bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No Evidence of Causal Effects of Blood Pressure on Cognition in the Population at Large
Authors: Swagerman Suzanne C. , van Bergen Elsje , Kan Kees-Jan , Koenis Marinka M. G. , Hulshoff Pol Hilleke E. , Boomsma Dorret I. , de Geus Eco J. C.
Published: January 2016

The large body of literature on the association between blood pressure (BP) and cognitive functioning has yielded mixed results, possibly due to the presence of non-linear effects across age, or because BP affects specific brain areas differently, impacting more on some cognitive skills than on others. If a robust association was detected among BP and specific cognitive tasks, the causal nature of reported associations between BP and cognition could be investigated in twin data, which allow a test of alternative explanations, including genetic pleiotropy. The present study first examines the association between BP and cognition in a sample of 1,140 participants with an age range between 10 and 86 years. Linear and quadratic effects of systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) on cognitive functioning were examined for 17 tests across five functions. Associations were corrected for effects of sex and linear and quadratic effects of age. Second, to test a causal model, data from 123 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs were analyzed to test whether cognitive functioning of the twins with the higher BP was different from that of the co-twins with lower BP. Associations between BP and cognitive functioning were absent for the majority of the cognitive tests, with the exception of a lower speed of emotion identification and verbal reasoning in subjects with high diastolic BP. In the MZ twin pair analyses, no effects of BP on cognition were found. We conclude that in the population at large, BP level is not associated with cognitive functioning in a clinically meaningful way.
Dysfunctional information processing during an auditory event-related potential task in individuals with Internet gaming disorder
Authors: Park M , Choi J-S , Park S M , Lee J-Y , Jung H Y , Sohn B K , Kim S N , Kim D J , Kwon J S
Published: January 2016

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) leading to serious impairments in cognitive, psychological and social functions has gradually been increasing. However, very few studies conducted to date have addressed issues related to the event-related potential (ERP) patterns in IGD. Identifying the neurobiological characteristics of IGD is important to elucidate the pathophysiology of this condition. P300 is a useful ERP component for investigating electrophysiological features of the brain. The aims of the present study were to investigate differences between patients with IGD and healthy controls (HCs), with regard to the P300 component of the ERP during an auditory oddball task, and to examine the relationship of this component to the severity of IGD symptoms in identifying the relevant neurophysiological features of IGD. Twenty-six patients diagnosed with IGD and 23 age-, sex-, education- and intelligence quotient-matched HCs participated in this study. During an auditory oddball task, participants had to respond to the rare, deviant tones presented in a sequence of frequent, standard tones. The IGD group exhibited a significant reduction in response to deviant tones compared with the HC group in the P300 amplitudes at the midline centro-parietal electrode regions. We also found a negative correlation between the severity of IGD and P300 amplitudes. The reduced amplitude of the P300 component in an auditory oddball task may reflect dysfunction in auditory information processing and cognitive capabilities in IGD. These findings suggest that reduced P300 amplitudes may be candidate neurobiological marker for IGD.
Broadband terahertz generation using the semiconductor-metal transition in VO2
Authors: Charipar Nicholas A. , Kim Heungsoo , Mathews Scott A. , Piqué Alberto
Published: January 2016

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of broadband terahertz emitters based on the semiconductor-metal transition in thin film VO2 (vanadium dioxide). With the appropriate geometry, picosecond electrical pulses are generated by illuminating 120 nm thick VO2 with 280 fs pulses from a femtosecond laser. These ultrafast electrical pulses are used to drive a simple dipole antenna, generating broadband terahertz radiation.
Transition fronts for the Fisher-KPP equation
Authors: Hamel François , Rossi Luca
Published: January 2016

This paper is concerned with transition fronts for reaction-diffusion equations of the Fisher-KPP type. Basic examples of transition fronts connecting the unstable steady state to the stable one are the standard traveling fronts, but the class of transition fronts is much larger and the dynamics of the solutions of such equations is very rich. In the paper, we describe the class of transition fronts and we study their qualitative dynamical properties. In particular, we characterize the set of their admissible asymptotic past and future speeds and their asymptotic profiles and we show that the transition fronts can only accelerate. We also classify the transition fronts in the class of measurable superpositions of standard traveling fronts.
The impact of capacity growth in national telecommunications networks
Authors: Lord Andrew , Soppera Andrea , Jacquet Arnaud
Published: January 2016

This paper discusses both UK-based and global Internet data bandwidth growth, beginning with historical data for the BT network. We examine the time variations in consumer behaviour and how this is statistically aggregated into larger traffic loads on national core fibre communications networks. The random nature of consumer Internet behaviour, where very few consumers require maximum bandwidth simultaneously, provides the opportunity for a significant statistical gain. The paper looks at predictions for how this growth might continue over the next 10–20 years, giving estimates for the amount of bandwidth that networks should support in the future. The paper then explains how national networks are designed to accommodate these traffic levels, and the various network roles, including access, metro and core, are described. The physical layer network is put into the context of how the packet and service layers are designed and the applications and location of content are also included in an overall network overview. The specific role of content servers in alleviating core network traffic loads is highlighted. The status of the relevant transmission technologies in the access, metro and core is given, showing that these technologies, with adequate research, should be sufficient to provide bandwidth for consumers in the next 10–20 years.
Maximizing the optical network capacity
Authors: Bayvel Polina , Maher Robert , Xu Tianhua , Liga Gabriele , Shevchenko Nikita A. , Lavery Domaniç , Alvarado Alex , Killey Robert I.
Published: January 2016

Most of the digital data transmitted are carried by optical fibres, forming the great part of the national and international communication infrastructure. The information-carrying capacity of these networks has increased vastly over the past decades through the introduction of wavelength division multiplexing, advanced modulation formats, digital signal processing and improved optical fibre and amplifier technology. These developments sparked the communication revolution and the growth of the Internet, and have created an illusion of infinite capacity being available. But as the volume of data continues to increase, is there a limit to the capacity of an optical fibre communication channel? The optical fibre channel is nonlinear, and the intensity-dependent Kerr nonlinearity limit has been suggested as a fundamental limit to optical fibre capacity. Current research is focused on whether this is the case, and on linear and nonlinear techniques, both optical and electronic, to understand, unlock and maximize the capacity of optical communications in the nonlinear regime. This paper describes some of them and discusses future prospects for success in the quest for capacity.
BJOG Editor's Choice
Authors: Thorp John
Published: January 2016

Deputy Editor‐in‐Chief, Dr John Thorp, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/february-editors-choice-2016
Mythmaking and Social Formation in the Study of Early Christianity
Authors: Brown Ian Phillip
Published: January 2016

Burton Mack has made a number of important contributions to the study of early Christianity. One of, if not the most significant of these contributions is his use of the analytical categories of mythmaking and social formation in his construction of a social theory of religion. The analysis of mythmaking and social formation in early Christianity brings a critical historical and sociological focus to the study of Christian origins by focusing on the literary aspects of ancient texts, and the social aspects of ancient people and groups, and the dialectical relationship between the two categories. This article reviews the uses and criticisms of the categories of mythmaking and social formation in the study of early Christianity: beginning with Mack's work on a social theory of religion and his seminal study of the Gospel of Mark (A Myth of Innocence), and moving on to studies that have both taken up and critiqued Mack's use of the terms.
Eliciting patient preferences, priorities and trade-offs for outcomes following kidney transplantation: a pilot best–worst scaling survey
Authors: Howell Martin , Wong Germaine , Rose John , Tong Allison , Craig Jonathan C , Howard Kirsten
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Eliciting preferences and trade-offs that patients may make to achieve important outcomes, can assist in developing patient-centred research and care. The pilot study aimed to test the feasibility of a case 2 best–worst scaling survey (BWS) to elicit recipient with kidney transplantation preferences after transplantation.

Design

Preferences for graft survival and dying, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infection and side effects (gastrointestinal, weight-gain and appearance) were assessed in recipients with transplantation using a BWS (20 scenarios of nine outcomes). Participants chose ‘best’ and ‘worst’ outcomes. Responses were analysed using a multinomial logit model. Selected participants were interviewed.

Outcomes

Attribute coefficients and survey completion error rates.

Results

81 recipients with transplantation were approached, and 39 (48%), mean age 50.5 years, completed the BWS. 4 (10%) surveys were invalid with major errors and of 35 remaining, 7 of 1400 (0.5%) choices were missing. –23 (59%) took >20 min to complete the survey. 1 was unable to finish, and 1 did not understand the survey. 2 (5%) found it very hard and 14 (35%) moderately hard. Most attribute coefficients were significant (p<0.05) and showed face validity. Graft survival was most important with normalised coefficients from 1 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.11) to 0.06 (95% CI −0.03 to 0.16) for 30 and 1 year duration, respectively. Attribute level coefficients decreased with increasing risk of adverse outcomes. Error rates of 20% and 2% were estimated for dominant attributes ‘100% risk of dying’ and ‘30 years graft survival’, respectively. 7 participants were interviewed regarding counterintuitive selection of ‘100% risk of dying’ as a ‘best’ outcome. Misunderstanding, not linking dying to graft survival and aversion to dialysis were reasons given.

Conclusions

Recipients with transplant recipients successfully completed a complex case 2 BWS with attribute coefficients having face validity with respect to duration of graft survival and risk of adverse outcomes. Areas for refinement to reduce complexity in design have been identified.
The Beckman report on database research
Authors: Abadi Daniel , Agrawal Rakesh , Ailamaki Anastasia , Balazinska Magdalena , Bernstein Philip A. , Carey Michael J. , Chaudhuri Surajit , Dean Jeffrey , Doan AnHai , Franklin Michael J. , Gehrke Johannes , Haas Laura M. , Halevy Alon Y. , Hellerstein Joseph M. , Ioannidis Yannis E. , Jagadish H. V. , Kossmann Donald , Madden Samuel , Mehrotra Sharad , Milo Tova , Naughton Jeffrey F. , Ramakrishnan Raghu , Markl Volker , Olston Christopher , Ooi Beng Chin , Ré Christopher , Suciu Dan , Stonebraker Michael , Walter Todd , Widom Jennifer
Published: January 2016

Database researchers paint big data as a defining challenge. To make the most of the enormous opportunities at hand will require focusing on five research areas.
Stochastic program optimization
Authors: Schkufza Eric , Sharma Rahul , Aiken Alex
Published: January 2016

The optimization of short sequences of loop-free, fixed-point assembly code sequences is an important problem in high-performance computing. However, the competing constraints of transformation correctness and performance improvement often force even special purpose compilers to produce sub-optimal code. We show that by encoding these constraints as terms in a cost function, and using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler to rapidly explore the space of all possible code sequences, we are able to generate aggressively optimized versions of a given target code sequence. Beginning from binaries compiled by 11vm --O0, we are able to produce provably correct code sequences that either match or outperform the code produced by qcc --O3, icc --O3, and in some cases expert handwritten assembly.
A Rare Clinical Presentation of Giant Bilateral Labial Fibroepithelial Stromal Polyps in Patient with Psoriasis Disease
Authors: Avsar Ayse Filiz , Islek Elcin , Yildirim Melahat , Ahsen Hilal
Published: January 2016

Fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs) are rarely seen lesions of the lower female genital tract with polypoid proliferations of stroma. These tumors usually present in the vulvovaginal region of the reproductive aged women. In this presentation, we report a case of a psoriatic woman who developed unusual multiple polypoid lesions approximately 15 cm in size arising from both left and right labia minora and unique connection of FEPs with psoriasis disease.
The Combination of the Tunnel View and Weight-Bearing Anteroposterior Radiographs Improves the Detection of Knee Arthritis
Authors: Babatunde Oladapo M. , Danoff Jonathan R. , Patrick David A. , Lee Jonathan H. , Kazam Jonathan K. , Macaulay William
Published: January 2016

Imaging used for the evaluation of knee pain has historically included weight-bearing anteroposterior (AP), lateral, and sunrise radiographs. We wished to evaluate the utility of adding the weight-bearing (WB) posteroanterior (PA) view of the knee in flexion. We hypothesize that (1) the WB tunnel view can detect radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) not visualized on the WB AP, (2) the combination of the AP and tunnel view increases the radiographic detection of OA, and (3) this may provide additional information to the clinician evaluating knee pain. We retrospectively reviewed the WB AP and tunnel view radiographs of 100 knees (74 patients) presenting with knee pain and analyzed for evidence of arthritis. The combination of the WB tunnel view and WB AP significantly increased the detection of joint space narrowing in the lateral (p<0.001) and medial (p=0.006) compartments over the AP view alone. The combined views significantly improved the identification of medial subchondral cysts (p=0.022), sclerosis of the lateral tibial plateau (p=0.041), and moderate-to-large osteophytes in the medial compartment (p=0.012), intercondylar notch (p<0.001), and tibial spine (p<0.001). The WB tunnel view is an effective tool to provide additional information on affected compartments in the painful knee, not provided by the AP image alone.
Germline Genetic Variants in the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway as Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Risk
Authors: Hildebrandt Michelle A.T. , Reyes Monica E. , Lin Moubin , He Yonggang , Nguyen Son V. , Hawk Ernest T. , Wu Xifeng
Published: January 2016

Background: The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a key role in stem cell maintenance in the colorectum. Rare high-penetrance genetic mutations in components of this pathway result in familial colorectal cancer, yet the impact of common, germline variants remains unknown.

Methods: We assessed 172 variants in 26 genes from the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in 809 colorectal cancer cases and 814 healthy controls, followed by replication of the top findings in another 691 cases and 775 controls. In silico informatic tools were used to predict functional effects of variants.

Results: Eighteen SNPs in the pathway were significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk (P < 0.05) in the discovery phase. We observed a significant dose-response increase in colorectal cancer risk by number of risk genotypes carried (P = 4.19 × 10−8). Gene-based analysis implicated CSNK1D (P = 0.014), FZD3 (P = 0.023), and APC (P = 0.027) as significant for colorectal cancer risk. In the replication phase, FZD3:rs11775139 remained significantly associated with reduced risk with a pooled OR of 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.76–0.94, P = 0.001]. Although borderline significant in the replication population, APC:rs2545162 was highly significant in the pooled analysis—OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.16–1.74; P = 0.00085. Functional assessment identified several potential biologic mechanisms underlying these associations.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that common germline variants in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway may be involved in colorectal cancer development.

Impact: These variants may be informative in colorectal cancer risk assessment to identify individuals at increased risk who would be candidates for screening. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(3); 540–6. ©2016 AACR.
Specific Reaction Patterns to Distinct Positive Emotional Cues Related to Incentive Motivation in Dependence of the Taq1A-Polymorphism: Molecular Genetic Associations of Early and Late Event-Related Potentials
Authors: Munk Aisha J.L. , Wielpuetz Catrin , Osinsky Roman , Müller Erik M. , Grant Phillip , Hennig Jürgen
Published: January 2016

Background/Aims: Early and late event-related potential (ERP) responses, representing early subconscious and late motivational processes, were recorded for positive emotional words related to ‘wanting' and ‘liking', in dependence of the dopamine-related Taq1A genotype (ANKK1/DRD2). Research suggests that ‘wanting' as opposed to ‘liking' is related to dopaminergic processes. Therefore, it was hypothesized that risk allele carriers of the Taq1A polymorphism exhibit late ERP changes in reaction to words representing incentive motivation, i.e. ‘wanting' (word categories ‘lust' and ‘anticipation'), but not to words representing ‘liking' (‘closeness'). Methods: Seventy-two male participants performed an emotional-word Stroop task during EEG recording and were genotyped according to the Taq1A polymorphism of ANKK1/DRD2. Results: Positive emotional words related to anticipation and lust revealed blunted responses in the late positive potential (LPP) in carriers of the A1 allele, an effect absent in response to ‘liking'-related words. These differences were not evident in the earlier posterior negativity (EPN). Conclusion: As no differences in dependence of the Taq1A genotype were observed in reaction to ‘wanting'- and ‘liking'-related words in the EPN, but merely in the LPP, it can be assumed that incentive-motivational stimuli only modify motivation-related ERP responses in carriers of the A1 allele of the Taq1A polymorphism, indicating the role of dopamine in late ERP components.
Challenges in the Detection of Working Memory and Attention Decrements among Overweight Adolescent Girls
Authors: Bauer Lance O. , Manning Kevin J.
Published: January 2016

Background: The present study is unique in employing unusually difficult attention and working memory tasks to reveal subtle cognitive decrements among overweight/obese adolescents. It evaluated novel measures of background electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during one of the tasks and tested correlations of these and other measures with psychological and psychiatric predictors of obesity maintenance or progression. Methods: Working memory and sustained attention tasks were presented to 158 female adolescents who were rated on dichotomous (body mass index percentile <85 vs. ≥85) and continuous (triceps skinfold thickness) measures of adiposity. Results: The results revealed a significant association between excess adiposity and performance errors during the working memory task. During the sustained attention task, overweight/obese adolescents exhibited more EEG frontal beta power as well as greater intraindividual variability in reaction time and beta power across task periods than their normal-weight peers. Secondary analyses showed that frontal beta power during the sustained attention task was positively correlated with anxiety, panic, borderline personality features, drug abuse, and loss of control over food intake. Conclusions: The findings suggest that working memory and sustained attention decrements do exist among overweight/obese adolescent girls. The reliable detection of the decrements may depend on the difficulty of the tasks as well as the manner in which performance and brain activity are measured. Future studies should examine the relevance of these decrements to dietary education efforts and treatment response.
Smoking-Related Home Oxygen Burn Injuries: Continued Cause for Alarm
Authors: Carlos William G. , Baker Mary S. , McPherson Katie A. , Bosslet Gabriel T. , Sood Rajiv , Torke Alexia M.
Published: January 2016

Background: Home oxygen therapy is a mainstay of treatment for patients with various cardiopulmonary diseases. In spite of warnings against smoking while using home oxygen, many patients sustain burn injuries. Objectives: We aimed to quantify the morbidity and mortality of such patients admitted to our regional burn unit over a 6-year period. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients admitted to a regional burn center from 2008 through 2013 was completed. Admitted patients sustaining burns secondary to smoking while using home oxygen therapy were selected as the study population to determine morbidity. Results: Fifty-five subjects were admitted to the burn unit for smoking-related home oxygen injuries. The age range was 40-84 years. Almost all subjects were on home oxygen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (96%). Seventy-two percent of burns involved <5% of the total body surface area, 51% of patients were intubated, and of those 33% had evidence of inhalation injury. The hospital mortality rate was 14.5%. The mean length of hospital stay was 8.6 days, and 54.5% were discharged to a nursing home or another advanced facility. Finally, concomitant substance abuse was found in 27%, and a previous history of injury from smoking while on home oxygen was discovered in 14.5%. Conclusions: This single-center analysis is one of the largest describing burn injuries stemming from smoking while using home oxygen therapy. We identified the morbidity and mortality associated with these injuries. Ongoing education and careful consideration of prescribing home oxygen therapy for known smokers is highly encouraged.
Serra Verde granitic stock: a calc-alkaline granitic magmatism in the Rio Grande do Norte Domain, NE, of Borborema Province
Authors: Costa Lindaray Sousa da , Galindo Antonio Carlos , Silva Fernando César Alves da , Silva Neto Manoel Felipe da
Published: January 2016

O Plúton Serra Verde constitui um stock granítico situado na porção centro-leste da Faixa Seridó, intrusivo em metassedimentos do Grupo Seridó e em ortognaisses do Complexo Caicó. Possuindo uma geometria en cornue, alongado na direção NE -SW, esse plúton teve a sua colocação sincrônica ao evento brasiliano. Composicionalmente, suas rochas são monzogranitos de textura fina, homogênea, cuja paragênese mineral dominante é composta de K-feldspato, plagioclásio e quartzo (em geral, mais de 80% modal). O principal mineral máfico é a biotita, e anfibólio, titanita, epídoto, opacos, allanita, zircão e apatita são acessórios. Quimicamente, as rochas de Serra Verde são metaluminosas a peraluminosas, de filiação calcioalcalina, com altos teores de Na2 O (> 4,2%), Sr (> 400 ppm) e Ba (> 700 ppm) e baixos teores de K2 O (≤ 3,7%), TiO2 (< 0,3%), Rb (< 80 ppm) e Y (≤ 28 ppm). As paragêneses minerais e suas microtexturas indicam que a evolução do magma ocorreu em condições de fO2 moderadas a elevadas, acima do tampão FMQ. Dados termobarométricos sugerem uma pressão de cristalização para o Serra Verde em torno de 3 a 5 kbar, com temperatura do liquidus em torno de 800°C e temperatura do solidus estimada entre 700º e 660°C. Esses dados são compatíveis com aqueles obtidos por diversos autores em granitoides neoproterozoicos do Domínio Rio Grande do Norte. Uma fonte crustal para o magma de Serra Verde é sugerida com base na análise de dados petrográficos e geoquímicos. Os ortognaisses quartzo-dioríticos a tonalíticos do complexo do embasamento são prováveis candidatos a essa fonte. Uma comparação do Serra Verde com os demais plútons calcio-alcalinos do Domínio Rio Grande do Norte mostra que este é mais enriquecido em SiO2 e Na2 O e empobrecido em Fe2 O3 (T), MgO e TiO2 .
MAPEAMENTO DE CICATRIZES DE ESCORREGAMENTOS UTILIZANDO IMAGEM MULTIESPCTRAL
Authors: Martins Tiago Damas , Oka-Fiori Chisato , Vieira Bianca Carvalho
Published: January 2016

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR; mso-fareast-language: PT-BR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">O mapeamento de cicatrizes de escorregamentos integra o inventário destes fenômenos a partir de diferentes técnicas. Entretanto, a literatura não apresenta procedimentos específicos para sua realização, sobretudo na classificação entre a área que sofreu a ruptura e a área de “passagem e arraste” do material transportado. Este trabalho objetivou apresentar e discutir um procedimento de mapeamento de cicatrizes baseado em imagens de satélite, que possa contribuir em uma melhor definição de critérios/normas para o mapeamento destas feições. Foram selecionadas duas bacias hidrográficas com ocorrência de cicatrizes dos escorregamentos de 2011. Dentre os testes, o de correlação de bandas pela operação Band Ratio apresentou o melhor resultado. Contudo, mesmo que a resolução da imagem possibilite a identificação visual da cicatriz, não permitiu uma clara definição dos seus limites e do material transportado/depositado, sendo adequado apenas para aplicações em escala até 1:25.000. Destaca-se que não foi possível determinar um critério de delimitação de uma cicatriz, que pode: a) incluir apenas a área de deslocamento de material, ou b) incluir a área fonte do material e toda a área afetada pelo seu percurso.
Medication Adherence and the Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality and Hospitalization Among Patients With Newly Prescribed Antihypertensive Medications
Authors: Kim Soyeun , Shin Dong Wook , Yun Jae Moon , Hwang Yunji , Park Sue K. , Ko Young-Jin , Cho BeLong
Published: January 2016

The importance of adherence to antihypertensive treatments for the prevention of cardiovascular disease has not been well elucidated. This study evaluated the effect of antihypertensive medication adherence on specific cardiovascular disease mortality (ischemic heart disease [IHD], cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction). Our study used data from a 3% sample cohort that was randomly extracted from enrollees of Korean National Health Insurance. Study subjects were aged ≥20 years, were diagnosed with hypertension, and started newly prescribed antihypertensive medication in 2003 to 2004. Adherence to antihypertensive medication was estimated as the cumulative medication adherence. Subjects were divided into good (cumulative medication adherence, ≥80%), intermediate (cumulative medication adherence, 50%–80%), and poor (cumulative medication adherence, <50%) adherence groups. We used time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the association between medication adherence and health outcomes. Among 33 728 eligible subjects, 670 (1.99%) died of coronary heart disease or stroke during follow-up. Patients with poor medication adherence had worse mortality from IHD (hazard ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–2.31;
P
for trend=0.005), cerebral hemorrhage (hazard ratio, 2.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.28–3.77;
P
for trend=0.004), and cerebral infarction (hazard ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.25–2.96;
P
for trend=0.003) than those with good adherence. The estimated hazard ratios of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease were consistent with the mortality end point. Poor medication adherence was associated with higher mortality and a greater risk of hospitalization for specific cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing the importance of a monitoring system and strategies to improve medication adherence in clinical practice.
Novel Bloodless Potassium Determination Using a Signal‐Processed Single‐Lead ECG
Authors: Attia Zachi I. , DeSimone Christopher V. , Dillon John J. , Sapir Yehu , Somers Virend K. , Dugan Jennifer L. , Bruce Charles J. , Ackerman Michael J. , Asirvatham Samuel J. , Striemer Bryan L. , Bukartyk Jan , Scott Christopher G. , Bennet Kevin E. , Ladewig Dorothy J. , Gilles Emily J. , Sadot Dan , Geva Amir B. , Friedman Paul A.
Published: January 2016

Background

Hyper‐ and hypokalemia are clinically silent, common in patients with renal or cardiac disease, and are life threatening. A noninvasive, unobtrusive, blood‐free method for tracking potassium would be an important clinical advance.

Methods and Results

Two groups of hemodialysis patients (development group, n=26; validation group, n=19) underwent high‐resolution digital
ECG
recordings and had 2 to 3 blood tests during dialysis. Using advanced signal processing, we developed a personalized regression model for each patient to noninvasively calculate potassium values during the second and third dialysis sessions using only the processed single‐channel
ECG
. In addition, by analyzing the entire development group's first‐visit data, we created a global model for all patients that was validated against subsequent sessions in the development group and in a separate validation group. This global model sought to predict potassium, based on the T wave characteristics, with no blood tests required. For the personalized model, we successfully calculated potassium values with an absolute error of 0.36±0.34 mmol/L (or 10% of the measured blood potassium). For the global model, potassium prediction was also accurate, with an absolute error of 0.44±0.47 mmol/L for the training group (or 11% of the measured blood potassium) and 0.5±0.42 for the validation set (or 12% of the measured blood potassium).

Conclusions

The signal‐processed
ECG
derived from a single lead can be used to calculate potassium values with clinically meaningful resolution using a strategy that requires no blood tests. This enables a cost‐effective, noninvasive, unobtrusive strategy for potassium assessment that can be used during remote monitoring.
The Effect of Reference Climatology on Global Flood Forecasting
Authors: Hirpa Feyera A. , Salamon Peter , Alfieri Lorenzo , Pozo Jutta Thielen-del , Zsoter Ervin , Pappenberger Florian
Published: January 2016

The Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) is a preoperational suite performing daily streamflow simulations to detect severe floods in large river basins. GloFAS defines the severity of a flood event with respect to thresholds estimated based on model-simulated streamflow climatology. Hence, determining accurate and consistent critical thresholds is important for its skillful flood forecasting. In this work, streamflow climatologies derived from two global meteorological inputs were compared, and their impacts on global flood forecasting were assessed. The first climatology is based on precipitation-corrected reanalysis data (ERA-Interim), which is currently used in the operational GloFAS forecast, while the second is derived from reforecasts that are routinely produced using the latest weather model. The results of the comparison indicate that 1) flood thresholds derived from the two datasets have substantial dissimilarities with varying characteristics across different regions of the globe; 2) the differences in the thresholds have a spatially variable impact on the severity classification of a flood; and 3) ERA-Interim produced lower flood threshold exceedance probabilities (and flood detection rates) than the reforecast for several large rivers at short forecast lead times, where the uncertainty in the meteorological forecast is smaller. Overall, it was found that the use of reforecasts, instead of ERA-Interim, marginally improved the flood detection skill of GloFAS forecasts.
Process tomography of diffusion, using PET, to evaluate anisotropy and heterogeneity
Authors: Kulenkampff J. , Gründig M. , Zakhnini A. , Gerasch R. , Lippmann-Pipke J.
Published: January 2016

Anisotropy and compositional and structural heterogeneity in clays are causes of considerable deviations from homogeneous diffusion, in particular in terms of direction-dependent transport rates and preferred transport zones. Conventional diffusion experiments, in which the sample is treated as a homogeneous black box in a concentration gradient, are interminable and insensitive to spatial effects. In contrast, tomographic imaging methods are capable of both reducing the amount of observation time required and revealing space-dependent features of the diffusion process.

In the present study, positron-emission-tomography (PET) was applied as the most sensitive quantitative spatiotemporal tomographic modality for direct observation of positron-emitting radiotracers in opaque media at reasonable resolution (1 mm) on a laboratory scale (100 mm).

Geoscientific applications of PET, or GeoPET, have revealed anisotropic and heterogeneous effects in diffusion experiments that have been conducted on Opalinus clay samples of different sizes, as well as on other rock types. Applying the Comsol Optimization Module to 2D-image sections of the PET tomograms, effective parameter values were derived, thereby quantifying the anisotropic diffusion.
Arabidopsis Motif Scanner
Authors: Mele Giovanni
Published: January 2016

Background

The major mechanism driving cellular differentiation and organism development is the regulation of gene expression. Cis-acting enhancers and silencers have key roles in controlling gene transcription. The genomic era allowed the transition from single gene analysis to the investigation of full transcriptomes. This transition increased the complexity of the analyses and the difficulty in the interpretation of the results. In this context, there is demand for new tools aimed at the creation of gene networks that can facilitate the interpretation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data.

Results

Arabidopsis Motif Scanner (AMS) is a Windows application that runs on local computers. It was developed to build gene networks by identifying the positions of cis-regulatory elements in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and by providing an easy interface to assess and evaluate gene relationships. Its major innovative feature is to combine the cis-regulatory element positions, NGS and DNA Chip Arrays expression data, Arabidopsis annotations and gene interactions for the identification of gene networks regulated by transcription factors. In studies focused on transcription factors function, the software uses the expression data and binding site motifs in the regulative gene regions to predict direct target genes. Additionally, AMS utilizes DNA-protein and protein-protein interaction data to facilitate the identification of the metabolic pathways regulated by the transcription factor of interest.

Conclusions

Arabidopsis Motif Scanner is a new tool that helps researchers to unravel gene relations and functions. In fact, it facilitates studies focused on the effects and the impact that transcription factors have on the transcriptome by correlating the position of cis-acting elements, gene expression data and interactions.
El senderismo en el Parque Natural Sierra de las Nieves (Málaga): estado de la actividad
Authors: Ocaña Ocaña Carmen , Larrubia Vargas Remedios , Navarro Rodríguez Susana
Published: January 2016

A partir de datos inéditos obtenidos mediante encuesta y ecocontadores, el artículo analiza la puesta en valor de los senderos como recurso turístico en el P.N. Sierra de las Nieves. Tras el análisis de los equipamientos que ofrece el Parque para la práctica del senderismo, el trabajo se centra en el análisis de la demanda. En primer lugar a través del volumen y ritmos estacionales de los visitantes, y en segundo lugar por el radio de atracción y la frecuencia de las visitas. Posteriormente, tras medir la demanda, se hace una incursión en el análisis de la satisfacción de los usuarios, para concluir contrastando las valoraciones obtenidas con los rasgos y perfiles que se consideran propios de la actividad y favorables para su realización en espacios de alto valor natural.
La actividad laboral de las familias africanas y latinoamericanas reagrupadas en la España mediterránea
Authors: Gozálvez Pérez Vicente , Sempere Souvannavong Juan David , Martín-Serrano Rodríguez Gabino-Antonio , Espinosa Seguí Ana , Larrosa Rocamora José Antonio , Cutillas Orgilés Ernesto , Amat Montesinos Xavier , Cortés Samper Carlos , Díez Ros Rocío , Valero Escandell José Ramón , Palazón Ferrando Salvador
Published: January 2016

La investigación se basa en los resultados de una encuesta realizada en 2009-2010, por el equipo investigador, a 348 inmigrados reagrupantes africanos y a 457 latinoamericanos que residen en las provincias litorales entre Girona y Almería. La información que se ofrece está referida a los aspectos laborales de estos dos colectivos continentales, tanto a escala del conjunto territorial indicado como para tres subáreas incluidas en él: Cataluña litoral, Comunidad Valenciana y Murcia-Almería; según los temas, se trata por separado a los reagrupantes y a los subgrupos familiares que conviven en España (reagrupantes, cónyuges, hijos). El estudio se centra en las estructuras de empleo por sectores económicos. También se estudian las redes migratorias, tan decisivas en la orientación de estos flujos hacia España, la regulación laboral de estos trabajadores, la repercusión de la crisis actual en los empleos de las familias reagrupadas (paro, número de ocupados por familia e ingresos), la satisfacción laboral de los miembros de las familias (horas de trabajo, problemas laborales y salariales) y la estabilidad laboral (antigüedad en el empleo, cursos de formación profesional, trabajo actual y expectativas del inmigrante). El recorrido por los temas laborales indicados, vinculados a los distintos grupos continentales y familiares y a las diferentes escalas territoriales, concluyen en mostrar situaciones económicas y sociales muy diferentes entre africanos y latinoamericanos, y entre los que residen en Cataluña litoral y en Murcia-Almería, en lo que intervienen, entre otras causas, los distintos «capitales» personales aportados por los dos colectivos continentales para acceder al empleo (formación, idioma, …) y las diferentes estructuras económicas de los territorios estudiados. Los africanos y los que residen en las provincias meridionales son los que presentan peores situaciones socioeconómicas.
Regressive-transgressive cyclothem with facies record of the re-flooding window in the Late Silurian carbonate succession (Podolia, Ukraine)
Authors: Łuczyński Piotr , Kozłowski Wojciech , Skompski Stanisław
Published: January 2016

The term “re-flooding window” was recently proposed as a time-interval connected with the transgressive stage of present day peri-reefal development. In the analysis presented here, a fossil record of a re-flooding window has been recognized. Nine Late Silurian carbonate sections exposed on the banks of the Dnister River in Podolia (Ukraine) have been correlated base on bed-by-bed microfacies analysis and spectral gamma ray (SGR) measurements. Correlated were sections representing settings ranging from the inner part of a shallow-water carbonate platform to its slope, through an organic buildup. The reconstructed depositional scenario has been divided into six development stages, with the first three representing a regressive interval and the latter three a transgressive interval of the basin’s history. The re-flooding window has been identified at the beginning of a transgressive part of the succession. Surprisingly, it is characterized by an extremely fast growth of a shallow, tide-dominated platform and by deposition of calciturbiditic layers in a more basinal area. The interpreted succession is a small-scale model illustrating the reaction of carbonate depositional sub-environments to sea level changes and determining the facies position of the stromatoporoid buildups within the facies pattern on a Silurian shelf. The use of SGR analyses in shallow water, partly high-energy, carbonate facies, both for correlation purposes and for identifying depositional systems, is a relatively new method, and thus can serve as a reference for other studies of similar facies assortment.
Entwicklungspfade des Finanzplatzes Wien
Authors: Musil Robert , Eder Jakob
Published: January 2016

Trajectories of the financial center Vienna. Transformation from a weak to a strong history? The financial center of Vienna experienced a dynamic internationalization during the 1990s and early 2000s, which was focused on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Although Viennese banks were irrelevant players on the European scale, Bank Austria, Erste Bank, and Raiffeisen International became the largest foreign banks in this region. Following the concept of path dependency, this article identifies this period as a “strong history” and traces this story of success back to historic pre-1989 conditions: a “weak history”. Based on quantitative research and expert interviews, this paper shows the personal and institutional continuities of Viennese banks in the CEE region, which outlasted the historic break of 1989.
Diverse Hormone Response Networks in 41 IndependentDrosophilaCell Lines
Authors: Stoiber Marcus , Celniker Susan , Cherbas Lucy , Brown Ben , Cherbas Peter
Published: January 2016

Steroid hormones induce cascades of gene activation and repression with transformative effects on cell fate . Steroid transduction plays a major role in the development and physiology of nearly all metazoan species, and in the progression of the most common forms of cancer. Despite the paramount importance of steroids in developmental and translational biology, a complete map of transcriptional response has not been developed for any hormone . In the case of 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysone) in Drosophila melanogaster, these trajectories range from apoptosis to immortalization. We mapped the ecdysone transduction network in a cohort of 41 cell lines, the largest such atlas yet assembled. We found that the early transcriptional response mirrors the distinctiveness of physiological origins: genes respond in restricted patterns, conditional on the expression levels of dozens of transcription factors. Only a small cohort of genes is constitutively modulated independent of initial cell state. Ecdysone-responsive genes tend to organize into directional same-stranded units, with consecutive genes induced from the same strand. Here, we identify half of the ecdysone receptor heterodimer as the primary rate-limiting step in the response, and find that initial receptor isoform levels modulate the activated cohort of target transcription factors. This atlas of steroid response reveals organizing principles of gene regulation by a model type II nuclear receptor and lays the foundation for comprehensive and predictive understanding of the ecdysone transduction network in the fruit fly.
Contribuciones de enfermería a la anestesiología en Costa Rica
Authors: Carranza Ramírez Alba
Published: January 2016

Introducción. En el presente artículo se presentan los resultados de un estudio que cuyo objetivo fue identificar la participación de la enfermería en el desarrollo de la anestesiología en Costa Rica.Método. Se aplicó la metodología de la investigación histórica para determinar los sucesos ocurridos en el pasado relacionados con el desarrollo de la anestesia, así como las contribuciones de enfermería. Se analizó fuentes primarias y secundarias que fueron sistematizadas, valoradas, ordenadas  y sintetizadas. Se aplicó la técnica de  grupo focal y entrevistas en profundidad a 23 enfermeras (os) técnicos en anestesia que laboran actualmente y a las enfermeras (os) pensionados.Resultados. Durante más de 90 años la administración de anestesia a las personas fue llevada a cabo por enfermeras (os), no obstante, la formación de enfermería en anestesia fue suspendida en 1981.Conclusión. El estudio determinó que este personal tenía una preparación formal dada por el doctor Sotela que luego fue ampliada a año y medio por la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Costa Rica, institución de la que egresaban como técnicos en anestesia.
Experiencias de familias que conviven con una persona con diagnóstico de Alzheimer
Authors: Leiva Díaz Viriam , Hernández Rojas María Elena , Aguirre Mora Evelyn
Published: January 2016

Introducción. La demencia tipo Alzheimer es un trastorno neurológico progresivo y degenerativo que afecta principalmente el pensamiento, la memoria y el comportamiento; su evolución es lenta y los daños que produce,  severos. Actualmente la enfermedad no tiene cura: el tratamiento consiste en aminorar los síntomas y retrasar el proceso degenerativo. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar las experiencias de las familias que viven con una persona con Alzheimer, sustentada en la teoría de Imogene King.Metodología. El estudio requirió una aproximación cualitativa fenomenológica. La muestra utilizada incluye tres familias, cada una con un miembro que padece dicha enfermedad. Para la recolección de los datos se aplicó la entrevista a profundidad y la observación, así como otros instrumentos como genograma familiar y APGAR I y II.Resultados. Al analizar los datos, en las familias se identificó cambios en el sistema personal, interpersonal y el sistema social.Conclusión. Es importante reconocer la lucha de estas familias al convivir con una persona con la enfermedad de Alzheimer, lo cual implica no solo  cambios, sino desafíos, además de un reajuste y una reestructuración de sus sistemas con el fin de cumplir con sus nuevas necesidades.
Editorial
Authors: Medeiros Neta Olivia Morais , Moura Dante Henrique
Published: January 2016

A expansão da EPT, de acordo com os documentos oficiais, representa uma oportunidade de desenvolvimento social e humano para áreas conhecidas como os rincões dos estados brasileiros. Nesse contexto, a criação dos Institutos Federais inseriu-se em uma política voltada para a Educação Profissional e Tecnológica (EPT), iniciada pelo governo de Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.A EPT visa a integração com vistas à formação omnilateral, indissociabilidade entre educação profissional e educação básica e integração de conhecimentos gerais e específicos como totalidade. Em consonância com esse princípio, esse número da RBEPT traz o artigo O ENSINO DE GEOMETRIA NUMA PERSPECTIVA INTERDISCIPLINAR COMO INICIATIVA PARA UMA ABORDAGEM TRANSDISCIPLINAR. O referido artigo visa refletir sobre as contribuições que a interdisciplinaridade e a transdisciplinaridade podem deixar para o ensino de Matemática, mais precisamente de Geometria.Nesses termos, acreditamos que professores da EPT têm desenvolvido metodologias, no Ensino Médio Integrado, que permitam a articulação entre a EPT e a formação geral, de modo que possibilite ao educando uma formação cidadã e reflexiva sobre o mundo do trabalho no qual deverá se inserir.