Albert Kilian, and Lisa Woods Schnurr, and Tafadzwa Matova, and Richmond Ato Selby, and Kojo Lokko, and Sean Blaufuss, and Miatta Zenabu Gbanya, and Ruth Allan, and Hannah Koenker, and Martin Swaka, and George Greer, and Megan Fotheringham, and Lilia Gerberg, and Matthew Lynch

Abstract Background Continuous distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) has now been accepted as one way of sustaining ITN universal coverage. Community-based channels offer an interesting means of delivering ITNs to households to sustain universal ITN coverage. The objective of this study was to provide proof of concept for this channel. Methods A 9-month, community-based, distribution pilot was implemented beginning 1 year after a mass campaign in Lainya County, South Sudan from 2012 to...

Carly D. Kenkel, and Line K. Bay

The coral symbiosis is the linchpin of the reef ecosystem, yet the mechanisms that promote and maintain cooperation between hosts and symbionts have not been fully resolved. We used a phylogenetically controlled design to investigate the role of vertical symbiont transmission, an evolutionary mechanism in which symbionts are inherited directly from parents, predicted to enhance cooperation and holobiont fitness. Six species of coral, three vertical transmitters and their closest horizontally tra...

Maddock Jason E, and Albright Cheryl L, and Nigg Claudio R

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mothers of an infant are much less likely to exercise regularly compared to other women. This study tested the efficacy of a brief tailored intervention to increase physical activity (PA) in women 3–12 months after childbirth. The study used a pretest-posttest design. Sedentary women (n = 20) were recruited from a parenting organization. Half the participants were ethnic minorities, mean age was 33 ± 3.8, infants' mean age was 6.9 ± 2.4 months, 50% were primi...

K P Jyotishana, and Kamlesh Kumari Sharma, and Millind P Hote

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common of heart surgeries. Cardiac rehabilitation has been identified as an essential and safer part of care for patients undergoing CABG which eventually would improve quality of life (QOL) and physiological parameters. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitative teaching program (CRTP) on QOL and physiological parameters. Subjects and Methods: A randomized controlled study was undertaken in...

Huan-huan Wang, and Xian-long Jin

This paper studied the dynamic response of a new gasbag-type floating bridge under the effect of a moving load. The arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method was used to simulate the movement of seawater and air, and the penalty-based method was used to study the coupling between gasbags and fluid. A three-dimensional finite element model of the floating bridge was established, and the numerical model was verified by comparing with the experimental results. In order to prevent resonance, the na...

Erik R. Venteris, and Mark S. Wigmosta, and Andre M. Coleman, and Richard L. Skaggs

Decisions involving strain selection, biomass to biofuel technology, and the location of cultivation facilities can strongly influence the economic viability of an algae-based biofuel enterprise. We summarize our past results in a new analysis to explore the relative economic impact of these design choices. Our growth model is used to predict average biomass production for two saline strains (Nannocloropsis salina, Arthrospira sp.), one fresh to brackish strain (Chlorella sp., DOE strain 1412), ...

R. Ranith, and L. Senthilnathan, and M. Machendiranathan, and T. Thangaradjou, and A. Saravanakumar

Argo float data supplemented with satellite measurements was used to study the seasonal and inter-annual variation in wind speed, sea surface temperature (SST) and mixed layer depth (MLD) of the southern Bay of Bengal from 2003 through 2010. Due to persistence of wind, clear sky and high insolation an increase in SST by about 2°C is evident during summer months (March-May) and is followed by shallowed MLD with a minimum depth of 9.3 m during summer 2004. MLD reached the maximum depth during mons...

John Statton, and Leonardo R. Montoya, and Robert J. Orth, and Kingsley W. Dixon, and Gary A. Kendrick

Abstract Identifying early life-stage transitions limiting seagrass recruitment could improve our ability to target demographic processes most responsive to management. Here we determine the magnitude of life-stage transitions along gradients in physical disturbance limiting seedling establishment for the marine angiosperm, Posidonia australis. Transition matrix models and sensitivity analyses were used to identify which transitions were critical for successful seedling establishment during the ...

SERGIO A NAVARRETE, and STEFAN GELCICH, and JUAN C CASTILLA

Marine coastal habitats are being increasingly impacted by human activities. In addition, there are dramatic climatic disruptions that could generate important and irreversible shifts in coastal ecosystems. Long-term monitoring plays a fundamental and irreplaceable role to establish general baselines from which we can better address current and future impacts and distinguish between natural and anthropogenic changes and fluctuations. Here we highlight how over 25 years of monitoring the coastal ...

Szecsenyi Joachim, and Grol Richard, and van Lieshout Jan, and Campbell Stephen M, and Ludt Sabine, and Wensing Michel

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary care can play an important role in providing cardiovascular risk management in patients with established Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), patients with a known high risk of developing CVD, and potentially for individuals with a low risk of developing CVD, but who have unhealthy lifestyles. To describe and compare cardiovascular risk management, internationally valid quality indicators and standardized measures are needed. As part of a large project in 9...

Björgell Ola, and Darwiche Gassan, and Hlebowicz Joanna, and Almér Lars-Olof

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies on healthy people show that vinegar delays gastric emptying and lowers postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of apple cider vinegar on delayed gastric emptying rate on diabetes mellitus patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ten patients with type 1 diabetes and diabetic gastroparesis, including one patient who had undergone vagotomy, were included and completed the investigator blinded cr...

A.L. Doede, and T.E. Allen, and J.S. Gray, and A.G. Herbst, and A.X. Xie, and C.L. Campbell

E. Robinson

J. O'Donovan, and A.R. Bersin, and J. Edwards

A. Sultana, and A. Hossain

Wang Zuoguang, and Liu Ya, and Liu Jieling, and Liu Kuo, and Lou Yuqin, and Wen Jie, and Niu Qiuli, and Wen Shaojun, and Wu Zhaosu

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic variation is thought to contribute to the etiology of hypertension, and E-selectin is a candidate essential hypertension-associated gene. This study thus sought to investigate possible genetic associations between the T1880C, C602A and T1559C polymorphisms of E-selectin and essential hypertension.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Hypertensive patients (n = 490) and healthy normotensive subjects (n = 495) were screened for the genotypes T1880C, C602A and T1559C u...

Rana Basabi, and Samanta Kartick, and Damodaran Suresh, and Chakraborty Tridib, and Manna Sangita, and Chatterjee Malay

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fish oil is known to protect from many types of cancers of the colon, liver, breast, prostate and lung <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr><abbr bid="B2">2</abbr><abbr bid="B3">3</abbr></abbrgrp>. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the role of fish oil [Maxepa, supplemented at a dose of 0.5 ml is equivalent to 90 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 60 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] on cell proliferation, expression of p53 tumor suppressor protein a...

Hellberg Michael E, and Eytan Ron I, and Hayes Marshall L

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genes involved in immune functions, including pathogen recognition and the activation of innate defense pathways, are among the most genetically variable known, and the proteins that they encode are often characterized by high rates of amino acid substitutions, a hallmark of positive selection. The high levels of variation characteristic of immunity genes make them useful tools for conservation genetics. To date, highly variable immunity genes have yet to be ...

Lunner Sigbjørn, and Andreassen Rune, and Høyheim Bjørn

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sequencing of the Atlantic salmon genome is now being planned by an international research consortium. Full-length sequenced inserts from cDNAs (FLIcs) are an important tool for correct annotation and clustering of the genomic sequence in any species. The large amount of highly similar duplicate sequences caused by the relatively recent genome duplication in the salmonid ancestor represents a particular challenge for the genome project. FLIcs will therefore b...

Mückley Thomas, and Klinger Hans M, and Kahl Enrico, and Plettenberg Holger, and Spahn Gunter, and Hofmann Gunther O

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Arthroscopy is a highly sensitive method of evaluating high-grade cartilage lesions but the detection of low-grade lesions is often is unreliable. Objective measurements are required. A novel NIRS (near-infrared-spectroscopy) device for detection of low-grade cartilage defects was evaluated in a preliminary clinical study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 12 patients who had undergone arthroscopy, the cartilage lesions within the medial knee compartment were classifi...

Angela Frances Yap, and Yu Heng Kwan, and Chuen Seng Tan, and Syed Ibrahim, and Seng Bin Ang

Abstract Background Quality of life has become an important aspect in the measurement of the health of an individual as the population ages. Rhythm-centred music making (RMM) has been shown to improve physical, psychological and social health. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of RMM on quality of life, depressive mood, sleep quality and social isolation in the elderly. Methods A randomised controlled trial with cross over was conducted. 54 participants were recruited with 27 ...

Eisuke Ochi, and Yosuke Tsuchiya, and Kenichi Yanagimoto

Abstract Background This study investigated the effect of supplementation with fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the M-wave latency of biceps brachii and muscle damage after a single session of maximal elbow flexor eccentric contractions (ECC). Methods Twenty-one men were completed the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel-design study. The subjects were randomly assigned to the fish oil group (n = 10) or control group (n = 11). T...

Kumar Katya, and M. Z. S. Borsra, and Dev Ganesan, and Giva Kuppusamy, and Max Herriman, and Andrew Salter, and Sayed Azam Ali

Abstract The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary protein from black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, larval meal (BSFL) to replace fish meal (FM) protein in juvenile barramundi, Lates calcarifer. Larvae of black soldier fly were fed with the underutilised crop, sesbania, Sesbania grandiflora. Five isonitrogenous (44% crude protein) and isocaloric (16.0 kJ available energy/g) experimental diets were formulated to replace FM using processed BSFL meal at 0 (control),...

Prusińska Maja, and Khudyi Oleksii, and Kolman Ryszard, and Khuda Lidiia, and Duda Arkadiusz, and Wiszniewski Grzegorz, and Marchenko Mykhailo, and Kushniryk Olga

The first aim of the study was to determine the impact the commercial product S.presso (INVE Aquaculture, Belgium) had on enriching the proximate composition of brine shrimp (Artemia sp.). The second aim of the study was to develop a better enrichment protocol for preparing enriched brine shrimp larvae. Two different enrichment protocols were investigated; the supplement was administered in either one (0.5 g L-1) or two equal (0.25 g L-1) doses. Using S.presso to enrich brine shrimp nauplii with...

Nina Schaffert, and Klaus Mattes

Evidence exists, that rhythmic information, provided audibly, supports the timing of movement-execution subliminally. This study aimed to test immediate effects of acoustic feedback (AF) on mean boat speed during on-water rowing training with elite athletes in two squad-levels and to observe the retention of effects. 20 athletes (14 seniors, age 22.6 ± 1.6 years, body mass 93.1 ± 9.8 kg, body height 192.5 ± 3.3 cm; 6 juniors, age 17.5 ± 0.2 years, body mass 85.0 ± 7.4 kg, body height 189.3 ± 8.8...

V Prakash, and K Nadira Mahamood, and Y Narayana

The activities of radionuclides 232Th, 226Ra, and 40K have been measured in sand samples of Ullal beach area, where presence of low-level monazite has been reported. The sand samples collected from the region, at different distances from sea waterline and at different depths, were analyzed for radionuclide activity by gamma spectrometry to study the distribution, enrichment pattern, and vertical profile of the radionuclides in the region. The study on the enrichment of radionuclides in different...

Yoshikuni Ohyama, and Yasuhiko Naito, and Kazue Nakamura

Visual observations of sea birds in the Southern Ocean were carried out on board three ships during the austral summer of 1979-1980; two ships for exploratory fishing of krill, a factory ship SHINANO MARU and a trawler ORIENTO MARU, and one ship for the population census of minke whale, KYO MARU (a catcher). The surveyed area was south of 63°S between 0°E and 115°E in longitude. Ten minutes within a day were allocated for bird observations. The species and the number of sea birds observed in te...

Kentaro Watanabe

It has been generally accepted that the ice algal communities are dominated by pennate diatoms in the Arctic and Antarctic seas. However, two ice algal communities found near the Antarctic Continent were dominated by centric diatoms. One sample from the bottom layer of fast ice near Langhovde (69°12′S, 39°37′E) on 12 October, 1970,was dominated by Porosira pseudodenticulata (HUST.) JOUSE. In another sample, Coscinodiscus furcatus KARSTEN was dominant, which was collected from the bottom layer of...

Fletcher Robert H, and Valley-Shah Lisa, and Lisboa Sandra, and Medlin Elizabeth, and Murillo Jennifer, and Lasser Karen E, and Emmons Karen M, and Ayanian John Z

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colorectal cancer screening rates are low among poor and disadvantaged patients. Patient navigation has been shown to increase breast and cervical cancer screening rates, but few studies have looked at the potential of patient navigation to increase colorectal cancer screening rates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The objective was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a patient navigator-based intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in ...

Cox Reagan G, and Kamali Vafa, and Johnson William D, and Fos Peter J, and Zhang Lei, and Zuniga Miguel A, and Kittle Theresa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) indicated by baseline health status in elementary school children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were obtained via parents whose children enrolled in an elementary school, kindergarten to fourth grade, in southern Mississippi in spring 2004. Parents completed the <it>SF-10 for Children™</it>, a brief 10-item questionnaire designed to measure children's HRQOL...

Rolán-Alvarez Emilio, and de la Cadena María, and Martínez-Fernández Mónica

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of phenotypic plasticity is increasingly being recognized in the field of evolutionary studies. In this paper we look at the role of genetic determination <it>versus </it>plastic response by comparing the protein expression profiles between two sympatric ecotypes adapted to different shore levels and habitats using two-dimensional protein maps.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We compared qualitative and quantitative differences in protein expression between po...

Orozco Fabio, and Jung Kwang Am, and Ong Alvin, and Delasotta Lawrence, and Lee Dong Won

<p>Abstract</p> <p>The use of computer navigation is becoming a well-recognized technical alternative to conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, computer navigation has a substantial learning curve and the use of commercially available navigation systems increases surgical time. In addition, the potential risks associated with the navigation TKA, such as, registration errors, notching of the anterior femoral cortex, oversizing of the femoral component, and overresection must be take...

Hoffman Joseph I, and Thorne Michael AS, and Trathan Philip N, and Forcada Jaume

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transcriptomes are powerful resources, providing a window on the expressed portion of the genome that can be generated rapidly and at low cost for virtually any organism. However, because many genes have tissue-specific expression patterns, developing a complete transcriptome usually requires a 'discovery pool' of individuals to be sacrificed in order to harvest mRNA from as many different types of tissue as possible. This hinders transcriptome development in...

A. Ngugi, and D. Mang'ong’o, and A. Omar, and A. Lakhani, and M. Mahoney, and F. Agoi, and S. Macfarlane

Khaw Wan-Fei, and Syed Tajuddin Syed Hassan, and Lye Munn Sann, and Siti Irma Fadhilah Ismail, and Rosna Abdul Raman, and Faisal Ibrahim

Background: Depression and anxiety are common in stroke survivors as well as their family caregivers. However, it is not known whether each person’s emotional distress contributes to their partner’s quality of life (QOL). Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of depression and anxiety on QOL in stroke survivor- caregiver dyads using dyadic analysis technique - the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Methods: This was a cross-sectional pilot study with a total of 30 partic...

Kristen R. Haase, and Fay Strohschein, and Virginia Lee, and Carmen G. Loiselle

Virtual navigation (VN) in health care is a proactive process by which patients obtain information and support via Internet resources to manage their illness demands. The objective of this analysis was to explore converging and diverging perspectives of key stakeholders: patients with cancer and Health Care Providers (HCPs), about a cancer-related VN tool called the Oncology Interactive Navigator (OIN™). A qualitative secondary analysis was performed combining data sets from two prior studies ex...

Jennifer Anderson, and Sarah Champ, and Kristina Vimy, and Andrea Delure, and Linda Watson

In 2012, the provincial cancer agency in Alberta initiated a provincial quality improvement project to develop, implement, and evaluate a provincial navigation program spanning 15 sites across over 600,000 square kilometres. This project was selected for two years of funding (April, 2012–March 31, 2014) by the Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF) through an Enhanced Care Grant process. A series of articles has been created to capture the essence of this quality improvement project, the processes that...

Kevin Dadaczynski, and Stephan Schiemann, and Olaf Backhaus

Abstract Background Worldwide, one third of the adult population is insufficiently physically active. This fact has led to a strong demand for public health initiatives. Given the mixed evidence on the effectiveness of worksite interventions promoting physical activity (PA), a pedometer-based and gamified intervention, Healingo Fit, was developed and evaluated over a period of six weeks. Methods The effectiveness of Healingo Fit was evaluated as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with t...

Monika Frazier, and Martin Helmkampf, and M. Renee Bellinger, and Scott M. Geib, and Misaki Takabayashi

Abstract Background Scleractinian corals are a vital component of coral reef ecosystems, and of significant cultural and economic value worldwide. As anthropogenic and natural stressors are contributing to a global decline of coral reefs, understanding coral health is critical to help preserve these ecosystems. Growth anomaly (GA) is a coral disease that has significant negative impacts on coral biology, yet our understanding of its etiology and pathology is lacking. In this study we used RNA-se...

Jesper H. Sørensen, and Elisabeth de Carvalho

Abstract This work concerns wireless cellular networks applying time division duplexing (TDD) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Such systems suffer from pilot contamination during channel estimation, due to the shortage of orthogonal pilot sequences. This paper presents a solution based on pilot sequence hopping, which provides a randomization of the pilot contamination. It is shown that such randomized contamination can be significantly suppressed through appropriate fil...

Weiwei Song, and Chunlin Wang, and Ronghua Li, and Changkao Mu

Abstract The aim of this work was to investigate the function of the peroxiredoxin family member Peroxiredoxin 6 in Sepiella maindroni (Smprx6) during embryonic development and the response to thermal stress. The 1064 bp full-length coding sequence of Smprx6 includes an open reading frame of 660 bp encoding a polypeptide of 219 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 24.4 kDa. The deduced protein sequence shares significant homology with other reported Prx6 enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis ...

Yanan Yang, and Jianghua Yang, and Xiaowei Zhang

Abstract Background Bioavailable phosphorus (BAP) represents the sum of phosphorus that is readily available for algae growth and is useful to indicate the severity of eutrophication in aquatic environments. Results Here, a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based bioassay was developed to quantify BAP using the indigenous cyanobacterium species Anabaena sp. of Lake Tai, a large and shallow eutrophic lake in the Yangtze Valley, China. Primers were designed to quantify the gene expression of alkal...

Ovcharenko Igor, and Yenivatov Valeriy, and Vyngra Alexei

The review of the applicable methods for increasing the efficiency of ship refrigeration plants is made. For the presented methods, such as refrigerant subcooling and automatic control of compressors in refrigeration plant, the expediency of application is discussed on the assumption of marine operational conditions and using R22 and R717 refrigerants.

Lisienkova Liubov

The aim of the study was to develop an optimisation method for management of current assets of an industrial enterprise by the concept of logistics supply chains. The ways of acceleration of working capital turnover at the stages of supply, production and marketing of goods and services have been identified. The necessity of applying the concept of supply chain management to working capital management has been justified. This allowed defining the management principles in the supply chain of an i...

Cánovas Fernando G, and Mota Catarina F, and Serrão Ester A, and Pearson Gareth A

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding the processes driving speciation in marine ecosystems remained a challenge until recently, due to the unclear nature of dispersal boundaries. However, recent evidence for marine adaptive radiations and ecological speciation, as well as previously undetected patterns of cryptic speciation is overturning this view. Here, we use multi-gene phylogenetics to infer the family-level evolutionary history of Fucaceae (intertidal brown algae of the northe...

Shiba Kogiku, and Fujiwara Eiji, and Shaw Paul, and Iwata Yoko, and Kakiuchi Yasutaka, and Hirohashi Noritaka

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sperm cells are the target of strong sexual selection that may drive changes in sperm structure and function to maximize fertilisation success. Sperm evolution is regarded to be one of the major consequences of sperm competition in polyandrous species, however it can also be driven by adaptation to the environmental conditions at the site of fertilization. Strong stabilizing selection limits intra-specific variation, and therefore polymorphism, among fertile ...

Mikael K. Sejr, and Colin A. Stedmon, and Jørgen Bendtsen, and Jakob Abermann, and Thomas Juul-Pedersen, and John Mortensen, and Søren Rysgaard

Abstract The supply of freshwater to fjord systems in Greenland is increasing as a result of climate change-induced acceleration in ice sheet melt. However, insight into the marine implications of the melt water is impaired by lack of observations demonstrating the fate of freshwater along the Greenland coast and providing evaluation basis for ocean models. Here we present 13 years of summer measurements along a 120 km transect in Young Sound, Northeast Greenland and show that sub-surface coasta...

Stefano Bonaglia, and Volker Brüchert, and Nolwenn Callac, and Alessandra Vicenzi, and Ernest Chi Fru, and Francisco J. A. Nascimento

Abstract Methane and nitrous oxide are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change. Coastal sediments are important GHG producers, but the contribution of macrofauna (benthic invertebrates larger than 1 mm) inhabiting them is currently unknown. Through a combination of trace gas, isotope, and molecular analyses, we studied the direct and indirect contribution of two macrofaunal groups, polychaetes and bivalves, to methane and nitrous oxide fluxes from coastal sediments. Our ...

Tan Evan, and Healey Dione, and Gray Andrew R, and Galland Barbara C

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The current study aimed to examine the changes following a sleep hygiene intervention on sleep hygiene practices, sleep quality, and daytime symptoms in youth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants aged 10–18 years with self-identified sleep problems completed our age-appropriate F.E.R.R.E.T (an acronym for the categories of Food, Emotions, Routine, Restrict, Environment and Timing) sleep hygiene programme; each category has three simple rules to encourage good ...

Voolaid Veiko, and Jõers Arvi, and Kisand Veljo, and Tenson Tanel

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antibiotic resistance is not confined to pathogens, but is also widespread in various natural environments. In nature the microbes producing antibiotic compounds have been around for millions of years. Heavy use of antibiotics in medicine and veterinary practice may lead to the accumulation of resistance genes in microbial populations, followed by a rise in multiresistant bacteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To test the extent of resistance among aquatic bacteria,...