bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tbx20 acts upstream of Wnt signaling to regulate endocardial cushion formation and valve remodeling during mouse cardiogenesis
Authors: Cai Xiaoqiang , Zhang Weijia , Hu Jun , Zhang Lu , Sultana Nishat , Wu Bingruo , Cai Weibin , Zhou Bin , Cai Chen-Leng
Published: July 2013

Cardiac valves are essential to direct forward blood flow through the cardiac chambers efficiently. Congenital valvular defects are prevalent among newborns and can cause an immediate threat to survival as well as long-term morbidity. Valve leaflet formation is a rigorously programmed process consisting of endocardial epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), mesenchymal cell proliferation, valve elongation and remodeling. Currently, little is known about the coordination of the diverse signals that regulate endocardial cushion development and valve elongation. Here, we report that the T-box transcription factor Tbx20 is expressed in the developing endocardial cushions and valves throughout heart development. Ablation of Tbx20 in endocardial cells causes severe valve elongation defects and impaired cardiac function in mice. Our study reveals that endocardial Tbx20 is crucial for valve endocardial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix development, but is not required for initiation of EMT. Elimination of Tbx20 also causes aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the endocardial cushions. In addition, Tbx20 regulates Lef1, a key transcriptional mediator for Wnt/β-catenin signaling, in this developmental process. Our study suggests a model in which Tbx20 regulates the Wnt pathway to direct endocardial cushion maturation and valve elongation, and provides new insights into the etiology of valve defects in humans.
Short-lived Her proteins drive robust synchronized oscillations in the zebrafish segmentation clock
Authors: Ay Ahmet , Knierer Stephan , Sperlea Adriana , Holland Jack , Özbudak Ertuğrul M.
Published: July 2013

Oscillations are prevalent in natural systems. A gene expression oscillator, called the segmentation clock, controls segmentation of precursors of the vertebral column. Genes belonging to the Hes/her family encode the only conserved oscillating genes in all analyzed vertebrate species. Hes/Her proteins form dimers and negatively autoregulate their own transcription. Here, we developed a stochastic two-dimensional multicellular computational model to elucidate how the dynamics, i.e. period, amplitude and synchronization, of the segmentation clock are regulated. We performed parameter searches to demonstrate that autoregulatory negative-feedback loops of the redundant repressor Her dimers can generate synchronized gene expression oscillations in wild-type embryos and reproduce the dynamics of the segmentation oscillator in different mutant conditions. Our model also predicts that synchronized oscillations can be robustly generated as long as the half-lives of the repressor dimers are shorter than 6 minutes. We validated this prediction by measuring, for the first time, the half-life of Her7 protein as 3.5 minutes. These results demonstrate the importance of building biologically realistic stochastic models to test biological models more stringently and make predictions for future experimental studies.
Photovoltaic Properties of OPV Devices Using cis- and trans-2,5-Diarylfulleropyrrolidines as Acceptor Partners with P3HT on an ITO Electrode with or without PEDOT:PSS
Authors: Yoshimura Ken , Sugawara Kiyotaka , Sakumichi Shigeki , Matsumoto Kei , Uetani Yasunori , Hayase Shuichi , Nokami Toshiki , Itoh Toshiyuki
Published: July 2013

Three types of 2,5-diarylfulleropyrrolidine derivatives, i.e., 2,5-diphenyl, 2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl), and 2,5-di(thiophen-3-yl)fulleropyrrolidines were used as acceptor molecules with P3HT of OPV devices using two types of ITO electrodes. Their PCE depended on both the stereochemistry and nature of the two aryl substituents at the 2,5-positions of the pyrrolidine ring: the PCE of the devices using trans-diphenyl or both cis- and trans-di(thiophen-3-yl) compounds were significantly lowered by using an ITO electrode with PEDOT:PSS, while the cis-diphenyl isomer was not influenced by PSS. Furthermore, both cis- and trans-2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)fulleropyrrolidine displayed high PCE using PEDOT:PSS.
Noninvasive Prenatal Methylomic Analysis by Genomewide Bisulfite Sequencing of Maternal Plasma DNA
Authors: Lun Fiona MF , Chiu Rossa WK , Sun Kun , Leung Tak Y , Jiang Peiyong , Chan KC Allen , Sun Hao , Lo YM Dennis
Published: July 2013

BACKGROUND

Epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in prenatal development, but fetal tissues are not readily accessible. Fetal DNA molecules are present in maternal plasma and can be analyzed noninvasively.

METHODS

We applied genomewide bisulfite sequencing via 2 approaches to analyze the methylation profile of maternal plasma DNA at single-nucleotide resolution. The first approach used maternal blood samples and polymorphic differences between the mother and fetus to analyze the fetal methylome across the genome. The second approach used the methylation profile of maternal blood cells and the fractional fetal DNA concentration in maternal plasma to deduce the placental methylomic profile from maternal plasma DNA-sequencing data.

RESULTS

Because of the noninvasive nature of these approaches, we were able to serially assess the methylation profiles of fetal, placental, and maternal plasma with maternal blood samples collected in the first and third trimesters and after delivery. Gestation-related changes were observed. The fetal methylation profile deduced from maternal plasma data resembled that of the placental methylome, both on a genomewide level and per CpG site. Imprinted genes and differentially methylated regions were identified from the maternal plasma data. We demonstrated one potential clinical application of maternal plasma bisulfite sequencing with the successful detection of fetal trisomy 21.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully analyzed fetal and placental methylomes on a genomewide scale, noninvasively and serially. This development offers a powerful method for research, biomarker discovery, and clinical testing for pregnancy-related disorders.
British press representations of Yasser Arafat’s funeral
Authors: Thomas Lisa
Published: July 2013

The global symbol of the Palestinian liberation movement for over four decades, the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from sudden multiple organ failure in a military hospital near Paris on 11 November 2004 generated extensive, and at times conflicting, international media coverage. Arafat’s state funeral began with a French presidential ceremony near Paris, followed by a funeral procession that took place in Cairo on 12 November 2004. Later that day, Arafat’s coffin was returned to Ramallah in the West Bank for interment. This article analyses representations of Arafat’s funeral in ten British national newspapers, all of which were published on 13 November 2004. Located within the wider paradigm of orientalist interpretations of Middle Eastern socio-political events, and taking British press coverage of Arafat’s funeral as an example, this study reveals how the media discourse serves positively to reinforce ‘familiar’ British cultural norms and values, whilst negatively devaluing and demonizing Palestinians and/or Arabs and Muslims. Moreover, it contends that the predominantly unfavourable coverage of Arafat’s funeral in the majority of British newspapers led to no subsequent change in the framing of Palestinians, and was arguably a continuity of the conventionally negative representation of the Palestinian narrative in the British media.
Beyond anthropomorphism: Odissi and the botanical
Authors: Gardner Sally
Published: July 2013

Drawing on experiences that have entailed watching and learning forms of so-called ‘Indian dance’ (Bharata Natyam and Odissi), and watching Odissi dancers performing in various locations in Orissa’s ‘sacred triangle’ (Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar), and against my own background in contemporary dance, I propose that the difference of the Odissi body is that the dancer dances with his or her feet in more than one kingdom – that is, he or she maintains a link between human bodies and the bodies of plants. Such a perception can help to displace questions of the dancer’s spatiality and representations, challenging western or westernized visions of the industrial or mechanical body, assumed hierarchies of body parts and their signifying powers, and assumptions about the role of the joints. The sense of a botanical imaginary or specific cultural body-schema at work in Odissi dance is supported by discussion of historical and ethnographic literature pertaining to the (former) female dancers of the Jagannath Temple in Puri; the temple’s links with Oriyan tribal cultures; the dancers’ traditional importance according to an axis of social auspiciousness/inauspiciousness as opposed to social purity/impurity; and the particular processes of the reconstruction of Odissi dance (separate from that of Bharata natyam) after independence.
Subversive bodies: Feminism and New Dance in India
Authors: Purkayastha Prarthana
Published: July 2013

This article explores how the Indian navanritya or ‘New Dance’ body, as crafted by choreographers Manjusri Chaki Sircar and Ranjabati Sircar, provided an alternative to the hegemonic representation of femininity in Indian classical dance. The Sircars’ feminist ideology-driven rebuttal of institutional and patriarchal dance pedagogy and praxis produced local critiques of cultural nationalism in and through the dancing body. This article discusses how these new bodies, shaped by a simultaneous eschewal and espousal of Indian cultural legacy, produce a complex picture of negotiation, one in which dialectical relationships between culture and the bodies that are situated within it are seen to emerge.
Welcome to Thebes: Process and methodology of intercultural theatre
Authors: Ruth Annie
Published: July 2013

Community, purpose, context and an anchored presence in encountering difference – these are qualities stimulated by tikanga Māori frameworks as an approach to theatre. Viewpoints-based choreography contributes attention to time and space, playfulness, and ensemble connection. Both value the audience’s contribution as an integral part of the work through the immediacy of a real-time meeting. Together they provide a framework for setting up a dialogical performance environment in which a cast, drawn from all over India, are able to bring their traditions, psychologies, gestural languages and beliefs into the work. The choreographic approach allows extant text and body text an independence that is constantly negotiated, constantly changing and surprising. These frameworks hold a combination of the artistically fixed and the improvisationally free. Both encourage agency in all collaborators. These qualities make them powerful and repeatable tools for engagement with the present. They treat the audience as participating guests, moving their engagement from passive to active. The effect of this framing is performance that is filled with a sense of ‘alive-li-ness’ in an approach that is applicable in the Indian context.
The transcultural body: Kolkata re-membered
Authors: Ward Nigel
Published: July 2013

This article explores the tensions that surround the effort to make intercultural performance. In particular it draws on the author’s experience of making a cross-cultural devised theatre project for the British Council in India, working with Indian performers and largely western devising techniques. This is contextualized by a discussion of the work of some key practitioners in this area, such as Eugenio Barba, Jerzy Grotowski and Tatsumi Hijikata. Barba’s notion of ‘travellers of speed’ is discussed, as is the critique of such ideas by Phiip Zarilli, among others. The attempt to make a performance space that transcends culture is contrasted with the experience of making performance in a context where cultural specificity is written through every aspect of the work and expresses itself within the bodies of the performers themselves.
Strengths and weaknesses of Bogotá as an innovation hub: Towards the governance of the regional innovation system
Authors: Contreras Maria , Pineda Leonardo , Egade C. Scheel
Published: July 2013

Bogotá is facing constraints implemented in order to strengthen its innovation capabilities and to institutionalize itself as a Regional Innovation System (RIS). Even though the city has the largest number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), research institutions, and technological development centres in Colombia, it is not yet positioned as an RIS. It will be necessary to do an organizational redesign in terms of the entities that comprise Bogotá and thereof its governance.
The main key players of each environment were identified based on the primary role played by the different system elements. A comparative analysis was developed over time (evolution) and space (with other countries and levels of excellence) of some successful innovation cities through a methodology called Innovacities. This methodology allowed for identification of the size of the backlog confronted by the city at the frontier of technological development worldwide and the most critical factors needed to generate the breakthrough innovations to achieve world-class level.
Using innovation research to achieve sustainability in urban developments: The case of Masdar
Authors: Baydoun Mohammad
Published: July 2013

The aim of this article is to explore how research on innovation can be used in order to achieve principles of sustainability in urban developments using the case of ‘Masdar’, the first sustainable and research-driven city in the region of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The selected case study was analysed in order to reveal its strengths and weaknesses in achieving principles of sustainability. This research is of particular importance in the context of GCC countries as a number of these countries are considering developing sustainable cities that foster research related to innovation and technology and promote reduction in energy consumption.
Impact of relaxation training according to the Yoga In Daily Life® system on anxiety after breast cancer surgery
Authors: Kovačič Tine , Zagoričnik Miha , Kovačič Miha
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this pilot study was to gather information on the immediate and short-term effects of relaxation training according to the Yoga In Daily Life® (YIDL®) system on anxiety of breast cancer patients. The YIDL® system is a holistic system being practised and taught worldwide and has been proven to be highly effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. The system aims to establish physical, mental, spiritual, and social health. Thirty-two patients at the Institute for Oncology Ljubljana were randomized to the experimental (n=16) and to the control groups (n=16). Both groups received the same standard physiotherapy for 1 week, while the experimental group additionally received 1-hour group relaxation training session according to the YIDL® system per day. At discharge, the experimental group was issued with audiocassette recordings containing similar instructions for relaxation training to be practiced for 3 weeks individually at home. Anxiety measures were obtained by blinded assessors using standardized questionnaires. The results indicate that relaxation training according to the YIDL® system could be a useful clinical physiotherapy intervention for breast cancer patients experiencing anxiety.
Erwin Rommel
Authors: Lieb Peter
Published: July 2013

Vorspann

Wer war Erwin Rommel? Hitlers Lieblingsgeneral und überzeugter Nationalsozialist oder ein ritterlich kämpfender Offizier alter Schule, der letztlich sogar den Weg in den Widerstand gefunden hat und dafür 1944 mit seinem Leben bezahlen musste? Diese Fragen sind immer wieder gestellt, kontrovers diskutiert, aber bis heute nicht abschließend beantwortet worden. Peter Lieb setzt sich kritisch mit der biographischen Literatur auseinander, nimmt die wichtigsten Stationen von Rommels militärischer Karriere im Lichte der einschlägigen Quellen in den Blick und kommt schließlich zu einem ebenso differenzierten wie überraschenden Urteil.
La Paz School
Authors: Díez-Palomar Javier , Pitanga Tatiana Santos , Cifuentes Pilar Álvarez
Published: July 2013

This article presents the transformation process of San Juan, a ghetto school, into La Paz, a magnet school. This transformation has been made possible by implementing the communicative methodology of research (CMR) based on the participation of everyone involved in the research process, together with the administration and the researchers. The article explains how the change has been made as well as the political measures that have been developed. Finally, a reflection considering the political improvements arising from the experience is given.
Communicative Methodology of Research with Minority Groups
Authors: Sánchez Montse , Yuste Montse , de Botton Lena , Kostic Rosamaria
Published: July 2013

Today's society has a dialogic and communicative base. Social sciences and social research have to conform to this base that is marking our society. Roma women are the protagonists of the transformation of their lives and their social circumstances through dialogic spaces. At the same time, a methodology that includes all the agents involved in a social situation can generate a substantial impact on social policies. We found that to overcome barriers to social transformation and work towards a more egalitarian society, we had to use communicative methodology.
From Access to Education
Authors: Ríos Oriol , Herrero Carlos , Rodríguez Henar
Published: July 2013

Communicative methodology is the basis of the Learning Communities project. This is a school experience based on successful educational actions identified through research. Several pieces of evidence about the impact of this methodological approach will be presented within the framework of policy-making processes in educational issues on a national and international level. The dialogical process driven in the Basque Country of Spain among policy makers, teachers, families, and students will be described in the context of the Learning Communities project and how this process has changed the nature of educational policies. The effects of the use of communicative methodology in the project INCLUD-ED: Strategies for Inclusion and Social Cohesion in Europe from Education will also be explained. Both examples will demonstrate the link between dialogic policy and social transformation as well as the steps carried out in terms of educational policy.
Communicative Methodology of Research and Recognition of the Roma People
Authors: Aiello Emilia , Mondejar Eduard , Pulido Miguel Ángel
Published: July 2013

This article explains how the RTD Workaló project “The Creation of New Occupational Patterns for Cultural Minorities: The Gypsy Case (2001–2004)” and its research methodology led to institutional recognition of the Roma people by the European Union. The communicative methodology used in the Workaló project enabled representatives of the Roma to participate directly throughout the research. This has a scientific, political, and social impact. The Workaló case and other subsequent research projects reveal that when research is carried out following a communicative method, that is, by building scientific knowledge in dialogue with the object of study (in this case the Romani people), the results have a real impact on the lives of the most vulnerable. In conclusion, the egalitarian inclusion of the subjects throughout the study could turn the research process itself into a method for real social transformation.
Communicative Methodology of Research in the Preventive Socialization of Gender Violence
Authors: Ramis Mimar , Alonso María José , Siles Gregor
Published: July 2013

Despite the efforts of research, and the definition and implementation of policies and actions, gender violence remains one of the gravest problems in modern-day societies. Regardless of the difficulties, it is essential to identify and discuss this issue inside the framework of scientific research. Drawing on evidence of the social nature of gender violence, the communicative methodology of research has proven to contribute to unveiling the mechanisms through which socialization processes occur and has been able to propose measures and actions that can contribute to reversing this trend. This article explores the difficulties encountered in investigating this topic with young people and highlights the elements of the communicative methodology of research that allow for the definition of successful actions in preventive socialization of gender violence.
The Struggle
Authors: Duque Elena , Vidu Ana , Schubert Tinka
Published: July 2013

Violence against women in universities is an issue that was not studied in Spain until the pioneer research projects carried out by the CREA research center. Between 2008 and 2012, several studies were performed on this subject through competitive projects and dissertations. This article explains how these pioneer investigations, conducted with a communicative perspective demonstrate that gender violence also occurs in Spanish institutions, contrary to the prevailing wisdom of the university community. Once the problem has been identified, we discuss some of the consequences and the resistances encountered by victims and those who fight for a university free of violence against women when they make the issue visible and implement mechanisms to end it. Finally, we present some actions that are proving successful in overcoming the problem, as well as the first steps that are being taken in Spain in this regard.
The Achieved Dreams of a Neighborhood
Authors: Tellado Itxaso , Serrano M. Ángeles , Portell David
Published: July 2013

This article explains the social transformation process initiated at the end of the 1970s within the neighborhood of La Verneda-Sant Martí in Barcelona. This process started with the foundation of an adult education center that was organized as a Learning Community (the first one in the world). From the beginning, it was administered for and by the community. It became a space of debate where the demands and dreams of the neighbors converged about transforming their neighborhood along with the recommendations of the international scientific community. Twenty years later, the dreams came true: There have been substantial improvements throughout the urban space, infrastructures, housing, urban thoroughfares, and public highways. The INCLUD-ED European project, using the communicative methodology of research, has thoroughly studied the transformation carried out in the La Verneda-Sant Martí Adult School and its neighborhood. INCLUD-ED has identified successful practices within diverse social areas that are transferable to other contexts and contribute to overcoming inequalities and improving the most underprivileged neighborhoods.
Situating the Communicative Methodology of Research in the Context of Public Science
Authors: Rodríguez Francesc , Rué Lourdes , López Laura
Published: July 2013

The communicative methodology of research (CMR) engages members of communities at risk of exclusion with researchers to jointly transform their social reality. The aim of this paper is to situate the CMR within the context of public science. First, we will provide a brief historical account of the relationship between science and the public. Next, we will examine the variety of “participatory activities and methods” in science that have flourished in the last decades. In the last two sections of this paper, we will show the main characteristics of the CMR, comparing and contrasting them with those of other participatory approaches.
The impact of low triiodothyronine levels on mortality is mediated by malnutrition and cardiac dysfunction in incident hemodialysis patients
Authors: Koo Hyang Mo , Kim Chan Ho , Doh Fa Mee , Lee Mi Jung , Kim Eun Jin , Han Jae Hyun , Han Ji Suk , Oh Hyung Jung , Han Seung Hyeok , Yoo Tae-Hyun , Kang Shin-Wook
Published: July 2013

Objective

Little is known about the impact of low triiodothyronine (T3) levels on mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients starting hemodialysis (HD) and whether this impact is mediated by malnutrition, inflammation, or cardiac dysfunction.

Design and methods

A prospective cohort of 471 incident HD patients from 36 dialysis centers within the Clinical Research Center for ESRD in Korea was selected for this study. Based on the median value of T3, patients were divided into ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ groups, and all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates were compared. In addition, associations between T3levels and various nutritional, inflammatory, and echocardiographic parameters were determined.

Results

Compared with those in the ‘higher’ T3group, albumin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, lean body mass estimated by creatinine kinetics (LBM-Cr), and normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) were significantly lower in patients with ‘lower’ T3levels. The ‘lower’ T3group also had a higher left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and a lower ejection fraction (EF). Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed significant associations between T3levels and nutritional and echocardiographic parameters. All-cause and CV mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with ‘lower’ T3levels than in the ‘higher’ T3group (113.4 vs 18.2 events per 1000 patient-years,P<0.001, and 49.8 vs 9.1 events per 1000 patient-years,P=0.001, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier analysis also showed significantly worse cumulative survival rates in the ‘lower’ T3group (P<0.001). In the Cox regression analysis, low T3was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality even after adjusting for traditional risk factors (hazard ratio=3.76,P=0.021). However, the significant impact of low T3on all-cause mortality disappeared when LBM-Cr, nPCR, LVMI, or EF were incorporated into the models.

Conclusion

Low T3has an impact on all-cause mortality in incident HD patients, partly via malnutrition and cardiac dysfunction.
Characteristics of Pain in Children and Youth With Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Penner Melanie , Xie Wen Yan , Binepal Navneet , Switzer Lauren , Fehlings Darcy
Published: July 2013

OBJECTIVES:

Pain in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is underrecognized, undertreated, and negatively affects quality of life. Communication challenges and multiple pain etiologies complicate diagnosis and treatment. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the impact of pain on activities and to identify the common physician-identified causes of pain in children and youth ages 3 to 19 years across all levels of severity of CP.

METHODS:

The study design was cross-sectional, whereby children/youth aged 3 to 19 years and their families were consecutively recruited. The primary caregivers were asked to complete a one-time questionnaire, including the Health Utilities Index 3 pain subset, about the presence and characteristics of pain. The treating physician was asked to identify the presence of pain and provide a clinical diagnosis for the pain, if applicable.

RESULTS:

The response rate was 92%. Of 252 participants, 54.8% reported some pain on the Health Utilities Index 3, with 24.4% of the caregivers reporting that their child experienced pain that affected some level of activities in the preceding 2 weeks. Physicians reported pain in 38.7% and identified hip dislocation/subluxation, dystonia, and constipation as the most frequent causes of pain.

CONCLUSIONS:

One-quarter of our sample experienced pain that limited activities and participation. Clinicians should be aware that hip subluxation/dislocation and dystonia were the most common causes of pain in children/youth with CP in this study. Potential causes of pain should be identified and addressed early to mitigate the negative impact of pain on quality of life.
Obstetric and Neonatal Care Practices for Infants 501 to 1500 g From 2000 to 2009
Authors: Soll Roger F. , Edwards Erika M. , Badger Gary J. , Kenny Michael J. , Morrow Kate A. , Buzas Jeffrey S. , Horbar Jeffrey D.
Published: July 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To identify changes in clinical practices for infants with birth weights of 501 to 1500 g born from 2000 to 2009.

METHODS:

We used prospectively collected registry data for 355 806 infants born from 2000 to 2009 and cared for at 669 North American hospitals in the Vermont Oxford Network. Main outcome measures included obstetric and neonatal practices, including cesarean delivery, antenatal steroids, delivery room interventions, respiratory practices, neuroimaging, retinal exams, and feeding at discharge.

RESULTS:

Significant changes in many obstetric, delivery room, and neonatal practices occurred from 2000 to 2009. Use of surfactant treatment in the delivery room increased overall (adjusted difference [AD] 17.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.4% to 17.6%), as did less-invasive methods of respiratory support, such as nasal continuous positive airway pressure (AD 9.9%; 95% CI 9.1% to 10.6%). Use of any ventilation (AD –7.5%; 95% CI –8.0% to –6.9%) and steroids for chronic lung disease (AD –15.3%; 95% CI –15.8% to –14.8%) decreased significantly overall. Most of the changes in respiratory care were observed within each of 4 birth weight strata (501–750 g, 751–1000 g, 1001–1250 g, 1251–1500 g).

CONCLUSIONS:

Many obstetric and neonatal care practices used in the management of infants 501 to 1500 g changed between 2000 and 2009. In particular, less-invasive approaches to respiratory support increased.
Densidade de estocagem no crescimento, composição e perfil lipídico corporal do jundiá
Authors: Lazzari Rafael , Radünz Neto João , Corrêia Viviani , Veiverberg Cátia Aline , Bergamin Giovani Taffarel , Emanuelli Tatiana , Ribeiro Cristiane Portes
Published: July 2013

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento, a composição e o perfil lipídico corporal de jundiás criados em diferentes densidades de estocagem (DE: 4,2; 6,4; 8,6 e 10,8kg m-3) em sistema com recirculação de água. Durante 120 dias, 420 peixes (peso inicial=182,95±2,96g) foram alimentados uma vez ao dia, até a saciedade aparente, com dieta peletizada formulada. Observou-se que, quanto maior a DE utilizada, menor é o peso individual dos peixes, entretanto a biomassa por tanque aumentou (P<0,05). Melhor conversão alimentar (1,69) e maior quantidade de gordura intraperitoneal (3,92) foram observadas nos peixes submetidos à densidade 4,2kg m-3. A proteína corporal foi afetada pelas DEs. Ocorreu diminuição dos ácidos graxos saturados e aumento dos insaturados nos peixes de acordo com o aumento das DEs. Conclui-se que a densidade de estocagem influência no peso final e na produtividade por volume do jundiá.
Women Service Members and Family Reintegration
Authors: Lietz Cynthia A. , Stromwall Layne K. , Carlson Bonnie E.
Published: July 2013

Women are being deployed at increasing rates. This article reviews literature related to the risk and protective factors that explain varied levels of adaptation for servicewomen and their families. Implications suggest that clinicians assess risk factors for female soldiers upon return home such as the number and length of deployments, the presence of mental health challenges, physical injuries including traumatic brain injury, the experience of military sexual trauma, a history of childhood or adult sexual trauma, and the pile-up of additional life stressors that can lead to a cumulative negative effect for women and their families. Clinicians are also encouraged to assess and encourage family strengths that foster resilience such as social support, ongoing communication, family structure that is flexible, and positive appraisal.
Bearing capacity on sand overlying clay soils: experimental and finite-element investigation of potential punch-through failure
Authors: LEE K.K. , CASSIDY M.J. , RANDOLPH M.F.
Published: July 2013

When a jack-up spudcan foundation is installed on seabeds consisting of a sand layer overlying soft clay, the potential for ‘punch-through' failure exists. This happens as a result of an abrupt reduction in bearing resistance when the foundation punches a block of sand into the underlying soft clay in an uncontrolled manner. This paper details an extensive series of 30 tests of flat circular and spudcan foundations continuously penetrated through samples of sand overlying clay, and performed under relevant stress conditions using a drum centrifuge. The large testing area of the drum centrifuge was used advantageously to produce test results that could be compared directly with tests covering a sand thickness over foundation diameter of 0·21 to 1·12. Results from retrospective finite-element analysis of the experiments are also described, with back-calculated values of the stress-level-dependent friction and dilation angles in the sand during peak penetration resistance shown to fit correlations in the literature. The back-analysis showed that larger values of peak resistance gave lower friction and dilation angles, which is consistent with gradual suppression of dilatancy under high confining stress. When compared with published results from visualisation experiments, the finite-element analysis showed a similar failure mechanism during peak resistance, with a frustum of sand forced into the underlying clay at an angle reflecting the dilation in the sand.
Cement hydration based model to predict the mechanical properties of precast concrete
Authors: Zhang Jun , Han Yudong , Han Jianguo , Wang Zhenbo
Published: July 2013

An adiabatic temperature rise (ATR) test was used to determine the degree of cement hydration in concrete. In the experiments, emphasis was placed on the influences of water to cementitious material ratio (w/b) and aggregate content on the ATR and the development of degree of cement hydration. A total of nine concrete mixtures with three w/b ratios (0·30, 0·43, 0·62) and three aggregate contents (50%, 60%, 70% by volume) were used in the tests. The experimental results show that, for a given aggregate content, the lower the w/b ratio, the higher the temperature rise. For a given w/b ratio, the higher the aggregate content, the lower the temperature rise. The effects of temperature and age on the hydration process of cement may be taken into consideration by the equivalent age concept. For the same equivalent age, the degree of cement hydration is a function of w/b ratio only, regardless of the aggregate content. The advance of degree of cement hydration with equivalent age can be described as an initially slow developing stage, followed by a fast increasing stage and then a nearly steady-state stage. With an increase in w/b ratio, both the length of the initial stage and the ultimate degree of cement hydration at steady state increase. The higher the w/b, the longer the equivalent age needed to achieve the steady state. In addition, a model for predicting concrete elastic modulus and compressive strength, based on the degree of cement hydration in which the effect of environmental drying can be taken into account, was developed; good agreement was found between the test and model results. The model may be used for the prediction of mechanical properties of precast concrete under different curing conditions.
Improving Medical Adherence in Women With Gestational Diabetes Through Self-Efficacy
Authors: Cardwell Michael S.
Published: July 2013

IN BRIEF

Adherence to the prescribed medical regimen is crucial to preventing complications to mothers and babies in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Self-efficacy, a conviction that one has the ability to reach one's goals, is predictive of adherence. In patients with GDM, for whom self-care is the central component of the medical regimen, self-efficacy is essential if medical adherence is to be achieved.
Diabetes mellitus’lu hastaların anksiyete, depresyon durumları ve yaşam kalitesi düzeyleri
Authors: Sönmez Bilge , Kasım İsmail
Published: July 2013

Amaç: Diyabetik hastalarda başta depresyon ve anksiyete bozuklukları olmak üzere ruhsal bozuklukların genel popülasyona oranla daha sık görüldüğü bildirilmektedir. Tip 2 diabetes mellitus'ta (DM) depresyon ve anksiyete görülmesindeki bu artış beraberinde hastanın uyumunu, tedaviye cevabını, hastalığın prognozunu olumsuz etkilemektedir. Ayrıca özbakım ve yaşam kalitesinde bozulmaya, komplikasyon gelişme riski, mortalite ve sağlık harcamalarında artışa neden olmaktadır. Günümüzdeki tedavi rehberleri DM’lu hastaları depresyon ve anksiyete yönünden taramayı, psikolojik sorunları saptananları mutlaka tedavi etmeyi önermektedir. Biz çalışmamızda dünyada ve ülkemizde önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunu olan Tip 2 DM’lu hastaların anksiyete ve depresyon durumları ile yaşam kalitesi düzeylerini ve bunlarla ilişkili olabilecek faktörleri ortaya koymayı amaçladık.Yöntem: Çalışmamıza Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Aile Hekimliği polikliniğine başvuran, Tip 2 DM’lu 400 hasta dahil edildi. Tüm hastalara, sosyo-demografik özellikleri ve hastalıklarıyla ilgili genel durumu değerlendirmek için bir anket, depresyon ve anksiyete durumlarını değerlendirmek için Hastane Anksiyete ve Depresyon Ölçeği (HAD), genel yaşam kalitesini değerlendirmek için EQ5D ölçeği uygulandı.Bulgular: Araştırmamızda hastaların %21.8’inde anksiyete, %42.0’sinde depresyon bulunduğu gözlendi. Kadınlarda hem depresyon (p=0.001) hem de anksiyete açısından (p=0.001) erkeklerden daha yüksek puan saptandı. Depresyon ile yüksek eğitim düzeyi, düşük sosyoekonomik düzey, hastalık süresinin uzunluğu ve hipertansiyonun eşlik etmesi ve herhangi bir komplikasyon varlığı arasında anlamlı ilişki bulundu (p
Dimension Distortion by Sobolev Mappings in Foliated
Metric Spaces
Authors: Balogh Zoltán M. , Tyson Jeremy T. , Wildrick Kevin
Published: July 2013

We quantify the extent to which a supercritical Sobolev mapping
can increase the dimension of subsets of its domain, in
the setting of metric measure spaces supporting a Poincaré
inequality. We show that the set of mappings that distort
the dimensions of sets by the maximum possible amount is
a prevalent subset of the relevant function space. For foliations
of a metric space X defined by a David–Semmes regular
mapping Π : X → W, we quantitatively estimate, in terms of
Hausdorff dimension in W, the size of the set of leaves of the
foliation that are mapped onto sets of higher dimension. We
discuss key examples of such foliations, including foliations
of the Heisenberg group by left and right cosets of horizontal
subgroups.
Hunting of migratory birds: disturbance intolerant or harvest tolerant?
Authors: Sokos Christos K. , Birtsas Periklis K. , Connelly John W. , Papaspyropoulos Konstantinos G.
Published: July 2013

An understanding of how hunting affects migratory birds is essential for reaching sustainable management of hunted populations. The purpose of our paper was to synthesise current knowledge of autumn and winter hunting disturbance on migratory birds and to describe a case study in Hellas (Greece). Hunting may influence migratory bird behaviour and movements, but studies have not found a corresponding increase in non‐hunting mortality factors or any reduction in feeding, body condition, breeding success and any long‐term population decrease. We developed a diagnostic procedure which provides a tool for assessing the potential susceptibility of a species or group of species to hunting disturbance. The application of this procedure showed that the influence of hunting disturbance on quarry species is inverse to hunting harvest. This new insight should be considered in a holistic hunting management approach.
Foraging sites of Eurasian lynxLynx lynx: relative importance of microhabitat and prey occurrence
Authors: Belotti Elisa , Červený Jaroslav , Šustr Pavel , Kreisinger Jakub , Gaibani Giorgia , Bufka Luděk
Published: July 2013

The choice of foraging areas by large carnivores can be driven both by prey abundance and landscape attributes and it is likely that the relative importance of these two components changes on different spatial scales. In the Bohemian Forest (southwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic), we focused on the effect of microhabitat. We tested if Eurasian lynxLynx lynxhunted merely in areas where its main prey, roe deerCapreolus capreolusand red deerCervus elaphus, occurred (‘prey‐occurrence hypothesis’) or if there were fine‐scale habitat features that increased prey catchability (‘landscape hypothesis’). Fine‐scale habitat features were recorded at sites where an ungulate had been killed and located using telemetry or by chance (in winter: N = 29 roe deer, N = 18 red deer; in summer: N = 33 roe deer, N = 5 red deer). We compared these features with those recorded at locations where live red or roe deer were recorded using telemetry (N = 100 per species per six‐month period). In winter, lynx killed both roe and red deer at sites where there was a greater heterogeneity in terms of visibility than at sites where live ungulates were recorded, i.e. at kill sites there were both good stalking cover and good visibility. In addition, the risk of predation for red deer was negatively correlated with tree density. In summer, the risk of predation for roe deer was not associated with any of the habitat variables measured. Thus, the presence of a kill was associated with particular fine‐scale habitat features in winter, while in summer it was simply associated with where prey occurred. A deeper understanding of the type of habitat favoured by lynx is fundamental to the management and conservation of this species. Based on our results, forest management should ensure that the level of habitat heterogeneity is favourable for lynx.
Feeding ecology of puma Puma concolor in Mexican montane forests with comments about jaguar Panthera onca
Authors: Gómez‐Ortiz Yuriana , Monroy‐Vilchis Octavio
Published: July 2013

We analyse the diet and prey selection of puma Puma concolor and describe opportunistically the diet of jaguar Panthera onca in montane forest in the Sierra Nanchititla Natural Park, central Mexico. We analysed prey selection in relation to energy content and population abundance, inferred through camera trapping. Analysis of 209 puma scats showed that their main prey was nine‐banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus followed by white‐nosed coati Nasua narica and white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus. Pumas did not take prey in proportion to their relative abundance, but selected energetically profitable prey such as nine‐banded armadillo, which formed the bulk of their diet. In 13 scats of jaguar, nine‐banded armadillo was also the most important prey followed by domestic goat Capra hircus. We discuss the implications for management of predators and prey.
The Impact of Uncapping of Mandatory Retirement on Postsecondary Institutions
Authors: Weinberg Sharon L. , Scott Marc A.
Published: July 2013

The Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act passed by Congress in 1986 eliminated mandatory age-related retirement at age 70. Initially, all postsecondary institutions were exempt from the Act. Based on a report by the National Research Council (NRC), which forecast only a minimal impact of this Act on higher education, the federal government allowed the exemption to lapse; effective December 31, 1993, faculty would no longer be subject to mandatory retirement for age. Our results of an empirical analysis on nearly four decades of faculty data (from 1981 to 2009) from a large private metropolitan research university in the northeast contradicts that forecast and shows the extent to which faculty retirement behavior has changed following the enactment of the Act and the lapse of the exemption for higher education faculty. Although only 11% of faculty who were subject to mandatory retirement remained after age 70 (perhaps those with special arrangements), we find after the law changed that 60% of faculty no longer subject to mandatory retirement are expected to remain employed beyond age 70 and 15% will retire at age 80 or over. This is a dramatic shift in retirement behavior, one that was not forecast by the NRC committee. Our results also show how many years after the prior mandatory retirement age of 70, faculty now remain at their institutions. We also offer suggestions as to some of the potential reasons (consistent with the literature) why, since the change in the law, some faculty wait longer than others to retire, but we do so primarily to spur discourse, as these factors are based on our understanding of this institution. Our findings are limited to this single institution and do not imply a general trend for all postsecondary institutions. Additional studies are recommended to determine whether uncapping has had a similar effect at other postsecondary institutions.
Probability Analysis of Damage to Offshore Pipeline by Ship Factors
Authors: Liu Yutao , Hu Hao , Zhang Di
Published: July 2013

The transport of hydrocarbons by offshore pipeline is threatened by the rapid expansion of pipe networks and the increasing frequency of maritime activities. Risk management is thus necessary to manage and to prevent ship-related hazardous events that may damage offshore pipelines. Probability analysis is key to assessing the risk associated with ship operations on offshore pipelines and to decision making in managing that risk. Bayesian network (BN) models are proposed in this paper to determine the probability of anchor and trawling damage to subsea pipelines. The BN models are developed by integrating directed acyclic graphs and three computational methods (Boolean operation, standard and historical statistical analyses, and fuzzy set theory) to elicit both marginal and conditional probability tables. A case study illustrates the use of two BN-related functions—probability prediction and probability updating—to determine final probabilities of damage to a subsea pipeline. The results of the analysis support risk-ranking and risk-reducing decisions associated with maritime operations in the area of offshore pipelines.
Safety Risk Analysis of Maritime Transportation
Authors: Ozbas Birnur
Published: July 2013

Maritime means of transportation have been heavily used for freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of maritime transportation for passengers has decreased in recent decades as a result of developments in aviation, passengers still use cruises and ferries. However, the demands on maritime transportation for cargo increase daily, result in many accidents, and lead to considerable economic losses and tragic outcomes such as human casualty and environmental damage. These dangers have prompted research for qualifying or quantifying safety risks in ports or waterways. This paper examines the concept of risk analysis and its definition in different fields. Finally, much of the literature related to safety risks in the field of maritime transportation is reviewed. This review may serve as a guide for researchers in the field and government organizations, including regulatory agencies, coast guards, port and waterway stakeholders, and various industries and practitioners.
Estimating Statewide Benefits of Winter Maintenance Operations
Authors: Ye Zhirui , Veneziano David , Shi Xianming
Published: July 2013

Winter highway maintenance activities offer direct and indirect benefits to the public. However, the cost of such activities is such a major outlay that it demands close scrutiny. There is a need to understand better and quantitatively estimate the benefits of winter road maintenance. Therefore, the work discussed in this paper was undertaken to quantitatively assess the benefits of winter highway operations at the state level. Methodologies were developed to estimate the major benefits of winter maintenance, including safety improvements, travel time savings, and fuel savings. A Minnesota case was used to demonstrate the methodologies and quantify those benefits. Results of the case study showed the benefits of winter highway maintenance by the Minnesota Department of Transportation to be $227 million per winter season, with $168 million of safety benefits, $11 million of mobility benefits, and $48 million of fuel savings. The benefit–cost ratio of winter highway operations in Minnesota was 6.2, in which material costs were taken into account.