bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The clock‐drawing test: normative data in adult and elderly Israeli Arabs
Authors: Merims Doron , Ben Natan Merav , Milawi Deep , Boguslavsky Tania
Published: February 2018

Aim

Despite the widespread use of the clock‐drawing test (CDT), normative data and information regarding the influence of sociodemographic factors on test performance by adult and elderly Israeli Arabs are lacking. The current study aimed to establish normative data for this population group by exploring the impact of sociodemographic factors such as age, education, and gender on CDT performance. In addition, this study examined the association between CDT performance and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.

Methods

The sample consisted of 295 community‐dwelling healthy adult and elderly Israeli Arabs, aged 20–86 years, with a MMSE score ≥24. The MMSE and the CDT were administered to participants.

Results

Statistical analyses revealed that age had a negative effect on CDT performance, which was most pronounced in the 60–86 age group, but education and occupation (academic vs non‐academic) had a positive effect. Gender and place of residence (urban vs rural) had no effect. CDT performance predicted the MMSE score.

Conclusions

The present study provides preliminary normative data on adult and elderly Israeli Arabs. The CDT appears to be applicable to Israeli Arabs, while the normative data might help interpret cognitive function results in this population.
Advantages of different care services for reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia patients
Authors: Suzuki Yukiko , Kazui Hiroaki , Yoshiyama Kenji , Azuma Shingo , Kanemoto Hideki , Sato Shunsuke , Suehiro Takashi , Ikeda Manabu
Published: February 2018

Background

It is assumed that care services effectively reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). However, it is unclear which care services are effective for reducing specific BPSD. The aim of this study was to clarify which care services were recognized by care specialists as being effective for reducing each of 11 BPSD.

Methods

We sent unsigned questionnaires to care specialists in Japan. The questionnaires asked specialists to choose from 12 kinds of care services the most, second‐most, and third‐most effective service for reducing each of 11 BPSD. The most effective service was scored as 3 points, the second‐most was 2 points, and the third‐most was 1 point. Specialists were also asked to describe why they chose each service. The 12 kinds of care services were categorized into four categories: (i) home‐visit; (ii) outpatient; (iii) short‐stay; and (iv) facility. Total scores for each category were analyzed using a two‐way anova. The reasons care specialists chose each service were analyzed using morphological analysis, and representative reasons were extracted.

Results

A total of 103 questionnaires were returned. Of the four service categories, outpatient services yielded the highest score for reducing apathy (P < 0.001) due to the effectiveness of participating in recreation and receiving stimulation. Facility services yielded the highest score for reducing aberrant motor behaviour (P < 0.001). Short‐stay services yielded the lowest score for reducing depression (P < 0.001). For eight other kinds of BPSD, there were no significant differences between home‐visit and facility services or between outpatient and facility services.

Conclusions

Care specialists reported that effective care services for reducing BPSD differed among types of BPSD. In‐home care services might be effective at reducing many BPSD except for aberrant motor behaviour, suggesting that greater use of in‐home care services might enable people with BPSD to live in their homes for longer.
Restoration thinning enhances growth and diversity in mixed redwood/Douglas‐fir stands in northern California, U.S.A.
Authors: Dagley Christa M. , Berrill John‐Pascal , Leonard Lathrop P. , Kim Yoon G.
Published: February 2018

We examined early responses to different forest restoration thinning treatments to evaluate their efficacy in accelerating tree growth rates, changing species composition, and enhancing structural diversity while minimizing stem damage by black bears and reducing slash depth. Treatments were conducted in 15–25‐year‐old mixed redwood/Douglas‐fir stands and consisted of high‐density, low‐density, and localized release thinning, as well as a control. Four years post‐treatment, data collected from 60 large plots in 20 stands spread across the Mill Creek and Rock Creek watersheds in Del Norte County, California, indicated that spatial variability created from thinning treatments was reflected in diameter growth. Trees having no crown competition had on average a 33% greater basal area increment than trees surrounded by neighboring trees. Thinning treatments enhanced redwood representation by preferentially removing other species, but also promoted rapid growth which increased incidences of bear damage. Approximately 25% of redwood trees sustained bear damage in thinned stands. The localized release thinning created a mosaic of circles flanked by unthinned patches within which trees grew slowly. Localized release created more heterogeneity in tree size but did not generate significantly greater fuel bed depths, result in more bear damage, or represent any sacrifice in understory light or plant abundance and species diversity than a more conventional approach to thinning.
Ethnic differences in spirometry measurements in China: Results from a large community‐based epidemiological study
Authors: Yan Ruohua , Tse Lap Ah , Liu Zhiguang , Bo Jian , Chan Emily Y. , Wang Yang , Yin Lu , Li Wei ,   on behalf of PURE‐China Investigators
Published: February 2018

Background and objective

No previous studies have examined differences in spirometry measurements among ethnic populations in China, and factors which may influence ethnic differences are unclear. Our study aimed to investigate whether forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) differ among Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities in China.

Methods

We recruited 7137 individuals aged 35–70 years from four areas of China inhabited by ethnic minority groups between 2007 and 2009. We conducted spirometry tests for all available participants, and compared FEV1 and FVC among Uygur, Hui, Mongolian, Dai and Han Chinese ethnicities, using nonlinear multiplicative regression models.

Results

A total of 2005 healthy never‐smokers were enrolled in the analysis. For all ethnicities, spirometry values increased with height and decreased with age; FEV1 and FVC were consistently higher in males than in females. Compared with Han Chinese, FEV1 was 4.42% (95% CI: 2.11–6.78%) higher in Mongolians, 4.08% (95% CI: 1.33–6.76%) lower in Uygurs, 4.39% (95% CI: 1.33–7.35%) lower in Hui people and 4.72% (95% CI: 1.80–7.55%) lower in Dai people, after adjusted for potential confounders including height, age, sex and place of residence. We observed similar differences for FVC.

Conclusions

We detected significant differences in spirometry measurements among ethnic populations in China. Such differences cannot be fully explained by demographic, anthropometric or socioeconomic factors, but may also be attributed to genetic background as well as indoor and outdoor environmental exposures that need further investigation.
Screening for pulmonary hypertension in interstitial lung disease: Many reasons to ECHO!
Authors: Prasad Jyotika D.
Published: February 2018

See related Article
Picking the winners: Outcome prediction in pleural disease
Authors: Corcoran John P. , Rahman Najib M.
Published: February 2018

See related Article
Khat: Adaptive Community Resilience Strategy or Short‐Sighted Money Maker?
Authors: Cafer Anne M.
Published: February 2018

Khat (Catha edulis) is a perennial bush originating in East Africa. This shrub's leaves and twigs are sold in East African and Middle Eastern markets for their narcotic effect. Khat has become an exceedingly popular topic in both the health and policy arenas, with a growing body of literature related to cardiovascular and oral health, mental health and cognitive processes, and monitoring and policy related to khat. However, there has been relatively little research on khat's association with food security, which is foundational to human health and well‐being, or its place in the agrifood system. Furthermore, research linking khat to validated cross‐cultural measures of food security is nonexistent. The majority of studies contextualizing khat production in terms of food security focus on khat's displacement of food crops. This study surveyed 115 farmers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Data revealed khat to be positively associated with food security. However, there is reason for caution given the documented potential for poor health outcomes related to khat consumption and the heavy reliance on irrigation for intensive khat production, combined with the unregulated nature of water withdrawals in Ethiopia. Poor health and degradation of water and soil resources are key vulnerability pathways in community resilience.
Health status and most distressing concerns at admission and discharge reported by patients cared for at an internal medical care ward
Authors: Jakobsson Sofie , Jakobsson Ung Eva , Lindström Marie , Eliasson Björn , Ringström Gisela
Published: February 2018

Background

To promote patients’ ability to regain health during hospitalisation, care should not only focus on disease but also on how patients perceive health. There is a lack of studies on how patients admitted for inpatients care perceive their health.

Aim

To investigate self‐reported health at admission and discharge perceived by patients admitted to an internal medicine ward; and, further, to explore the most distressing concerns at admission and discharge and the factors that influence low health status at discharge.

Designs and methods

One hundred and forty‐seven patients completed EQ‐5D and an open‐ended question ‘What concerns distress you the most?’ at admission and discharge. Descriptive, parametric and nonparametric analyses were used. Subset analyses were performed between three groups based on health change. Factors influencing low health status at discharge were tested in a logistic regression. To analyse most distressing concerns, an inductive content analysis was performed.

Results

There was a significant increase in self‐rated health for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. At discharge, 50% was identified with improved and 30% with unaltered health. Twenty per cent reported a significant deterioration of health and had the highest frequency of severe problems in all EQ‐5D dimensions. Several patients left hospital with distressing symptoms, uncertainty and concerns that had persisted throughout their hospitalisation. Vulnerable patients were characterised by an acute admission, unemployment and longer hospitalisation. Low EQ VAS at admission predicted poor health at discharge.

Conclusions

Many patients had low health status at admission. For some, this did not improve during hospital stay, and for some, it got worse. Our findings highlight a group, whose care can be improved, through information, support and follow‐up routines within and outside the hospital. Identifying these patients, efforts to better support patients in their self‐care, including relief of pain and worries, at discharge can be established.
Do people really want freedom of choice? Assessing preferences of pension holders
Authors: van Dalen Hendrik P. , Henkens Kène
Published: February 2018

Reforms of private pension plans across the world are involving the introduction of more options for pension holders to make choices to suit their preferences. Freedom of choice is not, however, a unidimensional concept despite being commonly perceived as such by policymakers. Using a unique panel survey among Dutch employees, we offer a refined typology of preferences with respect to freedom of choice. For most pension contract issues—level of pension savings, investment choice, and risk coverage—a minority (14–26%) of participants value individual freedom of choice, whereas most would either prefer to let their pension fund make the decisions, or they favor a mixed model whereby they have the option to exercise individual choice but are not obligated to take this option, or they are simply indifferent with respect to how their pension contract is designed and financed. Pension holders who distrust their pension fund or who do not express solidarity with other participants are more likely to prefer freedom of choice than those who feel a high level of solidarity and have a high level of trust in their pension fund.
Identification of the novel HLA‐B*40:333 allele by polymerase chain reaction sequence‐based typing
Authors: Zhao S.‐X. , Han Z.‐D. , He J. , Chen J.‐T. , Zhu F.‐M.
Published: February 2018

HLA‐B*40:333 differs from HLA‐B*40:01:01 by a single nucleotide substitution at position 380 T>C.
Identification of the novel allele, HLA‐C*01:136 in a German cord blood donor originating from Azerbaijan
Authors: Zingsem J. , Hauck‐Dlimi B. , Dullinger K. , Weisbach V. , Strobel J.
Published: February 2018

HLA‐C*01:136 identified by next generation sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.
When the BRANCHED network bears fruit: how carpic dominance causes fruit dimorphism in Aethionema
Authors: Lenser Teresa , Tarkowská Danuše , Novák Ondřej , Wilhelmsson Per K. I. , Bennett Tom , Rensing Stefan A. , Strnad Miroslav , Theißen Günter
Published: February 2018

Life in unpredictably changing habitats is a great challenge, especially for sessile organisms like plants. Fruit and seed heteromorphism is one way to cope with such variable environmental conditions. It denotes the production of distinct types of fruits and seeds that often mediate distinct life‐history strategies in terms of dispersal, germination and seedling establishment. But although the phenomenon can be found in numerous species and apparently evolved several times independently, its developmental time course or molecular regulation remains largely unknown. Here, we studied fruit development in Aethionema arabicum, a dimorphic member of the Brassicaceae family. We characterized fruit morph differentiation by comparatively analyzing discriminating characters like fruit growth, seed abortion and dehiscence zone development. Our data demonstrate that fruit morph determination is a ‘last‐minute’ decision happening in flowers after anthesis directly before the first morphotypical differences start to occur. Several growth experiments in combination with hormone and gene expression analyses further indicate that an accumulation balance of the plant hormones auxin and cytokinin in open flowers together with the transcript abundance of the Ae. arabicum ortholog of BRANCHED1, encoding a transcription factor known for its conserved function as a branching repressor, may guide fruit morph determination. Thus, we hypothesize that the plasticity of the fruit morph ratio in Ae. arabicum may have evolved through the modification of a preexisting network known to govern correlative dominance between shoot organs.
Capillary response to skeletal muscle contraction: evidence that redundancy between vasodilators is physiologically relevant during active hyperaemia
Authors: Lamb Iain R. , Novielli Nicole M. , Murrant Coral L.
Published: February 2018

Key points

The current theory behind matching blood flow to metabolic demand of skeletal muscle suggests redundant interactions between metabolic vasodilators.

Capillaries play an important role in blood flow control given their ability to respond to muscle contraction by causing conducted vasodilatation in upstream arterioles that control their perfusion.

We sought to determine whether redundancies occur between vasodilators at the level of the capillary by stimulating the capillaries with muscle contraction and vasodilators relevant to muscle contraction.

We identified redundancies between potassium and both adenosine and nitric oxide, between nitric oxide and potassium, and between adenosine and both potassium and nitric oxide. During muscle contraction, we demonstrate redundancies between potassium and nitric oxide as well as between potassium and adenosine.

Our data show that redundancy is physiologically relevant and involved in the coordination of the vasodilator response during muscle contraction at the level of the capillaries.

We sought to determine if redundancy between vasodilators is physiologically relevant during active hyperaemia. As inhibitory interactions between vasodilators are indicative of redundancy, we tested whether vasodilators implicated in mediating active hyperaemia (potassium (K+), adenosine (ADO) and nitric oxide (NO)) inhibit one another's vasodilatory effects through direct application of pharmacological agents and during muscle contraction. Using the hamster cremaster muscle and intravital microscopy, we locally stimulated capillaries with one vasodilator in the absence and the presence of a second vasodilator (10−7 m S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), 10−7 m ADO, 10 mm KCl) applied sequentially and simultaneously, and observed the response in the associated upstream 4A arteriole controlling the perfusion of the stimulated capillary. We found that KCl significantly attenuated SNAP‐ and ADO‐induced vasodilatations by ∼49.7% and ∼128.0% respectively and ADO significantly attenuated KCl‐ and SNAP‐induced vasodilatations by ∼94.7% and ∼59.6%, respectively. NO significantly attenuated KCl vasodilatation by 93.8%. Further, during muscle contraction we found that inhibition of NO production using l‐NG‐nitroarginine methyl ester and inhibition of ADO receptors using xanthine amine congener was effective at inhibiting contraction‐induced vasodilatation but only in the presence of K+ release channel inhibition. Thus, only when the inhibiting vasodilator K+ was blocked was the second vasodilator, NO or ADO, able to produce effective vasodilatation. Therefore, we show that there are inhibitory interactions between specific vasodilators at the level of the capillary. Further, these inhibitions can be observed during muscle contraction indicating that redundancies between vasodilators are physiologically relevant and influence vasodilatation during active hyperaemia.
Multivariable Closed Control Loop Methodology for Heliostat Aiming Manipulation in Solar Central Receiver Systems
Authors: García Jesús , Chean Soo Too Yen , Vasquez Padilla Ricardo , Beath Andrew , Kim Jin-Soo , Sanjuan Marco E.
Published: February 2018

Maintaining receiver’s thermal stresses and corrosion below the material limits are issues that need careful attention in solar thermal towers. Both depend on heliostats’ aiming points over the central receiver and available direct solar radiation at any instant. Since this technology relies on an unavoidable time-changing resource, aiming points need to be properly manipulated to avoid excessive hot spots. This paper proposes a new aiming point strategy based on a multivariable model predictive control (MPC) approach. It shows an alternative approach by introducing an agent-based group behavior over heliostats’ subsets, which makes possible either concentrating or dispersing solar radiation as required by the MPC algorithm. Simulated results indicate that it is feasible to develop a closed-loop control procedure that distributes solar irradiance over the central receiver according to the predefined heat flux limits. The performance of the proposed approach is also compared with the results found in the available literature that uses a different methodology.
Tracking Design of an Omni-Direction Autonomous Ground Vehicle by Hierarchical Enhancement Using Fuzzy Second-Order Variable Structure Control
Authors: Hwang Chih-Lyang , Lee Yunta
Published: February 2018

Owing to the hierarchical architecture of the derived model of the omni-direction autonomous ground vehicle (OD-AGV), the virtual desired trajectory (VDT) is first designed by the first switching surface, which is set as the linear dynamic pose error of the OD-AGV. In sequence, the trajectory tracking control (TTC) is designed by the second switching surface, which is the linear dynamic tracking error of the VDT. To deal with nonlinear time-varying uncertainties including system disturbance and different ground conditions, enhanced fuzzy second-order variable structure control (EF2VSC) is designed into both VDT and TTC. Finally, the experiments for tracking the circular trajectories with different curvatures, traveling velocities, and poses of the OD-AGV are presented to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed hierarchical enhancement using fuzzy second-order variable structure control (HEF2VSC).
Control of Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Slosh in Moving Rectangular Containers
Authors: Huang Jie , Zhao Xinsheng
Published: February 2018

Rectangular containers are used for numerous liquid transports in many industrial applications. However, unwanted slosh in the container degrades safe and reliable operations. A three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear slosh model in a more clear way is presented, which benefits simulations of the nonlinear slosh dynamics. In addition, a new method is designed for suppressing the nonlinear slosh by filtering the driving commands. Comparison between the new method and a previously present method is also explored. Many simulations are conducted to analyze the sloshing dynamics and the effectiveness of the new method. Experimental results obtained from a moving rectangular container validate the dynamic effects and the effectiveness of the method.
Neural Probabilistic Forecasting of Symbolic Sequences With Long Short-Term Memory
Authors: Hauser Michael , Fu Yiwei , Phoha Shashi , Ray Asok
Published: February 2018

This paper makes use of long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks for forecasting probability distributions of time series in terms of discrete symbols that are quantized from real-valued data. The developed framework formulates the forecasting problem into a probabilistic paradigm as hΘ: X × Y → [0, 1] such that ∑y∈YhΘ(x,y)=1, where X is the finite-dimensional state space, Y is the symbol alphabet, and Θ is the set of model parameters. The proposed method is different from standard formulations (e.g., autoregressive moving average (ARMA)) of time series modeling. The main advantage of formulating the problem in the symbolic setting is that density predictions are obtained without any significantly restrictive assumptions (e.g., second-order statistics). The efficacy of the proposed method has been demonstrated by forecasting probability distributions on chaotic time series data collected from a laboratory-scale experimental apparatus. Three neural architectures are compared, each with 100 different combinations of symbol-alphabet size and forecast length, resulting in a comprehensive evaluation of their relative performances.
Minimum-Time Trajectories for Steered Agent With Constraints on Speed, Lateral Acceleration, and Turning Rate
Authors: Lewis Scott William , Ehrich Leonard Naomi
Published: February 2018

We present time-optimal trajectories for a steered agent with constraints on speed, lateral acceleration, and turning rate for the problem of reaching a point on the plane in minimum time with free terminal heading angle. Both open-loop and state-feedback forms of optimal controls are derived through application of Pontryagin's minimum principle. We apply our results for the single agent to solve a multi-agent coverage problem in which each agent has constraints on speed, lateral acceleration, and turning rate.
Reverberation enhances onset dominance in sound localization
Authors: Stecker G. Christopher , Moore Travis M.
Published: February 2018

Temporal variation in sensitivity to sound-localization cues was measured in anechoic conditions and in simulated reverberation using the temporal weighting function (TWF) paradigm [Stecker and Hafter (2002). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 1046–1057]. Listeners judged the locations of Gabor click trains (4 kHz center frequency, 5-ms interclick interval) presented from an array of loudspeakers spanning 360° azimuth. Targets ranged ±56.25° across trials. Individual clicks within each train varied by an additional ±11.25° to allow TWF calculation by multiple regression. In separate conditions, sounds were presented directly or in the presence of simulated reverberation: 13 orders of lateral reflection were computed for a 10 m × 10 m room (RT60≊300 ms) and mapped to the appropriate locations in the loudspeaker array. Results reveal a marked increase in perceptual weight applied to the initial click in reverberation, along with a reduction in the impact of late-arriving sound. In a second experiment, target stimuli were preceded by trains of “conditioner” sounds with or without reverberation. Effects were modest and limited to the first few clicks in a train, suggesting that impacts of reverberant pre-exposure on localization may be limited to the processing of information from early reflections.
Cancellation of room reflections over an extended area using Ambisonics
Authors: Lecomte Pierre , Gauthier Philippe-Aubert , Langrenne Christophe , Berry Alain , Garcia Alexandre
Published: February 2018

This paper investigates the compensation of room reflections based on Ambisonics. A multichannel room equalization method for Ambisonic playback systems is proposed. The compensation filters are designed to operate in the spherical harmonics domain, prior to the decoding step. Their design requires the inversion of a matrix which can be ill-conditioned at low frequencies and for higher Ambisonic orders. A crossover and cross-order method is proposed to circumvent this problem and to reduce the amount of necessary regularization. Simulation results are presented in frequency, space, and temporal domains over a wide-range of frequencies. It is shown that the proposed method is efficient and can reduce the reproduction error to −14 dB in the reconstruction area defined in free field. Practical considerations such as Ambisonic room response estimation and robustness of the method are investigated. Experimental results are provided and show good agreement with the theory. Finally, a glimpse into the extension of the proposed method to create three-dimensional measurement-based Ambisonic reverberation is discussed.
Adaptive Working Memory Training Reduces the Negative Impact of Anxiety on Competitive Motor Performance
Authors: Ducrocq Emmanuel , Wilson Mark , Smith Tim J. , Derakshan Nazanin
Published: February 2018

Optimum levels of attentional control are essential to prevent athletes from experiencing performance breakdowns under pressure. The current study explored whether training attentional control using the adaptive dual n-back paradigm, designed to directly target processing efficiency of the main executive functions of working memory (WM), would result in transferrable effects on sports performance outcomes. A total of 30 tennis players were allocated to an adaptive WM training or active control group and underwent 10 days of training. Measures of WM capacity as well as performance and objective gaze indices of attentional control in a tennis volley task were assessed in low- and high-pressure posttraining conditions. Results revealed significant benefits of training on WM capacity, quiet eye offset, and tennis performance in the high-pressure condition. Our results confirm and extend previous findings supporting the transfer of cognitive training benefits to objective measures of sports performance under pressure.
Physical Activity, Inactivity, and Health During Youth—The Year That Was 2017
Authors: Rowlands Alex V.
Published: February 2018

It is well known that physical activity is important for children’s current and future mental and physical health. Despite this, there appears to be a secular decline in children’s physical activity (Cameron et al. [2]; Dalene et al. [3]). Furthermore, (frustratingly) interventions aiming to increase children’s physical activity have limited success (Metcalf et al. [10]), demonstrating a need for more information on the amenability of activity levels to change.
Elite Youth Sports—The Year That Was 2017
Authors: Williams Craig A.
Published: February 2018

In 2017, considerable attention has been paid by researchers on early sports specialization for youth athletes. Issues related to injury, burnout, and talent development to name a few have been debated, particularly when contrasted against other opposing youth development approaches, such as a multisport approach. The increasing professionalization of young athletes, a particular concern of this author, is coupled with the ensuing physical and mental pressures on these youngsters, as highlighted by the 2 highlighted publications in this commentary. Moreover, the financial costs to parents to support talented youngsters lead me to conclude that we must not treat them as “mini-adult athletes.” Trying to predict too far into the sporting future of a 9- or 10-year athlete can lead us to forgetting that they are just a 9 year, who typically wants to play, have fun, and be with their friends. Embarking on concentrated training programs, endless travel for tournaments, and an overemphasis on winning can be detrimental to participation rates as shown by recent data in the United States. Therefore, the challenge for researchers in elite youth sports is to ensure that practices we pursue with our young charges promote their health and well-being and that sports is for the benefit of the athlete and not the other way around.
Photocarrier generation from interlayer charge-transfer transitions in WS
2
-graphene heterostructures
Authors: Yuan Long , Chung Ting-Fung , Kuc Agnieszka , Wan Yan , Xu Yang , Chen Yong P. , Heine Thomas , Huang Libai
Published: February 2018

Charge-transfer transitions enhance carrier generation at the interfaces of two-dimensional heterostructures.
Growing old, yet staying young: The role of telomeres in bats’ exceptional longevity
Authors: Foley Nicole M. , Hughes Graham M. , Huang Zixia , Clarke Michael , Jebb David , Whelan Conor V. , Petit Eric J. , Touzalin Frédéric , Farcy Olivier , Jones Gareth , Ransome Roger D. , Kacprzyk Joanna , O’Connell Mary J. , Kerth Gerald , Rebelo Hugo , Rodrigues Luísa , Puechmaille Sébastien J. , Teeling Emma C.
Published: February 2018

Telomeres do not shorten with age in longest-lived bats.
Plasmonic nanostructures through DNA-assisted lithography
Authors: Shen Boxuan , Linko Veikko , Tapio Kosti , Pikker Siim , Lemma Tibebe , Gopinath Ashwin , Gothelf Kurt V. , Kostiainen Mauri A. , Toppari J. Jussi
Published: February 2018

DALI combines DNA origami with conventional top-down fabrication for creating designer high-resolution plasmonic nanostructures.
Diurnal transcriptome atlas of a primate across major neural and peripheral tissues
Authors: Mure Ludovic S. , Le Hiep D. , Benegiamo Giorgia , Chang Max W. , Rios Luis , Jillani Ngalla , Ngotho Maina , Kariuki Thomas , Dkhissi-Benyahya Ouria , Cooper Howard M. , Panda Satchidananda
Published: February 2018

Daily transcription cycling in the baboon

Much of our knowledge about the important effects of circadian rhythms in physiology comes from studies of mice, which are nocturnal. Mure
et al.
report transcriptional profiles from many tissues and brain regions in baboons over a 24-hour period (see the Perspective by Millius and Ueda). The results emphasize how extensive rhythmic expression is, with more than 80% of protein-coding genes involved. They also highlight unanticipated differences between the mouse and baboon in the cycling of transcripts in various tissues. The findings provide a comprehensive analysis of circadian variation in gene expression for a diurnal animal closely related to humans.

Science
, this issue p.
eaao0318
; see also p.
1210
Phosphoric acid as a precursor to chemicals traditionally synthesized from white phosphorus
Authors: Geeson Michael B. , Cummins Christopher C.
Published: February 2018

Silicon clears a wet path to phosphines

Phosphoric acid is produced on a massive scale for fertilizer by treating phosphate rock with sulfuric acid. In contrast, preparation of more elaborate phosphorus compounds used in chemical catalysis, pharmaceutical, and battery applications requires laborious generation and chlorination of elemental phosphorus. Geeson and Cummins now show that phosphoric acid may also be a practical source of such compounds (see the Perspective by Protasiewicz). They isolated and characterized a phosphide salt derived from treatment of dehydrated phosphoric acid with trichlorosilane, a compound already used at the commercial scale to produce high-purity silicon. The salt proved to be a versatile precursor for a range of alkylated and fluorinated phosphorus compounds.

Science
, this issue p.
1383
; see also p.
1333
In Vitro
Activities of Omadacycline and Comparators against Anaerobic Bacteria
Authors: Stapert Laure , Wolfe Cindy , Shinabarger Dean , Marra Andrea , Pillar Chris
Published: February 2018

Omadacycline (OMC), a broad-spectrum aminomethylcycline, has shown clinical efficacy in anaerobic acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and in animal models of intra-abdominal anaerobic infections. Here, the
in vitro
activity of OMC against clinically relevant anaerobes was similar to that of tigecycline, with MIC
90
values of 1 to 8 μg/ml against
Bacteroides
spp., 0.5 μg/ml against
Clostridium difficile
,
Prevotella
spp., and
Porphyromonas asaccharolytica
, 1 μg/ml against
Peptostreptococcus
spp., and 16 μg/ml against
Clostridium perfringens
.
Analysis of Potential β-Lactam Surrogates To Predict
In Vitro
Susceptibility and Resistance to Ceftaroline for Clinical Isolates of Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Hackel Meredith A. , Iaconis Joseph P. , Karlowsky James A. , Sahm Daniel F.
Published: February 2018

Ceftaroline fosamil was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2010 and by the European Medicines Agency in 2012. As of April 2017, only one commercial antimicrobial susceptibility testing device offered a Gram-negative panel that included ceftaroline. This circumstance is unfortunate, as many clinical microbiology laboratories rely solely on commercial devices to generate
in vitro
antimicrobial susceptibility testing results for common bacterial pathogens. In lieu of device-based testing of clinical isolates of
Enterobacteriaceae
, laboratories wishing to test ceftaroline must either opt for disk diffusion testing or use a gradient strip; however, both alternatives interrupt laboratory workflow and require additional labor and expense. Identification of a reliable surrogate β-lactam to predict
in vitro
susceptibility to ceftaroline may offer another interim solution as laboratories await availability of ceftaroline for testing on their commercial devices. We tested six β-lactams (aztreonam, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, and cefpodoxime) as potential surrogates for ceftaroline against a collection of 543 clinical isolates of
Enterobacteriaceae
selected to approximate the distribution of ceftaroline MICs observed in AWARE global surveillance studies conducted in 2013. All six potential surrogates generated very major error rates of 16.3% to 56.6%, far exceeding the accepted limit of 1.5% set by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Failure to identify a reliable surrogate to predict
in vitro
susceptibility and resistance to ceftaroline for clinical isolates of
Enterobacteriaceae
underscores the need for expedited addition of newer antimicrobial agents to commercial antimicrobial susceptibility testing devices.
Acupuncture Relieves Motion Sickness via the Irβ-Erk1/2-Dependent Insulin Receptor Signalling Pathway
Authors: Tian Dawei , Mo Fengfeng , Cai Xingjian , Miao Zhiyuan , Xiao Feng , Chang Yifang , Wu Lusha , Tang Yuxiao , Wang Xin , Ye Chen , Qian Xiaolu , Gu Wei , Li Min
Published: February 2018

Objective

Acupuncture has been widely used for the treatment of motion sickness (MS), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this research was to study the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of MS.

Methods

To observe the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of MS, 80 rats were randomised into five groups that were subjected to acceleration and either remained untreated (CTRL), or received restraint (REST), scopolamine (SCOP) or acupuncture at SP4 (sham) or PC6+ST36 (verum) acupuncture points. To study the mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of MS, 48 rats were randomised into three groups: acupuncture+extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) 1/2 inhibitor (ERKinh), acupuncture+insulin receptor (IR) antagonist (IRant), and acupuncture+vehicle (VEH). After acceleration, the MS index (MSI) and spontaneous activity (SA) of the rats were recorded. Serum stress hormones, Fos-positive cells, c-fos mRNA in the vestibular nucleus, and IRβ-, p-IRβ-, ERK1/2- and p-ERK1/2-positive cells in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV) were detected.

Results

After acceleration, MS symptoms in the PC6+ST36 and SCOP groups were reduced compared with the CTRL, REST, and SP4 groups. The number of p-IRβ- and p-ERK1/2-positive cells and insulin levels were higher in the PC6+ST36 group than in the CTRL, REST, and SP4 groups. After ERK1/2 inhibitor and IR antagonist treatment, MS symptoms in the VEH group were lower than in the ERKinh and IRant groups.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that acupuncture significantly alleviates MS through the IRβ-ERK1/2-dependent insulin receptor signalling pathway in the DMV
Evaluation of galectin-1 and galectin-3 as prospective biomarkers in keratoconus
Authors: Andrade Frans Eberth Costa , Covre Joyce Luciana , Ramos Lisandra , Hazarbassanov Rossen Mihaylov , Santos Myrna Serapião dos , Campos Mauro , Gomes José Álvaro Pereira , Gil Cristiane Damas
Published: February 2018

Aims

To evaluate the expression of β-galactoside-binding proteins galectin (Gal)-1 and Gal-3 in patients with keratoconus (KC) and postcorneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) treatment in vitro.

Methods

Tear fluid, cornea samples and conjunctival impression cytology specimens from control and KC patients were used to evaluate Gal-1 and Gal-3 expressions. Primary keratocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion from surgically removed corneas of five normal or KC human corneal buttons and cultured in Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium/Ham’s F12 medium supplemented with 2% fetal bovine serum. These cells were evaluated under two experimental conditions: control and submitted to the application of ultraviolet A light and riboflavin 0.1% (CXL) for 30 min.

Results

Patients with KC displayed increased levels of Gal-1 and Gal-3 in conjunctival epithelial cells compared with control. Furthermore, KC corneas were associated with intense expression of Gal-1 in the stroma, released by keratocytes. Ultrastructural analysis of keratocytes showed a marked increase of endogenous Gal-3 levels, but not Gal-1, in KC. In vitro, CXL induced significant release of Gal-1 in keratocyte supernatants (116±18 ng/mL, P<0.05) and decreased inflammatory biomarkers as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Gal-3 levels were not detected in the keratocyte supernatants.

Conclusion

Gal-1 and Gal-3 represent new interesting KC biomarkers as revealed by their different expression patterns in KC and control corneal samples. CXL has an immunosuppressive effect on keratocytes by reducing the release of cytokines and MMPs and increased expression of anti-inflammatory protein Gal-1.
Blindness, low vision and cataract surgery outcome among adults in Hohhot of Inner Mongolia: a Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) study
Authors: Zhang Guisen , Tham Yih-Chung , Gong Hui , Ren Fengmei , Morige Jilitu , Dai Wei , Cheng Ching-Yu , Zhang Han , Liu Lei
Published: February 2018

Background

To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment (VI), and to describe the characteristics of cataract surgery coverage and related barriers among adults aged ≥50 years residing in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional study was performed. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) was measured using the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) methodology. All VI cases were defined using the WHO definition, based on the PVA of the better-seeing eye. Details on history of cataract surgery and barriers to cataract surgery were also obtained using a standardised questionnaire.

Results

Of 4500 eligible individuals, 3985 (88.6% response rate) were examined. The age-standardised prevalence of moderate VI (PVA <6/18 to ≥6/60) was 5.4% (95% CI 4.6% to 6.3%), and severe VI (PVA <6/60 to ≥3/60) was 0.9% (95% CI 0.6% to 1.3%). The age-standardised prevalence of blindness (PVA <3/60) was 1.2% (95% CI 0.8% to 1.6%). Uncorrected refractive error (40.1%) and cataract (37.9%) were the leading causes of overall VI. Cataract (34.9%) was the leading cause of blindness. Among individuals with blindness, cataract surgical coverage was 80.7%. Among individuals with blindness due to cataract, the main barriers to cataract surgery were lack of awareness (38.1%).

Conclusions

The age-standardised prevalence rate of blindness in Hohhot was lower compared with other RAAB studies in China. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness. These findings provide useful information for the planning of public healthcare services in Inner Mongolia.
Peer influence as a driver of technological innovation in the UK National Health Service: a qualitative study of clinicians’ experiences and attitudes
Authors: Greszczuk Claire , Mughal Faraz , Mathew Rammya , Rashid Ahmed
Published: February 2018

Background

Accelerating innovation to improve quality is a key policy target for healthcare systems around the world. Effectively influencing individuals’ behaviour is crucial to the success of innovation initiatives. This study explores UK clinicians’ lived experiences of, and attitudes towards, clinical peers endorsing healthcare innovations.

Methods

Qualitative interviews with UK-based clinicians in one of two groups: (1) clinicians working in ‘front-line’ service provision and (2) clinicians in strategic leadership roles within health institutions. Participants were identified through purposive sampling, and participated in semistructured telephone interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify and analyse themes in the data.

Results

17 participants were recruited: eight clinicians from front-line UK healthcare settings and nine clinicians in leadership roles. Two major themes were identified from the interviews: power and trust. Participants recognised and valued peers’ powerful influence, exerted in person via social networks and routine work-related activities. Peers were implicitly trusted, although often on condition of their credibility and deservingness of respect, supporting evidence and absence of conflict of interest. While the groups shared similar views, they diverged on the subject of institutions, felt to be powerful by strategic leaders yet scarcely mentioned by front-line clinicians.

Conclusions

UK clinicians view peers as a powerful and trustworthy source to promote innovative technologies. Policies that aim to support this process should seek to control the wider conditions that nurture peer-to-peer influence. Further research into interpersonal influence in health settings may improve implementation of change initiatives.
Impacts of an opioid overdose prevention intervention delivered subsequent to acute care
Authors: Banta-Green Caleb J , Coffin Phillip O , Merrill Joseph O , Sears Jeanne M , Dunn Chris , Floyd Anthony S , Whiteside Lauren K , Yanez Norbert D , Donovan Dennis M
Published: February 2018

Background

Opioid overdose is a major and increasing cause of injury and death. There is an urgent need for interventions to reduce overdose events among high-risk persons.

Methods

Adults at elevated risk for opioid overdose involving heroin or pharmaceutical opioids who had been cared for in an emergency department (ED) were randomised to overdose education combined with a brief behavioural intervention and take-home naloxone or usual care. Outcomes included: (1) time to first opioid overdose-related event resulting in medical attention or death using competing risks survival analysis; and (2) ED visit and hospitalisation rates, using negative binomial regression and adjusting for time at risk.

Results

During the follow-up period, 24% of the 241 participants had at least one overdose event, 85% had one or more ED visits and 55% had at least one hospitalisation, with no significant differences between intervention and comparison groups. The instantaneous risk of an overdose event was not significantly lower for the intervention group (sub-HR: 0.83; 95% CI 0.49 to 1.40).

Discussion

These null findings may be due in part to the severity of the population in terms of housing insecurity (70% impermanently housed), drug use, unemployment and acute healthcare issues. Given the high overdose and healthcare utilisation rates, more intensive interventions, such as direct referral and provision of housing and opioid agonist treatment medications, may be necessary to have a substantial impact on opioid overdoses for this high-acuity population in acute care settings.

Trial registration number

NCT0178830; Results.
HER2 testing of gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma: a commentary and guidance document from the Association of Clinical Pathologists Molecular Pathology and Diagnostics Committee
Authors: Wong Newton A C S , Amary Fernanda , Butler Rachel , Byers Richard , Gonzalez David , Haynes Harry R , Ilyas Mohammad , Salto-Tellez Manuel , Taniere Philippe
Published: February 2018

The use of biologics targeted to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein is the latest addition to the armamentarium used to fight advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. The decision to treat with the biologic trastuzumab is completely dependent on HER2 testing of tumour tissue. In 2017, the College of American Pathologists, American Society for Clinical Pathology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology jointly published guidelines for HER2 testing and clinical decision making in gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The Association of Clinical Pathologists Molecular Pathology and Diagnostics Committee has issued the following document as a commentary of these guidelines and, in parallel, to provide guidance on HER2 testing in National Health Service pathology departments within the UK. This guidance covers issues related to case selection, preanalytical aspects, analysis and interpretation of such HER2 testing.