bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilitation of bone resorption activities in synovial lavage fluid patients with mandibular condyle fractures
Authors: Takano H. , Takahashi T. , Nakata A. , Nogami S. , Yusa K. , Kuwajima S. , Yamazaki M. , Fukuda M.
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the bone resorption effect of the mediators delivered in joint cavity of patients with mandibular condyle fractures by detecting osteoclast markers using cellular biochemistry methods, and by analysing bone resorption activities via inducing osteoclast differentiation of the infiltrated cells from arthrocentesis. Sixteen joints in 10 patients with mandibular condyle fractures were evaluated. The control group consisted of synovial fluid (SF) samples from seven joints of four volunteers who had no clinical signs or symptoms involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or disc displacement. We collected SF cells from all patients during therapeutic arthrocentesis. The infiltrating cells from TMJ SF were cultured, differentiated into tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)‐positive osteoclast‐like cells and examined bone resorption activities. We also investigated factors related to osteoclast induction of SF, using ELISA procedures. Osteoclast‐like cells were induced from the SF cells obtained from all patients with condylar fractures. These multinucleated giant cells were positive for TRAP and actin, and had the ability to absorb dentin slices. The levels of macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (M‐CSF), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), soluble form of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa‐B ligand (sRANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), in SF samples from the patients, were significantly higher than in the controls. These findings indicate that bone resorption activities in SF from patients with mandibular condyle fractures were upregulated and may participate in the pathogenesis and wound healing.
Powerful methods for detecting introgressed regions from population genomic data
Authors: Rosenzweig Benjamin K. , Pease James B. , Besansky Nora J. , Hahn Matthew W.
Published: March 2016

Understanding the types and functions of genes that are able to cross species boundaries—and those that are not—is an important step in understanding the forces maintaining species as largely independent lineages across the remainder of the genome. With large next‐generation sequencing data sets we are now able to ask whether introgression has occurred across the genome, and multiple methods have been proposed to detect the signature of such events. Here, we introduce a new summary statistic that can be used to test for introgression, RNDmin, that makes use of the minimum pairwise sequence distance between two population samples relative to divergence to an outgroup. We find that our method offers a modest increase in power over other, related tests, but that all such tests have high power to detect introgressed loci when migration is recent and strong. RNDmin is robust to variation in the mutation rate, and remains reliable even when estimates of the divergence time between sister species are inaccurate. We apply RNDmin to population genomic data from the African mosquitoes Anopheles quadriannulatus and A. arabiensis, identifying three novel candidate regions for introgression. Interestingly, one of the introgressed loci is on the X chromosome, but outside of an inversion separating these two species. Our results suggest that significant, but rare, sharing of alleles is occurring between species that diverged more than 1 million years ago, and that application of these methods to additional systems are likely to reveal similar results.
The Impact of Temporary Immigrant Workforce Growth on Employee Verification Policies in the United States
Authors: Udani Adriano
Published: March 2016

The U.S. Department of Labor admits temporary immigrant workers to address labor shortages in local markets. Yet, do elected officials make it less difficult for some immigrants than others to secure employment in a state? Using U.S. temporary immigrant labor admissions data between 2006 and 2014, I examine the extent to which growth rates of main foreign‐born subgroups influence E‐Verify policies that require employers to authenticate the legal immigration status of employees. I find that state policymakers are less likely to enact E‐Verify policies in response to the growth of immigrants who work in specialty occupations (H‐1b visas). In contrast, the growth of immigrants working in nonspecialty occupations (H‐2a and H‐2b visas) increases the likelihood of enacting E‐Verify policies over time. The results suggest that policymakers release strict rules for employment only for highly educated immigrants who work in specialty occupations that offer higher paying salaries and career advancement opportunities. Disaggregating a monolithic foreign‐born population indicator into more specific class components provides an important contribution to public policy studies. Scholars will likely overlook the contrasting effects of specialty and nonspecialty immigrant workforce growth on policy decisions relating to immigrant employment.
Cryopreservation of Dog Semen in a Tris Extender with 1% or 2% Soya Bean Lecithin as a Replacement of Egg Yolk
Authors: Axnér E , Lagerson E
Published: March 2016

Contents

Egg yolk is usually included in extenders used for preservation of dog semen. Lecithin is an interesting animal‐protein free alternative to egg yolk for semen preservation. The aim of our study was to evaluate soya bean lecithin for cryopreservation of dog semen. Five ejaculate replicates were divided in three equal parts, centrifuged and each pellet diluted with one of the three Tris‐based extenders containing 20% egg yolk, 1% soya bean lecithin or 2% soya bean lecithin. Extended semen was loaded in 0.5‐ml straws, cooled and diluted a second time and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapours. Sperm motility parameters (CASA), acrosome integrity (FITC‐PNA/PI) and sperm membrane integrity (C‐FDA) were evaluated 5 min post‐thaw and after 2 and 4 h of incubation. Total motility was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in any of the lecithin‐based extender and was better in the 1% lecithin extender than in the 2% lecithin extender. Sperm membrane integrity was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in any of the lecithin‐based extenders but did not differ significantly between the 1% and 2% lecithin extenders. Acrosome integrity was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in the 2% lecithin extender but did not differ between the egg yolk extender and the 1% lecithin extender or between the two lecithin extenders. In conclusion, egg yolk was superior to lecithin in our study. The extender with 1% lecithin preserved sperm motility better than the extender with 2% lecithin.
Significance of IFN‐ɤ/IL‐2 Ratio as a Circulating Diagnostic Biomarker in Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Goyal N. , Kashyap B. , Kaur I. R.
Published: March 2016

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) remains a challenging diagnosis both for clinicians and microbiologists. We hypothesized that the profile of IFN‐ɤ/IL‐2 ratio in clinically diagnosed cases of EPTB would be distinct from that of age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Therefore, in our study, we have assessed the ratio of serum levels of IFN‐ɤ and IL‐2 in clinically diagnosed cases of EPTB to assess their potential role as diagnostic biomarkers. Sixty‐nine (69) clinically confirmed EPTB cases and 69 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were included in the study. All the extrapulmonary specimens were subjected to Ziehl–Neelsen staining for acid‐fast bacilli and culture on Lowenstein–Jensen (LJ) medium. Detection of serum levels of IFN‐ɤ and IL‐2 was carried out using commercially available ELISA kits following manufacturers' instructions. The ratio of serum levels of IFN‐ɤ and IFN‐ɤ/IL‐2 was discriminative for the diagnosis of EPTB cases (p < 0.001), although the same was not observed with IL‐2 (p > 0.05). Distribution of all biomarkers significantly differed between culture‐positive and culture‐negative cases (p < 0.05). Among the smear‐positive and smear‐negative ones, only IFN‐ɤ and IFN‐ɤ/IL‐2 ratio could significantly differentiate (p < 0.05). Ratio of IFN‐ɤ and IL‐2 rather than the individual levels was the best discriminatory biomarker with the highest area under the ROC curve. Although IFN‐ɤ and IFN‐ɤ/ IL‐2 ratio could aid in the diagnosis of EPTB, IL‐2 has a limited utility in the diagnosis of EPTB. Further elaborate studies to validate these results are required.
Bystanders’ responses to offline bullying and cyberbullying: The role of empathy and normative beliefs about aggression
Authors: Machackova Hana , Pfetsch Jan
Published: March 2016

Cyberbullying often takes place with the virtual presence or knowledge of bystanders. While we have some evidence about the determinants of bystanders’ responses to offline bullying, we lack empirical studies concerning the variables that influence bystanders’ responses to cyberbullying. The current study examines bystanders’ responses to offline bullying and cyberbullying incidents. Two types of responses were captured: support toward the victims and the reinforcement of bullies’ actions. Using data from 321 German adolescents (ages 12–18; M = 14.99; 44% girls), the association between bystanders’ responses and normative beliefs about verbal aggression and cyberaggression, and affective and cognitive empathy, were tested in a path model. Both types of normative beliefs positively predicted the reinforcement of bullies, and normative belief about verbal aggression also predicted support for the victims of offline bullying. Both types of empathy predicted support in offline bullying, but only affective empathy predicted support in cyberbullying. There was no link between affective or cognitive empathy to the reinforcement of bullies. Moreover, bystanders’ tendencies to respond supportively to the victim or to reinforce the bully were rather consistent in both cyber‐ and offline bullying, but there was no link between support and reinforcement. The findings are discussed with regard to implications for prevention and intervention efforts.
Dual-band bandpass filter using composite metamaterial resonator
Authors: Jin Yu-Ting , Si Li-Ming , Zhang Qing-Le , Wu Yu-Ming , Lv Xin
Published: March 2016

A dual-band bandpass filter at X-band is proposed using composite metamaterial resonator consisting of an outer square closed-ring resonator (SCRR) and two inner electric inductance–capacitance (ELC) resonators. Numerical simulation and microwave measurement reveal that the filter exhibits two passbands centered at 8.76 GHz and 11.04 GHz, with 3 dB bandwidths of 130 MHz and 290 MHz, respectively. The complex dispersion relation of the filter is further derived based on the effective medium theory, where two balanced composite right-/left-handed bands are found, i.e. lines exhibiting two left-handed and two right-handed bands alternating. The proposed filter may find useful in dual-band or multi-band wireless communication systems.
Reflexive property restricted to nilpotents
Authors: Kheradmand Mehdi , Khabazian Hossain , Kwak Tai Keun , Lee Yang
Published: March 2016

Mason introduced the reflexive property for ideals, and recently this concept was extended to many sorts of subsets in rings. In this note, we restrict the reflexivity to nilpotent elements, and a ring will be said to be RNP if it satisfies this restriction. The structure of RNP rings is studied in relation to the near concepts and ring extensions which have roles in ring theory.
Automatically Produced Algorithms for the Generalized Minimum Spanning Tree Problem
Authors: Contreras-Bolton Carlos , Rey Carlos , Ramos-Cossio Sergio , Rodríguez Claudio , Gatica Felipe , Parada Victor
Published: March 2016

The generalized minimum spanning tree problem consists of finding a minimum cost spanning tree in an undirected graph for which the vertices are divided into clusters. Such spanning tree includes only one vertex from each cluster. Despite the diverse practical applications for this problem, the NP-hardness continues to be a computational challenge. Good quality solutions for some instances of the problem have been found by combining specific heuristics or by including them within a metaheuristic. However studied combinations correspond to a subset of all possible combinations. In this study a technique based on a genotype-phenotype genetic algorithm to automatically construct new algorithms for the problem, which contain combinations of heuristics, is presented. The produced algorithms are competitive in terms of the quality of the solution obtained. This emerges from the comparison of the performance with problem-specific heuristics and with metaheuristic approaches.
A Study on the Mechanical Properties of Oil Palm Mesocarp Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastic
Authors: Olusunmade Olusola Femi , Adetan Dare Aderibigbe , Ogunnigbo Charles Olawale
Published: March 2016

Oil palm mesocarp fibre obtained from a palm oil processing mill was washed with detergent and water to remove the oil and sun-dried to enhance good adhesion to Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE). The fibre was pulverized and filtered through a sieve of pore size 300 microns. The Oil Palm Mesocarp Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic (OPMFRT) was produced with a form of hand lay-up method and varying fibres weight ratio in the matrix from 5 wt% to 25 wt% in steps of 5 wt%. Tensile test was carried out to determine the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation at break of the material. The hardness and impact strength of the composite were also determined. The results showed that tensile modulus and hardness of the OPMFRT increased by 50% and 24.56%, respectively, while tensile strength, impact strength, and percentage elongation of the OPMFRT decreased by 36.78%, 39.07%, and 95.98%, respectively, as fibre loading increased from 5 wt% to 25 wt%. The study concluded that the application of the OPMFRT developed should be restricted to areas demanding high rigidity and wear resistance.
Effect and Safety of Shihogyejitang for Drug Resistant Childhood Epilepsy
Authors: Lee Jinsoo , Son Kwanghyun , Hwang Gwiseo , Kim Moonju
Published: March 2016

Objective. Herbal medicine has been widely used to treat drug resistant epilepsy. Shihogyejitang (SGT) has been commonly used to treat epilepsy. We investigated the effect and safety of SGT in children with drug resistant epilepsy. Design. We reviewed medical records of 54 patients with epilepsy, who failed to respond to at least two antiepileptic drugs and have been treated with SGT between April 2006 and June 2014 at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, I‐Tomato Hospital, Korea. Effect was measured by the response rate, seizure‐free rate, and retention rate at six months. We also checked adverse events, change in antiepileptic drugs use, and the variables related to the outcome. Results. Intent‐to‐treat analysis showed that, after six months, 44.4% showed a >50% seizure reduction, 24.1% including seizure‐free, respectively, and 53.7% remained on SGT. Two adverse events were reported, mild skin rash and fever. Focal seizure type presented significantly more positive responses when compared with other seizure types at six months (p = 0.0284, Fisher’s exact test). Conclusion. SGT is an effective treatment with excellent tolerability for drug resistant epilepsy patients. Our data provide evidence that SGT may be used as alternative treatment option when antiepileptic drug does not work in epilepsy children.
Motion Planning of Redundant Manipulators for Painting Uniform Thick Coating in Irregular Duct
Authors: Chen Yan , Chen Wenzhuo , Chen Ken , Li Bo
Published: March 2016

The paper presents a motion planning method of redundant manipulator for painting uniform thick coating on the interior of irregular duct of some aircrafts. Discontinuous peripheral painting method is employed by analyzing the restrictions during painting the duct. For improving the longitudinal uniformity of thick coating, the interlacing painting method plans two sets of sweeping paths and an interlacing distance between the starting paths of the two times of painting. The interlacing distance and overlapping distance are optimized by establishing and analyzing the model of longitudinal uniformity. To enhance the transverse uniformity, sweeping speeds for curved surfaces are calculated by the ratio of transfer efficiency after the basic sweeping speed for the plane is determined. The intertwining method, minimizing the sum of the weighed distances between the duct centerline and key points of the manipulator links, is employed for the joint trajectory planning without collision. The simulation and experiment results show that the redundant manipulators can finish painting the internal surface of the irregular S-shaped duct without collision. The maximum relative deviation is 16.3% and the thicknesses of all measurement points satisfy the acceptance criteria of the factory.
Factors Associated with the Choice of Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Chiang Pei-Chun , Hou Jia-Jeng , Jong Ing-Ching , Hung Peir-Haur , Hsiao Chih-Yen , Ma Tsung-Liang , Hsu Yueh-Han
Published: March 2016

Background. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors associated with receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a hospital in Southern Taiwan.Methods. The study included all consecutive patients with incident ESRD who participated in a multidisciplinary predialysis education (MPE) program and started their first dialysis therapy between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2013, in the study hospital. We provided small group teaching sessions to advanced CKD patients and their family to enhance understanding of various dialysis modalities. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of patient characteristics with the chosen dialysis modality.Results. Of the 656 patients, 524 (80%) chose hemodialysis and 132 chose PD. Our data showed that young age, high education level, and high scores of activities of daily living (ADLs) were positively associated with PD treatment. Patients who received small group teaching sessions had higher percentages of PD treatment (30.5% versus 19.5%;P=0.108) and preparedness for dialysis (61.1% versus 46.6%;P=0.090).Conclusion. Young age, high education level, and high ADL score were positively associated with choosing PD. Early creation of vascular access may be a barrier for PD.
Cytokines and Effector/Regulatory Cells Characterization in the Physiopathology of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematous: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Méndez-Flores Silvia , Hernández-Molina Gabriela , Enríquez Ana Bety , Faz-Muñoz David , Esquivel Yeraldin , Pacheco-Molina Carlos , Furuzawa-Carballeda Janette
Published: March 2016

We compared the presence of diverse cytokines and regulatory T and B cells in skin biopsies of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE). We included 19 patients with DLE, 13 with SCLE, 8 healthy controls, and 5 patients with hypertrophic scars. We assessed the CLASI activity score. To determine IL-22-producing cells and the subpopulation of CD4+/IL-17A+-, CD4+/IL-4+-, and CD4+/IFN-γ+-expressing T cells, CD123+/IDO+pDCs, CD25+/Foxp3+Tregs, and CD20+/IL-10+-producing B cells, an immunostaining procedure was performed. Also intracellular IL-22, IL-17, IL-4, IFN-γ, and Foxp3 in CD4 T cells, IL-10 in B cells, and IDO in pDCs were analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood. The main cellular participation in both lupus groups was IL-17- and IL-22-producing cell responses both at skin and at peripheral blood but prevailed in DLE. The CLASI activity scores negatively correlated with Th22 subpopulation and positively correlated with CD25+/Foxp3+Treg cells. In conclusion a proinflammatory and regulatory imbalance coexists in cutaneous lupus, both responses being more intense in DLE.
Removal of a Tungsten Carbide Ring from the Finger of a Pregnant Patient: A Case Report Involving 2 Emergency Departments and the Internet
Authors: Moser Alexandre , Exadaktylos Aristomenis , Radke Alexander
Published: March 2016

Introduction. Destructive or nondestructive procedures may be used to remove rings from injured fingers. Because of their hardness, tungsten carbide rings present special problems.Case Presentation. The patient was a 33-year-old woman, two weeks before delivery, with a swollen and reddened ring finger. It was decided to remove a tungsten carbide ring from her ring finger. This was achieved by shattering the ring with locking pliers. The patient’s ring finger recovered fully.
TBS Predict Coronary Artery Calcification in Adults
Authors: Chuang Tzyy-Ling , Hsiao Fu-Tsung , Li Yi-Da , Wang Yuh-Feng
Published: March 2016

Purpose. This study analyzes the association between the bony microarchitecture score (trabecular bone score, TBS) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in adults undergoing health exams.Materials and Methods. We retrospectively collected subjects (N=81) who underwent coronary computed tomography and bone mineral density studies simultaneously. CAC was categorized to three levels (Group 0, G0, no CAC, score = 0,N=45; Group 1, G1, moderate CAC, score = 1–100,N=17; Group 2, G2, high CAC, score≧101,N=19). Multinomial logistic regression was used to study the association between TBS and CAC levels.Results. CAC is present in 44.4% of the population. Mean TBS ± SD was1.399±0.090. Per 1 SD increase in TBS, the unadjusted odds ratio (2.393) of moderate CAC compared with no CAC was significantly increased (95% CI, 1.219–4.696,p=0.011). However, there has been no association of TBS with high CAC (OR: 1.026, 95% CI: 0.586–1.797,p=0.928). These relationships also existed when individually adjusted for age, sex, and multiple other covariates.Conclusions. Higher TBS was related to moderate CAC, but not high CAC; a possible explanation may be that bone microarchitecture remodeling becomes more active when early coronary artery calcification occurs. However, further researches are needed to clarify this pathophysiology.
Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae)
Authors: KAMENEVA ELENA P. , KORNEYEV VALERY A.
Published: March 2016

The genus Physiphora includes at least 29 species, most of them occurring predominantly in the Afrotropical Region and a few species native to the other regions of the Old World. At least P. alceae (Preyssler 1791) and P. clausa (Macquart 1843) are subcosmopolitan species unintentionally introduced into the Australasian, Nearctic, and Neotropical Regions. Twelve new species from the Afrotropical Region are described: P. hendeli sp. n., P. igniceps sp. n., P. kirki sp. n., P. maraisi sp. n., P. meyi sp. n., P. opalizana sp. n., P. orinigra sp. n., P. polita sp. n., P. rugosa sp. n., P. spriggsi sp. n., P. steyskali sp. n., and P. virens sp. n. Detailed illustrated descriptions and a key for identification are provided for all the species of Physiphora. Analysis of the new and previously known biological data shows that larvae of most Physiphora species are saprophagous associated with rotting tissues of palms (apparently infested by the palm weevils), giant Euphorbia, and even baobabs and poplars. Some species are attracted to (and as larvae possibly can develop in) the dung of ungulates. The following synonymy is established: Physiphora clausa (Macquart 1843) = Physiphora hainanensis Chen in Chen & Kameneva 2007: 24, syn. n.; Physiphora flavipes (Karsch 1888) = Chrysomyza africana Hendel 1909, syn. n., = Cliochloria senegalensis Enderlein 1927, syn. n.
Static and fatigue analysis of notched composite laminates
Authors: Kassapoglou Christos
Published: March 2016

An approach to predict static and fatigue failure of composite laminates with holes is presented. Static failure is predicted when the stress averaged over a characteristic distance is equal to the un-notched failure strength. This averaging distance is determined analytically without the use of additional testing or need for extra material parameters. During fatigue loading, the size of the damage region next to the hole is calculated and the strains at the hole edge are determined. These are used along with the stresses just outside the damage region to determine whether failure starts at the hole edge or the edge of the damage region extends. A previously developed fatigue model based on the cycle-by-cycle probability of failure is used to calculate the number of cycles needed for the residual strain at hole edge or the residual strength at the edge of the damage region to fall below the corresponding applied values. The procedure is repeated until laminate failure. The method is also used to predict cycles to failure for impacted specimens. The predictions are in very good agreement with test results.
Poly (γ-glutamic acid)/beta-TCP nanocomposites via in situ copolymerization: Preparation and characterization
Authors: Shu Xiu-lin , Shi Qing-shan , Feng Jin , Yang Yun-hua , Zhou Gang , Li Wen-ru
Published: March 2016

A series biodegradable poly (γ-glutamic acid)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (γ-PGA/TCP) nanocomposites were prepared which were composed of poly-γ-glutamic acid polymerized in situ with β-tricalcium phosphate and physiochemically characterized as bone graft substitutes. The particle size via dynamic light scattering, the direct morphological characterization via transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope, which showed that γ-PGA and β-TCP were combined compactly at 80℃, and the γ-PGA/TCP nanocomposites had homogenous and nano-sized grains with narrow particle size distributions. The water uptake and retention abilities, in vitro degradation properties, cytotoxicity in the simulated medium, and protein release of these novel γ-PGA/TCP composites were investigated. Cell proliferation in composites was nearly twice than β-TCP when checked in vitro using MC3T3 cell line. We also envision the potential use of γ-PGA/TCP systems in bone growth factor or orthopedic drug delivery applications in future bone tissue engineering applications. These observations suggest that the γ-PGA/TCP are novel nanocomposites with great potential for application in the field of bone tissue engineering.
Influence of artificially-induced porosity on the compressive strength of calcium phosphate bone cements
Authors: Mouzakis Dionysios , Zaoutsos Stefanos Polymeros , Bouropoulos Nikolaos , Rokidi Stamatia , Papanicolaou George
Published: March 2016

The biological and mechanical nature of calcium phosphate cements (CPC's) matches well with that of bone tissues, thus they can be considered as an appropriate environment for bone repair as bone defect fillers. The current study focuses on the experimental characterization of the mechanical properties of CPCs that are favorably used in clinical applications. Aiming on evaluation of their mechanical performance, tests in compression loading were conducted in order to determine the mechanical properties of the material under study. In this context, experimental results occurring from the above mechanical tests on porous specimens that were fabricated from three different porous additives, namely albumin, gelatin and sodium alginate, are provided, while assessment of their mechanical properties in respect to the used porous media is performed. Additionally, samples reinforced with hydroxyapatite crystals were also tested in compression and the results are compared with those of the above tested porous CPCs. The knowledge obtained allows the improvement of their biomechanical properties by controlling their structure in a micro level, and finds a way to compromise between mechanical and biological response.
An audit of expedited treatment for uncomplicated Chlamydia trachomatis index cases at the community pharmacy
Authors: McClure Katherine S , Cameron Sharon T
Published: March 2016

Expedited treatment of index patients testing positive for uncomplicated Chlamydia trachomatis via paper treatment vouchers that can be redeemed at a community pharmacy is feasible.
Late-onset pericardial tamponade, bilateral pleural effusions and recurrent immune monoarthritis induced by ipilimumab use for metastatic melanoma
Authors: Dasanu Constantin A , Jen Tiffany , Skulski Ryszard
Published: March 2016

While an important agent in the contemporary anti-melanoma armamentarium, ipilimumab is associated with serious immune reactions including late immune-mediated side effects. Recently, a case of late-onset acute pericarditis with tamponade was reported at 12 weeks after the last dose of ipilimumab. While polyarthralgia rheumatica has been previously documented with ipilimumab, we were not able to find any reports of recurrent monoarthritis with the use of this agent. Therefore, we present herein a unique case featuring a patient with late-onset autoimmune pleuropericarditis leading to cardiac tamponade at 24 weeks post-ipilimumab and recurrent late immune knee arthritis at 8 and 32 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, this late-onset toxicity seen with ipilimumab might also be expected with the PD1 inhibitors currently in clinical use. Timely diagnosis and prompt steroid use are crucial to ensure favorable clinical outcomes in these patients.
USE OF DATA MINING TECHNIQUES IN ADVANCE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES IN A LOCAL FIRM
Authors: Doğan Onur , Aşan Hakan  , Ayç Ejder
Published: March 2016

In today’s competitive world, organizations need to make the right decisions to prolong their existence. Using non-scientific methods and making emotional decisions gave way to the use of scientific methods in the decision making process in this competitive area. Within this scope, many decision support models are still being developed in order to assist the decision makers and owners of organizations. It is easy to collect massive amount of data for organizations, but generally the problem is using this data to achieve economic advances. There is a critical need for specialization and automation to transform the data into the knowledge in big data sets. Data mining techniques are capable of providing description, estimation, prediction, classification, clustering, and association. Recently, many data mining techniques have been developed in order to find hidden patterns and relations in big data sets. It is important to obtain new correlations, patterns, and trends, which are understandable and useful to the decision makers. There have been many researches and applications focusing on different data mining techniques and methodologies.In this study, we aim to obtain understandable and applicable results from a large volume of record set that belong to a firm, which is active in the meat processing industry, by using data mining techniques. In the application part, firstly, data cleaning and data integration, which are the first steps of data mining process, are performed on the data in the database. With the aid of data cleaning and data integration, the data set was obtained, which is suitable for data mining. Then, various association rule algorithms were applied to this data set. This analysis revealed that finding unexplored patterns in the set of data would be beneficial for the decision makers of the firm. Finally, many association rules are obtained, which are useful for decision makers of the local firm.
THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG E-MARKETING STRATEGY AND SUCCESS OF INTERNATIONALIZATION PROCESS OF THE SMEs IN EMERGING ECONOMIES
Authors: Ivanauskiene Neringa , Auruskeviciene Vilte , Ramoniene Lineta , Skudiene Vida
Published: March 2016

In the last decades, remote technologies changed the networks and communication behavior of a company. Although the number of researches analyzing the importance of internet to the expansion abroad is constantly growing (Gilmore, Gallagher, & Henry, 2007), the influence of e-marketing strategy on the success of internationalization process remains an unexplored scientific topic. The known theories of firm’s internationalization are not able to set the light on the speed and success of internationalization process from the internet technologies and e-marketing perspective. Therefore, this article presents an empirical testing of Revisited Internationalization Model (Skudiene, Auruskeviciene, & Sukeviciute, 2015) and a quantitative analysis of the relationship among e-marketing strategy and success of internationalization process.
Wearing Your Heart on Your Face: Reading Lovesickness and the Suicidal Impulse in Chaucer
Authors: McNamara Rebecca F.
Published: March 2016

Geoffrey Chaucer frequently depicts the emotions of his characters via the outward physical signs of the body, and he often does so using a discourse that draws on Galenic theories. A striking example of Chaucer’s medicalized descriptions of emotion is his adaptation of the suicidal impulse associated with lovesickness. Chaucer reconstructs this motif in “The Knight’s Tale” and The Book of the Duchess by altering his sources (Boccaccio, and Froissart and Machaut) to anatomize the emotional body of the suffering knight. Through the medicalized language of bodily health describing emotional upheavals, other characters and the reader are prompted to feel with and begin to understand and appropriately respond to the suffering individual. This reading shows Chaucer using moments of embodied emotional examination to teach his audience how to read, interpret, and respond to literature.
Water Quantity Perceptions in Northwestern North Carolina: Comparing College Student and Public Survey Responses
Authors: Cooper Courtney , Cockerill Kristan
Published: March 2016

Entender los comportamientos y las percepciones con respecto a la cantidad de agua a través de estudios cuidadosamente diseñados es un componente crítico en la producción de políticas de gestión de agua más eficaces. Las actitudes y percepciones entre los jóvenes es un área poco estudiada en la mayoría de las investigaciones sobre los recursos hídricos. Este estudio comparó las percepciones sobre la cantidad de agua entre estudiantes universitarios de pregrado en Appalachian State University (ASU) y los encuestados de dos condados circundantes del noroeste de Carolina del Norte. Se compararon las inquietudes, los comportamientos y las perspectivas de conservación entre las dos muestras. Los resultados indican que los encuestados de la muestra pública expresaron mayor preocupación con el suministro del agua pero poco acuerdo con medidas regulatorias como la medición del agua, las restricciones de uso y las evaluaciones de costo durante las sequías. Los encuestados en la muestra de estudiantes tendían a estar de acuerdo con las restricciones del gobierno y las políticas que regulan el uso del agua e indicaron una mayor disposición a pagar por las medidas de conservación del agua. Ambas muestras expresaron niveles moderados de preocupación sobre la conservación y la futura cantidad de agua.
“Where Do We Go From Here?”: Transportation Justice and the Struggle for Equal Access
Authors: Inwood Joshua F.J. , Alderman Derek , Williams Jill
Published: March 2016

Usando como base uno de las últimas declaraciones públicas de Martin Luther King Jr., argumentamos que el acceso al transporte público es un derecho civil importante en los Estados Unidos y que el transporte público continúa influyendo directamente en las oportunidades económicas de la gente pobre de color, así como en sus derechos generales a la ciudad y sus muchos espacios y recursos basados en el lugar. Casi cincuenta años desde el asesinato de King, los sistemas de transporte público también continúan siendo importantes ámbitos donde se refuerzan pero también se desafían el racismo y la discriminación. Este artículo, escrito por geógrafos y un activista de la comunidad, conecta la experiencia afro-americana general a una comprensión crítica de la racialización de las políticas de movilidad. A través de un estudio de caso de Baton Rouge, Luisiana, sostenemos que el reto actual al que se enfrentan muchas comunidades no es sólo conseguir un acceso equitativo al transporte público o de planificación de transporte en una manera que produzca oportunidad, sino que la situación es aún más grave ya que los activistas están luchando simplemente para hacer que el transporte público siga siendo una realidad en las ciudades de los Estados Unidos.
Danos materiais causados à Saúde Pública e à sociedade decorrentes de inundações e enxurradas no Brasil, 2010-2014: dados originados dos sistemas de informação global e nacional
Authors: Minervino Aline Costa , Duarte Elisabeth Carmen
Published: March 2016

Resumo Este estudo apresenta uma análise de dados sobre danos materiais por desastres hidrológicos no Brasil, de 2010 a 2014. Trata-se de em estudo descritivo que contrasta os resultados de dois bancos de dados de desastre: EM-DAT (global) e S2iD (nacional). A análise mostra diferenças tanto no número total de ocorrências de desastres (EM-DAT = 36; S2iD = 4070), quanto nos danos materiais resultantes (EM-DAT – R$ 9,2 bilhões; S2iD – R$ 331,4 bilhões). A análise da distribuição de eventos permite concluir que os cinco estados mais afetados por tais eventos (SC, RS, MG, SP e PR) estão nas regiões sul e sudeste, condizente com achados de outros estudos. As edificações que tiverem maiores prejuízos materiais foram, nesta ordem: unidades habitacionais, obras de infraestrutura pública, instalações públicas de uso comunitário, instalações públicas prestadoras de outros serviços, instalações públicas de ensino e instalações públicas de saúde. O prejuízo a instalações pública de saúde apresentou valores elevados. Apesar das limitações de ambos, o EM-DAT e o S2iD demonstraram sua utilidade em determinar tendências sazonais e de longo prazo, bem como padrões e áreas onde se concentram riscos, auxiliando tomadores de decisão na identificação das áreas mais afetadas e vulneráveis aos desastres.
TEORES DE BIXINA E PROTEÍNA EM SEMENTES DE URUCUM EM FUNÇÃO DO TIPO E DO PERÍODO DE ARMAZENAGEM
Authors: Pedrosa Juarez Paz , Cirne Luiza Eugênea da M. R. , M. Neto João Miguel de
Published: March 2016

RESUMO Objetivando-se avaliar os efeitos do tipo e do período de armazenagem sobre os teores de bixina e proteína, sementes de urucum (Bixa orellanaL.) variedade Sangüínea, foram armazenadas em silos de zinco e em sacos de nylon durante oito meses, nas condições climáticas de Campina Grande, PB. Os teores de bixina foram determinados segundo metodologia utilizada pela empresa Refinações de Milho Brasil e os de proteína pelo método de diagnóstico foliar micro Kjeldhal Guming. Foi utilizado um delineamento estatístico em esquema fatorial 2 x 5 inteiramente casualizado com 3 repetições e a comparação das médias dos tratamentos foi feita pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Os resultados mostraram que tanto os teores de bixina como os de proteína, decresceram com o período de armazenagem das sementes, mas só ocorrendo diferenças significativas entre os teores de bixina após o 4° mês de armazenagem, enquanto as sementes armazenadas nos silos conservaram melhor os teores de bixina e proteína.
RELAÇÕES ENTRE AS TSM's GLOBAIS E OS VOLUMES DOS PRINCIPAIS RESERVATÓRIOS DE ÁGUA DA PARAÍBA
Authors: Gomes Filho Manoel F. , Aragão José Oribe , Srinivasan Vajapeyam S.
Published: March 2016

RESUMO Apresenta-se a análise estatística baseada em correlações entre as temperaturas da superfície dos oceanos (TSM's) globais e os volumes dos principais reservatórios (açudes) da Paraíba. Os campos globais dos coeficientes de correlação obtidos referem-se às correlações entre temperaturas médias para o trimestre novembro a janeiro e os volumes dos açudes para cada um dos meses individuais de janeiro a junho, a época chuvosa na região dos reservatórios; os resultados mostram que existem fortes correlações negativas entre as tsm's das regiões do Pacífico, denominadas NINO1+2 e NINO3, e os volumes mencionados. Outra característica apresentada é um cinturão de correlações positivas em ambos os hemisférios, sobre a latitude de 30° norte e sul.
Aprendizagem Híbrida na Educação Médica: uma Revisão Sistemática
Authors: Goudouris Ekaterini , Struchiner Miriam
Published: March 2016

RESUMO A Aprendizagem Híbrida vem sendo considerada importante na educação médica, mas ainda não está estabelecido quando e qual a melhor forma de incorporá-la. Realizamos uma revisão sistemática sobre o tema, do período de janeiro de 2000 a outubro de 2013. A maioria dos artigos foi publicada nos últimos cinco anos e constitui relatos de experiências de curta duração, na graduação, em áreas clínicas, apresentando ampla diversidade de métodos instrucionais e apresentações, bem como de processos de avaliação de eficácia e de resultados, em geral, limitados à avaliação da reação dos alunos e da aprendizagem. Até o momento, não se pode afirmar que a Aprendizagem Híbrida supere o ensino presencial, assim como não é possível esclarecer muitas das questões ainda em aberto sobre o seu uso na educação médica. É necessário difundir o conceito de Aprendizagem Híbrida para além da simples incorporação de tecnologias no ensino presencial, bem com desenvolver agendas de pesquisa especificamente para esta modalidade de ensino, no sentido de definir sua real contribuição, assim como métodos instrucionais mais adequados aos diversos cenários e demandas do ensino médico.
Information actions in science and technology: institutionalities, agencies and subjects
Authors: Rabello Rodrigo
Published: March 2016

Considering the influence of new agency forms - intervention and interaction among subjects - in the context of information intermediation, we aim to approach information actions in Science and Technology (S&T) taking into consideration the institutionalities involved. For such, we assume there is an influence of a theoretical model emerging in Information Science (IS) regarding current inventive and interactive form propitiated by the Web. The text is structured in two central topics bringing: i) theoretical and epistemic constructions of the "information action" concept; and ii) a certain interpretation oriented by the "informational action in S&T" construct, taking as its object the actions performed by IBICT (Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology), directed towards excellence in information. Finally, we discuss how limitations of the "systemic model" propitiate the construction of new study objects in the model emerging in IS from theoretical innovations and counterpoints thoughts facing the diverse forms of information action, considering, for instance, the action of subjects on what concerns the validation of information in the current scenery of institutional intermediation.
Studies on separation and properties of lumbrokinase in Pheretima praepinguis
Authors: Mei Tang , Cao Liu , Zi Liang , Mingfu Gong , Die Hu
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study was to separate lumbrokinase in Pheretima praepinguis and examine its enzymatic properties. With P. praepinguis as material, lumbrokinase was separated with the salting out method. Lumbrokinase activity was measured with casein medium plate method. Effect of pH and temperature on lumbrokinase activity was studied. Results of lumbrokinase separated from P. praepinguis was relatively high. Lumbrokinase activity in neutral or slightly alkaline environment was higher. Lumbrokinase had tolerance ability to high temperature, with highly enzymatic activity under 60°C and wide range of temperature adaptation.
Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use by Iranian EFL Learners across Proficiency Levels
Authors: Davoudi Mohammad , Chavosh Milad
Published: March 2016

Given the importance of vocabulary as well as vocabulary learning strategies in the context of ELT, the present study sought to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies employed by Iranian intermediate and advanced learners. Several English language institutes in Yazd cooperated with the researchers by providing them with a list of intermediate to advanced learners. After arrangement with institutes’ administrators and getting students’ consent to participate in the study, students took a TOEFL and based on the obtained scores, 55 learners were chosen as intermediate and 50 as advanced students. Participants with TOEFL score range of 481-506 were classified as intermediate and those with TOEFL range of 507-600 were classified as advanced students (Phillips, 1991). Next, students completed VOLSI by choosing one of the options (1) never, (2) seldom, (3) sometimes, (4) often, and (5) always. The results of statistical analyses revealed that both advanced and intermediate language learners used mental linkages, memory strategies and auditory strategies as the most frequent vocabulary learning strategies respectively. On the other hand, both advanced and intermediate language learners used strategies for self-motivation, strategies involving authentic language, and strategies involving creative activities as the least frequent. It was also found that advanced and intermediate language learners were significantly different from each other in all categories of vocabulary learning strategies except strategies involving creative activities. Moreover, Iranian language learners with different levels of language proficiency used vocabulary learning strategies with varying frequency of use. 
Substructures with luminosity modulation and horizontal oscillation in pulsating patch: Principal component analysis application to pulsating aurora
Authors: Nishiyama Takanori , Miyoshi Yoshizumi , Katoh Yuto , Sakanoi Takeshi , Kataoka Ryuho , Okano Shoichi
Published: March 2016

We observed a mesoscale aurora (100 km × 100 km) with patchy structure and equatorward propagation at Poker Flat Research Range on 1 December 2011. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis revealed that this pulsating patch clearly exhibited temporal variations that can be categorized into two types: on‐off pulsation (7.8–10 s) with large amplitudes and luminosity modulations excited during on phase with a frequency of about 3.0 Hz. In addition, we applied principal component analysis (PCA) to time series image data of the pulsating aurora for the first time. Time coefficients were estimated by PCA for the whole patch and the substructures were consistent with those obtained from the FFT analysis, and therefore, we concluded that PCA is capable of decomposing several structures that have different coherent spatiotemporal characteristics. Another new insight in this study is that the rapid variations were highly localized; they were excited in only the substructures embedded in the whole structure. Moreover, the whole patch propagated equatorward because of E × B drift of cold plasma, while the substructures did not show such systematic propagation but rather forward‐backward oscillations. The horizontal scale of the substructures was estimated to be no smaller than 410 km at the magnetic equator, which is comparable to that of the wave packet structure of a whistler mode chorus perpendicular to the field line. We suggest that the apparent horizontal oscillation of the substructures is associated with field‐aligned propagations of the whistler mode chorus in a duct.