing the stroke’s impact. Peterson appeared ambivalent or vacillating in his attitude toward his disability, sometimes but not always relying on sidemen for extra assistance, and expressing highly varying degrees of openness in his public statements about his limitations. By contrast, his record annotators uniformly ignored or minimized the stroke’s impact. As a disabled public figure, Peterson’s situation is compared to that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The sonic camera
Authors: Cosper David
Published: May 2015

In this work, I explore the resonance and recurrence of visual metaphors in the discourse surrounding contemporary jazz composition and performance, much of which I suggest resists analytical approaches privileging cyclicity in form and relationships between pre-composed and improvised tonal language. I argue that, as a recurrent conceptual glitch, these analytical approaches often focus exclusively on performative process rather than on listener experience and on strictly aural rather than synesthetic models of listener subjectivity. As an alternative, I propose a cinematographic narrative approach based on theories of visual subjectivity and the composition of visual images. As an example, I discuss the music of bassist and composer Ben Allison.
Jedi mind tricks
Authors: Jago Marian S.
Published: May 2015

In the 1940s, pianist Lennie Tristano was among the first to attempt to teach jazz improvisation as an area of study distinct from instrumental technique. In doing so, he employed a methodology which was considered highly unorthodox at the time and which is still somewhat unique for jazz pedagogy. Chief among these unorthodox pedagogical devices was the use of visualization and other mental techniques for musical practice and composition. These methods enabled students to separate imaginative musical experiences from the habits of muscle memory, while at the same time speeding the acquisition of certain digital techniques and developing the musical imagination. Visualization techniques also served to extend available practice time for students who lacked space suited to audible instrumental practice, and to those who were working day jobs and had limited time available for instrumental practice. Recent studies in brain plasticity bear out Tristano’s intuitive use of mental techniques as a useful addendum to more traditional forms of instrumental and compositional practice. Though certainly not the first to emphasize the importance of mental conditioning and imaginative practice methods, Tristano’s use of them within a methodology for jazz instruction constitutes a unique pedagogical approach worthy of further research and discussion.
Oxytetracycline resistant bacteria in Clarias gariepinus and Clarias batrachus larvae and the environment
Authors: Bharathkumar Goondi , Abraham Thangapalam Jawahar
Published: May 2015

Antibiotics and several other chemicals are used in catfish aquaculture as a remedy for various diseases. Reports on the distribution of different groups of bacteria especially the antibiotic resistant bacteria in catfish nursery system are scanty. The present study quantified motile aeromonads, pseudomonads and antibiotic (oxytetracycline) resistant bacteria in Clarias gariepinus and C. batrachus larvae and the rearing water from five catfish nurseries of West Bengal, India between March 2007 and July 2007. The C. gariepinus and C. batrachus larvae recorded mean counts of log 7.26±0.18/g and log 6.24±0.64/g, log 6.37±0.41/g and log 4.93±0.51/g, log 5.46±0.22/g and log 4.38±0.53/g and, log 6.27±0.64/g and log 5.57±0.12/g, respectively for total viable bacteria (TVCs), motile aeromonads (MACs), presumptive pseudomonads (PPCs) and oxytetracycline resistant bacteria (ARBCs). The levels of TVCs, MACs, PPCs and ARBCs were significantly high in C. gariepinus than in C. batrachus larvae. The rearing water recorded comparatively low bacterial counts than in larvae. The difference between the TVCs of larvae and larval rearing water of C. gariepinus was statistically significant, where as it was insignificant for C. batrachus. The mean proportion of motile aeromonads of C. gariepinus larvae and rearing water was about 4-5 fold higher than in C. batrachus. The catfish nurseries recorded high prevalence of oxytetracycline resistant bacteria ranging from 3.58-35.71% in larval rearing water and 2.05-37.89% in larvae.
Measurement of Continuous Quantities and their Statistical Evaluation
Authors: Viertl Reinhard Karl
Published: May 2015

Measurement results of continuous quantities are always more or less imprecise. This imprecision is different from errors. The most suitable mathematical model to describe imprecision is by special fuzzy subsets of the set of real numbers R, called characterizing functions. The statistical analysis of fuzzy measurement data is subject of this paper.
Citizen science helps predict risk of emerging infectious disease
Authors: Meentemeyer Ross K , Dorning Monica A , Vogler John B , Schmidt Douglas , Garbelotto Matteo
Published: May 2015

Engaging citizen scientists is becoming an increasingly popular technique for collecting large amounts of ecological data while also creating an avenue for outreach and public support for research. Here we describe a unique study, in which citizen scientists played a key role in the spatial prediction of an emerging infectious disease. The yearly citizen‐science program called “Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Blitz” engages and educates volunteers in detecting the causal pathogen during peak windows of seasonal disease expression. We used these data – many of which were collected from under‐sampled urban ecosystems – to develop predictive maps of disease risk and to inform stakeholders on where they should prioritize management efforts. We found that continuing the SOD Blitz program over 6 consecutive years improved our understanding of disease dynamics and increased the accuracy of our predictive models. We also found that self‐identified non‐professionals were just as capable of detecting the disease as were professionals. Our results indicate that using long‐term citizen‐science data to predict the risk of emerging infectious plant diseases in urban ecosystems holds substantial promise.
Nursing Older People—Competence Evaluation Tool: Development and Psychometric Evaluation
Authors: Bing-Jonsson Pia Cecilie , Hofoss Dag , Kirkevold Marit , Bjørk Ida Torunn , Foss Christina
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose: To evaluate the quality of care provided to older people, the competence of the nursing staff must be measured. This study evaluates a new instrument called Nursing Older People—Competence Evaluation Tool (NOP-CET). Methods: A 65-item questionnaire was completed by 1,016 community-based nursing staff and evaluated for validity, reliability, precision, interpretability, acceptability, and feasibility. Results: The survey demonstrated good content validity; conceptually coherent factor structure explaining 54.98% (knowledge items), 65.03% (skills items), and 52.83% (personal attribute items) of the total variance; and internal consistency (.77–.93). Conclusions: The NOP-CET showed good validity and reliability as a measure of community-based nursing staff competence and may be used in further investigations of competence in older people nursing.
Psychometric Analysis of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a Sample of Persons Treated for Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Fredriksson-Larsson Ulla , Brink Eva , Alsén Pia , Falk Kristin , Lundgren-Nilsson Åsa
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose: Fatigue after myocardial infarction is a frequent and distressing symptom in the early recovery phase. The purpose of this study is to psychometrically evaluate the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Methods: The MFI-20 was evaluated using Rasch analysis. Results: The result showed that the MFI-20 can be used to obtain a global score reflecting an underlying unidimensional trait of fatigue; a transformation of the summarized raw scale scores into interval scale scores could be made. Also, 4 of the 5 original dimensions separately fitted the Rasch model. Conclusions: Calculation of a global score increases the possibility of identifying persons experiencing fatigue after myocardial infarction, and using the MFI-20 dimension scores increases the possibility of determining each person’s specific fatigue profile.