bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of naturally occurring alloantibody by an in‐clinic antiglobulin‐enhanced and standard crossmatch gel column test in non‐transfused domestic shorthair cats
Authors: Goy‐Thollot Isabelle , Nectoux Alexandra , Guidetti Maryline , Chaprier Benjamin , Bourgeois Sarah , Boisvineau Catherine , Barthélemy Anthony , Pouzot‐Nevoret Céline , Giger Urs
Published: December 2018

Background

Blood typing for theAandBantigens is essential and crossmatching testing is generally recommended before transfusing blood to cats.

Objective

To evaluate 2 crossmatch (XM) tests.

Animals

Forty‐nine healthy domestic shorthair cats that had not received a blood transfusion.

Methods

Prospective study. Blood samples were typed forABusing immunochromatographic and flow cytometric techniques. A gel column (GC) and a feline antiglobulin‐enhanced gel column (AGC) XM tests were used for crossmatching.

Results

The population included 34 typeA, 13B, and 2ABcats, with concordant results (r = 1,P< .005) by flow cytometry and immunochromatographic strip kit. The plasma from typeAcats had either no or weakanti‐Balloantibodies. The plasma of 12 of 13 typeBcats contained stronganti‐Aalloantibodies. For crossmatching, plasma to RBC pairings were prepared using the GC (n = 446) and AGC (n = 630) tests. Both methods showed compatibilities in 329 and incompatibilities in 102 pairings including allA‐Bmismatches. Additionally 15 pairings showed agglutination by the AGC but not GC method. Fourteen incompatibilities outside the expectedA‐Bmismatches were only revealed by AGC.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

ABtyping using immunochromatographic strip is as accurate as laboratory flow cytometry. The 2 XM methods had good agreement with additional incompatibilities being recognized by the AGC XM beyondA‐Bincompatibilities. In clinic, felineABtyping and sensitive XM test kits are available and recommended before each transfusion, although the clinical implications of incompatible XM test results and clinical benefits of such crossmatching have not been documented.
The Mind of a Goal Achiever: Using Mental Contrasting and Implementation Intentions to Achieve Better Outcomes in General and Special Education
Authors: Hauser Marc D.
Published: December 2018

The mind and brain sciences have uncovered important details about the mechanisms underlying goal attainment, including strategies to overcome obstacles. A suite of self‐regulatory strategies have made relatively little contact with education, despite cost‐effective methods and striking results in both educational contexts as well as other areas that impinge, often negatively, on educational outcomes (e.g., nutrition, addictions). This review starts with a description of two of these strategies: (1) implementation intentions, in which a goal is framed as an IF‐THEN statement where the IF defines the situational trigger or context and the THEN defines the behavioral response; (2) mental contrasting, in which an individual frames a goal as a contrast between a future wish and a current obstacle. Part 2 reviews the empirical literature as it pertains to education. Part 3 concludes with a discussion of future directions, including limitations and extensions to populations with mental health challenges.
Morphogenesis of flattened unifacial leaves in Juncus prismatocarpus (Juncaceae)
Authors: Yin Xiaofeng , Tsukaya Hirokazu
Published: December 2018

To reveal the mode of morphogenesis of flattened unifacial leaves, we analysed the cell division direction and distribution on the leaf blade of Juncus prismatocarpus.

Using the pulse–chase 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine method, we quantified and mapped the cell division direction on the leaf blade of J. prismatocarpus and compared the distribution of thickening cell divisions with the expression pattern of DROOPING LEAF (DL), a key gene involved in leaf blade thickening.

Thickening cell divisions were the most abundant (> 45%) among all cell division directions on the leaf blade of J. prismatocarpus from the early plastochron 2 stage through the plastochron 3 stage. Mapping of cell divisions indicated that cell divisions in a particular direction were not restricted to a particular domain but were distributed diffusely throughout the entire cross‐sectional area of the leaf blade. Gradient analysis indicated that the distribution of thickening cell divisions of the adaxial domain was denser than that of the abaxial domain. Contrary to the prolonged and diffuse distribution of thickening cell divisions, DL expression was transient and restricted in a narrow band.

Our results suggest that a diffuse ‘thickening meristem’ plays the key role in the development of flattened unifacial leaves.
The efficacy and safety of fluticasone/salmeterol compared to fluticasone in children younger than four years of age
Authors: Yoshihara Shigemi , Tsubaki Toshikazu , Ikeda Masanori , Lenney Warren , Tomiak Richard , Hattori Takako , Hashimoto Kenichi , Soutome Toru , Kato Shihona
Published: December 2018

Background

Fluticasone propionate 50 μg/salmeterol xinafoate 25 μg (FP/SAL) is widely used in adults and children with asthma, but there is sparse information on its use in very young children.

Methods

This was a randomized, double‐blind, multicentre, controlled trial conducted in children aged 8 months to 4 years. During a 2‐week run‐in period, they all received FP twice daily. At randomization, they commenced FP/SAL or FP twice daily for 8 weeks. All were then given FP/SAL only, in a 16‐week open‐label study continuation. Medications were inhaled through an AeroChamber Plus with attached face mask. The primary end‐point was mean change in total asthma symptom scores from baseline to the last 7 days of the double‐blind period. Analyses were undertaken in all children randomized to treatment and who received at least one dose of study medication.

Results

Three hundred children were randomized 1:1 to receive FP/SAL or FP. Mean change from baseline in total asthma symptom scores was –3.97 for FP/SAL and –3.01 with FP. The between‐group difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.21; 95% confidence interval: −2.47, 0.54). No new safety signals were seen with FP/SAL.

Conclusion

This is the first randomized, double‐blind study of this size to evaluate FP/SAL in very young children with asthma. FP/SAL did not show superior efficacy to FP; no clear add‐on effect of SAL was demonstrated. No clinically significant differences in safety were noted with FP/SAL usage.
Follicular dynamics and changes in oestradiol‐17β, progesterone and LH profiles following PGF2αinduced oestrus in early and late ovulating Beetal goats
Authors: Murtaza Ali , Ahmad Waqas , Sohail Tariq , Khan Muhammad Irfan‐ur‐Rehman , Mohsin Imran , Shahzad Muhammad , Hussain Mujahid , Tahir Muhammad Zahid , Ijaz Muhammad
Published: December 2018

Contents

This study compares the factors associated with variable interval to oestrus and ovulation between early versus late ovulating goats following PGF2αadministration. The time of ovulation in Beetal goats (n = 38) was monitored through transrectal ultrasound at every 6 hr following a single dose of PGF2α(experiment 1). Variations in oestrus and ovulation times were further explored through the changes in follicular dynamics, endocrine profiles and behaviour in another set of goats (n = 13) following single PGF2αgiven randomly during the luteal phase (experiment 2). The ovulation time varied between 60 and 96 hr, and 57% of ovulations occurred by 72 hr following PGF2α(experiment 1). Accordingly, the goats (n = 13) in the second experiment were retrospectively divided either into early and/or late ovulating, that is, ≤72 and/or ≥84 hr following PGF2α. The onset of oestrus, peak estradiol‐17β concentration and LH surge after PGF2αwas first observed in early than late ovulating goats (p < 0.05). The goats ovulating early had larger follicle and smaller CL in diameter at the time of PGF2αadministration than those ovulating late (5.4 ± 0.2 vs. 4.3 ± 0.2 mm and 10 ± 0.6 vs. 11.8 ± 0.3 mm, respectively;p < 0.05). Likewise, plasma progesterone concentration tended to be lower (p = 0.087) in early than late ovulating goats. In conclusion, the size of dominant follicle and CL at the time of PGF2adetermines the interval to ovulation following a single dose of PGF2aduring the luteal phase.
Comparison of continuous flow versus demand oxygen delivery systems in patients with COPD: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Gloeckl Rainer , Osadnik Christian , Bies Lisa , Leitl Daniela , Koczulla Andreas‐Rembert , Kenn Klaus
Published: December 2018

Demand oxygen delivery systems (DODS) enable prolongation of liquid oxygen cylinder life compared to continuous oxygen flow (CONT) use. Evidence is lacking, however, regarding their efficacy. This study investigated the literature comparing liquid‐based CONT to DODS in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Four electronic databases were searched from 1980 until January 2018. Primary outcomes were oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2%) at rest and during exercise and exercise performance. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane tool. Data were analysed via meta‐analysis where possible using the generic inverse variance method in Revman 5.3 or narrative synthesis. Ten crossover trials involving 152 patients with moderate to severe COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) range: 27–42% predicted) were included. There was a large degree of uncertainty regarding potential bias related to allocation concealment and blinding for all studies. Data from three studies (n = 44) showed no significant differences between DODS and CONT in terms of SpO2% at rest −0.2% (95% CI: −0.5% to 0.1%) or during exercise −0.3% (95% CI: −2.1% to 1.5%). The pooled mean difference of two studies (n = 56) in 6‐min walk distance was 5.7 m (95% CI: −14.4 to 25.8 m). Findings were consistent between the meta‐analysis and narrative synthesis. These findings from a limited number of studies suggest oxygen delivery via DODS or CONT confers similar effects in terms of SpO2% or exercise performance in patients with COPD. However, as DODS devices use various specifications that may yield large intra‐individual differences, individual SpO2% testing appears advisable for those considering DODS use.
Financial Openness and Aid for Trade in Developing Countries
Authors: Gnangnon Sèna Kimm
Published: December 2018

This article examines the effect of De Jure financial openness in developing countries on the total amount of bilateral AfT inflows that accrues to these countries. The analysis relies on 126 countries over the period 1995–2015 and uses both the within fixed effects and the two‐step system GMM estimators. Results suggest that the effect of financial openness on AfT depends on the level of financial openness, whose values range between 0 and 100. A positive and significant effect is obtained for levels of financial openness lower than the value 48. In contrast, the effect becomes negative for countries whose level of financial openness is higher than 62. Countries whose degree of financial openness is comprised between 48 and 62 experience no significant effect of financial openness on the amount of the AfT flows that they receive. Overall, the analysis shows that financial openness does matter for the amount of AfT that recipient‐countries receive from donor‐countries.
Theorizing cumulative dehumanization: An embodied praxis of “becoming” and resisting state‐sanctioned violence
Authors: Bustamante Priscilla , Jashnani Gaurav , Stoudt Brett G.
Published: December 2018

This paper introduces a new conceptual framework referred to as “cumulative dehumanization” to better understand the ways in which dehumanization penetrates individual and collective bodies and minds, cutting across policy and ideology and accumulating materially and affectively over time and space.Cumulative dehumanizationilluminates a web of vertical and horizontal, synthetic, and dynamic processes that result in an ongoing racialized, state‐sanctioned dehumanization that is fundamentally cumulative—both temporally and spatially—with a profusion of consequences attached. Within the landscape of aggressive surveillance and policing, we illuminate howcumulative dehumanizationcan be conceptualized as (i) an active condition of becoming, experienced as an accumulation of dehumanizing moments, structurally imposed on racialized communities under siege; (ii) a wearing down of the racialized and affective body, creating circuits of dispossession for entire communities; (iii) a product and (re)producer of the material and ideological modes undergirding racial capitalism; and (iv) a force met with individual and collective resistance. Linking literature on racial capitalism and affect, to the embodied social psychological phenomenon of dehumanization,cumulative dehumanizationserves as a useful conceptual tool to examine the historical legacy of, processes embedded within, and entirety of collective consequences including resistance as inextricably linked. In doing so, we reveal the indivisibility of cognitive, embodied, psychological, social, material, ideological, and political circuits.
PDC1, a pyruvate/α‐ketoacid decarboxylase, is involved in acetaldehyde, propanal and pentanal biosynthesis in melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruit
Authors: Wang Minmin , Zhang Lei , Boo Kyung Hwan , Park Eunsook , Drakakaki Georgia , Zakharov Florence
Published: December 2018

Plant pyruvate decarboxylases (PDC) catalyze the decarboxylation of pyruvate to form acetaldehyde and CO2 and are well known to play a key role in energy supply via fermentative metabolism in oxygen‐limiting conditions. In addition to their role in fermentation, plant PDCs have also been hypothesized to be involved in aroma formation although, to date, there is no direct biochemical evidence for this function. We investigated the role of PDCs in fruit volatile biosynthesis, and identified a melon pyruvate decarboxylase, PDC1, that is highly expressed in ripe fruits. In vitro biochemical characterization of the recombinant PDC1 enzyme showed that it could not only decarboxylate pyruvate, but that it also had significant activity toward other straight‐ and branched‐chain α‐ketoacids, greatly expanding the range of substrates previously known to be accepted by the plant enzyme. RNAi‐mediated transient and stable silencing of PDC1 expression in melon showed that this gene is involved in acetaldehyde, propanal and pentanal production, while it does not contribute to branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA)‐derived aldehyde biosynthesis in melon fruit. Importantly, our results not only demonstrate additional functions for the PDC enzyme, but also challenge the long standing hypothesis that PDC is involved in BCAA‐derived aldehyde formation in fruit.
Vibrations of a Resonant Gas Sensor Under Multicoupled Fields
Authors: Fu Xiaorui , Xu Lizhong
Published: December 2018

In this paper, a dynamics model of a microresonant gas sensor under multifields forces is proposed in which molecular force nonlinearity, gas damping force nonlinearity, and electric field force nonlinearity are considered. The coupled free vibration and forced response of the microsensor are studied. Here, Leibniz–Poincare (L–P) method is used to obtain the natural frequency of microsensor, the time-forced response, and the amplitude–frequency characteristics. Effects of these nonlinearities on the dynamics performance of the microresonant gas sensor are analyzed. The microresonant gas sensor is fabricated, and the frequency measurement of the sensor based on the phase-locked loop is done to illustrate the theoretical analysis. The results are significant for the further miniaturization of resonant gas sensors.
Variable Stiffness Mechanism for Suppressing Unintended Forces in Physical Human–Robot Interaction
Authors: Jujjavarapu Sri Sadhan , Memar Amirhossein H. , Karami M. Amin , Esfahani Ehsan T.
Published: December 2018

This paper presents the design of a two-degrees-of-freedom (DoFs) variable stiffness mechanism and demonstrates how its adjustable compliance can enhance the robustness of physical human–robot interaction. Compliance on the grasp handle is achieved by suspending it in between magnets in preloaded repelling configuration to act as nonlinear springs. By adjusting the air gaps between the outer magnets, the stiffness of the mechanism in each direction can be adjusted independently. Moreover, the capability of the proposed design in suppressing unintended interaction forces is evaluated in two different experiments. In the first experiment, improper admittance controller gain leads to unstable interaction, whereas in the second case, high-frequency involuntary forces are caused by the tremor.
Diffusive Transport in the Vitreous Humor: Experimental and Analytical Studies
Authors: Penkova Anita , Moats Rex , Humayun Mark S. , Fraser Scott , Sadhal Satwindar Singh
Published: December 2018

In relation to intravitreal drug delivery, predictive mathematical models for drug transport are being developed, and to effectively implement these for retinal delivery, the information on biophysical properties of various ocular tissues is fundamentally important. It is therefore necessary to accurately measure the diffusion coefficient of drugs and drug surrogates in the vitreous humor. In this review, we present the studies conducted by various researchers on such measurements over the last several decades. These include imaging techniques (fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) that make use of introducing a contrast agent or a labeled drug into the vitreous and tracking its diffusive movement at various time points. A predictive model for the same initial conditions when matched with the experimental measurements provides the diffusion coefficient, leading to results for various molecules ranging in size from approximately 0.1 to 160 kDa. For real drugs, the effectiveness of this system depends on the successful labeling of the drugs with suitable contrast agents such as fluorescein and gadolinium or manganese so that fluorescence or MR imagining could be conducted. Besides this technique, some work has been carried out using the diffusion apparatus for measuring permeation of a drug across an excised vitreous body from a donor chamber to the receptor by sampling assays from the chambers at various time intervals. This has the advantage of not requiring labeling but is otherwise more disruptive to the vitreous. Some success with nanoparticles has been achieved using dynamic light scattering (DLS), and presently, radioactive labeling is being explored.
Rapid rate on quasi-speech tasks in the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia: A non-motor phenomenon?
Authors: Utianski Rene L. , Botha Hugo , Duffy Joseph R. , Clark Heather M. , Martin Peter R. , Butts Alissa M. , Machulda Mary M. , Whitwell Jennifer L. , Josephs Keith A.
Published: December 2018

This study examined the rate of producing alternating motion rates, sequential motion rates (SMRs), and repeated words in 27 individuals with the semantic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (svPPA). Only the rate of producing SMRs was significantly elevated in svPPA compared to controls. This may be associated with concomitant neuropsychiatric symptoms in svPPA, as correlation analysis showed a relationship between increased SMR rate and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire, which documented anxiety and disinhibition. Future studies will assess these findings in a larger cohort and work to better understand if this phenomenon is a manifestation of behavioral and/or motor changes.
Specific Chicken Egg Yolk Antibody Improves the Protective Response against Gallibacterium anatis Infection
Authors: Zhang Jiao Jiao , Kang Tae Yoon , Kwon Taeho , Koh Hyebin , Chandimali Nisansala , Huynh Do Luong , Wang Xian Zhong , Kim Nameun , Jeong Dong Kee
Published: December 2018

Gallibacterium anatis
is a pathogen associated with peritonitis and salpingitis in chickens and other avian species. Novel safety prevention strategies are urgently needed because of widespread multidrug resistance and antigenic diversity.
Repurposing Estrogen Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Infectious Disease
Authors: Montoya Marhiah C. , Krysan Damian J.
Published: December 2018

The concept of repurposing previously approved medications to the treatment of new indications by taking advantage of off-target effects has gained traction in recent years, particularly in areas of medicine that do not offer large profits to pharmaceutical firms. As infectious disease discovery research has declined among large pharmaceutical companies, the potential payoff of repurposing has become attractive.
Population Structure, Antibiotic Resistance, and Uropathogenicity of Klebsiella variicola
Authors: Potter Robert F. , Lainhart William , Twentyman Joy , Wallace Meghan A. , Wang Bin , Burnham Carey-Ann D. , Rosen David A. , Dantas Gautam
Published: December 2018

Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens are a growing public health threat. Understanding of pathogen relatedness and biology is imperative for tracking outbreaks and developing therapeutics. Here, we detail the phylogenetic structure of 145
K. variicola
genomes from different continents. Our results have important clinical ramifications as high-risk antibiotic resistance genes are present in
K. variicola
genomes from a variety of geographic locations and as we demonstrate that
K. variicola
clinical isolates can establish higher bladder titers than
K. pneumoniae
. Differential presence of these pilus genes in
K. variicola
isolates may indicate adaption for specific environmental niches. Therefore, due to the potential of multidrug resistance and pathogenic efficacy, identification of
K. variicola
and
K. pneumoniae
to a species level should be performed to optimally improve patient outcomes during infection. This work provides a foundation for our improved understanding of
K. variicola
biology and pathogenesis.
Improving the quality of administration of the Surgical Safety Checklist: a mixed methods study in New Zealand hospitals
Authors: Weller Jennifer M , Jowsey Tanisha , Skilton Carmen , Gargiulo Derryn A , Medvedev Oleg N , Civil Ian , Hannam Jacqueline A , Mitchell Simon J , Torrie Jane , Merry Alan F
Published: December 2018

While the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (the Checklist) can improve patient outcomes, variable administration can erode benefits. We sought to understand and improve how operating room (OR) staff use the Checklist. Our specific aims were to: determine if OR staff can discriminate between good and poor quality of Checklist administration using a validated audit tool (WHOBARS); to determine reliability and accuracy of WHOBARS self-ratings; determine the influence of demographic variables on ratings and explore OR staff attitudes to Checklist administration.

Design

Mixed methods study using WHOBARS ratings of surgical cases by OR staff and two independent observers, thematic analysis of staff interviews.

Participants

OR staff in three New Zealand hospitals.

Outcome measures

Reliability of WHOBARS for self-audit; staff attitudes to Checklist administration.

Results

Analysis of scores (243 participants, 2 observers, 59 cases) supported tool reliability, with 87% of WHOBARS score variance attributable to differences in Checklist administration between cases. Self-ratings were significantly higher than observer ratings, with some differences between professional groups but error variance from all raters was less than 10%. Key interview themes (33 interviewees) were: Team culture and embedding the Checklist, Information transfer and obstacles, Raising concerns and ‘A tick-box exercise’. Interviewees felt the Checklist could promote teamwork and a safety culture, particularly enabling speaking up. Senior staff were of key importance in setting the appropriate tone.

Conclusions

The WHOBARS tool could be useful for self-audit and quality improvement as OR staff can reliably discriminate between good and poor Checklist administration. OR staff self-ratings were lenient compared with external observers suggesting the value of external audit for benchmarking. Small differences between ratings from professional groups underpin the value of including all members of the team in scoring. We identified factors explaining staff perceptions of the Checklist that should inform quality improvement interventions.
Early weight gain after stopping smoking: a predictor of overall large weight gain? A single-site retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pankova Alexandra , Kralikova Eva , Zvolska Kamila , Stepankova Lenka , Blaha Milan , Ovesna Petra , Aveyard Paul
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Most people gain weight on stopping smoking but the extent of weight gain varies greatly. Interventions aimed at all quitters to prevent weight gain on cessation have proven unpopular but targeting people who have gained excess weight immediately after quitting may improve uptake and cost-effectiveness. We examined whether early large postcessation weight gain predicts overall large weight gain.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Primary care setting—smoking cessation centre in Prague, Czech Republic.

Participants

Out of 3537 patients treated between 2005 and 2013, 1050 were continuous abstainers (verified by carbon monoxide measurement) at 1-year follow-up and formed the cohort of the current report. 48.7% were women (n=511) with the mean age of 46 (±14.4) years.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, all patients underwent usual tobacco dependence treatment using evidence-based methods. Weight was measured prior to smoking cessation and at each visit after quitting.

Results

The mean weight gain in the first month (n=763) was 0.79% (±2.03%), in the second month (n=646) was 1.49% (±2.58%), for the third month (n=566) 2.33% (±3.44%) and 4.1% (±5.31%) after 1-year follow-up (n=1050). The regression coefficient per 1% rise in the first 3 months was +0.13% (95% CI −0.04% to 0.30%). A receiver operating curve analysis showed that patients gaining more than 0.98% of their baseline weight during first 3 months had a sensitivity of 66% and specificity of 44% for gaining 7% or more weight by 12 months. In addition, lower body mass index and an increase in appetite at 3 months after quitting were associated with greater weight gain, while using nicotine replacement therapy was associated with less weight gain at 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions

People who stop smoking and gain a larger amount of weight early after quitting are not more likely to gain excessively at 1 year.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic factors for idiopathic inflammatory myopathy-associated interstitial lung disease
Authors: Kamiya Hiroyuki , Panlaqui Ogee Mer , Izumi Shinyu , Sozu Takashi
Published: December 2018

Objective

To clarify prognostic factors for idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.

Data sources

Medline, EMBASE and Science Citation Index Expanded were searched through 9 August 2018.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

The review includes primary studies addressing all-cause mortality of IIM-associated ILD. Potential prognostic factors were any clinical information related to the outcome.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers extracted relevant data independently and assessed risk of bias using the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model and if inappropriate the results were reported qualitatively. Prognostic factors were determined based on statistically significant results derived from multivariate analysis.

Results

Of a total of 5892 articles returned, 32 were deemed eligible for analysis and cumulatively, these studies reported 28 potential prognostic factors for all-cause mortality. Each study was subject to certain methodological constraints. The four prognostic factors, which demonstrated statistically significant results on both univariate and multivariate analyses, were as follows: age (MD 5.90, 3.17–8.63/HR 1.06, 1.02–1.10 and 2.31, 1.06–5.06), acute/subacute interstitial pneumonia (A/SIP) (OR 4.85, 2.81–8.37/HR 4.23, 1.69–12.09 and 5.17, 1.94–13.49), percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC) (OR 0.96, 0.95–0.98/HR 0.96, 0.93–0.99) and anti-Jo-1 antibody (OR 0.35, 0.18–0.71/HR 0.004, 0.00003–0.54) (univariate/multivariate, 95% CI). Other prognostic factors included ground glass opacity/attenuation (GGO/GGA) and extent of radiological abnormality. The quality of the presented evidence was rated as either low or very low.

Conclusions

Older age, A/SIP, lower value of %FVC, GGO/GGA and extent of radiological abnormality were demonstrated to predict poor prognosis for IIM-associated ILD while a positive test for anti-Jo-1 antibody indicated better prognosis. However, given the weak evidence they should be interpreted with caution.

Trial registration number

CRD42016036999.
Communication identity in veterinary medicine: a grounded theory approach
Authors: Gaida Silke , Härtl Anja , Tipold Andrea , Dilly Marc
Published: December 2018

It is well established that communication skills are a core competence in veterinary medicine. Most studies in the field of veterinary medicine have focused on communication as an interpersonal skill. Much less is known about communication in the context of professional identity formation. Semistructured interviews with practitioners from companion and farm animal practice, veterinary industry, veterinary research and government service were conducted in Germany in 2016. A grounded theory approach as described by Strauss and Corbin was used to identify characteristics associated with professional communication identity formation in veterinarians. According to the current study, the identity formation process occurs in three steps: existing personal communication identity, socialisation and professional communication identity. Essentials of interpersonal communication, communication interaction experiences at work, acquisition of communication skills and subjective clarification of veterinary communication ability and skills are the key factors associated with this formation process. Since communication skills are of uttermost importance for all fields of veterinary medicine, communication education, and supporting undergraduate students in the process of communication identity formation, should be an important part of the veterinary curriculum. Furthermore, integrating communication skills training in continuing education courses could foster professionalism in veterinary medicine.
Home monitoring of heart rate and heart rhythm with a smartphone‐based ECG in dogs
Authors: Vezzosi Tommaso , Tognetti Rosalba , Buralli Carlotta , Marchesotti Federica , Patata Valentina , Zini Eric , Domenech Oriol
Published: December 2018

The feasibility of the home monitoring of heart rate (HR) and rhythm through ECG tracings recorded by owners with a smartphone ECG device was evaluated in dogs. Smartphone ECG tracings were recorded by owners at home using a single‐lead ECG device and sent via email for interpretation. A questionnaire was prepared to assess the owner's opinion regarding this home monitoring service. Recordings were evaluated by two operators, and agreement was evaluated for HR and rhythm diagnosis. Thirty‐three dogs were included. Thirty‐one owners (94 per cent) felt that the recording technique was easy to learn and that the smartphone ECG device was easy to use. A total of 15 owners (45 per cent) required a second person to hold the dog during recording. Of the 150 smartphone ECG tracings that were received, 134 (89 per cent) were interpretable. The median difference between the two operators to assess the mean HR on the smartphone tracings was 10 bpm (−10, +25 bpm). Perfect agreement (κ=1) between operators was observed in the heart rhythm evaluation. Most owners sent adequate ECG tracings for interpretation via email from their smartphone. Home monitoring of HR and heart rhythm may represent an additional tool in the management of dogs with arrhythmias.
Observed performance of three adjacent 48 m depth concrete diaphragm wall panels in silty soils
Authors: Liu Wei , Shi Peixin , Li Haiguang , Wang Fei
Published: December 2018

The performance of three adjacent 48 m depth concrete diaphragm wall panels in silty soils is measured throughout the complete process of the wall installation including trench excavation, trench concreting, and concrete hardening. The analysis of the field measurement data shows that the ground movement induced by the wall installation is a function of construction activities. The maximum lateral movement occurs during the trench excavation. The trench concreting reduces the lateral movement. Field measurement at the end of wall installation may not catch the value of the maximum lateral movement. The ground settlement continues to increase during the complete process of panel installation, but with a decreasing rate. Roughly 90% of the settlement occurs during the trench excavation. The ground movement is also closely related to the properties of subsurface strata. The weak superficial fill materials sustain high disturbance, which consequently results in relatively large ground movement. With current engineering means and methods and good construction workmanship, the ground movement can be well controlled. In the current project, the maximum lateral ground movement was controlled within 2.0 cm and the maximum settlement was controlled within 0.05% of trench depth.
Driving Risk Classification Methodology for Intelligent Drive in Real Traffic Event
Authors: Sun Chuan , Li Bijun , Li Yicheng , Lu Zhenji
Published: December 2018

To solve the problem that existing driving data cannot correlate to the large number of vehicles in terms of driving risks, is the functionality of intelligent driving algorithm should be improved. This paper deeply explores driving data to build a link between massive driving data and a large number of sample vehicles for driving risk analysis. It sorted out certain driving behavior parameters in the driving data, and extracted some parameters closely related to the driving risk; it further utilized the principal component analysis and factor analysis in spatio-temporal data to integrate certain extracted parameters into factors that are clearly related to the specific driving risks; then, it selected factor scores of driving behaviors as indexes for hierarchical clustering, and obtained multi-level clustering results of the driving risks of corresponding vehicles; in the end, it interpreted the clustering results of the vehicle driving risks. According to the results, it is found that cluster for different risks proposed in this paper for driving behaviors is effective in the hierarchical cluster for typical driving behaviors and it also offers a solution for risk analyses between driving data and large sample vehicles. The results provide the basis for training on safe driving for the key vehicles, and the improvement of advanced driver assistance system, which shows a wide application prospect in the field of intelligent drive.
Weak–strong uniqueness of renormalized solutions to reaction–cross-diffusion systems
Authors: Chen Xiuqing , Jüngel Ansgar
Published: December 2018

The weak–strong uniqueness for renormalized solutions to reaction–cross-diffusion systems in a bounded domain with no-flux boundary conditions is proved. The system generalizes the Shigesada–Kawasaki–Teramoto population model to an arbitrary number of species. The diffusion matrix is neither symmetric nor positive definite, but the system possesses a formal gradient-flow or entropy structure. No growth conditions on the source terms are imposed. It is shown that any renormalized solution coincides with a strong solution with the same initial data, as long as the strong solution exists. The proof is based on the evolution of the relative entropy modified by suitable cutoff functions.
Inferring relevant features: From QFT to PCA
Authors: Bény Cédric
Published: December 2018

In many-body physics, renormalization techniques are used to extract aspects of a statistical or quantum state that are relevant at large scale, or for low energy experiments. Recent works have proposed that these features can be formally identified as those perturbations of the states whose distinguishability most resist coarse-graining. Here, we examine whether this same strategy can be used to identify important features of an unlabeled dataset. This approach indeed results in a technique very similar to kernel PCA (principal component analysis), but with a kernel function that is automatically adapted to the data, or “learned”. We test this approach on handwritten digits, and find that the most relevant features are significantly better for classification than those obtained from a simple Gaussian kernel.
Physics of ferroelectric differential capacitance based upon free energy, and implications for use in electronic devices
Authors: Krowne C. M.
Published: December 2018

In this paper, it is shown that for stable, steady state operation of devices typical of microwave and millimeter wave electronics, no negative differential capacitance is possible with conventional thinking. However, it may be possible, with strain engineering of materials, to obtain some if not all elements of the differential capacitance tensor which are negative. Rigorous derivations are provided based upon analyzing the physics using thermodynamic phenomenological free energy. It should be emphasized that, even with strain engineering, and possible discovery of some negative capacitive elements, stable operation will not be obtained because the thermodynamics precludes it.
Design of a Software System to Support Value Education in Sports Through Gamification Techniques
Authors: Menendez-Ferreira Raquel , Gonzalez-Pardo Antonio , Ruíz Barquín Roberto , Maldonado Antonio , Camacho David
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, it is quite common to find violent acts in grassroot sports, such as football. Almost every week, it is possible to find news about team supporters fighting against each other, or football players arguing aggressively to the referee. And the worst part in this story is that most of these acts are watched by children. In order to alleviate this situation and create awareness of the necessity to create educational programs to prevent violence in sports, the European Union has funded several projects focused on this area. One of this project is called SAVEit project, and its goal is to create and develop innovative educational tools to promote values in grassroot sports. This paper presents the software architecture designed in SAVEit project to achieve this goal. This architecture is mainly composed of a Learning Management System, where coaches will learn about the values; a Team Management Site, where coaches can evaluate the values acquired by the children of the teams; and finally, a Video Game that using gamification techniques will keep the motivation of children during the learning process.
Effect of dynamically varying zone-based hedging policies on the operational performance of surface water reservoirs during climate change
Authors: Adeloye Adebayo J. , Soundharajan Bankaru-Swamy
Published: December 2018

Hedging is universally recognized as a useful operational practice in surface water reservoirs to temporally redistribute water supplies and thereby avoid large, crippling water shortages. When based on the zones of available water in storage, hedging has traditionally involved a static rationing (i.e. supply to demand) ratio. However, given the usual seasonality of reservoir inflows, it is also possible that hedging could be dynamic with seasonally varying rationing ratios. This study examined the effect of static and dynamic hedging policies on the performance of the Pong reservoir in India during a period of climate change. The results show that the reservoir vulnerability was unacceptably high (≥60%) without hedging and that this vulnerability further deteriorated as the catchment became drier due to projected climate change. The time- and volume-based reliabilities were acceptable. The introduction of static hedging drastically reduced the vulnerability to <25%, although the hedging reduction in the water supplied during normal operational conditions was only 17%. Further analyses with dynamic hedging provided only modest improvements in vulnerability. The significance of this study is its demonstration of the effectiveness of hedging in offsetting the impact of water shortages caused by climate change and the fact that static hedging can match more complex dynamic hedging policies.
Ryoan
Authors: Hunt Tyler , Zhu Zhiting , Xu Yuanzhong , Peter Simon , Witchel Emmett
Published: December 2018

Users of modern data-processing services such as tax preparation or genomic screening are forced to trust them with data that the users wish to keep secret. Ryoan
1
protects secret data while it is processed by services that the data owner does not trust. Accomplishing this goal in a distributed setting is difficult, because the user has no control over the service providers or the computational platform. Confining code to prevent it from leaking secrets is notoriously difficult, but Ryoan benefits from new hardware and a request-oriented data model.

Ryoan provides a distributed sandbox, leveraging hardware enclaves (e.g., Intel’s software guard extensions (SGX) [40]) to protect sandbox instances from potentially malicious computing platforms. The protected sandbox instances confine untrusted data-processing modules to prevent leakage of the user’s input data. Ryoan is designed for a request-oriented data model, where confined modules only process input once and do not persist state about the input. We present the design and prototype implementation of Ryoan and evaluate it on a series of challenging problems including email filtering, health analysis, image processing and machine translation.
NOVA
Authors: Ding Chenchen , Utiyama Masao , Sumita Eiichiro
Published: December 2018

A feasible and flexible annotation system is designed for joint tokenization and part-of-speech (POS) tagging to annotate those languages without natural definitions of
words
. This design was motivated by the fact that
word separators
are not used in many highly analytic East and Southeast Asian languages. Although several of the languages are well-studied, e.g., Chinese and Japanese, many are understudied with low resources, e.g., Burmese (Myanmar) and Khmer. In the first part of the article, the proposed annotation system, named nova, is introduced. nova contains only four basic tags (n, v, a, and o); these tags can be further modified and combined to adapt complex linguistic phenomena in tokenization and POS tagging. In the second part of the article, the feasibility and flexibility of nova is illustrated from the annotation practice on Burmese and Khmer. The relation between nova and two universal POS tagsets is discussed in the final part of the article.
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: December 2018

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
Computational Geometry Column 68
Authors: Dumitrescu Adrian
Published: December 2018

This column is devoted to geometric clustering and covering problems in Rd. As exact solutions for these problems are usually out of reach (unless d = 1), one is forced to deal with approximations. Here we mostly consider online algorithms, as the online setting introduces additional difficulty due to uncertainty about the future. One representative problem is the following (so-called Unit Covering): given a set of n points in Rd, cover the points by balls of unit diameter, so as to minimize the number of balls used.
PODC 2018 Review
Authors: Ben-David Naama
Published: December 2018

The 2018 ACM Symposium on the Principles of Distributed Computing (PODC 2018) was held on July 23-27, at Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, UK (see Figure 1). This venue achieved a nice balance between two opposing desirable features of a conference location: being remote enough to encourage conference participants to attend most of the talks, and being central enough to allow for enjoyable tourism. Royal Holloway is only a 15 minute drive from Windsor Castle (see Figure 2), and about an hour away from central London. This allowed conference attendees to enjoy London before and after the conference, but also created a lively atmosphere in the lecture hall and during breaks, as most conference attendees remained in the area.
Upgrading of Carbohydrates to the Biofuel Candidate 5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF)
Authors: Liu Xiaofang , Wang Rui
Published: December 2018

5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF), one of the significant platform molecular derivatives, is regarded as a promising biofuel and additive for diesel, owing to its high energy density (8.7 kWh·L−1). Several catalytic materials have been developed for the synthesis of EMF derived from different feedstocks under relatively mild reaction conditions. Although a great quantity of research has been conducted over the past decades, the unsatisfactory production selectivity mostly limited to the range 50%–70%, and the classic fructose used as the substrate restricted its application for fuel manufacture in large scale. To address these production improvements, this review pays attention to evaluate the activity of various catalysts (e.g., mineral salts, zeolites, heteropolyacid-based hybrids, sulfonic acid-functionalized materials, and ionic liquids), providing potential research directions for the design of novel catalysts for the achievement of further improved EMF yields.
Nutmeg Extract Increases Skeletal Muscle Mass in Aging Rats Partly via IGF1‐AKT‐mTOR Pathway and Inhibition of Autophagy
Authors: Pratiwi Yuni Susanti , Lesmana Ronny , Goenawan Hanna , Sylviana Nova , Setiawan Iwan , Tarawan Vita Murniati , Lestari Keri , Abdulah Rizky , Dwipa Lazuardhi , Purba Ambrosius , Supratman Unang
Published: December 2018

The sarcopenic phenotype is characterized by a reduction of muscle mass, a shift in fiber‐type distribution, and reduced satellite cell regeneration. Sarcopenia is still a major challenge to healthy aging. Traditional Indonesian societies in Sulawesi island have been using nutmeg for maintaining health condition during aging. Interestingly, nutmeg has been known to stimulate peroxisome proliferator activated receptors γ (PPARγ) which may contribute to myogenesis process in cardiac muscle. There is limited information about the role of nutmeg extract into physiological health benefit during aging especially myogenesis process in skeletal muscle. In the present study, we want to explore the potential effect of nutmeg in preserving skeletal muscle mass of aging rats. Aging rats, 80 weeks old, were divided into two groups (control and nutmeg). Nutmeg extract was administered for 12 weeks by gavaging. After treatment, rats were anaesthesized, then soleus and gastrocnemius muscles were collected, weighted, frozen using liquid nitrogen, and stored at ‐80°C until use. We observed phenomenon that nutmeg increased a little but significant food consumption on week 12, but significant decrease in body weight on weeks 10 and 12 unexpectedly increased significantly in soleus muscle weight (p<0.05). Nutmeg extract increased significantly gene expression of myogenic differentiation (MyoD), paired box 7 (Pax7), myogenin, myosin heavy chain I (MHC I), and insulin‐like growth factor I (p<0.01) in soleus muscle. Furthermore, nutmeg increased serine/threonine kinase (AKT) protein levels and activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), inhibited autophagy activity, and stimulated or at least preserved muscle mass during aging. Taken together, nutmeg extract may increase muscle mass or prevent decrease of muscle wasting in soleus muscle by partly stimulating myogenesis, regeneration process, and preserving muscle mass via IGF‐AKT‐mTOR pathway leading to inhibition of autophagy activity during aging. This finding may reveal the potential nutmeg benefits as alternative supplement for preserving skeletal muscle mass and preventing sarcopenia in elderly.