bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The contemporary experience of work: older workers’ perceptions
Authors: Vasconcelos Anselmo Ferreira 
Published: April 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a cohort of Brazilian mature workers perceives their contemporary experience in the workplaces by identifying their perceptions, feelings and how they are treated.Design/methodology/approach– This investigation drew on grounded theory regarding that it enabled to identify data, describe the observed events, answer vital questions thereof and develop theoretical categories to understand what was taking place.Findings– Definitely, the current situation of older workers shows clearly a dual landscape, which is permeated by strong contrasts. On the one hand, one may envision the benefits of a career and participation in the corporate life even though performing humbler roles. On the other hand, one may find people simply struggling to complement their poor pensions and doing everything possible to sustain themselves. Overall, this study found seven themes, namely: current work experience, treatment of older workers, (un)support and benefits provided toward work–family balance and quality of work life, the experience of having a job, meaning of work, working with younger generations and future perspectives.Research limitations/implications– Due to the method used, the results cannot be generalized and herein resides the major limitation of this investigation. In addition, the sample was made up of only people working and living in the main state of Brazil.Practical implications– The results of this study bring useful managerial implications for organizations interested in improving their relationships with older workers by suggesting the need of enhancing or implementing a set of human resources and internal marketing policies and practices.Originality/value– This study contributes to the understanding of a broader general frame of older workers aspirations, needs, difficulties and challenges, particularly focusing on Brazilian reality whose research has paid scant attention on this topic. In addition, it adds to the understanding of older workers’ reality and research toward mature workers’ career, expectations and desires, productivity, adaptability, engagement and learning capacity. Moreover, it suggests that at least some Brazilian organizations are getting to enhance the job designing and development opportunities to their older workforce. However, it also found that there is room for considerable improvements in such tasks.
The Application of Flow Cytometry as a Rapid and Sensitive Screening Method to Detect Contamination of Vitreous Humor Samples and Avoid Miscalculation of the Postmortem Interval
Authors: Cordeiro Cristina , Seoane Rafael , Camba Ana , Lendoiro Elena , Rodríguez‐Calvo María S. , Vieira Duarte N. , Muñoz‐Barús José I. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractResearch into maximizing the speed, precision, and reliability of estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) has been a recurring object of investigation and methodologies based on the vitreous humor (VH) have provided good results. However, contamination from causes not readily apparent, such as blood, can occur, and thus lead not only to an erroneous estimation of PMI, but also interfere with the correct identification of other substances in the VH. We have developed a flow cytometry method which quantifies blood contamination and is able to detect erythrocytes in 1:750,000 dilution of contaminated VH which affects the results of hypoxanthine. It is an improvement on the previous more complex mass spectrometry method, being faster, more sensitive, and readily available. As such, it could be proposed for the rapid screening of appropriate samples by detecting and eliminating blood contaminated samples from PMI estimation.
Spatial and temporal spread of Citrus tristeza virus and its aphid vectors in the North western area of Morocco
Authors: Elhaddad Abdesslam , ElAmrani Amal , Fereres Alberto , Moreno Aranzazu 
Published: April 2015

AbstractFirst report of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV,Closterovirus) in Morocco datesback to 1961 in collections of citrus varieties. An exhaustive survey of citrus in the north of the country in 2009 revealed that CTV was spread all over the citrus production area. We attempted to evaluate the relative contribution of different aphid species in the spread of CTV disease in a Citrus reticulata orchard at the Loukkous region during 2 years (2012 and 2013). The overall CTV incidence estimated in the experimental site increased from 17.8% in 2012 to 31.15% in 2013. The most abundant aphid species colonising clementine trees was Aphis spiraecola and A. gossypii. Both aphid species reached their maximum peaks during the spring season. The rate of viruliferous aphids, estimated by real‐time RT‐PCR of single aphid, revealed that 35.4% of winged A. gossypii and 28.8% of winged A. spiraecola were viruliferous, confirming a high inoculum pressure in the area surrounding the experimental site. The aphid species Toxoptera citricida, which is able to transmit the aggressive isolates of CTV, was not found in the Loukkous region. The study of the spatial distribution of the CTV showed that in general, the disease was randomly distributed in the field. Overall, the results seem to indicate that A. spiraecola may be considered as the major aphid species contributing to CTV spread in our experimental conditions. The prevalence of mild strains in the region and the high level of aphid flight activity could explain the rapid evolution of CTV incidence in the experimental area.
Acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis and other severe drug eruptions from over the counter medications: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Kline Amy , Fischer Gayle 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe present a case of acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis in an 11‐year‐old girl who used Duro‐Tuss, an over‐the‐counter cough mixture containing pholcodine, and present a comprehensive review of the literature on severe drug reactions resulting from using non‐prescription medications. This case reinforces the importance of taking a complete medication history.
Determination of CD64 for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Chronic Prostatitis
Authors: Qian Li , Li Shi‐Bao , Zhou Yan , Teng Shi‐Jie , Guo Jing‐Jing 
Published: April 2015

ProblemCD64 is a 72‐kDa transmembrane glycoprotein, the highest affinity receptor of immunoglobulin (IgG), and a member of the IgG superfamily. The CD64 expression by leukocytes in the prostatic fluid was determined by flow cytometry to explore the clinical significance of this glycoprotein in the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis (CP).Method of studyProstatic fluid samples collected from 116 CP patients and 27 normal cases were subjected to bacterial culture and leukocyte CD64 expression determination using flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies.ResultsThe leukocyte CD64 expression levels of the pathogen groups were significantly higher than those of the normal groups, especially those of Staphylococcus simulans (3879.26 ± 764.52/cell) and Staphylococcus auricularis (2903.14 ± 137.61/cell). The leukocyte CD64 expression in the prostatic fluid was more rapidly and accurately detected by flow cytometry than by bacterial culture.ConclusionsCD64 expression by leukocytes in the prostatic fluid correlated with bacterial infection and may serve as a marker for the early diagnosis of CP.
Proposal of success criteria for strabismus surgery in patients with Graves' orbitopathy based on a systematic literature review
Authors: Jellema Hinke Marijke , Braaksma‐Besselink Yvette , Limpens Jacqueline , von Arx Georg , Wiersinga Wilmar M. , Mourits Maarten P. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractProposal of success criteria for strabismus surgery for patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) based on a systematic review of the literature. We performed a systematic search of OVID MEDLINE, OVID Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the publisher subset of PubMed, to identify studies reporting on success criteria of strabismus surgery in GO. In addition, we handsearched several orthoptic journals and proceedings of strabismological congresses. Of the 789 articles retrieved, 42 articles described success criteria for strabismus surgery in GO. Most studies defined success in terms of a subjective diplopia‐free field in primary and down gaze. Almost half of the studies used a graded scale (excellent, good, acceptable and failure) to describe the outcome of surgery. Three of the eligible studies described a tool to quantify the field of single vision in detail. Quality of life was not reported as an outcome measure in any of the published studies. In conclusion, success criteria for strabismus surgery in patients with GO are poorly defined and no consensus is available. The lack of standardization hampers comparative studies and thus the search for the best surgical treatment for diplopia in patients with GO. Therefore, we propose strict success criteria including a tool for quantification of remaining diplopia plus a disease‐specific quality of life questionnaire (the GO‐QoL).
AppFusion: Interactive Appearance Acquisition Using a Kinect Sensor
Authors: Wu Hongzhi , Zhou Kun 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe present an interactive material acquisition system for average users to capture the spatially varying appearance of daily objects. While an object is being scanned, our system estimates its appearance on‐the‐fly and provides quick visual feedback. We build the system entirely on low‐end, off‐the‐shelf components: a Kinect sensor, a mirror ball and printed markers. We exploit the Kinect infra‐red emitter/receiver, originally designed for depth computation, as an active hand‐held reflectometer, to segment the object into clusters of similar specular materials and estimate the roughness parameters of BRDFs simultaneously. Next, the diffuse albedo and specular intensity of the spatially varying materials are rapidly computed in an inverse rendering framework, using data from the Kinect RGB camera. We demonstrate captured results of a range of materials, and physically validate our system.
miR‐454 is down‐regulated in osteosarcomas and suppresses cell proliferation and invasion by directly targeting c‐Met
Authors: Niu Guangfeng , Li Bin , Sun Jianmin , Sun Li 
Published: April 2015

AbstractObjectivesOsteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy of children and young adults. Increasing evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with cancer development, but, little is known concerning the role of miR‐454 in osteosarcoma.Materials and methodsqRT‐PCR was performed to detect expression of miR‐454 in osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues. To understand its role in osteosarcoma, we reintroduced expression of miR‐454 in the MG‐63 cell line by transfection with miR‐454 mimics or inhibitors. CCK‐8 assay and an invasion assay were used to detect the functional role of miR‐454. Luciferase assay and western blot analysis were performed to detect the target gene of miR‐454.ResultsmiR‐454 was found to be down‐regulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Its over‐expression inhibited tumour growth and invasion and its down‐regulation promoted cell proliferation and invasion. Subsequent investigation revealed that c‐Met was a direct and functional target of miR‐454 in osteosarcoma. Overexpression of miR‐454 impaired c‐Met‐induced cell proliferation and invasion. Finally, miR‐454 was found to be inversely correlated to c‐Met expression in human osteosarcoma tissues.ConclusionsReduced‐expression of miR‐454 in osteosarcoma cells promoted tumour growth by targeting c‐Met, thus miR‐454 may be a potential therapy target for this tumour.
Early and effective treatment of KCNQ2 encephalopathy
Authors: Pisano Tiziana , Numis Adam L. , Heavin Sinéad B. , Weckhuysen Sarah , Angriman Marco , Suls Arvid , Podesta Barbara , Thibert Ronald L. , Shapiro Kevin A. , Guerrini Renzo , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Marini Carla , Cilio Maria Roberta 
Published: April 2015

SummaryObjectivesTo describe the antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment of patients with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy due to KCNQ2 mutations during the neonatal phase and the first year of life.MethodsWe identified 15 patients and reviewed the electroclinical, neuroimaging, and AED treatment data.ResultsSeizure onset was between 1 and 4 days of age with daily tonic asymmetric, focal and clonic seizures in nine patients and status epilepticus in the remaining six. Electroencephalography (EEG) showed multifocal epileptiform abnormalities in nine patients and a burst‐suppression pattern in six. All patients were trialed with adequate daily doses of several AEDs before they reached seizure freedom. Six patients (40%) achieved seizure control within 2 weeks of carbamazepine (CBZ) administration and five (33%) were seizure‐free with phenytoin (PHT). The last four patients (27%) were successfully treated with topiramate (TPM) (two patients), levetiracetam (LEV) (one), and a combination of LEV with TPM (one). Most patients reached seizure freedom within the first year of life and remained seizure‐free thereafter. Twelve patients had moderate‐to‐severe developmental delay at follow‐up. However, the two patients whose seizures ceased within a few days of onset showed only mild cognitive impairment.SignificanceOur findings suggest that drugs acting on sodium channels including CBZ and PHT should be considered as first‐line treatment in patients with KCNQ2 encephalopathy. Voltage‐gated sodium and potassium channels co‐localize at the neuronal membrane. Therefore, the efficacy of drugs acting as sodium‐channel blockers could be linked to their modulating effect on both channels. The type of KCNQ2 mutation might influence AED response as well as developmental outcome. Early recognition of KCNQ2 encephalopathy followed by the most appropriate and effective treatment may be important for reducing the neurodevelopmental impairment associated with this disorder.
A mouse model of Alzheimer's disease displays increased susceptibility to kindling and seizure‐associated death
Authors: Chan Jianxiong , Jones Nigel C. , Bush Ashley I. , O'Brien Terence J. , Kwan Patrick 
Published: April 2015

SummaryPeople with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are up to 10 times more likely to develop epilepsy than the age‐matched general population. However, given that only a proportion of patients with AD develop epilepsy, it is likely that additional factors may be required for the epilepsy to emerge. This study aimed to better understand the relationship between AD pathology and seizure susceptibility. It also aimed to investigate a “two‐hit” hypothesis for seizure susceptibility through amygdala kindling of rodent AD models. Aged AD mice (Tg2576 model) and wild‐type (WT) mice underwent electrical amygdala kindling. Compared with WT mice, Tg2576 mice had significantly lower afterdischarge threshold. Significantly fewer stimulations were required for the Tg2576 mice to reach the first class V seizure. Higher death rate was observed with Tg2576 mice in the kindling group. Both sham and kindled Tg2576 animals had increased levels of sprouting in the supragranular layer of the dentate gyrus compared with the WT counterparts. These findings support the “two‐hit” hypothesis and represent a potentially novel research model to help better understand the relationship between AD pathology and epilepsy.
Quantitative estimation of overpressure caused by gas generation and application to the Baiyun Depression in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea
Authors: Guo X. W. , Liu K. Y. , He S. , Yang Z. , Dong T. T. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractHydrocarbon generation can yield high fluid pressures in sedimentary basins as the conversion of solid kerogen to hydrocarbons can result in an increase in fluid volume. To quantify the relationship between gas generation and overpressure in source rocks, a set of equations for computing the pressure change due to gas generation has been derived. Those equations can be used to quantitatively estimate overpressure generated by type III kerogen in source rocks by considering gas generation and leakage, gas dissolution in formation water and residual oil, thermal cracking of oil to gas, and hydrocarbon episodic expulsion from source rocks. The equations also take consideration of other factors including source rock porosity, transformation ratio, total organic carbon (TOC), hydrogen index, and compressibility of kerogen, oil, and water. As both oil and gas are taken into account in the equations, they can also be used to estimate the evolution of overpressure caused by hydrocarbon generation of type I and type II kerogen source rocks. Sensitivity analyses on the type III kerogen source rock indicate that hydrogen index is the most influential parameter for overpressure generation, while TOC and residual gas coefficient (β: ratio of residual gas over the total gas generated) have a moderate effect. Overpressure can be generated even if the gas leakage/loss in the source rock is up to 80% of the total gas generated. This suggests that the internal pressure seal of the source rock is not a critical factor on the pressure change as long as the source rocks are capable of sealing liquid oil. The equations were applied to evaluate the overpressure in the Eocene–Oligocene Enping Formation source rocks due to hydrocarbon generation in the Baiyun Depression, the Pearl River Mouth Basin by considering the source rock properties, hydrocarbon generation history, and hydrocarbon expulsion timing. Two episodes of overpressure development due to gas generation and release were modeled to have occurred in the Enping Formation source rock since 16 Ma. The overpressure release at 10.2–5.3 Ma via hydrocarbon expulsion was apparently related to the Dongsha phase of tectonic deformation, whereas the pressure release at 2–0 Ma was due to pressure generation that was exceeded the fracture‐sealing pressure in the source rocks.
The NLRP1 inflammasomes
Authors: Chavarría‐Smith Joseph , Vance Russell E. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryInflammasomes are cytosolic protein complexes that serve as platforms for the recruitment and activation of the pro‐inflammatory CASPASE‐1 protease. CASPASE‐1 activation leads to processing and maturation of the cytokines interleukin‐1β and interleukin‐18 and a lytic form of cell death termed pyroptosis. Inflammasome assembly is initiated by cytosolic sensors in response to microbial infections. Many of these sensors, including NLRP1 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 1), are described to form an inflammasome, but until recently, the mechanism of inflammasome activation and its physiological functions in host defense have remained unclear. In the last few years, important advances in our understanding of NLRP1 biology have been achieved. In this review, we discuss the activation of NLRP1 by various stimuli, including Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin, Toxoplasma gondii, muramyl dipeptide, and host intracellular ATP depletion. The role NLRP1 plays in pathogen recognition and resistance during infection is also discussed, as is the regulation of NLRP1 by host and viral proteins. We conclude by discussing the unexpected differences in the mechanism of NLRP1 inflammasome activation, as compared to the activation of other inflammasomes, such as the NAIP (NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory protein)/NLRC4 inflammasomes.
A theory‐guided school‐based intervention in order to improve adolescents' oral self‐care: a cluster randomized trial
Authors: Aleksejūnienė Jolanta , Brukienė Vilma , Džiaugyte Lina , Pečiulienė Vytautė , Bendinskaitė Rūta 
Published: April 2015

AimTo evaluate the efficiency of social‐cognitive theory‐guided oral hygiene interventions in adolescents and to identify predictors of adolescents' self‐care practice.DesignA cluster randomized trial included 197 15‐ to 16‐year‐olds from two secondary schools. The intervention group received three face‐to‐face educational hands‐on sessions facilitated by a dentist and adolescents worked in pairs. Individual dental plaque levels were measured at baseline, after intervention, at six and at 12 months. The structured questionnaire inquired about gender, family socio‐economic status (baseline), and different social‐cognitive domain variables (baseline, six, and 12 months).ResultsAt baseline, there were no statistically significant differences in dental plaque scores between the intervention and control groups (P = 0.183). At the 6‐month follow‐up, the intervention group had significantly less dental plaque than the control group (P = 0.047), but the intergroup difference in dental plaque levels was not significant at the 12‐month follow‐up (P = 0.400). Variations in dental plaque levels at different time periods were explained by the following predictors: family's socio‐economic status, social‐cognitive domain variables, group affiliation, and baseline plaque levels.ConclusionsSocial‐cognitive theory‐guided interventions improved oral self‐care of adolescents in the short term. After the intervention was discontinued, the improvement in oral self‐care of adolescents lasted for another 5 months.
Les frontières mouvantes des relations professionnelles: l'exemple sud‐africain
Authors: WEBSTER Edward 
Published: April 2015

RésuméLes mouvements sociaux et les relations du travail agitées qu'a connus l'Afrique du Sud après l'apartheid donnent une idée des transformations qui pourraient toucher la représentation des travailleurs et les relations professionnelles à l'avenir. Les syndicats traditionnels sont en difficulté face à des phénomènes comme la marginalisation, les inégalités et la pauvreté, qui appellent l'organisation de travailleurs jusqu'à présent exclus de la base syndicale. Parallèlement, la mondialisation ouvre des possibilités de nouvelles formes d'organisation et d'innovations institutionnelles. Ce qui en sortira dépendra de la façon dont les acteurs du monde du travail prennent en compte les travailleurs marginalisés.
Uneven Accuracy of Home Blood Pressure Measurement: A Multicentric Survey
Authors: Flacco Maria Elena , Manzoli Lamberto , Bucci Marco , Capasso Lorenzo , Comparcini Dania , Simonetti Valentina , Gualano Maria Rosaria , Nocciolini Manuela , D'Amario Claudio , Cicolini Giancarlo 
Published: April 2015

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is increasingly commonly performed, but the concordance between patient HBPM measurement technique and prevailing recommendations has not been well‐assessed according to the literature. The authors performed a multicentric survey to evaluate the degree of patients' adherence to current recommendations on HBPM, and investigate potential predictors of a higher‐quality self‐measurement. A structured questionnaire was administered to 725 Italian outpatient hypertensive patients (mean age, 52.2±14.4 years). Overall, ≥10 recommended procedures were followed by 52.8% of the participants; only 1.0% followed all recommendations. A total of 49.7% of participants rested for ≥5 minutes before the measurement, 36.8% recorded BP more than once in each measurement session, and 34.3% used a chair or bed saddle to support their back. Less than 40% of the patients received some form of training by health professionals. After multivariate analysis, patients receiving/reading instructions showed higher‐quality HBPM (P<.01). The accuracy of HBPM needs to be improved, and more efforts should be devoted to provide patient training on HBPM, especially on the less‐frequently followed recommendations.