bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retrospective cohort study on Korean adolescents’ sleep, depression, school adjustment, and life satisfaction
Authors: Yang Sook Ja , Cha Hyo Sung
Published: April 2018

Sleep patterns have an important role in the physical and psychological health of adolescents. In this study, we investigated the effects of sleep duration on depression, school adjustment, and life satisfaction of adolescents. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using secondary data on first and second grade students in middle schools from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. Those who responded to all items about sleep were selected, and those who were within 30 min of sleep duration difference across 1 year were selected. Participants who had no change in variables of personal factors, parental factors, and family environment across 1 year were selected (n = 421). Longer total sleep duration and shorter weekend oversleeping had effects on lower depression, higher school adjustment, and greater life satisfaction after adjusting for personal factors, parental factors, and family environment. Therefore, we propose that school nurses assess adolescents’ sleep patterns and counsel and educate adolescents and their parents about the influence of sleep patterns on adolescents.
Effects of photoperiod sensitivity genes Ppd‐B1 and Ppd‐D1 on spike fertility and related traits in bread wheat
Authors: Ramirez Ignacio A. , Abbate Pablo E. , Redi Ignacio W. , Pontaroli Ana C.
Published: April 2018

Increasing grain yield is a key breeding goal in bread wheat. Several authors have suggested that a spike fertility index (SF), that is the quotient between grain number per unit spike (GNS) and spike chaff dry weight (SCDW), could be used as a yield‐related selection criterion, especially if molecular markers were available. Here, the effects of Ppd‐B1 and Ppd‐D1 genes on SFm, GNSm and SCDWm (measured at maturity) and the relationship between these variables were analysed in field experiments carried out during three crop seasons at Balcarce, Argentina, on an association mapping population of 100 bread wheat cultivars of diverse origin released in Argentina between 1927 and 2010. Results show that both Ppd‐B1 and Ppd‐D1 are associated with SFm with similar effects. Cultivars with insensitive alleles at both genes showed a mean SFm 9.2% greater than those with sensitive alleles at both genes; at each gene, difference in SFm between insensitive and sensitive alleles was ~4.5%. In turn, each gene showed a differential effect on GNSm and SCDWm, as Ppd‐B1 was more related to SCDWm, whereas Ppd‐D1 was only related to GNSm. Although more research needs to be carried out in order to ascertain the physiological pathway by which these genes affect spike fertility, this study represents a first approximation in order to elucidate the molecular and genetic basis underlying SF and related physiological traits.
Impact of the Intellectual Property Tax Regime on FDI in R&D Activities at the City Level
Authors: Falk Martin , Peng Fei
Published: April 2018

This article investigates the impact of the introduction of the patent box/IP regime on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in R&D and related activities, including design, developing, and testing activities, using city level data. The data are based on approximately 1,200 cities in 80 countries. Results obtained by use of a difference‐in‐differences estimator show that the introduction of the patent/IP box regime in the Netherlands has led to increases in the FDI inflows in R&D and related activities in the subsequent three‐year period. For Spain and Belgium, no significant effects could be found. The results are robust when other important factors are accounted for (capital city, city population, quality of local university, presence of an airport, R&D tax incentives, protection of property rights, and PISA ratings in mathematics and science) and different measures of FDI inflows (number of FDI projects, capital flows, and number of jobs generated).
Nonparametric indices of dependence between components for inhomogeneous multivariate random measures and marked sets
Authors: van Lieshout M. N. M.
Published: April 2018

We propose new summary statistics to quantify the association between the components in coverage‐reweighted moment stationary multivariate random sets and measures. They are defined in terms of the coverage‐reweighted cumulant densities and extend classic functional statistics for stationary random closed sets. We study the relations between these statistics and evaluate them explicitly for a range of models. Unbiased estimators are given for all statistics and applied to simulated examples and to tropical rain forest data.
Comparison of single‐ and dual‐monitor approaches to differentiate sitting from lying in free‐living conditions
Authors: Smits E. J. , Winkler E. A. H. , Healy G. N. , Dall P. M. , Granat M. H. , Hodges P. W.
Published: April 2018

High levels of sedentary time have been detrimentally linked to health outcomes. Differentiating sitting from lying may help to further understand the mechanisms associated with these health impacts. This study compares the inter‐method agreement between the “single‐monitor” method (thigh‐worn activPAL3TM) and a more robustly validated “dual‐monitor” method (trunk and thigh‐worn activPAL3TM) in their classifications of sitting and lying under free‐living conditions. Thirty‐five participants (20‐50 years) wore two activity monitors (thigh and trunk) for 24 hours. Total time spent lying and sitting was calculated for both methods, and agreement was determined using ICC and Bland‐Altman methods. As there was no gold standard, further data were collected from five participants during structured activities that were designed to challenge classification, to better understand any disagreement between the methods. ICCs were 0.81 for sitting time and 0.64 for lying time. The single‐monitor method detected less lying time than the dual‐monitor method, with a mean difference of −25 minutes (95% agreement limits: −172 to 221 minutes), including three cases with extreme disagreement (mostly in daytime lying classification). The additional data collection suggested a major source of disagreement was failure of the single‐monitor method to identify lying that involved no rotation around the longitudinal axis. In conclusion, there was some agreement between the single‐ and dual‐monitor estimates of lying time under free‐living conditions, but measures were not interchangeable. The main disagreement was in how the methods classified daytime lying and lying tasks involving no lateral movement. Both methods yield promise for measuring time in bed.
Class, culture, and structure: Stratification and mechanisms of omnivorousness
Authors: Ferrant Coline
Published: April 2018

In this article, I discuss cultural omnivorousness through a structural framework. Omnivorousness is one of two theoretical approaches to class and culture, together with homology. In its original formulation, the omnivore thesis postulates that diversity, rather than exclusion, becomes the principle of cultural distinction: while the upper classes combine legitimate and illegitimate tastes and lifestyles, the lower classes remain restricted to illegitimate culture. The recent literature conceptualizes and operationalizes omnivorousness in two ways: first, as indicators of cultural diversity, second, as the multiplicity of logics structuring cultural fields. Omnivorousness is stratified along lines of class, specifically, education and social mobility, age and generation, and gender. Lastly, omnivorousness is associated with major, yet ambiguous shifts in Western cultural and social structures, including transformations of cultural production, pathways to democratization, normative beliefs about cosmopolitanism, and educational expansion.
Of Riots and Racism: Fifty Years Since the Best Laid Schemes of the Kerner Commission (1968–2018)
Authors: Hughey Matthew W.
Published: April 2018

“What happened? Why did it happen? What can be done to prevent it from happening again and again?” Voiced less that one week after the July 1967 race riots in Detroit, Michigan, Lyndon B. Johnson spoke these words as he ordered the establishment of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Seven months later, on March 1, 1968, the Commission's account—known as the Kerner Commission Report—was a scathing appraisal of riots and racism in the United States. While it included bold language about the linkage between rioting and racism, it is rife with paradoxical assumptions and findings. Moreover, the report's failure to define sociological concepts, coupled with a reliance on individualism and cognitive attitudes via psycho‐analytic and pop‐psychological conjecture, together beckon scholars to wrestle with how this state‐issued report reflected and reproduced dominant assumptions about the “race” concept, violence, and human nature. Employing a critical content analysis of the report, I ask: How does the Kerner Commission Report define and use the concept of “riots” and “racism,” and what are the logics employed in the production of that knowledge?
A Bayesian asymmetric logistic model of factors underlying team success in top‐level basketball in Spain
Authors: Pérez‐Sánchez José María , Salmerón‐Gómez Román , Ocaña‐Peinado Francisco M.
Published: April 2018

This paper analyses the factors underlying the victories and defeats of the Spanish basketball teams Real Madrid and Barcelona in the national league, ACB. The following research questions were addressed: (a) Is it possible to identify the factors underlying these results? (b) Can knowledge of these factors increase the probability of winning and thus help coaches take better decisions? We analysed 80 and 79 games played in the 2013–2014 season by Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the probability of the team winning. The models were estimated by standard (frequentist) and Bayesian methods, taking into account the asymmetry of the data, that is, the fact that the database contained many more wins than losses. Thus, the analysis consisted of an asymmetric logistic regression. From the Bayesian standpoint, this model was considered the most appropriate, as it highlighted relevant factors that might remain undetected by standard logistic regression. The prediction quality of the models obtained was tested by application to the results produced in the following season (2014–2015). Again, asymmetric logistic regression achieved the best results. In view of the study findings, we make various practical recommendations to improve decision making in this field. In short, asymmetric logistic regression is a valuable tool that can help coaches improve their game strategies.
Implications of erosion and bedrock composition on zircon fertility: Examples from South America and Western Australia
Authors: Spencer Christopher J. , Kirkland Christopher L. , Roberts Nicholas M. W.
Published: April 2018

Isotopic analysis of zircon has been useful in charting our planet's geological history from the Holocene to the Hadean. Zircon is present in a range of lithologies, yet its yield in sedimentary systems is governed by the zircon fertility of the source rocks and their denudation rate. This interplay is illustrated in South America where rocks exposed in the Amazonia craton have higher Zr concentrations (i.e. greater zircon yield) than the Andes; however, the detrital zircon population of the Amazon River catchment shows more zircon from the Andes given the higher erosion rate. Nonetheless, the observed zircon frequency can be corrected for erosional and fertility biases. Additionally, detrital zircon in fluvial sediment in Western Australia, previously interpreted as quantifying differential erosion, can alternatively be explained as an effect of Zr content (therefore zircon fertility) of the sources. Understanding the variables controlling zircon yield will facilitate accurately interpreting detrital zircon signatures through deep time and their application to crustal evolution questions.
Relationship between Salmonella infection, shedding and serology in fattening pigs in low–moderate prevalence areas
Authors: San Román B. , Garrido V. , Sánchez S. , Martínez‐Ballesteros I. , Garaizar J. , Mainar‐Jaime R. C. , Migura‐Garcia L. , Grilló M. J.
Published: April 2018

Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen causing important zoonosis worldwide. Pigs asymptomatically infected in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) can be intermittent shedders of the pathogen through faeces, being considered a major source of human infections. European baseline studies of fattening pig salmonellosis are based on Salmonella detection in MLN. This work studies the relationship between Salmonella infection in MLN and intestinal content (IC) shedding at slaughter and the relationship between the presence of the pathogen and the serologic status at farm level. Mean Salmonella prevalence in the selected pigs (vertically integrated production system of Navarra, Spain) was 7.2% in MLN, 8.4% in IC and 9.6% in serum samples. In this low–moderate prevalence context, poor concordance was found between MLN infection and shedding at slaughter and between bacteriology and serology. In fact, most of shedders were found uninfected in MLN (83%) or carrying different Salmonella strains in MLN and in IC (90%). The most prevalent Salmonellae were Typhimurium resistant to ACSSuT ± Nx or ASSuT antibiotic families, more frequently found invading the MLN (70%) than in IC (33.9%). Multivariable analysis revealed that risk factors associated with the presence of Salmonella in MLN or in IC were different, mainly related either to good hygiene practices or to water and feed control, respectively. Overall, in this prevalence context, detection of Salmonella in MLN is an unreliable predictor of faecal shedding at abattoir, indicating that subclinical infections in fattening pigs MLN could have limited relevance in the IC shedding.
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Gibbs Nikki
Published: April 2018

Applied Economics and Finance (AEF) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether AEF publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 5, Number 3Aaron Morey, University of Melbourne, AustraliaAli Massoud, Sohag University, EgyptAndrey Kudryavtsev, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley Academic College, IsraelAsad K. Ghalib, Liverpool Hope University, UKDilshodjon Rakhmonov, Tashkent State University of Economics, UzbekistanEncarnación Alvarez-Verdejo, University of Granada, SpainEyup Kadioglu, Capital Markets Board, TurkeyFarhat Iqbal, University of Balochistan, Quetta – Pakistan. , Pakistan.He Nie, Jinan University, ChinaIbrahim Baghdadi, Lebanese University, LebanonIgor Matyushenko, School of Foreign Economic Relations and Touristic Business, UkraineMagdalena Radulescu, University of Pitesti, RomaniaMagdalena Zioło, University of Szczecin, PolandMarwa Biltagy, Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, EgyptMohammed Al-Mahish, King Faisal University, Saudi ArabiaMojeed Idowu John Odumeso-Jimoh, Noble Integrated Resources & Management, NigeriaNuno Crespo, ISCTE-IUL, PortugalPatrycja Kowalczyk-Rolczynska, Wroclaw University of Economics, PolandProf. Aloysius Ajab AMIN, Institute for Development Solutions, Inc, USARamona Orastean, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, RomaniaRichard Nguyen, Alliant International University, USARomeo Victor Ionescu, Dunarea de Jos University, RomaniaSherry Jensen, Florida Institute of Technology, USASteven V. Cates, Kaplan University, USASzabolcs Blazsek, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala Nikki GibbsEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Applied Economics and FinanceRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://aef.redfame.com
Review Article: Recommended practice for calibrating vacuum gauges of the ionization type
Authors: Fedchak James A. , Abbott Patrick J. , Hendricks Jay H. , Arnold Paul C. , Peacock Neil T.
Published: April 2018

This article represents a recommended practice for the calibration of ionization gauges usig the comparison method. In this method, ionization gauges are compared to a working standard that has a système international, or the international system of units traceable calibration. The ionization gauge is either of the hot-cathode ionization type or the cold-cathode ionization type. Details of the calibration apparatus, the principle of operation of the gauges, data analysis, uncertainty budget, and reporting the uncertainty are given.
A comparison of three geoacoustic models using Bayesian inversion and selection techniques applied to wave speed and attenuation measurements
Authors: Bonomo Anthony L. , Isakson Marcia J.
Published: April 2018

Many geoacoustic models have been developed to study sandy sediments. In this work, Bayesian inference techniques are used to compare three such models: the VGS(λ) model, the most recent of Buckingham's viscous grain-shearing models, the Biot-Stoll poroelastic model, and an extension to the Biot-Stoll model proposed by Chotiros called the corrected and reparametrized extended Biot (CREB) model. First, Bayesian inversion is applied to wave speed and attenuation measurements previously made in the laboratory to determine the degree to which each of the model input parameters can be resolved by wave speed and attenuation data. Then, Bayesian model selection techniques are utilized to assess the degree to which the predictions of these models match the measured data and to ascertain the Bayesian evidence in favor of each. Through these studies it is determined that the VGS(λ) and CREB models outperform the Biot-Stoll model, both in terms of parameter resolution and in their ability to produce predictions in agreement with measurements. The VGS(λ) model is seen to have the highest degree of Bayesian evidence in its favor.
Commonly Used Oncology Drugs Decrease Antifungal Effectiveness against Candida and Aspergillus Species
Authors: Butts Arielle , Reitler Parker , Ge Wenbo , Fortwendel Jarrod R. , Palmer Glen E.
Published: April 2018

The incidence of invasive fungal infections has risen significantly in recent decades as medical interventions have become increasingly aggressive. These infections are extremely difficult to treat due to the extremely limited repertoire of systemic antifungals, the development of drug resistance, and the extent to which the patient's immune function is compromised. Even when the appropriate antifungal therapies are administered in a timely fashion, treatment failure is common, even in the absence of
in vitro
microbial resistance. In this study, we screened a small collection of FDA-approved oncolytic agents for compounds that impact the efficacy of the two most widely used classes of systemic antifungals against
Candida albicans
,
Candida glabrata
, and
Aspergillus fumigatus
. We have identified several drugs that enhance fungal growth in the presence of azole antifungals and examine the potential that these drugs directly affect fungal fitness, specifically antifungal susceptibility, and may be contributing to clinical treatment failure.
Clinical and Bacteriologic Analysis of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Strains Isolated from Children with Invasive Diseases in Japan from 2008 to 2015
Authors: Naito Sachiko , Takeuchi Noriko , Ohkusu Misako , Takahashi-Nakaguchi Azusa , Takahashi Hiroki , Imuta Naoko , Nishi Junichiro , Shibayama Keigo , Matsuoka Mayumi , Sasaki Yuko , Ishiwada Naruhiko
Published: April 2018

Haemophilus influenzae
type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines have led to dramatic reductions in Hib disease among young children worldwide. Nontypeable
H. influenzae
(NTHi) is now the major cause of invasive
H. influenzae
infections.
Nuts and Grains: Microbiology and Preharvest Contamination Risks
Authors: Brar Pardeepinder K. , Danyluk Michelle D.
Published: April 2018

Low-water-activity foods have been involved in recalls and foodborne disease outbreaks. Increased consumption; better detection methods and reporting systems; improved surveillance, trace-back, and ability to connect sporadic foodborne illnesses; and inadequate implementation of food safety programs are some of the likely reasons for the increase in frequency of recalls and outbreaks linked to dry foods. Nuts and grains can be contaminated with foodborne pathogens at any stage during production, processing, storage, and distribution. Focusing on preharvest contamination, the various potential sources of contamination include soil, animal intrusion, contaminated harvesting equipment, harvest and preharvest handling, storage conditions, and others. The low water activity of nuts and grains prevents the growth of most foodborne pathogens on their surfaces. The long-term survival of bacterial foodborne pathogens (
Salmonella
,
Escherichia coli
O157:H7, and
Listeria monocytogenes
) on dry foods has been documented in the literature for different nut types. Preventing contamination is the key to avoiding foodborne disease risks linked to dry foods. The implementation of good agricultural practices and other food safety systems provides a proactive approach to address concerns thoroughly. A plethora of research is available on preventing the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi on the surface of nuts and grains. Milling is an effective mechanism to reduce the microbial load on grains. This review focuses on providing information about associated foodborne microorganisms, preharvest contamination sources, and good agricultural practice recommendations for nuts and grains.
Evaluating the long-term consequences of air pollution in early life: geographical correlations between coal consumption in 1951/1952 and current mortality in England and Wales
Authors: Phillips David I W , Osmond Clive , Southall Humphrey , Aucott Paula , Jones Alexander , Holgate Stephen T
Published: April 2018

Objective

To evaluate associations between early life air pollution and subsequent mortality.

Design

Geographical study.

Setting

Local government districts within England and Wales.

Exposure

Routinely collected geographical data on the use of coal and related solid fuels in 1951–1952 were used as an index of air pollution.

Main outcome measures

We evaluated the relationship between these data and both all-cause and disease-specific mortality among men and women aged 35–74 years in local government districts between 1993 and 2012.

Results

Domestic (household) coal consumption had the most powerful associations with mortality. There were strong correlations between domestic coal use and all-cause mortality (relative risk per SD increase in fuel use 1.124, 95% CI 1.123 to 1.126), and respiratory (1.238, 95% CI 1.234 to 1.242), cardiovascular (1.138, 95% CI 1.136 to 1.140) and cancer mortality (1.073, 95% CI 1.071 to 1.075). These effects persisted after adjustment for socioeconomic indicators in 1951, current socioeconomic indicators and current pollution levels.

Conclusion

Coal was the major cause of pollution in the UK until the Clean Air Act of 1956 led to a rapid decline in consumption. These data suggest that coal-based pollution, experienced over 60 years ago in early life, affects human health now by increasing mortality from a wide variety of diseases.
Should empiric antibiotic therapy be withheld when aetiology of preterm birth is non-infectious? A protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Seliga-Siwecka Joanna , Ansari Mohammed Toseef , Aschner Judy , Sampson Margaret , Romańska Justyna
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Preterm birth (PTB) at <37 weeks of gestation is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in developed countries. The traditional approach has been based on the assumption that PTB is primarily a result of intrauterine infection, which triggers preterm labour and puts the newborn at risk of early onset sepsis (EOS). We are currently experiencing a rise in prematurity that results from maternal and fetal diseases unrelated to infection. We have designed a systematic review to assess whether chemoprophylaxis should be withheld when the aetiology of preterm birth is non-infectious.

Methods and analysis

Our study will focus on studies evaluating EOS in preterm infants. We will conduct a comprehensive search of literature available up to 28 February 2018. An information specialist will search for eligible studies in Medline (Ovid interface, 1948 and onwards), Embase (Ovid interface, 1980 onwards) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley interface, current issue). We will search databases and registries including records of ongoing research, conference proceedings and thesis (clinical trials, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform). Two authors will independently extract data from eligible studies and assess risk of bias. For continuous outcomes, which follow discrete distribution, mean difference will be calculated. Dichotomous data will be presented using risk ratios, while count data will be expressed using rate ratios. Time-to-event outcomes will be reported as HRs. All estimates will be presented together with 95% CI. Studies comparable with respect to methodology and reporting the same outcomes will be combined in a meta-analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Our systematic review does not require approval from the research and ethics board. We will use the findings to prepare a future multicentre randomised control trial in order to establish safe and adequate antibiotics policies for preterm infants, based on the aetiology of PTB.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016029707.
A modified Delphi study towards developing a guideline to inform policy on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in South Africa: a study protocol
Authors: Adebiyi Babatope O , Mukumbang Ferdinand C , Okop Kufre J , Beytell Anna-Marie
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in mental and physical birth defects in individuals. These birth defects are usually described as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). With an estimated 183–259 per 1000 children born with FASDs, South Africa is identified to have the highest prevalence of FASDs in the world. Nevertheless, there is a lack of appropriate policies, guidelines and interventions addressing the issues around FASDs. This protocol outlines a proposed process for developing a guideline to inform policies on FASDs.

Methods and analysis

This process will have three phases. Phase I will be carried out in three steps; we plan to conduct a document review of available policies on the prevention and management of FASDs and update the existing systematic review on FASDs interventions. The aim of the two reviews is to explore the availability and content of existing policies and global interventions on FASDs. In addition, we will conduct two exploratory qualitative studies to obtain the perspectives of various stakeholders on the existing or possible guidelines and policies for the management of FASDs and available interventions and services. In phase II, we will aggregate the findings of the previous phase to develop a prototype guideline. In phase III, using the developed prototype, we will apply the Delphi approach with experts on FASDs, soliciting their opinions on the nature and content of the proposed guidelines for policies. The information gathered will be used to modify the prototype to formulate a policy guideline on FASDs. The data will be analysed using thematic analysis and narrative synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical clearance has been obtained from the ethics committee of the university and governmental departments. The findings will be disseminated through publications and the guideline will be submitted to relevant departments.
Characteristics of value-based health and social care from organisations’ perspectives (OrgValue): a mixed-methods study protocol
Authors: Ansmann Lena , Hillen Hendrik Ansgar , Kuntz Ludwig , Stock Stephanie , Vennedey Vera , Hower Kira Isabelle
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Health and social care systems are under pressure to organise care around patients’ needs with constrained resources. Several studies reveal that care is constantly challenged by balancing economic requirements against individual patients’ preferences and needs. Therefore, value-based health and social care aims to facilitate patient-centredness while taking the resources spent into consideration. The OrgValue project examines the implementation of patient-centredness while considering the health and social care organisations’ resource orientation in the model region of the city of Cologne, Germany.

Methods and analysis

First, the implementation status of patient-centredness as well as its facilitators and barriers—also in terms of resource orientation—will be assessed through face-to-face interviews with decision-makers (at least n=18) from health and social care organisations (HSCOs) in Cologne. Second, patients’ understanding of patient-centredness and their preferences and needs will be revealed by conducting face-to-face interviews (at least n=15). Third, the qualitative results will provide the basis for a quantitative survey of decision-makers from all HSCOs in Cologne, which will include questions on patient-centredness, resource orientation and determinants of implementation. Fourth, qualitative interviews with decision-makers from different types of HSCOs will be conducted to develop a uniform measurement instrument on the cost and service structure of HSCOs.

Ethics and dissemination

For all collected data, the relevant data protection regulations will be adhered to. Consultation and a positive vote from the ethics committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne have been obtained. All personal identifiers (eg, name, date of birth) will be pseudonymised. Dissemination strategies include a feedback report as well as research and development workshops for the organisations with the aim of initiating organisational learning and organisational development, presenting results in publications and at conferences, and public relations.

Trial registration number

DRKS00011925.
Human gastric cancer modelling using organoids
Authors: Seidlitz Therese , Merker Sebastian R , Rothe Alexander , Zakrzewski Falk , von Neubeck Cläre , Grützmann Konrad , Sommer Ulrich , Schweitzer Christine , Schölch Sebastian , Uhlemann Heike , Gaebler Anne-Marlene , Werner Kristin , Krause Mechthild , Baretton Gustavo B , Welsch Thilo , Koo Bon-Kyoung , Aust Daniela E , Klink Barbara , Weitz Jürgen , Stange Daniel E
Published: April 2018

Objective

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the fifth most common malignancy worldwide. In this study, human and mouse gastric cancer organoids were generated to model the disease and perform drug testing to delineate treatment strategies.

Design

Human gastric cancer organoid cultures were established, samples classified according to their molecular profile and their response to conventional chemotherapeutics tested. Targeted treatment was performed according to specific druggable mutations. Mouse gastric cancer organoid cultures were generated carrying molecular subtype-specific alterations.

Results

Twenty human gastric cancer organoid cultures were established and four selected for a comprehensive in-depth analysis. Organoids demonstrated divergent growth characteristics and morphologies. Immunohistochemistry showed similar characteristics to the corresponding primary tissue. A divergent response to 5-fluoruracil, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, epirubicin and docetaxel treatment was observed. Whole genome sequencing revealed a mutational spectrum that corresponded to the previously identified microsatellite instable, genomic stable and chromosomal instable subtypes of gastric cancer. The mutational landscape allowed targeted therapy with trastuzumab for ERBB2 alterations and palbociclib for CDKN2A loss. Mouse cancer organoids carrying Kras and Tp53 or Apc and Cdh1 mutations were characterised and serve as model system to study the signalling of induced pathways.

Conclusion

We generated human and mouse gastric cancer organoids modelling typical characteristics and altered pathways of human gastric cancer. Successful interference with activated pathways demonstrates their potential usefulness as living biomarkers for therapy response testing.
Neuromuscular fatigue during repeated sprint exercise: underlying physiology and methodological considerations
Authors: Collins Brandon W. , Pearcey Gregory E.P. , Buckle Natasha C.M. , Power Kevin E. , Button Duane C.
Published: April 2018

Neuromuscular fatigue occurs when an individual’s capacity to produce force or power is impaired. Repeated sprint exercise requires an individual to physically exert themselves at near-maximal to maximal capacity for multiple short-duration bouts, is extremely taxing on the neuromuscular system, and consequently leads to the rapid development of neuromuscular fatigue. During repeated sprint exercise the development of neuromuscular fatigue is underlined by a combination of central and peripheral fatigue. However, there are a number of methodological considerations that complicate the quantification of the development of neuromuscular fatigue. The main goal of this review is to synthesize the results from recent investigations on the development of neuromuscular fatigue during repeated sprint exercise. Hence, we summarize the overall development of neuromuscular fatigue, explain how recovery time may alter the development of neuromuscular fatigue, outline the contributions of peripheral and central fatigue to neuromuscular fatigue, and provide some methodological considerations for quantifying neuromuscular fatigue during repeated sprint exercise.
Diversity of Bacillus-like bacterial community in the rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil of halophytes (Salsola stocksii and Atriplex amnicola), and characterization of osmoregulatory genes in halophilic Bacilli
Authors: Mukhtar Salma , Mehnaz Samina , Mirza Muhammad Sajjad , Mirza Babur Saeed , Malik Kauser Abdulla
Published: April 2018

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses; a total of 3% of the world’s land mass is affected by salinity. Approximately 6.3 million hectares of land in Pakistan is affected by salinity to varying degrees, and most of the areas are arid to semiarid with low annual precipitation. The aim of the present study is to identify and characterize Bacillus and Bacillus-derived bacterial genera from the rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil samples from the Khewra Salt Mine, Pakistan, by using culture-independent and -dependent methods. Seven Bacillus-like bacterial genera, Bacillus, Halobacillus, Virgibacillus, Brevibacillus, Paenibacillus, Tumebacillus, and Lysinibacillus, were detected by using pyrosequencing analysis, whereas only four genera, Bacillus, Halobacillus, Oceanobacillus, and Virgibacillus, were identified by culture-dependent methods. Most of the Bacillus-like isolates identified in this study were moderately halophilic, alkaliphilic, and mesophilic bacteria and were considered a good source of hydrolytic enzymes because of their ability to degrade proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Eight Bacillus-like strains from the genera Bacillus, Halobacillus, Oceanobacillus, and Virgibacillus showed positive results for the presence of ectABC gene cluster (ectoine), six strains could synthesize betaine from choline, and six strains tested positive for the synthesis of proline from either glutamate or ornithine by using proline dehydrogenase enzyme.
Soil organic carbon changes as influenced by carbon inputs and previous cropping system
Authors: Smith Elwin G. , Henry Janzen H. , Ellert Benjamin H.
Published: April 2018

We planted continuous wheat, with and without nitrogen fertilizer, onto a preceding long-term (44 yr) experiment with contrasting cropping systems, and measured soil organic carbon (SOC) after 6 yr. Changes in SOC were driven mostly by cumulative plant C inputs, as influenced by yield response to added nitrogen.
Soil carbon and nitrogen responses to snow removal and concrete frost in a northern coniferous forest
Authors: Patel Kaizad F. , Tatariw Corianne , MacRae Jean D. , Ohno Tsutomu , Nelson Sarah J. , Fernandez Ivan J.
Published: April 2018

Climate change in northeastern North America is resulting in warmer winters with reduced snow accumulation. Soils under a thin snowpack are more likely to experience freeze–thaw cycles, disrupting carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) transformations. We conducted a 2 year snow removal experiment in Maine to study the effects of soil freezing on soil C and N processes. O horizon soils were sampled during winter and spring of 2015 and 2016, and they were analyzed for labile inorganic N and water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) concentrations, specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA254), and potential net N mineralization. The winter of 2015 was cold and snowy, whereas 2016 was warm with a shallow, short-term snowpack. Snow removal caused the soils to freeze, but winter rain-on-soil events in 2015 resulted in the formation of concrete frost, as opposed to granular frost in 2016. Concrete frost increased soil ammonium (NH4+-N) and WEOC concentrations and decreased SUVA254, which we attribute to microbial cell lysis. In contrast, granular frost did not alter soil nutrient concentrations, reflecting limited microbial distress. Our study demonstrates that moisture content influences the intensity of soil freezing, highlighting the importance of snowpack depth and winter rain events in regulating winter and spring biogeochemical processes and nutrient availability.
OPTIMIZATION OF ICE START-STOP BASED ON MPC FOR AN HEV TO IMPROVE FUEL ECONOMY
Authors: Gao Aiyun , Deng Xiaozhong , Fu Zhumu , Zhang Mingzhu
Published: April 2018

To improve hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) fuel efficiency further, the decision as to whether the internal combustion engine (ICE) should start or stop is important. This paper presents a novel optimization method of the ICE start-stop by using the model predictive control (MPC) based on equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS). The optimization method and flow of the ICE start-stop are described in detail. Three torque-split control strategies are proposed for the comparison purpose. From the ICE operating points, the fuel consumption and the battery SOC, simulation results reveal that the transient MPC strategy with ICE start-stop has a huge potential for improving the overall fuel economy.
An improved adaptive stochastic resonance with general scale transformation to extract high-frequency characteristics in strong noise
Authors: Huang Dawen , Yang Jianhua , Zhang Jingling , Liu Houguang
Published: April 2018

The idea of general scale transformation is introduced in detail. Based on this idea, an improved adaptive stochastic resonance (SR) method is proposed to extract weak signal features. Different periodic signals are considered to verify the proposed method. Compared with the normalized scale transformation, the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the proposed method is increased to a greater extent. Further, the influences of some key parameters on the responses of the two methods are discussed minutely. Results show that the improved adaptive SR method with general scale transformation is obviously superior to the traditional normalized scale transformation that is used in the former literatures. For different noise intensities and time scales, the proposed approach can always obtain the optimal response of SR to enhance the weak signal characteristics.
A Risk-Based Maintenance Decision-Making Approach for Railway Asset Management
Authors: Wang Li , An Min , Qin Yong , Jia Limin
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a risk-based maintenance decision making modeling methodology for railway asset maintenance optimization, which takes risk and maintenance cost objectives into consideration in the decision making process. A bottom-up risk analysis approach has been developed by using fuzzy reasoning approach (FRA) and fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process (Fuzzy-AHP) to produce a risk model. A total cost model has also been developed to estimate repair/renewal, maintenance and performance review costs. A risk-based maintenance decision making support model has then been developed by integrating the risk model with cost model in which multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques are employed to process the proposed risk-based maintenance decision making support model. An illustrative example on a section of a track system maintenance decision selection is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed methodology. The results show that by using the proposed methodology the qualitative and quantitative risk data and information with maintenance costs associated with railway assets can be evaluated efficiently and effectively, which provide very useful information to railway engineers, managers, and decision makers.
Dissolving knot surgered 4-manifolds by classical cobordism arguments
Authors: Baykur R. İnanç
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this note is to show that classical cobordism arguments, which go back to the pioneering works of Mandelbaum and Moishezon, provide quick and unified proofs of any knot surgered compact simply-connected 4-manifold [Formula: see text] becoming diffeomorphic to [Formula: see text] after a single stabilization by connected summing with [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], and almost complete decomposability of [Formula: see text] for many almost completely decomposable [Formula: see text], such as the elliptic surfaces.
Disclosure of Medical Errors: A Literature Review and the Situation in Turkey
Authors: Yürür Gülkızılca , Ramirez Valdez Kristel P.
Published: April 2018

Evaluating the efficacy and accuracy of clinical reasoning and distinguishing between complications and medical errors is a difficult task. However, it seems to be an even more difficult task to provide models for systematically reporting and reducing those errors through improvements in the entire web of healthcare delivery.

The report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System” published in 1999 highlighted the importance of patient safety and proposed some interventions. However, a follow up by the authors of the report in 2005 stated that progress in matters of safer care delivery and improved communications was slow. The interventions proposed include “pay for performance” incentives, implementation of electronic health records, diffusion of safe practices and team training for full disclosure of medical errors to patients following injury.

As patients increasingly are consumers, customers and regulatory actors in their own healthcare, it becomes harder to hide medical mistakes in clinical encounters. Explaining why and how the medical error happened, giving informed assurance that the mistake will be avoided in the future and offering sincere apologies to patients and families are skills that need to be taught to medical students as early as the undergraduate level. Those skills are very difficult to teach in the university environment and would be learned more effectively with years of experience. However, structured educational programs focusing in the necessity and components of a good medical error disclosure would improve awareness in the importance of an effective and honest doctor–patient relationship.

In this review paper, we compare international literature and examples from Turkey with regard to disclosure of medical errors. The Turkish literature on malpractice cases is rich and most of them point out that medical errors occur because of heavy workloads, insufficient infrastructure and lack of high quality medical education. However, the lack of any papers on medical disclosure to patients in Turkey seems to point out to the big communication gap between patients and doctors, among other reasons. We will address some of the reasons for such lack in Turkey and present recommendations about how to disclose medical errors to patients such as implementation of electronic medical error disclosure systems, education and training, and legislation.
Tsunami hazard from lacustrine mass wasting in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Authors: Mountjoy Joshu J. , Wang Xiaoming , Woelz Susi , Fitzsimons Sean , Howarth Jamie D. , Orpin Alan R. , Power William
Published: April 2018

Lacustrine-tsunami risk from landslides can be significant yet for most locations globally the hazard remains unquantified. Lake Tekapo, in the tectonically active mountain belt of New Zealand's South Island, has been chosen to develop surveying and modelling techniques to assess the hazard from landslide tsunamis. Lake Tekapo is ideal for this study due to the high sedimentation rates, steep surrounds and the proximity to active faulting that indicate a high landslide potential. The shoreline tourist settlement and hydropower infrastructure mean the impact of any tsunami could be significant. In 2016 a survey was carried out to collect high-resolution (1 m grid) EM2040 multibeam bathymetry, high-resolution seismic reflection data (Boomer and chirp) and 6 m long sediment cores. These data reveal a diverse range of sedimentary processes in response to high sediment input and numerous landslides with varied styles of emplacement. For example, a one-off landslide initiated 40 m above the shoreline with debris deposits that have runout onto the lake floor to 100 m water depth contrasts with the Cass River delta on the western shore that has failed multiple times during the lake-basin infilling history. Landslide-generated tsunami scenarios are used to determine the relative hazard at different regions of the lake to guide development of a probabilistic tsunami model.
Networking Wireless Energy in Embedded Networks
Authors: Chandio Yasra , Bitsch Jó Ágila , Syed Affan A. , Alizai Muhammad Hamad
Published: April 2018

Wireless energy transfer has recently emerged as a promising alternative to realize the vision of perpetual embedded sensing. However, this technology transforms the notion of energy from merely a node’s local commodity to, similarly to data, a deployment-wide shareable resource. The challenges of managing a shareable energy resource are much more complicated and radically different from the research of the past decade: Besides energy-efficient operation of individual devices, we also need to optimize networkwide energy distribution. To counteract these challenges, we propose an
energy stack
, a layered software model for energy management in future transiently powered embedded networks. An initial specification of the energy stack, which is based on the historically successful layered approach for data networking, consists of three layers: (i) the
transfer
layer, which deals with the physical transfer of energy; (ii) the
scheduling
layer, which optimizes energy distribution over a single hop; and (iii) the
network
layer, creates a global view of the energy in the network for optimizing its networkwide distribution. As a contribution, we define the interfacing APIs between these layers, delineate their responsibilities, identify corresponding challenges, and provide a first implementation of the energy stack. Our evaluation, using both experimental deployments and high-level simulations, establishes the feasibility of a layered solution to energy management under transient power.