bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon nanotube field effect transistor aptasensors for estrogen detection in liquids
Authors: Zheng Han Yue , Alsager Omar A. , Wood Cameron S. , Hodgkiss Justin M. , Plank Natalie O. V.
Published: November 2015

The authors demonstrate a small molecule 17 β-estradiol (E2) sensor based on aptamer functionalized carbon nanotube network film field effect transistors (CNT FETs). The real time current response for the 35-mer E2 aptamer functionalized CNT FET shows a clear increase in current over the range of 50 nM to 1.6 μM of E2. The E2 response using a longer 75-mer version of the aptamer functionalized CNT FETs, where the aptamer/E2 binding occurs beyond the Debye length, shows no obvious evidence of sensing. The CNT FET sensing platform has been fabricated via a simple surfactant free solution processing route, compatible with further carbon nanotube functionalization to develop a versatile sensing platform. The CNT FET aptasensors are able to perform real time monitoring of E2 levels for selective and quantitative detection of E2 in liquids.
Effects of N2O gas addition on the properties of ZnO films grown by catalytic reaction-assisted chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Yasui Kanji , Morioka Makoto , Kanauchi Shingo , Ohashi Yuki , Kato Takahiro , Tamayama Yasuhiro
Published: November 2015

The influence of N2O gas addition on the properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) films grown on a-plane (11–20) sapphire (a-Al2O3) substrates was investigated, using a chemical vapor deposition method based on the reaction between dimethylzinc and high-temperature H2O produced by a catalytic H2-O2 reaction on platinum (Pt) nanoparticles. The addition of N2O was found to increase the size of the crystalline facets and to improve the crystal orientation along the c-axis. The electron mobility at 290 K was also increased to 234 cm2/Vs following the addition of N2O gas at a pressure of 3.2 × 10−3 Pa. In addition, the minimum full width at half maximum of the most intense photoluminescence peak derived from neutral donor bound excitons at 10 K decreased to 0.6 meV by the addition of N2O gas at a pressure of 3.1 × 10−2 Pa.
Atomic layer deposited cobalt oxide: An efficient catalyst for NaBH4 hydrolysis
Authors: Nandi Dip K. , Manna Joydev , Dhara Arpan , Sharma Pratibha , Sarkar Shaibal K.
Published: November 2015

Thin films of cobalt oxide are deposited by atomic layer deposition using dicobalt octacarbonyl [Co2(CO)8] and ozone (O3) at 50 °C on microscope glass substrates and polished Si(111) wafers. Self-saturated growth mechanism is verified by x-ray reflectivity measurements. As-deposited films consist of both the crystalline phases; CoO and Co3O4 that gets converted to pure cubic-Co3O4 phase upon annealing at 500 °C under ambient condition. Elemental composition and uniformity of the films is examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion-mass spectroscopy. Both as-deposited and the annealed films have been successfully tested as a catalyst for hydrogen evolution from sodium borohydride hydrolysis. The activation energy of the hydrolysis reaction in the presence of the as-grown catalyst is found to be ca. 38 kJ mol−1. Further implementation of multiwalled carbon nanotube, as a scaffold layer, improves the hydrogen generation rate by providing higher surface area of the deposited catalyst.
Beam's‐eye‐view imaging during non‐coplanar lung SBRT
Authors: Yip Stephen S. F. , Rottmann Joerg , Berbeco Ross I.
Published: November 2015

Purpose:

Beam's‐eye‐view (BEV) imaging with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) can be performed during lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to monitor the tumor location in real‐time. Image quality for each patient and treatment field depends on several factors including the patient anatomy and the gantry and couch angles. The authors investigated the angular dependence of automatic tumor localization during non‐coplanar lung SBRT delivery.

Methods:

All images were acquired at a frame rate of 12 Hz with an amorphous silicon EPID. A previously validated markerless lung tumor localization algorithm was employed with manual localization as the reference. From ten SBRT patients, 12 987 image frames of 123 image sequences acquired at 48 different gantry–couch rotations were analyzed. δ was defined by the position difference of the automatic and manual localization.

Results:

Regardless of the couch angle, the best tracking performance was found in image sequences with a gantry angle within 20° of 250° (δ = 1.40 mm). Image sequences acquired with gantry angles of 150°, 210°, and 350° also led to good tracking performances with δ = 1.77–2.00 mm. Overall, the couch angle was not correlated with the tracking results. Among all the gantry–couch combinations, image sequences acquired at (θ = 30°, ϕ = 330°), (θ = 210°, ϕ = 10°), and (θ = 250°, ϕ = 30°) led to the best tracking results with δ = 1.19–1.82 mm. The worst performing combinations were (θ = 90° and 230°, ϕ = 10°) and (θ = 270°, ϕ = 30°) with δ > 3.5 mm. However, 35% (17/48) of the gantry–couch rotations demonstrated substantial variability in tracking performances between patients. For example, the field angle (θ = 70°, ϕ = 10°) was acquired for five patients. While the tracking errors were ≤1.98 mm for three patients, poor performance was found for the other two patients with δ ≥ 2.18 mm, leading to average tracking error of 2.70 mm. Only one image sequence was acquired for all other gantry–couch rotations (δ = 1.18–10.29 mm).

Conclusions:

Non‐coplanar beams with gantry–couch rotation of (θ = 30°, ϕ = 330°), (θ = 210°, ϕ = 10°), and (θ = 250°, ϕ = 30°) have the highest accuracy for BEV lung tumor localization. Additionally, gantry angles of 150°, 210°, 250°, and 350° also offer good tracking performance. The beam geometries (θ = 90° and 230°, ϕ = 10°) and (θ = 270°, ϕ = 30°) are associated with substantial automatic localization errors. Overall, lung tumor visibility and tracking performance were patient dependent for a substantial number of the gantry–couch angle combinations studied.
Quantitative model selection for enhanced magnetic nanoparticle imaging in magnetorelaxometry
Authors: Coene Annelies , Leliaert Jonathan , Dupré Luc , Crevecoeur Guillaume
Published: November 2015

Purpose:

The performance of an increasing number of biomedical applications is dependent on the accurate knowledge of the spatial magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) distribution in the body. Magnetorelaxometry (MRX) imaging is a promising and noninvasive technique for the reconstruction of this distribution. To date, no accurate and quantitative measure is available to compare and optimize different MRX imaging models and setups independent of the MNP distribution. In this paper, the authors employ statistical parameters to develop quantitative MRX imaging models. Using these models, a straightforward optimization of setups and models is possible resulting in improved MNP reconstructions.

Methods:

A MRX imaging setup is considered with different coil configurations, each corresponding to a MRX imaging model. The models can be represented by a sensitivity matrix. These are compared by employing the matrices as inputs to statistical parameters such as conditional entropy and mutual information (MI). These parameters determine the best model to reconstruct the MNP amount for each volume‐element (voxel) in the sample. The matrix is transformed by multiplying the columns with different weightings depending on the performance of the MRX imaging model with respect to the other models. This transformed matrix is compared to the original sensitivity matrix without weightings.

Results:

Compared to the original sensitivity matrix, an increased numerical stability and improved noise robustness for the transformed sensitivity matrix are observed. The reconstruction of the MNP shows improvements: a correlation to the actual MNP distribution of 99.2%, whereas the original matrix only had 82.5%. By selecting the MRX models with the smallest MI, the authors are able to reduce the measurement time by 65% and still obtain an improved imaging accuracy and noise robustness. The statistical parameters allow a direct measure of the relative information content within the setup such that the optimal voxel size for the MRX setup is determined to be between 5 and 15 mm, while other sizes show a significant change in the statistical parameters.

Conclusions:

The use of statistical parameters in MRX imaging models results in quantitative models which can optimize MRX setups in a very fast and elegant way such that improved MNP imaging can be realized. Finally, the presented measure allows to quantitatively and accurately compare different MRX models and setups independent of the MNP distribution.
Linear multivariate evaluation models for spatial perception of soundscape
Authors: Deng Zhiyong , Kang Jian , Wang Daiwei , Liu Aili , Kang Joe Zhengyu
Published: November 2015

Soundscape is a sound environment that emphasizes the awareness of auditory perception and social or cultural understandings. The case of spatial perception is significant to soundscape. However, previous studies on the auditory spatial perception of the soundscape environment have been limited. Based on 21 native binaural-recorded soundscape samples and a set of auditory experiments for subjective spatial perception (SSP), a study of the analysis among semantic parameters, the inter-aural-cross-correlation coefficient (IACC), A-weighted-equal sound-pressure-level (Leq), dynamic (D), and SSP is introduced to verify the independent effect of each parameter and to re-determine some of their possible relationships. The results show that the more noisiness the audience perceived, the worse spatial awareness they received, while the closer and more directional the sound source image variations, dynamics, and numbers of sound sources in the soundscape are, the better the spatial awareness would be. Thus, the sensations of roughness, sound intensity, transient dynamic, and the values of Leq and IACC have a suitable range for better spatial perception. A better spatial awareness seems to promote the preference slightly for the audience. Finally, setting SSPs as functions of the semantic parameters and Leq-D-IACC, two linear multivariate evaluation models of subjective spatial perception are proposed.
Origami-inspired active graphene-based paper for programmable instant self-folding walking devices
Authors: Mu Jiuke , Hou Chengyi , Wang Hongzhi , Li Yaogang , Zhang Qinghong , Zhu Meifang
Published: November 2015

Origami-inspired self-folding graphene papers show remote control grasping, manipulation, and walking behaviors.
Old World megadroughts and pluvials during the Common Era
Authors: Cook Edward R. , Seager Richard , Kushnir Yochanan , Briffa Keith R. , Büntgen Ulf , Frank David , Krusic Paul J. , Tegel Willy , van der Schrier Gerard , Andreu-Hayles Laia , Baillie Mike , Baittinger Claudia , Bleicher Niels , Bonde Niels , Brown David , Carrer Marco , Cooper Richard , Čufar Katarina , Dittmar Christoph , Esper Jan , Griggs Carol , Gunnarson Björn , Günther Björn , Gutierrez Emilia , Haneca Kristof , Helama Samuli , Herzig Franz , Heussner Karl-Uwe , Hofmann Jutta , Janda Pavel , Kontic Raymond , Köse Nesibe , Kyncl Tomáš , Levanič Tom , Linderholm Hans , Manning Sturt , Melvin Thomas M. , Miles Daniel , Neuwirth Burkhard , Nicolussi Kurt , Nola Paola , Panayotov Momchil , Popa Ionel , Rothe Andreas , Seftigen Kristina , Seim Andrea , Svarva Helene , Svoboda Miroslav , Thun Terje , Timonen Mauri , Touchan Ramzi , Trotsiuk Volodymyr , Trouet Valerie , Walder Felix , Ważny Tomasz , Wilson Rob , Zang Christian
Published: November 2015

An atlas of megadroughts in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin during the Common Era provides insights into climate variability.
Identification of Genes Conferring Tolerance to Lignocellulose-Derived Inhibitors by Functional Selections in Soil Metagenomes
Authors: Forsberg Kevin J. , Patel Sanket , Witt Evan , Wang Bin , Ellison Tyler D. , Dantas Gautam
Published: November 2015

The production of fuels or chemicals from lignocellulose currently requires thermochemical pretreatment to release fermentable sugars. These harsh conditions also generate numerous small-molecule inhibitors of microbial growth and fermentation, limiting production. We applied small-insert functional metagenomic selections to discover genes that confer microbial tolerance to these inhibitors, identifying both individual genes and general biological processes associated with tolerance to multiple inhibitory compounds. Having screened over 248 Gb of DNA cloned from 16 diverse soil metagenomes, we describe gain-of-function tolerance against acid, alcohol, and aldehyde inhibitors derived from hemicellulose and lignin, demonstrating that uncultured soil microbial communities hold tremendous genetic potential to address the toxicity of pretreated lignocellulose. We recovered genes previously known to confer tolerance to lignocellulosic inhibitors as well as novel genes that confer tolerance via unknown functions. For instance, we implicated galactose metabolism in overcoming the toxicity of lignin monomers and identified a decarboxylase that confers tolerance to ferulic acid; this enzyme has been shown to catalyze the production of 4-vinyl guaiacol, a valuable precursor to vanillin production. These metagenomic tolerance genes can enable the flexible design of hardy microbial catalysts, customized to withstand inhibitors abundant in specific bioprocessing applications.
Microbial Activation of Wooden Vats Used for Traditional Cheese Production and Evolution of Neoformed Biofilms
Authors: Gaglio Raimondo , Cruciata Margherita , Di Gerlando Rosalia , Scatassa Maria Luisa , Cardamone Cinzia , Mancuso Isabella , Sardina Maria Teresa , Moschetti Giancarlo , Portolano Baldassare , Settanni Luca
Published: November 2015

Three
Lactococcus lactis
subsp.
cremoris
strains were used to develop
ad hoc
biofilms on the surfaces of virgin wooden vats used for cheese production. Two vats (TZ) were tested under controlled conditions (pilot plant), and two vats (TA) were tested under uncontrolled conditions (industrial plant). In each plant, one vat (TA1 and TZ1) was used for the control, traditional production of PDO Vastedda della Valle del Belìce (Vastedda) cheese, and one (TA2 and TZ2) was used for experimental production performed after lactococcal biofilm activation and the daily addition of a natural whey starter culture (NWSC). Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed differences in terms of microbial levels and composition of the neoformed biofilms. The levels of the microbial groups investigated during cheese production showed significant differences between the control trials and between the control and experimental trials, but the differences were not particularly marked between the TA2 and TZ2 productions, which showed the largest numbers of mesophilic lactic acid bacterium (LAB) cocci. LAB populations were characterized phenotypically and genotypically, and 44 dominant strains belonging to 10 species were identified. Direct comparison of the polymorphic profiles of the LAB collected during cheese making showed that the addition of the NWSC reduced their biodiversity. Sensory evaluation showed that the microbial activation of the wooden vats with the multistrain
Lactococcus
culture generated cheeses with sensory attributes comparable to those of commercial cheese. Thus, neoformed biofilms enable a reduction of microbial variability and stabilize the sensorial attributes of Vastedda cheese.
Archaeal Inorganic Pyrophosphatase Displays Robust Activity under High-Salt Conditions and in Organic Solvents
Authors: McMillan Lana J. , Hepowit Nathaniel L. , Maupin-Furlow Julie A.
Published: November 2015

Soluble inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPAs) that hydrolyze inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) to orthophosphate (Pi) are commonly used to accelerate and detect biosynthetic reactions that generate PPias a by-product. Current PPAs are inactivated by high salt concentrations and organic solvents, which limits the extent of their use. Here we report a class A type PPA of the haloarchaeonHaloferax volcanii(HvPPA) that is thermostable and displays robust PPi-hydrolyzing activity under conditions of 25% (vol/vol) organic solvent and salt concentrations from 25 mM to 3 M. HvPPA was purified to homogeneity as a homohexamer by a rapid two-step method and was found to display non-Michaelis-Menten kinetics with aVmaxof 465 U · mg−1for PPihydrolysis (optimal at 42°C and pH 8.5) and Hill coefficients that indicated cooperative binding to PPiand Mg2+. Similarly to other class A type PPAs, HvPPA was inhibited by sodium fluoride; however, hierarchical clustering and three-dimensional (3D) homology modeling revealed HvPPA to be distinct in structure from characterized PPAs. In particular, HvPPA was highly negative in surface charge, which explained its extreme resistance to organic solvents. To demonstrate that HvPPA could drive thermodynamically unfavorable reactions to completion under conditions of reduced water activity, a novel coupled assay was developed; HvPPA hydrolyzed the PPiby-product generated in 2 M NaCl by UbaA (a “salt-loving” noncanonical E1 enzyme that adenylates ubiquitin-like proteins in the presence of ATP). Overall, we demonstrate HvPPA to be useful for hydrolyzing PPiunder conditions of reduced water activity that are a hurdle to current PPA-based technologies.
Application of three different sets of explicit criteria for assessing inappropriate prescribing in older patients: a nationwide prevalence study of ambulatory care visits in Taiwan
Authors: Chang Chirn-Bin , Yang Shu-Yu , Lai Hsiu-Yun , Wu Ru-Shu , Liu Hsing-Cheng , Hsu Hsiu-Ying , Hwang Shinn-Jang , Chan Ding-Cheng
Published: November 2015

Objective

To investigate the national prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed in ambulatory care clinics in Taiwan according to three different sets of regional criteria and the correlates of PIM use.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

This analysis included older patients who visited ambulatory care clinics in 2009 and represented half of the older population included on the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database.

Participants

We identified 1 164 701 subjects who visited ambulatory care clinics and were over 65 years old in 2009.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

PIM prevalence according to the 2012 Beers criteria, the PIM-Taiwan criteria and the PRISCUS criteria was estimated separately, and characteristics of PIM users were explored. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine patient factors associated with the use of at least one PIM. Leading PIMs for each set of criteria were also listed.

Results

The prevalence of having at least one PIM at the patient level was highest with the Beers criteria (86.2%), followed by the PIM-Taiwan criteria (73.3%) and the PRISCUS criteria (66.9%). Polypharmacy and younger age were associated with PIM use for all three sets of criteria. The leading PIMs detected by the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria were all included in the 2012 Beers criteria. Non-COX-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the Beers criteria and benzodiazepines in the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria accounted for most leading PIMs.

Conclusions

The prevalence of PIMs was high among older Taiwanese patients receiving ambulatory care visits. The prevalence of PIM and its associated factors varied according to three sets of criteria at the population level.
Bad apples or spoiled barrels? Multilevel modelling analysis of variation in high-risk prescribing in Scotland between general practitioners and between the practices they work in
Authors: Guthrie Bruce , Donnan Peter T , Murphy Douglas J , Makubate Boikanyo , Dreischulte Tobias
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Primary care high-risk prescribing causes significant harm, but it is unclear if it is largely driven by individuals (a ‘bad apple’ problem) or by practices having higher or lower risk prescribing cultures (a ‘spoiled barrel’ problem). The study aimed to examine the extent of variation in high-risk prescribing between individual prescribers and between the practices they work in.

Design, setting and participants

Multilevel logistic regression modelling of routine cross-sectional data from 38 Scottish general practices for 181 010 encounters between 398 general practitioners (GPs) and 26 539 patients particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events (ADEs) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) due to age, comorbidity or co-prescribing.

Outcome measure

Initiation of a new NSAID prescription in an encounter between GPs and eligible patients.

Results

A new high-risk NSAID was initiated in 1953 encounters (1.1% of encounters, 7.4% of patients). Older patients, those with more vulnerabilities to NSAID ADEs and those with polypharmacy were less likely to have a high-risk NSAID initiated, consistent with GPs generally recognising the risk of NSAIDs in eligible patients. Male GPs were more likely to initiate a high-risk NSAID than female GPs (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.16). After accounting for patient characteristics, 4.2% (95% CI 2.1 to 8.3) of the variation in high-risk NSAID prescribing was attributable to variation between practices, and 14.2% (95% CI 11.4 to 17.3) to variation between GPs. Three practices had statistically higher than average high-risk prescribing, but only 15.7% of GPs with higher than average high-risk prescribing and 18.5% of patients receiving such a prescription were in these practices.

Conclusions

There was much more variation in high-risk prescribing between GPs than between practices, and only targeting practices with higher than average rates will miss most high-risk NSAID prescribing. Primary care prescribing safety improvement should ideally target all practices, but encourage practices to consider and act on variation between prescribers in the practice.
Healthcare utilisation by pregnant patients with asthma in South Korea: a cohort study using nationwide claims data
Authors: Lee Chang-Hoon , Kim Jimin , Jang Eun Jin , Kim Yun Jung , Choi Seongmi , Lee Joon-Ho , Kim Deog Kyeom , Yim Jae-Joon , Yoon Ho Il
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Few nationwide population-based studies have examined the burden of asthma during pregnancy. Here, we investigated the burden and medical treatment of asthma during pregnancy requiring healthcare utilisation in South Korea.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

Nationwide insurance claims database.

Participants

A total of 1 306 281 pregnant women who delivered in South Korea in 2009–2011.

Outcomes

The prevalence and exacerbation rates of asthma requiring healthcare utilisation, and the prescription of antiasthmatic drugs during pregnancy.

Results

The prevalence of asthma requiring healthcare utilisation was 0.43% among pregnant women. Among those with asthma requiring healthcare utilisation, 6.9% were hospitalised and treated with systemic steroids and short-acting β2-agonists during pregnancy. Oral drugs were prescribed less during the third trimester than during the first trimester (all p values for trends were <0.001). A significant number of patients with asthma were likely to stop taking antiasthmatic drugs after becoming pregnant.

Conclusions

The prevalence of asthma requiring healthcare utilisation during pregnancy was not very high. However, a significant number of women were likely to stop taking antiasthmatic drugs, and those who did tended to experience exacerbations.
New onset diabetes after kidney transplantation in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: systematic review protocol
Authors: Yang Bo , Chen Sixiu , Yang Guang , Mei Changlin , Ong Albert , Mao Zhiguo
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited kidney disorder with numerous cysts developing in bilateral kidneys. Meanwhile, ADPKD can also be regarded as a systemic disease because the cystic and non-cystic abnormalities could be identified in multiple organs in patients with ADPKD. Several lines of evidence suggest the risk of post-transplant diabetes mellitus or new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is higher in patients with ADPKD compared with non-ADPKD renal recipients, but the available results are conflicting. We describe the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis for investigating the risk of NODAT in patients with ADPKD.

Methods and analysis

PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library will be searched. Cohort studies irrespective of language and publication status, comparing the incidence of NODAT in renal recipients with ADPKD and other kidney disease will be eligible. We will assess heterogeneity among studies. Along with 95% CIs, dichotomous data will be summarised as risk ratios; numbers needed to treat/harm and continuous data will be given as standard mean differences. Excluding outliers and testing small sample size studies if our results are robust, sensitivity analysis will be carried out.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required because this study includes no confidential personal data or patient interventions. The review findings will be helpful in designing and implementing future studies and will be of interest to a wide range of readers, including healthcare professionals, researchers, health service managers and policymakers. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print.

Trial registration number

The study protocol has been registered in PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/) under registration number CRD42014009677.
A multilevel analysis of mortality following acute myocardial infarction in Norway: do municipal health services make a difference?
Authors: Ambugo Eliva Atieno , Hagen Terje P
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Studies link area features such as neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation to poor health outcomes. However, there is a paucity of research based on representative data investigating the effects of area-level health services on mortality. This study examines the extent to which municipal health services account for municipal variation in all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. We hypothesise that unfavourable municipal features (eg, fewer available places for rehabilitation) are associated with higher risk of mortality after accounting for patients’ characteristics.

Design

Population data from Norwegian national/municipal registrars are analysed using multilevel logistic regression in this prospective cohort study.

Setting and participants

The analytic sample (9412 patients aged 18+ from 336 municipalities) constitutes 87.7% of the nationwide population of Norwegian adults who were hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 2009 and discharged alive.

Primary outcome measures

All-cause and CVD mortality occurring within 365 days after the first day of hospitalisation for AMI.

Results

There was a small but significant variation at the municipal level in all-cause mortality (0.5%; intraclass correlation coefficient=0.005) but not CVD mortality. There were no significant fixed effects of municipal health services on mortality in bivariate models. Patients’ characteristics (eg, gender, comorbidities) fully accounted for the observed municipal variation in mortality. Being male versus female (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.43), or having been previously diagnosed with dementia versus not (OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.53 to 2.77) were also linked to higher odds of death.

Conclusions

Municipal variation in all-cause mortality for Norwegian patients with AMI appears to be driven not by differences across municipalities in health service levels, but by differences across municipalities in the composition of patients. Focusing on chronic disease prevention and treatment, and tackling personal and structural risk factors embedded within patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, may be especially beneficial for longevity.
Examination of the community-specific prevalence of and factors associated with substance use and misuse among Rural and Urban adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Zenic Natasa , Ostojic Ljerka , Sisic Nedim , Pojskic Haris , Peric Mia , Uljevic Ognjen , Sekulic Damir
Published: November 2015

Objective

The community of residence (ie, urban vs rural) is one of the known factors of influence on substance use and misuse (SUM). The aim of this study was to explore the community-specific prevalence of SUM and the associations that exist between scholastic, familial, sports and sociodemographic factors with SUM in adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, which was completed between November and December 2014, the participants were 957 adolescents (aged 17 to 18 years) from Bosnia and Herzegovina (485; 50.6% females). The independent variables were sociodemographic, academic, sport and familial factors. The dependent variables consisted of questions on cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. We have calculated differences between groups of participants (gender, community), while the logistic regressions were applied to define associations between the independent and dependent variables.

Results

In the urban community, cigarette smoking is more prevalent in girls (OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.27 to 3.35), while harmful drinking is more prevalent in boys (OR=2.07; 95% CI 1.59 to 2.73). When data are weighted by gender and community, harmful drinking is more prevalent in urban boys (OR=1.97; 95% CI 1.31 to 2.95), cigarette smoking is more frequent in rural boys (OR=1.61; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.39), and urban girls misuse substances to a greater extent than rural girls (OR=1.70; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.51,OR=2.85; 95% CI 1.88 to 4.31,OR=2.78; 95% CI 1.67 to 4.61 for cigarette smoking, harmful drinking and simultaneous smoking-drinking, respectively). Academic failure is strongly associated with a higher likelihood of SUM. The associations between parental factors and SUM are more evident in urban youth. Sports factors are specifically correlated with SUM for urban girls.

Conclusions

Living in an urban environment should be considered as a higher risk factor for SUM in girls. Parental variables are more strongly associated with SUM among urban youth, most probably because of the higher parental involvement in children’ personal lives in urban communities (ie, college plans, for example). Specific indicators should be monitored in the prevention of SUM.
Prediction of individual combined benefit and harm for patients with atrial fibrillation considering warfarin therapy: a study protocol
Authors: Li Guowei , Holbrook Anne , Delate Thomas , Witt Daniel M , Levine Mitchell AH , Thabane Lehana
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Clinical prediction rules have been validated and widely used in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) to predict stroke and major bleeding. However, these prediction rules were not developed in the same population, and do not provide the key information that patients and prescribers need at the time anticoagulants are being considered—what is the individual patient-specific risk of both benefit (decreased stroke) and harm (increased major bleeding). In this study, our primary objective is to develop and validate a prediction model for patients’ individual combined benefit and harm outcomes (stroke, major bleeding and neither event) with and without warfarin therapy. Our secondary outcome is all-cause mortality.

Methods and analysis

We will use data from the Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) anticoagulation management databases and electronic medical records. Patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis during an ambulatory KPCO medical office visit, emergency department visit, or inpatient stay between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2012 with no AF diagnosis in the previous 180 days will be included. Patients’ demographic characteristics, laboratory data, comorbidities, warfarin medication data and concurrent use of medication will be used to construct the prediction model. For primary outcomes (stroke with no major bleeding, and major bleeding with no stroke), we will perform polytomous logistic regression to develop a prediction model for patients’ individual combined benefit and harm outcomes, taking neither event group as the reference group. As regards death, we will use Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to build a prediction model for all-cause mortality.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the KPCO Institutional Review Board and the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board. Results from this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal electronically and in print. The prediction models may aid in patient-physician shared decision-making when they are considering warfarin therapy.
What are the effects of varenicline compared with nicotine replacement therapy on long-term smoking cessation and clinically important outcomes? Protocol for a prospective cohort study
Authors: Davies Neil M , Taylor Gemma , Taylor Amy E , Thomas Kyla H , Windmeijer Frank , Martin Richard M , Munafò Marcus R
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Smoking is a major avoidable cause of ill-health and premature death. Treatments that help patients successfully quit smoking have an important effect on health and life expectancy. Varenicline is a medication that can help smokers successfully quit smoking. However, there are concerns that it may cause adverse effects, such as increase in the occurrence of depression, self-harm and suicide and cardiovascular disease. In this study we aim to examine the effects of varenicline versus other smoking cessation pharmacotherapies on smoking cessation, health service use, all-cause and cause-specific mortality and physical and mental health conditions.

Methods

In this project we will investigate the effects of varenicline compared to nicotine replacement therapies on: (1) long-term smoking cessation and whether these effects differ by area level deprivation; and (2) the following clinically-important outcomes: rate of general practice and hospital attendance; all-cause mortality and death due to diseases of the respiratory system and cardiovascular disease; and a primary care diagnosis of respiratory illness, myocardial infarction or depression and anxiety. The study is based on a cohort of patients prescribed these smoking cessation medications from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). We will use three methods to overcome confounding: multivariable adjusted Cox regression, propensity score matched Cox regression, and instrumental variable regression. The total expected sample size for analysis will be at least 180 000. Follow-up will end with the earliest of either an ‘event’ or censoring due to the end of registration or death.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was not required for this study. This project has been approved by the CPRD's Independent Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC). We will disseminate our findings via publications in international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences.
Educational differentials in disability vary across and within welfare regimes: a comparison of 26 European countries in 2009
Authors: Cambois Emmanuelle , Solé-Auró Aïda , Brønnum-Hansen Henrik , Egidi Viviana , Jagger Carol , Jeune Bernard , Nusselder Wilma J , Van Oyen Herman , White Chris , Robine Jean-Marie
Published: November 2015

Background

Social differentials in disability prevalence exist in all European countries, but their scale varies markedly. To improve understanding of this variation, the article focuses on each end of the social gradient. It compares the extent of the higher disability prevalence in low social groups (referred to asdisability disadvantage)and of the lower prevalence in high social groups (disability advantage); country-specific advantages/disadvantages are discussed regarding the possible influence of welfare regimes.

Methods

Cross-sectional disability prevalence is measured by longstanding health-related activity limitation (AL) in the 2009 European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) across 26 countries classified into four welfare regime groups. Logistic models adjusted by country, age and sex (in all 30–79 years and in three age-bands) measured the country-specific ORs across education, representing the AL-disadvantage of low-educated and AL-advantage of high-educated groups relative to middle-educated groups.

Results

The relative AL-disadvantage of the low-educated groups was small in Sweden (eg, 1.2 (1.0–1.4)), Finland, Romania, Bulgaria and Spain (youngest age-band), but was large in the Czech Republic (eg, 1.9 (1.7–2.2)), Denmark, Belgium, Italy and Hungary. The high-educated groups had a small relative AL-advantage in Denmark (eg, 0.9 (0.8–1.1)), but a large AL-advantage in Lithuania (eg, 0.5 (0.4–0.6)), half of the Baltic and Eastern European countries, Norway and Germany (youngest age-band). There were notable differences within welfare regime groups.

Conclusions

The country-specific disability advantages/disadvantages across educational groups identified here could help to identify determining factors and the efficiency of national policies implemented to tackle social differentials in health.
Endovascular reconstruction of unruptured intradural vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms with the Pipeline embolization device
Authors: Kühn Anna Luisa , Kan Peter , Massari Francesco , Lozano J Diego , Hou Samuel Y , Howk Mary , Gounis Matthew J , Wakhloo Ajay K , Puri Ajit S
Published: November 2015

Background

Dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery (VA) are difficult to treat using current surgical and endovascular techniques.

Objective

To analyze retrospectively the efficacy and safety of flow diverters in the treatment of dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery.

Methods

We identified six patients with six unruptured VA dissecting aneurysms either arising from the V4 or V3–V4 junction that were treated with the Pipeline embolization device (PED) at our institution between July 2012 and February 2015. Among other parameters, technical feasibility of the procedure, procedure-related complications, angiographic results, and clinical outcome were evaluated.

Results

PED placement was achieved in all cases and immediate angiography follow-up demonstrated intra-aneurysmal contrast stasis with parent artery preservation. A temporary episode of dysarthria was noted in one patient. Major procedure-related complications were not observed. The 6-month follow-up (n=6) demonstrated complete/near-complete aneurysm obliteration in five patients and partial obliteration in one. At the 1-year follow-up (n=5) stable complete aneurysm occlusion was seen in two patients. Two cases showed progression from near complete occlusion and partial occlusion at 6 months to complete occlusion and near complete occlusion. One cases showed unchanged near complete occlusion. No aneurysmal bleeding, in-stent stenosis or thromboembolic complication was seen. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin scale scores remained unchanged from admission to discharge.

Conclusions

Our preliminary experience with the use of PED for the treatment of intradural VA dissecting aneurysms shows promising short-term results, making this technique a feasible and safe treatment option in patients suitable for this approach. However, long-term and larger cohort studies are needed to validate these results.
Promoter isolation and characterization ofGhAO-like1, aGossypium hirsutumgene similar to multicopper oxidases that is highly expressed in reproductive organs
Authors: Lambret-Frotté Julia , Artico Sinara , Muniz Nardeli Sarah , Fonseca Fernando , Brilhante Oliveira-Neto Osmundo , Grossi-de-Sá Maria Fatima , Alves-Ferreira Marcio
Published: November 2015

Cotton is one of the most economically important cultivated crops. It is the major source of natural fiber for the textile industry and an important target for genetic modification for both biotic stress and herbicide tolerance. Therefore, the characterization of genes and regulatory regions that might be useful for genetic transformation is indispensable. The isolation and characterization of new regulatory regions is of great importance to drive transgene expression in genetically modified crops. One of the major drawbacks in cotton production is pest damage; therefore, the most promising, cost-effective, and sustainable method for pest control is the development of genetically resistant cotton lines. Considering this scenario, our group isolated and characterized the promoter region of a MCO (multicopper oxidase) from Gossypium hirsutum, named GhAO-like1 (ascorbate oxidase-like1). The quantitative expression, together with the in vivo characterization of the promoter region reveals that GhAO-like1 has a flower- and fruit-specific expression pattern. The GUS activity is mainly observed in stamens, as expected considering that the GhAO-like1 regulatory sequence is enriched in cis elements, which have been characterized as a target of reproductive tissue specific transcription factors. Both histological and quantitative analyses in Arabidopsis thaliana have confirmed flower (mainly in stamens) and fruit expression of GhAO-like1. In the present paper, we isolated and characterized both in silico and in vivo the promoter region of the GhAO-like1 gene. The regulatory region of GhAO-like1 might be useful to confer tissue-specific expression in genetically modified plants.
Gravitons to photons — Attenuation of gravitational waves
Authors: Jones Preston , Singleton Douglas
Published: November 2015

In this essay, we examine the response of an Unruh–DeWitt (UD) detector (a quantum two-level system) to a gravitational wave background. The spectrum of the UD detector is of the same form as some scattering processes or three body decays such as muon-electron scattering or muon decay. Based on this similarity, we propose that the UD detector response implies a “decay” or attenuation of gravitons, [Formula: see text], into photons, [Formula: see text], via [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. Over large distances such a decay/attenuation may have consequences in regard to the detection of gravitational waves.
Gravitational waves: Some less discussed intriguing issues
Authors: Sivaram C.
Published: November 2015

Attempts to detect gravitational waves is actively in progress with sophisticated devices like LIGO setup across continents. Despite being predicted almost 100 years ago, there has so far been no direct detection of these waves. In this work, we draw attention to some of the less discussed but subtle aspects arising, for example, from high orbital eccentricities, where emission near periastron could be millions of times more than that in the distant parts of the orbit. The strong field nonlinear effects close to the compact objects can substantially slow down and deflect the waves in the last (few) orbit(s) where much of the intensity is expected. Spin–orbit and other forces could be significant. There would also be plasma like resonant absorption (of kilohertz radiation) during the collapse. Recent observation of supermassive black holes at high redshift implies cluster collapse, where the gravitational wave intensity depends on very high powers of the mass. Any unambiguous claim of detection should perhaps consider several of these effects.
Fundamental scalar fields and the dark side of the universe
Authors: Mychelkin Eduard G. , Makukov Maxim A.
Published: November 2015

Starting with geometrical premises, we infer the existence of fundamental cosmological scalar fields. We then consider physically relevant situations in which spacetime metric is induced by one or, in general, by two scalar fields, in accord with the Papapetrou algorithm. The first of these fields, identified with dark energy (DE), has exceedingly small but finite (subquantum) Hubble mass scale ([Formula: see text] eV), and might be represented as a neutral superposition of quasi-static electric fields. The second field is identified with dark matter (DM) as an effectively scalar conglomerate composed of primordial neutrinos and antineutrinos in a special tachyonic state.
A holographic model of d-wave superconductor vortices with Lifshitz scaling
Authors: Guo Hong , Shu Fu-Wen , Chen Jing-He , Li Hui , Yu Ze
Published: November 2015

We study analytically the [Formula: see text]-wave holographic superconductors with Lifshitz scaling in the presence of external magnetic field. The vortex lattice solutions of the model have also been obtained with different Lifshitz scaling. Our results imply that holographic [Formula: see text]-wave superconductor is indeed a type II one even for different Lifshitz scaling. This is the same as the conventional [Formula: see text]-wave superconductors in the Ginzburg–Landau (GL) theory. Our results also indicates that the dynamical exponent [Formula: see text] cannot affect the droplet solutions, and the vortex lattice solutions receive its effects only in the radial part. This naively implies that it does not have direct influence on the shape of vortex lattice even after the higher-order corrections are taken into consideration (away from the phase transition point [Formula: see text]). However, it has effects on the upper critical magnetic field [Formula: see text] through the fact that a larger [Formula: see text] results in a smaller [Formula: see text] and therefore influences the size (characterized by [Formula: see text]) of the vortex lattices. Furthermore, close comparisons between our results and those of the GL theory reveal the fact that the upper critical magnetic field [Formula: see text] is inversely proportional to the square of the superconducting coherence length [Formula: see text], regardless of the anisotropy between space and time.
ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND DENGUE VIRUS LOAD ON DENGUE TRANSMISSION
Authors: ESTEVA LOURDES , YANG HYUN MO
Published: November 2015

In this study, we propose a model to assess the effect of temperature on the incidence of dengue fever. For this, we take into account the dependence of the entomological and epidemiological parameters of the transmitter vector Aedes aegypti with respect to the temperature. The model consists of an ODE system that describes the transmission between humans and mosquitoes considering the aquatic stage of the vector population. The qualitative analysis of the model is made in terms of the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which represent the basic offspring of mosquitoes, and the basic reproductive number of the disease, respectively. If [Formula: see text] mosquito population extinguishes while for [Formula: see text] it tends asymptotically to a nonzero equilibrium. Analogously, the disease transmission is eliminated if [Formula: see text], and it approaches an endemic equilibrium for [Formula: see text]. Using entomological data of mosquitoes as well as experimental data of disease transmission we evaluate [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at different temperatures, obtaining that around [Formula: see text]C both parameters attain their maximum. Sensitivity analysis reveals that infection rates and mosquito mortality are the parameters for which [Formula: see text] is more sensitive.