bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost‐optimization in the treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Nigeria
Authors: Musa Baba Maiyaki , John Denny , Habib Abdulrazaq G. , Kuznik Andreas
Published: November 2015

Objective

To compare the cost of facility‐based MDR TB care (F) to home‐based care (H) from the perspective of the Nigerian national health system.

Methods

We assessed the expected costs of the two MDR TB treatment approaches using a decision‐analytic model with a follow‐up of 6 months. MDR TB treatment outcomes were obtained from a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. The outcomes of interest included treatment success, treatment failure, treatment default and mortality and did not vary significantly between the two alternatives. Treatment costs included the cost of the following: drug therapy (F, H), hospital stay (F), nurse care (F, H), physician care (F), nursing facility (F) and transport to the healthcare provider (H). Finally, we estimated the potential cost savings associated with home‐based treatment for all patients starting MDR TB treatment in Nigeria.

Results

The average expected total treatment cost for a Nigerian patient treated for MDR TB was estimated at US2095 for facility – based care and 1535 for home‐based care, a potential saving of 25%. One of the major drivers of this difference is significantly more intensive, and therefore more costly, nursing care in hospitals. In 2013, a total of 426 patients were initiated on facility‐based MDR TB treatment in Nigeria. Thus, the potential savings through home‐based care are US$ 223 204 per year.

Conclusion

In Nigeria, treatment of MDR TB using home‐based care is expected to result in similar patient outcomes at markedly reduced public health costs as facility‐based care.
Tensions Between Science and Intuition Across the Lifespan
Authors: Shtulman Andrew , Harrington Kelsey
Published: November 2015

The scientific knowledge needed to engage with policy issues like climate change, vaccination, and stem cell research often conflicts with our intuitive theories of the world. How resilient are our intuitive theories in the face of contradictory scientific knowledge? Here, we present evidence that intuitive theories in 10 domains of knowledge—astronomy, evolution, fractions, genetics, germs, matter, mechanics, physiology, thermodynamics, and waves—persist more than four decades beyond the acquisition of a mutually exclusive scientific theory. Participants (104 younger adults, Mage = 19.6, and 48 older adults, Mage = 65.1) were asked to verify two types of scientific statements as quickly as possible: those that are consistent with intuition (e.g., “the moon revolves around the Earth”) and those that involve the same conceptual relations but are inconsistent with intuition (e.g., “the Earth revolves around the sun”). Older adults were as accurate as younger adults at verifying both types of statements, but the lag in response times between intuition‐consistent and intuition‐inconsistent statements was significantly larger for older adults than for younger adults. This lag persisted even among professional scientists. Overall, these results suggest that the scientific literacy needed to engage with topics of global importance may be constrained by patterns of reasoning that emerge in childhood but persist long thereafter.
Personality, Parasites, Political Attitudes, and Cooperation: A Model of How Infection Prevalence Influences Openness and Social Group Formation
Authors: Brown Gordon D. A. , Fincher Corey L. , Walasek Lukasz
Published: November 2015

What is the origin of individual differences in ideology and personality? According to the parasite stress hypothesis, the structure of a society and the values of individuals within it are both influenced by the prevalence of infectious disease within the society's geographical region. High levels of infection threat are associated with more ethnocentric and collectivist social structures and greater adherence to social norms, as well as with socially conservative political ideology and less open but more conscientious personalities. Here we use an agent‐based model to explore a specific opportunities‐parasites trade‐off (OPTO) hypothesis, according to which utility‐maximizing agents place themselves at an optimal point on a trade‐off between (a) the gains that may be achieved through accessing the resources of geographically or socially distant out‐group members through openness to out‐group interaction, and (b) the losses arising due to consequently increased risks of exotic infection to which immunity has not been developed. We examine the evolution of cooperation and the formation of social groups within social networks, and we show that the groups that spontaneously form exhibit greater local rather than global cooperative networks when levels of infection are high. It is suggested that the OPTO model offers a first step toward understanding the specific mechanisms through which environmental conditions may influence cognition, ideology, personality, and social organization.
A pioneer protein is part of a large complex involved in trans‐splicing of a group II intron in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Lefebvre‐Legendre Linnka , Reifschneider Olga , Kollipara Laxmikanth , Sickmann Albert , Wolters Dirk , Kück Ulrich , Goldschmidt‐Clermont Michel
Published: November 2015

Splicing of organellar introns requires the activity of numerous nucleus‐encoded factors. In the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, maturation of psaA mRNA encoding photosystem I subunit A involves two steps of trans‐splicing. The exons, located on three separate transcripts, are flanked by sequences that fold to form the conserved structures of two group II introns. A fourth transcript contributes to assembly of the first intron, which is thus tripartite. The raa7 mutant (RNA maturation of psaA 7) is deficient in trans‐splicing of the second intron of psaA, and may be rescued by transforming the chloroplast genome with an intron‐less version of psaA. Using mapped‐based cloning, we identify the RAA7 locus, which encodes a pioneer protein with no previously known protein domain or motif. The Raa7 protein, which is not associated with membranes, localizes to the chloroplast. Raa7 is a component of a large complex and co‐sediments in sucrose gradients with the previously described splicing factors Raa1 and Raa2. Based on tandem affinity purification of Raa7 and mass spectrometry, Raa1 and Raa2 were identified as interacting partners of Raa7. Yeast two‐hybrid experiments indicate that the interaction of Raa7 with Raa1 and Raa2 may be direct. We conclude that Raa7 is a component of a multimeric complex that is required for trans‐splicing of the second intron of psaA. The characterization of this psaA trans‐splicing complex is also of interest from an evolutionary perspective because the nuclear spliceosomal introns are thought to derive from group II introns, with which they show mechanistic and structural similarity.
Influence of Mainstream Turbulence Intensity on Heat Transfer Characteristics of a High Pressure Turbine Stage With Inlet Hot Streak
Authors: Wang Zhiduo , Liu Zhaofang , Feng Zhenping
Published: November 2015

An unsteady computational study was carried out on GE-E3 high pressure (HP) turbine at inflow turbulence intensities of 5%, 10%, and 20% accompanying with inlet hot streak (HS) at two circumferential positions (impinging and nonimpinging relative to vane leading edge) to analyze the interacted turbulence and HS influences. Turbulence decay mechanisms in turbine passage were presented, and the airfoil heat transfer behaviors were explored by means of adiabatic wall temperature, heat transfer coefficient (HTC), and wall heat flux. The results indicate that the elevated turbulence leads to favorable turbine airfoil temperature distributions, and turbulence induced HS attenuation mainly occurs in vane passage. In addition, the HS dispersion is related directly to the temperature gradients. Although the endwall temperature increases by more than 20 K (2.8% inlet mass-averaged temperature) and midregion temperature decreases by 16 K at blade leading edge, the hot region on blade pressure surface (PS) is only weakened by about 7 K, when turbulence intensity is increased from 5% to 20%. Higher turbulence significantly affects the airfoil HTC, excepting the regions secondary and leakage flow effects are dominating. Therefore, the tip and blade suction surface (SS) trailing edge heat flux is decreased for the temperature decline at higher turbulence, which is beneficial to tip cooling. HS position not only affects the airfoil surface temperature variations but also slightly affects the vane and blade midspan HTC for the variation of heat transfer driving temperature.
A Computationally Efficient Approach for Optimizing Lithium-Ion Battery Charging
Authors: Liu Ji , Li Guang , Fathy Hosam K.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a framework for optimizing lithium-ion battery charging, subject to side reaction constraints. Such health-conscious control can improve battery performance significantly, while avoiding damage phenomena, such as lithium plating. Battery trajectory optimization problems are computationally challenging because the problems are often nonlinear, nonconvex, and high-order. We address this challenge by exploiting: (i) time-scale separation, (ii) orthogonal projection-based model reformulation, (iii) the differential flatness of solid-phase diffusion dynamics, and (iv) pseudospectral trajectory optimization. The above tools exist individually in the literature. For example, the literature examines battery model reformulation and the pseudospectral optimization of battery charging. However, this paper is the first to combine these four tools into a unified framework for battery management and also the first work to exploit differential flatness in battery trajectory optimization. A simulation study reveals that the proposed framework can be five times more computationally efficient than pseudospectral optimization alone.
Interval Predictor Models With a Linear Parameter Dependency
Authors: Crespo Luis G. , Kenny Sean P. , Giesy Daniel P.
Published: November 2015

This paper develops techniques for constructing metamodels that predict the range of an output variable given input–output data. We focus on models depending linearly on the parameters and arbitrarily on the input. This structure enables to rigorously characterize the range of the predicted output and the uncertainty in the model’s parameters. Strategies for calculating optimal interval predictor models (IPMs) that are insensitive to outliers are proposed. The models are optimal in the sense that they yield an interval valued function of minimal spread containing all (or, depending on the formulation, most) of the observations. Outliers are identified as the IPM is calculated by evaluating the extent by which their inclusion into the dataset degrades the tightness of the prediction. When the data generating mechanism (DGM) is stationary, the data are independent, and the optimization program (OP) used for calculating the IPM is convex (or when its solution coincides with the solution to an auxiliary convex program); the model’s reliability, which is the probability that a future observation would fall within the predicted range, is bounded tightly using scenario optimization theory. In contrast to most alternative techniques, this framework does not require making any assumptions on the underlying structure of the DGM.
Fully Coupled Resolution of Heterogeneous Elastic–Plastic Contact Problem
Authors: Amuzuga Kwassi Vilevo , Chaise Thibaut , Duval Arnaud , Nelias Daniel
Published: November 2015

The recent development of semi-analytical methods (SAM) has led to numerous improvements in their capabilities in terms of phenomena that can be accounted for and numerical efficiency. They now allow to perform fast and robust simulations of contact between inelastic—with either elastic–plastic or viscoelastic behavior—and anisotropic or heterogeneous materials. All effects may be combined, with either coating, inclusions, cavities, or fibers as inhomogeneities. The coupling between local and global scales remains numerically difficult. A framework is proposed here for contact problems considering the effect of elastic heterogeneities within an elastic–plastic matrix. The mutual interactions among heterogeneities and their surrounding plastic zone as well as the interactions between them and the contact surface through which the load is transmitted should be accounted for. These couplings are outside the validity domain of the Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method (EIM) that assumes a uniform stress field in an infinite space far from the inhomogeneity. In the presence of heterogeneities close to the surface or located at the Hertzian depth, the yield stress can be reached locally due to the additional stress it generates, whereas the stress and strain state would remain purely elastic for a matrix without inclusion. It is well known that for rolling element bearing and gear applications, the ruin of components is often linked to cracks initiated in the vicinity of large or hard inclusions that act as stress raisers. It turned out that plastic strains tend to reduce the stress generated by the contact pressure while hard heterogeneities will increase it. As plastic strain accumulation can provide the basis for fatigue damage criteria, the second half of the paper will illustrate how the method can be used to identify and rank geometrical and material parameters that influence the location and magnitude of the maximal plastic strain.
Synthesis and Design of a One Degree-of-Freedom Planar Deployable Mechanism With a Large Expansion Ratio
Authors: St-Onge David , Gosselin Clément
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a new design of a deployable one degree-of-freedom (DOF) mechanism. Polygonal rigid-link designs are first investigated. Then, belt-driven links are considered in order to maximize the expansion ratio while avoiding flattened ill-conditioned parallelogram configurations. The planar basic shape of the proposed design is a triangle. Hence, virtually any planar or spatial surface can be created by assembling such faces. For architecture and telescopic applications, the cupola assembly is investigated. The advantages of this approach are discussed, and the scalability is demonstrated. Finally, a prototype is built for illustration purposes.
Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Preventive Nose Plugs: Prophylaxis Against Naegleria fowleri
Authors: Baig Abdul Mannan
Published: November 2015

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba; it is a protist pathogen that is known to cause a fatal encephalitis in humans known as “primary amoebic meningoencephalitis” (PAM). The peak season for the cases admitted to the hospital is in the summers, and all the reported cases have a history of exposure to the warm waters. Mostly, PAM is reported in recent swimmers and people who perform ablution and/or nasal cleansing. Much has been done for vaccination and treatment without any success in past 60 years, but the mortality has remained 99%. Here, we propose a prophylaxis for this disease by introducing a device “Naegleriopel.” This device is noninvasive and requires insertion into the nostrils at times of swimming or water sports related activities. This device, made up of synthetic plastic or silicone, could be adapted to the contours of the interior of the nose. It is expected to reduce the sporadic and seasonal incidences of PAM.
Deterministic and Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Analysis for Structural Integrity Assessment of Pressurized Water Reactor Pressure Vessel
Authors: Huang Kuan-Rong , Huang Chin-Cheng , Chou Hsiung-Wei
Published: November 2015

Cumulative radiation embrittlement is one of the main causes for the degradation of pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) over their long-term operations. To assess structural reliability of degraded reactor vessels, the FAVOR code from the Oak Ridge National Laboratories of the U.S. is employed to perform probabilistic fracture analysis for existing Taiwan domestic PWR reactor vessels with consideration of irradiation embrittlement effects. The plant specific parameters of the analyzed reactor vessel associated with assumed design transients are both considered as the load conditions in this work. Furthermore, two overcooling transients of steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) and pressurized thermal shock (PTS) addressed in the USNRC/EPRI benchmark problems are also taken into account. The computed low failure probabilities can demonstrate the structural reliability of the analyzed reactor vessel for its both license base and extended operations. This work is helpful for the risk assessment and aging management of operating PWR RPVs and can also be referred as its regulatory basis in Taiwan.
Seismic Assessment of Petrochemical Piping Systems Using a Performance-Based Approach
Authors: Bursi Oreste S. , Paolacci Fabrizio , Reza Md Shahin , Alessandri Silvia , Tondini Nicola
Published: November 2015

The need of enhanced seismic analysis and design rules for petrochemical piping systems is widely recognized, where the allowable stress design method is still the customary practice. This paper presents an up-to-date performance-based seismic analysis (PBSA) of piping systems. The concept of performance-based analysis is introduced and a link between limit states and earthquake levels is proposed, exemplifying international code prescriptions. A brief review on seismic design criteria of piping systems is then provided by identifying the main critical issues. Finally, the actual application of the performance-based approach is illustrated through nonlinear seismic analyses of two realistic petrochemical piping systems.
An obscure mosquito-borne disease goes global
Authors: Enserink Martin
Published: November 2015

After racing through Oceania last year, the Zika virus is now spreading in the Americas.
An end to U.S. chimp research
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: November 2015

NIH announces plans to retire its last chimpanzees.
Complete Genome Sequence of a New Member of the
Marseilleviridae
Recovered from the Brackish Submarine Spring in the Cassis Port-Miou Calanque, France
Authors: Doutre Gabriel , Arfib Bruno , Rochette Pierre , Claverie Jean-Michel , Bonin Patricia , Abergel Chantal
Published: November 2015

Marseilleviridae
is a rapidly expanding family of
Acanthamoeba
-infecting large DNA viruses distributed worldwide. We report here the complete 349-kbp genome sequence of Port-Miou virus, which is surprisingly close to that of Lausannevirus (isolated from the Seine River upstream from Paris, France), despite the strong dissimilarities of their sampling locations.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Dimorphic Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica Strain W29
Authors: Pomraning Kyle R. , Baker Scott E.
Published: November 2015

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of the dimorphic ascomycete yeast
Yarrowia lipolytica
strain W29 (ATCC 20460).
Y. lipolytica
is a commonly employed model for the industrial production of lipases, small molecules, and more recently for its ability to accumulate lipids.
Genomic Sequence of Burkholderia multivorans NKI379, a Soil Bacterium That Inhibits the Growth of Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Hsueh Pei-Tan , Liu Jong-Kang , Chen Ya-Lei , Liu Pei-Ju , Ni Wen-Fan , Chen Yao-Shen , Wu Keh-Ming , Lin Hsi-Hsun
Published: November 2015

Burkholderia multivorans
NKI379 is a soil bacterium that exhibits an antagonistic effect against the growth of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
, the causative agent of the infectious disease melioidosis. We report the draft genomic sequence of
B. multivorans
NKI379, which has a G+C content of 67% and 5,203 candidate protein-encoding genes.
Whole-Genome Sequence and Classification of 11 Endophytic Bacteria from Poison Ivy (
Toxicodendron radicans
)
Authors: Tran Phuong N. , Tan Nicholas E. H. , Lee Yin Peng , Gan Han Ming , Polter Steven J. , Dailey Lucas K. , Hudson André O. , Savka Michael A.
Published: November 2015

Here, we report the whole-genome sequences and annotation of 11 endophytic bacteria from poison ivy (
Toxicodendron radicans
) vine tissue. Five bacteria belong to the genus
Pseudomonas
, and six single members from other genera were found present in interior vine tissue of poison ivy.
Complete Genome Sequence of Potential Probiotic
Lactobacillus
sp. HFC8, Isolated from Human Gut Using PacBio SMRT Sequencing
Authors: Kumari Madhu , Swarnkar Mohit Kumar , Kumar Sanjay , Singh Anil Kumar , Gupta Mahesh
Published: November 2015

We report a 3.07-Mb complete genome sequence of a lactic acid bacterium,
Lactobacillus
sp. HFC8. The gene-coding clusters are predicated for probiotic characteristics, like bacteriocin production, cell adhesion, bile salt hydrolysis, lactose metabolism, autoaggregation, and tolerance to oxidative stress.
Draft Genome Sequence of Herpetosiphon geysericola GC-42, a Nonphototrophic Member of the
Chloroflexi
Class
Chloroflexia
Authors: Ward Lewis M. , Hemp James , Pace Laura A. , Fischer Woodward W.
Published: November 2015

We report here the draft genome sequence of
Herpetosiphon geysericola
GC-42
,
a predatory nonphototrophic member of the class
Chloroflexia
in the phylum
Chloroflexi
. This genome provides insight into the evolution of phototrophy and aerobic respiration within the
Chloroflexi
.
Genome Sequences of Three Strains of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA7 Clade
Authors: Boukerb Amine M. , Marti Romain , Cournoyer Benoit
Published: November 2015

Draft genome sequences of three
P. aeruginosa
strains from the PA7 clade are presented here. Their lengths are 6.36 (EML528), 6.44 (EML545), and 6.33 Mb (EML548). Comparisons with the PA7 genome showed 5,113 conserved coding sequences (CDSs), and significant numbers of strain-specific CDSs. Their analysis will improve our understanding of this highly divergent clade.
Resequencing of the Lactobacillus plantarum Strain WJL Genome
Authors: Martino Maria Elena , Bayjanov Jumamurat R. , Joncour Pauline , Hughes Sandrine , Gillet Benjamin , Kleerebezem Michiel , Siezen Roland , van Hijum Sacha A. F. T. , Leulier François
Published: November 2015

Lactobacillus plantarum
strain WJL is a symbiont isolated from the
Drosophila melanogaster
gut. The genome of
L. plantarum
WJL, first sequenced in 2013, was resequenced and rescaffolded in this study. A combination of Sanger and Illumina sequencing allowed us to reduce the number of contigs from 102 to 13. This work contributes to a better understanding of the genome and function of this organism.
A Novel Chiropteran Circovirus Genome Recovered from a Brazilian Insectivorous Bat Species
Authors: Lima Francisco Esmaile Sales , Cibulski Samuel Paulo , Dall Bello Aline Gehlen , Mayer Fabiana Quoos , Witt André Alberto , Roehe Paulo Michel , d’Azevedo Pedro Alves
Published: November 2015

This report describes the identification and characterization of a novel circovirus using metagenomic approaches in respiratory fluid samples from Brazilian free-tailed bats (
Tadarida brasiliensis
). The genome and deduced protein sequences share low identity with another circovirus recovered in distantly related bats from China.
BioFire FilmArray Respiratory Panel for Detection of Enterovirus D68
Authors: Shibib Dena R. , Matushek Scott M. , Beavis Kathleen G. , Gawel Susan H. , Charnot-Katsikas Angella
Published: November 2015

During the enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) outbreak of 2014, the BioFire FilmArray (FA) respiratory panel was used to detect rhinovirus/enterovirus in respiratory specimens; suspected EV-D68-positive specimens were sent to CDC for confirmation. Positive rhinovirus/enterovirus FA targets revealed patterns loosely associated with EV-D68 that may be useful for confirmation triaging.
Use of an Enrichment Broth Improves Detection of Extended-Spectrum-Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Clinical Stool Samples
Authors: Jazmati Nathalie , Hein Rebecca , Hamprecht Axel
Published: November 2015

This study evaluated the impact of preenrichment on the detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
(ESBL-E) in clinical stool samples. ESBL-E were detected in 41 of 343 patients (12.0%). As 31.7% of the ESBL-E carriers were identified by preenrichment, only this additional diagnostic step significantly improved the detection of ESBL-E.
Structure of an HIV-2 gp120 in Complex with CD4
Authors: Davenport Yunji W. , West Anthony P. , Bjorkman Pamela J.
Published: November 2015

HIV-2 is a nonpandemic form of the virus causing AIDS, and the majority of HIV-2-infected patients exhibit long-term nonprogression. The HIV-1 and HIV-2 envelope glycoproteins, the sole targets of neutralizing antibodies, share 30 to 40% identity. As a first step in understanding the reduced pathogenicity of HIV-2, we solved a 3.0-Å structure of an HIV-2 gp120 bound to the host receptor CD4, which reveals structural similarity to HIV-1 gp120 despite divergence in amino acid sequence.
A patient with odynophagia and unusual endoscopic findings
Authors: Griffin Jessica , Potts Jonathan , Chatu Sukhdev , Chung-Faye Guy
Published: November 2015

The case describes a 50-year-old woman presenting with a severe painful dysphagia to solids, impacting on her nutritional intake. She had a history of pemphigus vulgaris maintained in remission with azathioprine, with no evidence of active oral or cutaneous disease at the time of presentation. Endoscopy and histology from the distal oesophagus revealed oesophageal involvement of pemphigus vulgaris. This is a relatively rare clinical form of the disease, with only 58 cases reported worldwide. Patients with pemphigus vulgaris are also prone to infective or steroid-induced gastritis, which present in the same way. Early endoscopic evaluation is therefore essential to distinguish between oesophageal involvement of pemphigus vulgaris and other pathologies, which warrant significant differences in management.
The first report of a previously undescribed EBV-negative NK-cell lymphoma of the GI tract presenting as chronic diarrhoea with eosinophilia
Authors: Zaheen Ahmad , Delabie Jan , Vajpeyi Rajkumar , Frost David W
Published: November 2015

A 74-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of watery diarrhoea. His complete blood count showed lymphopaenia and marked eosinophilia. Investigations for common infectious causes includingClostridium difficiletoxin, stool culture, ova and parasites were negative. Endoscopy revealed extensive colitis and a CT of the abdomen identified numerous large abdominal lymph nodes suspicious for lymphoma. Multiple tissue samples were obtained; colon, mesenteric lymph node and bone marrow biopsy, as well as pleural fluid from a rapidly developing effusion, confirmed the presence of metastatic lymphoma with an immunophenotype most consistent with an aggressive variant of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma. The patient's clinical condition rapidly deteriorated and he died shortly following diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a primary gastrointestinal EBV-negative NK-cell lymphoma, and its clinical presentation highlights the importance of a broad differential in the management of chronic diarrhoea.
Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with anti-NMDA receptor antibodies during a systemic lupus erythematosus flare-up
Authors: Takei Kentarou , Sato Mineshige , Nakamura Masashi , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: November 2015

Transverse myelitis (TM) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been linked to the presence of autoantibodies (eg, antiaquaporin 4 (AQP4) and anticardiolipin (aCL)) and SLE-induced secondary vasculitis, but the aetiology remains incompletely understood. A 48-year-old Japanese man with a 6-year history of poorly controlled SLE had stopped glucocorticoid therapy 1 year before admission. 3 days before admission, he developed flaccid paraplegia. Spinal MRI showed a longitudinally hyperintense T2 grey matter lesion from the level of Th4 to the conus medullaris, which was considered longitudinally extensive TM (LETM). We administered steroid pulse therapy (methyl-prednisolone 1000 mg/day) for 3 days and prednisolone 50 mg/day. The patient's flaccid paralysis gradually improved. We concluded that the patient's TM was caused by SLE flare-up, even though we could not completely rule out antiphospholipid syndrome. SLE myelitis is relatively rare and many aetiologies are possible for TM in SLE.
Association between perception of fault for the crash and function, return to work and health status 1 year after road traffic injury: a registry-based cohort study
Authors: Gabbe Belinda J , Simpson Pamela M , Cameron Peter A , Ekegren Christina L , Edwards Elton R , Page Richard , Liew Susan , Bucknill Andrew , de Steiger Richard
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To establish the association between the patient's perception of fault for the crash and 12-month outcomes after non-fatal road traffic injury.

Setting

Two adult major trauma centres, one regional trauma centre and one metropolitan trauma centre in Victoria, Australia.

Participants

2605 adult, orthopaedic trauma patients covered by the state's no-fault third party insurer for road traffic injury, injured between September 2010 and February 2014.

Outcome measures

EQ-5D-3L, return to work and functional recovery (Glasgow Outcome Scale—Extended score of upper good recovery) at 12 months postinjury.

Results

After adjusting for key confounders, the adjusted relative risk (ARR) of a functional recovery (0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.69) and return to work (0.92, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.99) were lower for the not at fault compared to the at fault group. The ARR of reporting problems on EQ-5D items was 1.20–1.35 times higher in the not at fault group.

Conclusions

Patients who were not at fault, or denied being at fault despite a police report of fault, experienced poorer outcomes than the at fault group. Attributing fault to others was associated with poorer outcomes. Interventions to improve coping, or to resolve negative feelings from the crash, could facilitate better outcomes in the future.
Reducing turnaround time of surgical pathology reports in pathology and laboratory medicine departments
Authors: Alshieban Saeed , Al-Surimi Khaled
Published: November 2015

Turnaround time is an important quality indicator in surgical pathology. Retrospective analysis of three data points in September 2014, January 2015, and February 2015 showed that on average, about a quarter (24%) of routine surgical pathology cases (26%, 19%, and 27% respectively) are not reported on time and do not meet the accepted level of the College of American Pathologists' (CAP) standard turnaround time, which states at least 90% of routine surgical pathology cases should be reported and verified within two days. Our daily observation supported by a root cause analysis exercise revealed that subprocesses including slide allocation and delivery to pathologists, slide review by pathologists, report editing by transcriptionists, and report verification by pathologists are where most delays occur. Thus, to tackle these process issues we developed a quality improvement project using the model of improvement methods to streamline the sample flow process and avoid unjustified reporting delay. The improvement ideas included developing a time log sheet to be attached with all pathology requests, and sending a daily reminder email followed by a phonecall to all pathologists to verify completed reports on the same day. These intervention elements were tested using multiple PDSA cycles resulting in a very noticeable improvement, with more than 94% of all routine cases reported in less than two days, meeting and exceeding the CAP standards. Such noticeable improvement in turnaround of surgical pathology reports will eventually lead to improving the quality and safety of patient care outcome, including diagnosing patients on time, developing the appropriate treatment plan, and avoiding unjustified complications resulting in morbidity and mortality due to delayed reports.
Nickel exposure and prevalent albuminuria and β2-microglobulinuria: evidence from a population-based study
Authors: Liu Gang , Sun Qi , Zhu Mingjiang , Sun Liang , Wang Zhenzhen , Li Huaixing , Li Zi , Chen Yan , Yin Huiyong , Lin Xu
Published: November 2015

Background

High exposure to nickel could induce renal dysfunction in rodents and occupational workers. However, little is known about the effects of non-occupational exposure to nickel on renal health in the general population. We aimed to examine the associations of urinary nickel concentrations with albuminuria and β2-microglobulinuria in Chinese adults.

Methods

2115 non-institutionalised Chinese men and women aged 55–76 years from Beijing and Shanghai were included. Urinary nickel concentrations were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Plasma uric acid, urea nitrogen, C reactive protein and urinary albumin, β2–microglobulin and creatinine were measured. Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin ≥30 mg/g creatinine, and β2-microglobulinuria was defined as urinary β2-microglobulin ≥200 µg/g creatinine.

Results

Median concentration of urinary nickel was 3.95 μg/g creatinine (IQR: 2.57–6.71 μg/g creatinine), and prevalence of albuminuria, β2–microglobulinuria and both albuminuria and β2-microglobulinuria was 22.1%, 24.5% and 9.7%, respectively. Comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of urinary nickel, the ORs (95% CIs) were 1.99 (1.46 to 2.78) for albuminuria, 1.44 (1.07 to 1.95) for β2–microglobulinuria, and 2.95 (1.74 to 4.97) for both albuminuria and β2-microglobulinuria, after adjustment for demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours, body mass index, hypertension and diabetes. The association remained significant when further controlling for inflammatory markers or other heavy metals (all p trend <0.05).

Conclusions

This study suggested that urinary nickel levels were positively associated with albuminuria and β2-microglobulinuria in Chinese men and women, who had relatively low background nickel exposure. More prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Anatomical and histological study of the dorsal and ventral nasal conchal bullae in normal horses
Authors: Froydenlund T. J. , Dixon P. M. , Smith S. H. , Reardon R. J. M.
Published: November 2015

The morphology of the dorsal conchal bulla (DCB) and ventral conchal bulla (VCB) are poorly described. The recent recognition that these bullae can become infected, causing chronic unilateral nasal discharge, has stimulated interest in these structures. Fourteen cadaveric horse heads were transected sagittally midline and dissected to expose the nasal conchal bullae. The dimensions of each bulla, the number and orientation of drainage apertures, and cellulae septae were recorded. Randomly selected samples were examined histologically. The mean DCB and VCB lengths were 78 and 57 mm, respectively; equivalent to 13.9 per cent and 10.2 per cent of skull length, respectively. The mean DCB and VCB heights were 29 and 28 mm, respectively; equivalent to 5.2 per cent and 5 per cent of skull length, respectively. The DCB was larger than the VCB, containing more septae, cellulae and drainage apertures. No communications were identified between the bullae and the immediately adjacent paranasal sinuses. Histology revealed that the bullae consist of ciliated, pseudostratified, columnar epithelium over glandular submucosa often overlying turbinate bone and, variably, hyaline cartilage. This more detailed description of equine DCB and VCB anatomy will hopefully facilitate successful treatment of their disorders.
Micro-PIXE analysis of the distribution of cesium in clay particles for environmental remediation of Fukushima
Authors: Ishii K. , Itoh S. , Sata D. , Matsuyama S. , Terakawa A. , Kim S. , Arai H. , Osada N. , Satoh T. , Koka M. , Kitamua A. , Kamiya T.
Published: November 2015

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident caused radioactive pollution by 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs. The surface of the ground was contaminated at a volume of 3 × 107 m3. The government has mandated that the top 5 cm of the contaminated soil be removed and stored, in this way, it is desirable to reduce its volume. Soil samples were collected from a mountain, a rice field and a vegetable field in northern Japan, and the silt was extracted from the muddy water by washing the soil. Next, the silt was sprayed with a solution of cesium carbonate (Cs2CO3). We determined the amounts of Al, Si, K and Cs in the silt particles using micro-particle-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) analysis. The silt particles from a vegetable field, a rice field and a mountain were mainly formed from smectite or vermiculite, which absorbs Cs atoms. The measurements at multiple detection angles confirmed that Cs atoms were uniformly absorbed within silt particles less than [Formula: see text] in diameter. This resulted that the radioactive Cs atoms were adsorbed in silt particles within [Formula: see text] of the surface.
Quantitative analysis of small bio-samples of nearly 1 μg
Authors: Sera K. , Goto S. , Takahashi C. , Saitoh Y. , Kinoshita K. , Matsumasa M.
Published: November 2015

We developed and reported standard-free methods for various bio-samples in both invacuum and in-air PIXE and they have been applied to quantitative analyses of traces of bio-samples whose weights are less than 0.1 mg. In this study, we established a method of quantitative analysis for bio-samples of nearly [Formula: see text] in in-vacuum PIXE. In order to improve sensitivity and accuracy of analysis for smaller samples on the basis of the standard-free method, which makes use of continuous X-rays emitted from the sample, it is essential to design appropriate backing materials for supporting the sample. In the present study, we have examined various backing materials such as thinner and threadlike backings. As a result, it was found that a thread-like backing made of extended adhesive, which contains almost no impurity, is the most suitable for bio-samples of extremely small quantities, since it produces no large amount of continuous X-rays. The method has been applied to quantitative analyses of small insects and plants. Moreover, the method was applied to analyses of small marine organisms such as opossum shrimps and squilla shrimps which play important roles in a food chain in marine ecosystem. The results gave us valuable information about regeneration of marine ecosystem in the Sanriku district attacked by the huge tsunami that occurred on 11 March 2011.
Black magic session of concordance: Regge mass spectrum from Casson’s invariant
Authors: Kholodenko Arkady
Published: November 2015

Recently, there had been a great deal of interest in obtaining and describing all kinds of knots in links in hydrodynamics, electrodynamics, non-Abelian gauge field theories and gravity. Although knots and links are observables of the Chern–Simons (CS) functional, the dynamical conditions for their generation lie outside the scope of the CS theory. The nontriviality of dynamical generation of knotted structures is caused by the fact that the complements of all knots/links, say, in S3are 3-manifolds which have positive, negative or zero curvature. The ability to curve the ambient space is thus far attributed to masses. The mass theorem of general relativity requires the ambient 3-manifolds to be of nonnegative curvature. Recently, we established that, in the absence of boundaries, complements of dynamically generated knots/links are represented by 3-manifolds of nonnegative curvature. This fact opens the possibility to discuss masses in terms of dynamically generated knotted/linked structures. The key tool is the notion of knot/link concordance. The concept of concordance is a specialization of the concept of cobordism to knots and links. The logic of implementation of the concordance concept to physical masses results in new interpretation of Casson’s surgery formula in terms of the Regge trajectories. The latest thoroughly examined Chew–Frautschi (CF) plots associated with these trajectories demonstrate that the hadron mass spectrum for both mesons and baryons is nicely described by the data on the corresponding CF plots. The physics behind Casson’s surgery formula is similar but not identical to that described purely phenomenologically by Keith Moffatt in 1990. The developed topological treatment is fully consistent with available rigorous mathematical and experimentally observed results related to physics of hadrons.
Brane webs and random processes
Authors: Iqbal Amer , Qureshi Babar A. , Shabbir Khurram , Shehper Muhammad A.
Published: November 2015

We study (p, q) 5-brane webs dual to certain N M5-brane configurations and show that the partition function of these brane webs gives rise to cylindric Schur process with period N. This generalizes the previously studied case of period 1. We also show that open string amplitudes corresponding to these brane webs are captured by the generating function of cylindric plane partitions with profile determined by the boundary conditions imposed on the open string amplitudes.
A comparison of mechanical properties between Al and Al3Mg
Authors: Yang Rong , Tang Bin , Gao Tao
Published: November 2015

On the basis of first principles calculations, we have calculated the elastic properties, stress–strain relations, ideal tensile strengths, ideal shear strengths, and the ideal compressed strengths of Al and Al3Mg. The stress–strain relations of Al3Mg are strikingly similar to those of Al, indicating that the crystal structure appears to be more important than the identity of the individual atoms during uniaxial deformation. Al3Mg is found to have larger moduli and higher strengths than Al but less ductile than Al. So Al3Mg is expected to be a harder material, consistent with its exploitation in Al precipitate-hardening mechanisms. The calculated elastic properties, tensile strengths and shear strengths of Al are consistent with experimental values or previous theoretical results. We also use another method (molecular dynamics (MD) simulations) to recalculate elastic constants, ideal tensile and compressed strength of Al3Mg for checking and comparing. We find that the results obtained by the two methods agree well with each other. The failure modes under uniaxial [Formula: see text] tension are also explored for Al and Al3Mg. Our calculations confirm that Al fail by shear and predict that Al3Mg also fail by shear.
Small Test Set Generation with High Diagnosability
Authors: Bhar Anupam , Chattopadhyay Santanu , Sengupta Indranil , Kapur Rohit
Published: November 2015

Between fault detection and diagnostic test, there are many tests with varying degrees of diagnosability. There is trade-off between diagnosability of the test and its length. High diagnosability test is longer and takes more time. In this work, we tried to balance both by generating test slightly longer than normal detection test but with high diagnosability, without affecting fault coverage. The order of test vector application to attain more fault and diagnostic coverage in fewer test patterns is also mentioned. If more diagnosability is required, test vectors till the lower order should be used, whereas shorter test compromises on diagnosability. Our results show similar distinguishing capability as compared with a recent work but with 90% reduction in normalized time. The fault model used in this work is stuck-at fault model.
Low Power, High Speed and Area Efficient Binary Count Multiplier
Authors: Dattatraya Kore Sagar , Appasaheb Belgudri Ritesh , Khaladkar Ramdas Bhanudas , Bhaaskaran V. S. Kanchana
Published: November 2015

Multiplier forms the core building block of any processor, such as the digital signal processor (DSP) and a general purpose microprocessor. As the word length increases, the number of adders or compressors required for the partial product addition also increases. The addition operation of the derived partial products determines the circuit latency, area and speed performance of wider word-length multipliers. Binary count multiplier (BCM) aims to reduce the number of adders and compressors through the use of a uniquely structured binary counter and by suitably altering the logical flow of partial product addition by using binary adders is proposed in this paper. The binary counters for varying bit count values are derived by modifying the basic 4:2 compressor circuit. A [Formula: see text] bit multiplier has been developed to validate the proposed computation method. This logic structure demonstrates lower power operation, reduced device count and lesser delay in comparison against the conventional Wallace tree multiplier structure found in the literature. The BCM implementation realizes 29.17% reduction in the device count, 66% reduction in the delay and 70% reduction in the power dissipation. Furthermore, it realizes 90% reduction in the power delay product (PDP) in comparison against the Wallace tree structure. The multiplier circuits have been implemented and the validation of results has been carried out using Cadence[Formula: see text] EDA tool. Forty five nanometer technology files have been employed for the designs and exhaustive SPICE simulations.
Knowledge Management Towards Connecting Minds — A Proposed Concept for Expo 2020
Authors: Radwan Soha Farouk , Milhem Mohammed Naim
Published: November 2015

The paper presents knowledge residence to be only in the mind and rejects the orthodox definition of the knowledge types which has been used till now by most knowledge management (KM) gurus and authors — in which knowledge exists inside and outside the human body — and presents an alternative model for such. Yet, unlike other papers that reject this classical view, this paper does not doubt the importance of the field nor underestimate the role of its originators. Alternatively, it emphasises the significance of KM and provides practical insights for its effectiveness. The paper concludes by addressing the importance of understanding the essence of knowledge in the public sector through proposing a pragmatic concept that could be easily applied. We have chosen a city that has an existing platform that can support the application of such concept — Dubai — especially with its current expanding endeavours towards “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, which is its Expo theme in 2020.
Implementing Torque Control with High-Ratio Gear Boxes and Without Joint-Torque Sensors
Authors: Del Prete Andrea , Mansard Nicolas , Ramos Oscar E. , Stasse Olivier , Nori Francesco
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a complete framework (estimation, identification and control) for the implementation of joint-torque control on the humanoid robot HRP-2. While torque control has already been implemented on a few humanoid robots, this is one of the first implementations of torque control on a robot that was originally built to be position controlled (iCub [F. Nori, S. Traversaro, J. Eljaik, F. Romano, A. Del Prete and D. Pucci, iCub whole-body control through force regulation on rigid non-coplanar contacts, Frontiers in Robotics and AI 2 (2015).] and Asimo [O. Khatib, P. Thaulad and J. Park, Torque-position transformer for task control of position controlled robots, 2008 IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics and Automation, May 2008, pp. 1729–1734.] being the first two, to the best of our knowledge). The challenge comes from both the hardware, which does not include joint-torque sensors and presents large friction due to the high-ratio gear boxes, and the software interface, which only accepts desired joint-angle commands (no motor current/voltage control). The contribution of the paper is to provide a complete methodology that is very likely to be reproduced as most robots are designed to provide only position control capabilities. Additionally, the method is validated by exhaustive experiments on one leg of the robot, including a comparison with the original position controller. We tested the torque controller in both motion control and cartesian force control. The torque control can track better a reference trajectory while using lower values for the feedback gains (up to 25%). Moreover, we verified the quality of the identified motor models by analyzing the contribution of the feedforward terms of our torque controller, which dominate the feedback terms.