bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of family medicine clerkships in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review
Authors: Turkeshi Eralda , Michels Nele R , Hendrickx Kristin , Remmen Roy
Published: August 2015

Objective

Synthesise evidence about the impact of family medicine/general practice (FM) clerkships on undergraduate medical students, teaching general/family practitioners (FPs) and/or their patients.

Data sources

Medline, ERIC, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Knowledge searched from 21 November to 17 December 2013. Primary, empirical, quantitative or qualitative studies, since 1990, with abstracts included. No country restrictions. Full text languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch or Italian.

Review methods

Independent selection and data extraction by two authors using predefined data extraction fields, including Kirkpatrick’s levels for educational intervention outcomes, study quality indicators and Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) strength of findings’ grades. Descriptive narrative synthesis applied.

Results

Sixty-four included articles: impact on students (48), teaching FPs (12) and patients (8). Sample sizes: 16-1095 students, 3-146 FPs and 94-2550 patients. Twenty-six studies evaluated at Kirkpatrick level 1, 26 at level 2 and 6 at level 3. Only one study achieved BEME’s grade 5. The majority was assessed as grade 4 (27) and 3 (33). Students reported satisfaction with content and process of teaching as well as learning in FM clerkships. They enhanced previous learning, and provided unique learning on dealing with common acute and chronic conditions, health maintenance, disease prevention, communication and problem-solving skills. Students’ attitudes towards FM were improved, but new or enhanced interest in FM careers did not persist without change after graduation. Teaching FPs reported increased job satisfaction and stimulation for professional development, but also increased workload and less productivity, depending on the setting. Overall, student’s presence and participation did not have a negative impact on patients.

Conclusions

Research quality on the impact of FM clerkships is still limited, yet across different settings and countries, positive impact is reported on students, FPs and patients. Future studies should involve different stakeholders, medical schools and countries, and use standardised and validated evaluation tools.
‘HeART of Stroke (HoS)’, a community-based Arts for Health group intervention to support self-confidence and psychological well-being following a stroke: protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study
Authors: Ellis-Hill Caroline , Gracey Fergus , Thomas Sarah , Lamont-Robinson Catherine , Thomas Peter W , Marques Elsa M R , Grant Mary , Nunn Samantha , Cant Robin P I , Galvin Kathleen T , Reynolds Frances , Jenkinson Damian F
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Over 152 000 people in the UK have strokes annually and a third experience residual disability. Low mood also affects a third of stroke survivors; yet psychological support is poor. While Arts for Health interventions have been shown to improve well-being in people with mild-to-moderate depression post-stroke, their role in helping people regain sense of self, well-being and confidence has yet to be evaluated. The main aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of conducting a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an Arts for Health group intervention (‘HeART of Stroke’ (HoS)) for stroke survivors. HoS is a 10-session artist-facilitated group intervention held in the community over 14 weeks. It offers a non-judgemental, supportive environment for people to explore sense of self, potentially enhancing well-being and confidence.

Methods and analysis

Sixty-four people, up to 2 years post-stroke, recruited via secondary care research staff or community stroke/rehabilitation teams in two UK centres will be randomised to either HoS plus usual care or usual care only. Self-reported outcomes, measured at baseline and approximately 5 months postrandomisation, will include stroke-related, well-being, mood, self-esteem, quality of life and process measures. Analyses will focus on estimating key feasibility parameters (eg, rates of recruitment, retention, intervention attendance). We will develop outcome and resource use data collection methods to inform an effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis in the future trial. Interviews, with a sample of participants, will explore the acceptability of the intervention and study processes, as well as experiences of the HoS group.

Ethics and dissemination

National Health Service (NHS), Research and Development and University ethical approvals have been obtained. Two peer-reviewed journal publications are planned plus one service user led publication. Findings will be disseminated at key national conferences, local stakeholder events and via institutional websites.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN99728983.
Test result communication in primary care: a survey of current practice
Authors: Litchfield Ian , Bentham Louise , Lilford Richard , McManus Richard J , Hill Ann , Greenfield Sheila
Published: August 2015

Background

The number of blood tests ordered in primary care continues to increase and the timely and appropriate communication of results remains essential. However, the testing and result communication process includes a number of participants in a variety of settings and is both complicated to manage and vulnerable to human error. In the UK, guidelines for the process are absent and research in this area is surprisingly scarce; so before we can begin to address potential areas of weakness there is a need to more precisely understand the strengths and weaknesses of current systems used by general practices and testing facilities.

Methods

We conducted a telephone survey of practices across England to determine the methods of managing the testing and result communication process. In order to gain insight into the perspectives from staff at a large hospital laboratory we conducted paired interviews with senior managers, which we used to inform a service blueprint demonstrating the interaction between practices and laboratories and identifying potential sources of delay and failure.

Results

Staff at 80% of practices reported that the default method for communicating normal results required patients to telephone the practice and 40% of practices required that patients also call for abnormal results. Over 80% had no fail-safe system for ensuring that results had been returned to the practice from laboratories; practices would otherwise only be aware that results were missing or delayed when patients requested results. Persistent sources of missing results were identified by laboratory staff and included sample handling, misidentification of samples and the inefficient system for collating and resending misdirected results.

Conclusions

The success of the current system relies on patients both to retrieve results and in so doing alert staff to missing and delayed results. Practices appear slow to adopt available technological solutions despite their potential for reducing the impact of recurring errors in the handling of samples and the reporting of results. Our findings will inform our continuing work with patients and staff to develop, implement and evaluate improvements to existing systems of managing the testing and result communication process.
Longitudinal study of Asian elephants, Elephas maximus, indicates intermittent shedding of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1 during pregnancy
Authors: Bennett Laura , Dunham Stephen , Yon Lisa , Chapman Sarah , Kenaghan Megan , Purdie Laura , Tarlinton Rachael
Published: August 2015

Introduction

EEHV‐1 is a viral infection of elephants that has been associated with a fatal haemorrhagic syndrome in Asian elephants. Previous studies have suggested that pregnant animals may shed more virus than non‐pregnant animals.

Methods

This study examined whether pregnancy affected the frequency or magnitude of shedding of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1 (EEHV1) using Taq man real‐time PCR on trunk washes from four female elephants from a UK collection over three time periods between 2011 and 2014. These periods included pregnancies in two animals (period 1 and period 3). Behavioural observations made by keepers were also assessed.

Results

During period 1 there was a high degree of social hierarchical instability which led to a hierarchy change, and was associated with aggressive behaviour. Also during period 1 EEHV‐1 shedding was of a higher magnitude and frequency than in the latter two time periods.

Conclusions

These results suggest that there is no clear relationship between shedding and pregnancy, and that behavioural stressors may be related to an increase in EEHV‐1 shedding.
The effects of high rearing density on the potential for domestication selection in hatchery culture of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Thompson Neil F. , Blouin Michael S.
Published: August 2015

Hatchery-reared steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) often have lower fitness than natural-origin fish when spawning in the wild. Fitness loss in hatcheries is partly due to genetic adaptation to captivity (domestication), but the underlying selection pressures driving adaptation remain unknown. Circumstantial evidence suggests that adaptation to hatcheries is accelerated when fish are reared at high density. We hypothesized two mechanisms by which high rearing densities could accelerate adaptation to the hatchery. First, high density could increase the among-family component of variation in fork length, which could increase the opportunity for selection after release. Second, a growth trade-off in fork length among families could occur across densities (family-by-environment interaction). We raised the same set of families, in replicate, at each of two densities. We found main effects of density (high density reduced body size) and family (accounted for 33%–53% of variance in size at release) on juvenile fork length. However, high density did not increase the percentage of variance in fork length among families, and there was weak evidence for a family-by-environment interaction. We propose an alternate model of how increased density might exacerbate domestication selection. The relationship between size at release and probability of survival is strongly nonlinear (almost truncational) for steelhead. Because high density decreases the fork lengths of all families approximately equally, high density could simply reduce the number of families that are above a threshold for high survival, resulting in strong among-family selection after release from the hatchery.
Anytime Algorithms for Non-Ending Computations
Authors: Calude Cristian S. , Desfontaines Damien
Published: August 2015

A program which eventually stops but does not halt “too quickly” halts at a time which is algorithmically compressible. This result — originally proved in [4] — is proved in a more general setting. Following Manin [11] we convert the result into an anytime algorithm for the halting problem and we show that the stopping time (cut-off temporal bound) cannot be significantly improved.
Soccer is Harder Than Football
Authors: Christensen Jan , Knudsen Anders Nicolai , Larsen Kim S.
Published: August 2015

It is known that deciding whether or not a team in a soccer tournament in progress can still win or, more generally, can obtain a certain position is NP-complete. We show that deciding whether or not a team is guaranteed a certain minimum position is coNP-complete. We also show that deciding with regards to goal difference, the standard tie-breaker for teams having the same number of points, whether or not a team can reach a certain position is NP-complete.
Optimal L(j,k)-Edge-Labeling of Regular Grids
Authors: Calamoneri Tiziana
Published: August 2015

Given a graph [Formula: see text] and two positive integers j and k, an [Formula: see text]-edge-labeling is a function f assigning to edges of E colors from a set [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] if e and e′ are adjacent, i.e. they share a common endpoint, [Formula: see text] if e and e′ are not adjacent and there exists an edge adjacent to both e and e′. The aim of the [Formula: see text]-edge-labeling problem consists of finding a coloring function f such that the value of [Formula: see text] is minimum. This minimum value is called [Formula: see text].

This problem has already been studied on hexagonal, squared and triangular grids, but mostly not coinciding upper and lower bounds on [Formula: see text] have been proposed.

In this paper we close some of these gaps or find better bounds on [Formula: see text] in the special cases [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we propose tight [Formula: see text]-edge-labelings for eight-regular grids.
Characterization of High Mobility InAs/InGaAs/InAlAs Composite Channels by THz Magneto-Photoresponse Spectroscopy
Authors: Pakmehr Mehdi , McCombe B. D. , Chiatti Olivio , Fischer S. F. , Heyn Ch. , Hansen W.
Published: August 2015

Inserted narrow InAs quantum wells in InAs/InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures have been used to achieve higher mobility for high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with ultra-low-power and low-noise amplification characteristics and for spin-based devices. Due to the large nonparabolicity of the conduction band of InAs and the penetration of the confined electronic envelope function into the adjacent layer(s), accurate calculations of effective mass and g-factor of charge carriers can be problematic. Methods of making precise determinations of the mass and other electronic parameters are thus of interest. We have applied magneto-photoresponse and -transmissions measurements at several THz laser frequencies in concert with dc magnetotransport measurements at low temperature (T = 1.6 K) to determine various electronic parameters (effective mass, carrier density, g-factor, mobility and the quantum scattering time) of the 2DEG in an InAs/In0.75Ga0.25As/In0.75Al0.25As inserted channel structure. This characterization method can also be used to probe the effect of strain, Rashba field, etc on the properties of charge carriers in such structures.
The hidden symmetries in the PMNS matrix and the light sterile neutrino(s)
Authors: Ke Hong-Wei , Zhou Jia-Hui , Chen Shuai , Liu Tan , Li Xue-Qian
Published: August 2015

The approximately symmetric form of the PMNS matrix suggests that there could exist a hidden symmetry which makes the PMNS matrix different from the CKM matrix for quarks. In literature, all the proposed fully symmetric textures exhibit an explicit [Formula: see text] symmetry in addition to other symmetries which may be different for various textures. Observing obvious deviations of the practical PMNS matrix elements from those in the symmetric textures, there must be a mechanism to distort the symmetry. It might be due to the existence of light sterile neutrinos. As an example, we study the case of the Tribimaximal (TB) texture and propose that its apparent symmetry disappears due to the existence of a sterile neutrino.
Scalar self-force on static charge in a long throat
Authors: Popov A. , Aslan O.
Published: August 2015

We compute the self-force on a scalar charge at rest in the space–time of long throat. We consider arbitrary values of the mass of the scalar field and the constant of nonminimal coupling of the scalar field to the curvature of space–time. We also show the coincidence of explicit calculations of self-force in the limit of large mass of the field with known results.
Copy-Cover Image Forgery Detection in Parallel Processing
Authors: Shih Frank Y. , Jackson Jason K.
Published: August 2015

The decrease in camera and smartphone sizes, the increase in picture resolutions, and the convenient access to cameras have created tremendous increases in a large volume of images being captured daily. As computer technology continues to improve, smartphones keep getting smaller, mobile processing power continues to significantly increase, and dual- or quad-core processors are becoming more popular. This has created an increase in the availability of software on small portable devices that cannot only take photos, but also edit them directly on the device, including the use of the copy-paste feature. In this paper, we present the copy-cover image forgery detection that can be used to identify a photo, whether it was altered by copying a portion of the image over another portion of itself. We also extend the detection in parallel processing by utilizing a computer with multiple CPU cores and parallel enhancements to the algorithm. Experimental results show there are significant improvements in performance by taking advantage of parallelism. Changing the detection routines in parallel can scale and take advantage of computing hardware equipped with multiple processors and large amounts of memory.
EFFECTS OF APPLIED ELECTRIC CURRENT ON THE TIP RADIUS AND THE UNIVERSAL AMPLITUDE COEFFICIENT OF A SINGLE GROWING DENDRITE
Authors: NASRESFAHANI MOHAMMAD REZA , NIROUMAND BEHZAD , KERMANPUR AHMAD , RAEISSI MEHDI
Published: August 2015

Modification of solidification structures by applying electric current has been the subject of interest in recent years. However, the exact relationships between the dendrite growth parameters and the current density are not yet clear. The dendrite tip geometry is an important growth parameter which can be characterized using the dendrite tip radius and the universal amplitude coefficient. In this paper, the dendrite tip shape was investigated in the absence and presence of an electric field using a transparent model material, i.e. the succinonitrile–acetone alloy. The results showed that both dendrite tip radius and universal amplitude coefficient increased by increasing the applied current density. The increase in the tip radius was attributed to the Joule heat produced at the solid–liquid interface which reduced the interface undercooling. The increase in the universal amplitude coefficient was postulated to be due to the changes in the distribution coefficient of the alloy system which would result in higher solute concentration in front of the solid–liquid interface. Owing to the increased universal amplitude coefficient, more prominent dendritic fins were observed at dendrites tips under electric current.
Existence and exponential stability of almost periodic positive solution for host-macroparasite difference model
Authors: Yao Zhijian
Published: August 2015

This paper is concerned with a host-macroparasite difference model. By applying the contraction mapping fixed point theorem, we prove the existence of unique almost periodic positive solution. Moreover, we investigate the exponential stability of almost periodic solution by means of Lyapunov functional.
Optimal harvest of an interval model of carbon sink fisheries with multi-trophic levels
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Qiaoling , Zhao Lichun
Published: August 2015

Considering the uncertainty of kelp–abalone–sea cucumber population, an interval model of carbon sink fisheries with multi-trophic levels is proposed. The equilibria of the model are identified and the corresponding stabilities are discussed. And the existence of bionomic equilibrium of the model is investigated. Next the optimal controller is designed to obtain the optimal harvest using Pontryagin’s maximum principle. Numerical simulations are carried to prove the results.
An Experimental Study of Impinging Synthetic Jets for Heat Transfer Augmentation
Authors: Ghaffari Omidreza , Ikhlaq Muhammad , Arik Mehmet
Published: August 2015

According to recent trends in the field of miniature electronics, the need for compact cooling solutions compatible with very thin profiles and small footprint areas is inevitable. Impinging synthetic jets are recognized as a promising technique for cooling miniature surfaces like laptops, tablets, smart phones and slim TV systems. Effect of jet to cooled surface spacing is crucial in cooling performance as well as predicting Nusselt number for such spacing. An experimental study has been performed to investigate the cooling performance of two different synthetic jets actuated with piezoelectric actuators cooling over a vertical surface. Results showed that a major degradation of heat transfer when jets are close to the surface is occurred. Slot synthetic jets showed a better performance in terms of coefficient of performance (COP) than semi-confined circular jets for small jet to surface spacing. Later, a correlation is proposed for predicting Nu number for a semi-confined circular synthetic jet accounting the effects of Re number ([Formula: see text]), jet-to-surface spacing ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) and the stroke length ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]). It is found that correlation can provide predictions with an [Formula: see text] value of over 98%.
Slope failure of chalk channel margins: implications of an Upper Cretaceous mass transport complex, southern England
Authors: Gale A. , Anderskouv K. , Surlyk F. , Whalley J.
Published: August 2015

The importance of mass transport and bottom currents is now widely recognized in the Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group of Northern Europe. The detailed dynamics and interaction of the two phenomena are difficult to study as most evidence is based on seismic data and drill core. Here, field observations provide evidence for recurring margin collapse of a long-lived Campanian channel. Compressionally deformed and thrust chalk hardgrounds are correlated to thicker, non-cemented chalk beds that form a broad, gentle anticline. These chalks represent a slump complex with a roll-over anticline of expanded, non-cemented chalk in the head region and a culmination of condensed hardgrounds in the toe region. Observations strongly suggest that the slumping represents collapse of a channel margin. Farther northwards, the contemporaneous succession shows evidence of small-scale penecontemporaneous normal faulting towards the south, here interpreted as gravitational settling of the chalk immediately adjacent to the channel margin. Detailed biostratigraphic studies and sedimentological observations provide evidence for at least two discrete collapse events and suggest the slumping to be the result of channel margin oversteepening rather than evidence for a regional tectonic phase. The described example thus serves as an analogue for processes commonly only inferred from subsurface data.
Nature and age of pre-Variscan eclogite protoliths from the Low- to Medium-Grade Metamorphic Complex of north–central Sardinia (Italy) and comparisons with coeval Sardinian eclogites in the northern Gondwana context
Authors: Cruciani Gabriele , Franceschelli Marcello , Langone Antonio , Puxeddu Mariano , Scodina Massimo
Published: August 2015

U–Pb zircon data on retrogressed eclogites sampled in the Giuncana locality from the Sardinian Medium-Grade Metamorphic Complex yielded a weighted age of 454 ± 6 Ma. This is in agreement with U–Pb zircon ages of 453–460 Ma obtained from eclogites from the High-Grade Metamorphic Complex. The Giuncana eclogites are very similar to the other well-known Sardinian eclogites. All of the Sardinian eclogites show positive K, Rb, Ba, U and Pb anomalies and negative Nb, La, Ce and Sr anomalies. Th is depleted in the Giuncana eclogites and enriched in those from Punta de Li Tulchi and Punta Tittinosu. All these data reveal clear crustal contamination of the Sardinian Ordovician mantle. REE patterns typical of normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB) characterize all of the Sardinian eclogites. The supply of crustal and calc-alkaline materials to the Sardinian mantle during the Ordovician is further confirmed by the fact that most Sardinian eclogites plot on the left side and well above the mantle array in a Th/Yb v. Nb/Yb diagram. In the general Variscan framework of northern Gondwana, the Sardinian eclogites are witness to the most recent back-arc basins generated by the northward opening of the Rheic Ocean.
Silurian vegetation stature and density inferred from fossil soils and plants in Pennsylvania, USA
Authors: Retallack Gregory J.
Published: August 2015

Silurian fossil plants range from small vascular plants (rhyniophytes) to moderately large fungi (nematophytes), but give little idea of the stature, rooting depth and plant density of vegetation on land. Silurian to earliest Devonian palaeosols from the Bloomsburg Formation show unusually deep bioturbation of several distinct kinds. Surface ground-parallel rhizomes of vascular land plants (to 20 cm deep) are penetrated by burrows like those of millipedes (to 80 cm), but the deepest stratum (down to 2 m below the surface) has features interpreted as bioturbation by fungal hyphae and rhizines. Plant-like axes associated with palaeosols are evidence of vegetation with three distinct tiers above ground as inferred from diameters using allometric scaling equations. Nematophytes (
Germanophyton psygmophylloides
), up to 1.3 m tall, formed a tier above herbaceous vascular land plants (30 cm) and ground cover (<2 cm tall) of thallose organisms and litter. Drab haloed plant bases in the surface of palaeosols demonstrate that nematophytes grew densely (up to 51 m
−2
) with spacing (20 cm) that closed canopy in seasonally dry wetland palaeosols, comparable with modern marsh vegetation. Vascular land plants of well-drained soils in contrast were scattered, with bare earth between. Wetland ground cover was thus more extensive than cover of well-drained soils, and precursor lichens facilitated early evolution of vascular land plants.

Supplementary Material:

Tables of mineral and grain-size proportions, major-element chemical analyses, and plant spacing and size are available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18848
.
Environmental Anthropology: Systemic Perspectives
Authors: Orr Yancey , Lansing J. Stephen , Dove Michael R.
Published: August 2015

Our brief overview of developments in environmental anthropology since 1980 and their antecedents is organized around three themes: systems ecology, political ecology, and cognitive science. In some areas, the context is familiar. As Latour recently observed, the intellectual themes captured by the emergent concept of the Anthropocene have long been familiar to anthropologists. After decades of research on human–environmental interactions, anthropology, and more particularly environmental anthropology, suddenly finds itself pushed into prominence. A vibrant and kaleidoscopic research agenda has ensued and borrows extensively from other disciplines. This agenda coincides with increased interest in coupled human and natural systems from both the social and the natural sciences. Such attention is not solely the product of academic integration or the analytical reflection of empirical realities; it also stems from growing concern over the role of humans in the global transformation of the environment.
Transverse Spin Structure of the Nucleon
Authors: Grosse Perdekamp Matthias , Yuan Feng
Published: August 2015

We review the current status and future perspectives of theory and experiments of transverse spin phenomena in high-energy scattering processes off nucleon targets and related issues in nucleon structure and QCD. Systematic exploration of transverse spin effects requires measurements in polarized deep-inelastic scattering, polarized pp collisions, and e+e− annihilations. Sophisticated QCD-based techniques are also needed to analyze the experimental data sets.
A Moving View: Subcellular Trafficking Processes in Pattern Recognition Receptor–Triggered Plant Immunity
Authors: Ben Khaled Sara , Postma Jelle , Robatzek Silke
Published: August 2015

A significant challenge for plants is to induce localized defense responses at sites of pathogen attack. Therefore, host subcellular trafficking processes enable accumulation and exchange of defense compounds, which contributes to the plant on-site defenses in response to pathogen perception. This review summarizes our current understanding of the transport processes that facilitate immunity, the significance of which is highlighted by pathogens reprogramming membrane trafficking through host cell translocated effectors. Prominent immune-related cargos of plant trafficking pathways are the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which must be present at the plasma membrane to sense microbes in the apoplast. We focus on the dynamic localization of the FLS2 receptor and discuss the pathways that regulate receptor transport within the cell and their link to FLS2-mediated immunity. One emerging theme is that ligand-induced late endocytic trafficking is conserved across different PRR protein families as well as across different plant species.
Multivariate sensitivity to voice during auditory categorization
Authors: Lee Yune Sang , Peelle Jonathan E. , Kraemer David , Lloyd Samuel , Granger Richard
Published: August 2015

Past neuroimaging studies have documented discrete regions of human temporal cortex that are more strongly activated by conspecific voice sounds than by nonvoice sounds. However, the mechanisms underlying this voice sensitivity remain unclear. In the present functional MRI study, we took a novel approach to examining voice sensitivity, in which we applied a signal detection paradigm to the assessment of multivariate pattern classification among several living and nonliving categories of auditory stimuli. Within this framework, voice sensitivity can be interpreted as a distinct neural representation of brain activity that correctly distinguishes human vocalizations from other auditory object categories. Across a series of auditory categorization tests, we found that bilateral superior and middle temporal cortex consistently exhibited robust sensitivity to human vocal sounds. Although the strongest categorization was in distinguishing human voice from other categories, subsets of these regions were also able to distinguish reliably between nonhuman categories, suggesting a general role in auditory object categorization. Our findings complement the current evidence of cortical sensitivity to human vocal sounds by revealing that the greatest sensitivity during categorization tasks is devoted to distinguishing voice from nonvoice categories within human temporal cortex.
Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Astroglial Potassium and Glutamate Clearance
Authors: Cheung Giselle , Sibille Jérémie , Zapata Jonathan , Rouach Nathalie
Published: August 2015

Recent evidence has shown that astrocytes play essential roles in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Nevertheless, how neuronal activity alters astroglial functional properties and whether such properties also display specific forms of plasticity still remain elusive. Here, we review research findings supporting this aspect of astrocytes, focusing on their roles in the clearance of extracellular potassium and glutamate, two neuroactive substances promptly released during excitatory synaptic transmission. Their subsequent removal, which is primarily carried out by glial potassium channels and glutamate transporters, is essential for proper functioning of the brain. Similar to neurons, different forms of short- and long-term plasticity in astroglial uptake have been reported. In addition, we also present novel findings showing robust potentiation of astrocytic inward currents in response to repetitive stimulations at mild frequencies, as low as 0.75 Hz, in acute hippocampal slices. Interestingly, neurotransmission was hardly affected at this frequency range, suggesting that astrocytes may be more sensitive to low frequency stimulation and may exhibit stronger plasticity than neurons to prevent hyperexcitability. Taken together, these important findings strongly indicate that astrocytes display both short- and long-term plasticity in their clearance of excess neuroactive substances from the extracellular space, thereby regulating neuronal activity and brain homeostasis.
Lambda‐Cyhalothrin Nanosuspension Prepared by the Melt Emulsification‐High Pressure Homogenization Method
Authors: Pan Zhenzhong , Cui Bo , Zeng Zhanghua , Feng Lei , Liu Guoqiang , Cui Haixin , Pan Hongyu
Published: August 2015

The nanosuspension of 5% lambda‐cyhalothrin with 0.2% surfactants was prepared by the melt emulsification‐high pressure homogenization method. The surfactants composition, content, and homogenization process were optimized. The anionic surfactant (1‐dodecanesulfonic acid sodium salt) and polymeric surfactant (maleic rosin‐polyoxypropylene‐polyoxyethylene ether sulfonate) screened from 12 types of commercially common‐used surfactants were used to prepare lambda‐cyhalothrin nanosuspension with high dispersity and stability. The mean particle size and polydispersity index of the nanosuspension were 16.01 ± 0.11 nm and 0.266 ± 0.002, respectively. The high zeta potential value of −41.7 ± 1.3 mV and stable crystalline state of the nanoparticles indicated the excellent physical and chemical stability. The method could be widely used for preparing nanosuspension of various pesticides with melting points below boiling point of water. This formulation may avoid the use of organic solvents and reduce surfactants and is perspective for improving bioavailability and reducing residual pollution of pesticide in agricultural products and environment.
Delayed Station Blackout Event and Nuclear Safety
Authors: Volkanovski Andrija , Prošek Andrej
Published: August 2015

The loss of off-site power (LOOP) event occurs when all electrical power to the nuclear power plant from the power grid is lost. Complete failure of both off-site and on-site alternating current (AC) power sources is referred to as a station blackout (SBO). Combined LOOP and SBO events are analyzed in this paper. The analysis is done for different time delays between the LOOP and SBO events. Deterministic safety analysis is utilized for the assessment of the plant parameters for different time delays of the SBO event. Obtained plant parameters are used for the assessment of the probabilities of the functional events in the SBO event tree. The results show that the time delay of the SBO after the LOOP leads to a decrease of the core damage frequency (CDF) from the SBO event tree. The reduction of the CDF depends on the time delay of the SBO after the LOOP event. The results show the importance of the safety systems to operate after the plant shutdown when the decay heat is large. Small changes of the basic events importance measures are identified with the introduction of the delay of the SBO event.
An Enhanced Preventive Maintenance Optimization Model Based on a Three-Stage Failure Process
Authors: Yang Ruifeng , Kang Jianshe , Quan Zhenya
Published: August 2015

Nuclear power plants are highly complex systems and the issues related to their safety are of primary importance. Probabilistic safety assessment is regarded as the most widespread methodology for studying the safety of nuclear power plants. As maintenance is one of the most important factors for affecting the reliability and safety, an enhanced preventive maintenance optimization model based on a three-stage failure process is proposed. Preventive maintenance is still a dominant maintenance policy due to its easy implementation. In order to correspond to the three-color scheme commonly used in practice, the lifetime of system before failure is divided into three stages, namely, normal, minor defective, and severe defective stages. When the minor defective stage is identified, two measures are considered for comparison: one is that halving the inspection interval only when the minor defective stage is identified at the first time; the other one is that if only identifying the minor defective stage, the subsequent inspection interval is halved. Maintenance is implemented immediately once the severe defective stage is identified. Minimizing the expected cost per unit time is our objective function to optimize the inspection interval. Finally, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed models.
The Frequent Adiponutrin (PNPLA3) Variant p.Ile148Met Is Associated with Early Liver Injury: Analysis of a German Pediatric Cohort
Authors: Krawczyk Marcin , Liebe Roman , Maier Ina B. , Engstler Anna Janina , Lammert Frank , Bergheim Ina
Published: August 2015

Introduction.The common adiponutrin (PNPLA3) variant p.Ile148Met is associated with liver injury. Here, we investigate the association of this polymorphism with hepatic and metabolic traits in a pediatric cohort.Patients and Methods.The study cohort comprised 142 German children (age 5–9 years, 98 overweight, 19 children with NAFLD).Results.Overweight children presented with increased serum ALT (P=0.001) and GGT (P<0.001) activities. ALT activities differed significantly (P=0.02) between carriers of differentPNPLA3genotypes in the entire study cohort, in normal weight children (P=0.02) and in children younger than 7 years (P=0.02). Carriers of the prosteatoticPNPLA3genotype p.148Met/Met displayed higher ALT activities as compared to children with the frequent genotype p.148Ile/Ile (P=0.01). The BMI was however a stronger predictor of ALT activities compared to thePNPLA3genotype (P<0.001andP=0.06, resp.). The variant was associated with increased serum glucose levels (P=0.01) and HOMA index (P=0.02) in carriers of the p.148Ile/Met genotype but did not affect other metabolic traits or the presence of NAFLD.Discussion.The frequentPNPLA3variant p.Ile148Met is associated with serum ALT activities already at a young age.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation in a Delayed HIV Infection Model with General Incidence Rate and Immune Impairment
Authors: Li Fuxiang , Ma Wanbiao , Jiang Zhichao , Li Dan
Published: August 2015

We investigate the dynamical behavior of a delayed HIV infection model with general incidence rate and immune impairment. We derive two threshold parameters, the basic reproduction numberR0and the immune response reproduction numberR1. By using Lyapunov functional and LaSalle invariance principle, we prove the global stability of the infection-free equilibrium and the infected equilibrium without immunity. Furthermore, the existence of Hopf bifurcations at the infected equilibrium with CTL response is also studied. By theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, the effect of the immune impairment rate on the stability of the infected equilibrium with CTL response has been studied.
Improved Modelling and Assessment of the Performance of Firefighting Means in the Frame of a Fire PSA
Authors: Kloos Martina , Peschke Joerg
Published: August 2015

An integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis (IDPSA) was carried out to assess the performances of the firefighting means to be applied in a nuclear power plant. The tools used in the analysis are the code FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) for fire simulation and the tool MCDET (Monte Carlo Dynamic Event Tree) for handling epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. The combination of both tools allowed for an improved modelling of a fire interacting with firefighting means while epistemic uncertainties because lack of knowledge and aleatory uncertainties due to the stochastic aspects of the performances of the firefighting means are simultaneously taken into account. The MCDET-FDS simulations provided a huge spectrum of fire sequences each associated with a conditional occurrence probability at each point in time. These results were used to derive probabilities of damage states based on failure criteria considering high temperatures of safety related targets and critical exposure times. The influence of epistemic uncertainties on the resulting probabilities was quantified. The paper describes the steps of the IDPSA and presents a selection of results. Focus is laid on the consideration of epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. Insights and lessons learned from the analysis are discussed.
Which Part of a Short, Global Risk Assessment, the Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community, Predicts Adverse Healthcare Outcomes?
Authors: O’Caoimh Rónán , FitzGerald Carol , Cronin Una , Svendrovski Anton , Gao Yang , Healy Elizabeth , O’Connell Elizabeth , O’Keeffe Gabrielle , O’Herlihy Eileen , Weathers Elizabeth , Cornally Nicola , Leahy-Warren Patricia , Orfila Francesc , Paúl Constança , Clarnette Roger , Molloy D. William
Published: August 2015

The Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC) is a short, global risk assessment to identify community-dwelling older adults’ one-year risk of institutionalisation, hospitalisation, and death. We investigated the contribution that the three components of the RISC (concern, itsseverity, and the ability of thecaregiver networkto manage concern) make to the accuracy of the instrument, across its three domains (mental state, activities of daily living (ADL), and medical state), by comparing their accuracy to other assessment instruments in the prospective Community Assessment of Risk and Treatment Strategies study. RISC scores were available for 782 patients. Across all three domains each subtest more accurately predicted institutionalisation compared to hospitalisation or death. Thecaregiver network’sability to manage ADL more accurately predicted institutionalisation (AUC 0.68) compared to hospitalisation (AUC 0.57,P=0.01) or death (AUC 0.59,P=0.046), comparing favourably with the Barthel Index (AUC 0.67). Theseverityof ADL (AUC 0.63), medical state (AUC 0.62), Clinical Frailty Scale (AUC 0.67), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (AUC 0.66) scores had similar accuracy in predicting mortality. Risk of hospitalisation was difficult to predict. Thus, each component, and particularly thecaregiver network, had reasonable accuracy in predicting institutionalisation. No subtest or assessment instrument accurately predicted risk of hospitalisation.
Supplier Selection and Production Planning by Using Guided Genetic Algorithm and Dynamic Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II Approaches
Authors: Wang H. S. , Tu C. H. , Chen K. H.
Published: August 2015

Through the global supply chain (SC), numerous firms participate in vertically integrated manufacturing, and industrial collaboration and cooperation is the norm. SC management activities, such as delivery time, quality, and defect rate, are characterized by uncertainty. Based on all of the aforementioned factors, this study established a multiobjective mathematical model, integrating the guided genetic algorithm (Guided-GA) and the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II), developed in previous studies, to improve the mechanisms of the algorithms, thereby increasing the efficiency of the model and quality of the solution. The mathematical model was used to address the problems of supplier selection, assembly sequence planning, assembly line balancing, and defect rate, to enable suppliers to respond rapidly to sales orders. The model was empirically tested using a case study, showing that it is suitable for assisting decision makers in planning production and conducting SS according to sales orders, enabling production activities to achieve maximum efficiency and the competitiveness of firms to improve.
Integral Equation Analysis of EM Scattering from Multilayered Metallic Photonic Crystal Accelerated with Adaptive Cross Approximation
Authors: Su Jianxun , Li Zengrui , Yuan Xujin , Yang Yaoqing (Lamar) , Wang Junhong
Published: August 2015

A space-domain integral equation method accelerated with adaptive cross approximation (ACA) is presented for the fast and accurate analysis of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from multilayered metallic photonic crystal (MPC). The method directly solves for the electric field in order to easily enable the periodic boundary condition (PBC) in the spatial domain. The ACA is a purely algebraic method allowing the compression of fully populated matrices; hence, its formulation and implementation are independent of integral equation kernel (Green’s function). Therefore, the ACA is very well suited for accelerating integral equation analysis of periodic structure with the integral kernel of the periodic Green’s function (PGF). The computation of the spatial-domain periodic Green’s function (PGF) is accelerated by the modified Ewald transformation, such that the multilayered periodic structure can be analyzed efficiently and accurately. An effective interpolation method is also proposed to fast compute the periodic Green’s function, which can greatly reduce the time of matrix filling. Numerical examples show that the proposed method can greatly save the frequency sweep time for multilayered periodic structure.
Scenario Grouping and Classification Methodology for Postprocessing of Data Generated by Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Analysis
Authors: Galushin Sergey , Kudinov Pavel
Published: August 2015

Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Assessment (IDPSA) combines deterministic model of a nuclear power plant with a method for exploration of the uncertainty space. Huge amount of data is generated in the process of such exploration. It is very difficult to “manually” process and extract from such data information that can be used by a decision maker for risk-informed characterization, understanding, and eventually decision making on improvement of the system safety and performance. Such understanding requires an approach for interpretation, grouping of similar scenario evolutions, and classification of the principal characteristics of the events that contribute to the risk. In this work, we develop an approach for classification and characterization of failure domains. The method is based on scenario grouping, clustering, and application of decision trees for characterization of the influence of timing and order of events. We demonstrate how the proposed approach is used to classify scenarios that are amenable to treatment with Boolean logic in classical Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) from those where timing and order of events determine process evolution and eventually violation of safety criteria. The efficiency of the approach has been verified with application to the SARNET benchmark exercise on the effectiveness of hydrogen management in the containment.
Periodontal Diseases and Dental Caries in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Novotna Marta , Podzimek Stepan , Broukal Zdenek , Lencova Erika , Duskova Jana
Published: August 2015

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease of an autoimmune origin with early manifestation predominantly in the childhood. Its incidence has been rising in most European countries. Diabetes has been intensively studied by all branches of medicine. There were a number of studies investigating oral consequences of diabetes; however, unambiguous conclusions were drawn only for the relationship between diabetes and periodontal impairment. Many studies confirmed higher plaque levels and higher incidence of chronic gingivitis both in adults and in children with diabetes. Juvenile periodontitis is rare both in healthy subjects and in those with type 1 diabetes. Yet certain findings from well‐conducted studies, for example, differences in oral microflora or the impact of metabolic control of diabetes on periodontal health, indicate a higher risk of periodontitis in children with type 1 diabetes. As for the association of diabetes and dental caries, the results of the studies are inconsistent. However, it was found that some risk factors for dental caries are either more or less prevalent in the diabetic population. Despite an extensive research in this area we have to acknowledge that many questions have remained unanswered. There is a need for continued, thorough research in this area.