bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress predictors in two Asian dental schools with an integrated curriculum and traditional curriculum
Authors: Nguyen T. T. T. , Seki N. , Morio I.
Published: May 2018

Introduction

This study explored stress predictors and the role of instructional methods and institutional differences in perceived stress levels amongst students at two Asian dental schools.

Materials and Methods

An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate dental students at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP), Hochiminh City, Vietnam in 2016. Data concerning the students' demographic information and grades, and responses to the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES) were collected. The questionnaires were prepared in English and translated into Japanese and Vietnamese following a forward‐backward translation process.

Results

Altogether 684 students answered the questionnaire with a response rate of 97% for TMDU and 89% for UMP. The mean DES score of UMP students was significantly higher than TMDU (P < .001). TMDU students with dentistry as their first programme choice had significantly lower PSS and DES scores in several categories than other TMDU students, whilst UMP clinical students reported higher stress scores in several areas than UMP preclinical students.

Conclusion

Having dentistry as their first choice of educational programme was a significant stress predictor for Japanese students whilst the clinical practicum was a significant stress predictor for Vietnamese students. Previous academic performance was not a significant stress predictor for students at either dental school. Dental students of an integrated, active‐learning curriculum reported lower stress levels than students of a traditional, discipline‐based curriculum.
Cyclophosphamide’s addition in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients with biochemical progression during lenalidomide‐dexamethasone treatment
Authors: Cesini Laura , Siniscalchi Agostina , Grammatico Sara , Andriani Alessandro , Fiorini Alessia , De Rosa Luca , Za Tommaso , Rago Angela , Caravita Tommaso , Petrucci Maria Teresa
Published: May 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the addition of cyclophosphamide in relapsed‐refractory multiple myeloma patients (RRMM) who experienced biochemical relapse or progression without CRAB, during treatment with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd), to slow down the progression in active relapse.

Methods

This analysis included 31 patients with RRMM treated with Rd who received cyclophosphamide (CRd) at biochemical relapse. The CRd regimen was continued until disease progression.

Results

The median number of CRd cycles administered was 8 (range: 1‐35). A response was observed in 9 (29%) patients. After a median observation time of 11 months, the median overall survival (OS) from the beginning of CRd was 17.7 months. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) from the beginning of CRd was 13.1 months.

Conclusion

The addition of cyclophosphamide delays the progression in patients who present a biochemical relapse during Rd treatment. The response rate and the duration of PFS obtained with minimal toxicities and low costs induced us to setting up a randomized clinical trial.
Will climate change shift the lower ecotone of tropical montane cloud forests upwards on islands?
Authors: Pouteau Robin , Giambelluca Thomas W. , Ah‐Peng Claudine , Meyer Jean‐Yves
Published: May 2018

Aim

Island tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) host a disproportionally high share of the global biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services to vulnerable insular societies. However, this ecosystem is imperilled by anthropogenic impacts including climate change that might push TMCFs towards higher elevations. The elevation at which TMCFs start varies greatly among islands and may depend on topographically driven local climate, which may in turn be influenced by large‐scale climate. Thus, a necessary prerequisite to assessing the vulnerability of island TMCFs to climate change is to determine the role of island features versus regional climate in influencing local climate at the lower TMCF ecotone.

Location

Tropical islands.

Methods

An extensive literature review of the elevation at which island TMCFs start was undertaken. This elevation was modelled as a function of the altitude of the lifting condensation level (LCL) imposed by regional climate, island maximum elevation and upwind forest loss over the past 15 years.

Results

The elevation of the lower TMCF boundary was found to have been reported for 93 islands worldwide. TMCFs starts from as low as 300 m on the small islands of Kosrae (Micronesia; maximum elevation = 628 m) and Aneityum (Vanuatu; 852 m) to a maximum of 1,600 m on the large islands of Cuba (1,974 m) and Hispaniola (3,175 m), providing a spectacular example of the ‘Massenerhebung effect’. Both regional climate (LCL altitude) and island features (maximum elevation) influenced the elevation of the lower TMCF boundary, and these variables together accounted for 79% of the variance.

Main conclusions

On islands, climate change is likely to cause significant but small upslope shifts of the LCL and subsequently of TMCF lower boundary elevation in the future (+4.4 m for each 1°C increase in temperature). TMCF clearing and biological invasions might appear to be more pressing threats.
A framework for self‐regulated digital learning (SRDL)
Authors: Yen M.‐H. , Chen S. , Wang C.‐Y. , Chen H.‐L. , Hsu Y.‐S. , Liu T.‐C.
Published: May 2018

This article develops a framework for self‐regulated digital learning, which supports for self‐regulated learning (SRL) in e‐learning systems. The framework emphasizes 8 features: learning plan, records/e‐portfolio and sharing, evaluation, human feedback, machine feedback, visualization of goals/procedures/concepts, scaffolding, and agents. Each feature facilitates or supports one or more SRL skills, including planning, monitoring and evaluating learning, applying appropriate cognitive strategies, and setting standards of products or performance. The implementation in domain‐general and ‐specific systems as illustrated by web‐based inquiry and problem‐solving are discussed. Examples and learning effects are elicited from the literature to demonstrate various designs. Approaches for designing SRL systems, educational implications, and new directions for future research incorporating SRL into digital learning are presented.
“I Didn't Get to Say Good‐Bye… Didn't Get to Pet My Dogs or Nothing”: Bioecological Theory and the Indian Residential School Experience in Canada
Authors: Rose Hilary A.
Published: May 2018

For more than 100 years, Canada systematically attempted to assimilate Indigenous families, in part by separating children from their families and forcing them to attend residential schools. Non‐Indigenous Canadians are just now learning about the history of Canada's residential schools. Social scientists in Canada and elsewhere, including the United States (residential or boarding schools were not unique to Canada), are studying the impact of residential schools on adult survivors and their children, in particular by focusing on the intergenerational transmission of historical trauma. I propose a contextual model for family scholars to use in studying the long‐term and intergenerational effects of the residential schools: Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory with its emphasis on process–person–context–time. Although comprehensive contextual theories run the risk of limited precision, I conclude that Bronfenbrenner's theory does justice to a broad understanding of the residential schools and their intergenerational legacy, with important implications for future research.
The Central Roles of Race and Racism in Reframing Family Systems Theory: A Consideration of Choice and Time
Authors: James Anthony G. , Coard Stephanie Irby , Fine Mark A. , Rudy Duane
Published: May 2018

This article explores the central roles in family research and practice of race and racism in the reframing of family systems theory (FST) when applied to Black and/or African American families. Specifically, we discuss how current concepts of FST allow for an understanding of racial and ethnic socialization in the parent–child familial subsystem. We then theorize the potential reframing of FST to better accommodate race, ethnicity, and racism, and suggest an expansion of the theory by including the components of historical time and choice. We conclude with a brief discussion of the practical implications of our suggested expansion.
Alterations in hypothalamic synaptophysin and death markers may be associated with vasopressin impairment in sepsis survivor rats
Authors: Santos‐Junior N. N. , Catalão C. H. R. , Costa L. H. A. , Rossignolli B. B. , Dos‐Santos R. C. , Malvar D. C. , Mecawi A. S. , Rocha M. J. A.
Published: May 2018

The impairment in arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion during sepsis is described in clinical and experimental studies and has been associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis and diminished activation of hypothalamic neurones. However, few studies have assessed these abnormalities in sepsis survivors. In the present study, we performed 2 sets of experiments on Wistar rats that had been subjected to sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or nonmanipulated (naive) as a control. In the first set, tissues and blood were collected from survivor rats 10 days after CLP to quantify hypothalamic Bcl‐2, cleaved caspase‐3 and synaptophysin contents, as well as bacterial load. In the second set, survivor rats were submitted to an acute osmotic stimulus (hypertonic saline) and, after 30 minutes, water intake and AVP secretion were analysed. The sepsis‐surviving rats did not show bacterial load in tissues, although their hypothalamic synaptophysin and Bcl‐2 levels were decreased and the cleaved caspase‐3 level was increased compared to the control group. However, AVP secretion was significantly attenuated in the CLP survivor animals submitted to an acute osmotic stimulus. These results suggest that the persistent AVP impairment in sepsis survivor animals may be the result hypothalamic dysfunction associated with a synaptic deficit and decreased anti‐apoptotic protein expression.
Faster‐X evolution of gene expression is driven by recessive adaptive cis‐regulatory variation in Drosophila
Authors: Llopart Ana
Published: May 2018

The hemizygosity of the X (Z) chromosome fully exposes the fitness effects of mutations on that chromosome and has evolutionary consequences on the relative rates of evolution of X and autosomes. Specifically, several population genetics models predict increased rates of evolution in X‐linked loci relative to autosomal loci. This prediction of faster‐X evolution has been evaluated and confirmed for both protein coding sequences and gene expression. In the case of faster‐X evolution for gene expression divergence, it is often assumed that variation in 5′ noncoding sequences is associated with variation in transcript abundance between species but a formal, genomewide test of this hypothesis is still missing. Here, I use whole genome sequence data in Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea to evaluate this hypothesis and report positive correlations between sequence divergence at 5′ noncoding sequences and gene expression divergence. I also examine polymorphism and divergence in 9,279 noncoding sequences located at the 5′ end of annotated genes and detected multiple signals of positive selection. Notably, I used the traditional synonymous sites as neutral reference to test for adaptive evolution, but I also used bases 8–30 of introns <65 bp, which have been proposed to be a better neutral choice. X‐linked genes with high degree of male‐biased expression show the most extreme adaptive pattern at 5′ noncoding regions, in agreement with faster‐X evolution for gene expression divergence and a higher incidence of positively selected recessive mutations.
First pathological report of a de novo CD5‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma patient presenting with Guillain–Barré syndrome‐like neuropathy due to neurolymphomatosis
Authors: Kobayashi Mikiko , Sakai Yasuhiro , Kariya Yuta , Sakai Hitoshi , Hineno Akiyo , Oyanagi Kiyomitsu , Kanno Hiroyuki
Published: May 2018

Peripheral neuropathy occurs in approximately 5% of the patients with lymphoma. Two major causes of peripheral neuropathy associated with lymphoma are neurolymphomatosis and paraneoplastic neuropathy such as demyelinating neuropathy. The differential diagnosis between neurolymphomatosis and demyelinating neuropathy is difficult, because electrophysiological findings suggestive of demyelination are frequently observed even in patients with neurolymphomatosis. Here, we report a patient with de novo CD5‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who presented with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS)‐like neuropathy. Demyelination due to paraneoplastic neuropathy was clinically suspected. However, autopsy demonstrated that the cause of the neuropathy was neurolymphomatosis. Clinical courses of neurolymphomatosis vary and neurolymphomatosis cases presenting with GBS‐like neuropathy are reported. In addition, DLBCL is the most frequent histological type of malignant lymphoma that develops neurolymphomatosis. Furthermore, “CD5‐positive” DLBCL may tend to develop neurolymphomatosis. If a patient with “CD5‐positive” DLBCL develops peripheral neuropathy, neurolymphomatosis should be considered and imaging studies performed and, if possible, nerve tissue biopsy, regardless of clinical symptoms of the neuropathy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with de novo CD5‐positive DLBCL with neurolymphomatosis who presented with GBS‐like neuropathy.
Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid enhances epithelial‐mesenchymal transition
Authors: Mohammed A. A. , Allen J. T. , Rogan M. T.
Published: May 2018

Cystic echinococcosis is characterized by fluid‐filled hydatid cysts in the liver and lungs. The cysts are surrounded by a host fibrous layer (the pericyst) which acts to isolate the parasite from surrounding tissues. Previous studies in liver cysts have indicated that the parasite may be a stimulating fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) could influence the potential for fibrosis to occur in lung tissue by stimulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a human lung epithelial cell line. An adenocarcinoma‐derived alveolar basal epithelial cell line (A549) was used as a model for human alveolar epithelial cells (AEC II). These were cultured in vitro with HCF (UK sheep origin). Assays to investigate cell proliferation, cell migration and expression of cytoskeletal markers showed that HCF could stimulate changes indicative of EMT, including enhanced cell proliferation and migration; increased expression of mesenchymal cytoskeletal markers (fibronectin and vimentin) accompanied by a down‐regulation of an epithelial marker (E‐cadherin). Molecules within hydatid cyst fluid are capable of inducing phenotypic changes in A549 cells indicating that the parasite has the potential to modify lung epithelial cells which could contribute to fibrotic reactions.
Two Rights of Free Speech
Authors: Marmor Andrei
Published: May 2018

My main argument in this paper is that the right to freedom of expression is not a single right, complex as it may be, but spans two separate rights that I label the right to speak and the right to hear. Roughly, the right to speak stands for the right of a person to express freely whatever they wish to communicate to some other persons or to the public at large. The right to hear stands for the right to have free and unfettered access to any kind of content that has been communicated by others. The right to speak and the right to hear are two separate rights, grounded in different kinds of interests. I try to show that this division of rights and their respective rationales can be utilized to explain how we think about some of the limits of the right to freedom of expression, particularly in the context of conflicts between the right to speak and the right to hear, conflicts that are rather pervasive. I also argue, though perhaps less conclusively, that in thinking about the limits of freedom of expression, an exclusive focus on the harm principle would be misguided. There is no reason to deny that speech is often harmful, sometimes very much so, but the prevention of harm is not sufficient to justify legal prohibition, at least not in this case.
Bronchiectasis: Yet another systemic disease?
Authors: Geake James , Bell Scott C.
Published: May 2018

See related Article
A data‐driven patient blood management strategy in liver transplantation
Authors: Metcalf R. A. , Pagano M. B. , Hess J. R. , Reyes J. , Perkins J. D. , Montenovo M. I.
Published: May 2018

Background and Objectives

Blood utilization during liver transplant has decreased, but remains highly variable due to many complex surgical and physiologic factors. Previous models attempted to predict utilization using preoperative variables to stratify cases into two usage groups, usually using entire blood units for measurement. We sought to develop a practical predictive model using specific transfusion volumes (in ml) to develop a data‐driven patient blood management strategy.

Materials and Methods

This is a retrospective evaluation of primary liver transplants at a single institution from 2013 to 2015. Multivariable analysis of preoperative recipient and donor factors was used to develop a model predictive of intraoperative red‐blood‐cell (pRBC) use.

Results

Of 256 adult liver transplants, 207 patients had complete transfusion volume data for analysis. The median intraoperative allogeneic pRBC transfusion volume was 1250 ml, and the average was 1563 ± 1543 ml. Preoperative haemoglobin, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, preoperative haemodialysis and preoperative international normalized ratio together yielded the strongest model predicting pRBC usage. When it predicted <1250 ml of pRBCs, all cases with 0 ml transfused were captured and only 8·6% of the time >1250 ml were used. This prediction had a sensitivity of 0·91 and a specificity of 0·89. If predicted usage was >2000 ml, 75% of the time blood loss exceeded 2000 ml.

Conclusion

Patients likely to require low or high pRBC transfusion volumes were identified with excellent accuracy using this predictive model at our institution. This model may help predict bleeding risk for each patient and facilitate optimized blood ordering.
Ultrasonographic Imaging for Sural Nerve Injury after Achilles Tendon Repair
Authors: Chang Hsien-Po , Wu Chueh-Hung , Özçakar Levent
Published: May 2018

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Contrast enhanced ultrasound of the prostate. New role in the evaluation of loco-regional therapy of prostate tumors
Authors: Sparchez Zeno
Published: May 2018

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Conversion of CO2 in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor
Authors: Banerjee Atindra M. , Billinger Joel , Nordheden Karen J. , Peeters Floran J. J.
Published: May 2018

The conversion of CO2 into CO and O2 in a quartz cylindrical packed-bed dielectric reactor has been studied using CO2 and Ar gas mixtures at atmospheric pressure and near ambient temperature with quartz wool, γ-Al2O3, and TiO2 packing. The highest energy efficiencies and conversion rates were observed with TiO2 packing in 20% CO2 in Ar: 30% conversion with 2.9% energy efficiency, and 17.5% conversion with 5.0% energy efficiency. Both γ-Al2O3 and quartz wool also showed an enhancement in conversion over an unpacked reactor. The percentage of CO2 to Ar in the range of 20%–60% is shown to have only a minor effect on reactor performance. Conversion as a function of power input and flow rate is studied in detail for γ-Al2O3 and TiO2 packing with similar particle sizes. In both cases, simple chemical kinetic models show that the CO production rate is nearly equal for both materials, while reverse reaction rates to CO2 are doubled for γ-Al2O3 compared to TiO2. From detailed charge–voltage (Q-V) analysis of all four reactor configurations, it is revealed that the electric field at which discharging occurs is higher for both γ-Al2O3 and TiO2 as compared to the empty or quartz wool filled reactors. Comparing kinetic model results with the electrical Q-V analysis, it appears likely that the higher and similar magnitude electric fields occurring with γ-Al2O3 and TiO2 are directly responsible for the increased CO production rates via increased electron energies in the discharge. The higher reverse reaction rates for γ-Al2O3, and its subsequent poorer performance compared to TiO2, can be attributed to a significantly higher effective surface area, which increases undesirable surface reactions between CO and oxygen species.
Discovery of moganite in a lunar meteorite as a trace of H
2
O ice in the Moon’s regolith
Authors: Kayama Masahiro , Tomioka Naotaka , Ohtani Eiji , Seto Yusuke , Nagaoka Hiroshi , Götze Jens , Miyake Akira , Ozawa Shin , Sekine Toshimori , Miyahara Masaaki , Tomeoka Kazushige , Matsumoto Megumi , Shoda Naoki , Hirao Naohisa , Kobayashi Takamichi
Published: May 2018

Discovery of moganite in a lunar meteorite indicates the possibility of H
2
O ice accumulated in the Moon’s regolith.
Genes for de novo biosynthesis of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are widespread in animals
Authors: Kabeya Naoki , Fonseca Miguel M. , Ferrier David E. K. , Navarro Juan C. , Bay Line K. , Francis David S. , Tocher Douglas R. , Castro L. Filipe C. , Monroig Óscar
Published: May 2018

Multiple invertebrates possess enzymes enabling de novo biosynthesis of essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Microbial ecology perturbation in human IgA deficiency
Authors: Fadlallah Jehane , El Kafsi Hela , Sterlin Delphine , Juste Catherine , Parizot Christophe , Dorgham Karim , Autaa Gaëlle , Gouas Doriane , Almeida Mathieu , Lepage Patricia , Pons Nicolas , Le Chatelier Emmanuelle , Levenez Florence , Kennedy Sean , Galleron Nathalie , de Barros Jean-Paul Pais , Malphettes Marion , Galicier Lionel , Boutboul David , Mathian Alexis , Miyara Makoto , Oksenhendler Eric , Amoura Zahir , Doré Joel , Fieschi Claire , Ehrlich S. Dusko , Larsen Martin , Gorochov Guy
Published: May 2018

IgA influences bacterial fitness in the intestinal lumen and is only partially compensated for by IgM in selective IgA-deficient patients.
Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Implementing a Quality Management System in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory
Authors: Carey Roberta B. , Bhattacharyya Sanjib , Kehl Sue C. , Matukas Larissa M. , Pentella Michael A. , Salfinger Max , Schuetz Audrey N.
Published: May 2018

This document outlines a comprehensive practical approach to a laboratory quality management system (QMS) by describing how to operationalize the management and technical requirements described in the ISO 15189 international standard. It provides a crosswalk of the ISO requirements for quality and competence for medical laboratories to the 12 quality system essentials delineated by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The quality principles are organized under three main categories: quality infrastructure, laboratory operations, and quality assurance and continual improvement. The roles and responsibilities to establish and sustain a QMS are outlined for microbiology laboratory staff, laboratory management personnel, and the institution's leadership. Examples and forms are included to assist in the real-world implementation of this system and to allow the adaptation of the system for each laboratory's unique environment. Errors and nonconforming events are acknowledged and embraced as an opportunity to improve the quality of the laboratory, a culture shift from blaming individuals. An effective QMS encourages “systems thinking” by providing a process to think globally of the effects of any type of change. Ultimately, a successful QMS is achieved when its principles are adopted as part of daily practice throughout the total testing process continuum.
Draft Genome Sequence of Aspergillus oryzae ATCC 12892
Authors: Deng Shuang , Pomraning Kyle R. , Bohutskyi Pavlo , Magnuson Jon K.
Published: May 2018

The draft genome sequence of
Aspergillus oryzae
ATCC 12892 is presented here.
A. oryzae
produces 3-nitropropionic acid, which has been investigated with regard to understanding the biosynthesis of nitroorganic compounds.
Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus pumilus SCAL1, an Endophytic Heat-Tolerant Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterium
Authors: Mukhtar Tehmeena , Afridi Muhammad S. , McArthur Robyn , Van Hamme Jonathan D. , Rineau Francois , Mahmood Tariq , Amna  , Sumaira  , Zahid Muhammad , Salam Abdul , Khan Muhammad N. , Ali Fawad , Mehmood Shehzad , Bangash Naila , Chaudhary Hassan J.
Published: May 2018

Bacillus pumilus
strain SCAL1 is an endophytic, thermophilic plant that was isolated from the leaf of a plant,
Solanum lycopersicum
L., in Sindh, Pakistan.
B. pumilus
strain SCAL1 has usually exhibited high resistance to environmental stresses, with a growth temperature ranging from 30 to 60°C. An approximately 3.75-Mb draft genome was assembled into 68 contigs.
Complete Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma monobiae MQ-1
T
(ATCC 33825), a Bacterium Isolated from the Vespid Wasp (Monobia quadridens)
Authors: Tsai Yi-Ming , Lo Wen-Sui , Wu Pei-Shan , Cho Shu-Ting , Kuo Chih-Horng
Published: May 2018

Spiroplasma monobiae
MQ-1
T
(ATCC 33825) was isolated from the hemolymph of an adult vespid wasp (
Monobia quadridens
) collected in Maryland. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium to facilitate the investigation of its biology and the comparative genomics among
Spiroplasma
species.
Biofilm Building: A Simple Board Game to Reinforce Knowledge of Biofilm Formation
Authors: McOwat Kelsey , Stanley-Wall Nicola R.
Published: May 2018

The increasing risk of antibiotic resistance and correlating decrease in effective clinical treatments is a serious issue worldwide. One source antibiotic tolerance derives from biofilm infections: collectives of bacteria surrounded by an extracellular matrix that adhere to surfaces. Here we outline a board game designed to raise awareness and knowledge of biofilms in young learners.
Incorporating an Interactive Statistics Workshop into an Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Enhances Students’ Statistical Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy Skills
Authors: Olimpo Jeffrey T. , Pevey Ryan S. , McCabe Thomas M.
Published: May 2018

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an avenue for student participation in authentic scientific opportunities. Within the context of such coursework, students are often expected to collect, analyze, and evaluate data obtained from their own investigations. Yet, limited research has been conducted that examines mechanisms for supporting students in these endeavors. In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of an interactive statistics workshop that was expressly designed to provide students with an open platform for graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-mentored data processing, statistical testing, and synthesis of their
own
research findings. Mixed methods analyses of pre/post-intervention survey data indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ reasoning and quantitative literacy abilities in the domain, as well as enhancement of student self-reported confidence in and knowledge of the application of various statistical metrics to real-world contexts. Collectively, these data reify an important role for scaffolded instruction in statistics in preparing emergent scientists to be data-savvy researchers in a globally expansive STEM workforce.
Effectiveness of Dry Needling of Rectus Abdominis Trigger Points for the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhoea: A Randomised Parallel-Group Trial
Authors: Gaubeca-Gilarranz Alberto , Fernández-de-las-Peñas César , Medina-Torres José Raúl , Seoane-Ruiz José M , Company-Palonés Aurelio , Cleland Joshua A , Arias-Buría Jose L
Published: May 2018

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of trigger point dry needling (TrP-DN) versus placebo needling, relative to an untreated control group, on pain and quality of life in primary dysmenorrhoea.

Methods

In this randomised, single blind, parallel-group trial, 56 females with primary dysmenorrhoea were randomly allocated to TrP-DN (n=19), placebo needling (n=18) or no treatment (n=19). Patients in both groups were asked to undertake a stretching exercise of the rectus abdominis daily. The needling group received a single session of TrP-DN to trigger points (TrPs) in the rectus abdominis, and the placebo group received placebo needling. The primary outcome was pain intensity (visual analogue scale). Secondary outcomes were quality of life, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the number of days with pain, and self-perceived improvement, measured using a Global Rate of Change. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, and 1 and 2 months after the treatment.

Results

Females receiving TrP-DN exhibited greater decreases (P<0.001) in pain than those receiving placebo (1 month: Δ−19.8 mm, 25.9 to −13.7; 2 months: Δ−26.0 mm, −33.1 to −18.9) or assigned to the untreated control group (1 month: Δ−26.0mm, −32.5 to −19.5; 2 months: Δ−20.1 mm, −26.4 to −13.8). Females in the TrP-DN group also exhibited a greater decrease in the amount of medications (P<0.001). No differences in the number of days with pain or quality of life were found (all P>0.1).

Conclusions

This trial suggests that a single session of TrP-DN of the rectus abdominis combined with stretching was more effective than placebo needling and stretching alone at reducing pain and the amount of medication used in primary dysmenorrhoea.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12616000170426.
Scientific rationale for changing lower water temperature limits for triathlon racing to 12°C with wetsuits and 16°C without wetsuits
Authors: Saycell Jane , Lomax Mitch , Massey Heather , Tipton Mike
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To provide a scientific rationale for lower water temperature and wetsuit rules for elite and subelite triathletes.

Methods

11 lean, competitive triathletes completed a 20 min flume swim, technical transition including bike control and psychomotor testing and a cycle across five different wetsuit and water temperature conditions: with wetsuit: 10°C, 12°C and 14°C; without wetsuit (skins): 14°C and 16°C. Deep body (rectal) temperature (Tre), psychomotor performance and the ability to complete a technical bike course after the swim were measured, as well as swimming and cycling performance.

Results

In skins conditions, only 4 out of 11 athletes could complete the condition in 14°C water, with two becoming hypothermic (Tre<35°C) after a 20 min swim. All 11 athletes completed the condition in 16°C. Trefell further following 14°C (mean 1.12°C) than 16°C (mean 0.59°C) skins swim (p=0.01). In wetsuit conditions, cold shock prevented most athletes (4 out of 7) from completing the swim in 10°C. In 12°C and 14°C almost all athletes completed the condition (17 out of 18). There was no difference in temperature or performance variables between conditions following wetsuit swims at 12°C and 14°C.

Conclusion

The minimum recommended water temperature for racing is 12°C in wetsuits and 16°C without wetsuits. International Triathlon Union rules for racing were changed accordingly (January 2017).
Inequities in exposure to occupational risk factors between Māori and non-Māori workers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Denison Hayley J , Eng Amanda , Barnes Lucy A , Cheng Soo , ’t Mannetje Andrea , Haddock Katharine , Douwes Jeroen , Pearce Neil , Ellison-Loschmann Lis
Published: May 2018

Background

Health inequities between indigenous and non-indigenous people are well documented. However, the contribution of differential exposure to risk factors in the occupational environment remains unclear. This study assessed differences in the prevalence of self-reported exposure to disease risk factors, including dust and chemicals, physical factors and organisational factors, between Māori and non-Māori workers in New Zealand.

Methods

Potential participants were sampled from the New Zealand electoral rolls and invited to take part in a telephone interview, which included questions about current workplace exposures. Logistic regression, accounting for differences in age, socioeconomic status and occupational distribution between Māori and non-Māori, was used to assess differences in exposures.

Results

In total, 2344 Māori and 2710 non-Māori participants were included in the analyses. Māori had greater exposure to occupational risk factors than non-Māori. For dust and chemical exposures, the main differences related to Māori working in occupations where these exposures are more common. However, even within the same job, Māori were more likely to be exposed to physical factors such as heavy lifting and loud noise, and organisational factors such as carrying out repetitive tasks and working to tight deadlines compared with non-Māori.

Conclusions

This is one of the first studies internationally to compare occupational risk factors between indigenous and non-indigenous people. These findings suggest that the contribution of the occupational environment to health inequities between Māori and non-Māori has been underestimated and that work tasks may be unequally distributed according to ethnicity.
Sensing space and making place: the hospital and therapeutic landscapes in two cancer narratives
Authors: Bates Victoria
Published: May 2018

This article explores the role of senses in the construction and experience of place, focusing on patients’ experiences of hospital care. It compares two cancer narratives for their insights into the heterogeneous ways that hospital environments are made into therapeutic landscapes, arguing that they are a product of dynamic processes rather than something that is simply built. The article draws on a relational model of space and place, alongside literary analysis, to explore the making of un/healthy environments in embodied, affective and sensory terms. It indicates that sensory experiences in hospitals are made (un)therapeutic in relation to illness and recovery, as well as a range of social and human/non-human relations. These conclusions warn against making broad claims about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ hospital sensescapes, or against treating the hospital as a homogeneous space. They also offer new opportunities for medical geography and the medical humanities, by showing how illness and recovery are part of the relational making of space and place.
Time-restricted feeding of a high-fat diet in male C57BL/6 mice reduces adiposity but does not protect against increased systemic inflammation
Authors: Delahaye Laura B. , Bloomer Richard J. , Butawan Matthew B. , Wyman Jacqueline M. , Hill Jessica L. , Lee Harold W. , Liu Andrew C. , McAllan Liam , Han Joan C. , van der Merwe Mariè
Published: May 2018

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) limits the duration of food availability without altering diet composition and can combat obesity in humans and mice. For this study we evaluated the effect of timing of food access during a TRF protocol on weight gain, adiposity, and inflammation. Young male C57BL/6 mice were placed on a high-fat (HF) diet (45% fat) for 8 weeks. Food access was unrestricted (HF) or restricted to 6 h per day, either for the first half (HF-early) or the second half (HF-late) of the active phase to resemble a window of time for food consumption early or late in the day in a human population. Weight, obesity-associated parameters, and inflammation were measured. TRF reduced weight gain over the 8-week period in mice consuming the same high-fat diet. Consistent with decreased weight gain in the TRF groups, body fat percentage, liver triglycerides, and plasma leptin and cholesterol levels were reduced. Adipose tissue inflammation, measured by CD11b+F4/80+ macrophage infiltration, was reduced in both TRF groups, but systemic tumor necrosis factor-α was increased in all groups consuming the high-fat diet. The HF-late group gained more weight than the HF-early group and had increased insulin resistance, while the HF-early group was protected. Therefore, a TRF protocol is beneficial for weight management when a high-fat diet is consumed, with food consumption earlier in the day showing greater health benefits. However, increased inflammatory markers in the TRF groups suggest that diet components can still increase inflammation even in the absence of overt obesity.
Exact closed-form unique and dual solutions to the longitudinal fin with temperature-dependent properties and internal heat generation
Authors: Shivanian E. , Ansari M.R. , Shaban M.
Published: May 2018

In this study, heat transfer in a longitudinal rectangular fin with temperature-dependent thermal properties and internal heat generation is revisited. The advanced heat transfer models have been used to study the effects of thermo-geometric parameters, coefficient of heat transfer, and thermal conductivity parameters on the temperature distribution, heat transfer, and thermal performance of the longitudinal rectangular fin. It is shown that its governing nonlinear differential equation with proper boundary conditions is exactly solvable. With this aim, we reduce the order of the differential equation to first and then convert it into a total differential equation by multiplying by a convenient integrating factor. A full discussion and exact analytical solution in the implicit form is given for further physical interpretation and it is proved that three possible cases may occur: there is no solution to the problem, the solution is unique, or the solutions are dual, depending on the values of the parameters of the model.
Cognitive enhancement of volatile oil from the stems of Schisandra chinensis Baill. in Alzheimer’s disease rats
Authors: Yang Bingyou , Liu Bo , Liu Yan , Han Hua , Kuang Haixue
Published: May 2018

The volatile oil (VO), extracted from the stems of Schisandra chinensis Baill. (SCS), was separated and identified by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The study was devised to investigate the effects of VO on oxidative stress and cognitive deficits induced by amyloid-β (Aβ(1-42)). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models were established by injecting Aβ(1-42) into the rat hippocampus and the effects of learning and memory were observed by a Morris water maze test, immunohistological alterations, and correlative indicators covering nerve growth (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-cell-derived trophic factor, and nerve growth factor), interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and microglial CD11b in AD rats. And activities of SOD, MDA, and GSH-Px were ameliorated by VO. The neurotrophic factors GFAP and microglial CD11b were noticeably improved in histopathologic changes. These data suggested that VO from SCS had potential activities for the prevention and treatment of AD.
Transcriptome analysis reveals hybridization-induced genome shock in an interspecific F1hybrid fromCamellia
Authors: Zhang Min , Liu Xin-Kai , Fan Wen , Yan Dan-Feng , Zhong Nai-Sheng , Gao Ji-Yin , Zhang Wen-Ju
Published: May 2018

The combination of two divergent genomes during hybridization can result in “genome shock”. Although genome shock has been reported in the hybrids of some herbaceous plants, the pattern and the principle it follows are far from understood, especially in woody plants. Here, the gene expression patterns were remodeled in the F1hybrid from the crossing of Camellia azalea × Camellia amplexicaulis compared with the parents as revealed by RNA-seq. About 54.5% of all unigenes were differentially expressed between the F1hybrid and at least one of the parents, including 6404 unigenes with the highest expression level in the F1hybrid. A series of genes, related to flower development, essential for RNA-directed DNA methylation and histone methylation, as well as 223 transposable elements, were enriched; and most of them exhibited a higher level of expression in the F1hybrid. These results indicated that the genome shock induced by interspecific hybridization in Camellia could indeed result in changes of gene expression patterns, potentially through regulating DNA methylation and histone methylation which may be helpful for the maintaining of genome stability and even related to the unique phenotype of the F1hybrid.
High order cell-centered scheme totally based on cell average
Authors: Liu Ze-Yu , Cai Qing-Dong
Published: May 2018

This work clarifies the concept of cell average by pointing out the differences between cell average and cell centroid value, which are averaged cell-centered value and pointwise cell-centered value, respectively. Interpolation based on cell averages is constructed and high order QUICK-like numerical scheme is designed for such interpolation. A new approach of error analysis is introduced in this work, which is similar to Taylor’s expansion.
New weight factor for Brownian force exerted on micro/nano-particles in air flow
Authors: Zhang Peijie , Lin Jianzhong , Ku Xiaoke
Published: May 2018

In order to effectively describe the effect of Brownian force exerted on the micro/nano-particles in air flow, a new weight factor, which is defined as the ratio of the characteristic velocity of the Brownian motion to the macroscopic velocity, is proposed and applied to the particle settlement under gravity. Results show that the weight factor can quantitatively evaluate the effect of Brownian force on the particle motion. Moreover, the value of the weight factor can also be used to judge the particle motion pattern and determine whether the Brownian force should be taken into account.
Numerical study of interaction between jet with rudders on slender body at hypersonic condition
Authors: Li Long-Fei , Wang Jiang-Feng , Zhao Fa-Ming , Wang Yu-Han
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a numerical study of the interaction between transverse cold jets on slender body in front of or between X-shape rudders with rudders in the oncoming free stream is presented. Firstly, the flow field at different jet conditions is simulated and analyzed. Then, the total force and moment amplification factors of the corresponding slender body with jet at different locations are analyzed and compared with those results of non-jet flow. Numerical results show that interactions take a great effect to the configuration of the flow field around rudders and the pressure distribution on slender surface. Moreover, the force and moment amplification changes regularly along with the location of jet nozzle.
Jets in Heavy Ion Collisions with the ATLAS Detector
Authors: Santos Helena
Published: May 2018

Jets constitute a golden probe to study the quark gluon plasma produced in heavy ion collisions at the LHC. Being produced at the early stages of the collisions, they are expected to be modified as propagating through the hot and dense medium. A signature of the modification is the energy loss lowering the jet yields at a given transverse momentum. A factor of two suppression is observed in central Pb+Pb collisions with respect to [Formula: see text] collisions. Other signatures are the modification of the dijet momentum balance and the modification of fragmentation functions. These proceedings describe results on these observables from ATLAS in Runs 1 and 2. The high statistical significance of these data samples collected by ATLAS allows precision measurements of these observables in a wide range of transverse momentum and centrality.
Light Meson Decays at BESIII
Authors: Long Yunfei
Published: May 2018

The data sample of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] events accumulated at BESIII provides us with a clean environment to study the decay of the [Formula: see text]. In this proceeding, several recent results are reported, including the observation of the doubly radiative decay [Formula: see text], amplitude analysis of the decays [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the observation of the Dalitz decay [Formula: see text], and search for the weak decay [Formula: see text].
Study of Heavy Strange Baryons in a Hypercentral Quark Model
Authors: Ghalenovi Zahra
Published: May 2018

In this work, we study the properties of the heavy baryons with strangeness employing a constituent quark model in the hypercentral approach. The potential model considers the interactions arising the one-gluon exchange, Goldstone boson exchange and confinement, aspects of underlying theory, quantum chromodynamics (QCD). By solving three-body Schrodinger equation of baryonic system, we obtain the ground as well as the corresponding energy eigenvalues of the system. Using the obtained energies, we calculate the baryon spectrum. We extend our scheme to predict the radiative decay width of the charm baryons. A comparison of our results with those of other works and experimental data is also presented.
Recent Results from IceCube
Authors: Williams Dawn
Published: May 2018

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer detector located at the geographic South Pole. IceCube was designed to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources, and the DeepCore extension of IceCube enables the study of atmospheric neutrino interactions down to energies of a few GeV. IceCube has detected a diffuse flux of neutrinos in the energy range from 100 TeV to several PeV, the properties of which are inconsistent with an atmospheric origin, and has also published competitive limits on atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters and other neutrino properties. This paper presents the latest results from IceCube and prospects for future upgrades and expansions of the detector.
Tests of Lepton Flavour Universality at LHCb
Authors: Lupato Anna
Published: May 2018

In the Standard Model the electroweak coupling of the gauge bosons to leptons is independent of the lepton flavour. Semileptonic and rare decays of b quarks provide an ideal laboratory to test this property. Any violation of Lepton Flavour Universality would be a clear sign of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this work a review of the Lepton Flavour Universality tests performed using data collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011 and 2012 at a centre of mass energy of 7 and 8 TeV is presented.
Studies of Missing Energy Decays at Belle II
Authors: Guan Yinghui
Published: May 2018

The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider is a major upgrade of the KEK “B factory” facility in Tsukuba, Japan. The machine is designed for an instantaneous luminosity of [Formula: see text], and the experiment is expected to accumulate a data sample of about 50 ab[Formula: see text]. With this amount of data, decays sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model can be studied with unprecedented precision. One promising set of modes are physics processes with missing energy such as [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] decays. The [Formula: see text] decay provides one of the cleanest experimental probes of the flavour-changing neutral current process [Formula: see text], which is sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. However, the missing energies of the neutrinos in the final state makes the measurement challenging and requires full reconstruction of the spectator [Formula: see text] meson in [Formula: see text] events. This report discusses the expected sensitivities of Belle II for these rare decays.
Large Scale Beam-Tests of the Silicon and Scintillator-SiPM Modules for the CMS High Granularity Calorimeter at the HL-LHC
Authors: Jain Shilpi
Published: May 2018

The High Granularity Calorimeter (HGCAL) will replace the existing CMS endcap calorimeters during the High Luminosity run of the LHC (HL-LHC) era. The electromagnetic part, as well as the first layers of the hadronic part, foresees around 600 square metres of silicon sensors as the active material. The remainder of the HGCAL, in the lower radiation environment, will use plastic scintillators with on-tile silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readout. Prototype hexagonal silicon modules, featuring a new ASIC (Skiroc2-CMS), together with a modified version of the scintillator-SiPM CALICE AHCAL, have been tested in beams at CERN. This setup represents a full slice through HGCAL. Results from MIP calibration, energy resolution, electromagnetic and hadronic shower-shapes are presented using electrons, pions and muons.