Malpractice claims for endoscopy

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Lyndon V; Klyve, Dominic; Regenbogen, Scott E

2013-01-01

AIM: To summarize the magnitude and time trends of endoscopy-related claims and to compare total malpractice indemnity according to specialty and procedure. METHODS: We obtained data from a comprehensive database of closed claims from a trade association of professional liability insurance carriers, representing over 60% of practicing United States physicians. Total payments by procedure and year were calculated, and were adjusted for inflation (using the Consumer Price Index) to 2008 dollars. Time series analysis was performed to assess changes in the total value of claims for each type of procedure over time. RESULTS: There were 1901 endoscopy-related closed claims against all providers from 1985 to 2008. The specialties include: internal medicine (n = 766), gastroenterology (n = 562), general surgery (n = 231), general and family practice (n = 101), colorectal surgery (n = 87), other specialties (n = 132), and unknown (n = 22). Colonoscopy represented the highest frequencies of closed claims (n = 788) and the highest total indemnities ($54 093 000). In terms of mean claims payment, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) ranked the highest ($374  794) per claim. Internists had the highest number of total claims (n = 766) and total claim payment ($70  730  101). Only total claim payments for colonoscopy and ERCP seem to have increased over time. Indeed, there was an average increase of 15.5% per year for colonoscopy and 21.9% per year for ERCP after adjusting for inflation. CONCLUSION: There appear to be differences in malpractice coverage costs among specialties and the type of endoscopic procedure. There is also evidence for secular trend in total claim payments, with colonoscopy and ERCP costs rising yearly even after adjusting for inflation. PMID:23596540

Marine stratus initiative at San Francisco International Airport

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-06-25

San Francisco International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States and one of the highest delay airports in terms of total aircraft delay hours and number of imposed air traffic delay programs. May through September, weather fore...

Vertical distribution and seasonality of peracarid crustaceans associated with intertidal macroalgae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerra-García, J. M.; Baeza-Rojano, E.; Cabezas, M. P.; García-Gómez, J. C.

2011-02-01

Spatial patterns and seasonal fluctuations of intertidal peracarids from Tarifa Island, Strait of Gibraltar, were studied over a two-year period (December 2005-December 2007). A total of 25,749 individuals were collected, comprising 46 species. Amphipods were best represented in the total number of species (32) and individuals (89% of numerical abundance) followed by isopods (12 species and 11% abundance) and tanaids (2 species and 1%). The highest number of species was registered in intermediate levels (1-1.5 m) dominated by Corallina elongata, although the highest abundances of peracarids were associated to seaweeds of lower levels (0-1 m) such as Gelidium corneum, Osmundea pinnatifida, Valonia utricularis and a turf of Caulacanthus ustulatus. The most abundant peracarids, Hyale stebbingi, H. schmidti, H. perieri, Stenothoe monoculoides, Caprella penantis, C. grandimana, Dynamene edwardsii and Ischyromene lacazei, were present throughout the whole year during 2006 and 2007. The highest peracarid densities were measured in April-August coinciding with the highest development of seaweeds, just before the maximum values of water temperature measured at the end of summer. Multivariate analyses confirmed a clear zonation of algae and associated peracarids in a vertical gradient, which was maintained stable during the two-year study. Several physical and biological factors may regulate such patterns of peracarid abundance and future experimental studies are necessary to explore the importance of factors such as competition, predation or weather conditions.

Examining the Use of a Social Media Campaign to Increase Engagement for the American Heart Association 2017 Resuscitation Science Symposium.

PubMed

Leary, Marion; McGovern, Shaun; Dainty, Katie N; Doshi, Ankur A; Blewer, Audrey L; Kurz, Michael C; Rittenberger, Jon C; Hazinski, Mary Fran; Reynolds, Joshua C

2018-04-13

The Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS) is the dedicated international forum for resuscitation science at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions. In an attempt to increase curated content and social media presence during ReSS 2017, the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) coordinated an inaugural social media campaign. Before ReSS, 8 resuscitation science professionals were recruited from a convenience sample of attendees at ReSS 2017. Each blogger was assigned to either a morning or an afternoon session, responsible for "live tweeting" with the associated hashtags #ReSS17 and #AHA17. Twitter analytics from the 8 bloggers were collected from November 10 to 13, 2017. The primary outcome was Twitter impressions. Secondary outcomes included Twitter engagement and Twitter engagement rate. In total, 8 bloggers (63% male) generated 591 tweets that garnered 261 050 impressions, 8013 engagements, 928 retweets, 1653 likes, 292 hashtag clicks, and a median engagement rate of 2.4%. Total engagement, likes, and hashtag clicks were highest on day 2; total impressions were highest on day 3, and retweets were highest on day 4. Total impressions were highly correlated with the total number of tweets ( r =0.87; P =0.005) and baseline number of Twitter followers for each blogger ( r =0.78; P =0.02). In this inaugural social media campaign for the 2017 American Heart Association ReSS, the degree of online engagement with this content by end users was quite good when evaluated by social media standards. Benchmarks for end-user interactions in the scientific community are undefined and will require further study. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Determining total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity of loquat cultivars grown in Hatay

PubMed Central

Polat, A. Aytekin; Çalişkan, Oğuzhan; Serçe, Sedat; Saraçoğlu, Onur; Kaya, Cemal; Özgen, Mustafa

2010-01-01

Several fruit characteristics of five loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) cultivars/selections grown in Dörtyol, Hatay, Turkey were investigated in 2008. The cultivars/selections included ‘Baduna 5’, Güzelyurt 1, ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’, ‘Ottaviani,’ and Type 1. The characteristics evaluated included fruit weight, width, length, seed number and weight, flesh/seed ratio, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, acidity, total phenolic (TP) content, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), determined by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The analyses were conducted by three replicates, with 30 fruits in each replicate. The results indicated that there were significant differences among the cultivars, for all the traits tested. For example, ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’ and ‘Ottaviani’ had smaller fruits than others, although ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’ had heavier seeds. The flesh/seed ratio was the highest in Type 1, while ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’ had the highest pH and high soluble solids. ‘Baduna 5’ and ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’ had the highest acidity. The TP ranged from 129 (‘Baduna 5’) to 578 (‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’) mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/kg fresh fruit (fw). ‘Hafif Çukurgöbek’ also had the highest FRAP mean (12.1 mmol Trolox Equivalent (TE)/kg fw). The results suggest that loquat cultivars have a variable range of TP content and a relatively high total antioxidant capacity, which is crucial for human health. PMID:20548929

Tabulation of data from tests of an NPL 9510 airfoil in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, R. V.

1983-01-01

The tabulated data from tests of a six inch chord NPL 9510 airfoil in the Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. The tests were performed over the following range of conditions: Mach numbers of 0.35 to 0.82, total temperature of 94 K to 300 K, total pressure of 1.20 to 5.81 atm, Reynolds number based on chord of 1.34 x 10 to the 6th to 48.23 x 10 to the 6th, and angle of attack of 0 deg to 6 deg. The NPL 9510 airfoil was observed to have decreasing drag coefficient up to the highest test Reynolds number.

Orthopaedic research in Australia: a bibliographic analysis of the publication rates in the top 15 journals.

PubMed

Hohmann, Erik; Glatt, Vaida; Tetsworth, Kevin

2017-09-01

To investigate the publications rates and characteristics of the authors for manuscripts originating from Australia in the 15 highest ranked orthopaedic journals over a 5-year period. The 15 highest ranked journals in orthopaedics, based on their 2015 impact factor, were used to establish the total number of publications and cumulative impact factor points between January 2010 and December 2014. The affiliations of the primary author and co-authors were used to determine the involvement of Australian trained orthopaedic surgeons. Study location, research topic and anatomic areas were recorded. A total of 478 publications were identified; 110 of these manuscripts were principally authored by Australian trained orthopaedic surgeons or medical professionals affiliated with orthopaedics. In addition, 158 articles were published with orthopaedic surgery involvement where one of the co-authors was an Australian trained surgeon. Australian orthopaedic surgeon (FRACS) involvement was most commonly observed in the knee (n = 90; 33.6%) followed by the hip (n = 69; 25.7%) and basic sciences (n = 27; 10.1%). Surgeons in Sydney had the highest number of publications (n = 95; 35.4%), followed by Adelaide (n = 55; 20.5%) and Melbourne (n = 54; 20.1%). The results of this study demonstrate that the minority (23%) of the publications originating from Australia in the 15 highest-ranking orthopaedic journals were principally authored by either an Australian trained surgeon or a trainee surgeon. A total of 59% of the publications focused on the hip and knee. Sydney was the leading region, followed by Adelaide and Melbourne. These three regions published 76% of all manuscripts identified during the 5-year study period. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Scientific publications in nephrology and urology journals from Chinese authors in East Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Mao, Zhi-Guo; Kong, Mei; Hu, Liang-Hao; Ye, Chao-Yang; Xu, Cheng-Gang; Rong, Shu; Sun, Li-Jun; Wu, Jun; Dai, Bing; Chen, Dong-Ping; Zhu, Yu-Xian; Zhang, Yi-Xiang; Zhang, Yu-Qiang; Zhao, Xue-Zhi; Mei, Chang-Lin

2011-04-08

Diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary tract are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we compared the quantity and quality of nephrological and urological articles published in international journals from the three major regions of China: the mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW). Nephrological and urological articles originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published in 61 journals from 1999-2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the numbers of total articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in the leading general-medicine journals. We used these data to compare the quantity and quality of publication output from the three regions. The total number of articles increased significantly from 1999 to 2008 in the three regions. The number of articles from ML has exceeded that from HK since 2004, and surpassed that from TW in 2008. Publications from TW had the highest accumulated IF, total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading general-medicine journals. However, HK publications had the highest average IF. Although ML produced the largest quantity of articles, it exhibited the lowest quality among the three regions. The number of nephrological and urological publications originating from the three major regions of China increased significantly from 1999 to 2008. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK was higher than that from ML.

Multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation among high-cost patients in the US Veterans Affairs Health Care System

PubMed Central

Zulman, Donna M; Pal Chee, Christine; Wagner, Todd H; Yoon, Jean; Cohen, Danielle M; Holmes, Tyson H; Ritchie, Christine; Asch, Steven M

2015-01-01

Objectives To investigate the relationship between multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation patterns among the highest cost patients in a large, integrated healthcare system. Design In this retrospective cross-sectional study of all patients in the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, we aggregated costs of individuals’ outpatient and inpatient care, pharmacy services and VA-sponsored contract care received in 2010. We assessed chronic condition prevalence, multimorbidity as measured by comorbidity count, and multisystem multimorbidity (number of body systems affected by chronic conditions) among the 5% highest cost patients. Using multivariate regression, we examined the association between multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation and costs, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, homelessness and health insurance status. Setting USA VA Health Care System. Participants 5.2 million VA patients. Measures Annual total costs; absolute and share of costs generated through outpatient, inpatient, pharmacy and VA-sponsored contract care; number of visits to primary, specialty and mental healthcare; number of emergency department visits and hospitalisations. Results The 5% highest cost patients (n=261 699) accounted for 47% of total VA costs. Approximately two-thirds of these patients had chronic conditions affecting ≥3 body systems. Patients with cancer and schizophrenia were less likely to have documented comorbid conditions than other high-cost patients. Multimorbidity was generally associated with greater outpatient and inpatient utilisation. However, increased multisystem multimorbidity was associated with a higher outpatient share of total costs (1.6 percentage points per affected body system, p<0.01) but a lower inpatient share of total costs (−0.6 percentage points per affected body system, p<0.01). Conclusions Multisystem multimorbidity is common among high-cost VA patients. While some patients might benefit from disease-specific programmes, for most patients with multimorbidity there is a need for interventions that coordinate and maximise efficiency of outpatient services across multiple conditions. PMID:25882486

Analysis of breed effects on semen traits in light horse, warmblood, and draught horse breeds.

PubMed

Gottschalk, Maren; Sieme, Harald; Martinsson, Gunilla; Distl, Ottmar

2016-05-01

In the present study, systematic effects on semen quality traits were investigated in 381 stallions representing 22 breeds. All stallions were used for AI either at the Lower Saxon National Stud Celle or the North Rhine-Westphalian National Stud Warendorf. A total of 71,078 fresh semen reports of the years 2001 to 2014 were edited for analysis of gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility, and total number of progressively motile sperm. Breed differences were studied for warmblood and light horse breeds of both national studs (model I) and for warmblood breeds and the draught horse breed Rhenish German Coldblood from the North Rhine-Westphalian National stud (model II) using mixed model procedures. The fixed effects of age class, year, and month of semen collection had significant influences on all semen traits in both analyses. A significant influence of the horse breed was found for all semen traits but gel-free volume in both statistical models. Comparing warmblood and light horse stallions of both national studs, we observed highest sperm concentrations, total numbers of sperm, and total numbers of progressively motile sperm in Anglo-Arabian stallions. The draught horse breed Rhenish German Coldblood had the highest least squares means for gel-free volume, whereas all other investigated semen traits were significantly lower in this breed compared to the warmblood stallions under study. The variance components among stallions within breeds were significant for all semen traits and accounted for 40% to 59% of the total variance. The between-breed-variance among stallions was not significant underlining the similar size of the random stallion effect in each of the horse breeds analyzed here. In conclusion, breed and stallion are accounting for a significant proportion of the variation in semen quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific publications in critical care medicine journals from Chinese authors: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Liao, Zhuan; Wu, Fei-Xiang; Yang, Li-Qun; Sun, Yu-Ming; Yu, Wei-Feng

2010-10-01

People of Chinese ethnicity are the largest population in the world. Critical care medicine in China is developing rapidly and has achieved great advances in recent 20 years. The research contribution in critical care medicine among Chinese individuals in the three major regions of China--Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW)--is unknown. Articles published in 18 journals on critical care medicine originating from ML, TW, and HK from 1999 to 2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database and Science Citation Index Expanded. Quantity and quality analyses were conducted for the total numbers of articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in high-impact journals. There were 932 articles from ML (268), TW (506), and HK (158) from 1999 to 2008. The annual total numbers of articles of the three regions increased gradually from 1999 to 2008 (from 57 to 157). From 2002 onward, the number of articles published from ML exceeded that from HK, but TW still has the dominance in both annual and total number of articles published compared with ML and HK. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (1676.67) was higher than that from ML (708.25) and HK (449.51). TW had the highest average IF of 3.31 followed by HK of 2.85 and ML of 2.64. HK had the highest average citations of each article of 10.73, followed by TW of 6.74 and ML of 5.34. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions. The total numbers of articles in China increased markedly from 1999 to 2008. TW published the most number of articles, clinical trials, and randomised controlled trials among the three regions. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions.

Global scientific production in the field of knee arthroplasty: A cross-sectional survey of research activities.

PubMed

Wang, Lu; Li, Lingxia; Cheng, Cai; Tian, Hua; Li, Yang; Zhao, Minwei

2017-06-01

Objective To determine the quantity and quality of articles in the field of knee arthroplasty worldwide and elucidate the characteristics of global scientific production. Methods Web of Science was used to identify articles in the field of knee arthroplasty from 2011 to 2015. The total number of papers, number of papers per capita, total number of citations, and mean number of citations were collected. Results In total, 11,590 papers were identified. The number of publications significantly increased from 2011 to 2015. Most originated from North America, East Asia, and West Europe. Most (88.51%) were from high-income countries, 11.48% were from middle-income countries, and only 0.01% were from lower-income countries. The United States had the most articles and total citations. Sweden had the highest mean citations, followed by Denmark and Canada. However, when adjusted by population size, Denmark had the most articles per million population, followed by Switzerland and the Netherlands. Conclusions The number of knee arthroplasty publications has rapidly increased in recent years. The United States is the most prolific, but some European countries are more productive relative to their population.

Parasites of Bloater Coregonus hoyi (Salmonidae) from Lake Michigan, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madenjian, Charles P.; Muzzall, Patrick M.

2013-01-01

In total, 158 bloaters Coregonus hoyi collected in September and October 2011 from 4 Lake Michigan, U.S.A., ports were examined for parasites. The ports included Waukegan (WK), Illinois; Port Washington (PW) and Sturgeon Bay (SB), Wisconsin; and Saugatuck (SG), Michigan. Parasites found in bloaters by port were cestodes Cyathocephalus truncatus (WK, PW, and SB) and Eubothrium salvelini (WK, PW, SB, and SG); the nematode Cystidicola farionis (WK, PW, SB, and SG); acanthocephalans Acanthocephalus dirus (WK and PW), Echinorhynchus salmonis (WK, PW, and SB), and Neoechinorhynchus tumidus (SB); and the copepod Salmincola corpulentus (WK and PW). Gravid individuals of all parasite species were found except for E. salvelini and A. dirus. Cystidicola farionis had the highest prevalence at each port, and the highest mean intensity and mean abundance at PW. The numbers of C. farionis at PW were significantly higher than those at WK and SB. Echinorhynchus salvelini had the highest mean intensities and mean abundances at WK, SB, and SG. The values for parasite species richness in bloaters were similar among ports. The total numbers of parasites were similar between WK and PW, but they were higher at these ports than at SB. The parasite faunas of bloaters were characterized by autogenic helminth species.

Effect of temperature and pH on polygalacturonase production by pectinolytic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis strain GD2a in submerged medium from Raja Nangka (Musa paradisiaca var. formatypica) banana peel waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widowati, E.; Utami, R.; Mahadjoeno, E.; Saputro, G. P.

2017-04-01

The aim of this research were to determine the effect of temperature (45°C, 55°C, 65°C) and pH (5.0; 6.0; 7.0) on the increase of total cell count and polygalacturonase enzyme activity produced from raja nangka banana (Musa paradisiaca var. formatypica) peel waste by pectinolytic bacterial Bacillus licheniformis strain GD2a. This research applied two sample repetition and one analysis repetition. The result showed temperature and pH affect total cell count. The total cell count on 45°C and pH 7 recorded the highest number at 9.469 log cell/ml. Temperature and pH also affected pectin concentration at the end of fermentation. The lowest pectin concentration recorded at 45°C and pH 7 was 0.425 %. The highest enzyme activity recorded at 65°C and pH 7 was 0.204 U/ml. The highest enzyme protein concentration was recorded at 65°C and resulted as 0.310 mg/ml on pH 6. The highest specific activity was 19.527 U/mg at 65°C and pH 7. By this result, could be concluded that optimum condition process on polygalacturonase production was at 65°C and pH 7 because it gave highest enzyme activity result (0,204 U/ml).

Probabilistic Methodology for Estimation of Number and Economic Loss (Cost) of Future Landslides in the San Francisco Bay Region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crovelli, Robert A.; Coe, Jeffrey A.

2008-01-01

The Probabilistic Landslide Assessment Cost Estimation System (PLACES) presented in this report estimates the number and economic loss (cost) of landslides during a specified future time in individual areas, and then calculates the sum of those estimates. The analytic probabilistic methodology is based upon conditional probability theory and laws of expectation and variance. The probabilistic methodology is expressed in the form of a Microsoft Excel computer spreadsheet program. Using historical records, the PLACES spreadsheet is used to estimate the number of future damaging landslides and total damage, as economic loss, from future landslides caused by rainstorms in 10 counties of the San Francisco Bay region in California. Estimates are made for any future 5-year period of time. The estimated total number of future damaging landslides for the entire 10-county region during any future 5-year period of time is about 330. Santa Cruz County has the highest estimated number of damaging landslides (about 90), whereas Napa, San Francisco, and Solano Counties have the lowest estimated number of damaging landslides (5?6 each). Estimated direct costs from future damaging landslides for the entire 10-county region for any future 5-year period are about US $76 million (year 2000 dollars). San Mateo County has the highest estimated costs ($16.62 million), and Solano County has the lowest estimated costs (about $0.90 million). Estimated direct costs are also subdivided into public and private costs.

Domestic Job Shortage or Job Maldistribution? A Geographic Analysis of the Current Radiation Oncology Job Market.

PubMed

Chowdhary, Mudit; Chhabra, Arpit M; Switchenko, Jeffrey M; Jhaveri, Jaymin; Sen, Neilayan; Patel, Pretesh R; Curran, Walter J; Abrams, Ross A; Patel, Kirtesh R; Marwaha, Gaurav

2017-09-01

To examine whether permanent radiation oncologist (RO) employment opportunities vary based on geography. A database of full-time RO jobs was created by use of American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Career Center website posts between March 28, 2016, and March 31, 2017. Jobs were first classified by region based on US Census Bureau data. Jobs were further categorized as academic or nonacademic depending on the employer. The prevalence of job openings per 10 million population was calculated to account for regional population differences. The χ 2 test was implemented to compare position type across regions. The number and locations of graduating RO during our study period was calculated using National Resident Matching Program data. The χ 2 goodness-of-fit test was then used to compare a set of observed proportions of jobs with a corresponding set of hypothesized proportions of jobs based on the proportions of graduates per region. A total of 211 unique jobs were recorded. The highest and lowest percentages of jobs were seen in the South (31.8%) and Northeast (18.5%), respectively. Of the total jobs, 82 (38.9%) were academic; the South had the highest percentage of overall academic jobs (35.4%), while the West had the lowest (14.6%). Regionally, the Northeast had the highest percentage of academic jobs (56.4%), while the West had the lowest (26.7%). A statistically significant difference was noted between regional academic and nonacademic job availability (P=.021). After we accounted for unit population, the Midwest had the highest number of total jobs per 10 million (9.0) while the South had the lowest (5.9). A significant difference was also observed in the proportion of RO graduates versus actual jobs per region (P=.003), with a surplus of trainees seen in the Northeast. This study presents a quantitative analysis of the RO job market. We found a disproportionately small number of opportunities compared with graduates trained in the Northeast, as well as a significant regional imbalance of academic versus nonacademic jobs. Long-term monitoring is required to confirm these results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Secondary production of benthic insects in three cold-desert streams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaines, W.L.

1987-07-01

Aquatic insect production was studied in three cold-desert streams in eastern Washington (Douglas Creek, Snively Springs, and Rattlesnake Springs). The size-frequency method was applied to individual taxa to estimate total insect production. production was also assessed for functional groups and trophic levels in each stream. Optioservus sp. (riffle beetles) and Baetis sp. (mayflies) accounted for 72% of the total insect numbers and 50% of the total biomass in Douglas Creek. Baetis sp. accounted for 42% of the total insect numbers and 25% of the total biomass in Snively Springs. Simulium sp. (blackflies) and Baetis sp. comprised 74% of the totalmore » insect numbers and 55% of the total biomass in Rattlesnake Springs. Grazer-scrapers (49%) and collectors (48%) were the most abundant functional groups in Douglas Creek. Collectors were the most abundant functional group in Snively Springs and Rattlesnake Springs. Herbivores and detritivores were the most abundant trophic level in Snively Springs and Rattlesnake Springs. Dipterans (midges and blackflies) were the most productive taxa within the study streams, accounting for 40% to 70% of the total community production. Production by collectors and detritivores was the highest of all functional groups and trophic levels in all study streams.« less

Seasonal variation in species composition and abundance of demersal fish and invertebrates in a Seagrass Natural Reserve on the eastern coast of the Shandong Peninsula, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qiang; Guo, Dong; Zhang, Peidong; Zhang, Xiumei; Li, Wentao; Wu, Zhongxin

2016-03-01

Seagrass habitats are structurally complex ecosystems, which support high productivity and biodiversity. In temperate systems the density of seagrass may change seasonally, and this may influence the associated fish and invertebrate community. Little is known about the role of seagrass beds as possible nursery areas for fish and invertebrates in China. To study the functioning of a seagrass habitat in northern China, demersal fish and invertebrates were collected monthly using traps, from February 2009 to January 2010. The density, leaf length and biomass of the dominant seagrass Zostera marina and water temperature were also measured. The study was conducted in a Seagrass Natural Reserve (SNR) on the eastern coast of the Shandong Peninsula, China. A total of 22 fish species and five invertebrate species were recorded over the year. The dominant fish species were Synechogobius ommaturus, Sebastes schlegelii, Pholis fangi, Pagrus major and Hexagrammos otakii and these species accounted for 87% of the total number of fish. The dominant invertebrate species were Charybdis japonica and Octopus variabilis and these accounted for 98% of the total abundance of invertebrates. There was high temporal variation in species composition and abundance. The peak number of fish species occurred in August-October 2009, while the number of individual fish and biomass was highest during November 2009. Invertebrate numbers and biomass was highest in March, April, July and September 2009. Temporal changes in species abundance of fishes and invertebrates corresponded with changes in the shoot density and leaf length of the seagrass, Zostera marina.

Trends in global approvals of biotech crops (1992–2014)

PubMed Central

Aldemita, Rhodora R; Reaño, Ian Mari E; Solis, Renando O; Hautea, Randy A

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT With the increasing number of genetically modified (GM) events, traits, and crops that are developed to benefit the global population, approval of these technologies for food, feed, cultivation and import in each country may vary depending on needs, demand and trade interest. ISAAA established a GMO Approval Database to document global approvals of biotech crops. GM event name, crops, traits, developer, year of approval for cultivation, food/feed, import, and relevant dossiers were sourced from credible government regulatory websites and biosafety clearinghouses. This paper investigates the trends in GM approvals for food, feed and cultivation based on the number of approving countries, GM crops, events, and traits in the last 23 y (1992–2014), rationale for approval, factors influencing approvals, and their implications in GM crop adoption. Results show that in 2014, there was an accumulative increase in the number of countries granting approvals at 29 (79% developing countries) for commercial cultivation and 31 (70% developing countries) for food and 19 (80% developing developing) for feed; 2012 had the highest number of approving countries and cultivation approvals; 2011 had the highest number of country approvals for feed, and 2014 for food approvals. Herbicide tolerance trait had the highest events approved, followed by insect tolerance traits. Approvals for food product quality increased in the second decade. Maize had the highest number of events approved (single and stacked traits), and stacked traits product gradually increased which is already 30% of the total trait approvals. These results may indicate understanding and acceptance of countries to enhance regulatory capability to be able to benefit from GM crop commercialization. Hence, the paper provided information on the trends on the growth of the GM crop industry in the last 23 y which may be vital in predicting future GM crops and traits. PMID:26039675

Trends in global approvals of biotech crops (1992-2014).

PubMed

Aldemita, Rhodora R; Reaño, Ian Mari E; Solis, Renando O; Hautea, Randy A

2015-01-01

With the increasing number of genetically modified (GM) events, traits, and crops that are developed to benefit the global population, approval of these technologies for food, feed, cultivation and import in each country may vary depending on needs, demand and trade interest. ISAAA established a GMO Approval Database to document global approvals of biotech crops. GM event name, crops, traits, developer, year of approval for cultivation, food/feed, import, and relevant dossiers were sourced from credible government regulatory websites and biosafety clearinghouses. This paper investigates the trends in GM approvals for food, feed and cultivation based on the number of approving countries, GM crops, events, and traits in the last 23 y (1992-2014), rationale for approval, factors influencing approvals, and their implications in GM crop adoption. Results show that in 2014, there was an accumulative increase in the number of countries granting approvals at 29 (79% developing countries) for commercial cultivation and 31 (70% developing countries) for food and 19 (80% developing developing) for feed; 2012 had the highest number of approving countries and cultivation approvals; 2011 had the highest number of country approvals for feed, and 2014 for food approvals. Herbicide tolerance trait had the highest events approved, followed by insect tolerance traits. Approvals for food product quality increased in the second decade. Maize had the highest number of events approved (single and stacked traits), and stacked traits product gradually increased which is already 30% of the total trait approvals. These results may indicate understanding and acceptance of countries to enhance regulatory capability to be able to benefit from GM crop commercialization. Hence, the paper provided information on the trends on the growth of the GM crop industry in the last 23 y which may be vital in predicting future GM crops and traits.

Entrance-length dendritic plate heat exchangers

DOE PAGES

Bejan, A.; Alalaimi, M.; Sabau, A. S.; ...

2017-07-17

We explore the idea that the highest heat transfer rate between two fluids in a given volume is achieved when plate channel lengths are given by the thermal entrance length, i.e., when the thermal boundary layers meet at the exit of each channel. The overall design can be thought of an elemental construct of a dendritic heat exchanger, which consists of two tree-shaped streams arranged in cross flow. Every channel is as long as the thermal entrance length of the developing flow that resides in that channel. The results indicate that the overall design will change with the total volumemore » and total number of channels. We found that the lengths of the surfaces swept in cross flow would have to decrease sizably as number of channels increases, while exhibiting mild decreases as total volume increases. The aspect ratio of each surface swept by fluid in cross flow should be approximately square, independent of total number of channels and volume. We also found that the minimum pumping power decreases sensibly as the total number of channels and the volume increase. FurtherThe maximized heat transfer rate per unit volume increases sharply as the total volume decreases, in agreement with the natural evolution toward miniaturization in technology.« less

Entrance-length dendritic plate heat exchangers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bejan, A.; Alalaimi, M.; Sabau, A. S.

We explore the idea that the highest heat transfer rate between two fluids in a given volume is achieved when plate channel lengths are given by the thermal entrance length, i.e., when the thermal boundary layers meet at the exit of each channel. The overall design can be thought of an elemental construct of a dendritic heat exchanger, which consists of two tree-shaped streams arranged in cross flow. Every channel is as long as the thermal entrance length of the developing flow that resides in that channel. The results indicate that the overall design will change with the total volumemore » and total number of channels. We found that the lengths of the surfaces swept in cross flow would have to decrease sizably as number of channels increases, while exhibiting mild decreases as total volume increases. The aspect ratio of each surface swept by fluid in cross flow should be approximately square, independent of total number of channels and volume. We also found that the minimum pumping power decreases sensibly as the total number of channels and the volume increase. FurtherThe maximized heat transfer rate per unit volume increases sharply as the total volume decreases, in agreement with the natural evolution toward miniaturization in technology.« less

Calculation of effective atomic number and electron density of essential biomolecules for electron, proton, alpha particle and multi-energetic photon interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurudirek, Murat; Onaran, Tayfur

2015-07-01

Effective atomic numbers (Zeff) and electron densities (Ne) of some essential biomolecules have been calculated for total electron interaction, total proton interaction and total alpha particle interaction using an interpolation method in the energy region 10 keV-1 GeV. Also, the spectrum weighted Zeff for multi-energetic photons has been calculated using Auto-Zeff program. Biomolecules consist of fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates and basic nucleotides of DNA and RNA. Variations of Zeff and Ne with kinetic energy of ionizing charged particles and effective photon energies of heterogeneous sources have been studied for the given materials. Significant variations in Zeff and Ne have been observed through the entire energy region for electron, proton and alpha particle interactions. Non-uniform variation has been observed for protons and alpha particles in low and intermediate energy regions, respectively. The maximum values of Zeff have found to be in higher energies for total electron interaction whereas maximum values have found to be in relatively low energies for total proton and total alpha particle interactions. When it comes to the multi-energetic photon sources, it has to be noted that the highest Zeff values were found at low energy region where photoelectric absorption is the pre-dominant interaction process. The lowest values of Zeff have been shown in biomolecules such as stearic acid, leucine, mannitol and thymine, which have highest H content in their groups. Variation in Ne seems to be more or less the same with the variation in Zeff for the given materials as expected.

The effect of acid drinking water on rumen protozoa in the blesbok (Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi).

PubMed

Booyse, D G; Dehority, B A; Myburgh, J G

2015-12-07

Rumen contents were collected from ten adult female blesbok, five from a mine area with only acid drinking water available and five from a control group consuming normal, non-polluted drinking water. The mean concentration of total protozoa in the normal water group was almost double that in the acid drinking water group, 24.9 x 10(3) versus 14.7 x 10(3). Percent of Entodinium was higher and Diplodinium lower in those animals drinking the acid water. The number of different protozoa species present in animals from both locations was fairly similar. Diplodinium bubalidis, Ostracodinium gracile and Diplodinium consors were present in the highest percentage in the normal water group, 18.8, 18.4 and 17.7 %, respectively. The same three species, plus Entodinium dubardi, were also highest in the acid water group, O. gracile, 21.3 %; D. consors, 12.6 %; E. dubardi, 11.4 % and D. bubalidis, 10.3 %. Seventeen species of protozoa found in this study were a new host record for the blesbok, bringing the total number of species reported from the blesbok to 29.

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children’s exposure

PubMed Central

Hochstetler, Heather A.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H.; Grinshpun, Sergey A.

2015-01-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m−3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors). PMID:25904818

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children's exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochstetler, Heather A.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H.; Grinshpun, Sergey A.

2011-03-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 μg m-3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children's exposure.

PubMed

Hochstetler, Heather A; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H; Grinshpun, Sergey A

2011-03-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m -3 . The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).

The Evolution of Academic Performance in Nine Subspecialties of Internal Medicine: An Analysis of Journal Citation Reports from 1998 to 2010

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xue-Guang; Zhang, Li; Liu, Shu-Wen; Cao, Xue-Ying; Wang, Yuan-Da; Wei, Ri-Bao; Cai, Guang-Yan; Chen, Xiang-Mei

2012-01-01

Background Internal medicine includes several subspecialties. This study aimed to describe change trend of impact factors in different subspecialties of internal medicine during the past 12 years, as well as the developmental differences among each subspecialty, and the possible influencing factors behind these changes and differences. Methods Nine subspecialties of internal medicine were chosen for comparison. All data were collected from the Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports database. Results (1) Journal numbers in nine subspecialties increased significantly from 1998 to 2010, with an average increment of 80.23%, in which cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases increased 131.2% rank the first; hematology increased 45% rank the least. (2) Impact Factor in subspecialties of infectious disease, cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases, gastroenterology and hepatology, hematology, endocrinology and metabolism increased significantly (p<0.05), in which gastroenterology and hepatology had the largest increase of 65.4%. (3) Journal impact factor of 0–2 had the largest proportion in all subspecialties. Among the journals with high impact factor (IF>6), hematology had the maximum proportion of 10%, nephrology and respiratory system disease had the minimum of 4%. Among the journal with low impact factor (IF<2), journal in nephrology and allergy had the most (60%), while endocrinology and metabolism had the least (40%). There were differences in median number of IF among the different subspecialties (p<0.05), in which endocrinology and metabolism had the highest, nephrology had the lowest. (4) The highest IF had a correlation with journal numbers and total paper numbers in each field. Conclusion The IF of internal medicine journals showed an increasingly positive trend, in which gastroenterology and hepatology increase the most. Hematology had more high IF journals. Endocrinology and metabolism had higher average IF. Nephrology remained the lowest position. Numbers of journals and total papers were associated with the highest IF. PMID:23118973

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity and hepatitis B surface antigenemia (HBSAG) among blood donors in Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria.

PubMed

Umolu, Patience Idia; Okoror, Lawrence Ehis; Orhue, Philip

2005-03-01

Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B virus are blood borne pathogens that can be transmitted through blood transfusion and could pose a huge problem in areas where mechanisms of ensuring blood safety are suspect. This study became necessary in a population where most of the blood for transfusion is from commercial blood donors. A total of 130 donors comprising 120 commercial donors and 10 voluntary donors were tested for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B surface antigen in Benin city using Immunocomb HIV - 1 and 2 Biospot kit and Quimica Clinica Aplicada direct latex agglutination method respectively. Thirteen (10%) samples were HIV seropositive and 7(5.8%) were HBsAg positive. The age bracket 18 - 25years had the highest numbers of donors and also had the highest number of HBsAg positive cases (7.8%) while the age group 29 - 38years had highest number of HIV seropositive cases. High prevalence of HIV antibodies and Hepatitis B surface antigen was found among commercial blood donors. Appropriate and compulsory screening of blood donors using sensitive methods, must be ensured to prevent post transfusion hepatitis and HIV.

Are Quantitative Measures of Academic Productivity Correlated with Academic Rank in Plastic Surgery? A National Study.

PubMed

Susarla, Srinivas M; Lopez, Joseph; Swanson, Edward W; Miller, Devin; O'Brien-Coon, Devin; Zins, James E; Serletti, Joseph M; Yaremchuk, Michael J; Manson, Paul N; Gordon, Chad R

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between quantitative measures of academic productivity and academic rank among full-time academic plastic surgeons. Bibliometric indices were computed for all full-time academic plastic surgeons in the United States. The primary study variable was academic rank. Bibliometric predictors included the Hirsch index, I-10 index, number of publications, number of citations, and highest number of citations for a single publication. Descriptive, bivariate, and correlation analyses were computed. Multiple comparisons testing was used to calculate adjusted associations for subgroups. For all analyses, a value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. The cohort consisted of 607 plastic surgeons across 91 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved programs. Of them, 4.1 percent were instructors/lecturers, 43.7 percent were assistant professors, 22.1 percent were associate professors, 25.7 percent were professors, and 4.4 percent were endowed professors. Mean values were as follows: Hirsch index, 10.2 ± 9.0; I-10 index, 17.2 ± 10.2; total number of publications, 45.5 ± 69.4; total number of citations, 725.0 ± 1448.8; and highest number of citations for a single work, 117.8 ± 262.4. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations of the Hirsch index, I-10 index, number of publications, and number of citations with academic rank (rs = 0.62 to 0.64; p < 0.001). Academic rank in plastic surgery is strongly correlated with several quantitative metrics of research productivity. Although academic promotion is the result of success in multiple different areas, bibliometric measures may be useful adjuncts for assessment of research productivity.

A Comparative Study of Scientific Publications in Health Care Sciences and Services from Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and India (2007–2014)

PubMed Central

Lv, Yipeng; Tang, Bihan; Liu, Xu; Xue, Chen; Liu, Yuan; Kang, Peng; Zhang, Lulu

2015-01-01

In this study, we aimed to compare the quantity and quality of publications in health care sciences and services journals from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Japan, and India. Journals in this category of the Science Citation Index Expanded were included in the study. Scientific papers were retrieved from the Web of Science online database. Quality was measured according to impact factor, citation of articles, number of articles published in top 10 journals, and the 10 most popular journals by country (area). In the field of health care sciences and services, the annual incremental rates of scientific articles published from 2007 to 2014 were higher than rates of published scientific articles in all fields. Researchers from the Chinese mainland published the most original articles and reviews and had the highest accumulated impact factors, highest total article citations, and highest average citation. Publications from India had the highest average impact factor. In the field of health care sciences and services, China has made remarkable progress during the past eight years in the annual number and percentage of scientific publications. Yet, there is room for improvement in the quantity and quality of such articles. PMID:26712774

A Comparative Study of Scientific Publications in Health Care Sciences and Services from Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and India (2007-2014).

PubMed

Lv, Yipeng; Tang, Bihan; Liu, Xu; Xue, Chen; Liu, Yuan; Kang, Peng; Zhang, Lulu

2015-12-24

In this study, we aimed to compare the quantity and quality of publications in health care sciences and services journals from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Japan, and India. Journals in this category of the Science Citation Index Expanded were included in the study. Scientific papers were retrieved from the Web of Science online database. Quality was measured according to impact factor, citation of articles, number of articles published in top 10 journals, and the 10 most popular journals by country (area). In the field of health care sciences and services, the annual incremental rates of scientific articles published from 2007 to 2014 were higher than rates of published scientific articles in all fields. Researchers from the Chinese mainland published the most original articles and reviews and had the highest accumulated impact factors, highest total article citations, and highest average citation. Publications from India had the highest average impact factor. In the field of health care sciences and services, China has made remarkable progress during the past eight years in the annual number and percentage of scientific publications. Yet, there is room for improvement in the quantity and quality of such articles.

Multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation among high-cost patients in the US Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

PubMed

Zulman, Donna M; Pal Chee, Christine; Wagner, Todd H; Yoon, Jean; Cohen, Danielle M; Holmes, Tyson H; Ritchie, Christine; Asch, Steven M

2015-04-16

To investigate the relationship between multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation patterns among the highest cost patients in a large, integrated healthcare system. In this retrospective cross-sectional study of all patients in the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, we aggregated costs of individuals' outpatient and inpatient care, pharmacy services and VA-sponsored contract care received in 2010. We assessed chronic condition prevalence, multimorbidity as measured by comorbidity count, and multisystem multimorbidity (number of body systems affected by chronic conditions) among the 5% highest cost patients. Using multivariate regression, we examined the association between multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation and costs, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, homelessness and health insurance status. USA VA Health Care System. 5.2 million VA patients. Annual total costs; absolute and share of costs generated through outpatient, inpatient, pharmacy and VA-sponsored contract care; number of visits to primary, specialty and mental healthcare; number of emergency department visits and hospitalisations. The 5% highest cost patients (n=261,699) accounted for 47% of total VA costs. Approximately two-thirds of these patients had chronic conditions affecting ≥3 body systems. Patients with cancer and schizophrenia were less likely to have documented comorbid conditions than other high-cost patients. Multimorbidity was generally associated with greater outpatient and inpatient utilisation. However, increased multisystem multimorbidity was associated with a higher outpatient share of total costs (1.6 percentage points per affected body system, p<0.01) but a lower inpatient share of total costs (-0.6 percentage points per affected body system, p<0.01). Multisystem multimorbidity is common among high-cost VA patients. While some patients might benefit from disease-specific programmes, for most patients with multimorbidity there is a need for interventions that coordinate and maximise efficiency of outpatient services across multiple conditions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Hospital-level changes in adult ICU bed supply in the United States

PubMed Central

Wallace, David J.; Seymour, Christopher W.; Kahn, Jeremy M.

2017-01-01

Objective Although the number of intensive care beds in the United States is increasing, little is known about the hospitals responsible for this growth. We sought to better characterize national growth in intensive care beds by identifying hospital-level factors associated with increasing numbers of intensive care beds over time. Design We performed a repeated-measures time series analysis of hospital-level intensive care bed supply using data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Setting All United States acute care hospitals with adult intensive care beds over the years 1996 to 2011. Measurements & Main Results We described the number of beds, teaching status, ownership, intensive care occupancy and urbanicity for each hospital in each year of the study. We then examined the relationship between increasing intensive care beds and these characteristics, controlling for other factors. The study included 4,457 hospitals and 55,865 hospital-years. Overall, the majority of intensive care bed growth occurred in teaching hospitals (net +13,471 beds, 72.1% of total growth), hospitals with 250 or more beds (net +18,327 beds, 91.8% of total growth) and hospitals in the highest quartile of occupancy (net +10,157 beds, 54.0% of total growth). In a longitudinal multivariable model, larger hospital size, teaching status, and high intensive care occupancy were associated with subsequent-year growth. Furthermore, the effects of hospital size and teaching status were modified by occupancy: the greatest odds of increasing intensive care unit beds were in hospitals with 500 or more beds in the highest quartile of occupancy (adjusted OR: 18.9; 95% CI: 14.0 – 25.5; p<0.01) and large teaching hospitals in the highest quartile of occupancy (adjusted OR: 7.3; 95% CI: 5.3 – 9.9; p<0.01). Conclusions Increasingly, intensive care bed expansion in the United States is occurring in larger hospitals and teaching centers, particularly following a year with high intensive care unit occupancy. PMID:27661861

Hypoxia-Induced Expression of VEGF Splice Variants and Protein in Four Retinal Cell Types

PubMed Central

Watkins, William M.; McCollum, Gary W.; Savage, Sara R.; Capozzi, Megan E.; Penn, John S.; Morrison, David G.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypoxia-induced Vegf120, Vegf164 and Vegf188 mRNA expression profiles in rat Müller cells (MC), astrocytes, retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPE) and retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMEC) and correlate these findings to VEGF secreted protein. Cultured cells were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia. Total RNA was isolated from cell lysates and Vegf splice variant mRNA copy numbers were assayed by a validated qRT-PCR external calibration curve method. mRNA copy numbers were normalized to input total RNA. Conditioned medium was collected from cells and assayed for total VEGF protein by ELISA. Hypoxia increased total Vegf mRNA and secreted protein in all the retinal cell types, with the highest levels observed in MC and astrocytes ranking second. Total Vegf mRNA levels in hypoxic RPE and RMEC were comparable; however, the greatest hypoxic induction of each Vegf splice variant mRNA was observed in RMEC. RPE and RMEC ranked 3rd and 4th respectively, in terms of secreted total VEGF protein in hypoxia. The Vegf120, Vegf164 and Vegf188 mRNA splice variants were all increased in hypoxic cells compared to normoxic controls. In normoxia, the relative Vegf splice variant mRNA levels ranked from highest to lowest for each cell type were Vegf164>Vegf120>Vegf188. Hypoxic induction did not alter this ranking, although it did favor an increased stoichiometry of Vegf164 mRNA over the other two splice variants. MC and astrocytes are likely to be the major sources of total Vegf, and Vegf164 splice variant mRNAs, and VEGF protein in retinal hypoxia. PMID:24076411

Chaos in a Fractional Order Chua System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzo, Carl F.; Hartley, Tom T.; Qammar, Helen Killory

1996-01-01

This report studies the effects of fractional dynamics in chaotic systems. In particular, Chua's system is modified to include fractional order elements. Varying the total system order incrementally from 2.6 to 3.7 demonstrates that systems of 'order' less than three can exhibit chaos as well as other nonlinear behavior. This effectively forces a clarification of the definition of order which can no longer be considered only by the total number of differentiations or by the highest power of the Laplace variable.

Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. Commando Hunt VI

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-07-07

FIRST STRIKE 3 15-31 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Total Lines of Comunication 1532 2033 1591 1000 487 667 7310 Truck Parks and 608 1143 791 1054 984 952...May, the highest weekly total of the season. The I next week provided the season highs for ground assaults, incidents of i terrorism , and resultant...I * I TABLE C-i -- NUMBER OF ENEMY-INITIATED ACTIONS IN RVN Terrorism ABFs Ground Assaults Incidents Killed/Wounded/Abducted Jan 537 52 714 1373

Worldwide research productivity in fracture surgery: A 10-year survey of publication activity

PubMed Central

Sun, Jianzhong; Ding, Ren; Ma, Tai; Shi, Xiaobing; Bao, Chaolu; Guan, Huapeng

2017-01-01

Worldwide research contributions have allowed the field of fracture surgery to progress. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have documented the main characteristics of publications from different countries. The present study aimed to determine the quantity and quality of worldwide research in fracture surgery. The Web of Science database was searched to identify fracture articles published between 2005 and 2014. The contributions of countries were evaluated based on paper and citation numbers, and the research output of each country was adjusted according to population size. A total of 19,423 papers on the topic of fracture surgery were identified worldwide, and the total number of publications from 2005 to 2014 had significantly increased by 1.82-fold (P<0.001). The majority of papers (86.64%) were published by high-income countries (gross national income per capita ≥$12,736), 13.25% by middle-income countries ($1,046–12,735) and 0.11% by low-income countries (≤$1,045). The United States contributed the highest number of publications (33.34%), followed by the United Kingdom (9.03%), Germany (8.42%), China (5.58%) and Japan (4.18%). Furthermore, the United States ranked first according to total citations (72,640). Articles from Sweden achieved the highest average citations per paper (15.63), followed by Australia (12.84) and Canada (12.44). When the number of publications were adjusted for population size, Switzerland was the first (56.39), followed by Austria (35.43) and the Netherlands (30.68). In conclusion, the number of publications in fracture surgery increased from 2005 to 2014, and the majority of fracture papers were published by high-income countries, while few papers were published by low-income countries. The United States was the most prolific country, but based on population size, a number of smaller countries in Europe may be relatively more prolific. PMID:28810586

Worldwide research productivity in fracture surgery: A 10-year survey of publication activity.

PubMed

Sun, Jianzhong; Ding, Ren; Ma, Tai; Shi, Xiaobing; Bao, Chaolu; Guan, Huapeng

2017-08-01

Worldwide research contributions have allowed the field of fracture surgery to progress. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have documented the main characteristics of publications from different countries. The present study aimed to determine the quantity and quality of worldwide research in fracture surgery. The Web of Science database was searched to identify fracture articles published between 2005 and 2014. The contributions of countries were evaluated based on paper and citation numbers, and the research output of each country was adjusted according to population size. A total of 19,423 papers on the topic of fracture surgery were identified worldwide, and the total number of publications from 2005 to 2014 had significantly increased by 1.82-fold (P<0.001). The majority of papers (86.64%) were published by high-income countries (gross national income per capita ≥$12,736), 13.25% by middle-income countries ($1,046-12,735) and 0.11% by low-income countries (≤$1,045). The United States contributed the highest number of publications (33.34%), followed by the United Kingdom (9.03%), Germany (8.42%), China (5.58%) and Japan (4.18%). Furthermore, the United States ranked first according to total citations (72,640). Articles from Sweden achieved the highest average citations per paper (15.63), followed by Australia (12.84) and Canada (12.44). When the number of publications were adjusted for population size, Switzerland was the first (56.39), followed by Austria (35.43) and the Netherlands (30.68). In conclusion, the number of publications in fracture surgery increased from 2005 to 2014, and the majority of fracture papers were published by high-income countries, while few papers were published by low-income countries. The United States was the most prolific country, but based on population size, a number of smaller countries in Europe may be relatively more prolific.

Energy accounting of River Severn tidal power schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, F.

1982-07-01

Energy accounting comparisons are constructed in order to make an economic analysis of three different tidal generating schemes for the Severn River in Britain. The plans included ebb generation, flood generation, and turbine-sluice configurations, and the analysis comprised totaling the energy needed to complete the construction in relation to the projected output. Necessary construction components numbered caissons, shipping locks, embankments, transmission facilities, and turbines, with inputs limited to 1.75%/yr once the installations are completed. The total outputs for the installations were modeled as 12, 18, and 18 TWh/yr, respectively, with a projected lifetime of 120 yr. The least output/input ratio was found to be 10:1, with a highest possible value of 16:1. The energy return is highest with the smallest installation, a factor which is offset by the increased return with larger capacity.

Eyebrow hairs from actinic keratosis patients harbor the highest number of cutaneous human papillomaviruses

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infections seem to be associated with the onset of actinic keratosis (AK). This study compares the presence of cutaneous HPV types in eyebrow hairs to those in tissues of normal skin and skin lesions of 75 immunocompetent AK patients. Methods Biopsies from AK lesions, normal skin and plucked eyebrow hairs were collected from each patient. DNA from these specimens was tested for the presence of 28 cutaneous HPV (betaPV and gammaPV) by a PCR based method. Results The highest number of HPV prevalence was detected in 84% of the eyebrow hairs (63/75, median 6 types) compared to 47% of AK lesions (35/75, median 3 types) (p< 0.001) and 37% of normal skin (28/75, median 4 types) (p< 0.001), respectively. A total of 228 HPV infections were found in eyebrow hairs compared to only 92 HPV infections in AK and 69 in normal skin. In all three specimens HPV20, HPV23 and/or HPV37 were the most prevalent types. The highest number of multiple types of HPV positive specimens was found in 76% of the eyebrow hairs compared to 60% in AK and 57% in normal skin. The concordance of at least one HPV type in virus positive specimens was 81% (three specimens) and 88-93% of all three combinations with two specimens. Conclusions Thus, eyebrow hairs revealed the highest number of cutaneous HPV infections, are easy to collect and are an appropriate screening tool in order to identify a possible association of HPV and AK. PMID:23618013

Eyebrow hairs from actinic keratosis patients harbor the highest number of cutaneous human papillomaviruses.

PubMed

Schneider, Ines; Lehmann, Mandy D; Kogosov, Vlada; Stockfleth, Eggert; Nindl, Ingo

2013-04-24

Cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infections seem to be associated with the onset of actinic keratosis (AK). This study compares the presence of cutaneous HPV types in eyebrow hairs to those in tissues of normal skin and skin lesions of 75 immunocompetent AK patients. Biopsies from AK lesions, normal skin and plucked eyebrow hairs were collected from each patient. DNA from these specimens was tested for the presence of 28 cutaneous HPV (betaPV and gammaPV) by a PCR based method. The highest number of HPV prevalence was detected in 84% of the eyebrow hairs (63/75, median 6 types) compared to 47% of AK lesions (35/75, median 3 types) (p< 0.001) and 37% of normal skin (28/75, median 4 types) (p< 0.001), respectively. A total of 228 HPV infections were found in eyebrow hairs compared to only 92 HPV infections in AK and 69 in normal skin. In all three specimens HPV20, HPV23 and/or HPV37 were the most prevalent types. The highest number of multiple types of HPV positive specimens was found in 76% of the eyebrow hairs compared to 60% in AK and 57% in normal skin. The concordance of at least one HPV type in virus positive specimens was 81% (three specimens) and 88-93% of all three combinations with two specimens. Thus, eyebrow hairs revealed the highest number of cutaneous HPV infections, are easy to collect and are an appropriate screening tool in order to identify a possible association of HPV and AK.

Poverty in America: Trends and New Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hare, William P.

1985-01-01

Over 35 million Americans were officially poor in 1983, 15.2 percent of the total population-the highest figures since the mid-1960s. Some attribute continued poverty to government social welfare policies. But poverty among the nonelderly is linked much more to economic trends. The number in poverty dropped from 39.5 million (22.4 percent of the…

Estimating tree cavity distributions from historical FIA data

Treesearch

Mark D. Nelson; Charlotte Roy

2012-01-01

Tree cavities provide important habitat features for a variety of wildlife species. We describe an approach for using historical FIA data to estimate the number of trees containing cavities during the 1990s in seven states of the Upper Midwest. We estimated a total of 280 million cavity-containing trees. Iowa and Missouri had the highest percentages of cavity-...

The Total-Pressure Recovery and Drag Characteristics of Several Auxiliary Inlets at Transonic Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennard, John S.

1959-01-01

Several flush and scoop-type auxiliary inlets have been tested for a range of Mach numbers from 0.55 to 1.3 to determine their transonic total-pressure recovery and drag characteristics. The inlet dimensions were comparable with the thickness of the boundary layer in which they were tested. Results indicate that flush inlets should be inclined at very shallow angles with respect to the surface for optimum total-pressure recovery and drag characteristics. Deep, narrow inlets have lower drag than wide shallow ones at Mach numbers greater than 0.9 but at lower Mach numbers the wider inlets proved superior. Inlets with a shallow approach ramp, 7 deg, and diverging ramp walls which incorporated boundary-layer bypass had lower drag than any other inlet tested for Mach numbers up to 1.2 and had the highest pressure recovery of all of the flush inlets. The scoop inlets, which operated in a higher velocity flow than the flush inlets, had higher drag coefficients. Several of these auxiliary inlets projected multiple, periodic shock waves into the stream when they were operated at low mass-flow ratios.

Heritability of semen traits in German Warmblood stallions.

PubMed

Gottschalk, M; Sieme, H; Martinsson, G; Distl, O

2016-07-01

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate genetic parameters for semen quality traits of 241 fertile German Warmblood stallions regularly employed in artificial insemination (AI). Stallions were owned by the National Studs Celle and Warendorf in Germany. Semen traits analyzed were gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility and total number of progressively motile sperm. Semen protocols from a total of 63,972 ejaculates were collected between the years 2001 and 2014 for the present analysis. A multivariate linear animal model was employed for estimation of additive genetic and permanent environmental variances among stallions and breeding values (EBVs) for semen traits. Heritabilities estimated for all German Warmblood stallions were highest for gel-free volume (h(2)=0.28) and lowest for total number of progressively motile sperm (h(2)=0.13). The additive genetic correlation among gel-free volume and sperm concentration was highly negative (rg=-0.76). Average reliabilities of EBVs were at 0.37-0.68 for the 241 stallions with own records. The inter-stallion variance explained between 33 and 61% of the trait variance, underlining the major impact of the individual stallion on semen quality traits analyzed here. Recording of semen traits from stallions employed in AI may be recommended because EBVs achieve sufficient accuracies to improve semen quality in future generations. Due to favorable genetic correlations, sperm concentration, total number of sperm and total number of progressively motile sperm may be increased simultaneously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of pseudoephedrine pharmacy sales before and after mandatory recording requirements in Western Australia: a case study.

PubMed

Hattingh, Hendrika Laetitia; Varsani, Janki; Kachouei, Leila Ataei; Parsons, Richard

2016-08-30

A community pharmacy real-time electronic recording program, ProjectSTOP, enables Australian community pharmacists to verify pseudoephedrine requests. In Western Australia the program was available for voluntary use from April 2007 and became mandatory November 2010. This case study explores the effectiveness of the program by reviewing the total requests for pseudoephedrine products, and the proportion of requests which were classified as 'denied sales' before and after mandatory implementation. Seasonal and annual trends in these measures are also evaluated. ProjectSTOP data recordings for Western Australia pharmacies between 1 December 2007 and 28 February 2014 were analysed. Data included a de-identified pharmacy number and date of each pseudoephedrine product request. The total number of requests and sale classification (allowed, denied, safety, or not recorded) were calculated for each month/pharmacy. The potential influence of mandatory reporting using ProjectSTOP was investigated using a Regression Discontinuity Design. Correlations between sales from the same pharmacy were taken into account by classifying the pharmacy number as a random effect. The main effects of year (continuous variable), and season (categorical variable) were also included in the model. There was a small but steady decline in the total requests for pseudoephedrine per month per 100,000 population (per pharmacy) from the time of mandatory reporting. The number of denied sales showed a steady increase up until mandatory reporting, after which it showed a significant decline over time. Total sales were heavily influenced by season, as expected (highest in winter, least in summer). The seasonal pattern was less pronounced for denied sales, which were highest in winter and similar across other seasons. The pattern over time for safety sales was similar to that for denied sales, with a clear change occurring around the time of mandatory reporting. Results indicate a decrease in pseudoephedrine product requests in Western Australia community pharmacies. Findings suggest ProjectSTOP has been successful in addressing suspicious sales and potential diversion however ongoing data review is recommended.

Negligent and intentional fires in Portugal: the role of human and biophysical drivers on the spatial distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parente, Joana; Pereira, Mário; Amraoui, Malik; Tedim, Fantina

2017-04-01

The European Mediterranean countries, such as Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, have the higher incidence of fire. Of these countries, Portugal present the highest average number of fires (NF) and one of the highest burnt area (BA), in spite of its relatively smaller land area. The study period is focused in the recent years of 2012 - 2014, when a total of 59 257 fires were recorded and the fire cause is known for more than 50% of the fire records. All fires with known causes were then classified into intentional (40% of the total number of fires) and negligent (60%), leading to a total of 45% of fires related with human factors and activities. Taking into account these values the authors believe it's necessary to better understand the fire regime of this type of fires for a better fire prevention, firefighting and crisis management. Accordingly, the use of statistical analysis and GIS techniques were used to assess the spatial distribution of the human caused fires in each of the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level I, which divides Portugal in 5 basic economic regions, namely Norte, Centro, Area Metropolitana de Lisboa, Alentejo, and Algarve. The number of fires distribution increases with latitude, making north of Portugal the region with the highest number of fires. The analysis will also aims to assess the role of the most important human and biophysical drivers of the spatial distribution, namely the population density, land use land cover (LULC), distance to communication routes (roads and railways) and topographic variables (altitude, slope). The results show that: a) population density is highly and positively correlated with the agglomeration of fire ignitions, but doesn't imply highest burned area; b) burnt area increase with the distance to roads and altitude; and, c) 58% of the fires occurred on agriculture areas and 33% of fires occurred in forest and scrubs areas. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by: (i) the project Interact - Integrative Research in Environment,Agro-Chain and Technology, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000017, research line BEST, cofinanced by FEDER/NORTE 2020; (ii) the FIREXTR project, PTDC/ATP¬GEO/0462/2014; and, (iii) European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI-Operacional Competitiveness and Internacionalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033. We are especially grateful to ICNF for providing the fire data.

The Pareto Analysis for Establishing Content Criteria in Surgical Training.

PubMed

Kramp, Kelvin H; van Det, Marc J; Veeger, Nic J G M; Pierie, Jean-Pierre E N

2016-01-01

Current surgical training is still highly dependent on expensive operating room (OR) experience. Although there have been many attempts to transfer more training to the skills laboratory, little research is focused on which technical behaviors can lead to the highest profit when they are trained outside the OR. The Pareto principle states that in any population that contributes to a common effect, a few account for the bulk of the effect. This principle has been widely used in business management to increase company profits. This study uses the Pareto principle for establishing content criteria for more efficient surgical training. A retrospective study was conducted to assess verbal guidance provided by 9 supervising surgeons to 12 trainees performing 64 laparoscopic cholecystectomies in the OR. The verbal corrections were documented, tallied, and clustered according to the aimed change in novice behavior. The corrections were rank ordered, and a cumulative distribution curve was used to calculate which corrections accounted for 80% of the total number of verbal corrections. In total, 253 different verbal corrections were uttered 1587 times and were categorized into 40 different clusters of aimed changes in novice behaviors. The 35 highest-ranking verbal corrections (14%) and the 11 highest-ranking clusters (28%) accounted for 80% of the total number of given verbal corrections. Following the Pareto principle, we were able to identify the aspects of trainee behavior that account for most corrections given by supervisors during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on humans. This strategy can be used for the development of new training programs to prepare the trainee in advance for the challenges encountered in the clinical setting in an OR. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Where are the lightning hotspots on Earth?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, R. I.; Goodman, S. J.; Buechler, D. E.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Christian, H. J., Jr.

2015-12-01

The first lightning observations from space date from the early 1960s and more than a dozen spacecraft orbiting the Earth have flown instruments that recorded lightning signals from thunderstorms over the past 45 years. In this respect, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), having just completed its mission (1997-2015), provides the longest and best total (intracloud and cloud-to-ground) lightning data base over the tropics.We present a 16 year (1998-2013) reprocessed data set to create very high resolution (0.1°) TRMM LIS total lightning climatology. This detailed very high resolution climatology is used to identify the Earth's lightning hotspots and other regional features. Earlier studies located the lightning hotspot within the Congo Basin in Africa, but our very high resolution lightning climatology found that the highest lightning flash rate on Earth actually occurs in Venezuela over Lake Maracaibo, with a distinct maximum during the night. The higher resolution dataset clearly shows that similar phenomenon also occurs over other inland lakes with similar conditions, i.e., locally forced convergent flow over a warm lake surface which drives deep nocturnal convection. Although Africa does not have the top lightning hotspot, it comes in a close second and it is the continent with the highest number of lightning hotspots, followed by Asia, South America, North America, and Oceania. We also present climatological maps for local hour and month of lightning maxima, along with a ranking of the highest five hundred lightning maxima, focusing discussion on each continent's 10 highest lightning maxima. Most of the highest continental maxima are located near major mountain ranges, revealing the importance of local topography in thunderstorm development. These results are especially relevant in anticipation of the upcoming availability of continuous total lightning observations from the Geostationary Lightning Mapping (GLM) aboard GOES-R. This study provides context to forecasters as to total lightning activity and locations within GLM field of view as well as around the world.

Bibliometric Analysis of Palliative Care-Related Publication Trends During 2001 to 2016.

PubMed

Liu, Chia-Jen; Yeh, Te-Chun; Hsu, Su-Hsuan; Chu, Chao-Mei; Liu, Chih-Kuang; Chen, Mingchih; Huang, Sheng-Jean

2018-01-01

The scientific contributions (publications) and international influence (citations) from authors providing the palliative care (PC)-related literature has a limited number of bibliometric reports. We aimed to analyze PC-related literature using the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science (WoS) database. WoS database was used to retrieve publications with the following key words with title: "palliative care" OR "End of Life care" OR "terminal care.". The statistical analysis of the documents published during 2001 to 2016 was performed. The quantity and quality of research were assessed by the number of total publications and citation analysis. In addition, we also analyzed whether there were possible correlations between publication and socioeconomic factors. The total research output was 6273 articles for PC. There was a 3-fold increase in the number of publications during the period and strong correlation between the year and number of PC-related publications ( R 2 = .96). The United States took a leading position in PC research (2448, 39.0%). The highest average citations was reported for the Norway (21.8). Australia had gained the highest productive ability in PC research (24.9 of articles per million populations). The annual impact factor rose progressively with time and increased 1.13 to 2.24 from 2003 to 2016. The number of publications correlated with gross domestic product ( r = .74; P < .001). The United States and United Kingdom contributed most of the publications, but some East Asian countries also had a great performance. According to the socioeconomic factors, the publication capacity of top 20 countries is correlated with their economic scale.

Global Diversity of Ascidiacea

PubMed Central

Shenkar, Noa; Swalla, Billie J.

2011-01-01

The class Ascidiacea presents fundamental opportunities for research in the fields of development, evolution, ecology, natural products and more. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the global biodiversity of the class Ascidiacea, focusing in their taxonomy, main regions of biodiversity, and distribution patterns. Based on analysis of the literature and the species registered in the online World Register of Marine Species, we assembled a list of 2815 described species. The highest number of species and families is found in the order Aplousobranchia. Didemnidae and Styelidae families have the highest number of species with more than 500 within each group. Sixty percent of described species are colonial. Species richness is highest in tropical regions, where colonial species predominate. In higher latitudes solitary species gradually contribute more to the total species richness. We emphasize the strong association between species richness and sampling efforts, and discuss the risks of invasive species. Our inventory is certainly incomplete as the ascidian fauna in many areas around the world is relatively poorly known, and many new species continue to be discovered and described each year. PMID:21701684

Toward the Turkish National Registry System: A Prevalence Study of Total Knee Arthroplasty in Turkey.

PubMed

Ceyhan, Erman; Gursoy, Safa; Akkaya, Mustafa; Ugurlu, Mahmut; Koksal, Ismet; Bozkurt, Murat

2016-09-01

The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the data obtained from a retrospective examination of the records of the existing reimbursement system and through the identification of gaps in the data to create a foundation for a reliable, descriptive national registry system for our country. The Social Security Institution Medical Messenger (MEDULA) records were scanned for the years 2010-2014, and the numbers of total knee arthroplasty applied for a diagnosis of gonarthrosis and the numbers of revision knee arthroplasty were recorded for the country in general. The patients were classified according to age, gender, and bilateral or unilateral surgery. The institution where the surgery was applied, the geographic region and the province were also recorded. A total of 283,400 primary and 9900 revision knee arthroplasty operations were applied in Turkey between 2010 and 2014. Numbers were recorded for each year, and there was found to be an increase between years. For primary knee arthroplasty, the female:male ratio was 67 of 33, and surgery was applied most often between the ages of 60-69 years. Both types of surgery were determined to have been applied most often in second-stage state hospitals. Geographically, both types of surgery were applied most in the Marmara region, with the highest frequency of primary knee arthroplasty in Istanbul and the highest frequency of revision surgery in Ankara. The data obtained from this study will contribute to the creation of the basis for a National Registry System and thereby define more scientific treatment approaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Diversified Recruitment Approach Incorporating Social Media Leads to Research Participation Among Young Adult-Aged Female Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Gorman, Jessica R; Roberts, Samantha C; Dominick, Sally A; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Dietz, Andrew C; Su, H Irene

2014-06-01

Purpose: Cancer survivors in their adolescent and young adult (AYA) years are an understudied population, possibly in part because of the high effort required to recruit them into research studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the specific recruitment strategies used in four studies recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors and to identify the highest yielding approaches. We also discuss challenges and recommendations. Methods: We recruited AYA-aged female cancer survivors for two studies conducted locally and two conducted nationally. Recruitment strategies included outreach and referral via: healthcare providers and clinics; social media and the internet; community and word of mouth; and a national fertility information hotline. We calculated the yield of each recruitment approach for the local and national studies by comparing the number that participated to the number of potential participants. Results: We recruited a total of 534 participants into four research studies. Seventy-one percent were diagnosed as young adults and 61% were within 3 years of their cancer diagnosis. The highest-yielding local recruitment strategy was healthcare provider and clinic referral. Nationally, social media and internet outreach yielded the highest rate of participation. Overall, internet-based recruitment resulted in the highest number and yield of participants. Conclusion: Our results suggest that outreach through social media and the internet are effective approaches to recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors. Forging collaborative relationships with survivor advocacy groups' members and healthcare providers also proved beneficial.

A Diversified Recruitment Approach Incorporating Social Media Leads to Research Participation Among Young Adult-Aged Female Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Gorman, Jessica R.; Roberts, Samantha C.; Dominick, Sally A.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Dietz, Andrew C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Cancer survivors in their adolescent and young adult (AYA) years are an understudied population, possibly in part because of the high effort required to recruit them into research studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the specific recruitment strategies used in four studies recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors and to identify the highest yielding approaches. We also discuss challenges and recommendations. Methods: We recruited AYA-aged female cancer survivors for two studies conducted locally and two conducted nationally. Recruitment strategies included outreach and referral via: healthcare providers and clinics; social media and the internet; community and word of mouth; and a national fertility information hotline. We calculated the yield of each recruitment approach for the local and national studies by comparing the number that participated to the number of potential participants. Results: We recruited a total of 534 participants into four research studies. Seventy-one percent were diagnosed as young adults and 61% were within 3 years of their cancer diagnosis. The highest-yielding local recruitment strategy was healthcare provider and clinic referral. Nationally, social media and internet outreach yielded the highest rate of participation. Overall, internet-based recruitment resulted in the highest number and yield of participants. Conclusion: Our results suggest that outreach through social media and the internet are effective approaches to recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors. Forging collaborative relationships with survivor advocacy groups' members and healthcare providers also proved beneficial. PMID:24940529

Core journals that publish clinical trials of physical therapy interventions.

PubMed

Costa, Leonardo Oliveira Pena; Moseley, Anne M; Sherrington, Catherine; Maher, Christopher G; Herbert, Robert D; Elkins, Mark R

2010-11-01

The objective of this study was to identify core journals in physical therapy by identifying those that publish the most randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions, provide the highest-quality reports of randomized controlled trials, and have the highest journal impact factors. This study was an audit of a bibliographic database. All trials indexed in the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) were analyzed. Journals that had published at least 80 trials were selected. The journals were ranked in 4 ways: number of trials published; mean total PEDro score of the trials published in the journal, regardless of publication year; mean total PEDro score of the trials published in the journal from 2000 to 2009; and 2008 journal impact factor. The top 5 core journals in physical therapy, ranked by the total number of trials published, were Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clinical Rehabilitation, Spine, British Medical Journal (BMJ), and Chest. When the mean total PEDro score was used as the ranking criterion, the top 5 journals were Journal of Physiotherapy, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Stroke, Spine, and Clinical Rehabilitation. When the mean total PEDro score of the trials published from 2000 to 2009 was used as the ranking criterion, the top 5 journals were Journal of Physiotherapy, JAMA, Lancet, BMJ, and Pain. The most highly ranked physical therapy-specific journals were Physical Therapy (ranked eighth on the basis of the number of trials published) and Journal of Physiotherapy (ranked first on the basis of the quality of trials). Finally, when the 2008 impact factor was used for ranking, the top 5 journals were JAMA, Lancet, BMJ, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Thorax. There were no significant relationships among the rankings on the basis of trial quality, number of trials, or journal impact factor. Physical therapists who are trying to keep up-to-date by reading the best available evidence on the effects of physical therapy interventions have to read more broadly than just physical therapy-specific journals. Readers of articles on physical therapy trials should be aware that high-quality trials are not necessarily published in journals with high impact factors.

Assessing the evolution of scientific publications in orthopedics journals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan: a 12-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Jiang, Hua; Nong, Bingjin; Yang, Lijing; Zong, Shaohui; Zhan, Xinli; Wei, Qingjun; Xiao, Zengming

2016-06-17

In China, the field of orthopedics has experienced significant growth over the past 12 years. However, the recent status of research on orthopedics among individuals in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan is unknown. In this study, we investigated characteristics and trends of orthopedics publications from these three regions. Between 2003 and 2014, all articles published in 63 orthopedics journals originating from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were identified via Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. A survey was conducted to systematically analyze the published orthopedics articles from the three regions according to the numbers of articles, study design, impact factors (IFs), citations, most prolific authors, and institutions. Additionally, we evaluated global trends in orthopedics publications, and ranked top 10 countries in terms of the total number of published articles over 12 years and the number of published articles per year. A total number of 123,317 articles were published in the 63 orthopedics journals between 2003 and 2014. The worldwide number of annually published orthopedics articles tended to increase during the study period. The total number of orthopedics publications from the three regions, especially in mainland China, increased markedly from 2003 to 2014. The annual number of orthopedics articles from mainland China increased from 6 in 2003 to 813 in 2014, Hong Kong increased from 32 in 2003 to 71 in 2014, and Taiwan increased from 68 in 2003 to 168 in 2014. For accumulated IFs and total citations of articles, mainland China ranked the first place, followed by Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, publications from Taiwan had the highest average citations per article, and publications from Hong Kong had the highest average IFs. Among the top 10 most prolific authors and institutions, 4 authors and 4 institutions were from Taiwan, 3 authors and 4 institutions were from mainland China, and 3 authors and 2 institutions were from Hong Kong. The quantity of articles published in international orthopedics journals from mainland China presented a remarkable upward trend during the past 12 years. Given the relative size of the populations, it should be emphasized that mainland China still has a long way to go to achieve the academic performance of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Analysis of accidents and injuries on motorcycles in Mexico.

PubMed

Berrones-Sanz, Luis David

2017-01-01

To analyze the type of injuries and the characteristics and geographical distribution of road accidents where motorcycles were involved in Mexico. A descriptive analysis of second-hand information sources was conducted, including the number of accidents (N = 41,881), total number of injured people (N = 13,916) and medical expenses (N = 9,111) associated to motorcycle accidents during 2014. Motorcycles represent 13.14% of the total number of deaths in road accidents in Mexico, and the Southeast region of Mexico registers the highest proportion of fatal injuries. Of the total number of motorcycles, 1.84% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83-1.86) were involved in a collision. 3.64 (95% CI: 3.39-3.89) people died and 105.5 (95% CI: 104.1-106.8) were injured in every 10,000. Out of the total number of injuries, 76.6% were male and 53.74% were women. 55.1% of deaths were caused by intracranial trauma. Only 16.6% wore a helmet at the time of the accident, and those not wearing a helmet had a 2.11 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1; CI 95%: 1.8-2.4) higher chance of head injury. Regarding the severity of the crash, those occurred in suburban areas (OR: 6.58; CI 95%: 5.69-7.60), in unpaved surfaces (OR: 4.13; CI 95%: 3.04-5.61), after low alcohol consumption (OR: 1.89; CI 95%: 1.46-2.44), at night (OR: 2.24; CI 95%: 1.95-2.57) and on weekends (OR: 1.65; CI 95%: 1.44-1.90), had the highest chance of turning into a fatal accident. In spite of the progress made in terms of road safety, motorcycle accidents are still increasing, and the use of a helmet is still proportionally low. More information on these groups and risk factors needs to be available so people are better informed. Also, regulations need improvements regarding the use of security equipment like helmets in order to reduce injuries and fatal accidents.

Estimates of the Number of Workers Exposed to Diesel Engine Exhaust in South Korea from 1993 to 2013.

PubMed

Choi, Sangjun; Park, Donguk; Kim, Seung Won; Ha, Kwonchul; Jung, Hyejung; Yi, Gwangyong; Koh, Dong-Hee; Park, Deokmook; Sun, Oknam; Uuksulainen, Sanni

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the number of workers exposed to diesel engine exhaust (DEE) by industry and year in the Republic of Korea. The estimates of workers potentially exposed to DEE in the Republic of Korea were calculated by industry on the basis of the carcinogen exposure (CAREX) surveillance system. The data on the labor force employed in DEE exposure industries were obtained from the Census on Establishments conducted by the Korea National Statistical Office from 1993 to 2013. The mean values of prevalence rates adopted by EU15 countries were used as the primary exposure prevalence rates. We also investigated the exposure prevalence rates and exposure characteristics of DEE in 359 workplaces representing 11 industries. The total number of workers exposed to DEE were estimated as 270,014 in 1993 and 417,034 in 2013 (2.2% of the total labor force). As of 2013, the industry categorized as "Land transport" showed the highest number of workers exposed to DEE with 174,359, followed by "Personal and household services" with 70,298, "Construction" with 45,555, "Wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels" with 44,005, and "Sanitation and similar services" with 12,584. These five industries, with more than 10,000 workers exposed to DEE, accounted for 83% of the total DEE-exposed workers. Comparing primary prevalence rates used for preliminary estimation among 49 industries, "Metal ore mining" had the highest rate at 52.6%, followed by "Other mining" with 50.0%, and "Land transport" with 23.6%. The DEE prevalence rates we surveyed (1.3-19.8%) were higher than the primary prevalence rates. The most common emission sources of DEE were diesel engine vehicles such as forklifts, trucks, and vans. Our estimated numbers of workers exposed to DEE can be used to identify industries with workers requiring protection from potential exposure to DEE in the Republic of Korea.

78 FR 18384 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

... rewards would go to the market maker with the highest number of winning tests and 20% of the total rewards... to allocate the rewards differently. Instead of a fixed dollar amount, the Exchange would reward the... and to perfect the mechanism for a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general...

Incidence of and mortality from kidney disease in over 600,000 insured Swedish dogs.

PubMed

Pelander, L; Ljungvall, I; Egenvall, A; Syme, H; Elliott, J; Häggström, J

2015-06-20

Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. Knowledge about the epidemiology of kidney disease in the dog population is valuable and large-scale epidemiological studies are needed. The aim of the present study was to use insurance data to estimate kidney-related morbidity and mortality in the Swedish dog population. Insurance company data from insured dogs during the years 1995-2006 were studied retrospectively. Incidence and mortality were calculated for the whole group of dogs as well as divided by sex and breed. The total number of veterinary care insured dogs was 665,245. The total incidence of kidney disease in this group of dogs was 15.8 (15.3-16.2) cases/10,000 dog-years at risk. The number of dogs in the life insurance was 548,346 and in this group the total kidney-related mortality was 9.7 (9.3-10.2) deaths/10,000 dog-years at risk. The three breeds with the highest incidence of kidney disease were the Bernese mountain dog, miniature schnauzer and boxer. The three breeds with the highest mortality caused by kidney disease were the Bernese mountain dog, Shetland sheepdog and flat-coated retriever. In conclusion, the epidemiological information provided in this study concerning kidney disease in dogs can provide valuable information for future research. British Veterinary Association.

Comparative study of scientific publications in orthopedics journals originating from USA, Japan and China (2000-2012).

PubMed

Lao, Li-Feng; Daubs, Michael David; Phan, Kevin H; Wang, Jeffrey C

2013-11-01

To compare orthopedics publications from USA, Japan and China. Scientific papers belong to ''Orthopedics'' category of Science Citation Index Expanded subject categories were retrieved from the "PubMed'' and ''Web of Knowledge'' online databases. In the field of orthopedics, the annual number increased significantly from 2000 to 2012 in the three countries (p<0.001). The share of articles increased significantly in China, but decreased significantly in Japan and USA (p<0.05). In 2012, USA contributed 35.3% of the total world output in orthopedics field and ranked 1st; Japan contributed 5.9% and ranked 4th; China contributed 5.2% and ranked 5th. Publications from USA had the highest accumulated IFs and the highest total citations of articles (USA > Japan > China, p<0.001). Average IF from USA was much higher than Japan and China (p<0.001). USA published the most articles in the top ten orthopedics journals (USA (14355) > Japan (1702) > China (487), p<0.01). Although China has undergone significant increase in annual number and percentage of scientific publication in orthopedics journals, it still lags far behind USA and Japan in the field of orthopedics in terms of quantity and quality.

Exploring with PAM: Prospecting ANTS Missions for Solar System Surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Rilee, M. L.; Curtis, S. A.

2003-01-01

ANTS (Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm), a large (1000 member) swarm of nano to picoclass (10 to 1 kg) totally autonomous spacecraft, are being developed as a NASA advanced mission concept. ANTS, based on a hierarchical insect social order, use an evolvable, self-similar, hierarchical neural system in which individual spacecraft represent the highest level nodes. ANTS uses swarm intelligence attained through collective, cooperative interactions of the nodes at all levels of the system. At the highest levels this can take the form of cooperative, collective behavior among the individual spacecraft in a very large constellation. The ANTS neural architecture is designed for totally autonomous operation of complex systems including spacecraft constellations. The ANTS (Autonomous Nano Technology Swarm) concept has a number of possible applications. A version of ANTS designed for surveying and determining the resource potential of the asteroid belt, called PAM (Prospecting ANTS Mission), is examined here.

Comparison of complications, costs, and length of stay of three different lumbar interbody fusion techniques: an analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database.

PubMed

Goz, Vadim; Weinreb, Jeffrey H; Schwab, Frank; Lafage, Virginie; Errico, Thomas J

2014-09-01

Lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) techniques have been used for years to treat a number of pathologies of the lower back. These procedures may use an anterior, posterior, or combined surgical approach. Each approach is associated with a unique set of complications, but the exact prevalence of complications associated with each approach remains unclear. To investigate the rates of perioperative complications of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), posterior/transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (P/TLIF), and LIF with a combined anterior-posterior interbody fusion (APF). Retrospective review of national data from a large administrative database. Patients undergoing ALIF, P/TLIF, or APF. Perioperative complications, length of stay (LOS), total costs, and mortality. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for patients undergoing ALIF, P/TLIF, or APF between 2001 and 2010 as identified via International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision codes. Univariate analyses were carried out comparing the three cohorts in terms of the outcomes of interest. Multivariate analysis for primary outcomes was carried out adjusting for overall comorbidity burden, race, gender, age, and length of fusion. National estimates of annual total number of procedures were calculated based on the provided discharge weights. Geographic distribution of the three cohorts was also investigated. An estimated total of 923,038 LIFs were performed between 2001 and 2010 in the United States. Posterior/transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions accounted for 79% to 86% of total LIFs between 2001 and 2010, ALIFs for 10% to 15%, and APF decreased from 10% in 2002 to less than 1% in 2010. On average, P/TLIF patients were oldest (54.55 years), followed by combined approach (47.23 years) and ALIF (46.94 years) patients (p<.0001). Anterior lumbar interbody fusion, P/TLIF, and combined surgical costs were $75,872, $65,894, and $92,249, respectively (p<.0001). Patients in the P/TLIF cohort had the greatest number of comorbidities, having the highest prevalence for 10 of 17 comorbidities investigated. Anterior-posterior interbody fusion group was associated with the greatest number of complications, having the highest incidence of 12 of the 16 complications investigated. These data help to define the perioperative risks for several LIF approaches. Comparison of outcomes showed that a combined approach is more expensive and associated with greater LOS, whereas ALIF is associated with the highest postoperative mortality. These trends should be taken into consideration during surgical planning to improve clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific publications in pharmacology and pharmacy journals from Chinese authors in various parts of North Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Li, G; Hu, L-H; Liao, Z; Cui, H-C; Li, Z-S

2010-01-01

The amount and quality of pharmacology and pharmacy research by authors from China was investigated by comparing published articles from 136 international journals (1998 - 2007) by authors from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The number of articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, impact factors, number of citations and number of articles published in top general medicine journals were compared. The total number of articles increased significantly between 1998 and 2007 (from 324 to 2536 per year). In total, there were 12 021 articles: 7576 from mainland China, 3267 from Taiwan and 1178 from Hong Kong. The accumulated impact factor of the articles from mainland China (16 688.94) was much higher than for those from Taiwan (8726.92) and Hong Kong (3161.22) but, among the three regions, Hong Kong had the highest mean impact factor and the most articles published in top general medicine journals.

Exposure of Secondary School Adolescents from Argentina and Mexico to Smoking Scenes in Movies: a Population-based Estimation.

PubMed

Salgado, María V; Pérez, Adriana; Abad-Vivero, Erika N; Thrasher, James F; Sargent, James D; Mejía, Raúl

2016-04-01

Smoking scenes in movies promote adolescent smoking onset; thus, the analysis of the number of images of smoking in movies really reaching adolescents has become a subject of increasing interest. The aim of this study was to estimate the level of exposure to images of smoking in movies watched by adolescents in Argentina and Mexico. First-year secondary school students from Argentina and Mexico were surveyed. One hundred highest-grossing films from each year of the period 2009-2013 (Argentina) and 2010-2014 (Mexico) were analyzed. Each participant was assigned a random sample of 50 of these movies and was asked if he/she had watched them. The total number of adolescents who had watched each movie in each country was estimated and was multiplied by the number of smoking scenes (occurrences) in each movie to obtain the number of gross smoking impressions seen by secondary school adolescents from each country. Four-hundred and twenty-two movies were analyzed in Argentina and 433 in Mexico. Exposure to more than 500 million smoking impressions was estimated for adolescents in each country, averaging 128 and 121 minutes of smoking scenes seen by each Argentine and Mexican adolescent, respectively. Although 15, 16 and 18-rated movies had more smoking scenes in average, movies rated for younger teenagers were responsible for the highest number of smoking scenes watched by the students (67.3% in Argentina and 54.4% in Mexico) due to their larger audience. At the population level, movies aimed at children are responsible for the highest tobacco burden seen by adolescents.

Effects of predation and oxygen deficiency on different age classes of the amphipod Monoporeia affinis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandberg, E.; Bonsdorff, E.

1996-06-01

Predation by the big brackish-water isopod Saduria entomon on two age-classes (juveniles and adults) of the small deposit-feeding amphipod Monoporeia (syn. Pontoporeia) affinis was studied at different oxygen conditions (normoxia>11 mg/l O 2, and moderate hypoxia 4 mg/l O 2). Vulnerability of juvenile and adult M. affinis was studied in single and mixed age-class treatments. The proportions of juveniles and adults were varied at one total numerical density. The predatory effects were measured as numbers of individuals consumed and of total biomass intake (mg ash-free dry weight). The highest predation rate (in numbers) was detected in the single-prey treatment with juvenile M. affinis, both in normoxia and moderate hypoxia. No preference for any of the two size classes was found in the treatment with equal numbers of adults and juveniles. In normoxia, the total number of prey consumed decreased with increasing proportions of adults, while intake increased in terms of biomass. In moderate hypoxia, high proportions of adults reduced the predation rate of S. entomon to such an extent that also the intake in terms of biomass was significantly negatively affected.

Tournament Structure and Success of Players Based on Location in Men’s Professional Tennis

PubMed Central

Panjan, Andrej; Reid, Machar; Crespo, Miguel; Sarabon, Nejc

2013-01-01

This article discusses the relationship between success of professional male tennis players according to the country and world region from which they originate and the professional tournament structure in men’s tennis in that world region and country. The success of a country or world region was defined by the number of players in the top 300 ATP rankings and was calculated for seven time periods between 1975 and 2008. The results showed the correlations between the total number of top 300 ranked players, the total number of tournaments, and the annual tournament prize money of the specific country. The correlations were nearly perfect in the 1975-1990 period (r = 0.93-0.95; p < 0.01) but only high in the 2005-2008 period (r = 0.60-0.64; p < 0.01), suggesting that the association between the number of top 300 ranked tennis players and professional tournaments, while still significant, is in decline. These data should inform the policy and investment decisions of regional and national federations, particularly as they relate to domestic professional tennis tournament structures and to explore opportunities to include professional tournaments of neighbour countries in their player’s development programs. Key Points This paper observes relation changes between the total number of players, total number of ATP tournaments and total annual prize money in particular continents from 1975 to 2008. The correlation between the tennis success, total number of tournaments and total annual prize money in tournaments was highest from 1975 to 1989 and was gradually decreasing from 1990 to 2008. The leading tennis countries organise over 20 ATP tournaments and entry professional tournaments per year. Tennis less developed countries very often is using the competition systems of the most successful tennis countries. Indications are that tennis will continue to become increasingly global and that this trend may be unlikely to reverse. PMID:24149816

Estimating the direct and indirect costs of lung cancer: a prospective analysis in a Greek University Pulmonary Department.

PubMed

Zarogoulidou, Vasiliki; Panagopoulou, Efharis; Papakosta, Despina; Petridis, Dimitris; Porpodis, Konstantinos; Zarogoulidis, Konstantinos; Zarogoulidis, Paul; Arvanitidou, Malamatenia

2015-02-01

Lung cancer (LC) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality while the prevention and treatment constitutes a significant financial burden. This economic burden has an increasing trend, with hospitalization being the highest cost factor in most studies, while the patients' quality of life (QoL) and response to treatment is not proven to be positively affected. To evaluate the direct and indirect cost of managing patients with LC in Greece according to stage and histological type of cancer, total chemotherapy cycles, age, gender, smoking habit, overall survival (OS), treatment outcome (TO) and QoL. One hundred thirteen of 128 consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in this prospective study. Patient enrolment started in August 2011 and ended in November 2011. The duration of the patient follow up was 32 months after diagnosis until end of registry. Total direct cost included diagnosis and treatment cost. Indirect cost constituted of patient's and family caregivers lost days of productivity. QoL was assessed with EORTC-QLQ-30 and Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) questionnaires before treatment and every three months. Total direct cost was €1,853,984 and chemotherapy drugs was the highest cost factor (€1,216,421). Total indirect cost was 28,774 days of which 27,293 were related to patients. Total direct cost was significantly related to the increased number of total chemotherapy cycles, longer OS, histological type of adenocarcinoma, female gender and younger patients. No relation was found between total indirect cost and the above factors. When the association between total direct/indirect cost and QoL was examined no significant results were drawn. The burden of LC on health care systems remains very high and was associated with the increased number of total chemotherapy cycles, longer OS, adenocarcinoma histological type of cancer, female gender and younger patients. Chemotherapy drugs constituted the higher factor of total direct cost. Indirect cost was considerably higher for patients than family caregivers and did not significantly differ in relation to the above factors. No significant conclusion was drawn regarding QoL and total direct/indirect cost.

Differential bacterial load on components of total knee prosthesis in patients with prosthetic joint infection.

PubMed

Holinka, Johannes; Pilz, Magdalena; Hirschl, Alexander M; Graninger, Wolfgang; Windhager, Reinhard; Presterl, Elisabeth

2012-10-01

The purpose of our study was to evaluate and quantify the bacterial adherence on different components of total knee prosthesis with the sonication culture method. Explanted components of all patients with presumptive prosthetic or implant infection were treated by sonication separately in sterile containers to dislodge the adherent bacteria from the surfaces and cultured. The bacterial load of the different knee components (femur, tibia, PE-inlay and patella) was evaluated by counting of colony-forming units (CFU) dislodged from the components surfaces using the sonication culture method. Overall, 27 patients had positive sonication cultures of explanted total knee prostheses. Microorganisms were detected from 88 of 100 explanted components. Twenty femoral components were culture positive and 7 negative, 23 tibial components as well as 23 polyethylene (PE) platforms had positive microorganism detection from the surface. Staphylococcus epidermidis adhered to the highest number of components whereas Staphylococcus aureus yielded the highest load of CFU in the sonication cultures. Although not significant, PE-inlays and tibial components were most often affected. The highest CFU count was detected in polyethylene components. The sonication culture method is a reliable method to detect bacteria from the components. Additionally, the results demonstrate that bacterial adherence is not affecting a single component of knee prosthesis only. Thus, in septic revision surgery partial prosthetic exchange or exchange of single polyethylene components alone may be not sufficient.

Performance of Mentik Wangi rice (Oryza sativa, L.) M2 generation from gamma ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, A.; Parjanto; Nandariyah; Wulandari, S.

2018-03-01

The objective of this research is to produce Mentik Wangi rice with shorter flowering age, shorter rice stem and high yield. This research was conducted in Palur Village, Mojolaban Sub-district, Sukoharjo District, from April to August 2016. This research used descriptive method, performed by observing each individual and comparing to the control average. Observational variables included plant height, total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, panicle length, number of grain per panicle, panicle density index, 1,000 filled seed weight, seed weight of cluster, flowering age and M2 mutant selection. The results showed that there were several plants indicated mutation, there were 7 plants indicate short stem mutation with height 85 cm to 97 cm. The plants which indicated short flowering age were 5 weeks after planting up to 6 weeks after planting. The mutated plants indicating of the highest number of productive tillers which were 27 up to 36. Each component result includes total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, number of grain of panicle as well as the weight of 1000 seeds in the plant indicated some mutation that has a high level of diversity in each treatment.

Trends of spinal tuberculosis research (1994-2015): A bibliometric study.

PubMed

Wang, Yiran; Wang, Qijin; Zhu, Rongbo; Yang, Changwei; Chen, Ziqiang; Bai, Yushu; Li, Ming; Zhai, Xiao

2016-09-01

Spinal tuberculosis is the most common form of skeletal tuberculosis. However, there were limited data to evaluate the trend of spinal tuberculosis research. This study aims to investigate the trend of spinal tuberculosis research and compare the contribution of research from different countries and authors. Spinal tuberculosis-related publications from 1994 to 2015 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Excel 2013, GraphPad Prism 5, and VOSviewer software were used to analyze the search results for number of publications, cited frequency, H-index, and country contributions. A total of 1558 papers were identified and were cited 16,152 times as of January 25, 2016. The United States accounted for 15.1% of the articles, 22.3% of the citations, and the highest H-index (33). China ranked third in total number of articles, fifth in citation frequency (815), and ranked seventh in H-index (13). The journal Spine (IF 2.297) had the highest number of publications. The author Jain A.K. has published the most papers in this field (20). The article titled "Tuberculosis of the spine: Controversies and a new challenge" was the most popular article and cited a total of 1138 times. The keyword "disease" was mentioned the most for 118 times and the word "bone fusion" was the latest hotspot by 2015. Literature growth in spinal tuberculosis is slowly expanding. Although publications from China are increasing, the quality of the articles still requires improvements. Meanwhile, the United States continues to be the largest contributor in the field of spinal tuberculosis. According to our bibliometric study, bone fusion may be an emerging topic within spinal tuberculosis research and is something that should be closely observed.

Highly cited articles in health care sciences and services field in Science Citation Index Expanded. A bibliometric analysis for 1958 - 2012.

PubMed

Hsu, Y-H E; Ho, Y-S

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify and analyze characteristics of highly cited articles published in the Web of Science category of health care sciences and services from 1958 to 2012. Articles that have been cited at least 100 times were assessed regarding publication outputs, distribution of outputs in journals, publications of authors, institutions, countries as well as citation life cycles of the articles with the highest total citations since its publication up to 2012 and the highest citations in 2012. Six bibliometric indicators were used to evaluate source countries, institutions, and authors. Total citations from the time the articles were first published to the end of 2012 and citations in 2012 only were applied. Additionally, Y-index was applied to evaluate publication characteristics of authors. A high percentage of authors had the same numbers of first author and corresponding author status of highly cited articles in health care sciences and services field. RESULTS showed that 890 of the most highly referenced articles, published between 1977 and 2009, had been cited at least 100 times. Medical Care and Journal of General Internal Medicine published the most highly cited articles. The United States produced 76% of highly cited articles and also published the most number of independent, internationally collaborative, first authored, corresponding authored, and single author highly cited articles. The Harvard University was the most productive institute and was number one for the total highly cited articles, inter-institutionally collaborative articles, single institution articles, first author articles, and corresponding author articles. The application of quantitative techniques in the analysis of highly cited articles can improve the researchers' understanding of the directions in health care sciences and services field. Y-index is useful for the evaluation of contributing authors.

Profitability of our lung retrieval program from non heart beating donors.

PubMed

Fernández, Elena; Calatayud, Joaquín; Jarabo, José Ramón; Hernando, Florentino; Rodríguez, Olga; Gómez, Ana María; Soria, Ana; Del Río, Francisco

2009-02-01

In 2002 the first lung transplant from non heart beating (NHB) donors took place in Madrid. The objective of this study was to analyse our Maastricht type I NHB lung donors retrieval program and to check out its profitability. Based on the NHB lung donors retrieval program carried out at Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) in association with Hospital Puerta de Hierro (Madrid), all lung donors from the beginning of the program from June 2002 to December 2006 have been analysed. When faced with a case of sudden death, advanced life support manoeuvres are initiated before 15 min. If the patient meets a given set of criteria, code 0/9 is activated. Arrival time to the hospital cannot exceed 90 min. Femoral artery and vein are cannulated, extracorporeal circulation is started and lungs are preserved. After the relatives' and judicial authorisation lungs are retrieved. Out of a total of 322 occurrences of code 0/9, 43 lung retrievals and 25 implants were reported. A total of 95% of donors were male, with an average age of 41 years and 91% with blood group A or O. 2004 saw the highest number of retrievals (14). January, May and December showed the highest number of retrievals. Incidence of sudden deaths was higher from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m. Twenty-three implants at Hospital Puerta de Hierro and three more at Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (Santander) were reported. A considerable amount of preserved lungs, valid for transplant, were not retrieved because of a lack of an appropriate recipient at the time. A total of 58.1% of preserved lungs were implanted. The ratio of obtained lungs was 11.4% of actual donors and 7.7% of total occurrences. However, this percentage could have been higher if we take into account the number of valid lungs that were not transplanted because of the lack of recipients.

Biodegradation of propargite by Pseudomonas putida, isolated from tea rhizosphere.

PubMed

Sarkar, Soumik; Seenivasan, Subbiah; Asir, Robert Premkumar Samuel

2010-02-15

Biodegradation of miticide propargite was carried out in vitro by selected Pseudomonas strains isolated from tea rhizosphere. A total number of 13 strains were isolated and further screened based on their tolerance level to different concentrations of propargite. Five best strains were selected and further tested for their nutritional requirements. Among the different carbon sources tested glucose exhibited the highest growth promoting capacity and among nitrogen sources ammonium nitrate supported the growth to the maximum. The five selected Pseudomonas strain exhibited a range of degradation capabilities. Mineral salts medium (MSM) amended with glucose provided better environment for degradation with the highest degradation potential in strain SPR 13 followed by SPR 8 (71.9% and 69.0% respectively).

Impact of orphan drugs on Latvian budget.

PubMed

Logviss, Konstantins; Krievins, Dainis; Purvina, Santa

2016-05-11

Number of orphan medicinal products on the market and number of rare disease patients, taking these usually expensive products, are increasing. As a result, budget impact of orphan drugs is growing. This factor, along with the cost-effectiveness of orphan drugs, is often considered in the reimbursement decisions, directly affecting accessibility of rare disease therapies. The current study aims to assess the budget impact of orphan drugs in Latvia. Our study covered a 5-year period, from 2010 to 2014. Impact of orphan drugs on Latvian budget was estimated from the National Health Service's perspective. It was calculated in absolute values and relative to total pharmaceutical market and total drug reimbursement budget. A literature review was performed for comparison with other European countries. Orphan drug annual expenditure ranged between EUR 2.065 and 3.065 million, with total 5-year expenditure EUR 12.467 million. It constituted, on average, 0.84 % of total pharmaceutical market and 2.14 % of total drug reimbursement budget, respectively. Average annual per patient expenditures varied widely, from EUR 1 534 to EUR 580 952. The most costly treatment was enzyme replacement therapy (Elaprase) for MPS II. Glivec had the highest share (34 %) of the total orphan drug expenditure. Oncological drugs represented more than a half of the total orphan drug expenditure, followed by drugs for metabolic and endocrine conditions and medicines for cardiopulmonary diseases. Three indications: Ph+ CML, MPS II, and PAH accounted for nearly 90 % of the total orphan drug expenditure. Budget impact of orphan drugs in Latvia is very small. It increased slightly over a period of five years, due to the slight increase in the number of patients and the number of orphan drugs reimbursed. Current Latvian drug reimbursement system is not sufficient for most orphan drugs.

Trend of academic publication activity in anesthesiology: A 2-decade bibliographic perspective.

PubMed

Chen, Sy-Yuan; Wei, Ling-Fang; Ho, Chiu-Ming

2017-03-01

The publication of anesthesiology papers presents the importance of understanding the corresponding research activity. This research used the bibliographic method to investigate the publication trend in anesthesiology using Science Citation Index Expanded over the period 1995-2014. The journals listed in the subject category of anesthesiology in the 2014 Journal Citation Reports were selected, and bibliographic information was collected from Science Citation Index Expanded, with 128,003 papers published from 1995 to 2014. Only the document type "article" was analyzed. The productivity and impact of various journals, countries, and institutions are discussed. A total of 64,199 articles published from 1995 to 2014, with 1,084,491 cited times, were examined. The total number of articles published by journals showed a slight increase in the 2 nd decade. More than 45% of these articles were published by the top five journals, which have maintained their ranking over 2 decades. Most publications originated from North America and European countries, of which the United States had the highest number of publications and citations. Most of the institutions are academic universities and hospitals. More than half of the top 25 institutions (in rankings) are located in the United States, and Harvard University accounted the highest number of articles and citations among all institutions. The results reported here may aid clinicians and researchers to better understand the worldwide contribution of anesthesiology research activities over 2 decades. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Stereo Reconstruction Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

be registered on the agenda. At each step or analysis, the action with the highest score is executed and the database is changed. The agenda controls...activation of production rules according to changes in the database . The agenda is updated whenever the database is changed. Each time, the number of...views of an object. Total prediction has combinatorial complexity. For a polyhedron with n distinct faces, there are 2" views. Instead, ACRONYM predicts

Interaction Between Phosphorus and Zinc on the Biomass Yield and Yield Attributes of the Medicinal Plant Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)

PubMed Central

Das, Kuntal; Dang, Raman; Shivananda, T. N.; Sur, Pintu

2005-01-01

A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore to study the interaction effect between phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) on the yield and yield attributes of the medicinal plant stevia. The results show that the yield and yield attributes have been found to be significantly affected by different treatments. The total yield in terms of biomass production has been increased significantly with the application of Zn and P in different combinations and methods, being highest (23.34 g fresh biomass) in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil (10 kg ZnSO4/ha) and foliar spray (0.2% ZnSO4). The results also envisaged that the different yield attributes viz. height, total number of branches, and number of leaves per plant have been found to be varied with treatments, being highest in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil and foliar spray without the application of P. The results further indicated that the yield and yield attributes of stevia have been found to be decreased in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil and foliar spray along with P suggesting an antagonistic effect between Zn and P. PMID:15915292

Re-evaluating the concept of "dominant/index tumor nodule" in multifocal prostate cancer.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng Cheng; Deng, Fang-Ming; Kong, Max X; Ren, Qinhu; Melamed, Jonathan; Zhou, Ming

2014-05-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) often presents as a multifocal disease with heterogeneity in Gleason score (GS) and genetic alterations. Dominant/index tumor nodule (DN), the largest nodule in a multifocal disease, is presumed to harbor the most aggressive biological behavior and therefore dictate the overall clinical behavior of PCa. In this study, we examined the pathological features of DN and re-evaluated the validity of the "DN" concept in multifocal PCa. A total of 201 consecutive radical prostatectomy specimens were totally submitted and examined. All independent cancer foci were recorded with prognostically important pathological parameters. Unifocal and multifocal disease was present in 25 (12.4 %) and 176 (87.6 %) cases, respectively. In 20 (11.3 %) multifocal cases, the highest GS, the largest tumor volume (TV), and extraprostatic extension (EPE) did not concur in the same tumor nodules. Non-DNs had a higher GS and EPE in 13 cases each and had both the highest GS and EPE in 5 cases. In the majority of multifocal prostate cancer (88.7 %), DNs have the highest GS and EPE. In these cases, DN is still a valid concept and can be used for assigning overall GS and procuring tissue for research. However, in a significant number of cases (11.3 %), the largest TV, the highest GS, and EPE did not concur in the same tumor nodules. In these cases, pathologists should de-emphasize the concept of DN. Instead, they should place the emphasis on the multifocal nature of the disease and document the pathological features of all independent tumor foci that have the largest TV, the highest GS, and EPE.

Highest cited papers published in Neurology India: An analysis for the years 1993-2014.

PubMed

Pandey, Paritosh; Subeikshanan, V; Madhugiri, Venkatesh S

2016-01-01

The highest cited papers published in a journal provide a snapshot of the clinical practice and research in that specialty and/or region. The aim of this study was to determine the highest cited papers published in Neurology India and analyze their attributes. This study was a citation analysis of all papers published in Neurology India since online archiving commenced in 1993. All papers published in Neurology India between the years 1993-2014 were listed. The number of times each paper had been cited up till the time of performing this study was determined by performing a Google Scholar search. Published papers were then ranked on the basis of total times cited since publication and the annual citation rate. Statistical Techniques: Simple counts and percentages were used to report most results. The mean citations received by papers in various categories were compared using the Student's t-test or a one-way analysis of variance, as appropriate. All analyses were carried out on SAS University Edition (SAS/STAT®, SAS Institute Inc, NC, USA) and graphs were generated on MS Excel 2016. The top papers on the total citations and annual citation rate rank lists pertained to basic neuroscience research. The highest cited paper overall had received 139 citations. About a quarter of the papers published had never been cited at all. The major themes represented were vascular diseases and infections. The highest cited papers reflect the diseases that are of major concern in India. Certain domains such as trauma, allied neurosciences, and basic neuroscience research were underrepresented.

Can the oscillator strength of the quantum dot bandgap transition exceed unity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hens, Z.

2008-10-01

We discuss the apparent contradiction between the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule for oscillator strengths and recent experimental data on the oscillator strength of the band gap transition of quantum dots. Starting from two simple single electron model systems, we show that the sum rule does not limit this oscillator strength to values below unity, or below the number of electrons in the highest occupied single electron state. The only upper limit the sum rule imposes on the oscillator strength of the quantum dot band gap transition is the total number of electrons in the quantum dot.

Scientific publications in nursing journals from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Zhang, Di; Wang, Xiaming; Yuan, Xueru; Yang, Li; Xue, Yu; Xie, Qian

2016-01-01

China has witnessed remarkable progress in scientific performance in recent years. However, the quantity and quality of nursing publications from three major regions (Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) have not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of scientific research productivity from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in the field of nursing. Articles published in the 110 nursing journals originating from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong between 2005 and 2014 were retrieved from the Web of Science. The total number of articles published, the impact factor, and the citation count were analyzed. There were 2,439 publications between 2005 and 2014 from China, including 438 from Mainland China, 1,506 from Taiwan, and 495 from Hong Kong. There was a significant increase in publications for these three regions (p < 0.05), especially for Mainland China, with a 59.50-fold increase experienced. From 2011, the number of publications from Mainland China exceeded that from Hong Kong. Taiwan had the highest total journal impact factor (2,142.81), followed by Hong Kong (720.39) and Mainland China (583.94). The mean journal impact factor from Hong Kong (1.46) was higher than that from Taiwan (1.42) and Mainland China (1.33). Taiwan had the highest total citation count (8,392), followed by Hong Kong (3,785) and Mainland China (1,493). The mean citation count from Hong Kong (7.65) was higher than that from Taiwan (5.57) and Mainland China (3.41). The Journal of Clinical Nursing was the most popular journal in the three regions. Chinese contributions to the field of nursing have significantly increased in the past ten years, particularly from Mainland China. Taiwan is the most productive region in China. Hong Kong had the highest-quality research output, according to mean journal impact factor and mean citation count.

Exposure of Secondary School Adolescents from Argentina and Mexico to Smoking Scenes in Movies: a Population-based Estimation

PubMed Central

SALGADO, MARÍA V.; PÉREZ, ADRIANA; ABAD-VIVERO, ERIKA N.; THRASHER, JAMES F.; SARGENT, JAMES D.; MEJÍA, RAÚL

2016-01-01

Background Smoking scenes in movies promote adolescent smoking onset; thus, the analysis of the number of images of smoking in movies really reaching adolescents has become a subject of increasing interest. Objective The aim of this study was to estimate the level of exposure to images of smoking in movies watched by adolescents in Argentina and Mexico. Methods First-year secondary school students from Argentina and Mexico were surveyed. One hundred highest-grossing films from each year of the period 2009-2013 (Argentina) and 2010-2014 (Mexico) were analyzed. Each participant was assigned a random sample of 50 of these movies and was asked if he/she had watched them. The total number of adolescents who had watched each movie in each country was estimated and was multiplied by the number of smoking scenes (occurrences) in each movie to obtain the number of gross smoking impressions seen by secondary school adolescents from each country. Results Four-hundred and twenty-two movies were analyzed in Argentina and 433 in Mexico. Exposure to more than 500 million smoking impressions was estimated for adolescents in each country, averaging 128 and 121 minutes of smoking scenes seen by each Argentine and Mexican adolescent, respectively. Although 15, 16 and 18-rated movies had more smoking scenes in average, movies rated for younger teenagers were responsible for the highest number of smoking scenes watched by the students (67.3% in Argentina and 54.4% in Mexico) due to their larger audience. Conclusion At the population level, movies aimed at children are responsible for the highest tobacco burden seen by adolescents. PMID:27354756

Heat waves in Portugal: Current regime, changes in future climate and impacts on extreme wildfires.

PubMed

Parente, J; Pereira, M G; Amraoui, M; Fischer, E M

2018-08-01

Heat waves (HW) can have devastating social, economic and environmental impacts. Together with long-term drought, they are the main factors contributing to wildfires. Surprisingly, the quantitative and objective analysis leading to the identification and characterization of HW in current and future climate conditions as well as its influence on the occurrence of extreme wildfires (EW) has never been performed for Portugal and are the main objectives of this study. For this reason, we assess HW in recent past and future climate based on a consistent high resolution meteorological database and have compared their occurrence with long and reliable, precise and detailed information about Portuguese fire events. Results include the characterization of HW frequency, duration, seasonality and intensity for current and different future climate conditions and their relationship with EW occurrence. We detected 130 HW between 1981 and 2010, concentrated between May and October and highest values in July and August. The highest HW number and duration is found over the Northeast corner and the south of the country while highest amplitudes are typically located in central area. HW characteristics present high inter-annual variability but are clearly associated to the temporal and spatial distribution of EW: 97% of total number of EW were active during an HW, 90% of total EW days were also HW days; 82% of the EW had duration completely contained in the duration of an HW; and, 83% of EW occurred during and in the area affected by HW. Our results also show that HW should increase in number, duration and amplitude, more significantly for RCP 8.5, and for the 30-year periods near the end of the 21st century. Findings of this study will support the definition of climate change adaptation strategies for fire danger and risk management. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Classic articles in Psychology in the Science Citation Index Expanded: A bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Ho, Yuh-Shan; Hartley, James

2016-11-01

Who today are the most highly cited psychologists listed in the Web of Science? This paper reports answers to this question by using the Science Citation Index Expanded to find out. This index covers over 280,350 documents in the Psychology category of the Web of Science from 1900 to 2013 and lists the most highly cited papers published between 1927 and 2012. For example, in 2013, an article published by Jacob Cohen in 1992 obtained (1) the highest ranking with 1,068 citations, (2) the highest for total citations per year, and (3) was ranked 3rd for the total number of citations since publication by 2013. New technology thus provides a seismic shift in the ways that we can obtain and analyse data like these. Indeed, the results for the top 10 articles indicate that practical and methodological papers now receive more citations than the more theoretical papers usually found in earlier surveys. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

AIRBORNE MICROORGANISMS IN BROILER PROCESSING PLANTS.

PubMed

KOTULA, A W; KINNER, J A

1964-05-01

Concentrations of total aerobic bacteria, molds, yeasts, coliforms, enterococci, and psychrophiles were determined in the air of two poultry processing plants with Andersen samplers and a mobile power supply. Total aerobic bacterial counts were highest in the dressing room, with diminishing numbers in the shackling, eviscerating, and holding rooms, when sampling was carried out during plant operation. The average counts per ft(3) of air in these four rooms were 2,200; 560; 230; and 62, respectively. (Each value is the average of 36 observations.) The number of organisms increased in the shackling and dressing rooms once processing was begun. Average total aerobic bacterial counts increased from 70 to 870 to 3,000 in the shackling room and from 310 to 4,900 to 7,000 in the dressing room when sampling was carried out at 5:00 am (before plant operations), 9:00 am, and 2:00 pm, respectively. (Each value is the mean of 12 observations.) Airborne molds might originate from a source other than the poultry being processed.

Airborne Microorganisms in Broiler Processing Plants

PubMed Central

Kotula, Anthony W.; Kinner, Jack A.

1964-01-01

Concentrations of total aerobic bacteria, molds, yeasts, coliforms, enterococci, and psychrophiles were determined in the air of two poultry processing plants with Andersen samplers and a mobile power supply. Total aerobic bacterial counts were highest in the dressing room, with diminishing numbers in the shackling, eviscerating, and holding rooms, when sampling was carried out during plant operation. The average counts per ft3 of air in these four rooms were 2,200; 560; 230; and 62, respectively. (Each value is the average of 36 observations.) The number of organisms increased in the shackling and dressing rooms once processing was begun. Average total aerobic bacterial counts increased from 70 to 870 to 3,000 in the shackling room and from 310 to 4,900 to 7,000 in the dressing room when sampling was carried out at 5:00 am (before plant operations), 9:00 am, and 2:00 pm, respectively. (Each value is the mean of 12 observations.) Airborne molds might originate from a source other than the poultry being processed. Images FIG. 3 PMID:14170951

Relation of pesticide concentrations to season, streamflow, and land use in seven New Jersey streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reiser, Robert G.

1999-01-01

The presence and variability of pesticides in seven New Jersey streams was documented by analyzing 146 samples collected from the streams from April 1996 through June 1998. The samples were analyzed for 85 pesticides, including 50 herbicides, 28 insecticides, and 7 degradation products, at method detection limits that ranged from 0.001 to 0.018 μg/L (micrograms per liter). Pesticides were frequently detected; however, concentrations were generally low. The pesticides most frequently detected were atrazine, in 97 percent of the samples; prometon, 96 percent; metolachlor, 95 percent; desethyl-atrazine, 91 percent; simazine, 88 percent; diazinon, 58 percent; alachlor, 56 percent; and carbaryl, 54 percent. Detection frequencies were highest during the growing season (April-September). At least one pesticide was detected in all but one of these samples, and 49 percent of the samples contained 9 or more pesticides. The numbers of pesticides detected at a given site ranged from 13 to 29. Ten pesticides were detected at concentrations that exceeded established water-quality criteria. Thirty-one of these detections were in samples collected during the growing season and one during the nongrowing season. The pesticides that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level for drinking water were atrazine, which exceeded 3 μg/L in four samples, and alachlor, 2 μg/L in two samples. Cyanazine exceeded the USEPA liftime health advisory level (HAL) of 1 μg/L in two samples. These eight detections occurred during runoff shortly after spring pesticide applications and represent a potential threat to municipal water supplies in the Raritan River basin. Concentrations of chlorpyrifos, chlorthalonil, diazinon, ethyl-parathion, and methyl-azinphos exceeded the chronic life criteria for the protection of aquatic life (ACQR) in 20 samples at four sites during the growing season. Dieldrin was detected in four samples and DDE in two samples at concentrations that exceeded New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) human health criteria. Individual and total-pesticide concentrations and total numbers of pesticides detected in the samples varied with season and flow conditions. Median and maximum concentrations of most of the pesticides were highest during runoff in the growing season. Pesticide concentrations were typically lower and less variable in the nongrowing season than in the growing season, regardless of changes in hydrologic conditions; however, median concentrations of most pesticides were slightly lower during runoff than during base flow. The median total-pesticide concentration and median total number of pesticides detected were highest and most variable in runoff samples in the growing season. In the nongrowing season, the median total-pesticide concentration was lowest in runoff samples and least variable during base-flow conditions. Median total numbers of pesticides were lowest and least varibale in the nongrowing season during base-flow conditions at most sites. The highest total-pesticide concentrations were detected in samples from the two small agricultural basins (greater than 25 percent of land use is agricultural) during runoff in late spring and early summer. In general, insecticides were detected more frequently and in greater concentrations at urban sites. Concentrations of agricultural herbicides generally decreased with increasing flow at the four sites with less than 10 percent agriculture land use and increased with increasing flow at the three sites with more than 25 percent agricultural land use. Most of the pesticides that correlated positively with streamflow were detected at sites where land use in the basin would indicate the use of those particular pesticides. Most of the pesticides that correlated negatively with streamflow were present at the site in the Coastal Plain or at sites in which the land use in the basin would not indicate heavy u

Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian honeys produced by Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Apis mellifera.

PubMed

Moniruzzaman, Mohammed; Khalil, Md Ibrahim; Sulaiman, Siti Amrah; Gan, Siew Hua

2013-02-23

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian monofloral honey samples-acacia, pineapple and borneo honey-and compare them with tualang honey. Acacia and pineapple honey are produced by Apis mellifera bees while borneo and tualang honey are produced by Apis cerana and Apis dorsata bees, respectively. The physical parameters of honey, such as pH, moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), color intensity, total sugar and apparent sucrose content, were measured. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was measured using high performance liquid chromatography, and a number of biochemical and antioxidant tests were performed to determine the antioxidant properties of the honey samples. Acacia honey was the most acidic (pH 3.53), whereas pineapple honey had the lowest moisture content (14.86%), indicating that both types of honey can resist microbial spoilage more effectively when compared to tualang honey (pH 3.80 and 17.53% moisture content). Acacia honey contained the highest EC (0.76 mS/cm), whereas borneo honey had the highest (377 ppm) TDS. The mean HMF content in Malaysian honey was 35.98 mg/kg. Tualang honey, which is amber color, had the highest color intensity (544.33 mAU). Acacia honey is the sweetest, and contained the highest concentration of total sugar, reducing sugar and apparent sucrose. Tualang honey had the highest concentration of phenolic compounds (352.73 ± 0.81 mg galic acid/kg), flavonoids (65.65 ± 0.74 mg catechin/kg), DPPH (59.89%), FRAP values (576.91 ± 0.64 μM Fe (II)/100 g) and protein content (4.83 ± 0.02 g/kg) as well as the lowest AEAC values (244.10 ± 5.24 mg/kg), indicating its strong antioxidant properties. Proline, an important amino acid that is present in honey was also measured in the present study and it was found at the highest concentration in pineapple honey. Several strong correlations were found among the biochemical and antioxidant parameters of all the Malaysian honeys. Although Malaysian honeys are of good quality, tualang honey contains the strongest antioxidant properties by far.

Hydrodynamic Trails Produced by Daphnia: Size and Energetics

PubMed Central

Wickramarathna, Lalith N.; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of to and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between and , respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers. PMID:24671019

Lactation curves of dairy camels in an intensive system.

PubMed

Musaad, Abdelgadir; Faye, Bernard; Nikhela, Abdelmoneim Abu

2013-04-01

Weekly milk records of 47 she-camels in a multibreed dairy camel herd were collected for over a period of 5 years. A total of 72 lactation curves were defined, and relationships with parity, calving season, lactation length, milk production level, following lactations, and dam weight were analyzed. Overall mean values were milk yield up to 12 months, 1,970 ± 790 l; lactation length, 12.5 months; persistency, 94.7 %; weekly peak yield, 50.7 l; monthly peak yield, 220 ± 90 l; and the number of weeks to reach peak yield, 28. The highest productivity was recorded in summer with a weekly mean of 48.2 ± 19.4 l, compared with 34.1 ± 16.3 l in winter. The highest average yield recorded was for camels at sixth parity, whereas the highest weekly peak was at eighth parity, and highest persistency at fifth parity. Camels that calved during the cold months (November to February) were most productives, with the highest persistency, peak yield, and longest lactation length. Four types of curves were identified corresponding to different parities and milk yield levels. Based on these data, specific models for camels are proposed.

The landscape of medical oncology in Europe by 2020.

PubMed

de Azambuja, E; Ameye, L; Paesmans, M; Zielinski, C C; Piccart-Gebhart, M; Preusser, M

2014-02-01

In the United States, there will be a shortage of medical oncologists (MO) by 2020. However, this information is not available for Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the current number of MO in the 27 European Union (27-EU) countries and to predict their availability by 2020. Between June 2012 and January 2013, a survey was submitted to health authorities, medical oncology societies, and personal contacts in all 27-EU countries in order to gather annual data on the number of practicing MO. Data were collected by e-mail, telephone contact, or through research on official websites. Data regarding cancer incidence in 2008 and projections for 2015 and 2020 were obtained through Globocan. The mean annual increase in the number of MO was calculated for each country. The total number of MO by 2015 and 2020 was estimated, and the ratio of new cancer cases versus number of MO was calculated for 2008, 2015, and 2020. Twelve countries provided sufficient data. The average mean annual increase in the total number of MO was 5.3% (range 1.8%-8.7%), with Belgium being the lowest and UK the highest. The 2008 ratio of cancer cases versus MO was lowest in Hungary (113) and highest in UK (1067). A favorable decrease in this ratio was estimated in most countries. Our estimates, based on incidence and not on prevalence, indicate that MO availability will probably meet the projected need in most of the 12 countries analyzed, provided that: (i) these countries maintain their rate of annual increase in MO; and (ii) no unforeseen changes occur in cancer incidence. Unfortunately, minimal information is available for Eastern Europe. Our data call for the prospective surveillance of the cancer burden and MO availability to ensure adequate and equal care for cancer patients throughout Europe.

Seasonal abundance of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) from two locations in eastern Croatia.

PubMed

Krcmar, Stjepan

2005-12-01

A total of 10,539 tabanid horse flies from 22 species and five genera was collected in the Tikves forest within the Kopacki rit Nature Park in eastern Croatia. Seasonal abundance was analyzed for the six most abundant species. Tabanus maculicornis, Tabanus tergestinus, and Haematopota pluvialis reached their highest peak abundance in the fourth week of June. Atylotus loewianus and Tabanus bromius reached their highest peak of abundance in the first week of August, whereas Tabanus sudeticus reached its maximum abundance in the third week of July. Horse flies also were collected once a week on the pasture at Petrijevci from mid-May to mid-September during 1993. Paired collections were made from a Malaise trap and from a horse by using a sweep net. A total of 2,867 tabanids belonging to 26 species was collected. The number of tabanids collected on horses was much higher than the total captured with Malaise traps. On their natural host (horse), 2.6 times more tabanids were collected than in the traps. Seasonal abundance was analyzed only for the eight most abundant species. Chrysops paralellogrammus, Tabanus autumnalis, Tabanus bromius, Tabanus tergestinus, Haematopota pluvialis, and Haematopota subcylindrica all reached their highest peak of abundance in the second week of July, whereas Tabanus maculicornis reached the maximal peak of abundance in the third week of June. Seasonal meteorological variability that occurs periodically from one year to another has a significant influence on the maximal peaks of tabanid abundance.

Different incidences of knee arthroplasty in the Nordic countries.

PubMed

NiemeläInen, Mika J; MäKelä, Keijo T; Robertsson, Otto; W-Dahl, Annette; Furnes, Ove; Fenstad, Anne M; Pedersen, Alma B; Schrøder, Henrik M; Huhtala, Heini; Eskelinen, Antti

2017-04-01

Background and purpose - The annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) has increased worldwide in recent years. To make projections regarding future needs for primaries and revisions, additional knowledge is important. We analyzed and compared the incidences among 4 Nordic countries Patients and methods - Using Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) data from 4 countries, we analyzed differences between age and sex groups. We included patients over 30 years of age who were operated with TKA or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) during the period 1997-2012. The negative binomial regression model was used to analyze changes in general trends and in sex and age groups. Results - The average annual increase in the incidence of TKA was statistically significant in all countries. The incidence of TKA was higher in women than in men in all 4 countries. It was highest in Finland in patients aged 65 years or more. At the end of the study period in 2012, Finland's total incidence was double that of Norway, 1.3 times that of Sweden and 1.4 times that of Denmark. The incidence was lowest in the youngest age groups (< 65 years) in all 4 countries. The proportional increase in incidence was highest in patients who were younger than 65 years. Interpretation - The incidence of knee arthroplasty steadily increased in the 4 countries over the study period. The differences between the countries were considerable, with the highest incidence in Finland. Patients aged 65 years or more contributed to most of the total incidence of knee arthroplasty.

Anammox biofilm in activated sludge swine wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Suto, Ryu; Ishimoto, Chikako; Chikyu, Mikio; Aihara, Yoshito; Matsumoto, Toshimi; Uenishi, Hirohide; Yasuda, Tomoko; Fukumoto, Yasuyuki; Waki, Miyoko

2017-01-01

We investigated anammox with a focus on biofilm in 10 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that use activated sludge treatment of swine wastewater. In three plants, we found red biofilms in aeration tanks or final sedimentation tanks. The biofilm had higher anammox 16S rRNA gene copy numbers (up to 1.35 × 10 12 copies/g-VSS) and higher anammox activity (up to 295 μmoL/g-ignition loss/h) than suspended solids in the same tank. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that Planctomycetes accounted for up to 17.7% of total reads in the biofilm. Most of them were related to Candidatus Brocadia or Ca. Jettenia. The highest copy number and the highest proportion of Planctomycetes were comparable to those of enriched anammox sludge. Thus, swine WWTPs that use activated sludge treatment can fortuitously acquire anammox biofilm. Thus, concentrated anammox can be detected by focusing on red biofilm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growing Trend of China's Contribution to Global Diabetes Research

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiyan; Guo, Liangqing; Yuan, Mingze; He, Xinhui; Lin, Yiqun; Gu, Chengjuan; Li, Qingwei; Zhao, Linhua; Tong, Xiaolin

2016-01-01

Abstract China, as a rapidly developing country with the largest population in the world, is playing an increasingly important role in diabetes research. There are >10,000 diabetes doctors who care for a large population of diabetic patients. The quantity and quality of research on diabetes from 3 major regions of China, including Mainland China (ML), Taiwan (TW), and Hong Kong (HK), is unknown. We aimed to analyze the contributions of each of these 3 regions to diabetes research. Articles on diabetes originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published from 2005 to 2014 were retrieved from the Web of Science. The quantity of articles, citations, article types, and articles published in high-impact journals were analyzed. A total of 9302 articles were retrieved from the 3 regions of China. There were 6775 from ML, 1993 from TW, and 534 from HK, with an increasing trend in publications from 2005 to 2014. After 2006, the number of publications from ML exceeded TW and HK. The largest total number of citations (48,296) was from ML. The highest mean citations, however, were from HK (15.90). PLoS One was the most popular journal in all 3 regions. The greatest number of RCTs, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and articles published in high-impact journals were from ML. There has been a significant increase in the number of articles published on diabetes research from China during the past 10 years. Most of the articles were published by authors in ML, and an increasing trend began in 2006. HK had the highest quality research output in terms of mean citations per article. PMID:27149452

A bibliometric analysis assessing temporal changes in publication and authorship characteristics in The Knee from 1996 to 2016.

PubMed

Sheridan, G; Wisken, E; Hing, C B; Smith, T O

2018-03-01

Evidence-based practice is a foundation to clinical excellence. However there remains little evidence on the characteristics of authors who contribute to the evidence-base and whether these have changed over time. The purpose of this study was to explore these characteristics by undertaking a bibliometric analysis to explore publication and authorship characteristics in a leading sub-speciality orthopaedic journal (The Knee) over a 20-year period. All articles published in The Knee in 1996, 2006 and 2016 were identified. For each article, data collected included: highest academic award; profession; gender; continent of first and last author; total number of authors; the level of evidence; and funding source. We analysed temporal changes in these variables using appropriate statistical models. A total of 413 papers were analysed. Between 1996 to 2016 there has been a significant increase in the overall number of authors, the number of paper submitted from Asia, the proportion of Level 1 or 2 tiered evidence, the proportion of people with Bachelor or Master-level degrees as their highest level of educational award and the proportion of non-medically qualified authors (P<0.001). From 2006 to 2016 there was a significant increase in the proportion of articles whose first author was female (P=0.03), but no significant change in the number of females as last author (P=0.43). The findings indicate that there have been changes in publication and authorship characteristics in this sub-speciality orthopaedic journal during the past 20years. This provides encouraging indication of greater diversification and internationalisation of orthopaedic research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Neighborhood-Based Intervention to Reduce Prostate Cancer Disparities

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

computed. The total number of patients was 10,802. The median age was 65. Fifty-seven percent were married at diagnosis. The majority of...Hispanic patients were younger and less likely to be married compared to White patients. Tumor grade and stage were highest among Black patients...were more Black and unmarried . There was a higher percentage of high grade and high stage prostate cancer at diagnosis. There were fewer men, lower

Heterogeneity of cellular proliferation within transitional cell carcinoma: correlation of protein kinase C alpha/betaI expression and activity.

PubMed

Aaltonen, Vesa; Koivunen, Jussi; Laato, Matti; Peltonen, Juha

2006-07-01

A total of 18 histological samples containing both transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and normal urothelial epithelium were analyzed for protein kinase C (PKC)-alpha and -betaI expression, and for their phosphorylated substrates. The results showed an increased expression of PKC-alpha in 13 out of 18 samples and -betaI in 11 out of 18 TCC samples when compared with normal urothelium. In addition, 11 out of 18 of the TCC tumors displayed heterogeneous expression of the PKC isoenzymes, with different levels of immunosignal in different areas of the tumor. Within the same sample, areas of highest PKC isoenzyme expression also showed highest classical PKC activity, as estimated by immunodetection of phosphorylated forms of PKC substrates. The areas of highest expression of PKC-alpha and/or -betaI isoenzymes showed also the highest number of cells positive for Ki67, an indicator of proliferation. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting demonstrated that in cultured TCC cells, PKC-alpha was located in the cytoplasm, whereas PKC-betaI was located primarily in the nucleus as a 65-kDa fragment and in the cytoplasm as a full-size 79-kDa protein. Our results indicate that increased expression of PKC-alpha and -betaI leads to increased total classical PKC kinase activity and suggest that increased activity of the isoenzymes plays a role in accelerated growth of TCC. Furthermore, these results suggest that even in carcinoma tissue, PKC expression and activity are under strict control.

Genetic variability of populations of Nyssomyia neivai in the Northern State of Paraná, Brazil

PubMed Central

Gasparotto, Jaqueline de Carvalho; da Costa-Ribeiro, Magda Clara Vieira; Thomaz-Soccol, Vanete; Liebel, Sandra Mara Rodrigues da Silva; Neitzke-Abreu, Herintha Coeto; Reinhold-Castro, Kárin Rosi; Cristovão, Edilson Colhera; Teodoro, Ueslei

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The genetic study of sandfly populations needs to be further explored given the importance of these insects for public health. Were sequenced the NDH4 mitochondrial gene from populations of Nyssomyia neivai from Doutor Camargo, Lobato, Japira, and Porto Rico, municipalities in the State of Paraná, Brazil, to understand the genetic structure and gene flow. Eighty specimens of Ny. Neivai were sequenced, 20 from each municipality, and 269 base pairs were obtained. A total of 27 haplotypes and 28 polymorphic sites were found, along with a haplotypic diversity of 0.80696 and a nucleotide diversity of 0.00567. Haplotype H5, with 33 specimens, was the most common among the four populations. Only haplotypes H5 and H7 were present in all four populations. The population from Doutor Camargo showed the highest genetic diversity, and only this population shared haplotypes with those from the other municipalities. The highest number of haplotypes was sheared with Lobato which also had the highest number of unique haplotypes. This probably occurred because of constant anthropic changes that happened in the environment during the first half of the twentieth century, mainly after 1998. There was no significant correlation between genetic and geographical distances regarding these populations. However, the highest genetic and geographical distances, and the lowest gene flow were observed between Japira and Porto Rico. Geographical distance is a possible barrier between these municipalities through the blocking of haplotype sharing. PMID:28380111

Estimation of the genetic diversity in tetraploid alfalfa populations based on RAPD markers for breeding purposes.

PubMed

Nagl, Nevena; Taski-Ajdukovic, Ksenija; Barac, Goran; Baburski, Aleksandar; Seccareccia, Ivana; Milic, Dragan; Katic, Slobodan

2011-01-01

Alfalfa is an autotetraploid, allogamous and heterozygous forage legume, whose varieties are synthetic populations. Due to the complex nature of the species, information about genetic diversity of germplasm used in any alfalfa breeding program is most beneficial. The genetic diversity of five alfalfa varieties, involved in progeny tests at Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, was characterized based on RAPD markers. A total of 60 primers were screened, out of which 17 were selected for the analysis of genetic diversity. A total of 156 polymorphic bands were generated, with 10.6 bands per primer. Number and percentage of polymorphic loci, effective number of alleles, expected heterozygosity and Shannon's information index were used to estimate genetic variation. Variety Zuzana had the highest values for all tested parameters, exhibiting the highest level of variation, whereas variety RSI 20 exhibited the lowest. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 88.39% of the total genetic variation was attributed to intra-varietal variance. The cluster analysis for individual samples and varieties revealed differences in their population structures: variety Zuzana showed a very high level of genetic variation, Banat and Ghareh were divided in subpopulations, while Pecy and RSI 20 were relatively uniform. Ways of exploiting the investigated germplasm in the breeding programs are suggested in this paper, depending on their population structure and diversity. The RAPD analysis shows potential to be applied in analysis of parental populations in semi-hybrid alfalfa breeding program in both, development of new homogenous germplasm, and identification of promising, complementary germplasm.

A 10-year trend of dental treatments under general anesthesia of children in Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Pan; Hsieh, Chun-Yi; Hsu, Wen-Ting; Wu, Fu-Ya; Shih, Wen-Yu

2017-04-01

General anesthesia (GA) as a pediatric dental procedure is a well-established method of behavior management. However, studies of pediatric dentistry under GA have mostly focused on handicapped patients, and various retrospective studies in Taiwan have mainly reviewed only a limited number of years. The purpose of the present study was to report trends in pediatric dental treatment performed under GA over the past 10 years. A retrospective review of the hospital records of patients receiving dental treatment under GA from 2006 until 2015 was performed. The patients were divided into three age groups: < 3 years, 3-6 years, and > 6 years. A range of information including basic patient characteristics and types of dental treatment was identified and then analyzed. A total of 791 cases (< 3 years old: 65 cases, 3-6 years old: 492, > 6 years old: 235; 549 male, 242 female) were treated under GA. The case number was found to have increased from 94 during 2006-2007 to 238 during 2014-2015, with the increase being especially pronounced among those aged 3-6 years (2006-2007: 49, 2014-2015: 165). The most common treatments (extraction, restoration, and pulp therapy) were associated with multiple dental caries (684, 86.4%). The < 3-years-old group was characterized by the highest decayed, extracted, and filled surface and decayed, missing, and filled surface indices; the highest mean number of treated teeth; and the highest mean number of treated teeth by composite resin fillings. The 3-6-years-old group had the highest number of primary teeth extractions. The > 6-years-old group had the lowest mean number of treated teeth by stainless-steel crowns (SSCs) and fewest cases treated with pulp therapy. From 2011 onwards, the number of primary tooth extractions significantly increased, while in 2013, there was a crossover whereby the SSC count surpassed the composite resin filling count. Over the past 10 years, there has been an increased use of GA for pediatric dental treatments, in particular, in cases with multiple dental caries. In addition, there has also been an increasing trend towards extraction of primary teeth and the use of SSCs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

Scientific publications in critical care medicine journals from East Asia: A 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Cao, Zhenyu; Ou, Chongyang; Teng, Hongfei; Liu, Xiguang; Tang, Hongxin

2016-01-01

The quantity and quality of publications in critical care medicine from East Asia haven't been reported. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of publications from East Asia. Articles from China, Japan and South Korea in 2005 to 2014 were retrieved from Web of Science and Pubmed. The number of publications, impact factor, citation, and article types were analyzed. There were 3076 publications from East Asia (1720 from China, 913 from Japan, and 443 from South Korea). There were a significant decrease in publications from Japan (p = 0.024) and significant increases from China (p = 0.000) and South Korea (p = 0.009). From 2006, the number of articles from China exceed Japan. China had the highest total impact factor (6618.48) and citation (18416), followed by Japan (4566.03; 15440) and South Korea (1998.19; 5599). Japan had the highest mean impact factor (5.00) and citations (16.91), followed by South Korea (4.51; 12.64) and China (3.85; 10.71). China and South Korea`s contributions to critical care medicine had significant increases during the past 10 years, while Japan had a significant decrease. China was the most productive region in East Asia since 2006. Japan had the highest quality research output.

Microbiological evaluation of South Australian rock lobster meat.

PubMed

Yap, A S

1977-12-01

Samples of frozen precooked rock lobster meat from five South Australian fish-processing plants situated in the West Coast and south-east regions were tested over a period of six months during the 1974/5 lobster fishing season. The most probable number (MPN) of E. coli and coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, as well as total plate count (TPC) were determined in 480 samples. Monthly geometric mean TPC ranged from 1600/g to 25,000/g. The highest geometric mean of the MPN of coliforms and E. coli were 4.9/g and 1.8/g respectively. The highest geometric mean number of staphylococci was 18.6/g. Salmonella was not detected in the 480 units tested. Only 0.4% of the samples had TPC exceeding 100,000/g. Coliforms and E. coli were not present in 76.1% and 92.7% respectively of the samples tested. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in 67.7% of the samples. The numbers of organisms in 82% of the samples fall within the microbiological standards proposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia for frozen precooked foods. The results of this study demonstrate the microbial quality of precooked lobster meat attainable when good manufacturing practices are used.

Landslide database dominated by rainfall triggered events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devoli, G.; Strauch, W.; Álvarez, A.

2009-04-01

A digital landslide database has been created for Nicaragua to provide the scientific community and national authorities with a tool for landslide hazard assessment. Valuable information on landslide events has been obtained from a great variety of sources. On the basis of the data stored in the database, preliminary analyses performed at national scale aimed to characterize landslides in terms of spatial and temporal distribution, types of slope movements, triggering mechanisms, number of casualties and damage to infrastructure. A total of about 17000 events spatially distributed in mountainous and volcanic terrains have been collected in the database. The events are temporally distributed between 1826 and 2003, but a large number of the records (62% of the total number) occurred during the disastrous Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. The results showed that debris flows are the most common types of landslides recorded in the database (66% of the total amount), but other types, including rockfalls and slides, have also been identified. Rainfall, also associated with tropical cyclones, is the most frequent triggering mechanism of landslides in Nicaragua, but also seismic and volcanic activities are important triggers or, especially, the combination of one of them with rainfall. Rainfall has caused all types of failures, but debris flows and translational shallow slides are more frequent types. Earthquakes have most frequently triggered rockfalls and slides, while volcanic eruptions rockfalls and debris flows. Landslides triggered by rainfall were limited in time to the wet season that lasts from May to October and an increase in the number of events is observed during the months of September and October, which is in accord with the period of the rainy season in the Pacific and Northern and Central regions and when the country has the highest probability of being impacted by hurricanes. Both Atlantic and Pacific tropical cyclones have triggered landslides. At the medium scale, the influence of topographic and lithologic parameters on the occurrence of landslides was also analyzed and the physical characterization of landslides was done to better understand the landslide dynamics and run-out distances in both volcanic and non-volcanic areas. Data from fairly well documented events in Nicaragua were compared with other similar events in Central America and elsewhere and treated statistically to search for possible correlations and empirical relationships to predict run-out distances for different types of landslides, knowing the height of fall or the volume. The empirical relationships showed that debris flows and debris avalanches at volcanoes have the highest mobility and reach longer distances compared to other types of landslides. Because of their characteristics and downstream behaviour (long run-out distances and large volumes) both types of landslides have produced the highest number of victims in the country being the most dangerous to life and property.

Effect of coffee consumption on all-cause and total cancer mortality: findings from the JACC study.

PubMed

Tamakoshi, Akiko; Lin, Yingsong; Kawado, Miyuki; Yagyu, Kiyoko; Kikuchi, Shogo; Iso, Hiroyasu

2011-04-01

Coffee consumption is known to be related to various health conditions. Recently, its antioxidant effects have been suggested to be associated with all-cause or cancer mortality by various cohort studies. However, there has been only one small Asian cohort study that has assessed this association. Thus, we tried to assess the association of coffee with all-cause and total cancer mortality by conducting a large-scale cohort study in Japan. A total of 97,753 Japanese men and women aged 40-79 years were followed for 16 years. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of all-cause and total cancer mortality in relation to coffee consumption were calculated from proportional-hazards regression models. A total of 19,532 deaths occurred during the follow-up period; 34.8% of these deaths were caused by cancer. The all-cause mortality risk decreased with increasing coffee consumption in both men and women, with a risk elevation at the highest coffee consumption level (≥4 cups/day) compared with the 2nd highest consumption level in women, although the number of subjects evaluated at this level was small. No association was found between coffee consumption and total cancer mortality among men, whereas a weak inverse association was found among women. The present cohort study among the Japanese population suggested that there are beneficial effects of coffee on all-cause mortality among both men and women. Furthermore, the results showed that coffee consumption might not be associated with an increased risk of total cancer mortality.

Hospital cost analysis of neuromuscular scoliosis surgery.

PubMed

Diefenbach, Christopher; Ialenti, Marc N; Lonner, Baron S; Kamerlink, Jonathan R; Verma, Kushagra; Errico, Thomas J

2013-01-01

A retrospective review of 74 consecutive, surgical patients with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS). This study evaluates the distribution of hospital and operating room costs incurred during surgical correction of NMS. Recent studies have demonstrated that surgical treatment improves both medical outcomes and the quality of life in patients with progressive NMS. Characterization of the costs incurred at the time of surgery and hospitalization will facilitate the identification of opportunities for cost reduction. Demographic data collected included gender, age, preoperative height, weight, and BMI. Major coronal curvatures and T5-T12 kyphosis were assessed from radiographs. Construct type and number of screws, hooks, and wires implanted were recorded. Surgical costs were calculated based on cost of surgical correction, hospital stay, and postoperative care. Mean age was 15.8 ± 7.3 years; 57% were male. Comorbidities included cerebral palsy (28%) and familial dysautonomia (14%). The mean preoperative major curve magnitude was 60°; minor curve magnitude was 33°. Posterior approach (76%) and pedicle screws (75%) were predominantly utilized. The average length of hospitalization was 8 days (range: 3 to 47). There were six major complications (8%). The total surgical cost was $50,096 ± $23,998. The highest individual cost was for implants ($13,916; 24% of total costs). The second highest was inpatient room and ICU costs ($12,483; 22%); bone grafts were the third ($6,398; 11%). Increased major and minor structural curve, increased total (A/P) levels fused, and increased length of hospital stay predicted an increase in total cost. Major contributors to cost in NMS surgery are implants, inpatient room and ICU costs, and bone grafts. Independent predictors of higher cost are the degree of major and minor structural curve, total number of A/P levels fused, and length of hospital stay. These conclusions provide insight into costs associated with care for a medically fragile and challenging patient population.

Smoking-related deaths averted due to three years of policy progress

PubMed Central

Ellis, Jennifer A; Mays, Darren; Huang, An-Tsun

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate the global impact of adopting highest-level MPOWER tobacco control policies in different countries and territories from 2007 to 2010. Methods Policy effect sizes based on previously-validated SimSmoke models were applied to determine the reduction in the number of smokers as a result of policy adoption during this period. Based on previous research suggesting that half of all smokers die from smoking, we also derived the estimated smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) averted due to MPOWER policy implementation. The results from use of this simple yet powerful method are consistent with those predicted by using previously validated SimSmoke models. Findings In total, 41 countries adopted at least one highest-level MPOWER policy between 2007 and 2010. As a result of all policies adopted during this period, the number of smokers is estimated to have dropped by 14.8 million, with a total of 7.4 million SADs averted. The largest number of SADs was averted as a result of increased cigarette taxes (3.5 million), smoke-free air laws (2.5 million), health warnings (700 000), cessation treatments (380 000), and bans on tobacco marketing (306 000). Conclusion From 2007 to 2010, 41 countries and territories took action that will collectively prevent nearly 7.5 million smoking-related deaths globally. These findings demonstrate the magnitude of the actions already taken by countries and underscore the potential for millions of additional lives to be saved with continued adoption of MPOWER policies. PMID:23825878

Worldwide orthopaedic research activity 2010-2014: Publication rates in the top 15 orthopaedic journals related to population size and gross domestic product.

PubMed

Hohmann, Erik; Glatt, Vaida; Tetsworth, Kevin

2017-06-18

To perform a bibliometric analysis of publications rates in orthopedics in the top 15 orthopaedic journals. Based on their 2015 impact factor, the fifteen highest ranked orthopaedic journals between January 2010 and December 2014 were used to establish the total number of publications; cumulative impact factor points (IF) per country were determined, and normalized to population size, GDP, and GDP/capita, comparison to the median country output and the global leader. Twenty-three thousand and twenty-one orthopaedic articles were published, with 66 countries publishing. The United States had 8149 publications, followed by the United Kingdom (1644) and Japan (1467). The highest IF was achieved by the United States (24744), United Kingdom (4776), and Japan (4053). Normalized by population size Switzerland lead. Normalized by GDP, Croatia was the top achiever. Adjusting GDP/capita, for publications and IF, China, India, and the United States were the leaders. Adjusting for population size and GDP, 28 countries achieved numbers of publications to be considered at least equivalent with the median academic output. Adjusting GDP/capita only China and India reached the number of publications to be considered equivalent to the current global leader, the United States. Five countries were responsible for 60% of the orthopaedic research output over this 5-year period. After correcting for GDP/capita, only 28 of 66 countries achieved a publication rate equivalent to the median country. The United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and Germany were the top five countries for both publication totals and cumulative impact factor points.

Turkish Publications in Science Citation Index and Citation Index-Expanded Indexed Journals in the Field of Anaesthesiology: A Bibliographic Analysis

PubMed Central

Özbilgin, Şule; Hancı, Volkan

2017-01-01

Objective Our study aimed to assess Turkish publications in Science Citation Index (SCI) and Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) indexed journals in the field of ‘anaesthesiology’. Methods Journals related to ‘anaesthesiology’ in the Science Citation Index-Expanded database of ‘Thomson Reuter Web of Science’ were searched. The search engine of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science (WoS) was used in the advanced mode by typing ‘IS=ISSN number’ to identify publications in the journal. By typing ‘IS=ISSN number AND CU=Turkey’, Turkish papers on anaesthesiology were found. If Turkish and non-Turkish authors had collaborated, the article was included in the search when the corresponding author had provided a Turkey-based address. The catalogue information and statistics were used to determine Turkish publications as the percentage of total publications and the annual mean number of Turkish publications. In WoS, ‘SU=anesthesiology’ was used to determine the number, country, year and topic distributions of publications from 1975 to date and within the last 10 years. The citation numbers and h-indices were determined based on the country for publications within the last 10 years. Results From 1975 to the early 2000s Turkey was 20th in the list of countries with highest number of publications on anaesthesiology, however in the last 10 years Turkey moved up to 18th place. Its mean citation number has been 4.64, and it remains the 2nd lowest country pertaining to citations among the 22 countries with the most number of publications. According to the percentage of publications in the field of anaesthesiology, the journals with highest rate of Turkish publications were Revista Brasileira de Anestesiologia, European Journal of Anaesthesiology and Journal of Anesthesia. Conclusion In the field of anaesthesiology, the highest number of articles from Turkey was published in Revista Brasileira de Anestesiologia, European Journal of Anaesthesiology and Journal of Anesthesia. The mean citation number from these publications was 4.64. PMID:28377837

On the Right Path: Over the Past 20 Years, Colleges and Universities Continue to Experience an Increase in the Number of American Indian-Alaska Native Students Receiving Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shirley, Valerie J.

2004-01-01

Accounting for only 1 percent of the total U.S. population, American Indians have a 60 percent to 70 percent high school dropout rate, the highest among all minority groups. At the same time, however, more American Indian students than ever are graduating from high school and leaving their home communities behind in pursuit of a higher education.…

MX Siting Investigation. Geotechnical Evaluation Conterminous United States. Volume I. Coarse Screening.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

the screening process, and the number of unit siting regions of 5000 nm 2 contained in each. The highest ranked suitable areas occur in the Basin and...SUITABLE AND POTENTIALLY SUITABLE AREA............23 3.4.1 GENERAL....................23 3.4.2 BASIN AND RANGE PROVINCE. ........... 23 13.4.3 GREAT...Approximately 70 percent of total suitable area occurs in the Basin and Range, Great Plains, and Central Lowlands physiographic provinces of the western and

Ethnobotany in Rayones, Nuevo León, México.

PubMed

Estrada-Castillón, Eduardo; Garza-López, Miriam; Villarreal-Quintanilla, José Ángel; Salinas-Rodríguez, María Magdalena; Soto-Mata, Brianda Elizabeth; González-Rodríguez, Humberto; González-Uribe, Dino Ulises; Cantú-Silva, Israel; Carrillo-Parra, Artemio; Cantú-Ayala, César

2014-09-01

Trough collections of plants and interviews with 110 individuals, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in order to determine the knowledge and use plant species in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The aim of this study was to record all useful plants and their uses, to know whether differences exist in the knowledge about the number of species and uses between women and men, and to know if there is a correlation between the age of individuals and knowledge of species and their uses. A total of 110 persons were interviewed (56 men, 56 women). Semistructured interviews were carried out. The data were analyzed by means of Student t test and the Pearson Correlation Coeficient. A total of 252 species, 228 genera and 91 families of vascular plants were recorded. Astraceae, Fabaceae and are the most important families with useful species and Agave and Opuntia are the genera with the highest number of useful species. One hundred and thirty six species are considered as medicinal. Agave, Acacia and Citrus are the genera with the highest number of medicinal species. Other uses includes edible, spiritual rituals, construction and ornamentals. There was a non-significant correlation between the person's age and number of species, but a significant very low negative correlation between the person's age and number of uses was found. Knowing their medicinal uses is an important issue for the people of Rayones. Boiling and preparing infusions are the main ways of using plants by residents. The leaves, the branches, and the fruits are the most commonly used parts. Almost 18% of the flora is used for wood and construction purposes. Several uses such as cosmetic, shampoo, firming skin tonics and health hair products recorded in Rayones has not been reported for other areas in the state of Nuevo León. In Rayones, women have a greater knowledge about plants and their uses than men, particularly, medicinal plants, but, men have a greater knowledge about wood and construction species.

Trends in health care resource utilization and pharmacological management of COPD in Taiwan from 2004 to 2010.

PubMed

Tsai, Ying-Huang; Yang, Tsung-Ming; Lin, Chieh-Mo; Huang, Shu-Yi; Wen, Yu-Wen

2017-01-01

COPD has attracted widespread attention worldwide. The prevalence of COPD in Taiwan has been reported, but little is known about trends in health care resource utilization and pharmacologic management in COPD treatment. The objective of this article was to study trends in health care resource utilization, pharmacologic management, and medical costs of COPD treatment in Taiwan. Reimbursement claims in the Taiwan National Health Insurance System from 2004 to 2010 were collected. The disease burden of COPD, including health care resource utilization and medical costs, was evaluated. The pharmacy cost of COPD increased from 2004 to 2010 due to the increased utilization of long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and fixed-dose combination of long-acting β2-agonist and inhaled corticosteroid (LABA/ICS), whereas the cost of all other COPD-related medications decreased. The average outpatient department (OPD) cost per patient increased 29.3% from 1,070 USD in 2004 to 1,383 USD in 2010. The highest average total medical cost per patient was 3,434 USD in 2005, and it decreased 12.4% to 3,008 USD in 2010. There was no significant difference in the average number of OPD visits and emergency department visits per patient. The highest average number of hospital admissions was 0.81 in 2005, and it decreased to 0.65 in 2010. The average number of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions decreased from 0.52 in 2005 to 0.31 in 2010. From 2004 to 2010, the average total medical cost per patient of COPD was slightly decreased because of the decreased average number of hospital admissions and ICU admissions. The costs of both LAMA and LABA/ICS increased, while the cost for all other COPD-related medications decreased. These findings suggest that the increased utilization of LAMA and LABA/ICS may have contributed to the decreased average number of hospital admissions and ICU admissions in COPD patients from 2004 to 2010.

Squad management, injury and match performance in a professional soccer team over a championship-winning season.

PubMed

Carling, Christopher; Le Gall, Franck; McCall, Alan; Nédélec, Mathieu; Dupont, Gregory

2015-01-01

Squad management, injury and physical, tactical and technical match performance were investigated in a professional soccer team across five consecutive league seasons (2008-2013, 190 league games) with specific focus on a championship-winning season (2010/11). For each player, match participation and time-loss injuries were recorded, the latter prospectively diagnosed by the team's physician. Defending and attacking tactical and technical performance indicators investigated included ball possession and possession in opponents' half, passes, forward passes, completed passes and forward passes, crosses and completed crosses, goal attempts and goal attempts on target, successful final third entries, free-kicks and 50/50 duels won/lost. Physical performance measures included total distance and distance covered at high-speeds (≥19.1 km/h). Results showed that during the 2010/11 season, squad utilisation was lowest potentially owing to the observed lower match injury occurrence and working days lost to injury thereby increasing player availability. In 2010/11, the team won both its highest number of points and conceded its lowest number of goals especially over the second half of this season. The team also won its highest number of games directly via a goal from a substitute and scored and conceded a goal first on the highest and lowest number of occasions, respectively. While multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) detected a significant difference in some attacking and defensive performance indicators across the five seasons, these were generally not distinguishing factors in 2010/11. Similarly, univariate ANOVAs showed a significant difference in running distances covered across seasons, but the trend was for less activity in 2010/11.

Journal impact factor versus the evidence level of articles published in plastic surgery journals.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Maria A; Tedesco, Ana C B; Nahas, Fabio X; Ferreira, Lydia M

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between impact factor and the level of evidence of articles in plastic surgery journals. The four plastic surgery journals with the top impact factors in 2011 were selected. Articles were selected using the PubMed database between January 1 and December 31, 2011. The journal evidence index was calculated by dividing the number of randomized clinical trials by the total number of articles published in the specific journal, multiplied by 100. This index was correlated to the impact factor of the journal and compared with the average of the other journals. Two investigators independently evaluated each journal, followed by a consensus and assessment of the interexaminer concordance. The kappa test was used to evaluate the concordance between the two investigators and Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate which journal presented the highest number of randomized clinical trials. The journal evidence index values were as follows: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 1.70; Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, 0.40; Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 0.56; and Annals of Plastic Surgery, 0.35. The impact factors of these journals in 2011 were as follows: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 3.382; Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, 1.494; Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 1.407; and Annals of Plastic Surgery, 1.318. After consensus, the quantity of adequate studies was low and similar between these journals; only the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showed a higher journal evidence index. The journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery exhibited the highest journal evidence index and had the highest impact factor. The number of adequate articles was low in all of the assessed journals.

Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Indiana Streams, August 2004-September 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulberg, Amanda L.; Risch, Martin R.

2008-01-01

Total mercury and methylmercury were determined by use of low (subnanogram per liter) level analytical methods in 225 representative water samples collected following ultraclean protocols at 25 Indiana monitoring stations in a statewide network, on a seasonal schedule, August 2004-September 2006. The highest unfiltered total mercury concentrations were at six monitoring stations - five that are downstream from urban and industrial wastewater discharges and that have upstream drainage areas more than 1,960 square miles and one that is downstream from active and abandoned mine lands and that has an upstream drainage area of 602 square miles. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered samples ranged from 0.24 to 26.9 nanograms per liter (ng/L), with a median of 2.35 ng/L. The highest concentrations of total mercury, those in the 90th percentile and above, were more than 9.05 ng/L, and most were in samples collected during winter and spring 2006 during changing streamflow hydrograph conditions. Seasonal medians for unfiltered total mercury were highest during winter and spring. Instantaneous streamflow and turbidity at the time of sample collection also were highest in winter and spring and potentially indicate conditions for the most particulate mercury transport. Samples with the highest total mercury concentrations were from water that had the highest turbidity at the time of sample collection. Unfiltered total mercury concentrations were significantly lower in samples collected at five stations downstream from dams. Values for particulate total mercury and streamflow also were significantly lower at these five stations. Total mercury concentrations equaled or exceeded the 2007 Indiana chronic aquatic criterion of 12 ng/L in 5.8 percent of samples and at 10 monitoring stations. Most of the total mercury in these 13 samples was estimated to be particulate. Most of the samples with mercury concentrations that equaled or exceeded the 12 ng/L criterion were collected during winter and spring 2006 during changing streamflow hydrograph conditions and in streamflow that was high for 2004-2006. Methylmercury was detected in 83 percent of unfiltered samples; reported concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.57 ng/L, with a median of 0.09 ng/L. The highest concentrations of methylmercury, those in the 90th percentile and above, were more than 0.25 ng/L, and most were in samples collected during spring and summer. Methylation efficiency in most samples was less than 5.8 percent, but was as much as 24.6 percent. Seasonal medians for methylmercury were highest during spring and summer. Seasonal medians for water temperatures at the time of sample collection were highest during these seasons and potentially indicate conditions for the most formation of methylmercury. The low streamflow statistical category had the significantly highest methylation efficiency.

The dependence of the growth rate and meat content of young boars on semen parameters and conception rate.

PubMed

Knecht, D; Jankowska-Mąkosa, A; Duziński, K

2017-05-01

Boars have a decisive impact on the progress in pig production, however, there is no recent information about the optimal growth parameters during the rearing period for modern breed later used in artificial insemination (AI) stations. Therefore, the objective of the research was to conduct semen parameter and conception rate analyses on the basis of growth rate and meat content assessments made during the rearing of AI boars of different genotypes. The study was carried out between 2010 and 2014 and included 184 boars in five breed combinations: 46 Polish Large White, 50 Polish Landrace, 27 Pietrain, 36 Duroc×Pietrain and 25 Hampshire×Pietrain. Boars were qualified by daily gains and meat content assessment (between 170 and 210 days of life). A total number of 38 272 ejaculates were examined (semen volume (ml), spermatozoa concentration (×106 ml-1), total number of spermatozoa (×109) and number of insemination doses from one ejaculate (n)). The fertility was determined by the conception rate (%). Semen volume, spermatozoa concentration and conception rate (P<0.01), followed by the total number of spermatozoa and insemination doses (P<0.05) were characterized by the highest variability in relation to breed of boars. The effect of daily gains was reported for spermatozoa concentration, number of insemination doses, conception rate (all P<0.01) and total number of spermatozoa (P<0.05). The peak of growth for spermatozoa concentration, total number of spermatozoa, insemination doses and conception rate was achieved for 800 to 850 g gains. Meat content affected semen volume, number of insemination doses and conception rate (P<0.05). Rearing boars while maintaining daily gains at the 800 to 850 g level and 62.5% to 65% meat content helps AI stations to increase the efficiency and economic profitability, and the number of insemination doses to increase by up to 300 doses/boar within a year. The analyses of growth parameters may help increase the efficiency and economic viability of AI stations.

Injury incidence in a Premier League youth soccer academy using the consensus statement: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Renshaw, Andrew

2016-01-01

Background There is an established risk of injury to young athletes exposed to high training loads. Identifying and monitoring injury risk is essential to aid prevention. The aim of this study was to use the consensus statement to determine the incidence and pattern of injury in 1 English Premier League soccer academy during 1 season. Methods A prospective cohort study included 181 elite academy soccer players during the 2012–2013 season. Players were divided into 5 age groups between 9 and 18 years. The number, type and incidence of injuries were recorded during matches and training. Incidence was calculated per 1000 hours of exposure. Results 127 injuries occurred during 29 346 hours of soccer exposure. 72% of injuries were non-contact related. Under (U)18 players sustained the highest number of match injuries. U12–14 players sustained the highest number of training injuries and injuries overall. U16 players sustained the highest number of severe injuries, and U18 players sustained the highest number of moderate injuries. U18 players sustained the highest number of injuries/1000 hours of training and overall. U15 players sustained the highest number of injuries/1000 hours of matches, the highest number of recurrent injuries and the highest incidence of recurrence. The most common injuries were muscle injuries in U15 and U18 players. The most common injury location was the anterior thigh, with the majority of these occurring in training. Conclusions Using the consensus statement, this study used a repeatable method to identify the injury profile of elite academy-level soccer players. PMID:27900186

Silver nanoparticle release from commercially available plastic food containers into food simulants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackevica, Aiga; Olsson, Mikael Emil; Hansen, Steffen Foss

2016-01-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are currently being used in many different kinds of consumer products in order to take advantage of their antimicrobial properties. However, the potential migration of silver nanoparticles into food and subsequent consumer exposure has hardly been addressed. In the current study, we investigated four brands of commercially available plastic food storage containers and measured the total amount of silver, particle size and number concentration, and the migration rates into three different food simulants (Milli-Q grade water, 10 % ethanol, and 3 % acetic acid) for 10 days at 40 °C. The experimental setup was made according to the European Commission Directive (EU 10/2011) for articles intended to be in contact with food. The total amount of silver in plastic containers and migration solutions was quantified by ICP-MS analysis, and the size of the migrated particles was investigated by single particle ICP-MS and TEM-EDS. The total mass and median size of released particulate Ag were generally highest in 3 % acetic acid for three out of four food container brands. The total content of silver in the containers varied from 13 to 42 µg/g. The highest migration was observed in the 3 % acetic acid food simulant for all four brands of containers, with total silver release up to 3.1 ng/cm2 after 10 days. In conclusion, the experimental results show that silver has the potential of migrating into food, especially when in contact with more acidic substances.

Hydrodynamic trails produced by Daphnia: size and energetics.

PubMed

Wickramarathna, Lalith N; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of 1.8 x 10(-6) W/kg to 3.4 x 10(-6) W/kg and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between 1.3 x 10(-9) W and 1 x 10(-8) W, respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

Periodic analysis of total ozone and its vertical distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, R. W.; Nastrom, G. D.; Belmont, A. D.

1975-01-01

Both total ozone and vertical distribution ozone data from the period 1957 to 1972 are analyzed. For total ozone, improved monthly zonal means for both hemispheres are computed by weighting individual station monthly means by a factor which compensates for the close grouping of stations in certain regions of latitude bands. Longitudinal variability show maxima in summer in both hemispheres, but, in winter, only in the Northern Hemisphere. The geographical distributions of the long term mean, and the annual, quasibiennial and semiannual waves in total ozone over the Northern Hemisphere are presented. The extratropical amplitude of the annual wave is by far the largest of the three, as much as 120 m atm cm over northern Siberia. There is a tendency for all three waves to have maxima in high latitudes. Monthly means of the vertical distribution of ozone determined from 3 to 8 years of ozonesonde data over North America are presented. Number density is highest in the Arctic near 18 km. The region of maximum number density slopes upward toward 10 N, where the long term mean is 45 x 10 to the 11th power molecules cm/3 near 26 km.

Effect of vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging on microbiological properties of cold-smoked trout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Đorđević, J.; Pavlićević, N.; Bošković, M.; Janjić, J.; Glišić, M.; Starčević, M.; Baltić, M. Ž.

2017-09-01

Because of the importance of different packaging methods for the extension of fish shelf life, as a highly perishable food, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging on the total Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria counts of cold-smoked Salmon trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) stored at 3°C during six weeks. Trout fillets were vacuumed packaged (VP) or packaged in one of two different modified atmospheres, with gas ratio of 50%CO2/50%N2 (MAP1) and 90%CO2/10%N2 (MAP2) and analysed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Both the total Enterobacteriaceae and total lactic acid bacteria counts increased in the trout fillets in all packaging types during storage. A significantly lower total Enterobacteriaceae count was determined in the MAP fish compared to the VP fish, with the weakest growth rate and lowest numbers attained in MAP2 fillets. The lactic acid bacteria count was higher in trout packaged in MAP compared to VP, with the highest number in the MAP with 90% CO2 (MAP2).

Genetic differentiation and phylogeny relationships of functional ApoVLDL-II gene in red jungle fowl and domestic chicken populations.

PubMed

Musa, Hassan H; Cheng, Jin H; Bao, Wen B; Li, Bi C; Mekki, Dafaalla M; Chen, Guo H

2007-08-01

A total of 243 individuals from Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus), Rugao, Anka, Wenchang and Silikes chicken populations were used for polymorphism analysis in functional apoVLDL-II gene by Restriction fragment length polymorphism and single strand conformation polymorphism markers. The results show that Anka population has highest gene diversity and Shannon information index, while Red jungle fowl shows highest effective number of allele. In addition, the higher coefficient of genetic differentiation (Gst) across all loci in apoVLDL-II was indicating that high variation is proportioned among populations. As expected total gene diversity (Ht) has upper estimate compared with within population genetic diversity (Hs) across all loci. The mean Gst value across all loci was (0.194) indicating about 19.4% of total genetic variation could be explained by breeds differences, while the remaining 80.6% was accounted for differences among individuals. The average apoVLDL-II gene flow across all loci in five chicken populations was 1.189. The estimates of genetic identity and distance confirm that these genes are significantly different between genetically fat and lean population, because fat type breed Anka shows highest distance with the other Silikes and Rugao whish are genetically lean. In addition, Wenchang and Red jungle fowl were found more closely and genetically related than the other breeds with 49.4% bootstrapping percentages, then they were related to Silikes by 100% bootstrapping percentages followed by Rugao and finally all of them are related with exotic fat breed Anka.

Different incidences of knee arthroplasty in the Nordic countries

PubMed Central

NiemeläInen, Mika J; MäKelä, Keijo T; Robertsson, Otto; W-Dahl, Annette; Furnes, Ove; Fenstad, Anne M; Pedersen, Alma B; Schrøder, Henrik M; Huhtala, Heini; Eskelinen, Antti

2017-01-01

Background and purpose The annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) has increased worldwide in recent years. To make projections regarding future needs for primaries and revisions, additional knowledge is important. We analyzed and compared the incidences among 4 Nordic countries Patients and methods Using Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) data from 4 countries, we analyzed differences between age and sex groups. We included patients over 30 years of age who were operated with TKA or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) during the period 1997–2012. The negative binomial regression model was used to analyze changes in general trends and in sex and age groups. Results The average annual increase in the incidence of TKA was statistically significant in all countries. The incidence of TKA was higher in women than in men in all 4 countries. It was highest in Finland in patients aged 65 years or more. At the end of the study period in 2012, Finland’s total incidence was double that of Norway, 1.3 times that of Sweden and 1.4 times that of Denmark. The incidence was lowest in the youngest age groups (< 65 years) in all 4 countries. The proportional increase in incidence was highest in patients who were younger than 65 years. Interpretation The incidence of knee arthroplasty steadily increased in the 4 countries over the study period. The differences between the countries were considerable, with the highest incidence in Finland. Patients aged 65 years or more contributed to most of the total incidence of knee arthroplasty. PMID:28056570

Antioxidant Activity of Three Honey Samples in relation with Their Biochemical Components

PubMed Central

Rahaman, Norul Liza A.; Adnan, Nur Ardawati; Eddie Tan, Ti Tjih

2013-01-01

The antioxidant activities based on the free radical scavenging, reducing power, and bleaching inhibition were investigated for the three commonly used honeys in Malaysia, namely, tualang, gelam, and acacia honey. The antioxidant capacity of the honey samples was correlated with their biochemical constituents such as total phenol, total flavonoid content, and total water-soluble vitamins (vitamin B1, B2, B3, B9, B12, and vitamin C). The total flavonoid content of honey samples was strongly correlated with the three antioxidative processes (r = 0.9276–0.9910). In contrast, the total water-soluble vitamins was found to be well correlated with the free radical scavenging activity (r = 0.8226). Vitamin B3 was likely to be in the highest concentration, which covered for 69–80% of the total vitamin content. A number of five phenolic acids, three flavonoids, and two organic acids had also been detected from the honey samples using UPLC-MS/MS, without sugar-removal procedure. PMID:24027653

Concentrations of choline-containing compounds and betaine in common foods.

PubMed

Zeisel, Steven H; Mar, Mei-Heng; Howe, Juliette C; Holden, Joanne M

2003-05-01

Choline is important for normal membrane function, acetylcholine synthesis and methyl group metabolism; the choline requirement for humans is 550 mg/d for men (Adequate Intake). Betaine, a choline derivative, is important because of its role in the donation of methyl groups to homocysteine to form methionine. In tissues and foods, there are multiple choline compounds that contribute to total choline concentration (choline, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin). In this study, we collected representative food samples and analyzed the choline concentration of 145 common foods using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Foods with the highest total choline concentration (mg/100 g) were: beef liver (418), chicken liver (290), eggs (251), wheat germ (152), bacon (125), dried soybeans (116) and pork (103). The foods with the highest betaine concentration (mg/100 g) were: wheat bran (1339), wheat germ (1241), spinach (645), pretzels (237), shrimp (218) and wheat bread (201). A number of epidemiologic studies have examined the relationship between dietary folic acid and cancer or heart disease. It may be helpful to also consider choline intake as a confounding factor because folate and choline methyl donation can be interchangeable.

Experimental demonstration of 608Gbit/s short reach transmission employing half-cycle 16QAM Nyquist-SCM signal and direct detection with 25Gbps EML.

PubMed

Zhong, Kangping; Zhou, Xian; Wang, Yiguang; Wang, Liang; Yuan, Jinhui; Yu, Changyuan; Lau, Alan Pak Tao; Lu, Chao

2016-10-31

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrated an IM/DD short reach transmission system with a total capacity of 608Gbit/s (net capacity of 565.4Gbit/s exclude 7% FEC overhead) employing half-cycle 16QAM Nyquist-SCM signal and 25Gbps EML at O band. Direct detection-faster than Nyquist (DD-FTN) technique was employed to compensate channel impairments. Number of taps of DD-LMS and tap coefficient of post filter in DD-FTN were experimentally studied for different baud rates. Single-lane 152Gbit/s transmission over 10km of SSMF was experimentally demonstrated. Employing a 4-lanes LAN-WDM architecture, a total capacity of 608Gbit/s transmission over 2km was successfully achieved with a receiver sensitivity lower than -4dBm. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the highest reported baud rate of half-cycle 16QAM Nyquist-SCM signal and the highest bit rate employing IM/DD and 25Gbps EML in a four lanes LAN-WDM architecture for short reach systems in the O band.

[Diversity and abundance of molluscs in Thalassia testudinum prairie of the Bay of Mochinma, Mochima National Park, Venezuela].

PubMed

Prieto, Antulio; Sant, Sybil; Méndez, Elizabeth; Lodeiros, César

2003-06-01

The diversity and abundance of benthic malacological communities associated to Thalassia testudinum beds was studied at four localities of Mochima Bay, Sucre state, Venezuela. At each locality, samples were taken monthly on perpendicular transect at different depths (0-4 m), from January 1991 to December 1991, using a quadrate (0.25 m2) for collecting mollusks and sediments. A total of 2,988 organisms of infauna and epifauna belonging to 81 species of the classes Gastropoda (41) and Bivalvia (40) were collected. More abundant species were Anadara notabilis, Codakia orbicularis, Cerithium litteratum, Cerithium eburneum, Batillaria minima, Modiolus squamosus, Modulus modulus, Chione cancellata, Turritella variegata, Arca zebra, y Laevicardium laevigatum. There were significant differences in number of organisms between depth and month at La Gabarra which presented the highest value of total (4.51 bits/ind) and monthly diversity (2.71-3.90 bits/ind). Biomass and abundance were low in the Mochima Bay while Varadero station presented the highest value. The bivalve A. notabilis and gastropod M. modulus were species common to the four stations.

[Turkey's place in Europe in respect of pediatric otorhinolaryngology publications in scope of Science Citation Index].

PubMed

Erdağ, Taner Kemal; Durmuşoğlu, Mehmet; Özay, Hüseyin; Sönmez, Fatih; Doğan, Ersoy

2015-01-01

This study aims to evaluate quantitatively the pediatric otorhinolaryngology (ORL) publications belonging to the ORL journals of the Science Citation Index (SCI) made by Turkey and other European countries between five year periods during 1995 and 2012. After SCI journals of 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2012 under the ORL heading were determined, the publications of all European countries in these journals were detected electronically using PubMed search engine. Then, the number of pediatric ORL publications and the journals which included them were determined and counted manually for each country. The number of total publications and pediatric ORL publications made by European countries in the mentioned years were 539/98, 737/123, 747/158, 757/175, and 746/171 respectively. Turkey was the country with the highest number of pediatric ORL publications in all years except 1995. It was detected that more than half of the total pediatric ORL publications were included in International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. It is pleasing that Turkey is ahead of many developed European countries in respect of the number of pediatric ORL publications. Further studies on type, evidence-based medicine or citation analysis of these publications will also enable qualitative evaluation.

A checklist of land snails from the west coast islands of Sabah, Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

PubMed Central

Phung, Chee-Chean; Yu, Fred Tuh Yit; Liew, Thor-Seng

2017-01-01

Abstract Sabah, situated in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has the largest number of islands in Malaysia with more than 500 of various sizes and degrees of isolation. However, information on the islands’ biodiversity is limited. This study provides an up-to-date checklist of land snail species found on 24 west coast islands in Sabah. A total of 67 species (nearly 20% of the total number of land snail species in the state) representing 37 genera and 19 families is enumerated based on systematic field surveys of 133 sampling plots, BORNEENSIS database records and species checklists published between 2000 and 2016. The number of species on the islands ranges from four to 29. Labuan Island has the highest number of species (29), followed by Tiga Island (25), Mantanani Besar Island (24) and Gaya Island (23). However, the populations of some land snail species may have declined as several previously recorded species on the islands were not found in a recent systematic field sampling. This checklist is provided as a baseline inventory for future island land snail studies and to better inform biodiversity conservation plans of marine parks and other islands on the Sabah west coast. PMID:28769672

Coastal bacterioplankton community diversity along a latitudinal gradient in Latin America by means of V6 tag pyrosequencing.

PubMed

Thompson, Fabiano L; Bruce, Thiago; Gonzalez, Alessandra; Cardoso, Alexander; Clementino, Maysa; Costagliola, Marcela; Hozbor, Constanza; Otero, Ernesto; Piccini, Claudia; Peressutti, Silvia; Schmieder, Robert; Edwards, Robert; Smith, Mathew; Takiyama, Luis Roberto; Vieira, Ricardo; Paranhos, Rodolfo; Artigas, Luis Felipe

2011-02-01

The bacterioplankton diversity of coastal waters along a latitudinal gradient between Puerto Rico and Argentina was analyzed using a total of 134,197 high-quality sequences from the V6 hypervariable region of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) (mean length of 60 nt). Most of the OTUs were identified into Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria, corresponding to approx. 80% of the total number of sequences. The number of OTUs corresponding to species varied between 937 and 1946 in the seven locations. Proteobacteria appeared at high frequency in the seven locations. An enrichment of Cyanobacteria was observed in Puerto Rico, whereas an enrichment of Bacteroidetes was detected in the Argentinian shelf and Uruguayan coastal lagoons. The highest number of sequences of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were obtained in the Amazon estuary mouth. The rarefaction curves and Good coverage estimator for species diversity suggested a significant coverage, with values ranging between 92 and 97% for Good coverage. Conserved taxa corresponded to aprox. 52% of all sequences. This study suggests that human-contaminated environments may influence bacterioplankton diversity.

An Investigation of Convergent-Divergent Diffusers at Mach Number 1.85

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyatt, Demarquis D; Hunczak, Henry R

1947-01-01

An investigation has been conducted in the Cleveland 18- by 18-inch supersonic tunnel at a Mach number of 1.85 and angles of attack from 0 deg to 5 deg to determine optimum design configurations for a convergent-divergent type of supersonic diffuser with a subsonic diffuser of 5 deg included divergence angle. Total pressure recoveries in excess of theoretical recovery across a normal shock at a free-stream Mach number of 1.85 wore obtained with several configurations. The highest recovery for configurations without a cylindrical throat section was obtained with an inlet having an included convergence angle of 20 deg. Insertion of a 2-inch throat section between a 10 deg included angle inlet and the subsonic diffuser stabilized the shock inside the diffuser and resulted in recoveries as high as 0.838 free-stream total pressure at an angle of attack of 0 deg, corresponding to recovery of 92.4 percent of the kinetic energy of the free air stream. Use of the throat section also lessened the reduction in recovery of all configurations due to angle of attack.

Macroalgae in a spring stream in Shanxi Province: composition and relation to physical and chemical variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bianfang; Xie, Shulian

2007-07-01

Fourteen stream segments were investigated throughout the Xin’an Spring in Shanxi Province, China in 2004. The variation ranges in stream size, current velocity, discharge, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance were large. Twenty-two macroalgae species were found in the stream. Major divisions in terms of species numbers were Chlorophyta (59.1%), Cyanophyta (22.8%), Xanthophyta (9.1%), Rhodophyta (4.5%) and Charophyta (4.5%). The most widespread species, Cladophora rivularis (50.0%), also Oedogonium sp. (42.9%) and Spirogyra sp. (42.9%) were well represented throughout the stream, whereas another 10 species were found in only one sampling site. Total percentage cover varied from <1% to 90%. Red algae Batrachospermum acuatum and the charophytes Chara vulgaris have the highest percentage cover. Among the parameters analyzed, the stream width, specific conductance and dissolved oxygen were the ones that more closely related to the species number and percentage cover of macroalgal communities. The species number of each site was negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen content. The total percentage cover of the macroalgae was negatively correlated with the stream width and the specific conductance.

Simultaneous determination of the total number of aquatic bacteria and the number thereof involved in respiration.

PubMed Central

Zimmermann, R; Iturriaga, R; Becker-Birck, J

1978-01-01

The electron transport system of respiring organisms reduces 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan. Respiring bacteria deposit accumulated INT-formazan intracellularly as dark red spots. Corresponding to electron transport system activity, these deposits attain a size and a degree of optical density which allows them to be examined by light microscopy. If polycarbonate filters and epifluorescence microscopy are applied to analyze an INT-treated water sample, it is possible to differentiate between respiring and apparently nonrespiring bacteria. This differentiation, which permits determinations of the total number of bacteria and the proportion thereof involved in respiration, is realized directly within one and the same microscopic image. Initial applications of the present method for hydrobiological purposes showed that the proportion of respiring aquatic bacteria ranged between 6 to 12% (samples taken from coastal areas of the Baltic Sea) and 5 to 36% (samples taken from freshwater lakes and ponds). Cells of 1.6 to 2.4 micrometer (freshwater) and 0.4 micrometer (Baltic Sea) account for the highest proportion of respiring bacteria. Images PMID:367268

Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian honeys produced by Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Apis mellifera

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian monofloral honey samples—acacia, pineapple and borneo honey—and compare them with tualang honey. Acacia and pineapple honey are produced by Apis mellifera bees while borneo and tualang honey are produced by Apis cerana and Apis dorsata bees, respectively. Methods The physical parameters of honey, such as pH, moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), color intensity, total sugar and apparent sucrose content, were measured. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was measured using high performance liquid chromatography, and a number of biochemical and antioxidant tests were performed to determine the antioxidant properties of the honey samples. Results Acacia honey was the most acidic (pH 3.53), whereas pineapple honey had the lowest moisture content (14.86%), indicating that both types of honey can resist microbial spoilage more effectively when compared to tualang honey (pH 3.80 and 17.53% moisture content). Acacia honey contained the highest EC (0.76 mS/cm), whereas borneo honey had the highest (377 ppm) TDS. The mean HMF content in Malaysian honey was 35.98 mg/kg. Tualang honey, which is amber color, had the highest color intensity (544.33 mAU). Acacia honey is the sweetest, and contained the highest concentration of total sugar, reducing sugar and apparent sucrose. Tualang honey had the highest concentration of phenolic compounds (352.73 ± 0.81 mg galic acid/kg), flavonoids (65.65 ± 0.74 mg catechin/kg), DPPH (59.89%), FRAP values (576.91 ± 0.64 μM Fe (II)/100 g) and protein content (4.83 ± 0.02 g/kg) as well as the lowest AEAC values (244.10 ± 5.24 mg/kg), indicating its strong antioxidant properties. Proline, an important amino acid that is present in honey was also measured in the present study and it was found at the highest concentration in pineapple honey. Several strong correlations were found among the biochemical and antioxidant parameters of all the Malaysian honeys. Conclusion Although Malaysian honeys are of good quality, tualang honey contains the strongest antioxidant properties by far. PMID:23433009

Estimation of neuronal numbers in rat hippocampus following neonatal amphetamine exposure: a stereology study.

PubMed

Smith, Andrew M; Pappalardo, Dana; Chen, Wei-Jung A

2008-01-01

In this study, the effects of amphetamine exposure during a portion of the brain growth spurt on the total number of hippocampal pyramidal cells (CA1/CA3 subregions) and the granule cells (dentate gyrus) were examined in both neonatal and adult rats. Intragastric intubation was used to administer 5, 15 or 25 mg/kg/day of amphetamine to Sprague-Dawley rat pups from PDs 4-9. Unbiased stereology was used to estimate the total number of cells present within each hippocampal subregion at both PD 9 and PD 68. The results indicated that neonatal amphetamine exposure did not alter the cell number, the reference volume or the density in any of the hippocampal subregions assessed, regardless of age. However, amphetamine significantly altered the rate of neuronal incorporation in both the hippocampal CA3 subregion and the dentate gyrus, and this effect appeared to be dose-related with the most robust effect observed in the highest amphetamine dose. While these findings did not demonstrate significant injurious effects of neonatal amphetamine treatment on the number of hippocampal neurons, these data suggest that amphetamine may interfere with proper hippocampal development. Future studies employing more sensitive measurements or exposing amphetamine during an alternate period of development may provide more information regarding amphetamine-mediated developmental neurotoxicity.

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis for Delivery of Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perks, Julian R., E-mail: julian.perks@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu; Stanic, Sinisa; Stern, Robin L.

2012-07-15

Purpose: To improve the quality and safety of our practice of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), we analyzed the process following the failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) method. Methods: The FMEA was performed by a multidisciplinary team. For each step in the SBRT delivery process, a potential failure occurrence was derived and three factors were assessed: the probability of each occurrence, the severity if the event occurs, and the probability of detection by the treatment team. A rank of 1 to 10 was assigned to each factor, and then the multiplied ranks yielded the relative risks (risk priority numbers).more » The failure modes with the highest risk priority numbers were then considered to implement process improvement measures. Results: A total of 28 occurrences were derived, of which nine events scored with significantly high risk priority numbers. The risk priority numbers of the highest ranked events ranged from 20 to 80. These included transcription errors of the stereotactic coordinates and machine failures. Conclusion: Several areas of our SBRT delivery were reconsidered in terms of process improvement, and safety measures, including treatment checklists and a surgical time-out, were added for our practice of gantry-based image-guided SBRT. This study serves as a guide for other users of SBRT to perform FMEA of their own practice.« less

Travel-associated Legionnaires disease in Europe in 2009.

PubMed

Joseph, C A; Ricketts, K D; Yadav, R; Patel, S

2010-10-14

A total of 818 cases of Legionnaires' disease with onset of illness in 2009 were reported from 22 European and two non-European countries to the European Surveillance Scheme for Travel-Associated Legionnaires' Disease (EWGLINET). This is a decrease of 52 cases compared with 2008 and 129 fewer than in 2007 - the peak year of reporting to date. A total of 794 (97.1%) cases were reported as confirmed and 24 as presumptive cases. Outcome of illness was reported for 561 (68.6%) cases. Of these cases 28 (5%) were reported to have died. More than half, of the cases in 2009 (n=469, 57.3%) were reported within 20 days of symptom onset. Cases visited 53 countries and were infected in all months of the year, with a peak in September (n=146). By country of residence of the cases, the United Kingdom (UK) reported the highest number of cases (n=173). Italy reported the second highest number of cases (n=169) and was also the country associated with the most cases by country of infection (n=209). A total of 88 new clusters (75 in Europe and 13 outside Europe) were detected in 2009 and were associated with 196 cases. The largest cluster occurred in Italy and involved seven cases. Without the scheme's international database, thirty three (37.5%) of the newly detected clusters would not have been identified. In 49 of the accommodation sites with clusters of cases, environmental samples were found to be positive for Legionella spp. Details of 10 sites were published on the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) website for failure to return information on the status of environmental investigations.

Random number generators tested on quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

PubMed

Hongo, Kenta; Maezono, Ryo; Miura, Kenichi

2010-08-01

We have tested and compared several (pseudo) random number generators (RNGs) applied to a practical application, ground state energy calculations of molecules using variational and diffusion Monte Carlo metheds. A new multiple recursive generator with 8th-order recursion (MRG8) and the Mersenne twister generator (MT19937) are tested and compared with the RANLUX generator with five luxury levels (RANLUX-[0-4]). Both MRG8 and MT19937 are proven to give the same total energy as that evaluated with RANLUX-4 (highest luxury level) within the statistical error bars with less computational cost to generate the sequence. We also tested the notorious implementation of linear congruential generator (LCG), RANDU, for comparison. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Is housing quality associated with malaria incidence among young children and mosquito vector numbers? Evidence from Korogwe, Tanzania.

PubMed

Liu, Jenny X; Bousema, Teun; Zelman, Brittany; Gesase, Samwel; Hashim, Ramadhan; Maxwell, Caroline; Chandramohan, Daniel; Gosling, Roly

2014-01-01

Several studies conducted in Northeast Tanzania have documented declines in malaria transmission even before interventions were scaled up. One explanation for these reductions may be the changes in socio-environmental conditions associated with economic development, and in particular improvements in housing construction. This analysis seeks to identify (1) risk factors for malaria incidence among young children and (2) household and environmental factors associated with mosquito vector numbers collected in the child's sleeping area. Both analyses focus on housing construction quality as a key determinant. For 435 children enrolled in a larger trial of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in infants in the Korogwe District in Tanga, Northeastern Tanzania, detailed information on their dwelling characteristics were collected in the last year of the trial. Principal components analysis was used to construct an index of housing structure quality and converted to quintile units for regression analysis. Univariate and multivariate random effects negative binomial regressions were used to predict risk factors for child malaria incidence and the mean total number of indoor female Anopheles gambiae and funestus mosquitoes collected per household across three occasions. Building materials have substantially improved in Korogwe over time. Multivariate regressions showed that residing in rural areas (versus urban) increased malaria incidence rates by over three-fold and mean indoor female A. gambiae and funestus numbers by nearly two-fold. Compared to those residing in the lowest quality houses, children residing in the highest quality houses had one-third lower malaria incidence rates, even when wealth and rural residence were controlled for. Living in the highest quality houses reduced vector numbers while having cattle near the house significantly increased them. Results corroborate findings from other studies that show associations between malaria incidence and housing quality; associations were concentrated amongst the highest quality houses.

Variables associated with emergency department and/or unplanned hospital utilization for children with epilepsy.

PubMed

Patel, Anup D

2014-02-01

In the United States, approximately one million people are evaluated annually in an emergency department (ED) for the diagnosis of a seizure or epilepsy. The highest percentages of these patients are less than five years of age. No studies have been performed on assessing potential variables associated with recurrent ED visits and/or unplanned hospitalizations for children with epilepsy. Institutional review board approval from Nationwide Children's Hospital was obtained prior to study initiation. An accountable care organization (ACO), Partner for Kids (PFK), database was searched for patients with the highest and the lowest number of ED visits and/or unplanned hospitalizations from 2007 through 2011 using ICD-9 codes of 345.xx and 780.39. The patients were stratified into a high and a low utilizer group. The total number of visits and their associated health care costs were noted for each patient. In total, 120 patients were included for review. Information on the total number of no-shows to outpatient neurology clinic visits and telephone calls to neurology triage nursing was noted. A chart review was performed by a pediatric epileptologist to determine if each individual patient was an appropriate candidate for an emergency seizure treatment. The dose of emergency seizure medication was cross-checked to the patient's actual dose during the time of ED or hospital presentation to determine if the dose given was high, low, or accurate based on dosing recommendations. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test the effects of factors. When controlling for other factors, patients who were given an incorrect or no emergency seizure dosing had a high probability of having multiple ED visits/unplanned hospitalizations compared with patients who were given correct dosing (odds ratio=11.28, 95% CI of odds ratio=(2.42, 52.63), p value<0.01 (p=0.0021)). Using a similar model, patients who experienced a higher number of no-shows to clinic visits had a higher probability of having multiple ED visits/unplanned hospitalizations (odds ratio=5.73 per 1 more number of no-show, 95% CI of odds ratio=(1.78, 18.44), p value<0.01 (p=0.0034)). Future studies are planned to target these risk factors with the goal of decreased ED and/or hospital utilization for children with epilepsy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Phenolics from the Fruiting Bodies of Cultivated Asian Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms.

PubMed

Lin, Shaoling; Ching, Lai Tsz; Ke, Xinxin; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung

2016-01-01

The composition profile and the antioxidant properties of phenolics in water extracts obtained from the fresh fruiting bodies of 4 common cultivated Asian edible mushrooms-Agrocybe aegerita, Pleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii, and Pholiota nameko were compared. The water extract from A. aegerita (AaE) had the highest total phenolic content (TPC) at 54.18 ± 0.27 gallic acid equivalents (μmol/L)/mg extract (P < 0.05), as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and consisted of the largest number (including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid) and total amounts of phenolic acids identified by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The water extract of Ph. nameko was found to have the second-highest TPC (43.55 ± 0.10 gallic acid equivalents [μmol/L]/mg extract), followed by the water extract of P. eryngii and the water extract of P. ostreatus (39.55 ± 0.25 and 39.02 ± 0.30 gallic acid equivalents/mg extract, respectively). The scavenging activities of the water extracts from these mushrooms were evaluated against 2,2-diphenyl-l-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide. Based on halfmaximal effective concentrations, AaE was more effective in scavenging hydrogen peroxide (<0.05), followed by DPPH (0.51 mg/mL), superoxide anion radicals (0.85 mg/mL) and hydroxyl radicals (5.94 mg/mL), then the other mushroom water extracts. The differences in the half-maximal effective concentrations of individual mushroom water extracts were probably the result of the different numbers and amounts of individual phenolic acids in the extracts. The antioxidant activities of the mushroom water extracts were correlated with their TPC. The strongest antioxidant properties of AaE were consistent with its highest TPC and with the largest number and amount of phenolics identified in the extract. These results indicated that cultivated edible mushrooms could be a potential source of natural antioxidants with free radical scavenging properties for application as a functional food ingredient.

The effects of Campylobacter numbers in caeca on the contamination of broiler carcasses with Campylobacter.

PubMed

Reich, Felix; Atanassova, Viktoria; Haunhorst, Eberhard; Klein, Günter

2008-09-30

For the presence and number of Campylobacter, 18 broiler flocks were sampled over a period of 18 months. A total of 70% of the flocks were positive for Campylobacter, with higher prevalence found in summer and autumn, compared to winter and spring. Positive flocks showed contamination rates above 90%, in negative flocks this was lower, mostly below 50%. The enumeration showed a decrease in Campylobacter during processing of positive flocks. The numbers were highest in carcasses after scalding/defeathering (mean 5.9 log10 cfu/carcass) and dropped by 0.7 log10 cfu/carcass after chilling. A positive correlation was observed between the number of Campylobacter present in the caeca and the number of bacteria present on carcasses and cut products. When a negative flock was slaughtered after Campylobacter positive flocks, the number of positive samples was higher compared to the case when a negative flock had been slaughtered previously. C. jejuni was isolated from 73.6% of the poultry samples.

[Examination of diagnosis procedure combination survey data that influence function evaluation coefficient II].

PubMed

Nakajima, Hisato; Yano, Kouya; Nagasawa, Kaoko; Kobayashi, Eiji; Yokota, Kuninobu

2015-01-01

On the basis of Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) survey data, the factors that increase the value of function evaluation coefficient II were considered. A total of 1,505 hospitals were divided into groups I, II, and III, and the following items were considered. 1. Significant differences in function evaluation coefficient II and DPC survey data. 2. Examination of using the Mahalanobis-Taguchi (MT) method. 3. Correlation between function evaluation coefficient II and each DPC survey data item. 1. Function evaluation coefficient II was highest in group II. Group I hospitals showed the highest bed capacity, and numbers of hospitalization days, operations, chemotherapies, radiotherapies and general anesthesia procedures. 2. Using the MT method, we found that the number of ambulance conveyances was effective factor in group I hospitals, the number of general anesthesia procedures was effective factor in group II hospitals, and the bed capacity was effective factor in group III hospitals. 3. In group I hospitals, function evaluation coefficient II significantly correlated to the numbers of ambulance conveyances and chemotherapies. In group II hospitals, function evaluation coefficient II significantly correlated to bed capacity, the numbers of ambulance conveyances, hospitalization days, operations, general anesthesia procedures, and mean hospitalization days. In group III hospitals, function evaluation coefficient II significantly correlated to all items. The factors that improve the value of function evaluation coefficient II were the increases in the numbers of ambulance conveyances, chemotherapies and radiotherapies in group I hospitals, increases in the numbers of hospitalization days, operations, ambulance conveyances and general anesthesia procedures in group II hospitals, and increases in the numbers of hospitalization days, operations and ambulance conveyances. These results indicate that the profit of a hospital will increase, which will lead to medical services of good quality.

Introducing the Twitter Impact Factor: An Objective Measure of Urology's Academic Impact on Twitter.

PubMed

Cardona-Grau, Diana; Sorokin, Igor; Leinwand, Gabriel; Welliver, Charles

2016-10-01

Social media use in academia and urology is rising. Specifically, individual journals now have Twitter accounts (Twitter Inc, San Francisco, CA, USA) and regularly tweet academic content. To present and evaluate the Twitter impact factor (TIF), a novel means of measuring a journal's academic influence in the realm of social media. Journal Citation Reports (JCR; Thomson Reuters, New York, NY, USA) for 2014 was queried for urologic academic journals. English-language journals with active Twitter accounts since 2013 were included. The total number of followers, tweets, and retweets over a 2-yr period were collected. Each journal's TIF was calculated based on the number of retweets per original relevant tweet. Comparisons between the TIF and the journal impact factor (JIF) as well as the Klout score were made using the Pearson correlation. Of 33 journals listed in the JCR for 2014, 7 (21%) had a Twitter presence as of 2013. The number of JCR-listed journals with a Twitter handle increased by 29% in 2014. There was an increase in the mean number of relevant tweets per journal during the study period and a 130% increase in the number of retweets over 1 yr. European Urology (1.80) and BJU International (1.46) had the highest TIFs. The journals with the highest number of Twitter followers were European Urology (5807) and the Journal of Urology (4402). The journals with the highest numbers of relevant tweets were European Urology (1159) and BJU International (1090). There was a positive but statistically insignificant association between the TIF and the JIF (r=0.64, p=0.12). There was a strongly positive linear correlation between the TIF and the Klout score (r=0.84, p=0.0086). With the increasing use of social media by individuals and academic journals, the TIF can be a useful tool to measure the academic reach and impact of a journal on Twitter. Social media is an increasing part of the way in which practitioners and academicians communicate. The TIF can be used to analyze the impact of journal Twitter feeds and their social media content. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Biological Response Modifiers in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Safety

PubMed Central

Tank, Nitishkumar D.; Karelia, Bharti N.; Vegada, Bhavisha N.

2017-01-01

Objective: To analyze available evidence on the safety of different biological response modifiers which are used for a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: We searched systematically for randomized controlled clinical trials on treatment of RA with different biological response modifiers, followed by a systematic review with meta-analysis. Trials were searched from MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. The following safety parameters reported in the selected trials were analyzed: number of patients suffering any adverse event (AE), withdrawal due to AEs, serious AE (SAEs), infections, serious infections, infusion reactions, injection site reactions, malignancies, and overall mortality. Undesired effects were estimated using combined relative risks (RR) and number needed to harm (NNH). Heterogeneity was evaluated by Cochrane's Q and I2 statistics. Results: According to inclusion criteria, a total of 43 trials (20,504 patients) were included in this study. A total number of AEs were found more with abatacept (RR: 1.05, NNH: 21.93). Withdrawal due to AEs was found with all biologicals, highest with anakinra (RR: 3.48, NNH: 15.70). Patients receiving newer tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, golimumab, were more likely to develop SAEs (RR: 2.44, NNH: 12.72) and infection (RR: 1.25, NNH: 10.09), and in certolizumab, serious infections (RR: 2.95, NNH: 37.31) were found more. Infusion reaction develops more with rituximab (RR: 1.52, NNH: 8.47). Etanercept showed the highest risk to develop infusion site reaction (RR: 5.33, NNH: 4.65). Biologicals showed no difference to their control counterparts in malignancy and mortality risk. Conclusion: This meta-analysis helps to clarify some frequently encountered and unanswered safety questions of different biological response modifiers, a new class of drugs, in the clinical care of RA patients. PMID:29081616

Worldwide orthopaedic research activity 2010-2014: Publication rates in the top 15 orthopaedic journals related to population size and gross domestic product

PubMed Central

Hohmann, Erik; Glatt, Vaida; Tetsworth, Kevin

2017-01-01

AIM To perform a bibliometric analysis of publications rates in orthopedics in the top 15 orthopaedic journals. METHODS Based on their 2015 impact factor, the fifteen highest ranked orthopaedic journals between January 2010 and December 2014 were used to establish the total number of publications; cumulative impact factor points (IF) per country were determined, and normalized to population size, GDP, and GDP/capita, comparison to the median country output and the global leader. RESULTS Twenty-three thousand and twenty-one orthopaedic articles were published, with 66 countries publishing. The United States had 8149 publications, followed by the United Kingdom (1644) and Japan (1467). The highest IF was achieved by the United States (24744), United Kingdom (4776), and Japan (4053). Normalized by population size Switzerland lead. Normalized by GDP, Croatia was the top achiever. Adjusting GDP/capita, for publications and IF, China, India, and the United States were the leaders. Adjusting for population size and GDP, 28 countries achieved numbers of publications to be considered at least equivalent with the median academic output. Adjusting GDP/capita only China and India reached the number of publications to be considered equivalent to the current global leader, the United States. CONCLUSION Five countries were responsible for 60% of the orthopaedic research output over this 5-year period. After correcting for GDP/capita, only 28 of 66 countries achieved a publication rate equivalent to the median country. The United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and Germany were the top five countries for both publication totals and cumulative impact factor points. PMID:28660144

Measurements of ultrafine particles and other vehicular pollutants inside school buses in South Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qunfang; Zhu, Yifang

2010-01-01

Increasing evidence has demonstrated toxic effects of vehicular emitted ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter < 100 nm), with the highest human exposure usually occurring on and near roadways. Children are particularly at risk due to immature respiratory systems and faster breathing rates. In this study, children's exposure to in-cabin air pollutants, especially UFPs, was measured inside four diesel-powered school buses. Two 1990 and two 2006 model year diesel-powered school buses were selected to represent the age extremes of school buses in service. Each bus was driven on two routine bus runs to study school children's exposure under different transportation conditions in South Texas. The number concentration and size distribution of UFPs, total particle number concentration, PM 2.5, PM 10, black carbon (BC), CO, and CO 2 levels were monitored inside the buses. The average total particle number concentrations observed inside the school buses ranged from 7.3 × 10 3 to 3.4 × 10 4 particles cm -3, depending on engine age and window position. When the windows were closed, the in-cabin air pollutants were more likely due to the school buses' self-pollution. The 1990 model year school buses demonstrated much higher air pollutant concentrations than the 2006 model year ones. When the windows were open, the majority of in-cabin air pollutants came from the outside roadway environment with similar pollutant levels observed regardless of engine ages. The highest average UFP concentration was observed at a bus transfer station where approximately 27 idling school buses were queued to load or unload students. Starting-up and idling generated higher air pollutant levels than the driving state. Higher in-cabin air pollutant concentrations were observed when more students were on board.

Short-term effects of forest disturbances on soil nematode communities in European mountain spruce forests.

PubMed

Čerevková, A; Renčo, M; Cagáň, L

2013-09-01

The nematode communities in spruce forests were compared with the short-term effects of forest damage, caused by windstorm, wildfire and management practices of forest soils. Soil samples were collected in June and October from 2006 to 2008 in four different sites: (1) forest unaffected by the wind (REF); (2) storm-felled forest with salvaged timber (EXT); (3) modified forest affected by timber salvage (wood removal) and forest fire (FIR); and (4) storm-felled forest where timber had been left unsalvaged (NEX). Nematode analysis showed that the dominant species in all four investigated sites were Acrobeloides nanus and Eudorylaimus silvaticus. An increase of A. nanus (35% of the total nematode abundance) in the first year in the FIR site led to the highest total abundance of nematodes compared with other sites, where nematode abundance reached the same level in the third year. In the FIR site bacterial feeders appeared to be the most representative trophic group, although in the second and third year, after disturbance, the abundance of this trophic group gradually decreased. In the NEX site, the number of nematode species, population densities and Maturity Index were similar to that recorded for the FIR site. In EXT and NEX sites, the other dominant species was the plant parasitic nematode Paratylenchus microdorus. Analyses of nematodes extracted from different forest soil samples showed that the highest number of species and diversity index for species (H'spp) were in the REF site. Differences between the nematode fauna in REF and other localities were clearly depicted by cluster analysis. The greatest Structure Index and Enrichment Index values were also in REF. In the EXT site, the number of nematode species, their abundance, H'spp and Maturity Index were not significantly different from those recorded in the reference site.

Unhealthy product sponsorship of Australian national and state sports organisations.

PubMed

Macniven, Rona; Kelly, Bridget; King, Lesley

2015-04-01

Marketing of products harmful to the health of children has been found to be prolific, and occurs across multiple media platforms and in several settings, including organised sport, thus potentially undermining the health benefits inherent in sports participation. Through website audits, this study investigated the nature and extent of unhealthy food, beverage, alcohol and gambling sponsorship across peak Australian sporting organisations. A structured survey tool identified and assessed sponsoring companies and products displayed on the websites of the 53 national and state/territory sport governing bodies in Australia receiving government funding. Identified products were categorised as healthy or unhealthy, based on criteria developed by health experts. There was a total of 413 websites operated by the 53 sports, with 1975 company or product sponsors identified. Overall, 39 sports had at least one unhealthy sponsor, and 10% of all sponsors were rated as unhealthy. Cricket had the highest percent of unhealthy sponsors (27%) and the highest number of unhealthy food and beverage sponsors (n=19). Rugby Union (n=16) and Australian Football (n=4) had the highest numbers of alcohol and gambling sponsors respectively. Sponsorship of Australian sport governing bodies by companies promoting unhealthy food and beverage, alcohol and gambling products is prevalent at the state/territory and national level. SO WHAT?: Regulatory guidelines should be established to limit such sponsorship and ensure that it is not translated into promotions that may reach and influence children.

[Statistics for initial admission for schizophrenia in hospitals in Costa Rica].

PubMed

Handal, N; Dodds, J H

1997-06-01

The factors that influence hospital admissions for schizophrenia in Costa Rica were investigated in people of both sexes who were admitted for the first time with this diagnosis (codes 295.0 to 295.9 of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) in the period 1979 to 1981. Annual incidence rates were calculated using the number of hospitalized cases and the total population of the country. The average annual incidence was found to be 48.2 cases per 100000 inhabitants. High frequencies of first admissions were seen among males 40 to 44 years of age and females 45 to 49. Incidence was highest among unmarried women, followed by divorced women. There was a significant inverse relationship between educational attainment and rates of admission for schizophrenia, and incidence rates were highest among unemployed women and housewives. The association between rate of hospitalization for schizophrenia and 10 characteristics of the cantons was studied by means of logistic regression. Only two variables-the distance between the canton's principal town and the hospital and the volume of coffee harvest per resident-showed a direct significant association with admission rates for schizophrenia. The cantons which had the highest number of births of children who were diagnosed as schizophrenic in adulthood were those closest to the psychiatric hospital and those that had a low level of industrial or agricultural activity, low population density, and high proportions of single or divorced persons.

Physical and chemical properties of pomegranate fruit accessions from Croatia.

PubMed

Radunić, Mira; Jukić Špika, Maja; Goreta Ban, Smiljana; Gadže, Jelena; Díaz-Pérez, Juan Carlos; MacLean, Dan

2015-06-15

The objective was to evaluate physical and chemical properties of eight pomegranate accessions (seven cultivars and one wild genotype) collected from the Mediterranean region of Croatia. Accessions showed high variability in fruit weight and size, calyx and peel properties, number of arils per fruit, total aril weight, and aril and juice yield. Variables that define sweet taste, such as low total acidity (TA; 0.37-0.59%), high total soluble solids content (TSS; 12.5-15.0%) and their ratio (TSS/TA) were evaluated, and results generally aligned with sweetness classifications of the fruit. Pomegranate fruit had a high variability in total phenolic content (1985.6-2948.7 mg/L). HPLC-MALDI-TOF/MS analysis showed that accessions with dark red arils had the highest total anthocyanin content, with cyanidin 3-glucoside as the most abundant compound. Principal component analysis revealed great differences in fruit physical characteristics and chemical composition among pomegranate accessions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indicators of microbial beach water quality: preliminary findings from Teluk Kemang beach, Port Dickson (Malaysia).

PubMed

Praveena, Sarva Mangala; Chen, Kwan Soo; Ismail, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed

2013-11-15

This study aims to determine the concentrations of total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in beach water, Teluk Kemang beach. This study was also aimed to determine relationship between total coliforms, E. coli and physicochemical parameters. As perceived health symptoms among beach visitors are rarely incorporated in beach water studies, this element was also assessed in this study. A total of eight water sampling points were selected randomly along Teluk Kemang beach. Total coliforms concentrations were found between 20 and 1940 cfu/100ml. E. coli concentrations were between 0 and 90 cfu/100ml. Significant correlations were found between total coliforms and E. coli with pH, temperature and oxidation reduction potential. Skin and eyes symptoms were the highest reported though in small numbers. Microbiological water quality in Teluk Kemang public beach was generally safe for recreational activities except sampling location near with sewage outfall. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The population dynamics of the parasitic copepode Lernaeocera lusci (Bassett-Smith, 1896) on its definitive host

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Damme, P. A.; Hamerlynck, O.; Ollevier, F.

1996-06-01

The mesoparasitic copepod Lernaeocera lusci (Bassett-Smith, 1896) was recovered from first-year bib ( Trisopterus luscus L.) in the Voordelta (Southern Bight of the North Sea) from May until December 1989. Analysis of the seasonal abundance and of the population structure showed that transmission of infective stages to bib mainly occurred from June to September. From September to December the overall prevalence fluctuated around 70%. Maximum parasite population size (47/104m2) and the highest total egg number were recorded in September and October, respectively. It was found that total parasite mortality was significantly influenced by mortality of hosts carrying parasites. Natural mortality probably contributed a small percentage to total parasite mortality. Calculation of the temporal mean-variance regression equation revealed that the parasites were aggregated within the definitive host population.

The utility and cost of routine follow-up procedures in the surveillance of ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma: a 16-year institutional review.

PubMed

Rettenmaier, N B; Rettenmaier, C R; Wojciechowski, T; Abaid, L N; Brown, J V; Micha, J P; Goldstein, B H

2010-11-23

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the number of ovarian cancer and primary peritoneal cancer (PPC) progressive disease cases identified via routine follow-up procedures and the corresponding cost throughout a 16-year period at a single medical institution. Previously undiagnosed epithelial ovarian (n=241), PPC (n=23), and concurrent ovarian and uterine (n=24) cancer patients were treated and then followed via CA-125, imaging (e.g., CT scan, chest X-ray), physical examination and vaginal cytology. In the group of 287 patients, there were 151 cases of disease progression. Serial imaging detected the highest number of progressive disease cases (66 initial and 45 confirmatory diagnoses), but the cost was rather high ($13,454 per patient recurrence), whereas CA-125 testing (74 initial and 20 corroborative diagnoses) was the least expensive ($3,924) per recurrent diagnosis. The total cost of surveillance during the 16-year period was nearly $2,400,000. Ultimately, serial imaging and the CA-125 assay detected the highest number of ovarian cancer and PCC progressive disease cases in comparison to physical examination and vaginal cytology, but nevertheless, all of the procedures were conducted at a considerable financial expense.

"Preliminary Seroepidemiological survey of dengue infections in Pakistan, 2009-2014".

PubMed

Suleman, Muhammad; Lee, Hyeong-Woo; Zaidi, Syed Sohail Zahoor; Alam, Muhammad Masroor; Nisar, Nadia; Aamir, Uzma Bashir; Sharif, Salmaan; Shaukat, Shahzad; Khurshid, Adnan; Angez, Mehar; Umair, Massab; Mujtaba, Ghulam; Faryal, Rani

2017-03-09

Dengue virus is the causative agent of dengue fever, a vector borne infection which causes self-limiting to life threatening disease in humans. A sero-epidemiological study was conducted to understand the current epidemiology of dengue virus in Pakistan which is now known as a dengue endemic country after its first reported outbreak in 1994. To investigate the prevalence of dengue virus in Pakistan during 2009-2014, a total of 9,493 blood samples were screened for the detection of anti-dengue IgM antibodies using ELISA. Clinical and demographic features available with hospital records were reviewed to ascertain mortalities related to dengue hemorrhagic shock syndrome. Out of 9,493 samples tested, 37% (3,504) were found positive for anti-dengue IgM antibodies. Of the seropositive cases, 73.6% (2,578/3,504) were male and 26.4% (926/3,504) were female. The highest number (382/929; 41.1%) of sero-positive cases was observed among the individuals of age group 31-40 years. The highest number of symptomatic cases was reported in October (46%; 4,400/9,493), and the highest number of sero-positive cases among symptomatic cases was observed in November (45.7%; 806/1,764). Mean annual patient incidence (MAPI) during 2009-2014 in Pakistan remained 0.30 with the highest annual patient incidence (11.03) found in Islamabad. According to the available medical case record, 472 dengue related deaths were reported during 2009-2014. The data from earlier reports in Pakistan described the dengue virus incidence from limited areas of the country. Our findings are important considering the testing of clinical samples at a larger scale covering patients of vast geographical regions and warrants timely implementation of dengue vector surveillance and control programs. It is an epidemiological research study, so trial registration is not required.

Temperature affects long-term productivity and quality attributes of day-neutral strawberry for a space life-support system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massa, Gioia D.; Chase, Elaine; Santini, Judith B.; Mitchell, Cary A.

2015-04-01

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa L.) is a promising candidate crop for space life-support systems with desirable sensory quality and health attributes. Day-neutral cultivars such as 'Seascape' are adaptable to a range of photoperiods, including short days that would save considerable energy for crop lighting without reductions in productivity or yield. Since photoperiod and temperature interact to affect strawberry growth and development, several diurnal temperature regimes were tested under a short photoperiod of 10 h per day for effects on yield and quality attributes of 'Seascape' strawberry during production cycles longer than 270 days. The coolest day/night temperature regime, 16°/8 °C, tended to produce smaller numbers of larger fruit than did the intermediate temperature range of 18°/10 °C or the warmest regime, 20°/12 °C, both of which produced similar larger numbers of smaller fruit. The intermediate temperature regime produced the highest total fresh mass of berries over an entire production cycle. Independent experiments examined either organoleptic or physicochemical quality attributes. Organoleptic evaluation indicated that fruit grown under the coolest temperature regime tended to score the highest for both hedonic preference and descriptive evaluation of sensory attributes related to sweetness, texture, aftertaste, and overall approval. The physicochemical quality attributes Brix, pH, and sugar/acid ratio were highest for fruits harvested from the coolest temperature regime and lower for those from the warmer temperature regimes. The cool-regime fruits also were lowest in titratable acidity. The yield parameters fruit number and size oscillated over the course of a production cycle, with a gradual decline in fruit size under all three temperature regimes. Brix and titratable acidity both decreased over time for all three temperature treatments, but sugar/acid ratio remained highest for the cool temperature regime over the entire production period. Periodic rejuvenation or replacement of strawberry propagules may be needed to maintain both quality and quantity of strawberry yield in space.

Age difference between parents influences parity and number of sons.

PubMed

Kuna, Berenika; Galbarczyk, Andrzej; Klimek, Magdalena; Nenko, Ilona; Jasienska, Grazyna

2018-05-01

Among couples, women usually prefer slightly older men, and men tend to choose much younger partners. Age difference between partners has been shown to influence their parity; however, results of previous studies are inconsistent. This study analyzed relationships between husband and wife age difference and their total number of children, and number of daughters and sons in a contemporary, rural Polish population. Demographic and reproductive data were collected from 384 postmenopausal women from rural Poland who were married only once. Regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the age gap between partners on total number of children and on number of daughters and sons. Women's age, age at marriage (as an indicator of reproductive value), and years of education were used in analyzes as potential confounders. There was an inverted U-shape association between parental age difference and number of children and also the number of sons. The highest number of children and sons was observed when men were approximately 6.5 years older than their wives. There was no significant relationship between parental age difference and number of daughters. Age difference between partners is important for reproductive success (with younger wives having higher reproductive potential) and is also related to number of sons. Older husbands might provide more resources for the family, thus facilitating production of well-nourished male offspring. Future research should evaluate not only number of children but also their biological condition, health, and lifetime achievements in relation to the age difference between their parents. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with different land use systems of Arunachal Pradesh of Eastern Himalayan region.

PubMed

Bordoloi, A; Nath, P C; Shukla, A K

2015-10-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are the main component of soil microbial population in most agroecosystems. They forms a close association with more than 80% of the plant species making immobilized mineral nutrients available to the plants in order to sustain normal growth and reproduction. In this study the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi has been examined in seven land use ecosystems of Arunachal Pradesh in Eastern Himalayan region. A total of 24 species of AM fungi belonging to 4 genera viz., Glomus, Scutellospora, Aculospora and Gigaspora were isolated from the soil samples collected from different land use systems. Glomus was the dominant genera and Glomus occulatum was the most abundant species in all the seven land use systems. Total spore number was highly variable among all the land use systems. Species richness was recorded highest in natural forest that maintains a faster nutrient cycle with the highest diversity index. The Jhum fallow land and tea garden has the least number of AM fungal species due to high disturbance of fire and application of fungicides and inorganic fertilizer. Further the plant species composition, particularly the ground vegetation coverage and disturbance level affects the distribution of the AM fungal species. In our study it has been shown that AMF diversity is significantly affected by the land use practices practiced by the people. Hence, the AM fungi isolated from different land use system may be useful in improving the agriculture practices particularly the plantation crops in the region.

Metagenomic analysis of microbial community of an Amazonian geothermal spring in Peru.

PubMed

Paul, Sujay; Cortez, Yolanda; Vera, Nadia; Villena, Gretty K; Gutiérrez-Correa, Marcel

2016-09-01

Aguas Calientes (AC) is an isolated geothermal spring located deep into the Amazon rainforest (7°21'12″ S, 75°00'54″ W) of Peru. This geothermal spring is slightly acidic (pH 5.0-7.0) in nature, with temperatures varying from 45 to 90 °C and continually fed by plant litter, resulting in a relatively high degree of total organic content (TOC). Pooled water sample was analyzed at 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable region by amplicon metagenome sequencing on Illumina HiSeq platform. A total of 2,976,534 paired ends reads were generated which were assigned into 5434 numbers of OTUs. All the resulting 16S rRNA fragments were then classified into 58 bacterial phyla and 2 archaeal phyla. Proteobacteria (88.06%) was found to be the highest represented phyla followed by Thermi (6.43%), Firmicutes (3.41%) and Aquificae (1.10%), respectively. Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota were the only 2 archaeal phyla detected in this study with low abundance. Metagenomic sequences were deposited to SRA database which is available at NCBI with accession number SRX1809286. Functional categorization of the assigned OTUs was performed using PICRUSt tool. In COG analysis "Amino acid transport and metabolism" (8.5%) was found to be the highest represented category whereas among predicted KEGG pathways "Metabolism" (50.6%) was the most abundant. This is the first report of a high resolution microbial phylogenetic profile of an Amazonian hot spring.

Changes in bacterial diversity and community structure following pesticides addition to soil estimated by cultivation technique.

PubMed

Cycoń, Mariusz; Piotrowska-Seget, Zofia

2009-07-01

An experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions to investigate the effect of increasing concentrations of fenitrothion (2, 10 and 200 mg a.i./kg soil), diuron (1.5, 7.5 and 150 mg a.i./kg soil) and thiram (3.5, 17.5 and 350 mg a.i./kg soil) on soil respiration, bacterial counts and changes in culturable fraction of soil bacteria. To ascertain these changes, the community structure, bacterial biodiversity and process of colony formation, based on the r/K strategy concept, EP- and CD-indices and the FOR model, respectively, were determined. The results showed that the measured parameters were generally unaffected by the lowest dosages of pesticides, corresponding to the recommended field rates. The highest dosages of fenitrothion and thiram suppressed the peak SIR by 15-70% and 20-80%, respectively, while diuron increased respiration rate by 17-25% during the 28-day experiment. Also, the total numbers of bacteria increased in pesticide-treated soils. However, the reverse effect on day 1 and, in addition, in case of the highest dosages of insecticide on days 14 and 28, was observed. Analysis of the community structure revealed that in all soil treatments bacterial communities were generally dominated by K-strategists. Moreover, differences in the distribution of individual bacteria classes and the gradual domination of bacteria populations belonging to r-strategists during the experiment, as compared to control, was observed. However, on day 1, at the highest pesticide dosages, fast growing bacteria constituted only 1-10% of the total colonies number during 48 h of plate incubation, whereas in remaining samples they reached from 20 to 40% of total cfu. This effect, in case of fenitrothion, lasted till the end of the experiment. At the highest dosages of fenitrothion, diuron and at all dosages of thiram the decrease of biodiversity, as indicated by EP- and CD-indices on day 1, was found. At the next sampling time, no significant retarding or stimulating effect was detected. However, in case of CD values the higher differences were observed. The significant impact of pesticides on the physiological state of soil bacteria was not found. They were generally in dormant state (lambda < 0.5), but immediately after pesticides application, the additional reduction of frequency of bacterial cell proliferation (max. decrease of lambda value to 0.15 for thiram on day 14) and prolonged retardation time of colony appearance (max. increase of t(r) value to 1.39 for fenitrothion on day 1) on agar plates were found.

Internationalization of general surgical journals: origin and content of articles published in North America and Great Britain from 1983 to 1998.

PubMed

Tompkins, R K; Ko, C Y; Donovan, A J

2001-12-01

The origin and characteristics of articles published in the 6 highest rated (Institute for Scientific Information classification) English-language general surgical journals have changed significantly during the past 15 years. All articles published in 1983, 1988, 1993, and 1998 in 5 US surgical journals and 1 British surgical journal were reviewed and characterized. Absolute numbers and proportions of national and international articles published in each journal. Articles reviewed included 4868 in US journals and 1380 in the British journal. The total number of US journal articles decreased by 15.1%. The total number of British journal articles increased by 58.9%. The percentage of national articles decreased from 87.5% to 68.8% in US journals (P<.001) and constituted the minority of freely submitted articles in 1998 in 3 of 5 US journals. The percentage of national articles also decreased from 74.8% to 47.1% in the British journal (P<.001). Articles by European and Asian authors showed the most striking increases in all journals. The percentage of basic research articles declined in US journals from 23.3% to 17.9% (P =.001) owing to a 14.9% decline in national basic research articles. The percentage of clinical randomized studies increased from 2.2% to 4.1% (P<.008), but the increase was attributable to international articles. Government funding alone decreased from 13.6% to 11.2%, and government plus another source of funding decreased from 19.2% to 16.7% for national articles in US journals. Internationalization of the highly rated British and the 5 highest rated US general surgical journals has occurred. The decrease in the number of national articles in the US journals has been accompanied by significant decreases in government funding and basic research articles and a static output of clinical randomized studies from North America.

The effect of fibre source on the numbers of some fibre-degrading bacteria of Arabian camel's (Camelus dromedarius) foregut origin.

PubMed

Samsudin, Anjas Asmara; Wright, André-Denis; Al Jassim, Rafat

2014-10-01

The total bacterial community of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens in fibre-enriched culture of the foregut contents of 12 adult feral camels (Camelus dromedaries) fed on native vegetation in Australia was investigated using quantitative PCR. Foregut contents were collected postmortem, pooled and filtered before divided into two fractions. One fraction was used for extraction of DNA, while the other fraction was inoculated straight away into BM 10 contained filter paper (FP), cotton thread (CT) or neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as the sole carbohydrate sources in Hungate tubes. The tubes were incubated anaerobically at 39 °C for 1 week. After a near complete degradation of the FP and CT and extensive turbidity in the NDF, media subculturing was carried out into fresh media tubes. This was repeated twice before genomic DNA was extracted and used for quantification of bacteria. Using an absolute quantification method, the numbers of cells in 1 ml of each sample ranged from 4.07 × 10(6) to 2.73 × 10(9) for total bacteria, 1.34 × 10(3) to 2.17 × 10(5) for F. succinogenes and 5.78 × 10(1) to 3.53 × 10(4) for R. flavefaciens. The mean cell number of F. succinogenes was highest in the FP enrichment medium at approximately 107-fold, whereas for the R. flavefaciens targeted primer, the NDF enrichment media had the highest mean cell number at approximately 4-fold when compared to the rumen content. The data presented here provide evidence of fibre type preference by the two main fibre-degrading bacteria and would help us understand the interaction between fibre type and fibre-degrading microorganisms, which has ramification on camel nutrition at different seasons and environments.

Effectiveness of controlled internal drug release device treatment to alleviate reproductive seasonality in anestrus lactating or dry Barki and Rahmani ewes during non-breeding season.

PubMed

El-Mokadem, M Y; Nour El-Din, Anm; Ramadan, T A; Rashad, A M; Taha, T A; Samak, M A; Salem, M H

2018-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of hormonal treatments on ovarian activity and reproductive performance in Barki and Rahmani ewes during non-breeding season. Forty-eight multiparous ewes, 24 Barki and 24 Rahmani ewes were divided into two groups, 12 lactating and 12 dry ewes for each breed. Controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device was inserted in all ewes for 14 days in conjunction with intramuscular 500 IU equine chronic gonadotrophin (eCG) at day of CIDR removal. Data were analysed using PROC MIXED of SAS for repeated measures. Breed, physiological status and days were used as fixed effects and individual ewes as random effects. Barki ewes recorded higher (p < .05) total number of follicles, number of large follicles, serum estradiol concentration and estradiol: progesterone (E 2 :P 4 ) ratio compared to Rahmani ewes. Lactating ewes recorded higher (p < .05) number of small follicles and lower concentration of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) compared to dry ewes. Number and diameter of large follicles recorded the highest (p < .05) values accompanied with disappearance of corpora lutea at day of mating. Serum progesterone concentration recorded lower (p < .05) value at day of mating and the highest (p < .05) value at day 35 after mating. CIDR-eCG protocol induced 100% oestrous behaviour in both breeds, but Rahmani ewes recorded longer (p < .05) oestrous duration compared to Barki. Conception failure was higher (p < .05) in Barki compared to Rahmani ewes. In conclusion, CIDR-eCG protocol was more potent in improving ovarian activity in Barki compared to Rahmani ewes, but this protocol seems to induce hormonal imbalance in Barki ewes that resulted in increasing conception failure compared to Rahmani ewes. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Vertebrate diets derived from trophically transmitted fish parasites in the Bothnian Bay.

PubMed

Valtonen, E T; Marcogliese, David J; Julkunen, Markku

2010-01-01

Parasites that are transmitted through predator-prey interactions may be used as indicators of trophic relationships between organisms. Yet, they are rarely used as such in the construction of topological (predator-prey) food webs. We constructed food webs of vertebrate trophic interactions using observed diet alone, trophically transmitted parasites alone, and the combination of the two based on data from 31 species of fish from the Bothnian Bay, Finland. The fish food web contained 530 links derived from observed diet, 724 links inferred from parasitism, and 1,058 links calculated from a combination of both stomach contents and parasites. This sub-web constructed from stomach contents had a mean of 17.1 links per fish species, while that using parasites had 23.4 links per fish. Combining the two diet indicators yielded 34.1 links per fish species, illustrating the complementarity of the two methods. Mean number of prey species per fish species was 12.5 using observed diet items, 15.8 using parasites, and 24.5 using both measures together. Mean number of predators per fish species was 7.4 using observed diet, 11.7 using parasites and 15.0 using both. A positive correlation was found between the mean number of parasites and the number of prey taxa in the diet among the fishes. Omnivorous fish had the highest diversity of both parasite species and prey items, while benthophagous fish had among the lowest. Mean total abundance and mean total prevalence of parasites correlated positively with fish size, with piscivores being the largest with the highest abundance and prevalence, while planktivores and benthivores had the lowest. Trophically transmitted parasites may be used to help construct vertebrate sub-webs and derive information about food web processes. Parasites alone provided equivalent if not more information than observed diet. However, resolution is improved by using parasites and observed diet together.

Work-related injury among direct care occupations in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Alamgir, Hasanat; Cvitkovich, Yuri; Yu, Shicheng; Yassi, Annalee

2007-11-01

To examine how injury rates and injury types differ across direct care occupations in relation to the healthcare settings in British Columbia, Canada. Data were derived from a standardised operational database in three BC health regions. Injury rates were defined as the number of injuries per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Poisson regression, with Generalised Estimating Equations, was used to determine injury risks associated with direct care occupations (registered nurses [RNs], licensed practical nurses [LPNs) and care aides [CAs]) by healthcare setting (acute care, nursing homes and community care). CAs had higher injury rates in every setting, with the highest rate in nursing homes (37.0 injuries per 100 FTE). LPNs had higher injury rates (30.0) within acute care than within nursing homes. Few LPNs worked in community care. For RNs, the highest injury rates (21.9) occurred in acute care, but their highest (13.0) musculoskeletal injury (MSI) rate occurred in nursing homes. MSIs comprised the largest proportion of total injuries in all occupations. In both acute care and nursing homes, CAs had twice the MSI risk of RNs. Across all settings, puncture injuries were more predominant for RNs (21.3% of their total injuries) compared with LPNs (14.4%) and CAs (3.7%). Skin, eye and respiratory irritation injuries comprised a larger proportion of total injuries for RNs (11.1%) than for LPNs (7.2%) and CAs (5.1%). Direct care occupations have different risks of occupational injuries based on the particular tasks and roles they fulfil within each healthcare setting. CAs are the most vulnerable for sustaining MSIs since their job mostly entails transferring and repositioning tasks during patient/resident/client care. Strategies should focus on prevention of MSIs for all occupations as well as target puncture and irritation injuries for RNs and LPNs.

Using digital photography to examine grazing in montane meadows

USGS Publications Warehouse

McIlroy, Susan K.; Allen-Diaz, Barbara H.; Berg, Alexander C.

2011-01-01

Cattle (Bos taurus) numbers on national forests are allocated based on allotment grazing capacity, but spatial patterns of timing and density at smaller scales are difficult to assess. However, it is often in meadows or riparian areas that grazing may affect hydrology, biodiversity, and other important ecosystem characteristics. To explore real-time animal presence in montane meadows we distributed 18 digital cameras across nine sites in the Sierra National Forest, California. Our objectives were to document seasonal and diurnal presence of both cattle and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), identify the effects of three fencing treatments on animal distribution, and test digital photography as a tool for documenting cattle presence. We recorded 409 399 images during daylight hours for two grazing seasons, and we identified 5 084 and 24 482 cattle "marks" (instances of animal occurrence) in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Deer presence was much lower, with 331 marks in 2006 and 598 in 2007. Morning cattle presence was highest before 0800 hours both years (13.7% and 15.4% of total marks for 2006 and 2007, respectively). Marks decreased until 1100 hours and then increased around 1400 hours and remained relatively stable until 1900 hours. Marks then rose precipitously, with >20% of total marks recorded after 1900 hours both years. Deer presence was less than 10% per hour until 1800 hours, when >20% of total marks were recorded after this time both years. Among treatments, cattle marks were highest outside fences at partially fenced meadows, and deer were highest within completely fenced meadows. Our experience suggests that cameras are not viable tools for meadow monitoring due to variation captured within meadows and the time and effort involved in image processing and review.

Tug-Of-War Model for Two-Bandit Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Song-Ju; Aono, Masashi; Hara, Masahiko

The amoeba of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum shows high computational capabilities. In the so-called amoeba-based computing, some computing tasks including combinatorial optimization are performed by the amoeba instead of a digital computer. We expect that there must be problems living organisms are good at solving. The “multi-armed bandit problem” would be the one of such problems. Consider a number of slot machines. Each of the machines has an arm which gives a player a reward with a certain probability when pulled. The problem is to determine the optimal strategy for maximizing the total reward sum after a certain number of trials. To maximize the total reward sum, it is necessary to judge correctly and quickly which machine has the highest reward probability. Therefore, the player should explore many machines to gather much knowledge on which machine is the best, but should not fail to exploit the reward from the known best machine. We consider that living organisms follow some efficient method to solve the problem.

Microfungal contaminants on mobile phones of health services vocational school students in Marmaris, Turkey.

PubMed

Özkan, Vedat Kadir; Sülün, Yusuf

2014-02-01

In this study, it was aimed to determine microfungi on mobile phones. Totally, 50 mobile phones were used belonging to Health Services Vocational School students. The samples were taken by swabbing the screen and keys of mobile phones using moistened sterile swab sticks. A total of 24 different microfungal species were obtained belonging to Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Geotrichum, Penicillium, Phoma, Rhinocladiella, Scopulariopsis, Trichoderma, and Trichophyton genera. The genera of microfungi most abundant in terms of the number of species on the mobile phones were Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium. Numerically, Cladosporium was found as the most abundant on the mobile phones. Cladosporium herbarum colonies were highest in number, followed by Cladosporium sphaerospermum, and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. When percentages of each species present on the mobile phones were considered, C. herbarum and C. sphaerospermum were the most common. There was a great similarity between the dominant microfungi isolated from mobile phones and dominant microfungi obtained from studies of atmospheric microfungi in Turkey.

Scientific publications in respiratory journals from Chinese authors in various parts of North Asia: a 10-year survey of literature.

PubMed

Ye, Bo; Du, Ting-Ting; Xie, Ting; Ji, Jun-Tao; Zheng, Zhao-Hong; Liao, Zhuan; Hu, Liang-Hao; Li, Zhao-Shen

2014-02-28

Respiratory disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in China. However, little is known about the research status of respirology in three major regions of China-Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK) and Taiwan (TW). A 10-year survey of literature was conducted to compare the three regions' outputs in the research of respirology. A bibliometric study. China. A literature search in PubMed database, updated as of September 2012, led to the identification of the related articles from 2000 to 2009. The number of total articles, randomised controlled trials, case reports, meta-analysis, impact factors (IF), citations and articles published in top general medicine journals was collected for quantity and quality comparisons. 2208 articles were collected, 814 from ML, 909 from TW and 485 from HK. The total number of articles from the three regions has increased significantly from 2000 to 2009. The number of articles published per year from ML has exceeded that from HK in 2005 and TW in 2008. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (3192.417) was much higher than that from ML (2409.956) and HK (1898.312). HK got the highest average IF of respirology articles and the majority of articles were published in top general medicine journals. The total number of published articles from the three major regions of China has increased notably from 2000 to 2009. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK is better than that from ML.

Tidal river sediments in the Washington, D.C. area. 11. Distribution and sources of organic containmants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wade, T.L.; Velinsky, D.J.; Reinharz, E.

1994-06-01

Concentrations of aliphatic, aromatic, and chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined from 33 surface-sediment samples taken from the Tidal Basin, Washington Ship Channel, and the Anacostia and Potomac rivers in Washington, D.C. In conjunction with these samples, selected storm sewers and outfalls also were sampled to help elucidate general sources of contamination to the area. All of the sediments contained detectable concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT (total dichlorodiphenytrichloroethande), DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene), DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane), PCBx (total polychlorinated biphenyls) and total chlordanes (oxy-, {alpha}-, and {gamma}-chlordane and cis + trans-nonachlor). Sediment concentrations of most contaminants were highest in the Anacostia River just downstreammore » of the Washington Navy Yard, except for total chlordane, which appeared to have upstream sources in addition to storm and combined sewer runoff. This area has the highest number of storm and combined sewer outfalls in the river. Potomac River stations had lower concentrations than other stations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbons, and the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) distributions reflect mixtures of combustion products and direct discharges of petroleum products. Sources of PCBs appear to be related to specific outfalls, while hydrocarbon inputs, especially PAHs, are diffuse, and may be related to street runoff. This study indicates that in large urban areas, nonpoint sources deliver substantial amounts of contaminants to ecosystems through storm and combined sewer systems, and control of these inputs must be addressed. 33 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Quantification of differences between occupancy and total monitoring periods for better assessment of exposure to particles in indoor environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wierzbicka, A.; Bohgard, M.; Pagels, J. H.; Dahl, A.; Löndahl, J.; Hussein, T.; Swietlicki, E.; Gudmundsson, A.

2015-04-01

For the assessment of personal exposure, information about the concentration of pollutants when people are in given indoor environments (occupancy time) are of prime importance. However this kind of data frequently is not reported. The aim of this study was to assess differences in particle characteristics between occupancy time and the total monitoring period, with the latter being the most frequently used averaging time in the published data. Seven indoor environments were selected in Sweden and Finland: an apartment, two houses, two schools, a supermarket, and a restaurant. They were assessed for particle number and mass concentrations and number size distributions. The measurements using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and two photometers were conducted for seven consecutive days during winter in each location. Particle concentrations in residences and schools were, as expected, the highest during occupancy time. In the apartment average and median PM2.5 mass concentrations during the occupancy time were 29% and 17% higher, respectively compared to total monitoring period. In both schools, the average and medium values of the PM2.5 mass concentrations were on average higher during teaching hours compared to the total monitoring period by 16% and 32%, respectively. When it comes to particle number concentrations (PNC), in the apartment during occupancy, the average and median values were 33% and 58% higher, respectively than during the total monitoring period. In both houses and schools the average and median PNC were similar for the occupancy and total monitoring periods. General conclusions on the basis of measurements in the limited number of indoor environments cannot be drawn. However the results confirm a strong dependence on type and frequency of indoor activities that generate particles and site specificity. The results also indicate that the exclusion of data series during non-occupancy periods can improve the estimates of particle concentrations and characteristics suitable for exposure assessment, which is crucial for estimating health effects in epidemiological and toxicological studies.

Research Productivity and Rankings of Anesthesiology Departments in Canada and the United States: The Relationship Between the h-Index and Other Common Metrics [RETRACTED].

PubMed

Bunting, Alexandra C; Alavifard, Sepand; Walker, Benjamin; Miller, Donald R; Ramsay, Tim; Boet, Sylvain

2018-03-05

To evaluate the relative research productivity and ranking of anesthesiology departments in Canada and the United States, using the Hirsch index (h-index) and 4 other previously validated metrics. We identified 150 anesthesiology departments in Canada and the United States with an accredited residency program. Publications for each of the 150 departments were identified using Thomson's Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science, and the citation report for each department was exported. The bibliometric data were used to calculate publication metrics for 3 time periods: cumulative (1945-2014), 10 years (2005-2014), and 5 years (2010-2014). The following group metrics were then used to determine the publication impact and relative ranking of all 150 departments: h-index, m-index, total number of publications, sum of citations, and average number of citations per article. Ranking for each metric were also stratified by using a proxy for departmental size. The most common journals in which US and Canadian anesthesiology departments publish their work were identified. The majority (23 of the top 25) of top-ranked anesthesiology departments are in the United States, and 2 of the top 25 departments (University of Toronto; McGill University) are in Canada. There was a strong positive relationship between each of h-index, total number of publications, and the sum of citations (0.91-0.97; P < .0001). Departmental size correlates with increased academic productivity on most metrics. The most frequent journals in which US and Canadian anesthesiology departments publish are Anesthesiology, Anesthesia and Analgesia, and the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Our study ranked the Canadian and US anesthesiology departmental research productivity using the h-index applied to each department, total number of publications, total number of citations, and average number of citations. The strong relationship between the h-index and both the number of publications and number of citations of anesthesiology departments shows that the departments with the highest number of publications are also producing research with the most highly cited articles (ie, most impact), as demonstrated by the h-index.

Scientific publications in ophthalmic journals from China and other top-ranking countries: a 12-year review of the literature.

PubMed

Huang, Wenbin; Wang, Wei; Zhan, Jiao; Zhou, Minwen; Chen, Shida; Zhang, Xiulan

2013-06-26

Eye diseases with increasing mortality are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we study the publication characteristics in international ophthalmic journals of the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and China. Articles published in 53 ophthalmic journals from 2000 to 2011 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the number of articles published each year, analyzed the publication type, and evaluated the accumulated and average impact factors (IFs), and the distribution of articles in ophthalmic journals in relation to IFs. The characteristics of publication outputs from China and other top-ranking countries were compared. The total number of articles increased significantly during the past 12 years, with an increase of 51.0%. The growth in the annual number of articles from the US, the UK, Australia, and China showed a significantly positive trend. Publications from the US exceeded those from any other country and had the highest IFs, largest number of total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading ophthalmic journals. During the past 12 years, China contributed 3.5% of the total publications, and the number of Chinese articles showed a more than 6-fold increase (from 99 to 605, R2 =0.947, P<0.001). The numbers of IFs and citations of articles originating in China were mostly lower than for other top-ranking counties. Research on ophthalmic journals has maintained an upward growing trend from 2000 to 2011. Chinese ophthalmology research has developed rapidly, but the gap still exists between China and other top-ranking countries for the advanced level of research.

Medical expenditures in division I collegiate athletics: an analysis by sport and gender.

PubMed

Kaeding, Christopher C; Borchers, James; Oman, Janine; Pedroza, Angela

2014-09-01

Medical expenses for collegiate athletics include providing a training room with its supplies, equipment, personnel costs, and insurance coverage. Additional expenses beyond the training room include imaging, diagnostic testing, specialty consultations, and surgeries. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in average expenses or number of claims between male and female athletes over a 5-year period. Prospective patient cohort. A sports medicine center serving athletes in Big 10 Conference intercollegiate sports. All medical claims and charges for 36 varsity teams were analyzed from 2005 to 2010. The teams were categorized into 3 groups: female-only teams, male-only teams, and coed teams. Analysis of sports with corresponding male and female teams was also performed. Claims and charges for medical care for 36 intercollegiate athletic teams over 5 years. Individual team claims and charges were stable over the study period. In 11 of the 14 sex-matched sports, the female teams had higher average annual charges. After normalizing for roster size in the sex-matched sports, females had 0.97 more average annual claims (P < 0.01) and $1459 higher annual charges (P = 0.001) than their male counterparts. The charges per claim were similar between the sexes. The 5 teams with the highest average annual charges were football, wrestling, softball, women's crew, and men's lacrosse. When normalized for roster size, the 5 sports with the highest average annual charges per athlete were softball, women's diving, men's basketball, wrestling, and men's gymnastics. Charges per claim were similar between the sex-matched sports, but the female sports had a higher number of annual claims per athlete and thus higher total charges per athlete/year. Football had the highest average annual total charges as a team, but when normalized for roster size football charges per athlete/year were similar to those of other sports.

Systemic immune cell response in rats after pulmonary exposure to manganese-containing particles collected from welding aerosols.

PubMed

Antonini, James M; Zeidler-Erdely, Patti C; Young, Shih-Houng; Roberts, Jenny R; Erdely, Aaron

2012-01-01

Welding fume inhalation affects the immune system of exposed workers. Manganese (Mn) in welding fume may induce immunosuppressive effects. The goal was to determine if Mn in welding fume alters immunity by reducing the number of circulating total leukocytes and specific leukocyte sub-populations. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by intratracheal instillation (ITI) with either a single dose (2.00 mg/rat) or repeated doses (0.125 or 2.00 mg/rat for 7 weeks) with welding fumes that contained different levels of Mn. Additional rats were treated by ITI once a week for 7 weeks with the two doses of manganese chloride (MnCl₂). Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed to assess lung inflammation. Also, whole blood was recovered, and the number of circulating total leukocytes, as well as specific lymphocyte subsets, was determined by flow cytometry. The welding fume highest in Mn content significantly increased lung inflammation, injury, and production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to all other treatment groups. In addition, the same group expressed significant decreases in the number of circulating CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes after a single exposure, and significant reductions in the number of circulating total lymphocytes, primarily CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes, after repeated exposures (compared to control values). Repeated MnCl₂ exposure led to a trend of a reduction (but not statistically significant) in circulating total lymphocytes, attributable to the changes in the CD4⁺ T-lymphocyte population levels. The welding fume with the lower concentration of Mn had no significant effect on the numbers of blood lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets compared to control values. Evidence from this study indicates that pulmonary exposure to certain welding fumes cause decrements in systemic immune cell populations, specifically circulating T-lymphocytes, and these alterations in immune cell number are not dependent exclusively on Mn, but likely a combination of other metals present in welding fume.

Physical properties of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) surimi: effect of washing cycle at different salt concentrations.

PubMed

Hamzah, N; Sarbon, N M; Amin, A M

2015-08-01

This study aimed to determine the effects of 2-5 wash cycles and the addition of tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) (0 %, 0.05 Surimi% and 0.1 % w/w)-with or without the addition of 0.4 % calcium chloride (CaCl2)-on the physical properties such as texture, colour, expressible moisture and microstructure of Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) surimi gel. The highest breaking force (484.85 g) was obtained with the addition 0.1 % TSPP alone on the fifth wash. However, a combination of 0.1 and 0.4 % CaCl2 in surimi gels at wash cycle 5 resulted in the highest degree of whiteness (86.8 %), as well as total expressible moisture (2.785 %) and deformation (17.11 mm). The highest surimi gel strength (6,923 g.mm) was obtained after three wash cycles with the addition of 0.1 % TSPP +0.4 % CaCl2. The physical properties of Cobia fish surimi gels were affected by the number of wash cycles and treatments with TSPP and CaCl2.

Abundance, size and polymer composition of marine microplastics ≥10μm in the Atlantic Ocean and their modelled vertical distribution.

PubMed

Enders, Kristina; Lenz, Robin; Stedmon, Colin A; Nielsen, Torkel G

2015-11-15

We studied abundance, size and polymer type of microplastic down to 10μm along a transect from the European Coast to the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (NASG) using an underway intake filtration technique and Raman micro-spectrometry. Concentrations ranged from 13 to 501itemsm(-3). Highest concentrations were observed at the European coast, decreasing towards mid-Atlantic waters but elevated in the western NASG. We observed highest numbers among particles in the 10-20μm size fraction, whereas the total volume was highest in the 50-80μm range. Based on a numerical model size-dependent depth profiles of polyethylene microspheres in a range from 10-1000μm were calculated and show a strong dispersal throughout the surface mixed layer for sizes smaller than 200μm. From model and field study results we conclude that small microplastic is ubiquitously distributed over the ocean surface layer and has a lower residence time than larger plastic debris in this compartment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey of helminths, ectoparasites, and chytrid fungus of an introduced population of cane toads, Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae), from Grenada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, Michael C.; Zieger, Ulrike; Groszkowski, Andrew; Gallardo, Bruce; Sages, Patti; Reavis, Roslyn; Faircloth, Leslie; Jacobson, Krystin; Lonce, Nicholas; Pinckney, Rhonda D.; Cole, Rebecca A.

2014-01-01

One hundred specimens of Rhinella marina, (Anura: Bufonidae) collected in St. George's parish, Grenada, from September 2010 to August 2011, were examined for the presence of ectoparasites and helminths. Ninety-five (95%) were parasitized by 1 or more parasite species. Nine species of parasites were found: 1 digenean, 2 acanthocephalans, 4 nematodes, 1 arthropod and 1 pentastome. The endoparasites represented 98.9% of the total number of parasite specimens collected. Grenada represents a new locality record for Mesocoelium monas, Raillietiella frenatus, Pseudoacanthacephalus sp., Aplectana sp., Physocephalus sp., Acanthacephala cystacanth, and Physalopteridae larvae. The digenean M. monas occurred with the highest prevalence of 82%, contrasting many studies of R. marina where nematodes dominate the parasite infracommunity. Female toads were found to have a significantly higher prevalence of Amblyomma dissimile than male toads. Only 2 parasites exhibited a significant difference between wet and dry season with Parapharyngodon grenadensis prevalence highest in the wet season and A. dissimile prevalence highest during the dry season. Additionally, A. dissimilewas significantly more abundant during the dry season.

Parasite assemblages of Australian species of Pseudomys (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae).

PubMed

Weaver, H J; Smales, L R

2012-02-01

The parasite fauna of many Australian rodents is poorly known. The ectoparasite and helminth faunas of Pseudomys delicatulus, Pseudomys desertor, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus, and Pseudomys hermannsburgensis were determined and compared. In total, 12 species of arthropods, 2 cestodes, and 13 nematodes were found. Species richness of parasites was highest in P. hermannsburgensis and lowest in P. desertor. Despite the sampling effort, the number of parasite species discovered did not reach an asymptote for any of the host species, indicating that the full parasite fauna was not examined. Helminth species richness was highest in the insectivorous P. hermannsburgensis and lower in the obligate herbivores. The structure of parasite component communities was influenced by the social structure of the host species, not surprisingly, with the most highly social species having the highest richness of parasites. Habitat preferences also provided contrast between the helminth component communities, with heligmonellid nematodes occurring in damp woodlands and dominating the parasite fauna of P. gracilicaudatus. Oxyurid nematodes dominated the component communities of the 3 other species, all of which inhabit drier habitats.

Community composition, abundance and biomass of zooplankton in Zhangzi Island waters, Northern Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Jiehui; Zhang, Guangtao; Li, Chaolun; Wang, Shiwei; Zhao, Zengxia; Wan, Aiyong

2017-09-01

Samples were collected monthly from the sea area around Zhangzi Island, northern Yellow Sea, from July 2009 to June 2010. Vertical net towing was used to examine spatial and temporal variability in zooplankton abundance and biomass. Overall, Calanus sinicus and Saggita crassa were the dominant species found during the study period, while the amphipod Themisto gracilipes was dominant in winter and spring. Vast numbers of the ctenophore species of the genus Beroe were found in October and November. It was not possible to count them, but they constituted a large portion of the total zooplankton biomass. Zooplankton species diversity was highest in October, and species evenness was highest in April. Zooplankton abundance (non-jellyfish) and biomass were highest in June and lowest in August, with annual averages of 131.3 ind./m³ and 217.5 mg/m³, respectively. Water temperature may be responsible for the variations in zooplankton abundance and biomass. Beroe biomass was negatively correlated with other zooplankton abundance. Longterm investigations will be carried out to learn more about the influence of the environment on zooplankton assemblages.

First principles study of edge carboxylated graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelsalam, Hazem; Elhaes, Hanan; Ibrahim, Medhat A.

2018-05-01

The structure stability and electronic properties of edge carboxylated hexagonal and triangular graphene quantum dots are investigated using density functional theory. The calculated binding energies show that the hexagonal clusters with armchair edges have the highest stability among all the quantum dots. The binding energy of carboxylated graphene quantum dots increases by increasing the number of carboxyl groups. Our study shows that the total dipole moment significantly increases by adding COOH with the highest value observed in triangular clusters. The edge states in triangular graphene quantum dots with zigzag edges produce completely different energy spectrum from other dots: (a) the energy gap in triangular zigzag is very small as compared to other clusters and (b) the highest occupied molecular orbital is localized at the edges which is in contrast to other clusters where it is distributed over the cluster surface. The enhanced reactivity and the controllable energy gap by shape and edge termination make graphene quantum dots ideal for various nanodevice applications such as sensors. The infrared spectra are presented to confirm the stability of the quantum dots.

Amelioration and degradation of pressmud and bagasse wastes using vermitechnology.

PubMed

Bhat, Sartaj Ahmad; Singh, Jaswinder; Vig, Adarsh Pal

2017-11-01

This study evaluated the amelioration of pressmud (PM) and bagasse (BG) wastes by the vermiremediation process. The wastes were spiked with cattle dung (CD) in different concentrations to find out the best proportion supporting maximum earthworm growth and nutrients availability. The highest growth rate was observed in PMBG 50 (282.2mg/d/worm) feed mixture. Response surface design of earthworm growth parameters enumerated best concentration of wastes in CD with maximum value of 21.81% for earthworm number, 30.86% for earthworm weight, 27.09% for cocoons, 29.71% for hatchlings and 34.0% for hatchlings weight. Vermicomposting enhanced nutrient parameters like pH (6-8%), total kjeldahl nitrogen (19-48%), total phosphorus (9-67%), total calcium (13-111%), while decrease in total organic carbon (14-32%), electrical conductivity (21-30%), C:N ratio (36-51%), total potassium (9-19%) and total sodium (3-21%). Heavy metals in the final products were found to be under safe limits. SEM micrographs were more fragmented which indicated maturity and stability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in Citations to Books on Epidemiological and Statistical Methods in the Biomedical Literature

PubMed Central

Porta, Miquel; Vandenbroucke, Jan P.; Ioannidis, John P. A.; Sanz, Sergio; Fernandez, Esteve; Bhopal, Raj; Morabia, Alfredo; Victora, Cesar; Lopez, Tomàs

2013-01-01

Background There are no analyses of citations to books on epidemiological and statistical methods in the biomedical literature. Such analyses may shed light on how concepts and methods changed while biomedical research evolved. Our aim was to analyze the number and time trends of citations received from biomedical articles by books on epidemiological and statistical methods, and related disciplines. Methods and Findings The data source was the Web of Science. The study books were published between 1957 and 2010. The first year of publication of the citing articles was 1945. We identified 125 books that received at least 25 citations. Books first published in 1980–1989 had the highest total and median number of citations per year. Nine of the 10 most cited texts focused on statistical methods. Hosmer & Lemeshow's Applied logistic regression received the highest number of citations and highest average annual rate. It was followed by books by Fleiss, Armitage, et al., Rothman, et al., and Kalbfleisch and Prentice. Fifth in citations per year was Sackett, et al., Evidence-based medicine. The rise of multivariate methods, clinical epidemiology, or nutritional epidemiology was reflected in the citation trends. Educational textbooks, practice-oriented books, books on epidemiological substantive knowledge, and on theory and health policies were much less cited. None of the 25 top-cited books had the theoretical or sociopolitical scope of works by Cochrane, McKeown, Rose, or Morris. Conclusions Books were mainly cited to reference methods. Books first published in the 1980s continue to be most influential. Older books on theory and policies were rooted in societal and general medical concerns, while the most modern books are almost purely on methods. PMID:23667447

Trends in citations to books on epidemiological and statistical methods in the biomedical literature.

PubMed

Porta, Miquel; Vandenbroucke, Jan P; Ioannidis, John P A; Sanz, Sergio; Fernandez, Esteve; Bhopal, Raj; Morabia, Alfredo; Victora, Cesar; Lopez, Tomàs

2013-01-01

There are no analyses of citations to books on epidemiological and statistical methods in the biomedical literature. Such analyses may shed light on how concepts and methods changed while biomedical research evolved. Our aim was to analyze the number and time trends of citations received from biomedical articles by books on epidemiological and statistical methods, and related disciplines. The data source was the Web of Science. The study books were published between 1957 and 2010. The first year of publication of the citing articles was 1945. We identified 125 books that received at least 25 citations. Books first published in 1980-1989 had the highest total and median number of citations per year. Nine of the 10 most cited texts focused on statistical methods. Hosmer & Lemeshow's Applied logistic regression received the highest number of citations and highest average annual rate. It was followed by books by Fleiss, Armitage, et al., Rothman, et al., and Kalbfleisch and Prentice. Fifth in citations per year was Sackett, et al., Evidence-based medicine. The rise of multivariate methods, clinical epidemiology, or nutritional epidemiology was reflected in the citation trends. Educational textbooks, practice-oriented books, books on epidemiological substantive knowledge, and on theory and health policies were much less cited. None of the 25 top-cited books had the theoretical or sociopolitical scope of works by Cochrane, McKeown, Rose, or Morris. Books were mainly cited to reference methods. Books first published in the 1980s continue to be most influential. Older books on theory and policies were rooted in societal and general medical concerns, while the most modern books are almost purely on methods.

Salivary microbiota and metabolome associated with celiac disease.

PubMed

Francavilla, Ruggiero; Ercolini, Danilo; Piccolo, Maria; Vannini, Lucia; Siragusa, Sonya; De Filippis, Francesca; De Pasquale, Ilaria; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Di Toma, Michele; Gozzi, Giorgia; Serrazanetti, Diana I; De Angelis, Maria; Gobbetti, Marco

2014-06-01

This study aimed to investigate the salivary microbiota and metabolome of 13 children with celiac disease (CD) under a gluten-free diet (treated celiac disease [T-CD]). The same number of healthy children (HC) was used as controls. The salivary microbiota was analyzed by an integrated approach using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Metabolome analysis was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-solid-phase microextraction. Compared to HC, the number of some cultivable bacterial groups (e.g., total anaerobes) significantly (P < 0.05) differed in the saliva samples of the T-CD children. As shown by community-level catabolic profiles, the highest Shannon's diversity and substrate richness were found in HC. Pyrosequencing data showed the highest richness estimator and diversity index values for HC. Levels of Lachnospiraceae, Gemellaceae, and Streptococcus sanguinis were highest for the T-CD children. Streptococcus thermophilus levels were markedly decreased in T-CD children. The saliva of T-CD children showed the largest amount of Bacteroidetes (e.g., Porphyromonas sp., Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Prevotella nanceiensis), together with the smallest amount of Actinobacteria. T-CD children were also characterized by decreased levels of some Actinomyces species, Atopobium species, and Corynebacterium durum. Rothia mucilaginosa was the only Actinobacteria species found at the highest level in T-CD children. As shown by multivariate statistical analyses, the levels of organic volatile compounds markedly differentiated T-CD children. Some compounds (e.g., ethyl-acetate, nonanal, and 2-hexanone) were found to be associated with T-CD children. Correlations (false discovery rate [FDR], <0.05) were found between the relative abundances of bacteria and some volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The findings of this study indicated that CD is associated with oral dysbiosis that could affect the oral metabolome.

Salivary Microbiota and Metabolome Associated with Celiac Disease

PubMed Central

Francavilla, Ruggiero; Ercolini, Danilo; Piccolo, Maria; Vannini, Lucia; Siragusa, Sonya; De Filippis, Francesca; De Pasquale, Ilaria; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Di Toma, Michele; Gozzi, Giorgia; Serrazanetti, Diana I.; Gobbetti, Marco

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the salivary microbiota and metabolome of 13 children with celiac disease (CD) under a gluten-free diet (treated celiac disease [T-CD]). The same number of healthy children (HC) was used as controls. The salivary microbiota was analyzed by an integrated approach using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Metabolome analysis was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry–solid-phase microextraction. Compared to HC, the number of some cultivable bacterial groups (e.g., total anaerobes) significantly (P < 0.05) differed in the saliva samples of the T-CD children. As shown by community-level catabolic profiles, the highest Shannon's diversity and substrate richness were found in HC. Pyrosequencing data showed the highest richness estimator and diversity index values for HC. Levels of Lachnospiraceae, Gemellaceae, and Streptococcus sanguinis were highest for the T-CD children. Streptococcus thermophilus levels were markedly decreased in T-CD children. The saliva of T-CD children showed the largest amount of Bacteroidetes (e.g., Porphyromonas sp., Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Prevotella nanceiensis), together with the smallest amount of Actinobacteria. T-CD children were also characterized by decreased levels of some Actinomyces species, Atopobium species, and Corynebacterium durum. Rothia mucilaginosa was the only Actinobacteria species found at the highest level in T-CD children. As shown by multivariate statistical analyses, the levels of organic volatile compounds markedly differentiated T-CD children. Some compounds (e.g., ethyl-acetate, nonanal, and 2-hexanone) were found to be associated with T-CD children. Correlations (false discovery rate [FDR], <0.05) were found between the relative abundances of bacteria and some volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The findings of this study indicated that CD is associated with oral dysbiosis that could affect the oral metabolome. PMID:24657864

Burden of physical inactivity and hospitalization costs due to chronic diseases

PubMed Central

Bielemann, Renata Moraes; da Silva, Bruna Gonçalves Cordeiro; Coll, Carolina de Vargas Nunes; Xavier, Mariana Otero; da Silva, Shana Ginar

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the physical inactivity-related inpatient costs of chronic non-communicable diseases. METHODS This study used data from 2013, from Brazilian Unified Health System, regarding inpatient numbers and costs due to malignant colon and breast neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis. In order to calculate the share physical inactivity represents in that, the physical inactivity-related risks, which apply to each disease, were considered, and physical inactivity prevalence during leisure activities was obtained from Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio (Brazil’s National Household Sample Survey). The analysis was stratified by genders and residing country regions of subjects who were 40 years or older. The physical inactivity-related hospitalization cost regarding each cause was multiplied by the respective share it regarded to. RESULTS In 2013, 974,641 patients were admitted due to seven different causes in Brazil, which represented a high cost. South region was found to have the highest patient admission rate in most studied causes. The highest prevalences for physical inactivity were observed in North and Northeast regions. The highest inactivity-related share in men was found for osteoporosis in all regions (≈ 35.0%), whereas diabetes was found to have a higher share regarding inactivity in women (33.0% to 37.0% variation in the regions). Ischemic heart diseases accounted for the highest total costs that could be linked to physical inactivity in all regions and for both genders, being followed by cerebrovascular diseases. Approximately 15.0% of inpatient costs from Brazilian Unified Health System were connected to physical inactivity. CONCLUSIONS Physical inactivity significantly impacts the number of patient admissions due to the evaluated causes and through their resulting costs, with different genders and country regions representing different shares. PMID:26487291

Burden of physical inactivity and hospitalization costs due to chronic diseases.

PubMed

Bielemann, Renata Moraes; Silva, Bruna Gonçalves Cordeiro da; Coll, Carolina de Vargas Nunes; Xavier, Mariana Otero; Silva, Shana Ginar da

2015-01-01

To evaluate the physical inactivity-related inpatient costs of chronic non-communicable diseases. This study used data from 2013, from Brazilian Unified Health System, regarding inpatient numbers and costs due to malignant colon and breast neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis. In order to calculate the share physical inactivity represents in that, the physical inactivity-related risks, which apply to each disease, were considered, and physical inactivity prevalence during leisure activities was obtained from Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio(Brazil's National Household Sample Survey). The analysis was stratified by genders and residing country regions of subjects who were 40 years or older. The physical inactivity-related hospitalization cost regarding each cause was multiplied by the respective share it regarded to. In 2013, 974,641 patients were admitted due to seven different causes in Brazil, which represented a high cost. South region was found to have the highest patient admission rate in most studied causes. The highest prevalences for physical inactivity were observed in North and Northeast regions. The highest inactivity-related share in men was found for osteoporosis in all regions (≈ 35.0%), whereas diabetes was found to have a higher share regarding inactivity in women (33.0% to 37.0% variation in the regions). Ischemic heart diseases accounted for the highest total costs that could be linked to physical inactivity in all regions and for both genders, being followed by cerebrovascular diseases. Approximately 15.0% of inpatient costs from Brazilian Unified Health System were connected to physical inactivity. Physical inactivity significantly impacts the number of patient admissions due to the evaluated causes and through their resulting costs, with different genders and country regions representing different shares.

Pseudopotential for ab initio calculations of uranium compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, G. S.; Pisarev, V. V.; Stegailov, V. V.

2018-01-01

The density functional theory (DFT) is a research tool of the highest importance for electronic structure calculations. It is often the only affordable method for ab initio calculations of complex materials. The pseudopotential approach allows reducing the total number of electrons in the model that speeds up calculations. However, there is a lack of pseudopotentials for heavy elements suitable for condensed matter DFT models. In this work, we present a pseudopotential for uranium developed in the Goedecker-Teter-Hutter form. Its accuracy is illustrated using several molecular and solid-state calculations.

Comparison of Glucosinolate Profiles in Different Tissues of Nine Brassica Crops.

PubMed

Bhandari, Shiva Ram; Jo, Jung Su; Lee, Jun Gu

2015-08-31

Glucosinolate (GSL) profiles and concentrations in various tissues (seeds, sprouts, mature root, and shoot) were determined and compared across nine Brassica species, including cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, radish, baemuchae, pakchoi, Chinese cabbage, leaf mustard, and kale. The compositions and concentrations of individual GSLs varied among crops, tissues, and growth stages. Seeds had highest total GSL concentrations in most of crops, whereas shoots had the lowest GSL concentrations. Aliphatic GSL concentrations were the highest in seeds, followed by that in sprouts, shoots, and roots. Indole GSL concentration was the highest in the root or shoot tissues in most of the crops. In contrast, aromatic GSL concentrations were highest in roots. Of the nine crops examined, broccoli exhibited the highest total GSL concentration in seeds (110.76 µmol·g(-1)) and sprouts (162.19 µmol·g(-1)), whereas leaf mustard exhibited the highest total GSL concentration in shoots (61.76 µmol·g(-1)) and roots (73.61 µmol·g(-1)). The lowest GSL concentrations were observed in radish across all tissues examined.

The effects of postharvest application of lecithin to improve storage potential and quality of fresh goji (Lycium barbarum L.) berries.

PubMed

Jatoi, Mushtaque Ahmed; Jurić, Slaven; Vidrih, Rajko; Vinceković, Marko; Vuković, Marko; Jemrić, Tomislav

2017-09-01

To enhance storage life and post-storage quality of fresh goji berries, three treatments with lecithin (1, 5, 10g·L -1 ) and two storage times (8, 16days) were evaluated. The significant effects on the physiological and biochemical parameters were varied. 1g·L -1 lecithin showed its main effects after 8days of storage by reduction in total weight loss and decay, SSC/TA ratio (also at 16days), and chlorophyll content and with highest scores of sensory attributes (also at 16days). 5g·L -1 lecithin showed its main effects after 16days of storage: highest SSC, highest TA (also at 8days), highest TPC, only significant reduction in DPPH antioxidant activity, and highest total flavonoid content. 10g·L -1 lecithin showed its main effects after 8days of storage with highest SSC, chlorophyll content, total flavonoid, DPPH, and ABTS antioxidant activity (also at 16days), but with least scores of sensory attributes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hygiene auditing in mass catering: a 4-year study in a university canteen.

PubMed

Osimani, A; Milanović, V; Aquilanti, L; Polverigiani, S; Garofalo, C; Clementi, F

2018-06-01

The outcomes of hygiene audits carried out two times per year were used to determine the correct execution of the procedures foreseen by the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan over 4 years (2013-2016) in a university canteen producing about 1200 meals a day. Critical analysis of hygiene audits. Hygiene audits were carried out on the basis of a checklist divided into seven main items and subitems that covered all the production areas of the canteen. For each audit subitem, total percentage of inadequacy was calculated as the total number of negative answers (N) divided by the total number of answers (n = 8) collected in the period 2013-2016. The results showed a discontinuous trend among years. In more detail, the highest percentage of inadequacy was seen for food maintaining temperatures, thus highlighting management issues mainly related to time taken for food preparation. A relatively high level of inadequacy was also recorded for staff clothing and hygiene. The critical analysis of data emerged from the audits was useful to obtain an overview of improvements and emerging criticalities. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric nuclei in the Pacific midtroposphere: Their nature, concentration, and evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, Antony D.

1993-01-01

An extensive flight series was carried out during May-June 1990 in the remote North and South Pacific free tropospheric aboard the NASA DC-8. Condensation nuclei counters and optical particle counters provided information on aerosol particles with diameters between 0.003 and 7.0 micrometers. Vertical profiles revealed aerosol layers to be a common feature of the free troposphere. Regions with highest aerosol mass tended to have the highest concentrations of surface-derived nuclei but the lowest concentrations of total nuclei. Regions with lowest aerosol mass tended to have the highest concentrations of the smaller 'ultrafine' condensation nuclei with diameters below 0.02 mircometers. Horizontal transects totaling over 35,000 km at about 9 to 10-km altitude exhibited variability of approximately 3 orders of magnitude in both aerosol mass and number concentrations over spatial scales ranging from 1 to 1000 km. At these altitudes an approximate inverse relationship between ultrafine concentrations and the surface area of the larger aerosol was evident. Regions having lowest aerosol mass were characterized by aerosol thermal volatility, indicative of a predominately sulfuric acid composition, and by very high concentrations of ultrafine nuclei, indicative of recent homogeneous nucleation. These conditions were frequently observed but were conspicuously evident above cloud over the intertropical convergence zone. The clean, free troposphere appears to be a significant source region for new tropospheric nuclei. A simplified model of the lifetime, coagulation, and cycling of these nuclei suggests that they constitute a source of cloud condensation nuclei in the lower troposphere.

Temperature and rainfall are related to fertility rate after spring artificial insemination in small ruminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abecia, J. A.; Arrébola, F.; Macías, A.; Laviña, A.; González-Casquet, O.; Benítez, F.; Palacios, C.

2016-10-01

A total number of 1092 artificial inseminations (AIs) performed from March to May were documented over four consecutive years on 10 Payoya goat farms (36° N) and 19,392 AIs on 102 Rasa Aragonesa sheep farms (41° N) over 10 years. Mean, maximum, and minimum ambient temperatures, mean relative humidity, mean solar radiation, and total rainfall on each insemination day were recorded. Overall, fertility rates were 58 % in goats and 45 % in sheep. The fertility rates of the highest and lowest deciles of each of the meteorological variables indicated that temperature and rainfall had a significant effect on fertility in goats. Specifically, inseminations that were performed when mean (68 %), maximum (68 %), and minimum (66 %) temperatures were in the highest decile, and rainfall was in the lowest decile (59 %), had a significantly ( P < 0.0001) higher proportion of does that became pregnant than did the ewes in the lowest decile (56, 54, 58, and 49 %, respectively). In sheep, the fertility rates of the highest decile of mean (62 %), maximum (62 %), and minimum (52 %) temperature, RH (52 %), THI (53 %), and rainfall (45 %) were significantly higher ( P < 0.0001) than were the fertility rates among ewes in the lowest decile (46, 45, 45, 45, 46, and 43 %, respectively). In conclusion, weather was related to fertility in small ruminants after AI in spring. It remains to be determined whether scheduling the dates of insemination based on forecasted temperatures can improve the success of AI in goats and sheep.

Bacteriological quality of drinking water in Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan.

PubMed

Abdelrahman, Amira Ahmed; Eltahir, Yassir Mohammed

2011-04-01

The objective of this study was to determine the bacterial contaminations in drinking water in Nyala city, South Darfur, Sudan with special reference to the internally displaced people camps (IDPs). Two hundred and forty water samples from different sites and sources including bore holes, hand pumps, dug wells, water points, water reservoir and household storage containers were collected in 2009. The most probable number method was used to detect and count the total coliform, faecal coliform and faecal enterococci. Results revealed that the three indicators bacteria were abundant in all sources except water points. Percentages of the three indicators bacteria count above the permissible limits for drinking water in all samples were 46.4% total coliform, 45.2% faecal coliform and 25.4% faecal enterococci whereas the highest count of the indicators bacteria observed was 1,600 U/100 ml water. Enteric bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (22.5%), Enterococcus faecalis (20.42%), Klebsiella (15.00%), Citrobacter (2.1%) and Enterobacter (3.33%). The highest contamination of water sources was observed in household storage containers (20%) followed by boreholes (11.25%), reservoirs (6.24%), hand pumps (5.42%) and dug wells (2.49%). Contamination varied from season to season with the highest level in autumn (18.33%) followed by winter (13.75%) and summer (13.32%), respectively. All sources of water in IDP camps except water points were contaminated. Data suggested the importance of greater attention for household contamination, environmental sanitation control and the raise of awareness about water contamination.

Microbiological tap water profile of a medium-sized building and effect of water stagnation.

PubMed

Lipphaus, Patrick; Hammes, Frederik; Kötzsch, Stefan; Green, James; Gillespie, Simon; Nocker, Andreas

2014-01-01

Whereas microbiological quality of drinking water in water distribution systems is routinely monitored for reasons of legal compliance, microbial numbers in tap water are grossly understudied. Motivated by gross differences in water from private households, we applied in this study flow cytometry as a rapid analytical method to quantify microbial concentrations in water sampled at diverse taps in a medium size research building receiving chlorinated water. Taps differed considerably in frequency of usage and were located in laboratories, bathrooms, and a coffee kitchen. Substantial differences were observed between taps with concentrations (per mL) in the range from 6.29 x 10(3) to 7.74 x 10(5) for total cells and from 1.66 x 10(3) to 4.31 x 10(5) for intact cells. The percentage of intact cells varied between 7% and 96%. Water from taps with very infrequent use showed the highest bacterial numbers and the highest proportions of intact cells. Stagnation tended to increase microbial numbers in water from those taps which were otherwise frequently used. Microbial numbers in other taps that were rarely opened were not affected by stagnation as their water is probably mostly stagnant. For cold water taps, microbial numbers and the percentage of intact cells tended to decline with flushing with the greatest decline for taps used least frequently whereas microbial concentrations in water from hot water taps tended to be somewhat more stable. We conclude that microbiological water quality is mainly determined by building-specific parameters. Tap water profiling can provide valuable insight into plumbing system hygiene and maintenance.

Bibliometric analysis of poison center-related research published in peer-review journals.

PubMed

Forrester, M B

2016-07-01

Poison centers advance knowledge in the field of toxicology through publication in peer-review journals. This investigation describes the pattern of poison center-related publications. Cases were poison center-related research published in peer-review journals during 1995-2014. These were identified through searching the PubMed database, reviewing the tables of contents of selected toxicology journals, and reviewing abstracts of various national and international meetings. The following variables for each publication were identified: year of publication, journal, type of publication (meeting abstract vs. other, i.e. full article or letter to the editor), and the country(ies) of the poison center(s) included in the research. Of the 3147 total publications, 62.1% were meeting abstracts. There were 263 publications in 1995-1999, 536 in 2000-2004, 999 in 2005-2009, and 1349 in 2010-2014. The publications were in 234 different journals. The journals in which the highest number of research was published were Clinical Toxicology (69.7%), Journal of Medical Toxicology (2.2%), and Veterinary and Human Toxicology (2.1%). The research was reported from 62 different countries. The countries with the highest number of publications were the United States (67.9%), United Kingdom (6.5%), Germany (3.9%), France (2.5%), and Italy (2.4%). The number of publications increased greatly over the 20 years. Although the publications were in a large number of journals, a high proportion of the publications were in one journal. While the research came from a large number of countries, the preponderance came from the United States. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Chickenpox in Poland in 2010].

PubMed

Głuchowska, Małgorzata; Paradowska-Stankiewicz, Iwona

2012-01-01

Chickenpox is a common childhood disease. It occurs sporadically in persons over the age of 15. Regardless of the fact that chickenpox is considered to be a disease of benign course, it may cause complications of different severity levels and with necessity of hospitalization. Since 2004, a high incidence of chickenpox is observed in Poland. The aim of the present article was to analyze the epidemiological situation of chickenpox in Poland in 2010 with its comparison to the situation observed in the previous years. The epidemiological situation ofchickenpox in Poland in 2010 was analyzed on the basis of aggregated data on infectious diseases published in the annual bulletins, i.e.: "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2010" (Czarkowski MP. et al., Warsaw, NIPH-NIH, Chief Sanitary Inspectorate) and "Vaccinations in Poland in 2010" (Czarkowski MP. et al., Warsaw, NIPH-NIH, Chief Sanitary Inspectorate). In the present article the authors also referred to the Polish Immunization Programme for 2010 (annex to the statement of the Chief Sanitary Inspector of 22 October 2009). The data on the number of hospitalized persons and complications due to the chickenpox was derived from the Department - Centre for Monitoring and Analyses of Population Health Status and Health Care System (NIPH-NIH). In 2010, 183 446 cases of chickenpox were reported. The highest number of chickenpox cases was registered in mazowieckie voivodeship, the lowest--in podlaskie voivodeship. The incidence was estimated at 480.04 per 100 000 population and was significantly higher than the incidence observed in 2009 (367.2). The highest chickenpox incidence, which amounted to 4298.4 per 100 000, was reported in children aged 5-9 years. The highest number ofchickenpox cases (the peak) was reported in the period from January to June. The lowest number of cases was registered in September. The chickenpox incidence was higher in men than women and in the inhabitans of villages (498.6 per 100 000) than in persons residing in towns (468.8). The highest incidence was observed in towns with the number of inhabitants ranging from 55 to 99 thousands (532.2 per 100 000), while the lowest incidence was reported in towns over 100 thousand inhabitants (439.1 per 100 000). Overall, 1007 persons were hospitalized due to the chickenpox. A total of 31 540 persons were vaccinated, of whom 30 513 persons belonged to the age group 0-19 years. Since 2004, an increase in the number of reported chickenpox cases is observed in Poland. It is a consequence of improvement in chickenpox registration.

Microbial air quality in mass transport buses and work-related illness among bus drivers of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

PubMed

Luksamijarulkul, Pipat; Sundhiyodhin, Viboonsri; Luksamijarulkul, Soavalug; Kaewboonchoo, Orawan

2004-06-01

The air quality in mass transport buses, especially air-conditioned buses may affect bus drivers who work full time. Bus numbers 16, 63, 67 and 166 of the Seventh Bus Zone of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority were randomly selected to investigate for microbial air quality. Nine air-conditioned buses and 2-4 open-air buses for each number of the bus (36 air-conditioned buses and 12 open-air buses) were included. Five points of in-bus air samples in each studied bus were collected by using the Millipore A ir Tester Totally, 180 and 60 air samples collected from air-conditioned buses and open-air buses were cultured for bacterial and fungal counts. The bus drivers who drove the studied buses were interviewed towards histories of work-related illness while working. The results revealed that the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied open-air buses ranged from 358.50 +/- 146.66 CFU/m3 to 506 +/- 137.62 CFU/m3; bus number 16 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which ranged from 93.33 +/- 44.83 CFU/m3 to 302 +/- 294.65 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. Whereas, the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied air-conditioned buses ranged from 115.24 +/- 136.01 CFU/m3 to 244.69 +/- 234.85 CFU/m3; bus numbers 16 and 67 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which rangedfrom 18.84 +/- 39.42 CFU/m3 to 96.13 +/- 234.76 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. When 180 and 60 studied air samples were analyzed in detail, it was found that 33.33% of the air samples from open-air buses and 6.11% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of bacterial counts (> 500 CFU/m3) while 6.67% of air samples from open-air buses and 2.78% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of fungal counts (> 500 CFU/m3). Data from the history of work-related illnesses among the studied bus drivers showed that 91.67% of open-air bus drivers and 57.28% of air-conditioned bus drivers had symptoms of work-related illnesses, p = 0.0185.

[Sarcoidosis: A Descriptive Approach to the Global Research Network and Recent Scientific Developments].

PubMed

Schöffel, N; Kirchdörfer, M; Brüggmann, D; Bundschuh, M; Ohlendorf, D; Groneberg, D A; Bendels, M H K

2016-01-01

Sarcoidosis continues to be an underestimated disease that can cause severe morbidity and mortality in individuals. There has, however, been an increasing awareness of this disease as shown by the increasing number of publications since the 1990  s. The large number of available publications makes it challenging for a single scientist to provide an overview of the topic. To quantify the global research activity in this field, a scientometric investigation was conducted. The total number of publications on sarcoidosis was determined in the Web of Science to obtain their bibliometric data for the period 1900-2008. According to the NewQIS-protocol, different visualisation techniques and scientometric methods were applied. A total of 14,190 published items were evaluated. The U.S. takes a leading position in terms of the overall number of publications and collaborations. Prolific institutions and authors are of U.S. origin. Only a relatively small number of international co-operations were identified. The most intensive network is between the "University of Colorado" and the "National Jewish Medical Research Center". "Semenzato, G" has the highest citation rate of all authors. The most productive co-operative author is "du Bois, RM". The scientific interest in the topic sarcoidosis is growing steadily. The influence of international co-operation on scientific progress in this area is of increasing importance. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Increasing Prevalence Rate of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Rationale: Many nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are clinically significant pathogens that cause disease in a variety of different human organs and tissues. Objectives: A population-based study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of patients with a positive specimen for NTM within five states of the United States. Methods: We determined the case and age distribution of patients with at least one specimen positive for NTM, using data submitted to the disease surveillance systems of five states (Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) between 2008 and 2013. Crude, age-specific, and age-adjusted prevalence rates per 100,000 persons were calculated for each state. Measurements and Main Results: From 2008 to 2013, a total of 24,226 NTM cases were reported to the disease surveillance systems of the five states. The overall average annual age-adjusted prevalence rate rose from 8.7 to 13.9 per 100,000 persons between the beginning and end of the surveillance period. The number of cases and case rate in the 50–80+-year age group was higher than in the 0–49-year age group. Prevalence by age category differed among the five states. The highest number of NTM cases was observed in Mississippi for the 80+-year age group, whereas Wisconsin observed the highest number of NTM cases in the 60- to 69-year age group. Conclusions: From 2008 to 2013, the number of patients with positive specimens for NTM rose. This trend is likely to continue in the co

Evolving trends of neonatal and childhood bacterial meningitis in northern Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Meng-Chin; Chiu, Nan-Chang; Chi, Hsin; Ho, Che-Sheng; Huang, Fu-Yuan

2015-06-01

The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis varies in different areas, age groups, and times. To know the trend of neonatal and childhood bacterial meningitis in northern Taiwan, we performed this 29-year-long assessment. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or younger, hospitalized in Mackay Memorial Hospital between 1984 and 2012, and proven by positive cerebrospinal fluid bacterial cultures. Analysis included the patient numbers and pathogens in different age groups, periods, complications, and outcomes. Males were predominant in all the age groups through the years. Almost half of the patients were in the neonatal period. Patient numbers went up in the early study period and declined after 1993-1997. Group B Streptococcus and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogens in neonates, whereas in childhood were Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Patient numbers of Group B Streptococcus, S. pneumoniae, and Hib meningitis declined in the late study period, but E. coli meningitis increased. The mortality rate decreased but sequela rate increased. Among the four most common pathogens, S. pneumoniae had the worst outcome and had highest mortality rate. All Hib meningitis patients survived, but their sequela rate was the highest. This study provides an epidemiological data on trends of neonatal and childhood bacterial meningitis in northern Taiwan during the past 29 years, including male and neonatal predominance, decrease of total patient number in recent years, change of major pathogens, and declined mortality but raised morbidity. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The effect of heavy work on the musculoskeletal system of dockers.

PubMed

Waśkiewicz, J

1996-01-01

In compass of 1989-1995 all in all 388 dockers were examined, including 136 stevedores, 128 operators of mechanic equipment, 74 hoistmen and 73 retired stevedores. Out of the group of 508 stevedores that in 1989 was selected for the purpose of the study, at the end of 1995 there were 136 still working, and out of 141 operators 128 remained in employment. The number of the hoistmen working did not change. The stevedores perform heavy and a very heavy loading labour, the rest moderate and light. The highest number of changes was found in the lumbar segment of the spine-totally 56.2%, then in the sacroiliac articulations-totally 50.6%, in the cervical spine-totally 34.4%, within the shoulder girdle-33.1% and in the thoracic segment of the spine-26.3%. In stevedores these proportions were higher. A transfer to a lighter work or retirement could not inhibit the degenerative process within the musculoskeletal system. Evaluating the development of the disease in the period of observation, a progress of the pathological process was observed. No relation between the loss of fitness in stevedores and their body mass could be found. The mean time of the disease tended to increase with age of the examined. In a considerable number of the subjects a casual connection between the changes in the musculoskeletal system and the work performed was revealed.

Measurements of ultrafine particles carrying different number of charges in on- and near-freeway environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eon S.; Xu, Bin; Zhu, Yifang

2012-12-01

This paper presents measurements of electrical charges on ultrafine particles (UFPs) of different electrical mobility diameters (30, 50, 80, and 100 nm) in on- and near-freeway environments. Using a tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) system, we first examined the fraction of UFPs carrying different number of charges on two distinctive freeways: a gasoline-vehicle dominated freeway (I-405) and a heavy-duty diesel truck dominated freeway (I-710). The fractions of UFPs of a given size carrying one or more charges were significantly higher on the freeways than in the background. The background UFPs only carried up to two charges but freeway UFPs could have up to three charges. The total fraction of charged particles was higher on the I-710 than I-405 across the studied electrical mobility diameters. Near the I-405 freeway, we observed a strong decay of charged particles on the downwind side of the freeway. We also found fractional decay of the charged particles was faster than total particle number concentrations, but slower than total ion concentrations downwind from the freeway I-405. Among charged particles, the highest decay rate was observed for particles carrying three charges. Near the I-710 freeway, we found strong net positive charges on nucleation mode particles, suggesting that UFPs were not at steady-state charge equilibrium near freeways.

Diarrhoeal problems in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Sunoto

1982-09-01

Diarrhoea up till now is still a major problem in Southeast Asia with high morbidity and mortality, particularly among children under 5 years of age, with the peak in children between 6 - 24 months. In Indonesia, in 1981, it was estimated that there are 60 million episodes with 300,000 - 500,000 deaths. In the Philippines, diarrhoea ranks as a second cause of morbidity (600 per 100,000 in 1974) and second cause of infant mortality (5 per 1,000 in 1974). In Thailand, in 1980, the morbidity rate was 524 per 100,000 and the mortality rate 14 per 100,000. In Malaysia, in 1976, diarrhoea was still ranking number 5 (3.1%) as a cause of total admission and number 9 (2.2%) as a cause of total deaths. In Singapore, diarrhoea still ranks number 3 as a cause of deaths (4% of total deaths). In Bangladesh, the overall attack rates imply a prevalence of 2.0% for the entire population, with the highest for under 5 groups i.e. 4.1%. The diarrhoea episode in rural population is 85.4%, 39% of them are children under 5. The most common enteropathogens found in all countries are rotavirus followed by Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Campylobacter. Malnutrition and decline of giving breast-feeding play an important role in causing high morbidity, besides socio-economic, socio-cultural and poor environmental sanitation.

Ethnobotany in Rayones, Nuevo León, México

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Trough collections of plants and interviews with 110 individuals, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in order to determine the knowledge and use plant species in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The aim of this study was to record all useful plants and their uses, to know whether differences exist in the knowledge about the number of species and uses between women and men, and to know if there is a correlation between the age of individuals and knowledge of species and their uses. Methods A total of 110 persons were interviewed (56 men, 56 women). Semistructured interviews were carried out. The data were analyzed by means of Student t test and the Pearson Correlation Coeficient. Results A total of 252 species, 228 genera and 91 families of vascular plants were recorded. Astraceae, Fabaceae and are the most important families with useful species and Agave and Opuntia are the genera with the highest number of useful species. One hundred and thirty six species are considered as medicinal. Agave, Acacia and Citrus are the genera with the highest number of medicinal species. Other uses includes edible, spiritual rituals, construction and ornamentals. There was a non-significant correlation between the person’s age and number of species, but a significant very low negative correlation between the person’s age and number of uses was found. Conclusions Knowing their medicinal uses is an important issue for the people of Rayones. Boiling and preparing infusions are the main ways of using plants by residents. The leaves, the branches, and the fruits are the most commonly used parts. Almost 18% of the flora is used for wood and construction purposes. Several uses such as cosmetic, shampoo, firming skin tonics and health hair products recorded in Rayones has not been reported for other areas in the state of Nuevo León. In Rayones, women have a greater knowledge about plants and their uses than men, particularly, medicinal plants, but, men have a greater knowledge about wood and construction species. PMID:25179469

Infections in the tissue material and their impact on the loss of transplants in the Laboratory of in vitro Cell and Tissue Culture with Tissue Bank in the years 2011-2015.

PubMed

Kitala, D; Klama-Baryła, A; Kawecki, M; Kraut, M; Łabuś, W; Glik, J; Ples, M; Tomanek, E; Nowak, M

2017-03-01

Radiation sterilization eliminates microbiological infections but causes the degradation of the cell factor. The negative result of microbiological examination for tissue transplants is one of the conditions for approval for distribution in patients. The study attempts to verify impact of the presence of microbes onto material for transplant loss. In the 2011-2015 period, we analyzed 293 donors of skin and amnion. Microbiological sampling was performed. The total of 21 strains of bacteria, molds and fungi was identified in collected tissue. The widest spectrum of strains was found in skin (17), followed by amnia (8). The total number of positive findings was 147 and was again highest in skin (129), while the number of positive findings in amnia was 18 only. The general percentage of fungal infections was very low. The presence of fungal strains was only observed in allogeneic skin (2%). Large number of microorganisms isolated from the skin before sterilization was observed, so it seems impossible to use allogeneic intravital skin. However, the intravital application of allogeneic amnion obtained from cesarean section remains to be considered.

Comparison of self-reported and recorded vaccinations and health effects in Australian Gulf War veterans.

PubMed

Kelsall, Helen; McKenzie, Dean; Sim, Malcolm; Leder, Karin; Ross, James; Forbes, Andrew; Ikin, Jillian

2008-08-05

Vaccinations, and multiple vaccinations in particular, have been associated with adverse health effects in veterans of the 1990/1991 Gulf War. However, exposure assessment has usually been based on self-report and recall bias may have influenced the results. We investigated agreement between self-reported and recorded vaccinations and the relationship with health status in Australian Gulf War veterans. Agreement between self-reported and recorded vaccinations was highest for plague (kappa=0.80), and kappa coefficients were greater than 0.60 for polio and 'other unlisted' vaccines, between 0.41 and 0.60 for hepatitis B, hepatitis A, typhoid and pertussis, and less than 0.40 for the other listed vaccines. The associations of increasing number of self-reported vaccinations in dose response relationships with total number of symptoms, functional impairment, and poorer physical health were not observed when based on recorded vaccination data, although the actual difference in estimates was small and statistically significant only for total number of symptoms. Vaccinations were not associated with adverse health effects when exposure assessment was based on recorded vaccinations. It would be prudent that future research studies should be based on recorded vaccination data.

Microplastics in commercial bivalves from China.

PubMed

Li, Jiana; Yang, Dongqi; Li, Lan; Jabeen, Khalida; Shi, Huahong

2015-12-01

We investigated microplastic pollution in 9 commercial bivalves from a fishery market in China. Multiple types of microplastics, including fibers, fragments and pellets, occurred in the tissue of all bivalves. The number of total microplastics varied from 2.1 to 10.5 items/g and from 4.3 to 57.2 items/individual for bivalves. Scapharca subcrenata contained on average 10.5 items/g and exhibited the highest levels of microplastics by weight. Fibers were the most common microplastics and consisted of more than half of the total microplastics in each of the 8 species. In Alectryonella plicatula, pellets accounted for 60% of the total microplastics. The most common size class was less than 250 μm and accounted for 33-84% of the total microplastics calculated by species. Our results suggest that microplastic pollution was widespread and exhibited a relatively high level in commercial bivalves from China. More intensive investigations on microplastics should be conducted in seafood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activity and contents of polyphenolic antioxidants in the whole fruit, flesh and peel of three apple cultivars.

PubMed

Vieira, Francilene Gracieli Kunradi; Borges, Graciele da Silva Campelo; Copetti, Cristiane; Gonzaga, Luciano Valdemiro; Nunes, Eduardo da Costa; Fett, Roseane

2009-03-01

The concentration of polyphenolic compounds, such as flavanols and anthocyanins, and the antioxidant activity in apples (Malus domestica Borkh) seem to differ with cultivar, maturity stage, environmental conditions and the part of the fruit. In this work, the total phenolic, flavanol and anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity were measured in the flesh, whole fruit and peel from apple cultivars Fuji, Epagri COOP24 and Epagri F5P283 cultivated in Southern Brazil. Total phenolic content assayed by Folin-Ciocalteu method, flavanol by modified p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde method, anthocyanin content by pH differential method and antioxidant activity measured using ABTS assay. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey's test and correlation analysis were performed. Within each cultivar, the total phenolic, flavanol and anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activity were highest in the peels, followed by the whole fruit and the flesh. In the peel, whole fruit and flesh the Epagri F5P283 apple had the highest total phenolic contents and the highest total antioxidant activity, while that Epagri COOP24 was highest in flavanols and anthocyanins. Total phenolic content was positively associated with total antioxidant activity in flesh, whole fruit and peel. These results demonstrate that phenolic compounds have a significant contribution to the total antioxidant activity which varies considerably depending of the part of the fruit and of the apple cultivar analyzed.

Electron dynamics and potential jump across slow mode shocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Steven J.; Douglas, Fraser T.; Thomsen, Michelle F.; Feldman, William C.

1987-01-01

In the de Hoffmann-Teller reference frame, the cross-shock electric field is simply the thermoelectric field responsible for preserving charge neutrality. As such, it gives information regarding the heating and dissipation occurring within the shock. The total cross-shock potential can be determined by integrating a weighted electron pressure gradient through the shock, but this requires knowledge of the density and temperature profiles. Here, a recently proposed alternative approach relying on particle dynamics is exploited to provide an independent estimate of this potential. Both determinations are applied to slow mode shocks which form the plasma sheet boundary in the deep geomagnetic tail as observed by ISEE 3. The two methods correlate well. There is no indication of the expected transition from resistive to viscous shocks, although the highest Mach number shocks show the highest potentials. The implications of these results for the electron dissipation mechanisms and turbulence at the shock are discussed.

Safety practices in Jordanian manufacturing enterprises within industrial estates.

PubMed

Khrais, Samir; Al-Araidah, Omar; Aweisi, Assaf Mohammad; Elias, Fadia; Al-Ayyoub, Enas

2013-01-01

This paper investigates occupational health and safety practices in manufacturing enterprises within Jordanian industrial estates. Response rates were 21.9%, 58.6% and 70.8% for small, medium and large sized enterprises, respectively. Survey results show that most companies comply with state regulations, provide necessary facilities to enhance safety and provide several measures to limit and control hazards. On the negative side, little attention is given to safety training that might be due to the lack of related regulations and follow-up, financial limitations or lack of awareness on the importance of safety training. In addition, results show that ergonomic hazards, noise and hazardous chemicals are largely present. Accident statistics show that medium enterprises have the highest accident cases per enterprise, and chemical industries reported highest total number of accidents per enterprise. The outcomes of this study establish a base for appropriate safety recommendations to enhance the awareness and commitment of companies to appropriate safety rules.

Enterobius vermicularis and risk factors in healthy Norwegian children.

PubMed

Bøås, Håkon; Tapia, German; Sødahl, John A; Rasmussen, Trond; Rønningen, Kjersti S

2012-09-01

The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in neighboring countries of Norway show large variation. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence among Norwegian children and possible risk factors. The children were participants in "Environmental Triggers of Type 1 Diabetes: the MIDIA study." The study involved 2 groups with different genetic risks of type 1 diabetes: A high-risk group carries the Human Leukocyte Antigen genotype conferring the highest risk for type 1 diabetes and a nonhigh-risk group consisting of children without this genotype. Scotch tape samples were collected on 3 consecutive days and examined by light microscopy. A total of 18% (72/395) of children were positive for E. vermicularis. The highest prevalence (34%) was in children 6-11 years of age. Only 2 children were prior known positives. Increased number of siblings was linked to more infections, and there were fewer infections in the children with the high-risk genotype. E. vermicularis is a common parasite in Norwegian children. The likelihood of E. vermicularis infection depends on family size and prevalence increases with age. The reduced number of infections in the children carrying the high-risk genotype for type 1 diabetes is intriguing and should be investigated further.

Psychiatric disorders, acne and systemic retinoids: comparison of risks.

PubMed

Le Moigne, M; Bulteau, S; Grall-Bronnec, Marie; Gerardin, M; Fournier, Jean-Pascal; Jonville-Bera, A P; Jolliet, Pascale; Dreno, Brigitte; Victorri-Vigneau, C

2017-09-01

The link between isotretinoin, treatment of a severe form of acne, and psychiatric disorders remains controversial, as acne itself could explain the occurrence of psychiatric disorders. This study aims at assessing the disproportionality of psychiatric adverse events reported with isotretinoin in the French National PharmacoVigilance Database, compared with other systemic acne treatments and systemic retinoids. Data were extracted from the French National PharmacoVigilance Database for systemic acne treatments, systemic retinoids and drugs used as comparators. Each report was subjected to double-blind analysis by two psychiatric experts. A disproportionality analysis was performed, calculating the number of psychiatric ADRs divided by the total number of notifications for each drug of interest. Concerning acne systemic treatments: all 71 reports of severe psychiatric disorders involved isotretinoin, the highest proportion of mild/moderate psychiatric adverse events was reported with isotretinoin (14.1%). Among systemic retinoids, the highest proportion of severe and mild/moderate psychiatric events occurred with isotretinoin and alitretinoin. Our study raises the hypothesis that psychiatric disorders associated with isotretinoin are related to a class effect of retinoids, as a signal emerges for alitretinoin. Complementary studies are necessary to estimate the risk and further determine at-risk populations.

Is atmospheric pressure change an Independent risk factor for hemoptysis?

PubMed

Araz, Omer; Ucar, Elif Yilmazel; Akgun, Metin; Aydin, Yener; Meral, Mehmet; Saglam, Leyla; Kaynar, Hasan; Gorguner, Ali Metin

2014-05-01

Hemoptysis is one of the most important and challenging symptoms in pulmonary medicine. Because of the increased number of patients with hemoptysis in certain periods of the year, we aimed to investigate whether atmospheric changes have an effect on the development of hemoptysis with or without a secondary cause. The data of patients presenting with hemoptysis between January 2006 and December 2011 were analyzed. Data on the daily atmospheric pressure (hectopascal, hPa), relative humidity (%), and temperature ((o) C) during that time were obtained. A total of 232 patients with hemoptysis, 145 male (62.5%) and 87 female (37.5%) with an average age of 48.1(±17.6), were admitted to our hospital between 2006 and 2011. The highest admission rates were in the spring season, the highest in May (n=37, 15.9%), and the lowest admission rates were in December (n=10, 4.3%). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the number of hemoptysis cases and mean atmospheric pressure but no relative humidity or outdoor temperature. Hemoptysis is very much influenced by weather factors; in particular, low atmospheric pressures significantly affect the development of hemoptysis. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure may also play a role in hemoptysis.

[Effects of canopy density on the functional group of soil macro fauna in Pinus massoniana plantations].

PubMed

Zhou, Hong Yang; Zhang, Dan Ju; Zhang, Jie; Zhao, Yan Bo; Zhao, Bo; Wei, Da Ping; Zhang, Jian

2017-06-18

In order to understand the effects of canopy density on the functional group characteristics of soil macrofauna in Pinus massoniana plantations, we divided the captured soil fauna into five types including xylophages, predators, saprophages, omnivores and fungal feeders. The results showed that 1) Saprozoic feeders had the highest percentage of total individuals, and the omnivores and xylophages occupied higher percentages of total taxa. 2) The individual and group number of the predators, and the group number of xylophages did not change significantly under 0.5-0.6 and then decreased significantly under 0.6-0.9 canopy density. 3) With the increasing canopy density, the individual an dgroup number of predators in litter layer decreased significantly, the saprozoic individual number in 5-10 cm soil layer represented irregular trends. The individual number of xylophage increased with the depth of soil, and the group number in litter layer, the individual and group number in 5-10 cm soil layer decreased significantly. 4) Pielou evenness of xylophage had no significant changes with the canopy density, all the other diversity index of xylophage and saprophage were various with the increasing canopy density. The predatory Simpson index was stable under 0.5-0.8, and then decreased significantly under 0.8-0.9 canopy density. 5) The CCA (canonical correlation analysis) indicated that soil bulk density and moisture content were the main environmental factors affecting functional groups of soil macro fauna. Moisture content greatly impacted on the number of saprophagous individuals. But xylophage and predators were mostly affected by soil bulk density, and the predatory Simpson index was mainly affected by soil pH value and total phosphorus. Our research indicated that the structure of soil macro faunal functional group under 0.7 canopy density was comparatively stable, which would facilitate the maintenance of soil fertility and ecological function in Pinus massoniana plantation.

Seasonal abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from American oysters harvested in the Mandinga Lagoon System, Veracruz, Mexico: implications for food safety.

PubMed

Flores-Primo, Argel; Pardío-Sedas, Violeta; Lizárraga-Partida, Leonardo; López-Hernández, Karla; Uscanga-Serrano, Roxana; Flores-Hernández, Reyna

2014-07-01

The abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) strains in American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) harvested in two different harvest sites from the Mandinga lagoon System was evaluated monthly for 1 year (January through December 2012). Frequencies of species-specific genes and pathogenic genes exhibited a seasonal distribution. The annual occurrence of Vp with the species-specific tlh gene (tlh(+)) was significantly higher during the winter windy season (32.50%) and spring dry season (15.0%), with the highest densities observed during spring dry season at 283.50 most probable number (MPN)/g (lagoon bank A, near human settlements), indicating the highest risk of infection during warmer months. Pathogenic Vp tlh(+)/tdh(+) frequency was significantly higher during the winter windy and the spring dry seasons at 22.50 and 10.00%, respectively, with highest densities of 16.22 and 41.05 MPN/g (bank A), respectively. The tlh/trh and tdh/trh gene combinations were also found in Vp isolates during the spring dry season at 1.25 and 1.3%, respectively, with densities of 1.79 and 0.4 MPN/g (bank A), respectively. The orf8 genes were detected during the winter windy season (1.25%) with highest densities of 5.96 MPN/g (bank A) and 3.21 MPN/g (bank B, near mangrove islands and a heron nesting area). Densities of Vp tdh(+) were correlated (R(2) = 0.245, P < 0.015) with those of Vp orf8(+). The seasonal dynamics of Vp harboring pathogenic genes varied with seasonal changes, with very high proportions of Vp tdh(+) and Vp orf8(+) isolates in the winter windy season at 46.2 and 17.0%, respectively, which suggests that environmental factors may differentially affect the abundance of pathogenic subpopulations. Although all densities of total Vp (Vp tlh(+)) were lower than 10(4) MPN/g, thus complying with Mexican regulations, the presence of pathogenic strains is a public health concern. Our results suggest that total Vp densities may not be appropriate for assessing oyster contamination and predicting the risk of infection. Evaluation of the presence of pathogenic strains would be a better approach to protecting public health.

A study of the sea-salt chemistry using size-segregated aerosol measurements at coastal Antarctic station Neumayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teinilä, K.; Frey, A.; Hillamo, R.; Tülp, H. C.; Weller, R.

2014-10-01

Aerosol chemical and physical properties were measured in 2010 at Neumayer research station, Antarctica. Samples for chemical analysis (ion chromatography) were collected using a Teflon/Nylon filter combination (TNy) sampler, and with a multi stage low pressure impactor (SDI). Particle number concentration was measured continuously with a Grimm OPC optical particle counter. Total particle number concentration varied largely throughout the year, and the highest number concentrations for particles larger than 0.3 μm were observed simultaneously with the highest sea salt concentrations. About 50% of the sea salt aerosol mass was found in the submicron size range. Below 0.2 μm of particle aerodynamic diameter the contribution of sea salt aerosols was negligible. Further analysis showed that sea salt aerosols had undergone physico-chemical processes, either during the transportation, or during their formation. High degree of chloride depletion was observed during austral summer, when the presence of acidic gases exhibit their characteristic seasonal maximum. Apart from chloride depletion, excess chloride relating to sodium was also detected in one SDI sample, indicating actually a sodium depletion by mirabilite formation on freshly formed sea ice areas. Analysis of selected episodes showed that the concentration of sea salt particles, their modal structure, and their chemical composition is connected with their source areas, their formation mechanisms, and local transport history.

Combusting vegetable oils in diesel engines: the impact of unsaturated fatty acids on particle emissions and mutagenic effects of the exhaust.

PubMed

Bünger, Jürgen; Bünger, Jörn F; Krahl, Jürgen; Munack, Axel; Schröder, Olaf; Brüning, Thomas; Hallier, Ernst; Westphal, Götz A

2016-06-01

High particle emissions and strong mutagenic effects were observed after combustion of vegetable oil in diesel engines. This study tested the hypothesis that these results are affected by the amount of unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids of vegetable oils. Four different vegetable oils (coconut oil, CO; linseed oil, LO; palm tree oil, PO; and rapeseed oil, RO) and common diesel fuel (DF) were combusted in a heavy-duty diesel engine. The exhausts were investigated for particle emissions and mutagenic effects in direct comparison with emissions of DF. The engine was operated using the European Stationary Cycle. Particle masses were measured gravimetrically while mutagenicity was determined using the bacterial reverse mutation assay with tester strains TA98 and TA100. Combustion of LO caused the largest amount of total particulate matter (TPM). In comparison with DF, it particularly raised the soluble organic fraction (SOF). RO presented second highest TPM and SOF, followed by CO and PO, which were scarcely above DF. RO revealed the highest number of mutations of the vegetable oils closely followed by LO. PO was less mutagenic, but still induced stronger effects than DF. While TPM and SOF were strongly correlated with the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the vegetable oils, mutagenicity had a significant correlation with the amount of total unsaturated fatty acids. This study supports the hypothesis that numbers of double bounds in unsaturated fatty acids of vegetable oils combusted in diesel engines influence the amount of emitted particles and the mutagenicity of the exhaust. Further investigations have to elucidate the causal relationship.

Passive sampling - a tool for targeted screening of emerging pollutants in rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodes, Vit; Grabic, Roman

2016-04-01

A screening of more than 300 pollutants such as pharmaceuticals (analgesics, psycholeptics, antidepressants, antibiotics, beta blockers), PCPs (UV blockers, musk's, repellents), illicit drugs, pesticides, perfluorinated compounds and their metabolites at 22 monitoring sites throughout the Czech Republic was conducted in 2013. POCIS samplers were used in this study. Two types of passive samplers (pesticide and pharmaceutical POCIS) were deployed for 14 days in May and in October, 88 samples were collected in total. In total 265 and 310 target compounds were analyzed in pharmaceutical and pesticide samplers respectively. The chemicals of interest were extracted from the passive samplers according to standardized procedures. LC -MS/MS and LC-MS/HRMS methods were applied for analyses of extracts. 150 of 310 (48%) and 127 of 265 (48%) analyzed substances had been found in pesticide and pharmaceutical samplers respectively. 27 substances (pharmaceuticals, PCPs, pesticides, caffeine, nicotine metabolite cotinine) occurred at all sampled sites, additional 39 substances (pharmaceuticals, PCPs, pesticides) occurred at more than 17 (75%) sites. One of perfluorinated compounds (PFOA) occurred at 68% of sites, whilst one of illicit drugs (Methamphetamine) was found at 61% of sites. The highest number of contaminants found in one POCIS at a single monitoring site was 111. The concentrations varied from nanograms to thousands of nanograms per sampler. Emerging contaminants occurring in highest concentrations (> 1000 ng/sampler) were BP-4 and PBSA (UV blockers), caffeine, DEET (insect repellent), imidacloprid (insecticide), telmisartan (hypertension drug) and tramadol (analgesic). Monitoring in the Czech Republic has demonstrated that many target compounds enter river waters and a number of these compounds reach high concentrations.

Distribution of cataract surgical rate and its economic inequality in Iran.

PubMed

Hashemi, Hassan; Rezvan, Farhad; Fotouhi, Akbar; Khabazkhoob, Mehdi; Gilasi, Hamidreza; Etemad, Koroush; Mahdavi, Alireza; Mehravaran, Shiva; Asgari, Soheila

2015-06-01

To determine the distribution of the cataract surgical number per million population per year (CSR), the CSR in the population older than 50 years (CSR 50+) in the provinces of Iran, and their economic inequality in 2010. As part of the cross-sectional 2011 CSR survey, the provincial CSR and CSR 50+ were calculated as the total number of surgeries in major and minor centers divided by the total population and the population older than 50 years in each province. Economic inequality was determined using the average province income, the average urban and rural household incomes, and the percentage of urban and rural population in each province. Tehran and Ilam provinces had the highest and lowest CSR (12,465 vs. 359), respectively. Fars and Ilam provinces had the highest and lowest CSR 50+ (71,381 vs. 2481), respectively. Low CSR (<3000) was detected in 9 provinces where 2.4 to 735.7% increase is needed to reach the minimum required. High CSR (>5000) was observed in 14 provinces (45.2%) where rates were 0.6 to 59.9% higher than the global target. Cataract surgical rate increased at higher economic quintiles. Differences between the first, second, and fifth (poorest) quintiles were statistically significant. The CSR concentration index was 0.1964 (95% confidence interval, 0.0964 to 0.2964). In line with the goals of the Vision 2020 initiative to eliminate cataract blindness, more than 70% of geographic areas in Iran have achieved the minimum CSR of 3000 or more. However, a large gap still exists in less than 30% of areas, mainly attributed to the economic status.

Measurement of the atmospheric aerosol particle size distribution in a highly polluted mega-city in Southeast Asia (Dhaka-Bangladesh)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam, Abdus; Mamoon, Hassan Al; Ullah, Md. Basir; Ullah, Shah M.

2012-11-01

Aerosol particle size distribution was measured with an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) spectrometer continuously from January 21 to April 24, 2006 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Particles number, surface and mass distributions data were stored automatically with Aerosol Instrument Manager (AIM) software on average every half an hour in a computer attached to the APS. The grand total average of number, surface and mass concentrations were 8.2 × 103 ± 7.8 × 103 particles cm-3, 13.3 × 103 ± 11.8 × 103 μm2 cm-3 and 3.04 ± 2.10 mg m-3, respectively. Fine particles with diameter smaller than 1.0 μm aerodynamic diameter (AD) dominated the number concentration, accounted for 91.7% of the total particles indicating vehicular emissions were dominating in Dhaka air either from fossil fuel burning or compressed natural gas (CNGs). The surface and mass concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 μm AD were about 56.0% and 26.4% of the total particles, respectively. Remarkable seasonal differences were observed between winter and pre-monsoon seasons with the highest monthly average in January and the lowest in April. Aerosol particles in winter were 3.79 times higher for number, 3.15 times for surface and 2.18 times for mass distributions than during the pre-monsoon season. Weekends had lower concentrations than weekdays due to less vehicular traffic in the streets. Aerosol particles concentrations were about 15.0% (ranging from 9.4% to 17.3%) higher during traffic peak hours (6:00am-8:00pm) than off hours (8:00pm-6:00am). These are the first aerosol size distribution measurements with respect to number, surface and mass concentrations in real time at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Geographic and Age-Based Variations in Medicare Reimbursement Among ASSH Members.

PubMed

Gaspar, Michael P; Kane, Patrick M; Honik, Grace B; Shin, Eon K; Jacoby, Sidney M; Osterman, A Lee

2016-09-01

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate how American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) members' Medicare reimbursement depends on their geographical location and number of years in practice. Methods: Demographic data for surgeons who were active members of the ASSH in 2012 were obtained using information publicly available through the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "Hand-surgeons-per-capita" and average reimbursement per surgeon were calculated for each state. Regression analysis was performed to determine a relationship between (1) each state's average reimbursement versus the number of ASSH members in that state, (2) average reimbursement versus number of hand surgeons per capita, and (3) total reimbursement from Medicare versus number of years in practice. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect a difference in reimbursement based on categorical range of years as an ASSH member. Results: A total of 1667 ASSH members satisfied inclusion in this study. Although there was significant variation among states' average reimbursement, reimbursement was not significantly correlated with the state's hand surgeons per capita or total number of hand surgeons in that given state. Correlation between years as an ASSH member and average reimbursement was significant but non-linear; the highest reimbursements were seen in surgeons who had been ASSH members from 8 to 20 years. Conclusions: Peak reimbursement from Medicare for ASSH members appears to be related to the time of surgeons' peak operative volume, rather than any age-based bias for or against treating Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, though geographic variation in reimbursement does exist, this does not appear to correlate with density or availability of hand surgeons.

Tree Diversity Mediates the Distribution of Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in a Changing Tropical Landscape (Southern Yunnan, SW China)

PubMed Central

Meng, Ling-Zeng; Martin, Konrad; Weigel, Andreas; Yang, Xiao-Dong

2013-01-01

Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae) have been used to identify sites of high biological diversity and conservation value in cultivated landscapes, but were rarely studied in changing landscapes of humid tropics. This study was conducted in a region of southern Yunnan, China, which was dominated by natural rainforest until 30 years ago, but is successively transformed into commercial rubber monoculture plantations since that time. The objectives were to investigate longhorn beetle species diversity and distribution in the major land use types of this landscape and to estimate the effects of an expected expansion of rubber plantations on the longhorn beetle assemblages. The results showed that tree species diversity (181 species in total) and longhorn beetle diversity (220 species in total) were closely related with no significant differences between the tree and longhorn beetles assemblages shown by similarity distance analysis. There was a highly positive relationship between the estimated species richness of longhorn beetles and the number of tree species. Individual numbers of longhorn beetles and trees were also highly positive related at the sampling sites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that the degree of canopy coverage, succession age and tree diversity explained 78.5% of the total variation in longhorn beetle assemblage composition. Natural forest sites had significantly higher numbers of species and individuals than any other type of habitat. Although young rubber plantations bear the highest longhorn beetle diversity outside forests (half of the total number of longhorn beetle species recorded in total), they can not provide permanent habitats for most of these species, because they develop into closed canopy plantations with less suitable habitat conditions. Therefore, along with an expected expansion of rubber cultivation which largely proceeds at the expense of forest areas, the habitat conditions for longhorn beetles in this region might decrease dramatically in future. PMID:24069421

Tree diversity mediates the distribution of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in a changing tropical landscape (southern Yunnan, SW China).

PubMed

Meng, Ling-Zeng; Martin, Konrad; Weigel, Andreas; Yang, Xiao-Dong

2013-01-01

Cerambycidae) have been used to identify sites of high biological diversity and conservation value in cultivated landscapes, but were rarely studied in changing landscapes of humid tropics. This study was conducted in a region of southern Yunnan, China, which was dominated by natural rainforest until 30 years ago, but is successively transformed into commercial rubber monoculture plantations since that time. The objectives were to investigate longhorn beetle species diversity and distribution in the major land use types of this landscape and to estimate the effects of an expected expansion of rubber plantations on the longhorn beetle assemblages. The results showed that tree species diversity (181 species in total) and longhorn beetle diversity (220 species in total) were closely related with no significant differences between the tree and longhorn beetles assemblages shown by similarity distance analysis. There was a highly positive relationship between the estimated species richness of longhorn beetles and the number of tree species. Individual numbers of longhorn beetles and trees were also highly positive related at the sampling sites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that the degree of canopy coverage, succession age and tree diversity explained 78.5% of the total variation in longhorn beetle assemblage composition. Natural forest sites had significantly higher numbers of species and individuals than any other type of habitat. Although young rubber plantations bear the highest longhorn beetle diversity outside forests (half of the total number of longhorn beetle species recorded in total), they can not provide permanent habitats for most of these species, because they develop into closed canopy plantations with less suitable habitat conditions. Therefore, along with an expected expansion of rubber cultivation which largely proceeds at the expense of forest areas, the habitat conditions for longhorn beetles in this region might decrease dramatically in future.

PubMed-based quantitative analysis of biomedical publications in the SAARC countries: 1985-2009.

PubMed

Azim Majumder, Md Anwarul; Shaban, Sami F; Rahman, Sayeeda; Rahman, Nuzhat; Ahmed, Moslehuddin; Bin Abdulrahman, Khalid A; Islam, Ziauddin

2012-09-01

To conduct a geographical analysis of biomedical publications from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries over the past 25 years (1985-2009) using the PubMed database. A qualitative study. Web-based search during September 2010. A data extraction program, developed by one of the authors (SFS), was used to extract the raw publication counts from the downloaded PubMed data. A search of PubMed was performed for all journals indexed by selecting the advanced search option and entering the country name in the 'affiliation' field. The publications were normalized by total population, adult illiteracy rate, gross domestic product (GDP), secondary school enrollment ratio and Internet usage rate. The number of PubMed-listed papers published by the SAARC countries over the last 25 years totalled 141,783, which is 1.1% of the total papers indexed by PubMed in the same period. India alone produced 90.5% of total publications generated by SAARC countries. The average number of papers published per year from 1985 to 2009 was 5671 and number of publication increased approximately 242-fold. Normalizing by the population (per million) and GDP (per billion), India (133, 27.6%) and Nepal (323, 37.3%) had the highest publications respectively. There was a marked imbalance among the SAARC countries in terms of biomedical research and publication. Because of huge population and the high disease burden, biomedical research and publication output should receive special attention to formulate health policies, re-orient medical education curricula, and alleviate diseases and poverty.

Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paulson, Anthony J.; Keys, Morgan E.; Scholting, Kelly L.

2010-01-01

Historical records of mercury contamination in dated sediment cores from Sinclair Inlet are coincidental with activities at the U.S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; peak total mercury concentrations occurred around World War II. After World War II, better metallurgical management practices and environmental regulations reduced mercury contamination, but total mercury concentrations in surface sediment of Sinclair Inlet have decreased slowly because of the low rate of sedimentation relative to the vertical mixing within sediment. The slopes of linear regressions between the total mercury and total organic carbon concentrations of sediment offshore of Puget Sound urban areas was the best indicator of general mercury contamination above pre-industrial levels. Prior to the 2000-01 remediation, this indicator placed Sinclair Inlet in the tier of estuaries with the highest level of mercury contamination, along with Bellingham Bay in northern Puget Sound and Elliott Bay near Seattle. This indicator also suggests that the 2000/2001 remediation dredging had significant positive effect on Sinclair Inlet as a whole. In 2007, about 80 percent of the area of the Bremerton naval complex had sediment total mercury concentrations within about 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of the Sinclair Inlet regression. Three areas adjacent to the waterfront of the Bremerton naval complex have total mercury concentrations above this range and indicate a possible terrestrial source from waterfront areas of Bremerton naval complex. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered Sinclair Inlet marine waters are about three times higher than those of central Puget Sound, but the small numbers of samples and complex physical and geochemical processes make it difficult to interpret the geographical distribution of mercury in marine waters from Sinclair Inlet. Total mercury concentrations in various biota species were compared among geographical locations and included data of composite samples, individual specimens, and caged mussels. Total mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of English sole from Sinclair Inlet ranked in the upper quarter and third, respectively, of Puget Sound locations. For other species, concentrations from Sinclair Inlet were within the mid-range of locations (for example, Chinook salmon). Total mercury concentrations of the long-lived and higher trophic rockfish in composites and individual specimens from Sinclair Inlet tended to be the highest in Puget Sound. For a given size, sand sole, graceful crab, staghorn sculpin, surf perch, and sea cucumber individuals collected from Sinclair Inlet had higher total mercury concentrations than individuals collected from non-urban estuaries. Total mercury concentrations in individual English sole and ratfish were not significantly different than in individuals of various sizes collected from either urban or non-urban estuaries in Puget Sound. Total mercury concentrations in English sole collected from Sinclair Inlet after the 2000-2001 dredging appear to have lower total mercury concentrations than those collected before (1996) the dredging project. The highest total mercury concentrations of mussels caged in 2002 were not within the Bremerton naval complex, but within the Port Orchard Marina and inner Sinclair Inlet.

Does stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) have an effect on bone formation in the expanded inter-premaxillary suture?

PubMed

Irgin, Celal; Çörekçi, Bayram; Ozan, Fatih; Halicioğlu, Koray; Toptaş, Orçun; Birinci Yildirim, Arzu; Türker, Arzu; Yilmaz, Fahri

2016-09-01

To determine whether systemically given stinging nettle (SN) has an effect on bone formation in response to expansion of the rat inter-premaxillary suture. A total of 28 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: control (C), only expansion (OE), SN extract given only during the expansion and retention periods (SN group; a total of 17days), and SN extract given during the nursery phase before expansion (a period of 40days) and during the expansion and retention periods (N+SN group; a total of 57days). After the 5-day expansion period was completed, the rats in the OE, SN, and N+SN groups underwent 12days of mechanical retention, after which they were sacrificed, and their premaxilla were dissected and fixed. A histologic evaluation was done to determine the number of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and capillaries, as well as the number and intensity of inflammatory cells and new bone formation. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in all histologic parameters except the ratio of intensities of inflammatory cells. New bone formation and the number of capillaries were significantly higher in the SN groups than in the other groups. The statistical analysis also showed that the numbers of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and capillaries were highest in the N+SN group. Systemic administration of SN may be effective in accelerating new bone formation and reducing inflammation in the maxillary expansion procedure. It may also be beneficial in preventing relapse after the expansion procedure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Annotated checklist of the coastal ichthyofauna from Michoacán State, Mexico.

PubMed

Torres-Hernández, Eloísa; Palacios-Morales, Georgina; Romero-Gallardo, Salvador; Salazar-Araujo, Paloma; García-Meraz, Adrián; Madrigal-Guridi, Xavier; Del Moral-Flores, Luis F; Domínguez-Domínguez, Omar

2016-01-01

This study is the first to complete an intensive and comprehensive list of the ichthyofauna of nearly all ecosystems of the Michoacán coast, Mexico. The resulting systematic checklist, supplemented with information from the literature and scientific collections, comprises 440 species belonging to two classes, 31 orders, 104 families, and 264 genera. The families with the highest number of species were Sciaenidae (30 spp.), Carangidae (26), Haemulidae (24), Serranidae (21), Paralichthyidae, and Gobiidae (13). Of the total species list, 134 represent first records for the Michoacán State, and one is a first record for Mexico. The results expand the number of known fish species of the Michoacán coast by almost one third and will help to develop conservation and management plans for this coastal zone.

Multisite study of particle number concentrations in urban air.

PubMed

Harrison, Roy M; Jones, Alan M

2005-08-15

Particle number concentration data are reported from a total of eight urban site locations in the United Kingdom. Of these, six are central urban background sites, while one is an urban street canyon (Marylebone Road) and another is influenced by both a motorway and a steelworks (Port Talbot). The concentrations are generally of a similar order to those reported in the literature, although higher than those in some of the other studies. Highest concentrations are at the Marylebone Road site and lowest are at the Port Talbot site. The central urban background locations lie somewhere between with concentrations typically around 20 000 cm(-3). A seasonal pattern affects all sites, with highest concentrations in the winter months and lowest concentrations in the summer. Data from all sites show a diurnal variation with a morning rush hour peak typical of an anthropogenic pollutant. When the dilution effects of windspeed are accounted for, the data show little directionality at the central urban background sites indicating the influence of sources from all directions as might be expected if the major source were road traffic. At the London Marylebone Road site there is high directionality driven by the air circulation in the street canyon, and at the Port Talbot site different diurnal patterns are seen for particle number count and PM10 influenced by emissions from road traffic (particle number count) and the steelworks (PM10) and local meteorological factors. Hourly particle number concentrations are generally only weakly correlated to NO(x) and PM10, with the former showing a slightly closer relationship. Correlations between daily average particle number count and PM10 were also weak. Episodes of high PM10 concentration in summer typically show low particle number concentrations consistent with transport of accumulation mode secondary aerosol, while winter episodes are frequently associated with high PM10 and particle number count arising from poor dispersion of local primary emissions.

West Asia - a demographic profile.

PubMed

1980-01-01

The average rate of population growth in the Arab region is about 3% per year, and fertility rates are high. The population aged 15 years or under accounts for 48% of the total population in most countries. The rate of economically active population is very low, ranging from 22% to 32% of the total. Infant mortality rates range from 60/1000 to 200/1000. Illiteracy rates average around 47% of the total number of males aged 15 and above, and exceeded 70% among women. Special attention is being given girls' education. The proportion of girls aged 6-24 enrolled at various educational levels rose from about 14.3% in 1960 to about 25% in 1975. Female illiteracy rates in Arab countries are among the highest in the world. Negative attitudes toward working women continue to be the major obstacle and contributes to high fertility. Demographic profiles are given for Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, and United Arab Emirates. In the United Arab Emirates the most prominent feature of the age-sex structure is the relatively large number of males between the ages of 20 and 40. The total fertility rate and the gross reproduction rate for the entire population in 1975 were estimated to be about 5.9 and 2.9 respectively. Between 1968 and 1975 the population of the United Arab Emirates grew from 180,226 to 557,887, yielding an annual growth of 14.6%.

Off-Hour Surgery Among Orthopedic Subspecialties at an Urban, Quaternary-Care, Level 1 Trauma Center.

PubMed

Lans, Amanda; Janssen, Stein J; Ring, David

2016-12-01

We sought to determine and quantify which subspecialties of orthopedic surgeons are operating off hours in an urban, quaternary-care, level 1 trauma center. We used our clinical registry to identify 43,211 orthopedic surgeries performed between January 2008 and December 2011. Our outcome measures were the number and proportion of off-hour surgeries performed as well as the number and proportion of off-hours per subspecialty. The denominators were the total number of surgeries and the total number of surgical hours worked per subspecialty. Subspecialties-based on the primary surgeon who performed the surgery-were arthroplasty, foot and ankle, hand, pediatrics, shoulder, spine, sports, orthopedic trauma, and orthopedic oncology. A total of 2,431 (5.6%) surgeries were off-hours; the overall ratio of off-hour to on-hour surgeries was 1 to 17. There was a difference in the proportion of off-hour surgeries performed among orthopedic subspecialties: trauma (ratio, 1:5) and pediatric specialists (ratio, 1:5) had the lowest ratio, and shoulder (ratio, 1:152) and sports (ratio, 1:98) specialists the highest. The total number of surgical hours among all specialties was 59,026; of these hours, 3,833 (6.5%) were off-hour. The ratio of off-hour to on-hour surgical hours was 1 to 14. There was a difference in proportion of hours worked off-hour among orthopedic subspecialties; the ratios were greatest for trauma (1:5) and hand (1:5) specialists and the least for shoulder (1:157) and sports (1:92) specialists. Seven percent of hand surgery cases were off-hour, and 16% of the total surgical hours worked by hand surgeons were off-hour. In an urban, academic, level 1 trauma and microvascular replantation regional referral hospital, there is a large difference in off-hour surgical volume and duration among orthopedic subspecialties: trauma, pediatric, and hand surgeons performed more off-hour work than their colleagues, with hand and pediatric surgeons the most likely to be working at night. These data can inform how we organize, value, and incentivize off-hour care. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of human leptospirosis in Malaysia, 2004-2012.

PubMed

Benacer, Douadi; Thong, Kwai Lin; Min, Ng Choung; Bin Verasahib, Khebir; Galloway, Renee L; Hartskeerl, Rudy A; Souris, Marc; Mohd Zain, Siti Nursheena

2016-05-01

Leptospirosis is an emerging disease, especially in countries with a tropical climate such as Malaysia. A dramatic increase in the number of cases has been reported over the last decade; however, information on the epidemiological trends of this disease is lacking. The objective of this study is to provide an epidemiological description of human leptospirosis cases over a 9-year period (2004-2012) and disease relationship with meteorological, geographical, and demographical information. A retrospective study was undertaken to describe the patterns of human leptospirosis cases and their association with intrinsic (sex, age, and ethnicity) and extrinsic (location, rainfall, and temperature) factors. Data was grouped according to age, sex, ethnicity, seasonality and geographical distribution, and analyzed using statistical tools to understand the influence of all the different factors on disease incidence. A total of 12,325 cases of leptospirosis were reported between 2004 and 2012 with an upward trend in disease incidence, with the highest in 2012. Three hundred thirty-eight deaths were reported with an overall case fatality rate of 2.74%, with higher incidence in males (9696; 78.7%) compared with female patients (2629; 21.3%), and overall male to female ratio of 3.69:1. Patients aged cohorts between 30-39 years old (16.22 per 100,000 population) had the highest disease incidence while the lowest incidence occurred between <1 to 9 years old (3.44 per 100,000 population). The average incidence was highest amongst Malays (10.97 per 100,000 population), followed by Indians (7.95 per 100,000 population). Stratification according to geographical distribution showed that the state of Malacca had the highest average disease incidence (11.12 per 100,000 population) followed by Pahang (10.08 per 100,000 population). The states of Terengganu, Kelantan, and Perak recorded similar rates of incidence (≈8.00 per 100,000 population), while Johor with the least number of reported cases (1.80 per 100,000 population). Positive relationships were recorded between the number of reported cases with the number of raining days per month and monthly average temperature (p-value<0.05). However, no significant association was noted between rainfall volume and number of reported Leptospirosis cases. This collaborative efforts between medical, academic and governmental institutions has enabled the construction of this comprehensive database that is essential to understand the disease trends in Malaysia and add insights into the prevention and control of this disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced accumulation of starch and total carbohydrates in alginate-immobilized Chlorella spp. induced by Azospirillum brasilense: I. Autotrophic conditions.

PubMed

Choix, Francisco J; de-Bashan, Luz E; Bashan, Yoav

2012-10-10

The effect of the microalgae-growth promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense on accumulation of total carbohydrates and starch in two species of Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella sorokiniana), when the bacterium and each microalga were jointly immobilized in alginate beads was studied under autotrophic conditions for 144 h in synthetic medium. The interaction of the bacterium with the microalgae enhanced accumulation of total carbohydrate and starch. Cells of Chlorella accumulated the highest amounts of carbohydrate after incubation for 24h. Yet, this did not coincide with the highest affinity and volumetric productivity measured in these cultures. However, after incubation for 72 h, mainly in jointly immobilized treatments of both microalgae species, the cultures reached their highest total carbohydrate content (mainly as starch) and also the highest affinity and volumetric productivity. These results demonstrate the potential of A. brasilense to affect carbohydrates and starch accumulation in Chlorella spp. when both microorganisms are co-cultured, which can be an important tool for applications of microalgae. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Do optimally ripe blackberries contain the highest levels of metabolites?

PubMed

Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Koron, Darinka; Zorenc, Zala; Veberic, Robert

2017-01-15

Five blackberry cultivars were selected for the study ('Chester Thornless', 'Cacanska Bestrna', 'Loch Ness', 'Smoothstem' and 'Thornfree') and harvested at three different maturity stages (under-, optimal- and over-ripe). Optimally ripe and over-ripe blackberries contained significantly higher levels of total sugars compared to under-ripe fruit. 'Loch Ness' cultivar was characterized by 2.2-2.6-fold higher levels of total sugars than other cultivars and consequently, the highest sugar/acids ratio. 'Chester Thornless' stands out as the cultivar with the highest level of vitamin C in under-ripe (125.87mgkg(-1)) and optimally mature fruit (127.66mgkg(-1)). Maturity stage significantly affected the accumulation of phenolic compounds. The content of total anthocyanins increased for 43% at optimal maturity stage and cinnamic acid derivatives for 57% compared to under-ripe fruit. Over-ripe blackberries were distinguished by the highest content of total phenolics (1251-2115mg GAE kg(-1) FW) and greatest FRAP values (25.9-43.2mM TE kg(-1) FW). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of soil-gas and soil contamination at the South Prong Creek Disposal Area, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, Andral W.; Falls, W. Fred; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.; Landmeyer, James E.

2011-01-01

Soil gas and soil were assessed for contaminants at the South Prong Creek Disposal Area at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from October 2009 to September 2010. The assessment included identifying and delineating organic contaminants present in soil-gas and inorganic contaminants present in soil samples collected from the area estimated to be the South Prong Creek Disposal Area, including two seeps and the hyporheic zone. This assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to Fort Gordon personnel pursuant to requirements for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. All soil-gas samplers in the two seeps and the hyporheic zone contained total petroleum hydrocarbons above the method detection level. The highest total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration detected from the two seeps was 54.23 micrograms per liter, and the highest concentration in the hyporheic zone was 344.41 micrograms per liter. The soil-gas samplers within the boundary of the South Prong Creek Disposal Area and along the unnamed road contained total petroleum hydrocarbon mass above the method detection level. The highest total petroleum hydrocarbon mass detected was 147.09 micrograms in a soil-gas sampler near the middle of the unnamed road that traverses the South Prong Creek Disposal Area. The highest undecane mass detected was 4.48 micrograms near the location of the highest total petroleum hydrocarbon mass. Some soil-gas samplers detected undecane mass greater than the method detection level of 0.04 micrograms, with the highest detection of toluene mass of 109.72 micrograms in the same location as the highest total petroleum hydrocarbon mass. Soil-gas samplers installed in areas of high contaminant mass had no detections of explosives and chemical agents above their respective method detection levels. Inorganic concentrations in five soil samples did not exceed regional screening levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Barium concentrations, however, were up to four times higher than the background concentrations reported in similar Coastal Plain sediments of South Carolina.

Improve the efficiency of the Cartesian tensor based fast multipole method for Coulomb interaction using the traces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, He; Luo, Li -Shi; Li, Rui

To compute the non-oscillating mutual interaction for a systems with N points, the fast multipole method (FMM) has an efficiency that scales linearly with the number of points. Specifically, for Coulomb interaction, FMM can be constructed using either the spherical harmonic functions or the totally symmetric Cartesian tensors. In this paper, we will present that the effciency of the Cartesian tensor-based FMM for the Coulomb interaction can be significantly improved by implementing the traces of the Cartesian tensors in calculation to reduce the independent elements of the n-th rank totally symmetric Cartesian tensor from (n + 1)(n + 2)=2 tomore » 2n + 1. The computation complexity for the operations in FMM are analyzed and expressed as polynomials of the highest rank of the Cartesian tensors. For most operations, the complexity is reduced by one order. Numerical examples regarding the convergence and the effciency of the new algorithm are demonstrated. As a result, a reduction of computation time up to 50% has been observed for a moderate number of points and rank of tensors.« less

Improve the efficiency of the Cartesian tensor based fast multipole method for Coulomb interaction using the traces

DOE PAGES

Huang, He; Luo, Li -Shi; Li, Rui; ...

2018-05-17

To compute the non-oscillating mutual interaction for a systems with N points, the fast multipole method (FMM) has an efficiency that scales linearly with the number of points. Specifically, for Coulomb interaction, FMM can be constructed using either the spherical harmonic functions or the totally symmetric Cartesian tensors. In this paper, we will present that the effciency of the Cartesian tensor-based FMM for the Coulomb interaction can be significantly improved by implementing the traces of the Cartesian tensors in calculation to reduce the independent elements of the n-th rank totally symmetric Cartesian tensor from (n + 1)(n + 2)=2 tomore » 2n + 1. The computation complexity for the operations in FMM are analyzed and expressed as polynomials of the highest rank of the Cartesian tensors. For most operations, the complexity is reduced by one order. Numerical examples regarding the convergence and the effciency of the new algorithm are demonstrated. As a result, a reduction of computation time up to 50% has been observed for a moderate number of points and rank of tensors.« less

[Distribution and changes in species composition and abundance of ichthyoplankton in the Yangtze estuary].

PubMed

Zhang, Heng; Yang, Sheng-Long; Meng, Hai-Xing

2012-06-01

Based on four surveys of eggs and larvae in the Yangtze estuary in 2005 (April and November) and 2006 (April and September), combined with the historical data of the wetland in 1990 (September) and 1991 (March), we analyzed seasonal changes in fish species composition and quantity of ichthyoplankton. Thirty-six species of egg and larvae were collected and marine fish species were the highest represented ecological guild. Average fish species and average abundance in spring were lower than in autumn for every survey. The total number of eggs in brackish water was higher than in fresh water, but the total number of larvae and juveniles in brackish water was lower. The abundance of eggs and larvae during from 2005 to 2006 in both spring and autumn was higher compared to those from 1990 to 1991. Obvious differences in species composition in September between 1990 and 2006 were found, especially for Erythroculter ilishaeformis and Neosalanx taihuensis. Fish species composition and quantity within the ichthyoplankton community has obviously changed in the Yangtze estuary over the last 20 years.

Calibrations between the variables of microbial TTI response and ground pork qualities.

PubMed

Kim, Eunji; Choi, Dong Yeol; Kim, Hyun Chul; Kim, Keehyuk; Lee, Seung Ju

2013-10-01

A time-temperature indicator (TTI) based on a lactic acid bacterium, Weissella cibaria CIFP009, was applied to ground pork packaging. Calibration curves between TTI response and pork qualities were obtained from storage tests at 2°C, 10°C, and 13°C. The curves of the TTI vs. total cell number at different temperatures coincided to the greatest extent, indicating the highest representativeness of calibration, by showing the least coefficient of variance (CV=11%) of the quality variables at a given TTI response (titratable acidity) on the curves, followed by pH (23%), volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) (25%), and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) (47%). Similarity of Arrhenius activation energy (Ea) could also reflect the representativeness of calibration. The total cell number (104.9 kJ/mol) was found to be the most similar to that of the TTI response (106.2 kJ/mol), followed by pH (113.6 kJ/mol), VBN (77.4 kJ/mol), and TBARS (55.0 kJ/mol). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Experimental model of activated Lamblia (Giardia) muris infection in albino mice].

PubMed

Irikov, O A; Kovalenko, F P

2007-01-01

Experimental L. muris infection was reproduced in 100% of the intact albino mice intragastrically given levomycin in an average total dose of 15.88-34.84 or 0.88-1.02 g/kg for 18-34 days. With levomycin administration, the intensity of giardiasis was 1121.6-8540.1 (mean 4830.9) thousand L. muris trophozoites per animal. The total number of trophozoites per animal decreased to 302.2-3481.4 (mean 1546.4) thousand and 28.1-324.0 (mean 109.4) thousand specimens 5-8 and 11-13 days after discontinuation of the antibiotic, respectively. The maximum number of L. muris trophozoites was observed in the proximal and middle portions of the murine small intestine during and after the administration oflevomycin. The highest isolation of cysts was seen 12-14 days after the initiation of administration of the antibiotic. Following 8-10 days of terminations of a course of levomycin therapy the native smear of animal feces showed no Lamblia cysts. In mice with activated infection, the isolation rate of Lamblia cysts was directly related to the intensity of intestinal infection with trophozoites of the parasite.

The draft genome of Corchorus olitorius cv. JRO-524 (Navin).

PubMed

Sarkar, Debabrata; Mahato, Ajay Kumar; Satya, Pratik; Kundu, Avijit; Singh, Sangeeta; Jayaswal, Pawan Kumar; Singh, Akshay; Bahadur, Kaushlendra; Pattnaik, Sasmita; Singh, Nisha; Chakraborty, Avrajit; Mandal, Nur Alam; Das, Debajeet; Basu, Tista; Sevanthi, Amitha Mithra; Saha, Dipnarayan; Datta, Subhojit; Kar, Chandan Sourav; Mitra, Jiban; Datta, Karabi; Karmakar, Pran Gobinda; Sharma, Tilak Raj; Mohapatra, Trilochan; Singh, Nagendra Kumar

2017-06-01

Here, we present the draft genome (377.3 Mbp) of Corchorus olitorious cv. JRO-524 (Navin), which is a leading dark jute variety developed from a cross between African (cv. Sudan Green) and indigenous (cv. JRO-632) types. We predicted from the draft genome a total of 57,087 protein-coding genes with annotated functions. We identified a large number of 1765 disease resistance-like and defense response genes in the jute genome. The annotated genes showed the highest sequence similarities with that of Theobroma cacao followed by Gossypium raimondii . Seven chromosome-scale genetically anchored pseudomolecules were constructed with a total size of 8.53 Mbp and used for synteny analyses with the cocoa and cotton genomes. Like other plant species, gypsy and copia retrotransposons were the most abundant classes of repeat elements in jute. The raw data of our study are available in SRA database of NCBI with accession number SRX1506532. The genome sequence has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession LLWS00000000, and the version described in this paper will be the first version (LLWS01000000).

Potential Regulatory Role of Gibberellic and Humic Acids in Sprouting of Chlorophytum borivilianum Tubers

PubMed Central

Puteh, Adam; Hassan, Siti Aishah

2014-01-01

Tubers of safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum) were immersed in three different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3) or humic acid (HA) prior to planting. The highest concentration of GA3 (20 mg L−1) and all concentrations of HA (5, 10, and 15%) appeared to hasten tuber sprouting and promote uniform sprouting pattern. The use of 20 mg L−1 GA3 or 15% HA successfully improved sprouting and mean sprouting time. Safed musli growth and development was improved through the increase in the number of leaves, total leaf area, leaf area index, and total fibrous root length. This directly influenced the number of new tubers formed. The use of 20 mg L−1 GA3 or 15% HA gave similar response with nonsignificant difference among them. However, due to the cost of production, the result from this study suggests that 15% HA should be used to obtain improved sprouting percentage, homogeneous stand establishment, efficient plant growth and development, and increased yield of safed musli. PMID:24688363

Morphometric analysis of the neuronal numbers and densities of the inferior olivary complex in the donkey (Equus asinus).

PubMed

Alkafafy, Mohamed; Rashed, Reda; Attia, Hossam

2011-07-01

The morphometric interrelations between the compartments of the inferior olivary complex (IOC) in the donkey (Equus asinus) were ascertained by examining serial sections throughout the entire length of the IOC for both sides. Nissl-stained celloidin sections of four brainstems of donkeys were used. The IOC consisted of three major nuclei and four small cell groups. The total neuronal count in both sides of the IOC was 202,040±8480 cells. The medial accessory olivary nucleus (MAO) had the largest relative area (46%) and the highest number of neurons (90,800±7600). The dorsal accessory olivary nucleus (DAO) had the second largest relative area (33%), while the principal olivary nucleus (PO) had the lowest relative area (21%). However, the total neuron count in the PO was larger (60,840±1840) than DAO (50,360±4040). The average neuronal density was 2700±400 cells/mm(3). The numerical values of the current study of the IOC in the donkey were similar to those of other mammals. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis from broiler carcasses in Serbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolić, A.; Baltić, T.; Velebit, B.; Babić, M.; Milojević, L.; Đorđević, V.

2017-09-01

This study aimed to investigate antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Infantis isolates from poultry carcasses in Serbia. A total of 48 Salmonella isolates were examined for antimicrobial resistance. A panel of 10 antibiotics was selected for testing. Isolates showed resistance to sulfamethoxazole, ceftazidime and cefotaxime (100%). However, the highest number of Salmonella Infantis isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol. The usage of antibiotics in food producing animals could result in antimicrobial resistance pathogenic bacteria especially Salmonella spp. in poultry, which may be transmitted to humans through the food chain and increase risk of treatment failures.

Microbiology of Drycleaning

PubMed Central

Banville, Robert R.; McNeil, Ethel

1966-01-01

An appreciable number of bacteria on contaminated fabric survived modern drycleaning procedures. Various stages in the process, especially steam pressing, reduced the total number of bacteria, but viable organisms were found on certain areas of garments even after pressing. A significant number of bacteria were redeposited on clean fabric during the washing of ordinary soiled garments in drycleaning units. These bacteria included gram-positive cocci, diphtheroid bacilli, and gram-positive sporeformers. Gram-negative bacilli were seldom found, although some gram-negative bacilli survived drycleaning. The redeposited organisms apparently came mainly from other garments in the same loads, as few bacteria were isolated from the filtered solvent used for washing. The number of bacteria in the drycleaning washwheel was highest shortly after the beginning of the wash, and decreased, with the exchange of solvent in the wheel, to a low level at the end. Although it appears that in most cases several factors combine to reduce to a low level the numbers of bacteria on articles cleaned in a well-operated drycleaning plant, it would seem that under certain conditions pathogenic microorganisms could be disseminated by drycleaning. Images Fig. 2 PMID:4958148

[Fleas from the nests of Passer domesticus and Passer montanus].

PubMed

Kaczmarek, S

1991-01-01

In the years 1986-1988 102 nests of Passer domesticus and 113 nests of P. montanus were collected from Słupsk, Warszawa and its surrounding. Ceratophyllus gallinae was found in 55 nests of P. domesticus and in 74 nests of P. montanus: C. fringillae in 13 nests of P. domesticus. The highest mean number of C. gallinae per nest was recorded in nest of P. domesticus (11.9), lower in nest of P. montanus (5.9). The highest percentage of nests with fleas and the highest mean number of fleas per nest were recorded in September in P. domesticus and in June, July and September in P. montanus. The highest (111) nests to be inhabited by 1-10 specimens. Number of specimens in nests was not depending on the weight nests.

Temperature and rainfall are related to fertility rate after spring artificial insemination in small ruminants.

PubMed

Abecia, J A; Arrébola, F; Macías, A; Laviña, A; González-Casquet, O; Benítez, F; Palacios, C

2016-10-01

A total number of 1092 artificial inseminations (AIs) performed from March to May were documented over four consecutive years on 10 Payoya goat farms (36° N) and 19,392 AIs on 102 Rasa Aragonesa sheep farms (41° N) over 10 years. Mean, maximum, and minimum ambient temperatures, mean relative humidity, mean solar radiation, and total rainfall on each insemination day were recorded. Overall, fertility rates were 58 % in goats and 45 % in sheep. The fertility rates of the highest and lowest deciles of each of the meteorological variables indicated that temperature and rainfall had a significant effect on fertility in goats. Specifically, inseminations that were performed when mean (68 %), maximum (68 %), and minimum (66 %) temperatures were in the highest decile, and rainfall was in the lowest decile (59 %), had a significantly (P < 0.0001) higher proportion of does that became pregnant than did the ewes in the lowest decile (56, 54, 58, and 49 %, respectively). In sheep, the fertility rates of the highest decile of mean (62 %), maximum (62 %), and minimum (52 %) temperature, RH (52 %), THI (53 %), and rainfall (45 %) were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than were the fertility rates among ewes in the lowest decile (46, 45, 45, 45, 46, and 43 %, respectively). In conclusion, weather was related to fertility in small ruminants after AI in spring. It remains to be determined whether scheduling the dates of insemination based on forecasted temperatures can improve the success of AI in goats and sheep.

The aging of America: a comprehensive look at over 25,000 geriatric trauma admissions to United States hospitals.

PubMed

Maxwell, Cathy A; Miller, Richard S; Dietrich, Mary S; Mion, Lorraine C; Minnick, Ann

2015-06-01

A 2001 study on geriatric trauma by trauma center (TC) status was based on 1989 Medicare data. The purpose of this study was to compare 1989 findings with a 2009 sample, and to examine patient characteristics and outcomes by TC status. From 2009 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP NIS) data, we examined a geographically representative sample (n = 25,512) of injured older adults (>/= age 65) admitted to 127 TCs and non-TCs in 24 states. Data analysis included descriptive statistics for eight patient characteristics and four outcome variables (mortality, discharge disposition, length of stay, and total charges). χ(2) tests were conducted to examine differences between 1989 and 2009 for age groups, gender, and mortality. Higher percentages of patients were in older age groups in 2009, however mortality declined overall (4.8% vs 3.4%, P < .001). Consistent incremental patterns of differences were observed among TC levels for all patient characteristics and outcomes. Level I TCs admitted highest percentages of: lower age groups, males, nonwhite race, motor-vehicle related trauma, and intracranial injuries. Non-TCs admitted highest percentages of oldest age groups, comorbidities, falls, femur neck fractures, and patients requiring OR procedures. Although Level I TCs had higher lengths of stay and total charges, a higher percentage of patients were discharged home. Despite a growing number of patients in older age groups, inpatient mortality declined over two decades. Level I TCs are managing patients at highest risk for decompensation and mortality; a significant percentage of patients are going to non-TCs.

Participation and Performance Trends in Triple Iron Ultra-triathlon – a Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald

2012-01-01

Purpose The aims of the present study were to investigate (i) the changes in participation and performance and (ii) the gender difference in Triple Iron ultra-triathlon (11.4 km swimming, 540 km cycling and 126.6 km running) across years from 1988 to 2011. Methods For the cross-sectional data analysis, the association between with overall race times and split times was investigated using simple linear regression analyses and analysis of variance. For the longitudinal data analysis, the changes in race times for the five men and women with the highest number of participations were analysed using simple linear regression analyses. Results During the studied period, the number of finishers were 824 (71.4%) for men and 80 (78.4%) for women. Participation increased for men (r 2=0.27, P<0.01) while it remained stable for women (8%). Total race times were 2,146 ± 127.3 min for men and 2,615 ± 327.2 min for women (P<0.001). Total race time decreased for men (r 2=0.17; P=0.043), while it increased for women (r 2=0.49; P=0.001) across years. The gender difference in overall race time for winners increased from 10% in 1992 to 42% in 2011 (r 2=0.63; P<0.001). The longitudinal analysis of the five women and five men with the highest number of participations showed that performance decreased in one female (r 2=0.45; P=0.01). The four other women as well as all five men showed no change in overall race times across years. Conclusions Participation increased and performance improved for male Triple Iron ultra-triathletes while participation remained unchanged and performance decreased for females between 1988 and 2011. The reasons for the increase of the gap between female and male Triple Iron ultra-triathletes need further investigations. PMID:23012633

Global toxocariasis research trends from 1932 to 2015: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Zyoud, Sa'ed H

2017-02-23

Toxocariasis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease in the tropical regions of the world, with its impact on public health being typically underestimated. To better recognise the trends and characteristics of toxocariasis research, this study is a bibliometric analysis of the global toxocariasis research. Searches were completed on April 5, 2016, using the Scopus database. A search without any language restriction was performed to extract publications dealing with toxocariasis. Terms related to toxocariasis were used to perform a title keyword search. A total of 2765 publications comprising 11 document types and published between 1932 and 2015 were included in the analysis. Articles were the most popular document form, accounting for 83.62% of all publications, followed by letters (3.80%) and reviews (3.4%). The annual number of research publications increased from 30 in 1980 to 111 in 2015, indicating that the number of publications on toxocariasis has increased slowly over the past 35 years. The United States of America and Japan are the predominant countries of origin, with 303 articles and 207 articles, respectively, followed by Brazil and the United Kingdom, with 180 (6.5%) each. The h-index for all the publications was 60. The highest h-index were for publications from the United Kingdom (h-index value = 43) and the United States (h-index value = 39); these two countries were also involved with the highest number of international collaborations, with 27 and 28 countries, respectively. Developed countries, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, are the world's leaders in toxocariasis research, contributing to more than 34% of the total published literature. In addition, developing countries, such as Brazil, Poland, Argentina and India, showed a noticeable increase in published papers on toxocariasis research in recent years. A push for more collaboration is needed to achieve a superior research strategy related to toxocariasis at the global level from the viewpoint of epidemiological data, clinical aspects, medical ecology, molecular aspects and treatment practices associated with toxocariasis.

The evolution of epilepsy surgery between 1991 and 2011 in nine major epilepsy centers across the United States, Germany, and Australia

PubMed Central

Jehi, Lara; Friedman, Daniel; Carlson, Chad; Cascino, Gregory; Dewar, Sandra; Elger, Christian; Engel, Jerome; Knowlton, Robert; Kuzniecky, Ruben; McIntosh, Anne; O’Brien, Terence J.; Spencer, Dennis; Sperling, Michael R.; Worrell, Gregory; Bingaman, Bill; Gonzalez-Martinez, Jorge; Doyle, Werner; French, Jacqueline

2016-01-01

Summary Objective Epilepsy surgery is the most effective treatment for select patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. In this article, we aim to provide an accurate understanding of the current epidemiologic characteristics of this intervention, as this knowledge is critical for guiding educational, academic, and resource priorities. Methods We profile the practice of epilepsy surgery between 1991 and 2011 in nine major epilepsy surgery centers in the United States, Germany, and Australia. Clinical, imaging, surgical, and histopathologic data were derived from the surgical databases at various centers. Results Although five of the centers performed their highest number of surgeries for mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) in 1991, and three had their highest number of MTS surgeries in 2001, only one center achieved its peak number of MTS surgeries in 2011. The most productive year for MTS surgeries varied then by center; overall, the nine centers surveyed performed 48% (95% confidence interval [CI] −27.3% to −67.4%) fewer such surgeries in 2011 compared to either 1991 or 2001, whichever was higher. There was a parallel increase in the performance of surgery for nonlesional epilepsy. Further analysis of 5/9 centers showed a yearly increase of 0.6 ± 0.07% in the performance of invasive electroencephalography (EEG) without subsequent resections. Overall, although MTS was the main surgical substrate in 1991 and 2001 (proportion of total surgeries in study centers ranging from 33.3% to 70.2%); it occupied only 33.6% of all resections in 2011 in the context of an overall stable total surgical volume. Significance These findings highlight the major aspects of the evolution of epilepsy surgery across the past two decades in a sample of well-established epilepsy surgery centers, and the critical current challenges of this treatment option in addressing complex epilepsy cases requiring detailed evaluations. Possible causes and implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:26250432

Mipomersen preferentially reduces small low-density lipoprotein particle number in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

PubMed

Santos, Raul D; Raal, Frederick J; Donovan, Joanne M; Cromwell, William C

2015-01-01

Because of variability in lipoprotein cholesterol content, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol frequently underrepresents or overrepresents the number of LDL particles. Mipomersen is an antisense oligonucleotide that reduces hepatic production of apolipoprotein B-100, the sole apolipoprotein of LDL. To characterize the effects of mipomersen on lipoprotein particle numbers as well as subclass distribution using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We compared the tertiary results for the direct measurement of LDL particle numbers by NMR among 4 placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies of mipomersen that had similar study designs but different patient populations: homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), severe hypercholesterolemia, heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with established coronary artery disease, or hypercholesterolemia with high risk for coronary heart disease (HC-CHD). HoFH patients had the highest median total LDL particles at baseline compared with HC-CHD patients, who had the lowest. At baseline, the HoFH population uniquely had a greater mean percentage of large LDL particles (placebo, 60.2%; mipomersen, 54.9%) compared with small LDL particles (placebo, 33.1%; mipomersen, 38.9%). In all 4 studies, mipomersen was associated with greater reductions from baseline in the concentrations of small LDL particles compared with those of large LDL particles, and both total LDL particles and small LDL particles were statistically significantly reduced. Mipomersen consistently reduced all LDL particle numbers and preferentially reduced the concentration of small LDL particles in all 4 phase 3 studies. Copyright © 2015 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of small-scale storage systems on the photovoltaic penetration potential at the municipal scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez Camargo, Luis; Dorner, Wolfgang

2016-04-01

The yearly cumulated technical energy generation potential of grid-connected roof-top photovoltaic power plants is significantly larger than the demand of domestic buildings in sparsely populated municipalities in central Europe. However, an energy balance with cumulated annual values does not deliver the right picture about the actual potential for photovoltaics since these run on a highly variable energy source as solar radiation. The mismatch between the periods of generation and demand creates hard limitations for the deployment of the theoretical energy generation potential of roof-top photovoltaics. The actual penetration of roof-top photovoltaic is restricted by the energy quality requirements of the grid and/or the available storage capacity for the electricity production beyond the coverage of own demands. In this study we evaluate in how far small-scale storage systems can contribute to increment the grid-connected roof-top photovoltaic penetration in domestic buildings at a municipal scale. To accomplish this, we calculate, in a first step, the total technical roof-top photovoltaic energy generation potential of a municipality in a high spatiotemporal resolution using a procedure that relies on geographic information systems. Posteriorly, we constrain the set of potential photovoltaic plants to the ones that would be necessary to cover the total yearly demand of the municipality. We assume that photovoltaic plants with the highest yearly yield are the ones that should be installed. For this sub-set of photovoltaic plants we consider five scenarios: 1) no storage 2) one 7 kWh battery is installed in every building with a roof-top photovoltaic plant 3) one 10 kWh battery is installed in every building with a roof-top photovoltaic plant 4) one 7 kWh battery is installed in every domestic building in the municipality 5) one 10 kWh battery is installed in every domestic building in the municipality. Afterwards we evaluate the energy balance of the municipality using a series of indicators. These indicators include: a) the total photovoltaic installed capacity, b) the total storage installed capacity, c) the output variability, d) the total unfulfilled demand, e) total excess energy, f) total properly supplied energy, g) the loss of power supply probability, h) the amount of hours of supply higher than the highest demand in a year, i) the number of hours, when supply is 1.5. times higher than the highest demand in a year, and j) the additional storage energy capacity and power required to store all excess energy generated by the photovoltaic installations. The comparison of the proposed indicators serves to quantify the contribution that household-sized small-scale storage systems would make to the energy balance of the studied municipality. Increased installed energy storage capacity allows a higher roof-top photovoltaic share and improves energy utilization, variability and reliability indicators. The proposed methodology serves also to determine the amount of storage capacity with the highest positive impact on the local energy balance.

Profiling of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant and anticancer activities in pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.) extracts from different locations of Malaysia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Phytochemicals and antioxidants from plant sources are of increasing interest to consumers because of their roles in the maintenance of human health. Most of the secondary metabolites of herbs are used in a number of pharmaceutical products. Methods Secondary metabolites composition and content of five flavonoids and three phenolic acids were evaluated and determined in Pandanus amaryllifolius extracts from three different locations of Malaysia by RP-HPLC; Total phenolic and total flavonoid content were determined using Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay; The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by the ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assay and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) Assay was employed to screen anticancer activity of extracts against MCF-7 cancer cell line. Results Highest value of total flavonoids (TF) and total phenolics (TP) was observed in pandan extract from Bachok locattion (1.87 mg/g DW and 6.72 mg/g DW) followed by Klang (1.32 mg/g DW; 5.07 mg/g DW) and Pontian (1.12 mg/g DW; 4.88 mg/g DW). Rutin just detected from Bachok location with value of 0.082 mg/g DW. High content of epicatechin (0.035 mg/g DW) and naringin (0.325 mg/g DW) were observed from Bachok location while, highest content of catechin (0.613 mg/g DW) and kaempferol (0.278 mg/g DW) was observed in pandan extract from Klang location. The extract of pandan from Bachok exhibited highest value of gallic acid (0.423 mg/g DW) and cinnamic acid (0.084 mg/g DW). Ferrulic acid just detected from pandan extract of Bachok location with concentration of 0.281mg/g DW. Between studied locations Bachok exhibited highest value of DPPH (64.27%) and FRAP (517.2 μm of Fe (II)/g) activity followed by Klang (52.16%; 448.6 μm of Fe (II)/g) and Pontian (50.10%; 314.8 μm of Fe (II)/g). The preliminary screening showed pandan extracts from 3 locations possessed anticancer promoting activity against MCF-7 cell line, with 78.3%, 70.5% and 67.4% inhibition rate, respectively. Maximum MCF-7cell line inhibition was observed in pandan extract from Bachok location. Conclusions The samples collected from the North (Bachok) exhibited the highest TP, TF antioxidant and anticancer activity while those from the Southern portion (Pontian) appeared to have the lowest content of TP, TF and antioxidant activity. PMID:24289290

A list of highly influential biomedical researchers, 1996-2011.

PubMed

Boyack, Kevin W; Klavans, Richard; Sorensen, Aaron A; Ioannidis, John P A

2013-12-01

We have generated a list of highly influential biomedical researchers based on Scopus citation data from the period 1996-2011. Of the 15,153,100 author identifiers in Scopus, approximately 1% (n=149,655) have an h-index >=20. Of those, we selected 532 authors who belonged to the 400 with highest total citation count (>=25,142 citations) and/or the 400 with highest h-index (>=76). Of those, we selected the top-400 living core biomedical researchers based on a normalized score combining total citations and h-index. Another 62 authors whose focus is outside biomedicine had a normalized score that was at least as high as the score of the 400th core biomedical researcher. We provide information on the profile of these most influential authors, including the most common Medical Subject Heading terms in their articles that are also specific to their work, most common journals where they publish, number of papers with over 100 citations that they have published as first/single, last, or middle authors, and impact score adjusted for authorship positions, given that crude citation indices and authorship positions are almost totally orthogonal. We also show for each researcher the distribution of their papers across 4 main levels (basic-to-applied) of research. We discuss technical issues, limitations and caveats, comparisons against other lists of highly-cited researchers, and potential uses of this resource. © 2013 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Application of the SPARROW model to assess surface-water nutrient conditions and sources in the United States Pacific Northwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, Daniel R.; Johnson, Henry M.

2013-01-01

The watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes) was used to estimate mean annual surface-water nutrient conditions (total nitrogen and total phosphorus) and to identify important nutrient sources in catchments of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States for 2002. Model-estimated nutrient yields were generally higher in catchments on the wetter, western side of the Cascade Range than in catchments on the drier, eastern side. The largest source of locally generated total nitrogen stream load in most catchments was runoff from forestland, whereas the largest source of locally generated total phosphorus stream load in most catchments was either geologic material or livestock manure (primarily from grazing livestock). However, the highest total nitrogen and total phosphorus yields were predicted in the relatively small number of catchments where urban sources were the largest contributor to local stream load. Two examples are presented that show how SPARROW results can be applied to large rivers—the relative contribution of different nutrient sources to the total nitrogen load in the Willamette River and the total phosphorus load in the Snake River. The results from this study provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to researchers and water-quality managers performing local nutrient assessments.

Information sources for obesity prevention policy research: a review of systematic reviews.

PubMed

Hanneke, Rosie; Young, Sabrina K

2017-08-08

Systematic identification of evidence in health policy can be time-consuming and challenging. This study examines three questions pertaining to systematic reviews on obesity prevention policy, in order to identify the most efficient search methods: (1) What percentage of the primary studies selected for inclusion in the reviews originated in scholarly as opposed to gray literature? (2) How much of the primary scholarly literature in this topic area is indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE? (3) Which databases index the greatest number of primary studies not indexed in PubMed, and are these databases searched consistently across systematic reviews? We identified systematic reviews on obesity prevention policy and explored their search methods and citations. We determined the percentage of scholarly vs. gray literature cited, the most frequently cited journals, and whether each primary study was indexed in PubMed. We searched 21 databases for all primary study articles not indexed in PubMed to determine which database(s) indexed the highest number of these relevant articles. In total, 21 systematic reviews were identified. Ten of the 21 systematic reviews reported searching gray literature, and 12 reviews ultimately included gray literature in their analyses. Scholarly articles accounted for 577 of the 649 total primary study papers. Of these, 495 (76%) were indexed in PubMed. Google Scholar retrieved the highest number of the remaining 82 non-PubMed scholarly articles, followed by Scopus and EconLit. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association was the most-cited journal. Researchers can maximize search efficiency by searching a small yet targeted selection of both scholarly and gray literature resources. A highly sensitive search of PubMed and those databases that index the greatest number of relevant articles not indexed in PubMed, namely multidisciplinary and economics databases, could save considerable time and effort. When combined with a gray literature search and additional search methods, including cited reference searching and consulting with experts, this approach could help maintain broad retrieval of relevant studies while improving search efficiency. Findings also have implications for designing specialized databases for public health research.

Effects of nitrogen application rate and a nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide on ammonia oxidizers and N2O emissions in a grazed pasture soil.

PubMed

Dai, Yu; Di, Hong J; Cameron, Keith C; He, Ji-Zheng

2013-11-01

Ammonia oxidizers, including ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) are important drivers of a key step of the nitrogen cycle - nitrification, which affects the production of the potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O). A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of nitrogen application rates and the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on the abundance of AOB and AOA and on N2O emissions in a grazed pasture soil. Nitrogen (N) was applied at four different rates, with urea applied at 50 and 100 kg N ha(-1) and animal urine at 300 and 600 kg N ha(-1). DCD was applied to some of the N treatments at 10 kg ha(-1). The results showed that the AOB amoA gene copy numbers were greater than those of AOA. The highest ratio of the AOB to AOA amoA gene copy numbers was 106.6 which occurred in the urine-N 600 treatment. The AOB amoA gene copy numbers increased with increasing nitrogen application rates. DCD had a significant impact in reducing the AOB amoA gene copy numbers especially in the high nitrogen application rates. N2O emissions increased with the N application rates. DCD had the most significant effect in reducing the daily and total N2O emissions in the highest nitrogen application rate. The greatest reduction of total N2O emissions by DCD was 69% in the urine-N 600 treatment. The reduction in the N2O emission factor by DCD ranged from 58% to 83%. The N2O flux and NO3(-)-N concentrations were significantly correlated to the growth of AOB, rather than AOA. This study confirms the importance of AOB in nitrification and the effect of DCD in inhibiting AOB growth and in decreasing N2O emissions in grazed pasture soils under field conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyphenol content and antioxidant properties of colored soybean seeds from central Europe.

PubMed

Malenčić, Djordje; Cvejić, Jelena; Miladinović, Jegor

2012-01-01

The antioxidant activity and contents of various polyphenol classes in the seeds of seven soybean varieties of different seed color and one yellow seed cultivar, representing a reference genotype, were evaluated. Total polyphenols and tannins were determined after extraction of plant material with 70% aqueous acetone, and total flavonoids were extracted with methanol and acetic acid, whereas anthocyanins were extracted with 20% aqueous ethanol. In addition, isoflavone content and composition were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Antioxidant activity of seed extracts was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity assay. A positive linear correlation between antioxidant activity and contents of total polyphenols and anthocyanins was established. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the extracts of black and brown varieties, which also showed high levels of all polyphenol classes examined. Yellow seed had the highest total isoflavone content (3.62 mg/g of dry material). The highest concentration of total daidzein was determined in black seeds (>2.0 mg/g of dry material), and the highest total glycitein and genistein contents occurred in the yellow cultivar (0.53 and 1.49 mg/g of dry material, respectively). According to our results, varieties of black and brown seeds could be of special interest not only for their large content of total polyphenols, ranging from 4.94 to 6.22 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry material, but also for their high content of natural antioxidants such as anthocyanins.

Community stand structure of rehabilitated forest at Kenaboi Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatma, N. A. H.; Wan Juliana, W. A.; Shaharuddin, M. I.; Wickneswari, R.

2016-11-01

A descriptive study of species composition, community structure and biomass was conducted in compartment 107, which is a rehabilitated area at Kenaboi Forest Reserve, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. The objective is to determine the forest structure and species composition in a rehabilitated area of Kenaboi FR since enrichment planting had done. A sample plot of 1 hectare was censused and a total of 395 trees with diameter ≥ 5 cm DBH were recorded. A total of 285 individual trees were identified belonging to 20 families and the commonest family was Dipterocarpaceae with 193 individuals. The highest tree density per ha was Shorea acuminata at 33% followed by S. parvifolia, 10% and S. leprosula, 6%. The biggest tree was Artocarpus elasticus Reinw. ex Blume with a diameter of 101 cm. The total basal area was 34.48 m2/ha, whereby the highest basal area was between 45 - 54.9 cm DBH class that contributed 10.21 m2/ha (30%). The total biomass estimation (above ground and below ground) was 792.57 t/ha. Dipterocarpaceae contributed the highest total biomass at 545.14 t/ha with S. acuminata contributed the highest total biomass of 330.45 t/ha. This study will contribute to the knowledge of regeneration forest especially on how the ecological process restoring the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in rehabilitated forest by practicing the enrichment planting of native species.

Bacterial Composition, Genotoxicity, and Cytotoxicity of Fecal Samples from Individuals Consuming Omnivorous or Vegetarian Diets.

PubMed

Federici, Ermanno; Prete, Roberta; Lazzi, Camilla; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Moretti, Massimo; Corsetti, Aldo; Cenci, Giovanni

2017-01-01

This study analyzes the composition of viable fecal bacteria and gut toxicology biomarkers of 29 healthy volunteers, who followed omnivorous, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or vegan diets. In particular, the research was focused on the prevalence of some representative viable bacteria from the four dominant phyla (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria) commonly present in human feces, in order to evaluate the relationship between microorganisms selected by the habitual dietary patterns and the potential risk due to fecal water (FW) genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, considered as biomarkers for cancer risk and protective food activity. The relative differences of viable bacteria among dietary groups were generally not statistically significant. However, compared to omnivores, lacto-ovo-vegetarians showed low levels of total anaerobes. Otherwise, vegans showed total anaerobes counts similar to those of omnivores, but with lower number of bifidobacteria and the highest levels of bacteria from the Bacteroides-Prevotella genera. FW genotoxicity of lacto-ovo-vegetarians resulted significantly lower either in relation to that of omnivores and vegans. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians also showed the lowest levels of cytotoxicity, while the highest were found for vegans. These results highlighted that lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet was particularly effective in a favorable modulation of microbial activity, thus contributing to a significant reduction of the genotoxic and cytotoxic risk in the gut.

The bacterial contamination rate of glucose meter test strips in the hospital setting

PubMed Central

Al-Rubeaan, Khalid A.; Saeb, Amr T. M.; AlNaqeb, Dhekra M.; AlQumaidi, Hamed M.; AlMogbel, Turki A.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To assess the rate of bacterial contamination of the multi-use vial and single-use packed glucose meter strips, and to identify the type and frequency of various bacterial contamination in different hospital wards. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted by a team from the Strategic Center for Diabetes Research in 7 general hospitals in the Central region of Saudi Arabia during the period from August to September 2014 to assess the bacterial contamination rate of the unused strips. A total of 10,447 strips were cultured using proper agar media and incubated both aerobically and anaerobically. Results: The total bacterial contamination rate for the multi-use vials glucose strips was 31.7%, while single-use packed strips were not contaminated at all. Ministry of Health hospitals had the highest contamination rates compared with other hospitals. Critical, obstetric, and surgical wards had the highest bacterial isolates number, where most were in the risk group 3 according to the National Institute of Health guidelines. Staphylococcus species were the most common bacteria found. Conclusion: Glucose meter strips should be recognized as a source of bacterial contamination that could be behind serious hospital acquired infections. The hospital infection control team should adopt proper measures to implement protocols for glucose meter cleaning and glucose strips handling. PMID:27570855

Discrepancies and Uncertainties in Bottom-up Gridded Inventories of Livestock Methane Emissions for the Contiguous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randles, C. A.; Hristov, A. N.; Harper, M.; Meinen, R.; Day, R.; Lopes, J.; Ott, T.; Venkatesh, A.

2017-12-01

In this analysis we used a spatially-explicit, bottom-up approach, based on animal inventories, feed intake, and feed intake-based emission factors to estimate county-level enteric (cattle) and manure (cattle, swine, and poultry) livestock methane emissions for the contiguous United States. Combined enteric and manure emissions were highest for counties in California's Central Valley. Overall, this analysis yielded total livestock methane emissions (8,916 Gg/yr; lower and upper bounds of 6,423 and 11,840 Gg/yr, respectively) for 2012 that are comparable to the current USEPA estimates for 2012 (9,295 Gg/yr) and to estimates from the global gridded Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) inventory (8,728 Gg/yr), used previously in a number of top-down studies. However, the spatial distribution of emissions developed in this analysis differed significantly from that of EDGAR. As an example, methane emissions from livestock in Texas and California (highest contributors to the national total) in this study were 36% lesser and 100% greater, respectively, than estimates by EDGAR. Thespatial distribution of emissions in gridded inventories (e.g., EDGAR) likely strongly impacts the conclusions of top-down approaches that use them, especially in the source attribution of resulting (posterior) emissions, and hence conclusions from such studies should be interpreted with caution.

Bacterial Composition, Genotoxicity, and Cytotoxicity of Fecal Samples from Individuals Consuming Omnivorous or Vegetarian Diets

PubMed Central

Federici, Ermanno; Prete, Roberta; Lazzi, Camilla; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Moretti, Massimo; Corsetti, Aldo; Cenci, Giovanni

2017-01-01

This study analyzes the composition of viable fecal bacteria and gut toxicology biomarkers of 29 healthy volunteers, who followed omnivorous, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or vegan diets. In particular, the research was focused on the prevalence of some representative viable bacteria from the four dominant phyla (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria) commonly present in human feces, in order to evaluate the relationship between microorganisms selected by the habitual dietary patterns and the potential risk due to fecal water (FW) genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, considered as biomarkers for cancer risk and protective food activity. The relative differences of viable bacteria among dietary groups were generally not statistically significant. However, compared to omnivores, lacto-ovo-vegetarians showed low levels of total anaerobes. Otherwise, vegans showed total anaerobes counts similar to those of omnivores, but with lower number of bifidobacteria and the highest levels of bacteria from the Bacteroides–Prevotella genera. FW genotoxicity of lacto-ovo-vegetarians resulted significantly lower either in relation to that of omnivores and vegans. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians also showed the lowest levels of cytotoxicity, while the highest were found for vegans. These results highlighted that lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet was particularly effective in a favorable modulation of microbial activity, thus contributing to a significant reduction of the genotoxic and cytotoxic risk in the gut. PMID:28293225

Fish community structure in natural and engineered habitats in the Kansas River

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, K.; Gerken, J.; Paukert, Craig P.; Makinster, Andrew S.

2010-01-01

We investigated fish assemblage structure in engineered (rip-rap) and natural habitats (log jams and mud banks) in the Kansas River USA to determine if natural structures had higher abundance and diversity of fishes at a local spatial scale. A total of 439 randomly selected sites were boat electrofished from May to August 2005 and 2006. Mean species diversity and richness were significantly higher in rip-rap than log jams and mud banks. Mean relative abundance (CPUE; number of fish collected per hour electrofishing) of six of the 15 most common fishes (>1% of total catch) were most abundant in rip-rap, two were most abundant in log jams, and none in mud banks. Rip-rap had the highest relative abundance of fluvial specialist and macrohabitat generalists, whereas mean CPUE of fluvial dependents was highest in log jams. Although a discriminant function analysis indicated that nine size classes (eight species) discriminated among three habitat types, the high misclassification rate (38%) suggested a high degree of fish assemblage overlap among the habitats. Although previous work has suggested that engineered structures (rip-rap) and urbanization are linked to reduced biotic diversity or reduced growth of fish species, our results suggest that at a local scale rip-rap may not have the same negative impacts on fish assemblages.

Fish community structure in natural and engineered habitats in the Kansas river

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, K.; Gerken, J.; Paukert, C.; Makinster, A.

2010-01-01

We investigated fish assemblage structure in engineered (rip-rap) and natural habitats (log jams and mud banks) in the Kansas River USA to determine if natural structures had higher abundance and diversity of fishes at a local spatial scale. A total of 439 randomly selected sites were boat electrofished from May to August 2005 and 2006. Mean species diversity and richness were significantly higher in rip-rap than log jams and mud banks. Mean relative abundance (CPUE; number of fish collected per hour electrofishing) of six of the 15 most common fishes (>1% of total catch) were most abundant in rip-rap, two were most abundant in log jams, and none in mud banks. Rip-rap had the highest relative abundance of fluvial specialist and macrohabitat generalists, whereas mean CPUE of fluvial dependents was highest in log jams. Although a discriminant function analysis indicated that nine size classes (eight species) discriminated among three habitat types, the high misclassification rate (38%) suggested a high degree of fish assemblage overlap among the habitats. Although previous work has suggested that engineered structures (rip-rap) and urbanization are linked to reduced biotic diversity or reduced growth of fish species, our results suggest that at a local scale rip-rap may not have the same negative impacts on fish assemblages.

Occurrence and potential sources of pyrethroid insecticides in stream sediments from seven U.S. metropolitan areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuivila, Kathryn; Hladik, Michelle; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Kemble, Nile E.; Moran, Patrick W.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Gilliom, Robert J.

2012-01-01

A nationally consistent approach was used to assess the occurrence and potential sources of pyrethroid insecticides in stream bed sediments from seven metropolitan areas across the United States. One or more pyrethroids were detected in almost half of the samples, with bifenthrin detected the most frequently (41%) and in each metropolitan area. Cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, and resmethrin were detected much less frequently. Pyrethroid concentrations and Hyalella azteca mortality in 28-d tests were lower than in most urban stream studies. Log-transformed total pyrethroid toxic units (TUs) were significantly correlated with survival and bifenthrin was likely responsible for the majority of the observed toxicity. Sampling sites spanned a wide range of urbanization and log-transformed total pyrethroid concentrations were significantly correlated with urban land use. Dallas/Fort Worth had the highest pyrethroid detection frequency (89%), the greatest number of pyrethroids (4), and some of the highest concentrations. Salt Lake City had a similar percentage of detections but only bifenthrin was detected and at lower concentrations. The variation in pyrethroid concentrations among metropolitan areas suggests regional differences in pyrethroid use and transport processes. This study shows that pyrethroids commonly occur in urban stream sediments and may be contributing to sediment toxicity across the country.

Modeling production functions and economic weights in intensive meat production of guinea pigs.

PubMed

Pascual, Mariam; Cruz, Danny Julio; Blasco, Agustín

2017-10-01

A profit function for a typical commercial farm of intensive guinea pig production was designed. The simulated farm contained 86 cages with a ratio of 7:1 females/males, with continuous mating. Kits were weaned at 15 days of age and slaughtered for meat production at 90 days of age. The absolute (EW) and relative economic weights of the main traits were calculated. The highest EW were kits produced per kindling (US$25), kits weaned per kindling (US$22), kits born alive per kindling (US$20), and the number of kindlings per female and year (US$12). Profit, returns, and costs per female and year were US$15, 68, and 53, respectively. Returns came from the production of young guinea pigs and discarded reproductive adults for meat production, 90 and 10% of the total returns. The highest costs were feeding and labor, 44 and 23% of the total cost. The EW and profit did not substantially change when simulating variations of ±20% in the prices of kilograms of fattening feed and kilograms of live weight of guinea pig, showing their robustness to future variations in market prices or to variations in prices between countries. The results obtained highlight the importance of the feeding costs in the guinea pig meat production.

Polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of fourteen wild edible fruits from Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Lamien-Meda, Aline; Lamien, Charles Euloge; Compaoré, Moussa M Y; Meda, Roland N T; Kiendrebeogo, Martin; Zeba, Boukare; Millogo, Jeanne F; Nacoulma, Odile G

2008-03-06

A total of fourteen (14) species of wild edible fruits from Burkina Faso were analyzed for their phenolic and flavonoid contents, and their antioxidant activities using the DPPH, FRAP and ABTS methods. The data obtained show that the total phenolic and total flavonoid levels were significantly higher in the acetone than in the methanol extracts.Detarium microcarpum fruit had the highest phenolic and the highest flavonoid content,followed by that of Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus mauritiana, Ximenia americana and Lannea microcarpa. Significant amounts of total phenolics were also detected in the other fruit species in the following order of decreasing levels: Tamarindus indica > Sclerocaryabirrea > Dialium guineense > Gardenia erubescens > Diospyros mespiliformis > Parkiabiglobosa > Ficus sycomorus > Vitellaria paradoxa. Detarium microcarpum fruit also showed the highest antioxidant activity using the three antioxidant assays. Fruits with high antioxidant activities were also found to possess high phenolic and flavonoid contents. There was a strong correlation between total phenolic and flavonoid levels and antioxidant activities.

[Microbiological quality of the air in "small gastronomy point"].

PubMed

Wójcik-Stopczyńska, Barbara

2006-01-01

The aim of this work was the estimation of microbial contamination of the air in "small gastronomy point". The study included three places, which have been separated on the ground of their function: 1. area of subsidiaries, 2. area of distribution (sale and serving meal), 3. area of consumption. The total numbers of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds were determined by sedimentation method. Taxonomy units of fungal aerosol were also estimated. The samples of air were collected in 16 investigation points in the morning (8-8.30) and in the afternoon (14-14.30). Four series of measurements were carried out and in general 128 of air samples were tested. The results showed that numbers of bacteria, yeasts and moulds were variable and received respectively 30-3397, 0-254 and 0-138 cfu x m(-3). Microbial contamination of air changed depending on area character (the highest average count of bacteria occurred in the air of consumption area and fungi in subsidiaries area), time of a day (contamination of the air increased in the afternoon) and determination date. Only in single samples the numbers of bacteria and fungi were higher than recommended level. Pigmentary bacteria had high participation in total count of bacteria and filamentous fungi were represented mostly by Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp.

[Fatty acid composition of edible marine fish in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province].

PubMed

Gao, Yi-xiong; Yue, Bing; Yu, Xin-wei; He, Jia-lu; Shang, Xiao-hong; Li, Xiao-wei; Wu, Yong-ning

2013-06-01

To analyze the main fatty acids in edible marine fish from Zhoushan, Zhejiang province. From September to October 2011, a total of 186 edible marine fish (31 species,6 individual fishes/species) were collected in local markets. Total lipids of edible part were extracted by Folch's method and fatty acids were separated and quantified by gas chromatographic after the homogenization of edible part. The differences of composition of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-6 PUFA), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA),saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) among fishes were analyzed. Among the 31 fishes, total lipids were highest in Auxis thazard ((13.2 ± 1.2)g/100 g edible part) and lowest in Thamnaconus modestus ((0.6 ± 0.1)g/100 g edible part). Total n-6 PUFA were highest in Mugil cephalus ((875.7 ± 506.4)mg/100 g edible part) and lowest in Seriola quinqueradiata((2.1 ± 1.9)mg/100 g edible part). Total n-3 PUFA were highest in Auxis thazard ((2623.8 ± 426.1)mg/100 g edible part) and lowest in Scoliodon sorrakowah ((82.0 ± 13.9)mg/100 g edible part). SFA were highest in Trachinotus ovatus((3014.9 ± 379.0)mg/100 g edible part) and lowest in Seriola quinqueradiata ((89.7 ± 5.8)mg/100 g edible part). MUFA were highest in Coilia nasus ((3335.7 ± 383.5)mg/100 g edible part) and lowest in Thamnaconus modestus ((32.1 ± 16.9)mg/100 g edible part). There were significant differences of composition of total lipids and of fatty acids among 31 edible marine fish species from Zhoushan.

Biochemical and immunological studies on eight pollen types from South Assam, India.

PubMed

Sharma, Dhruba; Dutta, B K; Singh, A B

2009-12-01

A total of 65 pollen types were identified from two years atmospheric pollen survey in the environmental conditions of South Assam. Out of them, eight pollen types viz., Acacia auriculiformis, Amaranthus spinosus, Cassia alata, Cleome gynandra, Cocos nucifera, Imperata cylindrica, Ricinus communis and Trewia nudiflora, were selected for biochemical studies on the basis of their dominance in the study sites. Among the sample extract tested, Ricinus communis was found to contain the highest amount of soluble protein, free amino acid and total carbohydrate, per gram of dry weight followed by Imperata cylindrica and Cassia alata. Maximum numbers of protein polypeptide bands were detected in the sample extract of Cassia alata by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method followed by Acacia auriculiformis, Imperata cylindrica and Cocos nucifera. IgE binding protein fractions were maximum in Cassia alata and minimum in Trewia nudiflora.

Performance of single-stage compressor designed on basis of constant total enthalpy with symmetrical velocity diagram at all radii and velocity ratio of 0.7 at rotor hub / Jack R. Burtt and Robert J. Jackson

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burtt, Jack R; Jackson, Robert J

1951-01-01

A typical inlet axial-flow compressor inlet stage, which was designed on the basis of constant total enthalpy with symmetrical velocity diagram at all radii, was investigated. At a tip speed of 1126 feet per second, a peak pressure ratio of 1.28 was obtained at an efficiency of 0.76. At a tip speed, the highest practical flow was 28 pounds per second per square foot frontal area with an efficiency of 0.78. Data for a rotor relative inlet Mach number range of from 0.5 to 0.875 indicates that the critical value for any stage radial element is approximately 0.80 for the stage investigated.

The thorax morphology of Epiophlebia (Insecta: Odonata) nymphs--including remarks on ontogenesis and evolution.

PubMed

Büsse, Sebastian; Helmker, Benjamin; Hörnschemeyer, Thomas

2015-08-06

The species of Epiophlebia are unique among the recent Odonata in showing a mixture of morphological characters of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera). The status of the four described extant species of Epiophlebia is disputable from a genetic as well as from a morphological point of view. Here we present an analysis of the thoracic musculature of different nymphal instars of Epiophlebia laidlawi and Epiophlebia superstes to elucidate their morphology and ontogenetic development. In total, 75 muscles have been identified in the thorax of Epiophlebia. This represents the highest number of thoracic muscles ever found in any odonate. It includes six muscles that are reported for the first time for Odonata, and three of these are even new for Pterygota. In total, our results indicate that Epiophlebia has the most ancestral thoracic morphology among Odonata.

In vitro extraction and fermentation of polyphenols from grape seeds (Vitis vinifera) by human intestinal microbiota.

PubMed

Zhou, Li; Wang, Wei; Huang, Jun; Ding, Yu; Pan, Zhouqiang; Zhao, Ya; Zhang, Renkang; Hu, Bing; Zeng, Xiaoxiong

2016-04-01

The effects of several parameters on the extraction yield of total polyphenols from grape seeds by pressurized liquid extraction were investigated. The highest recovery of total polyphenols occurred at 80 °C within 5 min, and a single extraction allowed a recovery of more than 97% of total polyphenols. Following the purification with macroporous resin, the effects of grape polyphenols (>94.8%) on human intestinal microbiota were monitored over 36 h incubation by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured by HPLC. The result showed that the grape polyphenols promoted the changes in the relevant microbial populations and shifted the profiles of SCFAs. Fermentation of grape polyphenols resulted in a significant increase in the numbers of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus-Enterococcus group and inhibition in the growth of the Clostridium histolyticum group and the Bacteroides-Prevotella group, with no significant effect on the population of total bacteria. The findings suggest that grape polyphenols have potential prebiotic effects on modulating the gut microbiota composition and generating SCFAs that contribute to the improvements of host health.

Patterns of Abundance and Host Specificity of Bat Ectoparasites in the Central Balkans.

PubMed

Burazerovic, J; Orlova, M; Obradovic, M; Cirovic, D; Tomanovic, S

2018-01-10

Bats are hosts to a number of ectoparasites-acarines (ticks, chiggers, other mites), bat flies, and fleas. Bat ectoparasites might have significant ecological and public health importance as they may be potential vectors of zoonotic agents. It is important to identify their distribution, diversity, and host-parasite associations. Bat ectoparasites in the central Balkans have been largely understudied. The present research was conducted in 45 localities at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. In total, 1,143 individuals of 18 species of bats have been examined for the presence and abundance of ectoparasite species during 3 yr of research. In total, 21 ectoparasite species have been identified: three species of ticks, seven species of mites (including one species of chigger), eight species of bat flies, and three species of fleas. In total, 80 host-parasite associations have been identified. The largest number of ectoparasites parasitized primarily only one host species. The highest total number of hosts was identified for ectoparasite species Ixodes vespertilionis Koch, Nycteribia schmidlii Schiner, and Spinturnix myoti Kolenati. The spinturnicid mite Spinturnix psi Kolenati was the most abundant ectoparasite species and together with Penicilidia dufouri Westwood the most widely distributed species of bat ectoparasite, being present at 21 localities in the central Balkans. The presented data include the first systematic records of patterns of prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, and host specificity for bat ectoparasites in the central Balkans. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[The effect of selected antibiotics on microorganisms contaminating boar ejaculate].

PubMed

Mazurová, J; Vinter, P

1991-04-01

The occurrence of microorganisms, including their total counts in boar native ejaculates, was investigated in two stages; the objective of this investigation also was to determine contamination after the sperms were treated with diluents containing the antibiotics ampicillin, gentamycin, apramycin, cefoxitin, or antibiotic combinations penicillin + streptomycin, ampicillin + cefoxitin, gentamycin + cefoxitin and ampicillin + gentamycin. The representation of bacterial species and total counts of microbes in 1 ml diluted sperm stored at a temperature of about 18 degrees C were determined in 24, 48 and 72 h after dilution. The microorganisms were cultivated from all native ejaculates. Proteus sp. (63.3%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (51.5% of the total number of examined samples) were the most frequent species. The number of contaminated diluted ejaculates ranged from 12.5 to 95.8% in 24 h after dilution, from 12.5 to 98.5% in 48 h and from 16.8 to 95.8% of the total number of examined ejaculates in 72 h. The occurrence of microorganisms correlated mostly with the efficiency spectrum of the antibiotics or their combinations. The average counts of microorganisms in 1 ml of native ejaculate made 2,363,000 in stage I and 1,472,108 in stage II. The highest average counts in 1 ml of diluted sperm were found in ejaculates containing cefoxitin and apramycin. Gentamycin was the most effective antibiotic used as a sole component (average counts of microorganisms CPM in 1 ml were 416 in 24 h, 955 in 48 h and 2260 in 72 h after dilution); ampicillin and gentamycin were the most efficient combination (14--20--21). This combination exerted very good effects also on Proteus sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Estimation of dietary arginine requirements for Longyan laying ducks.

PubMed

Xia, Weiguang; Fouad, Ahmed Mohamed; Chen, Wei; Ruan, Dong; Wang, Shuang; Fan, Qiuli; Wang, Ying; Cui, Yiyan; Zheng, Chuntian

2017-01-01

This study aimed to establish the arginine requirements of Longyan ducks from 17 to 31 wk of age based on egg production, egg quality, plasma, and ovarian indices, as well as the expression of vitellogenesis-related genes. In total, 660 Longyan ducks with similar body weight at 15 wk of age were assigned randomly to 5 treatments, each with 6 replicates of 22 birds, and fed a corn-corn gluten meal basal diet (0.66% arginine) supplemented with either 0, 0.20%, 0.40%, 0.60%, or 0.80% arginine. Dietary arginine did not affect egg production by laying ducks, but it increased (linear, P < 0.01) the egg weight at 22 to 31 and 17 to 31 wk of age. Dietary arginine increased the yolk color score (linearly, P < 0.05) and the yolk percentage (quadratic, P < 0.05), where the maximum values were obtained with 1.26% arginine. Dietary arginine affected the total shell percentage and shell thickness, with the highest values using 1.46% arginine (P < 0.01). The weight and number of small yellow follicles (SYFs) increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) with the dietary arginine level and there was a quadratic response (P < 0.05) in terms of the SYFs weight/ovarian weight; the highest values were obtained in ducks fed 1.26% arginine. The plasma arginine concentration exhibited a quadratic (P < 0.05) response to dietary arginine. The plasma progesterone concentration decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as dietary arginine increased. The mRNA abundance of the very low density lipoprotein receptor-b increased in the second large yellow follicle membranes (quadratic, P < 0.05) with the dietary arginine level, where the highest value occurred with 1.26% arginine. According to the regression model, the dietary arginine requirements for Longyan laying ducks aged 17 to 31 wk are 1.06%, 1.13%, 1.22%, and 1.11% to obtain the maximum yolk percentage, SYFs number, SYFs weight, and SYFs weight/ovarian weight, respectively. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Visual Impairment and Blindness in Adults in the United States: Demographic and Geographic Variations From 2015 to 2050.

PubMed

Varma, Rohit; Vajaranant, Thasarat S; Burkemper, Bruce; Wu, Shuang; Torres, Mina; Hsu, Chunyi; Choudhury, Farzana; McKean-Cowdin, Roberta

2016-07-01

The number of individuals with visual impairment (VI) and blindness is increasing in the United States and around the globe as a result of shifting demographics and aging populations. Tracking the number and characteristics of individuals with VI and blindness is especially important given the negative effect of these conditions on physical and mental health. To determine the demographic and geographic variations in VI and blindness in adults in the US population in 2015 and to estimate the projected prevalence through 2050. In this population-based, cross-sectional study, data were pooled from adults 40 years and older from 6 major population-based studies on VI and blindness in the United States. Prevalence of VI and blindness were reported by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and per capita prevalence by state using the US Census projections (January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2050). Prevalence of VI and blindness. In 2015, a total of 1.02 million people were blind, and approximately 3.22 million people in the United States had VI (best-corrected visual acuity in the better-seeing eye), whereas up to 8.2 million people had VI due to uncorrected refractive error. By 2050, the numbers of these conditions are projected to double to approximately 2.01 million people with blindness, 6.95 million people with VI, and 16.4 million with VI due to uncorrected refractive error. The highest numbers of these conditions in 2015 were among non-Hispanic white individuals (2.28 million), women (1.84 million), and older adults (1.61 million), and these groups will remain the most affected through 2050. However, African American individuals experience the highest prevalence of visual impairment and blindness. By 2050, the highest prevalence of VI among minorities will shift from African American individuals (15.2% in 2015 to 16.3% in 2050) to Hispanic individuals (9.9% in 2015 to 20.3% in 2050). From 2015 to 2050, the states projected to have the highest per capita prevalence of VI are Florida (2.56% in 2015 to 3.98% in 2050) and Hawaii (2.35% in 2015 and 3.93% in 2050), and the states projected to have the highest projected per capita prevalence of blindness are Mississippi (0.83% in 2015 to 1.25% in 2050) and Louisiana (0.79% in 2015 to 1.20% in 2050). These data suggest that vision screening for refractive error and early eye disease may reduce or prevent a high proportion of individuals from experiencing unnecessary vision loss and blindness, decrease associated costs to the US economy for medical services and lost productivity, and contribute to better quality of life. Targeted education and screening programs for non-Hispanic white women and minorities should become increasingly important because of the projected growth of these populations and their relative contribution to the overall numbers of these conditions.

Trends of triple negative breast cancer research (2007-2015): A bibliometric study.

PubMed

Wang, Yiran; Zhai, Xiao; Liu, Chuan; Wang, Ning; Wang, Yajie

2016-11-01

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype. However, there have been limited data to evaluate the trend of TNBC research. This study aims to investigate the trend of TNBC research and compare the contribution of research from different regions, organizations, and authors. TNBC-related publications from 2007 to 2015 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Excel 2013 (Redmond, Washington, USA), GraphPad Prism 5 (GraphPad Prism Software Inc., San Diego, CA), and VOSviewer (Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands) software were used to analyze the trend of TNBC research. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. A total of 1695 papers were identified and were cited 34,078 times with a time limit of May 27, 2016. The United States accounted for 43.10% of the articles, 57.59% of the citations, and the highest H-index (64). China ranked second in total number of articles, but seventh in citation frequency (1998) and ninth in H-index (21). The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment had the highest number of publications. The author, Narod SA, has published the most papers in this field (30). The keyword "receptor" was mentioned the most, 1489 times, and the word "myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1)" was the latest hot spot by 2015. Literature growth related to TNBC is expanding rapidly in recent years. The quality of the articles from China still requires improvement. Newest progress of the TNBC research may be released by the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment first. Narod SA, Gonzalez-Angulo AM, and Hortobagyi GN may be good candidates for collaborative research in this field. MCL-1 is an emerging topic that should be closely observed.

Propolis extracts from the northern region of Thailand suppress cancer cell growth through induction of apoptosis pathways.

PubMed

Khacha-Ananda, Supakit; Tragoolpua, Khajornsak; Chantawannakul, Panuwan; Tragoolpua, Yingmanee

2016-12-01

The continual increase in mortality rates and number of cancer cases is a matter of serious concern in developing countries. The incorporation of natural products into classical cancer treatment approaches is a promising direction. The mechanisms of A549 and HeLa cancer cell death induction by ethanolic extracts of propolis samples from Phayao, Chiang Mai, and Nan provinces in northern Thailand were investigated in this study. The propolis extract from Chiang Mai showed the highest antioxidant activity and the greatest total phenolic content. The propolis extract from Nan also exhibited the highest total flavonoid content. The proliferation of A549 and HeLa cells grown in the presence of the propolis extracts was suppressed in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment of both cancer cells with the propolis extracts showed DNA fragmentation and significantly increased the number of the apoptotic cells. On A549 cells, the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of caspase enzymes were activated by the propolis extracts from Phayao and Chiang Mai. In the case of the propolis extract from Nan, the mechanisms involved apoptosis on the A549 cells were caspase-independent pathway. The extrinsic pathway of the caspase enzyme was triggered by all of the propolis extracts on HeLa cells. Finally, oral administration of the propolis granule produced from the propolis extract from Nan resulted in extended survival of tumour-bearing mice. Therefore, propolis extracts from the northern region of Thailand demonstrated pharmacological properties, both antioxidant and anticancer activities. From these findings, it is evident that propolis extracts can be considered as a naturally obtained agent extremely useful in cancer treatment.

Microarray-based comparison of three amplification methods for nanogram amounts of total RNA

PubMed Central

Singh, Ruchira; Maganti, Rajanikanth J.; Jabba, Sairam V.; Wang, Martin; Deng, Glenn; Heath, Joe Don; Kurn, Nurith; Wangemann, Philine

2007-01-01

Gene expression profiling using microarrays requires microgram amounts of RNA, which limits its direct application for the study of nanogram RNA samples obtained using microdissection, laser capture microscopy, or needle biopsy. A novel system based on Ribo-SPIA technology (RS, Ovation-Biotin amplification and labeling system) was recently introduced. The utility of the RS system, an optimized prototype system for picogram RNA samples (pRS), and two T7-based systems involving one or two rounds of amplification (OneRA, Standard Protocol, or TwoRA, Small Sample Prototcol, version II) were evaluated in the present study. Mouse kidney (MK) and mouse universal reference (MUR) RNA samples, 0.3 ng to 10 μg, were analyzed using high-density Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 GeneChip arrays. Call concordance between replicates, correlations of signal intensity, signal intensity ratios, and minimal fold increase necessary for significance were determined. All systems amplified partially overlapping sets of genes with similar signal intensity correlations. pRS amplified the highest number of genes from 10-ng RNA samples. We detected 24 of 26 genes verified by RT-PCR in samples prepared using pRS. TwoRA yielded somewhat higher call concordances than did RS and pRS (91.8% vs. 89.3% and 88.1%, respectively). Although all target preparation methods were suitable, pRS amplified the highest number of targets and was found to be suitable for amplification of as little as 0.3 ng of total RNA. In addition, RS and pRS were faster and simpler to use than the T7-based methods and resulted in the generation of cDNA, which is more stable than cRNA. PMID:15613496

Bibliometric Analysis of Manuscript Characteristics That Influence Citations: A Comparison of Six Major Radiology Journals.

PubMed

Shekhani, Haris Naseem; Shariff, Shoaib; Bhulani, Nizar; Khosa, Faisal; Hanna, Tarek Noel

2017-12-01

The objective of our study was to investigate radiology manuscript characteristics that influence citation rate, capturing features of manuscript construction that are discrete from study design. Consecutive articles published from January 2004 to June 2004 were collected from the six major radiology journals with the highest impact factors: Radiology (impact factor, 5.076), Investigative Radiology (2.320), American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR) (2.384), RadioGraphics (2.494), European Radiology (2.364), and American Journal of Roentgenology (2.406). The citation count for these articles was retrieved from the Web of Science, and 29 article characteristics were tabulated manually. A point-biserial correlation, Spearman rank-order correlation, and multiple regression model were performed to predict citation number from the collected variables. A total of 703 articles-211 published in Radiology, 48 in Investigative Radiology, 106 in AJNR, 52 in RadioGraphics, 129 in European Radiology, and 157 in AJR-were evaluated. Punctuation was included in the title in 55% of the articles and had the highest statistically significant positive correlation to citation rate (point-biserial correlation coefficient [r pb ] = 0.85, p < 0.05). Open access status provided a low-magnitude, but significant, correlation to citation rate (r pb = 0.140, p < 0.001). The following variables created a significant multiple regression model to predict citation count (p < 0.005, R 2 = 0.186): study findings in the title, abstract word count, abstract character count, total number of words, country of origin, and all authors in the field of radiology. Using bibliometric knowledge, authors can craft a title, abstract, and text that may enhance visibility and citation count over what they would otherwise experience.

Influence of diesel fuel sulfur on nanoparticle emissions from city buses.

PubMed

Ristovski, Z D; Jayaratne, E R; Lim, M; Ayoko, G A; Morawska, L

2006-02-15

Particle emissions from twelve buses, operating alternately on low sulfur (LS; 500 ppm) and ultralow sulfur (ULS; 50 ppm) diesel fuel, were monitored. The buses were 1-19 years old and had no after-treatment devices fitted. Measurements were carried out at four steady-state operational modes on a chassis dynamometer using a mini dilution tunnel (PM mass measurement) and a Dekati ejector diluter as a secondary diluter (SMPS particle number). The mean particle number emission rate (s(-1)) of the buses, in the size range 8-400 nm, using ULS diesel was 31% to 59% lower than the rate using LS diesel in all four modes. The fractional reduction was highest in the newest buses and decreased with mileage upto about 500,000 km, after which no further decrease was apparent. However, the mean total suspended particle (TSP) mass emission rate did not show a systematic difference between the two fuel types. When the fuel was changed from LS to ULS diesel, the reduction in particle number was mainly in the nanoparticle size range. Over all operational modes, 58% of the particles were smaller than 50 nm with LS fuel as opposed to just 45% with ULS fuel, suggesting that sulfur in diesel fuel was playing a major role in the formation of nanoparticles. The greatest influence of the fuel sulfur content was observed at the highest engine load, where 74% of the particles were smaller than 50 nm with LS diesel compared to 43% with ULS diesel.

Impact of gamma rays on the Phaffia rhodozyma genome revealed by RAPD-PCR.

PubMed

Najafi, N; Hosseini, Ramin; Ahmadi, Ar

2011-12-01

Phaffia rhodozyma is a red yeast which produces astaxanthin as the major carotenoid pigment. Astaxanthin is thought to reduce the incidence of cancer and degenerative diseases in man. It also enhances the immune response and acts as a free-radical quencher, a precursor of vitamin A, or a pigment involved in the visual attraction of animals as mating partners. The impact of gamma irradiation was studied on the Phaffia rhodozyma genome. Ten mutant strains, designated Gam1-Gam10, were obtained using gamma irradiation. Ten decamer random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were employed to assess genetic changes. Nine primers revealed scorable polymorphisms and a total of 95 band positions were scored; amongst which 38 bands (37.5%) were polymorphic. Primer F with 3 bands and primer J20 with 13 bands produced the lowest and the highest number of bands, respectively. Primer A16 produced the highest number of polymorphic bands (70% polymorphism) and primer F showed the lowest number of polymorphic bands (0% polymorphism). Genetic distances were calculated using Jaccard's coefficient and the UPGMA method. A dendrogram was created using SPSS (version 11.5) and the strains were clustered into four groups. RAPD markers could distinguish between the parental and the mutant strains of P. rhodozyma. RAPD technique showed that some changes had occurred in the genome of the mutated strains. This technique demonstrated the capability to differentiate between the parental and the mutant strains.

Seaweed temporal distribution in southeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia and isolation of endophytic fungi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainee, Nur Farah Ain; Ismail, Ahmad; Ibrahim, Nazlina; Ismail, Asmida

2018-04-01

Temporal study of seaweeds was carried out between on February 2015 and November 2015 at Kampung Jawa Darat and Kampung Sungai Buntu at Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia. The research objectives were to study the diversity of seaweed and to determine the presence of fungal endophyte in the seaweed. The diversity of seaweed in the sampling site was calculated by using quadrat with 25 meter line transect by 3 replication for each site. The specimen were identified and processed in laboratory and kept for reference in the Algae Herbarium, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The specimen for fungal endophyte isolation was collected randomly by choosing the complete thallus, transferred into sterile zip-lock plastic bag and kept in freezer until used. From this study, a total of 29 species have been successfully identified including 12 species of Chlorophyta, 2 species of Phaeophyta and 14 species of Rhodophyta. From February to November 2015, the number of species highly varied and a significant change in community structure was noted. Kampung Sungai Buntu shows the highest diversity throughout the study compared to Kampung Jawa Darat. Eighteen seaweed species were screened for the presence of fungal endophyte, Sargassum polycystum shows the highest number of fungal endophyte. This study documented the seaweed diversity in two sites at Pengerang, Johor that accommodates fungal endophytes.

In Vitro Propagation, Phytochemical Analysis, and Evaluation of Free Radical Scavenging Property of Scrophularia kakudensis Franch Tissue Extracts.

PubMed

Manivannan, Abinaya; Soundararajan, Prabhakaran; Park, Yoo Gyeong; Jeong, Byoung Ryong

2015-01-01

The current study deals with in vitro propagation, antioxidant property estimation, and assessment of acacetin content in Scrophularia kakudensis Franch. Adventitious shoot induction was achieved from the nodal explant with the highest number of adventitious shoots per explant (17.4) on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium fortified with 2.0 mg·L(-1) 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 mg L(-1) indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Maximum number of roots per plant (16.5) was noted in half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg·L(-1) IAA. The regenerated plants displayed successful survival ratio (95%) in the greenhouse. The highest content of acacetin, a pharmaceutically important flavonoid, was observed in the shoot extracts (in vitro: 32.83 µg·g(-1) FW; in vivo: 30.05 µg·g(-1) FW) followed by root extracts. Total phenol and flavonoid contents along with free radical scavenging assays revealed the occurrence of larger amount of antioxidants in shoot extract in comparison with callus and root extracts of S. kakudensis. Thus, the outcome of the present study can be highly beneficial for the germplasm conservation and commercial cultivation of S. kakudensis for therapeutic purposes.

Years of Life Lost (YLL) in Colombia 1998-2011: Overall and Avoidable Causes of Death Analysis

PubMed Central

Castillo-Rodríguez, Liliana; Díaz-Jiménez, Diana; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos; De la Hoz-Restrepo, Fernando

2015-01-01

Objective Estimate the Years of Life Lost (YLL) for overall and avoidable causes of death (CoD) in Colombia for the period 1998-2011. Methods From the reported deaths to the Colombian mortality database during 1998-2011, we classified deaths from avoidable causes. With the reference life table of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study, we estimated the overall YLL and YLL due to avoidable causes. Calculations were performed with the difference between life expectancy and the age of death. Results are reported by group of cause of death, events, sex, year and department. Comparative analysis between number of deaths and YLL was carried out. Results A total of 83,856,080 YLL were calculated in Colombia during period 1998-2011, 75.9% of them due to avoidable CoD. The year 2000 reported the highest number of missed YLL by both overall and avoidable CoD. The departments with the highest YLL rates were Caquetá, Guaviare, Arauca, Meta, and Risaralda. In men, intentional injuries and cardiovascular and circulatory diseases had the higher losses, while in women YLL were mainly due to cardiovascular and circulatory diseases. Conclusions The public health priorities should focus on preventing the loss of YLL due to premature death and differentiated interventions by sex. PMID:25942009

SPECIES COMPOSITION, DISTRIBUTION, LIFE FORMS AND FOLK NOMENCLATURE OF FOREST AND COMMON LAND PLANTS OF WESTERN CHITWAN, NEPAL

PubMed Central

Dangol, D. R.

2012-01-01

This paper enumerates 349 plant species belonging to 77 families of vascular plants collected in the winter seasons of 1996 and 2000 by the flora teams of the Population and Ecology Research Laboratory, Nepal. Of the total species, 249 species belong to dicotyledons, 87 species to monocotyledons and 13 species to pteridophytes. Among the families, dicotyledons contributed the highest number of families (55 in number) followed by monocotyledons and pteridophytes. In the study areas, species composition varies with the type of habitats in the study plots. Some species are unique in distribution. The highest unique species are contributed by common lands (87 spp.), followed by the Chitwan National Park forest (36 spp.) and Tikauli forest (32 spp.). Ageratum houstonianum Mill., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv., Rungia parviflora (Retz.) Nees, Saccharum spontaneum L. and Thelypteris auriculata (J. Sm.) K. Iwats are the most common species across all the research blocks. Of the listed plants, many plants have local names either in Nepalese or other tribal languages. Plants are named in different ways on the basis of habit, habitat, smell, taste, and morphological characters of the plants, which are also the basis of nomenclature in plant taxonomy. PMID:22962539

Epidemiology of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Amputations in Romania: Results of a Cross-Sectional Quality of Life Questionnaire Based Survey

PubMed Central

Bondor, Cosmina I.; Veresiu, Ioan A.; Florea, Bogdan; Vinik, Etta J.; Vinik, Aaron I.; Gavan, Norina A.

2016-01-01

This is a post hoc analysis of quality of life in diabetic neuropathy patients in a cross-sectional survey performed in 2012 in Romania, using the Norfolk QOL-DN in which 21,756 patients with self-reported diabetes were enrolled. This current analysis aims to expand research on the diabetic foot and to provide an update on the number of foot ulcers found in Romania. Of the 21,174 patients included in this analysis, 14.85% reported a history of foot ulcers and 3.60% reported an amputation. The percentage of neuropathy patients with foot ulcers increased with age; the lowest percentage was observed in the 20–29-year age group (6.62%) and the highest in the 80–89-year age group (17.68%). The highest number of amputations was reported in the 70–79-year age group (largest group). Compared to patients without foot ulcers, those with foot ulcers had significantly higher scores for total DN and all its subdomains translating to worse QOL (p < 0.001). This analysis showed a high rate of foot ulcers and amputations in Romanian diabetic patients. It underscores the need for implementation of effective screening and educational programs. PMID:27019852

A survey of the weevils of Ukraine (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea).

PubMed

Yunakov, Nikolai; Nazarenko, Vitalij; Filimonov, Rostislav; Volovnik, Semyon

2018-04-05

The fauna of weevils Curculionoidea of Ukraine numbers 1453 species equivalent to 25.3% of European fauna. They belong to 10 families and 364 genera. A total of 51 species are recorded from Ukraine for the first time. Assessment of inventory completeness indicates that 62% of the area of Ukraine are covered by samples. Spatial join analysis has reveals strong collecting biases and shows maximal richness in cells which fall into well-sampled provinces. A total of 22 out of 33 studied model sites are well-sampled (C>0.5). In total, we estimate ca.1470 species of Curculionoidea living in Ukraine. Curculionidae comprise the majority (82%) of the fauna, with 1202 species and 266 genera, and with remarkably high proportion of the three largest subfamilies: Entiminae (26%), Curculioninae (19%), and Ceutorhynchinae (18%). Consolidated data analysis shows highest richness (678-822 spp.) in provinces which fall into the mountain areas. Aggregated species richness for each of five ecoregions uncovers highest values in Pontic steppe (665 species) and East European forest-steppe (593 species). Habitat distribution of weevils is strongly uneven. Most of the richness (565 spp.) is harboured in lowland broadleaf forests. Salt marshes, salt steppes and sands are extreme habitats with low richness but high proportion of habitat specialists. Only 141 dominant species representing 18% of the total fauna but make up to 63% of the total population of weevils in Ukraine. Endemic species comprise a small proportion of the fauna but are remarkably concentrated in the mountains of Crimea (24 species) and the Carpathians (25 species). Along with 'true' endemics, 210 species are narrowly-ranged non-endemics and also have higher concentration in Crimea and the Carpathians (105 and 38 spp.). A total of 82 species are qualified as widely-ranged with high concentration in Central European Mixed Forests and East European Forest Steppe (71 spp. on average per province).        The high diversity and evenness of weevil assemblages is shown by species sequence curve analysis in the Crimean Mountains, the Carpathians, steppes and lowland broad leaf forests, which contrasts with assemblages in lowland mixed forests. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indices both show an extremely broad range of evenness in the Pontic Steppes which have both assemblages with low evenness in Stipa-Festuca-Koeleria steppes and high evenness in Stipa-Bromopsis steppes (H' =1.87-4.22). East European Forest Steppe and Central European Mixed Forests harbour similarly even communities (H' =3.60-4.48 vs. 3.18-4.57). The Crimean Mountains and the Carpathians are defined as a hotspot of biodiversity combining the highest scores of endemics, R1 species, and highest alpha diversity. Host plants are documented for 1259 species. Some 83% of weevils feed on live tissues of angiosperm plants belonging to 64 families. A total of 258 species are confirmed as polyphagous, 8 as monophagous, thus the majority of the rest are more or less narrowly oligophagous. A total of 33.68% of the species are associated with Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Brassicaceae.

An oral health survey of vulnerable older people in Belgium.

PubMed

De Visschere, Luc; Janssens, Barbara; De Reu, Griet; Duyck, Joke; Vanobbergen, Jacques

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to gain insight in the oral health of persons aged 65 years or more. Data were obtained from 652 vulnerable older persons (≥65) by means of a clinical oral examination. Additional demographic data were gathered including age, gender, residence, and care dependency. The mean age of the total study sample was 83 (7.7) years and 71 % was female. Nearly 33 % of the sample was living at home with support, and 67 % was residing in nursing homes. The number of occluding pairs was low and the proportion of edentulous people was highest among persons with the highest care dependency. The mean Decay-missing-filled teeth index (DMFT) was 20.3 (9.0). A prosthetic treatment need and inadequate oral hygiene levels were observed in 40 % and more than 60 % of the subjects, respectively. The highest treatment need was observed in the oldest age group and the highest mean dental plaque in older persons with the highest care dependency. The oral health in frail older people in Belgium is poor. The restorative and prosthetic treatment need is high and oral hygiene levels are problematic. Age, residence, and care dependency seemed to have some influence on oral health parameters. In the long term, the most important future challenge of oral health care policies is to identify older adults before they begin to manifest such oral health deterioration. Regular dental visits should be strongly promoted by all (oral) health care workers during the lifespan of all persons including older adults.

Lipid and Lipoprotein Biomarkers and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Postmenopausal Women

PubMed Central

Berger, Jeffrey S.; McGinn, Aileen P.; Howard, Barbara V.; Kuller, Lewis; Manson, JoAnn E.; Otvos, Jim; Curb, J. David; Eaton, Charles B; Kaplan, Robert C.; Lynch, John K.; Rosenbaum, Daniel M.; Wassertheil-Smoller, Sylvia

2012-01-01

Background Few studies simultaneously investigated lipids and lipoprotein biomarkers as predictors of ischemic stroke. The value of these biomarkers as independent predictors of ischemic stroke remains controversial. Methods We conducted a prospective nested case-control study among postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study to assess the relationship between fasting lipids (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides), lipoproteins (LDL, HDL and VLDL particle number and size, IDL particle number, and lipoprotein [a]) and risk of ischemic stroke. Among women free of stroke at baseline, 774 ischemic stroke patients were matched according to age and race to controls using a 1:1 ratio. Results In bivariate analysis, baseline triglycerides (P<0.001), IDL particles (P<0.01), LDL particles (P<0.01), VLDL triglyceride (P<0.001), VLDL particles (P<0.01), VLDL size (P<0.001), LDL size (P=0.03), and total/HDL cholesterol ratio (P<0.01) were significantly higher among women with incident ischemic stroke, while levels of HDL-C (P<0.01) and HDL size (P<0.01) were lower. No significant baseline difference for total cholesterol (P=0.15), LDL-C (P=0.47), and lipoprotein (a) (P=0.11) was observed. In multivariable analysis, triglycerides, (OR for the highest vs lowest quartile, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.13-2.17, P for trend =0.02), VLDL size (OR 1.59, 95% CI, 1.10-2.28, P for trend =0.03) and IDL particle number (OR 1.46, 95% CI, 1.04-2.04, P for trend =0.02) were significantly associated with ischemic stroke. Conclusion Among a panel of lipid and lipoprotein biomarkers, baseline triglycerides, VLDL size and IDL particle number were significantly associated with incident ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women. PMID:22308251

Effects of water temperature and substrate type on spore production and release in eastern Tubifex tubifex worms infected with Myxobolus cerebralis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blazer, V.S.; Waldrop, T.B.; Schill, W.B.; Densmore, Christine L.; Smith, D.

2003-01-01

Eastern Tubifex tubifex worms were exposed to Myxobolus cerebralis spores at 9, 13, 17, and 20 C in 1-L jars that contained sand, mud, or leaf litter as substrata. Beginning 60 days after exposure, water from each jar was filtered daily and examined for the presence of waterborne triactinomyxon spores (TAMs). On discovering a single TAM from an experimental jar, 48 T. tubifex worms from that jar were placed individually into 24-well plates. Spores released from individual infected T. tubifex worms were quantified to determine the first day of TAM release from infected worms, the infection rate, the total number of TAMs released per worm, and the duration of release. No TAMs were found in any of the jars incubated at 20 C or in uninfected, control worms at any temperature. The total number of TAMs released by infected worms in mud and sand was highest at 13 C compared with other temperatures. Infection rates among individual worms increased with temperature between 9 and 17 C. Higher temperatures (up to 17 C) induced earlier TAM releases among infected worms, and substratum did not influence this production parameter. The average duration of TAM release decreased as the temperature increased from 9 to 17 C, and there was a significant effect of substratum in the groups maintained at 13 and 17 C. In all temperature treatments between 9 and 17 C, the duration of release was least in the worms maintained in leaf litter, as was the total number of TAMs released during the experimental period and the median number of TAMs per production day.

Wire array Z-pinch insights for enhanced x-ray production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanford, T. W. L.; Mock, R. C.; Spielman, R. B.; Haines, M. G.; Chittenden, J. P.; Whitney, K. G.; Apruzese, J. P.; Peterson, D. L.; Greenly, J. B.; Sinars, D. B.; Reisman, D. B.; Mosher, D.

1999-05-01

Comparisons of measured total radiated x-ray power from annular wire-array z-pinches with a variety of models as a function of wire number, array mass, and load radius are reviewed. The data, which are comprehensive, have provided important insights into the features of wire-array dynamics that are critical for high x-ray power generation. Collectively, the comparisons of the data with the model calculations suggest that a number of underlying dynamical mechanisms involving cylindrical asymmetries and plasma instabilities contribute to the measured characteristics. For example, under the general assumption that the measured risetime of the total-radiated-power pulse is related to the thickness of the plasma shell formed on axis, the Heuristic Model [IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 26, 1275 (1998)] agrees with the measured risetime under a number of specific assumptions about the way the breakdown of the wires, the wire-plasma expansion, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane, develop. Likewise, in the high wire-number regime (where the wires are calculated to form a plasma shell prior to significant radial motion of the shell) the comparisons show that the variation in the power of the radiation generated as a function of load mass and array radius can be simulated by the two-dimensional Eulerian-radiation- magnetohydrodynamics code (E-RMHC) [Phys. Plasmas 3, 368 (1996)], using a single random-density perturbation that seeds the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane. For a given pulse-power generator, the comparisons suggest that (1) the smallest interwire gaps compatible with practical load construction and (2) the minimum implosion time consistent with the optimum required energy coupling of the generator to the load should produce the highest total-radiated-power levels.

Influence of variety and harvest maturity on phytochemical content in corn silk.

PubMed

Sarepoua, Eakrin; Tangwongchai, Ratchada; Suriharn, Bhalang; Lertrat, Kamol

2015-02-15

Corn silk has been used as a traditional herb in Asia. The objective of this study was to evaluate variability in phytochemicals in corn varieties at three maturity stages of corn silk. Ten vegetable corn varieties were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were recorded for total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total anthocyanin (TAC) and antioxidant activity (AA) by DPPH free-radical-scavenging assays. Differences among corn varieties were observed for all parameters at all maturity stages, and the interactions between maturity stage and corn variety were significant. TPC and TAC were highest at the milky stage, whereas TFC and AA were highest at the silking stage. TPC, TFC and AA were highest in super sweet corn and white corn at the silking stage. PWC5 variety of purple waxy corn at the milky stage had the highest values for all parameters, and it is useful for further development of functional food products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High radiofrequency radiation at Stockholm Old Town: An exposimeter study including the Royal Castle, Supreme Court, three major squares and the Swedish Parliament.

PubMed

Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael; Koppel, Tarmo; Hedendahl, Lena

2017-04-01

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation was classified as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer at WHO in 2011. The exposure pattern is changing due to the rapid development of technology. Outdoor RF radiation level was measured during five tours in Stockholm Old Town in April, 2016 using the EME Spy 200 exposimeter with 20 predefined frequencies. The results were based on 10,437 samples in total. The mean level of the total RF radiation was 4,293 µW/m 2 (0.4293 µW/cm 2 ). The highest mean levels were obtained for global system for mobile communications (GSM) + universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) 900 downlink and long-term evolution (LTE) 2600 downlink (1,558 and 1,265 µW/m 2 , respectively). The town squares displayed highest total mean levels, with the example of Järntorget square with 24,277 µW/m 2 (min 257, max 173,302 µW/m 2 ). These results were in large contrast to areas with lowest total exposure, such as the Supreme Court, with a mean level of 404 µW/m 2 (min 20.4, max 4,088 µW/m 2 ). In addition, measurements in the streets surrounding the Royal Castle were lower than the total for the Old Town, with a mean of 756 µW/m 2 (min 0.3, max 50,967 µW/m 2 ). The BioInitiative 2012 Report defined the scientific benchmark for possible health risks as 30-60 µW/m 2 . Our results of outdoor RF radiation exposure at Stockholm Old Town are significantly above that level. The mean exposure level at Järntorget square was 405-fold higher than 60 µW/m 2 . Our results were below the reference level on 10,000,000 µW/m 2 established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which, however, are less credible, as they do not take non-thermal effects into consideration and are not based on sound scientific evaluation. Our highest measured mean level at Järntorget was 0.24% of the ICNIRP level. A number of studies have found adverse, non-thermal (no measurable temperature increase) health effects far below the ICNIRP guidelines.

High radiofrequency radiation at Stockholm Old Town: An exposimeter study including the Royal Castle, Supreme Court, three major squares and the Swedish Parliament

PubMed Central

Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael; Koppel, Tarmo; Hedendahl, Lena

2017-01-01

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation was classified as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer at WHO in 2011. The exposure pattern is changing due to the rapid development of technology. Outdoor RF radiation level was measured during five tours in Stockholm Old Town in April, 2016 using the EME Spy 200 exposimeter with 20 predefined frequencies. The results were based on 10,437 samples in total. The mean level of the total RF radiation was 4,293 µW/m2 (0.4293 µW/cm2). The highest mean levels were obtained for global system for mobile communications (GSM) + universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) 900 downlink and long-term evolution (LTE) 2600 downlink (1,558 and 1,265 µW/m2, respectively). The town squares displayed highest total mean levels, with the example of Järntorget square with 24,277 µW/m2 (min 257, max 173,302 µW/m2). These results were in large contrast to areas with lowest total exposure, such as the Supreme Court, with a mean level of 404 µW/m2 (min 20.4, max 4,088 µW/m2). In addition, measurements in the streets surrounding the Royal Castle were lower than the total for the Old Town, with a mean of 756 µW/m2 (min 0.3, max 50,967 µW/m2). The BioInitiative 2012 Report defined the scientific benchmark for possible health risks as 30–60 µW/m2. Our results of outdoor RF radiation exposure at Stockholm Old Town are significantly above that level. The mean exposure level at Järntorget square was 405-fold higher than 60 µW/m2. Our results were below the reference level on 10,000,000 µW/m2 established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which, however, are less credible, as they do not take non-thermal effects into consideration and are not based on sound scientific evaluation. Our highest measured mean level at Järntorget was 0.24% of the ICNIRP level. A number of studies have found adverse, non-thermal (no measurable temperature increase) health effects far below the ICNIRP guidelines. PMID:28413651

Diversity and altitudinal distribution of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) in Peregrina Canyon, Tamaulipas, Mexico

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Reyes, Uriel Jeshua; Niño-Maldonado, Santiago; Jones, Robert W.

2014-01-01

Abstract The Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) is a highly speciose family that has been poorly studied at the regional level in Mexico. In the present study, we estimated species richness and diversity in oak-pine forest, Tamaulipan thorny scrub and in tropical deciduous forests in Peregrina Canyon within the Altas Cumbres Protected Area of the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Sampling of Chrysomelidae consisted of five sweep net samples (200 net sweeps) within each of three sites during four sample periods: early dry season, late dry season, early wet season, and late wet season. Species were identified and total numbers per species were recorded for each sample. A total of 2,226 specimens were collected belonging to six subfamilies, 81 genera and 157 species of Chrysomelidae from the study area. Galerucinae was the most abundant subfamily with 1,828 specimens, representing 82.1% of total abundance in the study area. Lower abundance was recorded in Cassidinae (8.5%), Eumolpinae (3.6%), Cryptocephalinae (2.2%), Chrysomelinae (2.2%), and finally Criocerinae (1.3%). The highest species richness was also presented in the subfamily Galerucinae with 49% of the total obtained species followed by Cassidinae (20%), Cryptocephalinae (9.7%), Eumolpinae (9.7%), Chrysomelinae (6.5%) and Criocerinae (5.2%). The most common species were Centralaphthona fulvipennis Jacoby (412 individuals), Centralaphthona diversa (Baly) (248), Margaridisa sp.1 (219), Acallepitrix sp.1 (134), Longitarsus sp.1 (104), Heterispa vinula (Erichson) (91), Epitrix sp.1 (84) and Chaetocnema sp.1 (72). Twenty-two species were doubletons (1.97% of total abundance) and 52 were singletons (2.33%). The estimated overall density value obtained was 0.0037 individuals/m2. The greatest abundance and density of individuals were recorded at the lowest elevation site. However, alpha diversity increased with increasing altitude. Similarity values were less than 50% among the three sites indicating that each site had distinct species assemblages of Chrysomelidae. The highest abundance was obtained during the late dry season, whereas diversity indices were highest during the early wet season. The present work represents the first report of the altitudinal variation in richness, abundance, and diversity of Chrysomelidae in Mexico. These results highlight the importance of conservation of this heterogeneous habitat and establish baseline data for Chrysomelidae richness and diversity for the region. PMID:25061357

Annotated checklist of the coastal ichthyofauna from Michoacán State, Mexico

PubMed Central

Torres-Hernández, Eloísa; Palacios-Morales, Georgina; Romero-Gallardo, Salvador; Salazar-Araujo, Paloma; García-Meraz, Adrián; Madrigal-Guridi, Xavier; Del Moral-Flores, Luis F.; Domínguez-Domínguez, Omar

2016-01-01

Abstract This study is the first to complete an intensive and comprehensive list of the ichthyofauna of nearly all ecosystems of the Michoacán coast, Mexico. The resulting systematic checklist, supplemented with information from the literature and scientific collections, comprises 440 species belonging to two classes, 31 orders, 104 families, and 264 genera. The families with the highest number of species were Sciaenidae (30 spp.), Carangidae (26), Haemulidae (24), Serranidae (21), Paralichthyidae, and Gobiidae (13). Of the total species list, 134 represent first records for the Michoacán State, and one is a first record for Mexico. The results expand the number of known fish species of the Michoacán coast by almost one third and will help to develop conservation and management plans for this coastal zone. PMID:27551224

A Preliminary Survey of Species Composition of Termites (Insecta: Isoptera) in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak

PubMed Central

Jamil, Norsyarizan; Ismail, Wan Nurainie Wan; Abidin, Siti Shamimi; Amaran, Mazdan Ali; Hazali, Ratnawati

2017-01-01

A survey on termite species composition was conducted in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak in February 2015. Overall 19 species of termite belonging to 13 genera and 8 subfamilies was found in the sanctuary. It was recorded the subfamily of Termitinae had the highest number of species (6 species, equal to 31.58% of total species), followed by Nasutermitinae (3 species, 15.79%), Macrotermitinae, Amitermitinae, Rhinotermitinae, Coptotermitinae, (2 species, 10.53% respectively), and Heterotermitinae, Termitogetoninae (1 species, 5.26% respectively). Since this rapid survey is the first termite assemblage representation in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, the preliminary result may serve as the baseline data for termite composition in the area. Therefore, a whole coverage for the area within this sanctuary would definitely increase the number of termite species found in the sanctuary. PMID:28890771

A Preliminary Survey of Species Composition of Termites (Insecta: Isoptera) in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak.

PubMed

Jamil, Norsyarizan; Ismail, Wan Nurainie Wan; Abidin, Siti Shamimi; Amaran, Mazdan Ali; Hazali, Ratnawati

2017-07-01

A survey on termite species composition was conducted in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak in February 2015. Overall 19 species of termite belonging to 13 genera and 8 subfamilies was found in the sanctuary. It was recorded the subfamily of Termitinae had the highest number of species (6 species, equal to 31.58% of total species), followed by Nasutermitinae (3 species, 15.79%), Macrotermitinae, Amitermitinae, Rhinotermitinae, Coptotermitinae, (2 species, 10.53% respectively), and Heterotermitinae, Termitogetoninae (1 species, 5.26% respectively). Since this rapid survey is the first termite assemblage representation in Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, the preliminary result may serve as the baseline data for termite composition in the area. Therefore, a whole coverage for the area within this sanctuary would definitely increase the number of termite species found in the sanctuary.

Effect of Organic and Conventional Management on Bio-Functional Quality of Thirteen Plum Cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl.).

PubMed

Cuevas, Francisco Julián; Pradas, Inmaculada; Ruiz-Moreno, María José; Arroyo, Francisco Teodoro; Perez-Romero, Luis Felipe; Montenegro, José Carlos; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel

2015-01-01

In this study, thirteen Japanese plum cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl.) grown under conventional and organic conditions were compared to evaluate the influence of the culture system on bioactive compounds. Their organic acids content (malic, citric, tartaric, succinic, shikimic, ascorbic and fumaric acid), total polyphenols, total anthocyanins, total carotenoids and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS) were evaluated. The study was performed during two consecutive seasons (2012 and 2013) in two experimental orchards located at the IFAPA centre Las Torres-Tomejil (Seville, SW Spain). The culture system affected all the studied parameters except for total carotenoid content. The organic plums had significantly higher polyphenol and anthocyanin concentrations and a greater antioxidant capacity. Additionally, significant differences between cultivars were also found. 'Showtime' and 'Friar' were the cultivars with the highest polyphenol concentration and antioxidant capacity. 'Black Amber' had the highest anthocyanin content and 'Larry Ann' and 'Songold' the highest carotenoid content. 'Sapphire' and 'Black amber' were the cultivars with the highest concentration of ascorbic acid. Our results showed a strong year effect. In conclusion, organic management had an impact on the production of phytochemical compounds in plums.

Effect of Organic and Conventional Management on Bio-Functional Quality of Thirteen Plum Cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl.)

PubMed Central

Cuevas, Francisco Julián; Pradas, Inmaculada; Ruiz‐Moreno, María José; Arroyo, Francisco Teodoro; Perez-Romero, Luis Felipe; Montenegro, José Carlos; Moreno‐Rojas, José Manuel

2015-01-01

In this study, thirteen Japanese plum cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl.) grown under conventional and organic conditions were compared to evaluate the influence of the culture system on bioactive compounds. Their organic acids content (malic, citric, tartaric, succinic, shikimic, ascorbic and fumaric acid), total polyphenols, total anthocyanins, total carotenoids and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS) were evaluated. The study was performed during two consecutive seasons (2012 and 2013) in two experimental orchards located at the IFAPA centre Las Torres-Tomejil (Seville, SW Spain). The culture system affected all the studied parameters except for total carotenoid content. The organic plums had significantly higher polyphenol and anthocyanin concentrations and a greater antioxidant capacity. Additionally, significant differences between cultivars were also found. ‘Showtime’ and ‘Friar’ were the cultivars with the highest polyphenol concentration and antioxidant capacity. ‘Black Amber’ had the highest anthocyanin content and ‘Larry Ann’ and ‘Songold’ the highest carotenoid content. ‘Sapphire’ and ‘Black amber’ were the cultivars with the highest concentration of ascorbic acid. Our results showed a strong year effect. In conclusion, organic management had an impact on the production of phytochemical compounds in plums. PMID:26313546

Assessment of health burden caused by particulate matter in southern China using high-resolution satellite observation.

PubMed

Lu, Xingcheng; Lin, Changqing; Li, Ying; Yao, Teng; Fung, Jimmy C H; Lau, Alexis K H

2017-01-01

As the major engine of economic growth in China, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region is one of the most urbanized regions in the world. Rapid development has brought great wealth to its citizens; however, at the same time, increasing emissions of ambient pollutants from vehicles and industrial combustions have caused considerable air pollution and negative health effects for the region's residents. In this study, the concentration response function method was applied together with satellite-retrieved particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) concentration data to estimate the health burden caused by this pollutant from 2004 to 2013. The value of statistical life was used to calculate the economic loss due to the negative health effects of particulate matter pollution. Our results show that in the whole PRD region, the estimated number of deaths from the four diseases attributable to PM 2.5 was the highest in 2012, at 45,000 (19,000-61,000); the number of all-cause hospital admissions due to PM 10 was the highest in 2013, reaching up to 91,000 (0-270,000) (excluding Hong Kong). Among the 10 cities, the capital city Guangzhou suffered the most from ambient particulate matter pollution and had the highest mortality and morbidity over the 10years. The cost of mortality in this region was the highest in 2012, at 46,000 million USD, or around 6.1% of local total gross domestic product (GDP). The positive spatial relationship between the degree of urbanization and the particulate matter concentration proves that the urbanization process does worsen air quality and hence increases the health risks of local urban citizens. It is recommended that local governments further enhance their control policies to better guarantee the health and wealth benefits of local residents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish off the Portuguese coast.

PubMed

Neves, Diogo; Sobral, Paula; Ferreira, Joana Lia; Pereira, Tânia

2015-12-15

The digestive tract contents of 263 individuals from 26 species of commercial fish were examined for microplastics. These were found in 17 species, corresponding to 19.8% of the fish of which 32.7% had ingested more than one microplastic. Of all the fish that ingested microplastics, 63.5% was benthic and 36.5% pelagic species. A total of 73 microplastics were recorded, 48 (65.8%) being fibres and 25 (34.2%) being fragments. Polymers were polypropylene, polyethylene, alkyd resin, rayon, polyester, nylon and acrylic. The mean of ingested microplastics was 0.27 ± 0.63 per fish, (n=263). Pelagic fish ingested more particles and benthic fish ingested more fibres, but no significant differences were found. Fish with the highest number of microplastics were from the mouth of the Tagus river. Scomber japonicus registered the highest mean of ingested microplastics, suggesting its potential as indicator species to monitor and investigate trends in ingested litter, in the MSFD marine regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview of deaths associated with natural events, United States, 1979-2004.

PubMed

Thacker, Maria T F; Lee, Robin; Sabogal, Raquel I; Henderson, Alden

2008-06-01

Analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics' Compressed Mortality File showed that between 1979 and 2004, natural events caused 21,491 deaths in the United States. During this 26-year period, there were 10,827 cold-related deaths and 5,279 heat-related deaths. Extreme cold or heat accounted for 75 per cent of the total number of deaths attributed to natural events--more than all of deaths resulting from lightning, storms and foods, and earth movements, such as earthquakes and landslides. Cold-related death rates were highest in the states of Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota, while heat-related deaths were highest in the states of Arizona, Missouri, and Arkansas. These deaths occurred more often among the elderly and black men. Other deaths were attributed to lightning (1,906), storms and foods (2,741), and earth movements (738). Most deaths associated with natural events are preventable and society can take action to decrease the morbidity and mortality connected with them.

Association between sequence variants in panicle development genes and the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

PubMed

Jang, Su; Lee, Yunjoo; Lee, Gileung; Seo, Jeonghwan; Lee, Dongryung; Yu, Yoye; Chin, Joong Hyoun; Koh, Hee-Jong

2018-01-15

Balancing panicle-related traits such as panicle length and the numbers of primary and secondary branches per panicle, is key to improving the number of spikelets per panicle in rice. Identifying genetic information contributes to a broader understanding of the roles of gene and provides candidate alleles for use as DNA markers. Discovering relations between panicle-related traits and sequence variants allows opportunity for molecular application in rice breeding to improve the number of spikelets per panicle. In total, 142 polymorphic sites, which constructed 58 haplotypes, were detected in coding regions of ten panicle development gene and 35 sequence variants in six genes were significantly associated with panicle-related traits. Rice cultivars were clustered according to their sequence variant profiles. One of the four resultant clusters, which contained only indica and tong-il varieties, exhibited the largest average number of favorable alleles and highest average number of spikelets per panicle, suggesting that the favorable allele combination found in this cluster was beneficial in increasing the number of spikelets per panicle. Favorable alleles identified in this study can be used to develop functional markers for rice breeding programs. Furthermore, stacking several favorable alleles has the potential to substantially improve the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Properties of Colored Soybean Seeds from Central Europe

PubMed Central

Cvejić, Jelena; Miladinović, Jegor

2012-01-01

Abstract The antioxidant activity and contents of various polyphenol classes in the seeds of seven soybean varieties of different seed color and one yellow seed cultivar, representing a reference genotype, were evaluated. Total polyphenols and tannins were determined after extraction of plant material with 70% aqueous acetone, and total flavonoids were extracted with methanol and acetic acid, whereas anthocyanins were extracted with 20% aqueous ethanol. In addition, isoflavone content and composition were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Antioxidant activity of seed extracts was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity assay. A positive linear correlation between antioxidant activity and contents of total polyphenols and anthocyanins was established. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the extracts of black and brown varieties, which also showed high levels of all polyphenol classes examined. Yellow seed had the highest total isoflavone content (3.62 mg/g of dry material). The highest concentration of total daidzein was determined in black seeds (>2.0 mg/g of dry material), and the highest total glycitein and genistein contents occurred in the yellow cultivar (0.53 and 1.49 mg/g of dry material, respectively). According to our results, varieties of black and brown seeds could be of special interest not only for their large content of total polyphenols, ranging from 4.94 to 6.22 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry material, but also for their high content of natural antioxidants such as anthocyanins. PMID:21861721

The relationship of hospital ownership and service composition to hospital charges

PubMed Central

Eskoz, Robin; Peddecord, K. Michael

1985-01-01

The relationship of hospital ownership and service composition to hospital charges was examined for 456 general acute hospitals in California. Ancillary services had higher profit margins, both gross and net profits, than daily hospital services. Ancillary services accounted for 55.3 percent of total patient revenue. Charges per day were 23 percent higher for ancillary services than for daily hospital services. Net profits for daily and ancillary services were lowest at county hospitals. Proprietary hospitals had the highest net profits for total ancillary services and the highest mean charges. Not-for-profit hospitals had the highest profit margins for daily hospital services. Neither direct nor total costs for ancillary services were significantly different among ownership groups, although direct costs for daily hospital services were significantly higher at proprietary hospitals. PMID:10311161

Number of papers published in English from the nursing departments of 42 national universities in Japan in the past ten years.

PubMed

Kameoka, Junichi; Iwazaki, Junya; Takahashi, Fumie; Sato, Fumiko; Sato, Kazuki; Taguchi, Atsuko; Nakamura, Yasuka; Ishii, Seiichi; Kagaya, Yutaka

2016-03-01

In Japan, the departments of nursing were established by 2004, and graduate school programs for master's degree were established by 2008, in 42 national universities. With these changes, a more academic mission has been pursued, and the need for writing papers in English has increased. To investigate the numbers of papers published in English from the nursing departments of national universities in Japan over the past ten years. The lists of teachers who have nursing licenses in the departments of nursing in the 42 national universities (n=2292) were obtained from the Japan Association of Nursing Programs in Universities. The number of papers published in English by these teachers from 2004 to 2013 was counted using the SCOPUS database. The average number of total papers, in which at least one of the authors was a nursing teacher, and first-authored papers, in which the first author was a nursing teacher, were 211.4 and 69.9 per year, respectively; both increased approximately two-fold during the past ten years. The means and standard deviations of the number of total papers and first-authored papers were 50.3±63.8 (range: 1-382) and 18.3±23.4 (range: 0-147) according to universities, and 1.39±5.84 (range: 0-140) and 0.33±1.28 (range: 0-21) according to teachers, respectively. When journals with the highest number of papers were analyzed, 12 of the top 20 (total papers) and 12 of the top 16 (first-authored papers) were in journals whose editorial offices are in Japan. The number of papers published in English has increased over the past ten years, varied markedly depending on the universities and teachers, and many papers were published in Japanese journals. To our knowledge, this is the first report anywhere to determine the average number of nursing papers "per teacher" in a specific population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recruiting Community-Based Dementia Patients and Caregivers in a Nonpharmacologic Randomized Trial: What Works and How Much Does It Cost?

PubMed

Morrison, Karen; Winter, Laraine; Gitlin, Laura N

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and cost of three recruitment strategies-direct mail, newspaper advertisements, and community outreach-for identifying and enrolling dementia caregivers into a randomized trial testing a nonpharmacologic approach to enhancing quality of life of patients and caregivers (dyads). Enrollment occurred between 2006 and 2008. The number of recruitment inquiries, number and race of enrollees, and costs for each recruitment strategy were recorded. Of 284 inquiries, 237 (83%) dyads enrolled. Total cost for recruitment across methodologies was US$154 per dyad. Direct mailings resulted in the most enrollees (n = 135, 57%) and was the least costly method (US$63 per dyad) compared with newspaper ads (US$224 per dyad) and community outreach (US$350 per dyad). Although enrollees were predominately White, mailings yielded the highest number of non-Whites (n = 37). Direct mailings was the most effective and least costly method for enrolling dyads in a nonpharmacologic dementia trial. © The Author(s) 2014.

Bibliometric Analysis of Orthopedic Literature on Total Knee Arthroplasty in Asian Countries: A 10-year Analysis.

PubMed

Eom, Sang Hwa; Bamne, Ankur B; Chowdhry, Madhav; Chae, Ihn Seok; Kim, Tae Kyun

2015-09-01

We aimed to determine the quantity and quality of research output of selected Asian countries in the field of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the last 10 years. Top 15 Asian countries were selected according to their gross domestic product. The Science Citation Index Expanded database was used to search for the literature published between 2004 and 2013 using "Total Knee Arthroplasty". The numbers of articles, journals and citations and the contribution of each country were analyzed. The articles were classified according to the type of study and the relative proportion of each type was analyzed. Asian surgeons have increasingly contributed to orthopedic literature on TKA for the past 10 years, but the dominant contribution came from only a few countries. The total number of articles published by Asian countries increased by 261%, with Japan producing most of the studies and China showing the maximum growth rate. The majority of studies were published in low impact factor journals. Korea published the highest proportion of articles in high impact factor journals. Clinical papers were most frequent. Our identification of research productivity pertaining to TKA among Asian countries gives a unique insight into the level of academic research in the field of TKA in these countries. There is a need to improve the quality of research to enhance the publishing power in high impact journals as well as the need for more basic research and epidemiological studies considering the unique differences among Asian patients undergoing TKA.

Plant growth promotion rhizobacteria in onion production.

PubMed

Colo, Josip; Hajnal-Jafari, Timea I; Durić, Simonida; Stamenov, Dragana; Hamidović, Saud

2014-01-01

The aim of the research was to examine the effect of rhizospheric bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum, Pseudomonas fluorescens (strains 1 and 2) and Bacillus subtilis on the growth and yield of onion and on the microorganisms in the rhizosphere of onion. The ability of microorganisms to produce indole-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores and to solubilize tricalcium phosphate (TCP) was also assessed. The experiment was conducted in field conditions, in chernozem type of soil. Bacillus subtilis was the best producer of IAA, whereas Pseudomonas fluorescens strains were better at producing siderophores and solubilizing phosphates. The longest seedling was observed with the application of Azotobacter chroococcum. The height of the plants sixty days after sowing was greater in all the inoculated variants than in the control. The highest onion yield was observed in Bacillus subtilis and Azotobacter chroococcum variants. The total number of bacteria and the number of Azotobacter chroococcum were larger in all the inoculated variants then in the control. The number of fungi decreased in most of the inoculated variants, whereas the number of actinomycetes decreased or remained the same.

Geometrical analysis on cap-shaped coils for power optimization of the vibration-based electromagnetic harvesting system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasbullah Mohd Isa, Wan; Fikri Muhammad, Khairul; Mohd Khairuddin, Ismail; Ishak, Ismayuzri; Razlan Yusoff, Ahmad

2016-02-01

This paper presents the new form of coils for electromagnetic energy harvesting system based on topology optimization method which look-liked a cap to maximize the power output. It could increase the number of magnetic flux linkage interception of a cylindrical permanent magnet which in this case is of 10mm diameter. Several coils with different geometrical properties have been build and tested on a vibration generator with frequency of 100Hz. The results showed that the coil with lowest number of winding transduced highest power output of 680μW while the highest number of windings generated highest voltage output of 0.16V.

Variations in the intensive use of head CT for elderly patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

PubMed

Bekelis, Kimon; Fisher, Elliott S; Labropoulos, Nicos; Zhou, Weiping; Skinner, Jonathan

2015-04-01

To investigate the variability in head computed tomographic (CT) scanning in patients with hemorrhagic stroke in U.S. hospitals, its association with mortality, and the number of different physicians consulted. The study was approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at Dartmouth College. A retrospective analysis of the Medicare fee-for-service claims data was performed for elderly patients admitted for hemorrhagic stroke in 2008-2009, with 1-year follow-up through 2010. Risk-adjusted primary outcome measures were mean number of head CT scans performed and high-intensity use of head CT (six or more head CT scans performed in the year after admission). We examined the association of high-intensity use of head CT with the number of different physicians consulted and mortality. A total of 53 272 patients (mean age, 79.6 years; 31 377 women [58.9%]) with hemorrhagic stroke were identified in the study period. The mean number of head CT scans conducted in the year after admission for stroke was 3.4; 8737 patients (16.4%) underwent six or more scans. Among the hospitals with the highest case volume (more than 50 patients with hemorrhagic stroke), risk-adjusted rates ranged from 8.0% to 48.1%. The correlation coefficient between number of physicians consulted and rates of high-intensity use of head CT was 0.522 (P < .01) for all hospitals and 0.50 (P < .01) for the highest-volume hospitals. No improvement in 1-year mortality was found for patients undergoing six or more head CT scans (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 1.02). High rates of head CT use for patients with hemorrhagic stroke are frequently observed, without an association with decreased mortality. A higher number of physicians consulted was associated with high-intensity use of head CT. © RSNA, 2014 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fugitive PM10 emissions from an integrated iron and steel plant.

PubMed

Khaparde, V V; Bhanarkar, A D; Majumdar, Deepanjan; Rao, C V Chalapati

2016-08-15

Fugitive emissions of PM10 (particles <10μm in diameter) and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were monitored in the vicinity of coking unit, sintering unit, blast furnace and steel manufacturing unit in an integrated iron and steel plant situated in India. Concentrations of PM10, PM10-bound total PAHs, benzo (a) pyrene, carcinogenic PAHs and combustion PAHs were found to be highest around the sintering unit. Concentrations of 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs were recorded to be highest in the coking unit whereas 5-and 6-ring PAHs were found to be highest in other units. The following indicatory PAHs were identified: indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene, dibenzo (a,h) anthracene, benzo (k) fluoranthene in blast furnace unit; indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene, dibenzo (a,h) anthracene, chrysene in sintering unit; Anthracene, fluoranthene, chrysene in coking unit and acenaphthene, fluoranthene, fluorene in steel making unit. Total-BaP-TEQ (Total BaP toxic equivalent quotient) and BaP-MEQ (Total BaP mutagenic equivalent quotient) concentration levels ranged from 2.4 to 231.7ng/m(3) and 1.9 to 175.8ng/m(3), respectively. BaP and DbA (dibenzo (a,h) anthracene) contribution to total-BaP-TEQ was found to be the highest. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Turkey vulture surveys in Cuba

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wotzkow, C.; Wiley, J.W.

1988-01-01

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), were surveyed monthly in Cuba from March 1982-January 1983. A total of 25371 vultures were tallied in 7186 km (3.5 vultures/transect km) of roadside counting along main highways leading from the city of La Habana (northwestern Cuba) to the city of Las Tunas (southeast). Numbers of vultures counted declined substantially beyond 200 m from the transect road. Density of vultures observed within 200 m of the road along the transect route was 0.06/ha. Highest counts were obtained in March, April and June. Turkey Vulture flying activity was greatest during the periods 0900-1200 H and 1400-1700 H.

Birds from the Azores: An updated list with some comments on species distribution

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Pedro R; Bried, Joël; Mendonça, Enésima P; Gabriel, Rosalina; Borges, Paulo Alexandre Vieira

2015-01-01

Abstract Background An updated checklist of the Birds of the Azores is presented based on information compiled from Rodrigues et al. (2010) and from the websites, Azores Bird Club. (2014), Aves dos Açores (2014) Azores Bird Sightings (2014) and Vittery (2014), since 2010. New information The checklist has a total of 414 species, including 38 new species. Almost half of the species and subspecies that occur in the Azores have a Palearctic origin, the remaining ones being essentialy Nearctic and Holarctic species. São Miguel is the island with the highest number of bird species, followed by Terceira, Corvo and Flores islands. PMID:26696765

Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR). Volume 7, Number 7, August 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-01

to 1995. The highest numbers of deaths were in Florida and Texas, while the highest rates were in New Mexico , Arizona, Arkansas, and Mississippi4...Hepatitis B Varicella 2. Events reported by August 7, 2000 and 2001. Shigella Sentinel reportable events for all beneficiaries1at US Army medical

Identification and expression analysis of glucosinolate biosynthetic genes and estimation of glucosinolate contents in edible organs of Brassica oleracea subspecies.

PubMed

Yi, Go-Eun; Robin, Arif Hasan Khan; Yang, Kiwoung; Park, Jong-In; Kang, Jong-Goo; Yang, Tae-Jin; Nou, Ill-Sup

2015-07-20

Glucosinolates are anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidative biochemical compounds that defend plants from insect and microbial attack. Glucosinolates are abundant in all cruciferous crops, including all vegetable and oilseed Brassica species. Here, we studied the expression of glucosinolate biosynthesis genes and determined glucosinolate contents in the edible organs of a total of 12 genotypes of Brassica oleracea: three genotypes each from cabbage, kale, kohlrabi and cauliflower subspecies. Among the 81 genes analyzed by RT-PCR, 19 are transcription factor-related, two different sets of 25 genes are involved in aliphatic and indolic biosynthesis pathways and the rest are breakdown-related. The expression of glucosinolate-related genes in the stems of kohlrabi was remarkably different compared to leaves of cabbage and kale and florets of cauliflower as only eight genes out of 81 were expressed in the stem tissues of kohlrabi. In the stem tissue of kohlrabi, only one aliphatic transcription factor-related gene, Bol036286 (MYB28) and one indolic transcription factor-related gene, Bol030761 (MYB51), were expressed. The results indicated the expression of all genes is not essential for glucosinolate biosynthesis. Using HPLC analysis, a total of 16 different types of glucosinolates were identified in four subspecies, nine of them were aliphatic, four of them were indolic and one was aromatic. Cauliflower florets measured the highest number of 14 glucosinolates. Among the aliphatic glucosinolates, only gluconapin was found in the florets of cauliflower. Glucoiberverin and glucobrassicanapin contents were the highest in the stems of kohlrabi. The indolic methoxyglucobrassicin and aromatic gluconasturtiin accounted for the highest content in the florets of cauliflower. A further detailed investigation and analyses is required to discern the precise roles of each of the genes for aliphatic and indolic glucosinolate biosynthesis in the edible organs.

No added value of age at menopause and the lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles for cardiovascular risk prediction in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Atsma, Femke; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Grobbee, Diederick E; Hoes, Arno W; Bartelink, Marie-Louise E L

2008-11-12

The aim of the present study was to investigate the added value of age at menopause and the lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles in cardiovascular risk prediction in postmenopausal women. This study included 971 women. The ankle-arm index was used as a proxy for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The ankle-arm index was calculated for each leg by dividing the highest ankle systolic blood pressure by the highest brachial systolic blood pressure. A cut-off value of 0.95 was used to differentiate between low and high risk women. Three cardiovascular risk models were constructed. In the initial model all classical predictors for cardiovascular disease were investigated. This model was then extended by age at menopause or the lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles to test their added value for cardiovascular risk prediction. Differences in discriminative power between the models were investigated by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The mean age was 66.0 (+/-5.6) years. The 6 independent predictors for cardiovascular disease were age, systolic blood pressure, total to HDL cholesterol ratio, current smoking, glucose level, and body mass index > or =30 kg/m(2). The ROC area was 0.69 (0.64-0.73) and did not change when age at menopause or the lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles was added. The findings in this study among postmenopausal women did not support the view that age at menopause or a refined estimation of lifetime endogenous estrogen exposure would improve cardiovascular risk prediction as approximated by the ankle-arm index.

Characterization of local goat breeds using RAP-DNA markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Barzinji, Yousif M. S.; Hamad, Aram O.

2017-09-01

The present study was conducted on different colors of local goat breeds. A number of 216 does were sampled from the seven groups. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples. From the twenty used RAPD primers 12 of them were amplified, and presence of bands. The total fragment number of 12 primers over all the goat breed samples was 485 fragments. Out of the 485 fragments, 90 of them were Polymorphic fragments numbers (PFN). From all bands obtained, 20 of them possessed unique bands. The highest unique band was found in locus RAP 6 which has 4 unique bands, three of them in the Maraz Brown and one in the local Koor. Nei's gene diversity and Shanon's information index in this study were averaged 0.38 and 0.60, respectively. The genetic distance among several goat breeds ranged from 9.11 to 43.33%. The highest genetic distance 43.33% recorded between Maraz goat and other goat breeds and between local Koor and other goat (except Maraz goats) breeds (37.79%). However, the lowest genetic distance recorded between local white and Pnok. The distance between (local Black and Pnok) and (local Black and local white) was 22.75%. In conclusions, the high distance among these goat breeds, polymorphism and high numbers of unique bands found in present study indicates that these goat breeds have the required amount of genetic variation to made genetic improvement. This study helps us to clarify the image of the genetic diversity of the local goat breeds and the breeders can used it for mating system when need to make the crossing among these goat breeds.

Effects of temperature, salinity, light intensity, and pH on the eicosapentaenoic acid production of Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Min; Wang, Ming; Liu, Jianhui; Zhang, Chengwu; Li, Aifen

2012-06-01

The effects of temperature, light intensity, salinity, and initial pH on the growth and fatty acid composition of Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus 2078 were studied for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production potential. The fatty acid composition was assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which indicated that the main fatty acids were C14:0, C16:0 and EPA. The highest EPA percentage 20.83% of total fatty acids was obtained at 20°C with the temperature being set at 20, 24, and 28°C. Under different salinities and light intensities, the highest percentages of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and EPA were 17.82% and 31.37% of total fatty acids, respectively, which were achieved at salinity 30 and 100 μmol photon m-2s-1 illumination. The highest percentages of total PUFAs and EPA were 38.75% and 23.13% of total fatty acids, respectively, which were reached at an initial pH of 6 with the test range being from 5.0 to 9.0.

In vitro assessment of relief to oxidative stress by different fractions of Boerhavia procumbens.

PubMed

Abbasi, Muhammad Athar; Rubab, Kaniz; Rehman, Azizur; Riaz, Tauheeda; Shahzadi, Tayyaba; Khalid, Muniba; Ajaib, Muhammad

2012-04-01

Methanolic extract of Boerhavia procumbens Bank ex Roxb. was partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol sequentially after dissolving in distilled water. Phytochemical screening showed presence of phenolics, flavonoides and cardiac glycosides in large amount in chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol soluble fraction. The antioxidant activity of all these fractions and the remaining aqueous fraction was evaluated by four methods such as: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, total antioxidant activity and ferric thiocyanate assay. Total phenolics were also determined. Some fractions showed noteworthy antioxidant activity. The results of the antioxidant activity revealed that the ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed the highest value of percent inhibition of DPPH (82.54 ± 0.62) at the concentration of 125 μ g/ml. The IC(50) of this fraction was 37.11± 0.23 μg/ml, compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which have IC(50) of 12.1 ± 0.92 μ/mL. It also showed the highest FRAP value (251.08 ± 1.46 μg of trolox equivalents) as well as the highest value of lipid peroxidation inhibition (57.21 ± 52%), the highest total antioxidant activity (0.549 ± 0.08) and also the highest total phenolic contents (77.1 ± 0.6) as compared to the studied fractions. Phytochemical screening showed high percentage of phenolics, flavonoides and cardiac glycosides in this fraction.

Improved Method for Determination of Respiring Individual Microorganisms in Natural Waters

PubMed Central

Tabor, Paul S.; Neihof, Rex A.

1982-01-01

A method is reported that combines the microscopic determinations of specific, individual, respiring microorganisms by the detection of electron transport system activity and the total number of organisms of an estuarine population by epifluorescence microscopy. An active cellular electron transport system specifically reduces 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan, which is recognized as opaque intracellular deposits in microorganisms stained with acridine orange. In a comparison of previously described sample preparation techniques, a loss of >70% of the counts of INT-reducing microorganisms was shown to be due to the dissolution of INT-formazan deposits by immersion oil (used in microscopy). In addition, significantly fewer fluorescing microorganisms and INT-formazan deposits, both ≤0.2 μm in size, were found for sample preparations that included a Nuclepore filter. Visual clarity was enhanced, and significantly greater direct counts and counts of INT-reducing microorganisms were recognized by transferring microorganisms from a filter to a gelatin film on a cover glass, followed by coating the sample with additional gelatin to produce a transparent matrix. With this method, the number of INT-reducing microorganisms determined for a Chesapeake Bay water sample was 2-to 10-fold greater than the number of respiring organisms reported previously for marine or freshwater samples. INT-reducing microorganisms constituted 61% of the total direct counts determined for a Chesapeake Bay water sample. This is the highest percentage of metabolically active microorganisms of any aquatic population reported using a method which determines both total counts and specific activity. PMID:16346025

Improved method for determination of respiring individual microorganisms in natural waters.

PubMed

Tabor, P S; Neihof, R A

1982-06-01

A method is reported that combines the microscopic determinations of specific, individual, respiring microorganisms by the detection of electron transport system activity and the total number of organisms of an estuarine population by epifluorescence microscopy. An active cellular electron transport system specifically reduces 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan, which is recognized as opaque intracellular deposits in microorganisms stained with acridine orange. In a comparison of previously described sample preparation techniques, a loss of >70% of the counts of INT-reducing microorganisms was shown to be due to the dissolution of INT-formazan deposits by immersion oil (used in microscopy). In addition, significantly fewer fluorescing microorganisms and INT-formazan deposits, both

Barriers to meditation by gender and age among cancer family caregivers.

PubMed

Williams, Anna-Leila; Ness, Peter Van; Dixon, Jane; McCorkle, Ruth

2012-01-01

Despite solid basic science research supporting meditation's physiologic benefits, meditation remains a marginalized practice for many Westerners; observational and descriptive studies indicate a spectrum of barriers to meditation practice. The aim of this study was to determine differences in barriers to meditation by gender and age. A cross-sectional survey study of 150 family caregivers to adults with cancer visiting an outpatient chemotherapy center in Connecticut was conducted. The primary outcome was the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory. Explanatory variables included demographic characteristics, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Caregiver Reaction Assessment. Participants included 98 women and 52 men. Age range was 18-84 years (M = 52.3 years). The highest frequency of barriers for both genders related to misconceptions about meditation. The total number of barriers to meditation did not significantly vary by gender (p = .10) nor age (p = .27). After adjusting for personality trait, reactions to caregiving, and emotional distress, gender (adjusted β = 0.81, SE = 1.70, p = .63) and age (adjusted β = 0.02, SE = 0.05, p = .67) still did not predict the number of barriers to meditation. Backward elimination in model building showed that personality trait and reactions to caregiving account for 32% of the variability in barriers. The total number of barriers to meditation was examined, and a difference was not found by age or gender. It is possible that differences by age and gender exist at the item level of evaluation but were not evident when evaluating total scores. Further study is needed with samples large enough to have statistical power for item-level analysis.

Boar genotype as a factor shaping age-related changes in semen parameters and reproduction longevity simulations.

PubMed

Knecht, Damian; Jankowska-Mąkosa, Anna; Duziński, Kamil

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was a detailed analysis of the boar genotypes used in AI stations with an indication of their production capacity, including age and a precise analysis of their culling time and reason. The study included 334 boars: 81 Polish Large White (PLW), 108 Polish Landrace (PL), 49 Pietrain (P), 56 Duroc × Pietrain (D × P) and 40 Hampshire × Pietrain (H × P). Semen volume, spermatozoa concentration, total number of spermatozoa, number of motile spermatozoa, and number of insemination doses were analyzed. Quadratic regression was used to illustrate the selected sperm parameters at specific ages. Among all the studied boars the lowest motilities of spermatozoa were identified in white breeds PLW and PL, and the difference between motility extremes was 3.53% (P ≤ 0.01). The highest number of insemination doses were produced from D × P crossbreed boars: about 0.7 portions more compared to PL, 1.13 to PLW, 1.18 to H × P and 1.8 to P (all differences P ≤ 0.01). It has been shown in the case of ejaculate volume that for PLW and H × P boars the culling moment was far too early in terms of production capacity and differences were, respectively, 16.35 ml for PLW and 12.61 ml for H × P. Based on the developed regression equations, the earliest maximum number of motile sperm (73.82 × 10 9 ) was obtained by H × P crossbreed boars as early as at age 24 months. The highest values for this parameter were achieved, however, by other D × P crossbreed boars: 74.30 × 10 9  at the later age of 32 months. A consequence of the high number of motile sperm in young H × P boars was that the theoretical maximum value of the number of AI doses was produced as early as the 14th month (25.59 portions). Curves of similar shape were obtained for PL and D × P boars; the difference in maximal values was 0.54 portions in favor of crossbreeds, at a later age of 7 months. It was noted that for PLW and D × P boars the highest number of cullings were due to reduced demand (24.47% and even 31.19%, respectively). Other boars - PL, P and H × P - were most frequently culled because of low semen values. Regardless of the genotype, high survival probabilities (over 0.96) were noted for the age of 12 months. The highest probabilities (still over 0.96) were noted in the longest time period (up to 18 months) for P boars. The results of our study can be used in AI stations as reference points for the exploitation and culling of boars with different genotypes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The thorax morphology of Epiophlebia (Insecta: Odonata) nymphs – including remarks on ontogenesis and evolution

PubMed Central

Büsse, Sebastian; Helmker, Benjamin; Hörnschemeyer, Thomas

2015-01-01

The species of Epiophlebia are unique among the recent Odonata in showing a mixture of morphological characters of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera). The status of the four described extant species of Epiophlebia is disputable from a genetic as well as from a morphological point of view. Here we present an analysis of the thoracic musculature of different nymphal instars of Epiophlebia laidlawi and Epiophlebia superstes to elucidate their morphology and ontogenetic development. In total, 75 muscles have been identified in the thorax of Epiophlebia. This represents the highest number of thoracic muscles ever found in any odonate. It includes six muscles that are reported for the first time for Odonata, and three of these are even new for Pterygota. In total, our results indicate that Epiophlebia has the most ancestral thoracic morphology among Odonata. PMID:26246088

Added sugars and ultra-processed foods in Spanish households (1990-2010).

PubMed

Latasa, P; Louzada, M L D C; Martinez Steele, E; Monteiro, C A

2017-12-26

To study the association between ultra-processed foods acquisitions and added sugar content of total food purchases in Spanish households in 2010. Changes over time (1990-2000-2010) in ultra-processed food purchases and added sugars content of total food purchases are also compared. We used data from three nationally representative Household Budget Surveys (HBS) conducted in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Number of studied households was 21,012, 33,730 and 22,116, respectively. Purchased foods and drinks were classified according to NOVA food groups as ultra-processed foods, processed foods, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, or processed culinary ingredients. Linear and Poisson regressions were used to estimate the association between quintiles of energy contribution of ultra-processed foods and added sugars contents of total food purchases in 2010. Changes over time were assessed using tests of linear trend and Student's t test. In 2010, ultra-processed foods represented 31.7% of daily energy acquisitions and 80.4% of all added sugars. Added sugars content of food purchases raised from 7.3% in the lowest to 18.2% in the highest quintiles of energy contribution of ultra-processed foods. The risk of exceeding 10% energy from added sugars quadrupled between the lowest and highest quintiles. The percentage of ultra-processed foods on all food purchases almost tripled between 1990 and 2010 (from 11.0 to 31.7%), paralleling the increase of added sugars content (from 8.4 to 13.0%). Cutting down exceeding added sugars availability in Spain may require a reduction in ultra-processed food purchasing.

DNA Damage Protecting Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Anthocyanins from Red Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Bran

PubMed Central

Devi, P. Suganya; Kumar, M. Saravana; Das, S. Mohan

2012-01-01

There is increasing interest in natural food colorants like carotenoids and anthocyanins with functional properties. Red sorghum bran is known as a rich source for anthocyanins. The anthocyanin contents extracted from red sorghum bran were evaluated by biochemical analysis. Among the three solvent system used, the acidified methanol extract showed a highest anthocyanin content (4.7 mg/g of sorghum bran) followed by methanol (1.95 mg/g) and acetone (1 mg/g). Similarly, the highest total flavonoids (143 mg/g) and total phenolic contents (0.93 mg/g) were obtained in acidified methanol extracts than methanol and acetone extracts. To study the health benefits of anthocyanin from red sorghum bran, the total antioxidant activity was evaluated by biochemical and molecular methods. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in acidified methanol extracts of anthocyanin in dose-dependent manner. The antioxidant activity of the red sorghum bran was directly related to the total anthocyanin found in red sorghum bran. PMID:22400119

Influence of Cooking Methods on Bioactive Compound Content and Antioxidant Activity of Brussels Sprouts.

PubMed

Hwang, Eun-Sun

2017-12-01

The effects of different cooking methods on total bioactive compound content were determined, and in vitro antioxidant activity in 80% ethanolic extracts of Brussels sprouts was evaluated by spectrophotometric methods. Compared to uncooked, steamed, and microwaved Brussels sprouts extracted with 80% ethanol contained higher amounts of total polyphenols. Uncooked Brussels sprouts contained the highest amounts of total flavonoids. Microwaved Brussels sprouts contained the highest amounts of total carotenoids (0.35 mg/g) and chlorophylls (3.01 mg/g), followed by steamed and uncooked samples. Uncooked fresh Brussels sprouts showed the highest antioxidant activity followed by microwaved and steamed sprouts. Antioxidant activity was measured with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and hydroxyl racial scavenging assays as well as the reducing power activity assay, and antioxidant activity was found to increase in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on these results, cooking or heat treatment may decrease antioxidant activities, although their effect on bioactive compound content remains controversial.

[Descriptive analysis of work and trends in anaesthesiology from 2005 to 2006: quantitative and qualitative aspects of effects and evaluation of anaesthesia].

PubMed

Majstorović, Branislava M; Simić, Snezana; Milaković, Branko D; Vucović, Dragan S; Aleksić, Valentina V

2010-01-01

In anaesthesiology, economic aspects have been insufficiently studied. The aim of this paper was the assessment of rational choice of the anaesthesiological services based on the analysis of the scope, distribution, trend and cost. The costs of anaesthesiological services were counted based on "unit" prices from the Republic Health Insurance Fund. Data were analysed by methods of descriptive statistics and statistical significance was tested by Student's t-test and chi2-test. The number of general anaesthesia was higher and average time of general anaesthesia was shorter, without statistical significance (t-test, p = 0.436) during 2006 compared to the previous year. Local anaesthesia was significantly higher (chi2-test, p = 0.001) in relation to planned operation in emergency surgery. The analysis of total anaesthesiological procedures revealed that a number of procedures significantly increased in ENT and MFH surgery, and ophthalmology, while some reduction was observed in general surgery, orthopaedics and trauma surgery and cardiovascular surgery (chi2-test, p = 0.000). The number of analgesia was higher than other procedures (chi2-test, p = 0.000). The structure of the cost was 24% in neurosurgery, 16% in digestive (general) surgery,14% in gynaecology and obstetrics, 13% in cardiovascular surgery and 9% in emergency room. Anaesthesiological services costs were the highest in neurosurgery, due to the length anaesthesia, and digestive surgery due to the total number of general anaesthesia performed. It is important to implement pharmacoeconomic studies in all departments, and to separate the anaesthesia services for emergency and planned operations. Disproportions between the number of anaesthesia, surgery interventions and the number of patients in surgical departments gives reason to design relation database.

Dietary polyphenol intake in Europe: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

PubMed

Zamora-Ros, Raul; Knaze, Viktoria; Rothwell, Joseph A; Hémon, Bertrand; Moskal, Aurelie; Overvad, Kim; Tjønneland, Anne; Kyrø, Cecilie; Fagherazzi, Guy; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Touillaud, Marina; Katzke, Verena; Kühn, Tilman; Boeing, Heiner; Förster, Jana; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Valanou, Elissavet; Peppa, Eleni; Palli, Domenico; Agnoli, Claudia; Ricceri, Fulvio; Tumino, Rosario; de Magistris, Maria Santucci; Peeters, Petra H M; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Engeset, Dagrun; Skeie, Guri; Hjartåker, Anette; Menéndez, Virginia; Agudo, Antonio; Molina-Montes, Esther; Huerta, José María; Barricarte, Aurelio; Amiano, Pilar; Sonestedt, Emily; Nilsson, Lena Maria; Landberg, Rikard; Key, Timothy J; Khaw, Kay-Thee; Wareham, Nicholas J; Lu, Yunxia; Slimani, Nadia; Romieu, Isabelle; Riboli, Elio; Scalbert, Augustin

2016-06-01

Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites with a large variability in their chemical structure and dietary occurrence that have been associated with some protective effects against several chronic diseases. To date, limited data exist on intake of polyphenols in populations. The current cross-sectional analysis aimed at estimating dietary intakes of all currently known individual polyphenols and total intake per class and subclass, and to identify their main food sources in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Dietary data at baseline were collected using a standardized 24-h dietary recall software administered to 36,037 adult subjects. Dietary data were linked with Phenol-Explorer, a database with data on 502 individual polyphenols in 452 foods and data on polyphenol losses due to cooking and food processing. Mean total polyphenol intake was the highest in Aarhus-Denmark (1786 mg/day in men and 1626 mg/day in women) and the lowest in Greece (744 mg/day in men and 584 mg/day in women). When dividing the subjects into three regions, the highest intake of total polyphenols was observed in the UK health-conscious group, followed by non-Mediterranean (non-MED) and MED countries. The main polyphenol contributors were phenolic acids (52.5-56.9 %), except in men from MED countries and in the UK health-conscious group where they were flavonoids (49.1-61.7 %). Coffee, tea, and fruits were the most important food sources of total polyphenols. A total of 437 different individual polyphenols were consumed, including 94 consumed at a level >1 mg/day. The most abundant ones were the caffeoylquinic acids and the proanthocyanidin oligomers and polymers. This study describes the large number of dietary individual polyphenols consumed and the high variability of their intakes between European populations, particularly between MED and non-MED countries.

A bibliometric analysis of occupational therapy publications.

PubMed

Brown, Ted; Gutman, Sharon A; Ho, Yuh-Shan; Fong, Kenneth N K

2018-01-01

Bibliometrics involves the statistical analysis of the publications in a specific discipline or subject area. A bibliometric analysis of the occupational therapy refereed literature is needed. A bibliometric analysis was completed of the occupational therapy literature from 1991-2014, indexed in the Science Citation Index-Expanded or the Social Sciences Citation Index. Publications were searched by title, abstract, keywords, and KeyWords Plus. Total number of article citations, citations per journal, and contributions per country, individual authors, and institution were calculated. 5,315 occupational therapy articles were published in 821 journals. It appears that there is a citation window of an approximate 10-year period between the time of publication and the peak number of citations an article receives. The top three most highly cited articles were published in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, JAMA, and Lancet. AJOT, BJOT and AOTJ published the largest number of occupational therapy articles with the United States, Australia, and Canada producing the highest number of publications. McMaster University, the University of Queensland, and the University of Toronto were the institutions that published the largest number of occupational therapy journal articles. The occupational therapy literature is growing and the frequency of article citation is increasing.

Distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Korea in the preceding decade.

PubMed

Jeon, Jae-Sik; Kim, Jae Kyung; Choi, Qute; Kim, Jong Wan

2018-05-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB); it is transmitted among people through air. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of TB and its clinical trends by collecting and analyzing data on specimens in Korea. All clinical specimens referred to the Dankook University Hospital Laboratory in Cheonan, Korea, from September 2005 to June 2016 were tested to isolate MTB using solid and liquid cultures, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears, and polymerase chain reactions (PCR). In total, 146 150 specimens were collected; the mean TB positivity rate was 7.8%. The highest positivity rate was observed among patients 30-39 years of age (12.6%), followed by those 20-29 years of age (12.2%). The mean positivity rate was highest in 2010 and lowest in 2016 (10.7% and 6.7%, respectively). When comparing 2015-2011, we saw a decrease in the number of TB-positive patients of 3.4%; this represented an annual decrease in 0.9%. Our data revealed a trend for a decrease in TB prevalence over time. Moreover, TB positivity rates were highest among the younger age groups in our study. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and treatment of TB in younger individuals are crucial. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

24 CFR 599.405 - Selection of Renewal Communities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... will then select the highest ranking Category 1 urban area nominations, but will not exceed a total of... will then select, in rank order, the highest ranking Category 1 area nominations, whether urban or... Category 1 is less than six, HUD will select the highest ranking rural area applications in Category 2...

Post-Discharge Care Duration, Charges, and Outcomes Among Medicare Patients After Primary Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Ponnusamy, Karthikeyan E; Naseer, Zan; El Dafrawy, Mostafa H; Okafor, Louis; Alexander, Clayton; Sterling, Robert S; Khanuja, Harpal S; Skolasky, Richard L

2017-06-07

In April 2016, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiated mandatory 90-day bundled payments for total hip and knee arthroplasty for much of the country. Our goal was to determine duration of care, 90-day charges, and readmission rates by discharge disposition and U.S. region after hip or knee arthroplasty. Using the 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database 100% sample, we identified patients who had undergone elective primary total hip or knee arthroplasty. We collected data on patient age, sex, comorbidities, U.S. Census region, discharge disposition, duration of care, 90-day charges, and readmission. Multivariate regression was used to assess factors associated with readmission (logistic) and charges (linear). Significance was set at p < 0.01. Patients undergoing 138,842 total hip arthroplasties were discharged to home (18%), home health care (34%), extended-care facilities (35%), and inpatient rehabilitation (13%); patients undergoing 329,233 total knee arthroplasties were discharged to home (21%), home health care (38%), extended-care facilities (31%), and inpatient rehabilitation (10%). Patients in the Northeast were more likely to be discharged to extended-care facilities or inpatient rehabilitation than patients in other regions. Patients in the West had the highest 90-day charges. Approximately 70% of patients were discharged home from extended-care facilities, whereas after inpatient rehabilitation, >50% of patients received home health care. Among those discharged to home, 90-day readmission rates were highest in the South (9.6%) for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and in the Midwest (8.7%) and the South (8.5%) for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Having ≥4 comorbidities, followed by discharge to inpatient rehabilitation or an extended-care facility, had the strongest associations with readmission, whereas the region of the West and the discharge disposition to inpatient rehabilitation had the strongest association with higher charges. Among Medicare patients, discharge disposition and number of comorbidities were most strongly associated with readmission. Inpatient rehabilitation and the West region had the strongest associations with higher charges. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Ordering pattern and performance of biochemical tests for diagnosing pheochromocytoma between 2000 and 2008.

PubMed

Yu, Run

2009-01-01

To examine what tests are ordered by physicians for pheochromocytoma diagnosis and how those tests perform in modern clinical practice. In this case series, electronic medical records of patients seen between January 2000 and July 2008 at a large academic hospital in Los Angeles, California, were queried, and patients older than 15 years who underwent any 1 of 5 tests for pheochromocytoma (measurement of plasma catecholamines, plasma fractionated metanephrines, urinary catecholamines, urinary metanephrines, or urinary vanillylmandelic acid) were identified. Because testing was performed in various reference laboratories, test results were classified into 1 of 3 categories: (a) markedly elevated, (b) moderately elevated, or (c) normal. Patient demographics, clinical history, test results, imaging study findings, and pathology records were reviewed. A total of 3980 tests were ordered for 1898 patients. Pretest probability was 2.2% (based on 681 patients in whom pheochromocytoma was confirmed or excluded), and hypertension was the most common indication for testing. The number of patients tested and the number of tests ordered increased over the years. The ordering pattern stabilized since 2006 when urinary metanephrines, urinary catecholamines, and plasma metanephrines were ordered more frequently. Sensitivity was highest for urinary metanephrines and vanillylmandelic acid, specificity was highest for vanillylmandelic acid and urinary catecholamines, and positive likelihood ratio was highest for vanillylmandelic acid. Positive predictive value for markedly elevated test results was 39% to 83%, while that for moderately elevated test results was only 2% to 14%. Ordering pattern and test performance differ significantly from those recommended and reported by large centers. The best testing strategy should incorporate local experience. Categorizing test results as markedly elevated, moderately elevated, and normal is important for result interpretation.

Effect of the soil type on the microbiome in the rhizosphere of field-grown lettuce.

PubMed

Schreiter, Susanne; Ding, Guo-Chun; Heuer, Holger; Neumann, Günter; Sandmann, Martin; Grosch, Rita; Kropf, Siegfried; Smalla, Kornelia

2014-01-01

The complex and enormous diversity of microorganisms associated with plant roots is important for plant health and growth and is shaped by numerous factors. This study aimed to unravel the effects of the soil type on bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of field-grown lettuce. We used an experimental plot system with three different soil types that were stored at the same site for 10 years under the same agricultural management to reveal differences directly linked to the soil type and not influenced by other factors such as climate or cropping history. Bulk soil and rhizosphere samples were collected 3 and 7 weeks after planting. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified from total community DNA by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and pyrosequencing revealed soil type dependent differences in the bacterial community structure of the bulk soils and the corresponding rhizospheres. The rhizosphere effect differed depending on the soil type and the plant growth developmental stage. Despite the soil type dependent differences in the bacterial community composition several genera such as Sphingomonas, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, and Variovorax were significantly increased in the rhizosphere of lettuce grown in all three soils. The number of rhizosphere responders was highest 3 weeks after planting. Interestingly, in the soil with the highest numbers of responders the highest shoot dry weights were observed. Heatmap analysis revealed that many dominant operational taxonomic units were shared among rhizosphere samples of lettuce grown in diluvial sand, alluvial loam, and loess loam and that only a subset was increased in relative abundance in the rhizosphere compared to the corresponding bulk soil. The findings of the study provide insights into the effect of soil types on the rhizosphere microbiome of lettuce.

Effect of the soil type on the microbiome in the rhizosphere of field-grown lettuce

PubMed Central

Schreiter, Susanne; Ding, Guo-Chun; Heuer, Holger; Neumann, Günter; Sandmann, Martin; Grosch, Rita; Kropf, Siegfried; Smalla, Kornelia

2014-01-01

The complex and enormous diversity of microorganisms associated with plant roots is important for plant health and growth and is shaped by numerous factors. This study aimed to unravel the effects of the soil type on bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of field-grown lettuce. We used an experimental plot system with three different soil types that were stored at the same site for 10 years under the same agricultural management to reveal differences directly linked to the soil type and not influenced by other factors such as climate or cropping history. Bulk soil and rhizosphere samples were collected 3 and 7 weeks after planting. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified from total community DNA by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and pyrosequencing revealed soil type dependent differences in the bacterial community structure of the bulk soils and the corresponding rhizospheres. The rhizosphere effect differed depending on the soil type and the plant growth developmental stage. Despite the soil type dependent differences in the bacterial community composition several genera such as Sphingomonas, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, and Variovorax were significantly increased in the rhizosphere of lettuce grown in all three soils. The number of rhizosphere responders was highest 3 weeks after planting. Interestingly, in the soil with the highest numbers of responders the highest shoot dry weights were observed. Heatmap analysis revealed that many dominant operational taxonomic units were shared among rhizosphere samples of lettuce grown in diluvial sand, alluvial loam, and loess loam and that only a subset was increased in relative abundance in the rhizosphere compared to the corresponding bulk soil. The findings of the study provide insights into the effect of soil types on the rhizosphere microbiome of lettuce. PMID:24782839

Incidence of Cushing's syndrome and Cushing's disease in commercially-insured patients <65 years old in the United States.

PubMed

Broder, Michael S; Neary, Maureen P; Chang, Eunice; Cherepanov, Dasha; Ludlam, William H

2015-06-01

To estimate the incidence of Cushing's syndrome (CS) and Cushing's disease (CD) in the US. MarketScan Commercial database 2007-2010 (age <65 years) was used. CS patients were defined with ≥2 claims of CS diagnosis, while CD patients were defined with CS plus a benign pituitary adenoma diagnosis or hypophysectomy in the same calendar year. Annual incidence was calculated by dividing the number of CS or CD cases by the total number of members with the same enrollment requirement during the calendar years. CS incidence rates per million person-years were 48.6 in 2009 and 39.5 in 2010. The lowest rates of CS were in ≤17-year-olds and highest rates were in 35 to 44-year-olds. CD incidence rates were 7.6 in 2009 and 6.2 in 2010. The lowest rates of CD were in ≤17-year-olds and highest rates were in 18 to 24-year-olds. The rates varied by sex (2.3-2.7 in males, 9.8-12.1 in females). In females, lowest rates ranged 2.5-4.0 in ≤17-year-olds and highest 16.7-27.2 in 18-24 year olds. In males, there were too few cases to report estimates by age. In the first large US-based study, the annual incidence of CS in individuals <65 years old was nearly 49 cases per million, substantially higher than previous estimates, which were based primarily on European data. Using similar methods, we estimated the incidence of CD at nearly 8 cases per million US population. These estimates, if confirmed in other epidemiologic databases, represent a new data reference in these rare conditions.

FMEA of manual and automated methods for commissioning a radiotherapy treatment planning system.

PubMed

Wexler, Amy; Gu, Bruce; Goddu, Sreekrishna; Mutic, Maya; Yaddanapudi, Sridhar; Olsen, Lindsey; Harry, Taylor; Noel, Camille; Pawlicki, Todd; Mutic, Sasa; Cai, Bin

2017-09-01

To evaluate the level of risk involved in treatment planning system (TPS) commissioning using a manual test procedure, and to compare the associated process-based risk to that of an automated commissioning process (ACP) by performing an in-depth failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). The authors collaborated to determine the potential failure modes of the TPS commissioning process using (a) approaches involving manual data measurement, modeling, and validation tests and (b) an automated process utilizing application programming interface (API) scripting, preloaded, and premodeled standard radiation beam data, digital heterogeneous phantom, and an automated commissioning test suite (ACTS). The severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D) were scored for each failure mode and the risk priority numbers (RPN) were derived based on TG-100 scale. Failure modes were then analyzed and ranked based on RPN. The total number of failure modes, RPN scores and the top 10 failure modes with highest risk were described and cross-compared between the two approaches. RPN reduction analysis is also presented and used as another quantifiable metric to evaluate the proposed approach. The FMEA of a MTP resulted in 47 failure modes with an RPN ave of 161 and S ave of 6.7. The highest risk process of "Measurement Equipment Selection" resulted in an RPN max of 640. The FMEA of an ACP resulted in 36 failure modes with an RPN ave of 73 and S ave of 6.7. The highest risk process of "EPID Calibration" resulted in an RPN max of 576. An FMEA of treatment planning commissioning tests using automation and standardization via API scripting, preloaded, and pre-modeled standard beam data, and digital phantoms suggests that errors and risks may be reduced through the use of an ACP. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Association of diabetic foot care and amputation rates in Germany.

PubMed

Kröger, Knut; Moysidis, Theodoros; Feghaly, Michel; Schäfer, Erika; Bufe, Alexander

2016-10-01

Podologists are nurses who care for the diabetic foot (orthotics, offloading devices, blisters, calluses, treatment of fungus infection and patient education). In contrast to podiatrists, they are not qualified to perform any surgical treatment or wound care. We analysed whether there is an association between the decrease in major amputations and the number of podologic foot care (PFC) visits prescribed in Germany. Detailed list of all major lower limb amputations (OPS 5-864) performed from 2007 to 2011 was provided by the Federal Statistical Office. Data were separated for the 16 federal states in Germany. Detailed lists of the number of PFC treatments for each of the 5 years were derived from the federal report of the statutory health insurance. The total numbers of hospitalised cases per year having diabetes mellitus documented as an additional diagnosis were used to adjust for the different rates of people with diabetes in each federal state. Within a 5-year time period, population-based major amputations per 100 000 people dropped from 21·7 in 2007 to 17·5 in 2011 (-18·5%); whereas the number of PFC treatments per 1000 insured increased from 22 in 2007 to 60 in 2011 (+172·7%). The total number of major amputations divided by the total number of hospitalised cases with the additional diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) shows an inverse correlation with the number of PFC treatments per 1000 insured (Pearson's correlation factor is -0·52049). The five countries with the highest increase in PFC compared with the five countries with the lowest increase (35·6 versus 15·4 per 1000 insured) will have only small differences in the decrease in major amputation rates in this period (-5·1 versus -3·4 per 100.000). There is a strong association between increasing utilisation PFC and decreasing major amputations in Germany. Further study is required to document the cost-effectiveness of this service. © 2014 The Authors. International Wound Journal © 2014 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intravenous Lipid Emulsion as an Antidote for the Treatment of Acute Poisoning: A Bibliometric Analysis of Human and Animal Studies.

PubMed

Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Waring, W Stephen; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sweileh, Waleed M; Rahhal, Belal; Awang, Rahmat

2016-11-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the role of intravenous lipid formulations as potential antidotes in patients with severe cardiotoxicity caused by drug toxicity. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of all human and animal studies featuring lipid emulsion as an antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning. The Scopus database search was performed on 5 February 2016 to analyse the research output related to intravenous lipid emulsion as an antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning. Research indicators used for analysis included total number of articles, date (year) of publication, total citations, value of the h-index, document types, countries of publication, journal names, collaboration patterns and institutions. A total of 594 articles were retrieved from Scopus database for the period of 1955-2015. The percentage share of global intravenous lipid emulsion research output showed that research output was 85.86% in 2006-2015 with yearly average growth in this field of 51 articles per year. The USA, United Kingdom (UK), France, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Australia, China, Turkey and Japan accounted for 449 (75.6%) of all the publications. The total number of citations for all documents was 9,333, with an average of 15.7 citations per document. The h-index of the retrieved documents for lipid emulsion research as antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning was 49. The USA and the UK achieved the highest h-indices, 34 and 14, respectively. New Zealand produced the greatest number of documents with international collaboration (51.9%) followed by Australia (50%) and Canada (41.4%) out of the total number of publications for each country. In summary, we found an increase in the number of publications in the field of lipid emulsion after 2006. The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of publications in the field of lipid emulsion were published by high-income countries. Researchers from institutions in the USA led scientific production on lipid emulsion research. There is an obvious need to promote a deeper engagement through international collaborative research projects and funding mechanisms. © 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Verifying Identities of Plant-Based Multivitamins Using Phytochemical Fingerprinting in Combination with Multiple Bioassays.

PubMed

Lim, Yeni; Ahn, Yoon Hee; Yoo, Jae Keun; Park, Kyoung Sik; Kwon, Oran

2017-09-01

Sales of multivitamins have been growing rapidly and the concept of natural multivitamin, plant-based multivitamin, or both has been introduced in the market, leading consumers to anticipate additional health benefits from phytochemicals that accompany the vitamins. However, the lack of labeling requirements might lead to fraudulent claims. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a strategy to verify identity of plant-based multivitamins. Phytochemical fingerprinting was used to discriminate identities. In addition, multiple bioassays were performed to determine total antioxidant capacity. A statistical computation model was then used to measure contributions of phytochemicals and vitamins to antioxidant activities. Fifteen multivitamins were purchased from the local markets in Seoul, Korea and classified into three groups according to the number of plant ingredients. Pearson correlation analysis among antioxidant capacities, amount phenols, and number of plant ingredients revealed that ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) assay results had the highest correlation with total phenol content. This suggests that FRAP and DPPH assays are useful for characterizing plant-derived multivitamins. Furthermore, net effect linear regression analysis confirmed that the contribution of phytochemicals to total antioxidant capacities was always relatively higher than that of vitamins. Taken together, the results suggest that phytochemical fingerprinting in combination with multiple bioassays could be used as a strategy to determine whether plant-derived multivitamins could provide additional health benefits beyond their nutritional value.

Volumetry based biomarker speed of growth: Quantifying the change of total tumor volume in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging over time improves risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients

PubMed Central

Piraud, Marie; Menze, Bjoern H.; Hielscher, Thomas; Hofmanninger, Johannes; Wagner, Barbara; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Merz, Maximilian; Hillengass, Jens; Langs, Georg; Weber, Marc-André

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to improve risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients, introducing new 3D-volumetry based imaging biomarkers derived from whole-body MRI. Two-hundred twenty whole-body MRIs from 63 patients with smoldering multiple myeloma were retrospectively analyzed and all focal lesions >5mm were manually segmented for volume quantification. The imaging biomarkers total tumor volume, speed of growth (development of the total tumor volume over time), number of focal lesions, development of the number of focal lesions over time and the recent imaging biomarker ‘>1 focal lesion’ of the International Myeloma Working Group were compared, taking 2-year progression rate, sensitivity and false positive rate into account. Speed of growth, using a cutoff of 114mm3/month, was able to isolate a high-risk group with a 2-year progression rate of 82.5%. Additionally, it showed by far the highest sensitivity in this study and in comparison to other biomarkers in the literature, detecting 63.2% of patients who progress within 2 years. Furthermore, its false positive rate (8.7%) was much lower compared to the recent imaging biomarker ‘>1 focal lesion’ of the International Myeloma Working Group. Therefore, speed of growth is the preferable imaging biomarker for risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients. PMID:29861868

Volumetry based biomarker speed of growth: Quantifying the change of total tumor volume in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging over time improves risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients.

PubMed

Wennmann, Markus; Kintzelé, Laurent; Piraud, Marie; Menze, Bjoern H; Hielscher, Thomas; Hofmanninger, Johannes; Wagner, Barbara; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Merz, Maximilian; Hillengass, Jens; Langs, Georg; Weber, Marc-André

2018-05-18

The purpose of this study was to improve risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients, introducing new 3D-volumetry based imaging biomarkers derived from whole-body MRI. Two-hundred twenty whole-body MRIs from 63 patients with smoldering multiple myeloma were retrospectively analyzed and all focal lesions >5mm were manually segmented for volume quantification. The imaging biomarkers total tumor volume, speed of growth (development of the total tumor volume over time), number of focal lesions, development of the number of focal lesions over time and the recent imaging biomarker '>1 focal lesion' of the International Myeloma Working Group were compared, taking 2-year progression rate, sensitivity and false positive rate into account. Speed of growth, using a cutoff of 114mm 3 /month, was able to isolate a high-risk group with a 2-year progression rate of 82.5%. Additionally, it showed by far the highest sensitivity in this study and in comparison to other biomarkers in the literature, detecting 63.2% of patients who progress within 2 years. Furthermore, its false positive rate (8.7%) was much lower compared to the recent imaging biomarker '>1 focal lesion' of the International Myeloma Working Group. Therefore, speed of growth is the preferable imaging biomarker for risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients.

Analysis of copy number variations in Holstein-Friesian cow genomes based on whole-genome sequence data.

PubMed

Mielczarek, M; Frąszczak, M; Giannico, R; Minozzi, G; Williams, John L; Wojdak-Maksymiec, K; Szyda, J

2017-07-01

Thirty-two whole genome DNA sequences of cows were analyzed to evaluate inter-individual variability in the distribution and length of copy number variations (CNV) and to functionally annotate CNV breakpoints. The total number of deletions per individual varied between 9,731 and 15,051, whereas the number of duplications was between 1,694 and 5,187. Most of the deletions (81%) and duplications (86%) were unique to a single cow. No relation between the pattern of variant sharing and a family relationship or disease status was found. The animal-averaged length of deletions was from 5,234 to 9,145 bp and the average length of duplications was between 7,254 and 8,843 bp. Highly significant inter-individual variation in length and number of CNV was detected for both deletions and duplications. The majority of deletion and duplication breakpoints were located in intergenic regions and introns, whereas fewer were identified in noncoding transcripts and splice regions. Only 1.35 and 0.79% of the deletion and duplication breakpoints were observed within coding regions. A gene with the highest number of deletion breakpoints codes for protein kinase cGMP-dependent type I, whereas the T-cell receptor α constant gene had the most duplication breakpoints. The functional annotation of genes with the largest incidence of deletion/duplication breakpoints identified 87/112 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, but none of the pathways were significantly enriched or depleted with breakpoints. The analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) terms revealed that a cluster with the highest enrichment score among genes with many deletion breakpoints was represented by GO terms related to ion transport, whereas the GO term cluster mostly enriched among the genes with many duplication breakpoints was related to binding of macromolecules. Furthermore, when considering the number of deletion breakpoints per gene functional category, no significant differences were observed between the "housekeeping" and "strong selection" categories, but genes representing the "low selection pressure" group showed a significantly higher number of breakpoints. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abortion surveillance - United States, 2006.

PubMed

Pazol, Karen; Gamble, Sonya B; Parker, Wilda Y; Cook, Douglas A; Zane, Suzanne B; Hamdan, Saeed

2009-11-27

Since 1969, CDC has conducted abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States. 2006. Each year, CDC requests abortion data from the central health agencies of 52 reporting areas (the 50 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia); these data are provided to CDC voluntarily. In 2006, data were received from 49 reporting areas. For the purpose of trend analysis, data were evaluated from the 46 areas that reported data every year during 1996-2006. For 2006, a total of 846,181 abortions were reported to CDC. Among the 46 areas that provided data consistently during 1996-2006, a total of 835,134 abortions (98.7% of the total) were reported; the abortion rate was 16.1 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years, and the abortion ratio was 236 abortions per 1,000 live births. During the previous decade (1997-2006), reported abortion numbers, rates, and ratios decreased 5.7%, 8.8%, and 14.8%, respectively; most of these declines occurred before 2001. During the previous year (2005-2006), the total number of abortions increased 3.1%, and the abortion rate increased 3.2%; the abortion ratio was stable. In 2006, as during the previous decade (1997-2006), women aged 20-29 years accounted for the majority (56.8%) of abortions and had the highest abortion rates (29.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20-24 years and 22.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 25-29 years); by contrast, abortion ratios were highest at the extremes of reproductive age. Adolescents aged 15-19 years accounted for 16.5% of all abortions in 2006 and had an abortion rate of 14.8 abortions per 1,000 adolescents aged 15-19 years; women aged >or=35 years accounted for a smaller percentage (12.1%) of abortions and had lower abortion rates (7.8 abortions per 1,000 women aged 35-39 years and 2.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged >or=40 years). During 1997-2006, the percentage of abortions and the abortion rate increased among women aged >or=35 years but declined among adolescents aged or=21 weeks' gestation (1.3%). During 1997-2006, the percentage of abortions performed at

Probabilistic estimation of numbers and costs of future landslides in the San Francisco Bay region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crovelli, R.A.; Coe, J.A.

2009-01-01

We used historical records of damaging landslides triggered by rainstorms and a newly developed Probabilistic Landslide Assessment Cost Estimation System (PLACES) to estimate the numbers and direct costs of future landslides in the 10-county San Francisco Bay region. Historical records of damaging landslides in the region are incomplete. Therefore, our estimates of numbers and costs of future landslides are minimal estimates. The estimated mean annual number of future damaging landslides for the entire 10-county region is about 65. Santa Cruz County has the highest estimated mean annual number of damaging future landslides (about 18), whereas Napa, San Francisco, and Solano Counties have the lowest estimated mean numbers of damaging landslides (about 1 each). The estimated mean annual cost of future landslides in the entire region is about US $14.80 million (year 2000 $). The estimated mean annual cost is highest for San Mateo County ($3.24 million) and lowest for Solano County ($0.18 million). The annual per capita cost for the entire region will be about $2.10. Santa Cruz County will have the highest annual per capita cost at $8.45, whereas San Francisco County will have the lowest per capita cost at $0.31. Normalising costs by dividing by the percentage of land area with slopes equal to or greater than 17% indicates that San Francisco County will have the highest cost per square km ($7,101), whereas Santa Clara County will have the lowest cost per square km ($229). These results indicate that the San Francisco Bay region has one of the highest levels of landslide risk in the United States. Compared with landslide cost estimates from the rest of the world, the risk level in the Bay region seems high, but not exceptionally high.

College Sports-Related Injuries - United States, 2009-10 Through 2013-14 Academic Years.

PubMed

Kerr, Zachary Y; Marshall, Stephen W; Dompier, Thomas P; Corlette, Jill; Klossner, David A; Gilchrist, Julie

2015-12-11

Sports-related injuries can have a substantial impact on the long-term health of student-athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) monitors injuries among college student-athletes at member schools. In academic year 2013-14, a total of 1,113 member schools fielded 19,334 teams with 478,869 participating student-athletes in NCAA championship sports (i.e., sports with NCAA championship competition) (1). External researchers and CDC used information reported to the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) by a sample of championship sports programs to summarize the estimated national cumulative and annual average numbers of injuries during the 5 academic years from 2009-10 through 2013-14. Analyses were restricted to injuries reported among student-athletes in 25 NCAA championship sports. During this period, 1,053,370 injuries were estimated to have occurred during an estimated 176.7 million athlete-exposures to potential injury (i.e., one athlete's participation in one competition or one practice). Injury incidence varied widely by sport. Among all sports, men's football accounted for the largest average annual estimated number of injuries (47,199) and the highest competition injury rate (39.9 per 1,000 athlete-exposures). Men's wrestling experienced the highest overall injury rate (13.1 per 1,000) and practice injury rate (10.2 per 1,000). Among women's sports, gymnastics had the highest overall injury rate (10.4 per 1,000) and practice injury rate (10.0 per 1,000), although soccer had the highest competition injury rate (17.2 per 1,000). More injuries were estimated to have occurred from practice than from competition for all sports, with the exception of men's ice hockey and baseball. However, injuries incurred during competition were somewhat more severe (e.g., requiring ≥7 days to return to full participation) than those acquired during practice. Multiple strategies are employed by NCAA and others to reduce the number of injuries in organized sports. These strategies include committees that recommend rule and policy changes based on surveillance data and education and awareness campaigns that target both athletes and coaches. Continued analysis of surveillance data will help to understand whether these strategies result in changes in the incidence and severity of college sports injuries.

The epidemiology of suicide on the London Underground.

PubMed

O'Donnell, I; Farmer, R D

1994-02-01

A database containing details of every incident of suicidal behaviour on the London Underground railway system between 1940 and 1990 was assembled from the records of London Underground Ltd and the British Transport Police. The total number of cases was 3240. The mean annual number of suicidal acts on the London Underground system increased from 36.1 (1940-1949) to 94.1 (1980-1989). There were significantly fewer incidents on Sundays than on the other days of the week and the daily rate was highest in the spring. 64% of incidents involved males and the peak age group for both sexes was 25-34 yr. Suicide verdicts were returned for a greater proportion of women than men. Overall case fatality was 55%. However, case fatality rates differed between stations, environmental factors appearing to influence survival. Possible strategies to prevent railway suicides and reduce the lethality of this method are discussed.

Prevalence and quantification of Listeria monocytogenes in chicken offal at the retail level in Malaysia.

PubMed

Kuan, C H; Goh, S G; Loo, Y Y; Chang, W S; Lye, Y L; Puspanadan, S; Tang, J Y H; Nakaguchi, Y; Nishibuchi, M; Mahyudin, N A; Radu, S

2013-06-01

A total of 216 chicken offal samples (chicken liver = 72; chicken heart = 72; chicken gizzard = 72) from wet markets and hypermarkets in Selangor, Malaysia, were examined for the presence and density of Listeria monocytogenes by using a combination of the most probable number and PCR method. The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in 216 chicken offal samples examined was 26.39%, and among the positive samples, the chicken gizzard showed the highest percentage at 33.33% compared with chicken liver (25.00%) and chicken heart (20.83%). The microbial load of L. monocytogenes in chicken offal samples ranged from <3 to 93.0 most probable number per gram. The presence of L. monocytogenes in chicken offal samples may indicate that chicken offal can act as a possible vehicle for the occurrence of foodborne listeriosis. Hence, there is a need to investigate the biosafety level of chicken offal in Malaysia.

The countermovement jump to monitor neuromuscular status: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Claudino, João Gustavo; Cronin, John; Mezêncio, Bruno; McMaster, Daniel Travis; McGuigan, Michael; Tricoli, Valmor; Amadio, Alberto Carlos; Serrão, Julio Cerca

2017-04-01

The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to compare countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in studies that reported the highest value as opposed to average value for the purposes of monitoring neuromuscular status (i.e., fatigue and supercompensation). The secondary aim was to determine the sensitivity of the dependent variables. Systematic review with meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted on the highest or average of a number of CMJ variables. Multiple literature searches were undertaken in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify articles utilizing CMJ to monitor training status. Effect sizes (ES) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using the mean and standard deviation of the pre- and post-testing data. The coefficient of variation (CV) with 95% CI was also calculated to assess the level of instability of each variable. Heterogeneity was assessed using a random-effects model. 151 articles were included providing a total of 531 ESs for the meta-analyses; 85.4% of articles used highest CMJ height, 13.2% used average and 1.3% used both when reporting changes in CMJ performance. Based on the meta-analysis, average CMJ height was more sensitive than highest CMJ height in detecting CMJ fatigue and supercompensation. Furthermore, other CMJ variables such as peak power, mean power, peak velocity, peak force, mean impulse, and power were sensitive in tracking the supercompensation effects of training. The average CMJ height was more sensitive than highest CMJ height in monitoring neuromuscular status; however, further investigation is needed to determine the sensitivity of other CMJ performance variables. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal and diurnal variations of particulate organosulfates in urban Shanghai, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Ye; Xu, Xinkai; Song, Weihua; Geng, Fuhai; Wang, Lin

2014-03-01

PM2.5 samples have been collected in urban Shanghai, China, during April (spring), July (summer), October (autumn) 2012, and January (winter) 2013, respectively. Seventeen organosulfates (OSs) derived from isoprene, α-/β-pinene, and presumably aromatic precursors were quantified using a high-performance liquid chromatogram coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. During our sampling days, the total concentration of detected OSs ranged between 0.0209 and 60.8 ng m-3 (sodium octyl sulfate and benzyl sulfate as standards). The seasonal average concentration of OSs was the highest (26.2 ng m-3) in summer 2012 and the lowest (0.510 ng m-3) in spring 2012, accounting for 0.471‰ and 0.00965‰ of the corresponding PM2.5 mass, respectively. Isoprene- and α-/β-pinene-derived OSs showed a clear seasonal fluctuation with a peak in summer, whereas OS derived from aromatic precursors was less variable in most seasons. The share of aromatic OS in the total measured OSs was the highest (63.5%) in winter 2013 and the lowest (2.94%) in summer 2012, suggesting that aromatic OS could serve as an important component of the OS species in urban Shanghai. In addition, a number of OSs demonstrated distinct diurnal profiles, reflecting diverse formation mechanisms with multiple atmospheric oxidants in an urbanized area like Shanghai.

Determining quantitative targets for public funding of tuberculosis research and development

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

South Africa’s expenditure on tuberculosis (TB) research and development (R&D) is insignificant relative to both its disease burden and the expenditure of some comparator countries with a minimal TB incidence. In 2010, the country had the second highest TB incidence rate in the world (796 per 100,000 population), and the third highest number of new TB cases (490,000 or 6% of the global total). Although it has a large TB treatment program (about $588 million per year), TB R&D funding is small both in absolute terms and relative to its total R&D expenditure. Given the risk and the high cost associated with drug discovery R&D, such neglect may make strategic sense. However in this analysis it is shown that TB R&D presents a unique opportunity to the national treasuries of all high-burden countries. Using two separate estimation methods (global justice and return on investment), it is concluded that most countries, including South Africa, are under-investing in TB R&D. Specific investment targets for a range of countries, particularly in areas of applied research, are developed. This work supports the outcome of the World Health Organization’s Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination, which has called for “a process leading to the negotiation of a binding agreement on R&D relevant to the health needs of developing countries”. PMID:23496963

The Top 50 Most-Cited articles on Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM).

PubMed

Malik, Azeem Tariq; Jain, Nikhil; Yu, Elizabeth; Khan, Safdar N

2018-06-02

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) occurs due to chronic degenerative changes in the cervical spine causing compression of the spinal cord. CSM has been studied for decades and there are innumerable articles published on the topic. We sought to identify the top 50 most cited articles on CSM. The top 50 cited articles were retrieved from the SCOPUS database using the search criteria "cervical spondylosis with myelopathy" OR "cervical spondylotic myelopathy." Levels of evidence were also calculated. Descriptive and statistical analysis was also carried out. The total number of citations of the top 50 papers was 7072. The paper with the highest number of citations was 287. All articles were published between 1966-2010, with most articles being published between 1990 and 1999(N=22). The most prolific country in terms of the total number of publications was United States with 25 publications followed by Japan. Majority of the articles were Level IV. There is a deficiency of high-level articles in the top 50 most cited list. The study provides an important overview of historical development of treatment methods as well as publication trends related to this pathology. Regardless, this is a comprehensive list of the top 50 most cited articles for future trainees and surgeons to use as resource to build up knowledge base. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relationship between left main coronary artery plaque burden and nonleft main coronary atherosclerosis: results from the PROSPECT study.

PubMed

Shimizu, Takehisa; Mintz, Gary S; De Bruyne, Bernard; Farhat, Naim Z; Inaba, Shinji; Cao, Yang; Marso, Steven P; Weisz, Giora; Serruys, Patrick W; Stone, Gregg W; Maehara, Akiko

2018-05-17

Whether the severity of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease reflects LMCA and overall coronary atherosclerotic burden is not known. We aimed to assess nonculprit LMCA disease characteristics and the relationship with atherosclerosis in the rest of the coronary arteries as well as patient outcomes. In the PROSPECT study, 697 patients with acute coronary syndromes underwent three-vessel gray-scale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound after percutaneous coronary intervention. Overall, 552 patients with adequate LMCA imaging were compared according to LMCA plaque burden. The tertile with the highest plaque burden in the LMCA had the smallest LMCA minimum lumen area (17.4, 14.2, 10.5, lowest through highest tertiles, respectively, P<0.0001) and the greatest percent necrotic core volume (2.8, 5.6, 9.5%, lowest through highest tertiles, respectively, P<0.0001). Furthermore, the tertile with the highest plaque burden was also significantly associated with the highest overall non-LMCA percent atheroma volume within the major epicardial arteries (48.3, 49.2, 50.8%, lowest through highest tertiles, respectively, P<0.0001). After adjusting for patient background, the LMCA plaque burden was independently associated with non-LMCA percent atheroma volume (P=0.003). Of the three PROSPECT predictors of future nonculprit major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (minimum lumen area≤4 mm, plaque burden≥70%, and virtual histology thin-cap fibroatheroma), the tertile with the highest LMCA plaque burden had the highest number of patients with at least one of three PROSPECT predictors (P=0.03). In multivariable model, though total atheroma volume (per 1%) was an independent predictor of all MACE [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.06 (1.01-1.11), P=0.02] and strong trend for non-culprit-related MACE [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.06 (1.00-1.13), P=0.06], plaque burden at LMCA was not (all MACE, P=0.90, non-culprit-related MACE, P=0.85). The severity of atherosclerosis in LMCA predicted the overall atherosclerotic plaque burden as well as the presence of high-risk plaques in the three major epicardial coronary arteries.

Estimation of genomic breeding values for milk yield in UK dairy goats.

PubMed

Mucha, S; Mrode, R; MacLaren-Lee, I; Coffey, M; Conington, J

2015-11-01

The objective of this study was to estimate genomic breeding values for milk yield in crossbred dairy goats. The research was based on data provided by 2 commercial goat farms in the UK comprising 590,409 milk yield records on 14,453 dairy goats kidding between 1987 and 2013. The population was created by crossing 3 breeds: Alpine, Saanen, and Toggenburg. In each generation the best performing animals were selected for breeding, and as a result, a synthetic breed was created. The pedigree file contained 30,139 individuals, of which 2,799 were founders. The data set contained test-day records of milk yield, lactation number, farm, age at kidding, and year and season of kidding. Data on milk composition was unavailable. In total 1,960 animals were genotyped with the Illumina 50K caprine chip. Two methods for estimation of genomic breeding value were compared-BLUP at the single nucleotide polymorphism level (BLUP-SNP) and single-step BLUP. The highest accuracy of 0.61 was obtained with single-step BLUP, and the lowest (0.36) with BLUP-SNP. Linkage disequilibrium (r(2), the squared correlation of the alleles at 2 loci) at 50 kb (distance between 2 SNP) was 0.18. This is the first attempt to implement genomic selection in UK dairy goats. Results indicate that the single-step method provides the highest accuracy for populations with a small number of genotyped individuals, where the number of genotyped males is low and females are predominant in the reference population. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Screening of marine bacterial producers of polyunsaturated fatty acids and optimisation of production.

PubMed

Abd El Razak, Ahmed; Ward, Alan C; Glassey, Jarka

2014-02-01

Water samples from three different environments including Mid Atlantic Ridge, Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea were screened in order to isolate new polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) bacterial producers especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Two hundred and fifty-one isolates were screened for PUFA production and among them the highest number of producers was isolated from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge followed by the Red Sea while no producers were found in the Mediterranean Sea samples. The screening strategy included a simple colourimetric method followed by a confirmation via GC/MS. Among the tested producers, an isolate named 66 was found to be a potentially high PUFA producer producing relatively high levels of EPA in particular. A Plackett-Burman statistical design of experiments was applied to screen a wide number of media components identifying glycerol and whey as components of a production medium. The potential low-cost production medium was optimised by applying a response surface methodology to obtain the highest productivity converting industrial by-products into value-added products. The maximum achieved productivity of EPA was 20 mg/g, 45 mg/l, representing 11% of the total fatty acids, which is approximately five times more than the amount produced prior to optimisation. The production medium composition was 10.79 g/l whey and 6.87 g/l glycerol. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of potential bacteria PUFA producers from Mediterranean and Red Seas providing an evaluation of a colourimetric screening method as means of rapid screening of a large number of isolates.

The trend of indexed papers in PubMed covering different aspects of self-immolation.

PubMed

Rezaeian, Mohsen

2014-01-01

Self-immolation is a fatal and devastating method of committing suicide used around the world. The chief aim of the present article is to look at the trend of indexed papers in PubMed covering different aspects of self-immolation. PubMed search engine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) was searched by using six keywords i.e. "self-immolation", "self-inflicted burn", "self-burning", "self-incineration", "suicidal burns" and "suicide by burning". These keywords should appear either in the title or the abstract of the articles. The time frame was set as to retrieve papers expanding from early indexing time up to end of the year 2011. Based on the search strategy 132 papers were retrieved from these total numbers; 12 (9%) were categorized as review papers; 24 (18%) as case reports and the rest 96 (73%) were original studies. It seems that the number of papers increased during the years of investigations and the highest indexed papers i.e. 14 (10.6%) belonged to the year 2011. While most journals, published only one article the highest indexed papers i.e. 35 (26.5%) belonged to Burns. There was an increasing trend in the number of self-immolation articles indexed in PubMed since 1965. Three journals i.e. Burns, Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation and Journal of Forensic Sciences hosted for more than 37% of all those indexed articles. However, given the increasing trend of self-immolation still more studies are needed to shed light on the diverse aspects of this appalling human behavior.

The Behavioural Contexts of Red Langur (Presbytis rubicunda) Loud Calls in the Wehea Forest, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PubMed

D'Agostino, Justin; Spehar, Stephanie N; Delgado, Roberto

2016-01-01

Researchers hypothesize that male loud calls play several roles in primate societies including in the context of intergroup spacing and spatial coordination. Field studies examining the behavioural correlates of vocalizations are essential to evaluate the function of these calls. This preliminary study, from July 2011 to January 2012, explores the behavioural contexts and correlates of male loud calls in a habituated group of red langurs (Presbytis rubicunda) in the Wehea Forest, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. In analysing 418 h of data collection, we find a total of 87 vocal behaviours, including bouts of multiple calls in rapid succession (i.e. calling events) and individual loud calls. In this sample, most vocal behaviour takes place in the morning with 59% of calling events occurring before 8.00 h. The mean rate of calling events is 0.12 events/h, and the mean rate of individual loud calls is 0.20 calls/h. The mean number of calling events per day is 1.31 (range: 0-4), and the mean number of individual loud calls per day is 2.81 (range: 0-13). The rate of calling events is highest in the context of intragroup conflict, followed by intergroup encounters, predator threat, group travel, and the highest number of individual loud calls occurred during intergroup encounters. Although these results are preliminary, they suggest that adult male loud calls among red langurs at Wehea may play a role in both intergroup spacing and social coordination, supporting the hypothesis that these calls can serve different functions. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Effects of litterfall and root input on soil physical and chemical properties in Pinus massoniana plantations in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China].

PubMed

Ge, Xiao-Gai; Huang, Zhi-Lin; Cheng, Rui-Mei; Zeng, Li-Xiong; Xiao, Wen-Fa; Tan, Ben-Wang

2012-12-01

An investigation was made on the soil physical and chemical properties in different-aged Pinus massoniana plantations in Three Gorges Reservoir Area under effects of litterfall and roots. The annual litter production in mature stand was 19.4% and 65.7% higher than that in nearly mature and middle-aged stands, respectively. The litter standing amount was in the sequence of mature stand > middle-aged stand > nearly mature stand, while the litter turnover coefficient was in the order of nearly mature stand (0.51) > mature stand (0.40) > middle-aged stand (0.36). The total root biomass, live root biomass, and dead root biomass were the highest in middle-aged stand, and the lowest in nearly mature stand. In middle-aged stand, soil total porosity was the highest, and soil bulk density was the lowest. Soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents were in the order of mature stand > middle-aged stand > nearly mature stand, soil nitrate nitrogen occupied a larger proportion of soil mineral N in nearly mature stand, while ammonium nitrogen accounted more in middle-aged and mature stands. In nearly mature stand, litter production was moderate but turnover coefficient was the highest, and soil nutrient contents were the lowest. In middle-aged stand, root biomass and soil total porosity were the highest, and soil bulk density were the lowest. In mature stand, root biomass was lower while soil nutrient contents were the highest. The increase of root biomass could improve soil physical properties.

Characterizing emergency admissions of patients with sickle cell crisis in NHS brent: observational study

PubMed Central

Green, Stuart A; AlJuburi, Ghida; Majeed, Azeem; Okoye, Ogo; Amobi, Carole; Banarsee, Ricky; Phekoo, Karen J

2012-01-01

Objectives To characterize emergency admissions for patients with sickle cell crisis in NHS Brent and to determine which patients and practices may benefit most from primary care intervention. Design Observational study Setting Emergency departments attended by residents of the London borough of Brent Participants Patients with sickle cell disease registered with a general practitioner (GP) in the borough of Brent Main outcome measures Analysis of admissions between January 2008 and July 2010 that included length of stay (average and <2 days versus ≥2 days) by age group and registered GP practice. Results Thirty six percent of sickle cell disease admission spells resulted in a length of stay of less than two days. Seventy four percent of total bed days are associated with patients with more than one admission during the period of analysis, i.e. multiple admissions. Two general practices in Brent were identified as having the highest number of patients admitted to the emergency department for sickle cell crisis and may benefit most from primary care intervention. Discussion Patients with short length of stay and multiple admissions may be potentially amenable to primary care intervention. The practices which have the highest numbers of sickle cell disease patients who frequently seek emergency care will be earmarked for an education intervention designed to help further engage general practitioners in the care and management of their sickle cell patients. PMID:22768371

Characterizing emergency admissions of patients with sickle cell crisis in NHS brent: observational study.

PubMed

Green, Stuart A; Aljuburi, Ghida; Majeed, Azeem; Okoye, Ogo; Amobi, Carole; Banarsee, Ricky; Phekoo, Karen J

2012-06-01

To characterize emergency admissions for patients with sickle cell crisis in NHS Brent and to determine which patients and practices may benefit most from primary care intervention. Observational study Emergency departments attended by residents of the London borough of Brent Patients with sickle cell disease registered with a general practitioner (GP) in the borough of Brent Analysis of admissions between January 2008 and July 2010 that included length of stay (average and <2 days versus ≥2 days) by age group and registered GP practice. Thirty six percent of sickle cell disease admission spells resulted in a length of stay of less than two days. Seventy four percent of total bed days are associated with patients with more than one admission during the period of analysis, i.e. multiple admissions. Two general practices in Brent were identified as having the highest number of patients admitted to the emergency department for sickle cell crisis and may benefit most from primary care intervention. Patients with short length of stay and multiple admissions may be potentially amenable to primary care intervention. The practices which have the highest numbers of sickle cell disease patients who frequently seek emergency care will be earmarked for an education intervention designed to help further engage general practitioners in the care and management of their sickle cell patients.

Analysis of Reproducibility of Proteome Coverage and Quantitation Using Isobaric Mass Tags (iTRAQ and TMT).

PubMed

Casey, Tammy M; Khan, Javed M; Bringans, Scott D; Koudelka, Tomas; Takle, Pari S; Downs, Rachael A; Livk, Andreja; Syme, Robert A; Tan, Kar-Chun; Lipscombe, Richard J

2017-02-03

This study aimed to compare the depth and reproducibility of total proteome and differentially expressed protein coverage in technical duplicates and triplicates using iTRAQ 4-plex, iTRAQ 8-plex, and TMT 6-plex reagents. The analysis was undertaken because comprehensive comparisons of isobaric mass tag reproducibility have not been widely reported in the literature. The highest number of proteins was identified with 4-plex, followed by 8-plex and then 6-plex reagents. Quantitative analyses revealed that more differentially expressed proteins were identified with 4-plex reagents than 8-plex reagents and 6-plex reagents. Replicate reproducibility was determined to be ≥69% for technical duplicates and ≥57% for technical triplicates. The results indicate that running an 8-plex or 6-plex experiment instead of a 4-plex experiment resulted in 26 or 39% fewer protein identifications, respectively. When 4-plex spectra were searched with three software tools-ProteinPilot, Mascot, and Proteome Discoverer-the highest number of protein identifications were obtained with Mascot. The analysis of negative controls demonstrated the importance of running experiments as replicates. Overall, this study demonstrates the advantages of using iTRAQ 4-plex reagents over iTRAQ 8-plex and TMT 6-plex reagents, provides estimates of technical duplicate and triplicate reproducibility, and emphasizes the value of running replicate samples.

[Temporal diversity dynamics of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Larrea tridentata (Sesse & Mocino ex DC) Coville in a semi-arid ecosystem].

PubMed

Hernández-Zamudio, Genoveva; Sáenz-Mata, Jorge; Moreno-Reséndez, Alejandro; Castañeda-Gaytán, Gamaliel; Ogaz, Alfredo; Carballar-Hernández, Santos; Hernández-Cuevas, Laura

2017-12-06

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of arid and semiarid ecosystems are important for the development of plants that grow under biotic stress in wild or in agro-ecosystems. There is little information on the temporal diversity of these organisms in perennial plants from arid ecosystems in northern Mexico. On this study, the mycorrhizal colonization and the temporal diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of Larrea tridentata, perennial plant abundant in the Chihuahuan Desert region were explored. Samples of the rhizosphere and roots of fifteen plants in each of the three sampling dates during the 2015 year were obtained. A total of 17 species of HMA belonging to 12 genera and 7 families within the phylum Glomeromycota in all three sampling dates were found. Funneliformis geosporum was the dominant species belonging to the family Glomeraceae which possess the highest genera number on L. tridentata. The highest mycorrhization percentage was in February with 83.22, followed by September and May with 75.27 and 65.27%, respectively. A maximum of 16 AM fungal species were isolated and identified from L. tridentata rhizosphere in February, 15 species in May and 12 species in September. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between sampling dates in the spores number. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Global Regulatory T-Cell Research from 2000 to 2015: A Bibliometric Analysis

PubMed Central

Zongyi, Yin; Dongying, Chen

2016-01-01

We aimed to analyze the global scientific output of regulatory T-cell (Treg) research and built a model to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate publications from 2000 to 2015. Data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) of Thomson Reuters on January 1, 2016. The bibliometric method and Citespace III were used to analyze authors, journals, publication outputs, institutions, countries, research areas, research hotspots, and trends. In total, we identified 35,741 publications on Treg research from 2000 to 2015, and observed that the annual publication rate increased with time. The Journal of Immunology published the highest number of articles, the leading country was the USA, and the leading institute was Harvard University. Sakaguchi, Hori, Fontenot, and Wang were the top authors in Treg research. Immunology accounted for the highest number of publications, followed by oncology, experimental medicine, cell biology, and hematology. Keyword analysis indicated that autoimmunity, inflammation, cytokine, gene expression, foxp3, and immunotherapy were the research hotspots, whereas autoimmune inflammation, gene therapy, granzyme B, RORγt, and th17 were the frontiers of Treg research. This bibliometric analysis revealed that Treg-related studies are still research hotspots, and that Treg-related clinical therapies are the research frontiers; however, further study and collaborations are needed worldwide. Overall, our findings provide valuable information for the editors of immunology journals to identify new perspectives and shape future research directions. PMID:27611317

Traditional zootherapeutic studies in India: a review

PubMed Central

Mahawar, Madan Mohan; Jaroli, DP

2008-01-01

The present study aims to review the zootherapeutic practices of the different ethnic communities of India. This work is also an attempt to present a list of animals' use for medicinal purposes by different communities of India. Data were gathered from 15 published research papers of various authors on zootherapeutic studies in India from 2000 to 2007. Approximately 109 animals and their 270 uses are reported in traditional medicine in different parts of India. Of these, the highest numbers of animal species (42, 38.5%) with 50 (18.5%) uses have been reported for the treatment of Respiratory system related problems. Rheumatic and other pains are treated with 32 species (29.4%) in 34 (12.9%) uses. Gastric problems are reported to be treated with 22 (20.2%) species in 26 (9.9%) uses. The mammals constitute the highest number of animals used for medicinal purposes. 44 (40%) mammals, 24 (22%) invertebrates, 18 (17%) birds, 12 (11%) reptiles, nine (8%) fishes and two (2%) amphibians have been reported for medicinal purposes. Of the total 109 animal species reported, 76(70%) are included in IUCN red data list and 36 (33%) animal species are listed in CITES appendix I, II, and III. This work will be helpful in biodiversity conservation in India and also give a clue to investigate bio-active compound in these animal raw materials. PMID:18634551

Trends in publication on evidence-based antioxidative herbal medicines in management of diabetic nephropathy.

PubMed

Tabatabaei-Malazy, Ozra; Atlasi, Rasha; Larijani, Bagher; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2015-01-01

Recently, popularity and use of herbal medicine in treatment of diabetes have been increased. Since, oxidative stress is known as the main underlying pathophysiology of diabetes and its complications, the purpose of this bibliometric study is to assess the global scientific production analysis and developing its trend in field of antioxidative hypoglycemic herbal medicines and diabetic nephropathy focusing on the scientific publication numbers, citations, geographical distribution in the world and determining the main journal (source) in the field. Our search terms were "diabetes", "renal", "nephropathy", "herb", "Chinese medicine", "traditional medicine", and "antioxidant" from Scopus database until January 2015 and analysis of the distribution of words in the publication year, main journal (source) in the field, geographical distribution, documents' type and language, subject area, and h-index of citations were crried out. The Scopus analysis tools and VOSviewer software version 1.6.3 have been used for analysis. Within 1166 papers were published until year 2015, 78 studies were related to this topic in human. Increasing trend in number of related researches was shown. Fifty eight percent of the published papers were original articles, and the highest number was produced in 2013 with 21 documents. Top subject areas were medicine with global publication share of 71.8 %, and pharmacology was ranked the second (39.7 %). Iran was the first country with global publication. The total citation of the documents were 2518 times and h-index was 24. The highest cited paper was a review article with 336 citation number, and top source was "Journal of Medicinal Plants". Both of top authors and affiliation were from Iran; "Tehran University of Medical Sciences". Also, top author in the co-authorship mapping and clustering assessment was from Iran. Although, we found an ascending trend of scientific publications in field of antioxidative herbal medicine and diabetic nephropathy with a good position for Iran, the number of publications is insufficient and more researches in this topic is necessary.

Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka: spatial distribution and seasonal variations from 2009 to 2016.

PubMed

Galgamuwa, Lahiru Sandaruwan; Dharmaratne, Samath D; Iddawela, Devika

2018-01-25

Leishmaniasis is listed as one of the eight neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization and the number of cases in endemic areas has seen a sharp rise in the past decade. More alarmingly, reports have shown that leishmaniasis is spreading to non-endemic areas of the world due to co-infection with HIV. In Sri Lanka, leishmaniasis is considered as a notifiable disease from 2008 and has seen a rising trend of incidence since then. This is the first study describing the burden, seasonal variation and spatial distribution of leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka since the disease has been included as a notifiable disease. Data on health statistics from 2009 to 2016 were obtained from published databases maintained by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka. Climatic data for Sri Lanka were obtained from the Department of Meteorology and the populations in administrative districts were obtained from the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. Descriptive spatiotemporal analysis, correlation between leishmaniasis incidence and climatic variables were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The total number of people reported with leishmaniasis during the study period was 8487. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the prominent form in Sri Lanka while few visceral and muco-cutaneous cases were reported. Although leishmaniasis patients were identified from all 25 districts in the island, almost 90% of the total caseload was reported from Anuradhapura, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala and Matara districts. The highest number of patients was reported from the Anuradhapura district and the highest incidence per 100,000 persons was reported from the Hambantota district. The disease has a seasonal trend, a peak of leishmaniasis occur in July to September in the north-central region and in October to December in the southern region. Maximum temperature, humidity and wind speed are significantly associated climatic variables with leishmaniasis in endemic regions. Leishmaniasis is an emerging public health problem in north-central and southern Sri Lanka. Public awareness programs for the prevention and control of the disease in endemic regions are essential to reduce the incidence of leishmaniasis.

[Correlation between the visiting rate of patients with allergic rhinitis and airborne pollen concentrations in Beijing in recent 3 years].

PubMed

Hu, W N; Zhu, L; Xie, L F; Zhang, F Z; Bai, M Y; Wang, N; Sun, Z W

2017-01-07

Objective: To evaluate the daily airborne pollen concentrations and visiting rate of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and their correlation during 2012-2014 in Beijing. Methods: Daily airborne pollen concentrations (55 998 numbers in total and 549 numbers in average) and its constitution from April to September each year (2012 to 2014) were compared. The number of patients with AR (44 203 in total) who visited the outpatient department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital between January 2012 and December 2014 was analyzed by month. Using SPSS 22.0 software, Kruskal - Wallis test was done for the comparison of visiting rate of patients with AR and airborne pollen concentrations. Correlation analysis between them was made as well. Results: χ(2) value of airborne pollen concentrations between different months in 2012 to 2014 was 110.7, 108.4 and 121.4, respectively; all P <0.01. The airborne pollen concentrations had two peaks per year, respectively: April to May, August to September. χ(2) value of visiting rate of patients with AR between different months in 2012 to 2014 was 175.0, 185.1 and 134.5, respectively; all P <0.01. Visiting rate of patients with AR showed two scattering peaks each year, respectively: April to May, August to September. The highest pollen concentration of spring (April to May) was in early and middle April. Tree pollen was the major portion in spring, which were poplar pollen, pine tree pollen, ash tree pollen, cypress tree pollen and birch trees pollen. The highest pollen concentration of autumn (August to September) was in late August and early September. Weed pollen was the major portion in summer and autumn, which were artemisia pollen, chenopodiaceae pollen and humulus japonicas pollen. The visiting rate of patients with AR showed significant correlation with airborne pollen concentrations ( r value was 0.537, 0.484 and 0.566, respectively; all P <0.01). Conclusion: The visiting rate of patients with AR showed positive correlation with airborne pollen concentrations in recent three years.

Heat-Transfer Measurements in Free Flight at Mach Numbers up to 14.6 on a Flat-Faced Conical Nose with a Total Angle of 29 Degrees

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Charles B; Lee, Dorothy B

1958-01-01

Skin-temperature measurements have been made at several locations on a flat-faced cone-cylinder nose which was flight tested on a fivestage rocket-propeller model to a Mach number of 14.64 and a free-stream Reynolds number of 2.0 x 10(exp 6), based on flat-face diameter, at an altitude of 66,300 feet. The copper nose had a 29 deg total-angle conical section which was 1.6 flat-face diameters long. The aerodynamic-heating rates determined from the temperature measurements reached 1,440 Btu/( sec) (sq ft) on the flat face. The heating rates near the center of the flat face agreed well at Mach numbers up to 13.6 with those obtained by a theory for laminar stagnation-point heating in equilibrium dissociated air (Avco Res. Rep. 1). At Mach numbers above 13.6, the heating rates at locations near the center of the flat face became progressively lower than stagnation-point theory and. were 29 percent lower at Mach number 14.6 at the end. of the test. The reason for this behavior of the heating on the central part of the flat face was not determined. Excluding the relatively low heating rates that occurred on the central part of the nose at the highest Mach numbers, the distribution of experimental heating along the innermost 0.79 of the flat-face radius, expressed as a percentage of stagnation-point heating, was in fair agreement with the distribution predicted by laminar theory. At a location of 0.71 radii from the stagnation point, the experimental heating was very near 130 percent of the theoretical stagnation-point rate at Mach numbers from 11 to 14.5. The experimental beating rates on the conical section of the nose were in good agreement with laminar-cone theory using the assumption of theoretical sharp-cone static pressure on the conical section.

The effect of level of feeding, genetic merit, body condition score and age on biological parameters of a mammary gland model.

PubMed

Bryant, J R; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Holmes, C W; Pryce, J E; Pitman, G D; Davis, S R

2007-03-01

An evolutionary algorithm was applied to a mechanistic model of the mammary gland to find the parameter values that minimised the difference between predicted and actual lactation curves of milk yields in New Zealand Jersey cattle managed at different feeding levels. The effect of feeding level, genetic merit, body condition score at parturition and age on total lactation yields of milk, fat and protein, days in milk, live weight and evolutionary algorithm derived mammary gland parameters was then determined using a multiple regression model. The mechanistic model of the mammary gland was able to fit lactation curves that corresponded to actual lactation curves with a high degree of accuracy. The senescence rate of quiescent (inactive) alveoli was highest at the very low feeding level. The active alveoli population at peak lactation was highest at very low feeding levels, but lower nutritional status at this feeding level prevented high milk yields from being achieved. Genetic merit had a significant linear effect on the active alveoli population at peak and mid to late lactation, with higher values in animals, which had higher breeding values for milk yields. A type of genetic merit × feeding level scaling effect was observed for total yields of milk and fat, and total number of alveoli produced from conception until the end of lactation with the benefits of increases in genetic merit being greater at high feeding levels. A genetic merit × age scaling effect was observed for total lactation protein yields. Initial rates of differentiation of progenitor cells declined with age. Production levels of alveoli from conception to the end of lactation were lowest in 5- to 8-year-old animals; however, in these older animals, quiescent alveoli were reactivated more frequently. The active alveoli population at peak lactation and rates of active alveoli proceeding to quiescence were highest in animals of intermediate body condition scores of 4.0 to 5.0. The results illustrate the potential uses of a mechanistic model of the mammary gland to fit a lactation curve and to quantify the effects of feeding level, genetic merit, body condition score, and age on mammary gland dynamics throughout lactation.

[Acute poisonings in Poland during the period 1997-1999. An analysis of files from the Krakow Poison Information Center].

PubMed

Kotwica, Małgorzata; Rogaczewska, Anna

2002-01-01

This work analyses the 1997-1999 data received from Polish poison units at Gdańsk, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Rzeszów, Tarnów, Sosnowiec, Warszawa, Wrocław on patients hospitalised there and patients treated at other hospitals but consulted by specialists of those centres. The analysis shows that drugs constituted the most frequent cause of the poisonings (over 45% all poisonings). Poisonings with: alcohols accounted for 17.6%, gases (primarily by carbon monoxide) for 5.3%, pesticides for 4.5%, substances of abuse for 4.1%, and with organic solvents for 4.0% total poisonings. Suicidal poisonings constituted about 36% total poisonings, accidental over 25%, poisonings resulting for street-drugs and alcohol abuse over 23%, chemical emergency or fire 1%, while occupational poisonings constituted only 0.9% total poisonings. In 1997-1999, the highest numbers of deaths were recorded after intake of: drugs (102), ethylene glycol (39), alcohols (49, including 16 after intake of methanol and 33 after intake of ethanol), pesticides (15 deaths).

Influence of apple and citrus pectins, processed mango peels, a phenolic mango peel extract, and gallic Acid as potential feed supplements on in vitro total gas production and rumen methanogenesis.

PubMed

Geerkens, Christian Hubert; Schweiggert, Ralf Martin; Steingass, Herbert; Boguhn, Jeannette; Rodehutscord, Markus; Carle, Reinhold

2013-06-19

Several food processing byproducts were assessed as potential feed and feed supplements. Since their chemical composition revealed a high nutritional potential for ruminants, the Hohenheim in vitro gas test was used to investigate total gas, methane, and volatile fatty acid production as well as protozoal numbers after ruminal digestion of different substrate levels. Processing byproducts used were low- and high-esterified citrus and apple pectins, integral mango peels, and depectinized mango peels. In addition, the effect of a phenolic mango peel extract and pure gallic acid was investigated. The highest decrease in methane production (19%) was achieved by supplementing high levels of low-esterified citrus pectin to the hay-based diet. Interestingly, total gas production was not affected at the same time. Showing valuable nutritional potential, all byproducts exhibited, e.g., high metabolizable energy (11.9-12.8 MJ/kg DM). In conclusion, all byproducts, particularly low-esterified citrus pectin, revealed promising potential as feed and feed supplements.

Web Page Content and Quality Assessed for Shoulder Replacement.

PubMed

Matthews, John R; Harrison, Caitlyn M; Hughes, Travis M; Dezfuli, Bobby; Sheppard, Joseph

2016-01-01

The Internet has become a major source for obtaining health-related information. This study assesses and compares the quality of information available online for shoulder replacement using medical (total shoulder arthroplasty [TSA]) and nontechnical (shoulder replacement [SR]) terminology. Three evaluators reviewed 90 websites for each search term across 3 search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing). Websites were grouped into categories, identified as commercial or noncommercial, and evaluated with the DISCERN questionnaire. Total shoulder arthroplasty provided 53 unique sites compared to 38 websites for SR. Of the 53 TSA websites, 30% were health professional-oriented websites versus 18% of SR websites. Shoulder replacement websites provided more patient-oriented information at 48%, versus 45% of TSA websites. In total, SR websites provided 47% (42/90) noncommercial websites, with the highest number seen in Yahoo, compared with TSA at 37% (33/90), with Google providing 13 of the 33 websites (39%). Using the nonmedical terminology with Yahoo's search engine returned the most noncommercial and patient-oriented websites. However, the quality of information found online was highly variable, with most websites being unreliable and incomplete, regardless of search term.

Short read Illumina data for the de novo assembly of a non-model snail species transcriptome (Radix balthica, Basommatophora, Pulmonata), and a comparison of assembler performance

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Until recently, read lengths on the Solexa/Illumina system were too short to reliably assemble transcriptomes without a reference sequence, especially for non-model organisms. However, with read lengths up to 100 nucleotides available in the current version, an assembly without reference genome should be possible. For this study we created an EST data set for the common pond snail Radix balthica by Illumina sequencing of a normalized transcriptome. Performance of three different short read assemblers was compared with respect to: the number of contigs, their length, depth of coverage, their quality in various BLAST searches and the alignment to mitochondrial genes. Results A single sequencing run of a normalized RNA pool resulted in 16,923,850 paired end reads with median read length of 61 bases. The assemblies generated by VELVET, OASES, and SeqMan NGEN differed in the total number of contigs, contig length, the number and quality of gene hits obtained by BLAST searches against various databases, and contig performance in the mt genome comparison. While VELVET produced the highest overall number of contigs, a large fraction of these were of small size (< 200bp), and gave redundant hits in BLAST searches and the mt genome alignment. The best overall contig performance resulted from the NGEN assembly. It produced the second largest number of contigs, which on average were comparable to the OASES contigs but gave the highest number of gene hits in two out of four BLAST searches against different reference databases. A subsequent meta-assembly of the four contig sets resulted in larger contigs, less redundancy and a higher number of BLAST hits. Conclusion Our results document the first de novo transcriptome assembly of a non-model species using Illumina sequencing data. We show that de novo transcriptome assembly using this approach yields results useful for downstream applications, in particular if a meta-assembly of contig sets is used to increase contig quality. These results highlight the ongoing need for improvements in assembly methodology. PMID:21679424

The clinical efficacy of in vitro allergen-specific IgE antibody test in the diagnosis of allergic children with asthma.

PubMed

Chou, Tzn-Yu; Wu, Kuo-Yao; Shieh, Chi-Chang; Wang, Jiu-Yao

2002-01-01

Asthma is a very common respiratory allergic disease in Taiwan. The aims of this study were to investigate the allergen-sensitized profile and its relationship with serum total IgE levels in allergic asthmatic children in Taiwan. Moreover, the number of allergens to be tested for the most efficient and effective diagnosis of allergic diseases was also examined. Total IgE and IgE specific for a panel of common aeroallergens were assayed in 200 serum samples of asthmatic children using Pharmacia CAP system (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden). House dust mites Der p (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), Der f (Dermatophagoides farinae), and Bt (Blomia Tropicalis) had the highest sensitized rates at 82.5%, 82.0%, and 72%, respectively. Candida albican (14.0%) and Bermuda grass (8.0%) were the most common sensitized fungus and pollen in our subjects, respectively. The accumulated sensitized rate (10%) for pollens was lower than those of fungus (21.5%) and house dust allergens (84%). The average serum total IgE of the allergen-negative asthmatic children (n=30) was significantly lower than that of children with at least one allergen sensitized asthma (n=170) (377.9 +/- 123.6 vs. 1117.8 +/- 235.7 IU/ml, p<0.05). The level of total IgE was significantly correlated with the concentrations of mite-specific IgE antibodies, but not with the numbers of allergen sensitized. In addition, the detection rate was 84% when the 4 most common allergens (Der p, Der f, Dog dander, and cockroach) were tested, similar to the result after testing for all 12.

Repeat analysis of intraoral digital imaging performed by undergraduate students using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor: An institutional case study.

PubMed

Yusof, Mohd Yusmiaidil Putera Mohd; Rahman, Nur Liyana Abdul; Asri, Amiza Aqiela Ahmad; Othman, Noor Ilyani; Wan Mokhtar, Ilham

2017-12-01

This study was performed to quantify the repeat rate of imaging acquisitions based on different clinical examinations, and to assess the prevalence of error types in intraoral bitewing and periapical imaging using a digital complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) intraoral sensor. A total of 8,030 intraoral images were retrospectively collected from 3 groups of undergraduate clinical dental students. The type of examination, stage of the procedure, and reasons for repetition were analysed and recorded. The repeat rate was calculated as the total number of repeated images divided by the total number of examinations. The weighted Cohen's kappa for inter- and intra-observer agreement was used after calibration and prior to image analysis. The overall repeat rate on intraoral periapical images was 34.4%. A total of 1,978 repeated periapical images were from endodontic assessment, which included working length estimation (WLE), trial gutta-percha (tGP), obturation, and removal of gutta-percha (rGP). In the endodontic imaging, the highest repeat rate was from WLE (51.9%) followed by tGP (48.5%), obturation (42.2%), and rGP (35.6%). In bitewing images, the repeat rate was 15.1% and poor angulation was identified as the most common cause of error. A substantial level of intra- and interobserver agreement was achieved. The repeat rates in this study were relatively high, especially for certain clinical procedures, warranting training in optimization techniques and radiation protection. Repeat analysis should be performed from time to time to enhance quality assurance and hence deliver high-quality health services to patients.

Industry Financial Relationships in Neurosurgery in 2015: Analysis of the Sunshine Act Open Payments Database.

PubMed

de Lotbiniere-Bassett, Madeleine P; McDonald, Patrick J

2018-06-01

The 2013 Physician Payments Sunshine Act mandates that all U.S. drug and device manufacturers disclose payments to physicians. All payments are made available annually in the Open Payments Database (OPD). Our aim was to determine prevalence, magnitude, and nature of these payments to physicians performing neurologic surgery in 2015 and to discuss the role that financial conflicts of interest play in neurosurgery. All records of industry financial relationships with physicians identified by the neurological surgery taxonomy code in 2015 were accessed via the OPD. Data were analyzed in terms of type and amounts of payments, companies making payments, and comparison with previous studies. In 2015, 83,690 payments (totaling $99,048,607) were made to 7613 physicians by 330 companies. Of these, 0.01% were >$1 million, and 73.2% were <$100. The mean payment ($13,010) was substantially greater than the median ($114). Royalties and licensing accounted for the largest monetary value of payments (74.2%) but only 1.7% of the total number. Food and beverage payments were the most commonly reported transaction (75%) but accounted for only 2.5% of total reported monetary value. Neurologic surgery had the second highest average total payment per physician of any specialty. The neurological surgery specialty receives substantial annual payments from industry in the United States. The overall value is driven by a small number of payments of high monetary value. The OPD provides a unique opportunity for increased transparency in industry-physician relationships facilitating disclosure of financial conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Poster - 49: Assessment of Synchrony respiratory compensation error for CyberKnife liver treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ming; Cygler,

The goal of this work is to quantify respiratory motion compensation errors for liver tumor patients treated by the CyberKnife system with Synchrony tracking, to identify patients with the smallest tracking errors and to eventually help coach patient’s breathing patterns to minimize dose delivery errors. The accuracy of CyberKnife Synchrony respiratory motion compensation was assessed for 37 patients treated for liver lesions by analyzing data from system logfiles. A predictive model is used to modulate the direction of individual beams during dose delivery based on the positions of internally implanted fiducials determined using an orthogonal x-ray imaging system and themore » current location of LED external markers. For each x-ray pair acquired, system logfiles report the prediction error, the difference between the measured and predicted fiducial positions, and the delivery error, which is an estimate of the statistical error in the model overcoming the latency between x-ray acquisition and robotic repositioning. The total error was calculated at the time of each x-ray pair, for the number of treatment fractions and the number of patients, giving the average respiratory motion compensation error in three dimensions. The 99{sup th} percentile for the total radial error is 3.85 mm, with the highest contribution of 2.79 mm in superior/inferior (S/I) direction. The absolute mean compensation error is 1.78 mm radially with a 1.27 mm contribution in the S/I direction. Regions of high total error may provide insight into features predicting groups of patients with larger or smaller total errors.« less

Evaluation of Industrial Compensation to Cardiologists in 2015.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Shahzeb; Siddiqi, Tariq Jamal; Fatima, Kaneez; Riaz, Haris; Khosa, Faisal; Manning, Warren J; Krasuski, Richard

2017-12-15

The categorization and characterization of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers or group purchasing organization payments to clinicians is an important step toward assessing conflicts of interest and the potential impact of these payments on practice patterns. Payments have not previously been compared among the subspecialties of cardiology. This is a retrospective analysis of the Open Payments database, including all installments and payments made to doctors in the calendar year 2015 by pharmaceutical and device manufacturers or group purchasing organization. Total payments to individual physicians were then aggregated based on specialty, geographic region, and payment type. The Gini Index was further employed to calculate within each specialty to measure income disparity. In 2015, a total of $166,089,335 was paid in 943,744 payments (average $175.00 per payment) to cardiologists, including 23,372 general cardiologists, 7,530 interventional cardiologists, and 2,293 cardiac electro-physiologists. Payments were mal-distributed across the 3 subspecialties of cardiology (p <0.01), with general cardiology receiving the largest number (73.5%) and total payments (62.6%) and cardiac electrophysiologists receiving significantly higher median payments ($1,662 vs $361 for all cardiologists; p <0.01). The Medtronic Company was the largest single payer for all 3 subspecialties. In conclusion, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers or group purchasing organizations continue to make substantial payments to cardiac practitioners with a significant variation in payments made to different cardiology subspecialists. The largest number and total payments are to general cardiologists, whereas the highest median payments are made to cardiac electrophysiologists. The impact of these payments on practice patterns remains to be examined. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of harvest season on antioxidant activity and constituents of rabbiteye blueberry ( Vaccinium ashei ) leaves.

PubMed

Zhu, Liancai; Liu, Xi; Tan, Jun; Wang, Bochu

2013-11-27

To select rabbiteye blueberry leaves from an appropriate harvest season to develop functional foods, this paper studied the bioactive secondary metabolites and the antioxidant capacity of rabbiteye blueberry leaves from May, September, and November. The results showed the leaves from May had the highest content of total flavonoids (114.21 mg/g) and the leaves from November had the highest content of total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins (425.24 and 243.29 mg/g, respectively). It was further found that blueberry leaves from different seasons have similar bioactive constituents, but their contents are obviously different by HPLC. The rabbiteye blueberry leaves from November had the highest antioxidant capacity, which was well correlated with their highest proanthocyanidin content. The results clarify that the blueberry leaves from different seasons have different contents of bioactive secondary metabolites and different antioxidant activities, which implied that leaves from November should be selected first for utilization in functional foods.

Phytochemical screening and in-vitro evaluation of pharmacological activities of peels of Musa sapientum and Carica papaya fruit.

PubMed

Siddique, Sarmad; Nawaz, Shamsa; Muhammad, Faqir; Akhtar, Bushra; Aslam, Bilal

2018-06-01

Aqueous, absolute and 80% ethanolic extract of fruit peels of Musa sapientum and Carica papaya were investigated for their antibacterial activity, measured by disc diffusion method and antioxidant activity, measured by four different methods. Papaya and banana peels were found to contain terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins steroid, phenols, fixed oils and fats. 80% ethanolic extract of banana peel was found to contain highest total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity but in papaya peel, highest TPC and reducing activity was shown by water extract while, TFC and radical scavenging activity was given by 80% ethanolic extract. In banana, water extract showed highest antibacterial activity against tested bacteria while in case of papaya, absolute ethanolic extract showed highest antibacterial activity. The present study revealed that peels of banana and papaya fruits are potentially good source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents.

Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of 40 tropical juices from Malaysia and identification of phenolics from the bioactive fruit juices of Barringtonia racemosa and Phyllanthus acidus.

PubMed

Sulaiman, Shaida Fariza; Ooi, Kheng Leong

2014-10-01

The present study compared pH, total soluble solids, vitamin C, and total phenolic contents, antioxidant activities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of 40 fresh juices. The juice of Baccaurea polyneura showed the highest yield (74.17 ± 1.44%) and total soluble solids (32.83 ± 0.27 °Brix). The highest and lowest pH values were respectively measured from the juices of Dimocarpus longan (6.87 ± 0.01) and Averrhoa bilimbi (1.67 ± 0.67). The juice of Psidium guajava gave the highest total phenolic (857.24 ± 12.65 μg GAE/g sample) and vitamin C contents (590.31 ± 7.44 μg AAE/g sample). The juice of Phyllanthus acidus with moderate contents of total phenolics and vitamin C was found to exhibit the greatest scavenging (613.71 ± 2.59 μg VCEAC/g sample), reducing (2784.89 ± 3.93 μg TEAC/g sample), and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities (95.37 ± 0.15%). The juice of Barringtonia racemosa was ranked second in the activities and total phenolic content. Gallic and ellagic acids, which were quantified as the major phenolics of the respective juices, are suggested to be the main contributors to the antioxidant activities. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the juices could be derived from myricetin and quercetin (that were previously reported as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors) in the hydrolyzed juice extracts. The juice of Syzygium samarangense, which was found to be highest in metal chelating activity (82.28 ± 0.10%), also was found to have these phenolics.

Reduction of Defects in Jewelry Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayudhya, Phitchaya Phanomwan na; Tangjitsitcharoen, Somkiat

2017-06-01

The aim of this research was to reduce the defects of gem bracelet found during manufacturing process at a jewelry company. It was found that gem bracelet product has the highest rejects compared to the rejects found in ring, earring, and pendant products. Types of defect were classified by using Pareto Diagram consisting of gem falling, seam, unclean casting, impinge, and deformation. The causes of defect were analyzed by Cause and Effect Diagram and applied Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was applied during manufacturing processes. This research found that the improvement of manufacturing process could reduce the Risk Priority Number (RPN) and total of all defects by 48.70% and 48.89%, respectively.

Universal nonlinear small-scale dynamo.

PubMed

Beresnyak, A

2012-01-20

We consider astrophysically relevant nonlinear MHD dynamo at large Reynolds numbers (Re). We argue that it is universal in a sense that magnetic energy grows at a rate which is a constant fraction C(E) of the total turbulent dissipation rate. On the basis of locality bounds we claim that this "efficiency of the small-scale dynamo", C(E), is a true constant for large Re and is determined only by strongly nonlinear dynamics at the equipartition scale. We measured C(E) in numerical simulations and observed a value around 0.05 in the highest resolution simulations. We address the issue of C(E) being small, unlike the Kolmogorov constant which is of order unity. © 2012 American Physical Society

The influence of temperature treatment before cryopreservation on the viability and potency of cryopreserved and thawed CD34+ and CD45+ cord blood cells.

PubMed

Schwandt, Svenja; Liedtke, Stefanie; Kogler, Gesine

2017-08-01

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) viability and potency is crucial for qualified cord blood (CB) transplants. This study analyzes time and temperature condition before cryopreservation for the viability of CD34 + /CD45 + cells after cryopreservation. Cell viabilities were determined by antibody co-staining with 7-aminoactinomycin D detecting necrotic cells, and subsequent flow cytometric analysis. Additionally, Annexin V staining for determination of apoptotic cells and colony-forming unit (CFU) assays for testing functional potency of HSCs were performed. For all cell types assessed (CD45 + /CD34 + cells, lymphocytes and granulocytes), the highest viabilities were obtained for CB maintained at 4°C or room temperature (RT; 22 ± 4°C) and cryopreserved directly after collection. Starting material were CB units with an age of 24.7 ± 3.5 h after birth. Post-thaw CD34 + cell results were > 90% after temperature treatment of t = 24 h (48 h total age) and > 70% after t = 48 h (72 h total age) at 4°C (48 h, 91.4 ± 5.5%; 72 h, 75.0 ± 12.0%) and RT (48 h, 84.2 ± 9.7%; 72 h, 72.6 ± 0.6%). Viabilities for 30°C samples were < 80% after t = 24 h (48 h total age, 79.8 ± 3.1%) and < 50% after t = 48 h of treatment (72 h total age, 46.8 ± 14.3%). Regarding CFU recovery of pre-freeze (without volume reduction) and thawed CB, a trend toward the highest recoveries was observed at 4°C/RT. The difference between 4°C (77.5 ± 12.0%) and 30°C samples (53.9 ± 4.8%) was shown to be significant in post-thaw samples after t = 24 h treatment (48 h total age; P = 0.0341). Delays between collection and cryopreservation should be minimized because increasing time reduces numbers of viable cells and CFUs before/after cryopreservation. CB units should be maintained at 4°C/RT to retain the highest possible potency of the cells after thawing. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant activity of selected plant species; potential new sources of natural antioxidants.

PubMed

Nićiforović, N; Mihailović, V; Masković, P; Solujić, S; Stojković, A; Pavlović Muratspahić, D

2010-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine six plants from Serbia for their potential antioxidant activity. Therefore, six antioxidant activity assays were carried out, including: total antioxidant capacity, DPPH free-radical scavenging, the inhibitory activity toward lipid peroxidation, Fe(3+)- reducing power, Fe(2+)- chelating ability and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined for each alcoholic extract. Cotinus coggygria extract contained the highest amount of total phenols (413mg GAE /g dry extract), while the highest proportion of flavonoids was found in the Echium vulgare methanol extract (105 mg RU/g). Cotinus coggygria and Halacsya sendtneri alcoholic extracts showed the highest total antioxidant capacity (313 and 231 mg AA/g dry extract), as well as DPPH free-radical scavenging (IC(50)=9 and 99 μg/ml), inhibitory activity toward lipid peroxidation (IC(50)=3 and 17 μg/ml) and reducing power. Whereas, the greatest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, as well as ferrous ion chelating ability showed Echium vulgare, Echium rubrum and Halacsya sendtneri. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of major taste compounds and antioxidative properties of fruits and flowers of different Sambucus species and interspecific hybrids.

PubMed

Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Ivancic, Anton; Schmitzer, Valentina; Veberic, Robert; Stampar, Franci

2016-06-01

Differences in the content of sugars, organic acids, total phenolics and antioxidative activity have been evaluated among three different elderberry species (Sambucus nigra, Sambucus cerulea, Sambucus javanica) and seven interspecific hybrids. The highest content of sugars has been determined in the fruits of JA×CER hybrid and the lowest in fruits of (JA×NI)×cv. Black Beauty hybrid. S. nigra berries contained highest levels of total organic acids. S. nigra and (JA×NI)×CER flower extracts were characterized by 1.3- to 2.8-fold higher content of total sugars compared to other species/hybrids analyzed. Total phenolic content (TPC) in berries ranged from 3687 to 6831 mg GAE per kg FW. The highest TPC has been determined in S. nigra fruits and flowers. The ABTS scavenging activity differed significantly among species and hybrids and ranged from 3.2 to 39.59 mM trolox/kgF W in fruits and 44.87-118.26 mM trolox/kg DW in flowers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition of sugars, organic acids, and total phenolics in 25 wild or cultivated berry species.

PubMed

Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Schmitzer, Valentina; Slatnar, Ana; Stampar, Franci; Veberic, Robert

2012-10-01

Sugars, organic acids, and total phenolic content in fruit of 25 wild and cultivated berry species were identified and quantified with high-performance liquid chromatograph. The composition of sugars, organic acids, and total phenolic compounds in various species of Vaccinium, Rubus, Ribes, and Fragaria genus was evaluated. Additonally, total phenolics of less known berry species of the Morus, Amelanchier, Sorbus, Sambucus, Rosa, Lycium, Actinidia, and Aronia genus were determined in wild growing as well as in cultivated fruits. Significant differences in the concentration of sugars and organic acids were detected among the berry species. Glucose and fructose were the most abundant sugars in berry fruits and the major organic acids were malic and citric acid. However, in kiwi fruit, sucrose represented as much as 71.9% of total sugars. Sorbitol has been detected and quantified in chokeberry, rowanberry, and eastern shadbush fruit. The highest content of total analyzed sugars was determined in rowanberry fruit, followed by dog rose, eastern shadbush, hardy kiwifruit, American cranberry, chokeberry, and jostaberry fruit. Rowanberry stands out as the fruit with the highest content of total analyzed organic acids, followed by jostaberry, lingonberry, red gooseberry, hardy kiwifruit, and black currant. The berries of white gooseberry, black currant, red currant, and white currant had the lowest sugar/organic acid ratio and were thus perceptively the sourest species analyzed. On the other hand, the species with highest sugar/organic acid ratio were goji berry, eastern shadbush, black mulberry, and wild grown blackberry. The highest amounts of total phenols were quantified in chokeberry fruit. Wild strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry had 2- to 5-fold more total phenolics compared to cultivated plants. The fruit of analyzed berry species contained different levels of sugars, organic acids, and total phenolics. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that wild grown species generally contain more phenolics than cultivated ones. This information is interesting for nutritionists as well as berry growers and breeders who can promote the cultivation of species and new cultivars with higher phenolic content. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Essential and toxic elements in seaweeds for human consumption.

PubMed

Desideri, D; Cantaluppi, C; Ceccotto, F; Meli, M A; Roselli, C; Feduzi, L

2016-01-01

Essential elements (K, Ca, P, S, Cl, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Br, and I) and nonessential or toxic elements (Al, Ti, Si, Rb, Sr, As, Cd, Sn, and Pb) were determined by energy-dispersive polarized x-ray fluorescence spectrometry in 14 seaweeds purchased in local specialty stores in Italy and consumed by humans. The differences in elements between the algae species reached up to 2-4 orders of magnitude. Lithothamnium calcareum showed the highest levels of Ca, Al, Si, Fe, and Ti. Palmaria palmata showed the highest concentrations of K, Rb, and Cl. The highest content of S was in Chondrus crispus. Laminaria digitata contained the highest concentrations of total As, Cd, Sn, Br, and I. The highest concentration of Zn was in Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Ulva lactuca displayed the highest levels of Cu, Ni, Mn, and Pb. Iodine levels ranged from 3.4 in Chlorella pyrenoidosa to 7316 mg/kg(dry) in Laminaria digitata. The nutrimental importance of essential elements was assessed using nutritional requirements. The results showed that the consumption of algae might serve as an important source of the essential elements. Health risk due to the toxic elements present in seaweed was estimated using risk estimators. Total As, Cd, and Pb concentrations ranged from <1 to 67.6, to 7.2 and to 6.7 mg/kg(dry) respectively; therefore, their contribution to total elemental intake does not appear to pose any threat to the consumers, but the concentrations of these elements should be controlled to protect the consumer against potential adverse health risks.

Medical service use and usual care of common shoulder disorders in Korea: a cross-sectional study using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patient Sample

PubMed Central

Joo, Hwansoo; Lee, Yoon Jae; Shin, Joon-Shik; Lee, Jinho; Kim, Me-riong; Koh, Wonil; Park, Yeoncheol; Song, Yun Kyung; Cho, Jae-Heung

2017-01-01

Objectives This study examined National Health Insurance claims data to investigate the epidemiology of shoulder disorders in Korea. Detailed information on medical services and related costs was assessed by major shoulder disorder category. Design and setting The 2014 National Patient Sample dataset provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service was analysed. Among shoulder-related diagnosis codes, adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS), rotator cuff syndrome (RCS) and shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) categories were of highest prevalence. Sociodemographic characteristics and medical service use, frequency and medical costs regarding common shoulder disorders were evaluated. Results The majority of patients with shoulder disorder received ambulatory care (97%). Total and per-patient expenses were highest in patients with RCS. The number of inpatients with RCS was more than twice that of the other two groups, and patients with RCS were more likely to receive surgical management compared with patients with ACS and SIS. Prevalence of shoulder disorders was highest among subjects in their 50s for all three groups. Primary care physicians treated 75.80% of patients with ACS, 56.99% of patients with RCS and 48.06% of patients with SIS, respectively, outlining the difference in medical institution usage patterns. In all three groups, the highest proportion of patients visited orthopaedic surgeons out of medical departments. In the ACS and SIS groups, cost of visits (consultations) took up the largest part of total expenses at 32.30% and 18.88%, respectively, while cost of procedure/surgery constituted the largest portion in patients with RCS (37.77%). The usage proportion of subcutaneous or intramuscular and intra-articular injections ranged between 20% and 30% for outpatients in all three groups. Conclusions Medical service use, frequency and cost distributions relating to major shoulder disorders in Korea were assessed using nationwide claims data. These findings are expected to aid policy-makers as well as researchers and practitioners as basic healthcare data. PMID:28706100

Palisade Endings Are a Constant Feature in the Extraocular Muscles of Frontal-Eyed, But Not Lateral-Eyed, Animals.

PubMed

Blumer, Roland; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Gesslbauer, Bernhard; Blumer, Michael; Pechriggl, Elisabeth; Davis-López de Carrizosa, María A; Horn, Anja K; May, Paul J; Streicher, Johannes; de la Cruz, Rosa R; Pastor, Ángel M

2016-02-01

To test whether palisade endings are a general feature of mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs). Thirteen species, some frontal-eyed (human, monkey, cat, and ferret), and others lateral-eyed (pig, sheep, calf, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig) were analyzed. Palisade endings were labeled by using different combinations of immunofluorescence techniques. Three-dimensional reconstructions of immunolabeled palisade endings were done. In all frontal-eyed species, palisade endings were a consistent feature in the rectus EOMs. Their total number was high and they exhibited an EOM-specific distribution. In particular, the number of palisade endings in the medial recti was significantly higher than in the other rectus muscles. In the lateral-eyed animals, palisade endings were infrequent and, when present, their total number was rather low. They were only found in ungulates (sheep, calf, pig, and horse) and in rabbit. In rodents (rat, guinea pig, mouse, and gerbil) palisade endings were found infrequently (e.g., rat) or were completely absent. Palisade endings in frontal-eyed species and in some lateral-eyed species (pig, sheep, calf, and horse) had a uniform morphology. They generally lacked α-bungarotoxin staining, with a few exceptions in primates. Palisade endings in other lateral-eyed species (rabbit and rat) exhibited a simplified morphology and bound α-bungarotoxin. Palisade endings are not a universal feature of mammalian EOMs. So, if they are proprioceptors, not all species require them. Because in frontal-eyed species, the medial rectus muscle has the highest number of palisade endings, they likely play a special role in convergence.

Palisade Endings Are a Constant Feature in the Extraocular Muscles of Frontal-Eyed, But Not Lateral-Eyed, Animals

PubMed Central

Blumer, Roland; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Gesslbauer, Bernhard; Blumer, Michael; Pechriggl, Elisabeth; Davis-López de Carrizosa, María A.; Horn, Anja K.; May, Paul J.; Streicher, Johannes; de la Cruz, Rosa R.; Pastor, Ángel M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To test whether palisade endings are a general feature of mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs). Methods Thirteen species, some frontal-eyed (human, monkey, cat, and ferret), and others lateral-eyed (pig, sheep, calf, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig) were analyzed. Palisade endings were labeled by using different combinations of immunofluorescence techniques. Three-dimensional reconstructions of immunolabeled palisade endings were done. Results In all frontal-eyed species, palisade endings were a consistent feature in the rectus EOMs. Their total number was high and they exhibited an EOM-specific distribution. In particular, the number of palisade endings in the medial recti was significantly higher than in the other rectus muscles. In the lateral-eyed animals, palisade endings were infrequent and, when present, their total number was rather low. They were only found in ungulates (sheep, calf, pig, and horse) and in rabbit. In rodents (rat, guinea pig, mouse, and gerbil) palisade endings were found infrequently (e.g., rat) or were completely absent. Palisade endings in frontal-eyed species and in some lateral-eyed species (pig, sheep, calf, and horse) had a uniform morphology. They generally lacked α-bungarotoxin staining, with a few exceptions in primates. Palisade endings in other lateral-eyed species (rabbit and rat) exhibited a simplified morphology and bound α-bungarotoxin. Conclusions Palisade endings are not a universal feature of mammalian EOMs. So, if they are proprioceptors, not all species require them. Because in frontal-eyed species, the medial rectus muscle has the highest number of palisade endings, they likely play a special role in convergence. PMID:26830369

The effect of rumen ciliates on chitinolytic activity, chitin content and the number of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep.

PubMed

Miltko, Renata; Bełżecki, Grzegorz; Herman, Andrzej; Kowalik, Barbara; Skomiał, Jacek

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected protozoa on the degradation and concentration of chitin and the numbers of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep. Three adult ewes were fed a hay-concentrate diet, defaunated, then monofaunated with Entodinium caudatum or Diploplastron affine alone and refaunated with natural rumen fauna. The average density of the protozoa population varied from 6.1 · 10(4) (D. affine) to 42.2 · 10(4) cells/ml rumen fluid (natural rumen fauna). The inoculation of protozoa in the rumen of defaunated sheep increased the total activity of chitinolytic enzymes from 2.9 to 3.6 μmol N-acetylglucosamine/g dry matter (DM) of rumen fluid per min, the chitin concentration from 6.3 to 7.2 mg/g DM of rumen fluid and the number of fungal zoospores from 8.1 to 10.9 · 10(5) cells/ml rumen fluid. All examined indices showed diurnal variations. Ciliate population density was highest immediately prior to feeding and lowest at 4 h thereafter. The opposite effects were observed for the numbers of fungal zoospores, the chitin concentration and chitinolytic activity. Furthermore, it was found that chitin from zoospores may account for up to 95% of total microbial chitin in the rumen fluid of sheep. In summary, the examined ciliate species showed the ability of chitin degradation as well as a positive influence on the development of the ruminal fungal population.

Iranian Nephrology and Urology Research Output in the Past Two Decades: A Bibliographic Analysis of Medline Database.

PubMed

Einollahi, Behzad; Motalebi, Mohsen; Taghipour, Mehrdad; Ebrahimi, Mehrdad

2015-09-01

We performed a bibliometric search to evaluate the number of papers published in the field of nephrology and urology by Iranian researchers in the past two decades. We did an online search in abstract/title part of articles with 129 keywords such as kidney, renal, hemodialysis, transplant, nephrology, glomerulonephritis, ureteral, nephrolithiasis, and etc. Endnote software version 7 was used to search articles published in PubMed database from November 1993 to November 2013. Those articles in which Iran was the affiliation of at least one of the authors were selected. These articles in the field of nephrology and urology were analyzed regarding the name of originated institution, field of study, total number of publications, type of study, collaboration rate of Iranian nephrologist and urologists for every year, annual sharing of Iranian articles in five journals with highest impact factor (IF) and journal IF. The total number of publications in the field of nephrology and urology was 3,771 (average of 189 papers per year). Most of the Iranian nephrology and urology papers were from the capital city, Tehran (50.03%). There was an increasing trend in the number of publications over the years. Most papers were about transplantation (44.6%), nephrology (20.9%) and hemodialysis (16.4%). Of all, 53.7% were retrospective articles, whereas the proportion of clinical trials was relatively small (10.8%). Although Iranian publications in the field of nephrology and urology have had a considerable and significant increase in the recent years amongst the Middle Eastern countries, there is a wide distance to be a science exporter country.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with vegetation and soil parameters under rest grazing management in a desert steppe ecosystem.

PubMed

Bai, Gegenbaoleer; Bao, Yuying; Du, Guoxin; Qi, Yunlong

2013-05-01

The impact of rest grazing on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the interactions of AMF with vegetation and soil parameters under rest grazing condition were investigated between spring and late summer in a desert steppe ecosystem with different grazing managements (rest grazing with different lengths of resting period, banned or continuous grazing) in Inner Mongolia, China. AMF diversity and colonization, vegetation biomass, soil properties and soil phosphatase activity were examined. In rest grazing areas of 60 days, AMF spore number and diversity index at a 0-10 cm soil depth as well as vesicular and hyphal colonization rates were higher compared with other grazing treatments. In addition, soil organic matter and total N contents were highest and soil alkaline phosphatase was most active under 60-day rest grazing. In August and September, these areas also had the highest amount of aboveground vegetation. The results indicated that resting grazing for an appropriate period of time in spring has a positive effect on AMF sporulation, colonization and diversity, and that under rest grazing conditions, AMF parameters are positively correlated with some soil characteristics.

Xylitol production by yeasts isolated from rotting wood in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and description of Cyberlindnera galapagoensis f.a., sp. nov.

PubMed

Guamán-Burneo, Maria C; Dussán, Kelly J; Cadete, Raquel M; Cheab, Monaliza A M; Portero, Patricia; Carvajal-Barriga, Enrique J; da Silva, Sílvio S; Rosa, Carlos A

2015-10-01

This study evaluated D-xylose-assimilating yeasts that are associated with rotting wood from the Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador, for xylitol production from hemicellulose hydrolysates. A total of 140 yeast strains were isolated. Yeasts related to the clades Yamadazyma, Kazachstania, Kurtzmaniella, Lodderomyces, Metschnikowia and Saturnispora were predominant. In culture assays using sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate, Candida tropicalis CLQCA-24SC-125 showed the highest xylitol production, yield and productivity (27.1 g L(-1) xylitol, Y p/s (xyl) = 0.67 g g(-1), Qp = 0.38 g L(-1). A new species of Cyberlindnera, strain CLQCA-24SC-025, was responsible for the second highest xylitol production (24 g L(-1), Y p/s (xyl) = 0.64 g g(-1), Qp = 0.33 g L(-1) h(-1)) on sugarcane hydrolysate. The new xylitol-producing species Cyberlindnera galapagoensis f.a., sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate the strain CLQCA-24SC-025(T) (=UFMG-CM-Y517(T); CBS 13997(T)). The MycoBank number is MB 812171.

[Effects of grazing on zoobenthos community in beach].

PubMed

Zhao, Yun-long; An, Chuan-guang; Lin, Ling; Duan, Xiao-wei; Zeng, Cuo; Cui, Li-li

2007-05-01

In May (spring) and October (autumn) 2005, the effects of grazing on the zoobenthos community in Chongming Dongtan wetland of Shanghai were investigated. A total of 3 transects including 90 sampling plots were set up. Transects I and II were in feeding area, and transect III was in non-pasture area. All of these three transects were set in mid-tidal zone. 13 zoobenthos species were observed, with 7 species of arthropod, 4 species of mollusk, and 2 species of annelid. In spring, there were 6, 8 and 10 species in transects I , II and III while in autumn, the species number was 6, 8 and 12, respectively. The mean abundance of zoobenthos community in all transects was higher in autumn than in spring, and transect III had the highest mean abundance and biomass both in autumn and spring. Transect III also had the highest evenness, richness and diversity, indicating that grazing could change the species distribution of zoobenthos, and affect their abundance and biomass to different degree. Grazing had made certain negative effects on the biodiversity of zoobenthos community in Chongming Dongtan wetland.

[Time trend study of firearm mortality in Argentina, 1980-2012].

PubMed

Spinelli, Hugo; Santoro, Adrián; Guevel, Carlos; Alazraqui, Marcio

2015-06-01

This work analyzes the impact of firearm mortality between 1980 and 2012 in Argentina. For this purpose a descriptive epidemiological time trend study was carried out including the following variables: sex, age group, intentionality and jurisdiction. Data was obtained from the Office of Health Statistics and Information of the Argentine Ministry of Health. A total of 87,671 deaths due to firearms were discovered, of which 85.7% occurred in men. The highest mortality rate due to firearms corresponded to the year 2002, reaching 21.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The age group concentrating the largest number of deaths due to firearms was that of 20-29 years, accounting for 25.6% of all deaths. The highest adjusted rates corresponded to the years 2000-2002, with values of 10.0 to 11.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. This time period coincides with the institutional-economic crisis the country experienced. The province of Buenos Aires was the place of residence of 49.1% of the deceased. In the discussion, political-economic and ideological-cultural dimensions of the relations among firearms, violence, science and society are considered.

In vitro determination of HT oxidation activity and tritium concentration in soil and vegetation during the chronic HT release experiment at Chalk River

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ichimasa, Y.; Ichimasa, M.; Jiang, H.

1995-10-01

The oxidation activity of molecular tritium (HT) in soils and vegetation collected in experimental plots during the 1994 chronic HT release experiment at Chalk River was determined in vitro laboratory experiments after the release. HT oxidation activity was highest in surface soils in the natural plot, about 3-4 times that in soils in the cultivated plots. HT oxidation activity in weeds and Komatsuna leaves was about 2 and 0.4% of that in the cultivated soil, respectively. The number of HT-oxidizing bacteria isolated from soils was highest in the surface soil (0-5 cm) in the natural plot. The viable cell numbersmore » in surface soils in the cultivated and natural plots were almost the same. The total occurrence rates of HT-oxidizing bacteria in the surface soils were 22% in the natural plot, and 7.5% in the cultivated plot. The occurrence rates of HT-oxidizing airborne bacteria during the release on two culture media were 4.2 and 1.9%. 16 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Capturing CD4 cells using a functionalized circular microfluidic device and glutaraldehyde as biolinker for tuberculosis detection and diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Yeu-Farn; Huang, Nien-Tsu; Lee, Chih-Kung

2015-03-01

It is estimated that about one-third of the world's population has already been infected by tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in general, can result in an active case of tuberculosis in approximately 5%-10% of those who suffer from latent tuberculosis and the chance of becoming ill is the highest within one of year of getting the disease. Although a newly developed methods called interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) can monitor CD4 cells secreted cytokine to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) condition. However, it is difficult to count total numbers of cytokine secreted CD4 cells, which make the diagnosis less accurate. Therefore, we develop a functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device using glutaraldehyde to capture CD4 cells. To enhance the capture efficiency, we use COMSOL simulation to optimize the arrangement of PDMS micro pillars to make cells uniformly distributed in the device. Our preliminary data showed the microfluidic configuration in a circular shape with HCP patterned micro pillars turned 30 degrees offers the highest cell capture rate.

Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Dendrobium moniliforme extracts and the detection of related compounds by GC-MS.

PubMed

Paudel, Mukti Ram; Chand, Mukesh Babu; Pant, Basant; Pant, Bijaya

2018-04-23

The medicinal orchid Dendrobium moniliforme contains water-soluble polysaccharides, phenanthrenes, bibenzyl derivatives, and polyphenol compounds. This study explored the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of D. moniliforme extracts and detected their bioactive compounds. Plant material was collected from the Daman of Makawanpur district in central Nepal. Plant extracts were prepared from stems using hexane, chloroform, acetone, ethanol and methanol. The total polyphenol content (TPC) in each extract was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent and the total flavonoid content (TFC) in each extract was determined using the aluminium chloride method. The in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of each extract were determined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays respectively. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to detect bioactive compounds. TPC content was highest (116.65 μg GAE/mg of extract) in D. moniliforme chloroform extract (DMC) and TFC content was highest (116.67 μg QE/mg of extract) in D. moniliforme acetone extract (DMA). D. moniliforme hexane extract (DMH) extract showed the highest percentage of DPPH radical scavenging activity (94.48%), followed closely by D. moniliforme ethanol extract (DME) (94.45%), DMA (93.71%) and DMC (94.35%) at 800 μg/ml concentration. The antioxidant capacities of DMC, DMA, DMH and DME, which were measured in IC 50 values, were much lower 42.39 μg/ml, 49.56 μg/ml, 52.68 μg/ml, and 58.77 μg/ml respectively than the IC 50 of D. moniliforme methanol extract (DMM) (223.15 μg/ml). DMM at the concentration of 800 μg/ml most inhibited the growth of HeLa cells (78.68%) and DME at the same concentration most inhibited the growth of U251 cells (51.95%). The cytotoxic capacity (IC 50 ) of DMM against HeLa cells was 155.80 μg/ml of extract and that of DME against the U251 cells was 772.50 μg/ml of extract. A number of bioactive compounds were detected in both DME and DMM. The fact that plant extract of D. moniliforme has a number of bioactive compounds which showed antioxidant and cytotoxic activities suggests the potential pharmacological importance of this plant.

[Health effects of volcanic air pollution--an analysis of the national health insurance].

PubMed

Wakisaka, I; Yanagihashi, T; Sato, M; Tomari, T

1989-12-01

Using the national health insurance bills covering the one-year period from January through December 1987, the morbidity figures for respiratory diseases, conjunctivitis and dermatitis were compared among four local districts; Ushine, Kaikata, Kunugibaru and Shinjo, in the city of Tarumizu. The former two districts are 10 km south-east of Mt. Sakurajima supposedly experience higher volcanic ash exposure compared to the latter two located 10 to 15 km from this volcano. Results obtained are as follows; 1) Age-adjusted rates of patients' consultations and existing patients were apparently higher in the Ushine and Kaikata districts than in the Kunugibaru and Shinjo districts for non-infectious or infectious respiratory diseases and the common cold. For the rates of other diagnostic categories of disease, i.e., rhinitis, other respiratory diseases, conjunctivitis and dermatitis, a difference between the district was not clearly noted. These figures are suggestive of an association of volcanic air pollution with an increased number of outpatient consultations for respiratory problems. 2) Variations of monthly clinical consultations for patients with diagnoses of non-infectious or infectious respiratory diseases and the common cold showed a seasonality, being highest in winter and lowest in summer, while another seasonality, highest in summer and lowest in winter, was proved in the variation of monthly clinical consultations for patients with dermatitis. Few or no stable seasonalities were shown in the variations of monthly clinical consultations for patients with the other diseases, studied, rhinitis, other respiratory diseases and conjunctivitis. In addition, the variations in the monthly averages of sulfur dioxide concentrations showed a stable seasonality with the highest peak in winter and the lowest in summer but there was no stable seasonality in the monthly variations of total suspended particles at the place in Arimura for which air pollution data were available. These facts suggest that in the area exposed to volcanic air pollution, the seasonal variation in the number of monthly clinical consultations for respiratory problems is partly modified by the exposure levels of sulfur dioxide rather than total suspended particles, although no adjustments were made for climatologic factors. 3) A few patients diagnosed as having "pneumoconiosis" were found in the Ushine and Kaikata districts. However, it is difficult to interpret these cases without information about occupational and other risk factors for the development of pneumoconiosis.

To everything there is a season: impact of seasonal change on admissions, acuity of injury, length of stay, throughput, and charges at an accredited, regional burn center.

PubMed

Hultman, C Scott; Tong, Winnie T; Surrusco, Matthew; Roden, Katherine S; Kiser, Michelle; Cairns, Bruce A

2012-07-01

Although previous studies have investigated the impact of weather and temporal factors on incidence of trauma admissions, there is a paucity of data describing the effect of seasonal change on burn injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the changing seasons on admissions to and resource utilization at an accredited burn center, with the goal of optimizing patient throughput and matching supply with demand. We performed a retrospective review of all burn admissions to an accredited, regional burn center, from Summer 2009 through Spring 2010. Patients were segregated into the seasonal cohorts of Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring, based on admission date. Patient demographics included age, gender, mechanism of injury, and total body surface area (TBSA) injured. Main outcome measures included length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of stay (LOS), and hospital charges, which served as a proxy for resource utilization (nursing, wound, and critical care; access to operating room (OR); inpatient rehabilitation). Groups were compared by T tests, with statistical significance assigned to P values <0.05. Seven hundred thirty patients were admitted to the burn center during this annual period, with a mean age of 31.6 years and a TBSA of 8.9%. Although Spring had the greatest the number of admissions at 219 (30%), patients from Summer and Winter had the largest burns, longest length of ICU and hospital stays, and highest hospital charges (P < 0.05). Furthermore, variability of these parameters, as measured by standard deviation, was greatest during Summer and Winter, serving to reduce throughput via uneven demand on resources. Highest throughput occurred during the Spring, which had the highest admission-to-LOS ratio. No differences were observed in age, gender, and incidence of electrical injuries, across the 4 seasons. Summer and winter were the peak seasons of resource utilization at our burn center, in terms of length and variability of ICU and hospital stays, as well as total hospital charges. Such seasonal change may be related to acuity of burn injury but not number of burn admissions. To improve operational efficiency and maximize patient throughput, resource allocation should be structured to anticipate seasonal changes, so that supply of services matches demand.

[High utilization of health insurance services by the elderly--analysis of hospital and drug utilization data].

PubMed

Nordheim, Johanna; Maaz, Asja; Winter, Maik H J; Kuhlmey, Adelheid; Hofmann, Werner

2006-01-01

The present contribution discusses the utilization of the healthcare system by elderly patients in Germany. First, the paper focuses on the detailed characterization of a group of people aged 60 years or more (N = 73,454). Second, the objective is to analyze the data for high utilization of healthcare services by older men and women. The analysis is based on data regularly recorded by a German health insurance agency for the year 2000. High utilization is operationalized by a 10% cutoff for users with the highest number of treatments, highest costs and/or other criteria depending on the respective health service sector. The insured group investigated received approximately 1.4 million prescriptions, producing costs of 42 million E. High utilizers account for 32% of all prescriptions and 44% of the costs, respectively. At the same time, the age groups with the highest prescription rates do not cause the highest costs: So the relationship between age and prescription drug expenses as well as between age and prescription rates does not display an arithmetically increasing pattern. Within the timeframe investigated 26,000 hospital treatments were accounted for by 21.75% of the elderly under research. In total, they caused expenses of 88 million E. High utilization in the hospital sector was operationalized by four criteria. Sex- and age-specific analysis of high utilization of hospital treatment revealed that the four different criteria apply to different insured groups. In summary, the high utilization of healthcare services appears to be a multidimensional phenomenon.

A case control study of nutritional factors and cervical dysplasia.

PubMed

Liu, T; Soong, S J; Wilson, N P; Craig, C B; Cole, P; Macaluso, M; Butterworth, C E

1993-01-01

The association of nutritional factors with cervical dysplasia was examined through a case-control study. Analysis was conducted in 257 cases and 133 controls confirmed both by cytological examination and colposcopic findings. A 24-h dietary recall questionnaire was used to assess nutritional intake. Various risk factors (including age at first intercourse, number of sexual partners, parity, cigarette smoking, oral contraceptive use, human papillomavirus type 16 infection, and age and race) were adjusted for their potential confounding effects. While analyses were also performed to adjust for total calories, results were not changed significantly. Among the nutrients examined, vitamin A intake showed a significantly increased risk at the lowest quartile compared to the highest quartile, with an odds ratio of 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.2). A significant trend of increasing risk was also observed with lower intake of vitamin A (P = 0.05). Riboflavin showed increased risk at the two lower quartiles of intake with a trend test P value of 0.04. Increased risk was also found for lower intakes of vitamin C compared to the highest intake level. For folate, increased risk was found in the second highest quartile compared with the highest quartile with an odds ratio of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.8). The calcium:phosphorus ratio showed an increased risk at the lowest level (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-4.3). Insufficient intake of vitamin A, riboflavin, ascorbate, and folate is associated with an increased risk of cervical dysplasia.

Contaminant levels in fish tissue from San Francisco Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fairey, R.; Taberski, K.

1995-12-31

Edible fish species were collected from thirteen locations throughout San Francisco Bay, during the spring of 1994, for determination of contaminants levels in muscle tissue. Species collected included white croaker, surfperch, leopard and brown smoothhound sharks, striped bass, white sturgeon and halibut Sixty six composite tissue samples were analyzed for the presence of PAHs, PCBs, pesticides, trace elements and dioxin/furans. The US EPA approach to assessing chemical contaminant data for fish tissue consumption was used for identifying the primary chemicals of concern. Six chemicals or chemical groups were found to exceed screening levels established using the US EPA approach. PCBsmore » (as total Aroclors) exceeded the screening level of 3 ppb in all sixty six tissue samples, with the highest concentrations (638 ppb) found near San Francisco`s industrial areas. Mercury was elevated (> 0.14 ppm) in forty of the sixty-six samples with the highest levels (1.26 ppm) occurring in shark muscle tissues. Concentrations of the organochlorine pesticides dieldrin, total chlordanes and total DDTs exceeded screening levels in a number of samples. Dioxin/furans (as TEQs) were elevated (above 0.15 ppt) in 16 of the 19 samples analyzed. Fish with high lipid content (croaker and surfperch) in their muscle tissue generally exhibited higher contaminant levels while fish with low lipid levels (halibut and shark) exhibited lower organic contaminant levels. Tissue samples taken from North Bay stations most often exhibited high levels of chemical contamination. The California Office of Health Hazard Assessment is currently evaluating the results of this study and has issued an interim Health Advisory concerning the human consumption of fish tissue from San Francisco Bay.« less

The Cost-Benefit Balance of Statins in Hawai'i: A Moving Target.

PubMed

Lum, Corey J; Nakagawa, Kazuma; Shohet, Ralph V; Seto, Todd B; Taira, Deborah A

2017-04-01

Statins are lipid-lowering medications used for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease and represent a substantial portion of drug costs in the United States. A better understanding of prescribing patterns and drug costs should lead to more rational utilization and help constrain health care expenditures in the United States. The 2013 Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Part D Prescriber Public Use File for the State of Hawai'i was analyzed. The number of prescriptions for statins, total annual cost, and daily cost were calculated by prescriber specialty and drug. Potential savings from substituting the highest-cost statin with lower-cost statins were calculated. Over 421,000 prescriptions for statins were provided to Medicare Part D beneficiaries in Hawai'i in 2013, which cost $17.6M. The three most commonly prescribed statins were simvastatin (33.4%), atorvastatin (33.4%), and lovastatin (13.9%). Although rosuvastatin comprised 5.4% of the total statin prescriptions, it represented 30.1% of the total cost of statins due to a higher daily cost ($5.53/day) compared to simvastatin ($0.25/day) and atorvastatin ($1.10/day). Cardiologists and general practitioners prescribed the highest percentage of rosuvastatin (8% each). Hypothetical substitution of rosuvastatin would have resulted in substantial annual cost savings (Simvastatin would have saved $1.3M for 25% substitution and $5.1M for 100% substitution, while atorvastatin would have saved $1.1M for 25% substitution and $4.3M for 100% substitution). Among Medicare Part D beneficiaries in Hawai'i, prescribing variation for statins between specialties were observed. Substitution of higher-cost with lower-cost statins may lead to substantial cost savings.

Characterization of new types of stationary phases for fast liquid chromatographic applications.

PubMed

Fekete, Szabolcs; Fekete, Jeno; Ganzler, Katalin

2009-12-05

The performance of a narrow bore silica based monolith column (5 cm x 2 mm) was compared to 5 cm long narrow bore (internal diameter < or = 2.1 mm) columns, packed with shell particles (2.7 microm) and totally porous sub-2 microm particles (1.5 microm, 1.7 microm and 1.9 microm) in gradient and isocratic elution separations of steroids. The highest peak capacity could be achieved with the column packed with 1.5 microm totally porous particles. The columns packed with porous 1.7 microm and shell 2.7 microm particles showed very similar capacity. The monolith column provided the lowest capacity during gradient elution. The plate height (HETP) of the 2.7 microm Ascentis Express column was very similar to the HETP obtained with 1.5 microm and 1.7 microm totally porous particles. The Chromolith monolithic column displayed an efficiency that is comparable to that of columns packed with spherical particles having their diameter between 3 microm and 4 microm. A kinetic plot analysis is presented to compare the theoretical analysis speed of different separation media. At 200 bar, the monolith column provided the highest performance when the required plate number was higher than 5000 (N>5000), however the efficiency drifted off faster in the range of N<5000 than in the case of packed columns. If the possibility of maximum performance was utilized (1000 bar for sub-2 microm particles, 600 bar for shell particles and 200 bar for monolith column) the monolith column would provide the poorest efficiency, while the column, packed with 1.5 microm particles offered the shortest impedance time.

Elderly Taiwanese who spend more on fruits and vegetables and less on animal-derived foods use less medical services and incur lower medical costs.

PubMed

Lo, Yuan-Ting C; Wahlqvist, Mark L; Huang, Yi-Chen; Lee, Meei-Shyuan

2016-03-14

A higher intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) compared with animal-derived foods is associated with lower risks of all-cause-, cancer- and CVD-related mortalities. However, the association between consumption patterns and medical costs remains unclear. The effects of various food group costs on medical service utilisation and costs were investigated. The study cohort was recruited through the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan between 1999 and 2000 and followed-up for 8 years until 2006. It comprised free-living elderly participants who provided a 24-h dietary recall. Daily energy-adjusted food group costs were estimated. Annual medical service utilisation and costs for 1445 participants aged 65-79 years were calculated from the National Health Insurance claim data. Generalised linear models were used to appraise the associations between the food group costs and medical service utilisation and costs. Older adults with the highest F&V cost tertile had significantly fewer hospital days (30%) and total medical costs (19%), whereas those in the highest animal-derived group had a higher number of hospital days (28%) and costs (83%) as well as total medical costs (38%). Participants in the high F&V and low animal-derived cost groups had the shortest annual hospitalisation stays (5·78 d) and lowest costs (NT$38,600) as well as the lowest total medical costs (NT$75,800), a mean annual saving of NT$45 200/person. Older adults who spend more on F&V and less on animal-derived foods have a reduced medical-care system burden. This provides opportunities for nutritionally related healthcare system investment strategies.

Comparison of the Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase and Butyrylcholinesterase Activities by Infusions from Green Tea and Some Citrus Peels

PubMed Central

Ademosun, Ayokunle O.

2014-01-01

This study sought to investigate the effect of infusions from green tea (Camellia sinensis) and some citrus peels [shaddock (Citrus maxima), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), and orange (Citrus sinensis)] on key enzymes relevant to the management of neurodegenerative conditions [monoamine oxidase (MAO) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)]. The total phenol contents and antioxidant activities as typified by their 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals scavenging abilities, ferric reducing antioxidant properties, and Fe2+ chelating abilities were also investigated. Green tea had the highest total phenol (43.3 mg/g) and total flavonoid (16.4 mg/g) contents, when compared to orange [total phenol (19.6 mg/g), total flavonoid (6.5 mg/g)], shaddock [total phenol (16.3 mg/g), total flavonoid (5.2 mg/g)], and grapefruit [total phenol (17.7 mg/g), total flavonoid (5.9 mg/g)]. Orange (EC50 = 1.78 mg/mL) had the highest MAO inhibitory ability, while green tea had the least MAO inhibitory ability (EC50 = 2.56 mg/mL). Similarly, green tea had the least BChE inhibitory ability (EC50 = 5.43 mg/mL) when compared to the citrus peels' infusions. However, green tea infusions had the strongest highest ABTS radical scavenging ability, reducing power, and Fe2+ chelating ability. The inhibition of MAO and BChE activities by the green tea and citrus peels infusions could make them good dietary means for the prevention/management of neurodegenerative conditions. PMID:25243093

Influence of the Extractive Method on the Recovery of Phenolic Compounds in Different Parts of Hymenaea martiana Hayne

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Fernanda Granja da Silva; de Lima-Saraiva, Sarah Raquel Gomes; Oliveira, Ana Paula; Rabêlo, Suzana Vieira; Rolim, Larissa Araújo; Almeida, Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva

2016-01-01

Background: Popularly known as “jatobá,” Hymenaea martiana Hayne is a medicinal plant widely used in the Brazilian Northeast for the treatment of various diseases. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different extractive methods in the production of phenolic compounds from different parts of H. martiana. Materials and Methods: The leaves, bark, fruits, and seeds were dried, pulverized, and submitted to maceration, ultrasound, and percolation extractive methods, which were evaluated for yield, visual aspects, qualitative phytochemical screening, phenolic compound content, and total flavonoids. Results: The highest results of yield were obtained from the maceration of the leaves, which may be related to the contact time between the plant drug and solvent. The visual aspects of the extracts presented some differences between the extractive methods. The phytochemical screening showed consistent data with other studies of the genus. Both the vegetal part as the different extractive methods influenced significantly the levels of phenolic compounds, and the highest content was found in the maceration of the barks, even more than the content found previously. No differences between the levels of total flavonoids were significant. The highest concentration of total flavonoids was found in the ultrasound of the barks, followed by maceration on this drug. According to the results, the barks of H. martiana presented the highest total flavonoid contents. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that both the vegetable and the different extractive methods influenced significantly various parameters obtained in the various extracts, demonstrating the importance of systematic comparative studies for the development of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. SUMMARY The phytochemical screening showed consistent data with other studies of the genus HymenaeaBoth the vegetable part and the different extractive methods influenced significantly various parameters obtained in the various extracts, including the levels of phenolic compoundsThe barks of H. martiana presented the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents. PMID:27695267

Correlation between Seismicity and Mental Health: Crete, 2008-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anagnostopoulos, George C.

2013-04-01

We present, for the first time, the results from a research on the possible influence of seismicity to the mental health of a population not exposed to trauma. The research was inspired by the results of (a) recent research on various electromagnetic phenomena related with earthquakes, (b) several experiments of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic effects on animals' behavior, (c) the electric and electromagnetic activity of the neural network of the brain and (d) the treatment of brain functions with traditional electric or electromagnetic methods. The Research was basically baised on a comparison of the number of M>2 earthquakes NE in a area including the island of Crete (210-290E, 32.50-380N), Greece, to the admissions to the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of the University of Crete IPU/UoC) during the years 2008-2010. It was found that the number of monthly admissions to the Acute Care Unit of the IPU/UoC NAA reached their lowest values during, and in particular at the end (NAA=2; July 2008) of "a storm of strong earthquakes" in 2008 (G. Papadopoulos, EOS, 90, 46, 2009). On the contrary, the number of monthly admissions NAA increased with increasing the monthly number NE of earthquakes (EQs) during the rest of the time period 2008-2010, and showed a maximum rate (NAA= 31) during the month with the highest number of EQs (NE=70; August 2010) throughout the entire period examined. During the second period (October 2008-December 2010) we found a positive correlation between the total number of monthly admissions NA with the number of EQs NE (r=0.601 / P=0.001). When a daily resolution analysis was performed for the month with highest number of EQs NE(August 2010), we found that an abrupt appearance of a cluster of small earthquakes near Crete was followed by an increase in the number of acute admissions NAA, with a delay time of ~2 days. We hypothesize that seismic activity might be a major factor influencing the frequency of admissions of psychotic disorders in Crete in the period 2008-2010 and that the beneficial / adverse effects are related with the EQ-related anomalous electric field / ELF-ULF emissions (Anagnostopoulos et al. Geom., Nat. Haz. & Risk, 2012 submitted). Preliminary results on the influence of seismicity (NE) to various types of psychiatric disorders will be also discussed in the presentation.

A study on the relationship between mass concentrations, chemistry and number size distribution of urban fine aerosols in Milan, Barcelona and London

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, S.; van Dingenen, R.; Putaud, J.-P.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Pey, J.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Chenery, S.; Ho, K.-F.; Harrison, R.; Tardivo, R.; Scarnato, B.; Gemelli, V.

2007-05-01

A physicochemical characterization, including aerosol number size distribution, chemical composition and mass concentrations, of the urban fine aerosol captured in MILAN, BARCELONA and LONDON is presented in this article. The objective is to obtain a comprehensive picture of the microphysical processes involved in aerosol dynamics during the: 1) regular evolution of the urban aerosol (daily, weekly and seasonal basis) and in the day-to-day variations (from clean-air to pollution-events), and 2) the link between "aerosol chemistry and mass concentrations" with the "number size distribution". The mass concentrations of the fine PM2.5 aerosol exhibit a high correlation with the number concentration of >100 nm particles N>100 (nm) ("accumulation mode particles") which only account for <20% of the total number concentration N of fine aerosols; but do not correlate with the number of <100 nm particles ("ultrafine particles"), which accounts for >80% of fine particles number concentration. Organic matter and black-carbon are the only aerosol components showing a significant correlation with the ultrafine particles, attributed to vehicles exhausts emissions; whereas ammonium-nitrate, ammonium-sulphate and also organic matter and black-carbon correlate with N>100 (nm) and attributed to condensation mechanisms, other particle growth processes and some primary emissions. Time series of the aerosol DpN diameter (dN/dlogD mode), mass PM2.5 concentrations and number N>100 (nm) concentrations exhibit correlated day-to-day variations, which point to a significant involvement of condensation of semi-volatile compounds during urban pollution events. This agrees with the observation that ammonium-nitrate is the component exhibiting the highest increases from mid-to-high pollution episodes, when the highest DpN increases are observed. The results indicates that "fine PM2.5 particles urban pollution events" tend to occur when condensation processes have made particles grow large enough to produce significant number concentrations of N>100 (nm) ("accumulation mode particles"). In contrast, because the low contribution of ultrafine particles to the fine aerosol mass concentrations, high "ultrafine particles N<100(nm) events" frequently occurs under low PM2.5 conditions. The results of this study demonstrate that vehicles exhausts emissions are strongly involved in this ultrafine particles aerosol pollution.

TH-AB-207A-04: Assessment of Patients’ Cumulative Effective Dose From CT Examinations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bostani, M; Cagnon, C; Sepahdari, A

Purpose: The Joint Commission requires institutions to consider patient’s age and recent imaging exams when deciding on the most appropriate type of imaging exam. Additionally, knowing patient’s imaging history can help prevent duplicate scans. Radiation dose management software affords new opportunities to identify and utilize patients with high cumulative doses as one proxy for subsequent review of imaging history and opportunities in avoiding redundant exams. Methods: Using dose management software (Radimetrics, Bayer Healthcare) a total of 72073 CT examinations performed from Jan 2015 to Jan 2016 were examined to categorize patients with a cumulative effective dose of 100 mSv andmore » above. This threshold was selected based on epidemiological studies on populations exposed to radiation, which demonstrate a statistical increase of cancer risk at doses above 100 mSv. Histories of patients with highest cumulative dose and highest number of exams were further investigated by a Radiologist for appropriateness of recurrent studies and potential opportunities for reduction. Results: Out of 34762 patients, 927 (2.7%) were identified with a cumulative dose of 100 mSv and above. The highest cumulative dose (842 mSv) belonged to an oncology patient who underwent 2 diagnostic exams and 9 interventional ablative CT guided procedures. The patient with highest number of exams (56 counts) and cumulative dose of 170 mSv was a 17 year old trauma patient. An imaging history review of these two patients did not suggest any superfluous scans. Conclusion: Our limited pilot study suggests that recurrent CT exams for patients with oncologic or severe trauma history may be warranted and appropriate. As a result, for future studies we will be focusing on high dose patient cohorts not associated with oncology or severe trauma. Additionally, the review process itself has suggested areas for potential improvement in patient care, including improved documentation and Radiologist involvement in patient management. Dr. McNitt-Gray’s disclosures: Institutional research agreement, Siemens Healthcare; Past recipient, research grant support, Siemens Healthcare; Consultant, Toshiba America Medical Systems; Consultant, Samsung Electronics.« less

Tri-Service Champus Statistical Database Project (TCSDP): Champus Ambulatory Data Analysis. Detail Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-30

Navy was highest in all three measures, followed by the Air Force, and the Army was the lowest. No branch accounted for a large proportion of the...the largest proportion of workload and costs were in the category ’Outside Catchment Area’. The total government pay for outside catchment area category...services. MACDILL REG HOSP MACDILL AFB had the highest amount of total government pay in the Air Force’s billable MTF. It accounted for 4.13

Electronic screens in children's bedrooms and adiposity, physical activity and sleep: do the number and type of electronic devices matter?

PubMed

Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Leduc, Geneviève; Boyer, Charles; Bélanger, Priscilla; LeBlanc, Allana G; Borghese, Michael M; Tremblay, Mark S

2014-07-11

To examine whether the number and type of electronic screens available in children's bedrooms matter in their relationship to adiposity, physical activity and sleep. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 502 children aged 9-11 years from Ottawa, Ontario. The presence (yes/no) of a television (TV), computer or video game system in the child's bedroom was reported by the parents. Percentage body fat was measured using bioelectrical impedance. An accelerometer was worn over seven days to assess moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), total sedentary time, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Screen time was self-reported by the child. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, annual household income and highest level of parental education, children with 2-3 screens in their bedroom had a significantly higher percentage of body fat than children with no screen in their bedroom. However, while children with 2-3 screens in their bedroom engaged in more screen time overall than those with no screen, total sedentary time and MVPA were not significantly different. Sleep duration was not related to the number of screens in the bedroom, but sleep efficiency was significantly lower in children with at least 2 screens in the bedroom. Finally, children having only a TV in their bedroom had significantly higher adiposity than those having no screen at all. In contrast, the presence of a computer in children's bedrooms was not associated with higher adiposity than that of children with no screen. A higher number of screens in a child's bedroom was associated with higher adiposity, more total screen time and lower sleep efficiency. Having a TV in the bedroom appears to be the type of screen presence associated with higher levels of adiposity. Given the popularity of screens among children, these findings are increasingly relevant to health promotion strategies.

Effect of solvents extraction on total phenolics and antioxidant activity of extracts from flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.).

PubMed

Anwar, Farooq; Przybylski, Roman

2012-01-01

Plant origin food ingredients are the main source of very potent antioxidants. Tocopherols, the main oilseeds natural antioxidants are very potent and when implemented into cell membranes are able to scavenge large number of free radicals. Among plant antioxidants are mainly phenolics, large and diversified group of chemical compounds with different radical scavenging potential. Defatted flaxseed meals were extracted with pure alcohols and its mixture with water. Acquired extracts were analysed for the content of phenolics and flavonoids using colorimetric procedures. Antioxidative capacity was assessed by utilizing: DPPH stable free radicals; inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation and reducing power of components. Investigation was conducted on two different batches of flaxseed, assessing antioxidant capacity of compounds extracted with different polarity solvents and extracts were tested for antioxidant activity with different methods. The highest yield of extraction was achieved with 80% methanol but the extract did not contain the highest amount of phenolics and flavonoids. When 80% ethanol was used for extraction the highest amount of flavonoids was detected and also the best antioxidant capacity. The results clearly showed that utilization of polar solvent enable extraction of significant amounts of phenolics and flavonoids. Those components were the most potent antioxidants present in those extracts. Content of these compounds correlated well with results from applied methods for antioxidant assessment.

Evaluation of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]) on several population density for bioethanol production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwarti; Efendi, R.; Massinai, R.; Pabendon, M. B.

2018-03-01

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]) crop management that is use for raw source of bioethanol for industrial purpose in Indonesia is less developed. The aim of this research was to evaluated sweet sorghum variety at several population to determine optimum density for juice production. Experiment design was set on split-plot design with three replications, conducted on August to December 2016 at the Indonesian Cereals Research Institute Research Station, Maros South Sulawesi. Main plot were six variation of plant row, and sub plot were three sweet sorghum varieties. Result of the study showed that plant population was high significanty affect to stalk weight, total biomass yield, leaf weight, and also significantly affect bagass weight and juice volume. Varieties were high significantly different in plant height, juice volume, and number of nodes. Super 1 variety on population at 166,667 plants/ha (P1) was obtained the highest juice volume (19,445 lHa-1), meanwhile the highest brix value obtained from Numbu at the same plants population. Furthermore juice volume had significant correlation with biomass weight at the r=0.73. Based on ethanol production, Super 2 and Numbu had the highest volume at 83.333 plants/ha density (P3) and Super 1 at 166.667 plants/ha density with the ethanol volume were 827.68 l Ha-1, 1116.50 l/ha and 993.62 l Ha-1 respectively.

[Waterborne diseases outbreaks in the Czech Republic, 1995-2005].

PubMed

Kozísek, F; Jeligová, H; Dvoráková, A

2009-08-01

Despite considerable advances in drinking water safety assurance and adherence to the public health standards, waterborne diaseases outbreaks have still been observed even in industrialized countries. The study objective was to map such outbreaks in the Czech Republic in 1995-2005. In this study, an outbreak is the occurrence of more cases of disease than normally expected within a specific place over a given period of time and a waterborne disease is a disease where water is the vehicle or source of infection. The data on waterborne outbreaks was obtained from the EPIDAT database (national infectious diseases reporting system) information provided by epidemiologists of all regional public health authorities and the National Reference Laboratory for Legionella. In 1995 - 2005, 33 outbreaks with water indicated as the route of transmission were recorded in the Czech Republic. The leading cause was unsafe drinking water (27 outbreaks), mainly from wells (19 outbreaks); nevertheless, the most serious consequences were observed in two outbreaks caused by microbiologically contaminated hot water. Other sources of waterborne infection were mineral water springs, a swimming pool and a brook. The total of reported cases of waterborne diseases was 1655, 356 hospitalisations and ten deaths due to legionellosis were recorded. The highest number of outbreaks (7) as well as the highest number of cases (841) were reported in 1997. Comparison of two five-year periods, i.e. 1996-2000 and 2001-2005, showed a nearly one third decrease in the total of outbreaks and a half reduction in the total of cases in the latter. In view of the limited length of monitoring, it is not possible to say with certainty whether it is a random distribution or an actual trend. Almost two thirds of cases were diagnosed as acute gastroenteritis of probable infectious origin and other frequent waterborne diseases were viral hepatitis A and bacillary dysentery. When analyzing the described outbreaks, it should be taken into account that only the diagnosed and reported outbreak cases are covered, while the actual number of cases is likely to be underreported. Although no evidence is available that any vast and serious waterborne diseases outbreaks escaped reporting, some small and less serious outbreaks may have occurred unnoticed. In the future, the diagnosis, investigation and evaluation of waterborne diseases outbreaks should be improved, among others by implementing an evidence-based classification system and issuing regular surveys of outbreaks and their causes which would be helpful in preventing failures in other similar water sources.

Self-reported "worth it" rating of aesthetic surgery in social media.

PubMed

Domanski, Mark C; Cavale, Naveen

2012-12-01

A wide variety of surveys have been used to validate the satisfaction of patients who underwent aesthetic surgery. However, such studies are often limited by patient number and number of surgeons. Social media now allows patients, on a large scale, to discuss and rate their satisfaction with procedures. The views of aesthetic procedures patients expressed in social media provide unique insight into patient satisfaction. The "worth it" percentage, average cost, and number of respondents were recorded on October 16, 2011, for all topics evaluated on the aesthetic procedure social media site www.realself.com . Procedures were divided into categories: surgical, liposuction, nonsurgical, and dental. For each group, procedures with the most respondents were chosen and ordered by "worth it" score. A literature search was performed for the most commonly rated surgical procedures and the satisfaction rates were compared. A total of 16,949 evaluations of 159 aesthetic surgery topics were recorded. A correlation between cost of the procedure and percentage of respondents indicating that the procedure was "worth it" was not found. The highest-rated surgical procedure was abdominoplasty, with 93 % of the 1,589 self-selected respondents expressing that abdominoplasty was "worth it." The average self-reported cost was $8,400. The highest-rated nonsurgical product was Latisse, with 85 % of 231 respondents reporting it was "worth it" for an average cost of $200. The satisfaction scores in the literature for commonly rated surgical procedures ranged from 62 to 97.6 %. No statistically significant correlations between literature satisfaction scores and realself.com "worth it" scores were found. Abdominoplasty had the highest "worth it" rating among aesthetic surgical procedures. Aesthetic surgeons should be wary that satisfaction scores reported in the literature might not correlate with commonly achieved results. Social media has opened a new door into how procedures are evaluated and perceived. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the table of contents or the online instructions to authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Novel fiber optic sensor probe with a pair of highly reflected connectors and a vessel of water absorption material for water leak detection.

PubMed

Cho, Tae-Sik; Choi, Ki-Sun; Seo, Dae-Cheol; Kwon, Il-Bum; Lee, Jung-Ryul

2012-01-01

The use of a fiber optic quasi-distributed sensing technique for detecting the location and severity of water leakage is suggested. A novel fiber optic sensor probe is devised with a vessel of water absorption material called as water combination soil (WCS) located between two highly reflected connectors: one is a reference connector and the other is a sensing connector. In this study, the sensing output is calculated from the reflected light signals of the two connectors. The first reflected light signal is a reference and the second is a sensing signal which is attenuated by the optical fiber bending loss due to the WCS expansion absorbing water. Also, the bending loss of each sensor probe is determined by referring to the total number of sensor probes and the total power budget of an entire system. We have investigated several probe characteristics to show the design feasibility of the novel fiber sensor probe. The effects of vessel sizes of the probes on the water detection sensitivity are studied. The largest vessel probe provides the highest sensitivity of 0.267 dB/mL, while the smallest shows relatively low sensitivity of 0.067 dB/mL, and unstable response. The sensor probe with a high output value provides a high sensitivity with various detection levels while the number of total installable sensor probes decreases.

Abundance and Characterization of Perfect Microsatellites on the Cattle Y Chromosome.

PubMed

Ma, Zhi-Jie

2017-07-03

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are found in most organisms and play an important role in genomic organization and function. To characterize the abundance of SSRs (1-6 base-pairs [bp]) on the cattle Y chromsome, the relative frequency and density of perfect or uninterrupted SSRs based on the published Y chromosome sequence were examined. A total of 17,273 perfect SSRs were found, with total length of 324.78 kb, indicating that approximately 0.75% of the cattle Y chromosome sequence (43.30 Mb) comprises perfect SSRs, with an average length of 18.80 bp. The relative frequency and density were 398.92 loci/Mb and 7500.62 bp/Mb, respectively. The proportions of the six classes of perfect SSRs were highly variable on the cattle Y chromosome. Mononucleotide repeats had a total number of 8073 (46.74%) and an average length of 15.45 bp, and were the most abundant SSRs class, while the percentages of di-, tetra-, tri-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide repeats were 22.86%, 11.98%, 11.58%, 6.65%, and 0.19%, respectively. Different classes of SSRs varied in their repeat number, with the highest being 42 for dinucleotides. Results reveal that repeat categories A, AC, AT, AAC, AGC, GTTT, CTTT, ATTT, and AACTG predominate on the Y chromosome. This study provides insight into the organization of cattle Y chromosome repetitive DNA, as well as information useful for developing more polymorphic cattle Y-chromosome-specific SSRs.

Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content of Various Solvent Extracts from In Vivo and In Vitro Grown Trifolium pratense L. (Red Clover)

PubMed Central

Mat Taha, Rosna; Banisalam, Behrooz

2015-01-01

In the present study the extracts of in vivo and in vitro grown plants as well as callus tissue of red clover were tested for their antioxidant activities, using different extraction solvent and different antioxidant assays. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents as well as extraction yield of the extracts were also investigated to determine their correlation with the antioxidant activity of the extracts. Among all the tested extracts the highest amounts of total phenolic and total flavonoids content were found in methanol extract of in vivo grown plants. The antioxidant activity of tested samples followed the order in vivo plant extract > callus extract > in vitro extract. The highest reducing power, 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, and chelating power were found in methanol extracts of in vivo grown red clover, while the chloroform fraction of in vivo grown plants showed the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging and hydrogen peroxide scavenging compared to the other tested extracts. A significant correlation was found between the antioxidant activity of extracts and their total phenolic and total flavonoid content. According to the findings, the extract of in vitro culture of red clover especially the callus tissue possesses a comparable antioxidant activity to the in vivo cultured plants' extract. PMID:26064936

Antioxidative Activities and Active Compounds of Extracts from Catalpa Plant Leaves

PubMed Central

Xu, Hongyu; Hu, Gege; Dong, Juane; Wei, Qin; Shao, Hongbo; Lei, Ming

2014-01-01

In order to screen the Catalpa plant with high antioxidant activity and confirm the corresponding active fractions from Catalpa ovata G. Don, C. fargesii Bur., and C. bungei C. A. Mey., total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of the extracts/fractions of Catalpa plant leaves were determined. The determined total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity were used as assessment criteria. Those compounds with antioxidant activity were isolated with silica gel column chromatography and ODS column chromatography. Our results showed that the total flavonoid content in C. bungei C. A. Mey. (30.07 mg/g·DW) was the highest, followed by those in C. fargesii Bur. (25.55 mg/g·DW) and C. ovata G. Don (24.96 mg/g·DW). According to the determination results of total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in 3 clones of leaves of C. bungei C. A. Mey., the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in crude extracts from C. bungei C. A. Mey. 6 (CA6) leaves were the highest. Moreover, the results showed that the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate (EA) fraction in ethanol crude extracts in CA6 leaves were the highest, followed by n-butanol, petroleum ether (PE), and water fractions. Two flavonoid compounds with antioxidant activity were firstly isolated based on EA fraction. The two compounds were luteolin (1) and apigenin (2), respectively. PMID:25431795

Antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of extracts from Rapistrum rugosum in Tunisia

PubMed Central

Amel, Omri Hichri; Malek, Besbes Hlila; Hichem, Ben Jannet; Ali, Lamari; Mahjoub, Aouni; Boulbaba, Selmi

2013-01-01

Objective To investigate the antioxidant potential and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of Rapistrum rugosum extracts. Methods The crude, ethyl acetate, butanol and water extracts prepared from flowers, roots, stems and leaves of Rapistrum rugosum were tested at 1 mg/mL to determine their total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content and total condensed tannin content. Their antioxidant activity was assessed at different concentrations (0.0312, 0.0625, 0.1250, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 mg/mL) by using DPPH, ABTS, reducing power and β-carotene bleAChIng inhibition activity. Anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was also determined. Results The extract of leaves and stems had the highest total phenolic content [(110.45±0.03) mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight]. The ethyl acetate extract of flowers had the highest total flavonoid content [(24.62±0.13) mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight]. The butanolic fraction of flowers had the highest total condensed tannin content [(317.85±0.01) mg catechin equivalent/g dry weight]. The crude extracts of flowers exhibited an interesting antioxidant activity for DPPH assay (93.00±0.01)% at 1 mg/mL. The greatest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC50=1.60 mg/mL) was exhibited by the crude extracts from the flowers. Conclusions The results demonstrated that Rapistrum rugosum contains active constituents which possess antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities.

Antioxidative activities and active compounds of extracts from Catalpa plant leaves.

PubMed

Xu, Hongyu; Hu, Gege; Dong, Juane; Wei, Qin; Shao, Hongbo; Lei, Ming

2014-01-01

In order to screen the Catalpa plant with high antioxidant activity and confirm the corresponding active fractions from Catalpa ovata G. Don, C. fargesii Bur., and C. bungei C. A. Mey., total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of the extracts/fractions of Catalpa plant leaves were determined. The determined total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity were used as assessment criteria. Those compounds with antioxidant activity were isolated with silica gel column chromatography and ODS column chromatography. Our results showed that the total flavonoid content in C. bungei C. A. Mey. (30.07 mg/g · DW) was the highest, followed by those in C. fargesii Bur. (25.55 mg/g · DW) and C. ovata G. Don (24.96 mg/g · DW). According to the determination results of total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in 3 clones of leaves of C. bungei C. A. Mey., the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in crude extracts from C. bungei C. A. Mey. 6 (CA6) leaves were the highest. Moreover, the results showed that the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate (EA) fraction in ethanol crude extracts in CA6 leaves were the highest, followed by n-butanol, petroleum ether (PE), and water fractions. Two flavonoid compounds with antioxidant activity were firstly isolated based on EA fraction. The two compounds were luteolin (1) and apigenin (2), respectively.

Struck-by-lightning deaths in the United States.

PubMed

Adekoya, Nelson; Nolte, Kurt B

2005-05-01

The objective of the research reported here was to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of struck-by-lightning deaths. Using data from both the National Centers for Health Statistics (NCHS) multiple-cause-of-death tapes and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), which is maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the authors calculated numbers and annualized rates of lightning-related deaths for the United States. They used resident estimates from population microdata files maintained by the Census Bureau as the denominators. Work-related fatality rates were calculated with denominators derived from the Current Population Survey of employment data. Four illustrative investigative case reports of lightning-related deaths were contributed by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. It was found that a total of 374 struck-by-lightning deaths had occurred during 1995-2000 (an average annualized rate of 0.23 deaths per million persons). The majority of deaths (286 deaths, 75 percent) were from the South and the Midwest. The numbers of lightning deaths were highest in Florida (49 deaths) and Texas (32 deaths). A total of 129 work-related lightning deaths occurred during 1995-2002 (an average annual rate of 0.12 deaths per million workers). Agriculture and construction industries recorded the most fatalities at 44 and 39 deaths, respectively. Fatal occupational injuries resulting from being struck by lightning were highest in Florida (21 deaths) and Texas (11 deaths). In the two national surveillance systems examined, incidence rates were higher for males and people 20-44 years of age. In conclusion, three of every four struck-by-lightning deaths were from the South and the Midwest, and during 1995-2002, one of every four struck-by-lightning deaths was work-related. Although prevention programs could target the entire nation, interventions might be most effective if directed to regions with the majority of fatalities because they have the majority of lightning strikes per year.

Effect of season and age on Indian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus murghi) semen characteristics: A 4-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Rakha, B A; Ansari, M S; Akhter, S; Blesbois, E

2017-09-01

The reproductive potential of the adult males is expected to vary with age/season and largely differ not only in closely related avian species but even in subspecies, breeds and/or strains of the same species. Thus, it is pre-requisite to have knowledge of seminal parameters to achieve maximum production potential of at-risk species for ex situ in vitro conservation programs. A 4-year study was designed to evaluate the effect of age and season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) on semen characteristics of Indian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus murghi) in a retrospective manner. Semen ejaculates (n = 1148) were regularly collected from eight adult cocks 6 to 54 months of age. Quantitative and qualitative semen parameters viz; volume (μL), concentration (1 × 10 9  mL -1 ), total sperm number per ejaculate (1 × 10 9  mL -1 ), motility (%), viability (%), plasma membrane integrity (%), acrosome integrity (%) and semen quality factor were recorded. A chronological increasing trend with age of most sperm quantitative and qualitative traits (semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number per ejaculate, plasma membrane integrity, viability, acrosomal integrity and semen quality factor) was observed. The highest values were observed at four years of age (P < 0.05) with the exception of sperm motility that was not affected by the age. Spring was the best season for sperm parameters viz; volume, motility, plasma membrane integrity, viability and acrosomal integrity (P < 0.05), however a remarkable sperm production was noticed all over the year. It is concluded that Indian red jungle fowl exhibits an evolution of sperm production that greatly differs in many points from other fowl sub-species. It is suggested that semen ejaculates of highest quality achieved for semen banking at the age of four year in the spring season. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ranking of concern, based on environmental indexes, for pharmaceutical and personal care products: an application to the Spanish case.

PubMed

Ortiz de García, Sheyla; Pinto, Gilberto Pinto; García-Encina, Pedro A; Irusta Mata, Rubén I

2013-11-15

A wide range of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are present in the environment, and many of their adverse effects are unknown. The emergence of new compounds or changes in regulations have led to dynamical studies of occurrence, impact and treatment, which consider geographical areas and trends in consumption and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. A Quantitative study of Structure-Activity Relationship ((Q)SAR) was performed to assess the possible adverse effects of ninety six PPCPs and metabolites with negligible experimental data and establish a ranking of concern, which was supported by the EPA EPI Suite™ interface. The environmental and toxicological indexes, the persistence (P), the bioaccumulation (B), the toxicity (T) (extensive) and the occurrence in Spanish aquatic environments (O) (intensive) were evaluated. The most hazardous characteristics in the largest number of compounds were generated by the P index, followed by the T and B indexes. A high number of metabolites has a concern score equal to or greater than their parent compounds. Three PBT and OPBT rankings of concern were proposed using the total and partial ranking method (supported by a Hasse diagram) by the Decision Analysis by Ranking Techniques (DART) tool, which was recently recommended by the European Commission. An analysis of the sensibility of the relative weights of these indexes has been conducted. Hormones, antidepressants (and their metabolites), blood lipid regulators and all of the personal care products considered in this study were at the highest levels of risk according to the PBT and OPBT total rankings. Furthermore, when the OPBT partial ranking was performed, X-ray contrast media, H2 blockers and some antibiotics were included at the highest level of concern. It is important to improve and incorporate useful indexes for the predicted environmental impact of PPCPs and metabolites and thus focus experimental analysis on the compounds that require urgent attention. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An assessment of GHG emissions from small ruminants in comparison with GHG emissions from large ruminants and monogastric livestock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zervas, G.; Tsiplakou, E.

2012-03-01

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are expected to cause global warming which results in extreme weather changes that could affect crop yields and productivity, food supplies and food prices. It is also expected that climate change will have an impact on animal metabolism and health, reproduction and productivity. On the other hand, the expected increased demand of animal origin products in the coming years will increase the reared animal numbers and consequently GHG emissions. This paper outlines the main GHGs emitted from livestock which are CO2, CH4 and N2O, coming from respiration, enteric fermentation and manure management respectively, with CH4 and N2O having the highest global warming potential. Ruminant livestock has the highest contribution to these GHG emissions with small ruminants share being 12.25% of the total GHG emissions from livestock's enteric and manure CH4, and manure N2O in CO2 equivalent, producing 9.45 kg CO2 equivalent per kg body weight with the respective values for cattle, pigs and poultry being 5.45, 3.97 and 3.25. Since the production systems significantly affect the GHG emissions, the grazing, livestock crop complex, and intensive ones account for 30.5%, 67.29% and 5.51% for total CH4 emission (from enteric fermentation and manure management) and 24.32%, 68.11% and 7.57% for N2O respectively. Taking into account the positive and negative impacts of small ruminant livestock production systems to the environmental aspects in general, it is recommended that a number of potentially effective measures should be taken and the appropriate mitigation technologies should be applied in order to reduce effectively and essentially the GHG emissions to the atmosphere, with no adverse effects on intensification and increased productivity of small ruminants production systems.

Reported fatal and non-fatal incidents involving tourists in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 1992-2002.

PubMed

Heggie, Travis W

2005-08-01

Objectives. To examine fatal and non-fatal incidents involving tourists in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Methods. Official press releases from the public relations office at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park were examined for reports of fatal and non-fatal incidents involving tourists. Results. Between 1992 and 2002 there were 65 press releases reporting 40 fatalities, 45 serious injuries, 53 minor injuries, and 25 no injury events. Severity information was unavailable for four additional tourists. Aircraft and backcountry incidents each accounted for 30% of all incidents followed by road incidents (22%) and frontcountry incidents (17%). Aircraft incidents reported 17 fatalities, backcountry incidents accounted for 10 fatalities, frontcountry incidents reported seven fatalities, and road incidents totaled six fatalities. One fatality was classified as a suicide. Backcountry (23) and road (10) incidents had the highest number of serious incidents. Male tourists (62) were more frequently involved in incidents than female tourists (41) and tourists aged 20-29 years and 40-49 years accounted for the highest number of fatalities and total incidents. Conclusions. Helicopter tours, hiking in areas with active lava flows, falls into steam vents and earthcracks, and driving unfamiliar rental cars in unfamiliar locations are the major activities resulting in death and serious injury. Additional factors such as tourists ignoring warning signs, wandering off-trail or hiking at night, tourists misinformed by guidebooks and other tourists, and tourists with pre-existing heart and asthma conditions are contributing causes in many incidents. The findings of this study provide information that allows prospective tourists, tourism managers, and travel health providers make informed decisions that promote safe tourism and can aid future efforts in developing preventative strategies at tourist destinations with similar environments and activities. However, in order for preventative strategies to be most effective, future research using medical or emergency response records and employing an injury epidemiology framework that identifies the cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries is recommended.

Prevalence of alcohol and drugs among car and van drivers killed in road accidents in Norway: an overview from 2001 to 2010.

PubMed

Christophersen, Asbjørg S; Gjerde, Hallvard

2014-01-01

To examine the prevalence of alcohol and drugs in blood samples collected from car and van drivers killed in traffic accidents in Norway during the time period from 2001 to 2010. Blood samples (n = 676, 63% of all killed drivers) were analyzed for alcohol, psychoactive medications, and illicit drugs. The cutoff limits for positive results were set according to the new legislative limits under the Norwegian Road Traffic Act. The results were assessed in relation to sex and age, time of day and day of week, and single- versus multiple-vehicle and all investigated vehicle accidents. Alcohol or one or more drugs was detected in samples from 40.2 percent of all investigated drivers, with 28.7 percent showing blood concentrations of at least 5 times the legislative limits. For the investigated female drivers, the total prevalence was 24.0 percent. Among the single-vehicle accidents, alcohol or drugs was found in 63.8 percent of the cases, with 49.1 percent showing blood concentrations of at least 5 times the legislative limits. Alcohol was detected in 25.3 and 49.1 percent of samples from all investigated drivers and among drivers killed in single-vehicle accidents, respectively. Psychoactive medications were found in 14.4 and 17.7 percent and illicit drugs in 14.1 and 19.2 percent, respectively. The most commonly detected group of medications was benzodiazepines, and amphetamines and tetrahydrocannabinol were the most commonly detected illicit drugs. The prevalence of alcohol alone was highest among drivers under the age of 25, and the combination of alcohol with other drugs was highest among drivers under the age of 35. Drivers between the ages of 25 and 54 showed the highest prevalence of medications and/or illicit drugs without the presence of alcohol. The highest prevalence of alcohol or drugs was found among drivers killed in single-vehicle accidents on weeknights (83.8%) and on weekend nights (89.3%). The findings confirm that a large number of fatally injured drivers, in particular among drivers involved in single-vehicle accidents, had concentrations of alcohol or drugs above the new legislative limits introduced in 2012. In many cases, concentrations of at least 5 times the limits were found. The proportion of drivers killed who tested positive for alcohol or other drugs did not change during the study period; however, the total number of drivers killed per year decreased by about 20 percent. Some changes were also observed with regard to the types of benzodiazepines and amphetamines detected during the 10-year period.

Use Teacher Effectiveness Tools to Enhance Your Coaching Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Richard E.

2012-01-01

Coaching is one of the highest profile positions that schools and colleges employ. At the collegiate level, these individuals can even be the highest paid public employees in their states, and successful coaches are often the highest paid individuals in their school districts. But successful coaches can be defined in a number of ways, and…

A NEW APPROACH TO IDENTIFYING THE MOST POWERFUL GRAVITATIONAL LENSING TELESCOPES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wong, Kenneth C.; Zabludoff, Ann I.; Ammons, S. Mark

2013-05-20

The best gravitational lenses for detecting distant galaxies are those with the largest mass concentrations and the most advantageous configurations of that mass along the line of sight. Our new method for finding such gravitational telescopes uses optical data to identify projected concentrations of luminous red galaxies (LRGs). LRGs are biased tracers of the underlying mass distribution, so lines of sight with the highest total luminosity in LRGs are likely to contain the largest total mass. We apply this selection technique to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and identify the 200 fields with the highest total LRG luminosities projected withinmore » a 3.'5 radius over the redshift range 0.1 {<=} z {<=} 0.7. The redshift and angular distributions of LRGs in these fields trace the concentrations of non-LRG galaxies. These fields are diverse; 22.5% contain one known galaxy cluster and 56.0% contain multiple known clusters previously identified in the literature. Thus, our results confirm that these LRGs trace massive structures and that our selection technique identifies fields with large total masses. These fields contain two to three times higher total LRG luminosities than most known strong-lensing clusters and will be among the best gravitational lensing fields for the purpose of detecting the highest redshift galaxies.« less

Orthopedics research output from China, USA, UK, Japan, Germany and France: A 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Xin, Z; Jin, C; Zhengrong, G; Liehu, C; Weizong, W; Quan, L; Xiao, C; Jiacan, S

2016-11-01

In the past decade, researchers have made great progress in the field of Orthopedics. However, the research status of different countries is unclear. To summarize the number of published articles, we assessed the cumulative impact factors in top orthopedic journals. The aims of the study were to measure: 1) the quality and quantity of publications in orthopedics-related journals from China and other five counties, 2) the trend of the number of publications in orthopedics-related journals. The related journals were selected based on the 2014 scientific citation index (SCI) and articles were searched based on the PubMed database. To assess the quantity and quality of research output, the number of publications including clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, case reports, reviews, citations, impact factors, number of articles in the top 10 journals and most popular journals were recorded. A total of 143,138 orthopedics articles were published from 2005 to 2014. The USA accounts for 24.9% (35,763/143,138) of the publications, followed by UK (7878/143,138 (5.5%)), Japan (7133/143,138 (5.0%)), Germany (5942/143,138 (4.2%)), China (4143/143,138 (2.9%)) and France (2748/143,138 (1.9%)). The ranking for accumulated impact factors as follows: USA, UK, Japan, Germany, France and China. The mean impact factor's order is USA, China, Germany, Japan, France, UK, and interestingly the mean impact factors in Japan is similar to the Germany in 2005-2014. The USA had the highest percentage of articles in the top 10 journals, while China owns the least. The USA had the highest number of average citations, while Japan had lowest number of average citations. According to this study, we can conclude that the USA has had been leading the orthopedics research in the past 10 years. Although China still falls behind, it has made considerable progress in the orthopedics research, not only in quantity but also quality. IV. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

[Extent and impact of the measles epidemics of 1846 and 1882 in Iceland].

PubMed

Gunnarsdottir, Sandra; Briem, Haraldur; Gottfredsson, Magnus

2014-04-01

Measles have increased in incidence in some parts of the developed world in the past 10-15 years. They can be fatal and lead to severe sequelae.Measles were infrequently introduced to Iceland in the 19th century and consequently, epidemics were few but associated with an extremely high mortality. The availability of 19th century church registries enables studies on the impact of measles on mortality. Historical accounts mention two major measles epidemics, starting mid-year 1846 and 1882. We analysed these two epidemics using contemporary historical sources, mainly original church registries. In the 1846 epidemic the data show a clear increase in mortality in June and reach a peak in July of 741 fatal cases total, a four-fold increase from expected baseline rate. The epidemic subsided in the ensuing five months. A cluster of measles was described in the eastern region of Iceland in 1869 but did not spread further. The epidemic of 1882 reached its peak in July, when 1084 individuals died, a five-fold increase from the expected rate. Excess mortality was highest in N-Isafjardarsysla county, 4,7 %, and none in A-Skaftafellssysla county where the illness was described 13 years previously. The highest numbers of fatal cases in the 1882 epidemic (64,6%) was among 0-4 year old children. The number of fatalities among women of child-bearing age was more than two-fold compared to men; the number of births 7-9 months following the 1882 peak dropped significantly by 50%. This study highlights the consequences of measles following introduction into a largely susceptible population and also documents the importance of herd immunity. Information can be identified on most individual fatalities during the 1846 and 1882 measles epidemics in Iceland.

Evaluation of scientific output in Dentistry in Spanish Universities.

PubMed

De la Flor-Martínez, M; Galindo-Moreno, P; Sánchez-Fernández, E; Abadal, E; Cobo, M-J; Herrera-Viedma, E

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the scientific output of Spanish universities that offer a bachelor's degree in dentistry through the use of various bibliometric indicators. A total of 21 universities offered a bachelor's degree in dentistry in academic year 2016-2017. The search for papers published by authors associated with these institutions was carried out using the selection of journals listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and the Web of Knowledge database for the period 1986-2017. On the basis of these data, we determined the output, the h-, g- and hg-indexes, the most productive authors, international collaborations, and the most relevant journals. Public universities obtained better results than private universities. The University of Valencia was ranked first, followed by the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Granada. The most productive author was José Vicente Bagán, but the author with the highest h-index was Mariano Sanz and Manuel Toledado. The universities with the greatest output and highest citation rates had more international collaborations. The most developed fields in Spanish universities were Oral surgery, Oral medicine and Dental materials. The universities had different models of production. At universities such as Barcelona or Valencia, the production was focused on very few departments and authors. At the other extreme, the University of Granada had various sources of research and authors, which meant that its output and citation rate could increase more. University faculties must provide suitable academic and research training, and therefore must be assessed using objective criteria and bibliometric tools. Although the number of university schools and faculties that teach dentistry has increased, and particularly the number of private universities, there is no correlation between their quality and output and the number of places offered on their courses.

The U.S. Radiologist Workforce: An Analysis of Temporal and Geographic Variation by Using Large National Datasets.

PubMed

Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Hughes, Danny R; Duszak, Richard

2016-04-01

To determine recent trends related to temporal as well as national and statewide geographic variation in the U.S. radiologist and radiology resident workforce. This retrospective HIPAA-compliant study was exempted from the internal review board. Federal Area Health Resources Files and Medicare 5% research identifiable files were used to compute parameters related to the radiologist workforce. Geographic variation and annual temporal trends were analyzed. Pearson and Spearman correlations were assessed. Nationally, the number of radiology trainees increased 84.2% from a nadir in 1997 (3080 trainees) to 2011 (5674 trainees) and showed high state-to-state variation (range, 0-678 trainees in 2011). However, total radiologists nationally increased 39.2% from 1995 (27 906 radiologists) to 2011 (38 875 radiologists), and radiologists per 100 000 population nationally increased by 7.5% from 1995 (10.62%) to 2011 (11.42%), while showing high state-to-state variation (highest-to-lowest state ratio of 4.3). Radiologists' share of the overall physician workforce declined nationally by 8.8% from 1995 (4.0%) to 2011 (3.7%), with moderate state-to-state variation (highest-to-lowest state ratio of 1.7). Radiology trainee numbers exhibited weak-to-moderate positive state-by-state correlation with radiologists per 100 000 population (r = 0.292-0.532), but moderate-to-strong inverse correlation with the percentage of radiologists in rural practice (r = -0.464 to -0.635). Although the number of radiology trainees dramatically increased, radiologists per 100 000 population increased only slightly, and radiologists' share of the overall physician workforce declined. State-to-state variations in radiologist and radiology resident workforces are high, which suggests a potential role for geographic redistribution rather than changes in the overall workforce size.

Host preference, population growth and injuries assessment of Polyphagotarsonemus latus (banks) (ACARI: Tarsonemidae) on Capsicum annuum L. Genotypes.

PubMed

Breda, M O; de Oliveira, J V; Esteves Filho, A B; Barbosa, D R S; de Santana, M F

2016-10-01

Despite the continued efforts on the search for different genotypes, Capsicum annuum (L.) is quite susceptible to attack by pest arthropods, especially the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks. Thus, the host preference, population growth and the injuries assessment of P. latus was studied on six C. annuum genotypes used in Brazil (Atlantis, California Wonder, Impact, Palloma, Rubia and Tendence). Host preference was accessed in choice tests, pairing the several genotypes, and the population growth was observed through non-choice tests in laboratory. The injuries assessments were evaluated in the greenhouse, comparing the injury level among the six genotypes. The results indicate that California Wonder and Palloma genotypes were more preferred by P. latus, and Impact and Tendence were less preferred. P. latus presented positive population growth rates (ri) on all the genotypes, however, Palloma and California Wonder showed the highest values of population growth rate (ri = 0.344 and ri = 0.340, respectively), while Impact had the lowest value (ri = 0.281). All the evaluated C. annuum genotypes showed low tolerance to P. latus and exhibited several injuries, but there was no statistical difference between them. California Wonder had the highest average number of mites/leaf (57.15), while Impact and Tendence obtained the lowest values (36.67 and 35.12, respectively) at the end of the evaluation period. The total average of injuries notes at the end of the bioassay did not differ between the genotypes. The number of mites/leaf was growing for the injury scale to the note 3.0, but when the injury scale approached the note 4.0, there was observed a decrease in the number of mites/leaf for all the genotypes.

Influence of Rotation Crops on the Strawberry Pathogens Pratylenchus penetrans, Meloidogyne hapla, and Rhizoctonia fragariae

PubMed Central

LaMondia, J. A.

1999-01-01

Field microplot, small plot, and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effects of rotation crops on Pratylenchus penetrans, Meloidogyne hapla, and Rhizoctonia fragariae populations. Extraction of P. penetrans from roots and soil in microplots and field plots planted to rotation crops was highest for Garry oat, lowest for Triple S sorgho-sudangrass and Saia oat, and intermediate for strawberry, buckwheat, and canola. Isolation of R. fragariae from bait roots was highest for strawberry and canola after 2 years of rotation and lowest for Saia oat. Nematode extraction from roots of rotation crops in field soils was generally higher than from roots in microplots. Grasses were nonhosts of M. hapla. Strawberry, canola, and buckwheat supported root-knot populations over time, but there were no differences in nematode numbers regardless of crop after one season of strawberry growth. Garry oat, canola, and, to a lesser extent, buckwheat supported large populations of P. penetrans without visible root symptoms. Strawberry plants supported fewer nematodes due to root damage. Nematode numbers from soil were less than from roots for all crops. While there were similar trends for pathogen recovery after more than 1 year of strawberry growth following rotation, differences in pathogen density and fruit yield were not significant. In the greenhouse, P. penetrans populations in roots and soil in pots were much higher for Garry oat than for Saia oat. Total P. penetrans adult and juvenile numbers per pot ranged from 40 to 880 (mean = 365.6) for Garry oat and 0 to 40 (mean = 8.7) for Saia oat. Production of Saia oat as a rotation crop may be a means of managing strawberry nematodes and black root rot in Connecticut. PMID:19270931

Scientific publications on primary biliary cirrhosis from 2000 through 2010: an 11-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Qin, Baodong; Liang, Yan; Yang, Zaixing; Zhong, Renqian

2012-01-01

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by intrahepatic bile-duct destruction, cholestasis, and fibrosis. It can lead to cirrhosis and eventually liver failure. PBC also shows some regional differences with respect to incidence and prevalence that are becoming more pronounced each year. Recently, researchers have paid more attention to PBC. To evaluate the development of PBC research during the past 11 years, we determined the quantity and quality of articles on this subject. We also compared the contributions of scientists from the US, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, and China. The English-language papers covering PBC published in journals from 2000 through 2010 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the number of papers published each year, analyzed the publication type, and calculated the accumulated, average impact factors (IFs) and citations from every country. The quantity and quality of articles on PBC were compared by country. We also contrasted the level of PBC research in China and other countries. The total number of articles did not significantly increase during the past 11 years. The number of articles from the US exceeded those from any other country; the publications from the US also had the highest IFs and the most citations. Four other countries showed complex trends with respect to the quantity and quality of articles about PBC. The researchers from the US have contributed the most to the development of PBC research. They currently represent the highest level of research. Some high-level studies, such as RCTs, meta-analyses, and in-depth basic studies should be launched. The gap between China and the advanced level is still enormous. Chinese investigators still have a long way to go.

Outcome of cardiac surgery in patients with congenital heart disease in England between 1997 and 2015

PubMed Central

Dimopoulos, Konstantinos; Uebing, Anselm; Diller, Gerhard-Paul; Rosendahl, Ulrich; Belitsis, George

2017-01-01

Background The number of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is increasing worldwide and most of them will require cardiac surgery, once or more, during their lifetime. The total volume of cardiac surgery in CHD patients at a national level and the associated mortality and predictors of death associated with surgery are not known. We aimed to investigate the surgical volume and associated mortality in CHD patients in England. Methods Using a national hospital episode statistics database, we identified all CHD patients undergoing cardiac surgery in England between 1997 and 2015. Results We evaluated 57,293 patients (median age 11.9years, 46.7% being adult, 56.7% female). There was a linear increase in the number of operations performed per year from 1,717 in 1997 to 5,299 performed in 2014. The most common intervention at the last surgical event was an aortic valve procedure (9,276; 16.2%), followed by repair of atrial septal defect (9,154; 16.0%), ventricular septal defect (7,746; 13.5%), tetralogy of Fallot (3,523; 6.1%) and atrioventricular septal defect (3,330; 5.8%) repair. Associated mortality remained raised up to six months following cardiac surgery. Several parameters were predictive of post-operative mortality, including age, complexity of surgery, need for emergency surgery and socioeconomic status. The relationship of age with mortality was “U”-shaped, and mortality was highest amongst youngest children and adults above 60 years of age. Conclusions The number of cardiac operations performed in CHD patients in England has been increasing, particularly in adults. Mortality remains raised up to 6-months after surgery and was highest amongst young children and seniors. PMID:28628610

Inhibition of α-Glucosidase, Total Phenolic Content and Flavonoid Content on Skin Fruit and Flesh Extracts of Some Varieties of Snake Fruits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohaeti, E.; Fauzi, M. R.; Batubara, I.

2017-03-01

This study aimed to determine the antidiabetic activity of the skin fruit and flesh of snack fruit through α-glucosidase inhibition and correlated with total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as thin layer chromatography bio-autography. Seven varieties of varieties of skin and flesh of the fruits each extracted by maceration using ethanol 70%. The results show the highest power of the α-glucosidase inhibition obtained at Manonjaya skin extract with IC50 value of 17.9 µg/mL. The TLC pattern indicates the presence of four active spot on skin extract and two spots on flesh extracts on the use of solvent BuOH:HAc:water (6:2:2). The highest phenolic content obtained at skin fruit extract of Salak Mawar 186.15 ± 1.66 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram extract. The highest total flavonoid content obtained in Salak Malaka skin fruit extract that is 7:43 ± 0:04 milli gram of quercetin equivalents

Tools for improving safety management in the Norwegian Fishing Fleet occupational accidents analysis period of 1998-2006.

PubMed

Aasjord, Halvard L

2006-01-01

Reporting of human accidents in the Norwegian Fishing Fleet has always been very difficult because there has been no tradition in making reports on all types of working accidents among fishermen, if the accident does not seem to be very serious or there is no economical incentive to report. Therefore reports are only written when the accidents are serious or if the fisherman is reported sick. Reports about an accident are sent to the insurance company, but another report should also be sent to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate (NMD). Comparing of data from one former insurance company and NMD shows that the real numbers of injuries or serious accidents among Norwegian fishermen could be up to two times more than the numbers reported to NMD. Special analyses of 1690 accidents from the so called PUS-database (NMD) for the period 1998-2002, show that the calculated risk was 23.6 accidents per 1000 man-years. This is quite a high risk level, and most of the accidents in the fishing fleet were rather serious. The calculated risks are highest for fishermen on board the deep sea fleet of trawlers (28.6 accidents per 1000 man-years) and also on the deep sea fleet of purse seiners (28.9 accidents per 1000 man-years). Fatal accidents over a longer period of 51.5 years from 1955 to 2006 are also roughly analysed. These data from SINTEF's own database show that the numbers of fatal accidents have been decreasing over this long period, except for the two periods 1980-84 and 1990-94 where we had some casualties with total losses of larger vessels with the loss of most of the crew, but also many others typical work accidents on smaller vessels. The total numbers of registered Norwegian fishermen and also the numbers of man-years have been drastically reduced over the 51.5 years from 1955 to 2006. The risks of fatal accidents have been very steady over time at a high level, although there has been a marked risk reduction since 1990-94. For the last 8.5-year period of January 1998-July 2006 the numbers of fatal accidents and calculated risks are analysed for three main fleet groups. The highest risk factor of 24.8 fatal accidents per 10.000 man years is found in the smaller fleet, length of vessel (Loa) < 13 meters. This is 4.1 times higher than in the medium fleet (13 < Loa < 28 meters) and 11.3 times higher risk factor than in the deep sea fleet (Loa > 28 meter).

Ethnomedicinal and ethnopharmaco-statistical studies of Eastern Rajasthan, India.

PubMed

Upadhyay, Bhuvaneshwar; Parveen; Dhaker, Anil K; Kumar, Ashwani

2010-05-04

The study was conducted in Eastern parts of Rajasthan from March 2008 to February 2009 to identify the important species used; determine the relative importance of the species surveyed and calculate the informant consensus factor (ICF) in relation to medicinal plant use. METHODOLOGY OR MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 844 villagers (486 men and 358 women) were interviewed using specimen display method and a forest walk with interviewee and a semi-structured questionnaire was used to elicit the knowledge of use of medicinal plants. A total of 213 species of medicinal plants belonging to 68 families were documented. The family Fabaceae had the highest number of species (28) followed by Euphorbiaceae (14). The majority of informants (46.12%) mentioned Azadirachta indica as most popular remedy for the treatment of various ailments, followed by Ocimum sanctum (25.31%) and Tridax procumbens (21.63%). The average number of medicinal plants known and used by female and male practitioners was similar (chi=9.192, d.f.=17, p=0.941). The number of medicinal plant species reported and used by each informant was not significantly (chi=40.625, d.f.=34, p=0.202) different among the four districts: Alwar (7.80+/-0.917), Bharatpur (6.88+/-1.076), Dholpur (7.13+/-0.965) and Karauli (7.97+/-1.068). From the study it is clear that ethnomedicinal information from traditional practitioners provides a corporeal guide towards development of new drugs than the approaches of random screening. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Case Study of Petroleum Degradation in Different Soil Textural Classes.

PubMed

Kogbara, Reginald B; Ayotamuno, Josiah M; Worlu, Daniel C; Fubara-Manuel, Isoteim

2016-01-01

Patents have been granted for a number of techniques for petroleum biodegradation including use of micro-organisms for degradation of hydrocarbon-based substances and for hydrocarbon degradation in oil reservoirs, but there is a dearth of information on hydrocarbon degradation in different soil textures. Hence, this work investigated the effects of different soil textures on degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons during a six-week period. Five soil textural classes commonly found in Port Harcourt metropolis, Nigeria, namely sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, silty clay and clay, were employed. The soils were contaminated with the same amount of crude oil and then remediated by biostimulation. Selected soil properties were monitored over time. Bacterial numbers declined significantly in the fine soil textures after petroleum contamination, but were either unaffected or increased significantly in the coarser soil textures. Hydrocarbon losses ranged from 42% - 99%; the sandy loam had the highest, while the clay soil had the least total hydrocarbon content (THC) reduction. The total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) counts generally corroborated the THC results. Fold increase in bacterial numbers due to remediation treatment decreased with increasing clay content. The results suggest that higher sand than clay content of soil favours faster hydrocarbon degradation. Hydrocarbon degradation efficiency increased with silt content among soil groupings such as fine and coarse soils but not necessarily with increasing silt content of soil. Thus, there seems to be cut-off sand and clay contents in soil at which the effect of the silt content becomes significant.

Comparison of Transferred Versus Nontransferred Pediatric Patients Admitted for Sepsis.

PubMed

Hsu, Benson S; Schimelpfenig, Michelle; Lakhani, Saquib

2016-01-01

Little is known about the characteristics of pediatric patients transferred for medical care. Thus, we aimed to compare pediatric patients admitted for sepsis as transfers versus those who were not admitted as transfers. Retrospective study using The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2009 Kids' Inpatient Database. Inclusion diagnosis of sepsis based on an All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Group of 720: Septicemia & Disseminated Infections resulted in 16,894 patients. Transfer status was based on admission codes. Weighted statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 12.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX). Institutional review board approval was obtained. Weighted analysis found significant differences between transferred versus nontransferred patients in the following areas: highest severity of illness subclass (45.1% vs. 18.7%, P < .001), number of chronic conditions (2.0 vs. 1.5, P < .001), teaching hospital status (85.9% vs. 54.8%, P < .001), length of stay (10.8 vs. 6.5, p<.001), number of procedures (2.9 vs. 1.4, P < .001), mortality (8.4% vs. 3.2%, P < .001), total costs ($30,626 vs. $13,677, P < .001), and daily costs ($2,901 vs. $1,887, P < .001). Our study found that patients diagnosed with sepsis and transferred are more severely ill with a higher number of chronic conditions, longer lengths of stay, more procedures performed, higher mortality, and higher total and daily costs. Copyright © 2016 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of culture and qPCR methods in detection of mycobacteria from drinking waters.

PubMed

Räsänen, Noora H J; Rintala, Helena; Miettinen, Ilkka T; Torvinen, Eila

2013-04-01

Environmental mycobacteria are common bacteria in man-made water systems and may cause infections and hypersensitivity pneumonitis via exposure to water. We compared a generally used cultivation method and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to detect mycobacteria in 3 types of drinking waters: surface water, ozone-treated surface water, and groundwater. There was a correlation between the numbers of mycobacteria obtained by cultivation and qPCR methods, but the ratio of the counts obtained by the 2 methods varied among the types of water. The qPCR counts in the drinking waters produced from surface or groundwater were 5 to 34 times higher than culturable counts. In ozone-treated surface waters, both methods gave similar counts. The ozone-treated drinking waters had the highest concentration of assimilable organic carbon, which may explain the good culturability. In warm tap waters, qPCR gave 43 times higher counts than cultivation, but both qPCR counts and culturable counts were lower than those in the drinking waters collected from the same sites. The TaqMan qPCR method is a rapid and sensitive tool for total quantitation of mycobacteria in different types of clean waters. The raw water source and treatments affect both culturability and total numbers of mycobacteria in drinking waters.

Effect of medicinal plants extracts on the incidence of mosaic disease caused by cucumber mosaic virus and growth of chili

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidson, H.; Damiri, N.; Angraini, E.

2018-01-01

This research was conducted to study the effect of the application of several extracts of medicinal plants on the incidence of mosaic disease caused by Cucumber Mosaic Virus infection on the chili (Capsicum annuum L.) plantation. A Randomized Block Design with eight treatments including control was used throughout the experiment. Treatments consisted of Azadiracta indica (A), Piper bitle (B), Cymbopogon citrates (C), Curcuma domestica (D), Averroa bilimbi (E), Datura stramonium (F), Annona Muricata (G) and control (H). Each treatment consist of three replications. The parameters observed were the incidence of mosaic attack due to CMV, disease severity, plant height, wet and dry weight and production (number of fruits and the weight of total fruits) each plant. Results showed that the application of medicinal plant extracts reduced the disease severity due to CMV. Extracts of Annona muricata and Datura stramonium were most effective in suppressing disease severity caused by the virus as they significantly different from control and from a number of treatment. The plants medicinal extracts were found to have increased the plant height and total weight of the plant, fruit amount and fruit weight. Extracts of Curcuma domestica, Piper bitle and Cymbopogon citrates were the third highest in fruit amount and weight and significantly different from the control.

DDT residue contamination in sediments from Lake Sibaya in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: implications for conservation in a World Heritage Site.

PubMed

Humphries, Marc S

2013-11-01

Maputaland in northern KwaZulu-Natal is a biodiversity hotspot and host to a number of ecologically important systems, including Lake Sibaya, southern Africa's largest natural freshwater lake. The region is malaria endemic and this study reports the presence of DDT and its metabolites in the sediments of Lake Sibaya that have resulted from the widespread and continued use of DDT in the region. DDT residues (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE) were detected at all 11 sites sampled, with total concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 123 ng g(-1). Total DDT concentrations at Lake Sibaya represent some of the highest levels reported in South Africa, with most samples exceeding sediment quality guideline values. The findings from this study raise concerns and indicate that urgent further work is needed to investigate the potential for bioaccumulation, which could adversely affect breeding fish, bird, and crocodile populations in the region. While this study represents the first report on DDT contamination in Lake Sibaya, results have important implications for a number of other aquatic ecosystems within the Maputaland ecoregion, as well as the many local people who depend on them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detectability of galactic supernova neutrinos coherently scattered on xenon nuclei in XMASS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, K.; Hiraide, K.; Ichimura, K.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakagawa, K.; Nakahata, M.; Norita, T.; Ogawa, H.; Sekiya, H.; Takachio, O.; Takeda, A.; Yamashita, M.; Yang, B. S.; Kim, N. Y.; Kim, Y. D.; Tasaka, S.; Liu, J.; Martens, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Fujita, R.; Hosokawa, K.; Miuchi, K.; Oka, N.; Onishi, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Kim, Y. H.; Lee, J. S.; Lee, K. B.; Lee, M. K.; Fukuda, Y.; Itow, Y.; Kegasa, R.; Kobayashi, K.; Masuda, K.; Takiya, H.; Uchida, H.; Nishijima, K.; Fujii, K.; Murayama, I.; Nakamura, S.; Xmass Collaboration

2017-03-01

The coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) plays a crucial role at the final evolution of stars. The detection of it would be of importance in astroparticle physics. Among all available neutrino sources, galactic supernovae give the highest neutrino flux in the MeV range. Among all liquid xenon dark matter experiments, XMASS has the largest sensitive volume and light yield. The possibility to detect galactic supernova via the CEvNS-process on xenon nuclei in the current XMASS detector was investigated. The total number of events integrated in about 18 s after the explosion of a supernova 10 kpc away from the Earth was expected to be from 3.5 to 21.1, depending on the supernova model used to predict the neutrino flux, while the number of background events in the same time window was measured to be negligible. All lead to very high possibility to detect CEvNS experimentally for the first time utilizing the combination of galactic supernovae and the XMASS detector. In case of a supernova explosion as close as Betelgeuse, the total observable events can be more than ∼ 104, making it possible to distinguish different supernova models by examining the evolution of neutrino event rate in XMASS.

The Burden of Dengue and the Financial Cost to Colombia, 2010–2012

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Raúl Castro; Carrasquilla, Gabriel; Porras, Alexandra; Galera-Gelvez, Katia; Yescas, Juan Guillermo Lopez; Rueda-Gallardo, Jorge A.

2016-01-01

Data on the burden of dengue and its economic costs can help guide health policy decisions. However, little reliable information is available for Colombia. We therefore calculated the burden of the disease, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), for two scenarios: endemic years (average number of cases in non-epidemic years 2011 and 2012) and an epidemic year (2010, when the highest number of dengue cases was reported in the study period). We also estimated the total economic cost of the disease (U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate for 2012), including indirect costs to households derived from expenses such as preventing entry of mosquitos into the home and costs to government arising from direct, indirect, and prevention and monitoring activities, as well as the direct medical and non-medical costs. In the epidemic year 2010, 1,198.73 DALYs were lost per million inhabitants versus 83.88 in endemic years. The total financial cost of the disease in Colombia from a societal perspective was US$167.8 million for 2010, US$129.9 million for 2011, and US$131.7 million for 2012. The cost of mosquito prevention borne by households was a major cost driver (accounting for 46% of the overall cost in 2010, 62% in 2011, and 64% in 2012). PMID:26928834

Mechanical response of dental cements as determined by nanoindentation and scanning electron microscopy.

PubMed

Saghiri, Mohammad Ali; Nazari, Amir; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Asatourian, Armen; Malekzadeh, Mansour; Elyasi, Maryam

2013-12-01

This study evaluated the effects of nanoindentation on the surface of white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA), Bioaggregate and Nano WMTA cements. Cements were mixed according to the manufacturer directions, condensed inside glass tubes, and randomly divided into three groups (n = 8). Specimens were soaked in synthetic tissue fluid (pH = 7.4) and incubated for 3 days. Cement pellets were subjected to nanoindentation tests and observed by scanning electron microscopy. Then, the images were processed and the number of cracks and total surface area of defects on the surface were calculated and analyzed using ImageJ. Data were submitted to one-way analysis of variance and a post hoc Tukey's test. The lowest number of cracks and total surface of defects were detected in Nano WMTA samples; however, it was not significantly different from WMTA samples (p = 0.588), while the highest values were noticed in Bioaggregate specimens that were significantly different from Nano WMTA and WMTA (p = 0.0001). The surface of WMTA and Nano WMTA showed more resistance after exposure to nano-compressive forces which indicated a better surface tolerance against these forces and crack formation. This suggests these substances are more tolerant cement materials which can predictably withstand loaded situations in a clinical scenario.

Influence of salinity and dissolved organic carbon on acute Cu toxicity to the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis.

PubMed

Cooper, Christopher A; Tait, Tara; Gray, Holly; Cimprich, Giselle; Santore, Robert C; McGeer, James C; Wood, Christopher M; Smith, D Scott

2014-01-21

Acute copper (Cu) toxicity tests (48-h LC50) using the euryhaline rotifer Brachionus plicatilis were performed to assess the effects of salinity (3, 16, 30 ppt) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC, ∼ 1.1, ∼ 3.1, ∼ 4.9, ∼ 13.6 mg C L(-1)) on Cu bioavailability. Total Cu was measured using anodic stripping voltammetry, and free Cu(2+) was measured using ion-selective electrodes. There was a protective effect of salinity observed in all but the highest DOC concentrations; at all other DOC concentrations the LC50 value was significantly higher at 30 ppt than at 3 ppt. At all salinities, DOC complexation significantly reduced Cu toxicity. At higher concentrations of DOC the protective effect increased, but the increase was less than expected from a linear extrapolation of the trend observed at lower concentrations, and the deviation from linearity was greatest at the highest salinity. Light-scattering data indicated that salt induced colloid formation of DOC could be occurring under these conditions, thereby decreasing the number of available reactive sites to complex Cu. When measurements of free Cu across DOC concentrations at each individual salinity were compared, values were very similar, even though the total Cu LC50 values and DOC concentrations varied considerably. Furthermore, measured free Cu values and predicted model values were comparable, highlighting the important link between the concentration of bioavailable free Cu and Cu toxicity.

Gastrointestinal parasitic infection in diverse species of domestic ruminants inhabiting tribal rural areas of southern Rajasthan, India.

PubMed

Choubisa, S L; Jaroli, V J

2013-10-01

A total of 415 adult domesticated ruminants, 130 cattle (Bos taurus), 108 buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), 94 goats (Capra hircus) and 83 sheep (Ovis aries) inhabiting tribal rural areas of southern Rajasthan, India were investigated for evidence of gastrointestinal protozoan and helminthic infections. In southern Rajasthan humid ecosystem is predominant and has number of perennial freshwater bodies. Fresh faecal samples of these animals were examined microscopically by direct wet smear with saline and 1 % Lugol's iodine and formalin ether concentration. Of these 296 (71.32 %) were found to be infected with different species of gastrointestinal parasites. The highest (93.84 %) prevalence of these parasitic infections was found in cattle followed by goats (82.97 %), sheep (55.42 %) and buffaloes (46.29 %). Except cattle no other ruminants revealed protozoan infection. A total 8 species of gastrointestinal parasites were encountered. Among these parasites Fasciola hepatica was the commonest (15.18 %) followed by Haemonchus contortus (11.32 %), Ancylostoma duodenale (10.36 %), Trichuris trichiura (9.15 %), Amphistome species (7.95 %), Moniezia expansa (6.98 %), Strongyloides stercoralis (4.57 %) and Balantidium coli (3.37 %). The prevalence rate of these parasitic infections also varied seasonally. The highest prevalence rate was found in rainy season (84.21 %) followed by winter (73.9 %) and summer (52.8 %). The possible causes for variation in prevalence of parasitic infections are also discussed.

Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet.

PubMed

Clarys, Peter; Deliens, Tom; Huybrechts, Inge; Deriemaeker, Peter; Vanaelst, Barbara; De Keyzer, Willem; Hebbelinck, Marcel; Mullie, Patrick

2014-03-24

The number of studies comparing nutritional quality of restrictive diets is limited. Data on vegan subjects are especially lacking. It was the aim of the present study to compare the quality and the contributing components of vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diets. Dietary intake was estimated using a cross-sectional online survey with a 52-items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) were calculated as indicators for diet quality. After analysis of the diet questionnaire and the FFQ, 1475 participants were classified as vegans (n = 104), vegetarians (n = 573), semi-vegetarians (n = 498), pesco-vegetarians (n = 145), and omnivores (n = 155). The most restricted diet, i.e., the vegan diet, had the lowest total energy intake, better fat intake profile, lowest protein and highest dietary fiber intake in contrast to the omnivorous diet. Calcium intake was lowest for the vegans and below national dietary recommendations. The vegan diet received the highest index values and the omnivorous the lowest for HEI-2010 and MDS. Typical aspects of a vegan diet (high fruit and vegetable intake, low sodium intake, and low intake of saturated fat) contributed substantially to the total score, independent of the indexing system used. The score for the more prudent diets (vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians) differed as a function of the used indexing system but they were mostly better in terms of nutrient quality than the omnivores.

Comparison of Nutritional Quality of the Vegan, Vegetarian, Semi-Vegetarian, Pesco-Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diet

PubMed Central

Clarys, Peter; Deliens, Tom; Huybrechts, Inge; Deriemaeker, Peter; Vanaelst, Barbara; De Keyzer, Willem; Hebbelinck, Marcel; Mullie, Patrick

2014-01-01

The number of studies comparing nutritional quality of restrictive diets is limited. Data on vegan subjects are especially lacking. It was the aim of the present study to compare the quality and the contributing components of vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diets. Dietary intake was estimated using a cross-sectional online survey with a 52-items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) were calculated as indicators for diet quality. After analysis of the diet questionnaire and the FFQ, 1475 participants were classified as vegans (n = 104), vegetarians (n = 573), semi-vegetarians (n = 498), pesco-vegetarians (n = 145), and omnivores (n = 155). The most restricted diet, i.e., the vegan diet, had the lowest total energy intake, better fat intake profile, lowest protein and highest dietary fiber intake in contrast to the omnivorous diet. Calcium intake was lowest for the vegans and below national dietary recommendations. The vegan diet received the highest index values and the omnivorous the lowest for HEI-2010 and MDS. Typical aspects of a vegan diet (high fruit and vegetable intake, low sodium intake, and low intake of saturated fat) contributed substantially to the total score, independent of the indexing system used. The score for the more prudent diets (vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians) differed as a function of the used indexing system but they were mostly better in terms of nutrient quality than the omnivores. PMID:24667136

Comparative studies on the constituents, antioxidant and anticancer activities of extracts from different varieties of corn silk.

PubMed

Tian, Jingge; Chen, Haixia; Chen, Shuhan; Xing, Lisha; Wang, Yanwei; Wang, Jia

2013-10-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of varieties on the constituents, antioxidant and anticancer activities of corn silk. The contents of total phenolic and flavonoids and individual flavonoids in six corn silk varieties (Denghai6702, Delinong988, Tunyu808, Zhongdan909, Liangyu208, Jingke968) were comparatively analyzed by colourimetric methods, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods and antioxidant activities were assessed using a panel of in vitro assays, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity assay, the inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation (MDA) assay and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and the cytotoxicity against human prostatic carcinoma cells PC3 and breast carcinoma cells MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 were also evaluated. Results showed that Zhongdan909 exhibited the highest total phenolic content while Tunyu808 had the highest flavonoid content among the six species. Zhongdan909 showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity, the highest inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation and the strongest cytotoxicity against breast carcinoma cells MCF7, while Tunyu808 exhibited the highest reducing power. There were good relationships between the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities (r > 0.78) and the cytotoxicity against breast carcinoma cells MCF7 (r > 0.79). This study suggested that corn silk could be potentially used as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and formononetin was one of the main antioxidant constituents in corn silk.

Impact of industrial wastewater disposal on surface water bodies in Mostord area, north greater Cairo.

PubMed

Abdel-Sabour, M F; Rabie, F H; Mostafa, T; Hassan, S A

2001-10-01

The studied area (Shoubra El-Khima, Bahteem and Mostorod) lies in the industrial area north of Greater Cairo. The area suffers from several environmental problems such as sewage and disposal of pollutants from the surrounding factories into the surface water pathways in the area. Water samples were collected seasonally from different waterways found in the area, domestic and or industrial liquid wastes from 12 discharge tubes of different factories (as a point source of pollution). Chemical characteristics of different water samples and its heavy metals content were determined using ion coupled plasma technique (ICP). Results indicate that industrial and domestic wastewater samples contain several toxic levels of tested heavy metals (Cd, Co, Pb and Ni) which have a serious impact on surface waterways in the area. Shebin El-Qanater collector drain samples exhibited the highest levels of Cd, Co, Pb and Ni compared to other tested water bodies. Mostorod collector drain samples showed the highest levels of Zn and Cu. Industrial effluent samples collected from Cairo Company for Fabric industry had the highest amounts of total Zn Cu, Cd, Co and Pb, while Delta steel company discharges the highest amounts of total Fe and Mn. Al-Ahleya Plastic Company discharges the highest amounts of total-Ni. Generally, it is necessary to impose the environmental laws and its regulation regarding the industrial wastewater treatments and disposals to minimize the risk of the adverse effects of these pollutants.

The key incident monitoring and management system - history and role in quality improvement.

PubMed

Badrick, Tony; Gay, Stephanie; Mackay, Mark; Sikaris, Ken

2018-01-26

The determination of reliable, practical Quality Indicators (QIs) from presentation of the patient with a pathology request form through to the clinician receiving the report (the Total Testing Process or TTP) is a key step in identifying areas where improvement is necessary in laboratories. The Australasian QIs programme Key Incident Monitoring and Management System (KIMMS) began in 2008. It records incidents (process defects) and episodes (occasions at which incidents may occur) to calculate incident rates. KIMMS also uses the Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) to assign quantified risk to each incident type. The system defines risk as incident frequency multiplied by both a harm rating (on a 1-10 scale) and detection difficulty score (also a 1-10 scale). Between 2008 and 2016, laboratories participating rose from 22 to 69. Episodes rose from 13.2 to 43.4 million; incidents rose from 114,082 to 756,432. We attribute the rise in incident rate from 0.86% to 1.75% to increased monitoring. Haemolysis shows the highest incidence (22.6% of total incidents) and the highest risk (26.68% of total risk). "Sample is suspected to be from the wrong patient" has the second lowest frequency, but receives the highest harm rating (10/10) and detection difficulty score (10/10), so it is calculated to be the 8th highest risk (2.92%). Similarly, retracted (incorrect) reports QI has the 10th highest frequency (3.9%) but the harm/difficulty calculation confers the second highest risk (11.17%). TTP incident rates are generally low (less than 2% of observed episodes), however, incident risks, their frequencies multiplied by both ratings of harm and discovery difficulty scores, concentrate improvement attention and resources on the monitored incident types most important to manage.

Alcohol-to-acid ratio and substrate concentration affect product structure in chain elongation reactions initiated by unacclimatized inoculum.

PubMed

Liu, Yuhao; Lü, Fan; Shao, Liming; He, Pinjing

2016-10-01

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the ratio of ethanol to acetate affects yield and product structure in chain elongation initiated by unacclimatized mixed cultures. The effect of varying the substrate concentration, while maintaining the same ratio of alcohol to acid, was also investigated. With a high substrate concentration, an alcohol to acid ratio >2:1 provided sufficient electron donor capacity for the chain elongation reaction. With an ethanol to acetate ratio of 3:1 (300mM total carbon), the highest n-caproate concentration (3033±98mg/L) was achieved during the stable phase of the reaction. A lower substrate concentration (150mM total carbon) gave a lower yield of products and led to reduced carbon transformation efficiency compared with other reaction conditions. The use of unacclimatized inoculum in chain elongation can produce significant amounts of odd-carbon-number carboxylates as a result of protein hydrolysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Food insecurity in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, and its association with socioeconomic factors].

PubMed

Haro-Mota, Rebeca de; Marceleño-Flores, Susana; Bojórquez-Serrano, José Irán; Nájera-González, Oyolsi

2016-08-01

Objetive: To estimate the proportion of households with food insecurity (FI) in twenty municipalities in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, and to identify the factors that determine it. FI was estimated using the harmonized version for Mexico of the Latin American and Caribbean household food security scale (ELCSA). Households were classified according to FI level: mild, moderate and severe. The distribution of FI was described by type of locality and prevalence of FI was analyzed by associated variables. 76.2% of households were identified with some FI level.The prevalence of FI was higher in rural households. Food insecurity situation was focused on households with the highest number of children under five years, highest number of older than 64 years, highest number of household members, female headship and less schooling of the household head. ELCSA can be useful to associate FI with socioeconomic factors.

Study of water based nanofluid flows in annular tubes using numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siadaty, Moein; Kazazi, Mohsen

2018-04-01

Convective heat transfer, entropy generation and pressure drop of two water based nanofluids (Cu-water and Al2O3-water) in horizontal annular tubes are scrutinized by means of computational fluids dynamics, response surface methodology and sensitivity analysis. First, central composite design is used to perform a series of experiments with diameter ratio, length to diameter ratio, Reynolds number and solid volume fraction. Then, CFD is used to calculate the Nusselt Number, Euler number and entropy generation. After that, RSM is applied to fit second order polynomials on responses. Finally, sensitivity analysis is conducted to manage the above mentioned parameters inside tube. Totally, 62 different cases are examined. CFD results show that Cu-water and Al2O3-water have the highest and lowest heat transfer rate, respectively. In addition, analysis of variances indicates that increase in solid volume fraction increases dimensionless pressure drop for Al2O3-water. Moreover, it has a significant negative and insignificant effects on Cu-water Nusselt and Euler numbers, respectively. Analysis of Bejan number indicates that frictional and thermal entropy generations are the dominant irreversibility in Al2O3-water and Cu-water flows, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicates dimensionless pressure drop sensitivity to tube length for Cu-water is independent of its diameter ratio at different Reynolds numbers.

Correlation, path analysis and heritability estimation for agronomic traits contribute to yield on soybean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulistyo, A.; Purwantoro; Sari, K. P.

2018-01-01

Selection is a routine activity in plant breeding programs that must be done by plant breeders in obtaining superior plant genotypes. The use of appropriate selection criteria will determine the effectiveness of selection activities. The purpose of this study was to analysis the inheritable agronomic traits that contribute to soybean yield. A total of 91 soybean lines were planted in Muneng Experimental Station, Probolinggo District, East Java Province, Indonesia in 2016. All soybean lines were arranged in randomized complete block design with two replicates. Correlation analysis, path analysis and heritability estimation were performed on days to flowering, days to maturing, plant height, number of branches, number of fertile nodes, number of filled pods, weight of 100 seeds, and yield to determine selection criteria on soybean breeding program. The results showed that the heritability value of almost all agronomic traits observed is high except for the number of fertile nodes with low heritability. The result of correlation analysis shows that days to flowering, plant height and number of fertile nodes have positive correlation with seed yield per plot (0.056, 0.444, and 0.100, respectively). In addition, path analysis showed that plant height and number of fertile nodes have highest positive direct effect on soybean yield. Based on this result, plant height can be selected as one of selection criteria in soybean breeding program to obtain high yielding soybean variety.

A comparative analysis of fatty acid composition and fucoxanthin content in six Phaeodactylum tricornutum strains from diff erent origins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hualian; Li, Tao; Wang, Guanghua; Dai, Shikun; He, Hui; Xiang, Wenzhou

2016-03-01

Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a potential livestock for the combined production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and fucoxanthin. In this study, six marine diatom strains identified as P. tricornutum were cultured and their total lipid, fatty acid composition and major photosynthetic pigments determined. It was found that the cell dry weight concentration and mean growth rate ranged between 0.24-0.36 g/L and 0.31-0.33/d, respectively. Among the strains, SCSIO771 presented the highest total lipid content, followed by SCSIO828, and the prominent fatty acids in all strains were C16:0, C16:1, C18:1, and C20:5 (EPA). Polyunsaturated fatty acids, including C16:2, C18:2, and EPA, comprised a significant proportion of the total fatty acids. EPA was markedly high in all strains, with the highest in SCSIO828 at 25.65% of total fatty acids. Fucoxanthin was the most abundant pigment in all strains, with the highest in SCSIO828 as well, at 5.50 mg/g. The collective results suggested that strain SCSIO828 could be considered a good candidate for the concurrent production of EPA and fucoxanthin.

Matching health information seekers' queries to medical terms

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Internet is a major source of health information but most seekers are not familiar with medical vocabularies. Hence, their searches fail due to bad query formulation. Several methods have been proposed to improve information retrieval: query expansion, syntactic and semantic techniques or knowledge-based methods. However, it would be useful to clean those queries which are misspelled. In this paper, we propose a simple yet efficient method in order to correct misspellings of queries submitted by health information seekers to a medical online search tool. Methods In addition to query normalizations and exact phonetic term matching, we tested two approximate string comparators: the similarity score function of Stoilos and the normalized Levenshtein edit distance. We propose here to combine them to increase the number of matched medical terms in French. We first took a sample of query logs to determine the thresholds and processing times. In the second run, at a greater scale we tested different combinations of query normalizations before or after misspelling correction with the retained thresholds in the first run. Results According to the total number of suggestions (around 163, the number of the first sample of queries), at a threshold comparator score of 0.3, the normalized Levenshtein edit distance gave the highest F-Measure (88.15%) and at a threshold comparator score of 0.7, the Stoilos function gave the highest F-Measure (84.31%). By combining Levenshtein and Stoilos, the highest F-Measure (80.28%) is obtained with 0.2 and 0.7 thresholds respectively. However, queries are composed by several terms that may be combination of medical terms. The process of query normalization and segmentation is thus required. The highest F-Measure (64.18%) is obtained when this process is realized before spelling-correction. Conclusions Despite the widely known high performance of the normalized edit distance of Levenshtein, we show in this paper that its combination with the Stoilos algorithm improved the results for misspelling correction of user queries. Accuracy is improved by combining spelling, phoneme-based information and string normalizations and segmentations into medical terms. These encouraging results have enabled the integration of this method into two projects funded by the French National Research Agency-Technologies for Health Care. The first aims to facilitate the coding process of clinical free texts contained in Electronic Health Records and discharge summaries, whereas the second aims at improving information retrieval through Electronic Health Records. PMID:23095521

Clinical negligence in ophthalmology: fifteen years of national health service litigation authority data.

PubMed

Mathew, Rashmi G; Ferguson, Veronica; Hingorani, Melanie

2013-04-01

To categorize and understand the reasons behind ophthalmic clinical negligence claims in the National Health Service and how such claims can be avoided. Retrospective analyses of all ophthalmic clinical negligence claims between 1995 and 2009 were carried out. Data were obtained from the National Health Service Litigation Authority through the Freedom of Information Act. Claims were classified according to ophthalmic subspecialty, mean payment per subspecialty, severity, paid-to-closed ratio, and cost. One thousand two hundred fifty-three ophthalmology-related claims occurring from 1995 through 2009. Of these, 963 claims were closed over the 15-year period. Eighty-four were excluded because of insufficient case data. Retrospective analysis of all public sector ophthalmology litigation claims over a 15-year period in England. Subspecialty pertaining to claim, mean payment per claim, and severity of outcome of clinical incident. Nine hundred sixty-three claims were closed over a 15-year period, of which 67% resulted in payment. The total cost of claims was £32.1 million ($50.3 million), with a mean payment per claim of £33 300 ($52 300). The specialties with the highest mean payment per claim were neuro-ophthalmology and pediatric ophthalmology. Cataract subspecialty had the highest number of claims, accounting for 34% of all claims. Overall, the number of litigation claims in ophthalmology is low, relative to the high volume of outpatient and surgical workload. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Genetic Variations in Maize Seedlings Exposed to Electric Field Based on Protein and DNA Markers

PubMed Central

AL-Huqail, Asma A.; Abdelhaliem, Ekram

2015-01-01

The current study analyzed proteins and nuclear DNA of electric fields (ELF) exposed and nonexposed maize seedlings for different exposure periods using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), isozymes, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and comet assay, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed total of 46 polypeptides bands with different molecular weights ranging from 186.20 to 36.00 KDa. It generated distinctive polymorphism value of 84.62%. Leucine-aminopeptidase, peroxidase, and catalase isozymes showed the highest values of polymorphism (100%) based on zymograms number, relative front (R f), and optical intensity while esterase isozyme generated polymorphism value of 83.33%. Amino acids were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, which revealed the presence of 17 amino acids of variable contents ranging from 22.65% to 28.09%. RAPD revealed that 78 amplified DNA products had highly polymorphism value (95.08%) based on band numbers, with variable sizes ranging from 120 to 992 base pairs and band intensity. Comet assay recorded the highest extent of nuclear DNA damage as percentage of tailed DNA (2.38%) and tail moment unit (5.36) at ELF exposure of maize nuclei for 5 days. The current study concluded that the longer ELF exposing periods had genotoxic stress on macromolecules of maize cells and biomarkers used should be augmented for reliable estimates of genotoxicity after exposure of economic plants to ELF stressors. PMID:26180815

The exceptionally wet year of 2014 over Greece: a statistical and synoptical-atmospheric analysis over the region of Thessaloniki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolika, Konstantia; Maheras, Panagiotis; Anagnostopoulou, Christina

2018-05-01

The highest rainfall totals (912.2 mm) and the largest number of raindays (133 days), since 1958, were recorded in Thessaloniki during the year of 2014. Extreme precipitation heights were also observed on a seasonal, monthly and daily basis. The examined year presented the highest daily rainfall intensity, the maximum daily precipitation and the largest number of heavy precipitation days (greater than 10 mm), and it also exceeded the previous amounts of precipitation of very wet (95th percentile) and extremely wet (99th percentile) days. According to the automatic circulation type classification scheme that was used, it was found that during this exceptionally wet year, the frequency of occurrence of cyclonic types at the near surface geopotential level increases, while the same types decreased at a higher atmospheric level (500 hPa). The prevailing type was type C which is located at the centre of the study area (Greece), but several other cyclonic types changed during this year not only their frequency but also their percentage of rainfall as well as their daily precipitation intensity. It should be highlighted that these findings differentiated on the seasonal-scale analysis. Moreover, out of the three teleconnection patterns that were examined (Scandinavian Pattern, Eastern Mediterranean Teleconnection Pattern and North Sea-Caspian Pattern), the Scandinavian one (SCAND) was detected during the most of the months of 2014 meaning that it was highly associated with intense precipitation over Greece.

Regional and latitudinal patterns of soft-bottom macrobenthic invertebrates along French coasts: Results from the RESOMAR database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallon, Régis K.; Lavesque, Nicolas; Grall, Jacques; Labrune, Céline; Gremare, Antoine; Bachelet, Guy; Blanchet, Hugues; Bonifácio, Paulo; Bouchet, Vincent M. P.; Dauvin, Jean-Claude; Desroy, Nicolas; Gentil, Franck; Guerin, Laurent; Houbin, Céline; Jourde, Jérôme; Laurand, Sandrine; Le Duff, Michel; Le Garrec, Vincent; de Montaudouin, Xavier; Olivier, Frédéric; Orvain, Francis; Sauriau, Pierre-Guy; Thiebaut, Éric; Gauthier, Olivier

2017-12-01

This study aims to describe the patterns of soft bottom macrozoobenthic richness along French coasts. It is based on a collaborative database developed by the "Réseau des Stations et Observatoires Marins" (RESOMAR). We investigated patterns of species richness in sublittoral soft bottom habitats (EUNIS level 3) at two different spatial scales: 1) seaboards: English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean Sea and 2) 0.5° latitudinal and longitudinal grid. Total observed richness, rarefaction curves and three incidence-based richness estimators (Chao2, ICE and Jacknife1) were used to compare soft bottom habitats species richness in each seaboard. Overall, the Mediterranean Sea has the highest richness and despite higher sampling effort, the English Channel hosts the lowest number of species. The distribution of species occurrence within and between seaboards was assessed for each major phylum using constrained rarefaction curves. The Mediterranean Sea hosts the highest number of exclusive species. In pairwise comparisons, it also shares a lower proportion of taxa with the Bay of Biscay (34.1%) or the English Channel (27.6%) than that shared between these two seaboards (49.7%). Latitudinal species richness patterns along the Atlantic and English Channel coasts were investigated for each major phylum using partial LOESS regression controlling for sampling effort. This showed the existence of a bell-shaped latitudinal pattern, highlighting Brittany as a hotspot for macrobenthic richness at the confluence of two biogeographic provinces.