bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecological traits modulate bird species responses to forest fragmentation in an Amazonian anthropogenic archipelago
Authors: Bueno Anderson Saldanha , Dantas Sidnei M. , Henriques Luiza Magalli Pinto , Peres Carlos A.
Published: January 2018

Aim

We assessed patterns of avian species loss and the role of morpho‐ecological traits in explaining species vulnerability to forest fragmentation in an anthropogenic island system. We also contrasted observed and detectability‐corrected estimates of island occupancy, which are often used to infer species vulnerability.

Location

Tucuruí Hydroelectric Reservoir, eastern Brazilian Amazonia.

Methods

We surveyed forest birds within 36 islands (3.4–2,551.5 ha) after 22 years of post‐isolation history. We applied species–area relationships to assess differential patterns of species loss among three data sets: all species, forest specialists and habitat generalists. After controlling for phylogenetic non‐independence, we used observed and detectability‐corrected estimates of island occupancy separately to build competing models as a function of species traits. The magnitude of the difference between these estimates of island occupancy was contrasted against species detectability.

Results

The rate of species loss as a function of island area reduction was higher for forest specialists than for habitat generalists. Accounting for the area effect, forest fragmentation did not affect the overall number of species regardless of the data set. Only the interactive model including natural abundance, habitat breadth and geographic range size was strongly supported for both estimates of island occupancy. For 30 species with detection probabilities below 30%, detectability‐corrected estimates were at least tenfold higher than those observed. Conversely, differences between estimates were negligible or non‐existent for all 31 species with detection probabilities exceeding 45.5%.

Main conclusions

Predicted decay of avian species richness induced by forest loss is affected by the degree of habitat specialisation of the species under consideration, and may be unrelated to forest fragmentation per se. Natural abundance was the main predictor of species island occupancy, although habitat breadth and geographic range size also played a role. We caution against using occupancy models for low‐detectability species, because overestimates of island occupancy reduce the power of species‐level predictions of vulnerability.
Neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm and very‐low‐birthweight infants born over the past decade: a meta‐analytic review
Authors: Pascal Aurelie , Govaert Paul , Oostra Ann , Naulaers Gunnar , Ortibus Els , Van den Broeck Christine
Published: January 2018

Aim

The purpose of this systematic review was to provide an up‐to‐date global overview of the separate prevalences of motor and cognitive delays and cerebral palsy (CP) in very preterm (VPT) and very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) infants.

Method

A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases. Cohort studies reporting the prevalence ofCPand motor or cognitive outcome from 18 months corrected age until 6 years ofVPTorVLBWinfants born after 2006 were included. Pooled prevalences were calculated with random‐effects models.

Results

Thirty studies were retained, which included a total of 10 293 infants. The pooled prevalence of cognitive and motor delays, evaluated with developmental tests, was estimated at 16.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.4–26.3) and 20.6% (95%CI13.9–29.4%) respectively. Mild delays were more frequent than moderate‐to‐severe delays. Pooled prevalence ofCPwas estimated to be 6.8% (95%CI5.5–8.4). Decreasing gestational age and birthweight resulted in higher prevalences. Lower pooled prevalences were found with the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development than with the Second Edition.

Interpretation

Even though neonatal intensive care has improved over recent decades, there is still a wide range of neurodevelopmental disabilities resulting fromVPTandVLBWbirths. However, pooled prevalences ofCPhave diminished over the years.

What this paper adds

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition reported lower pooled prevalences of motor and cognitive delays than the Second Edition.

The pooled prevalence of cerebral palsy in infants born extremely preterm was reduced compared with previous meta‐analyses.
The interplay between quantitative easing, risk and competition: The case of Japanese banking
Authors: Mamatzakis Emmanuel C. , Vu Anh N.
Published: January 2018

The Japanese economy is infamous for the magnitude of bank nonperforming loans that have originated back in the 1990s, whereas they are still causing controversies. Japan is also known for an extended quantitative easing programme of unprecedented scale. Yet the links between risk‐taking activities, quantitative easing and bank competition are largely unexplored. This paper employs, for the first time, the Boone indicator to measure bank competition in Japan to examine these underlying linkages. Given the scale of nonperforming loans, we explicitly measure bank risk‐taking based on a new data set of bankrupt and restructured loans. The dynamic panel threshold and panel Vector Autoregression analyses show that enhancing quantitative easing and competition would reduce bankrupt and restructured loans, but it would negatively affect financial stability. Given the recent adoption of negative rates in January 2016 by the Bank of Japan, our study provides new insights as clearly there is a trade‐off between quantitative easing and financial stability beyond a certain threshold. Caution, therefore, regarding further scaling up quantitative easing is warranted.
A unified framework of plant adaptive strategies to drought: Crossing scales and disciplines
Authors: Volaire Florence
Published: January 2018

Plant adaptation to drought has been extensively studied at many scales from ecology to molecular biology across a large range of model species. However, the conceptual frameworks underpinning the definition of plant strategies, and the terminology used across the different disciplines and scales are not analogous. ‘Drought resistance’ for instance refers to plant responses as different as the maintenance of growth and productivity in crops, to the survival and recovery in perennial woody or grassland species. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a unified conceptual framework of plant adaptive strategies to drought based on a revised terminology in order to enhance comparative studies. Ecological strategies encapsulate plant adaptation to multidimensional variation in resource variability but cannot account for the dynamic and short‐term responses to fluctuations in water availability. Conversely, several plant physiological strategies have been identified along the mono‐dimensional gradient of water availability in a given environment. According to a revised terminology, dehydration escape, dehydration avoidance, dehydration tolerance, dormancy, and desiccation tolerance are clearly distinguishable. Their sequential expression is expressed as water deficit increases while cavitation tolerance is proposed here to be a major hydraulic strategy underpinning adaptive responses to drought of vascular plants. This continuum of physiological strategies can be interpreted in the context of the ecological trade‐off between water‐acquisition vs. water‐conservation, since growth maintenance is associated with fast water use under moderate drought while plant survival after growth cessation is associated with slow water use under severe drought. Consequently, the distinction between ‘drought resistance’ and ‘drought survival’, is emphasized as crucial to ensure a correct interpretation of plant strategies since ‘knowing when not to grow’ does not confer ‘drought resistance’ but may well enhance ‘drought survival’. This framework proposal should improve cross‐fertilization between disciplines to help tackle the increasing worldwide challenges that drought poses to plant adaptation.
The pathology of lumbosacral lipomas: macroscopic and microscopic disparity have implications for embryogenesis and mode of clinical deterioration
Authors: Jones Victoria , Wykes Victoria , Cohen Nicki , Thompson Dominic , Jacques Tom S
Published: January 2018

Aims

Lumbosacral lipomas (LSL) are congenital disorders of the terminal spinal cord region that have the potential to cause significant spinal cord dysfunction in children. They are of unknown embryogenesis with variable clinical presentation and natural history. It is unclear whether the spinal cord dysfunction reflects a primary developmental dysplasia or whether it occurs secondarily to mechanical traction (spinal cord tethering) with growth. While different anatomical subtypes are recognised and classified according to radiological criteria, these subtypes correlate poorly with clinical prognosis. We have undertaken an analysis of surgical specimens in order to describe the spectrum of histological changes that occur and have correlated the histology with the anatomical type of LSL to determine if there are distinct histological subtypes.

Methods and results

The histopathology was reviewed of 64 patients who had undergone surgical resection of LSL. The presence of additional tissues and cell types were recorded. LSLs were classified from pre‐operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans according to Chapman classification. Ninety‐five per cent of the specimens consisted predominantly of mature adipocytes with all containing thickened bands of connective tissue and peripheral nerve fibres, 91% of samples contained ectatic blood vessels with thickened walls, while 22% contained central nervous system (CNS) glial tissue. Additional tissue was identified of both mesodermal and neuroectodermal origin.

Conclusions

Our analysis highlights the heterogeneity of tissue types within all samples, not reflected in the nomenclature. The diversity of tissue types, consistent across all subtypes, challenges currently held notions regarding the embryogenesis of LSLs and the assumption that clinical deterioration is due simply to tethering.
Exploring the identity of audit committee members of New Zealand listed companies
Authors: Wu Julia , Habib Ahsan , Weil Sidney , Wild Susan
Published: January 2018

We focus on the attributes of audit committee members at an individual level through investigating their role‐based identity; this approach represents a departure from the traditional approach of measuring their independence and financial expertise. The data revealed that there is a wide range of backgrounds and attributes identified by New Zealand audit committee members as being helpful in performing their responsibilities. Members’ motivation and justification for serving on the audit committees played a significant role in verifying their identity salience in terms of being an audit committee member. Regulators and other corporate governance stakeholders may benefit from a further understanding of the reciprocal relationship between an audit committee mechanism and its members’ identity salience.
Goal Selection Internally and Externally: A Behavioral Theory of Institutionalization
Authors: Greve Henrich R. , Teh Daphne
Published: January 2018

This paper examines a paradox in the behavioral theory of the firm, and highlights how a complementary paradox from institutional theory suggests a theoretical integration with potential for significant progress. Current behavioral theory of the firm research has a strong record of showing a broad range of organizational changes in response to profitability. This is far from the original conception of internal organizational goals that trigger search in the vicinity of the problem. Profitability is a non‐specific goal that results from a multitude of factors, and is in part an externally imposed goal. Its central role in many organizational changes prompts the question of whether other external goals affect the organization as well. In contrast, institutional theory is focused on externally imposed practices, but usually examines specific actions rather than goals, leading to a theory of action without goals. These paradoxes and corresponding gaps in knowledge suggest a need for a behavioral theory of organizational responses to external goals.
Grain boundary driven mechanical properties of ZrB2 and ZrC‐ZrB2 nanocomposite: A molecular simulation study
Authors: Kayser Md Riaz , Adnan Ashfaq
Published: January 2018

In this study, we report the grain boundary driven mechanical behavior of 2 polycrystalline ultra‐high‐temperature ceramics (UHTCs), zirconium diboride (ZrB2) and zirconium carbide (ZrC) with zirconium diboride (ZrC‐ZrB2). These nanocomposites were investigated using large‐scale molecular dynamics simulations. First, the atomistic models of the polycrystalline ZrB2 and ZrC‐ZrB2 nanocomposites were subjected to tensile loading to determine their elastic constants and tensile strengths. It was found that the presence of nanoparticles imparts an insignificant effect on the mechanical properties of ZrB2. It has also been observed that the failure mechanisms of both the ZrB2 and ZrC‐ZrB2 nanocomposite are driven by grain boundary deformation. At any instant during the applied load transfer, local tensile stress distribution data indicate that atomic stress becomes much higher near the grain boundaries compared to other locations. The authors performed additional sets of simulations to obtain tensile and shear properties of grain boundary material. When these properties were compared with the adjacent single crystal and overall polycrystalline material properties, it was found that the shear strength and stiffness of the grain boundary materials are significantly lower than the single crystal or polycrystal ZrB2. It is believed that the overall deformation and failure properties of ZrB2 and its composite are controlled by the properties of grain boundary. Hence, the addition of nanoparticles played an insignificant role on the mechanical properties of ZrB2.
Case report: Cytochrome P450 implications for comorbid ADHD and OCD pharmacotherapy
Authors: Hogan Michaela K. , Rao Nikhil P.
Published: January 2018

Topic

This case report details the treatment of an early adolescent already receiving treatment for attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder who presents with recurrent obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Potential atomoxetine (Strattera) and fluoxetine (Prozac) interactions via Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) pathways are examined and alternate therapies are recommended.

Purpose

Provide a discussion of psychopharmacogenomics, especially in the case of combining medications, CYP450 enzymes, and clinical implications in the context of the burgeoning field of precision medicine. The following questions are addressed: 1) What are the recommendations for pharmacogenetics testing? 2) How should pharmacogenetics inform medication selection? 3) What impact should CYP450 knowledge have on medication dosing?

Sources

Peer‐reviewed journals, U.S. Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Medical Library, and the Clinical Pharmacology database.

Conclusions

Genetic testing as a prescriptive tool is not indicated for all medications; however, potential drug–drug interactions, narrow therapeutic drug index, and side effect toxicity contribute to the need for testing. An understanding of CYP450 metabolism and drug interaction as well as metabolism phenotypes should inform prescribing and dosing psychotropic medications.
Pregnancy after bariatric surgery: Maternal and fetal outcomes of 39 pregnancies and a literature review
Authors: Costa Maria Manuel , Belo Sandra , Souteiro Pedro , Neves João S. , Magalhães Daniela , Silva Rita B. , Oliveira Sofia C. , Freitas Paula , Varela Ana , Queirós Joana , Carvalho Davide
Published: January 2018

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on maternal and fetal outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective, descriptive, observational study of 39 pregnant women who underwent BS in our institution between 2010 and 2014 was carried out. A sample of women who became pregnant after BS was evaluated, based on data concerning pregnancy, childbirth, and newborns.

Results

Of the 1182 patients who underwent BS at our institution during the study period, 1016 (85.9%) were women. Thirty‐nine of these women (with an average age of 31 ± 4.8 years) became pregnant (one twin pregnancy) and 29 of the 39 had undergone a gastric bypass. The mean time interval between BS and pregnancy was 16.6 ± 4.8 months; however, 16 (41%) women became pregnant less than a year after BS. The pre‐BS body mass index (BMI) of the 39 women was 44.5 ± 6.2 kg/m2. The women had a mean BMI of 30.2 ± 3.8 kg/m2 when they got pregnant and they gained 13.2 ± 7.3 kg during pregnancy. Iron deficiency was observed in 18 (46.1%) women, 16 (45.7%) had vitamin B12 deficiency, 12 (66.8%) had zinc deficiency, and 20 (60.6%) had vitamin D deficiency. Three women developed gestational diabetes mellitus. Premature rupture of membranes occurred in two pregnancies, preterm delivery in five, and there was one spontaneous abortion. Cesarean section was performed in seven cases. The average newborn weight was 3002 ± 587 g, five were small for gestational age, and one had macrosomia. Three infants had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.

Conclusion

Although pregnancy after BS is safe and well tolerated, close monitoring by a multidisciplinary team is required to evaluate complications resulting from BS, especially a deficit of micronutrients.
Medicago truncatula copper transporter 1 (MtCOPT1) delivers copper for symbiotic nitrogen fixation
Authors: Senovilla Marta , Castro‐Rodríguez Rosario , Abreu Isidro , Escudero Viviana , Kryvoruchko Igor , Udvardi Michael K. , Imperial Juan , González‐Guerrero Manuel
Published: January 2018

Copper is an essential nutrient for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This element is delivered by the host plant to the nodule, where membrane copper (Cu) transporter would introduce it into the cell to synthesize cupro‐proteins.

COPT family members in the model legume Medicago truncatula were identified and their expression determined. Yeast complementation assays, confocal microscopy and phenotypical characterization of a Tnt1 insertional mutant line were carried out in the nodule‐specific M. truncatula COPT family member.

Medicago truncatula genome encodes eight COPT transporters. MtCOPT1 (Medtr4g019870) is the only nodule‐specific COPT gene. It is located in the plasma membrane of the differentiation, interzone and early fixation zones. Loss of MtCOPT1 function results in a Cu‐mitigated reduction of biomass production when the plant obtains its nitrogen exclusively from symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Mutation of MtCOPT1 results in diminished nitrogenase activity in nodules, likely an indirect effect from the loss of a Cu‐dependent function, such as cytochrome oxidase activity in copt1‐1 bacteroids.

These data are consistent with a model in which MtCOPT1 transports Cu from the apoplast into nodule cells to provide Cu for essential metabolic processes associated with symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Test Procedures to Assess Somatosensory Abnormalities in Individuals with Peripheral Joint Pain: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties
Authors: Alqarni Abdullah Mohammad , Manlapaz Donald , Baxter David , Tumilty Steve , Mani Ramakrishnan
Published: January 2018

Background

Test procedures that were developed to assess somatosensory abnormalities should possess optimal psychometric properties (PMPs) to be used in clinical practice. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the literature to assess the level of evidence for PMPs of test procedures investigated in individuals with peripheral joint pain (PJP).

Methods

A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted in 7 databases from inception to March 2016. The Quality Appraisal for Reliability Studies (QAREL) checklist and the Consensus‐based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) tool were used to assess risk for bias of the included studies. Level of evidence was evaluated based on the methodological quality and the quality of the measurement properties.

Results

Forty‐one studies related to PJP were included. The majority of included studies were considered to be of insufficient methodological quality, and the level of evidence for PMPs varied across different test procedures. The level of evidence for PMPs varied across different test procedures in different types of PJP. Hand‐held pressure algometry is the only test procedure that showed moderate positive evidence of intrarater reliability, agreement, and responsiveness, simultaneously, when it was investigated in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Conclusions

This systematic review identified that the level of evidence for PMPs varied across different testing procedures to assess somatosensory abnormalities for different PJP populations. Further research with standardized protocols is recommended to further investigate the predictive ability and responsiveness of reported test procedures in order to warrant their extended utility in clinical practice.
Cardiac function on 3‐D speckle tracking imaging and cytokines in Kawasaki disease
Authors: Kato Masataka , Ayusawa Mamoru , Watanabe Hirofumi , Komori Akiko , Abe Yuriko , Nakamura Takahiro , Kamiyama Hiroshi , Takahashi Shori
Published: January 2018

Background

Serum N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) tends to rise in acute phase Kawasaki disease (KD), but the cause of NT‐proBNP elevation has not been clarified. In a previous study, cardiac function evaluated on 2‐D echocardiography (2D‐E) such as ejection fraction was normal, but this does not reflect subtle changes in cardiac dysfunction, and hence the association between cardiac function and NT‐proBNP elevation is still controversial. The aim of this study was therefore to elucidate the influence of cardiac function on NT‐proBNP elevation, by evaluating cardiac function via strain on 3‐D speckle tracking imaging (3D‐STI), in acute and subacute KD patients. Given that cytokines are also thought to induce NT‐proBNP in acute phase KD, serum cytokines and cytokine receptors were measured at the same time.

Methods

Laboratory data and echocardiography in 52 KD patients in the acute and subacute phases were reviewed.

Results

Median NT‐proBNP was significantly elevated in the acute phase compared with the subacute phase (356.5 pg/mL; IQR, 145–904 pg/mL vs 103.5 pg/mL; IQR, 59–150 pg/mL, P < 0.01). All cytokines were also significantly elevated in the acute phase compared with the subacute phase. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, soluble TNF receptor (sTNFR)1, and sTNFR2 concentration were all significantly higher in the acute phase. Indices of cardiac function were not significant different between phases. NT‐proBNP in the acute and subacute phases correlated with sTNFR1 (r = 0.63/0.43, P < 0.01), sTNFR2 (r = 0.50/0.31, P < 0.05), and interleukin‐6 (r = 0.58/0.43, P < 0.01). NT‐proBNP did not correlate with global longitudinal strain (GLS) on 3D‐STI.

Conclusion

Although no correlation was seen between NT‐proBNP and GLS on 3D‐STI, correlations between NT‐proBNP and cytokines were clear. NT‐proBNP might be a marker of inflammation in KD, but is not a marker of cardiac function.
A novel PKLR gene mutation identified using advanced molecular techniques
Authors: He Yunyan , Luo Jianming , Lei Yonghong , Jia Siyuan , Liao Ning
Published: January 2018

This study's purposes were to diagnose intractable hemolytic anemia and to provide guiding treatment for the affected family members. We performed NGS in a panel of 600 genes for blood diseases on a patient with obscure hemolytic anemia and her parents. We confirmed the diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency, identified a novel homozygous mutation of the PKLR gene (NM_000298: exon 6: c.T941C: p.I314T), and ruled out other blood diseases in the Chinese family. Furthermore, amniotic fluid was taken from the mother during the second trimester, and DNA was extracted to analyze the type of PKLR gene mutation. The proband received cord blood and bone marrow from the second child of the mother for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and achieved normal hematopoiesis. The genetic characterization analysis and genotype‐phenotype correlation study of PKLR gene suggested that NGS was an effective method to confirm the molecular diagnosis of intractable hemolytic anemia. The identification of the mutation aided in prenatal diagnosis in the second pregnancy and the effective clinical management of the affected family.
Review of the Comparative Susceptibility of Microbial Species to Photoinactivation Using 380–480 nm Violet‐Blue Light
Authors: Tomb Rachael M. , White Tracy A. , Coia John E. , Anderson John G. , MacGregor Scott J. , Maclean Michelle
Published: January 2018

Antimicrobial violet‐blue light is an emerging technology designed for enhanced clinical decontamination and treatment applications, due to its safety, efficacy and ease of use. This systematized review was designed to compile the current knowledge on the antimicrobial efficacy of 380–480 nm light on a range of health care and food‐related pathogens including vegetative bacteria, bacterial endospores, fungi and viruses. Data were compiled from 79 studies, with the majority focussing on wavelengths in the region of 405 nm. Analysis indicated that Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative vegetative bacteria are the most susceptible organisms, while bacterial endospores, viruses and bacteriophage are the least. Evaluation of the dose required for a 1 log10 reduction of key bacteria compared to population, irradiance and wavelength indicated that microbial titer and light intensity had little effect on the dose of 405 nm light required; however, linear analysis indicated organisms exposed to longer wavelengths of violet‐blue light may require greater doses for inactivation. Additional research is required to ensure this technology can be used effectively, including: investigating inactivation of multidrug‐resistant organisms, fungi, viruses and protozoa; further knowledge about the photodynamic inactivation mechanism of action; the potential for microbial resistance; and the establishment of a standardized exposure methodology.
Seed sourcing for longleaf pine ground cover restoration: using plant performance to assess seed transfer zones and home‐site advantage
Authors: Giencke Lisa M. , Carol Denhof R. , Katherine Kirkman L. , Stribling Stuber O. , Brantley Steven T.
Published: January 2018

Seed sourcing is a concern for restoration practitioners in all regions and habitats. The possibility that plants are most suited to their home environments due to genetic adaptations to local biotic and abiotic conditions prompts questions of how far plant material can be moved from home sites and remain ecologically appropriate in a restoration setting. We tested a suite of provisional seed transfer zones at multiple geographic scales to assess their ability to capture potentially adaptive genetic variability among populations in the southeastern United States. Furthermore, we examined the effects of seed source and phenotypic plasticity on plant performance and whether locally sourced individuals have adaptive advantages relative to more distantly sourced individuals. With a reciprocal transplant and a common garden study, we show that, although seed source is the best predictor of differentiation in plant performance, performance differences among populations across larger seed transfer zones within the longleaf pine ecosystem are relatively minor. These findings suggest that consideration of larger seed zones within the longleaf pine ecosystem that are also more logistically and economically viable is warranted. However, earlier flowering of individuals from seed sourced outside the longleaf pine ecosystem suggests that moving plant material greater distances is more likely to result in phenological mismatches between plants and pollinators. Species‐specific differences, however, indicate there is insufficient evidence to support a recommendation for a single set of seed transfer zones within the southeastern United States for all species.
Alexithymia as a potential source of symptom over‐reporting: An exploratory study in forensic patients and non‐forensic participants
Authors: Merckelbach Harald , Prins Chinouk , Boskovic Irena , Niesten Isabella , À Campo Joost
Published: January 2018

The traditional interpretation of symptom over‐reporting is that it indicates malingering. We explored a different perspective, namely that over‐reporting of eccentric symptoms is related to deficits in articulating internal experiences (i.e., alexithymia). Given that alexithymia has been linked to sleep problems and that fatigue may fuel inattentive responding to symptom lists, we administered measures of alexithymia (TAS‐20) and symptom over‐reporting (SIMS), but also sleep quality (SLEEP‐50) to forensic psychiatric outpatients (n = 40) and non‐forensic participants (n = 40). Forensic patients scored significantly higher on all three indices than non‐forensic participants. In the total sample as well as in subsamples, over‐reporting correlated positively and significantly with alexithymia, with rs being in the 0.50–0.65 range. Sleep problems were also related to over‐reporting, but in the full sample and in the forensic subsample, alexithymia predicted variance in over‐reporting over and above sleep problems. Although our study is cross‐sectional in nature, its results indicate that alexithymia as a potential source of over‐reporting merits systematic research.
Diagnoses and ordering practices driving blood demand for treatment of anemia in Tanzania
Authors: Apata Ibironke W. , Drammeh Bakary , De Anindya K. , Bjork Adam , Pathak Sonal , Lyimo Magdalena , Juma Abdu , Kutaga Regina , Mahmoud Mwanakheir , Nkya Efesper , Kuehnert Matthew , Marfin Anthony
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Resource‐limited countries in Africa experience blood shortages. Understanding clinical drivers of blood demand can inform strategies to increase blood availability.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

From a national representative sample of 42 hospitals in Tanzania, patient records and requests for whole blood (WB) and red blood cells (RBCs) to treat anemia were analyzed using data collected prospectively from June through September 2013. Abstracted data included cause of anemia, number of requested units, clinical signs, and pretransfusion hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Weighted projections of nationwide drivers of blood demand for the year, 2013, were calculated. Mean posttransfusion Hb levels were estimated, and blood requests were assessed for clinical appropriateness.

RESULTS

Malaria was the leading driver of blood demand for anemia among children, accounting for 67% (55,949 units; standard deviation [SD], 1911 units) of projected units requested for children in 2013. Maternal hemorrhage was the leading driver of blood demand for anemia among adults, accounting for 21% (31,321 units; SD, 963 units) of projected units requested. Seventeen percent (26,133 units; SD, 1013 units) of projected requested units were deemed inappropriate. Adults with severe anemia had a mean Hb level of 3.7 g/dL and a mean of 1.6 WB or RBC units per request, resulting in an estimated mean posttransfusion Hb level of 5.3 g/dL.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to prevent and treat underlying causes of anemia and decrease inappropriate blood requests will likely increase blood availability. Restrictive blood ordering practices seen in adults with severe anemia suggests undertreatment of anemia and may result in an underestimation of the national blood demand.
Sagittal Plane Waves in Infinitely Periodic Multilayered Composites Composed of Alternating Viscoelastic and Elastic Solids
Authors: Tahidul Haque A. B. M. , Ghachi Ratiba F. , Alnahhal Wael I. , Aref Amjad , Shim Jongmin
Published: January 2018

In order to design phononic crystals whose band-gaps are located in low-frequency ranges, researchers commonly adopt low stiffness polymeric materials as key constituents and exploit the high impedance mismatch between metals and polymers. However, there has been very little research on wave propagation at arbitrary angles in the sagittal plane of viscoelastic-elastic multilayered composites because there exist the intricate wave attenuation characteristics at the layer interfaces. The objective of our investigation is to obtain analytical dispersion relation for oblique wave motion in the sagittal plane of infinitely periodic multilayered composite composed of alternating viscoelastic and elastic solids, where the attenuation of harmonic plane waves is found to occur only in the direction perpendicular to the layers. By using this wave propagation characteristic, we directly apply the semi-analytical approach employed in elastic multilayered composites to calculate the dispersion relation of sagittal plane waves in alternating viscoelastic-elastic multilayered composites. Specifically, we consider a bilayered composite composed of alternating aluminum and polyurethane elastomer, whose complex-valued viscoelastic moduli are experimentally determined by performing dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The analysis shows that the alternating viscoelastic-elastic layered composite does not possess a phononic band-gap regardless of incident angles. In addition, wave motions at oblique angles are found to travel with a wide range of frequency contents compared to wave motions perpendicular to the layers. The presented analysis demonstrates that wave dispersion relation in viscoelastic-elastic layered composites is distinctly different from the corresponding elastic counterpart, and highlights the importance of the viscoelastic modeling of polymeric materials in wave dispersion analysis.
Experimental and Theoretical Study on Mechanical Properties of Porous PDMS
Authors: Huang Chen , Bian Zuguang , Fang Chengfeng , Zhou Xiaoliang , Song Jizhou
Published: January 2018

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is extensively used in clinical flexible electronics, due to its biocompatibility and stability. When it is employed in a stretchable epidermal sensor for long-term monitoring, PDMS must have open pores within it to assure the sweat penetration. In the present paper, we focus on the mechanical properties of porous PDMS with different volume porosities at different temperatures. The emulsion polymerization technique is applied to fabricate porous PDMS. By controlling the ratio of water to PDMS prepolymer, different porosities of PDMS were obtained, and elastic moduli of such porous PDMS were measured in experiment. Results indicate that the elastic modulus increases nonlinearly as its temperature rises from 0 °C to 40 °C (a temperature range frequently encountered in clinical applications). Meanwhile, an asymptotic homogenization method (AHM) is employed to theoretically predict the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of porous PDMS, whose reliability is testified by comparing the results with experimentally measured data. Further theoretical discussions on mechanical properties are carried out, and results show that the pore size of porous PDMS has almost no effect on the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio for certain porosities. Porosity of porous PDMS, however, has significant effect on both of these two mechanical parameters. Two fitted nonlinear formulas are then proposed to estimate the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of porous PDMS for any volume porosity less than 50%. All the results in the present paper are essential for mechanical design and optimization of clinical flexible electronics based on porous PDMS.
A Computational Approach to Model Interfacial Effects on the Mechanical Behavior of Knitted Textiles
Authors: Liu Dani , Shakibajahromi Bahareh , Dion Genevieve , Breen David , Kontsos Antonios
Published: January 2018

The mechanical behavior of knitted textiles is simulated using finite element analysis (FEA). Given the strong coupling between geometrical and physical aspects that affect the behavior of this type of engineering materials, there are several challenges associated with the development of computational tools capable of enabling physics-based predictions, while keeping the associated computational cost appropriate for use within design optimization processes. In this context, this paper investigates the relative contribution of a number of computational factors to both local and global mechanical behavior of knitted textiles. Specifically, different yarn-to-yarn interaction definitions in three-dimensional (3D) finite element models are compared to explore their relative influence on kinematic features of knitted textiles' mechanical behavior. The relative motion between yarns identified by direct numerical simulations (DNS) is then used to construct reduced order models (ROMs), which are shown to be computationally more efficient and providing comparable predictions of the mechanical performance of knitted textiles that include interfacial effects between yarns.
Toppling Dynamics of Regularly Spaced Dominoes in an Array
Authors: Shi Tengfei , Liu Yang , Wang Nannan , Liu Caishan
Published: January 2018

This paper studies a new comprehensive model for toppling dynamics of regularly spaced dominoes in an array. The model has unlocked the hypotheses introduced by Stronge and Shu (Stronge, W. J., and Shu, D., 1988, “The Domino Effect: Successive Destabilization by Cooperative Neighbours,” Proc. R. Soc. A, 418(1854), pp. 155–163), which can provide us some essential insights into the mechanism of domino wave. Extensive comparisons are made between the proposed model and the experimental results studied in the existing literature. Our numerical studies show that the existing theoretical models are special cases of the proposed model, and the fluctuation in the waveform of propagation speed observed from experiments was caused by the irregular multiple impacts between colliding dominoes. The influence of physical parameters of domino on the natural speed of toppling dominoes is also considered, and it is found that the coefficients of friction and restitution between colliding dominoes have more effects due to the energy dissipation during impact.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Honeycomb Tip on Suppressing Tip Leakage Flow in Turbine Cascade
Authors: Fu Yunfeng , Chen Fu , Liu Huaping , Song Yanping
Published: January 2018

In this paper, the effect of a novel honeycomb tip on suppressing tip leakage flow in turbine cascade has been experimentally and numerically studied. Compared to the flat tip cascade with 1%H blade height, the relative leakage flow in honeycomb tip cascade reduces from 3.05% to 2.73%, and the loss also decreases by 8.24%. For honeycomb tip, a number of small vortices are rolled up in the regular hexagonal honeycomb cavities to dissipate the kinetic energy of the clearance flow, and the fluid flowing into and out the cavities create aerodynamic interceptions to the upper clearance flow. As a result, the flow resistance in the clearance increased and the velocity of leakage flow reduced. As the gap height increases, the tip leakage flow and loss changes proportionally, but the growth rate in the honeycomb tip cascade is smaller. Considering its wear resistance of the honeycomb seal, a smaller gap height is allowed in the cascade with honeycomb tip, and that means honeycomb tip has better effect on suppressing leakage flow. Part honeycomb tip structure also retains the effect of suppressing leakage flow. It shows that locally convex honeycomb tip has better suppressing leakage flow effect than the whole honeycomb tip, but locally concave honeycomb tip is slightly less effective.
Preventing Mesh Pore Collapse by Designing Mesh Pores With Auxetic Geometries: A Comprehensive Evaluation Via Computational Modeling
Authors: Knight Katrina M. , Moalli Pamela A. , Abramowitch Steven D.
Published: January 2018

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) meshes are exposed to predominately tensile loading conditions in vivo that can lead to pore collapse by 70–90%, decreasing overall porosity and providing a plausible mechanism for the contraction/shrinkage of mesh observed following implantation. To prevent pore collapse, we proposed to design synthetic meshes with a macrostructure that results in auxetic behavior, the pores expand laterally, instead of contracting when loaded. Such behavior can be achieved with a range of auxetic structures/geometries. This study utilized finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the behavior of mesh models with eight auxetic pore geometries subjected to uniaxial loading to evaluate their potential to allow for pore expansion while simultaneously providing resistance to tensile loading. Overall, substituting auxetic geometries for standard pore geometries yielded more pore expansion, but often at the expense of increased model elongation, with two of the eight auxetics not able to maintain pore expansion at higher levels of tension. Meshes with stable pore geometries that remain open with loading will afford the ingrowth of host tissue into the pores and improved integration of the mesh. Given the demonstrated ability of auxetic geometries to allow for pore size maintenance (and pore expansion), auxetically designed meshes have the potential to significantly impact surgical outcomes and decrease the likelihood of major mesh-related complications.
Technological Assurance of High-Efficiency Machining of Internal Rope Threads on Computer Numerical Control Milling Machines
Authors: Neshta Anna , Kryvoruchko Dmytro , Hatala Michal , Ivanov Vitalii , Botko Frantisek , Radchenko Svetlana , Mital Dusan
Published: January 2018

The analysis of various methods of machining of rope internal thread ISO 10208, DIN 20317 has been carried out and the criteria of high-efficiency machining have been formulated. The concept of the method has been developed, which supposes the designing of the construction of noncore tool and the calculation of the parameters of mechanical trajectory with the purpose of ensuring the machining per one pass on the computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine. The compensation procedure of dimensional wear of insert has been developed. While machining the production batch of the parts in an experimental way, the optimum cutting conditions have been determined which allow ensuring the maximum efficiency on reaching the required roughness and the dimensional accuracy of the profile of rope thread. The performed statistical analysis of the machined parts allowed to establish that dispersions of the actual values of profiles' roughness follow Gauss' law. In an experimental way, it has been proved that the application of the proposed method increased the efficiency of machining of the internal rope thread by 2.5 times. On the basis of comparison of engineering-and-economical performance, the efficient fields of application of high-efficient method of machining of the rope threads have been determined.
P17 Pharmco-stability of plasma-lyte 148 and plasma-lyte 148% glucose 5% with frequently used infused therapeutic agents
Authors: Andrew Wignell , Patrick Davies , Sophie Hammond , Paul Cooling , David Barrett
Published: January 2018

Aims

Plasma-Lyte148 is a balanced, crystalloid fluid which has been shown to circumvent the hyperchloraemic metabolicacidosis associated with 0.9% Saline. There is limited compatibility data available to support the co-administration of this fluid with commonly infused medications. Such data is essential to support the safe introduction of this fluid, especially in children where intravenous access is often limited. This study aimed to expandon knowledge in this area by assessing the chemical and physical compatibility of Plasma-Lyte with a range of medicines.

Methods

Adrenaline, Dobutamine, Dopamine, Furosemide, Midazolam, Milrinone and Morphine were mixed with Plasma-Lyte, Plasma-Lyte with 5% Glucose, and the two control solutions 0.9% Saline and 5% Glucose. Chemical compatibility was assessed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography using the Thermo Scientific UltiMate 3000 system. Physical compatibility was assessed by checking for colour changes and precipitate formation. pH of the admixtures was recorded using a Fisherbrand Hydrus 3000 pH metre. 6 repeats were carried out for HPLC and 2 for physical compatibility checks and pH measurements, with all admixtures assayed at 0, 2 and 24 hours. Chemical stability was defined as <5% change in concentration and pH was considered acceptable for peripheral administration if it was between 5 and 9 at all time points.

Results

Adrenaline, Dobutamine, Dopamine, Morphine and Milrinone were chemically and physically stable when diluted with Plasma-Lyte 148 and Plasma-Lyte 148 with 5% Glucose. Furosemide was compatible with Plasma-Lyte 148, but not Plasma-Lyte 148 with 5% glucose. Midazolam was not compatible with Plasma-Lyte 148 or Plasma-Lyte 148%–5% glucose at the tested concentration of 3 mg/mL. Only Dobutamine, Dopamine, Furosemide and Morphine remained within the pH range 5–9 when mixed with Plasma-Lyte 148 and Plasma-Lyte 148 with glucose.

Conclusion

Adrenaline, Dobutamine, Dopamine, Morphine and Milrinone can be mixed with Plasma-Lyte 148 and Plasma-Lyte 148 with glucose in clinical practice. Furosemide can beco-administered with Plasma-Lyte 148, but not Plasma-Lyte 148 with 5% glucose. Midazolam should not be mixed with Plasma-Lyte 148 and Plasma-Lyte 148 with glucose at a concentration of 3 mg/mL.