bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A model of reaeration rates driven by shear flows
Authors: Duan Zhiyong
Published: November 2018

The reaeration rate determines the speed that the dissolved oxygen is restored to the saturation level. The reaeration rate is determined by the surface renewal rates from the friction interfaces in the water bodies, including the water/bed interface, the shear‐flow interface and the air/water interface. The formulae of reaeration rate for the air/water interface and the water/bed interface were developed in prior studies. However, no formula of the reaeration rate driven by the shear flows was developed. In this study, a mechanic model of the reaeration rate driven by the shear flows is developed to fill in the gap. The flow velocity profile in the shear flows and the Surface Renewal Theory are employed to derive the corresponding model. The predictions of the formulae for these three types of friction interfaces are compared for the same phase velocity to investigate the reasonability of the reaeration rate model for the shear‐flow interface. The predictions of the model for the shear‐flow interface are between those for the air/water interface and for the water/bed interface. The model in this study is also verified to have reasonable agreements with the experimental data. The model developed in this study can be applied for the prediction of the low soluble gases’ transfer rate between air and water in shear flows.
Effectiveness of Silexan oral lavender essential oil compared to inhaled lavender essential oil aromatherapy for sleep in adults: a systematic review
Authors: Greenberg Martha J. , Slyer Jason T.
Published: November 2018

Objective:

The objective of the review was to identify the effectiveness of Silexan oral lavender essential oil compared to inhaled lavender essential oil aromatherapy for sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep quality, disturbed sleep and anxiety in adult patients.

Introduction:

Insomnia is a common problem, with 10–20% of the global population using sleep aids. Benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine sleep aids have the potential to cause side effects which may result in falls or other injuries. Lavender oil has anxiolytic properties that may improve sleep and reduce anxiety without the potential for adverse reaction. Silexan, an oral pill produced from lavender essential oil, has limited availability. This review sought to determine if lavender essential oil aromatherapy was as effective as Silexan to enable promotion of the use of essential oil aromatherapy in markets where Silexan is not available.

Inclusion criteria:

This review considered both experimental and epidemiological studies that included participants 18 years and over utilizing Silexan therapy of any dose or duration compared to inhaled lavender essential oil aromatherapy. The outcomes of interest were sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep quality, disturbed sleep and anxiety.

Methods:

A comprehensive search strategy aimed to find relevant published and unpublished quantitative English language studies from 2010 through to February 16, 2018. Databases searched included: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Embase. A search of gray literature was also performed.

Results:

No studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria.

Conclusions:

A comprehensive search of the literature uncovered no evidence related to the effectiveness of Silexan compared to inhaled lavender essential oil aromatherapy for sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep quality, disturbed sleep or anxiety in adult patients. Research is needed to determine if lavender essential oil aromatherapy, which is readily available worldwide, can be proven to be as effective as Silexan for improving sleep and anxiety in adult patients.
Magnetic nanotubes obtained from atomic layer deposition coated electrospun nanofibers
Authors: Pereira Alejandro , Escrig Juan , Palma Juan Luis , de Dicastillo Carol López , Patiño Cristian , Galotto María José
Published: November 2018

High-aspect ratio Al2O3/Ni/Al2O3 core–shell hollow nanotubes were prepared by combining electrospinning, atomic layer deposition, and a subsequent chemical reduction process. Electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. Then, these fibers were coated with atomic layer deposition to obtain PVOH/Al2O3/NiO/Al2O3 core–shell nanowires. Since the NiO must be deposited at 200 °C, the PVOH nanofibers must first be coated with Al2O3 at 80 °C, which act as a protective layer of the fibers so that they can withstand higher temperatures. Once PVOH/Al2O3/NiO/Al2O3 core–shell nanowires are obtained, they are subjected to a chemical reduction process that generates Al2O3/Ni/Al2O3 core–shell hollow nanotubes. Their morphologies were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopies, the thickness was determined by ellipsometry, and all magnetic measurements were performed in an alternating-gradient force magnetometer. Finally, assuming that the nanostructures exhibit a curling reversal process, the authors have analytically calculated the coercivity of the nanotubes.
A Diagnostic Algorithm To Investigate Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol Resistance in Rifampin-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in a Low-Incidence Setting
Authors: Andres Söenke , Gröschel Matthias I. , Hillemann Doris , Merker Matthias , Niemann Stefan , Kranzer Katharina
Published: November 2018

Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) for the two first-line tuberculosis drugs ethambutol and pyrazinamide is known to yield unreliable and inaccurate results. In this prospective study, we propose a diagnostic algorithm combining phenotypic DST with Sanger sequencing to inform clinical decision-making for drug-resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex isolates.
ERG6
and
ERG2
Are Major Targets Conferring Reduced Susceptibility to Amphotericin B in Clinical
Candida glabrata
Isolates in Kuwait
Authors: Ahmad Suhail , Joseph Leena , Parker Josie E. , Asadzadeh Mohammad , Kelly Steven L. , Meis Jacques F. , Khan Ziauddin
Published: November 2018

Candida glabrata
is intrinsically less susceptible to azoles, and resistance to echinocandins and reduced susceptibility (RS) to amphotericin B (AMB) have also been detected. The molecular mechanisms of RS to AMB were investigated in
C. glabrata
strains in Kuwait by sequence analyses of genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis.
Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Bezlotoxumab in Adults with Primary and Recurrent
Clostridium difficile
Infection
Authors: Yee Ka Lai , Kleijn Huub Jan , Kerbusch Thomas , Matthews Randolph P. , Dorr Mary Beth , Garey Kevin W. , Wrishko Rebecca E.
Published: November 2018

The fully human monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab is indicated for preventing the recurrence of
Clostridioides difficile
(formerly
Clostridium difficile
) infection (CDI) in adults who receive antibacterial treatment for CDI and who are at high risk for a CDI recurrence. The efficacy and safety of 10-mg/kg of body weight bezlotoxumab were demonstrated in two phase 3 trials: the MODIFY I (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT01241552) and MODIFY II (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT01513239) trials.
Feeding Rapidly Alters Microbiome Composition and Gene Transcription in the Clownfish Gut
Authors: Parris D. Joshua , Morgan Michael M. , Stewart Frank J.
Published: November 2018

Despite extensive study of intestinal microbiome diversity and the role of diet type in structuring gut microbial communities, we know very little about short-term changes in the intestinal microbiome as a result of feeding alone. Sampling microbiomes over a feeding cycle will allow us to differentiate opportunistic, feeding-responsive microbes from resident, potentially commensal members of the gut community. Also, since feeding has the potential to alter microbiome structure, sampling at different points relative to the last feeding event will likely yield different conclusions about microbiome composition and function. This variation should be addressed in comparative microbiome studies. Our study contributes to knowledge of short-term changes in the gut microbiome associated with feeding events.
Vectorial Release of Hepatitis E Virus in Polarized Human Hepatocytes
Authors: Capelli Nicolas , Marion Olivier , Dubois Martine , Allart Sophie , Bertrand-Michel Justine , Lhomme Sébastien , Abravanel Florence , Izopet Jacques , Chapuy-Regaud Sabine
Published: November 2018

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in stools is naked, while that in culture supernatants and patients’ blood is lipid associated. Its life cycle in hepatocytes, polarized cells with a basolateral side communicating with blood and an apical side connected with bile, is incompletely understood. We have developed a polarized hepatocyte model and used the cells to analyze the supernatants bathing the apical and basolateral sides and HEV subcellular distribution. HEV particles from both sides were lipid associated, and most infectious HEV particles left the cell via its apical side. Similar amounts of the open reading frame 2 (ORF2) soluble capsid protein were secreted from both sides of the hepatocytes. This model mimicking physiological conditions should help clarify the HEV cell cycle in polarized hepatocytes.
Early Porcine Sapovirus Infection Disrupts Tight Junctions and Uses Occludin as a Coreceptor
Authors: Alfajaro Mia Madel , Cho Eun-Hyo , Kim Deok-Song , Kim Ji-Yun , Park Jun-Gyu , Soliman Mahmoud , Baek Yeong-Bin , Park Chul-Ho , Kang Mun-Il , Park Sang-Ik , Cho Kyoung-Oh
Published: November 2018

Sapoviruses (SaVs) cause severe acute gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Although they replicate in intestinal epithelial cells, which are tightly sealed by apical-junctional complexes, such as tight junctions (TJs), the mechanisms by which SaVs hijack TJs and their proteins for successful entry and infection remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that porcine SaVs (PSaVs) induce early dissociation of TJs, allowing them to bind to the TJ protein occludin as a functional coreceptor. PSaVs then travel in a complex with occludin into late endosomes through Rab5- and Rab7-dependent trafficking. Claudin-1, another TJ protein, does not directly interact with PSaV but facilitates the entry of PSaV into cells as an entry factor. This work contributes to our understanding of the entry of SaV and other caliciviruses into cells and may aid in the development of efficient and affordable drugs to treat SaV infections.
Delivery, setting and outcomes of paediatric Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT): a scoping review
Authors: Carter Bernie , Carrol Enitan D , Porter David , Peak Matthew , Taylor-Robinson David , Fisher-Smith Debra , Blake Lucy
Published: November 2018

Background

There has been little detailed systematic consideration of the delivery, setting and outcomes of paediatric Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT), although individual studies report that it is a safe and effective treatment.

Objective

This scoping review aimed to examine what is known about the delivery, settings and outcomes of paediatric OPAT and to identify key knowledge deficits.

Design

A scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was undertaken.

Data sources

Keywords were identified and used to search MEDLINE and CINAHL.

Study appraisal methods

Primary research studies were included if samples comprised children and young people 21 or under, who had received OPAT at home or in a day treatment centre. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to review the methodological quality of the studies

Main findings

From a preliminary pool of 157 articles, 51 papers were selected for full review. 19 studies fitted the inclusion criteria. Factors influencing delivery of OPAT were diverse and included child’s condition, home environment, child-related factors, parental compliance, training and monitoring. There is little consensus as to what constitutes success of and adverse events in OPAT.

Conclusions

Future studies need to clearly define and use success indicators and adverse events in order to provide evidence that paediatric OPAT is safe and effective.

Implications

Consensus outcomes that include child and parent perspectives need to be developed to allow a clearer appreciation of a successful paediatric OPAT service.
‘Hope you find your ‘eureka’ moment soon’: a qualitative study of parents/carers’ online discussions around allergy, allergy tests and eczema
Authors: Halls Amy , Nunes Dale , Muller Ingrid , Angier Elizabeth , Grimshaw Kate , Santer Miriam
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To explore understandings and concerns surrounding allergy, food intolerances and their potential impact on eczema among parents and carers of children with eczema who had posted messages in online forums.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review for active UK-based discussion forums that did not require password/registration to view posts and identified two parenting discussion forums with high activity and frequent use. We used their internal search functions to identify and export discussion threads relating to allergy and allergy testing for eczema from 2011 to 2016. We carried out an inductive thematic analysis of the 120 exported discussion threads.

Results

246 pages of text were analysed. Analysis led to three main themes: (1) confusion over the language surrounding ‘allergy’ and ‘intolerance’; (2) diverse beliefs about allergy testing in relation to eczema and (3) parents’ frustrations with perceptions of health professionals as uninterested and unhelpful about allergy testing. Forum users were concerned about immediate and delayed-type allergies but showed confusion in how terms were used, as well as different approaches to testing. Parents sought experiences of others, seeking social support as well as practical guidance.

Conclusions

The confusion around allergy-related terminology and its possible relationship with eczema means that it is essential healthcare professionals are able to signpost parents to accurate, accessible information. The lack of consistent information currently available means parents may use online discussion forums as an important source of information. This study suggests that the confused nature of discussions on these forums is inaccurate at best, and detrimental at worst.
Dynamics of a Harvested Prey–Predator Model with Prey Refuge Dependent on Both Species
Authors: Manarul Haque Md. , Sarwardi Sahabuddin
Published: November 2018

The present paper deals with a prey–predator model with prey refuge in proportion to both species, and the independent harvesting of each species. Our study shows that using refuge as control, it can break the limit cycle of the system and reach the required state of equilibrium level. We have established the optimal harvesting policy. The boundedness, feasibility of interior equilibria and bionomic equilibrium have been determined. The main observation is that the coefficient of refuge plays an important role in regulating the dynamics of the present system. Moreover, the variation of the coefficient of refuge changes the system from stable to unstable and vice-versa. Some numerical illustrations are given in order to support our analytical and theoretical findings.
Algebraic Limit Cycles Bifurcating from Algebraic Ovals of Quadratic Centers
Authors: Llibre Jaume , Tian Yun
Published: November 2018

In the integrability of polynomial differential systems it is well known that the invariant algebraic curves play a relevant role. Here we will see that they can also play an important role with respect to limit cycles.

In this paper, we study quadratic polynomial systems with an algebraic periodic orbit of degree [Formula: see text] surrounding a center. We show that there exists only one family of such systems satisfying that an algebraic limit cycle of degree [Formula: see text] can bifurcate from the period annulus of the mentioned center under quadratic perturbations.
Fast–Slow Dynamics Analysis of a Coupled Duffing System with Periodic Excitation
Authors: Qian Y. H. , Yan D. M.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear coupled Duffing equation with an external excitation and two external excitations are studied. For the coupled Duffing system with periodic excitation, the system shows the dynamic behavior on different time scales when the excitation frequency and the inherent frequency of the system are different. Firstly, we discretize the system by using the Euler method, and the discrete equation is obtained. Secondly, the two external excitations are considered as slow variables that are transformed into a slow variable by the Moivre formula, which divides the original system into the fast–slow subsystem. Finally, the oscillation dynamic behavior of the coupled system is discussed by combining fast–slow analysis method and the transformation phase diagram.
Global Dynamics in the Leslie–Gower Model with the Allee Effect
Authors: Gaiko Valery A. , Vuik Cornelis
Published: November 2018

We complete the global bifurcation analysis of the Leslie–Gower system with the Allee effect which models the dynamics of the populations of predators and their prey in a given ecological or biomedical system. In particular, studying global bifurcations of limit cycles, we prove that such a system can have at most two limit cycles surrounding one singular point.
Dynamics of a Scalar Population Model with Delayed Allee Effect
Authors: Chang Xiaoyuan , Shi Junping , Zhang Jimin
Published: November 2018

A scalar population model with delayed growth rate of Allee effect type is considered in this paper. The stability of equilibria and associated supercritical Hopf bifurcations are analyzed. The basins of attraction of the two locally stable equilibria are characterized in terms of parameter values. In particular, when the time delay is large, the basin of attraction of the persistence equilibrium and limit cycle shrinks to a single point, so a global extinction of population occurs as a combined result of Allee effect and time delay.
UNDERSTANDING APPROACHES TO INNOVATION THROUGH THE DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES LENS: A MULTI-COUNTRY STUDY OF THE WINE INDUSTRY
Authors: ALONSO ABEL DUARTE , KOK SENG K. , O'BRIEN SEAMUS
Published: November 2018

By drawing from the dynamic capabilities approach, this study examines innovation from the perspective of winery owners and managers representing four different countries. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 56 participants. As many as 12 common forms of innovation were revealed among the four groups, with intangible aspects conforming the large majority. For instance, sensing comprised efforts to increase export markets, new winery equipment and technologies, whereas seizing included more presence in social media and wine tourism, focusing on niche-batch production, or preserving and rescuing ancient varietals. Reconfiguring was manifested through consistency in product quality, more knowledge of foreign languages, networking and by trying new ways, particularly in production processes. A resulting theoretical framework, which reveals a circular process among sensing, seizing and reconfiguring, is subsequently proposed. Similarly, a developed roadmap aligned with wineries’ way of innovating suggests important implications for wineries and their industry.
ABSORBING INTEGRATION: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL-/CROSS-FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE
Authors: HAUSBERG JOHANN PIET , LEEFLANG PETER S. H.
Published: November 2018

Integration of organisational units has been extensively researched in various streams of management and organization sciences. It is very important whenever knowledge differences have to be overcome due to functional departmentalisation and the ensuing knowledge specialisation. However, extant literature does not yet appreciate the mediating role of absorptive capacity (AC) in this context. We argue that departments use integration mechanisms in order to develop and maintain such an organisational capability to absorb knowledge from other departments, so that integration can succeed to increase innovation performance. Our unique dataset of Italian manufacturing firms from various industries allows us to study this in the context of the integration of research and development (R&D) and marketing and sales (M&S) departments. Thereby, we provide empirical evidence on the mediating role of AC. We find evidence that R&D departments build AC via formal cross-functional integration, while M&S departments do so through informal integration. Moreover, we provide evidence of AC’s mediating role for the relationship between cross-functional integration mechanisms and innovation performance. Our findings also reveal significant differences between R&D and M&S functions in terms of effect sizes and significance levels. AC of R&D departments has a significant and substantial effect on innovation performance and thus effectively acts as a mediating variable, while in case of M&S departments we observe a significant direct effect between formal cross-functional integration and innovation performance without any mediation by AC.
Efficient numerical treatments for a fractional optimal control nonlinear Tuberculosis model
Authors: Sweilam N. H. , AL-Mekhlafi S. M. , Baleanu D.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, the general nonlinear multi-strain Tuberculosis model is controlled using the merits of Jacobi spectral collocation method. In order to have a variety of accurate results to simulate the reality, a fractional order model of multi-strain Tuberculosis with its control is introduced, where the derivatives are adopted from Caputo’s definition. The shifted Jacobi polynomials are used to approximate the optimality system. Subsequently, Newton’s iterative method will be used to solve the resultant nonlinear algebraic equations. A comparative study of the values of the objective functional, between both the generalized Euler method and the proposed technique is presented. We can claim that the proposed technique reveals better results when compared to the generalized Euler method.
UniBoard2, A Generic Scalable High-Performance Computing Platform for Radio Astronomy
Authors: Schoonderbeek G. W. , Szomoru A. , Gunst A. W. , Hiemstra L. , Hargreaves J.
Published: November 2018

With the ever-increasing data rates in radio astronomy, a universal Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based hardware platform which can be used at different locations in the signal processing chain, like a beamformer, data router or correlator, would reduce development time significantly. In this paper, we present the design of such a platform, the UniBoard2. With UniBoard2, both large rack-based and single-board systems can be made. Standard Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) input and output (IO) interfaces on the front side make it easy to interface UniBoard2 to standard 40 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) network equipment. Hardware design challenges, like transceiver links, power supplies, power dissipation and cooling are described. The paper concludes with some examples of systems (like beamformers and correlators) that can be built using the UniBoard2 hardware platform.
Aligning China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Chen Juan , Shu Meng , Wen Shaobiao
Published: November 2018

Based on an examination of mutual perceptions between China and Saudi Arabia toward each other’s development strategy, especially through the lens of government officials, journalists, and scholars, this article argues that great progress has been achieved in key areas of strategic alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision, including policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people exchanges. Meanwhile, political, economic, security and social risks remain prominent in the process of China-Saudi strategic alignment which need to be managed by appropriate measures.
Social Norms Information Treatments in the Municipal Water Supply Sector: Some New Insights on Benefits and Costs
Authors: Nauges Céline , Whittington Dale
Published: November 2018

Social norms comparisons are tools that are being used more and more often by energy and water utilities all over the world in order to induce households to conserve resources. Such conservation programs are appealing to utilities since they are an easy-to-implement alternative to raising prices and commonly result in short-term reductions in energy and water use of about 2–5%. However, the welfare effects of social norms programs are rarely discussed and assessed, especially in the context of municipal water supply. The purpose of this paper is to identify the costs and benefits of social norms information treatments (SNITs) to all social groups and to illustrate a conceptual framework for conducting a benefit–cost analysis of social norms treatments in the municipal water sector. We provide plausible estimates for the costs and benefits of social norms treatments to different affected groups in the municipal water supply sector using current knowledge for both developing and industrialized countries in order to show how practitioners can conduct a benefit–cost analysis of an SNIT for a specific water utility. Our calculations show that the outcome of a benefit–cost analysis of an SNIT is highly location-specific and likely subject to substantial uncertainty. We also present a simple benefit–cost analysis of a price increase that would lead to an equivalent initial reduction in household water use. The latter is found to be more likely to result in net benefits to the society as a whole in low- and middle-income countries, but we show that, in this case, households would have to bear most of the costs.
The Effect of Culture on Trust in Automation
Authors: Chien Shih-Yi , Lewis Michael , Sycara Katia , Liu Jyi-Shane , Kumru Asiye
Published: November 2018

Trust in automation has become a topic of intensive study since the late 1990s and is of increasing importance with the advent of intelligent interacting systems. While the earliest trust experiments involved human interventions to correct failures/errors in automated control systems, a majority of subsequent studies have investigated information acquisition and analysis decision aiding tasks such as target detection for which automation reliability is more easily manipulated. Despite the high level of international dependence on automation in industry, almost all current studies have employed Western samples primarily from the U.S. The present study addresses these gaps by running a large sample experiment in three (U.S., Taiwan, and Turkey) diverse cultures using a “trust sensitive task” consisting of both automated control and target detection subtasks. This article presents results for the target detection subtask for which reliability and task load were manipulated. The current experiments allow us to determine whether reported effects are universal or specific to Western culture, vary in baseline or magnitude, or differ across cultures. Results generally confirm consistent effects of manipulations across the three cultures as well as cultural differences in initial trust and variation in effects of manipulations consistent with 10 cultural hypotheses based on Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions and Leung and Cohen's theory of Cultural Syndromes. These results provide critical implications and insights for correct trust calibration and to enhance human trust in intelligent automation systems across cultures. Additionally, our results would be useful in designing intelligent systems for users of different cultures. Our article presents the following contributions: First, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first set of studies that deal with cultural factors across all the cultural syndromes identified in the literature by comparing trust in the Honor, Face, Dignity cultures. Second, this is the first set of studies that uses a validated cross-cultural trust measure for measuring trust in automation. Third, our experiments are the first to study the dynamics of trust across cultures.
Polynomial Kernels and Wideness Properties of Nowhere Dense Graph Classes
Authors: Kreutzer Stephan , Rabinovich Roman , Siebertz Sebastian
Published: November 2018

Nowhere dense classes of graphs [21, 22] are very general classes of uniformly sparse graphs with several seemingly unrelated characterisations. From an algorithmic perspective, a characterisation of these classes in terms of
uniform quasi-wideness
, a concept originating in finite model theory, has proved to be particularly useful. Uniform quasi-wideness is used in many fpt-algorithms on nowhere dense classes. However, the existing constructions showing the equivalence of nowhere denseness and uniform quasi-wideness imply a non-elementary blow up in the parameter dependence of the fpt-algorithms, making them infeasible in practice. As a first main result of this article, we use tools from logic, in particular from a sub-field of model theory known as stability theory, to establish polynomial bounds for the equivalence of nowhere denseness and uniform quasi-wideness. A powerful method in parameterized complexity theory is to compute a problem kernel in a pre-computation step, that is, to reduce the input instance in polynomial time to a sub-instance of size bounded in the parameter only (independently of the input graph size). Our new tools allow us to obtain for every fixed radius
r
∈ N a polynomial kernel for the distance-
r
dominating set problem on nowhere dense classes of graphs. This result is particularly interesting, as it implies that for every class
C
of graphs that is closed under taking subgraphs, the distance-
r
dominating set problem admits a kernel on
C
for every value of
r
if, and only if, it already admits a polynomial kernel for every value of
r
(under the standard assumption of parameterized complexity theory that FPT ≠ W[2]).
Biomedical Explanations of Psychopathology and Their Implications for Attitudes and Beliefs About Mental Disorders
Authors: Lebowitz Matthew S. , Appelbaum Paul S.
Published: November 2018

Mental disorders are increasingly conceptualized as biomedical diseases, explained as manifestations of genetic and neurobiological abnormalities. Here, we discuss changes in the dominant explanatory accounts of psychopathology that have occurred over time and the driving forces behind these shifts, lay out some real-world evidence for the increasing ascendancy of biomedical explanations, and provide an overview of the types of attitudes and beliefs that may be affected by them. We examine theoretical and conceptual models that are relevant to understanding how biomedical conceptualizations might affect attitudes and beliefs about mental disorders, and we review some empirical evidence that bears on this question. Finally, we examine possible strategies for combatting potential negative effects of biomedical explanations and discuss important conclusions and directions for future research.
Unusual Complication of Hemodialysis Cuffed Catheter Tunnel Infection and Unconventional Therapeutical Decision: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Borisov Biser K. , Linkova Stela P.
Published: November 2018

Introduction. Infectious complications are the most common chronic complications observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis with central venous catheters. However, despite the efforts of a large number of medical professionals, tunnel catheters are increasingly being used for hemodialysis in the everyday practice. Case Report. We describe two cases of an equal complication of a tunnel infection wherein the catheter becomes naked after self-rupture of the purulent secretion. We did not replace the tunnel catheter but applied a skin plastic by rotation flaps over the affected area, which proved to be sufficient. Six months after the intervention, the patients continue their hemodialysis treatment using the same cuffed catheters; the taken chemocultures do not give rise only to bacterial growth and skin plastic has been healed primary. Conclusions. The two cases described by us represent one treatment option, which may be discussed with reference to such specific two cases in practice.
Evaluating the Contribution of Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Pulmonary Infections among HIV and Non-HIV Patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana
Authors: Sakyi Samuel Asamoah , Danquah Kwabena Owusu , Ephraim Richard Dadzie , Enimil Anthony , Frimpong Venus , Ahenkorah Fondjo Linda , Darkoh Esther Love
Published: November 2018

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of human mortality particularly in association with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Nocardia spp. has emerged as an opportunistic infection especially in HIV patients. The high prevalence of TB and HIV coupled with the lack of a definitive laboratory diagnosis for Nocardia spp. could lead to misdiagnosed pulmonary TB. This study determined the prevalence of pulmonary infections due to Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum of HIV and non-HIV patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis at KATH. A total of sixty sputum samples were obtained from HIV and non-HIV patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. Samples were examined by fluorescence based Ziehl–Neelsen staining, culture, and PCR methods. The prevalence of Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 18.3% and 20%, respectively, with the latter having the highest rate among patients aged 21–40 years (P=0.075). The prevalence of Nocardia spp. among HIV patients was 90.9% whilst 16.7% of the patients had HIV/Nocardia spp. coinfection. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by fluorescence-based Ziehl–Neelsen staining, culture, and PCR yielded 9 (15%), 11 (18.3%), and 12 (20%), respectively. There is a high prevalence of nocardiosis especially in HIV patients. PCR is a better diagnostic method that detects both Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis and should be incorporated into routine diagnosis for pulmonary infections.
Multidimensional Scaling-Based Data Dimension Reduction Method for Application in Short-Term Traffic Flow Prediction for Urban Road Network
Authors: Zhao Yi , Ukkusuri Satish V. , Lu Jian
Published: November 2018

This study develops a multidimensional scaling- (MDS-) based data dimension reduction method. The method is applied to short-term traffic flow prediction in urban road networks. The data dimension reduction method can be divided into three steps. The first is data selection based on qualitative analysis, the second is data grouping using the MDS method, and the last is data dimension reduction based on a correlation coefficient. Backpropagation neural network (BPNN) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models are employed in four kinds of urban traffic environments to test whether the proposed method improves the prediction accuracy of traffic flow. The results show that prediction models using traffic data after dimension reduction outperform the same prediction models using other datasets. The proposed method provides an alternative to existing models for urban traffic prediction.
Frequency of Different Types of Diagnostic Errors in Patients with Central Nervous System Infections: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study
Authors: Naderi HamidReza , Sheybani Fereshte , Khosravi Omid , Jabbari Nooghabi Mehdi
Published: November 2018

Objectives. To assess the frequency of different types of diagnostic errors in patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection from the onset of symptoms to admission to the hospital, where the correct diagnosis was made. Methods. A cross-sectional observational design was used, and the information was collected by interviewing patients and/or their knowledgeable relatives as well as reviewing the accompanying medical record documents and hospital records. Results. Of 169 adult patients with CNS infection, 129 (76.33%) were subject to diagnostic errors. Failure in ordering tests and hypothesis generation were the most common types of diagnostic errors that accounted for more than 70% of errors. Several contributing factors that were associated with incorrect diagnostic hypotheses included failure in taking a patient’s comprehensive history such as detecting relevant epidemiological clues, conducting a full clinical examination, and interpreting diagnostic evidence. The relationship between poor clinical outcome and longer delay from the onset of illness to diagnosis, inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy, and lower level of consciousness on admission were found to be statistically significant. Conclusions. Although diagnosis and management of CNS infection in some patients are straightforward, clinical decision making in facing patients with complex scenarios often requires clinical reasoning instead of relying only on intuitive diagnosis. Justification in requesting diagnostic measures and interpretation of their results based on clinical findings and patient information could be a critical factor in preventing a substantial number of diagnostic errors in patients with CNS infection.
Comparative Study of Protein Expression Levels of Five Plaque Biomarkers and Relation with Carotid Plaque Type Classification in Patients after Carotid Endarterectomy
Authors: Kyriakidis Konstantinos , Antoniadis Pavlos , Choksy Sohail , Papi Rigini M.
Published: November 2018

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process resulting in local plaque deposition in the vessel wall of arteries with symptoms to various areas of vascular tree. Identification of patients with progressive advanced atherosclerotic disease is mainly based on the known characteristics of the vulnerable or recently ruptured plaque. Molecular and cellular features associated with the vulnerable plaque are considered potential diagnostic markers for plaque rupture and thrombosis. Here, protein expression levels of the metalloproteases MMP-1, MMP-9, osteopontin (OPN), and cytokines TNFα and IL-6 in tissue extracts of carotid plaques in patients after endarterectomy were estimated by Western immunoblotting, after SDS-PAGE analysis and evaluated based on the ultrasonographic plaque morphology. The gender and age effect was also examined. MMP-1, MMP-9, and IL-6 were expressed in higher levels compared to OPN and TNFa as well as in symptomatic (with type II and III carotid plaque classification) than asymptomatic (type IV) patients with differences considered statistically significant (P values <0.05). A significant positive correlation between MMP-1 and IL-6 (with Pearson correlation coefficient 0.748) is also notable. The data give further insight into the possible role of specific biomarker and enhance the need for further studies in order to clarify the proper one(s) for detection of the vulnerable plaque and help identify patients at risk for cardiovascular events.
Quasispecies Changes with Distinctive Point Mutations in the Hepatitis C Virus Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) Derived from PBMCs and Plasma
Authors: Mercuri Luca , Thomson Emma C. , Hughes Joseph , Karayiannis Peter
Published: November 2018

The 5’ untranslated region (UTR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome contains the internal ribosome entry site (IRES), a highly conserved RNA structure essential for cap-independent translation of the viral polyprotein. HCV, apart from the liver, is thought to be associated with lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), in lymph nodes and brain tissue. In this study, RT-PCR, cloning, and sequence analysis were employed to investigate the quasispecies nature of the 5’UTR following extraction of viral RNA from PBMCs and plasma of HCV infected individuals. The nucleotide variation between IRES-derived sequences from PBMCs and plasma indicated the existence of polymorphic sites within the IRES. HCV isolates had divergent variants with unique mutations particularly at positions 107, 204, and 243 of the IRES. Most of the PBMC-derived sequences contained an A-A-A variant at these positions. The mutations associated with the IRESes suggested the presence of unique quasispecies populations in PBMCs compared with plasma.
Potential Effect of Statins onMycobacterium tuberculosisInfection
Authors: Guerra-De-Blas Paola Del Carmen , Torres-González Pedro , Bobadilla-Del-Valle Miriam , Sada-Ovalle Isabel , Ponce-De-León-Garduño Alfredo , Sifuentes-Osornio José
Published: November 2018

Tuberculosis is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the world. The current treatment is based on a combination of antimicrobials administered for six months. It is essential to find therapeutic agents with which the treatment time can be shortened and strengthen the host immune response againstMycobacterium tuberculosis.M. tuberculosisneeds cholesterol to infect and survive inside the host, but the progression of the infection depends to a large extent on the capacity of the immune response to contain the infection. Statins inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol and have pleiotropic effects on the immune system, which have been associated with better results in the treatment of several infectious diseases. Recently, it has been reported that cells treated with statins are more resistant toM. tuberculosisinfection, and they have even been proposed as adjuvants in the treatment ofM. tuberculosisinfection. The aim of this review is to summarize the immunopathogenesis of tuberculosis and its mechanisms of evasion and to compile the available scientific information on the effect of statins in the treatment of tuberculosis.
An IoT Architecture for Assessing Road Safety in Smart Cities
Authors: Taha Abd-Elhamid M.
Published: November 2018

The Safe System (SS) approach to road safety emphasizes safety‐by‐design through ensuring safe vehicles, road networks, and road users. With a strong motivation from the World Health Organization (WHO), this approach is increasingly adopted worldwide. Considerations in SS, however, are made for the medium‐to‐long term. Our interest in this work is to complement the approach with a short‐to‐medium term dynamic assessment of road safety. Toward this end, we introduce a novel, cost‐effective Internet of Things (IoT) architecture that facilitates the realization of a robust and dynamic computational core in assessing the safety of a road network and its elements. In doing so, we introduce a new, meaningful, and scalable metric for assessing road safety. We also showcase the use of machine learning in the design of the metric computation core through a novel application of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). Finally, the impact of the proposed architecture is demonstrated through an application to safety‐based route planning.
Use of Digital-Conventional Method for Managing a Patient with Severely Worn Dentition: A Clinical Report
Authors: Nokar Saied , Hendi Amirreza , Hemmati Yasamin Babaee , Falahchai Mehran
Published: November 2018

Severe forms of attrition are frequently found in patients with no or insufficient posterior occlusal support. Management of such patients using fixed or removable prostheses is a complex procedure and is still a challenge for clinicians. The present clinical report describes step by step full mouth rehabilitation of a patient with severely worn dentition using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing- (CAD/CAM-) generated wax patterns, milled zirconia frameworks, and fabrication of removable partial denture (RPD) abutments using a digital-conventional method. The results were satisfactory during 18 months of follow-up.
Evaluation of the Potential Risk Factors for Drug-Induced Anaphylaxis in Adult Patients
Authors: Demir Semra , Erdenen Fusun , Gelincik Asli , Unal Derya , Olgac Muge , Coskun Raif , Colakoglu Bahauddin , Buyukozturk Suna
Published: November 2018

Aim: To investigate the potential risk factors in patients who have experienced anaphylaxis from drugs. Method: The study included 281 adult patients (median age 40 years; 76.5% female) who experienced immediate types of hypersensitivity reaction to a drug. The patients were divided into an anaphylaxis group and a nonanaphylaxis group. The anaphylaxis group was diagnosed according to the criteria of the World Allergy Organization. Skin testing with culprit drugs was performed. In the nonanaphylaxis group, drug provocation tests were performed with culprit drugs, including aspirin or diclofenac, to determine nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) hypersensitivity. Atopy was determined by skin prick tests with the common inhalant allergens. Patients’ demographics, clinical features, and baseline tryptase and total IgE levels were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The median interval between the last reaction in the patient’s history and the study evaluation was 7 months (range 1–120 months). In 52.3% of the patients, reactions were defined as anaphylaxis. The most common culprit drugs were NSAIDs (56.9%) and β-lactams (34.7%). The culprit drugs were used parenterally in 13.2% of the patients. 34.9% of the patients had comorbid diseases and 24.6% used additional drugs, the most common being antihypertensives (10%). Atopy was determined in 28.8% and 28.1% of the patients were smokers. The median serum level of baseline tryptase and total IgE was 3.5 µg/L and 77 kU/L, respectively. In 46.3% of the patients, skin tests with culprit drugs were positive and the positivity ratio was higher in the anaphylaxis group (p = 0.002). Anapyhlaxis was more common in patients who were: hypertensive, atopic, using angio­tensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and received the culprit drug parenterally (p = 0.034, p = 0.04, p = 0.03, p = 0.035, p = 0.013, and p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, it was observed that the parenteral usage of the drug and the presence of atopy were significantly higher in the anaphylaxis group (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 20.05, confidence interval [CI] 4.75–88.64; p = 0.012, OR = 2.1, CI 1.17–3.74). Age, smoking, family history, and serum levels of baseline tryptase and total IgE did not differ between groups. Conclusion: The parenteral route and atopy increase the risk of drug-induced anaphylaxis. IgE-mediated sensitivity to the culprit drug seems to facilitate anaphylaxis.
A Qualitative Person-Oriented Inquiry into Women’s Perspectives on Knowledge and Knowing
Authors: Tafreshi Donna , Khalil Negina , Racine Timothy P.
Published: November 2018

The current study extends theory and research on women’s beliefs about knowledge and knowing. Whereas previous research focused primarily on describing differences between domains of knowing, we focus on differences within domains. We examined individual experiences in the narratives of 8 women (ages 36–42 years) that exemplify 4 different positions in the theoretical model known as Women’s Ways of Knowing (WAYS). Analyses were conducted using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Although we found that women in our study described views on knowledge consistent with the WAYS domain of knowing in which they were classified, some aspects of the women’s interviews did not fit with their given domain. Two women could be classified under the same WAYS domain and have very different ways of understanding knowledge. We conclude that a person-oriented approach to personal epistemology research adds to and enriches aggregate-level understanding of subject matter. Implications for theoretical models of epistemological development are discussed.