bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity, piroplasms and trypanosomes in Rhipicephalus microplus and Hyalomma anatolicum collected from cattle in northern Pakistan
Authors: Zeb Jehan , Szekeres Sándor , Takács Nóra , Kontschán Jenő , Shams Sumaira , Ayaz Sultan , Hornok Sándor
Published: October 2019

The two most important tick species in Pakistan areRhipicephalus microplusandHyalomma anatolicum. When associated with cattle, these have one or three host life cycles, respectively, with potential implications for their population genetics and for their vector role in the transmission of pathogens. To compare the two tick species in this context with molecular-phylogenetic methods, during the present study 123 ticks were collected from cattle in northern Pakistan. Two mitochondrial markers of 36 ticks were molecularly analyzed. All 11R. microplusspecimens had identical cox1 haplotypes, whereas the 25H. anatolicumspecimens had nine cox1 haplotypes. The latter belonged to two distinct phylogenetic lineages with high support. However, in the 16S rRNA gene these differences were less evident. Among the 113 ticks molecularly analyzed for tick-borne protozoa, the sequence ofBabesia occultanswas successfully amplified from two specimens ofH. anatolicum.Theileria annulatawas present in bothR. microplus(10.4%) andH. anatolicum(27.3%), with significantly higher prevalence rate in the latter species. Only one tick, aH. anatolicumfemale, was positive in the PCR detectingTrypanosomaspp. Sequencing revealed the presence of a new genotype, with the closest phylogenetic relationship to stercorarian trypanosomes (in particular, to a tick-associatedTrypanosomasp. from Japan). In conclusion, the above differences betweenR. microplusandH. anatolicummay be partly related to their life cycles involving one host or three hosts, respectively. Among the others, host switching (reducing chances of inbreeding) and shorter periods spent on-host (reducing gene flow between cattle herds) are supposed to be important drivers of cox1 gene diversification in case ofH. anatolicumas a three host tick species. These results highlight the importance of studying differences in intraspecific genetic diversity and piroplasm burdens between one host and three host ticks in the local scale. In addition, aTrypanosomasp. molecularly identified inH. anatolicumis reported here for the first time from South Asia, deserving further evaluation concerning its host and vector species.
Essential oils as tick repellents on clothing
Authors: Soutar Oliver , Cohen Freya , Wall Richard
Published: October 2019

Essential oils show promise as natural alternatives to synthetic tick repellents, but few studies have investigated their repellent efficacy in vivo or under field conditions. Here, blanket-drags and standardised walks were employed to evaluate tick acquisition by 1 m2 cotton blankets or cotton trousers, respectively, in woodland edge habitats of known high tick abundance. Blankets and trousers had been treated with one of 5% oregano, rosemary, spearmint or thyme oils, 20% DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) (positive control) or ethanol excipient-only (negative control). The number of ticks present on the blankets or trousers differed significantly between treatments: spearmint oil treatments resulted in significantly fewer ticks than the negative controls for both blankets and trousers and significantly fewer ticks were present on the oregano oil treated blankets. For ticks that did attach to the trousers, the rate of drop off within 3 min was significantly higher for trousers treated with spearmint oil or thyme oil than ethanol, oregano oil and rosemary oil. No reduction in repellence was detected over a 24 h period between treatment and testing. The results suggest that 5% oregano and spearmint oils exhibit potential as natural clothing repellents, with an effective equivalence to 20% DEET.
Overselling overall map accuracy misinforms about research reliability
Authors: Shao Guofan , Tang Lina , Liao Jiangfu
Published: October 2019

Context

Image classification is routine in a variety of disciplines, and analysts rely on accuracy metrics to evaluate the resulting maps. The most frequently used accuracy metric in Earth resource remote sensing is overall accuracy. However, the inherent properties of this accuracy metric make it inappropriate as the single metric for map assessment, particularly when a map contains imbalanced categories.

Objectives

We discuss four noteworthy problems with overall accuracy. Under circumstances frequently encountered, overall accuracy is misleading or misinterpreted.

Methods

Literature review, hypothetical examples, and mathematic equations are used to prove overall accuracy is a poor general indicator of map quality.

Conclusions

Any research that involves classification techniques or a map product that is evaluated only with overall accuracy may be unreliable. It is necessary for map providers to publish the error matrix and its development procedure so that map users can computer whatever metrics as they wish.
The equations of motion for a rigid body using non-redundant unified local velocity coordinates
Authors: Holzinger Stefan , Schöberl Joachim , Gerstmayr Johannes
Published: October 2019

A novel formulation for the description of spatial rigid body motion using six non-redundant, homogeneous local velocity coordinates is presented. In contrast to common practice, the formulation proposed here does not distinguish between a translational and rotational motion in the sense that only translational velocity coordinates are used to describe the spatial motion of a rigid body. We obtain these new velocity coordinates by using the body-fixed translational velocity vectors of six properly selected points on the rigid body. These vectors are projected into six local directions and thus give six scalar velocities. Importantly, the equations of motion are derived without the aid of the rotation matrix or the angular velocity vector. The position coordinates and orientation of the body are obtained using the exponential map on the special Euclidean group$\mathit{SE}(3)$SE(3). Furthermore, we introduce the appropriate inverse tangent operator on$\mathit{SE}(3)$SE(3)in order to be able to solve the incremental motion vector differential equation. In addition, we present a modified version of a recently introduced a fourth-order Runge–Kutta Lie-group time integration scheme such that it can be used directly in our formulation. To demonstrate the applicability of our approach, we simulate the unstable rotation of a rigid body.
Venous thromboembolism 2011–2018 in Stockholm: a demographic study
Authors: Wändell Per , Forslund Tomas , Danin Mankowitz Helene , Ugarph-Morawski Anna , Eliasson Staffan , Braunschwieg Frieder , Holmström Margareta
Published: October 2019

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Western countries. The incidence rate of VTE is estimated at 1–2 cases per 1000 annually. This study was a population-based cohort study of previously treatment naïve patients with a first occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), using data from the administrative health data register of the Stockholm Region 2011–2018. Data on anticoagulant treatment was taken from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. We also analyzed all VTE events between 2011 and 2018. Altogether 14,849 naïve incident VTE cases were identified. In 2011 the majority of patients with a first episode of VTE were prescribed warfarin versus non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), 1144 versus 5. In contrast in 2018, the majority of patients were treated with NOACs, 1049 versus 59 treated with warfarin. Treatment with low molecular weight heparin only decreased from 814 to 683 patients. The frequency of all VTE events in the population increased over time from 1.88/1000 to 1.93/1000 (p = 0.072), and PE diagnoses increased from 0.69/1000 to 0.76/1000 (p = 0.003). In conclusion, during 2011–2018 there has been a shift of prescription of warfarin to a clear predominance of NOACs in the treatment of VTE in the Stockholm Region, in line with current recommendations. In the clinical situation, treatment has been simplified as monitoring of warfarin has decreased substantially. PE events increased during the time period in the population even if the increase was rather modest, while all VTE events did not increase significantly.
A Survey on 3D Visual Tracking of Multicopters
Authors: Fu Qiang , Chen Xiang-Yang , He Wei
Published: October 2019

Three-dimensional (3D) visual tracking of a multicopter (where the camera is fixed while the multicopter is moving) means continuously recovering the six-degree-of-freedom pose of the multicopter relative to the camera. It can be used in many applications, such as precision terminal guidance and control algorithm validation for multicopters. However, it is difficult for many researchers to build a 3D visual tracking system for multicopters (VTSMs) by using cheap and off-the-shelf cameras. This paper firstly gives an over- view of the three key technologies of a 3D VTSMs: multi-camera placement, multi-camera calibration and pose estimation for multi-copters. Then, some representative 3D visual tracking systems for multicopters are introduced. Finally, the future development of the 3D VTSMs is analyzed and summarized.
Hydrochemical characterization of shallow and deep groundwater in Basement Complex areas of southern Kebbi State, Sokoto Basin, Nigeria
Authors: Wali Saadu Umar , Umar Kabiru Jega , Abubakar Sheikh Danjuma , Ifabiyi Ifatokun Paul , Dankani Ibrahim Mustapha , Shera Ibrahim Muhammad , Yauri Safiyanu Garba
Published: October 2019

Groundwater under Basement Complex areas of southern Kebbi has been characterized in order to determine its suitability for drinking and irrigation use. Water samples were drawn from shallow groundwater (hand-dug shallow wells < 5 m) and deep groundwater (boreholes > 40 m). Physical parameters (i.e., temperature, TDS, pH, and EC), were determined in situ, using handheld meters. Discrete water samples were obtained for determination of chemical parameters. Results from several-sample ANOVA (Kruskal–Wallis test) suggested that heterogeneity in water table appeared to exert significant influence on groundwater chemistry which is characterized by a significant difference in pH, EC TH, Na+, Zn2+, Mg2+, PO43−, Cl−, HCO3−, SO42−, and NO3− concentrations. Also, ions including Fe3+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Na+, PO43−, and SO42− are above World Health Organization (2011) and National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (2007) reference guidelines. Most of the groundwater sources are moderately hard. Groundwater classification based on chloride, EC, and TDS revealed water of excellent quality for all types of uses. However, groundwater classification based on nitrate pollution revealed water of poor quality. Rock mineral is the major mechanism controlling water chemistry, as revealed by the Gibbs model. Most of the water sources have positive Scholler index, indicative of overall base exchange reactions in the underlying aquifers. Such condition was well explained by Piper trilinear diagram, which revealed two types of faces: Ca–Mg–HCO3 and Ca–Mg–SO4–Cl. The HCA categorized wells into three groups according to their hydrogeochemical physiognomies. Despite the significant difference in ions concentration and chemical indices, groundwater composition is more influenced by rock weathering than anthropogenic inputs. Groundwater evaluation for irrigation use indicates a significant difference in SAR level which is related to poor permeability index in shallow groundwater. Higher values of Kelly’s index and magnesium adsorption ratio threatened groundwater suitability for irrigation use in the study area.
Disaster Risk Reduction in Cameroon: Are Contemporary Disaster Management Frameworks Accommodating the Sendai Framework Agenda 2030?
Authors: Bang Henry Ngenyam , Miles Lee Stuart , Gordon Richard Duncan
Published: October 2019

Many African countries are prone to numerous hazardous events, exacerbated by the vulnerability of their rapidly increasing population and leading to frequent disasters that often have dire fiscal and development implications. Yet, there is declining sensitivity to these risks, contrary to the conventional wisdom of disaster management (DM) principles. The primary aim of this research is to understand the constraints and/or challenges limiting the ability of contemporary African DM systems/institutional frameworks from implementing adequate disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures. Using a qualitative, case study based research strategy, this research investigates resistance to the effective implementation of DM/DRR within Cameroon’s contemporary DM system by using the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 guiding principles for DRR as benchmark. The findings reveal the existence of resistance factors that particularly complicate the communication, decision making, and coordination of DRR activities, the provision of resources, aspects of international assistance, as well as DRR planning and policies. The authors argue that such resistance factors contribute to making Cameroon’s DM system more reactive and further undermine risk reduction. The article concludes by offering key recommendations that have the potential to alleviate the identified resistance factors as well as strengthen Cameroon’s DM, particularly in relation to capacity building, training, research development, and organizational resilience.
Correction to: DNA Damage Following Acute Aerobic Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Tryfidou Despoina V. , McClean Conor , Nikolaidis Michalis G. , Davison Gareth W.
Published: October 2019

Page 17, Fig. 2
Surgical site infection in a tertiary care centre-an overview - A cross sectional study
Authors: Saravanakumar R. , Devi Pabitha M.B.
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACT

Background:

Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) are the third most frequently reported nosocomial infection, accounting for 14 to 16 percent of all nosocomial infections among hospitalized patients according to National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance. SSIs are responsible for the increased morbidity and mortality related to surgery. Surgical wounds are classified as clean, clean contaminated, contaminated and dirty wounds as per CDC criteria. Better understanding of the causal factors of SSIs and prevention will reduce the cost of the surgery.

Materials and methods:

1570 patients who underwent surgery in the dept. of General surgery in a tertiary care hospital were taken for the study. Out of which 990 patients underwent elective surgical procedures and 580 underwent emergency procedures. An elaborate study of these cases with regard to date of admission, history, clinical features, type of surgery, emergency or elective, preoperative preparation, type of incision, contamination, procedure done, peroperative findings, drain used and its type and duration of operation and postoperative management and signs of wound infection were done and the findings are tabulated.

Results:

115 cases out of 1570 surgeries had surgical site infections. The overall post-operative SSI rate in elective clean and clean contaminated cases is 4.34% and emergency cases is 12.41%. The study showed that the superficial surgical site infections are the commonest type and accounted for about 72.09% in elective and 61.11% in emergency of all the SSI's and deep surgical site infection accounted for about 23% in elective and 30.55% in emergency cases. E. Coli is the commonest organism isolated from the surgical wounds that is 30.23% in elective cases. In emergency cases Proteus mirabilis is the most common organism involved in SSI followed by E. Coli.

Conclusion:

E. coli is the commonest organism isolated from elective surgical wounds and Proteus mirabilis is the commonest organism isolated from emergency surgical wounds. A change in the pre operative antibiotics may reduce the incidence even lower. A preexisting medical illness like diabetes mellitus and duration of operating time, class of the wound, emergency surgeries and wound contamination had strong effect on the development of surgical site infection.

Highlights:
A robust hybrid nonlinear guidance law for intercepting a non-cooperative maneuvering target
Authors: Yan Xiaodong , Lyu Shi
Published: October 2019

This paper has proposed a new robust hybrid nonlinear guidance law, which accounts for a missile’s terminal line-of-sight (LOS) angle constraint, in order to intercept a non-cooperative maneuvering target. The proposed hybrid nonlinear guidance strategy consists of two phases; in the first phase, a guidance law named PIGL is derived from prescribed performance control and the inertial delay control method. In PIGL, a revised prescribed performance function is put forward, and a prescribed performance controller with unknown uncertainties is then derived. The controller smoothly drives both the LOS angle and its rate to a predesigned small region under unknown uncertainties that are induced by target’s maneuvers within a fixed time. Then, a guidance law named SIGL is activated, which is derived from sliding mode control and inertial delay control. By driving the desired sliding mode variable to zero within a finite time, the SIGL guidance law is able to achieve high terminal interception accuracy. The robustness of both of the proposed sub-guidance laws has been proved explicitly in this paper. The hybrid guidance law has the advantage of a tunable convergence rate of the LOS angle and the rate of the LOS angle at the beginning period, by which an excessive large initial maneuver can be avoided. Meanwhile, the hybrid guidance law also has the advantage of lower sensitivity to errors in the estimation of the time-to-go.
Tyrolean stigmata in England: the cross-cultural voyage of the Catholic supernatural, 1841–1848
Authors: Smeyers Kristof , Rossi Leonardo
Published: October 2019

This article considers the transcultural dynamic between English Catholicism and mainland Europe in the early 1840s through the lens of the reception of two famous Tyrolean women bearing the stigmata. After the publication of the account of their supernatural qualities by John Talbot, sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury, Waterford, and Wexford they became the controversial subject of the heated debates on the nature of English and universal Catholicism, and by extension on the nature of religiosity at large. This article argues that adopting a transnational approach to the study of supernatural phenomena within Catholicism in the 1830s and 1840s allows us to look beyond the history of institutions and key figures in the polemic, and to shed light on more nuanced religious and devotional interactions between the British Isles and the Continent. As such this article also argues for the inclusion of supernatural phenomena in the transnational history of English Catholicism.
Recent advancements in exon-skipping therapies using antisense oligonucleotides and genome editing for the treatment of various muscular dystrophies
Authors: Hwang Jaeho , Yokota Toshifumi
Published: October 2019

Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic disorders characterised by degeneration of muscles. Different forms of muscular dystrophy can show varying phenotypes with a wide range of age, severity and location of muscle deterioration. Many palliative care options are available for muscular dystrophy patients, but no curative treatment is available. Exon-skipping therapy aims to induce skipping of exons with disease-causing mutations and/or nearby exons to restore the reading frame, which results in an internally truncated, partially functional protein. In antisense-mediated exon-skipping synthetic antisense oligonucleotide binds to pre-mRNA to induce exon skipping. Recent advances in exon skipping have yielded promising results; the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eteplirsen (Exondys51) as the first exon-skipping drug for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and in vivo exon skipping has been demonstrated in animal models of dysferlinopathy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C and congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A. Novel methods that induce exon skipping utilizing Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) are also being developed where splice site mutations are created within the genome to induce exon skipping. Challenges remain as exon-skipping agents can have deleterious non-specific effects and different in-frame deletions show phenotypic variance. This article reviews the state of the art of exon skipping for treating muscular dystrophy and discusses challenges and future prospects.
How faithfully do HIV clinicians administer the PHQ-9 depression screening tool in high-volume, low-resource clinics? Results from a depression treatment integration project in Malawi
Authors: Pence Brian W. , Stockton Melissa A. , Mphonda Steven M. , Udedi Michael , Kulisewa Kazione , Gaynes Bradley N. , Hosseinipour Mina C.
Published: October 2019

Background.

Integration of mental health services into nonspecialist settings is expanding in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Among many factors required for success, such programs require reliable administration of mental health screening tools. While several tools have been validated in carefully conducted research studies, few studies have assessed how reliably nonspecialist clinicians administer these tools to low-literacy LMIC populations in routine care.

Methods.

Ninety-seven patients accessing human immunodeficiency virus primary care in Malawi who completed Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 depression screening with their clinician then completed a second PHQ-9 with a trained research assistant (RA) blinded to the first result.

Results.

Compared to clinicians, RAs identified more patients with any depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ⩾5: 38% v. 32%), moderate/severe symptoms (PHQ-9 ⩾ 10: 14% v. 6%), any suicidality (14% v. 4%), and active suicidality (3% v. 2%). Across these indicators, clinician and RA ratings had strong overall agreement (81–97%) but low corrected Kappa agreement (31–59%). Treating RA results as the reference standard of a carefully supervised research administration of the PHQ-9, clinician administration had high specificity (90–99%) but low sensitivity (23–68%) for these indicators.

Conclusions.

In routine care in LMICs, clinicians may administer validated mental health screening tools with varying quality. To ensure quality, integration programs must incorporate appropriate and ongoing training, support, supervision, and monitoring.
Technocracy, Trust and Democracy: Evidence on Citizens’ Attitudes from a Natural Experiment in Italy
Authors: Merler Silvia
Published: October 2019

During the eurozone crisis, technocratic governments were appointed in several eurozone countries, becoming in the eyes of many the embodiment of the EU's democratic deficit. In spite of the central place that these technocratic governments occupy in the scholarly debate, however, we have remarkably little evidence on Europeans’ attitudes towards technocracy, and technocratic governments are under-studied from an empirical standpoint. We contribute to the very limited empirical literature on this topic by using a novel natural experiment design, in the context of the 2011 Italian crisis that led to the appointment of the Monti technocratic cabinet. We hypothesize that the effect of technocratic appointments on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy is a priori uncertain, and it depends on the balance of a trade-off between reduced input participation and increased output effectiveness. Overall, the results point to citizens’ attitudes towards technocracy being more complex than often assumed in the debate.
‘You live and breathe it…’: Exploring experiences of workplace cyberbullying among New Zealand nurses
Authors: D'Souza Natalia , Catley Bevan , Tappin David , Forsyth Darryl
Published: October 2019

Cyberbullying presents a new workplace issue with initial research demonstrating strong links to negative outcomes for individuals and organisations across a range of sectors. Yet, detailed accounts of target experiences of cyberbullying remain largely unexamined. To address this crucial research gap, this study explores nurses' experiences of workplace cyberbullying – a profession with high rates of workplace bullying. Adopting a work environment perspective, this paper provides an in-depth examination of eight cases of workplace cyberbullying that emphasise the practical and theoretical complexities associated with this emerging workplace hazard. Specifically, workplace cyberbullying is often experienced within a broader pattern of bullying behaviours, leading to a potentially wider scope of harm for those involved. A new typology of cyberbullying based on the source of perpetration is also presented that contributes to our growing understanding of the issue while extending the knowledge base for the effective management of workplace cyberbullying.
Cross correlation of CIELAB color reflectance data from archive photographs and line-scan images of sediment
Authors: Murton Della K. , Crowhurst Simon J.
Published: October 2019

Archive color photographs—particularly of sites where sediment is no longer available—are an underused resource that potentially contains detailed paleoenvironmental information. To investigate this potential, two sets of digital images were taken, at different times, of loess, glaciolacustrine, and deep-sea sediments. The first image set was taken using standard digital cameras. Lighting conditions and sediment surface preparation varied, in a similar way to characteristics likely to be encountered in archive photographs. The second image set was taken by a high-resolution, line-scan camera with an integrated light source. CIELAB (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) color reflectance data were obtained from both image sets and analyzed by cross correlation. Of the three reflectance parameters (L*, a*, and b*), L* reflectance is the most compromised by differences in ambient lighting or moisture content. Textural distinctions appear to be an important factor influencing the cross correlations and produce multiple, relatively weak solutions for the glaciolacustrine sediments, whereas the texturally uniform loess and deep-sea sediments produce a single, best-fit solution. Comparison of a* reflectance records from an undated marine sequence with a chronologically constrained sequence from the same site indicates the potential to apply color reflectance to produce preliminary age models.
Compressive–tensile rock markings
Authors: Bednarik Robert G.
Published: October 2019

A form of natural rock marking is described from a site on the coast of Fujian in China. Having been defined as rock art, it has now been found to be natural, caused by the release of massive kinetic energy in collisions between large blocks of granite. A combination of compressive and tensile stresses has yielded geometric changes to the fabric of the rock, and the selective weathering of modified parts of the rock has produced visually distinct, large surface markings resembling a rising Sun. The processes involved are considered in the light of research into the similar effects of explosives on rock.
The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on neuropsychological functioning and brain morphology in mid-life adults: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Leckie Regina L. , Lehman David E. , Gianaros Peter J. , Erickson Kirk I. , Sereika Susan M. , Kuan Dora C. H. , Manuck Stephen B. , Ryan Christopher M. , Yao Jeffrey K. , Muldoon Matthew F.
Published: October 2019

Background

The diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of the long-chain, omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3FAs), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA, DHA). Since these compounds serve important roles in the brain, we sought to determine if healthy adults with low-LCn-3FA consumption would exhibit improvements in neuropsychological performance and parallel changes in brain morphology following repletion through fish oil supplementation.

Methods

In a randomized, controlled trial, 271 mid-life adults (30–54 years of age, 118 men, 153 women) consuming ⩽300 mg/day of LCn-3FAs received 18 weeks of supplementation with fish oil capsules (1400 mg/day of EPA and DHA) or matching placebo. All participants completed a neuropsychological test battery examining four cognitive domains: psychomotor speed, executive function, learning/episodic memory, and fluid intelligence. A subset of 122 underwent neuroimaging before and after supplementation to measure whole-brain and subcortical tissue volumes.

Results

Capsule adherence was over 95%, participant blinding was verified, and red blood cell EPA and DHA levels increased as expected. Supplementation did not affect performance in any of the four cognitive domains. Exploratory analyses revealed that, compared to placebo, fish oil supplementation improved executive function in participants with low-baseline DHA levels. No changes were observed in any indicator of brain morphology.

Conclusions

In healthy mid-life adults reporting low-dietary intake, supplementation with LCn-3FAs in moderate dose for moderate duration did not affect neuropsychological performance or brain morphology. Whether salutary effects occur in individuals with particularly low-DHA exposure requires further study.
Use of Neuroimaging to Inform Optimal Neurocognitive Criteria for Detecting HIV-Associated Brain Abnormalities
Authors: Campbell Laura M. , Fennema-Notestine Christine , Saloner Rowan , Hussain Mariam , Chen Anna , Franklin Donald , Umlauf Anya , Ellis Ronald J. , Collier Ann C. , Marra Christina M. , Clifford David B. , Gelman Benjamin B. , Sacktor Ned , Morgello Susan , McCutchan J. Allen , Letendre Scott , Grant Igor , Heaton Robert K. ,   for the CHARTER Group
Published: October 2019

Objective:

Frascati international research criteria for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are controversial; some investigators have argued that Frascati criteria are too liberal, resulting in a high false positive rate. Meyer et al. recommended more conservative revisions to HAND criteria, including exploring other commonly used methodologies for neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in HIV including the global deficit score (GDS). This study compares NCI classifications by Frascati, Meyer, and GDS methods, in relation to neuroimaging markers of brain integrity in HIV.

Method:

Two hundred forty-one people living with HIV (PLWH) without current substance use disorder or severe (confounding) comorbid conditions underwent comprehensive neurocognitive testing and brain structural magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Participants were classified using Frascati criteria versus Meyer criteria: concordant unimpaired [Frascati(Un)/Meyer(Un)], concordant impaired [Frascati(Imp)/Meyer(Imp)], or discordant [Frascati(Imp)/Meyer(Un)] which were impaired via Frascati criteria but unimpaired via Meyer criteria. To investigate the GDS versus Meyer criteria, the same groupings were utilized using GDS criteria instead of Frascati criteria.

Results:

When examining Frascati versus Meyer criteria, discordant Frascati(Imp)/Meyer(Un) individuals had less cortical gray matter, greater sulcal cerebrospinal fluid volume, and greater evidence of neuroinflammation (i.e., choline) than concordant Frascati(Un)/Meyer(Un) individuals. GDS versus Meyer comparisons indicated that discordant GDS(Imp)/Meyer(Un) individuals had less cortical gray matter and lower levels of energy metabolism (i.e., creatine) than concordant GDS(Un)/Meyer(Un) individuals. In both sets of analyses, the discordant group did not differ from the concordant impaired group on any neuroimaging measure.

Conclusions:

The Meyer criteria failed to capture a substantial portion of PLWH with brain abnormalities. These findings support continued use of Frascati or GDS criteria to detect HIV-associated CNS dysfunction.
SOBOLEV’S INEQUALITY FOR MUSIELAK–ORLICZ–MORREY SPACES OVER METRIC MEASURE SPACES
Authors: OHNO TAKAO , SHIMOMURA TETSU
Published: October 2019

Our aim in this paper is to establish a generalization of Sobolev’s inequality for Riesz potentials $J_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}(\cdot )}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}}f$ of functions $f$ in Musielak–Orlicz–Morrey spaces $L^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7},\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}}(X)$. As a corollary we obtain Sobolev’s inequality for double phase functionals with variable exponents.
THREE CHARACTERIZATIONS OF STRICT COHERENCE ON INFINITE-VALUED EVENTS
Authors: FLAMINIO TOMMASO
Published: October 2019

This article builds on a recent paper coauthored by the present author, H. Hosni and F. Montagna. It is meant to contribute to the logical foundations of probability theory on many-valued events and, specifically, to a deeper understanding of the notion of strict coherence. In particular, we will make use of geometrical, measure-theoretical and logical methods to provide three characterizations of strict coherence on formulas of infinite-valued Łukasiewicz logic.
Identifying the critical time points for mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in high-income countries
Authors: Giacco Domenico
Published: October 2019

Aims

High heterogeneity was found in the prevalence rates of mental disorders in adult asylum seekers and refugees in high-income countries. This may be related to different problems. Among them, there is a changing exposure to risk and protective factors for mental health at different phases of these people's life before migration, and during the migratory journey and resettlement. This study aimed at identifying and distinguishing time points in which distinct risk and protective factors for the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees may occur.

Methods

Systematic review and narrative synthesis. A systematic search was carried out for the period January 2017–August 2019, given the existence of systematic reviews of the evidence up to January 2017.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-two studies were identified with our search and 31 studies were included. The critical time points identified are: (a) before the travel; (b) during the travel; (c) at initial settlement in the host country; (d) when attempting to integrate in the host country; (e) when the immigration status is challenged or revoked. Some factors such as sense of belonging in the host country can be risk factors or protective factors depending on the time point.

Conclusions

These five critical time points can guide the development and selection of well-timed preventive and treatment interventions. They could also be used to stratify samples in epidemiological studies and meta-analyses. At present, we know much more on risk factors than on protective factors. Knowing more about protective factors may inform the development of interventions to foster them.
Behandlung psychosomatischer Störungen – Psychotherapie mit Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Authors: Schubbe Oliver
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung. Dysfunktional gespeicherte Gedächtnisinformationen sind eine mögliche Ursache psychosomatischer Störungen. EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) basiert auf dem «Adaptive Information Processing Model». Dieser psychotherapeutische Ansatz kann zur Behandlung psychosomatischer Störungen eingesetzt werden, um die pathogenen Informationen zu aktivieren und von einem dysfunktionalen in einen adaptiven Zustand zu überführen. EMDR hat sich wissenschaftlich für die Behandlung posttraumatischer Belastungsstörungen bewährt, während die Behandlung von psychosomatischen Störungen ein neueres Einsatzgebiet darstellt. Kürzlich haben Studien die Wirksamkeit von EMDR bei Migränekopfschmerzen, Hautkrankheiten, Magen-Darm-Erkrankungen, chronischem Fatique-Syndrom, chronischem Schmerzsyndrom und Phantomschmerzen dokumentiert.
Die Wichtigkeit der Kommunikation in der Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung
Authors: Becker Christoph , Hunziker Sabina
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung. Die Kommunikation im Arzt-Patienten-Gespräch gehört zum Fundament einer guten Behandlung und wird heute als eine der Kernkompetenzen in der Medizin angesehen. Kommunikation hat Einfluss auf Behandlungsqualität und Patienten-Outcomes, schafft Vertrauen und hilft, Behandlungsfehler zu vermeiden. Sowohl Arzt-zentrierte als auch Patienten-zentrierte Techniken ermöglichen, in bis zu 80 % aller medizinischen Fälle eine Diagnosefindung alleine durch die Anamnese zu finden. Neben Informationsgewinnung ist auch die Übermittlung komplexer sowie schlechter Nachrichten ein wichtiger Bereich der medizinischen Kommunikation. Eine gute Kommunikation trägt nicht nur zu mehr Zufriedenheit von Patienten und Angehörigen bei sondern kann auch deren Outcome massgeblich verbessern.
Das Potenzial neuer Technologien zur Unterstützung von Pflege über eine räumliche Distanz
Authors: Franke Annette , Otto Ulrich , Kramer Birgit , Jann Pirkko Marit , van Holten Karin , Zentgraf Amelie , Bischofberger Iren
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Aufgrund des demografischen Wandels, zunehmender Arbeitsmobilität und veränderter Familienmuster bestehen soziale Beziehungen oft über große Entfernungen hinweg. Die Unterstützung von Angehörigen auf Distanz ist deshalb ein hochaktuelles, aber noch wenig diskutiertes Thema, auch in Deutschland und in der Schweiz. Ziel: Das Projekt „DiCa“ (2016 – 2019) mit einem Forschungsteam aus Deutschland (EH Ludwigsburg) und der Schweiz (Careum Hochschule Gesundheit, Zürich) zielt darauf ab, verschiedene Dimensionen von „Distance Caregiving“ zu untersuchen. In diesem Beitrag geht es um den möglichen Einsatz von neuen Technologien zur Unterstützung dieser Pflegearrangements. Methode: Ausgehend von einer strukturierten Literaturrecherche wurden qualitative Interviews mit „Distance Carers“ und Partnerbetrieben in Deutschland geführt, die den Einsatz von neuen Technologien im Kontext von „Distance Caregiving“ eruieren. Ergebnisse: Sowohl in der häuslichen Betreuung als auch in den Betrieben gibt es erste Ansätze für technische Lösungen. Eine bedeutende Rolle spielen bisher Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten mittels Telefon und Smartphone und flexible Arbeitszeit- und Arbeitsplatzregelungen. Das volle Potenzial von neuen Technologien scheint jedoch längst nicht ausgeschöpft. Schlussfolgerungen: Um die vielfältigen Möglichkeiten von innovativen Technologien im Kontext von „Distance Caregiving“ für die Betroffenen aber auch für Unternehmen optimal nutzen zu können, bedarf es fundierter Informationen und einer unabhängigen Beratung für alle am Pflegeprozess Beteiligten.
MicroRNA-455-3p promotes TGF-β signaling and inhibits osteoarthritis development by directly targeting PAK2
Authors: Hu Shu , Zhao Xiaoyi , Mao Guping , Zhang Ziji , Wen Xingzhao , Zhang Chengyun , Liao Weiming , Zhang Zhiqi
Published: October 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miR) play a key role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Few studies have examined the regulatory role of P21-activated kinases (PAKs), a family of serine/threonine kinases, in OA. The aim of this study was to determine whether miR-455-3p can regulate cartilage degeneration in OA by targeting PAK2. MiR-455-3p knockout mice showed significant degeneration of the knee cartilage. MiR-455-3p expression increased and PAK2 expression decreased in the late stage of human adipose-derived stem cell (hADSC) chondrogenesis and in chondrocytes affected by OA. Furthermore, in both miR-455-3p-overexpressing chondrocytes and PAK2-suppressing chondrocytes, cartilage-specific genes were upregulated, and hypertrophy-related genes were downregulated. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-455-3p regulates PAK2 expression by directly targeting the 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of PAK2 mRNA. IPA-3, a PAK inhibitor, inhibited cartilage degeneration due to OA. Moreover, suppressing PAK2 promoted R-Smad activation in the TGF/Smad signaling pathway in chondrocytes. Altogether, our results suggest that miR-455-3p promotes TGF-β/Smad signaling in chondrocytes and inhibits cartilage degeneration by directly suppressing PAK2. These results thus indicate that miR-455-3p and PAK2 are novel potential therapeutic agents and targets, respectively, for the treatment of OA.
NRARP displays either pro- or anti-tumoral roles in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia depending on Notch and Wnt signaling
Authors: Pinto Inês , Duque Mafalda , Gonçalves Joana , Akkapeddi Padma , Oliveira Mariana L. , Cabrita Rita , Yunes J. Andrés , Durum Scott K. , Barata João T. , Fragoso Rita
Published: October 2019

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with a dismal prognosis in patients with resistant or relapsed disease. Although NOTCH is a known driver in T-ALL, its clinical inhibition has significant limitations. Our previous studies suggested that NRARP, a negative regulator of Notch signaling, could have a suppressive role in T-ALL. Here, we report that NRARP levels are significantly increased in primary T-ALL cells suggesting that NRARP is not sufficient to block NOTCH oncogenic signals. Interestingly, although NRARP overexpression blocks NOTCH1 signaling and delays the proliferation of T-ALL cells that display high levels of Notch1 signaling, it promotes the expansion of T-ALL cells with lower levels of Notch1 activity. We found that NRARP interacts with lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) and potentiates Wnt signaling in T-ALL cells with low levels of Notch. Together these results indicate that NRARP plays a dual role in T-ALL pathogenesis, regulating both Notch and Wnt pathways, with opposite functional effects depending on Notch activity. Consistent with this hypothesis, mice transplanted with T-cells co-expressing NOTCH1 and NRARP develop leukemia later than mice transplanted with T-NOTCH1 cells. Importantly, mice transplanted with T-cells overexpressing NRARP alone developed leukemia with similar kinetics to those transplanted with T-NOTCH1 cells. Our findings uncover a role for NRARP in T-ALL pathogenesis and indicate that Notch inhibition may be detrimental for patients with low levels of Notch signaling, which would likely benefit from the use of Wnt signaling inhibitors. Importantly, our findings may extend to other cancers where Notch and Wnt play a role.
Reconstructing neuronal circuitry from parallel spike trains
Authors: Kobayashi Ryota , Kurita Shuhei , Kurth Anno , Kitano Katsunori , Mizuseki Kenji , Diesmann Markus , Richmond Barry J. , Shinomoto Shigeru
Published: October 2019

State-of-the-art techniques allow researchers to record large numbers of spike trains in parallel for many hours. With enough such data, we should be able to infer the connectivity among neurons. Here we develop a method for reconstructing neuronal circuitry by applying a generalized linear model (GLM) to spike cross-correlations. Our method estimates connections between neurons in units of postsynaptic potentials and the amount of spike recordings needed to verify connections. The performance of inference is optimized by counting the estimation errors using synthetic data. This method is superior to other established methods in correctly estimating connectivity. By applying our method to rat hippocampal data, we show that the types of estimated connections match the results inferred from other physiological cues. Thus our method provides the means to build a circuit diagram from recorded spike trains, thereby providing a basis for elucidating the differences in information processing in different brain regions.
Local electronic descriptors for solute-defect interactions in bcc refractory metals
Authors: Hu Yong-Jie , Zhao Ge , Zhang Baiyu , Yang Chaoming , Zhang Mingfei , Liu Zi-Kui , Qian Xiaofeng , Qi Liang
Published: October 2019

The interactions between solute atoms and crystalline defects such as vacancies, dislocations, and grain boundaries are essential in determining alloy properties. Here we present a general linear correlation between two descriptors of local electronic structures and the solute-defect interaction energies in binary alloys of body-centered-cubic (bcc) refractory metals (such as W and Ta) with transition-metal substitutional solutes. One electronic descriptor is the bimodality of thed-orbital local density of states for a matrix atom at the substitutional site, and the other is related to the hybridization strength between the valancesp-andd-bands for the same matrix atom. For a particular pair of solute-matrix elements, this linear correlation is valid independent of types of defects and the locations of substitutional sites. These results provide the possibility to apply local electronic descriptors for quantitative and efficient predictions on the solute-defect interactions and defect properties in alloys.
Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing behavioural interventions to promote household action on climate change
Authors: Nisa Claudia F. , Bélanger Jocelyn J. , Schumpe Birga M. , Faller Daiane G.
Published: October 2019

No consensus exists regarding which are the most effective mechanisms to promote household action on climate change. We present a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comprising 3,092,678 observations, which estimates the effects of behavioural interventions holding other factors constant. Here we show that behavioural interventions promote climate change mitigation to a very small degree while the intervention lasts (d = −0.093 95% CI −0.160, −0.055), with no evidence of sustained positive effects once the intervention ends. With the exception of recycling, most household mitigation behaviours show a low behavioural plasticity. The intervention with the highest average effect size is choice architecture (nudges) but this strategy has been tested in a limited number of behaviours. Our results do not imply behavioural interventions are less effective than alternative strategies such as financial incentives or regulations, nor exclude the possibility that behavioural interventions could have stronger effects when used in combination with alternative strategies.
Temperature affected guided wave propagation in a composite plate complementing the Open Guided Waves Platform
Authors: Moll Jochen , Kexel Christian , Pötzsch Serena , Rennoch Marcel , Herrmann Axel S.
Published: October 2019

The influence of temperature is regarded as particularly important for a structural health monitoring system based on ultrasonic guided waves. Since the temperature effect causes stronger signal changes than a typical defect, the former must be addressed and compensated for reliable damage assessment. Development of new temperature compensation techniques as well as the comparison of existing algorithms require high-quality benchmark measurements. This paper investigates a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) plate that was fully characterized in previous research in terms of stiffness tensor and guided wave propagation. The same CFRP plate is used here for the analysis of the temperature effect for a wide range of ultrasound frequencies and temperatures. The measurement data are a contribution to the Open Guided Waves (OGW) platform: http://www.open-guided-waves.de. The technical validation includes initial results on the analysis of phase velocity variations with temperature and exemplary damage detection results using state-of-the-art signal processing methods that aim to suppress the temperature effect.
Synthetic Gauge Structures in Real Space in a Ring lattice
Authors: Das Kunal K. , Gajdacz Miroslav
Published: October 2019

Emergence of fundamental forces from gauge symmetry is among our most profound insights about the physical universe. In nature, such symmetries remain hidden in the space of internal degrees of freedom of subatomic particles. Here we propose a way to realize and study gauge structures in real space, manifest in external degrees of freedom of quantum states. We present a model based on a ring-shaped lattice potential, which allows for both Abelian and non-Abelian constructs. Non trivial Wilson loops are shown possible via physical motion of the system. The underlying physics is based on the close analogy of geometric phase with gauge potentials that has been utilized to create synthetic gauge fields with internal states of ultracold atoms. By scaling up to an array with spatially varying parameters, a discrete gauge field can be realized in position space, and its dynamics mapped over macroscopic size and time scales.