bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Prevalence of Pseudoexfoliation and the Long-term Changes in Eyes With Pseudoexfoliation in a South Indian Population
Authors: Vijaya Lingam , Asokan Rashima , Panday Manish , Choudhari Nikhil S. , Sathyamangalam Ramesh V. , Velumuri Lokapavani , George Ronnie 
Published: May 2015

Purpose:
To report the prevalence, long-term changes and associated factors for pseudoexfoliation (PEX) in a population aged 40 years and above from rural and urban south India.

Materials and Methods:
At baseline (the Chennai Glaucoma Study), 7774 subjects were examined. After 6 years, as a part of the incidence study, 133 of the 290 subjects diagnosed with PEX at baseline were reexamined for long-term changes. Participants had detailed examination at base hospital.

Results:
At baseline PEX was noted in 290 [3.73%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.3-4.2] subjects. It was associated with glaucoma in 24 (8.3%), ocular hypertension (OHT) in 21 (7.2%), and occludable angles in 24 (8.3%) subjects. The age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence was 3.41% (95% CI, 3.39-3.43). Increasing age was a significant associated factor. Using the 40- to 49-year age group as a reference, the odds ratio increased from 8.4 (95% CI, 4.1-17.1) for the 50- to 59-year age group to 51.2 (95% CI, 25.8-101.6) for the 70 years and above age group. Other associated factors were rural residence (P<0.001), higher intraocular pressure (P<0.001), cataract (P<0.001), being underweight (P=0.01), manual labor (P=0.03), and aphakia (P<0.001). Of the 133 subjects reexamined, 8 (6.0%) subjects developed glaucoma and all had OHT at baseline. Rates of cataract surgery were (P<0.001) higher in subjects with PEX.

Conclusion:
Prevalence of PEX was higher in rural population and baseline OHT was a significant factor for conversion to glaucoma.
Evaluation of the Retro-Orbital Fatty Tissue Volume in Delayed Orbital Blow-Out Fractures
Authors: Pilanci Ozgur , Ceran Fatih , Sagir Mehmet , Teken Abdurezzak , Kuvat Samet Vasfi 
Published: May 2015

Purpose:
In patients where diplopia and enophthalmia are manifest, surgical intervention is usually necessary. The pathogenesis of these symptoms usually includes the prolapse of orbital tissues into the sinus or compression by the surrounding bone structures. Although the retro-orbital fatty tissue, orbital fascia, and the muscle tissue can be reduced to the original place after being incarcerated into the maxillary space, it is obvious that the procedure can lead to significant fibrosis in these structures. The authors have aimed to carry out a quantitative evaluation of the fatty tissue volumes in patients with repair delayed for more than two weeks.

Methods:
The preoperative and postoperative fatty tissue volumes and the changes in total orbital volume were evaluated by using CT on the patients (n = 9) who were consulted to the authors’ clinic from other health centers.

Results:
Although no significant correlation was observed between the prolapsed volume and the postoperative reduction in the fatty tissue, the reduction in the retro-orbital fatty tissue was statistically significant.

Conclusion:
Evaluating postoperative retro-orbital fatty tissue volumes may have implications for surgical intervention in the future.
Acetoanaerobium pronyense sp. nov., an anaerobic alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from a carbonate chimney of the Prony Hydrothermal Field (New Caledonia)
Authors: Bes Méline , Merrouch Mériem , Joseph Manon , Quéméneur Marianne , Payri Claude , Pelletier Bernard , Ollivier Bernard , Fardeau Marie-Laure , Erauso Gaël , Postec Anne 
Published: May 2015

A novel anaerobic bacterial strain, ST07-YET, was isolated from a carbonate chimney of the Prony Hydrothermal Field (PHF) in New Caledonia. Cells were Gram-stain-positive, straight rods (0.7–0.8 × 3.0–5.0 μm) and motile by means of lateral flagella. Strain ST07-YET was mesophilic (optimum 35 °C), moderately alkaliphilic and halotolerant (optimum pH 8.7 and 5 g l− 1 NaCl). Elemental sulfur, sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, nitrate and nitrite were not used as terminal electron acceptors. Yeast extract, peptone, tryptone, Casamino acids, crotonate, pyruvate, galactose, maltose, sucrose, ribose, trehalose and glucose were used as carbon sources. Glucose fermentation led to acetate, H2 and CO2 formation. Arginine, serine, histidine, lysine, methionine and cysteine improved growth, but the Stickland reaction was negative for the combinations of amino acids tested. The major metabolic products from yeast extract fermentation were H2, CO2, acetate, butyrate, isobutyrate, isovalerate and propionate. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C16
:
0, C16
:
1
cis9, C14
:
0 and C16
:
1
cis7 (>5 % of total fatty acids). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 32.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain ST07-YET was most closely related to Clostridium sticklandii DSM 519T and Acetoanaerobium noterae NOT-3T (96.7 % and 96.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively). On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and physiological properties, strain ST07-YET is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Acetoanaerobium (order Clostridiales, phylum Firmicutes) with the name Acetoanaerobium pronyense sp. nov. The type strain is ST07-YET ( = DSM 27512T = JCM 19400T).
Negative Niche Construction Favors the Evolution of Cooperation
Authors: Connelly Brian D. , Dickinson Katherine J. , Hammarlund Sarah P. , Kerr Benjamin 
Published: May 2015

AbstractBy benefitting others at a cost to themselves, cooperators face an ever present threat from defectors—individuals that avail themselves of the cooperative benefit without contributing. A longstanding challenge to evolutionary biology is to understand the mechanisms that support the many instances of cooperation that nevertheless exist. Hammarlund et al. recently demonstrated that cooperation can persist by hitchhiking along with beneficial non-social adaptations. Importantly, cooperators play an active role in this process. In spatially-structured environments, clustered cooperator populations reach greater densities, which creates more mutational opportunities to gain beneficial non-social adaptations. Cooperation rises in abundance by association with these adaptations. However, once adaptive opportunities have been exhausted, the ride abruptly ends as cooperators are displaced by adapted defectors. Using an agent-based model, we demonstrate that the selective feedback that is created as populations construct their local niches can maintain cooperation indefinitely. This cooperator success depends specifically on negative niche construction, which acts as a perpetual source of adaptive opportunities. As populations adapt, they alter their environment in ways that reveal additional opportunities for adaptation. Despite being independent of niche construction in our model, cooperation feeds this cycle. By reaching larger densities, populations of cooperators are better able to adapt to changes in their constructed niche and successfully respond to the constant threat posed by defectors. We relate these findings to previous studies from the niche construction literature and discuss how this model could be extended to provide a greater understanding of how cooperation evolves in the complex environments in which it is found.
Analytical optimization of litz-wire windings independent of porosity factor
Authors: Wojda Rafal P. , Kazimierczuk Marian K. 
Published: May 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, an analytical model based on one-dimensional Dowell’s equation for computing ac-to-dc winding resistance ratio FR of litz wire is presented. The model takes into account proximity effect within the bundle and between bundle layers as well as the skin effect. Second, low- and medium-frequency approximation of Dowell’s equation for the litz-wire winding is derived. Third, a derivation of an analytical equation is given for the optimum strand diameter of the litz-wire winding independent on the porosity factor.

Design/methodology/approach
– The methodology is as follows. First, the model of the litz-wire bundle is assumed to be a square shape. Than the effective number of layers in the litz wire bundle is derived. Second, the litz-wire winding is presented and an analytical equation for the winding resistance is derived. Third, analytical optimization of the strand diameter in the litz-wire winding is independent on the porosity factor performed, where the strand diameter is independent on the porosity factor. The boundary frequency between the low-frequency and the medium-frequency ranges for both solid-round-wire and litz-wire windings are derived. Hence, useful frequency range of both windings can be determined and compared.

Findings
– Closed form analytical equations for the optimum strand diameter independent of the porosity factor are derived. It has been shown that the ac-to-dc winding resistance ratio of the litz-wire winding for the optimum strand diameter is equal to 1.5. Moreover, it has been shown that litz-wire winding is better than the solid-round-wire winding only in specific frequency range. At very high frequencies the litz-wire winding ac resistance becomes much greater than the solid-round-wire winding due to proximity effect between the strands in the litz-wire bundle. The accuracy of the derived equations is experimentally verified.

Research limitations/implications
– Derived equations takes into account the losses due to induced eddy-currents caused by the applied current. Equations does not take into account the losses caused by the fringing flux, curvature, edge and end winding effects.

Originality/value
– This paper presents derivations of the closed-form analytical equations for the optimum bare strand diameter of the litz-wire winding independent on the porosity factor. Significant advantage of derived equations is their simplicity and easy to use for the inductor designers.
Model calibration of non-ideal lowpass filter in modulated wideband converter for compressive sampling
Authors: Zhao Yijiu , Wang Houjun , Dai Zhijian 
Published: May 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a model calibration technique for modulated wideband converter (MWC) with non-ideal lowpass filter. Without making any change to the system architecture, at the cost of a moderate oversampling, the calibrated system can perform as the system with ideal lowpass filter.

Design/methodology/approach
– A known test sparse signal is used to approximate the finite impulse response (FIR) of the practical non-ideal lowpass filter. Based on the approximated FIR filter, a digital compensation filter is designed to calibrate the practical filter. The calibrated filter can meet the perfect reconstruction condition. The non-ideal sub-Nyquist samples are filtered by a compensation filter.

Findings
– Experimental results indicate that, by calibrating the MWC with the proposed algorithm, the impaction of non-ideal lowpass filter could be avoided. The performance of signal reconstruction could be improved significantly.

Originality/value
– Without making any change to the MWC architecture, the proposed algorithm can calibrated the non-ideal lowpass filter. By filtering the non-ideal sub-Nyquist samples with the designed compensation filter, the original signal could be reconstructed with high accuracy.
An improved criterion for peak-to-peak realization of direct-form interfered digital filters employing saturation nonlinearities
Authors: Kokil Priyanka , Shinde Swapnil Sadashiv 
Published: May 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present a criterion for global asymptotic stability of state-space direct-form digital filters employing saturation arithmetic.Design/methodology/approach– An elegant use of inducedl∞approach (also known as a peak-to-peak approach) is made to develop a criterion for the overflow stability of state-space direct-form digital filters.Findings– The criterion not only guarantees asymptotic stability but also reduces the effect of external interference. The presented method yields better interference attenuation level as compared to a recently reported method. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Practical implications– Digital filters are important dynamical systems in signal processing which are used for the processing of discrete signals. During the implementation of higher-order digital filter in hardware or software, introduction of external interference is unavoidable. Therefore, stability analysis of digital filters in the presence of external interference is of much practical importance.Originality/value– The main result of the paper is reported for the first time and it is useful to establish the asymptotic stability of digital filters in the presence of external disturbances.
Capital budgeting practices: evidence from Sri Lanka
Authors: Nurullah Mohamed , Kengatharan Lingesiya 
Published: May 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate prevailing capital budgeting practices in Sri Lankan listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach
– A comprehensive primary survey was conducted of 32 out of 46 chief financial officers (CFOs) of manufacturing and trading companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in Sri Lanka. Garnered data were then analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques.

Findings
– The results revealed that net present value (NPV) was the most preferred capital budgeting method, followed closely by payback (PB) and internal rate of return (IRR). Similarly, sensitivity analysis was regarded as the dominant capital budgeting tool for incorporating risk and the widely used method for calculating cost of capital was the weighted average cost of capital. Moreover, results revealed that size of the capital budget affects the use of the capital budgeting methods (NPV, IRR and PB) and incorporating risk tool (sensitivity analysis and simulation). Further, results revealed that CFOs had higher educational qualification were preferred to use sophisticated capital budgeting practices dominantly NPV, IRR and incorporating risk tool of sensitivity analysis although they were found to be reluctant in use of accounting rate of return. In a similar vein CFOs with higher experience were preferred using IRR and sensitivity analysis.

Originality/value
– This study contributed to academics, practitioners, policy makers and stakeholders of the company. Moreover, this research has proffered a more reliable and comprehensive analysis of capital budgeting practices in Sri Lankan listed manufacturing and trading firms. Since Sri Lanka is an unexplored country on capital budgeting practices, this research was originally contributed to the extant literature per se.
Behavior of Indian sectoral stock price indices in the post subprime crisis period
Authors: Vardhan Harsh , Sinha Pankaj , Vij Madhu 
Published: May 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate importance of usage of sector indices which provides insight for sector specific investment strategies and direction for suitable policy formulation for the Indian industry. It investigates long run, short run and causality relationships between eight identified sector indices and Sensex for the post subprime period.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study uses Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) for econometric analysis. It employs Generalized Impulse Response and Variance Decomposition analysis for developed multivariate framework in order to provide information about precise interplay of the sector indices.

Findings
– Long-term relationships between sector indices were determined by the usage of VECM indicating minimal benefits from diversifying investments to different sectors. Limited lead – lag short run relationships between sector indices were observed. Banking index played a predominant and integrating role in moving other indices. During this period of recovery; most sectors were protected and provided marginally better returns due to robust Banking policy. Realty and Metal were other significant drivers influencing remaining sectors contemporaneously. The study for the post subprime crisis period helps to understand the importance and behavior of interrelated sector indices and Sensex in the dynamic economic environment.

Practical implications
– The study clearly provides direction for sector specific investment strategies and policy formulation.

Originality/value
– The study highlights utility and importance of usage of sector indices. No study using sector indices for the Indian economy have been done earlier employing VAR for the post subprime crisis period.
Capital Income Taxation Revisited: The Roles of Information Friction and External Finance
Authors: Ho Wai‐Hong , Wang Yong 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThis paper reexamines the classical issue of optimal taxation on capital income in an overlapping‐generations growth model where the risky capital‐producing projects are financed partially with external funds in the presence of costly state verification. In this context, we first show that the information friction creates standard credit market distortions that are exacerbated by both capital income taxation and external financing. We subsequently show from both growth and welfare perspectives that the optimal tax rate on capital income decreases with the severity of asymmetric information and the extent of external financing. Alternatively, our analysis suggests that the presence of informational friction in the credit market introduces a rationale for more conservative taxation on capital, especially when the need for external financing is high.
Indeterminacy with Progressive Taxation and Sector‐Specific Externalities
Authors: Guo Jang‐Ting , Harrison Sharon G. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThis paper quantitatively examines the empirical plausibility of equilibrium indeterminacy and sunspot‐driven cyclical fluctuations in a real business cycle model with two distinct production sectors that yield consumption and investment goods, together with separable or non‐separable preferences. When calibrated to match the observed progressivity of the US federal individual income tax schedule, each version of our model economy exhibits an indeterminate steady state under empirically realistic combinations of the household's labour supply elasticity and the degree of productive externalities in the investment goods sector. Therefore, macroeconomic instability due to agents' self‐fulfilling expectations may, in fact, be a prevalent feature of the US economy.
Morbidity associated with episiotomy in vacuum delivery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sagi‐Dain L , Sagi S 
Published: May 2015

BackgroundThe role of episiotomy in vacuum deliveries is controversial.ObjectivesTo perform a meta‐analysis of the literature examining this subject.Search strategyThe search was conducted in four databases.Selection criteriaTwo investigators independently selected original research examining the effects of episiotomy on any neonatal and maternal outcomes during vacuum delivery.Data collection and analysisThe effect estimates were presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).Main resultsFifteen articles were included, encompassing a total of 350 764 vacuum deliveries. A non‐significant relationship was shown between mediolateral episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) in nulliparous women (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.43–1.07; six studies), whereas an increased risk was demonstrated in parous women (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05–1.53; two reports). A higher risk of OASIS with median episiotomy use was shown in nulliparous (OR 5.11, 95% CI 3.23–8.08; two studies) as well as in parous (OR 89.4, 95% CI 11.8–677.1; one study) women. Lateral episiotomy was related to lower OASIS risk in nullipara (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49–0.70; single paper). Mediolateral episiotomy was linked to increased rates of postpartum haemorrhage (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.16–2.86) and analgesia use (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.39–3.17; two reports). Overall, the quality of evidence was rated as low to very low.Author's conclusionsMediolateral and median episiotomy in parous woman may increase the rate of OASIS at vacuum delivery, whereas lateral episiotomy in nulliparous women could be associated with a decreased risk of OASIS. The suboptimal quality of the available evidence necessitates high‐quality well‐designed randomised trials.Tweetable abstractEpisiotomy in vacuum delivery does not appear to be of benefit, and might even increase maternal morbidity.
The development and application of a multiplex short tandem repeat (STR) system for identifying subspecies, individuals and sex in tigers
Authors: ZOU Zheng‐Ting , UPHYRKINA Olga V. , FOMENKO Pavel , LUO Shu‐Jin 
Published: May 2015

AbstractPoaching and trans‐boundary trafficking of tigers and body parts are threatening the world's last remaining wild tigers. Development of an efficient molecular genetic assay for tracing the origins of confiscated specimens will assist in law enforcement and wildlife forensics for this iconic flagship species. We developed a multiplex genotyping system “tigrisPlex” to simultaneously assess 22 short tandem repeat (STR, or microsatellite) loci and a gender‐identifyingSRYgene, all amplified in 4 reactions using as little as 1 ng of template DNA. With DNA samples used for between‐run calibration, the system generates STR genotypes that are directly compatible with voucher tiger subspecies genetic profiles, hence making it possible to identify subspecies via bi‐parentally inherited markers. We applied “tigrisPlex” to 12 confiscated specimens from Russia and identified 6 individuals (3 females and 3 males), each represented by duplicated samples and all designated as Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) with high confidence. This STR multiplex system can serve as an effective and versatile approach for genetic profiling of both wild and captive tigers as well as confiscated tiger products, fulfilling various conservation needs for identifying the origins of tiger samples.
A genomewide catalogue of single nucleotide polymorphisms in white‐beaked and Atlantic white‐sided dolphins
Authors: Fernández R. , Schubert M. , Vargas‐Velázquez A. M. , Brownlow A. , Víkingsson G. A. , Siebert U. , Jensen L. F. , Øien N. , Wall D. , Rogan E. , Mikkelsen B. , Dabin W. , Alfarhan A. H. , Alquraishi S. A. , Al‐Rasheid K. A. S. , Guillot G. , Orlando L. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe field of population genetics is rapidly moving into population genomics as the quantity of data generated by high‐throughput sequencing platforms increases. In this study, we used restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing (RADSeq) to recover genomewide genotypes from 70 white‐beaked (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) and 43 Atlantic white‐sided dolphins (L. acutus) gathered throughout their north‐east Atlantic distribution range. Both species are at a high risk of being negatively affected by climate change. Here, we provide a resource of 38 240 RAD‐tags and 52 981 nuclear SNPs shared between both species. We have estimated overall higher levels of nucleotide diversity in white‐sided (π = 0.0492 ± 0.0006%) than in white‐beaked dolphins (π = 0.0300 ± 0.0004%). White‐sided dolphins sampled in the Faroe Islands, belonging to two pods (N = 7 and N = 11), showed similar levels of diversity (π = 0.0317 ± 0.0007% and 0.0267 ± 0.0006%, respectively) compared to unrelated individuals of the same species sampled elsewhere (e.g. π = 0.0285 ± 0.0007% for 11 Scottish individuals). No evidence of higher levels of kinship within pods can be derived from our analyses. When identifying the most likely number of genetic clusters among our sample set, we obtained an estimate of two to four clusters, corresponding to both species and possibly, two further clusters within each species. A higher diversity and lower population structuring was encountered in white‐sided dolphins from the north‐east Atlantic, in line with their preference for pelagic waters, as opposed to white‐beaked dolphins that have a more patchy distribution, mainly across continental shelves.