bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preserving Heritage and the Values of Exchange: Lessons from Nigeria
Authors: Probst Peter
Published: December 2013

Research on heritage preservation in Africa shows a field shaped by different and often opposite positions as to the actual meaning of heritage. Does heritage signify valuable remnants of the past that require safeguarding and protection? Or, is heritage first and foremost a contemporary practice by which the past comes to matter in the present? This paper aims to link and negotiate between these two positions. The empirical basis stems from my own research on how the sacred grove of the Yoruba river deity Osun in Southwest Nigeria became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Drawing on the insights of this research, I argue that heritage is a relationship embedded in spheres of exchange that generate both moral and material forms of value. Conceiving heritage as exchange, so I contend, not only allows for a better understanding of the multiple values of heritage; it also sharpens interest in the struggles of control over the media of exchange. This paper examines these struggles with respect to the different spheres of exchange (local, national, and global) in which the grove of the river goddess Osun is entangled.
ANIMALS WITH RICH HISTORIES: THE CASE OF THE LIONS OF GIR FOREST, GUJARAT, INDIA
Authors: RANGARAJAN MAHESH
Published: December 2013

This article explores how far animals are or are not endowed with a sense of history. The century‐long history of lion–human interaction in the lions' last habitat in Asia—in India's Gir Forest, Gujarat State—is the focal point of analysis. In turn, there have been longer‐term shifts since ancient and medieval times. Aside from two specific phases of breakdown, Gir's lions rarely attack people. To comprehend why this is so, both the lions and humans need to be seen as products of history. Although it is going too far to endow the lions with historical consciousness, Gir's lions clearly do have memory of memories. Over a half‐century since hunting ceased, living on a mix of domestic livestock and wild prey, they now co‐inhabit not only the forest but a much larger territory in close proximity to resident people. Their case calls for rethinking both animal and human histories to allow for associate species that adapt to human presence, and are capable of memory.
The Market Timing Power of Moving Averages: Evidence from US REITs and REIT Indexes
Authors: Glabadanidis Paskalis
Published: December 2013

I present evidence that a moving average (MA) trading strategy dominates buying and holding the underlying asset in a mean‐variance sense using monthly returns of value‐weighted and equal‐weighted US REIT indexes over the period January 1980 until December 2010. The abnormal returns are largely insensitive to the four Carhart factors and produce economically and statistically significant alphas of between 10 and 15% per year after transaction costs. This performance is robust to different lags of the MA and in subperiods while investor sentiment, liquidity risks, business cycles, up and down markets, and the default spread cannot fully account for its performance. The MA strategy works just as well with randomly generated returns and bootstrapped returns. The substantial market timing ability of the MA strategy appears to be the main driver of the abnormal returns. The returns to the MA strategy resemble the returns of an imperfect at‐the‐money protective put strategy relative to the underlying portfolio. The lagged signal to switch has substantial predictive power over the subsequent return of the REIT index. The MA strategy avoids the sharp downturn at the beginning of 2008 and substantially outperforms the cumulative returns of the buy‐and‐hold strategy using all of the 20 REIT indexes. The results from applying the MA strategy with 274 individual REITs largely corroborate the findings for the REIT indexes.
Frequency and Motives for Stock Dividends in a Unique Environment
Authors: Al‐Yahyaee Khamis H.
Published: December 2013

We investigate the possible differences in the information content of stock dividends between firms that distribute stock dividends frequently (frequent distributors) and firms that distribute stock dividends infrequently (infrequent distributors) using a unique data set from Oman where the market microstructure frictions are either absent or limited. We find that infrequent stock dividend distributors have higher postdistribution operating performance relative to frequent distributors. We also find that the illiquidity measure is significantly related to the announcement effect only for frequent stock dividend distributors, whereas short‐term performance is significantly related to the announcement effect only for infrequent distributors. Our findings indicate that infrequent stock dividends are used mainly to convey favorable private information about the firms’ future prospects, and frequent stock dividends are used to reduce stock price to an optimal trading range in order to improve trading liquidity.

JEL classification: G14, G35.
The exception to the rule: retreating ice front makes Bewick's swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii migrate slower in spring than in autumn
Authors: Nuijten Rascha J. M. , Kölzsch Andrea , van Gils Jan A. , Hoye Bethany J. , Oosterbeek Kees , de Vries Peter P. , Klaassen Marcel , Nolet Bart A.
Published: December 2013

In the vast majority of migratory bird species studied so far, spring migration has been found to proceed faster than autumn migration. In spring, selection pressures for rapid migration are purportedly higher, and migratory conditions such as food supply, daylength, and/or wind support may be better than in autumn. In swans, however, spring migration appears to be slower than autumn migration. Based on a comparison of tundra swan Cygnus columbianus tracking data with long‐term temperature data from wheather stations, it has previously been suggested that this was due to a capital breeding strategy (gathering resources for breeding during spring migration) and/or to ice cover constraining spring but not autumn migration. Here we directly test the hypothesis that Bewick's swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii follow the ice front in spring, but not in autumn, by comparing three years of GPS tracking data from individual swans with concurrent ice cover data at five important migratory stop‐over sites. In general, ice constrained the swans in the middle part of spring migration, but not in the first (no ice cover was present in the first part) nor in the last part. In autumn, the swans migrated far ahead of ice formation, possibly in order to prevent being trapped by an early onset of winter. We conclude that spring migration in swans is slower than autumn migration because spring migration speed is constrained by ice cover. This restriction to spring migration speed may be more common in northerly migrating birds that rely on freshwater resources.
Impatiens pterocaulis sp. nov. (Balsaminaceae) from Guangxi, China
Authors: Zhang Li‐Rong , Zhang Zhi‐Xiang , Meng Rui , Yu Sheng‐Xiang
Published: December 2013

Impatiens pterocaulis S. X. Yu et L. R. Zhang, a new species of the Balsaminaceae from Yancha, Longlin, Guangxi Region, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to I. wilsonii in having nearly white flowers, 4 lateral sepals and a racememos inflorescence, but differs by having winged stems, very short‐spurred lower sepal, yellowish flowers and an acuminate dorsal petal apex. Pollen characters and leaf epidermal micro‐characters of these two species were studied, and the results support that the two species should be kept separate.
Assessing the probability of large‐scale flood loss events: a case study for the river Rhine, Germany
Authors: Thieken A.H. , Apel H. , Merz B.
Published: December 2013

Flood risk analyses are often estimated assuming the same flood intensity along the river reach under study, i.e. discharges are calculated for a number of return periods T, e.g. 10 or 100 years, at several streamflow gauges. T‐year discharges are regionalised and then transferred into T‐year water levels, inundated areas and impacts. This approach assumes that (1) flood scenarios are homogeneous throughout a river basin, and (2) the T‐year damage corresponds to the T‐year discharge. Using a reach at the river Rhine, this homogeneous approach is compared with an approach that is based on four flood types with different spatial discharge patterns. For each type, a regression model was created and used in a Monte‐Carlo framework to derive heterogeneous scenarios. Per scenario, four cumulative impact indicators were calculated: (1) the total inundated area, (2) the exposed settlement and industrial areas, (3) the exposed population and 4) the potential building loss. Their frequency curves were used to establish a ranking of eight past flood events according to their severity. The investigation revealed that the two assumptions of the homogeneous approach do not hold. It tends to overestimate event probabilities in large areas. Therefore, the generation of heterogeneous scenarios should receive more attention.
Prospective registry of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in octogenarians: a need for intervention
Authors: Martínez‐Sellés M. , Gómez Doblas J. J. , Carro Hevia A. , García de la Villa B. , Ferreira‐González I. , Alonso Tello A. , Andión Ogando R. , Ripoll Vera T. , Arribas Jiménez A. , Carrillo P. , Rodríguez Pascual C. , Casares i Romeva M. , Borras X. , Cornide L. , López‐Palop R. ,   the PEGASO Registry Group
Published: December 2013

Objective

To study the factors associated with choice of therapy and prognosis in octogenarians with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS).

Study Design

Prospective, observational, multicenter registry. Centralized follow‐up included survival status and, if possible, mode of death and Katz index.

Setting

Transnational registry in Spain.

Subjects

We included 928 patients aged ≥80 years with severe symptomatic AS.

Interventions

Aortic‐valve replacement (AVR), transcatheter aortic‐valve implantation (TAVI) or conservative therapy.

Main outcome measures

All‐cause death.

Results

Mean age was 84.2 ± 3.5 years, and only 49.0% were independent (Katz index A). The most frequent planned management was conservative therapy in 423 (46%) patients, followed by TAVI in 261 (28%) and AVR in 244 (26%). The main reason against recommending AVR in 684 patients was high surgical risk [322 (47.1%)], other medical motives [193 (28.2%)], patient refusal [134 (19.6%)] and family refusal in the case of incompetent patients [35 (5.1%)]. The mean time from treatment decision to AVR was 4.8 ± 4.6 months and to TAVI 2.1 ± 3.2 months, P < 0.001. During follow‐up (11.2–38.9 months), 357 patients (38.5%) died. Survival rates at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months were 81.8%, 72.6%, 64.1% and 57.3%, respectively. Planned intervention, adjusted for multiple propensity score, was associated with lower mortality when compared with planned conservative treatment: TAVI Hazard ratio (HR) 0.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49–0.93; P = 0.016) and AVR HR 0.56 (95% CI 0.39–0.8; P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Octogenarians with symptomatic severe AS are frequently managed conservatively. Planned conservative management is associated with a poor prognosis.
Demographic and clinical factors associated with referrals and compliance to biopsy of oral and maxillofacial lesions
Authors: Czerninski Rakefet , Zadik Yehuda , Vered Marilena , Becker Talia , Yahalom Ran , Derazne Estela , Aframian Doron J. , Almoznino Galit
Published: December 2013

Background

The gold standard for diagnosing oral disease is tissue biopsy. Data regarding compliance with advised oral and maxillofacial (OMF) biopsy are scarce.

Purpose

To quantify compliance and evaluate the demographics and clinical factors associated with referrals and compliance with OMF biopsy procedures.

Methods

Medical records of military personnel referred for a biopsy (RB; N = 669) of OMF lesions over a 4‐year period were studied retrospectively. These patients were divided into performed the biopsy (PB; N = 386) and not perform biopsy (NPB; N = 283) groups. Demographic and clinical features were analyzed, and demographics were compared to a control group of general military personnel (N > 100 000).

Results

The RB group differed from the control group regarding age >21 (OR = 1.681, P < 0.001) and education >12 years of schooling (OR = 1.545, P < 0.001). Differences between the PB and NPB groups related to the clinical features of the lesion but not to demographic parameters. Exophytic and suspected potentially malignant/malignant lesions were positively associated with higher compliance to biopsy (OR = 1.75, P = 0.004 and OR = 2.18, P = 0.017, respectively).

Conclusion

Referrals to biopsy of OMF lesions are significantly influenced by age and education, whereas compliance is influenced by clinical features or suspected malignancy. Clinicians and health authorities should be aware of non‐compliance, enhance awareness to biopsy as the gold standard in the diagnostic workup of OMF lesions, and closely monitor compliance patterns of patients with clinical and demographic risk factors.
The Arctic and New Security Challenges in Asia
Authors: Blank Stephen , Kim Younkyoo
Published: December 2013

The most under‐reported aspect of the Arctic's growing importance is its impact upon Asia's international relations. There is an enormous need for energy due to the rise of China and other Asian countries as the most dynamic region of the global economy. The introduction of the Arctic into the Asian equation could enhance Russia's role. This article explores a process of interaction between the Arctic and Northeast Asian issues, like Sino–Russian relations, and between the Arctic and Southeast Asian issues, like the struggles over the South China Sea. In Southeast and Northeast Asia, local governments from South Korea to India are all building up their fleets. We can also see a generalized trend in tying fleet construction to missions connected with the defense of energy sources or of energy transit through international and national waters.
UV emissions from low energy artificial light sources
Authors: Fenton Leona , Moseley Harry
Published: December 2013

Energy efficient light sources have been introduced across Europe and many other countries world wide. The most common of these is the Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL), which has been shown to emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are an alternative technology that has minimal UV emissions. This brief review summarises the different energy efficient light sources available on the market and compares the UV levels and the subsequent effects on the skin of normal individuals and those who suffer from photodermatoses.
Sunscreens – what is the ideal testing model?
Authors: Cole Curtis
Published: December 2013

Sunscreen protection assessment methodologies have been evolving in tandem with the innovation and evolution of sunscreen products themselves; from initial human testing in the Swiss Alps, to laboratory testing with high intensity solar simulators, to spectrophotometers with modern CCD array photocells and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques. The progress in the science leads regulatory development of standard methods, and provides new and improved ways to assess sunscreen protection properties. This review scans much of the history of the development of these methods and highlights the latest development in non‐invasive sunscreen testing as an opportunity to improve accuracy while eliminating human UV exposures.
Anatomical, physiological and transcriptional responses of two contrasting poplar genotypes to drought and re‐watering
Authors: Cao Xu , Jia Jingbo , Zhang Chao , Li Hong , Liu Tongxian , Jiang Xiangning , Polle Andrea , Peng Changhui , Luo Zhi‐Bin
Published: December 2013

Populus × euramericana (Pe) displays higher stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) than Populus cathayana (Pc) under unlimited water conditions, rendering us to hypothesize that Pe is better acclimated to water deficiency than Pc. To examine this hypothesis, saplings of Pc and Pe were exposed to drought and subsequently re‐watered. Pc and Pe exhibited distinct anatomical, physiological and transcriptional responses in acclimation to drought and re‐watering, mainly due to stronger responsiveness of transcriptional regulation of genes encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), higher starch accumulation, δ13C, stable nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) and WUEi, and lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and scavenging in Pe. In acclimation to drought, both poplar genotypes demonstrated altered anatomical properties, declined height growth, differential expression of PIPs, activation of ABA signaling pathway, decreased total soluble sugars and starch, increased δ13C, δ15N and WUEi, and shifted homeostasis of ROS production and scavenging, and these changes can be recovered upon re‐watering. These data indicate that Pe is more tolerant to drought than Pc, and that anatomical, physiological and transcriptional acclimation to drought and re‐watering is essential for poplars to survive and grow under projected dry climate scenarios in the future.
Virtually simulated social pressure influences early visual processing more in low compared to high autonomous participants
Authors: Trautmann‐Lengsfeld Sina Alexa , Herrmann Christoph Siegfried
Published: December 2013

In a previous study, we showed that virtually simulated social group pressure could influence early stages of perception after only 100 ms. In the present EEG study, we investigated the influence of social pressure on visual perception in participants with high (HA) and low (LA) levels of autonomy. Ten HA and ten LA individuals were asked to accomplish a visual discrimination task in an adapted paradigm of Solomon Asch. Results indicate that LA participants adapted to the incorrect group opinion more often than HA participants (42% vs. 30% of the trials, respectively). LA participants showed a larger posterior P1 component contralateral to targets presented in the right visual field when conforming to the correct compared to conforming to the incorrect group decision. In conclusion, our ERP data suggest that the group context can have early effects on our perception rather than on conscious decision processes in LA, but not HA participants.
Masked priming and ERPs dissociate maturation of orthographic and semantic components of visual word recognition in children
Authors: Eddy Marianna D. , Grainger Jonathan , Holcomb Phillip J. , Mitra Priya , Gabrieli John D. E.
Published: December 2013

This study examined the time‐course of reading single words in children and adults using masked repetition priming and the recording of event‐related potentials. The N250 and N400 repetition priming effects were used to characterize form‐ and meaning‐level processing, respectively. Children had larger amplitude N250 effects than adults for both shorter and longer duration primes. Children did not differ from adults on the N400 effect. The difference on the N250 suggests that automaticity for form processing is still maturing in children relative to adults, while the lack of differentiation on the N400 effect suggests that meaning processing is relatively mature by late childhood. The overall similarity in the children's repetition priming effects to adults' effects is in line with theories of reading acquisition, according to which children rapidly transition to an orthographic strategy for fast access to semantic information from print.
Geostatistical Survival Models for Environmental Risk Assessment with Large Retrospective Cohorts
Authors: Jiang Huan , Brown Patrick E. , Rue Håvard , Shimakura Silvia
Published: December 2013

Motivated by the problem of cancer risk assessment near a nuclear power generating station, the paper describes a methodology for fitting a spatially correlated survival model to large retrospective cohort data sets. Retrospective cohorts, which can be assembled inexpensively from population-based health databases, can partially account for lags between exposures and outcome of chronic diseases such as cancer. These data sets overcome one of the principal limitations of cross-sectional spatial analyses, though performing statistical inference requires accommodating censored and truncated event times as well as spatial dependence. The use of spatial survival models for large retrospective cohorts is described, and Bayesian inference using Markov random-field approximations and integrated nested Laplace approximations is presented. The method is applied to data from individuals living near Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in Canada, showing that the effect of ambient radiation on cancer is not statistically significant.
Development by Dispossession: Terra Nullius and the Social‐Ecology of New Enclosures in Ethiopia
Authors: Makki Fouad
Published: December 2013

One of the alarming features of the intersection of the world economic crisis with the global food and energy crises has been the tidal wave of large‐scale land acquisitions it has unleashed. By enclosing the village commons and extinguishing the customary rights of smallholders, these land grabs are accelerating trends toward large‐scale industrial farming and tenure rearrangements favoring international agribusiness. This article situates these developments in the social space of Ethiopia and a specific historical context of transformations in state and property relations. By critically analyzing the designation of the commons as empty or underutilized spaces awaiting redemptive development, it highlights the ways in which the legitimizing claims of terra nullius efface the complex ecologies and distinctive spatial dynamics of social reproduction in the zones designated for enclosures.
Co‐culture of Spleen Stromal Cells with Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells Leads to the Generation of A Novel Macrophage Subset
Authors: Wang X. , Li Y. , Xiao H. , Zhang X. , Cao J. , Zhang D. , Zhang J. , Li X. , Shen B. , Wang Q. , Shi Y.
Published: December 2013

Macrophages adopt diverse activation states depending on the microenvironment. Recently, stromal cells have been demonstrated to be organizers of the microenvironment. Here, using splenic stromal cells to mimic the splenic microenvironment in vivo, we show that spleen stromal cells can programme bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells to differentiate and polarize into a novel macrophage subset. These differentiated macrophages (Diff‐Mφ) exhibited pronounced production of IL‐10, IL‐6 and TNF‐α, but diminished the production of IL‐12 in response to LPS. The generation of Diff‐Mφ depended on cell–cell contact as well as on soluble factors. Diff‐Mφ directly suppressed the antigen‐non‐specific (CD3/CD28) CD4+ T cell proliferative response and induced cell death of activated CD4+ T cells. As for cytokine production in CD4+ T cells, Diff‐Mφ promoted IL‐10 and IL‐17 production, whereas inhibited IL‐4 production and did not alter IFN‐γ production. Besides, Diff‐Mφ also expressed iNOS, CD16/CD32, CD54, CD43, CCR7, CD44, PD‐L1 and FasL, which might be involved in the function of Diff‐Mφ. These results suggest that splenic microenvironment may physiologically induce a novel type of macrophages differentiation.
Antibodies to Influenza VirusA/H1N1 Hemagglutinin in Type 1 Diabetes Children Diagnosed Before, During and After the SWEDISHA(H1N1)pdm09 Vaccination Campaign 2009–2010
Authors: Svensson M. , Ramelius A. , Nilsson A.‐L. , Delli A. J. , Elding Larsson H. , Carlsson A. , Forsander G. , Ivarsson S. A. , Ludvigsson J. , Kockum I. , Marcus C. , Samuelsson U. , Örtqvist E. , Lernmark Å. ,   the Better Diabetes Diagnosis (BDD) study group
Published: December 2013

We determinedA/H1N1‐hemagglutinin (HA) antibodies in relation toHLA‐DQgenotypes and islet autoantibodies at clinical diagnosis in 1141 incident 0.7‐to 18‐year‐old type 1 diabetes patients diagnosed April 2009–December 2010. Antibodies to35S‐methionine‐labelledA/H1N1 hemagglutinin were determined in a radiobinding assay in patients diagnosed before (n = 325), during (n = 355) and after (n = 461) the October 2009–March 2010 SwedishA(H1N1)pdm09 vaccination campaign, along withHLA‐DQgenotypes and autoantibodies againstGAD, insulin,IA‐2 and ZnT8 transporter. Before vaccination, 0.6% patients hadA/H1N1‐HAantibodies compared with 40% during and 27% after vaccination (P < 0.0001). In children <3 years of age, A/H1N1‐HAantibodies were found only during vaccination. The frequency of A/H1N1‐HAantibodies during vaccination decreased after vaccination among the 3 < 6 (P = 0.006) and 13 < 18 (P = 0.001), but not among the 6 < 13‐year‐olds.HLA‐DQ2/8 positive children <3 years decreased from 54% (15/28) before and 68% (19/28) during, to 30% (9/30) after vaccination (P = 0.014). Regardless of age,DQ2/2; 2/X (n = 177) patients had lower frequency (P = 0.020) and levels (P = 0.042) ofA/H1N1‐HAantibodies compared with non‐DQ2/2; 2/X (n = 964) patients.GADAfrequency was 50% before, 60% during and 51% after vaccination (P = 0.009). ZnT8QAfrequency increased from 30% before to 34% during and 41% after vaccination (P = 0.002). Our findings suggest that young (<3 years) along withDQ2/2; 2/Xpatients were low responders to Pandemrix®. As the proportion ofDQ2/8 patients <3 years of age decreased after vaccination and the frequencies ofGADAand ZnT8QAwere enhanced, it cannot be excluded that the vaccine affected clinical onset of type 1 diabetes.
Inventing Creativity: An Exploration of the Pedagogy of Ingenuity in Science Classrooms
Authors: Meyer Allison Antink , Lederman Norman G.
Published: December 2013

Concerns with the ability of U.S. classrooms to develop learners who will become the next generation of innovators, particularly given the present climate of standardized testing, warrants a closer look at creativity in science classrooms. The present study explored these concerns associated with teachers' classroom practice by addressing the following research question: What pedagogical factors, and related teacher conceptions, are potentially related to the demonstration of creativity among science students? Seventeen middle‐level, high school, and introductory‐level college science teachers from a variety of school contexts participated in the study. A questionnaire developed for this study, interviews, and classroom observations were used in order to explore potential areas of relatedness between pedagogical factors and manifestations of student creativity in science. Five categories ultimately emerged and described potential areas in which teachers would have to explicitly plan for creativity. These areas could inform the pedagogical considerations that teachers would have to make within their lesson plans and activities in order to support its manifestation among students. These provide a starting point for science teachers and science teacher educators to consider how to develop supportive environments for student creative thinking.
ASVCP guidelines: quality assurance for point‐of‐care testing in veterinary medicine
Authors: Flatland Bente , Freeman Kathleen P. , Vap Linda M. , Harr Kendal E.
Published: December 2013

Point‐of‐care testing (POCT) refers to any laboratory testing performed outside the conventional reference laboratory and implies close proximity to patients. Instrumental POCT systems consist of small, handheld or benchtop analyzers. These have potential utility in many veterinary settings, including private clinics, academic veterinary medical centers, the community (eg, remote area veterinary medical teams), and for research applications in academia, government, and industry. Concern about the quality of veterinary in‐clinic testing has been expressed in published veterinary literature; however, little guidance focusing on POCT is available. Recognizing this void, the ASVCP formed a subcommittee in 2009 charged with developing quality assurance (QA) guidelines for veterinary POCT. Guidelines were developed through literature review and a consensus process. Major recommendations include (1) taking a formalized approach to POCT within the facility, (2) use of written policies, standard operating procedures, forms, and logs, (3) operator training, including periodic assessment of skills, (4) assessment of instrument analytical performance and use of both statistical quality control and external quality assessment programs, (5) use of properly established or validated reference intervals, (6) and ensuring accurate patient results reporting. Where possible, given instrument analytical performance, use of a validated 13s control rule for interpretation of control data is recommended. These guidelines are aimed at veterinarians and veterinary technicians seeking to improve management of POCT in their clinical or research setting, and address QA of small chemistry and hematology instruments. These guidelines are not intended to be all‐inclusive; rather, they provide a minimum standard for maintenance of POCT instruments in the veterinary setting.
ASVCPguidelines: allowable total error guidelines for biochemistry
Authors: Harr Kendal E. , Flatland Bente , Nabity Mary , Freeman Kathleen P.
Published: December 2013

As all laboratory equipment ages and contains components that may degrade with time, initial and periodically scheduled performance assessment is required to verify accurate and precise results over the life of the instrument. As veterinary patients may present to general practitioners and then to referral hospitals (both of which may each perform in‐clinic laboratory analyses using different instruments), and given that general practitioners may send samples to reference laboratories, there is a need for comparability of results across instruments and methods. Allowable total error (TEa) is a simple comparative quality concept used to define acceptable analytical performance. These guidelines are recommendations for determination and interpretation ofTEafor commonly measured biochemical analytes in cats, dogs, and horses for equipment commonly used in veterinary diagnostic medicine.TEavalues recommended herein are aimed at all veterinary settings, both private in‐clinic laboratories using point‐of‐care analyzers and larger reference laboratories using more complex equipment. They represent the largestTEa possible without generating laboratory variation that would impact clinical decision making.TEacan be used for (1) assessment of an individual instrument's analytical performance, which is of benefit if one uses this information during instrument selection or assessment of in‐clinic instrument performance, (2) Quality Control validation, and (3) as a measure of agreement or comparability of results from different laboratories (eg, between the in‐clinic analyzer and the reference laboratory). These guidelines define a straightforward approach to assessment of instrument analytical performance.
Level of acceptance of solid organ xenotransplantation among personnel in Spanish, Mexican, and Cuban hospitals
Authors: Ríos Antonio , Martínez‐Alarcón Laura , López‐Navas Ana , Ayala‐García Marcos , Sebastián Mª José , Abdo‐Cuza Anselmo , Ramírez Ector Jaime , Muñoz Gerardo , Palacios Gerardo , Suárez‐López Juliette , Castellanos Ricardo , González Beatriz , Martínez Miguel Ángel , Díaz Ernesto , Nieto Adrián , Ramis Gillermo , Ramírez Pablo , Parrilla Pascual
Published: December 2013

Background

Xenotransplantation is still a long way from becoming a clinical reality. However, in an emergency situation, it could be used as a bridge for replacing vital organs until the arrival of a human organ. To analyze the attitude toward xenotransplantation among hospital personnel from several hospitals in Spain and Latin America.

Methods

A random sample stratified according to the type of hospital and job category (n = 2618) in 10 hospitals in three different countries: Spain (n = 821), Mexico (n = 1595), and Cuba (n = 202). A validated questionnaire (PCID—XenoTx Rios) was self‐administered and completed anonymously by the respondents.

Results

If the results of xenotransplantation were similar to those achieved using human donor organs, 61% (n = 1591) of the respondents would be in favor, while 9% (n = 234) would be against and 30% (n = 793) would be unsure.

The analysis of the variables affecting attitude toward xenotransplantation revealed that attitude varied according to the country of reference and was more favorable among personnel in Cuban hospitals (70% a favor) than in Spanish (57%) and Mexican ones (62%; P = 0.000). However, these differences are mainly determined by job category with the physicians having the most favorable attitude. The ancillary staff, in contrast, had the least favorable attitude (76 vs. 51% respectively; P = 0.000). Of the remaining variables, attitude is significantly related to variables connected to human donation: attitude toward the different kinds of human organ donation (deceased [P < 0.001] and living [P < 0.001]), the possibility of needing a transplant oneself in the future (P < 0.001), and attitude toward donating the organs of a deceased family member (P = 0.004).

Conclusions

A third of healthcare personnel from several hospitals are not in favor of xenotransplantation. It is necessary to provide more information about the matter, especially in hospitals where there is a preclinical xenotransplantation program or where there is access to one, such as in the hospitals in this study.
Coalesced Martensite in Pressure Vessel Steels
Authors: Pous-Romero Hector , Bhadeshia Harry
Published: December 2013

An alloy commonly used for large pressure vessels, known as SA508 Grade 3, has a microstructure after heat treatment consisting of a mixture of tempered bainite and martensite at fast cooled regions near surfaces subject to water quenching. These two phases are conventionally recognized to consist of fine platelets, each of which is approximately 0.2 μm in thickness, enhancing strength and leading to good toughness properties. We have discovered in our experimental work that there are circumstances where the adjacent platelets of a similar orientation can coalesce as the austenite transforms, to produce much coarser structures which are believed to be detrimental to toughness. An examination of published micrographs reveals that such coalesced regions existed but were not noticed in previous studies. The mechanism of coalescence is described and methods to ameliorate the coarsening are discussed.
The Effects of Elastic Fiber Protein Insufficiency and Treatment on the Modulus of Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Gabriela Espinosa M. , Gardner William S. , Bennett Lisa , Sather Bradley A. , Yanagisawa Hiromi , Wagenseil Jessica E.
Published: December 2013

Elastic fibers are critical for the mechanical function of the large arteries. Mechanical effects of elastic fiber protein deficiency have been investigated in whole arteries, but not in isolated smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The elastic moduli of SMCs from elastin (Eln-/-) and fibulin-4 (Fbln4-/-) knockout mice were measured using atomic force microscopy. Compared to control SMCs, the modulus of Eln-/- SMCs is reduced by 40%, but is unchanged in Fbln4-/- SMCs. The Eln-/- SMC modulus is rescued by soluble or α elastin treatment. Altered gene expression, specifically of calponin, suggests that SMC phenotypic modulation may be responsible for the modulus changes.
Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Seismic Ground Response Analysis of Local Site Effects for Estimating Seismic Behavior of Buried Pipelines
Authors: Ichimura Tsuyoshi , Fujita Kohei , Hori Muneo , Sakanoue Takashi , Hamanaka Ryo
Published: December 2013

Damage to buried pipelines caused by local amplification of seismic ground motion in highly nonuniform grounds is not yet fully understood. The development of methods to evaluate the amplification of ground motion in complex ground structures is thus desirable. Here, we report large-scale nonlinear seismic ground response analysis using a 3D nonlinear finite element method (FEM) and attempt to reproduce observed seismic ground motion. We also discuss the strain amplification processes and their effects on buried pipelines in detail. The findings are expected to aid in improving the seismic resistance of buried pipelines.
Tuning of Bandgap Structures in Three-Dimensional Kagome-Sphere Lattice
Authors: Liu Ying , Sun Xiu-zhan , Jiang Wen-zheng , Gu Yu
Published: December 2013

In this manuscript, acoustic wave propagation in a novel three-dimensional porous phononic crystal-Kagome lattice, is studied by using finite element method. Firstly, a Kagome-sphere structure is established based on Kagome truss. For lattice with fixed rods (sphere radius varied) or fixed spheres (rod radius varied), the band structures are calculated in order to clarify the influence of geometrical parameters (sphere and rod sizes) on the bandgap characteristics in Kagome-sphere lattice. The vibration modes at the band edges of the lowest bandgaps are investigated with the aim to understand the mechanism of the bandgap generation. It is found that the emergence of the bandgap is due to the local resonant vibration of the unit cell at the adjacent bands. The width and position of this bandgap can be tuned by adjusting the geometrical parameters. An equivalent mass-spring model is proposed and the equivalent system resonance frequency can be evaluated which predicts well the upper and lower edges of the complete bandgaps. Moreover, the critical geometrical parameter is formulated which gives the critical geometrical condition for the opening of the complete bandgaps. The results in this paper are relevant to the bandgap structure design of three-dimensional porous phononic crystals (PPCs).
Acoustics of porous media with inner resonators
Authors: Boutin Claude
Published: December 2013

This paper deals with the acoustics of rigid porous media with inner resonators both saturated by the same gas. The aim is to define porous media microstructures in which inner resonance phenomena may occur, and to provide the modeling of acoustic waves in this situation. The first part, focuses on the design of a periodic medium consisting in damped Helmholtz resonators embedded in a porous matrix. In the second part, the macroscopic description of this system is established through the homogenization method. In the third part, the features of acoustic wave propagation are determined, and the occurrence of a broad band gap along with strongly dispersed waves is discussed according to the characteristics of the porous matrix and of the damped resonators.
Shock-induced wave propagation over porous and fractured borehole zones: Theory and experiments
Authors: Fan Huajun , Smeulders D. M. J.
Published: December 2013

Borehole waves are strongly affected by adjacent porous zones or by fractures intersecting the borehole. A theoretical description for both porous and fracture zones is possible based on the introduction of an effective borehole fluid bulk modulus, characterizing the wave attenuation via borehole wall impedance. This impedance can be calculated for both porous and fracture zones adjacent to the borehole, thus predicting borehole wave attenuation, transmission, and reflection over such zones. A shock tube setup generates borehole tube waves that are used for porous and fracture zone characterization. A PVC sample is used to introduce and vary fractures in a cylindrical sample. Shock wave experiments show that attenuation in boreholes adjacent to porous zones can be predicted by theory. The transmittivities of a borehole tube wave over 1 and 5 mm fractures are correctly predicted, thus showing the potential of borehole wave experiments for fracture detection and characterization.
An image processing based paradigm for the extraction of tonal sounds in cetacean communications
Authors: Kershenbaum Arik , Roch Marie A.
Published: December 2013

Dolphins and whales use tonal whistles for communication, and it is known that frequency modulation encodes contextual information. An automated mathematical algorithm could characterize the frequency modulation of tonal calls for use with clustering and classification. Most automatic cetacean whistle processing techniques are based on peak or edge detection or require analyst assistance in verifying detections. An alternative paradigm is introduced using techniques of image processing. Frequency information is extracted as ridges in whistle spectrograms. Spectral ridges are the fundamental structure of tonal vocalizations, and ridge detection is a well-established image processing technique, easily applied to vocalization spectrograms. This paradigm is implemented as freely available matlab scripts, coined IPRiT (image processing ridge tracker). Its fidelity in the reconstruction of synthesized whistles is compared to another published whistle detection software package, silbido. Both algorithms are also applied to real-world recordings of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops trunactus) signature whistles and tested for the ability to identify whistles belonging to different individuals. IPRiT gave higher fidelity and lower false detection than silbido with synthesized whistles, and reconstructed dolphin identity groups from signature whistles, whereas silbido could not. IPRiT appears to be superior to silbido for the extraction of the precise frequency variation of the whistle.
Endovascular Treatment of Cerebral Mycotic Aneurysm: A Review of the Literature and Single Center Experience
Authors: Zanaty Mario , Chalouhi Nohra , Starke Robert M. , Tjoumakaris Stavropoula , Gonzalez L. Fernando , Hasan David , Rosenwasser Robert , Jabbour Pascal
Published: December 2013

The management of mycotic aneurysm has always been subject to controversy. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the intracranial infected aneurysm from pathogenesis till management while focusing mainly on the endovascular interventions. This novel solution seems to provide additional benefits and long-term favorable outcomes.
Optimum Design of 3-3 Stewart Platform Considering Inertia Property
Authors: Shao Zhu-Feng , Tang Xiaoqiang , Wang Li-Ping
Published: December 2013

Optimum design is a pivotal approach to fulfill the potential advantages of the parallel manipulator in practical applications. This paper concerns the optimum design issue of the 3-3 Stewart platform considering the inertia property, in addition to the kinematic performance. On the basis of spherical usable workspace, global conditioning index (GCI) is analyzed. Atlases of the workspace and GCI are deduced with the established nondimensional design space. Further, after dynamic modeling, the global inertia index (GII) is deduced from the joint-space inertia matrix, and corresponding GII atlases are drawn. In particular, an example is presented to illustrate the process of obtaining the practical optimum results based on these non-dimensional atlases. Since both kinematic and dynamic properties are considered, the optimum result will possess comprehensive performance improvements.
Heat Transfer and Mass Diffusion in Nanofluids over a Moving Permeable Convective Surface
Authors: Qasim Muhammad , Khan Ilyas , Shafie Sharidan
Published: December 2013

Heat transfer and mass diffusion in nanofluid over a permeable moving surface are investigated. The surface exhibits convective boundary conditions and constant mass diffusion. Effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis are considered. The resulting partial differential equations are reduced into coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations using suitable transformations. Shooting technique is implemented for the numerical solution. Velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles are analyzed for different key parameters entering into the problem. Performed comparative study shows an excellent agreement with the previous analysis.
In Vivo Efficacy of HD0471953: A Novel GPR119 Agonist for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kim So Ra , Kim Dae-Hoon , Park Soo Hyun , Kim Young Seok , Kim Chun Hwa , Ha Tae-Young , Yang Jin , Rhee Jae-Keol
Published: December 2013

G-protein coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) has emerged as a promising new target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The expression of GPR119 on the pancreatic B cells and intestinal L cells provides a unique opportunity for a single drug to promote insulin and GLP-1 secretion. In this study, we identified a novel small molecule GPR119 agonist, HD0471953, from our large library of synthetic compounds based on its ability to anti-hyperglycemic effects on T2DM murine models. We have tested the acute efficacy of HD0471953 by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with normal C57BL/6J mice. Then, chronic administrations of HD0471953 were performed to evaluate the efficacy on various diabetic rodent models. Single administration of HD0471953 showed improved glycemic control with a dose-dependent manner in OGTT with normal mice, and the insulin and GLP-1 were also increased. To identify chronic efficacy, we have observed a decline of blood glucose and fasting insulin in a dose-dependent manner of 10, 20, and 50 mpk indb/dbmice. The results suggest that HD0471953 may be a potentially promising anti-hyperglycemic agent for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
SH Wave Scattering Problems for Multiple Orthotropic Elliptical Inclusions
Authors: Lee Jung-Ki , Han Young-Bae , Ahn Young-Ju
Published: December 2013

A volume integral equation method (VIEM) is applied for the effective analysis of elastic wave scattering problems in unbounded solids containing general anisotropic inclusions. It should be noted that this numerical method does not require use of Green's function for anisotropic inclusions to solve this class of problems since only Green's function for the unbounded isotropic matrix is necessary for the analysis. This new method can also be applied to general two-dimensional elastodynamic problems involving arbitrary shapes and numbers of anisotropic inclusions. A detailed analysis of SH wave scattering problems is developed for an unbounded isotropic matrix containing multiple orthotropic elliptical inclusions. Numerical results are presented for the displacement fields at the interfaces of the inclusions in a broad frequency range of practical interest. Through the analysis of plane elastodynamic problems in an unbounded isotropic matrix with multiple orthotropic elliptical inclusions, it is established that this new method is very accurate and effective for solving plane elastic problems in unbounded solids containing general anisotropic inclusions of arbitrary shapes.
The Study of Randomized Visual Saliency Detection Algorithm
Authors: Chen Yuantao , Xu Weihong , Kuang Fangjun , Gao Shangbing
Published: December 2013

Image segmentation process for high quality visual saliency map is very dependent on the existing visual saliency metrics. It is mostly only get sketchy effect of saliency map, and roughly based visual saliency map will affect the image segmentation results. The paper had presented the randomized visual saliency detection algorithm. The randomized visual saliency detection method can quickly generate the same size as the original input image and detailed results of the saliency map. The randomized saliency detection method can be applied to real-time requirements for image content-based scaling saliency results map. The randomization method for fast randomized video saliency area detection, the algorithm only requires a small amount of memory space can be detected detailed oriented visual saliency map, the presented results are shown that the method of visual saliency map used in image after the segmentation process can be an ideal segmentation results.