bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the language tasks to include in a short‐language measure for children in the early school years
Authors: Matov Jessica , Mensah Fiona , Cook Fallon , Reilly Sheena
Published: February 2018

Background

The inaccurate estimation of language difficulties by teachers suggests the benefit of a short‐language measure that could be used to support their decisions about who requires referral to a speech–language therapist. While the literature indicates the potential for the development of a short‐language measure, evidence is lacking about which combination of language tasks it should include.

Aims

To understand the number and nature of components/language tasks that should be included in a short‐language measure for children in the early school years.

Methods & Procedures

Eight language tasks were administered to participants of the Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS) at ages 5 (n = 995) and 7 (n = 1217). These included six language tasks measured by an omnibus language measure (which comprised a direction‐following, morphological‐completion, sentence‐recall, sentence‐formation, syntactic‐understanding and word‐association task) and a non‐word repetition and a receptive vocabulary task, measured by two task‐specific language measures. Scores were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), the Bland and Altman method, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Outcomes & Results

PCA revealed one main component of language that was assessed by all language tasks. The most effective combination of two tasks that measured this component was a direction‐following and a sentence‐recall task. It showed the greatest agreement with an omnibus language measure and exceeded the criterion for good discriminant accuracy (sensitivity = 94%, specificity = 91%, accuracy = 91%, at 1 SD (standard deviation) below the mean).

Conclusions & Implications

Findings support the combination of a direction‐following and a sentence‐recall task to assess language ability effectively in the early school years. The results could justify the future production of a novel short‐language measure comprising a direction‐following and a sentence‐recall task to use as a screening tool in schools and to assess language ability in research participants.
Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the origin and incidence of sperm intranuclear cytoplasmic retention in fertile and teratozoospermia men
Authors: Zhu W.‐J.
Published: February 2018

The human sperm nucleus contains cytoplasm. However, the origin and incidence of human sperm intranuclear cytoplasmic retention (INCR) remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to observe the morphological origin of INCR within the seminiferous epithelium and investigate the incidence of INCR in fertile and teratozoospermia men using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By TEM, INCR initially appeared in elongating round spermatid nuclei and varied in size, number, shape, content, location and distribution within sperm nuclei. The teratozoospermia group (n = 16) demonstrated a higher incidence of INCR than did the fertile group (n = 16) (17.6 ± 5.2% vs. 9.7 ± 3.4%; p = 0.000). In the fertile group, no correlations were found between the incidence of INCR and abnormal sperm morphology, nuclear vacuole, acrosome integrity, motility or concentration (p > 0.05). However, the incidence of INCR exhibited a positive relationship with sperm abnormal morphology in the teratozoospermia group (r = 0.616, p = 0.011). These results demonstrate that INCR occurs in the early process of spermatogenesis and is an alteration found in the nucleus. Spermatozoa from teratozoospermia men contained more INCRs than those from fertile males. More attention should be paid to the possibility of spermatozoa containing INCR when using spermatozoa with abnormal head morphology for clinical or diagnostic purposes.
Sperm morphological normality under high magnification is correlated to male infertility and predicts embryo development
Authors: Zanetti B. F. , Braga D. P. A. F. , Provenza R. R. , Figueira R. C. S. , Iaconelli A. , Borges E.
Published: February 2018

Human sperm morphology has been described as an essential parameter for the diagnosis of male infertility and a prognostic indicator of natural or assisted pregnancies. Nevertheless, standard morphological assessment remains a subjective analysis and its impact on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is also of limited value. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to investigate whether motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) can improve semen analysis by better defining male infertility and providing a better prognosis for ICSI up to a year later. Data were obtained from 483 patients undergoing conventional semen analysis from June 2015 to June 2017 in a private university‐affiliated in vitro fertilization (IVF) center. The correlation of MSOME with seminal parameters was evaluated. One hundred and thirty patients underwent ICSI up to a year later, and the correlation between MSOME and ICSI outcomes was established. Except for volume, all seminal parameters were positively correlated with MSOME I+II. MSOME was also distinct between World Health Organization (WHO) classification groups, with normozoospermic and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic presenting the higher and the lower proportion of MSOME I+II, respectively. MSOME I+II was prognostic for fertilization rate, high‐quality cleavage‐stage embryos rate, and blastocyst rate. The normality cutoff value based on blastocyst rate was MSOME I+II≥ 5.5%. MSOME could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of infertility severity as it is correlated with sperm morphology, motility, and concentration. Men who had higher MSOME I+II had better ICSI outcomes. The future use of MSOME as a routine method for semen analysis may be a reliable form of assessing male infertility.
Glucagon‐like peptide 2 decreases osteoclasts by stimulating apoptosis dependent on nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Lu Yi , Lu Dongdong , Hu Yu
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Glucagon‐like peptide 2 (GLP2) is involved in the regulation of energy absorption and metabolism. Despite the importance of theGLP2 signalling mechanisms on osteoclast, little has been studied on howGLP2 works during osteoclastogenesis.

Materials and Methods

RAW264.7 cells were infected withrLV‐Green‐GLP2. The induction of osteoclasts was performed byRANKL.TRAPwere detected byRT‐PCR, Western blotting and staining. Total nitric oxide and totalNOSactivity were measured. Cells apoptosis was detected by Hoest33258 and Annix V staining. Animal test, chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP), co‐immunoprecipitation(IP) and luciferase reporter assay were also performed.

Results

We indicate thatGLP2 is associated with osteoporosis‐related factors in aged rats, includingBALP,TRAP,IL6,TNFα, Nitric Oxide (NO),iNOS, calcitonin and occludin. Moreover,GLP2 is demonstrated to result in negative action during proliferation of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase‐positive (TRAP+) osteoclasts. Furthermore,GLP2 decreases osteoclasts induced from monocyte/macrophage cellsRAW264.7 as well as the serumTRAPactivity in aged rats. Mechanistic investigations revealGLP2 enhances the expression ofiNOSthrough stimulating the activity ofTGFβ‐Smad2/3 signalling in osteoclasts. In particular, inhibition ofTGFβ fully abrogates this function ofGLP2 in osteoclasts. Strikingly, overexpression ofGLP2 significantly increases the product of nitric oxide viaiNOSwhich promotes apoptosis of osteoclasts by decreasing bcl2 or increasing caspase3. Thereby, the ability ofGLP2 to regulate apoptosis depends onTGFβ‐Smad2/3‐iNOS‐NOsignalling pathway since totalNOSinhibitor L‐NMMAspecifically inhibits the actions by GLP2.

Conclusions

GLP2 induces apoptosis viaTGFβ‐Smad2/3 signalling, which contributes to the inhibition of the proliferation of osteoclasts and which may provide potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Natural fruits, flowers, honey, and honeybees harborHelicobacter pylori‐positive yeasts
Authors: Siavoshi Farideh , Sahraee Marzieh , Ebrahimi Hoda , Sarrafnejad Abdolfatah , Saniee Parastoo
Published: February 2018

Background

For controllingHelicobacter pyloriinfection in humans, its environmental reservoir should be determined. In this study, yeast isolates from an isolated village in Iran were studied for the intracellular occurrence ofH. pylori.

Materials and Methods

In this study, yeasts were isolated from 29 samples, including oral swabs from villagers (n = 7), flowers and fruits (n = 6), honey and honeybees (n = 12) and miscellaneous samples (4). Yeasts were classified into 12RFLPgroups and identified by amplification of26SrDNAand sequencing.DNAextracted from the yeast cells was examined for the presence ofH. pyloriusingPCR.

Results

Of the 29 yeasts, 27 were members of different genera ofAscomycete.H. pyloriwas detected in 5 of 9Candida(55.5%), 4 of 5Komagataella(80%), 3 of 4Pichia(100%), 2 of 2Cytobasidia(100%), 2 of 2Hansenia(100%), 1 of 1Meyerozyma(100%) and 2 of 3 not sequenced (66.6%) yeasts. Distribution of 19 of 29 (65.5%)H. pylori‐positive yeasts within 4 groups was as follows: 1 of 7(14.3%) in oral swabs, 5 of 6 (83.3%) in flowers and fruits, 10 of 12 (83.3%) in honey and the bee group and 3 of 4 (75%) in miscellaneous.

Conclusions

Different genera of osmotolerant yeasts from flowers, fruits, honey, and honeybees containedH. pyloriin their vacuole. High frequency ofH. pylori‐positive yeasts in these samples might be related to their high sugar content. Insects such as honeybees that facilitate transfer and easy access of these yeasts to nectars serve as the main reservoirs of these yeasts, playing an important role in their protection and dispersal. Accordingly,H. pyloriinside these yeasts can be carried by honeybees to different sugar‐ and nutrient‐rich environments. Sugar‐rich environments and honeybees play an important role in distribution ofH. pylori‐positive yeasts in nature.
Bicuspid Axial Wall Height Effect on CAD/CAM Crown Fracture Mode on Preparations Containing Advanced Total Occlusal Convergence
Authors: Miller Matthew , DuVall Nicholas , Brewster John , Wajdowicz Michael N. , Harris Ashley , Roberts Howard W.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

To evaluate bicuspid axial wall height effect on the fracture mode of adhesively luted, all‐ceramic CAD/CAM crowns with a 20° total occlusal convergence (TOC).

Materials and Methods

Recently extracted premolars were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 12) with all‐ceramic crown preparations accomplished using a high‐speed handpiece inserted into a milling device. Specimens were prepared containing occlusogingival axial wall heights of 3, 2, and 1 mm as well as a group containing a flat preparation surface with no axial wall height. All preparations contained a 20° TOC. Completed preparation surface area was determined, and preparation features confirmed using a digital measuring microscope. Scanned preparations (CEREC) were fitted with milled and crystallized lithium disilicate full coverage restorations and luted with a self‐etching adhesive resin cement after hydrofluoric acid etching and silanation. All manufacturer recommendations were followed. Specimens were stored at 37°C/98% humidity for 24 hours. Specimens were tested to failure at a 45° angle to the long axis of the tooth root on a universal testing machine. Failure load was converted to MPa using the available bonding surface area with mean data analyzed using Kruskal‐Wallis/Dunn's (p = 0.05)

Results

The 3 mm preparation height specimens were similar to the 2 mm specimens, and both demonstrated significantly stronger failure load than the 1 mm axial wall height and flat preparation specimens. The flat preparation and 1 mm axial wall height specimens all failed adhesively, while the 2 mm and 3 mm specimens failed largely due to tooth fracture.

Conclusions

Further evidence is provided that CAD/CAM adhesive techniques may compensate for less than ideal preparation features. Under the conditions of this study, bicuspid preparations with a 20° TOC restored with adhesively luted, CAD/CAM e.max CAD crowns require at least 2 mm of axial wall height, but further planned fatigue studies are necessary before definitive recommendations can be made.
Bone Strength and Exercise During Youth—The Year That Was 2017
Authors: Janz Kathleen F. , Baptista Fatima
Published: February 2018

The positive effects of physical activity on bone strength are certain. However, researchers have yet to precisely quantify the contribution of specific characteristics of physical activity that affect bone strength in children and adolescents. This commentary highlights 2 noteworthy 2017 publications that addressed osteogenic physical activity dose–response issues. Both papers moved the field forward by providing new insights on physical activity exposures beyond high-impact loading. Koedijk et al’s paper was selected because, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first systematic review to solely examine associations between sedentary behavior and indicators of bone strength. The second selected paper, Gabel et al, used novel approaches in accelerometer processing and statistical modeling to separate the osteogenic effects of frequency of short bouts of physical activity from total volume of physical activity. As such, the authors of this paper begin to explore in youth what animal models have shown for some time, that is, optimal bone adaptation requires the correct combination of intensity, frequency, duration, nonrepetitive movement, and rest. Together, these papers signal new and important approaches for the conceptualization, measurement, and interpretation of osteogenic physical activity.
Comment on “Selective anaerobic oxidation of methane enables direct synthesis of methanol”
Authors: Labinger Jay A.
Published: February 2018

The comment and response concerning the report of oxidation of methane to methanol by water (Reports, 5 May 2017, p. 523) do not fully capture the implications of thermodynamic limitations. A nonisothermal process in which each cycle requires a large temperature swing and permits only substoichiometric methane conversion surely could not be carried out on any practical scale.
A calcium-sensing receptor mutation causing hypocalcemia disrupts a transmembrane salt bridge to activate β-arrestin–biased signaling
Authors: Gorvin Caroline M. , Babinsky Valerie N. , Malinauskas Tomas , Nissen Peter H. , Schou Anders J. , Hanyaloglu Aylin C. , Siebold Christian , Jones E. Yvonne , Hannan Fadil M. , Thakker Rajesh V.
Published: February 2018

A disease-associated mutation disrupts a calcium-sensing receptor structural motif and causes biased signaling through β-arrestin.
Fibronectin Facilitates Enterovirus 71 Infection by Mediating Viral Entry
Authors: He Qiao-qiao , Ren Sheng , Xia Zhang-chuan , Cheng Zhi-kui , Peng Nan-fang , Zhu Ying
Published: February 2018

Fibronectin (FN) is a high-molecular-weight extracellular matrix protein that contains the RGDS motif, which is required to bind to integrins. Synthetic RGDS peptides have been reported to compete with FN to bind to the cell surface and inhibit the function of FN. Here, we identified that synthetic RGDS peptides significantly inhibit human enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection in cell cultures. In addition, mice treated with RGDS peptides and infected with EV71 had a significantly higher survival rate and a lower viral load than the control group. Because RGDS peptides affect the function of FN, we questioned whether FN may play a role in virus infection. Our study indicates that overexpression of FN enhanced EV71 infection. In contrast, knockout of FN significantly reduced viral yield and decreased the viral binding to host cells. Furthermore, EV71 entry, rather than intracellular viral replication, was blocked by FN inhibitor pretreatment. Next, we found that FN could interact with the EV71 capsid protein VP1, and further truncated-mutation assays indicated that the D2 domain of FN could interact with the N-terminal fragment of VP1. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the host factor FN binds to EV71 particles and facilitates EV71 entry, providing a potential therapy target for EV71 infection.

IMPORTANCE
Hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreaks have occurred frequently in recent years, sometimes causing severe neurological complications and even death in infants and young children worldwide. Unfortunately, no effective antiviral drugs are available for human enterovirus 71 (EV71), one of the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. The infection process and the host factors involved remain unknown, although several receptors have been identified. In this study, we found that the host factor fibronectin (FN) facilitated EV71 replication by interacting with EV71 particles and further mediated their entry. The RGDS peptide, an FN inhibitor, significantly inhibited EV71 replication in both RD cells and mice. In conclusion, our research identified a new host factor involved in EV71 infection, providing a new potential antiviral target for EV71 treatment.
A Near-Complete Haplotype-Phased Genome of the Dikaryotic Wheat Stripe Rust FungusPuccinia striiformisf. sp.triticiReveals High Interhaplotype Diversity
Authors: Schwessinger Benjamin , Sperschneider Jana , Cuddy William S. , Garnica Diana P. , Miller Marisa E. , Taylor Jennifer M. , Dodds Peter N. , Figueroa Melania , Park Robert F. , Rathjen John P.
Published: February 2018

A long-standing biological question is how evolution has shaped the genomic architecture of dikaryotic fungi. To answer this, high-quality genomic resources that enable haplotype comparisons are essential. Short-read genome assemblies for dikaryotic fungi are highly fragmented and lack haplotype-specific information due to the high heterozygosity and repeat content of these genomes. Here, we present a diploid-aware assembly of the wheat stripe rust fungusPuccinia striiformisf. sp.triticibased on long reads using the FALCON-Unzip assembler. Transcriptome sequencing data sets were used to infer high-quality gene models and identify virulence genes involved in plant infection referred to as effectors. This represents the most completePuccinia striiformisf. sp.triticigenome assembly to date (83 Mb, 156 contigs,N50of 1.5 Mb) and provides phased haplotype information for over 92% of the genome. Comparisons of the phase blocks revealed high interhaplotype diversity of over 6%. More than 25% of all genes lack a clear allelic counterpart. When we investigated genome features that potentially promote the rapid evolution of virulence, we found that candidate effector genes are spatially associated with conserved genes commonly found in basidiomycetes. Yet, candidate effectors that lack an allelic counterpart are more distant from conserved genes than allelic candidate effectors and are less likely to be evolutionarily conserved within theP. striiformisspecies complex andPucciniales. In summary, this haplotype-phased assembly enabled us to discover novel genome features of a dikaryotic plant-pathogenic fungus previously hidden in collapsed and fragmented genome assemblies.

IMPORTANCECurrent representations of eukaryotic microbial genomes are haploid, hiding the genomic diversity intrinsic to diploid and polyploid life forms. This hidden diversity contributes to the organism’s evolutionary potential and ability to adapt to stress conditions. Yet, it is challenging to provide haplotype-specific information at a whole-genome level. Here, we take advantage of long-read DNA sequencing technology and a tailored-assembly algorithm to disentangle the two haploid genomes of a dikaryotic pathogenic wheat rust fungus. The two genomes display high levels of nucleotide and structural variations, which lead to allelic variation and the presence of genes lacking allelic counterparts. Nonallelic candidate effector genes, which likely encode important pathogenicity factors, display distinct genome localization patterns and are less likely to be evolutionary conserved than those which are present as allelic pairs. This genomic diversity may promote rapid host adaptation and/or be related to the age of the sequenced isolate since last meiosis.
Factors associated with insufficient awareness of breast cancer among women in Northern and Eastern China: a case–control study
Authors: Liu Li-Yuan , Wang Yong-Jiu , Wang Fei , Yu Li-Xiang , Xiang Yu-Juan , Zhou Fei , Li Liang , Zhang Qiang , Fu Qin-Ye , Ma Zhong-Bing , Gao De-Zong , Li Yu-Yang , Yu Zhi-Gang
Published: February 2018

Objectives

To investigate the awareness and knowledge level of breast cancer among Chinese participants.

Design

Case–control study.

Settings

This study was based on the database of the minister-affiliated hospital key project of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China that included 21 Chinese hospitals between April 2012 and April 2013.

Participants

Matched study was designed among 2978 participants with Han ethnicity aged between 25 and 70.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Student’s t-test, Pearson’s χ2test, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to know the level of breast cancer knowledge and find the breast cancer awareness-associated factors.

Results

80.0% (2383/2978) of the participants had poor awareness level of breast cancer. In-depth knowledge of breast cancer such as early symptoms and risk factors was poorly found among them. Television broadcast and relatives or friends with breast cancers were the main sources of information about breast cancer. Of all participants, 72.8% (2167/2978) had heard about breast cancer as a frequent cancer affecting women, and 63.3% (1884/2978) knew that family history of breast cancer was a risk factor for breast cancer. Over half of them were aware that a breast lump could be a symptom of breast cancer. Multivariate analysis identified the following variables that predicted awareness of breast cancer: young age (OR=0.843, 95% CI 0.740 to 0.961), occupation (agricultural worker) (OR=12.831, 95% CI 6.998 to 23.523), high household social status (OR=0.644, 95% CI 0.531 to 0.780), breast hyperplasia history (OR=1.684, 95% CI 1.273 to 2.228), high behavioural prevention score (OR=4.407, 95% CI 3.433 to 5.657).

Conclusion

Most women were aware of breast cancer as a disease, but their in-depth knowledge of it was poor. More publicity and education programmes to increase breast cancer awareness are necessary and urgent, especially for the ageing women and agricultural workers.
Making soft intelligence hard: a multi-site qualitative study of challenges relating to voice about safety concerns
Authors: Martin Graham P , Aveling Emma-Louise , Campbell Anne , Tarrant Carolyn , Pronovost Peter J , Mitchell Imogen , Dankers Christian , Bates David , Dixon-Woods Mary
Published: February 2018

Background

Healthcare organisations often fail to harvest and make use of the ‘soft intelligence’ about safety and quality concerns held by their own personnel. We aimed to examine the role of formal channels in encouraging or inhibiting employee voice about concerns.

Methods

Qualitative study involving personnel from three academic hospitals in two countries. Interviews were conducted with 165 participants from a wide range of occupational and professional backgrounds, including senior leaders and those from the sharp end of care. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method.

Results

Leaders reported that they valued employee voice; they identified formal organisational channels as a key route for the expression of concerns by employees. Formal channels and processes were designed to ensure fairness, account for all available evidence and achieve appropriate resolution. When processed through these formal systems, concerns were destined to become evidenced, formal and tractable to organisational intervention. But the way these systems operated meant that some concerns were never voiced. Participants were anxious about having to process their suspicions and concerns into hard evidentiary facts, and they feared being drawn into official procedures designed to allocate consequence. Anxiety about evidence and process was particularly relevant when the intelligence was especially ‘soft’—feelings or intuitions that were difficult to resolve into a coherent, compelling reconstruction of an incident or concern. Efforts to make soft intelligence hard thus risked creating ‘forbidden knowledge’: dangerous to know or share.

Conclusions

The legal and bureaucratic considerations that govern formal channels for the voicing of concerns may, perversely, inhibit staff from speaking up. Leaders responsible for quality and safety should consider complementing formal mechanisms with alternative, informal opportunities for listening to concerns.
Abstracts from international Emergency Medicine Journals
Authors: Weber Ellen J
Published: February 2018

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will feature an abstract from each publication.
Selection bias, interventions and outcomes for survivors of cardiac arrest
Authors: Wallace David J , Coppler Patrick , Callaway Clifton , Rittenberger Jon C , Dezfulian Cameron , Mohan Deepika , Toma Catalin , Elmer Jonathan
Published: February 2018

Objective

Cardiac catheterisation and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion are increasingly common following cardiac arrest survival. However, much of the evidence for the benefit is observational, leaving open the possibility that biased patient selection confounds the association between these invasive procedures and improved outcome. We evaluated the likelihood of selection bias in the association between cardiac catheterisation or ICD placement and outcome by measuring long-term outcomes overall and in a cause-specific approach that separated cardiac mortality from non-cardiac mortality.

Methods

We performed a multivariable survival analysis of a clinical cohort between 2005 and 2013, with follow-up through 2015. We included patients who had out-of-hospital or inhospital cardiac arrest that survived to discharge, and evaluated the association between cardiac catheterisation or ICD insertion and all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality.

Results

Among 678 patients who survived cardiac arrest, we observed lower all-cause mortality among patients who underwent cardiac catheterisation (adjusted HR (aHR) 0.40; P<0.01) or ICD insertion (aHR 0.55; P<0.01). However, cause-specific analysis showed that the benefits of cardiac catheterisation and ICD insertion resulted from reduced non-cardiac causes of death (cardiac catheterisation: aHR 0.24, P<0.01; ICD: aHR 0.58, P<0.01), while reduced cardiac cause of death was not associated with cardiac catheterisation (cardiac catheterisation: aHR 0.75, P=0.33).

Conclusions

There is evidence of selection bias in the secondary prevention survival benefit attributable to cardiac catheterisation for patients who survive cardiac arrest. Observational studies that consider its effects on all-cause mortality likely overestimate the potential benefit of this procedure.
Why is life expectancy in England and Wales ‘stalling’?
Authors: Hiam Lucinda , Harrison Dominic , McKee Martin , Dorling Danny
Published: February 2018

Several independent analyses, by both epidemiologists and actuaries, have concluded that the previous rate of improvement of life expectancy in England and Wales has now slowed markedly, and at older ages may even be reversing. However, although these findings have led the pension industry to reduce estimates of future liabilities, they have failed to elicit any significant concern in the Department of Health and Social Care. In this essay, we review the evidence on changing life expectancy, noting that the problems are greatest among older women. We then estimate the gap between what life expectancy is now and what it might have been had previous trends continued. At age 85, the gap is 0.34 years for women and 0.23 for men. We argue that recent changes cannot be dismissed as a temporary aberration. While the causes of this phenomenon are contested, there is growing evidence to point to the austerity policies implemented in recent years as at least a partial explanation. We conclude by calling for a fully independent enquiry to ascertain what is happening to life expectancy in England and Wales and what should be done about it.
Glaucoma awareness Indian military personnel: a tri-service study
Authors: Singh Atul Kumar , Pantola P , Khan M A , Tomar A , Dhabale V
Published: February 2018

Introduction

In India, glaucoma is the third most common cause of blindness, reflecting both its asymptomatic presentation and a lack of knowledge in the general population. No previous published data of glaucoma awareness among the Indian Armed forces personnel exists, who constitute a unique group consisting of people drawn from all parts of the country and society.

Methods

Bilingual questionnaires were distributed to 496 serving Army, Navy and Air Force personnel serving in units local to the Zonal military hospital in North India. Having heard of the term glaucoma resulted in the subject being ‘glaucoma aware’, while ‘knowledge of glaucoma’ required at least three out of six questions to be answered correctly.

Results

110/496 (22%) participants were found to be glaucoma aware, while knowledge of glaucoma was found in 60/496 (12%) participants.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that glaucoma awareness and knowledge is high compared with rural or urban Indian populations. This is likely reflects the frequent health camps conducted by the armed forces and periodic medical examinations. However, these figures are still low compared with developed countries and likely reflects differences in education standards, socioeconomic status and differing influences of the media.
Shifting Coresets: Obtaining Linear-Time Approximations for Unit Disk Graphs and Other Geometric Intersection Graphs
Authors: da Fonseca Guilherme D. , Pereira de Sá Vinícius Gusmão , de Figueiredo Celina Miraglia Herrera
Published: February 2018

Numerous approximation algorithms for problems on unit disk graphs have been proposed in the literature, exhibiting a sharp trade-off between running times and approximation ratios. We introduce a variation of the known shifting strategy that allows us to obtain linear-time constant-factor approximation algorithms for such problems. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed variation, we obtain results for three well-known optimization problems. Among such results, the proposed method yields linear-time [Formula: see text]-approximations for the maximum-weight independent set and the minimum dominating set of unit disk graphs, thus bringing significant performance improvements when compared to previous algorithms that achieve the same approximation ratios. Finally, we use axis-aligned rectangles to illustrate that the same method may be used to derive linear-time approximations for problems on other geometric intersection graph classes.
Cultivating a rhetoric of advocacy for usability studies and user-centered design
Authors: Williamson Bill , Kowalewski Scott J.
Published: February 2018

In this article, we explore connections among rhetoric, usability studies, user-centered design, and civic engagement as core concepts for developing a systemically aware Rhetoric of Advocacy for technical communicators. We propose a model for visualizing scenarios and stakeholders that is based on the structure of atoms. The Atomic Model for Technical Communication provides a visual model for mapping projects and for framing the kind of dialog that we associate with a Rhetoric of Advocacy.
Designing for human-machine collaboration
Authors: Kennedy Krista
Published: February 2018

This study examines design aspects that shape human/machine collaboration between wearers of smart hearing aids and their networked aids. The Starkey Halo hearing aid and the TruLink iPhone app that facilitates real-time adjustments by the wearer offer a case study in designing for this sort of collaboration and for the wearer's rhetorical management of disability disclosure in social contexts. Through close textual analysis of the company's promotional materials for patient and professional audiences as well as interface analysis and autoethnography, I examine the ways that close integration between the wearer, onboard algorithms and hardware, and geolocative telemetry shape everyday interactions in multiple hearing situations. Reliance on ubiquitous, familiar hardware such as smart phones and intuitive interface design can drive patient comfort and adoption rates of these complex technologies that influence cognitive health, social connectedness, and crucial information access.
Demand and Financial Constraints in Eliminating Architectural and Technical Barriers for People with Disabilities in Poland
Authors: Hełdak Maria , Stacherzak Agnieszka , Przybyła Katarzyna
Published: February 2018

The purpose of the study is to analyse the availability of financial resources for people with disabilities and to assess the needs satisfaction level of the disabled in order to eliminate architectural and technical barriers in Poland. The research conducted among the disabled affected by physical disability indicates that mobility barriers and obstacles remain among the most important problems encountered by people with disabilities. The research has shown that the problem of barriers increases with age. The elimination of architectural barriers requires, each time, higher financial expenditure, whereas the elimination of technical barriers improves the life quality of people with disabilities at low financial outlays. The average funding in Poland amounted to PLN 827.53 in 2016, including the funding of EUR 1453.60 for the elimination of architectural barriers and approx. EUR 582 for the removal of technical barriers. The financial resources allocated for this purpose do not cover the actual needs of the people with disabilities. The analysis revealed that the demand for investment in the elimination of barriers is increasing with age, whereas the expenditure of the Polish state is decreasing.
Association of Wrist Circumference and Waist-to-Height Ratio with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Type II Diabetics in a Ghanaian Population
Authors: Obirikorang Christian , Obirikorang Yaa , Acheampong Emmanuel , Anto Enoch Odame , Toboh Emmanuel , Asamoah Evans Adu , Amakwaa Bright , Batu Emmanuella Nsenbah , Brenya Peter
Published: February 2018

The study determined the association of wrist circumference (WrC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with cardiometabolic risk factors among diabetics in a Ghanaian population. This cross-sectional study involved 384 diabetic patients at Begoro District Hospital, Ghana. Blood pressure, anthropometrics, and biochemical indices were measured. The overall prevalence of dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and hypertension was 42.4%, 76.3%, and 39.8%, respectively. The optimum cut-off range of WrC to identify individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk was 17.5 to –17.8 cm for men and 16.0 to 16.7 cm for women while that of WHtR was 0.52 to 0.61 for men and 0.53 to 0.59 for women. WrC for women was a significant independent predictor for MetS [aOR = 3.0 (1.39–6.72), p=0.005] and systolic blood pressure [aOR = 2.08 (1.17–3.68), p=0.012]. WHtR was a significant positive predictor for triglycerides [aOR = 3.23 (0.10–3.82), p=0.001] for women. Using Framingham risk scores, 61% of the subjects had elevated 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), with no significant difference in gender prevalence. WrC [aOR = 6.13 (0.34–111.4), p=0.107] and WHtR [aOR = 2.52 (0.42–15.02), p=0.309] were associated with statistically insignificant increased odds of moderate-to-high risk of developing CVDs in 10 years. The use of gender-specific cut-offs for WrC and WHtR may offer putative markers for early identification of CRFs.
Elucidation on Predominant Pathways Involved in the Differentiation and Mineralization of Odontoblast-Like Cells by Selective Blockade of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Authors: Tang Jia , Saito Takashi
Published: February 2018

Aim. To analyze the effect of three mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, namely, SB202190 (p38 inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor), and PD98059 (ERK inhibitor) in Dex-stimulated MDPC-23 cell differentiation and mineralization. Methods. Experiment was divided into five groups, control (cells without Dex and inhibitors treatment), Dex (cells with Dex treatment but without inhibitors), Dex + SB202190, Dex + SP600125, and Dex + PD98059. Cell differentiation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay and real time RT-PCR. Cell mineralization was investigated by alizarin red staining. Results. Exposure to SB202190 (20 μM) significantly decreased the mineral deposition in Dex-treated cells as demonstrated by alizarin red staining. Treatment of SP600125 (20 μM) attenuated the mineralization as well, albeit at a lower degree as compared to SB202190 (20 μM). Similarly, SB202190 (20 μM) completely abrogated the ALP activity stimulated by Dex at six days in culture, while no changes were observed with regard to ALP activity in SP600125 (20 μM) and PD98059 (20 μM) treated cells. The upregulation of bone sialoprotein (BSP), ALP, and osteopontin (OPN) in Dex challenged cells was completely inhibited by SB202190. Conclusion. Blockade of p38-MAPK signaling pathway resulted in significant inhibition of ALP activity, mineralization, and downregulation of osteogenic markers. The data implicated that p38 signaling pathway plays a critical role in the regulation of MDPC-23 cells differentiation and mineralization.
Pulmonary Mucormycosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Neutropenia
Authors: Mir Izza , Basnet Sijan , Ellsworth David , Mohanty Elan
Published: February 2018

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare life-threatening fungal infection associated with high mortality. We present the case of a 61-year-old man with history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia who presented with fever and cough, eventually diagnosed with pulmonary mucormycosis after right lung video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The patient was successfully treated with amphotericin B and right lung pneumonectomy; however, he later died from left lung pneumonia.
A Comparative Study of Conventional Physiotherapy versus Robot-Assisted Gait Training Associated to Physiotherapy in Individuals with Ataxia after Stroke
Authors: Belas dos Santos Marcia , Barros de Oliveira Clarissa , dos Santos Arly , Garabello Pires Cristhiane , Dylewski Viviana , Arida Ricardo Mario
Published: February 2018

Objectives. To assess the influence of RAGT on balance, coordination, and functional independence in activities of daily living of chronic stroke survivors with ataxia at least one year of injury.Methods. It was a randomized controlled trial.The patients were allocated to either therapist-assisted gait training (TAGT) or robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT). Both groups received 3 weekly sessions of physiotherapy with an estimated duration of 60 minutes each and prescribed home exercises. The following outcome measures were evaluated prior to and after the completion of the 5-month protocol treatment: BBS, TUG test, FIM, and SARA. For intragroup comparisons, the Wilcoxon test was used, and the Mann–Whitney test was used for between-group comparison.Results. Nineteen stroke survivors with ataxia sequel after one year of injury were recruited. Both groups showed statistically significant improvement (P<0.05) in balance, functional independencein, and general ataxia symptoms. There were no statistically significant differences (P<0.05) for between-group comparisons both at baseline and after completion of the protocol.Conclusions. Chronic stroke patients with ataxia had significant improvements in balance and independence in activities of daily living after RAGT along with conventional therapy and home exercises. This trial was registered with trial registration number39862414.6.0000.5505.
A Study on Tracking and Augmentation in Mobile AR for e-Leisure
Authors: Jang Seong-Wook , Ko Junho , Lee Hun Joo , Kim Yoon Sang
Published: February 2018

Recently, a mobile augmented reality (AR) system with AR technology that requires high performance has become popular due to the improved performance of smartphones. In particular, mobile AR that directly interacts with outdoor environments has been in development because of increasing interest in e-leisure due to improvements in living standards. Therefore, this paper aims to study tracking and augmentation in mobile AR for e-leisure. We analyzed the performance of human body tracking application implemented in a mobile system (smartphone) using three methods (marker-based, markerless, and sensor-based) for the feasibility examination of human body tracking in mobile AR. Furthermore, game information augmentation was examined through the implementation of mobile AR using two methods (marker- and sensor-based).
Prognostic Analysis of Duodenal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Authors: Hong Liwen , Zhang Tianyu , Lin Yun , Fan Rong , Zhang Maochen , Cheng Mengmeng , Zhou Xiaolin , Sun Juntao , Sun Peijun , Wu Qiangqiang , Wang Lei , Wang Zhengting , Zhong Jie
Published: February 2018

Aim. This study aims to analyze factors possibly related to the prognosis of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (DGISTs). Methods. We collected and retrospectively analyzed clinical and pathological data of 62 patients with primary DGISTs. All the patients were hospitalized and received complete surgical resection at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital from September 2003 to April 2015. We followed up the patients to determine survival outcomes. We also analyzed the effect of clinical and pathological factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of the patients. Results. Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis demonstrated that tumor size, mitotic index, Ki-67 index, and pathological risk were correlated with the DFS and OS of the patients (DFS P=0.039, 0.001, <0.001, and 0.005, resp.; OS P=0.027, 0.007, <0.001, and 0.012, resp.). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that Ki-67 index was an independent prognostic factor affecting DFS and OS (P=0.007 and 0.028, resp.). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that imatinib treatment for patients with recurrence was correlated with prolonged OS (P=0.002). Conclusion. Prognosis for DGIST treated by R0 resection is favorable. High level of Ki-67 can be an independent risk factor of DGIST prognosis. Adjuvant imatinib therapy for patients with tumor recurrence could probably lead to prolonged survival.
T-614 Promotes Osteoblastic Cell Differentiation by Increasing Dlx5 Expression and Regulating the Activation of p38 and NF-κB
Authors: Song Jinglue , Liu Hongli , Zhu Qi , Miao Yutong , Wang Feiyan , Yang Fan , Cheng Wenjing , Xi Yebin , Niu Xiaoyin , He Dongyi , Chen Guangjie
Published: February 2018

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by bone loss. Degree of inflammation has been identified as an important initiator of skeletal damage in RA. Iguratimod (T-614) is an anti-inflammatory agent which has been reported to show the inhibitory effect of bone destruction in RA. However, the role of T-614 in osteoblast differentiation is still not clear. In this study, we intended to find the effect of T-614 on the osteogenesis process. We detected osteogenesis markers and transcription factors associated with osteoblastic lineage and bone formation in the culture of mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate osteoblast. The contents and activity of alkaline phosphatase, levels of collagen type I and bone gla protein, and calcium nodule formation were increased significantly after T-614 treated. Meanwhile, the mRNAs expressions of Osterix and Dlx5 were also found to be increased significantly by real-time PCR. The changes of levels of phosphorylation of p38 and NF-κB were also detected by Western blot. The results showed that T-614 promotes osteoblastic differentiation by increasing the expression of Osterix and Dlx5 and increasing the activation of P38. T-614 could advance the ectopic expression of NF-κB to suppress inflammation, which indirectly inhibits the damage of the osteoblasts.
MapFuse: Complete and Realistic 3D Modelling
Authors: Aernouts Michiel , Bellekens Ben , Weyn Maarten
Published: February 2018

Validating a 3D indoor radio propagation model that simulates the signal strength of a wireless device can be a challenging task due to an incomplete or a faulty environment model. In this paper, we present a novel method to simulate a complete indoor environment that can be used for evaluating a radio propagation model efficiently. In order to obtain a realistic and robust model of the full environment, the OctoMap framework is applied. The system combines the result of a SLAM algorithm and secondly a simple initial model of the same environment in a probabilistic way. Due to this approach, sensor noise and accumulated registration errors are minimised. Furthermore, in this article, we evaluate the merging approach with two SLAM algorithms, three vision sensors, and four datasets, of which one is publicly available. As a result, we have created a complete volumetric model by merging an initial model of the environment with the result of RGB-D SLAM based on real sensor measurements.
The Influence of Social Networks on the Development of Recruitment Actions that Favor User Interface Design and Conversions in Mobile Applications Powered by Linked Data
Authors: Palos-Sanchez Pedro R. , Saura Jose Ramon , Debasa Felipe
Published: February 2018

This study analyzes the most important influence factors in the literature, which have the greatest influence on the conversions obtained in a mobile application powered by linked data. With the study of user interface design and a small user survey (n = 101,053), we studied the influence of social networks, advertising, and promotional and recruitment actions in conversions for mobile applications powered by linked data. The analysis of the users’ behavior and their application in the design of the actions to promote and capture constitutes an important part of the current theories of digital marketing. However, this study shows that its results may be contradictory and depend on other factors and circumstances when mobile applications powered by linked data are considered. The predictive value, reached by the developed model, may be useful for professionals and researchers in the field of digital marketing and the user interface design in mobile applications powered by linked data.
BIM‐Based Construction Information Management Framework for Site Information Management
Authors: Lee Dong-Gun , Park Ji-Young , Song Sang-Hoon
Published: February 2018

Projects in the construction industry are becoming increasingly large and complex, with construction technologies, methods, and the like developing rapidly. Various different types of information are generated by construction projects. Especially, a construction phase requires the input of many resources and generates a diverse set of information. While a variety of IT techniques are being deployed for information management during the construction phase, measures to create databases of such information and to link these various different types of information together are still insufficient. As such, this study aims to suggest a construction information database system based on BIM technology to enable the comprehensive management of site information generated during the construction phase. This study analyzed the information generated from construction sites and proposed a categorization system for structuring the generated information, along with a database model for storing such structured information. Through such efforts, it was confirmed that such a database system can be used for accumulating and using construction information; it is believed that, in the future, the continual accumulation and management of construction information will allow for corporate‐level accumulation of knowledge as opposed to the individual accumulation of know‐how.