bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conceptualizing resilience in adult mental health literature: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
Authors: Ayed Nadia , Toner Sarah , Priebe Stefan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This review aims to identify how the term ‘resilience’ is conceptualized across adult mental health research due to ongoing criticism regarding the lack of consistency in its conceptualization.

Method

A systematic search, including hand searches of book chapters, was conducted using search terms (‘resilien*’) AND (‘mental illness’ OR ‘mental health problem’). Papers were excluded if they did not meet the following criteria: written in English, provide a clear conceptualization of resilience, include only adults (aged 18 + ) in the sample, solely focus on individuals with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, and peer‐reviewed. Data were extracted on conceptualizations of resilience, demographic, and diagnostic variables of the study population, publication year, and the research design used. Conceptualizations were combined and collapsed into overarching themes and then refined through joint discussion, consultation with a third reviewer, and input from a larger multidisciplinary team.

Results

Thirty‐one texts (6 book chapters, 4 reviews, 2 appraisals/critical evaluations, 1 editorial, and 18 research projects) were included. Two broad understandings of resilience were identified: resilience as a process and resilience as a characteristic of an individual. Processes comprise three themes: ‘immunity’, ‘bouncing back’, and ‘growth’, whilst characteristics are captured in two themes ‘personal resources’ and ‘social resources’.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that resilience can be conceptualized in a clear and meaningful manner in adult mental health research. The five themes reflect distinct ways of using the term resilience. Whilst each one of them may have merit in future research, it appears beneficial to make clear in research which exact conceptualization of resilience has been adopted.

Practitioner Points

When considering and reading about ‘resilience’, one should be aware that there are different concepts of it.

The main difference is between resilience as a personal characteristic and resilience as a process.

Therapy may address resilience as a personal characteristic by utilizing individual and social resources.

The therapeutic process may be understood as resilience in form of bouncing back and personal growth.
Production of complex viral glycoproteins in plants as vaccine immunogens
Authors: Margolin Emmanuel , Chapman Ros , Williamson Anna‐Lise , Rybicki Edward P. , Meyers Ann E.
Published: June 2018

Plant molecular farming offers a cost‐effective and scalable approach to the expression of recombinant proteins which has been proposed as an alternative to conventional production platforms for developing countries. In recent years, numerous proofs of concept have established that plants can produce biologically active recombinant proteins and immunologically relevant vaccine antigens that are comparable to those made in conventional expression systems. Driving many of these advances is the remarkable plasticity of the plant proteome which enables extensive engineering of the host cell, as well as the development of improved expression vectors facilitating higher levels of protein production. To date, the only plant‐derived viral glycoprotein to be tested in humans is the influenza haemagglutinin which expresses at ~50 mg/kg. However, many other viral glycoproteins that have potential as vaccine immunogens only accumulate at low levels in planta. A critical consideration for the production of many of these proteins in heterologous expression systems is the complexity of post‐translational modifications, such as control of folding, glycosylation and disulphide bridging, which is required to reproduce the native glycoprotein structure. In this review, we will address potential shortcomings of plant expression systems and discuss strategies to optimally exploit the technology for the production of immunologically relevant and structurally authentic glycoproteins for use as vaccine immunogens.
QTL sequencing strategy to map genomic regions associated with resistance to ascochyta blight in chickpea
Authors: Deokar Amit , Sagi Mandeep , Daba Ketema , Tar'an Bunyamin
Published: June 2018

Whole‐genome sequencing‐based bulked segregant analysis (BSA) for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) provides an efficient alternative approach to conventional QTL analysis as it significantly reduces the scale and cost of analysis with comparable power to QTL detection using full mapping population. We tested the application of next‐generation sequencing (NGS)‐based BSA approach for mapping QTLs for ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea using two recombinant inbred line populations CPR‐01 and CPR‐02. Eleven QTLs in CPR‐01 and six QTLs in CPR‐02 populations were mapped on chromosomes Ca1, Ca2, Ca4, Ca6 and Ca7. The QTLs identified in CPR‐01 using conventional biparental mapping approach were used to compare the efficiency of NGS‐based BSA in detecting QTLs for ascochyta blight resistance. The QTLs on chromosomes Ca1, Ca4, Ca6 and Ca7 overlapped with the QTLs previously detected in CPR‐01 using conventional QTL mapping method. The QTLs on chromosome Ca4 were detected in both populations and overlapped with the previously reported QTLs indicating conserved region for ascochyta blight resistance across different chickpea genotypes. Six candidate genes in the QTL regions identified using NGS‐based BSA on chromosomes Ca2 and Ca4 were validated for their association with ascochyta blight resistance in the CPR‐02 population. This study demonstrated the efficiency of NGS‐based BSA as a rapid and cost‐effective method to identify QTLs associated with ascochyta blight in chickpea.
Emotional misattribution: Facial muscle responses partially mediate behavioral responses in the emotion misattribution procedure
Authors: Rohr Michaela , Folyi Timea , Wentura Dirk
Published: June 2018

There is ongoing debate regarding the degree to which, and the conditions under which, physiological, affect‐related (i.e., embodied) processes contribute to emotion information processing. Whereas most studies focus on clearly visible and intentional processing conditions, the present study targeted this issue by studying the implicit processing of emotional (angry, fearful, joyful, neutral) faces in a masked emotion misattribution procedure. That is, participants had to categorize neutral‐looking faces with regard to the allegedly felt emotion, which were preceded by a very briefly presented emotional expression. In addition to behavioral measures, facial muscle responses were obtained as an index of physiological, affect‐related processes. Linear mixed‐model mediation analyses confirmed that facial muscle responses partially mediated the behavioral responses to the masked primes in the misattribution task.
Dysphagia due to macroglossia in a patient with amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma: A case report
Authors: da Costa Klinger Vagner Teixeira , Ribeiro Camila Maria Beder , de Carvalho Ferreira Dennis , Gonçalves Lucio Souza , de Almeida Oslei Paes , de Carvalho Silva Larissa Tinô , Bastos Yann Victor Paiva , Ferreira Sonia Maria Soares
Published: June 2018

Amyloidosis is a group of heterogeneous conditions characterized by the deposition of extracellular proteinaceous substances called amyloids. The diagnosis is usually confirmed after a particular body organ has been affected. However, oral manifestations have been identified in 39% of affected patients. Systemic amyloidosis may be primary or in association with multiple myeloma and typically affecting elder adults. The diagnosis of amyloidosis is usually associated with clinical features with histopathological findings, which reveal the presence of acellular eosinophilic deposits. The aim of this report is to describe a clinical case of an elderly patient with dysphagia related to macroglossia and enlargement caused by primary amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma.
Persistence of de novo donor‐specific HLA‐antibodies after lung transplantation: A potential marker of decreased patient survival
Authors: Schmitzer M. , Winter H. , Kneidinger N. , Meimarakis G. , Dick A. , Schramm R. , Klotz L. V. , Preissler G. , Strobl N. , von Dossow V. , Schneider C. , Weig T. , Hatz R. , Kauke T.
Published: June 2018

The impact of de novo donor‐specific anti‐HLA‐antibodies (donor‐specific antibody [DSA]) on outcomes in lung transplantation is still a matter of debate. We hypothesize that differentiating DSA by persistent and transient appearance may offer an additional risk assessment. The clinical relevance of HLA‐antibodies was investigated prospectively in 72 recipients with a median follow‐up period of 21 months. The presence of HLA‐antibodies was analysed by a single antigen bead assay before and after (3 weeks, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months) transplantation. In 23 patients (32%), de novo DSAs were detected. In 10 of these patients (44%), DSA persisted throughout the follow‐up period, whereas 13 of these patients (56%) had transient DSA. There was a trend towards lower 1‐year‐survival in DSA‐positive compared with DSA‐negative patients (83% vs 94%; P = 0.199). Remarkably, patients with persistent DSA had significantly reduced survival (1‐year survival 60%) compared with both patients without DSA and those with transient DSA (P = 0.005). Persistent DSA represented as an independent prognostic factor for reduced overall survival in multivariate analysis (HR 8.3, 95% CI 1.8‐37.0; P = 0.006). Persistence of DSA during the first year after transplantation seems to be more harmful for lung allograft function than transiently detected DSA at an early stage.
Evidence of increased Hepatitis E virus exposure in Lao villagers with contact to ruminants
Authors: Tritz Silvia E. , Khounvisith Vilaysone , Pommasichan Sisavath , Ninnasopha Khampasong , Keosengthong Amphone , Phoutana Vannaphone , Camoin Margot , Hübschen Judith M. , Black Antony P. , Muller Claude P. , Snoeck Chantal J. , Pauly Maude
Published: June 2018

Although pigs are the main reservoir, ruminants have also been shown to be susceptible to hepatitis E virus (HEV). We investigated zoonotic transmission of HEV in rural settings of Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) where humans are in close contacts with ruminants and where pigs are rare. Villagers with (n = 171, risk group) and without (n = 155, control group) cattle were recruited in seven villages in Vientiane Capital. Owners of pigs were excluded. Blood, as well as information on socio‐demographics, animal contact, dietary habits and awareness of zoonoses were collected to assess risk factors. Blood and rectal swabs were collected from cattle (n = 173) and other ruminants (27 goat, 5 buffaloes) to measure anti‐HEV antibody and virus prevalence. A similar anti‐HEV antibody seroprevalence was found in cattle (6.8%) and other ruminants (8%). HEV RNA was detected in none of the animal rectal swabs and human sera. Anti‐HEV IgG seroprevalence was higher in cattle farmers than in the control group (59.1% vs. 43.9%, p = 0.008) and increased significantly with age. Other risk factors included male gender, close contact with cattle and consumption of undercooked meat. We find that HEV is highly endemic in rural Laos and provide first evidence that HEV circulates in free‐roaming ruminants with open access to village water sources. Despite some awareness about hygiene, villagers are likely constantly exposed to zoonotic diseases by dietary and lifestyle habits. Cattle farmers had a higher risk of HEV infection than other villagers. Our study highlights the need to raise the awareness of the rural population about water‐ and food‐borne pathogens, and about the role of cattle as a possible source of infection. The knowledge gained on local risk factors and husbandry conditions should guide future awareness raising campaigns and promote appropriate hygienic measures including handwashing and the consumption of safe food and water.
Morphological ontogeny of Minunthozetes pseudofusiger (Acari, Oribatida, Punctoribatidae) and comments on Minunthozetes Hull
Authors: Seniczak Stanisław , Seniczak Anna , Kaczmarek Sławomir , Marquardt Tomasz
Published: June 2018

The morphological ontogeny of Minunthozetes pseudofusiger (Schweizer, 1922) is described and illustrated. The juveniles of this species have a humeral organ and a gastronotal shield which bears four pairs of setae in the larva (dm, dp, lp, h1) and 10 pairs in the nymphs (d-, l-, h-series, p1). The larva has 12 pairs of gastronotal setae, including h3, whereas the nymphs have 15 pairs. Setae of c-series are inserted on unsclerotized integument in all juveniles. Solenidion ω2 on tarsus I is longer than ω1 and situated anteriorly to ω1 in the nymphs and adult stage, as in most species of Melanozetes Hull, 1916.
Poikilothermic Animals as a Previously Unrecognized Source of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in a Backwater Ecosystem of a Large River
Authors: Frick Christina , Vierheilig Julia , Linke Rita , Savio Domenico , Zornig Horst , Antensteiner Roswitha , Baumgartner Christian , Bucher Christian , Blaschke Alfred P. , Derx Julia , Kirschner Alexander K. T. , Ryzinska-Paier Gabriela , Mayer René , Seidl Dagmar , Nadiotis-Tsaka Theodossia , Sommer Regina , Farnleitner Andreas H.
Published: June 2018

The current fecal indicator concept is based on the assumption that the standard fecal indicator bacteria (SFIB)
Escherichia coli
, intestinal enterococci, and
Clostridium perfringens
multiply significantly only in the guts of humans and other homeothermic animals and can therefore indicate fecal pollution and the potential presence of pathogens from those groups. The findings of the present study showed that SFIB can also occur in high concentrations in poikilothermic animals (i.e., animals with body temperatures that vary with the ambient environmental temperature, such as fish, frogs, and snails) in an alluvial backwater area in a temperate region, indicating that a reconsideration of this long-standing indicator paradigm is needed. This study suggests that poikilotherms must be considered to be potential primary sources of SFIB in future studies.
Reassessing the Role of Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Formation of Escherichia coli Type II Persister Cells
Authors: Goormaghtigh Frédéric , Fraikin Nathan , Putrinš Marta , Hallaert Thibaut , Hauryliuk Vasili , Garcia-Pino Abel , Sjödin Andreas , Kasvandik Sergo , Udekwu Klas , Tenson Tanel , Kaldalu Niilo , Van Melderen Laurence
Published: June 2018

Persistence is a reversible and low-frequency phenomenon allowing a subpopulation of a clonal bacterial population to survive antibiotic treatments. Upon removal of the antibiotic, persister cells resume growth and give rise to viable progeny. Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems were assumed to play a key role in the formation of persister cells in
Escherichia coli
based on the observation that successive deletions of TA systems decreased persistence frequency. In addition, the model proposed that stochastic fluctuations of (p)ppGpp levels are the basis for triggering activation of TA systems. Cells in which TA systems are activated are thought to enter a dormancy state and therefore survive the antibiotic treatment. Using independently constructed strains and newly designed fluorescent reporters, we reassessed the roles of TA modules in persistence both at the population and single-cell levels. Our data confirm that the deletion of 10 TA systems does not affect persistence to ofloxacin or ampicillin. Moreover, microfluidic experiments performed with a strain reporting the induction of the
yefM-yoeB
TA system allowed the observation of a small number of type II persister cells that resume growth after removal of ampicillin. However, we were unable to establish a correlation between high fluorescence and persistence, since the fluorescence of persister cells was comparable to that of the bulk of the population and none of the cells showing high fluorescence were able to resume growth upon removal of the antibiotic. Altogether, these data show that there is no direct link between induction of TA systems and persistence to antibiotics.

IMPORTANCE
Within a growing bacterial population, a small subpopulation of cells is able to survive antibiotic treatment by entering a transient state of dormancy referred to as persistence. Persistence is thought to be the cause of relapsing bacterial infections and is a major public health concern. Type II toxin-antitoxin systems are small modules composed of a toxic protein and an antitoxin protein counteracting the toxin activity. These systems were thought to be pivotal players in persistence until recent developments in the field. Our results demonstrate that previous influential reports had technical flaws and that there is no direct link between induction of TA systems and persistence to antibiotics.
Novel Partitivirus Enhances Virulence of and Causes Aberrant Gene Expression in Talaromyces marneffei
Authors: Lau Susanna K. P. , Lo George C. S. , Chow Franklin W. N. , Fan Rachel Y. Y. , Cai James J. , Yuen Kwok-Yung , Woo Patrick C. Y.
Published: June 2018

Talaromyces marneffei
is the most important thermal dimorphic fungus causing systemic mycosis in Southeast Asia. We report the discovery of a novel partitivirus,
Talaromyces marneffei
partitivirus
-1 (TmPV1). TmPV1 was detected in 7 (12.7%) of 55 clinical
T. marneffei
isolates. Complete genome sequencing of the seven TmPV1 isolates revealed two double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and capsid protein, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TmPV1 occupied a distinct clade among the members of the genus
Gammapartitivirus
. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of isometric, nonenveloped viral particles of 30 to 45 nm in diameter, compatible with partitiviruses, in TmPV1-infected
T. marneffei
. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) demonstrated higher viral load of TmPV1 in the yeast phase than in the mycelial phase of
T. marneffei
. Two virus-free isolates, PM1 and PM41, were successfully infected by purified TmPV1 using protoplast transfection. Mice challenged with TmPV1-infected
T. marneffei
isolates showed significantly shortened survival time (
P
< 0.0001) and higher fungal burden in organs than mice challenged with isogenic TmPV1-free isolates. Transcriptomic analysis showed that TmPV1 causes aberrant expression of various genes in
T. marneffei
, with upregulation of potential virulence factors and suppression of RNA interference (RNAi)-related genes. This is the first report of a mycovirus in a thermally dimorphic fungus. Further studies are required to ascertain the mechanism whereby TmPV1 enhances the virulence of
T. marneffei
in mice and the potential role of RNAi-related genes in antiviral defense in
T. marneffei
.

IMPORTANCE
Talaromyces marneffei
(formerly
Penicillium marneffei
) is the most important thermal dimorphic fungus in Southeast Asia, causing highly fatal systemic penicilliosis in HIV-infected and immunocompromised patients. We discovered a novel mycovirus, TmPV1, in seven clinical isolates of
T. marneffei
. TmPV1 belongs to the genus
Gammapartitivirus
of the family
Partitiviridae
. We showed that TmPV1 enhanced the virulence of
T. marneffei
in mice, with shortened survival time and higher fungal burden in the organs of mice challenged with TmPV1-infected
T. marneffei
isolates than in those of mice challenged with virus-free isogenic isolates. Transcriptomics analysis showed that TmPV1 altered the expression of genes involved in various cellular processes in
T. marneffei
, with upregulation of potential virulence factors and suppression of RNAi machinery which may be involved in antiviral defense. This is the first report of a mycovirus in a thermal dimorphic fungus. The present results offer insights into mycovirus-fungus interactions and pathogenesis of thermal dimorphic fungi.
The Implications of Group-Buying as a Channel Option Under Capacity Constraint
Authors: Qiu Qijun , Chen Ying-Ju , Yen Benjamin P.-C.
Published: June 2018

We investigate a setting in which two retailers sell substitutable products to a market. With the rise of group-buying (GB) consumers, each retailer has the option to open a GB channel to cater to their demand and complement its regular sales. We find that the retailers will forfeit this option to only sell in regular channels when they have scarce capacities, but both open GB channels when they have ample capacities. The situation is more intricate when their capacity levels are intermediate, in which case the equilibrium channel structure is influenced by the substitution effect and the consumers’ channel preference. A higher capacity level does not necessarily incentivize a retailer to open group-buying channel. When given the authority, the retailers under strong competition pressure prefer to commit to regular prices over tailoring regular prices to fit the channel structure. Circumstances exist in which both retailers strategically open GB channels but keep them inactive by inducing all consumers to only buy from regular channels. Moreover, the sequence whereby the retailers follow to set regular prices and decide on GB channels is inconsequential on market equilibrium. Our main findings are robust with respect to model assumptions.
Stability analysis of memristive multidirectional associative memory neural networks and applications in information storage
Authors: Wang Weiping , Yu Xin , Luo Xiong , Li Lixiang
Published: June 2018

Traditional biological neural networks lack the capability of reflecting variable synaptic weights when simulating associative memory of human brains. In this paper, we investigate the existence and exponential stability of a novel memristive multidirectional associative memory neural networks (MAMNNs) model, which includes the time-varying delays. In the proposed approach, the time-varying delays are set to be bounded, and it is not necessary for their derivative to be differentiable. With removal of certain conditions, less conservative results are generated. Sufficient criteria guaranteeing the stability of the memristive MAMNNs are derived based on the Lyapunov function and some inequality techniques. To illustrate the performance of the proposed criteria, a procedure is designed to realize information storage. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the proposed theories is validated with numerical experiments.
Decisor: A Software Tool to Drive Complex Decisions with Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Czekster Ricardo M. , De Carvalho Henrique Jung , Kessler Gabriela Zucchetti , Kipper Liane Mahlmann , Webber Thais
Published: June 2018

Addressing consistent and reliable decision-making are crucial activities when choosing seemingly related alternatives for a set of criteria. Models and methods for aiding decisions such as analytic hierarchy process (AHP) were developed to handle quantified assessments of quality attributes, usually intangible and numerically hard to cope. We introduce the Decisor software tool to assist the use of AHP to drive complex decision modeling. We present a study of related tools describing advantages and drawbacks. The tool is user friendly, with intuitive data entry fields. Users may input alternatives and criteria, assigning weights from different judgment scales. Decisor’s main characteristic is its simple interface where the tool computes priority vectors for all alternatives and its consistency rates. It is also possible to operate with negative weighting, inferring Benefits, Opportunities, Costs, and Risks. The tool implements Group Decisions, using the geometric mean to combine criteria comparisons from selected stakeholders.
Exploiting User Posts for Web Document Summarization
Authors: Nguyen Minh-Tien , Tran Duc-Vu , Nguyen Le-Minh , Phan Xuan-Hieu
Published: June 2018

Relevant user posts such as comments or tweets of a Web document provide additional valuable information to enrich the content of this document. When creating user posts, readers tend to borrow salient words or phrases in sentences. This can be considered as word variation. This article proposes a framework that models the word variation aspect to enhance the quality of Web document summarization. Technically, the framework consists of two steps: scoring and selection. In the first step, the social information of a Web document such as user posts is exploited to model intra-relations and inter-relations in lexical and semantic levels. These relations are denoted by a mutual reinforcement similarity graph used to score each sentence and user post. After scoring, summaries are extracted by using a ranking approach or concept-based method formulated in the form of Integer Linear Programming. To confirm the efficiency of our framework, sentence and story highlight extraction tasks were taken as a case study on three datasets in two languages, English and Vietnamese. Experimental results show that: (i) the framework can improve ROUGE-scores compared to state-of-the-art baselines of social context summarization and (ii) the combination of the two relations benefits the sentence extraction of single Web documents.
Switching and Data Injection Attacks on Stochastic Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Yong Sze Zheng , Zhu Minghui , Frazzoli Emilio
Published: June 2018

In this article, we consider the problem of attack-resilient state estimation, that is, to reliably estimate the true system states despite two classes of attacks: (i) attacks on the switching mechanisms and (ii) false data injection attacks on actuator and sensor signals, in the presence of stochastic process and measurement noise signals. We model the systems under attack as hidden mode stochastic switched linear systems with unknown inputs and propose the use of a multiple-model inference algorithm to tackle these security issues. Moreover, we characterize fundamental limitations to resilient estimation (e.g., upper bound on the number of tolerable signal attacks) and discuss the topics of attack detection, identification, and mitigation under this framework. Simulation examples of switching and false data injection attacks on a benchmark system and an IEEE 68-bus test system show the efficacy of our approach to recover resilient (i.e., asymptotically unbiased) state estimates as well as to identify and mitigate the attacks.
Dynamic Security Analysis of Power Systems by a Sampling-Based Algorithm
Authors: Wu Qiang , Koo T. John , Susuki Yoshihiko
Published: June 2018

Dynamic security analysis is an important problem of power systems on ensuring safe operation and stable power supply even when certain faults occur. No matter if such faults are caused by vulnerabilities of system components, physical attacks, or cyber-attacks that are more related to cyber-security, they eventually affect the physical stability of a power system. Examples of the loss of physical stability include the Northeast Blackout of 2003 in North America and the 2015 system-wide blackout in Ukraine. The nonlinear hybrid nature, that is, nonlinear continuous dynamics integrated with discrete switching, and the high degree of freedom property of power system dynamics make it challenging to conduct the dynamic security analysis. In this article, we use the hybrid automaton model to describe the dynamics of a power system and mainly deal with the index-1 differential-algebraic equation models regarding the continuous dynamics in different discrete states. The analysis problem is formulated as a reachability problem of the associated hybrid model. A sampling-based algorithm is then proposed by integrating modeling and randomized simulation of the hybrid dynamics to search for a feasible execution connecting an initial state of the post-fault system and a target set in the desired operation mode. The proposed method enables the use of existing power system simulators for the synthesis of discrete switching and control strategies through randomized simulation. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed approach are demonstrated with an application to the dynamic security analysis of the New England 39-bus benchmark power system exhibiting hybrid dynamics. In addition to evaluating the dynamic security, the proposed method searches for a feasible strategy to ensure the dynamic security of the system in the face of disruptions.
Guidelines for Creating Senior-Friendly Product Instructions
Authors: Fan Mingming , Truong Khai N.
Published: June 2018

Although older adults feel generally positive about technologies, many face difficulties when using them and need support during the process. One common form of support is the product instructions that come with devices. Unfortunately, when using them, older adults often feel confused, overwhelmed, or frustrated. In this work, we sought to address the issues that affect older adults’ ability to successfully complete tasks using product instructions. By observing how older adults used the product instructions of various devices and how they made modifications to simplify the use of the instructions, we identified 11 guidelines for creating senior-friendly product instructions. We validated the usability and effectiveness of the guidelines by evaluating how older adults used instruction manuals that were modified to adhere to these guidelines against the originals and those that were modified by interaction design researchers. Results show that, overall, participants had the highest task success rate and lowest task completion time when using guideline-modified user instructions. Participants also perceived these instructions to be the most helpful, the easiest to follow, the most complete, and the most concise among the three. We also compared the guidelines derived from this research to existing documentation guidelines and discussed potential challenges of applying them.
MicroRNAs in Retinal Development
Authors: Reh Thomas A. , Hindges Robert
Published: June 2018

The small RNA regulatory molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in the development of most organisms. The expression of many different miRNAs has been described in the developing and mature vertebrate retina. The ability of miRNAs to regulate a diversity of messenger RNA targets allows them to have effects on many different developmental processes, but the functions of only a few miRNAs have been documented to date. Developmental transitions between cell states appear to be particularly sensitive to miRNA loss of function, as evidenced by specific miRNA knockdowns or from global perturbations in miRNA levels (e.g., Dicer deletion). However, we are still in only the very early stages of understanding the range of cellular functions miRNAs control during development.
A Rare Presentation of Clozapine-Induced DRESS Syndrome
Authors: Moazez Carmel , Rudha Yasir , Narang Natasha , Younger Tina
Published: June 2018

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS syndrome) is an uncommon side effect of certain medications. It causes a skin reaction, with eosinophilia and other organ involvement. This case describes a presentation of a 32-year-old female with a past medical history significant for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder who presented for a rash. She had been started on clozapine 10 days prior to admission. After extensive workup she was found to have DRESS syndrome secondary to clozapine use. This is the second reported case in the literature of clozapine-induced DRESS syndrome. This case is unique because it is the first case to present with the common manifestations of DRESS syndrome including eosinophilia, rash, lymphadenopathy, and organ involvement after clozapine use.
Reference Gene Selection for Quantitative Real-Time PCR of Mycelia fromLentinula edodesunder High-Temperature Stress
Authors: Zhao Xu , Yang Huanling , Chen Mingjie , Song Xiaoxia , Yu Changxia , Zhao Yan , Wu Yuejin
Published: June 2018

Housekeeping genes are important for measuring the transcription expression of functional genes; 10 traditional reference genes,TUB, TUA, GADPH, EF1, 18S, GTP, ACT, UBI, UBC,andH2A, were tested for their adequacy inLentinula edodes(L. edodes). Using specific primers, mRNA levels of these candidate housekeeping genes were evaluated in mycelia ofL. edodes, which were treated with high-temperature stress at 37°C for 0, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hours. After treatment, expression stability of candidate genes was evaluated using three statistical software programs: geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. According to geNorm,TUBhad the lowest M values inL. edodesstrains 18 and 18N44. Using NormFinder, the best candidate reference gene in strain 18 wasTUB(0.030), and the best candidate reference gene in strain 18N44 wasUBI(0.047). In BestKeeper analysis, the standard deviation (SD) values ofUBC,TUA,H2A,EF1,ACT,18S, andGTPin strain 18 and those ofGADPHandGTPin strain 18N44 were greater than 1; thus, these genes were disqualified as reference genes. Taken together, onlyUBIandTUBwere found to be desirable reference genes by BestKeeper software. Based on the results of three software analyses,TUBwas the most stable gene under all conditions and was verified as an appropriate reference gene for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction inL. edodesmycelia under high-temperature stress.
Reinforcing Effect of Carbon Nanotubes/Surfactant Dispersions in Portland Cement Pastes
Authors: Mendoza Reales Oscar A. , Ocampo Caterin , Arias Jaramillo Yhan Paul , Ochoa Botero Juan Carlos , Quintero Jorge Hernán , Silva Emílio C. C. M. , Toledo Filho Romildo Dias
Published: June 2018

Decoupling the individual effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and surfactants when used as reinforcement materials in cement‐based composites is aimed in this study. Powder MWCNTs were dispersed in deionized water using different types of surfactants as chemical dispersing agents and an ultrasonic tip processor. Cement pastes with carbon nanotubes additions of 0.15% by mass of cement were produced in two steps: first, the MWCNT/surfactant dispersions were combined with the mixing water, and then, cement was added and mixed until a homogeneous paste was obtained. Mechanical properties of the pastes cured at 7 days were measured, and their fracture behavior was characterized using the linear elastic finite element analysis. It was found that the reinforcing effect of MWCNT was masked by the negative effect of surfactants in the cement matrix; nevertheless, nanotubes were capable of increasing both stress and strain capacity of the composite by controlling the crack propagation process at the tip of the crack.
Cadaveric Evaluation of Different Approaches for Quadratus Lumborum Blocks
Authors: Yang Hun-Mu , Park Sang Jun , Yoon Kyung Bong , Park Kyoungun , Kim Shin Hyung
Published: June 2018

Background. A quadratus lumborum (QL) block is an abdominal truncal block technique that primarily provides analgesia and anaesthesia to the abdominal wall. This cadaveric study was undertaken to compare the dye spread between different needle approaches for ultrasound-guided QL blocks in soft-embalmed cadavers. Methods. After randomization, an experienced anesthesiologist performed two lateral, three posterior, and five alternative QL blocks on the left or right sides of five cadavers. The target injection point for the alternative approach was the lumbar interfascial triangle, same as that of conventional posterior QL block, with a different needle trajectory. For each block, 20 ml of dye solution was injected. The lumbar region and abdominal flank were dissected. Results. Ten blocks were successfully performed. Regardless of the approach used, the middle thoracolumbar fascia was deeply stained in all blocks, but the anterior layer was less stained. The alternative approach was more associated with spread of injectate to the transversus abdominis and transversalis fascia plane. Despite accurate needle placement, all lateral QL blocks were associated with a certain amount of intramuscular or subcutaneous infiltration. Two posterior QL blocks showed a deeply stained posterior thoracolumbar fascia, and one of them was associated with obvious subcutaneous staining. The subcostal, iliohypogastric, and ilioinguinal nerves were mostly involved, but the thoracic paravertebral space and lumbar plexus were not affected in all blocks. Conclusions. The alternative approach for QL blocks was able to achieve a comparable extent when compared to the conventional approach.
Experimental and Numerical Study on the Compression Behavior of Square Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Stub Columns with Steel Fiber-Reinforced High-Strength Concrete
Authors: Jung Hyung-Suk , Bae Baek-Il , Choi Hyun-Ki , Chung Joo-Hong , Choi Chang-Sik , Choi Yun-Cheul
Published: June 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) columns made from high-performance construction materials. KBC2016, South Korea’s current building code, limits the maximum compressive strength of concrete at 70 MPa and the maximum yield strength of steel at 650 MPa. Similar restrictions to material properties are imposed on major composite structural design parameters in other countries worldwide. With the recent acceleration of the pace of development in the field of material technology, the compressive strength of commercial concrete has been greatly improved and the problem of low tensile strength, known to be the major limitation of concrete, is being successfully addressed by adding fiber reinforcement to concrete. Therefore, the focus of this study was to experimentally determine the strength and ductility enhancement effects, which depend on material composition. To this end, we performed concentric axial loading tests on CFT stub columns made from steel with a yield strength of 800 MPa and steel fiber-reinforced high-strength concrete. By measuring the strain at the yield point of CFT steel during the test, we could determine whether steel yields earlier than ultimate failure load of the member, which is a key design concept of composite structures. The analysis results revealed that the yield point of steel preceded that of concrete on the stress-strain curve by the concurrent action of the strain increase at the maximum strength, attributable to the high compressive strength and steel fiber reinforcement, and the strain increase induced by the confining stress of the steel tube. Additionally, we performed parametric study using ABAQUS to establish the broad applications of CFT using high-performance materials, with the width-to-thickness ratio as the main parameter. Parametric study was undertaken as experimental investigation was not feasible, and we reviewed the criteria for limiting the width-to-thickness ratio as specified in the current building code.
Biomechanical Effects of Lateral Bending Position on Performing Cervical Spinal Manipulation for Cervical Disc Herniation: A Three‐Dimensional Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Huang Xuecheng , Ye Linqiang , Wu Zixian , Liang Lichang , Wang Qianli , Yu Weibo , Liang De , Jiang Xiaobing
Published: June 2018

Background. Most studies report that the common position of cervical spinal manipulation (CSM) for treating symptomatic cervical disc herniation (CDH) is lateral bending to the herniated side. However, the rationality of lateral bending position on performing CSM for CDH is still unclear. Objective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the biomechanical effects of lateral bending position on performing CSM for CDH. Methods. A finite element (FE) model of CDH (herniated on the left side) was generated in C5‐6 segment based on the normal FE model. The FE model performed CSM in left lateral bending position, neutral position, and right lateral bending position, respectively. Cervical disc displacement, annulus fiber stress, and facet joint stress were observed during the simulation of CSM. Results. The cervical disc displacement on herniated side moved forward during CSM, and the maximum forward displacements were 0.23, 0.36, and 0.45 mm in left lateral bending position, neutral position, and right lateral bending position, respectively. As the same trend of cervical disc displacement, the annulus fiber stresses on herniated side from small to large were 7.40, 16.39, and 22.75 MPa in left lateral bending position, neutral position, and right lateral bending position, respectively. However, the maximum facet stresses at left superior cartilage of C6 in left lateral bending position, neutral position, and right lateral bending position were 6.88, 3.60, and 0.12 MPa, respectively. Conclusion. Compared with neutral position and right lateral bending position, though the forward displacement of cervical disc on herniated side was smaller in left lateral bending position, the annulus fiber stress on herniated side was declined by sharing load on the left facet joint. The results suggested that lateral bending to the herniated side on performing CSM tends to protect the cervical disc on herniated side. Future clinical studies are needed to verify that.
Solvent Effect on the Solid-Surface Fluorescence of Pyrene on Cellulose Diacetate Matrices
Authors: Rogacheva Svetlana M. , Volkova Elena V. , Otradnova Milena I. , Gubina Tamara I. , Shipovskaya Anna B.
Published: June 2018

The effect of the solvent nature (acetonitrile, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dioxane) and its concentration on the fluorescence intensity of pyrene sorbed on the cellulose diacetate (CDA) film from a water-organic solution was studied. Dimethyl sulfoxide and ethanol are shown to be the most effective solvent additives for pyrene solid-surface fluorescence (SSF). The maximum SSF signal of pyrene was found upon sorption of the substance from aqueous media containing 1.2-4.2 vol% DMSO. For the pyrene quantitation the concentration dependence of its SSF intensity at the maximum of the spectrum at λem = 394 nm and λexp = 320 nm was plotted. The dependence has a linear character in the pyrene concentration range 2·10−6 - 2·10-8 g/L, and the limit of pyrene detection is 2·10-11 g/L. The possibility of determining benzo(a)pyrene using SSF technique with the CDA matrix is proved. The proposed method is promising for use in environmental monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Odontogenic Cutaneous Fistula: A Cause of Persistent Cervical Discharge
Authors: Figaro Nicholas , Juman Solaiman
Published: June 2018

Odontogenic cutaneous fistulas often lead to intense levels of patient discomfort and suffering. Due to its rarity and the absence of dental symptoms, a considerable number of patients are usually misdiagnosed which results in inappropriate management. This case report presents a 16-year-old patient with a 2-year history of a nonhealing, persistently discharging lesion in the left submandibular region of the neck. The patient underwent exploration of the left submandibular region, and a fistulous tract directed superomedially to the ipsilateral lower molar teeth was excised. A subsequent panoramic orthopantomogram performed one week postoperatively demonstrated radiolucency is the distal root of tooth 37. A final diagnosis of odontogenic cutaneous fistula was made, and the patient was referred to the Maxillofacial Department for treatment of the offending tooth.
Diagnostic, Treatment, and System Challenges in the Management of Recurrent Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome on a General Medical Service
Authors: Verma Karan , Jayadeva Vivek , Serrano Raymond , Sivashanker Karthik
Published: June 2018

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), an iatrogenic form of malignant catatonia, carries high morbidity and mortality rates especially in the context of delayed recognition and standard intervention protocol of lorazepam trial. However, there is limited guidance available through literature for further management if benzodiazepine treatment is ineffective and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not readily accessible. This case report describes a multimodal approach to address the diagnostic, treatment, and logistical system challenges in an acute medical hospital through the case of a 69-year-old man with schizophrenia who represented from a psychiatric ward with neuroleptic malignant syndrome. We educated our inpatient colleagues for timely recognition of hyperexcited subtype of catatonia to avoid iatrogenic progression to neuroleptic malignant syndrome and our medical colleagues on the clinical course of catatonic symptoms to avoid any further disagreements and delays in treatment. We advocated for timely electroconvulsive therapy in the setting of limited access and utilized creative pharmacologic strategies such as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists and longer acting benzodiazepines while managing medical complications.
Coexistence of Primary GEJ Adenocarcinoma and Pedunculated Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Authors: Alkaaki Aroub , Abdulhadi Basma , Aljiffry Murad , Nassif Mohammed , Al-Maghrabi Haneen , Maghrabi Ashraf A.
Published: June 2018

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the digestive system, although they account for only 0.1–3% of all gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. They can arise anywhere along the GI tract with gastric predominance. Concurrent occurrence of GIST and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) neoplasm is rare. We report a 55-year-old gentleman presenting with a polyp at the GEJ and a synchronous, large, and pedunculated gastric mass at the greater curvature. Those were treated with a wedge resection of the gastric pedunculated mass with negative margins along with transgastric submucosal resection of the GEJ polyp. Pathological examination confirmed synchronous invasive GEJ adenocarcinoma and a high-grade gastric GIST.
Structural Damage Identification Based on the Transmissibility Function and Support Vector Machine
Authors: Diao Yansong , Men Xue , Sun Zuofeng , Guo Kongzheng , Wang Yumei
Published: June 2018

A novel damage identification method based on transmissibility function and support vector machine is proposed and outlined in this paper. Basically, the transmissibility function is calculated with the acceleration responses from damaged structure. Then two damage features, namely, wavelet packet energy vector and the low order principal components, are constructed by analyzing the amplitude of the transmissibility function with wavelet packet decomposition and principal component analysis separately. Finally, the classification algorithm and regression algorithm of support vector machine are employed to identify the damage location and damage severity respectively. The numerical simulation and shaking table model test of an offshore platform under white noise excitation are conducted to verify the proposed damage identification method. The results show that the proposed method does not need the information of excitation and the data from undamaged structure, needs only small size samples, and has certain antinoise ability. The detection accuracy of the proposed method with damage feature constructed by principal component analysis is superior to that constructed by wavelet packet decomposition.