bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimal design of single phase permanent magnet brushless DC motor using particle swarm optimisation
Authors: Cvetkovski Goga , Petkovska Lidija , Lefley Paul 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to perform an optimal design of single phase permanent magnet brushless DC motor (SPBLDCM) using efficiency of the motor as objective function. In the design procedure performed on SPBLDCM, particle swarm optimisation (PSO) as an optimisation tool is used.

Design/methodology/approach
– The created computer programme for optimal design of electrical machines is based on the PSO. According to the design characteristics of SPBLDCM, some of the motor parameters are chosen to be constant and others variable. A comparative analysis of both motor models based on the value of the objective function, as well as the values of the optimisation parameters, is performed.

Findings
– From the comparative data analysis of both motor models, it can be concluded that the main objective of the optimisation is realised, and it is achieved by an improvement of the efficiency of the motor.

Originality/value
– An optimisation technique based on PSO has been developed and applied to the design of SPBLDCM. According to the results it can be concluded that the PSO is a very suitable tool for design optimisation of SPBLDCM and electromagnetic devices in general. The quality of the PSO model has been proved through the data analysis of the prototype and optimised solution. At the end, the quality of the PSO solution has been again proved by comparative analysis of the two motor models using FEM as a performance analysis tool.
Promoting mental health of immigrant seniors in community
Authors: D. Koehn Sharon , Jarvis Pavlina , K. Sandhra Sharanjit , K. Bains Satwinder , Addison Madeleine 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore if and how community organizations providing services to late-in-life Punjabi immigrants in British Columbia, Canada, offer services with the potential to promote their mental health or well-being. The authors also wanted to know how Punjabi seniors perceived available services and if they supported their mental well-being.

Design/methodology/approach
– To guide the research, the authors used the VicHealth Framework, which identifies three overarching social and economic determinants of mental health: social inclusion (SI), freedom from violence and discrimination, and access to economic resources and participation. This mixed methods study combines descriptive survey and qualitative focus group data with input from Punjabi seniors and community service providers.

Findings
– All three mental health determinants were identified as important by service providers and seniors, with SI as the most important. Family dynamics (shaped by migration and sponsorship status) influence all three determinants and can promote or diminish mental well-being.

Research limitations/implications
– The pilot study is limited in sample size and scope and further inquiry with different groups of immigrant older adults is warranted.

Practical implications
– Service providers assert that more outreach and sustainable funding are needed to reach the majority of potential beneficiaries unable to participate in community programmes. Information on mental well-being of seniors should be targeted at both seniors and their families.

Originality/value
– The VicHealth Framework provided a unique lens through which to explore the contributions of community organizations to mental health promotion for immigrant older adults.
A year in the mentor's classroom
Authors: Garza Rubén , L. Duchaine Ellen , Reynosa Raymond 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine preservice teachers’ perceptions of their learning and teaching experiences in a mentor's classroom during a year-long field-based placement in a high-need urban school. In addition, the authors sought to examine how the experiences contributed to their professional growth and development as future teachers.Design/methodology/approach– This qualitative study used constant comparative analysis (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) to examine preservice teachers’ responses to an open-ended questionnaire, program survey, and also in focus groups about their mentoring experiences.Findings– The findings provide insight into participants’ mentors’ influence during a year-long placement and into characteristics of effective mentoring that contributed to their growth. Major findings of preservice teachers’ mentoring experiences in a high-need urban setting reflected two dominant themes: experiencing a pedagogical fulcrum and navigating the tributaries of professionalism.Research limitations/implications– The study is limited by the small number of participants from one large public university and included only secondary preservice teachers enrolled in one residency program designed to prepare mathematics, science, and special education teachers. Caution should be taken against generalizing the findings, regarding preservice teachers’ learning and teaching experiences in a mentor's classroom, to resident teachers in other areas due to the small sample size and interpretation of the findings.Originality/value– The findings provide a different perspective about the mentoring process to that provided by previous studies because preservice teachers learned and taught in the mentor's classroom during one academic school year without being evaluated by the mentor. The findings illuminate preservice teachers’ professional growth fostered by their experiences and highlight characteristics of the mentor's influence that contributed to their development.
Sleep habits, daytime sleepiness and working conditions in short-distance bus drivers
Authors: José Diez Joaquin , Eduardo Vigo Daniel , Pedro Cardinali Daniel , Pérez-Chada Daniel 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– Driving needs high levels of alertness. Increased somnolence is the most important negative influence to maintain proper watchfulness and vigilance. Drowsiness, working conditions and their affective impact must be taken into account to determine driving safety. The purpose of this paper is to assess excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep habits, quality of sleep, stress-related symptoms, and working conditions in a large sample of short-distance bus drivers in the city of Buenos Aires.

Design/methodology/approach
– This was a cross-sectional study performed to evaluate sleep habits and obstructive apnea risk in short-distance bus drivers of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Questionnaires regarding anthropometric data, sleep habits, snoring, daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, PQSI), working conditions and fatigue and anxiety related to work were administered to professional short-distance bus drivers (n=1023).

Findings
– A prevalence of 34.6 percent of obesity and 80 percent of snoring was observed. Mean sleep time during workdays was 6.5±0.1 h and bad sleep quality was reported by 54.6 percent of the subjects. Excessive daytime sleepiness had a prevalence of 48.8 percent and was independently associated with reduced sleep time, increased sleep debt, long time to wake up, snoring, and short resting time along the working day (p<0.05).

Originality/value
– Short-distance drivers in Buenos Aires, the largest urban area of Argentina, are a partially sleep-deprived, overweighted population, showing a high daytime somnolence, poor work-rest conditions and high levels of anxiety and fatigue. This association can be very harmful in view of the demanding working conditions considered.
Understanding the health behaviors of India’s information technology and business process outsourcing employees
Authors: Ram Anita , Kurpad Anura , Swaminathan Sumathi 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behaviors of India’s information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) employees in relation to diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and social habits.

Design/methodology/approach
– This was a qualitative research study, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Descriptive data were collected from a two-stage purposive sample of 28 IT-BPO employees from three IT companies and two BPOs in Bangalore, India.

Findings
– The majority of interviewees reported having an unhealthy diet and/or sedentary lifestyle. Lack of time due to demanding work schedules was the largest barrier to diet and exercise. Call-centers were described as a social environment with a young workforce.

Research limitations/implications
– Given the qualitative study design and limited sampling frame, results may not be generalizable. However, the qualitative data suggests that India’s young IT-BPO employees may be at greater risk of lifestyle-related diseases than the general population. The data also suggests that interventions incorporating social influence may be a promising solution, particularly at international call centers.

Originality/value
– There is a lack of literature on the lifestyle of IT-BPO employees in India. The results from this study provide qualitative insight on the motives for health behaviors of IT-BPO employees, as well as the barriers and facilitators for leading a healthy lifestyle in this industry. The findings provide the framework for future workplace wellness interventions.
Resection of subsequent pulmonary metastases from treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Young E.R. , Diakos E. , Khalid‐Raja M. , Mehanna H. 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundPulmonary metastasectomy involves the surgical removal of pulmonary nodules. It is a recognised therapeutic modality for the treatment of metastatic disease. There is no consensus as to the role of pulmonary metastasectomy in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The objective of this study was to determine whether, in selected patients, resection of subsequent pulmonary metastases prolongs survival in patients already treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to identify independent risk factors that influence 5‐year survival of patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy.MethodsA systematic review of English and non‐English articles using MEDLINE (1950‐present), EMBASE (1980‐present), NHS evidence and Cochrane databases. Search terms included but were not limited to: squamous cell carcinoma, pulmonary metastasectomy or resection, head and neck cancer, malignancy or tumour. Studies examining outcomes for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy for metachronous pulmonary metastases were included. Independent data extraction of articles by two trained researchers using predefined data fields was performed.ResultsThirteen of 47 studies (all retrospective) fulfilled eligibility criteria, with a total of 403 patients. In total, 11 papers reported 5‐year survival rates (Kaplan–Meier) in 387 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma following pulmonary metastasectomy. Meta‐analysis of survival data showed an overall absolute 5‐year survival rate of 29.1% for patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for metachronous metastases from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Two papers reported significantly worse 5‐year survival rates in patients with oral head and neck squamous cell carcinoma compared with other sites (9.2% versus 32.4%, P < 0.001 and 15.4% versus 45.2%, P = 0.01). Two papers reported that the presence of cervical lymph node metastases at diagnosis of the primary tumour significantly worsened 5‐year survival rates following pulmonary metastasectomy (13.8% (N+) versus 32% (N0) P = 0.01 and 24% (N+) versus 60% (N0) P = 0.025). Other significant poor prognostic factors included incomplete pulmonary resection and the presence of multiple pulmonary nodules.ConclusionsThis systematic review provides level 2a evidence of the effectiveness of pulmonary metastasectomy for metachronous pulmonary metastases from head and neck squamous carcinoma, which may offer prolonged survival for selected patients. Poor prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy in this cohort of patients include the presence of lymph node metastasis at the diagnosis of the original tumour, squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, incomplete pulmonary resection and the presence of multiple pulmonary nodules.
Effect of serum hepatitis B surface antigen levels on predicting the clinical outcomes of chronic hepatitis B infection: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Qu Li‐Shuai , Liu Jin‐Xia , Zhang Hai‐Feng , Zhu Jing , Lu Cui‐Hua 
Published: October 2014

AimThe impact of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels on the prognosis of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains unclear. This meta‐analysis aimed to determine whether serum HBsAg levels influenced the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Furthermore, we explored the role played by serum HBsAg levels in prediction of spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance.MethodsWe performed this meta‐analysis including 11 studies to assess the effect of HBsAg levels on predicting clinical outcomes in chronic HBV carriers. The pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a random or fixed effects model. PUBMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database were searched for articles published from 1990 to May 2014.ResultsOur results showed that high HBsAg levels significantly increased the risk of developing cirrhosis (OR, 2.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00–3.14; P < 0.01). Pooled data from two studies revealed that high HBsAg levels increased the risk of HCC occurrence (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.52–3.22; P < 0.01). High HBsAg levels were associated with a significant increased risk of late HCC recurrence after curative resection (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.48–2.77; P < 0.01), but not early recurrence (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.89–1.27; P = 0.53). The pooled data indicated that low HBsAg levels were significantly in favor of spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance (OR, 7.89; 95% CI, 4.74–13.13; P < 0.01).ConclusionHigh HBsAg levels were associated with development of cirrhosis and HCC comparatively. Therefore, lower serum HBsAg levels were associated with a higher rate of spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance.
What is the impact of tumour size on dermoscopic diagnosis of BCC?
Authors: Popadić M. , Vukićević J. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe effect of size on diagnostic performance of dermoscopy in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) is yet to be determined.ObjectivesTo investigate the differences in dermoscopic features between small‐ and large‐sized BCCs.MethodsA total of 151 BCCs consecutively collected during a 2‐year period were analysed. These tumours were evaluated for the presence of various dermoscopic features (colours, structures and vessels) using the contact polarized dermoscopy. Differences in proportions were evaluated by means of chi‐squared test and Fisher's exact test, when appropriate.ResultsIn all, 62 (41.1%) small (≤1 cm) and 89 (58.9%) large (>1 cm) BCCs were included. Arborizing vessels, short fine telangiectasias (SFT) and multiple small erosions were significantly (P < 0.05) more frequent in the group of large BCCs. Further analysis of the effect of size on dermoscopic features within the specific groups, nodular, superficial and ulcerated, found significant difference only in the group of nodular BCCs. Structureless hypopigmentation was significantly (P < 0.05) more frequent in the group of large nodular BCCs in comparison with the small ones.ConclusionsDespite determined differences in vascular features and multiple erosions between the small and large BCCs, the results of further investigation within the specific groups indicate that dermoscopy is reliable for the diagnosis of BCC regardless of its size.
Oxytalan‐positive peripheral ossifying fibromas express runt‐related transcription factor 2, bone morphogenetic protein‐2, and cementum attachment protein. An immunohistochemical study
Authors: Tsiligkrou Ioanna A. , Tosios Konstantinos I. , Madianos Phoebus N. , Vrotsos Ioannis A. , Panis Vassilios G. 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundThe peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) represents one of the most common lesions of the periodontal tissues that may originate from the gingival soft tissues, the periosteum, or the periodontal ligament.AimTo investigate the immunohistochemical expression of runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx‐2), bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2), and cementum attachment protein (CAP) in oxytalan‐positive POF, to establish the use of POF as an in vivo model for the study of the periodontal ligament.Materials and MethodsThirty tumors that presented clinical and histologic features of POF, as well as oxytalan fibers, were included in the study. Immunohistochemical expression of Runx‐2, BMP‐2, and CAP was evaluated by light microscopy.ResultsRunx‐2, BMP‐2, and CAP were abundantly expressed by POFs; 22 of 30 tumors expressed positive staining for Runx‐2, twenty‐six tumors for BMP‐2, and twenty‐five tumors for CAP. The expression of Runx‐2 was abundant in POFs where bone was histologically present (P = 0.04) and of BMP‐2 in POFs where dystrophic calcifications were present (P = 0.03).ConclusionIt is suggested that oxytalan‐positive POFs, purportedly originating from the periodontal ligament, express molecules that are specific to bone and cementum (Runx‐2, BMP‐2), or cementum only (CAP). Thus, the cell populations present in the lesion belong to the mineralized‐tissue‐forming cell lineages, the cementoblastic or osteoblastic lineage.
A reciprocal cross design to map the genetic architecture of complex traits in apomictic plants
Authors: Yin Danni , Zhu Xuli , Jiang Libo , Zhang Jian , Zeng Yanru , Wu Rongling 
Published: October 2014

Summary

Many higher plants of economic and biological importance undergo apomixis in which the maternal tissue of the ovule forms a seed, without experiencing meiosis and fertilization. This feature of apomixis has made it difficult to perform linkage mapping which relies on meiotic recombination.

Here, we describe a computational model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control complex traits in apomictic plants. The model is founded on the mixture model‐based likelihood in which maternal genotypes are dissolved into two possible components generated by meiotic and apomictic processes, respectively.

The EM algorithm was implemented to discern meiotic and apomictic genotypes and, therefore, allow the marker‐QTL linkage relationship to be estimated. By capitalizing on reciprocal crosses, the model is renovated to estimate and test imprinting effects of QTLs, providing a better gateway to characterize the genetic architecture of complex traits. The model was validated through computer simulation and further demonstrated for its usefulness by analyzing a real data for an apomictic woody plant.

The model has for the first time provided a unique tool for genetic mapping in apomictic plants.
Exosomes – Structure, Biogenesis and Biological Role in Non‐Small‐Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Frydrychowicz M. , Kolecka‐Bednarczyk A. , Madejczyk M. , Yasar S. , Dworacki G. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractMany different cells produce and release membraneous microvesicles (MV) or exosomes into their microenvironment. Exosomes represent a specific subtype of secreted derived vesicles which are defined as homogenous vesicles of 30–100 nm lined by a lipid bilayer, which contain a specific set of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. There are clear evidences that they serve as important biological signals messengers and carriers in physiological as well as in pathological processes. Those derived from tumours (tumour‐derived exosomes, TD‐exosomes) function as protumourigenic factors that can mediate intercellular communication in the tumour microenvironment and also contribute to cancer progression. The main functions of exosomes in the cancer microenvironment include the following: promotion of primary cancer growth, stimulation of angiogenesis, activation of stromal fibroblasts, sculpting the cancer ECM, generation of a premetastatic niche and suppression of host immune response. Exosomes have recently emerged as potentially promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cancer and other diseases. This article is a summary of information about the structure and origin of exosomes and also indicates the importance of exosomes and microRNAs in lung cancer. The role of exosomes in NSCLC is little known, and its explanation requires thorough research.
Comparison of Pedometer and Accelerometer Derived Steps in Older Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease or Osteoporosis Under Free-Living Conditions
Authors: Wallén Martin Benka , Dohrn Ing-Mari , Ståhle Agneta , Franzén Erika , Hagströmer Maria 
Published: October 2014

Aim:To compare self-reported pedometer steps with accelerometer steps under free-living conditions in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or osteoporosis (OP).Methods:Seventy-three individuals with PD and 71 individuals with OP wore a pedometer (Yamax LS2000) and an accelerometer (ActiGraph GT1M/GT3X+) simultaneously for one week.Results:Fifty-one individuals with PD (72.6 ± 5.3 years) and 61 with OP (75.6 ± 5.3 years) provided simultaneously recorded data for 3–7 consecutive days. Pedometer steps were significantly lower than accelerometer steps in the PD group (p = .002) but not in the OP group (p = .956). Bland-Altman plots demonstrated wide limits of agreement between the instruments in both PD (range = 6,911 steps) and OP (range = 6,794 steps).Conclusion:These results suggest that the ActiGraph GT1M/GT3X+ should be preferred over the Yamax LS2000 for the assessment of steps in both research and clinical evaluations, particularly in individuals with PD or altered gait.