bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence and Characteristics of Snakebite Envenomations in the New York State Between 2000 and 2010
Authors: Joslin Jeremy D. , Marraffa Jeanna M. , Singh Harinder , Mularella Joshua 
Published: May 2014

Objective We sought to evaluate the incidence of reported venomous snakebites in the state of New York between 2000 and 2010. Methods Data were collected retrospectively from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) and then reviewed for species identification and clinical outcome while using proxy measures to determine incidence of envenomation. Results From 2000 to 2010 there were 473 snakebites reported to the 5 Poison Control Centers in the state of New York. Venomous snakes accounted for 14.2% (67 of 473) of these bites. Only 35 bites (7%) required antivenom. The median age of those bitten by a venomous snake was 33. Most victims were male. Conclusions Although not rare, venomous snakebites do not occur commonly in New York State, with a mean of just 7 bites per year; fortunately most snakebites reported are from nonvenomous snakes. Yet even nonvenomous bites have the potential to cause moderately severe outcomes. Medical providers in the state should be aware of their management.
A Pilot Study of Solar Water Disinfection in the Wilderness Setting
Authors: Tedeschi Christopher M. , Barsi Christopher , Peterson Shane E. , Carey Kevin M. 
Published: May 2014

Objective Solar disinfection of water has been shown to be an effective treatment method in the developing world, but not specifically in a wilderness or survival setting. The current study sought to evaluate the technique using materials typically available in a wilderness or backcountry environment. Methods Untreated surface water from a stream in rural Costa Rica was disinfected using the solar disinfection (SODIS) method, using both standard containers as well as containers and materials more readily available to a wilderness traveler. Results Posttreatment samples using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, as well as Nalgene and Platypus water containers, showed similarly decreased levels of Escherichia coli and total coliforms. Conclusions The SODIS technique may be applicable in the wilderness setting using tools commonly available in the backcountry. In this limited trial, specific types of containers common in wilderness settings demonstrated similar performance to the standard containers. With further study, solar disinfection in appropriate conditions may be included as a viable treatment option for wilderness water disinfection.
A direct fed microbial containing a combination of three-strain Bacillus sp. can be used as an alternative to feed antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production
Authors: Dersjant-Li Yueming , Awati A. , Kromm C. , Evans C. 
Published: May 2014

SummaryThe objective of the study was to test the effect of a direct fed microbial (DFM) on the performance of broilers compared to an antibiotic growth promoter under large scale, commercial production settings. Three dietary treatments were tested in a completely randomized design including: 1) a control (C) diet containing 500 FTU/kg phytase and a mixture of xylanase, amylase, protease ; 2) C+ a specific three-strain combination of Bacillus spp. (DFM) and 3) C+ bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD). Six, similar commercial broiler houses (15,300 birds per house) were used to give two replicate houses per treatment. The birds (Hubbard x Cobb500) were fed pelleted and crumbled diets ad libitum throughout the 44 day trial period. Due to the large scale, commercial nature of the trial, no significant differences were observed in production parameters among treatments, except that DFM treatment resulted in significantly lower mortality numbers in the last two days (43 to 44d) compared to the control. However, the DFM treatment group showed numerically higher live bodyweight, lower feed conversion ratio (corrected for body weight and mortality) and lower total mortality weight compared to either the control or BMD groups, resulting in an improved production efficiency factor. When compared to control, using DFM resulted in a gross benefit of US$ 0.06 /bird, while using BMD was not cost effective. In conclusion, DFM containing a three-strain combination of Bacillus spp. may be used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters, resulting in economic benefit under commercial production settings in broilers fed commercial diets.
Control of jet breakup by a superposition of two Rayleigh–Plateau-unstable modes
Authors: Driessen Theo , Sleutel Pascal , Dijksman Frits , Jeurissen Roger , Lohse Detlef 
Published: May 2014

AbstractWe experimentally, numerically and theoretically demonstrate a novel method of producing a stream of widely spaced high-velocity droplets by imposing a superposition of two Rayleigh–Plateau-unstable modes on a liquid jet. The wavelengths of the two modes are chosen close to the wavelength of the most unstable mode. The interference pattern of the two superimposed modes causes local asymmetries in the capillary tension. The velocity of the initial droplets depends on these local asymmetries. Due to their different velocities, the droplets coalesce to produce a stream of larger droplets spaced at a much larger distance than the initial droplets. We analytically derive the perturbations that robustly induce this process and investigate the influence of the nonlinear interactions of the two Rayleigh–Plateau-unstable modes on the coalescence process. Experiments and numerical simulations demonstrate that the jet breakup and the subsequent droplet merging are fully governed by the selected modes.
Conodonts, radiolarians and ostracodes in the Permian E-Lert Formation, Loei Fold Belt, Indochina Terrane, Thailand
Authors: BURRETT CLIVE , UDCHACHON MONGKOL , THASSANAPAK HATHAITHIP , CHITNARIN ANISONG 
Published: May 2014

AbstractConodonts are rare in the Permian carbonates of Indochina but abundant conodonts and ostracodes have been obtained from turbiditic limestones of the Permian E-Lert Formation along with radiolarians from overlying cherts, all deposited on the margins of the interplatform Nam Duk Basin. Conodonts are typically Tethyan and are very similar to faunas from Sicily and south China. They includeHindeodus gulloides,Pseudohindeodus oertlii,Mesogondolella siciliensisandSweetognathus subsymmetricuswhich indicate a probable late Kungurian – Roadian age range although a Wordian age cannot be excluded.M. siciliensis, which has a high blade and small cusp supposedly typical of warm-water conodonts, is found in deep (<500 m) carbonate turbidites in Thailand and in very deep deposits in Oman and Sicily, but generally not in shallow-water tropical limestones in Thailand, Oman and Sicily. The chert sequence yields a radiolarian fauna consisting of 11 confidently assigned species of whichAlbaillella asymmetrica,A. sinuata,Tormentum delicatumandLatentifistula patagilateratasuggest a latest Kungurian – earliest Roadian age, deposited at a palaeodepth ofc.500 m. Ostracodes consist of 16 genera and 23 species which belong toShivaella,Paraberounella,Carinaknightina,Paraparchites,Shemonaella,Bairdia,Cryptobairdia,Bairdiacypris?,Spinocypris,Pseudobythocypris,Baschkirina,Microcheilinella,Basslerella,PolycopeandCyathus, of whichShivaella elertensis sp. nov.Chitnarin is newly described. The ostracodes are a palaeoecologically mixed assemblage comprising external platform and deeper-water forms, suggesting that the limestone turbidites were deposited on the proximal part of the slope.Cyathus caperataandC. ellipticashow a palaeobiogeographic link to south China.
The Role of Publicly Provided Electricity in Economic Development: The Experience of the Tennessee Valley Authority, 1929–1955
Authors: Kitchens Carl 
Published: May 2014

I study the impacts of one of the largest regional development projects in American History, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), on a variety of economic outcomes. The TVA has been noted as an example of how to develop a region's water power potential to stimulate growth. In what follows, I show using a county-level panel dataset, that the TVA had little impact on economic growth in the South. I attribute these results to the institutional history of the TVA and the contractual agreements it signed in an effort to expand its service territory.“…as a pebble dropped in a pond causes ripples to flow outward to the surrounding shores, the influence of TVA'slow rates flows outward to surrounding areas…”TVA's Influence on Electric Rates 1965
Bushmeat consumption among rural and urban children from Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: van Vliet Nathalie , Nebesse Casimir , Nasi Robert 
Published: May 2014

AbstractUnderstanding the importance of bushmeat consumption for household nutrition, both in rural and urban settings, is critical to developing politically acceptable ways to reduce unsustainable exploitation. This study provides insights into bushmeat consumption patterns relative to the consumption of other meat (from the wild, such as fish and caterpillars, or from domestic sources, such as beef, chicken, pork, goat and mutton) among children from Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo. Our results show that urban and rural households consume more meat from the wild than from domestic sources. Of the various types of wild meat, bushmeat and fish are the most frequently consumed by children from Kisangani and fish is the most frequently consumed in villages. Poorer urban households eat meat less frequently but consume bushmeat more frequently than wealthier households. In urban areas poorer households consume common bushmeat species more frequently and wealthier households eat meat from larger, threatened species more frequently. Urban children eat more bushmeat from larger species (duiker Cephalophus spp. and red river hog Potamochoerus porcus) than rural children (rodents, small monkeys), probably because rural households tend to consume the less marketable species or the smaller animals. We show that despite the tendency towards more urbanized population profiles and increased livelihood opportunities away from forest and farms, wildlife harvest remains a critical component of nutritional security and diversity in both rural and urban areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Detection of persistent Plasmodium spp. infections in Ugandan children after artemether-lumefantrine treatment
Authors: BETSON MARTHA , SOUSA-FIGUEIREDO JOSÉ C. , ATUHAIRE AARON , ARINAITWE MOSES , ADRIKO MOSES , MWESIGWA GERALD , NABONGE JUMA , KABATEREINE NARCIS B. , SUTHERLAND COLIN J. , STOTHARD J. RUSSELL 
Published: May 2014

SUMMARYDuring a longitudinal study investigating the dynamics of malaria in Ugandan lakeshore communities, a consistently high malaria prevalence was observed in young children despite regular treatment. To explore the short-term performance of artemether-lumefantrine (AL), a pilot investigation into parasite carriage after treatment(s) was conducted in Bukoba village. A total of 163 children (aged 2–7 years) with a positive blood film and rapid antigen test were treated with AL; only 8·7% of these had elevated axillary temperatures. On day 7 and then on day 17, 40 children (26·3%) and 33 (22·3%) were positive by microscopy, respectively. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that multi-species Plasmodium infections were common at baseline, with 41·1% of children positive for Plasmodium falciparum/Plasmodium malariae, 9·2% for P. falciparum/ Plasmodium ovale spp. and 8·0% for all three species. Moreover, on day 17, 39·9% of children infected with falciparum malaria at baseline were again positive for the same species, and 9·2% of those infected with P. malariae at baseline were positive for P. malariae. Here, chronic multi-species malaria infections persisted in children after AL treatment(s). Better point-of-care diagnostics for non-falciparum infections are needed, as well as further investigation of AL performance in asymptomatic individuals.
Decay estimates in the supremum norm for the solutions to a nonlinear evolution equation
Authors: Juutinen Petri 
Published: May 2014

We study the asymptotic behaviour, as t → ∞, of the solutions to the nonlinear evolution equationwhere ΔpNu = Δu + (p−2) (D2u(Du/∣Du∣)) · (Du/∣Du∣) is the normalized p-Laplace equation and p ≥ 2. We show that if u(x,t) is a viscosity solution to the above equation in a cylinder Ω × (0, ∞) with time-independent lateral boundary values, then it converges to the unique stationary solution h as t → ∞. Moreover, we provide an estimate for the decay rate of maxx∈Ω∣u(x,t) − h(x)∣.
Contrast sensitivity in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis assessed by sine-wave gratings and angular frequency stimuli
Authors: VIEIRA-GUTEMBERG JÁKINA G. , MENDES-SANTOS LIANA C. , CAVALCANTI-GALDINO MELYSSA K. , SANTOS NATANAEL A. , DE BUSTAMANTE SIMAS MARIA LÚCIA 
Published: May 2014

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the visual system, mainly by reducing contrast sensitivity (CS), a function that can be assessed by measuring contrast sensitivity function (CSF). To this end, we measured both the CSF for sine-wave gratings and angular frequency stimuli with 20 participants aged between 21 and 44 years, of both genders, with normal or corrected to normal visual acuity. Of these 20 participants, there were 10 volunteers with clinically defined MS of the relapsing–remitting clinical form, with no history of optic neuritis (ON), as well as 10 healthy volunteers who served as the control group (CG). We used a forced-choice detection paradigm. The results showed reduced CS to both classes of stimuli. Differences were found for sine-wave gratings at spatial frequencies of 0.5, 1.25, and 2.5 cycles per degree (cpd) (P < 0.002) and for angular frequency stimuli of 4, 24, and 48 cycles/360° (P < 0.05). On the one hand, comparing the maxima of the respective CSFs, the CS to angular frequency stimuli (24 cycles/360°) was 1.61-fold higher than that of the CS to vertical sine-wave gratings (4.0 cpd) in the CG; for the MS group, these values were 1.55-fold higher. On the other hand, CS in the MS group attained only 75% for 24 cycles/360° and 78% for 4.0 cpd of the 100% CS estimates found for the CG at the peak frequencies. These findings suggest that MS affects the visual system, mostly at its maximum contrast sensitivities. Also, since angular frequencies and sine-wave gratings operate at distinct levels of contrast in the visual system, MS seems to affect CS at both high and low levels of contrast.
The material constitution of humanness
Authors: Barrett John C. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis contribution responds to recent calls to establish a ‘symmetrical archaeology’ that will assign agency both to humans and to things. My case is that living and non-living things should be distinguished, and for archaeology to be particularly concerned with the ways different qualities ofhumannesshave been constituted in the symbiotic relationships betweenHomo sapiensand other living and non-living things.
Seeing visual narrative. New methodologies in the study of prehistoric visual depictions
Authors: Janik Liliana 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to establish how visual narratives can be used in the social context of storytelling, enabling the remembrance of events and those who participated in them in prehistory around the White Sea in the northernmost part of Europe. One of the largest complexes of fisher-gatherer-hunter art is located here, dating from the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age (ca 6000–4000 B.P.). A number of methodological strands are brought together to aid in the interpretation of the art, combining Western art-historical and non-Western visual traditions that challenge our modern ways of seeing. The paper proposes an unconventional interpretation of this rock art, in which the prehistoric imagery is ‘translated’ via two short films creating the visual link between past and the present.
Between Composition and Transcription: Ferruccio Busoni and Music Notation
Authors: KNYT ERINN 
Published: May 2014

Abstract‘The new art of music is derived from the old signs –and these now stand for the musical art itself.’1With this statement, Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924) summarized his main criticism of traditional music notation – that it was lifeless and outdated. Based on an analysis of Busoni's organic method of keyboard notation (1909), an examination of composition sketches and performance scores, and an investigation of his writings about notation in aesthetic texts – in particular theSketch of a New Aesthetic of Music(1907) – this article shows how Busoni's multifaceted views about notation forged a middle ground between the work as text and the work as performance in an age enthralled to the idea ofWerktreue. In addition, it traces the continuing influence of Busoni's ideas about notation on Arnold Schoenberg and other contemporaneous theorists and composers.
The Delay Phenomenon: A Compilation of Knowledge across Specialties
Authors: Hamilton Kristy , Wolfswinkel Erik M. , Weathers William M. , Xue Amy S. , Hatef Daniel A. , Izaddoost Shayan , Hollier Larry H. 
Published: May 2014

Objective The purpose of this article is to review and integrate the available literature in different fields to gain a better understanding of the basic physiology and optimize vascular delay as a reconstructive surgery technique. Methods A broad search of the literature was performed using the Medline database. Two queries were performed using “vascular delay,” a search expected to yield perspectives from the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, and “ischemic preconditioning,” (IPC) which was expected to yield research on the same topic in other fields. Results The combined searches yielded a total of 1824 abstracts. The “vascular delay” query yielded 76 articles from 1984 to 2011. The “ischemic preconditioning” query yielded 6534 articles, ranging from 1980 to 2012. The abstracts were screened for those from other specialties in addition to reconstructive surgery, analyzed potential or current uses of vascular delay in practice, or provided developments in understanding the pathophysiology of vascular delay. 70 articles were identified that met inclusion criteria and were applicable to vascular delay or ischemic preconditioning. Conclusion An understanding of IPC's implementation and mechanisms in other fields has beneficial implications for the field of reconstructive surgery in the context of the delay phenomenon. Despite an incomplete model of IPC's pathways, the anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory benefits of IPC are well recognized. The activation of angiogenic genes through IPC could allow for complex flap design, even in poorly vascularized regions. IPC's promotion of angiogenesis and reduction of endothelial dysfunction remain most applicable to reconstructive surgery in reducing graft-related complications and flap failure.
Combination of longitudinal biomarkers in predicting binary events
Authors: Liu Danping , Albert Paul S. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractIn disease screening, the combination of multiple biomarkers often substantially improves the diagnostic accuracy over a single marker. This is particularly true for longitudinal biomarkers where individual trajectory may improve the diagnosis. We propose a pattern mixture model (PMM) framework to predict a binary disease status from a longitudinal sequence of biomarkers. The marker distribution given the disease status is estimated from a linear mixed effects model. A likelihood ratio statistic is computed as the combination rule, which is optimal in the sense of the maximum receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve under the correctly specified mixed effects model. The individual disease risk score is then estimated by Bayes’ theorem, and we derive the analytical form of the 95% confidence interval. We show that this PMM is an approximation to the shared random effects (SRE) model proposed by Albert (2012. A linear mixed model for predicting a binary event from longitudinal data under random effects mis-specification. Statistics in Medicine31(2), 143–154). Further, with extensive simulation studies, we found that the PMM is more robust than the SRE model under wide classes of models. This new PPM approach for combining biomarkers is motivated by and applied to a fetal growth study, where the interest is in predicting macrosomia using longitudinal ultrasound measurements.
Systemic lupus erythematosus: molecular cloning and analysis of recombinant DNase monoclonal κ light chain NGK-1
Authors: Kostrikina Irina A. , Odintsova Elena S. , Buneva Valentina N. , Nevinsky Georgy A. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBecause DNase antibodies are cytotoxic, enter the nucleus and cause DNA fragmentation inducing cell death by apoptosis, they can play an important role in the pathogenesis of different autoimmune pathologies and especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The interesting goal of catalytic antibodies research is not only to study a possible biological role of such antibodies, but also to develop in future new human and animal therapies that use the advantages offered by abzymes. An immunoglobulin κ light chain library from SLE patients was cloned into a phagemid vector. Phage particles displaying recombinant monoclonal antibody light chains (MLChs) capable of binding DNA were isolated by affinity chromatography on DNA-cellulose. Sixteen of the 46 MLChs efficiently hydrolyzed DNA; one MLCh (approximately 27–28kDa) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by metal chelating and gel filtration. MLCh NGK-1 was electrophoretically homogeneous and demonstrated a positive answer with mouse IgGs against light chains of human antibodies after western blotting. SDS-PAGE in a gel containing DNA demonstrated that the MLCh hydrolyzes DNA and is not contaminated by canonical DNases. The DNase MLCh was activated by several metal ions. The protein sequence of the DNase MLCh has homology with mammalian DNases I and shares with them several identical or similar (with the same side chain functionality) important amino acid residues, which are necessary for DNA hydrolysis and binding of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions. The affinity of DNA for this first example of a MLCh (KM = 0.3 microM) was 150- to 200-fold higher than for human DNase I.
Genetic Control and Evolution of Anthocyanin Methylation
Authors: Provenzano Sofia , Spelt Cornelis , Hosokawa Satoko , Nakamura Noriko , Brugliera Filippa , Demelis Linda , Geerke Daan P. , Schubert Andrea , Tanaka Yoshikazu , Quattrocchio Francesca , Koes Ronald 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAnthocyanins are a chemically diverse class of secondary metabolites that color most flowers and fruits. They consist of three aromatic rings that can be substituted with hydroxyl, sugar, acyl, and methyl groups in a variety of patterns depending on the plant species. To understand how such chemical diversity evolved, we isolated and characterized METHYLATION AT THREE2 (MT2) and the two METHYLATION AT FIVE (MF) loci from Petunia spp., which direct anthocyanin methylation in petals. The proteins encoded by MT2 and the duplicated MF1 and MF2 genes and a putative grape (Vitis vinifera) homolog Anthocyanin O-Methyltransferase1 (VvAOMT1) are highly similar to and apparently evolved from caffeoyl-Coenzyme A O-methyltransferases by relatively small alterations in the active site. Transgenic experiments showed that the Petunia spp. and grape enzymes have remarkably different substrate specificities, which explains part of the structural anthocyanin diversity in both species. Most strikingly, VvAOMT1 expression resulted in the accumulation of novel anthocyanins that are normally not found in Petunia spp., revealing how alterations in the last reaction can reshuffle the pathway and affect (normally) preceding decoration steps in an unanticipated way. Our data show how variations in gene expression patterns, loss-of-function mutations, and alterations in substrate specificities all contributed to the anthocyanins’ structural diversity.