bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Top-Ten Tips for Dual-Energy CT in MSK Radiology
Authors: Walstra Frances E. , Hickle Jonathan , Duggan Peter , Alsharhan Rashid , Murray Nicolas , Mallinson Paul , Munk Peter , Ouellette Hugue
Published: October 2019

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has the potential to detect musculoskeletal pathology with greater sensitivity than conventional CT alone at no additional radiation dose to the patient. It therefore has the potential to reduce the need for further diagnostic imaging or procedures (e.g., joint aspirations in the case of gout or magnetic resonance imaging to confirm undisplaced fractures).

DECT is a well-established technique for the detection of gout arthropathy. Multiple newer applications have shown clinical potential including bone marrow edema detection and metal artifact reduction. Collagen analysis, bone marrow lesion detection, and iodine mapping in CT arthrography are areas of possible future application and development.

This article outlines 10 tips on the use of DECT imaging of the musculoskeletal system, explaining the technique and indications with practical suggestions to help guide the radiologist.
Cartilage Imaging in Osteoarthritis
Authors: Alizai Hamza , Walter William , Khodarahmi Iman , Burke Christopher J.
Published: October 2019

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in the United States. The prevalence of OA is rising due to an aging population and increasing rates of obesity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows an incomparable noninvasive assessment of all joint structures. Irreversible and progressive degradation of the articular cartilage remains the hallmark feature of OA. To date, attempts at developing disease-modifying drugs or biomechanical interventions for treating OA have proven unsuccessful. MRI-based cartilage imaging techniques have continued to advance, however, and will likely play a central role in the development of these joint preservation methods of the future. In this narrative review, we describe clinical MR image acquisition and assessment of cartilage. We discuss the semiquantitative cartilage scoring methods used in research. Lastly, we review the quantitative MRI techniques that allow assessment of changes in the biochemical composition of cartilage, even before the morphological changes are evident.
Optimal potential well for maximizing performance of bi-stable energy harvester
Authors: Wang Kai , Dai Xuhan , Xiang Xiaojian , Ding Guifu , Zhao Xiaolin
Published: October 2019

This letter provides an investigation on the combined influence of the potential barrier (ΔE) and separation gap of a double well (Δx) to maximize the performance of an electromagnetic bistable energy harvester (BEH). A concise method based on a high-fidelity orthogonal array sampling technique is further developed to facilitate the searching of the parameter-set corresponding to the desired potential well. According to numerical and experimental results, a barrier depth slightly lower than the threshold of interwell oscillation cooperating with a properly large separation gap is preferred for improving the power output, and enlarging the redundancy of the excitation intensity for inducing the well escape behavior. Compared to the potential well with the same barrier depth but a narrow separation gap of 1.7 mm, the optimal well with a larger Δx of 2.3 mm not only demonstrates a 60% higher output power at an acceleration of 1 g, but the intensity threshold for interwell oscillation is also reduced to 0.7 g. This work presents an insight and a method into shaping the potential well for the optimized performance and increased redundancy of a bistable configuration.
Probing vortex-shedding at high frequencies in flows past confined microfluidic cylinders using high-speed microscale particle image velocimetry
Authors: Zhang Shigang , Cagney Neil , Balabani Stavroula , Naveira-Cotta Carolina P. , Tiwari Manish K.
Published: October 2019

Vortex-shedding from micropins has the potential to significantly enhance and intensify scalar transport in microchannels, for example by improving species mixing. However, the onset of vortex-shedding and the mixing efficiency are highly sensitive to the confinement imposed by the microchannel walls. In this work, the time dependent flow past a cylindrical pin in microchannels with different levels of confinement was studied experimentally. The onset of vortex-shedding in such flows is associated with high, kilohertz range frequencies that are difficult to resolve using conventional laser-based microscale particle image velocimetry (μPIV) techniques. Hence, in this study, a high-speed μPIV technique was implemented in order to obtain time-resolved measurements of the velocity fields downstream of the micropin to estimate the corresponding vortex-shedding frequencies and quantify the mixing in the pin wake. The vertical confinement (pin length to diameter ratio) was found to delay the onset of vortex-shedding. When vortex-shedding was present, the shedding frequency and the corresponding Strouhal numbers were found to be greater in channels with higher lateral confinement for the same Reynolds number. Finite-time Lyapunov exponent analysis was performed on the acquired velocity fields to estimate the mixing performance. The results clearly illustrated the significant enhancement in both the mixing in the wake and the mass flux across the centerline of the wake induced by vortex-shedding.
Any-polar resistive switching behavior in LATP films
Authors: Jiao J. L. , Li L. C. , Cheng S. , Chang A. L. , Mao Y. C. , Huang W. , Wang J. Y. , Xu J. F. , Li J. , Li C. , Chen S. Y.
Published: October 2019

We demonstrate the coexistence and conversion of the unipolar and bipolar resistive switching behavior in Pt/Li1+xAlxTi2−x(PO4)3 (LATP)/Pt structures fabricated by sputtering. The dielectric constant (k) of the LATP film equals 12.0. After the electroforming, the Pt/LATP/Pt resistive switching device exhibits either unipolar switching mode (URS) or bipolar switching mode (BRS). The switching mode can be freely converted between URS and BRS with the same compliance current. This will provide a foundation for a switching mode called any-polar switching mode. The switching mechanism is believed to be related to the formation and rupture of conductive filaments and the excellent oxygen storage capacitance of the LATP film.
Practical GW scheme for electronic structure of 3d-transition-metal monoxide anions: ScO−, TiO−, CuO−, and ZnO−
Authors: Byun Young-Moo , Öğüt Serdar
Published: October 2019

The GW approximation to many-body perturbation theory is a reliable tool for describing charged electronic excitations, and it has been successfully applied to a wide range of extended systems for several decades using a plane-wave basis. However, the GW approximation has been used to test limited spectral properties of a limited set of finite systems (e.g., frontier orbital energies of closed-shell sp molecules) only for about a decade using a local-orbital basis. Here, we calculate the quasiparticle spectra of closed- and open-shell molecular anions with partially and completely filled 3d shells (shallow and deep 3d states, respectively), ScO−, TiO−, CuO−, and ZnO−, using various levels of GW theory, and compare them to experiments to evaluate the performance of the GW approximation on the electronic structure of small molecules containing 3d transition metals. We find that the G-only eigenvalue self-consistent GW scheme with W fixed to the PBE level (GnW0@PBE), which gives the best compromise between accuracy and efficiency for solids, also gives good results for both localized (d) and delocalized (sp) states of 3d-transition-metal oxide molecules. The success of GnW0@PBE in predicting electronic excitations in these systems reasonably well is likely due to the fortuitous cancellation effect between the overscreening of the Coulomb interaction by PBE and the underscreening by the neglect of vertex corrections. Together with the absence of the self-consistent field convergence error (e.g., spin contamination in open-shell systems) and the GW multisolution issue, the GnW0@PBE scheme gives the possibility to predict the electronic structure of complex real systems (e.g., molecule-solid and sp-d hybrid systems) accurately and efficiently.
Highly spin-polarized field emission from ⟨100⟩-oriented Co2MnGa tips
Authors: Nagai Shigekazu , Ikemizu Hiromu , Hata Koichi , Ishikawa Tsuyoshi
Published: October 2019

A highly spin-polarized electron beam is extracted via field emission from a ⟨100⟩-oriented Heusler alloy Co2MnGa emitter, which is fabricated through ion milling of a crystallized thin film and well characterized through H2-promoted field evaporation and field ion microscopy (FIM). Crystalline facets of low-index planes such as the (100) and {011} planes can be observed as ring structures in the H2-Ne FIM images, despite the ternary nature of the alloy. The well-defined (100) surface at the emitter apex is the emission site, having higher emission current than other locations. The maximum spin polarization of the field-emitted electrons from the Co2MnGa(100) surface is 61%–76% and can be observed under a 1-nA probe current at 44 K. Although decreased spin polarization is observed with elapsed time, cleaning performed by the field evaporation process restores the spin polarization to the initial value. The spin polarization of more than 60% obtained even at room temperature surpasses those previously reported for transition metals such as Fe, Co, and Cr on W tips.
NH2-UiO-66/g-C3N4/CdTe composites for photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light
Authors: Yu Fengyang , Chen Liyong , Shen Xiaoshuang , Li Xuezhao , Duan Chunying
Published: October 2019

To boost the photocatalytic activity of NH2-UiO-66 toward CO2 under visible light, CdTe quantum dots and g-C3N4 nanocrystals were introduced to form NH2-UiO-66/g-C3N4/CdTe composites via a two-step synthetic strategy. g-C3N4 and CdTe in different visible light ranges possessed a strong absorption ability, and, thereby, greatly extended the range of photoresponsive wavelength of the composites. Mott-Schottky analysis revealed that the energy level of the conduction band of g-C3N4 and CdTe was higher than the LUMO level of NH2-UiO-66, benefiting for the photogenerated carriers separation and electron injection from g-C3N4 and CdTe to NH2-UiO-66, leading to a high concentrated Zr (iii) formation. Finally, the NH2-UiO-66/g-C3N4/CdTe composites exhibited the superior photocatalytic performance for CO2 conversion in the acetonitrile/ethanol system upon visible light irradiation (≥400 nm) with a HCOOH generation rate of 24.6 µmol g−1 h−1 that was ∼7.5 times higher than that of NH2-UiO-66 alone.
Formation and turbulent breakdown of large-scale vortical structures behind an obstacle in a channel at moderate Reynolds numbers
Authors: Molochnikov V. M. , Mazo A. B. , Kalinin E. I. , Malyukov A. V. , Okhotnikov D. I. , Dushina O. A.
Published: October 2019

This paper deals with experimental investigation and direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional separated laminar and transitional flows behind a semicircular spanwise rib on a bottom wall of a rectangular channel at Reynolds numbers of up to 480. Particular emphasis is given to the formation mechanism of quasiperiodic large-scale vortex clouds in the mixing layer behind the rib. Vortical structures near the channel axis are formed due to pairing of spiral vortices emerging close to the vertical walls when the corner boundary layers impact on the rib. The effect of the Reynolds number and normalized channel size on the spiraling motion, generation, and shedding of large-scale vortex clouds has been estimated.
Magnetotransport in a strain superlattice of graphene
Authors: Zhang Yingjie , Kim Youngseok , Gilbert Matthew J. , Mason Nadya
Published: October 2019

Three-dimensional (3D) deformation of two-dimensional materials offers a route toward band structure engineering. In the case of graphene, a spatially nonuniform deformation and strain are known to generate an effective magnetic field, i.e., a pseudomagnetic field, although experimental realization of this effect in electronic devices has been challenging. Here, we engineer the 3D deformation profile of graphene to create a strain superlattice and study the resultant magnetotransport behavior both experimentally and via quantum transport simulations. We observe a weakening of superlattice features as we increase the magnetic field, which we find to be consistent with competing interactions between the external magnetic field and the strain-induced pseudomagnetic field. Our results demonstrate that strain superlattices are promising platforms to modulate the band structure and engineer the electronic transport behavior in graphene.
Understanding the knowledge, attitudes and practices of providing and receiving nutrition care for prediabetes: an integrative review
Authors: Somerville Mari , Ball Lauren , Sierra-Silvestre Eva , Williams Lauren T.
Published: October 2019

To synthesise the literature on nutrition care for prediabetes from both the perspective of healthcare providers and patients, six databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus and ProQuest) were searched to identify qualitative or quantitative studies that focussed on nutrition care and prediabetes in primary care practice. Studies examining the perspectives of patients with prediabetes and healthcare providers were included. Outcomes of interest included knowledge of nutrition care for prediabetes, attitudes around providing or receiving nutrition care and actual nutrition care practices for prediabetes. Overall, 12851 studies were screened and 26 were included in the final review. Inductive analysis produced five themes: (i) nutrition care is preferable to pharmacological intervention; (ii) patients report taking action for behaviour change; (iii) healthcare providers experience barriers to nutrition care; (iv) healthcare providers tend not to refer patients for nutrition care; and (v) there are contradictory findings around provision and receipt of nutrition care. This review has revealed the contradictions between patients’ and healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices around nutrition care for prediabetes. Further research is needed to shed light on how to resolve these disconnects in care and to improve nutrition care practices for people with prediabetes.
Pregnancy obtained in a late gestational mare by in vitro embryo production
Authors: Campos-Chillon Lino Fernando , Martin Jan , Altermatt Joy L.
Published: October 2019

Recently, the demand for invitro embryo production in the horse has increased worldwide. Most clinical transvaginal ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures are performed in non-pregnant donor mares, and few experimental studies have described invitro embryo production from oocytes of pregnant donors 21–150 days in gestation. This report discusses OPU, follicular growth and invitro embryo production in a pregnant mare during late gestation.
Analysis of the structure of bacterial and fungal communities in disease suppressive and disease conducive tobacco-planting soils in China
Authors: Gao Lin , Wang Rui , Gao Jiaming , Li Fangming , Huang Guanghua , Huo Guang , Liu Zhiyu , Tang Wei , Shen Guoming
Published: October 2019

To clarify the differences between microbial communities resident in disease suppressive soil (DSS) and disease conducive soil (DCS) in tobacco cultivation, representative soil samples were collected from tobacco plantations in Shengjiaba, China, and the structure and diversity of the resident bacterial and fungal communities were analysed using high-throughput sequencing technology. Our results showed a greater number of operational taxonomic units associated with bacteria and fungi in DSS than in DCS. At the phylum level, abundances of Chloroflexi, Saccharibacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes in DSS were lower than in DCS, but abundance of Gemmatimonadetes was significantly higher. Abundances of Zygomycota and Chytridiomycota were higher in DSS than DCS, but abundance of Rozellomycota was significantly lower. At the genus level, abundances of 18 bacterial and nine fungal genera varied significantly between DSS and DCS. Relative abundances of Acidothermus, Microbacterium, Curtobacterium, and Colletotrichum were higher in DCS than DSS. The Shannon and Chao1 indices of DSS microbial communities were higher than those of DCS communities. High microbial diversity reduces the incidence of soil-borne diseases in tobacco plantations and promotes the formation of DSSs.
Selectivity of afferent microstimulation at the DRG using epineural and penetrating electrode arrays
Authors: Nanivadekar Ameya C , Ayers Christopher A , Gaunt Robert A , Weber Douglas J , Fisher Lee E
Published: October 2019

Objective. We have shown previously that microstimulation of the lumbar dorsal root ganglia (L5-L7 DRG) using penetrating microelectrodes, selectively recruits distal branches of the sciatic and femoral nerves in an acute preparation. However, a variety of challenges limit the clinical translatability of DRG microstimulation via penetrating electrodes. For clinical translation of a DRG somatosensory neural interface, electrodes placed on the epineural surface of the DRG may be a viable path forward. The goal of this study was to evaluate the recruitment properties of epineural electrodes and compare their performance with that of penetrating electrodes. Here, we compare the number of selectively recruited distal nerve branches and the threshold stimulus intensities between penetrating and epineural electrode arrays. Approach. Antidromically propagating action potentials were recorded from multiple distal branches of the femoral and sciatic nerves in response to epineural stimulation on 11 ganglia in four cats to quantify the selectivity of DRG stimulation. Compound action potentials (CAPs) were recorded using nerve cuff electrodes implanted around up to nine distal branches of the femoral and sciatic nerve trunks. We also tested stimulation selectivity with penetrating microelectrode arrays implanted into ten ganglia in four cats. A binary search was carried out to identify the minimum stimulus intensity that evoked a response at any of the distal cuffs, as well as whether the threshold response selectively occurred in only a single distal nerve branch. Main results. Stimulation evoked activity in just a single peripheral nerve through 67% of epineural electrodes (35/52) and through 79% of the penetrating microelectrodes (240/308). The recruitment threshold (median  =  9.67 nC/phase) and dynamic range of epineural stimulation (median  =  1.01 nC/phase) were significantly higher than penetrating stimulation (0.90 nC/phase and 0.36 nC/phase, respectively). However, the pattern of peripheral nerves recruited for each DRG were similar for stimulation through epineural and penetrating electrodes. Significance. Despite higher recruitment thresholds, epineural stimulation provides comparable selectivity and superior dynamic range to penetrating electrodes. These results suggest that it may be possible to achieve a highly selective neural interface with the DRG without penetrating the epineurium.
Annual effective dose of radon in groundwater samples for different age groups in Obuasi and Offinso in the Ashanti Region, Ghana
Authors: Opoku-Ntim Irene , Andam Aba Bentil , Akiti Tetteh T , Flectcher J J , Roca Vicenzo
Published: October 2019

The study presents radon (222Rn) activity concentration in the groundwater samples and their annual effective dose exposure in Offinso and Obuasi in the Ashanti, Region for different age groups. Radon measurement was made using Durridge RAD-7 H2O technique. In Obuasi, mean222Rn concentration in groundwater was 0.09 ± 0.01 Bq l−1, mean annual effective dose due to ingestion for adult, child and infant were 0.64 ± 0.11μSv yr−1, 1.28 ± 0.21μSv yr−1and 4.46 ± 0.73μSv yr−1respectively and the mean annual effective dose due to inhalation was 0.28 ± 0.05 mSv yr−1for the dry season whiles in the rainy season the mean222Rn concentration in groundwater was 0.08 ± 0.01 Bq l−1, the mean annual effective dose due to ingestion for adult, child and infant was 0.56 ± 0.09μSv yr−1, 1.13 ± 0.18μSv yr−1, 3.94 ± 0.62μSv yr−1respectively and the annual effective dose due to inhalation was 0.24 ± 0.04 mSv yr−1. In Offinso , the mean222Rn concentration in groundwater was 0.14 ± 0.05 Bq l−1, mean annual effective dose due to ingestion for adult, child and infant was 1.03 ± 0.37μSv yr−1, 2.06 ± 0.74μSv yr−1, and 7.20 ± 0.74μSv yr−1respectively and the mean annual inhalation dose a mean of 0.46 ± 0.16 mSv yr−1for the dry season. In the rainy season, the mean indoor222Rn concentration in groundwater was 0.13 ± 0.04 Bq l−1, mean annual effective dose due to ingestion for adult, child and infant was 1.26 ± 0.31μSv yr−1, 1.89 ± 0.61μSv yr−1and 6.62 ± 2.15μSv yr−1respectively and the mean annual effective dose due to inhalation was mean of 0.41 ± 0.13 mSv yr−1. The mean annual effective doses of all the samples are lower than the reference level of 0.1 mSvyr−1for drinking water of WHO and EU Council. It has been concluded that drinking water of the study area is generally safe as far as radon related health hazards are concerned apart from a few isolated cases. It has been found that radon levels within the region have a positive correlation with depth of the water sources.
Novel algorithms for efficient subsequence searching and mapping in nanopore raw signals towards targeted sequencing
Authors: Han Renmin , Wang Sheng , Gao Xin
Published: October 2019

Motivation

Genome diagnostics have gradually become a prevailing routine for human healthcare. With the advances in understanding the causal genes for many human diseases, targeted sequencing provides a rapid, cost-efficient and focused option for clinical applications, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection and haplotype classification, in a specific genomic region. Although nanopore sequencing offers a perfect tool for targeted sequencing because of its mobility, PCR-freeness and long read properties, it poses a challenging computational problem of how to efficiently and accurately search and map genomic subsequences of interest in a pool of nanopore reads (or raw signals). Due to its relatively low sequencing accuracy, there is no reliable solution to this problem, especially at low sequencing coverage.

Results

Here, we propose a brand new signal-based subsequence inquiry pipeline as well as two novel algorithms to tackle this problem. The proposed algorithms follow the principle of subsequence dynamic time warping and directly operate on the electrical current signals, without loss of information in base-calling. Therefore, the proposed algorithms can serve as a tool for sequence inquiry in targeted sequencing. Two novel criteria are offered for the consequent signal quality analysis and data classification. Comprehensive experiments on real-world nanopore datasets show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. We further demonstrate the potential applications of the proposed algorithms in two typical tasks in nanopore-based targeted sequencing: SNP detection under low sequencing coverage, and haplotype classification under low sequencing accuracy.

Availability and implementation

The project is accessible at https://github.com/icthrm/cwSDTWnano.git, and the presented bench data is available upon request.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization for causal inference based on summary statistics
Authors: Zhao Jia , Ming Jingsi , Hu Xianghong , Chen Gang , Liu Jin , Yang Can
Published: October 2019

Motivation

The results from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on thousands of phenotypes provide an unprecedented opportunity to infer the causal effect of one phenotype (exposure) on another (outcome). Mendelian randomization (MR), an instrumental variable (IV) method, has been introduced for causal inference using GWAS data. Due to the polygenic architecture of complex traits/diseases and the ubiquity of pleiotropy, however, MR has many unique challenges compared to conventional IV methods.

Results

We propose a Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR) for causal inference to address these challenges. In our BWMR model, the uncertainty of weak effects owing to polygenicity has been taken into account and the violation of IV assumption due to pleiotropy has been addressed through outlier detection by Bayesian weighting. To make the causal inference based on BWMR computationally stable and efficient, we developed a variational expectation-maximization (VEM) algorithm. Moreover, we have also derived an exact closed-form formula to correct the posterior covariance which is often underestimated in variational inference. Through comprehensive simulation studies, we evaluated the performance of BWMR, demonstrating the advantage of BWMR over its competitors. Then we applied BWMR to make causal inference between 130 metabolites and 93 complex human traits, uncovering novel causal relationship between exposure and outcome traits.

Availability and implementation

The BWMR software is available at https://github.com/jiazhao97/BWMR.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
BCSExplorer: a customized biosynthetic chemical space explorer with multifunctional objective function analysis
Authors: Tian Yu , Wu Ling , Yuan Le , Ding Shaozhen , Chen Fu , Zhang Tong , Ren Ailin , Zhang Dachuan , Tu Weizhong , Chen Junni , Hu Qian-Nan
Published: October 2019

The biosynthetic ability of living organisms has important applications in producing bulk chemicals, biofuels and natural products. Based on the most comprehensive biosynthesis knowledgebase, a computational system, BCSExplorer, is proposed to discover the unexplored chemical space using nature’s biosynthetic potential. BCSExplorer first integrates the most comprehensive biosynthetic reaction database with 280 000 biochemical reactions and 60 000 chemicals biosynthesized globally over the past 130 years. Second, in this study, a biosynthesis tree is computed for a starting chemical molecule based on a comprehensive biotransformation rule library covering almost all biosynthetic possibilities, in which redundant rules are removed using a new algorithm. Moreover, biosynthesis feasibility, drug-likeness and toxicity analysis of a new generation of compounds will be pursued in further studies to meet various needs. BCSExplorer represents a novel method to explore biosynthetically available chemical space.

Availability and implementation

BCSExplorer is available at: http://www.rxnfinder.org/bcsexplorer/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Functional Territories of Human Dentate Nucleus
Authors: Guell Xavier , D’Mello Anila M , Hubbard Nicholas A , Romeo Rachel R , Gabrieli John D E , Whitfield-Gabrieli Susan , Schmahmann Jeremy D , Anteraper Sheeba Arnold
Published: October 2019

Anatomical connections link the cerebellar cortex with multiple sensory, motor, association, and paralimbic cerebral areas. The majority of fibers that exit cerebellar cortex synapse in dentate nuclei (DN) before reaching extracerebellar structures such as cerebral cortex, but the functional neuroanatomy of human DN remains largely unmapped. Neuroimaging research has redefined broad categories of functional division in the human brain showing that primary processing, attentional (task positive) processing, and default-mode (task negative) processing are three central poles of neural macroscale functional organization. This broad spectrum of human neural processing categories is represented not only in the cerebral cortex, but also in the thalamus, striatum, and cerebellar cortex. Whether functional organization in DN obeys a similar set of macroscale divisions, and whether DN are yet another compartment of representation of a broad spectrum of human neural processing categories, remains unknown. Here, we show for the first time that human DN are optimally divided into three functional territories as indexed by high spatio-temporal resolution resting-state MRI in 77 healthy humans, and that these three distinct territories contribute uniquely to default-mode, salience-motor, and visual cerebral cortical networks. Our findings provide a systems neuroscience substrate for cerebellar output to influence multiple broad categories of neural control.
Analysing tropical elasmobranch blood samples in the field: blood stability during storage and validation of the HemoCue® haemoglobin analyser
Authors: Schwieterman Gail D , Bouyoucos Ian A , Potgieter Kristy , Simpfendorfer Colin A , Brill Richard W , Rummer Jodie L
Published: October 2019

Lay summary

Elasmobranch blood haematological parameters remained stable over 3 hours of storage duration, indicating that they do not need to be measured immediately. The HemoCue haemoglobin analyser can be used to measure haemoglobin concentrations from elasmobranch blood samples with the use of a correction equation.
The Clinical Accuracy of the BÜHLMANN fCAL ELISA in the Differentiation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease From Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Multicenter Prospective Case–Control Study
Authors: Berinstein Jeffrey A , Steiner Calen A , Bousvaros Athos , Tiongco Felix P , Greenberg Eugene , Hardi Robert , Lembo Anthony J , Friedenberg Keith , Sedghi Shahriar , Fint Alison , Florez David A , Kumar Ashutosh , Arsenescu Razvan , Park K T , Kupchak Peter , Grob Alanna , Leavitt James , Higgins Peter D R
Published: October 2019

Background

Fecal calprotectin (fCAL) is a noninvasive biomarker used to differentiate between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods

A multicenter prospective case–control study evaluating the BÜHLMANN fCAL enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted in 478 subjects. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the receiver operator characteristic (AuROC) curve are reported and compared to another device.

Results

In differentiating IBD from IBS, the BÜHLMANN fCAL ELISA is very sensitive (93.3%) at a cutoff <80 μg/g and balanced sensitivity (84.4%) and specificity (85.4%) at a cutoff >160 μg/g (AuROC 0.933).

Conclusions

The BÜHLMANN fCAL ELISA demonstrates excellent discriminating between IBD and IBS.
Improvement in adherence to antibiotic duration of therapy recommendations for uncomplicated cystitis: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Giancola Stephanie E , Higginbotham John M , Sutter Deena E , Spencer Steven E , Aden James K , Barsoumian Alice E
Published: October 2019

Background

Acute uncomplicated cystitis is one of the most common diagnoses for which antibiotic treatment is prescribed in the outpatient setting. Despite the availability of national guidelines, there remains a wide pattern in prescriber choices for therapy. Recent data portray a picture of consistently longer durations than recommended prescribed in outpatient settings.

Objective

The objective was to evaluate the effect of a system-based intervention on adherence to guideline-recommended durations of therapy for uncomplicated cystitis in the outpatient setting.

Methods

This quasi-experimental study included women aged 18–64 years who were seen at five family medicine clinics at an academic medical centre and were prescribed targeted antibiotics for uncomplicated cystitis (nitrofurantoin monohydrate/macrocrystals 100 mg, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 160/800 mg or ciprofloxacin 250 mg). The intervention involved revising or adding pre-filled, but modifiable, default prescribing instructions in the electronic health record (EHR) for the targeted antibiotics. We evaluated adherence to guideline-recommended duration of therapy as well as days of therapy (DOT) before and after the intervention.

Results

A total of 787 pre-intervention and 862 post-intervention cases were included. Adherence to recommended duration of therapy increased from 29.4% to 76.3% (P < 0.01). The average DOT decreased by 23% from 6.6 to 5.1 (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

A stewardship intervention consisting of revising/adding default prescribing instructions to targeted antimicrobials in an EHR was associated with increased adherence to recommended durations of therapy for uncomplicated cystitis and reduction of unnecessary antibiotic exposure. More studies are needed to confirm effectiveness across multiple medical record platforms.
Association of polymorphisms in C1orf106, IL1RN, and IL10 with post-induction infliximab trough level in Crohn’s disease patients
Authors: Tang Jian , Zhang Cai-Bin , Lyu Kun-Sheng , Jin Zhong-Ming , Guan Shao-Xing , You Na , Huang Min , Wang Xue-Ding , Gao Xiang
Published: October 2019

Background

Trough levels of the post-induction serum infliximab (IFX) are associated with short-term and long-term responses of Crohn’s disease patients to IFX, but the inter-individual differences are large. We aimed to elucidate whether single gene polymorphisms (SNPs) within FCGR3A, ATG16L1, C1orf106, OSM, OSMR, NF-κB1, IL1RN, and IL10 partially account for these differences and employed a multivariate regression model to predict patients’ post-induction IFX levels.

Methods

The retrospective study included 189 Crohn’s disease patients undergoing IFX therapy. Post-induction IFX levels were measured and 41 tag SNPs within eight genes were genotyped. Associations between SNPs and IFX levels were analysed. Then, a multivariate logistic-regression model was developed to predict whether the patients’ IFX levels achieved the threshold of therapy (3 μg/mL).

Results

Six SNPs (rs7587051, rs143063741, rs442905, rs59457695, rs3213448, and rs3021094) were significantly associated with the post-induction IFX trough level (P = 0.015, P < 0.001, P = 0.046, P = 0.022, P = 0.011, P = 0.013, respectively). A multivariate prediction model of the IFX level was established by baseline albumin (P = 0.002), rs442905 (P = 0.025), rs59457695 (P = 0.049), rs3213448 (P = 0.056), and rs3021094 (P = 0.047). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of this prediction model in a representative training dataset was 0.758. This result was verified in a representative testing dataset, with an AUROC of 0.733.

Conclusions

Polymorphisms in C1orf106, IL1RN, and IL10 play an important role in the variability of IFX post-induction levels, as indicated in this multivariate prediction model of IFX levels with fair performance.
Community structured production of zooplankton in the eastern boundary upwelling system off central/southern Chile (2003–2012)
Authors: Medellín-Mora Johanna , Atkinson Angus , Escribano Rubén
Published: October 2019

Eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS) are highly productive and climatically sensitive ecosystems of the ocean. A critical component sustaining EBUS is the zooplankton secondary production (ZSP) which links primary production (PP) and the higher trophic levels. However, estimating ZSP is a complex task and many questions remain regarding its controlling factors. Here, we used automated analysis to assess taxonomic-structured biomass of zooplankton from a time series (2003–2012) at a fixed station off central-southern Chile. Zooplankton biomasses combined with empirically estimated growth rates, as a function of temperature, Chorophyll-a concentration, and body size, were used to estimate seasonal and interannual changes in ZSP. The annual integrated ZSP yielded a mean of 8.0 g C m−2 y−1, with a minimum in 2009 of 5.7 g C m−2 y−1 and a maximum in 2011 of 13 g C m−2 y−1, and an average annual P/B ratio of 35. The transfer efficiency from PP to ZSP was only 0.8%, indicating a surplus of PP to the system and/or the importance of intermediate microzooplankton levels. Seasonal variation in biomass, ZSP and the P/B ratio were explained mostly by changes in taxonomic structure while interannual variation reflected large-scale climatic changes, such as the Pacific decadal oscillation.
Seasonality of spatial patterns of abundance, biomass, and biodiversity in a demersal community of the NW Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Vilas Daniel , Pennino Maria Grazia , Bellido Jose Maria , Navarro Joan , Palomera Isabel , Coll Marta
Published: October 2019

Information on the spatial patterns and habitat preferences of marine species is key to understand the functioning of marine ecosystem and to manage and protect marine resources efficiently. However, the study of spatial patterns of marine ecosystems is challenging because they are dynamic environments that can vary seasonally. We modelled the spatial patterns of abundance, biomass, and biodiversity in a demersal community of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea by season using hierarchical Bayesian spatial models and environmental, physical, and anthropogenic factors. Overall, our findings revealed the importance of seasonality in the spatial patterns of the demersal community, which were mainly driven by sea surface temperature. Results also underlined important patterns of movements of demersal organisms: fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans showed high densities in the area surrounding the Ebro Delta River in winter mainly driven by species-specific behaviour. Our results are relevant to inform future management measures in the study area, such as seasonal fishing restrictions, or to adapt local marine protected areas to seasonal processes. This study provides evidence of the need to expand current monitoring schemes to capture the seasonality of marine demersal communities for a more comprehensive marine spatial planning framework.
Study on propagation characteristics of the secondary explosion of coal dust
Authors: Song Baichao , Li Yucheng
Published: October 2019

In the era when renewable energy resources are advocated, traditional fuels still account for a dominant proportion. During coal exploitation, coal dust explosion has been one of the most common and serious disasters. Nevertheless, the generated dust can suspend in the air, further leading to a secondary explosion. However, there are limited studies focusing on the propagation characteristics of secondary explosion induced by coal dust. Therefore, this paper aims to detect coal dust explosion in a pipe network and investigate the secondary explosion caused by the first explosion. In specific, this paper numerically analyzed the propagation characteristics of first and secondary explosion of coal dust in aspects of flame temperature, airflow rate and CO mass concentration. The results indicate that the maximum flame temperature of the secondary explosion of coal dust could reach up to 4500 K, which was more intense than the first explosion. After the secondary explosion, the air velocity witnessed a significant increase, compared with the first explosion, but the air velocity at the linear section of the pipe network witnessed the highest because of the air supplement at two sides. Different from the highest CO concentration at the ignition area in the first explosion, the CO concentration in the secondary explosion source area decreased rapidly and the maximum CO concentration appeared in the flame front. Moreover, because of enough oxygen supplement, the explosion reaction was much more sufficient, so that the maximum CO concentration was less than that in the first explosion.
Argument evaluation in multi-agent justification logics
Authors: Burrieza Alfredo , Yuste-Ginel Antonio
Published: October 2019

Argument evaluation , one of the central problems in argumentation theory, consists in studying what makes an argument a good one. This paper proposes a formal approach to argument evaluation from the perspective of justification logic. We adopt a multi-agent setting, accepting the intuitive idea that arguments are always evaluated by someone. Two general restrictions are imposed on our analysis: non-deductive arguments are left out and the goal of argument evaluation is fixed: supporting a given proposition. Methodologically, our approach uses several existing tools borrowed from justification logic, awareness logic, doxastic logic and logics for belief dependence. We start by introducing a basic logic for argument evaluation, where a list of argumentative and doxastic notions can be expressed. Later on, we discuss how to capture the mentioned form of argument evaluation by defining a preference operator in the object language. The intuitive picture behind this definition is that, when assessing a couple of arguments, the agent puts them to a test consisting of several criteria (filters). As a result of this process, a preference relation among the evaluated arguments is established by the agent. After showing that this operator suffers a special form of logical omniscience, called preferential omniscience, we discuss how to define an explicit version of it, more suitable to deal with non-ideal agents. The present work exploits the formal notion of awareness in order to model several informal phenomena: awareness of sentences, availability of arguments and communication between agents and external sources (advisers). We discuss several extensions of the basic logic and offer completeness and decidability results for all of them.
Bloodmeal, Host Selection, and Genetic Admixture Analyses of Culex pipiens Complex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Chicago, IL
Authors: Kothera Linda , Mutebi John-Paul , Kenney Joan L , Saxton-Shaw Kali , Ward Michael P , Savage Harry M
Published: October 2019

The area in and around Chicago, IL, is a hotspot of West Nile virus activity. The discovery of a Culex pipiens form molestus Forskӓl population in Chicago in 2009 added to speculation that offspring from hybridization between Cx. pipiens f. pipiens L. and f. molestus could show a preference for feeding on humans. We collected blood-fed female mosquitoes (N = 1,023) from eight residential sites and one public park site in Chicago in July and August 2012. Bloodmeal analysis using the COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene was performed to ascertain host choice. Almost all (99%) bloodmeals came from birds, with American Robins (Turdus migratorius L.) and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus L.) making up the largest percentage (74% combined). A forage ratio analysis comparing bird species fed upon and available bird species based on point count surveys indicated Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and American Robins (Turdus migratorius) appeared to be over-utilized, whereas several species were under-utilized. Two human bloodmeals came from Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes. Admixture and population genetic analyses were conducted with 15 microsatellite loci on head and thorax DNA from the collected blood-fed mosquitoes. A modest amount of hybridization was detected between Cx. pipiens f. pipiens and f. molestus, as well as between f. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus Say. Several pure Cx. quinquefasciatus individuals were noted at the two Trumbull Park sites. Our data suggest that Cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes in the Chicago area are not highly introgressed with f. molestus and appear to utilize avian hosts.
Molecular Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected Along the Platte River in South Central Nebraska
Authors: Luedtke Brandon E , Shaffer Julie J , Monrroy Estrella , Willicott Corey W , Bourret Travis J
Published: October 2019

Dermacentor variabilis is the predominant tick species in Nebraska and is presumed to be the primary vector of Rickettsia rickettsii associated with cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Interestingly, RMSF cases in Nebraska have increased on a year-to-year basis, yet the prevalence of R. rickettsii in D. variabilis ticks has not been established for Nebraska. Here we sought to set a baseline for the prevalence of R. rickettsii and other spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae harbored by D. variabilis ticks. Over a 3-yr period, D. variabilis were collected along the Platte River in south central Nebraska. Individual tick DNA was analyzed using endpoint PCR to identify ticks carrying SFG rickettsiae. In total, 927 D. variabilis were analyzed by PCR and 38 (4.1%) ticks tested positive for SFG rickettsiae. Presumptive positives were sequenced to identify the Rickettsia species, of which 29 (76%) were R. montanensis, 5 (13%) were R. amblyommatis, 4 (11%) were R. bellii, and R. rickettsii was not detected. These data indicate that R. rickettsii is likely at a low prevalence in south central Nebraska and spillover of R. amblyommatis into D. variabilis is likely occurring due to the invasive lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). In addition, our data suggest that R. montanensis and R. amblyommatis could be associated with the increase in SFG rickettsiae infections in Nebraska. This information will be of value to clinicians and the general public for evaluating diagnosis of disease- and risk-associated environmental exposure, respectively.
Why DCD Donors Are Dead
Authors: Lizza John P
Published: October 2019

Critics of organ donation after circulatory death (DCD) argue that, even if donors are past the point of autoresuscitation, they have not satisfied the “irreversibility” requirement in the circulatory and respiratory criteria for determining death, since their circulation and respiration could be artificially restored. Thus, removing their vital organs violates the “dead-donor” rule. I defend DCD donation against this criticism. I argue that practical medical-ethical considerations, including respect for do-not-resuscitate orders, support interpreting “irreversibility” to mean permanent cessation of circulation and respiration. Assuming a consciousness-related formulation of human death, I then argue that the loss of circulation and respiration is significant, because it leads to the permanent loss of consciousness and thus to the death of the human person. The DNR request by an organ donor should thus be interpreted to mean “do not restore to consciousness.” Finally, I respond to an objection that if “irreversibility” has a medical-ethical meaning, it would entail the absurd possibility that one of two individuals in the same physical state could be alive and the other dead—an implication that some think is inconsistent with understanding death as an objective biological state of the organism. I argue that advances in medical technology have created phenomena that challenge the assumption that human death can be understood in strictly biological terms. I argue that ethical and ontological considerations about our nature bear on the definition and determination of death and thus on the permissibility of DCD.