bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adding smoking to the Fardal model of cost‐effectiveness for the lifetime treatment of periodontal diseases
Authors: Fardal Øystein , Grytten Jostein , Martin John , Ellingsen Stig , Fardal Patrick , Heasman Peter , Linden Gerard J.
Published: May 2018

Background

Little is known about the financial costs that smoking adds to the lifetime treatment of periodontal disease.

Methods

The total lifetime cost of periodontal treatment was modeled using data from private periodontal practice. The costs of initial and supportive therapy, re‐treatment and tooth replacements (with bridgework or implants) were identified using average dental charges from the American Dental Association survey. Smoking costs at $6 and $10 for 20 cigarettes were compared to the costs of lifetime periodontal treatment for stable and unstable compliant patients.

Results

Smoking added 8.8% to the financial cost of the lifetime cost of periodontal therapy in stable maintenance patients, 40.1% in patients who needed one extra maintenance visit, and 71.4% in patients who needed two extra maintenance visits per year in addition to added retreatment. The cost of smoking far exceeded the cost of periodontal treatment; For patients who smoked 10 to 40 cigarettes per day at the cost of $6 or $10 a pack, the cost of smoking exceeded the cost of lifetime periodontal treatment by between 2.7 and 17.9 times. Smoking 40 cigarettes at $10 a packet for 3.4 years would pay for the entire lifetime cost of periodontal treatment.

Conclusion

Smoking adds considerable extra financial costs to the lifetime treatment of periodontal diseases. The cost of smoking itself exceeds the cost of periodontal therapy.
An asymptotically concentrated method for structural topology optimization based on the SIMLF interpolation
Authors: Cui Mingtao , Yang Xinfeng , Zhang Yifei , Luo Chenchun , Li Guang
Published: May 2018

In this work, an asymptotically concentrated topology optimization method based on the solid isotropic material with logistic function interpolation is proposed. The asymptotically concentrated method is introduced into the process of optimization cycle after updating the design variables. At the same time, with the use of the solid isotropic material with logistic function interpolation, all the candidate densities are reasonably polarized, relying on the characteristic of the interpolation curve itself. The asymptotically concentrated method can effectively suppress the generation of intermediate density and speed up the process of updating the design variables, hence improving the optimization efficiency. Moreover, the above polarization can weaken the influence of low‐related‐density elements and enhance the influence of high‐related‐density elements. For the single‐material topology optimization problem, gray‐scale elements can be effectively eliminated, and clear boundary and smaller compliance can be obtained by this method. For the multimaterial topology optimization problem, minimum compliance with high efficiency can be achieved by this method. The proposed method mainly includes the following advantages: concentrated density variables, reasonable interpolation, high computational efficiency, and good topological results.
Improving the safety of high‐dose methotrexate for children with hematologic cancers in settings without access to MTX levels using extended hydration and additional leucovorin
Authors: Vaishnavi Kalthi , Bansal Deepak , Trehan Amita , Jain Richa , Attri Savita Verma
Published: May 2018

Background

A lack of access to methotrexate levels is common in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC), relevant for 80% of children with cancer worldwide. We evaluated whether high‐dose methotrexate (HD‐MTX) can be administered safely with extended hydration and leucovorin rescue, with monitoring of serum creatinine and urine pH.

Methods

The prospective study was conducted at a single centre in Chandigarh, India in 2015. Patients with B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or with T‐cell ALL or non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (T‐NHL) were administered 3 and 5 gm/m2 of MTX (24 hr infusion), respectively. Six doses of leucovorin (15 mg/m2/dose), instead of recommended three (for optimally reduced levels) at standard timing (42 hr from start of HD‐MTX) were administered. Hydration (125 ml/m2/hr) was continued for 72 hr, instead of the recommended 30 hr. Hydration fluid consisted of 0.45% sodium chloride, 5% dextrose, 7.5% sodium bicarbonate (50 mmol/l) and potassium chloride (20 mmol/l). Serum creatinine and urine pH were measured at baseline, 24 and 48 hr. The volume of hydration was increased (200 ml/m2/hr) for a serum creatinine > 1.25 times the baseline.

Results

The study included 100 cycles of HD‐MTX in 53 patients: B‐ALL 25 patients (51 cycles), T‐ALL 16 patients (28 cycles), T‐NHL 10 patients (18 cycles), and relapsed ALL 2 patients (3 cycles). The mean age was 6.8 ± 3.2 years. Patients were underweight in 15 (15%) cycles. Patients in 23% of cycles had a rise in creatinine to >1.25 times the baseline. Toxicities (NCI CTCAE v4.0) included mucositis (32%), diarrhoea (10%), and febrile neutropenia (9%). One patient died from dengue shock syndrome.

Conclusions

It is safe to administer 3 or 5 gm/m2 of MTX (24 hr infusion) without measuring MTX levels, with extended hydration, additional doses of leucovorin, and monitoring of serum creatinine and urine pH.
Effect of draw ratio on the morphologies and properties of in situ microfibrillar POE/PTT composites
Authors: Dong Jiahao , Huang Anrong , Sun Jing , Wei Liangqiang , Luo Shanshan , Qin Shuhao
Published: May 2018

The microfibrillar composites (MFCs) were fabricated by multistage stretching extrusion using different draw ratios (viz., 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16) from polyolefin elastomer/polytrimethylene terephthalate (POE/PTT) blends. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that the aspect ratio of PTT microfibrils increased with the draw ratio increased. The tensile strength of the MFCs was the largest at draw ratio of 13. DSC results showed that PTT microfibrils could improve the crystallization temperature (Tc) while decrease the melting temperature (Tm) of POE phase compared with the neat POE. Moreover, the storage modulus (
), loss modulus (
) values, the complex viscosity(
) and the radius of Cole‐Cole circle were the largest for the MFCs prepared at draw ratio 13, while the differences became negligible at high frequency (ω > 10 rad/s), It's remarkable that when the draw ratio increased to 16, the tensile strength decreased sharply. Furthermore, the
,
and
values had a significant drop at high frequency. This may be due to that too strong drawing could damage the structures of the microfibrils, which is adverse to improve the mechanical and rheology properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E629–E637, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Enhanced tensile strength and electrical conductivity of electrospun polyacrylonitrile Yarns via post‐treatment
Authors: Li Yao , Góra Aleksander , Anariba Franklin , Baji Avinash
Published: May 2018

In this study, electrically conductive polyacrylonitrile (PAN) yarn structures functionalized with multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were obtained in one single step using modified electrospinning setup. Typically, to obtain fiber yarns, the fibers are directly deposited on the surface of the water and drawn out using a mechanical roller. In our setup, the water bath was replaced with an aqueous dispersion of MWNTs. The PAN fibers were drawn out of the MWNT dispersion bath and were found to have MWNTs non‐covalently coated on their surfaces. The electrical conductivity of these fibers were measured to be 0.28 S/m. Known amount of dimethyl formamide was also added to the aqueous dispersion of MWNTs to improve fiber density and fiber‐to‐fiber interaction within the yarns. A mechanical drawing process was later applied at temperature above PAN's glass transition temperature to strengthen and stiffen the yarn structures. The tensile strength and modulus increased with the drawing ratio and was seen to improve by 600 and 690%, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1702–1707, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Aluminum Acceleration and Reaction Characteristics for Aluminized CL‐20‐Based Mixed Explosives
Authors: Liu Danyang , Chen Lang , Wang Chen , Wu Junying
Published: May 2018

The effects of aluminum mass content and particle size in CL‐20‐based aluminized explosives were investigated with a small‐scale confined plate push test. The confinement strength of the detonation products was enhanced to twice that of cylinder tests to accelerate the aluminum particle reaction. An all‐fiber displacement interferometer system for any reflector was used to continuously measure the plate velocity over time. A series of aluminized explosives containing various aluminum particle masses and sizes were tested, as well as explosives containing LiF instead of aluminum. Numerical simulations of explosive detonation and metal plate acceleration were performed, where parameters for the equation of state of the detonation products were calibrated by comparing the results with experiment. The results indicated that most of the aluminum particles (including 200‐nm diameter particles) reacted with the detonation products after the Chapman‐Jouguet point. Moreover, the released energy from the reaction could further accelerate the metal plate and increase the acceleration time, although the initial plate velocity was reduced. The start reaction times of small particles were earlier than that of larger particles. Specifically, 2‐50‐μm aluminum particles start to react when the volume of detonation products expanded to 1.24 times the initial volume, while the 200‐nm particles start to react at 1.07 times the initial volume, with a significantly higher reaction rate. The reaction rates decreased with increasing mass fraction of reacted aluminum and a decrease in pressure.
Atomic and Electronic Structure of the Clean and Adsorbate Covered (0001) Surface of the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3
Authors: Meyerheim Holger L. , Tusche Christian
Published: May 2018

We review recent progress in the characterization of the atomic and electronic structure of pristine and adsorbate‐covered Bi2Se3(0001) using state‐of‐the‐art analysis tools like surface X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray absorption fine structure, and spin‐ and momentum‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy. On the basis of several examples we show how the topological surface state is modified by structural modifications. One example is the shift of the Dirac point of the pristine Bi2Se3(0001) surface induced by trace amounts of carbon and its concomitant expansion of the topmost inter‐layer spacing. Dosing with atomic hydrogen leads to the complete removal of selenium within the top quintuple layer leaving behind a bismuth bilayer on selenium‐terminated Bi2Se3(0001) thereby leading to the appearance of hole‐like Rashba‐split surface states. Gold deposited by molecular beam epitaxy substitutes bismuth within the near surface region involving an opening of a gap in the topological surface state.
Rare‐Earth Ion Local Environments in Nd:Al2O3‐P2O5‐K2O Glass Studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopies
Authors: Yue Yu , Shao Chongyun , Wang Fan , Wang Yajie , Chen Wei , Hu Lili
Published: May 2018

The rare‐earth local environments of Nd:Al2O3‐P2O5‐K2O glass with different P/Al ratios are analyzed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The echo‐detected field sweep (EDFS) line‐shape change hints at a modification of the local environment around Nd3+ion by various P/Al ratios. The coordination sphere structure of Nd3+ion is determined by three and four pulse electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra. The off‐diagonal signal corresponding to31P Larmor frequency confirms that the second‐order coordination sphere of Nd3+ion is almost occupied by P atoms. Al is located at the higher‐order Nd3+coordination sphere as only diagonal resonance corresponding to the27Al was detected, the content of which rapidly increases with decreasing P/Al ratio.
Rejuvenation of a Metallic and Oxide Glass by Cooling from the Supercooled Liquid State at Laboratory Rates
Authors: Afonin Gennadii V. , Kobelev Nikolai P. , Khonik Vitaly A. , Nemilov Sergei V.
Published: May 2018

Calorimetric study of relaxation and rejuvenation of PdNiP and SiO2‐based glasses by cooling from the supercooled liquid state at laboratory rates is performed. For the former glass, cooling at the highest rate of 54 K min−1 recovers 34–36% of the enthalpy released upon relaxation. The interplay between relaxation and rejuvenation leads to a dependence of the heat absorption peak above the glass transition temperature Tg on the cooling rate. The oxide glass displays a similar effect with analogous dependence on the cooling rate. Qualitative explanations for the observed phenomena are presented.
The importance of lakes for bat conservation in Amazonian rainforests: an assessment using autonomous recorders
Authors: Torrent Laura , López‐Baucells Adrià , Rocha Ricardo , Bobrowiec Paulo E. D. , Meyer Christoph F. J.
Published: May 2018

Recent studies predict a future decrease in precipitation across the tropics, particularly the Amazon, likely causing significant droughts that have negative consequences for Amazonian freshwater biomes, especially lakes. Furthermore, immediate consequences of global warming for terrestrial fauna associated with tropical lakes are poorly understood as the vast majority of studies come from temperate regions. Here, we assess the seasonal importance of lakes for the conservation of aerial insectivorous bats in the Central Amazon using passive bat recorders. We compared richness, general bat activity and foraging activity between lakes and adjacent forest. Of a total of 21 species/sonotypes recorded in both habitats, all were detected over lakes, and 18 were significantly more active over lakes than in forest. Only two species had significantly higher activity levels in the forest than at the lakes. Species richness and general bat activity over the lakes were higher in the dry than in the rainy season. Foraging activity was also greater over the lakes than within the forest in both seasons. Moreover, both variables were positively correlated with lake size, although the effect on activity was species‐specific. Climate change‐driven shrinking of lakes may have detrimental consequences for aerial insectivorous bats, especially for the most water‐dependent species. Compared to permanent water bodies of other regions, the value of tropical lakes for functionally important taxa, such as bats, has been understudied. Higher bat activity levels over lakes than in forest in both seasons and comprising the whole ensemble of aerial insectivorous bats of the study region, indicate that lakes embedded in Amazonian terra firme forests deserve special attention for future bat conservation.
Use cases and scenarios of 5G integrated satellite‐terrestrial networks for enhanced mobile broadband: The SaT5G approach
Authors: Liolis Konstantinos , Geurtz Alexander , Sperber Ray , Schulz Detlef , Watts Simon , Poziopoulou Georgia , Evans Barry , Wang Ning , Vidal Oriol , Tiomela Jou Boris , Fitch Michael , Diaz Sendra Salva , Sayyad Khodashenas Pouria , Chuberre Nicolas
Published: May 2018

This paper presents initial results available from the European Commission Horizon 2020 5G Public Private Partnership Phase 2 project “SaT5G” (Satellite and Terrestrial Network for 5G). After describing the concept, objectives, challenges, and research pillars addressed by the SaT5G project, this paper elaborates on the selected use cases and scenarios for satellite communications positioning in the 5G usage scenario of enhanced mobile broadband.
Competing Mechanisms for Photocurrent Induced at the Monolayer–Multilayer Graphene Junction
Authors: Zhang Youwei , Zheng Hemei , Wang Qiyuan , Cong Chunxiao , Hu Laigui , Tian Pengfei , Liu Ran , Zhang Shi‐Li , Qiu Zhi‐Jun
Published: May 2018

Graphene is characterized by demonstrated unique properties for potential novel applications in photodetection operated in the frequency range from ultraviolet to terahertz. To date, detailed work on identifying the origin of photoresponse in graphene is still ongoing. Here, scanning photocurrent microscopy to explore the nature of photocurrent generated at the monolayer–multilayer graphene junction is employed. It is found that the contributing photocurrent mechanism relies on the mismatch of the Dirac points between the monolayer and multilayer graphene. For overlapping Dirac points, only photothermoelectric effect (PTE) is observed at the junction. When they do not coincide, a different photocurrent due to photovoltaic effect (PVE) appears and becomes more pronounced with larger separation of the Dirac points. While only PTE is reported for a monolayer–bilayer graphene junction in the literature, this work confirms the coexistence of PTE and PVE, thereby extending the understanding of photocurrent in graphene‐based heterojunctions.
Multilocation and Parsimony
Authors: Mooney Justin ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: May 2018

One objection to the thesis that multilocation is possible claims that, when combined with a preference for parsimonious theories, it leads to the absurd result that we ought to believe the material universe is composed of just one simple particle. I argue that this objection fails.
Walking Dead Literacies: Zombies, Boys, and (Re)Animated Storytelling
Authors: Wessel‐Powell Christy , Lu Ya‐Huei , Wohlwend Karen
Published: May 2018

Increased emphasis on standardization in primary grades can stifle spontaneous literacy play. The authors argue that allowing playful, collaborative, multimodal literacies into primary classrooms and specifically in writers’ workshop can expand and enliven the way we see students’ literacy strengths. The authors look closely at the unique storytelling processes and final performance of a grades K–1 collaborative storytelling group, the Zombie Boys. This group worked over several weeks during workshop/playshop to produce an original story line rich in special effects, music, synchronized dance, puppets, backdrop, and props design and delivered a meaningful and entertaining play performance. The authors also demonstrate possibilities in expanded, equitable literacy assessment for primary grades by using a multimodal checklist and story line graph to gauge narrative complexity and story shape, tracking the group’s minilesson uptake, and describing how peers and teachers received the group’s story when performed for feedback.
Quantification of the S817 airfoil aerodynamic properties and their control using synthetic jet actuators
Authors: Rice Thomas T. , Taylor Keith , Amitay Michael
Published: May 2018

Wind tunnel experiments were conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Center for Flow Physics and Control's subsonic wind tunnel, which experimentally quantified the aerodynamic performance of the S817 airfoil. This study has two main thrusts: Experimentally evaluate common aerodynamic properties of the S817 airfoil, and develop flow control strategies using continuously actuated and pulse‐modulated synthetic jets for future field testing to show the reduction of unsteady loading and increased aerodynamic performance. Quasi‐2D and finite span 3D configurations were utilized, where integrated aerodynamic loading, surface pressure, and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry data were collected to quantify the overall aerodynamic performance and stall characteristics of this airfoil. Experiments showed that synthetic jets, located at x/c=0.35 and angled at 45° with respect to the surface, increased the lift curve slope by 3.8%, the maximum lift coefficient by 10.5%, increased the L/D by as much as 39% at high angles of attack and delayed the stall angle of attack by 3°. Global particle image velocimetry measurements quantified the flowfield and showed flow reattachment could be achieved at various angles of attack using flow control where the flow would otherwise be separated. Near field measurements of the synthetic jet orifice yielded insight as to how synthetic jets interact with the cross‐flow in the time‐ and phase‐averaged sense. For very high angles of attack, a pulsed modulation technique was implemented, demonstrating flow reattachment in scenarios where a sinusoidal synthetic jet actuation scheme was unable to reattach the flow, with the benefit of achieving this with lower energy consumption compared with sinusoidal actuation.
Cosmic User Story Standard
Authors: Ecar Miguel , Kepler Fabio , da Silva João Pablo S.
Published: May 2018

User Story is a technique widely used in Agile development. It is characterised as short and high level descriptions of required functionality, written in customer language during the very early requirement gathering stage and containing just enough information to produce the estimated implementation effort. The COSMIC method is a second generation technique for function size measurement. The requirement estimation precision in COSMIC is directly proportional to the requirement detailing level. Current templates for user stories writing might ignore important information for COSMIC measurement purposes. This paper introduces a new template for writing user stories which is more expressive in terms of COSMIC size estimation. We performed a qualitative survey to introduce this new user story template to the COSMIC community, intending to capture the COSMIC users opinion in terms of expressiveness and how valuable it is. The survey points to promising results considering the COSMIC users opinion about the new template. This study contributes to agile requirements from the COSMIC users point of view. This new template may be a step forward in terms of user story estimation for COSMIC sizing based projects.
Agile Software Development – Adoption and Maturity: An Activity Theory Perspective
Authors: Chita Pritam
Published: May 2018

This paper suggests that Activity Theory is a useful lens for examining aspects of agile software development adoption and maturity. Implementing agile approaches is influenced by many factors and attention is focused on individual and collective software development activity within an organisation’s socially constructed environment. The research aim is to examine specific organisational, historical, cultural and social hindrances and facilitators that impact individual and collective learning opportunities and subsequent implementation of agile practices. This paper reports on the initial stages of research that consisted of a series of interviews and a survey. The results indicate that socially constructed hindrances and tensions are wide spread and vary in the levels at which they occur. They also correlate with many of the factors that influence agile maturity that have already been identified within the literature. This study contributes to research by integrating elements of learning theory and agile software development practice.
Supporting Large-Scale Agile Development with Domain-Driven Design
Authors: Uludağ Ömer , Hauder Matheus , Kleehaus Martin , Schimpfle Christina , Matthes Florian
Published: May 2018

An increasing number of large organizations are adopting agile and lean methods at larger scale for building complex software systems. One major critique of agile development and in particular of large-scale agile development is the neglect of proper architecting assistance in such development efforts. On the one hand, emergent architecture design may require excessive redesign efforts in large systems, while on the other hand, big upfront architecture delays the starting point of implementation. Domain-driven Design (DDD) addresses this problem by providing means for evolving the architecture of complex systems in an agile way. We describe how DDD can support large-scale agile development based on a conducted case study in a large insurance company with three agile teams. Furthermore, we present a lightweight framework that can be used by agile teams as guidance for architecting in large-scale agile development programs. The presented framework is largely based on Large-Scale Scrum and incorporates strategic and tactical DDD.
Stress in Agile Software Development: Practices and Outcomes
Authors: Meier Andreas , Kropp Martin , Anslow Craig , Biddle Robert
Published: May 2018

Stress is an important workplace issue, affecting both the health of individuals, and the health of organizations. Early advocacy for Agile Software Development suggested it might help avoid stress, with practices that emphasize a sustainable pace, and self-organizing teams. Our analysis of a 2014 survey, however, suggested that stress might still be commonplace in Agile teams, especially for those with less experience. We also noticed that newcomers to Agile emphasized technical, rather than collaborative, practices, and speculated this might explain the stress. We explored this in our analysis of a follow-up survey conducted in 2016, and report our findings in this paper. We show that there are a variety of factors involved, and that avoiding stress is associated with both collaborative and technical practices, and a range of outcomes.
Improving Mockup-Based Requirement Specification with End-User Annotations
Authors: Urbieta Matias , Torres Nahime , Rivero José Matias , Rossi Gustavo , Dominguez-Mayo F. J.
Published: May 2018

Agile approaches, one of the key methodologies used in today’s software projects, often rely on user interface mockups for capturing the goals that the system must satisfy. Mockups, as any other requirement artifact, may suffer from ambiguity and contradiction issues when several points of view are surveyed/elicited by different analysts. This article introduces a novel approach that enhances mockups with friendly end-user annotations that helps formalizing the requirements and reducing or identifying conflicts. We present an evaluation of the approach in order to measure how the use of annotations improves requirements quality.
Software Tester, We Want to Hire You! an Analysis of the Demand for Soft Skills
Authors: Florea Raluca , Stray Viktoria
Published: May 2018

One important discussion in the software development field is related to the skills that people need to have to build successful software products. This debate is generated on one hand by a large number of failures and delays of software projects. On the other hand, the debate is triggered by the need to build even better-quality software in a rapidly changing world. We will examine to which extent soft skills are relevant when hiring software testers and if there are any specific skills required for agile testers.

We analyzed 400 job advertisements for testers from 33 countries, out of which 64% ask for soft skills. Of the advertisements asking for soft skills, there is, on average, a request for 5 soft skills, 11 testing skills, and 5 technical skills. Only 30% of the companies ask explicitly for agile testers. However, our analysis shows no notable differences in skill demands for agile testers and the rest.

Software companies want to hire testers who can communicate well and have analytical and problem-solving skills. There is a significant increase in the need for openness and adaptability, independent-working and team-playing since 2012. In addition, there are new categories of soft skills identified, such as having work ethics, customer-focus and the ability to work under pressure.
Bootstrapping non-commutative gauge theories from L∞ algebras
Authors: Blumenhagen Ralph , Brunner Ilka , Kupriyanov Vladislav , Lüst Dieter
Published: May 2018

Abstract

Non-commutative gauge theories with a non-constant NC-parameter are investigated. As a novel approach, we propose that such theories should admit an underlying L∞ algebra, that governs not only the action of the symmetries but also the dynamics of the theory. Our approach is well motivated from string theory. We recall that such field theories arise in the context of branes in WZW models and briefly comment on its appearance for integrable deformations of AdS5 sigma models. For the SU(2) WZW model, we show that the earlier proposed matrix valued gauge theory on the fuzzy 2-sphere can be bootstrapped via an L∞ algebra. We then apply this approach to the construction of non-commutative Chern-Simons and Yang-Mills theories on flat and curved backgrounds with non-constant NC-structure. More concretely, up to the second order, we demonstrate how derivative and curvature corrections to the equations of motion can be bootstrapped in an algebraic way from the L∞ algebra. The appearance of a non-trivial A∞ algebra is discussed, as well.
2-Methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymer suppresses an increase of oral bacteria: a single-blind, crossover clinical trial
Authors: Fujiwara Natsumi , Yumoto Hiromichi , Miyamoto Koji , Hirota Katsuhiko , Nakae Hiromi , Tanaka Saya , Murakami Keiji , Kudo Yasusei , Ozaki Kazumi , Miyake Yoichiro
Published: May 2018

Objectives

The biocompatible 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymers, which mimic a biomembrane, reduce protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion and inhibit cell attachment. The aim of this study is to clarify whether MPC-polymer can suppress the bacterial adherence in oral cavity by a crossover design. We also investigated the number of Fusobacterium nucleatum, which is the key bacterium forming dental plaque, in clinical samples.

Materials and methods

This study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study, with two treatment periods separated by a 2-week washout period. We conducted clinical trial with 20 healthy subjects to evaluate the effect of 5% MPC-polymer mouthwash after 5 h on oral microflora. PBS was used as a control. The bacterial number in the gargling sample before and after intervention was counted by an electronic bacterial counter and a culture method. DNA amounts of total bacteria and F. nucleatum were examined by q-PCR.

Results

The numbers of total bacteria and oral streptcocci after 5 h of 5% MPC-polymer treatment significantly decreased, compared to the control group. Moreover, the DNA amounts of total bacteria and F. nucleatum significantly decreased by 5% MPC-polymer mouthwash.

Conclusions

We suggest that MPC-polymer coating in the oral cavity may suppress the oral bacterial adherence.

Clinical relevance

MPC-polymer can be a potent compound for the control of oral microflora to prevent oral infection.
Early Second-Trimester Spontaneous Miscarriage Due to Fourth Ventricle Choroid Plexus Papilloma
Authors: Stoyanov George S. , Kobakova Ina , Stoyanov Dimo , Zhelezov Marin , Angelova Meglena , Dzhenkov Deyan , Georgieva Reneta , Ayetola Lora , Kovachev Emil , Ghenev Peter , Tonchev Anton B.
Published: May 2018

Miscarriage due to fetal tumors is an extremely rare finding, with a varying incidence from 1.7 to 13.5 per 100,000 live births, with central nervous system tumors occupying a minority of these cases. Herein, we report the gross morphological and histological findings of a 17-gestational week spontaneous miscarriage in a 27 year old multi-gravida due to a fourth ventricle choroid plexus papilloma (CPP). The CPP was composed of a pronoun fibro-vascular stroma covered with a dense lining of tall cuboid sparsely ciliated single cell layer with rich in chromatin nuclei. The cytoplasm of the CPP covering cells was intensely colored when compared to the pale cytoplasm of the covering cells of the choroid plexus collected from the lateral ventricle, which also lacked in such pronoun fibrovascular stroma. The fourth ventricle was significantly dilated with parenchymal compression of nervous tissue towards the chondral fetal cranium.
A Real-World Evidence Study Assessing the Impact of Adding the Aerobika Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure Device to Standard of Care Upon Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs in Post-Operative Patients
Authors: Burudpakdee Chakkarin , Near Aimee M. , Huang Huan , Coppolo Dominic , Kushnarev Vladimir , Suggett Jason
Published: May 2018

Introduction

The aim of this real-world study was to measure the benefit of the Aerobika oscillating positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) device when added to standard of care (defined as incentive spirometry [IS]) for post-operative patients.

Methods

Adults aged ≥ 18 years who were hospitalized for cardiac, thoracic or upper abdominal surgery between 1 September 2013 and 30 April 2017 were identified from IQVIA’s Hospital Charge Detail Master (CDM) database; the index date was the date of the first hospitalization for surgery. The control cohort (IS) included patients who had ≥ 1 CDM record within 12 months prior to the index date and ≥ 1 record after discharge, evidence of IS use during index hospitalization and no evidence of use of a PEP or OPEP device at any time during the study period. The Aerobika OPEP cohort was selected in a similar manner, except that patients were required to have evidence of Aerobika OPEP use during the index hospitalization. Aerobika OPEP patients were 1:1 matched to IS patients using propensity score (PS) matching. Hospital readmissions and costs were measured at 30 days post-discharge from the index hospitalization.

Results

After PS matching, 144 patients were included in each cohort. At 30 days post-discharge, compared to the control (IS) cohort there were significantly fewer patients in the Aerobika OPEP cohort with ≥ 1 all-cause re-hospitalizations (13.9 vs. 22.9%; p = 0.042). The patients in the Aerobika OPEP cohort also had a shorter mean length of stay (± standard deviation) (1.25 ± 4.04 vs. 2.60 ± 8.24 days; p = 0.047) and lower total unadjusted mean all-cause cost per patient ($3670 ± $13,894 vs. $13,775 ± $84,238; p = 0.057). Adjusted analyses suggested that hospitalization costs were 80% lower for the Aerobika OPEP cohort versus the IS cohort (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the addition of the Aerobika OPEP device to standard of care (IS) is beneficial in the post-operative setting.

Funding

Trudell Medical International.
How risk engines could solve a biometric dilemma
Authors: Sinno Salvatore
Published: May 2018

Biometric technology is defining a new future for security, both in daily life and in the workplace. Yet its success rests on a number of sometimes contradictory factors: the effectiveness of the technology in bolstering security, its ability to respond to complex business use cases, and end-user comfort in engaging with the technology.
Simulating network intervention strategies: Implications for adoption of behaviour
Authors: BADHAM JENNIFER , KEE FRANK , HUNTER RUTH F.
Published: May 2018

This study uses simulation over real and artificial networks to compare the eventual adoption outcomes of network interventions, operationalized as idealized contagion processes with different sets of seeds. While the performance depends on the details of both the network and behaviour adoption mechanisms, interventions with seeds that are central to the network are more effective than random selection in the majority of simulations, with faster or more complete adoption throughout the network. These results provide additional theoretical justification for utilizing relevant network information in the design of public health behavior interventions.
Decapod crustaceans Eucalliacidae in chemoautotrophic bathyal bottoms of the Gulf of Cadiz (Atlantic Ocean), environmental characteristics and associated communities
Authors: García Raso José Enrique , García-Muñoz José Enrique , Mateo-Ramírez Angel , López González Nieves , Fernández-Salas Luis Miguel , Rueda José Luis
Published: May 2018

During the INDEMARES/CHICA 0610, 0211 and 0412 expeditions, carried out in the northern Spanish sector of the Gulf of Cádiz (Spain), samples were collected with a box-corer in 11 mud volcanoes and their adjacent bottoms. Chemoautotrophic communities were found in nine mud volcanoes. Among Decapoda, a rare eucalliacid, belonging to the genus Calliax and related to the Mediterranean infralittoral speciesC. lobata(de Gaillande and Lagardère 1966), was present in three of them. Data on its morphology, biogeographic distribution, vertical distribution within the burrows, sediment composition, pH and redox potential values (each in 5 cm intervals) are given; information on the chemoautotrophic communities associated with this species are also provided.
The Bennington Summer School of the Dance Oral History Project, 1978–1979: A History of Sensibilities
Authors: Andus L'Hotellier Sanja
Published: May 2018

In line with the thinking of Laurence Louppe calling for a reevaluation and problematisation of oral sources within a dance history framework, this paper sets out to examine the extensive archive of the Bennington Summer School of the Dance Oral History Project, conducted between 1978 and 1979 and housed today at Columbia University. By taking as a starting point the dancer's voice at the heart of the educational project conceived by Martha Hill and Mary Jo Shelly, a different dance history of the thirties begins to emerge, bringing to the fore the dancer's evolving experience that constitutes a true Bennington archive, set against the backdrop of the “Big Four” ultimately not part of the project.
An improved kinematic calibration method for serial manipulators based on POE formula
Authors: Chang Chenguang , Liu Jinguo , Ni Zhiyu , Qi Ruolong
Published: May 2018

Existing measurement equipments easily determine position with high precision. However, they evaluate orientation with low precision. It is necessary to minimize the effect of measurement error on identification accuracy. In this study, a method for kinematic calibration based on the product of exponentials (POE) is presented to improve the absolute positioning accuracy of a sliding manipulator. An error model with uniform and generic modeling rules is established in which the tool frame is selected as the reference frame. Furthermore, the redundant parameters of the error model are removed. Subsequently, the actual kinematic parameters are identified by using the least square method. Finally, the process of the improved method is discussed. Kinematic calibration simulations of a sliding manipulator are implemented. The results indicate that the proposed method significantly improves the precision of the sliding manipulator. The improved POE kinematic calibration method offers convenience, efficiency, and high precision. The proposed method can be applied to all types of serial robots withn-DOF
Isomorphism of uniform algebras on the 2-torus
Authors: PETERS JUSTIN R. , SANYATIT PREECHAYA
Published: May 2018

For α a positive irrational, let 𝛢α be the subalgebra of continuous functions on the two-torus whose Fourier transform vanishes at (m, n) if m+αn < 0. These algebras were studied by Wermer and others, who proved properties such as maximality and characterised the Gelfand space. One of the major themes of current work in operator algebras is classification, but none of the properties which were investigated earlier distinguished between 𝛢α and αβ, if β is another positive irrational. We address this question. We also determine the automorphism group of 𝛢α.
The quantum walk search algorithm: factors affecting efficiency
Authors: LOVETT NEIL B. , EVERITT MATTHEW , HEATH ROBERT M. , KENDON VIV
Published: May 2018

We carry out a numerical study of the quantum walk search algorithm of Shenvi, Kempe and Whaley Shenvi et al. (2003) and the factors that affect its efficiency in finding an individual state from an unsorted set. Previous work has focused purely on the effects of the dimensionality of the dataset to be searched. In the current paper we consider the effects of interpolating between dimensions, the connectivity of the dataset and the possibility of disorder in the underlying substrate: all these factors affect the efficiency of the search algorithm. We show that in addition to the strong dependence on the spatial dimension of the structure to be searched, there are also secondary dependencies on the connectivity and symmetry of the lattice, with greater connectivity providing a more efficient algorithm. We also show that the algorithm can tolerate a non-trivial level of disorder in the underlying substrate.
Pedagogical Value of Polling-Place Observation by Students
Authors: Mann Christopher B. , Alberda Gayle A. , Birkhead Nathaniel A. , Ouyang Yu , Singer Chloe , Stewart Charles , Herron Michael C. , Beaulieu Emily , Boehmke Frederick , Boston Joshua , Cantu Francisco , Cobb Rachael , Darmofal David , Ellington Thomas C. , Finocchiaro Charles J. , Gilbert Michael , Haynes Victor , Janssen Brian , Kimball David , Kromkowski Charles , Llaudet Elena , Miles Matthew R. , Miller David , Nielson Lindsay , Panagopoulos Costas , Reeves Andrew , Seo Min Hee , Simmons Haley , Smidt Corwin , Stein Robert , VanSickle-Ward Rachel , Wood Abby K. , Wronski Julie
Published: May 2018

Good education requires student experiences that deliver lessons about practice as well as theory and that encourage students to work for the public good—especially in the operation of democratic institutions (Dewey 1923; Dewy 1938). We report on an evaluation of the pedagogical value of a research project involving 23 colleges and universities across the country. Faculty trained and supervised students who observed polling places in the 2016 General Election. Our findings indicate that this was a valuable learning experience in both the short and long terms. Students found their experiences to be valuable and reported learning generally and specifically related to course material. Postelection, they also felt more knowledgeable about election science topics, voting behavior, and research methods. Students reported interest in participating in similar research in the future, would recommend other students to do so, and expressed interest in more learning and research about the topics central to their experience. Our results suggest that participants appreciated the importance of elections and their study. Collectively, the participating students are engaged and efficacious—essential qualities of citizens in a democracy.
A “WHITE BOY . . . WHO IS NOT A WHITE BOY”: RUDYARD KIPLING'SKIM, WHITENESS, AND BRITISH IDENTITY
Authors: Walters Alisha
Published: May 2018

Rudyard Kipling's final novel,Kim(1901), begins with an intriguing – if paradoxical – description of the eponymous Kim, or Kimball O'Hara: he is an “English” boy with an Irish name and Irish parentage who speaks “the [Indian] vernacular by preference” (1). While the narrator hastens to reassure the reader that Kim is both “white” and “English,” Kim is also “burned black as any native” and speaks his supposed “mother tongue,” English, in an “uncertain sing-song” (1). If we are to take Kipling's assertion at face value, that Kim is, indeed, “English,” then certainly this is a kind of Englishness that is divorced completely from the racially pure ideals of Anglo-Saxon whiteness that were privileged by many racial theorists earlier in the nineteenth century. As an Irish Celt, Kipling's protagonist is always already at a layer of remove from ideals of pure Englishness, but Kipling renders Kim's racial identity even more complicated in the text. The manuscript ofKimgives us some telling clues about the contexts that inform Kipling's peculiar descriptions of “burned black” whiteness in his finished novel. While the published text baldly declares that “Kim wasEnglish. . . . Kim was white” (1; ch. 1; emphasis mine), parts of the manuscript are much less certain of this fact, as that document asserts that Kim “looked like a half caste” (Kipling,Kim o’ the ‘Rishtin. 3). And while Kipling ultimately removed this explicit link between Kim and Eurasian bodies in the opening of his published text, this disavowal is neither complete nor convincing throughoutKim. For instance, in the novel, the narrator later describes a “half-caste woman who looked after [Kim . . . and] told the missionaries that she was Kim's mother's sister” (1; ch. 1). While this woman is not, in fact, the boy's aunt, Kim's near-familial tie with her underlines the intimate connection between him and the hybridized subjects of empire. Indeed, Kim demonstrates ideological and affective links to non-white Others and to people of mixed race, and this connection between whiteness and racial hybridity is of central importance to Kipling. If Kim is tenuously white, then he can only perform this whiteness in immediate proximity to racial hybridity, with which whiteness is ideologically contiguous in this text. As I contend in this paper,Kimreveals the under-examined links between early twentieth-century ideas of white British identity and descriptions of imperial miscegenation. InKim, “White” and “English” emerge as a vexed pair of signifiers that reveal unprecedented traces of racial and national hybridization.
TENDING TO OLD STORIES:DANIEL DERONDAAND HYSTERIA, REVISITED
Authors: Thierauf Doreen
Published: May 2018

The appearance of the word‘dynamic’ on the first page of George Eliot's novel,Daniel Deronda(1876), to describe Gwendolen's unsettled/unsettling glance famously elicited critique from her publisher John Blackwood as well as from an anonymous reviewer at theExaminer, both of whom challenged Eliot's use of scientific jargon that had not yet entered her audience's everyday vocabulary. In line with this often-cited vignette, critics usually understand Eliot to respond thoughtfully and prophetically to late-nineteenth-century scientific trends. In the words of theExaminerreviewer, Eliot's “culture is scientific” (“New Novel” 125), probably more so than any other Victorian novelist's. Studies investigating the reciprocal relationship between Eliot's fiction, particularlyMiddlemarchandDaniel Deronda, and nineteenth-century scientific writing suggest her familiarity with notable works by Henry Lewes, Alexander Bain, William Carpenter, Charles Darwin, Herbert Spencer, James Sully, and others. Scholarship of the past three decades has largely focused on Eliot's application of Victorian theories regarding epistemology, evolution, and the relationship between mind and body. However, scholars have not yet fully examined Eliot's utilization of mid-nineteenth-century medical knowledge concerning the female body's proneness to hysteria, a connection that emerges prominently in her final novel.
Are consumption of dairy products and physical activity independently related to bone mineral density of 6-year-old children? Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses in a birth cohort from Brazil
Authors: Bielemann Renata M , dos S Vaz Juliana , Domingues Marlos R , Matijasevich Alicia , Santos Iná S , Ekelund Ulf , Horta Bernardo L
Published: May 2018

Objective

To evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of consumption of dairy products and physical activity (PA) with bone mineral density (BMD).

Design

Cohort study with children from the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.

Setting

Pelotas, a medium-sized Brazilian city.

Subjects

The study started in 2004 and mothers/children were interviewed/measured periodically from birth to age 6 years. PA was measured by maternal proxy at 4 and 6 years and by accelerometry at 6 years. Consumption of dairy products was measured using 24 h food recall (at 4 years) and FFQ (at 6 years). Total-body and lumbar-spine BMD (g/cm2) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

At 6 years, BMD was measured in 3444 children and 2636 children provided data on objectively measured PA by accelerometry. Consumption of dairy products at 4 years was associated with higher lumbar-spine BMD at 6 years in boys, while current consumption was positively associated with BMD in both sexes (P < 0·001). PA assessed by maternal report at 4 and 6 years of age was associated with higher BMD at 6 years in boys. PA assessed by accelerometry was positively related to total-body and lumbar-spine BMD in boys and lumbar-spine BMD in girls. We did not find evidence for an interaction between PA and consumption of dairy products on BMD.

Conclusions

We observed positive and independent longitudinal and cross-sectional associations between consumption of dairy products and PA with BMD in the total body and at the lumbar spine in young children.