bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF DEFICIT IRRIGATION ON YIELD, RELATIVE LEAF WATER CONTENT, LEAF PROLINE ACCUMULATION AND CHLOROPHYLL STABILITY INDEX OF COTTON–MAIZE CROPPING SEQUENCE
Authors: SAMPATHKUMAR T. , PANDIAN B. J. , JEYAKUMAR P. , MANICKASUNDARAM P. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYWater stress induces some physiological changes in plants and has cumulative effects on crop growth and yield. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of deficit irrigation (DI) on yield and some physiological parameters in cotton and maize in a sequential cropping system. Creation of soil moisture gradient is indispensable to explore the beneficial effects of partial root zone drying (PRD) irrigation and it could be possible only through alternate deficit irrigation (ADI) practice in paired row system of drip layout that is commonly practiced in India. In the present study, PRD and DI concepts (creation of soil moisture gradient) were implemented through ADI at two levels of irrigation using drip system. Maize was sown after cotton under no till condition without disturbing the raised bed and drip layout. Relative leaf water content (RLWC) and chlorophyll stability index (CSI) of cotton and maize were reduced under water stress. A higher level of leaf proline content was observed under severe water-stressed treatments in cotton and maize. RLWC and CSI were highest and leaf proline content was lowest in mild water deficit (ADI at 100% crop evapotranspiration once in three days) irrigation in cotton and maize. The same treatments registered higher values for crop yields, net income and benefit cost ratio for both the crops.
Feasibility of utilising an infrared-thermographic technique for early detection of subclinical mastitis in dairy camels (Camelus dromedarius)
Authors: Samara Emad M , Ayadi Moez , Aljumaah Riyadh S 
Published: December 2013

Despite the proven ability of infrared thermography (IRT) technology for early detection of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows/sheep/goats, studies on its diagnostic feasibility in dairy camels are lacking. Sixty-five lactating camels in mid lactation, machine milked twice-daily and managed under intensive conditions were screened to evaluate the feasibility of utilising IRT compared with other routine indicators in detecting subclinical mastitis. Immediately before the morning milking, a portable infrared camera was used to obtain thermograms in duplicate for the front and rear left quarters to determine the udder surface temperature (UST). Thereafter, milk samples from quarters were collected, and processed for California mastitis test (CMT) score and somatic cell count (SCC). In the present study, CMT score was used to define subclinical mastitis and the feasibility of IRT to detect subclinical mastitis was compared with CMT and SCC. According to CMT score, subclinical mastitic udders had an average UST of 1·42 °C greater (P<0·0001) than healthy udders. The relationship between UST and CMT was found to be highly correlated (r=0·77;P<0·001), and UST was linearly increased as the CMT increased [UST (°C)=34·86+0·66×CMT score;R2=0·65;P<0·001]. Additionally, high correlations were obtained between UST and SCC score (r=0·75;P<0·001) and the relationship between UST and SCC was fitted best to a logarithmic equation [UST, °C=33·39+0·88×Log (SCC, ×103 cells/ml),R2=0·61,P<0·001]. The cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for UST were 35·15 °C, 0·90, 0·98, and 0·95, respectively, when subclinical mastitis was defined according to CMT score, and were 35·70 °C, 0·89, 0·96 and 0·94, respectively, when categorised according to the obtained SCC threshold (SCC=432 000 cells/ml). In conclusion, IRT, as an indirect non-invasive screening method, was highly feasible for distinguishing subclinical mastitic udders in dairy camels, which is crucial to treat mastitis early and efficiently.
A New Anomaly: The Cross-Sectional Profitability of Technical Analysis
Authors: Han Yufeng , Yang Ke , Zhou Guofu 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIn this paper, we document that an application of a moving average timing strategy of technical analysis to portfolios sorted by volatility generates investment timing portfolios that substantially outperform the buy-and-hold strategy. For high-volatility portfolios, the abnormal returns, relative to the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and the Fama-French 3-factor models, are of great economic significance, and are greater than those from the well-known momentum strategy. Moreover, they cannot be explained by market timing ability, investor sentiment, default, and liquidity risks. Similar results also hold if the portfolios are sorted based on other proxies of information uncertainty.
Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss: review
Authors: Sara S A , Teh B M , Friedland P 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIntroduction:Unilateral and bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss represent different disease entities. The unilateral condition is more common and predominantly idiopathic, and up to 65 per cent of patients spontaneously recover hearing. Conversely, the bilateral condition is rare, mostly associated with serious systemic conditions, and has a higher prevalence of morbidity and mortality.Methods:A literature search using the PubMed database was conducted using the MeSH terms ‘sudden’, ‘bilateral’ and ‘sensorineural hearing loss’.Results:One hundred and three reported cases of bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss were identified. The condition is most often associated with toxic, autoimmune, neoplastic and vascular conditions. A younger age of onset, with a bimodal age distribution, was seen for bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss, compared with the unilateral condition. Patients with the bilateral condition had more profound hearing loss, with poorer recovery and a 35 per cent mortality rate. Vestibular symptoms were also less common than in the unilateral condition.Conclusion:The presentation of bilateral sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency requiring thorough and urgent investigation to exclude life-threatening and reversible conditions.
Spectral studies of nanosecond laser interaction with magnesium sulfate target in air
Authors: Salik Muhammad , Hanif Muhammad , Wang Jiasheng , Zhang Xi-Qing 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe optical emission characterization of the plasma-assisted pulsed laser ablation of the magnesium sulfate target is discussed in this study. The emission spectrum produced by the magnesium sulfate plasma in the wavelength range 200–700 nm has been carefully investigated for different experimental conditions. The spectra analysis was performed by assuming the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) approximation and calculating the plasma temperature with the Boltzmann plot method using neutral Mg spectral lines. The plasma temperature was obtained for different positions along the expansion axis, which allowed obtaining the electron population distribution as a function of the distance from the target. The plasma temperature along the expansion axis allowed evaluating the evolution of the excited states population when the plume expands. Moreover, the Stark broadening method has been employed for electron number density measurements. In this study, the Stark width of the Mg (I) spectral line at 285.21 nm was used. Besides, we have studied the variation of electron temperature (Te) and electron number density (Ne) as a function of laser irradiance.
High-informative version of nonlinear transformation of Langmuir waves to electromagnetic waves
Authors: Erofeev Vasily I. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe concept of informativeness of nonlinear plasma physical scenario is discussed. Basic principles for heightening the informativeness of plasma kinetic models are explained. Formerhigh-informative correlation analysis of plasma kinetics(Erofeev, V. 2011High-Informative Plasma Theory, Saarbrücken: LAP) is generalized for studies of weakly turbulent plasmas that contain fields of solenoidal plasma waves apart from former potential ones. Respective machinery of plasma kinetic modeling is applied to an analysis of fusion of Langmuir waves with transformation to electromagnetic waves. It is shown that the customary version of this phenomenon (Terashima, Y. and Yajima, N. 1963Prog. Theor. Phys.30, 443; Akhiezer, I. A., Danelia, I. A. and Tsintsadze, N. L. 1964Sov. Phys. JETP19, 208; Al'tshul', L. M. and Karpman, V. I. 1965Sov. Phys. JETP20, 1043) substantially distorts the picture of merging of Langmuir waves with long wavelengths (λ ≳c/ωpe).
A brief review of spatial analysis concepts and tools used for mapping, containment and risk modelling of infectious diseases and other illnesses
Authors: CAPRARELLI GRAZIELLA , FLETCHER STEPHANIE 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYFast response and decision making about containment, management, eradication and prevention of diseases, are increasingly important aspects of the work of public health officers and medical providers. Diseases and the agents causing them are spatially and temporally distributed, and effective countermeasures rely on methods that can timely locate the foci of infection, predict the distribution of illnesses and their causes, and evaluate the likelihood of epidemics. These methods require the use of large datasets from ecology, microbiology, health and environmental geography. Geodatabases integrating data from multiple sets of information are managed within the frame of geographic information systems (GIS). Many GIS software packages can be used with minimal training to query, map, analyse and interpret the data. In combination with other statistical or modelling software, predictive and spatio-temporal modelling can be carried out. This paper reviews some of the concepts and tools used in epidemiology and parasitology. The purpose of this review is to provide public health officers with the critical tools to decide about spatial analysis resources and the architecture for the prevention and surveillance systems best suited to their situations.
A longitudinal follow-up study of people with Prader–Willi syndrome with psychosis and those at increased risk of developing psychosis due to genetic subtype
Authors: Larson F. V. , Whittington J. , Webb T. , Holland A. J. 
Published: December 2013

BackgroundPeople with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), a genetically defined developmental disorder, are at increased risk of developing psychotic illness. This is particularly the case for those with a genetic subtype of PWS called maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD), where rates of psychosis are more than 60% by early adult life. Little is known about the long-term course of their disorder.MethodIndividuals who had had episodes of psychosis or were at increased risk of developing psychosis due to their genetic subtype and had taken part in a previous study were contacted. Ten people were untraceable or deceased, leaving a total of 38 potential participants. Of these, 28 agreed to take part in a follow-up interview or complete a questionnaire about their mental health and medication. This represented 20/35 (57.1%) people from the original study who had had psychosis and 8/13 (61.5%) people who were at risk due to their genetic subtype. They were thought to be representative of those groups as a whole based on IQ and number of episodes of psychosis.ResultsTwo individuals had had recurrent episodes of psychosis while all others remained well. There were no new-onset cases of psychosis in those at risk. Individuals with PWS remained on high levels of psychiatric medication throughout the follow-up period.ConclusionsRecurrent episodes of psychosis may be rare in people with PWS once stability has been achieved in the management of their illness. We speculate that this may be due to the protective influence of medication.
A solution to the motion planning and control problem of a car-like robot via a single-layer perceptron
Authors: Prasad Avinesh , Sharma Bibhya , Vanualailai Jito 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYThis paper tackles the problem of motion planning and control of a car-like robot in an obstacle-ridden workspace. A kinematic model of the vehicle, governed by a homogeneous system of first-order differential equations, is used. A solution to the multi-tasking problem of target convergence, obstacle avoidance, and posture control is then proposed. The approach of solving the problem is two-fold. Firstly, a novel velocity algorithm is proposed to drive the car-like robot from its initial position to the target position. Secondly, a single layer artificial neural network is trained to avoid disc-shaped obstacles and provide corresponding weights, which are then used to develop a function for the steering angles. Thus, our method does not need a priori knowledge of the environment except for the goal position. With the help of the Direct Method of Lyapunov, it is shown that the proposed forms of the velocity and steering angle ensure point stability. For posture stability, we model the two parallel boundaries of a row-structured parking bay as continua of disk-shaped obstacles. Thus, our method is extendable to ensuring posture stability, which gives the desired final orientation. Computer simulations of the generated path are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.
Some geometric, kinematic, and dynamic considerations on Stewart-Gough platforms with singularity analysis
Authors: Sarıgül A. Saide , Güneri Burcu 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYIn this study, some geometric, kinematic, and dynamic aspects of the design of a Stewart-Gough platform are examined. The focus of the analyses is on a particular Stewart-Gough platform that we have constructed. The analysis begins with workspace simulations for different moving platform orientations. The computations extend to a parametric study of some geometric and kinematic constraints: Joint angle, rotation angle, and limb length. Actuator force is another parameter considered; and the triple relationship between workspace, joint angle, and actuator force is discussed. Parametric analyses are culminated with a brief discussion of the real design parameters.
Optimal motion planning of juggling by 3-DOF manipulators using adaptive PSO algorithm
Authors: Akbarimajd Adel 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYThree-DOF manipulators were employed for juggling of polygonal objects in order to have full control over object's configuration. Dynamic grasp condition is obtained for the instances that the manipulators carry the object on their palms. Manipulation problem is modeled as a nonlinear optimal control problem. In this optimal control problem, time of free flight is used as a free parameter to determine throw and catch times. Cost function is selected to get maximum covered horizontal distance using minimum energy. By selecting third-order polynomials for joint motions, the problem is changed to a constrained parameter selection problem. Adaptive particle swarm optimization method is consequently employed to solve the optimization problem. Effectiveness of the optimization algorithm is verified by a set of simulations in MSC. ADAMS.
Reciprocal transplant experiment suggests host specificity of the mistletoe Agelanthus natalitius in South Africa
Authors: Okubamichael Desale Y. , Griffiths Megan E. , Ward David 
Published: December 2013

Abstract:We surveyed the community composition of trees that host the mistletoe Agelanthus natalitius (Loranthaceae) at two sites (Highover and Mtontwane) in South Africa. We recorded a total of 1464 trees (Acacia karroo and A. caffra) hosting 1202 mistletoes in the 64 surveyed plots (20 × 50 m). There were almost four times as many A. karroo as A. caffra at Highover and three times as many A. karroo as A. caffra at Mtontwane. There was no significant difference in prevalence (percentage of infected trees) at Highover (A. karroo = 22% and A. caffra = 26%), but a significantly greater percentage of A. caffra trees were parasitized at Mtontwane (A. karroo = 25% and A. caffra = 34%). Intensity of infection (number of mistletoe infections per tree) was higher for A. karroo (0.73 ± 0.04 and 1.03 ± 0.64) than for A. caffra (0.66 ± 0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.035) at Highover and Mtontwane, respectively. Prevalence and intensity of infection showed a significant positive relationship with tree size for both host species at both sites. We tested the genotype-by-environment interaction effects in this mistletoe by conducting reciprocal transplant experiments (64 individual trees each received 20 seeds). Initial germination was not site-, substrate- or host-sensitive. However, a general pattern was found that hypocotyls of the germinated seeds grew longer when seeds were placed on the same host species as the parent plant within their own source locality. Consistent with this observation, mistletoes placed on their source host species generally had higher survival than those transferred to non-source host species after 6 mo. Overall, mistletoe seeds from parent plants on A. karroo and mistletoe seeds placed on A. karroo had the highest survival. This could be the result of an adaptation of the mistletoe to the most frequently encountered host species.
Quantifying the risk of respiratory infection in healthcare workers performing high-risk procedures
Authors: MACINTYRE C. R. , SEALE H. , YANG P. , ZHANG Y. , SHI W. , ALMATROUDI A. , MOA A. , WANG X. , LI X. , PANG X. , WANG Q. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYThis study determined the risk of respiratory infection associated with high-risk procedures (HRPs) performed by healthcare workers (HCWs) in high-risk settings. We prospectively studied 481 hospital HCWs in China, documented risk factors for infection, including performing HRPs, measured new infections, and analysed whether HRPs predicted infection. Infection outcomes were clinical respiratory infection (CRI), laboratory-confirmed viral or bacterial infection, and an influenza infection. About 12% (56/481) of the study participants performed at least one HRP, the most common being airway suctioning (7·7%, 37/481). HCWs who performed a HRP were at significantly higher risk of developing CRI and laboratory-confirmed infection [adjusted relative risk 2·9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·42–5·87 and 2·9, 95% CI 1·37–6·22, respectively]. Performing a HRP resulted in a threefold increase in the risk of respiratory infections. This is the first time the risk has been prospectively quantified in HCWs, providing data to inform occupational health and safety policies.
Serological survey of a new type of reovirus in humans in China
Authors: BAI B. , SHEN H. , HU Y. , HOU J. , LIU Z. , LI R. , CHAI Y. , HUANG W. , MAO P. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYTo evaluate the presence of a new type of reovirus (designated R4) in humans, we determined the prevalence of specific antibodies using a neutralization assay and ELISA. The sera from 97 healthy people and 219 patients in our hospital with measles, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, liver diseases, and diarrhoea were investigated. Although the study population was limited, our data suggested that R4 is widespread in the human population. A significantly higher level of R4-specific antibody in patients than in healthy people is worthy of consideration, since it poses a risk for aggravation of the extant illness by the reovirus.
Population dynamics ofStaphylococcus aureusfrom Northeastern Nigeria in 2007 and 2012
Authors: OKON K. O. , SHITTU A. O. , KUDI A. A. , UMAR H. , BECKER K. , SCHAUMBURG F. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYThe population structure ofStaphylococcus aureusis changing globally but the situation regarding dominant clones in sub-Saharan Africa is not clear. We therefore assessed changes in the population structure of clinicalS. aureusisolates obtained in 2007 (n = 75) and 2012 (n = 75) from Northeastern Nigeria. A reduction in resistance to penicillin, gentamicin, erythromycin and clindamycin was observed in 2012. A decrease of methicillin resistance rates (13·3% to 8·0%) was associated with the decline of the ST241 MRSA clone. The proportion of Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive isolates also decreased from 65·3% to 44%, and was linked with the emergence of PVL-negative ST601 clone in 2012. The significant decline in antibiotic resistance in the study area is in contrast to the worldwide trend of increasing resistance rates.
Seasonality of reported tuberculosis cases from 2006 to 2010 in Wuhan, China
Authors: LUO T. , SUMI A. , ZHOU D. , KOBAYASHI N. , MISE K. , YU B. , KONG D. , WANG J. , DUAN Q. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYWe investigated the seasonality of tuberculosis (TB) in Wuhan, China, to evaluate the increased risk of disease transmission during each season and to develop an effective TB control strategy. We applied spectral analysis to the weekly prevalence data of sputum smear positive (SSP) and sputum smear negative (SSN) pulmonary TB reported from 2006 to 2010. Cases of both SSP and SSN feature 1·0- and 0·5-year periodic modes. The least squares method was used to fit curves to the two periodic modes for SSP and SSN data. The curves demonstrated dominant peaks in spring similar to cases reported previously for other locations. Notably for SSP, dominant peaks were also observed in summer. The spring peaks of SSP and SSN were explained in terms of poorly ventilated and humid rooms and vitamin D deficiency. For the summer peaks of SSP, summer influenza epidemics in Wuhan may contribute to the increase in TB prevalence.
Enterobius vermicularis and allergic conditions in Norwegian children
Authors: BØÅS H. , TAPIA G. , RASMUSSEN T. , RØNNINGEN K. S. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYStudies investigating the association between Enterobius vermicularis and allergic conditions have shown conflicting results. This study was conducted to test for any such associations in Norwegian children. Parents were asked to answer questionnaires concerning their children's history of allergies, wheezing or eczema and pinworm infections. Current pinworm infections were diagnosed by microscopic examination of anal scotch tape samples. The data were analysed using logistic regression. Atopic eczema, allergy or wheezing was reported to be confirmed by a physician in 23% of the children (84/364). A possible association between current pinworm infections and food allergy was found, with 17·5% of children without food allergy testing positive for pinworms, compared to 36·8% of children with food allergy (odds ratio 2·9, 95% confidence interval 1·1–8·0). No association was found between past pinworm treatments and present atopic conditions. The association between current E. vermicularis infections and food allergy warrants further study.