bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender‐ and age‐related differences in facial sebaceous glands in Asian skin, as observed by non‐invasive analysis using three‐dimensional ultrasound microscopy
Authors: Sugawara Tomoko , Nakagawa Noriaki , Shimizu Norio , Hirai Nami , Saijo Yoshifumi , Sakai Shingo
Published: January 2019

Background

While determining sebaceous gland morphology is useful in the treatment of skin disorders such as acne, a non‐invasive assessment method has not been developed. Since age and gender affect sebum level, differences in sebaceous gland morphology according to these factors were investigated.

Methods

Facial skin was measured using a high‐frequency three‐dimensional ultrasound microscope. First, the ultrasound images were compared with skin sections. Next, we assessed sebaceous gland morphology. Images of sebaceous gland in the cheeks of young male, young female and elderly female subjects were obtained using ultrasound microscopy, and en face images were processed to measure the sebaceous gland area.

Results

In the ultrasound images, sebaceous glands and also thin collagen fibers, which surrounded the glands, could be detected as low‐intensity regions. We called them sebaceous units. In young male subjects, the sebaceous unit areas 900‐μm beneath the skin surface were larger than those at 700 μm. In contrast, depth‐dependent differences in sebaceous unit area were not observed in young female subjects, indicating that males had cauliflower‐shaped sebaceous glands while young females had somewhat more cylindrical and smaller sebaceous glands than the young males. Regarding age, the areas of sebaceous units at 900 μm were diminished and the depth of maximum area was shallower in elderly female subjects compared to young female subjects. Hence, sebaceous glands are considered to shrink with age.

Conclusion

Differences in facial sebaceous unit morphology between genders as well as by age groups could be observed using high‐frequency ultrasound microscopy.
ROS scavenger, N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine and NOX specific inhibitor, VAS2870 reduce platelets apoptosis while enhancing their viability during storage
Authors: Hosseini Ehteramolsadat , Ghasemzadeh Mehran , Atashibarg Mahtab , Haghshenas Masood
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Platelet storage is often complicated by deleterious changes that are started by reversible activation of the cells and can lead to procoagulant function and apoptosis during longer periods of storage. Given that increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation are associated with platelet activation and apoptosis, our study investigated whether ROS scavenging or the inhibition of ROS production can enhance the viability of stored platelets.

METHODS

For this study platelet‐rich plasma platelet concentrates (PRP‐PCs) were either treated with ROS‐reducing agents (1 mM N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine [NAC] or 30 μM NADPH oxidase [NOX] inhibitor, VAS2870) or kept untreated during storage. P‐selectin expression, phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, levels of microparticle (MP) formation, and intraplatelet caspase activity of PCs were analyzed by flow cytometry during 7 days of storage while the platelet viability was also evaluated by MTT assay.

RESULTS

Both NAC‐ and VAS2870‐treated platelets had significantly lower caspase activity, MP formation, and PS exposure during storage while they also showed improved viability. The platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) were also better preserved in the presence of NAC.

CONCLUSION

Our results confirmed that either the inhibition of ROS generation or the scavenging of these oxidant agents can attenuate platelet apoptosis while improving their viability during storage. In this study, the significant improvement of platelet viability obtained by NAC suggested that its supplementation with a designated safe concentration into PCs may better preserve the quality of these products, especially for longer storage.
Measurement method for plume divergence angle of Hall thrusters
Authors: Ding Yongjie , Su Hongbo , Li Hong , Jia Boyang , Wei Liqiu , Peng Wuji , Hu Yanlin , Mao Wei , Yu Daren
Published: January 2019

High-energy ions in the plume of Hall thrusters can affect a spacecraft by sputtering, deposition contamination, or deflection torque. Thus, the plume divergence angle is an important aspect to evaluate for the application of Hall thrusters. Because of the variation in the plume divergence angle measurement with different measuring radii when the arc measurement method is adopted, a torus-source model was established in this study for error analysis. This variation, because of the different gyration radii, was analyzed, and a corresponding correction method was proposed. In addition, the accuracy and scope of the arc measurement method were improved.
Origin of spectral brightness variations in InAs/InP quantum dot telecom single photon emitters
Authors: Richardson Christopher J. K. , Leavitt Richard P. , Kim Je-Hyung , Waks Edo , Arslan Ilke , Arey Bruce
Published: January 2019

Long-distance quantum communication relies on the ability to efficiently generate and prepare single photons at telecom wavelengths. Low-density InAs quantum dots on InP surfaces are grown in a molecular beam epitaxy system using a modified Stranski–Krastanov growth paradigm. This material is a source of bright and indistinguishable single photons in the 1.3 μm telecom band. Here, the exploration of the growth parameters is presented as a phase diagram, while low-temperature photoluminescence and atomic resolution images are presented to correlate structure and spectral performance. This work identifies specific stacking faults and V-shaped defects that are likely causes of the observed low brightness emission at 1.55 μm telecom wavelengths. The different locations of the imaged defects suggest possible guidance for future development of InAs/InP single photon sources for c-band, 1.55 μm wavelength telecommunication systems.
Data retention investigation in Al:HfO2-based resistive random access memory arrays by using high-temperature accelerated tests
Authors: Perez Eduardo , Mahadevaiah Mamathamba K. , Zambelli Cristian , Olivo Piero , Wenger Christian
Published: January 2019

In this work, the feasibility of using accelerated tests at high temperatures to assess the data retention on resistive random access memory devices was evaluated on Al:HfO2-based 1-transistor-1-resistor 4 kbit arrays. By annealing the samples at four different temperatures (190, 210, 230, and 260°C) for 10 h, different distributions of retention failure times were obtained and modeled by using Weibull distributions. Based on the temperature dependency of these distributions, the Arrhenius activation energy of the degradation process was calculated (1.09 eV). In addition, the maximum temperature that guarantees a retention time to failure of a 10 year lifetime was extrapolated (105°C).
DNA fragility in the parallel evolution of pelvic reduction in stickleback fish
Authors: Xie Kathleen T. , Wang Guliang , Thompson Abbey C. , Wucherpfennig Julia I. , Reimchen Thomas E. , MacColl Andrew D. C. , Schluter Dolph , Bell Michael A. , Vasquez Karen M. , Kingsley David M.
Published: January 2019

DNA breakage and adaptation

Adaptation to new environments often occurs in similar ways across different colonization events. Stickleback fish represent a classic example of this, in which repeated colonizations of freshwater have resulted in the loss of pelvic hind fins. Previous work has shown that a pelvic enhancer gene is involved. Xie
et al.
now show that this gene lies within a region of the genome that is prone to double-stranded DNA breakage owing to a high thymine-guanine content. This enhanced region of breakage could lead to enhanced mutation rates that facilitate repeated adaptations to new environments.

Science
, this issue p.
81
Exceptional points in optics and photonics
Authors: Miri Mohammad-Ali , Alù Andrea
Published: January 2019

Exceptional points in optics

Many complex systems operate with loss. Mathematically, these systems can be described as non-Hermitian. A property of such a system is that there can exist certain conditions—exceptional points—where gain and loss can be perfectly balanced and exotic behavior is predicted to occur. Optical systems generally possess gain and loss and so are ideal systems for exploring exceptional point physics. Miri and Alù review the topic of exceptional points in photonics and explore some of the possible exotic behavior that might be expected from engineering such systems.

Science
, this issue p.
eaar7709
Laser cooling of ions in a neutral plasma
Authors: Langin Thomas K. , Gorman Grant M. , Killian Thomas C.
Published: January 2019

Making a strongly coupled plasma

Plasmas—gases of ionized atoms and electrons—are naturally formed at high temperatures, such as those reached in the interiors of stars. Describing plasmas theoretically is tricky when they are in the strongly coupled regime; reaching that regime in the laboratory would provide a valuable benchmark for theory. To that end, Langin
et al.
worked with a cold plasma created out of atoms of strontium that were ionized by laser light (see the Perspective by Bergeson). They used lasers to cool the ions down to about 50 millikelvin, reaching the desired strongly coupled regime.

Science
, this issue p.
61
; see also p.
33
Synthetic glycolate metabolism pathways stimulate crop growth and productivity in the field
Authors: South Paul F. , Cavanagh Amanda P. , Liu Helen W. , Ort Donald R.
Published: January 2019

Fixing photosynthetic inefficiencies

In some of our most useful crops (such as rice and wheat), photosynthesis produces toxic by-products that reduce its efficiency. Photorespiration deals with these by-products, converting them into metabolically useful components, but at the cost of energy lost. South
et al.
constructed a metabolic pathway in transgenic tobacco plants that more efficiently recaptures the unproductive by-products of photosynthesis with less energy lost (see the Perspective by Eisenhut and Weber). In field trials, these transgenic tobacco plants were ∼40% more productive than wild-type tobacco plants.

Science
, this issue p.
eaat9077
; see also p.
32
A collicular visual cortex: Neocortical space for an ancient midbrain visual structure
Authors: Beltramo Riccardo , Scanziani Massimo
Published: January 2019

Another primary visual cortex

Most functional studies in the visual system have focused on the cortical representation of the geniculo-striate pathway that links the retina to the cortex. The parallel collicular pathway is believed to sparsely project throughout the visual cortex and have a modulatory role on cortical responses to visual stimuli. Beltramo and Scanziani found a visual cortical area that is entirely dedicated to the superior colliculus. This area can discriminate moving visual stimuli that the “classical” primary visual cortex cannot. Thus, the superior colliculus, a phylogenetically ancient structure, has its own projection in neocortex that provides this area with exquisite feature-detection abilities not found in the classical primary visual cortex.

Science
, this issue p.
64
Metagenomic sequencing at the epicenter of the Nigeria 2018 Lassa fever outbreak
Authors: Kafetzopoulou L. E. , Pullan S. T. , Lemey P. , Suchard M. A. , Ehichioya D. U. , Pahlmann M. , Thielebein A. , Hinzmann J. , Oestereich L. , Wozniak D. M. , Efthymiadis K. , Schachten D. , Koenig F. , Matjeschk J. , Lorenzen S. , Lumley S. , Ighodalo Y. , Adomeh D. I. , Olokor T. , Omomoh E. , Omiunu R. , Agbukor J. , Ebo B. , Aiyepada J. , Ebhodaghe P. , Osiemi B. , Ehikhametalor S. , Akhilomen P. , Airende M. , Esumeh R. , Muoebonam E. , Giwa R. , Ekanem A. , Igenegbale G. , Odigie G. , Okonofua G. , Enigbe R. , Oyakhilome J. , Yerumoh E. O. , Odia I. , Aire C. , Okonofua M. , Atafo R. , Tobin E. , Asogun D. , Akpede N. , Okokhere P. O. , Rafiu M. O. , Iraoyah K. O. , Iruolagbe C. O. , Akhideno P. , Erameh C. , Akpede G. , Isibor E. , Naidoo D. , Hewson R. , Hiscox J. A. , Vipond R. , Carroll M. W. , Ihekweazu C. , Formenty P. , Okogbenin S. , Ogbaini-Emovon E. , Günther S. , Duraffour S.
Published: January 2019

Mobile detection of Lassa virus

Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic viral disease endemic to West Africa. Usually, each year sees only a smattering of cases reported, but hospitalized patients risk a 15% chance of death. Responding to fears that a 10-fold surge in cases in Nigeria in 2018 signaled an incipient outbreak, Kafetzopoulou
et al.
performed metagenomic nanopore sequencing directly from samples from 120 patients (see the Perspective by Bhadelia). Results showed no strong evidence of a new strain emerging nor of person-to-person transmission; rather, rodent contamination was the main source. To prevent future escalation of this disease, we need to understand what triggers the irruption of rodents into human dwellings.

Science
, this issue p.
74
; see also p.
30
Complete Genome Sequences of Five Acinetobacter baumannii Phages from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Essoh Christiane , Vernadet Jean-Philippe , Vergnaud Gilles , Coulibaly Adama , Kakou-N’Douba Adèle , N’Guetta Assanvo S.-P. , Resch Gregory , Pourcel Christine
Published: January 2019

Five bacteriophages of
Acinetobacter baumannii
were isolated from sewage water in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Phages Aci01-1, Aci02-2, and Aci05 belong to an unclassified genus of the
Myoviridae
family, with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes, whereas Aci07 and Aci08 belong to the
Fri1virus
genus of the
Podoviridae
family of phages.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Lignocellulose-Degrading Ascomycete
Coniochaeta p
ulveracea
CAB 683
Authors: Borstlap Cornelius Johannes , de Witt Riaan Neethling , Botha Alfred , Volschenk Heinrich
Published: January 2019

Coniochaeta pulveracea
is a soft-rot-causing ascomycete able to degrade lignocellulosic biomass. The first draft genome sequence of strain CAB 683 reported here has an estimated size of 30 Mb assembled into 852 scaffolds and 10,035 predicted protein-coding genes.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Pseudoalteromonas piscicida Strains, DE1-A and DE2-A, with Strong Antibacterial Activity against Vibrio vulnificus
Authors: Richards Gary P. , Needleman David S. , Watson Michael A. , Polson Shawn W.
Published: January 2019

Highly vesiculated
Pseudoalteromonas piscicida
strains DE1-A and DE2-A were isolated from seawater and show bactericidal properties toward
Vibrio vulnificus
and other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of these two
P. piscicida
strains and identify proteolytic enzymes potentially involved in their antibacterial properties.
Endovascular embolisation of an iatrogenic superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm using liquid embolic
Authors: Entezami Pouya , Dalfino John , O’Brien Michael Wade , Paul Alexandra
Published: January 2019

Pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery (STA) are rarely reported consequences of surgical interventions. They carry a high rupture risk and expedient management is required. Both surgical resection and endovascular intervention are available management options. We present the case of a patient with a pseudoaneurysm of the STA, managed by a combination of endovascular embolisation using liquid embolic, followed by surgical resection.
Association between alcohol and drug use and arrest for driving under the influence after crash involvement in a rural area of Norway: a case–control study
Authors: Jamt Ragnhild Elén Gjulem , Gjerde Hallvard , Romeo Giovanni , Bogstrand Stig Tore
Published: January 2019

Objectives

The rate of deaths caused by road traffic crashes is particularly high in rural areas. It has been hypothesised that one factor that may contribute is differences in patterns of alcohol use. The aim was to compare the prevalence of psychoactive substances among crash-involved drivers arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) who are tested for alcohol and drugs and recent random drivers in a rural area. Furthermore, we investigated the association between traffic crashes and driving after using alcohol, illicit or medicinal drugs either alone or in combination.

Methods

A case–control study was carried out in which the case group consisted of crash-involved drivers arrested for suspicion of DUI from 2000 to 2015. This group was compared with a control group of randomly selected drivers recruited to a roadside survey in normal traffic from 2014 to 2015. The case group consisted of 612 individuals (542 men and 70 women) and the control group of 3027 individuals (2099 men and 927 women). Drug and alcohol screening was performed on blood samples from the cases and samples of oral fluid from the controls.

Results

The proportion of psychoactive substances was 81.7% among cases and 1.6% among the controls. The prevalence of combinations of psychoactive substances was 18% among the cases and 0.3% among the controls. The multivariate regression model analysis identified significant drug interactions.

Conclusion

The prevalence of alcohol and drugs was high among the crash-involved drivers arrested for suspicion of DUI by the police. In contrast to earlier published research combinations of different psychoactive substances did not increase the OR for traffic crash involvement more than the single drug with highest OR. The statistical methodology presented in this study should be allied in future studies with greater statistical power to confirm these findings.
Diabetes mellitus and the risk of fractures at specific sites: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Hao , Ba Ying , Xing Qian , Du Jian-Ling
Published: January 2019

Objective

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased fracture risk; however, the impact of DM and subsequent fracture at different sites and the associations according to patient characteristics remain unknown.

Design

Meta-analysis

Data sources

The PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to March 2018.

Eligibility criteria

We included prospective and retrospective cohort studies on the associations of DM and subsequent fracture risk at different sites.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the study quality. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model, and the heterogeneity across the included studies was evaluated using I2and Q statistics.

Results

Overall, DM was associated with an increased risk of total (RR: 1.32; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.48; p<0.001), hip (RR: 1.77; 95% CI 1.56 to 2.02; p<0.001), upper arm (RR: 1.47; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.10; p=0.037) and ankle fractures (RR: 1.24; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.40; p<0.001), whereas DM had no significant impact on the incidence of distal forearm (RR: 1.02; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.19; p=0.809) and vertebral fractures (RR: 1.56; 95% CI 0.78 to 3.12; p=0.209). RR ratios suggested that compared with patients with type 2 DM (T2DM), patients with type 1 DM (T1DM) had greater risk of total (RR: 1.24; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.41; p=0.002), hip (RR: 3.43; 95% CI 2.27 to 5.17; p<0.001) and ankle fractures (RR: 1.71; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.78; p=0.029). Although no other significant differences were observed between subgroups, the association of DM with upper arm or ankle, vertebrae and total fracture differed according to sex, study design and country, respectively.

Conclusions

Patients with DM had greater risks of total, hip, upper arm and ankle fractures, with T1DM having a more harmful effect than T2DM.
Oral nutrition supplements and between-meal snacks for nutrition therapy in patients with COPD identified as at nutritional risk: a randomised feasibility trial
Authors: Ingadottir Arora Ros , Beck Anne Marie , Baldwin Christine , Weekes Christine Elizabeth , Geirsdottir Olof Gudny , Ramel Alfons , Gislason Thorarinn , Gunnarsdottir Ingibjorg
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Intervention studies have mainly used oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) identified as at nutritional risk. In this 12-month randomised feasibility trial, we assessed the (1) feasibility of the recruitment, retention and provision of two interventions: ONS and between-meal snacks (snacks) and (2) the potential impact of the provision of snacks and ONS on body weight and quality of life in patients with COPD.

Methods 

Hospitalised patients with COPD, at nutritional risk, were randomised to ONS (n=19) or snacks (n=15) providing 600 kcal and 22 g protein a day in addition to regular daily diet. The intervention started in hospital and was continued for 12 months after discharge from the hospital.

Results 

Study recruitment rate was n=34 (45%) and retention rate at 12 months was similar for both groups: n=13 (68%) in the ONS group and n=10 (67%) in the Snacks group. Both groups gained weight from baseline to 12 months (2.3±4.6 kg (p=0.060) in the ONS group and 4.4±6.4 kg (p=0.030) in the Snacks group). The St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score improved from baseline to 12 months in both groups (score 3.9±11.0 (p=0.176) in the ONS group and score 8.9±14.1 (p=0.041) in the Snacks group).

Discussion 

In patients with COPD who are at nutritional risk snacks are at least as feasible and effective as ONS, however, adequately powered trials that take account of the difficulties in recruiting this patient group are required to confirm this effect.
Optimising the use of small bowel endoscopy: a practical guide
Authors: Chetcuti Zammit Stefania , Sanders David S , McAlindon Mark E , Sidhu Reena
Published: January 2019

The wireless nature of capsule endoscopy offers patients the least invasive option for small bowel investigation. It is now the first-line test for suspected small bowel bleeding. Furthermore meta-analyses suggest that capsule endoscopy outperforms small bowel imaging for small bowel tumours and is equivalent to CT enterography and magnetic resonance enterography for small bowel Crohn’s disease. A positive capsule endoscopy lends a higher diagnostic yield with device-assisted enteroscopy. Device-assisted enteroscopy allows for the application of therapeutics to bleeding points, obtain histology of lesions seen, tattoo lesions for surgical resection or undertake polypectomy. It is however mainly reserved for therapeutics due to its invasive nature. Device-assisted enteroscopy has largely replaced intraoperative enteroscopy. The use of both modalities is discussed in detail for each indication. Current available guidelines are compared to provide a concise review.
Trends of drowning mortality in Vietnam: evidence from the national injury mortality surveillance system
Authors: Nguyen Ha , Ivers Rebecca Q , Pham Cuong , Jagnoor Jagnoor
Published: January 2019

Objective

To describe the trends of drowning mortality in Vietnam over time and to identify socioeconomic characteristics associated with higher drowning mortality at the provincial level.

Methods

We analysed data from the Ministry of Health injury mortality surveillance system from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013. The surveillance covers more than 11 000 commune health centres in all provinces of Vietnam. For provincial population and socioeconomic characteristics, we extracted data from the National census 2009, the Population change and family planning surveys in 2011 and 2013. Multilevel linear models were used to identify provincial characteristics associated with higher mortality rates.

Results

Over the 5-year period between 2009 and 2013, 31 232 drowning deaths were reported, equivalent to a 5-year average of 6246 drowning deaths. During this period, drowning mortality rate decreased 7.2/100 000 to 6.9/100 000 (p=0.035). Of six major geographical regions, Northern midland, Central highland and Mekong delta were those with highest mortality rates. In all regions, children aged 1–4 years had the highest mortality rates, followed by those aged 5–9 and 10–14 years. At provincial level, having a coastline was not associated with higher mortality rate. Provinces with larger population size and greater proportion of poor households were statistically significantly associated with higher mortality rates (p=0.042 and 0.006, respectively).

Conclusion

While some gains have been made in reducing drowning mortality, child deaths due to drowning in Vietnam remain alarmingly high. Targeted scale-up of known effective interventions such as child supervision and basic survival skills are needed for reducing child mortality due to drowning, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged provinces.
Efficacy of ‘drive and retrieve’ as a cooperative method for prompt endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Osanai Toshiya , Ito Yasuhiro , Ushikoshi Satoshi , Aoki Takeshi , Kawabori Masahito , Fujiwara Kensuke , Ogasawara Katsuhiko , Tokairin Kikutaro , Maruichi Katsuhiko , Nakayama Naoki , Kazumata Ken , Ono Kota , Houkin Kiyohiro
Published: January 2019

Background

Outcomes of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke depend on the time interval from onset to reperfusion. Although the centralized ‘mothership’ method is considered preferable, the required transportation time increases the risk that a patient with a stroke may not receive intravenous or endovascular therapy. In contrast, ‘drive and retrieve’ describes a system wherein doctors from comprehensive stroke centers travel to primary stroke centers and provide endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

Objective

To describe the drive and retrieve system and verify the effects of this new collaboration on outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke among facilities.

Methods

This non-randomized, single-arm study retrospectively analyzed patients who met the inclusion criteria for endovascular treatment provided through a drive and retrieve system. Among the 122 patients treated by this system, we analyzed the time of onset to recanalization as the primary outcome. We also analyzed the efficacy of the drive and retrieve system using geographic information system analysis.

Results

The median time from onset to recanalization was 229 min (IQR 170–307 min, 95% CI 201 to 252 min). The upper limit of the 95% CI for the time from onset to recanalization was shorter than the median times reported in two previous trials. Geographic information system analysis revealed an upward trend in the population coverage rate in each secondary medical area after the drive and retrieve method was introduced.

Conclusion

The drive and retrieve method may be an effective form of cooperation between facilities located within 1 hour of a comprehensive stroke center.
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of omeprazole in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Dutta Prosenjit , Funston Wendy , Mossop Helen , Ryan Vicky , Jones Rhys , Forbes Rebecca , Sen Shilpi , Pearson Jeffrey , Griffin S Michael , Smith Jaclyn A , Ward Christopher , Forrest Ian A , Simpson A John
Published: January 2019

Background

Cough is a common, disabling symptom of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which may be exacerbated by acid reflux. Inhibiting gastric acid secretion could potentially reduce cough. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of a larger, multicentre trial of omeprazole for cough in IPF, to assess safety and to quantify cough.

Methods

Single-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot trial of the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) omeprazole (20 mg twice daily for 3 months) in patients with IPF. Primary objectives were to assess feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures. The primary clinical outcome was cough frequency.

Results

Forty-five participants were randomised (23 to omeprazole, 22 to placebo), with 40 (20 in each group) having cough monitoring before and after treatment. 280 patients were screened to yield these numbers, with barriers to discontinuing antacids the single biggest reason for non-recruitment. Recruitment averaged 1.5 participants per month. Geometric mean cough frequency at the end of treatment, adjusted for baseline, was 39.1% lower (95% CI 66.0% lower to 9.3% higher) in the omeprazole group compared with placebo. Omeprazole was well tolerated and adverse event profiles were similar in both groups, although there was a small excess of lower respiratory tract infection and a small fall in forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity associated with omeprazole.

Conclusions

A large randomised controlled trial of PPIs for cough in IPF appears feasible and justified but should address barriers to randomisation and incorporate safety assessments in relation to respiratory infection and changes in lung function.
Pictorial health warnings and wear-out effects: evidence from a web experiment in 10 European countries
Authors: Woelbert Eva , d’Hombres Béatrice
Published: January 2019

Objective

This paper examines whether there are possible wear-out effects associated with repeated exposure to pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. Wear-out effects can begeneral, that is, people get used to the presence of pictorial warnings in general, orspecificto the content of the warnings (ie, the images used). Distinguishing between these two types of wear-out is important for understanding how to maintain the effectiveness of health warnings over time.

Methods

This study used data from two surveys carried out in 10 European countries. Participants (n=12 600) were exposed in a random order to a series of health warnings and assessed the salience of the warnings as well as their effects on smoking intentions. Using these data and country variations in health warning legislation, we tested whether warning pictures are subject to general and/or specific wear-out effects.

Results

Responses were stronger to combined text+picture warnings than to text-only warnings. This effect was lower for smokers living in countries where combined warnings were already in place at the time of the data collection, compared with smokers residing in countries where text-only warnings were in use. This result, observed for combined warnings with new pictures, is in line with the presence of general wear-out effects. Combined warnings with an unknown pictorial content were more effective than those including pictorial warnings already in use, suggesting that specific wear-out effects are also at play.

Conclusions

These findings strengthen the evidence that pictorial health warnings are an effective tool for tobacco control policies and suggest that, even in the presence of a general wear-out effect among smokers, periodically introducing new pictures helps to maintain warning effectiveness over time.
Impact of tobacco use on health and work productivity in Malaysia
Authors: Tan Qian Ying , Zomer Ella , Owen Alice J , Chin Ken Lee , Liew Danny
Published: January 2019

Background

The loss of productivity arising from tobacco use in low/middle-income countries has not been well described. We sought to examine the impact of cigarette smoking on population health and work productivity in Malaysia using a recently published measure, the productivity-adjusted life year (PALY).

Methods

A life table model was constructed using published Malaysian demographic and mortality data. Our analysis was limited to male smokers due to the low smoking prevalence in females (1.1%). Male smokers aged 15–64 years were followed up until 65 years or until death. The population attributable risk, health-related quality of life decrements and relative reduction in productivity due to smoking were sourced from published data. The analysis was repeated assuming the cohorts were never smokers, and the differences in outcomes represented the health and productivity burden conferred by smoking. The cost of productivity loss was estimated based on the gross domestic product per equivalent full-time worker in Malaysia.

Results

Tobacco use is highly prevalent among working-age males in Malaysia, with 4.2 million (37.5%) daily smokers among men aged between 15 and 64 years. Overall, our model estimated that smoking resulted in the loss of over 2.1 million life years (2.9%), 5.5 million (8.2%) quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and 3.0 million (4.8%) PALYs. Smoking was estimated to incur RM275.3 billion (US$69.4 billion) in loss of productivity.

Conclusion

Tobacco use imposes a significant public health and economic burden among working-age males in Malaysia. This study highlights the need of effective public health interventions to reduce tobacco use.
Effects of an increase in intensity during tapering on 1500-m running performance
Authors: Spilsbury Kate L. , Nimmo Myra A. , Fudge Barry W. , Pringle Jamie S.M. , Orme Mark W. , Faulkner Steve H.
Published: January 2019

We examined the effect of completing the final interval training session during a taper at either (i) race pace (RP) or (ii) faster than RP on 1500-m running performance and neuromuscular performance. Ten trained runners (age, 21.7 ± 3.0 years; height, 182.9 ± 7.0 cm; body mass, 73.4 ± 6.8 kg; and personal best 1500-m time, 4:17.5 ± 0:26.9 min) completed 2 conditions consisting of 7 days of regular training and a 7-day taper, separated by 3 weeks of training. In 1 condition, the taper was prescribed using prediction models based on the practices of elite British middle-distance runners, with the intensity of the final interval session being equal to 1500-m RP. The taper was repeated in the high-intensity (HI) condition, with the exception that the final interval session was completed at 115% of 1500-m RP. A 1500-m treadmill time trial and measures of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and rate of force development (RFD) were completed before and after regular training and tapering. Performance was most likely improved after RP (mean ± 90% confidence limits, 10.1 ± 1.6 s), and possibly beneficial after HI (4.2 ± 12.0 s). Both MVC force (p = 0.002) and RFD (p = 0.02) were improved after tapering, without differences between conditions. An RP taper based on the practices of elite middle-distance runners is recommended to improve performance in young, subelite runners. The effect of this strategy with an increase in interval intensity is highly variable and should be implemented with caution.
Six weeks of oralEchinacea purpureasupplementation does not enhance the production of serum erythropoietin or erythropoietic status in recreationally active males with above-average aerobic fitness
Authors: Martin Tyler D. , Green Michael S. , Whitehead Malcolm T. , Scheett Timothy P. , Webster Michael J. , Hudson Geoffrey M.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 6 weeks of oral Echinacea purpurea supplementation on serum erythropoietin (EPO) and erythropoietic status. Twenty-four males (mean ± SE; age = 25.2 ± 1.4 years, height = 178.1 ± 1.4 cm, body mass = 78.1 ± 1.6 kg, body fat = 12.7 ± 0.9%, maximal oxygen uptake = 52.9 ± 0.9 mL·kg−1·min−1) were randomly grouped using a matched-pair, double-blind design and self-administered 8000 mg·day−1of either E. purpurea (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12) for 42 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected prior to supplementation (day 0) and every 2 weeks during the supplementation period (days 14, 28, and 42) and were analyzed for EPO, red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Separate 2 × 4 (group × time) factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on time were used to determine statistical differences with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. There were no significant interaction, group, or time effects observed for EPO or erythropoietic status markers for any of the measurement points (p ≤ 0.05). The present study indicated that 6 weeks of oral E. purpurea supplementation in recreationally active males with above average aerobic fitness did not enhance EPO or erythropoietic status. These findings are in contrast with previous reports of E. purpurea supplementation in untrained participants with average fitness levels, but consistent with observations in trained endurance athletes.
The Himalayan Foreland Basin from collision onset to the present: a sedimentary–petrology perspective
Authors: Garzanti Eduardo
Published: January 2019

This chapter summarizes the available stratigraphic, petrographical and mineralogical evidence from sediments and sedimentary rocks on the evolution of the Himalayan belt and its associated foreland basin. The use of compositional signatures of modern sediments to unravel provenance changes and palaeodrainage evolution through time is hampered by a poor match with detrital modes of ancient strata markedly affected by selective chemical dissolution of unstable minerals during diagenesis. Only semi-quantitative diagnoses can thus be attempted. Volcanic detritus derived from Transhimalayan arcs since India–Asia collision onset at
c.
60 Ma was deposited onto the Indian lower plate throughout the Protohimalayan stage, with the exception of the Tansen region of Nepal that is characterized by quartz-arenites yielding orogen-derived zircon grains. During the Eohimalayan stage, begun in the late Eocene when most sedimentation ceased in the Tethys Himalayan domain, low-rank metasedimentary detritus was overwhelming in the central foreland basin, where a widespread unconformity developed spanning locally as much as 20 myr. Volcanic detritus from Transhimalayan arcs remained significant in northern Pakistan. Arrival of higher-rank metamorphic detritus since the earliest Miocene, and the successive occurrence of garnet, staurolite, kyanite and finally sillimanite, characterized the Neohimalayan stage, when repeated compositional changes in the foreland-basin succession document the stepwise propagation of crustal deformation across the Indian Plate margin and widening of the thrust belt with exhumation of progressively more external tectonic units. The correspondence in time between the activity of major thrusts and petrofacies changes indicates a promising approach to accurately reconstruct the geological evolution of the coupled orogen–basin system. Conversely, a poor conceptual framework and the general reliance on ad hoc mechanisms to explain phenomena unpredicted by simplified models represent major factors limiting the robustness of palaeotectonic interpretations. Improved knowledge requires taking into full account the dynamic role played by still poorly understood subduction processes – rather than exclusively the effect of passive loading – as well as the role played by the presence of inherited structures on the downgoing Indian Plate, which control both lateral variability of orogenic deformation and the location of depocentres in the foreland basin.
Attack Synthesis for Strings using Meta-Heuristics
Authors: Saha Seemanta , Kadron Ismet Burak , Eiers William , Bang Lucas , Bultan Tevfik
Published: January 2019

Information leaks are a significant problem in modern computer systems and string manipulation is prevalent in modern software. We present techniques for automated synthesis of side-channel attacks that recover secret string values based on timing observations on string manipulating code. Our attack synthesis techniques iteratively generate inputs which, when fed to code that accesses the secret, reveal partial information about the secret based on the timing observations, leading to recovery of the secret at the end of the attack sequence. We use symbolic execution to extract path constraints, automata-based model counting to estimate the probability of execution paths, and meta-heuristic methods to maximize information gain based on entropy for synthesizing adaptive attack steps.
Report of the 1st International Workshop on Context-aware Autonomous and Smart Architectures (CASA@ECSA 2017)
Authors: Raibulet Claudia , Fugini Mariagrazia , Drira Khalil , Pelliccione Patrizio , Gerostathopoulos Ilias , Prefoher Christian , Moessne Klaus
Published: January 2019

The 2017 1st International Workshop on Context-aware, Autonomous and Smart Architectures (CASA 2017) was held in conjunction with the 11th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2017), on September, 12th, 2017 in Canterbury, United Kingdom. The goal of this one-day workshop was to bring together researchers and practitioners from academic environment and from the industry to share their solutions, ideas, visions, and doubts in the design of software architectures for context-aware, autonomous, and smart solutions. The workshop focused on architectural aspects offering a complementary vision of such solutions with respect to the available application- and user-oriented perspectives on context-awareness, autonomy, and smartness. Furthermore, the workshop aimed to enable discussions, partnerships, and collaborations among the software engineers interested in these solutions
Summary of the 1st IEEE Workshop on the Next Level of Test Automation (NEXTA 2018)
Authors: Borg Markus , Causevic Adnan , Demeyer Serge , Eldh Sigrid
Published: January 2019

NEXTA is a new workshop on test automation that provides a meeting point for academic researchers and industry practitioners. While test automation already is an established practice in industry, the concept needs to evolve to go beyond its current state to support the ever faster release cycles of tomorrow's software engineering. NEXTA implications for research and practice will include test case generation, automated test result analysis, test suite assessment and maintenance, and infrastructure for the future of test automation. The rst instance of NEXTA was co-located with the 11th IEEE Conference on Software Testing, Veri cation and Validation (ICST 2018) in Vasteras, Sweden on April 9, 2018. NEXTA 2018 o ered an interactive setting with a keynote and paper presentations, stimulated by two novel awards to incentivize interaction and dissemination: a Best Questions Award and a Most Viral Tweet Award. The workshop attracted 15 paper submissions and about 50 participants. Based on the positive feedback, we plan to organize the workshop again next year.
Live functional programming with typed holes
Authors: Omar Cyrus , Voysey Ian , Chugh Ravi , Hammer Matthew A.
Published: January 2019

Live programming environments aim to provide programmers (and sometimes audiences) with continuous feedback about a program's dynamic behavior as it is being edited. The problem is that programming languages typically assign dynamic meaning only to programs that are complete, i.e. syntactically well-formed and free of type errors. Consequently, live feedback presented to the programmer exhibits temporal or perceptive gaps.

This paper confronts this "gap problem" from type-theoretic first principles by developing a dynamic semantics for incomplete functional programs, starting from the static semantics for incomplete functional programs developed in recent work on Hazelnut. We model incomplete functional programs as expressions with holes, with empty holes standing for missing expressions or types, and non-empty holes operating as membranes around static and dynamic type inconsistencies. Rather than aborting when evaluation encounters any of these holes as in some existing systems, evaluation proceeds around holes, tracking the closure around each hole instance as it flows through the remainder of the program. Editor services can use the information in these hole closures to help the programmer develop and confirm their mental model of the behavior of the complete portions of the program as they decide how to fill the remaining holes. Hole closures also enable a fill-and-resume operation that avoids the need to restart evaluation after edits that amount to hole filling. Formally, the semantics borrows machinery from both gradual type theory (which supplies the basis for handling unfilled type holes) and contextual modal type theory (which supplies a logical basis for hole closures), combining these and developing additional machinery necessary to continue evaluation past holes while maintaining type safety. We have mechanized the metatheory of the core calculus, called Hazelnut Live, using the Agda proof assistant.

We have also implemented these ideas into the Hazel programming environment. The implementation inserts holes automatically, following the Hazelnut edit action calculus, to guarantee that every editor state has some (possibly incomplete) type. Taken together with this paper's type safety property, the result is a proof-of-concept live programming environment where rich dynamic feedback is truly available without gaps, i.e. for every reachable editor state.
Gradual type theory
Authors: New Max S. , Licata Daniel R. , Ahmed Amal
Published: January 2019

Gradually typed languages are designed to support both dynamically typed and statically typed programming styles while preserving the benefits of each. While existing gradual type soundness theorems for these languages aim to show that type-based reasoning is preserved when moving from the fully static setting to a gradual one, these theorems do not imply that correctness of type-based refactorings and optimizations is preserved. Establishing correctness of program transformations is technically difficult, because it requires reasoning about program equivalence, and is often neglected in the metatheory of gradual languages.

In this paper, we propose an axiomatic account of program equivalence in a gradual cast calculus, which we formalize in a logic we call gradual type theory (GTT). Based on Levy’s call-by-push-value, GTT gives an axiomatic account of both call-by-value and call-by-name gradual languages. Based on our axiomatic account we prove many theorems that justify optimizations and refactorings in gradually typed languages. For example, uniqueness principles for gradual type connectives show that if the βη laws hold for a connective, then casts between that connective must be equivalent to the so-called “lazy” cast semantics. Contrapositively, this shows that “eager” cast semantics violates the extensionality of function types. As another example, we show that gradual upcasts are pure functions and, dually, gradual downcasts are strict functions. We show the consistency and applicability of our axiomatic theory by proving that a contract-based implementation using the lazy cast semantics gives a logical relations model of our type theory, where equivalence in GTT implies contextual equivalence of the programs. Since GTT also axiomatizes the dynamic gradual guarantee, our model also establishes this central theorem of gradual typing. The model is parametrized by the implementation of the dynamic types, and so gives a family of implementations that validate type-based optimization and the gradual guarantee.
StkTokens: enforcing well-bracketed control flow and stack encapsulation using linear capabilities
Authors: Skorstengaard Lau , Devriese Dominique , Birkedal Lars
Published: January 2019

We propose and study StkTokens: a new calling convention that provably enforces well-bracketed control flow and local state encapsulation on a capability machine. The calling convention is based on linear capabilities: a type of capabilities that are prevented from being duplicated by the hardware. In addition to designing and formalizing this new calling convention, we also contribute a new way to formalize and prove that it effectively enforces well-bracketed control flow and local state encapsulation using what we call a fully abstract overlay semantics.