bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health service provider education and/or training in infant male circumcision to improve short‐ and long‐term morbidity outcomes: A systematic review
Authors: Gyan Thomas , Strobel Natalie A , McAuley Kimberley , Shannon Caitlin , Newton Sam , Tawiah‐Agyemang Charlotte , Amenga‐Etego Seeba , Owusu‐Agyei Seth , Forbes David , Edmond Karen
Published: June 2019

Aim

To systematically review the effectiveness of education and/or training for traditional (informal) and formal health service providers in infant male circumcision on morbidity or mortality outcomes.

Methods

We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and clinical trial registries in all languages from January 1985 to June 2018. Our primary outcomes were all‐cause morbidity and all‐cause mortality.

Results

We identified 1399 publications. Only four non‐controlled before and after studies from the USA and Uganda satisfied our criteria, all of which examined the effect of training on the skills and knowledge of medical doctors, midwives and clinical officers. No study involved informal traditional circumcision providers. All included studies were low quality.

Conclusions

High‐quality studies of simple training packages to improve education and training of circumcision providers, especially informal non‐medical providers in low income countries are needed.
PORE PRESSURE MODELLING IN A COMPRESSIONAL SETTING: A CASE STUDY FROM ASSAM, NE INDIA
Authors: Dasgupta S. , Chatterjee R. , Mohanty S. P. , Alam J.
Published: June 2019

The petroleum‐bearing Assam oil province, NE India, has a complex tectonic history resulting from the Cenozoic collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian and Burma Plates. Well data show that there are significant variations in the magnitude and stratigraphic occurrence of overpressures across the foreland basin. In areas which have not been affected by thrust tectonics, analyses of pore pressures in Upper Miocene to Eocene and underlying sequences indicate that overpressures are caused by disequilibrium compaction. Pore pressures were observed to be 25.8–28 MPa over a depth interval of 2259–2382 m and 43–45 MPa between depths of 3820 m and 3994 m. In the adjacent Schuppen (fold‐thrust) belt, multiple overpressure regimes are recognised and disequilibrium compaction is the main cause of the overpressures in both the supra‐thrust and the sub‐thrust successions. Unloading due to uplift and erosion in the supra‐thrust section of the Schuppen belt was quantified using velocity data and the normal compaction trend for shales; net uplift was estimated to total 1000–1600 m with a standard deviation of 250–476 m. Overpressure development in supra‐thrust strata in the Schuppen belt suggests the possible effects of normal burial prior to tectonic deformation, as well as of compaction related to high horizontal stresses resulting from thrusting and associated fold development. Pore pressures in the supra‐thrust section, over a depth interval of 700–1400 m which corresponds to the Oligocene to Upper Miocene succession, were observed to range from 9.6 to 19.5 MPa. The top of the overpressured zone in sub‐thrust strata was observed in the Upper Eocene to Oligocene succession at a depth of 3700 m, in the argillaceous Barail Formation, with pore pressures ranging between 48 MPa and 54 MPa. Pore pressures were estimated using acoustic log data calibrated to measured pressures from Modular Dynamic and Drill Stem Test data. The modelled pore pressures closely correspond to the measured data, supporting the robustness of the model. The numerical parameters defined in this study may be used for future exploration in the region.
An evolutionary Cournot oligopoly model with imitators and perfect foresight best responders
Authors: Cerboni Baiardi Lorenzo , Naimzada Ahmad K.
Published: June 2019

We consider the competition among quantity setting players in a linear evolutionary environment. To set their outputs, players adopt, alternatively, the best response rule having perfect foresight or an imitative rule. Players are allowed to change their behavior through an evolutionary mechanism according to which the rule with better performance will attract more followers. The relevant stationary state of the model describes a scenario where players produce at the Cournot‐Nash level. Due to the presence of imitative behavior, we find that the number of players and implementation costs, needed to the best response exploitation, have an ambiguous role in determining the stability properties of the equilibrium and double stability thresholds can be observed. Differently, the role of the intensity of choice, representing the evolutionary propensity to switch to the most profitable rule, has a destabilizing role, in line with the common occurrence in evolutionary models. The global analysis of the model reveals that increasing values of the intensity of choice parameter determine increasing dynamic complexities for the internal attractor representing a population where both decision mechanisms coexist.
Changes in heart rate and skin conductance in the 30 min preceding aggressive behavior
Authors: de Looff Peter , Noordzij Matthijs L. , Moerbeek Mirjam , Nijman Henk , Didden Robert , Embregts Petri
Published: June 2019

Aggressive behavior of inpatients threatens the safety and well‐being of both mental health staff members and fellow patients. It was investigated whether heart rate and electrodermal activity can be used to signal imminent aggression. A naturalistic study was conducted in which 100 inpatients wore sensor wristbands during 5 days to monitor their heart rate and electrodermal activity while staff members recorded patients’ aggressive incidents on the ward. Of the 100 patients, 36 displayed at least one aggressive incident. Longitudinal multilevel models indicated that heart rate, skin conductance level, and the number of nonspecific skin conductance responses per minute rose significantly in the 20 min preceding aggressive incidents. Although psychopathy was modestly correlated with displaying aggression, it was not a significant predictor of heart rate and skin conductance preceding aggression. The current findings may provide opportunities for the development of individual prediction models to aid acute risk assessment and to predict aggressive incidents in an earlier stage. The current results on the physiological indicators of aggression are promising for reducing aggression and improving both staff as well as patient safety in psychiatric mental health institutions.
Benefits and limitations of isolated floral patches in a pollinator restoration project in Arizona
Authors: McCormick Molly L. , Aslan Clare E. , Chaudhry Todd A. , Potter Kristen A.
Published: June 2019

This study examined invertebrate floral visitor responses to floral richness, floral abundance, and distance between floral patches within a newly planted pollinator restoration habitat in an arid ecosystem in central Arizona, United States. We created a pollinator habitat experiment consisting of a large central garden (11‐m diameter) surrounded by concentric rings of smaller habitat patches (1‐m diameter), separated from one another by 1, 8, 13, and 21 m, respectively, and including four flowering species. We observed plant and visitor interactions via structured 10‐minute flower visitation observations over a 3‐month period. Key findings included: (1) each plant species interacted with a variety of flower visitors, but flower visitor groups differed only marginally among the plant species; (2) floral patches outside the central garden exhibited reduced quantities of floral structures; and (3) number of floral structures per patch, but not isolation of floral patches within the habitat, affected the number of visitors and visitor taxa richness. For practitioners and land managers looking to restore pollination systems in arid ecosystems with low establishment via seeding, the results of this study suggest that installing species‐rich and florally abundant patches of flowering plant species within a habitat could efficiently support plant‐pollinator interactions.
Application of Augmented Reality (AR) in T-Shirt Catalog
Authors: Ahmad Siti Arpah , Zainol Zarina , Yunos Rozita , Abd Kadir Adzhar , Haji Ghazali Mohd. Zaki , Murad Muhammad Fadzil
Published: June 2019

Augmented Reality (AR) is a visual technology that able to provide users with a semi-real time experience. The advancement of mobile phone and camera technology have make the potential of AR emerged. Companies wants high product sales and look more advanced than their competitors. One of the effort is to provide customers with correct experience of their products. Catalog is a tool to market a product. However, paper printing catalog is two dimensional, and has limitation in fully presenting the product. This work, presents the adoption of AR in T-shirt catalog. The application utilized Android mobile phone to view the 3D model of the t-shirt. The user scan the catalog using the android handphone on the paper printing catalog, and they able to view in 3D the different angle of the T-shirt. This application has successfully developed and testing has been made on compatibility and functionality test.
University student musician noise-dosage study measuring both ensemble and full-day noise exposure
Authors: Smith Kieren H. , Neilsen Tracianne B. , Grimshaw Jeremy
Published: June 2019

A risk factor shared by all musicians is a potential for noise-induced hearing loss. A study was conducted to explore what factors determine noise dosage during musical events experienced by college student musicians. First, noise exposure during specific activities was explored, including during ensemble rehearsal and personal practice. Next, full-day noise exposure was investigated by measuring levels experienced by student musicians during a typical daily routine. Factors such as instrument played, type of activity, location within ensemble, and room environment were related to noise dosage. Disparities in results using different standards to calculate noise dosage were also explored. Risk of noise overexposure was found to be greater in some instrument classes, such as wind instruments, than in others, such as string instruments, and can yield vastly different results depending on the metric used for noise dosage calculation.
Long-term ambient noise statistics in the northeast South China Sea
Authors: Shi Yang , Yang Yixin , Tian Jiwei , Sun Chao , Zhao Wei , Li Zhenglin , Ma Yuanliang
Published: June 2019

This paper reports on the long-term statistics of ambient noise (50–2000 Hz) in the northeast South China Sea. The data were collected from July 2016 to March 2018. The long-term statistics, seasonal, and diel variations of ambient noise are analyzed. There are significant seasonal variations from 500 to 2000 Hz. The ambient noise level at 1000 Hz is 6–10 dB higher in winter than in summer. There is only a small difference between the day and night comparison (less than 1.6 dB). The results are significant to evaluate and improve the performance of underwater acoustic systems in this area.
Rapid Increase in Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Retail Meat Driven by the Spread of the
bla
NDM-5
-Carrying IncX3 Plasmid in China from 2016 to 2018
Authors: Zhang Qianhui , Lv Luchao , Huang Xiuyu , Huang Ying , Zhuang Zilin , Lu Jiaxun , Liu Enyu , Wan Miao , Xun Haoliang , Zhang Zhiwei , Huang Jin , Song Qianhua , Zhuo Chao , Liu Jian-Hua
Published: June 2019

The presence and molecular characteristics of carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
(CPE) among meat products in China were investigated. A total of 110 carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE) isolates, including 94
Escherichia coli
and 10
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates, were identified from 105 of 794 (13.2%) samples. The positive rates markedly increased from 2016 (9.4%) to 2018 (22.2%). Only
bla
NDM
genes were detected; 79.1% of
bla
NDM
genes were carried by IncX3 plasmids.
An
In Vitro
Enrichment Strategy for Formulating Synergistic Synbiotics
Authors: Kok Car Reen , Gomez Quintero David Fabian , Niyirora Clement , Rose Devin , Li Amanda , Hutkins Robert
Published: June 2019

This study describes an
in vitro
enrichment method to formulate synergistic synbiotics that have potential for establishing autochthonous strains across multiple individuals. The rationale for this approach—that the chance of survival of a bacterial strain is improved by providing it with its required resources—is based on classic ecological theory. From these experiments, a human-derived strain,
Bifidobacterium longum
subsp.
longum
CR15, was identified as a xylooligosaccharide (XOS) fermenter in fecal environments and displayed synergistic effects
in vitro
. The high rate of strain establishment observed in this study provides a basis for using synergistic synbiotics to overcome the responder/nonresponder phenomenon that occurs frequently in clinical trials with probiotic and prebiotic interventions. In addition, this approach can be applied in other protocols that require enrichment of specific bacterial populations prior to strain isolation.
Marek's Disease Virus-Encoded MicroRNA 155 Ortholog Critical for the Induction of Lymphomas Is Not Essential for the Proliferation of Transformed Cell Lines
Authors: Zhang Yaoyao , Tang Na , Luo Jun , Teng Man , Moffat Katy , Shen Zhiqiang , Watson Mick , Nair Venugopal , Yao Yongxiu
Published: June 2019

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an alphaherpesvirus associated with Marek’s disease (MD), a highly contagious neoplastic disease of chickens. MD serves as an excellent model for studying virus-induced T-cell lymphomas in the natural chicken hosts. Among the limited set of genes associated with MD oncogenicity, MDV-miR-M4, a highly expressed viral ortholog of the oncogenic miR-155, has received extensive attention due to its direct role in the induction of lymphomas. Using a targeted CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing approach in MDV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines, we show that MDV-miR-M4, despite its critical role in the induction of tumors, is not essential for maintaining the transformed phenotype and continuous proliferation. As far as we know, this was the first study in which precise editing of an oncogenic miRNA was carried out
in situ
in MD lymphoma-derived cell lines to demonstrate that it is not essential in maintaining the transformed phenotype.
Cell Envelope Integrity and Capsule Characterization of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Strains from Clinical and Environmental Sources
Authors: Yockey Johnathan , Andres Luke , Carson Moleigh , Ory Jeramia J. , Reese Amy J.
Published: June 2019

Currently, there is very little known about the phenotypic variability within species ofRhodotorulastrains and the role of their capsule.Cryptococcus neoformanshas been considered the only encapsulated human fungal pathogen, but as more individuals come to live in states of immunocompromised health, they are more susceptible to fungal infections, including those byRhodotorula.R. mucilaginosaspecies are some of those most commonly associated with clinical infections. We wanted to know if clinical and environmental strains ofR. mucilaginosademonstrated disparate capsule phenotypes. With limited antifungal options available and clinicalRhodotorulaspp. often resistant to common antifungal drugs such as fluconazole, caspofungin (1, 2), and voriconazole (2), a better understanding of the fungal biology could inform the design and use of future antifungal drugs. The generation of an antibody specific toRhodotorulafungi could be a useful diagnostic tool, and this work presents the first mention of such in the literature.
Calprotectin instability may lead to undertreatment in children with IBD
Authors: Haisma Sjoukje-Marije , van Rheenen Patrick Ferry , Wagenmakers Lucie , Muller Kobold Anneke
Published: June 2019

Background

Treatment decisions in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasingly based on longitudinal tracking of faecal calprotectin concentrations, but there is little known about the stability of this protein in stool.

Methods

We stored aliquots of homogenised stool at room temperature and at 4°C, and measured the calprotectin concentration for 6 consecutive days with three different assays. In addition, we assessed calprotectin stability in assay-specific extraction buffers kept at room temperature.

Results

After 6 days of storage at room temperature, mean percentage change from baseline calprotectin concentrations in stool and extraction buffer was 35% and 46%, respectively. The stability of calprotectin was significantly better preserved in samples stored at 4°C (p=0.0066 and 0.0011, respectively).

Conclusions

Calprotectin is not stable at room temperature. Children with IBD and their caretakers may be falsely reassured by low calprotectin values. The best advisable standard for preanalytical calprotectin handling is refrigeration of the stool sample until delivery at the hospital laboratory.
Insulin prices, availability and affordability in 13 low-income and middle-income countries
Authors: Ewen Margaret , Joosse Huibert-Jan , Beran David , Laing Richard
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Globally, one in two people needing insulin lack access. High prices and poor availability are thought to be key contributors to poor insulin access. However, few studies have assessed the availability, price and affordability of different insulin types in low-income and middle-income countries in a systematic way.

Methods

In 2016, 15 insulin price and availability surveys were undertaken (using an adaptation of the WHO/Health Action International medicine price and availability measurement methodology) in Brazil, China (Hubei and Shaanxi Provinces), Ethiopia, Ghana, India (Haryana and Madhya Pradesh States), Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Pakistan, Russia (Kazan Province) and Uganda. Data were collected in three sectors (public, private pharmacies and private hospitals/clinics) in three regions per survey. Insulin prices were standardised to 10 mL 100 IU/mL in US dollars ($). Data were also collected for four comparator medicines.

Results

Mean availability was higher for human (55%–80%) versus analogue insulins (55%–63%), but only short-acting human insulin reached 80% availability (public sector). Median government procurement prices were $5 (human insulins) and $33 (long-acting analogues). In all three sectors, median patient prices were $9 for human insulins. Median patient prices for analogues varied between the public sector ($34) and the two private sectors ($44). Vials were cheaper than pens and cartridges. Biosimilars, when available, were mostly cheaper than originators. A low-income person had to work 4 and 7 days to buy 10 mL human and analogue insulin, respectively. For isophane human insulin, only three countries meet the WHO target of 80% availability of affordable essential medicines for non-communicable diseases in any sector.

Conclusion

Improving insulin availability and affordability needs to be addressed through national and global actions, including prioritising the supply of more affordable human insulin, increasing competition through the use of lower priced quality-assured biosimilars, negotiating lower prices from manufacturers and improving distribution systems.
Stroboscopic light effects during electronic dance music festivals and photosensitive epilepsy: a cohort study and case report
Authors: Salet Newel , Visser Marieke , Stam Cornelis , Smulders Yvo M
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Electronic dance music (EDM) concerts are becoming increasingly popular. Strong stroboscopic light effects are commonly part of these shows, and may provoke seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. This study aims to examine the risk of epileptic seizures during EDM concerts.

Setting

28 EDM concerts taking place in The Netherlands.

Participants

We describe a young man who experienced a seizure during an EDM concert, and who later showed a positive electroencephalographic provocation test during exposure to video footage of the same concert. Subsequently, we performed a cohort study of 400 343 visitors to EDM concerts, divided in those exposed (concert occurring in darkness) versus unexposed (concert in daylight) to stroboscopic light effects.

Results

In total, 400 343 EDM concert visitors were included: 241 543 (representing 2 222 196 person hours) in the exposed group and 158 800 (representing 2 334 360 person hours) in the control group. The incidence density ratio of epileptic seizures in exposed versus unexposed individuals was 3.5 (95% CI: 1.7 to 7.8; p<0.0005). Less than one-third of cases occurred during use of ecstasy or similar stimulant drugs.

Conclusion

Stroboscopic light effects during EDM concerts occurring in darkness probably more than triple the risk of epileptic seizures. Concert organisers and audience should warn against the risk of seizures and promote precautionary measures in susceptible individuals.
Acute high-intensity aerobic exercise affects brain-derived neurotrophic factor in mild cognitive impairment: a randomised controlled study
Authors: Devenney Kate E , Guinan Emer M , Kelly Áine M , Mota Bibiana C , Walsh Cathal , Olde Rikkert Marcel , Schneider Stefan , Lawlor Brian
Published: June 2019

Objective

To investigate the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cognitive response to a short bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

Participants were randomised to one of two testing schedules, completing either a standardised exercise test (group A) or a resting control condition (group B). Blood sampling and cognitive measures (visuospatial learning and memory, sustained attention and executive function) were collected at baseline (T1) and postintervention (T2). An additional measurement of study outcomes was collected after exercise (T3) in group B only.

Results

64 participants (female 53.2%, mean age 70.5±6.3 years) with MCI were recruited. From T1 to T2, serum BDNF (sBDNF) concentration increased in group A (n=35) (median (Md) 4564.61±IQR 5737.23 pg/mL to Md 5173.27±5997.54 pg/mL) and decreased in group B (Md 4593.74±9558.29 pg/mL to Md 3974.66±3668.22 pg/mL) (between-group difference p=0.024, effect size r=0.3). The control group made fewer errors on the sustained attention task compared with the exercise group (p=0.025). Measures of visuospatial learning and memory or executive function did not change significantly between groups.

Conclusion

This study is the first to show that a short bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise increases peripheral sBDNF in a population with MCI. However, acute exercise did not improve cognitive performance.
Risk factors for longitudinal changes in left ventricular diastolic function among women and men
Authors: Rueda-Ochoa Oscar L , Smiderle-Gelain Marco A , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Dhana Klodian , van den Berge Jan-Kees , Echeverria Luis E , Ikram M Arfan , Deckers Jaap W , Franco Oscar H , Kavousi Maryam
Published: June 2019

Objective

To evaluate changes in left ventricular diastolic function (LVDF) parameters and their associated risk factors over a period of 11 years among community-dwelling women and men.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed three times among 870 women and 630 men (age 67±3 years) from the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study during a period of 11-year follow-up. Changes in six continuous LVDF parameters were correlated with cardiovascular risk factors using a linear-mixed effect model (LMM).

Results

In women, smoking was associated with deleterious longitudinal changes in deceleration time (DT) (Beta (β): 7.73; 95% CI 2.56 to 12.9) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was associated with improvement of septal e′ (β: 0.37; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.62) and E/e′ ratio (β: −0.46; 95% CI −0.84 to –0.08) trajectories. Among men, diabetes was associated with deleterious longitudinal changes in A wave (β: 3.83; 95% CI 0.06 to 7.60), septal e′ (β: −0.40; 95% CI −0.70 to –0.09) and E/e′ ratio (β: 0.60; 95% CI 0.14 to 1.06) and body mass index was associated with deleterious longitudinal changes in A wave (β: 1.25; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.66), E/A ratio (β: −0.007; 95% CI −0.01 to –0.003), DT (β: 0.86; 95% CI 0.017 to 1.71) and E/e′ ratio (β: 0.12; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.19).

Conclusions

Smoking among women and metabolic factors (diabetes mellitus and body mass index) among men showed larger deleterious associations with longitudinal changes in LVDF parameters. The favourable association of HDL was mainly observed among women. This study, for the first time, evaluates risk factors associated with changes over time in continuous LVDF parameters among women and men and generates new hypothesis for further medical research.
Clinical effectiveness of single dose of intravenous dexamethasone on the duration of ropivacaine axillary brachial plexus block: the randomized placebo-controlled ADEXA trial
Authors: Clement Jean-Christophe , Besch Guillaume , Puyraveau Marc , Grelet Tommy , Ferreira David , Vettoretti Lucie , Pili-Floury Sébastien , Samain Emmanuel , Berthier Francis
Published: June 2019

Background and objectives

The effect of intravenous dexamethasone on the duration of axillary plexus block performed using ropivacaine is not described. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of intravenous dexamethasone on the duration of axillary plexus block analgesia after distal upper arm surgery.

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial, consenting patients scheduled for hand or forearm surgery under ultrasound-guided axillary plexus block performed using 0.5 mL/kg of 0.475% ropivacaine, were randomized to receive an intravenous injection of either 8 mg/2 mL of dexamethasone (Dexa group) or 2 mL of saline (Control). The primary outcome was the time of first analgesic intake after axillary block. Secondary outcomes included motor or sensory block duration, total use of postoperative analgesics, and block-related complications.

Results

Among the 98 patients included, 6 and 2 patients did not require postoperative analgesic intake in Dexa and Control groups, respectively (p=0.06). The time of first analgesic intake was significantly longer in the Dexa (20.9±9.3 hours) than in the Control group (14.7±6.6 hours, p<0.0004). Motor and sensory recovery occurred significantly later, and total analgesic consumption was lower in the Dexa than in the Control group. No nerve complication related to intravenous dexamethasone injection was recorded.

Conclusions

This study showed that intravenous dexamethasone delayed for 6 hours the time to first analgesic intake after upper arm surgery under axillary plexus block performed with the long-lasting local anesthetic ropivacaine. This suggests that intravenous dexamethasone could be an interesting adjuvant to axillary plexus block.

Trial registration number

NCT02862327
CRPS: what’s in a name? Taxonomy, epidemiology, neurologic, immune and autoimmune considerations
Authors: Stanton-Hicks Michael d‘A
Published: June 2019

This account of the condition now termed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) spans approximately 462 years since a description embodying similar clinical features was described by Ambroise Paré in 1557. While reviewing its historical origins, the text describes why it became necessary to change the taxonomies of two clinical syndromes with similar pathophysiologies to one which acknowledges this aspect but does not introduce any mechanistic overtones. Discussed at length is the role of the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and why its dysfunction has both directly and indirectly influenced our understanding of the inflammatory aspects of CRPS. As the following article will show, our knowledge has expanded in an exponential fashion to include musculoskeletal, immune, autoimmune, central and peripheral nervous system and ANS dysfunction, all of which increase the complexity of its clinical management. A burgeoning literature is beginning to shed light on the mechanistic aspects of these syndromes and the increasing evidence of a genetic influence on such factors as autoimmunity, and its importance is also discussed at length. An important aspect that has been missing from the diagnostic criteria is a measure of disease severity. The recent validation of a CRPS Severity Score is also included.
Factors influencing Danish veterinarians’ choice of antimicrobials prescribed for intestinal diseases in weaner pigs
Authors: Eriksen Esben Oestergaard , Smed Simon , Klit Karl Johan , Olsen John Elmerdahl
Published: June 2019

Background

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide human and animal health problem, and there is an urgent need to promote prudent use of antimicrobials among veterinarians. In order to do so, it is important to understand the factors that determine their use of antimicrobials. This questionnaire‐based study aimed to determine which factors that influence the Danish veterinarians’ choice of antimicrobials prescribed for intestinal diseases in weaner pigs.

Methods

The survey was completed by 83.3 per cent (n=105) of all veterinarians accountable for a Veterinary Advisory Contract in Danish weaner pig herds (n=126). The participants scored to which extent 29 different factors influenced their antimicrobial choice on a five‐point Likert scale (1‐5).

Results

The veterinarian's own experiences of clinical efficacy in the herd exerted the greatest influence (94.4 per cent scored ≥4). The Danish authorities have directed a threshold of the antimicrobial use and made some antimicrobials less favourable to use in pig production through The Yellow Card Initiative, and this influenced the choice of antimicrobials significantly (78.1 per cent scored ≥4). Microbiological laboratory diagnostics influenced the choice of antimicrobial for most veterinarians (78.1 per cent scored 4 or 5), and therefore the Danish statutory requirement of laboratory diagnostics before flock treatment was considered reasonable.

Conclusion

The study concluded that many factors influenced the veterinarians choice of antimicrobials, and that statutory requirments can be used to support prudent use of antimicrobials.
Comparison between hepaticojejunostomy and hepaticoduodenostomy after excision of choledochal cyst in children: a cohort study
Authors: Guzman Johann Paulo Suico , Resurreccion III Leandro L , Suntay Marcus Lester R , Bernaldez Renato G
Published: June 2019

Objective

Hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) and hepaticoduodenostomy (HD) are commonly used biliary reconstruction techniques after choledochal cyst excision. HD has been suggested to be a more physiologic alternative during reconstruction. The objective of this study is to compare operative time, hospital stay, morbidity (leak, cholangitis, ileus, and obstruction), and mortality between HJ and HD after cyst excision.

Methods

This is a 14-year retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (≤18 years old) who underwent choledochal cyst excision and subsequent biliary reconstruction at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Data were taken from inpatient charts, operative technique, OPD logbook, readmission, and OPD charts.

Results

There were 122 patients: 56% HD and 44% HJ. Majority were female (72%), with 1:2.6 male to female ratio. The average age was 36.1 months, with a mean follow-up of 32.8 months (range 6 months–14 years). The most common cyst was type I (87%). Operative time was longer for HJ compared with HD (321.3 vs 203.6 min; p=0.000). Hospital stay was longer with HJ compared with HD (7.7 vs 6.8 days; p=0.002). Mortality rate was low at 1.6% while morbidity was at 13.9% in both groups. Although morbidity was higher among those who underwent HD, there was no significant difference between the two procedures. Anastomotic leak (4%) and cholangitis (7.4%) were observed in HD, and ileus (7.4%) was observed in the HJ group.

Conclusions

In our series, HD provided less operative time and hospital stay than with HJ. We did not observe bile gastritis after HD as compared with others. It is suggested that longer follow-up is needed to confirm such findings.
The BV formalism: Theory and application to a matrix model
Authors: Iseppi Roberta A.
Published: June 2019

We review the BV formalism in the context of [Formula: see text]-dimensional gauge theories. For a gauge theory [Formula: see text] with an affine configuration space [Formula: see text], we describe an algorithm to construct a corresponding extended theory [Formula: see text], obtained by introducing ghost and anti-ghost fields, with [Formula: see text] a solution of the classical master equation in [Formula: see text]. This construction is the first step to define the (gauge-fixed) BRST cohomology complex associated to [Formula: see text], which encodes many interesting information on the initial gauge theory [Formula: see text]. The second part of this article is devoted to the application of this method to a matrix model endowed with a [Formula: see text]-gauge symmetry, explicitly determining the corresponding [Formula: see text] and the general solution [Formula: see text] of the classical master equation for the model.
PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION WITH PERFORMANCE RATIOS
Authors: LIN HONGCAN , SAUNDERS DAVID , WENG CHENGGUO
Published: June 2019

We consider the portfolio selection problem of maximizing a performance measure in a continuous-time diffusion model. The performance measure is the ratio of the overperformance to the underperformance of a portfolio relative to a benchmark. Following a strategy from fractional programming, we analyze the problem by solving a family of related problems, where the objective functions are the numerator of the original problem minus the denominator multiplied by a penalty parameter. These auxiliary problems can be solved using the martingale method for stochastic control. The existence of solution is discussed in a general setting and explicit solutions are derived when both the reward and the penalty functions are power functions.
Regularized modal regression with data-dependent hypothesis spaces
Authors: Wang Yingjie , Chen Hong , Song Biqin , Li Han
Published: June 2019

Modal regression aims at learning the conditional mode function, which is different from the traditional least-squares for approximating the conditional mean function. Due to its robust to complex noise and outliers, modal regression has attracted increasing attention recently in statistics and machine learning community. However, most of the previous modal regression models are limited to learning framework with data-independent hypothesis spaces. Usually, the data-dependent hypothesis spaces can provide much flexibility and adaptivity for many learning problems. By employing data-dependent hypothesis spaces, we propose a new regularized modal regression and establish its generalization error analysis. Data experiments demonstrate the competitive performance of the proposed model over the related least-squares regression.
A new type of multilevel system for image sparse recovery
Authors: Sun Guomin , Leng Jinsong , Cattani Carlo
Published: June 2019

This work focuses on image sparse recovery problem. First, we construct a new kind of pseudo-directional multilevel system, which forms a tight frame in [Formula: see text]. Different from the widely used directional multilevel transforms curvelts and shearlets, whose subbands are neat and nonsensitive to the energy distribution of signals in Fourier domain, the proposed multilevel system is designed to have subbands with specific shape, the shape is oriented by the energy distribution. Thus, we can obtain more sparse structure of signals and low computation for the multilevel transform. Moreover, to detect directional singularities of signals effectively, a local directional gradient operator is introduced to catch the signal variation along different directions, it can be seen as the generalized gradient. Then we proposed a simple but efficient method for image sparse recovery, the split Bregman algorithm is employed to solve the proposed convex model which guarantees the global optimal solution. Some contrast experiments suggest that the sparse recovery by the proposed method performs well in artifacts’ suppressing and details’ extraction.
Protein function prediction from dynamic protein interaction network using gene expression data
Authors: Saha Sovan , Prasad Abhimanyu , Chatterjee Piyali , Basu Subhadip , Nasipuri Mita
Published: June 2019

Computational prediction of functional annotation of proteins is an uphill task. There is an ever increasing gap between functional characterization of protein sequences and deluge of protein sequences generated by large-scale sequencing projects. The dynamic nature of protein interactions is frequently observed which is mostly influenced by any new change of state or change in stimuli. Functional characterization of proteins can be inferred from their interactions with each other, which is dynamic in nature. In this work, we have used a dynamic protein–protein interaction network (PPIN), time course gene expression data and protein sequence information for prediction of functional annotation of proteins. During progression of a particular function, it has also been observed that not all the proteins are active at all time points. For unannotated active proteins, our proposed methodology explores the dynamic PPIN consisting of level-1 and level-2 neighboring proteins at different time points, filtered by Damerau–Levenshtein edit distance to estimate the similarity between two protein sequences and coefficient variation methods to assess the strength of an edge in a network. Finally, from the filtered dynamic PPIN, at each time point, functional annotations of the level-2 proteins are assigned to the unknown and unannotated active proteins through the level-1 neighbor, following a bottom-up strategy. Our proposed methodology achieves an average precision, recall and F-Score of 0.59, 0.76 and 0.61 respectively, which is significantly higher than the reported state-of-the-art methods.
Centrality and the shortest path approach in the human interactome
Authors: Rubanova Natalia , Morozova Nadya
Published: June 2019

Many notions and concepts for network analysis, including the shortest path approach, came to systems biology from the theory of graphs — the field of mathematics that studies graphs. We studied the relationship between the shortest paths and a biologically meaningful molecular path between vertices in human molecular interaction networks. We analyzed the sets of the shortest paths in the human interactome derived from HPRD and HIPPIE databases between all possible combinations of start and end proteins in eight signaling pathways in the KEGG database — NF-kappa B, MAPK, Jak-STAT, mTOR, ErbB, Wnt, TGF-beta, and the signaling part of the apoptotic process. We investigated whether the shortest paths match the canonical paths. We studied whether centrality of vertices and paths in the subnetworks induced by the shortest paths can highlight vertices and paths that are part of meaningful molecular paths. We found that the shortest paths match canonical counterparts only for canonical paths of length 2 or 3 interactions. The shortest paths match longer canonical counterparts with shortcuts or substitutions by protein complex members. We found that high centrality vertices are part of the canonical paths for up to 80% of the canonical paths depending on the database and the length.
The Evolution of Undular Bore in Coastal Zone: Effect of Bottom Slope, Friction and Special Topography
Authors: Zhao Xi , Ren Zhiyuan , Liu Hua
Published: June 2019

When tsunami waves propagate into shallow and gentle continental shelves, the effects of submarine topography and wave dispersion lead to the appearance of undular bore. This kind of wave is quite different from the initial tsunami wave in the waveform, and its amplitude is enhanced significantly. The undular bore will cause great and repeated runups on the beach, which brings larger destruction to the coastal region. In order to investigate the characteristics of the propagation of undular bore, this paper simulates the evolution from the sinusoidal long wave to the undular bore and analyzes the influencing factors. The beach slope has an important effect on the development of undular bores in terms of the undulation form, amplitude, wave length and occurrence time. The influence of bottom friction and submarine topography on the undulations and soliton fissions are discussed. These bottom conditions will lead to great change of the waveform and amplitude of undular bores.
Boulder Pickup by Tsunami Surge
Authors: Harry Samuel , Exton Margaret , Yeh Harry
Published: June 2019

Study of boulder transport by tsunamis is challenging because boulder size, shape, and composition vary greatly; furthermore, flow conditions, topography, and initial conditions are generally unknown. To investigate the mechanism of boulder pickup, experiments of tsunami-like flow past spherical boulders partially buried in a sediment bed are conducted. The experiments are performed in a large centrifuge facility to reduce scale effects and the corresponding dynamic similitude is discussed. The traditional approach to determine boulder pickup is adapted for the case of a half-buried spherical boulder. The adapted model predicts that the boulders are transported, but does not accurately predict the timing of pick up. To investigate the difference in pickup timing, two physical phenomena are discussed: pore-water-pressure dissipation in the soil, and the impact of the free-surface flow on hydrodynamic forces. For a spherical shaped boulder, vertical forces (i.e. buoyant and lift forces) are critical for the initiation of boulder pickup. It was found that spherical boulders that are three-quarter buried in the soil are not transported, even when exposed to flow conditions that would otherwise predict transport.
Seismic Performance of Concrete Bridge Piers Reinforced with Hybrid Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) and Steel Bars
Authors: Mao Jize , Jia Daoguang , Yang Zailin , Xiang Nailiang
Published: June 2019

Lack of corrosion resistance and post-earthquake resilience will inevitably result in a considerable loss of function for concrete bridge piers with conventional steel reinforcement. As an alternative to steel reinforcement, shape memory alloy (SMA)-based reinforcing bars are emerging for improving the seismic performance of concrete bridge piers. This paper presents an assessment of concrete bridge piers with different reinforcement alternatives, namely steel reinforcement, steel-SMA hybrid reinforcement and SMA reinforcement. The bridge piers with different reinforcements are designed having a same lateral resistance, or in other words, the flexural capacities of plastic hinges are designed equal. Based on this, numerical studies are conducted to investigate the relative performance of different bridge piers under seismic loadings. Seismic responses in terms of the maximum drift, residual drift as well as dissipated energy are obtained and compared. The results show that all the three cases with different reinforcements exhibit similar maximum drifts for different earthquake magnitudes. The SMA-reinforced bridge pier has the smallest post-earthquake residual displacement and dissipated energy, whereas the steel-reinforced pier shows the opposite responses. The steel-SMA hybrid reinforcement can achieve a reasonable balance between the residual deformation and energy dissipation.
Periodic and asymptotic behavior of a difference equation
Authors: Ari Murat , Geli̇şken Ali
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the closed form of solutions given for the following difference equation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and the initial values [Formula: see text] are real numbers. We investigate periodic and asymptotic behavior of this equation. Also, some numerical examples are given.
Nearly cosymplectic manifolds with nullity conditions
Authors: Yıldırım Mustafa , Ayar Gülhan
Published: June 2019

We investigate nearly cosymplectic manifolds with [Formula: see text]-nullity distribution. Also, we consider pseudo-projectively flat [Formula: see text]-nearly cosymplectic manifold and study [Formula: see text] condition.
女仔馆余绪： 香港早期女性教育的进程
Authors: 陈 炜舜 , 方 颖聪
Published: June 2019

1868年女仔馆的结业, 不仅标志着当时华人女性中英双语教育的失败、华洋社会文化矛盾的白热化，也透露出女性（特别是华裔及混血）地位的亟待改善。此后，无论是1869年创设的曰字楼男女馆、 1880年创设的飞利女校、 1892年飞利接受孤子院女生、抑或1899年创设的拔萃女书室，都可视为女仔馆的余绪。本文考察曰字楼男女馆如何转化成男校、飞利女校如何吸纳曰字楼女生、拔萃女书室如何成立、招收华人女生及开设中文科，以见香港早期女性及双语教育事业艰难奋进的历程。
Edges contained in all or in no minimum edge dominating set of a tree
Authors: Meddah Nacéra , Chellali Mustapha
Published: June 2019

In a graph, an edge dominates itself and all its adjacent edges. An edge dominating set (EDS) in a graph [Formula: see text] is a subset of edges that dominates every edge of [Formula: see text] In this paper, we characterize edges that are in all or in no minimum EDS in trees.
Contention-Detectable Mechanism for Receiver-Initiated MAC
Authors: Liu Daibo , Cao Zhichao , Liu Mingyan , Hou Mengshu , Jinag Hongbo
Published: June 2019

The energy efficiency and delivery robustness are two critical issues for low duty-cycled wireless sensor networks. The asynchronous receiver-initiated duty-cycling media access control (MAC) protocols have shown their effectiveness through various studies. In receiver-initiated MACs, packet transmission is triggered by the probe of receiver. However, it suffers from the performance degradation incurred by packet collision, especially under bursty traffic. Several protocols have been proposed to address this problem, but their performance is restricted by the unnecessary backoff time and long negotiation process. In this article, we present CD-MAC, an energy-efficient and robust contention-detectable mechanism for addressing the collision-catching problem in receiver-initiated MACs. By exploring the temporal diversity of the acknowledgments, a receiver recognizes the potential senders and subsequently polls individual senders one by one. On that basis, CD-MAC can successfully avoid packet collision even though multiple senders have data packets to transmit to the same receiver. We implement CD-MAC in TinyOS and evaluate its performance on an indoor testbed with single-hop and multi-hop network scenarios. The results show that CD-MAC can significantly improve throughput by 1.72 times compared with the state-of-the-art receiver-initiated MAC protocol under bursty traffic loads. The results also demonstrate that CD-MAC can effectively mitigate the influence of hidden terminal problem and adapt to network dynamics well.
Partitioning and Selection of Data Consistency Mechanisms for Multicore Real-Time Systems
Authors: Al-bayati Zaid , Sun Youcheng , Zeng Haibo , Natale Marco Di , Zhu Qi , Meyer Brett H.
Published: June 2019

Multicore platforms are becoming increasingly popular in real-time systems. One of the major challenges in designing multicore real-time systems is ensuring consistent and timely access to shared resources. Lock-based protection mechanisms such as MPCP and MSRP have been proposed to guarantee mutually exclusive access in multicore systems at the expense of blocking. In this article, we consider partitioning and scheduling in multicore real-time systems with resource sharing. We first propose a resource-aware task partitioning algorithm for systems with lock-based protection. Wait-free methods, which ensure consistent access to shared memory resources with negligible blocking at the expense of additional memory space, are a suitable alternative when the shared resource is a communication buffer. We propose several approaches to solve the joint problem of task partitioning and the selection of a data consistency mechanism (lock-based or wait-free). The problem is first formulated as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP). For large systems where an ILP solution is not scalable, we propose two heuristic algorithms. Experimental results compare the effectiveness of the proposed approaches in finding schedulable systems with low memory cost and show how the use of wait-free methods can significantly improve schedulability.