bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat shock proteins are differentially expressed in brain and spinal cord: implications for multiple sclerosis
Authors: Gorter R P , Nutma E , Jahrei M-C , de Jonge J C , Quinlan R A , van der Valk P , van Noort J M , Baron W , Amor S
Published: July 2018

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelination, inflammation and neurodegeneration throughout the central nervous system. Although spinal cord pathology is an important factor contributing to disease progression, few studies have examined MS lesions in the spinal cord and how they differ from brain lesions. In this study we have compared brain and spinal cord white (WM) and grey (GM) matter from MS and control tissues, focusing on small heat shock proteins (HSPB) and HSP16.2. Western blotting was used to examine protein levels of HSPB1, HSPB5, HSPB6, HSPB8 and HSP16.2 in brain and spinal cord from MS and age-matched non-neurological controls. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine expression of the HSPs in MS spinal cord lesions and controls. Expression levels were quantified using ImageJ. Western blotting revealed significantly higher levels of HSPB1, HSPB6 and HSPB8 in MS and control spinal cord compared to brain tissues. No differences in HSPB5 and HSP16.2 protein levels were observed, although HSPB5 protein levels were higher in brain WM versus GM. In MS spinal cord lesions, increased HSPB1 and HSPB5 expression was observed in astrocytes, and increased neuronal expression of HSP16.2 was observed in normal-appearing GM and type 1 GM lesions. The high constitutive expression of several HSPBs in spinal cord and increased expression of HSPBs and HSP16.2 in MS illustrate differences between brain and spinal cord in health and upon demyelination. Regional differences in HSP expression may reflect differences in astrocyte cytoskeleton composition and influence inflammation, possibly affecting the effectiveness of pharmacological agents.
THE BEHAVIOR OF CASINO GAMING REVENUE OVER THE BUSINESS CYCLE CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVE MEASURES OF “INCOME”
Authors: Garrett Thomas A. , Nichols Mark W.
Published: July 2018

Reasons exist for believing that casino gaming revenue does not respond equally to all sources of income over the business cycle. We examine the growth and variability of casino revenue resulting from the growth and variability in different sources of income. We find that casino revenue behaves quite differently in response to short‐run and long‐run variation in each income source, thus revealing that the common use of personal income masks underlying drivers of each state's business cycle. Our results have implications for revenue forecasting models, research on the growth and variability of tax bases in general, and public policy. (JEL H72, H79, L83)
Pre‐intensive care unit intubation and subsequent delayed intensive care unit admission is independently associated with increased occurrence of ventilator‐associated pneumonia
Authors: Tsakiridou Eirini , Mega Anna‐Maria , Zakynthinos Epameinondas , Melissopoulou Theodora , Stamos George , Argyriou Konstantinos , Pangrati Stamatoula , Deliolanis Ioannis , Floros Ioannis
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Critically ill intubated patients are at risk for ventilator‐associated pneumonia. However, intubation may not occur in intensive care unit (ICU) and subsequent ICU admission may be delayed.

Objectives

To evaluate whether intubation >24 h prior ICU admission and delay in ICU admission is associated with ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) in non‐trauma critically ill patients.

Materials and methods

Prospective observational study conducted in a medical‐surgical ICU of a tertiary hospital. Consecutive patients with >48 h of invasive mechanical ventilation and >72 h hospitalization, were recruited in the study. Pre‐ICU intubation and delay in ICU admission, demographical, clinical, microbiological data and ICU interventions were assessed as risk factors for VAP and ICU mortality.

Results

100 patients were included in the study. Pre‐ICU intubation and delayed (>24 h) ICU admission (PDA patients) (P = 0.014, OR = 3.294, confidence interval 1.268‐8.557) and SOFA score on ICU admission (P = 0.045, OR = 1.154, confidence interval 1.003‐1.328) were independent risk factors for VAP in ICU care setting. Yet, PDA patients, presented significantly increased incidence of VAP due to MDR bacteria, mainly from Acinetobacter baumannii. Acinetobacter baumannii infection was the only independent risk factor for ICU mortality (P = 0.049, OR = 3.253, confidence interval 1.006‐10.521). SOFA score on ICU admission, presented a fair prognostic accuracy of overall ICU mortality (SOFA ≥ 8.5, AUC = 0.850, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Pre‐ICU intubation and delayed ICU admission was independent risk factor for VAP Acinetobacter baumannii infection and a high SOFA score on ICU admission were predictors of increased ICU mortality.
Economic Benefits and Environmental Costs of China's Exports: A Comparison with the USA Based on Network Analysis
Authors: Liu Ya , Zhao Yuhuan , Li Hao , Wang Song , Zhang Yongfeng , Cao Ye
Published: July 2018

This paper decomposes economic benefits (value‐added) and environmental costs (CO2) of exports according to their sources, and maps the global value network (GVN) and the global emissions network (GEN) for China's exports during 1995–2009 from national, sectoral and national–sectoral perspectives. A comparison is conducted between China and the USA. National GVN and GEN show that shares of value‐added and CO2 emissions from China in its GVN and GEN both decreased first then increased after 2006, while shares from the USA in its GVN and GEN generally decreased. Sectoral GVN and GEN show that among China's exports, “electrical and optical equipment” and “electricity, gas and water supply” were, respectively, the sectors that obtained the most value‐added and emitted the most CO2. National–sectoral GVN and GEN for China exhibited reciprocal and disassortative patterns, and in‐strengths and out‐strengths of GVN and GEN for China's exports were mainly captured by several domestic country–sector pairs.
Managing hyperglycaemia during antenatal steroid administration, labour and birth in pregnant women with diabetes
Authors: Dashora U. , Murphy H. R. , Temple R. C. , Stanley K. P. , Castro E. , George S. , Dhatariya K. , Haq M. , Sampson M. ,   the Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) for Inpatient Care
Published: July 2018

Optimal glycaemic control before and during pregnancy improves both maternal and fetal outcomes. This article summarizes the recently published guidelines on the management of glycaemic control in pregnant women with diabetes on obstetric wards and delivery units produced by the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care and available in full at www.diabetes.org.uk/joint-british-diabetes-society and https://abcd.care/joint-british-diabetes-societies-jbds-inpatient-care-group. Hyperglycaemia following steroid administration can be managed by variable rate intravenous insulin infusion (VRIII) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) in women who are willing and able to safely self‐manage insulin dose adjustment. All women with diabetes should have capillary blood glucose (CBG) measured hourly once they are in established labour. Those who are found to be higher than 7 mmol/l on two consecutive occasions should be started on VRIII. If general anaesthesia is used, CBG should be monitored every 30 min in the theatre. Both the VRIII and CSII rate should be reduced by at least 50% once the placenta is delivered. The insulin dose needed after delivery in insulin‐treated Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes is usually 25% less than the doses needed at the end of first trimester. Additional snacks may be needed after delivery especially if breastfeeding. Stop all anti‐diabetes medications after delivery in gestational diabetes. Continue to monitor CBG before and 1 h after meals for up to 24 h after delivery to pick up any pre‐existing diabetes or new‐onset diabetes in pregnancy. Women with Type 2 diabetes on oral treatment can continue to take metformin after birth.
Management of hyperglycaemia and steroid (glucocorticoid) therapy: a guideline from the Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) for Inpatient Care group
Authors: Roberts A. , James J. , Dhatariya K. ,   the Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) for Inpatient Care
Published: July 2018

Glucocorticoids (steroids) are widely used across many medical specialities for their anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. However, one of their major side effects is the development of hyperglycaemia. It is well recognized that high glucose levels in people with diabetes in hospital are associated with harm and increased lengths of hospital stay. The use of glucocorticoid (steroid) treatment in people with pre‐existing diabetes will undoubtedly result in worsening glucose control, and this may be termed ‘steroid‐induced hyperglycaemia’, and will warrant temporary additional, and more active, glycaemic management. A rise in glucose may occur in people without a known diagnosis of diabetes, and this may be termed ‘steroid‐induced diabetes’. There is a lack of evidence to guide how people with hyperglycaemia should be managed, and much of the guidance given here is a consensus based on best practice collated from around the United Kingdom. Where evidence is available, this is referenced. These guidelines on the management of people with diabetes treated with steroids has been adapted specifically for Diabetic Medicine. The full version of the guidelines can be found on line at: www.diabetes.org.uk/joint-british-diabetes-society or https://abcd.care/joint-british-diabetes-societies-jbds-inpatient-care-group.
Moral responsibility for concepts
Authors: Fredericks Rachel
Published: July 2018

I argue that we are sometimes morally responsible for having and using (or not using) our concepts, despite the fact that we generally do not choose to have them or have full or direct voluntary control over how we use them. I do so by extending an argument of Angela Smith's; the same features that she says make us morally responsible for some of our attitudes also make us morally responsible for some of our concepts. Specifically, like attitudes, concepts can be (a) conceptually and rationally connected to our evaluative judgments, (b) in principle subject to rational revision (reasons‐responsive), and (c) the basis for actual and potential moral assessments of people that we have good reasons to endorse. Thus, we areopento moral appraisal on the basis of having and using (or not using) our concepts when they reflect our evaluative judgments, though even then it is not always appropriate to praise or blame us on that basis.
Unsustainable trajectories of domestic information technology use in Australia: Exploring diversity and the life course
Authors: Lane Ruth , Follett Kaye , Lindsay Jo
Published: July 2018

Current trajectories of the proliferation and use of information technology (IT) in households present an example of rapid socio‐technical change in an unsustainable direction. We document patterns in the proliferation, use and accumulation of IT in households in Australia, drawing on data from an online national survey (N = 1,475) and qualitative interviews conducted during 2015 and 2016 (N = 36, with participants from three cities and one regional town). We identified cohorts of IT users who shared specific use practices and found that age, life course and income were important for defining and understanding these cohorts. IT practices change with life course transitions, such as children moving through the education system. Practices may be linked with changes in residence and income, and provide opportunities for interventions at such times when both technology and its use are changing anyway. The most concerning development was the use of multiple devices simultaneously, particularly when this included live streaming of high‐resolution video and audio. This practice is increasing in households with teenagers and young adults, and is likely, if unchecked, to become a significant driver of energy demand. We conclude by reflecting on the implications of our findings for (1) influencing current unsustainable trajectories of IT use into the future and (2) conceptualising the agency of householders in socio‐technical change involving fast‐changing technologies. There is an increasing research focus on the multiplicity of transition pathways, but a focus on the life course can, we argue, bring a new and important dimension to this understanding.
Demographic transition and asset prices: Evidence from developing countries
Authors: Singh Bhupal
Published: July 2018

This paper examines the effects of demography on asset prices in developing countries, which has remained largely an unexplored area. Using panel data estimators for 25 countries, we find evidence of significant positive impact of working age population on real housing and stock prices, buttressing the intuition of the life cycle theory. Contrary to the evidence for advanced countries, we do not find support for negative housing wealth effect of ageing due to factors such as lack of state‐funded health and old age safety nets, reliance on family for social insurance, and strong bequeath motives rooted in the social configuration. Results also suggest that as developing countries attain a peak workforce participation rate over the next two decades, real stock and housing prices would cumulatively increase 4–7 percentage points, with concomitant implications for domestic savings, consumption, aggregate demand and, thus, for the conduct of macroeconomic policies in developing countries.
Is planting trees the solution to reducing flood risks?
Authors: Carrick Jayne , Abdul Rahim Mohd Shaiful Azman Bin , Adjei Cosmos , Ashraa Kalee Hassan Habib Hassan , Banks Steven James , Bolam Friederike Charlotte , Campos Luna Ivone Maritza , Clark Beth , Cowton Jake , Domingos Israel Freitas Nongando , Golicha David Duba , Gupta Garima , Grainger Matthew , Hasanaliyeva Gultakin , Hodgson David John , Lopez‐Capel Elisa , Magistrali Amelia Jo , Merrell Ian George , Oikeh Idiegberanoise , Othman Mwanajuma Salim , Ranathunga Mudiyanselage Thilanka Kumari Ranathunga , Samuel Carl Warren Charles , Sufar Enas KH , Watson Philip Alexander , Zakaria Nik Nur Azwanida Binti , Stewart Gavin
Published: July 2018

Flood risk and associated impacts are major societal and policy concerns following widespread flooding in December 2015, which cost the UK economy an estimated £5 billion. Increasing advocacy for alternatives to conventional hard engineering solutions is accompanied by demands for evidence. This study provides a systematic review and meta‐analysis of direct evidence for the effect of tree cover on channel discharge. The results highlighted a deficiency in direct evidence. From 7 eligible studies of 156 papers reviewed, the results show that increasing tree cover has a small statistically significant effect on reducing channel discharge. Meta‐analysis reveals that tree cover reduces channel discharge (standardised mean difference −0.35, 95%CI, −0.71 to 0.00), but the effect was variable (I2 = 81.91%), the potential for confounding was high, and publication bias is strongly suspected (Egger Test z = 3.0568, p = .002). Due to the lack of direct evidence the overall strength of evidence is low, indicating high uncertainty. Further primary research is required to understand reasons for heterogeneity and reduce uncertainty. A Bayesian network parameterised with data from the meta‐analysis supports investment in integrated catchment management, particularly on infrastructure density and water storage (reservoirs), for effective responses to flood risk.
From individuals to communities: How singleton invasive pine saplings lead to biodiversity change in the Brazilian Cerrado hotspot
Authors: Kortz Alessandra R. , Silva Matos Dalva M. , Magurran Anne E.
Published: July 2018

Questions

How do newly established species interact with existing assemblage members to alter local biodiversity? This question is especially topical given growing concerns about increased temporal turnover levels relative to background rates. Pine (Pinus spp.), a major invasive taxon in the Southern Hemisphere, is progressively dominating remaining fragments of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado), a biodiversity hotspot. Because the Cerrado's diversity is linked to habitat heterogeneity we argue that the impact of these invasive singleton pines will be mediated by differences in local habitat structure. Here we use isolated invasive pines (Pinus elliottii) in the Cerrado as a study system to test the prediction that changes in the diversity of native communities, in the presence of newly established exotic individuals, will be greatest in the dominant vegetation layer of a habitat.

Location

Itirapina Ecological Station, southeast of Brazil.

Methods

We used a stratified random survey in 5 m × 5 m pairs of plots invaded by a single pine individual, each matched by control uninvaded plots; both shrub and grass vegetation layers were sampled in both habitats. In total, 300 plots were sampled, 114 in the shrub‐dominated campo sujo and 186 in the grass‐dominated campo úmido.

Results

Over 400 plant species were recorded. In both habitats, we detect marked shifts in species richness of the dominant vegetation layer. In line with our prediction, the nature of these changes is mediated by local habitat structure. We find significantly reduced species richness in the shrub layer of the shrub‐dominated habitat, but elevated species richness in the grass layer of the grass‐dominated habitat in invaded sites (vs. control). In the grass layer of campo úmido, pine initially decreases dominance thus allowing more species to colonize the plots.

Conclusions

The shape of the diversity vs. establishment time relationship is layer‐dependent, with a significant relationship between dominance/evenness and pine size in the grass layer but no relationship in the shrub layer. Our results show that, although complex, the consequences for local biodiversity of non‐native species establishment are not haphazard and thus contribute to the understanding of species co‐existence.
Stuck in the Clinic: Vernacular Healing and Medical Anthropology in Contemporary sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Scherz China
Published: July 2018

While vernacular therapeutics had long been a topic of interest to many writing about medicine and healing in Africa, with a few exceptions most recent anthropological writings on medicine in Africa are focused on biomedicine. In this article, I trace this shift back to the turn of the millennium and the convergence of three events: the emergence of global health, the accession of the occult economies paradigm, and critiques of culturalism in medical anthropology. I argue that these three shifts led to research projects and priorities that looked different from those defined and undertaken as late as the late 1990s. While seeking to avoid the errors that could come with writing about vernacular therapeutic traditions in Africa as bounded comprehensive systems, I argue that there are empirical, political, and practical reasons why medical anthropologists may want to reconsider our collective research priorities.
Choreographing Death: A Social Phenomenology of Medical Aid‐in‐dying in the United States
Authors: Buchbinder Mara
Published: July 2018

This article draws on ethnographic research on the implementation of Vermont's 2013 medical aid‐in‐dying (AID) law to explore a fundamental paradox: While public discourse characterizes AID as a mechanism for achieving an individually controlled autonomous death, the medico–legal framework that organizes it enlists social support and cultivates dependencies. Therefore, while patients pursuing AID may avoid certain types of dependency—such as those involved in bodily care—the process requires them to affirm and strengthen other bureaucratic, material, and affective forms. By tracing the social phenomenology of several AID deaths, I illustrate how AID results in distinctive forms of sociality and dependency that require terminally ill people and caregivers to embrace a collaborative stance toward choreographing death. I argue that assisted dying offers an opportunity to resist dominant U.S. cultural narratives that view dependency in purely negative terms and reimagine the relationships between disability, dependency, and care at the end of life.
Wittgenstein on Essence
Authors: Ring Merrill
Published: July 2018

In the Investigations, #s 371 and 373, Wittgenstein said: “Essence is expressed by grammar” and “Grammar tells what kind of object anything is …”. Those passages, which commit Wittgenstein to holding that things have essences and which offer an account of what essences consist in, have been ignored by commentators, chiefly because it is thought that in #65ff (family resemblances) Wittgenstein rejected essentialism. The aim of this paper is to straighten out the story of Wittgenstein's thought on the subject of essence and to show that he produced (somewhat following in Kant's footsteps) a major change in the conception of an essence.
The Institutionality Of Legal Validity
Authors: Ehrenberg Kenneth M.
Published: July 2018

The most influential theory of law in current analytic legal philosophy is legal positivism, which generally understands law to be a kind of institution. The most influential theory of institutions in current analytic social philosophy is that of John Searle. One would hope that the two theories are compatible, and in many ways they certainly are. But one incompatibility that still needs ironing out involves the relation of the social rule that undergirds the validity of any legal system (H.L.A. Hart's rule of recognition) to Searle's notion of codification: the idea that institutions need official declarations of their constitutive rules in order to enjoy the full benefits of institutions. The incompatibility arises from the fact that, in order to do its institutional work, the basic validity rule must be codified in Searle's sense—yet, given the particular role it has in legal positivism, it may be impossible to codify in the Searlean sense. In this paper I develop the incompatibility in detail, consider and reject consigning the basic validity rule to Searle's “Background” capacities that support institutional facts, and conclude that the best route to eliminating it while doing a minimum of damage to the two theories is to make a slight emendation to Searle's theory of institutions.
Spicing up restoration: can chili peppers improve restoration seeding by reducing seed predation?
Authors: Pearson Dean E. , Valliant Morgan , Carlson Chris , Thelen Giles C. , Ortega Yvette K. , Orrock John L. , Madsen Matthew D.
Published: July 2018

Seed predation by rodents presents a significant barrier to native plant recruitment and can impede restoration seeding efforts. In nature, some plants contain secondary defense compounds that deter seed predators. If these natural defense compounds can be applied to unprotected seeds to inhibit rodent granivores, this approach could improve restoration seeding. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) seeds that creates the burning sensation associated with human consumption of hot peppers. This compound has a similar effect on other mammals and is believed to have evolved as a deterrent to rodent seed predators. We used seed‐coating techniques to attach powder ground from Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense) peppers to native plant seeds and evaluated the efficacy of these seed coatings for deterring rodent seed predation and enhancing native plant recruitment using laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory feeding trials demonstrated that native deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) consumed far fewer pepper‐coated seeds compared to untreated control seeds. Field seed‐addition experiments consistently demonstrated that rodent seed predation reduced native plant recruitment over the 4‐year study. Coating techniques used in the first 3 years were not persistent enough to reduce rodent seed predation effects on plant recruitment. However, a more persistent coating applied in conjunction with late‐winter sowing negated rodent seed predation effects on recruitment in year 4. Our results demonstrate that coating seeds with natural plant defense compounds may provide an effective, economical way to improve the efficacy of plant restoration by deterring seed predation by ubiquitous rodent granivores.
Regulating Islamic banks in authoritarian settings: Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates in comparative perspective
Authors: Apaydin Fulya
Published: July 2018

Until recently, most empirical support for theories on regulatory governance has been derived from democratizing and democratic settings. The assumption behind the selection of these cases relies on an understanding that non‐democratic systems will not nurture independent and autonomous regulatory practices. This paper closely examines this claim by problematizing variations in the regulation of the Islamic banking and finance industry based on recent findings from Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Combining historical data with field interviews, the findings reveal that historical legacies and regime institutions that frame political competition play a more nuanced role in the contemporary governance of market exchanges in non‐democratic settings. In particular, the type of political competition in authoritarian regimes influences the resulting configuration of regulatory institutions that govern Islamic banking and finance, which accommodate varying degrees of autonomy.
Impact of venous leg ulceration on health‐related quality of life: A synthesis of data from randomized controlled trials compared to population norms
Authors: Jull Andrew , Muchoney Sara , Parag Varsha , Wadham Angela , Bullen Chris , Waters Jill
Published: July 2018

Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of leg ulceration, but the impact of venous leg ulceration on health‐related quality of life has not been adequately assessed. This study compared data from randomized controlled trials to population norms obtained from a large national population survey. We combined the baseline Short Form‐36 (SF‐36) version 1 data from two New Zealand randomized controlled trials that recruited participants with VLU and compared the pooled data to the population scores obtained from the New Zealand Health Survey using general linear regression to adjust for age, sex, and ethnicity differences between the cohorts. Baseline SF‐36 scores obtained from 618 trial participants were compared to the SF‐36 scores obtained from the 12,529 participants in the New Zealand Health Survey. Participants with VLU had significantly lower crude SF‐36 scores across all eight SF‐36 domains, but there was interaction between age and group. Adjusted mean differences for participants aged 65 years or younger were −25.8, −32.1, −21.2, −9.6, −7.6, −23.9, −21.5, and −9.3, respectively, for Physical Functioning, Role Physical, Bodily Pain, General Health, Vitality, Social Functioning, Role Emotional, and Mental Health whereas the adjusted mean differences for older participants were −15.7, −23.8, −13.8, −0.3 (nonsignificant), −4.6, −15.3, −21.2, and −6.6. This study is the first to compare a VLU population to norms from a general population survey and the first to show VLU interacts with age creating stronger impact in younger patients compared their age cohort. Younger patients may have need of more pastoral care as a consequence.
Gig Engineering
Authors: Sukel Kayt
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on increase in the number of freelancer engineers and benefits of freelancing. According to a survey, freelancing in America 2017, estimates that more than 57 million Americans are currently freelancing. Also, experts believe this number will grow rapidly as both new and well-established companies discover that traditional hiring models are not meeting their needs. The article also emphasizes that freelancing allows people to live their life as they want to live it and craft their work into that life, rather than live where they have to for work and craft your lifestyle to fit into their work. The freedom and flexibility of freelancing are something that you just cannot find in most traditional jobs. According to an expert, no matter which platform an engineer prefers, online talent platforms are another key to success as a freelancer. Successful freelancers really are entrepreneurs—they see the demand for new skills, they see that they can be paid more for having those skills, so they are always out there learning and retraining themselves so they can get those job.
New Bird Ingestion Tests?
Authors: Langston Lee S.
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the significance of bird ingestion in jet engines. Bird strikes occur at various aircraft locations, however, usually inflict most damage to the engines. Airplane damage and effect on flight from bird strikes are closely correlated to kinetic energy, derived from the mass (determined by the bird species) and the velocity of collision squared. The US statistics described in the article show that bird ingestion in commercial jet engines is significant and even more so, when combined with records from the rest of the flight world. Current statistics show that incidents of commercial aircraft jet engine bird ingestion are increasing, and are a continuing challenge over the next decade. Recently, European Aviation Safety Agency, working with other authorities, is proposing additional original equipment manufacturer bird ingestion testing requirements for an engine operating under climb conditions, following the ingestion of a medium sized bird into the engine core. It is also emphasized in the article that there is a need of a new systems approach to adequately mitigate the risks of aircraft and bird occupying the same air space at the same time.
Simulation of Electron–Phonon Coupling and Heating Dynamics in Suspended Monolayer Graphene Including All the Phonon Branches
Authors: Coco Marco , Romano Vittorio
Published: July 2018

Thermal effects in monolayer graphene due to an electron flow are investigated with a direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) analysis. The crystal heating is described by simulating the phonon dynamics of the several relevant branches, acoustic, optical, K and Z phonons. The contribution of each type of phonon is highlighted. In particular, it is shown that the Z phonons, although they do not enter the scattering with electrons, play a non-negligible role in the determination of the crystal temperature. The phonon distributions are evaluated by counting the emission and absorption processes during the MC simulation. The crystal temperature raise is obtained for several applied electric fields and for several positive Fermi energies. The latter produces the effect of a kind of n-doping in the graphene layer. Critical temperatures can be reached in a few tens of picoseconds posing remarkable issues regarding the cooling system in view of a possible application of graphene in semiconductor devices. Moreover, a significant influence of the lattice temperature on the characteristic curves is observed only for long times, confirming graphene rather robust as regards the electrical performance.
Condensation of R134a and R22 in Shell and Tube Condensers Mounted With High-Density Low-Fin Tubes
Authors: Ji Wen-Tao , Zhao Chuang-Yao , Lofton Jessica , Li Zeng-Yao , Zhang Ding-Cai , He Ya-Ling , Tao Wen-Quan
Published: July 2018

In this work, the condensation of refrigerants on a single, high-density, low-fin tube and full-sized shell and tube condensers were investigated experimentally. The low-fin tube had an external fin density of 56 fins per inch (fpi) and fin height 1.023 mm. Another three-dimensional (3D) finned tube was also tested for comparison. The condensing heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant R134a was first investigated outside a single horizontal tube at saturation temperature of 40 °C. The overall heat transfer coefficients of the two tubes were similar in magnitude. The condensing heat transfer coefficient of the low-fin tube was 16.3–25.2% higher than that of 3D enhanced tube. The experiments of the two condensers mounted with low-fin and 3D enhanced tubes were then conducted in centrifugal and screw chiller test rigs. It was found that chillers with the two different condensers generally had the same refrigeration capacity under the same experiment conditions. The refrigeration capacity of the screw chiller was smaller. It had fewer tube rows and elicited fewer inundation effects owing to the falling condensate. The heat transfer coefficients of the condensers with R134a in centrifugal chillers equipped with high-density low-finned tubes were higher than those in the screw chillers. The total number of tubes for low-fin tube condensers, in the two chillers, was reduced by approximately 15% compared with the use of domestic advanced condensers equipped with the 3D enhanced tubes.
Age-Related Differences in Postural and Goal-Directed Movements During Medial–Lateral Rhythmic Stepping
Authors: Hanke Timothy A. , Kay Bruce , Turvey Michael , Tiberio David
Published: July 2018

Lateral stability and weight transfer are important for successful stepping and are associated with falls in older adults (OAs). This study assessed the influence of step pacing frequency during medial–lateral stepping in place on body center of mass and lower limb movement in young adults, middle-aged adults, and OAs. Medial–lateral center of mass and stepping limb motion and lower limb loading data were collected. Center of mass motion decreased with increasing pacing frequency and increased to a lesser extent with decreasing pacing frequency. Step length was relatively resistant to changes in pacing frequency. OAs exhibited reductions in whole body and stepping motion compared with younger adults. OAs exhibited greater support limb loading. OAs adapt both postural and stepping strategies to successfully step under time-critical conditions.
Validation of a Dried Blood Spot Ceftriaxone Assay in Papua New Guinean Children with Severe Bacterial Infections
Authors: Mukap Mispah , Sprod Corin , Tefuarani Nakapi , Laman Moses , Page-Sharp Madhu , Salman Sam , Moore Brioni R. , Batty Kevin T. , Davis Timothy M. E. , Manning Laurens
Published: July 2018

Dried blood spot (DBS) antibiotic assays can facilitate pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in situations where venous blood sampling is logistically and/or ethically challenging. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the validity of a DBS ceftriaxone assay in a PK study of children with severe illness from Papua New Guinea (PNG), a setting in which health care resources are limited and anemia is common.
Pseudomonas chlororaphis Produces Multiple R-Tailocin Particles That Broaden the Killing Spectrum and Contribute to Persistence in Rhizosphere Communities
Authors: Dorosky Robert J. , Pierson Leland S. , Pierson Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2018

Although R-tailocin gene clusters typically encode one tail fiber protein, three tail fiber-resembling genes were identified in association with one of the two sets of R-tailocin genes within the tailocin cluster of
P. chlororaphis
30-84 and other sequenced
P. chlororaphis
strain genomes. This study confirmed that
P. chlororaphis
30-84 not only produces two distinct tailocins, but that one of them is produced with three different types of tail fibers. This is a previously unreported strategy to increase the breadth of strains targeted by an R-tailocin. Our finding that R-tailocins produced by a PGPR
Pseudomonas
strain enhanced its persistence within the wheat rhizosphere microbiome confirms that R-tailocin production contributes to the population dynamics of rhizobacterial communities.
Coherent Feedforward Regulation of Gene Expression by Caulobacter σ
T
and GsrN during Hyperosmotic Stress
Authors: Tien Matthew Z. , Stein Benjamin J. , Crosson Sean
Published: July 2018

Bacteria inhabit diverse niches and must adapt their physiology to constant environmental fluctuations. A major response to environmental perturbation is to change gene expression.
Caulobacter
and other alphaproteobacteria initiate a complex gene expression program known as the general stress response (GSR) under conditions including oxidative stress, osmotic stress, and nutrient limitation. The GSR enables cell survival in these environments. Understanding how bacteria survive stress requires that we dissect gene expression responses, such as the GSR, at the molecular level. This study is significant, as it defines transcriptional and posttranscriptional layers of gene expression regulation in response to hyperosmotic stress. We further provide evidence that a coherent feedforward motif influences the system properties of the
Caulobacter
GSR pathway.
Emerging Proviral Roles of Caspases during Lytic Replication of Gammaherpesviruses
Authors: Tabtieng Tate , Gaglia Marta M.
Published: July 2018

Due to their roles in the regulation of programmed cell death and inflammation, the cellular caspase proteases are considered antiviral factors. However, recent studies have revealed examples of proviral functions for caspases.
The S2 Subunit of Infectious Bronchitis Virus Beaudette Is a Determinant of Cellular Tropism
Authors: Bickerton Erica , Maier Helena J. , Stevenson-Leggett Phoebe , Armesto Maria , Britton Paul
Published: July 2018

Infectious bronchitis remains a major problem in the global poultry industry, despite the existence of many different vaccines. IBV vaccines, both live attenuated and inactivated, are currently grown on embryonated hen's eggs, a cumbersome and expensive process due to the fact that most IBV strains do not grow in cultured cells. The reverse genetics system for IBV creates the opportunity for generating rationally designed and more effective vaccines. The observation that IBV Beaudette has the additional tropism for growth on Vero cells also invokes the possibility of generating IBV vaccines produced from cultured cells rather than by the use of embryonated eggs. The regions of the IBV Beaudette S glycoprotein involved in the determination of extended cellular tropism were identified in this study. This information will enable the rational design of a future generation of IBV vaccines that may be grown on Vero cells.
MntC-Dependent Manganese Transport Is Essential for
Staphylococcus aureus
Oxidative Stress Resistance and Virulence
Authors: Handke Luke D. , Gribenko Alexey V. , Timofeyeva Yekaterina , Scully Ingrid L. , Anderson Annaliesa S.
Published: July 2018

Work outlined in this report demonstrated that MntC-dependent manganese transport is required for
S. aureus
virulence. These study results support the model that MntC-specific antibodies elicited by a vaccine have the potential to disrupt
S. aureus
manganese transport and thus abrogate to its virulence.
Escherichia coli
Sequence Type 410 Is Causing New International High-Risk Clones
Authors: Roer Louise , Overballe-Petersen Søren , Hansen Frank , Schønning Kristian , Wang Mikala , Røder Bent L. , Hansen Dennis S. , Justesen Ulrik S. , Andersen Leif P. , Fulgsang-Damgaard David , Hopkins Katie L. , Woodford Neil , Falgenhauer Linda , Chakraborty Trinad , Samuelsen Ørjan , Sjöström Karin , Johannesen Thor B. , Ng Kim , Nielsen Jens , Ethelberg Steen , Stegger Marc , Hammerum Anette M. , Hasman Henrik
Published: July 2018

Extraintestinal pathogenic
Escherichia coli
(ExPEC) is the main cause of urinary tract infections and septicemia. Significant attention has been given to the ExPEC sequence type ST131, which has been categorized as a “high-risk” clone. High-risk clones are globally distributed clones associated with various antimicrobial resistance determinants, ease of transmission, persistence in hosts, and effective transmission between hosts. The high-risk clones have enhanced pathogenicity and cause severe and/or recurrent infections. We show that clones of the
E. coli
ST410 lineage persist and/or cause recurrent infections in humans, including bloodstream infections. We found evidence of ST410 being a highly resistant globally distributed lineage, capable of patient-to-patient transmission causing hospital outbreaks. Our analysis suggests that the ST410 lineage should be classified with the potential to cause new high-risk clones. Thus, with the clonal expansion over the past decades and increased antimicrobial resistance to last-resort treatment options, ST410 needs to be monitored prospectively.
Children who abuse animals: when should you be concerned about child abuse? A review of the literature
Authors: Lee-Kelland Richard , Finlay Fiona
Published: July 2018

Animal abuse by children is common, with 3–44% of children being reported to abuse animals at some point during their childhood. Much of this behaviour may be regarded as an extension of exploratory behaviour in a younger child; however, the apparent link between child and animal abuse is an area of increasing interest; with children who abuse animals being 2–3 times more likely to be directly abused themselves. How concerned should a health professional be that a child who abuses animals could themselves be the victim of abuse? We reviewed the literature on the subject, finding that abuse to an animal that is perpetrated by an older child (>10 years) is more likely to be associated with child abuse. Animal abuse is less common in girls compared with boys and there is some suggestion that child abuse may be more likely in these cases. Some papers have reported a higher prevalence of animal abuse in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental delay and conduct disorder, but the relationship with child abuse in these cases is unknown. Information on both child and animal abuse needs to be shared between the veterinary, medical and social care teams in order to protect both children and animals who are vulnerable.
Cost-effectiveness and economies of scale of a mass radio campaign to promote household life-saving practices in Burkina Faso
Authors: Kasteng Frida , Murray Joanna , Cousens Simon , Sarrassat Sophie , Steel Jennifer , Meda Nicolas , Ouedraogo Moctar , Head Roy , Borghi Josephine
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Child health promotion through mass media has not been rigorously evaluated for cost-effectiveness in low-income and middle-income countries. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of a mass radio campaign on health-seeking behaviours for child survival within a trial in Burkina Faso and at national scale.

Methods

We collected provider cost data prospectively alongside a 35-month cluster randomised trial in rural Burkina Faso in 2012–2015. Out-of-pocket costs of care-seeking were estimated through a household survey. We modelled intervention effects on child survival based on increased care-seeking and estimated the intervention’s incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in terms of the cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted versus current practice. Model uncertainty was gauged using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. We projected the ICER of national-scale implementation in five sub-Saharan countries with differing media structures. All costs are in 2015 USD.

Results

The provider cost of the campaign was $7 749 128 ($9 146 101 including household costs). The campaign broadcast radio spots 74 480 times and 4610 2-hour shows through seven local radio stations, reaching approximately 2.4 million people including 620 000 direct beneficiaries (pregnant women and children under five). It resulted in an average estimated 24% increase in care-seeking for children under five and a 7% reduction in child mortality per year. The ICER was estimated at $94 ($111 including household costs (95% CI −38 to 320)). The projected provider cost per DALY averted of a national level campaign in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique and Niger in 2018–2020, varied between $7 in Malawi to $27 in Burundi.

Conclusion

This study suggests that mass-media campaigns can be very cost-effective in improving child survival in areas with high media penetration and can potentially benefit from considerable economies of scale.

Trial registration number

NCT01517230; Results.
E-cigarette adverts and children’s perceptions of tobacco smoking harms: an experimental study and meta-analysis
Authors: Vasiljevic Milica , St John Wallis Amelia , Codling Saphsa , Couturier Dominique-Laurent , Sutton Stephen , Marteau Theresa M
Published: July 2018

Objectives

Children exposed to electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) adverts may perceive occasional tobacco smoking as less harmful than children not exposed to e-cigarette adverts. Given the potential cross-cueing effects of e-cigarette adverts on tobacco smoking, there is an urgent need to establish whether the effect found in prior research is robust and replicable using a larger sample and a stronger control condition.

Design

A between-subjects experiment with one independent factor of two levels corresponding to the advertisements to which participants were exposed: glamorous adverts for e-cigarettes, or adverts for objects unrelated to smoking or vaping.

Participants

English school children aged 11–16 (n=1449).

Outcomes

Perceived harm of occasional smoking of one or two tobacco cigarettes was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included: perceived harm of regular tobacco smoking, susceptibility to tobacco smoking and perceived prevalence of tobacco smoking in young people. Perceptions of using e-cigarettes were gauged by adapting all the outcome measures used to assess perceptions of tobacco smoking.

Results

Tobacco smokers and e-cigarette users were excluded from analyses (final sample n=1057). Children exposed to glamorous e-cigarette adverts perceived the harms of occasional smoking of one or two tobacco cigarettes to be lower than those in the control group (Z=−2.13, p=0.033). An updated meta-analysis comprising three studies with 1935 children confirmed that exposure to different types of e-cigarette adverts (glamorous, healthful, flavoured, non-flavoured) lowers the perceived harm of occasional smoking of one or two tobacco cigarettes (Z=3.21, p=0.001).

Conclusions

This study adds to existing evidence that exposure to e-cigarette adverts reduces children’s perceptions of the harm of occasional tobacco smoking.