bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perinatal outcome of congenital heart disease in a population with high consanguinity
Authors: Hamdan Mohamed A. , Chedid Fares , Bekdache Gharid N. , Begam Muzibunissa , Alsafi Walaa , Sabri Zainab , Mirghani Hisham M.
Published: April 2014

Objective:To report the perinatal pattern and outcome of fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) in consanguineous marriages.

Methods:Retrospective chart review was performed for fetuses undergoing fetal echocardiography (FE) in our institution. The primary outcome was survival at 28 days after birth.

Results:Between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2010, 1950 pregnant women carrying 2151 fetuses underwent a total of 2828 FEs. CHD was diagnosed in 152 fetuses (7.1%), and perinatal outcome was available in 120, among which 78 (65%) had consanguineous parents. Thirteen fetuses diedin utero, while 86 (71.7%) survived. The most prevalent lesions included left heart obstruction (25.8%), conotruncal malformations (21.7%), septal defects (18.3%), and cardiomyopathy (15.8%). Correct diagnosis was achieved in 92.2% of the cases. Extracardiac malformations occurred in 48.3% of the fetuses and were associated with increased mortality regardless of the type of CHD (P<0.001, odds ratio 6.8, 95% confidence interval 2.7–17.5).

Conclusion:Joint FE clinics detect most CHD with high accuracy. Consanguinity contributes to a higher prevalence of fetal cardiac and non-cardiac malformations. The presence of extracardiac anomalies is associated with an increase in perinatal mortality.
How relative are purpose relative clauses?
Authors: Duarte Inês , Santos Ana Lúcia , Alexandre Nélia
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we present extended argumentation against a raising analysis for every type of relative clauses. Specifically, we argue that purpose relative clauses involve raising of a null operator to Spec,CP, contrary to

After showing that all purpose relatives in European Portuguese are CPs, we present several arguments in favor of a null operator analysis of this type of structure. First, we show that parasitic gap effects support the existence of a variable in object purpose relatives and in VP adjunct purpose clauses with an object gap. We then show that Principle A effects in object purpose relatives allow to distinguish this type of relatives from
Siwi addressee agreement and demonstrative typology
Authors: Souag Lameen
Published: April 2014

Siwi, a Berber language of Egypt, shows gender/number agreement of medial demonstratives with the addressee. Such phenomena are crosslinguistically very rarely reported, and are not discussed in major surveys of the typology of demonstratives (Diessel 1999; Imai 2003). However, within person-oriented demonstrative systems, such marking amounts to an iconic representation of addressee anchoring. The pragmatics of Siwi demonstratives thus cast light on the nature of the mapping from person to place that such systems reflect (Greenberg 1985). Comparative eastern Berber data suggests that demonstrative addressee agreement may be more widespread than the literature reflects.
Multisegmental Diffuse Intradural Extramedullary Ependymoma
Authors: Guarnieri Gianluigi , Tecame Mario , Izzo Roberto , Zeccolini Fabio , Genovese Luigi , Muto Mario
Published: April 2014

Ependymoma has been described typically as an intramedullary tumour derived from ependymal cells with a predominance in women in the fifth decade of life. Pain is the most frequent symptom. Intradural extramedullary presentation is rarely described and almost always as a unique lesion. We describe a 53-year-old man with multi-segmental diffuse intradural extramedullary ependymoma with progressive lower leg hypoesthesia with regular motility. The patient's neurologic condition improved after surgery.
Neural Stem Cells and Glioblastoma
Authors: Rispoli Rossella , Conti Carlo , Celli Paolo , Caroli Emanuela , Carletti Sandro
Published: April 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme represents one of the most common brain cancers with a rather heterogeneous cellular composition, as indicated by the term “multiforme“. Recent reports have described the isolation and identification of cancer neural stem cells from human adult glioblastoma multiforme, which possess the capacity to establish, sustain, and expand these tumours, even under the challenging settings posed by serial transplantation experiments. Our study focused on the distribution of neural cancer stem cells inside the tumour. The study is divided into three phases: removal of tumoral specimens in different areas of the tumour (centre, periphery, marginal zone) in an operative room equipped with a 1.5 T scanner; isolation and characterization of neural cancer stem cells from human adult glioblastoma multiforme; identification of neural cancer stem cell distribution inside the tumour.
Functional Connectivity MRI and Post-Operative Language Performance in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Initial Experience
Authors: Pravatà Emanuele , Sestieri Carlo , Colicchio Gabriella , Colosimo Cesare , Romani Gian Luca , Caulo Massimo
Published: April 2014

Anterior temporal lobectomy is an effective treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy of temporal origin, although new language impairment may develop after surgery. Since correlations between functional connectivity (FC) MRI of the language network and verbal-IQ performance before surgery have recently been reported, we investigated the existence of correlations between the preoperative FC of the language network and post-operative verbal-IQ decline. FC between nodes of the language network of the two hemispheres (Interhemispheric-FC) and within nodes of the left hemisphere (LH-FC) and language lateralization indexes were estimated in five right-handed patients with non-tumoral left temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing anterior temporal lobectomy. Correlations between preoperative FC measures and lateralization indexes, and the post-operative (12 months) neuropsychological verbal-IQ decline were investigated. Verbal-IQ decline was inversely correlated with the degree of left lateralization and directly correlated with the strength of Interhemispheric-FC. No significant correlation was found between LH-FC and post-operative verbal-IQ change. The results from this limited number of patients suggest that a stronger preoperative connectivity between homologue regions, associated with the absence of a definite hemispheric lateralization, appears to be an unfavorable prognostic biomarker.
GEP-NETs update: Functional localisation and scintigraphy in neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas (GEP-NETs)
Authors: de Herder Wouter W
Published: April 2014

For patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas (GEP) (GEP-NETs), excellent care should ideally be provided by a multidisciplinary team of skilled health care professionals. In these patients, a combination of nuclear medicine imaging and conventional radiological imaging techniques is usually mandatory for primary tumour visualisation, tumour staging and evaluation of treatment. In specific cases, as in patients with occult insulinomas, sampling procedures can provide a clue as to where to localise the insulin-hypersecreting pancreatic NETs. Recent developments in these fields have led to an increase in the detection rate of primary GEP-NETs and their metastatic deposits. Radiopharmaceuticals targeted at specific tumour cell properties and processes can be used to provide sensitive and specific whole-body imaging. Functional imaging also allows for patient selection for receptor-based therapies and prediction of the efficacy of such therapies. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) and single-photon emission CT/CT are used to map functional images with anatomical localisations. As a result, tumour imaging and tumour follow-up strategies can be optimised for every individual GEP-NET patient. In some cases, functional imaging might give indications with regard to future tumour behaviour and prognosis.
Dopamine Signaling inC. elegansIs Mediated in Part by HLH-17-Dependent Regulation of Extracellular Dopamine Levels
Authors: Felton Chaquettea M , Johnson Casonya M
Published: April 2014

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the dopamine transporter DAT-1 regulates synaptic dopamine (DA) signaling by controlling extracellular DA levels. In dat-1(ok157) animals, DA is not taken back up presynaptically but instead reaches extrasynpatic sites, where it activates the dopamine receptor DOP-3 on choligeneric motor neurons and causes animals to become paralyzed in water. This phenotype is called swimming-induced paralysis (SWIP) and is dependent on dat-1 and dop-3. Upstream regulators of dat-1 and dop-3 have yet to be described in C. elegans. In our previous studies, we defined a role for HLH-17 during dopamine response through its regulation of the dopamine receptors. Here we continue our characterization of the effects of HLH-17 on dopamine signaling. Our results suggest that HLH-17 acts downstream of dopamine synthesis to regulate the expression of dop-3 and dat-1. First, we show that hlh-17 animals display a SWIP phenotype that is consistent with its regulation of dop-3 and dat-1. Second, we show that this behavior is enhanced by treatment with the dopamine reuptake inhibitor, bupropion, in both hlh-17 and dat-1 animals, a result suggesting that SWIP behavior is regulated via a mechanism that is both dependent on and independent of DAT-1. Third, and finally, we show that although the SWIP phenotype of hlh-17 animals is unresponsive to the dopamine agonist, reserpine, and to the antidepressant, fluoxetine, hlh-17 animals are not defective in acetylcholine signaling. Taken together, our work suggests that HLH-17 is required to maintain normal levels of dopamine in the synaptic cleft through its regulation of dop-3 and dat-1.
A Roadmap to Understanding Toll Pathway Changes: An Educational Primer for Use with “Regulation of Toll Signaling and Inflammation by β-Arrestin and the SUMO Protease Ulp1”
Authors: Schmidt Rebecca L
Published: April 2014

An article by Anjum et al. in the December 2013 issue of GENETICS can be used to illustrate reverse genetic manipulation in a model organism, targeted RNA interference, synergistic gene interaction, and biochemical regulation of gene expression using post-translational modification. This Primer provides background information, technical explanations of methods and genetic approaches from the study, an example approach for classroom use, and discussion questions to promote understanding of the research article.
Effects of Overlapping Generations on Linkage Disequilibrium Estimates of Effective Population Size
Authors: Waples Robin S , Antao Tiago , Luikart Gordon
Published: April 2014

Use of single-sample genetic methods to estimate effective population size has skyrocketed in recent years. Although the underlying models assume discrete generations, they are widely applied to age-structured species. We simulated genetic data for 21 iteroparous animal and plant species to evaluate two untested hypotheses regarding performance of the single-sample method based on linkage disequilibrium (LD): (1) estimates based on single-cohort samples reflect the effective number of breeders in one reproductive cycle (Nb), and (2) mixed-age samples reflect the effective size per generation (Ne). We calculated true Ne and Nb, using the model species’ vital rates, and verified these with individual-based simulations. We show that single-cohort samples should be equally influenced by Nb and Ne and confirm this with simulated results: N^b was a linear (r2 = 0.98) function of the harmonic mean of Ne and Nb. We provide a quantitative bias correction for raw N^b based on the ratio Nb/Ne, which can be estimated from two or three simple life history traits. Bias-adjusted estimates were within 5% of true Nb for all 21 study species and proved robust when challenged with new data. Mixed-age adult samples produced downwardly biased estimates in all species, which we attribute to a two-locus Wahlund effect (mixture LD) caused by combining parents from different cohorts in a single sample. Results from this study will facilitate interpretation of rapidly accumulating genetic estimates in terms of both Ne (which influences long-term evolutionary processes) and Nb (which is more important for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics and mating systems).
Replicability of (Socio)Linguistics studies
Authors: Aguilar-Sánchez Jorge
Published: April 2014

In this paper I address four methodological issues of relevance to the design of (Socio)Linguistics studies. Issues addressed in this paper are: the importance of a proper power analysis during the design stages, or the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false in the population, the analysis of the structure of the data to select the proper statistical analysis to be used in these studies, polychotomization, or categorization, of continuous variables and its effect on the power of the study, and the determination of sample size to achieve an adequate level of power. After a careful analysis of the review of literature on copula + adjective and the lack of reports on power and sample size calculations to support the generalizations derived from each study, I discuss the design and replicability implications of studies where these design issues have not been addressed.
Local e tipo das refeições realizadas por adultos em cidade de médio porte
Authors: Carús Juliana Pires , França Giovanny V A , Barros Aluísio J D
Published: April 2014

OBJETIVO : Descrever as refeições realizadas por adultos quanto ao local e tipo de preparação consumido em cidade de médio porte, do sul do Brasil. MÉTODOS : Estudo transversal, de base populacional, na cidade de Pelotas, RS, em 2012. A amostragem foi realizada em dois estágios, tendo os setores censitários do Censo Demográfico de 2010 como unidade amostral primária. Foram coletadas informações sobre o local das refeições (em casa ou fora de casa) e sobre o tipo de preparação consumida em casa (comida caseira, lanches, comida de restaurante) nos dois dias prévios à entrevista, utilizando-se questionário padronizado. RESULTADOS : Participaram do estudo 2.927 adultos: 59,0% mulheres, 60,0% com idade abaixo de 50 anos e 58,0% estava trabalhando. Foram obtidas informações sobre 11.581 refeições nos dois dias anteriores à entrevista, sendo 25,0% delas realizadas fora de casa, no almoço, e 10,0% no jantar. Quanto às refeições realizadas em casa, a maioria dos participantes referiu ter consumido comida preparada em casa, tanto no almoço quanto no jantar. A maioria das refeições fora de casa (64,0% no almoço e 61,0% no jantar) foram realizadas no local de trabalho, majoritariamente preparadas em casa. As refeições fora de casa foram realizadas principalmente por pessoas do sexo masculino, jovens, com alta escolaridade. Quanto à ocupação, os grupos que tiveram refeições mais frequentemente em restaurantes foram trabalhadores do comércio, empresários, professores e profissionais de nível superior. CONCLUSÕES : Apesar das mudanças que vêm sendo registradas nos padrões de alimentação do brasileiro, adultos residentes em cidades de médio porte ainda se alimentam majoritariamente em casa e de comida caseira.
Adoecimento mental incapacitante: benefícios previdenciários no Brasil entre 2008-2011
Authors: Silva Junior João Silvestre da , Fischer Frida Marina
Published: April 2014

O objetivo dessa comunicação foi analisar a variação do perfil dos benefícios previdenciários por transtornos mentais e comportamentais e sua relação com o trabalho. Foram utilizados dados secundários da Previdência Social brasileira de 2008 a 2011. Foram calculadas taxas de variação média anual no período acerca da população economicamente ativa, número de segurados, benefícios auxílio-doença concedidos em geral e, especificamente, os relativos a transtornos mentais e comportamentais. Os transtornos mentais mantêm-se como a terceira causa das concessões. Houve aumento médio anual de 0,3% de novas concessões, com queda de 2,5% da incidência média anual. Foram considerados relacionados ao trabalho 6,2% dos casos, na média, principalmente decorrentes de transtornos de humor.As autoridades governamentais devem usar os dados da Previdência Social para auxiliar no debate sobre políticas públicas de saúde mental.
Patient perspectives on family participation in the treatment of hypertension
Authors: Barreto Mayckel da Silva , Marcon Sonia Silva
Published: April 2014

This study aimed to understand how patients with hypertension perceive their family's influence on adherence and/or non-adherence to treatment. This descriptive, qualitative research was carried out in the city of Maringá, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. Data were collected at the homes of 18 respondents through semi-structured interviews, during January and February 2012. The respondents' statements were submitted to thematic content analysis. The findings showed that for some patients, the family was a facilitating agent of adherence to treatment by encouraging self-care practices. When families were not perceived as such, it was because the patients felt responsible for self-control of the disease. It was observed that stressful situations reduced self-care practices, and many patients did not receive family support to the degree that they wanted. The study concludes that some participants regarded the family to be a facilitator of adherence to the treatment of hypertension; however, others lacked family support.
Participation in sports practice and motor competence in preschoolers
Authors: Queiroz Daniel da Rocha , Ré Alessandro Hervaldo Nicolai , Henrique Rafael dos Santos , Moura Mariana de Sousa , Cattuzzo Maria Teresa
Published: April 2014

Recent theoretical model suggests that motor competence during early childhood is related to one's current and future health status and that practicing sports seems to be playing a special role in creating such competence. This study aimed to compare performance in gross motor skills among preschoolers participating in regular sports practice (SP) and those not participating (NSP), including comparisons by gender. The study uses secondary data from a population-based study of performance regarding the locomotor and object control skills of preschoolers (3 to 5 years old). Preschoolers were assigned to groups SP or NSP, paired by age and sex according to skills: locomotor (n = 54; 30 boys) or object control (n = 37; 17 boys). Analysis of variance showed that the SP group outperformed the NSP one, and there were gender differences only within SP group. Starting to practice sports during early childhood helps to build motor competence and benefits both genders.
Effects of a full season on stabilometric Parameters of team handball elite athletes
Authors: Marchetti Paulo H. , Orselli Maria Isabel V. , Martins Lúcio M. S. , Duarte Marcos
Published: April 2014

It is unclear whether athletes change their postural control over the course of a full sport season, or become more asymmetrical with respect to their neuromuscular performance over the same period. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a full sport season on the postural control of team handball elite athletes. Ten healthy, elite male team handball players performed bipodal standing (BP) and right and left unipodal standing (UP) during 30s. We used the RMS and speed of the center of pressure to describe postural sway. For the BP task, the sway was lower at the end of the season (p<0.005). For the UP tasks, the sway was lower at the end of the season only for the non-dominant limb (p<0.001). Differences between limbs were observed only at the end of the season (p<0.03). In conclusion, a full team handball season did not lead to deterioration of the athletes' postural control, but by the end of the season, the athletes were more asymmetrical.
Potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência em escolares com transtornos específicos de aprendizagem
Authors: Regaçone Simone Fiuza , Gução Ana Cláudia Bianco , Giacheti Célia Maria , Romero Ana Carla Leite , Frizzo Ana Cláudia Figueiredo
Published: April 2014

Objetivo : Estudar os componentes dos potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência e comparar os dados dos achados dessas medidas em escolares com e sem transtornos específicos de aprendizagem. Métodos : Trinta escolares, 15 com transtorno de aprendizagem (grupo pesquisa) e 15 típicos, sem problemas de aprendizagem (grupo controle), de ambos os gêneros, com idades variando de 7 a 14 anos e média de idade de 10 anos, foram submetidos à avaliação fonoaudiológica. Foi realizada avaliação audiológica para determinar a normalidade do sistema auditivo periférico, além de avaliação eletrofisiológica, por meio do exame de potencial evocado auditivo de longa latência. Resultados : Houve diferenças funcionais entre a população estudada. Foi observado aumento da latência dos componentes dos potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência, no grupo pesquisa, quando comparado ao grupo controle. Os maiores valores de latência desses componentes foram verificados na orelha esquerda, quando estimulada, no grupo pesquisa. Conclusão : O estudo contribui para melhor compreensão do funcionamento da via auditiva em crianças com transtorno de aprendizagem e pode ser referência para outros estudos clínicos e experimentais, além de ampliar a definição de critérios diagnósticos nessa população.
The Role of the PTEN/PI3K/Akt Pathway on Prognosis in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cai Jing , Xu Linjuan , Tang Huijuan , Yang Qiang , Yi Xiaoqing , Fang Yan , Zhu Ying , Wang Zehua
Published: April 2014

Introduction.

The PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, a key player in mediating apoptosis, metabolism, cell proliferation, and cell growth, is frequently dysregulated in many cancers. However, the pathway's prognostic impact in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is still inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis based on individual study outcomes to more precisely evaluate its clinical significance in EOC patients.

Methods.

We searched all potentially relevant studies published between January 1, 1990, and March 1, 2013, that assessed the association between PTEN, PI3K, and Akt status and survival in EOC. Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed-effect or random-effects model as appropriate. We investigated the possibility of publication bias through a funnel plot and identified the heterogeneity by I2 statistics.

Results.

Eleven eligible studies were analyzed for PTEN, 5 for PI3K, and 11 for pAkt. High PI3K and pAkt expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS; pooled adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.44, 95% CI, 1.08–1.91 for PI3K; HR = 1.60, 95% CI, 1.26–2.04 for pAkt). In addition, both the meta-analyses of univariate and multivariate estimates showed that only high pAkt expression was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS; pooled unadjusted HR = 1.24, 95% CI, 1.10–1.39; pooled adjusted HR = 1.65, 95% CI, 1.07–2.55).

Conclusion.

Published studies suggest that high pAkt expression is significantly associated with poor OS and PFS in EOC patients, but currently available evidence is insufficient to recommend that PTEN, PI3K, or Akt be used as prognostic predictors in EOC in clinical practice.
The Letter to Which I Couldn't Reply
Authors: O'Reilly Seamus
Published: April 2014

Although it had been written by the patient 4 months earlier, it arrived simultaneously with a letter from the hospice outlining the sender's death the week before. I have placed the letter in a compartment in my briefcase in which I keep treasured letters from my children. It will remain there until I retire as a daily reminder of my professional responsibility and of a privileged therapeutic relationship.
Guilt and the Burden on Oncology Providers
Authors: Dizon Don S.
Published: April 2014

Three extraordinary experiences of patient care are presented, and each represents a strong narrative of that emotional and sensitive part of care centering around the end of life and, ultimately, the death of a patient. These narratives in medicine reflect the human experience of oncology.
Attitudes of High School and Vocational School Students Toward Breastfeeding in Taiwan
Authors: Ho Yen-Ju , Yu Chao-Chin
Published: April 2014

Infant feeding decisions depend on breastfeeding attitudes. This study examined the high school and the vocational school students’ attitudes toward breastfeeding. The descriptive cross-section survey was applied. A stratified random sample of 1,319 male and female students was carried out. The results revealed that female students were more positive than male students in breastfeeding attitudes. Of the female students, 34.7% (n = 458) reported that they will plan to breastfeed, and 29% (n = 382) male students indicated that they will encourage breastfeeding. Moreover, two-thirds (60.7%, n = 801) of the participants favored the inclusion of breastfeeding information in the school curriculum. Findings from this study suggest that breastfeeding information needs to be addressed earlier among adolescent students to increase positive breastfeeding attitudes.
How Birth Doulas Help Clients Adapt to Changes in Circumstances, Clinical Care, and Client Preferences During Labor
Authors: Amram Natalie Lea , Klein Michael C. , Mok Heidi , Simkin Penny , Lindstrom Kathie , Grant Jalana
Published: April 2014

This study examined how doulas adapt to challenges in client’s labors. There were 104 Canadian and 92 American doulas who responded to a survey distributed at a doula conference. We report results from open-ended questions in which doulas describe how they manage changes deviating from the mother’s birth plan and how they navigate differences of opinion between themselves and providers. Four themes emerged: giving nonjudgmental support, assisting informed decision making, acting as a facilitator, and issues with advocacy. Although 30% of doulas said that advocacy and information giving could result in conflict with providers, doulas reported working within their scope of practice and striving to be part of the team. Issues in doula responsibility and patient advocacy remain, and ongoing role clarification is needed.
Comparing urban runoff quality of a felt roof and an asphalt road in Beijing
Authors: Hou Lizhu , Zhang Xin
Published: April 2014

Water pollution and water shortage are two of the most important environmental problems in Beijing, China. Water quality of rainfall from July to August 2011 and runoff from a felt roof and an asphalt road were analyzed chemically and further investigated because these are potential sources for augmenting city supplies. Results indicate that chemical oxygen demand (CODCr), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentrations of initial runoff from roofs and roads all exceeded the Class V surface water quality standard developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China (MEP). CODCr concentration from road surfaces was more than 313.55 mg/L at the initial runoff stage, decreasing asymptotically to lower levels with increased rainfall duration. There is strong correlation between CODCr, TP, TN concentrations and that of total suspended solids in road runoff. Runoff from roofs, after treatment by grid filter, flocculation and sedimentation, can be used as city municipal and domestic water except during the initial runoff stage. However, runoff from road surfaces cannot be directly reused. For city planning, this conclusion may benefit the promotion of rainwater as a renewable water supply, and avoid flooding and water scarcity.
Spatial variation in irrigation demand and supply across canal commands in Punjab: a real integrated water resources management challenge
Authors: Basharat Muhammad , Umair Ali S. , Azhar Aftab H.
Published: April 2014

The Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) is more than a century old. Water allowances and canal water distributions responded to increasing crop water requirements in a southward direction, e.g. higher water allowance in Sindh as compared to Punjab. But within a province, the canal water supplies do not address the issue of difference in irrigation demand. The consequence is unprecedented groundwater depletion in Bari Doab and waterlogging in certain other canal commands. After the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, gradually reduced flows and ultimate desiccation of eastern rivers have also contributed towards falling groundwater levels of adjoining aquifers. In this study, water allocations in the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991, annual average canal water diversions, and irrigation demand were compared for canal commands in Punjab. Rainfall was taken as an ultimate source of water that has a beneficial impact in integration with canal and groundwater. It is concluded that the efficiency of existing irrigation systems can be improved by adopting the concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM). Thus, to avoid waterlogging and groundwater depletion, reallocation of canal water supplies amongst the irrigation units in Punjab, in proportion to the relative irrigation water demand and cropping intensities, is recommended.
Particle retention in compact constructed wetlands treating highway stormwater
Authors: Chen Yaoping , Park Kisoo , Kim Youngchul
Published: April 2014

Three pilot-scale compact constructed wetland systems were constructed to treat stormwater from a highway. They each comprised a sedimentation tank, and a vertical flow (VF) wetland bed equipped with a recirculation device. The VF wetland beds were filled with woodchip, pumice and volcanic gravel, respectively. According to the analysis of the particle size distributions (0.52–500 μm), the predominant particles in stormwater ranged in size from 0.52–30 μm. In the sedimentation tank, with a 24 h settling time, the settling efficiencies of the particles increased with increasing particle size. In the VF wetland beds, further capture of the particles was achieved; however, the woodchip and volcanic gravel wetlands displayed relatively low trapping of micro-particles, due to the natural properties of the substrates. Recirculation caused a positive effect on the retention of particles in the woodchip wetland. Due to the employment of a pre-treatment tank and the high porosity of materials, the accumulated solids occupied very low proportions of the pore volume in the wetland substrates. The results also showed that the accumulation of copper, zinc and lead do not pose a problem for the disposal of the substrates when the wetlands reach the end of their operational lifetime.
Treatment of olive mill wastewater by chemical processes: effect of acid cracking pretreatment
Authors: Hande Gursoy-Haksevenler B. , Arslan-Alaton Idil
Published: April 2014

The effect of acid cracking (pH 2.0; T 70 °C) and filtration as a pretreatment step on the chemical treatability of olive mill wastewater (chemical oxygen demand (COD) 150,000 m/L; total organic carbon (TOC) 36,000 mg/L; oil–grease 8,200 mg/L; total phenols 3,800 mg/L) was investigated. FeCl3 coagulation, Ca(OH)2 precipitation, electrocoagulation using stainless steel electrodes and the Fenton's reagent were applied as chemical treatment methods. Removal performances were examined in terms of COD, TOC, oil–grease, total phenols, colour, suspended solids and acute toxicity with the photobacterium Vibrio fischeri. Significant oil–grease (95%) and suspended solids (96%) accompanied with 58% COD, 43% TOC, 39% total phenols and 80% colour removals were obtained by acid cracking-filtration pretreatment. Among the investigated chemical treatment processes, electrocoagulation and the Fenton's reagent were found more effective after pretreatment, especially in terms of total phenols removal. Total phenols removal increased from 39 to 72% when pretreatment was applied, while no significant additional (≈10–15%) COD and TOC removals were obtained when acid cracking was coupled with chemical treatment. The acute toxicity of the original olive mill wastewater sample increased considerably after pretreatment from 75 to 89% (measured for the 10-fold diluted wastewater sample). An operating cost analysis was also performed for the selected chemical treatment processes.
Field leaching of alkaline copper quaternary-treated red pine lumber over 3 years: long-term dynamics
Authors: Tao Wendong
Published: April 2014

Alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), a wood preservative, consists of copper oxide and quaternary ammonium compounds. Three red pine piles were monitored over 3 years to evaluate the dynamics of contaminant leaching from ACQ-treated and untreated lumber. There were small temporal changes in the volumetric leachate/rain ratio with the ACQ-treated lumber, while the volumetric ratio decreased across the 3 years with the untreated lumber, most likely due to considerable weathering that increased the capacity of the untreated lumber to absorb rain water. The average copper (Cu) concentration in leachate from the ACQ-treated lumber (4,033 μg/L) was much higher than that in leachate from the untreated lumber (87 μg/L) and rain (48 μg/L) in the first leaching year. Cu concentration in leachate from the ACQ-treated lumber in the second and third years decreased to 46–51% of that in the first year. There were significant seasonal decreases of Cu concentration in leachate from the ACQ-treated lumber, which were correlated to exposure time and meteorological parameters. ACQ-treatment did not affect leachate pH and concentrations of quaternary ammonium compounds and chemical oxygen demand. There were insignificant temporal changes of leachate pH and concentrations of chemical oxygen demand and total dissolved solids in leachate from both ACQ-treated and untreated lumber piles.
Instrumentation, control and automation in wastewater – from London 1973 to Narbonne 2013
Authors: Olsson G. , Carlsson B. , Comas J. , Copp J. , Gernaey K. V. , Ingildsen P. , Jeppsson U. , Kim C. , Rieger L. , Rodríguez-Roda I. , Steyer J.-P. , Takács I. , Vanrolleghem P. A. , Vargas A. , Yuan Z. , Åmand L.
Published: April 2014

Key developments of instrumentation, control and automation (ICA) applications in wastewater systems during the past 40 years are highlighted in this paper. From the first ICA conference in 1973 through to today there has been a tremendous increase in the understanding of the processes, instrumentation, computer systems and control theory. However, many developments have not been addressed here, such as sewer control, drinking water treatment and water distribution control. It is hoped that this review can stimulate new attempts to more effectively apply control and automation in water systems in the coming years.
Spatial Complex Model for Wind Farm Site Assessment
Authors: Rozsavolgyi Kornel
Published: April 2014

Our research is on the spatial allocation of possible wind energy usage. We would like to carry this out with a newly developed model (CMPAM = Complex Multifactoral Polygenetic Adaptive Model), which basically is a climateoriented system, but other kind of factors are also considered. With this model those areas and terrains can be located where construction of wind farms would be reasonable. The wind field modeling core of CMPAM is mainly based on
sequential Gaussian simulation (sGs) otherwise known as geostatistics. But concepts from atmospheric physics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are used as well. For application for Hungary WAsP generated 10 m wind speed data was used as input data. The geocorrection (geometric correction) of this data was performed by us. Using optimized variography and sGs, our results were applied for Hungary in different heights. Simulation results for different heights are
summarized furthermore, an exponential regressive function describing the vertical wind profile was also established. From the complex analyses of CMPAM, results derived to the 100 m height are also included and explained in a map in this paper. This produces a basis for certain several possible sites for the utilization of wind energy, under given conditions.
Measuring vulnerability to depression: The Serbian scrambled sentences test - SSST
Authors: Novovic Zdenka , Mihic Ljiljana , Biro Miklos , Tovilovic Snezana
Published: April 2014

The goal of this study was to establish whether the SSST, a Serbian language
scrambled sentences instrument, is a reliable measure of depressive cognitive
bias, and whether it captures the suppression tendency as participants exert
the additional cognitive effort of memorizing a six-digit number while
completing the task. The sample consisted of 1071 students, randomly assigned
into two groups. They completed the SSST divided into two blocks of 28
sentences, together with additional cognitive task during either the first or
second block, and after that a number of instruments to establish validity of
the SSST. The test was shown to be a reliable instrument of depressive
cognitive bias. As a measure of suppression the SSST performed partly as
expected, only when load was applied in the second half of the test, and
fatigue and cognitive effort enhanced suppression. The advantages of the test
versus self-description measures were discussed.
The structure of personality of a good teacher from students perspective according to the Big-Five model
Authors: Genc Lajos , Pekic Jasmina , Genc Ana
Published: April 2014

This paper deals with the identification of desirable personality
characteristics of teachers from students perspective in the Big-Five Model
of personality from a phenomenological approach. The description of
personality of a good teacher was obtained from students of the University of
Novi Sad (n=443). The Big Five Inventory (BFI) was applied with the
instruction to respond to claims as a good teacher would answer. The
students? estimates indicate that a good teacher is expected to have lower
emotional instability, but more pronounced extroversion, openness to
experience, cooperativeness (pleasantness) and consciousness with regard to
referent values in general population. For the domain of neuroticism, the
difference is either small or medium in size, for cooperativeness of a medium
size, and for extroversion, consciousness and openness to experience the
difference is large. The gender of students does not influence their
expectations. Methodological dilemmas in this area of research and
implications of the results for the selection and professional development of
teachers are discussed.
Empathic capacity of delinquent convicted minors
Authors: Milojevic Sonja , Dimitrijevic Aleksandar
Published: April 2014

The psychological approach to juvenile delinquency introduced in recent years
postulates ?empathy impairment? as one of the origins of youth criminal
behaviour. This means that in order to be cruel, people need to be unable to
imagine the pain their victims experience. To test that hypothesis, we
compare a group of convicted juvenile offenders (N=43) with a control group
of adolescents (N=47) on self-report and ability measures of cognitive
empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Reading the Mind in the Eyes
Test, respectively). Discriminant Analysis reveals a significant difference
between the two groups, most notably in the dimensions of personal distress,
RMET score, and perspective taking. However, after the control for age and
education, only the differences in measures of cognitive empathy remain.
Although delinquents perceive themselves as less capable of taking the
vantage point of another person and, when tested, prove themselves to be
inferior in perceiving emotions and facial expressions, there are no
differences in self-report scores of the affective component of empathy. On
the basis of these findings, we draw several practical implications
concerning everyday work with delinquents.
Materialism, narcissism and the attitide towards conspicuous consumption
Authors: Velov Branko , Gojkovic Vesna , Djuric Veljko
Published: April 2014

Conspicuous consumption (purchase of expensive goods and services in order to
visibly demonstrate buying power) is a frequent and widely spread type of
consumer behavior. Besides its economic dimension, conspicuous consumption
certainly also has its - for now under studied - psychological dimension. So
far, it has been reported that positive attitude towards conspicuous
consumption is associated with conformity, high esteem of authority, social
anxiety, Machiavellism, and ruthless self-advancement. In this study, using a
sample of 272 high school students (aged 16-18) we studied predictive
relationship between narcissism and materialism, and the attitude towards
conspicuous consumption. The data indicated that materialism was a
significant predictor of the attitude towards conspicuous consumption, quite
in line with some previous research. In spite of a significant correlation
between narcissism and materialism, narcissism was not a significant
predictor of the attitude towards conspicuous consumption. Thus, this study
has widened nomological network of the attitude towards conspicuous
consumption and clearly delineated two seemingly similar psychological
constructs: materialism and the attitude towards conspicuous consumption.
MicroRNA-29 Fine-tunes the Expression of Key FOXA2-Activated Lipid Metabolism Genes and Is Dysregulated in Animal Models of Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
Authors: Kurtz C. Lisa , Peck Bailey C.E. , Fannin Emily E. , Beysen Carine , Miao Ji , Landstreet Stuart R. , Ding Shengli , Turaga Vandana , Lund P. Kay , Turner Scott , Biddinger Sudha B. , Vickers Kasey C. , Sethupathy Praveen
Published: April 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as biomarkers of metabolic status, etiological factors in complex disease, and promising drug targets. Recent reports suggest that miRNAs are critical regulators of pathways underlying the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. In this study, we demonstrate by deep sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR that hepatic levels of Foxa2 mRNA and miR-29 are elevated in a mouse model of diet-induced insulin resistance. We also show that Foxa2 and miR-29 are significantly upregulated in the livers of Zucker diabetic fatty (fa/fa) rats and that the levels of both returned to normal upon treatment with the insulin-sensitizing agent pioglitazone. We present evidence that miR-29 expression in human hepatoma cells is controlled in part by FOXA2, which is known to play a critical role in hepatic energy homeostasis. Moreover, we demonstrate that miR-29 fine-tunes FOXA2-mediated activation of key lipid metabolism genes, including PPARGC1A, HMGCS2, and ABHD5. These results suggest that miR-29 is an important regulatory factor in normal metabolism and may represent a novel therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes and related metabolic syndromes.
Parp Inhibition Prevents Ten-Eleven Translocase Enzyme Activation and Hyperglycemia-Induced DNA Demethylation
Authors: Dhliwayo Nyembezi , Sarras Michael P. , Luczkowski Ernest , Mason Samantha M. , Intine Robert V.
Published: April 2014

Studies from human cells, rats, and zebrafish have documented that hyperglycemia (HG) induces the demethylation of specific cytosines throughout the genome. We previously documented that a subset of these changes become permanent and may provide, in part, a mechanism for the persistence of complications referred to as the metabolic memory phenomenon. In this report, we present studies aimed at elucidating the molecular machinery that is responsible for the HG-induced DNA demethylation observed. To this end, RNA expression and enzymatic activity assays indicate that the ten-eleven translocation (Tet) family of enzymes are activated by HG. Furthermore, through the detection of intermediates generated via conversion of 5-methyl-cytosine back to the unmethylated form, the data were consistent with the use of the Tet-dependent iterative oxidation pathway. In addition, evidence is provided that the activity of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (Parp) enzyme is required for activation of Tet activity because the use of a Parp inhibitor prevented demethylation of specific loci and the accumulation of Tet-induced intermediates. Remarkably, this inhibition was accompanied by a complete restoration of the tissue regeneration deficit that is also induced by HG. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide potential new avenues for therapeutic discovery.
Empagliflozin as Add-On to Metformin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Häring Hans-Ulrich , Merker Ludwig , Seewaldt-Becker Elke , Weimer Marc , Meinicke Thomas , Broedl Uli C. , Woerle Hans J. ,   on behalf of the EMPA-REG MET Trial Investigators
Published: April 2014

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of empagliflozin as an add-on to metformin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with HbA1c levels of ≥7% to ≤ 10% (≥53 to ≤86 mmol/mol) while receiving metformin (≥1,500 mg/day) were randomized and treated with once-daily treatment with empagliflozin 10 mg (n = 217), empagliflozin 25 mg (n = 213), or placebo (n = 207) for 24 weeks. The primary end point was the change in HbA1c level from baseline at week 24. Key secondary end points were changes from baseline in weight and mean daily glucose (MDG) at week 24.

RESULTS

At week 24, adjusted mean (SE) changes from baseline in HbA1c were −0.13% (0.05)% (−1.4 [0.5] mmol/mol) with placebo, −0.70% (0.05)% (−7.7 [0.5] mmol/mol) with empagliflozin 10 mg, and −0.77% (0.05)% (−8.4 [0.5] mmol/mol) with empagliflozin 25 mg (both P < 0.001). Empagliflozin significantly reduced MDG level and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) versus placebo. Adjusted mean (SE) changes from baseline in weight were −0.45 kg (0.17 kg) with placebo, −2.08 kg (0.17 kg) with empagliflozin 10 mg, and −2.46 kg (0.17 kg) with empagliflozin 25 mg (both P < 0.001). Adverse events (AEs) were similar across groups (placebo 58.7%; empagliflozin 49.5–57.1%). Confirmed hypoglycemic AEs were reported in 0.5%, 1.8%, and 1.4% of patients receiving placebo, empagliflozin 10 mg, and empagliflozin 25 mg, respectively. Events consistent with urinary tract infections were reported in 4.9%, 5.1%, and 5.6% of patients, and events consistent with genital infections were reported in 0%, 3.7%, and 4.7% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Empagliflozin 10 and 25 mg for 24 weeks as add-on to metformin therapy significantly improved glycemic control, weight, and BP, and were well-tolerated.
Comparative Effectiveness of Peer Leaders and Community Health Workers in Diabetes Self-management Support: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tang Tricia S. , Funnell Martha , Sinco Brandy , Piatt Gretchen , Palmisano Gloria , Spencer Michael S. , Kieffer Edith C. , Heisler Michele
Published: April 2014

OBJECTIVE

To compare a peer leader (PL) versus a community health worker (CHW) telephone outreach intervention in sustaining improvements in HbA1c over 12 months after a 6-month diabetes self-management education (DSME) program.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

One hundred and sixteen Latino adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited from a federally qualified health center and randomized to 1) a 6-month DSME program followed by 12 months of weekly group sessions delivered by PLs with telephone outreach to those unable to attend or 2) a 6-month DSME program followed by 12 months of monthly telephone outreach delivered by CHWs. The primary outcome was HbA1c. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular disease risk factors, diabetes distress, and diabetes social support. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months.

RESULTS

After DSME, the PL group achieved a reduction in mean HbA1c (8.2–7.5% or 66–58 mmol/mol, P < 0.0001) that was maintained at 18 months (−0.6% or −6.6 mmol/mol from baseline [P = 0.009]). The CHW group also showed a reduction in HbA1c (7.8 vs. 7.3% or 62 vs. 56 mmol/mol, P = 0.0004) post–6 month DSME; however, it was attenuated at 18 months (−0.3% or −3.3 mmol/mol from baseline, within-group P = 0.234). Only the PL group maintained improvements achieved in blood pressure at 18 months. At the 18-month follow-up, both groups maintained improvements in waist circumference, diabetes support, and diabetes distress, with no significant differences between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Both low-cost maintenance programs led by either a PL or a CHW maintained improvements in key patient-reported diabetes outcomes, but the PL intervention may have additional benefit in sustaining clinical improvements beyond 12 months.