bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genioglossus reflex responses to negative upper airway pressure are altered in people with tetraplegia and obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Wijesuriya Nirupama S. , Gainche Laura , Jordan Amy S. , Berlowitz David J. , LeGuen Mariannick , Rochford Peter D. , O'Donoghue Fergal J. , Ruehland Warren R. , Carberry Jayne C. , Butler Jane E. , Eckert Danny J.
Published: April 2018

Key points

Protective reflexes in the throat area (upper airway) are crucial for breathing.

Impairment of these reflexes can cause breathing problems during sleep such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

OSA is very common in people with spinal cord injury for unknown reasons.

This study shows major changes in protective reflexes that serve to keep the upper airway open in response to suction pressures in people with tetraplegia and OSA.

These results help us understand why OSA is so common in people with tetraplegia and provide new insight into how protective upper airway reflexes work more broadly.

More than 60% of people with tetraplegia have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, the specific causes are unknown. Genioglossus, the largest upper‐airway dilator muscle, is important in maintaining upper‐airway patency. Impaired genioglossus muscle function following spinal cord injury may contribute to OSA. This study aimed to determine if genioglossus reflex responses to negative upper‐airway pressure are altered in people with OSA and tetraplegia compared to non‐neurologically impaired able‐bodied individuals with OSA. Genioglossus reflex responses measured via intramuscular electrodes to ∼60 brief (250 ms) pulses of negative upper‐airway pressure (∼−15 cmH2O at the mask) were compared between 13 participants (2 females) with tetraplegia plus OSA and 9 able‐bodied controls (2 females) matched for age and OSA severity. The initial short‐latency excitatory reflex response was absent in 6/13 people with tetraplegia and 1/9 controls. Genioglossus reflex inhibition in the absence of excitation was observed in three people with tetraplegia and none of the controls. When the excitatory response was present, it was significantly delayed in the tetraplegia group compared to able‐bodied controls: excitation onset latency (mean ± SD) was 32 ± 16 vs. 18 ± 9 ms, P = 0.045; peak excitation latency was 48 ± 17 vs. 33 ± 8 ms, P = 0.038. However, when present, amplitude of the excitation response was not different between groups, 195 ± 26 vs. 219 ± 98% at baseline, P = 0.55. There are major differences in genioglossus reflex morphology and timing in response to rapid changes in airway pressure in people with tetraplegia and OSA. Altered genioglossus function may contribute to the increased risk of OSA in people with tetraplegia. The precise mechanisms mediating these differences are unknown.
Negociación a la francesa: un enfoque cualitativo
Authors: Ogliastri Uribe Enrique , Rendón Maria Isabel , Fosse Sébastien Michel
Published: April 2018

Con base en las teorías de Hall, Hofstede y el estudio Globe, este artículo analiza, de un lado, la manera de negociar de los franceses y una interpretación de por qué negocian así, y de otro, los retos que afrontan personas de otras culturas al negociar con ellos. Se utilizan metodologías cualitativas inductivas y comparativas, sobre experiencias concretas de negociación con franceses: un grupo focal y tres estudios con entrevistas semiestructuradas con 244 negociadores de cinco continentes. A quienes van a negociar con los franceses, se recomienda preparar la negociación con datos y argumentos sólidos, buscar un acercamiento gradual, ser asertivo pero flexible y mantener la formalidad y las buenas maneras.
Recruitment and Selection Devices in Financial Services Companies: Exploring the case of Chilean Banking
Authors: Espinosa Cristia Juan Felipe , Hernández Aracena Javier
Published: April 2018

The article deals with the problem of the role of ‘social’ devices at the time of producing and reproducing organizational behavior, taking the case of recruitment and selection processes in financial services organizations in Chile and the UK. Based on 42 in-depth interviews in Santiago, London and Edinburgh, and building on science and technology studies and the concept of device the article aims to understand how recruitment and election mechanisms are adopted and legitimated in organizations. Analysis suggests that recruitment and selection mechanisms connect technical and moral elements, allowing managers to deal with uncertainty and carry out organizational reproduction. However, devices in Chile and the UK differ in the modes that connect technical and moral elements.
Embarazo ectópico cervical: diagnóstico preciso y enfoque de manejo médico. Reporte de caso
Authors: Martínez Díaz Rodolfo Andrés , Quintero Avendaño Leila Janeth , García González Carlos Alejandro , Fernández De Castro Asis Alfredo Miguel
Published: April 2018

El embarazo ectópico cervical es una condición exótica. Su diagnóstico y manejo plantean un desafío importante, dada su asociación con desenlaces maternos graves. La sospecha clínica y la juiciosa aplicación de los criterios diagnósticos permiten establecer modalidades de terapia conservativa. Este artículo reporta un caso de embarazo ectópico cervical con diagnóstico de imágenes de ultrasonido y resonancia nuclear magnética en el que se administró tratamiento con metotrexato. El seguimiento clínico, de los exámenes paraclínicos y de ultrasonido mostraron la resolución completa de la condición. Se revisan aspectos relacionados con el diagnóstico y tratamiento.
A transverse isotropic equivalent fluid model combining both limp and rigid frame behaviors for fibrous materials
Authors: Nennig Benoit , Binois Rémy , Dauchez Nicolas , Perrey-Debain Emmanuel , Foucart Félix
Published: April 2018

Due to the manufacturing process, some fibrous materials like glasswool may be transversely isotropic (TI): fibers are mostly parallel to a plane of isotropy within which material properties are identical in all directions whereas properties are different along the transverse direction. The behavior of TI fibrous material is well described by the TI Biot's model, but it requires one to measure several mechanical parameters and to solve the TI Biot's equations. This paper presents an equivalent fluid model that can be suitable for TI materials under certain assumptions. It takes the form of a classical wave equation for the pressure involving an effective density tensor combining both limp and rigid frame behaviors of the material. This scalar wave equation is easily amenable to analytical and numerical treatments with a finite element method. Numerical results, based on the proposed model, are compared with experimental results obtained for two configurations with a fibrous material. The first concerns the absorption of an incident plane wave impinging on a fibrous slab and the second corresponds to the transmission loss of a splitter-type silencer in a duct. Both configurations highlight the effect of the sample orientation and give an illustration of the unusual TI behavior for fluids.
The sound field of a rotating dipole in a plug flow
Authors: Wang Zhao-Huan , Belyaev Ivan V. , Zhang Xiao-Zheng , Bi Chuan-Xing , Faranosov Georgy A. , Dowell Earl H.
Published: April 2018

An analytical far field solution for a rotating point dipole source in a plug flow is derived. The shear layer of the jet is modelled as an infinitely thin cylindrical vortex sheet and the far field integral is calculated by the stationary phase method. Four numerical tests are performed to validate the derived solution as well as to assess the effects of sound refraction from the shear layer. First, the calculated results using the derived formulations are compared with the known solution for a rotating dipole in a uniform flow to validate the present model in this fundamental test case. After that, the effects of sound refraction for different rotating dipole sources in the plug flow are assessed. Then the refraction effects on different frequency components of the signal at the observer position, as well as the effects of the motion of the source and of the type of source are considered. Finally, the effect of different sound speeds and densities outside and inside the plug flow is investigated. The solution obtained may be of particular interest for propeller and rotor noise measurements in open jet anechoic wind tunnels.
Perception of nonlinear distortion on emulation of frequency responses of headphones
Authors: Gutierrez-Parera Pablo , Lopez Jose J.
Published: April 2018

The equalization of headphones can force transducers to work in a non-linear condition, producing non-linear distortion. Depending on the headphone model and the reproduction level, that distortion can be audible. In this study, headphones of diverse quality and price were compelled to emulate the same target frequency response and the non-linear distortion was measured. A Diagonal Volterra model was used to simulate the different headphones with and without distortion. A perceptual test was carried out to determine the level of reproduction above which non-linear distortion is perceived for each headphone model. High correlation has been found between the level of detected distortion and retail prices of headphones.
A Standard Method To Inactivate Bacillus anthracis Spores to Sterility via Gamma Irradiation
Authors: Cote Christopher K. , Buhr Tony , Bernhards Casey B. , Bohmke Matthew D. , Calm Alena M. , Esteban-Trexler Josephine S. , Hunter Melissa , Katoski Sarah E. , Kennihan Neil , Klimko Christopher P. , Miller Jeremy A. , Minter Zachary A. , Pfarr Jerry W. , Prugh Amber M. , Quirk Avery V. , Rivers Bryan A. , Shea April A. , Shoe Jennifer L. , Sickler Todd M. , Young Alice A. , Fetterer David P. , Welkos Susan L. , Bozue Joel A. , McPherson Derrell , Fountain Augustus W. , Gibbons Henry S.
Published: April 2018

In 2015, a laboratory of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) inadvertently shipped preparations of gamma-irradiated spores of
Bacillus anthracis
that contained live spores. In response, a systematic evidence-based method for preparing, concentrating, irradiating, and verifying the inactivation of spore materials was developed. We demonstrate the consistency of spore preparations across multiple biological replicates and show that two different DoD institutions independently obtained comparable dose-inactivation curves for a monodisperse suspension of
B. anthracis
spores containing 3 × 10
10
CFU. Spore preparations from three different institutions and three strain backgrounds yielded similar decimal reduction (D
10
) values and irradiation doses required to ensure sterility (D
SAL
) to the point at which the probability of detecting a viable spore is 10
−6
. Furthermore, spores of a genetically tagged strain of
B. anthracis
strain Sterne were used to show that high densities of dead spores suppress the recovery of viable spores. Together, we present an integrated method for preparing, irradiating, and verifying the inactivation of spores of
B. anthracis
for use as standard reagents for testing and evaluating detection and diagnostic devices and techniques.

IMPORTANCE
The inadvertent shipment by a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory of live
Bacillus anthracis
(anthrax) spores to U.S. and international destinations revealed the need to standardize inactivation methods for materials derived from biological select agents and toxins (BSAT) and for the development of evidence-based methods to prevent the recurrence of such an event. Following a retrospective analysis of the procedures previously employed to generate inactivated
B. anthracis
spores, a study was commissioned by the DoD to provide data required to support the production of inactivated spores for the biodefense community. The results of this work are presented in this publication, which details the method by which spores can be prepared, irradiated, and tested, such that the chance of finding residual living spores in any given preparation is 1/1,000,000. These irradiated spores are used to test equipment and methods for the detection of agents of biological warfare and bioterrorism.
Critical Role of Zinc in a New Murine Model of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Diarrhea
Authors: Bolick D. T. , Medeiros P. H. Q. S. , Ledwaba S. E. , Lima A. A. M. , Nataro J. P. , Barry E. M. , Guerrant R. L.
Published: April 2018

Enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(ETEC) is a major cause of traveler's diarrhea as well as of endemic diarrhea and stunting in children in developing areas. However, a small-mammal model has been badly needed to better understand and assess mechanisms, vaccines, and interventions. We report a murine model of ETEC diarrhea, weight loss, and enteropathy and investigate the role of zinc in the outcomes. ETEC strains producing heat-labile toxins (LT) and heat-stable toxins (ST) that were given to weaned C57BL/6 mice after antibiotic disruption of normal microbiota caused growth impairment, watery diarrhea, heavy stool shedding, and mild to moderate intestinal inflammation, the latter being worse with zinc deficiency. Zinc treatment promoted growth in zinc-deficient infected mice, and subinhibitory levels of zinc reduced expression of ETEC virulence genes
cfa1
,
cexE
,
sta2
, and
degP
but not of
eltA in vitro
. Zinc supplementation increased shedding and the ileal burden of wild-type (WT) ETEC but decreased shedding and the tissue burden of LT knockout (LTKO) ETEC. LTKO ETEC-infected mice had delayed disease onset and also had less inflammation by fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO) assessment. These findings provide a new murine model of ETEC infection that can help elucidate mechanisms of growth, diarrhea, and inflammatory responses as well as potential vaccines and interventions.
New York City House Mice (Mus musculus) as Potential Reservoirs for Pathogenic Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants
Authors: Williams Simon H. , Che Xiaoyu , Paulick Ashley , Guo Cheng , Lee Bohyun , Muller Dorothy , Uhlemann Anne-Catrin , Lowy Franklin D. , Corrigan Robert M. , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: April 2018

House mice (
Mus musculus
) thrive in large urban centers worldwide. Nonetheless, little is known about the role that they may play in contributing to environmental contamination with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Here, we describe the fecal microbiome of house mice with emphasis on detection of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes by molecular methods. Four hundred sixteen mice were collected from predominantly residential buildings in seven sites across New York City over a period of 13 months. 16S rRNA sequencing identified
Bacteroidetes
as dominant and revealed high levels of
Proteobacteria
. A targeted PCR screen of 11 bacteria, as indicated by 16S rRNA analyses, found that mice are carriers of several gastrointestinal disease-causing agents, including
Shigella
,
Salmonella
,
Clostridium difficile
, and diarrheagenic
Escherichia coli
. Furthermore, genes mediating antimicrobial resistance to fluoroquinolones (
qnrB
) and β-lactam drugs (
bla
SHV
and
bla
ACT/MIR
) were widely distributed. Culture and molecular strain typing of
C. difficile
revealed that mice harbor ribotypes associated with human disease, and screening of kidney samples demonstrated genetic evidence of pathogenic
Leptospira
species. In concert, these findings support the need for further research into the role of house mice as potential reservoirs for human pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in the built environment.

IMPORTANCE
Mice are commensal pests often found in close proximity to humans, especially in urban centers. We surveyed mice from seven sites across New York City and found multiple pathogenic bacteria associated with febrile and gastrointestinal disease as well as an array of antimicrobial resistance genes.
Simultaneous Allocation of Berths and Quay Cranes under Discrete Berth Situation
Authors: Zhang Canrong , Wu Tao , Qi Mingyao , Miao Lixin
Published: April 2018

This paper examines the simultaneous allocation of berths and quay cranes under discrete berth situation in container terminals. The berths of discrete type have been broadly applied in realistic production especially for the terminals whose berths are not aligned in a straight line. The typical features of such berths including wharf length constraints, water depth constraints, and berth-bound quay cranes have been considered in this paper. In contrast to the previous work which only deployed the number of quay cranes besides the assignment of berths, this paper assigns berths and quay cranes simultaneously. In addition, to better fit the realistic production, some practical features related to quay cranes including the interference between quay cranes, the berth-dependent productivity of quay cranes, and limited adjustments of the assigned quay cranes during operations have also been considered in this paper. An integer programming model is formulated for this problem, and a sub-gradient-based Lagrangian relaxation algorithm is proposed. A simple but efficient greedy insertion heuristics is developed to solve the decomposed primal problems to optimality. Based on actual data, numerical experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed algorithm.
An Optimal Preemptive Algorithm for Online MapReduce Scheduling on Two Parallel Machines
Authors: Jiang Yiwei , Zhou Wei , Zhou Ping
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we study an online scheduling on two parallel machines in MapReduce-like system where each job contains two kinds of tasks: map tasks and reduce tasks. A job’s reduce tasks can only be processed after all its map tasks are finished. We assume that the map tasks are fractional and the reduce tasks are preemptive. Our objective is to minimize makespan. We show that the lower bound for this MapReduce scheduling problem is [Formula: see text]. We then present an online algorithm with competitive ratio of [Formula: see text] and thus it is optimal.
Higgs boson production in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity at the ILC
Authors: Han Jinzhong , Yang Guang , Meng Ming , Wang Weijian , Li Jingyun
Published: April 2018

We investigate the Higgs boson production processes [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity (LHT) at the International Linear Collider (ILC). We calculate the LHT model predictions on the production rate of these processes at the ILC in the case of (un)polarized beams and the signal strengths of the production processes [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with Higgs decaying to [Formula: see text]. In the allowed parameter space, we find that the signal strengths [Formula: see text] is most likely approach to the expected precision of the ILC.
AN INTRODUCTION TO FRACTAL-BASED APPROACHES IN UNCONVENTIONAL RESERVOIRS — PART I
Authors: CAI JIANCHAO , ZHANG LIEHUI , JU YANG , PIA GIORGIO , ZHANG ZHIEN
Published: April 2018

In recent years, unconventional reservoirs have drawn tremendous attention worldwide. This special issue collects a series of recent works on various fractal-based approaches in unconventional reservoirs. The topics covered in this introduction include fractal characterization of pore (throat) structure and its influences on the physical properties of unconventional rocks, fractal characteristics of crack propagation in coal and fluid flow in rock fracture network under shearing, porous flow phenomena and gas adsorption mechanism, fractal geophysical method in reservoirs.
Multiphase Godunov-Type Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method with Approximate Riemann Solvers
Authors: Cai Zhi Wen , Zong Zhi , Chen Zhen , Zhou Li , Tian Chao
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a multiphase Godunov-type smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (MGSPH) method is presented for simulating multi-fluid Riemann problems with complex equations of state (EOSs). In this method, single-phase Riemann solvers are used between particles with same phase, and interfacial approximate Riemann solvers are introduced on the interfacial particle pairs. Various combinations of single-phase and interface approximate Riemann solvers are comparatively studied to find out the best combination for MGSPH. Five examples are presented to verify MGSPH method.
A Stochastic Game-Based Approach for Multiple Beyond-Visual-Range Air Combat
Authors: Ha Jung-Su , Chae Hyeok-Joo , Choi Han-Lim
Published: April 2018

This paper addresses tactical decisions in beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat between two adversarial teams of multiple (autonomous) aircraft. A BVR combat is formalized as a two-player stochastic game consisting of a sequence of normal-form games that determines on the number of missiles to be allocated to each adversary aircraft; within this normal-form game a continuous sub-game is embedded to determine the missile shooting times. The formulation reduces the size of decision space by taking advantage of the underlying symmetry of the combat scenario, and also facilitates incorporation of the effect of cooperative missile maneuvers and transition into within-visual-range (WVR) combat. The Nash equilibrium strategies and the associate value functions of the game are computed through linear-programming-based dynamic programming procedure. Numerical case studies on combat between airplanes with heterogeneous capabilities and cooperation effects demonstrate the validity of the proposed formulation and the effectiveness of the proposed solution scheme.
Adaptive Opportunistic Airborne Sensor Sharing
Authors: Beal Jacob , Usbeck Kyle , Loyall Joseph , Rowe Mason , Metzler James
Published: April 2018

Airborne sensor platforms are becoming increasingly significant for both civilian and military operations; yet, at present, their sensors are typically idle for much of their flight time, e.g., while the sensor-equipped platform is in transit to and from the locations of sensing tasks. The sensing needs of many other potential information consumers might thus be served by sharing such sensors, thereby allowing other information consumers to opportunistically task them during their otherwise unscheduled time, as well as enabling other improvements, such as decreasing the number of platforms needed to achieve a goal and increasing the resilience of sensor tasks through duplication. We have implemented a prototype system realizing these goals in Mission-Driven Tasking of Information Producers (MTIP), which leverages an agent-based representation of tasks and sensors to enable fast, effective, and adaptive opportunistic sharing of airborne sensors. Using a simulated large-scale disaster-response scenario populated with publicly available Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets, we demonstrate that correlations in task location are likely to lead to a high degree of potential for sensor-sharing. We then validate that our implementation of MTIP can successfully carry out such sharing, showing that it increases the number of sensor tasks served, reduces the number of platforms required to serve a given set of sensor tasks, and adapts well to radical changes in flight path.
Tight Running Time Lower Bounds for Vertex Deletion Problems
Authors: Komusiewicz Christian
Published: April 2018

For a graph class Π, the Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
problem has as input an undirected graph
G
= (
V
,
E
) and an integer
k
and asks whether there is a set of at most
k
vertices that can be deleted from
G
such that the resulting graph is a member of Π. By a classic result of Lewis and Yannakakis [17], Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
is NP-hard for all hereditary properties Π. We adapt the original NP-hardness construction to show that under the exponential time hypothesis (ETH), tight complexity results can be obtained. We show that Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
does not admit a 2

o
(
n
)

-time algorithm where
n
is the number of vertices in
G
. We also obtain a dichotomy for running time bounds that include the number
m
of edges in the input graph. On the one hand, if Π contains all edgeless graphs, then there is no 2

o
(
n+m
)

-time algorithm for Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
. On the other hand, if there is a fixed edgeless graph that is not contained in Π and containment in Π can be determined in 2

O
(
n
)

time or 2

o
(
m
)

time, then Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
can be solved in 2

O
(√
m
)

+
O
(
n
) or 2

o
(
m
)

+
O
(
n
) time, respectively. We also consider restrictions on the domain of the input graph
G
. For example, we obtain that Π-V
ertex
D
eletion
cannot be solved in 2

o
(√
n
)

time if
G
is planar and Π is hereditary and contains and excludes infinitely many planar graphs. Finally, we provide similar results for the problem variant where the deleted vertex set has to induce a connected graph.
Fault-Tolerant Power Electronic System for Drag Power Kites
Authors: Bauer Florian , Kennel Ralph M.
Published: April 2018

An approach for a fault-tolerant power electronic system for drag power kites is proposed. The key idea is to use a high number of electrical cables in the tether and leave rotor drivetrains in groups isolated on the kite, in the tether, and on the ground. The power flow is paralleled behind an uninterruptible power supply of each drivetrain group on the ground. It is shown that this approach hardly affects the overall system performance, for example, due to the anyways high optimal number of electrical cables in the tether. With this approach, a fault in one drivetrain group does only affect the same drivetrain group and a fault between two drivetrain groups affects only the same two drivetrain groups. A fuse system and a fault shut-off control for the power converters are proposed, with which also faults between two drivetrain groups lead at most to unavailability of only one drivetrain group. In particular also open circuit faults and short circuit faults in the tether are mitigated and are overall not harmful for the system and a usual multicopter-like landing is still possible. Therefore, the proposed power electronic system design has no single point of failure. A generalization and a number of variants are discussed. In detail, a number of power electronic topologies and both tether power transmission types, DC and AC, are possible. The proposed approach was verified by a high number of circuit simulations and by a proof-of-principle demonstrator. In all cases it was confirmed that any open circuit fault and any short circuit fault lead at the most to unavailability of only one rotor drivetrain group.
Current Methods for Skeletal Muscle Tissue Repair and Regeneration
Authors: Liu Juan , Saul Dominik , Böker Kai Oliver , Ernst Jennifer , Lehman Wolfgang , Schilling Arndt F.
Published: April 2018

Skeletal muscle has the capacity of regeneration after injury. However, for large volumes of muscle loss, this regeneration needs interventional support. Consequently, muscle injury provides an ongoing reconstructive and regenerative challenge in clinical work. To promote muscle repair and regeneration, different strategies have been developed within the last century and especially during the last few decades, including surgical techniques, physical therapy, biomaterials, and muscular tissue engineering as well as cell therapy. Still, there is a great need to develop new methods and materials, which promote skeletal muscle repair and functional regeneration. In this review, we give a comprehensive overview over the epidemiology of muscle tissue loss, highlight current strategies in clinical treatment, and discuss novel methods for muscle regeneration and challenges for their future clinical translation.
Oral Hygiene Practices among Saudi Arabian Children and Its Relation to Their Dental Caries Status
Authors: Quadri M. F. A. , Shubayr M. A. , Hattan A. H. , Wafi S. A. , Jafer A. H.
Published: April 2018

Dental caries is one of the most common preventable diseases occurring among children. The aim here is to survey the oral hygiene practices that are commonly followed by Arab children and to see its relationship with their dental caries status. A cross-sectional study with multistage random sampling technique was conducted. Sociodemographic data and information on oral hygiene practices like use of toothbrush, dental floss, siwak, frequency of brushing along with number of snack between meals per day, and consumption of sugar per day was obtained. Presence of plaque on tooth surfaces was reported using plaque index, which was followed by DMFT index to determine the dental caries status. Among the sample of 500 school children, the mean plaque score in male (mean = 0.69; SD = 0.50) was slightly higher than the female (mean = 0.66; SD = 0.46). Increased frequency of snacks (P=0.05; ß=0.08; CI = −0.00, 0.09) and sugar consumption (P=0.01; ß=0.16; CI = 0.04, 0.27) per day significantly showed higher values of DMFT. Also, the odds of dental caries among the school children who were irregular in brushing their teeth was higher in contrast to the children brushing once (P=0.03; OR = 0.89; CI = 0.70, 1.12) or twice (P=0.03; OR = 0.80; CI = 0.64, 0.93) per day. It is recommended that the dental public health practitioners here should consider the effect of oral hygiene practices on oral health status in order to design the future health promotion interventions.
Assessment of the Relationship between Carotid Intima-Media Thickening and Early-Stage Diabetic Kidney Disease Coupled with Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Feng Lei , Deng Changqing , Li Yanxia
Published: April 2018

Objective. This study aimed to explore the associations between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and early-stage diabetic kidney disease (DKD) coupled with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods. A cross-sectional study including 180 type 2 diabetic participants was conducted to explore the associations between CIMT and early-stage DKD coupled with H. pylori infection, and a stepwise multivariate regression analysis evaluated the correlations of CIMT with clinical and serologic parameters. Results. The type 2 diabetic patients with early-stage DKD coupled with H. pylori infections had the highest CIMT values. Apolipoprotein B (ApoB), urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were independent predictors of CIMT. Conclusions. Early-stage DKD coupled with H. pylori infection may synergistically lead to significant CIMT thickening in type 2 diabetic patients. Additionally, ApoB, UACR, and IL-6 levels were important independent risk factors for increased CIMT.
Clinical and Genetic Features of Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome with Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Kanno Hiroaki , Ishida Kyoko , Yamada Wataru , Shiraki Ikumi , Murase Hiroki , Yamagishi Yuka , Mochizuki Kiyofumi
Published: April 2018

Purpose. To investigate the clinical manifestations, prognosis, and HLA-type of tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU) with long-term follow-up. Methods. Clinical data of five patients with TINU were retrospectively reviewed. Results. The mean age was 15.8 years. The mean follow-up periods were 54.0 months. The initial subjective symptoms were bulbar injection (100%), ocular pain (80%), and blurred vision (60%). The medical department that the patients visited first was ophthalmology in 4 (80%) cases. Urinalysis showed the characteristic increase of the β2 microglobulin in all (100%) patients. Uveitis and nephritis were diagnosed within 1 week from each other. Although two showed recurrences, the topical and systemic steroid treatment with mean duration of 14.1 months brought the resolution of nephritis and uveitis in all patients. Recurrence-free periods ranged from 12 to 71 months. The final visual outcome was 20/20 or better in all cases. HLA-DR4 or the allele of DRB1∗04 was present in all (100%) patients. Conclusions. TINU should be considered in the differential diagnosis in young patients with uveitis of unknown origin and renal dysfunction. Urinary β2 microglobulin level and HLA typing may help in the diagnosis of TINU. The prognosis for patients with TINU is generally good with steroid treatment.
Comparison of Visual Outcome and Morphologic Change between Different Surgical Techniques in Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgery
Authors: Chang Yo-Chen , Lee Chia-Ling , Chen Kuo-Jen , Chiu Li-Yi , Kao Tzu-En , Liu Pei-Kang , Wu Kwou-Yeung , Wu Wen-Chuan
Published: April 2018

Purpose. To investigate the morphological and functional outcomes of idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery between three different surgical techniques: ERM peeling only, whole-piece ILM peeling, and maculorrhexis ILM peeling. Patients and Methods. This is a retrospective, consecutive, and comparative study enrolling 60 patients from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Surgery performed between July 2011 and June 2012 was done with ERM peeling only (group I). ERM peeling and ILM peeling as a whole piece (group II) were performed between July 2012 and July 2013. Surgery performed between August 2013 and December 2014 was done with maculorrhexis ILM peeling (group III). Main outcome measures include visual acuity change (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT). Results. At 12 months postoperation, the mean BCVA in group III was significantly better than in group I and group II. Comparison of CFT reduction between the three groups revealed significantly more reduction in group III than in group II at all postoperative follow-up periods. Eyes with restoration of foveal depression were observed in 52.6% in group I, 52.4% in group III, but only 20% of eyes in group II. None of the eyes in both ILM peeling groups encountered recurrence of macular pucker formation. Conclusion. All three techniques can achieve visual acuity improvement and macular thickness reduction. Maculorrhexis ILM peeling achieves more rapid improvement of visual function, better final visual outcome, and a higher rate of normal foveal contour than whole-piece ILM peeling.
Characterization of Nonstationary Mode Interaction of Bridge by Considering Deterioration of Bearing
Authors: Chen Gang S. , Xiao Feng , Zatar Wael , Hulsey J. Leroy
Published: April 2018

As all bridges get deteriorated over time, structural health monitoring of these structures has become very important for the damage identification and maintenance work. Evaluating a bridge’s health condition requires the testing of a variety of physical quantities including bridge dynamic responses and the evaluation of the functions of varied bridge subsystems. In this study, both the acceleration of the deck and the dynamic rotational angle of the bearings in a long‐span steel girder bridge were measured when the bridge system was excited by passing‐by vehicles. The nonstationary dynamical phenomena including vibration mode interactions and coupling are observed in response spectrogram. To elaborate the phenomena, the linear vibration mode properties of the bridge are characterized by finite element analysis and are correlated with the specific modes in test. A theoretical model is presented showing the mechanism of the mode coupling and instability originated from the friction effects in bearing. This study offers some insights into the correlation between complex bridge vibrations and the bearing effects, which lays a foundation for the in situ health monitoring of bridge bearing by using dynamical testing.
Defining Reserve Times for Metro Systems: An Analytical Approach
Authors: D’Acierno Luca , Botte Marilisa , Gallo Mariano , Montella Bruno
Published: April 2018

The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical approach for determining operational parameters for metro systems so as to support the planning and implementation of energy-saving strategies. Indeed, one of the main targets of train operating companies is to identify and implement suitable strategies for reducing energy consumption. For this purpose, researchers and practitioners have developed energy-efficient driving profiles with the aim of optimising train motion. However, as such profiles generally entail an increase in travel times, the operating parameters in the planned timetable need to be appropriately recalibrated. Against this background, this paper develops a suitable methodology for estimating reserve times which represent the main rate of extra time needed to put ecodriving strategies in place. Our proposal is to exploit layover times (i.e., times spent by a train at the terminus waiting for the next trip) for energy-saving purposes, keeping buffer times intact in order to preserve the flexibility and robustness of the timetable in case of delays. In order to show its feasibility, the approach was applied in the case of a real metro context, whose service frequency was duly taken into account. In particular, after stochastic analysis of the parameters involved for calibrating suitable buffer times, different operating schemes were simulated by analysing the relationship between layover times, number of convoys, and feasible headway values. Finally, some operation configurations are analysed in order to quantify the amount of energy that can be saved.
Study on the Strength Development of Cemented Backfill Body from Lead‐Zinc Mine Tailings with Sulphide
Authors: Zheng Juanrong , Guo Lijie , Sun Xiaoxiao , Li Wenchen , Jia Qi
Published: April 2018

The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) development of cemented backfill materials for lead‐zinc mine tailings with sulphide was studied. The results showed that the UCS of the cemented backfill body with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as binder decreased in the later curing days, regardless of particle size. Under the same conditions, the higher the OPC content, the higher the UCS of the cemented backfill body, and the UCS of the cemented backfill body began to decrease at the longer curing days. Under the same conditions, the finer the tailings, the lower the UCS of the cemented backfill body at each age, and the UCS of the cemented backfill body began to decrease at the earlier curing age. X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD) showed that the reduction of the UCS of the cemented backfill body was related to the formation of an expansive substance (expansive gypsum) in the cemented backfill body, which led to the cracking of the test sample. In the cemented backfill materials of coarse tailings of lead‐zinc mine, the composite binder formed by OPC and calcined kaolin (CK) containing metakaolin was used; the amount of calcium hydroxide, the hydration product of cement, was reduced or eliminated due to the pozzolanic reaction of metakaolin; and the amount of expansive gypsum was reduced or eliminated, so the UCS of the cemented backfill body increased within 360 days of curing.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Barriers to Fluoride Application as a Preventive Measure among Oral Health Care Providers
Authors: Akbar Aqdar A. , Al-Sumait Noura , Al-Yahya Hanan , Sabti Mohammad Y. , Qudeimat Muawia A.
Published: April 2018

Objective. To investigate the knowledge, attitude, and possible barriers to fluoride application among oral health-care providers in Kuwait.Methods. A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 291 dentists. The questionnaire included four categories: dentists’ characteristics, knowledge of and attitude towards fluoride application, factors influencing decision-making on prescription of fluoride, and the clinician’s perception of own knowledge. Means, group differences, and logistic regression were calculated.Results. 262 completed the questionnaire (response rate of 90%). Half of the participants (49%) reported that water fluoridation is the best method for caries prevention in children. Majority of the participants (80%) acknowledged that topical fluoride prevents dental caries, but only 40% frequently use it in their practices. Fear of overdose was a concern in 57% of the participants. About 31% believed that caries is a multifactorial disease and cannot be prevented. In addition, 32% of the dentists who thought caries is multifactorial and cannot be prevented stated that restorations take precedence over preventive therapy.Conclusion. Despite the participants being in favor of topical fluoride application and believing in its effectiveness, certain barriers were apparent such as knowledge deficiencies, products labelling flaw, and lack of participation in effective continuing educational activities.
Surface Disinfections: Present and Future
Authors: Saccucci Matteo , Bruni Erika , Uccelletti Daniela , Bregnocchi Agnese , Sarto Maria Sabrina , Bossù Maurizio , Di Carlo Gabriele , Polimeni Antonella
Published: April 2018

The propagation of antibiotic resistance increases the chances of major infections for patients during hospitalization and the spread of health related diseases. Therefore finding new and effective solutions to prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms is critical, in order to protect hospital environment, such as the surfaces of biomedical devices. Modern nanotechnology has proven to be an effective countermeasure to tackle the threat of infections. On this note, recent scientific breakthroughs have demonstrated that antimicrobial nanomaterials are effective in preventing pathogens from developing resistance. Despite the ability to destroy a great deal of bacteria and control the outbreak of infections, nanomaterials present many other advantages. Moreover, it is unlikely for nanomaterials to develop resistance due to their multiple and simultaneous bactericidal mechanisms. In recent years, science has explored more complex antimicrobial coatings and nanomaterials based on graphene have shown great potential in antibacterial treatment. The purpose of this article is to deepen the discussion on the threat of infections related to surface disinfection and to assess the state of the art and potential solutions, with specific focus on disinfection procedures using nanomaterials.
AIMP2-DX2 Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Cao Qingsong , Zhang Jie , Zhang Tao
Published: April 2018

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck tumor with high degree of malignancy and with high incidence especially in southern China. AIMP2-DX2, one isoform of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), is shown to be a potential target in many cancers. However, the detailed mechanisms of AIMP2-DX2 in NPC development remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that the mRNA expression level of AIMP2-DX2 was significantly increased in NPC specimens, compared with normal nasopharyngeal tissues. Microarray immunohistochemical analysis of NPC specimens and Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high AIMP2-DX2 protein expression had shorter overall survival than those with low AIMP2-DX2 level. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expression levels of AIMP2-DX2 were both increased in cultured NPC cell lines (5-8F, CNE-2Z, and CNE-1), by being compared with normal nasopharyngeal cell line NP69. Overexpression of AIMP2-DX2 remarkably promoted the cell viability, cell migration, and invasion of cultured NPC cells. Genetic knockdown of AIMP2-DX2 by shRNA lentiviruses significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis of NPC cells. Inhibition of AIMP2-DX2 decreased the highly expressed level of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 2 and MMP-9, further suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion in cultured NPC cells in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that AIMP2-DX2 plays an important role in the regulation of NPC and could be a potential therapeutic target and prognostic indicator for the treatment of NPC.
Association between Low Free Triiodothyronine Levels and Poor Prognosis in Patients with Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Song Yuanbin , Li Jiabei , Bian Shizhu , Qin Zhexue , Song Yaoming , Jin Jun , Zhao Xiaohui , Song Mingbao , Chen Jianfei , Huang Lan
Published: April 2018

Background. Low free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels are generally associated with poor prognosis in patients with heart diseases, but this is controversial and there is a lack of data about ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Chinese patients.Objective. To assess the association between fT3 levels and the prognosis of patients with STEMI.Methods. This was a prospective observational study of 699 consecutive patients with STEMI treated at the Xinqiao Hospital between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014. The patients were divided into the low fT3 (fT3 < 3.1 pmol/L;n=179, 27.5%) and normal fT3 (fT3 ≥ 3.1 pmol/L;n=473, 72.5%) groups according to fT3 levels at admission. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months for all-cause death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).Results. During the 1-year follow-up, there were 70 all-cause deaths (39.1%) in the low fT3 group and 40 (8.5%) in the normal fT3 group (P<0.001). MACE occurred in 105 patients (58.7%) in the low fT3 group and 74 (15.6%) in the normal fT3 group (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that fT3 levels were independently associated with 30-day and 1-year all-cause death [30-day: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.702, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.501–0.983,P=0.04; 1-year: HR = 0.557, 95% CI: 0.411–0.755,P<0.001] and MACE (30-day: HR = 0.719, 95% CI: 0.528–0.979,P=0.036; 1-year: HR = 0.557, 95% CI: 0.445–0.698,P<0.001).Conclusion.Low fT3 levels were strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with STEMI. Measurement of fT3 levels may be a valuable and simple way to identify high-risk STEMI patients.
Interferon-Stimulated Genes Are Involved in Cross-resistance to Radiotherapy in Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer
Authors: Post Annemarie E.M. , Smid Marcel , Nagelkerke Anika , Martens John W.M. , Bussink Johan , Sweep Fred C.G.J. , Span Paul N.
Published: April 2018

Purpose: Treatment resistance is the main cause of adverse disease outcome in breast cancer patients. Here, we aimed to investigate common features in tamoxifen-resistant and radioresistant breast cancer, as tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells are cross-resistant to irradiation in vitro.

Experimental Design: RNA sequencing of tamoxifen-resistant and radioresistant breast cancer cells was performed and validated by quantitative PCR. Pathways were further investigated in vitro and in breast cancer patient cohorts to establish their relation with treatment resistance.

Results: Both tamoxifen-resistant and radioresistant breast cancer cells had increased expression levels of genes involved in type I IFN signaling compared with nonresistant cells. IFN-stimulated genes (ISG) were induced in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner after tamoxifen treatment and irradiation. Tamoxifen treatment also led to ssDNA presence in the cytoplasm, which is known to induce expression of ISGs, a phenomenon that has already been described for irradiation. Moreover, in a breast cancer patient cohort, high expression levels of ISGs were found in the primary tumor in around half of the patients. This was associated with a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) expression signature, although the ISGs were also expressed by the tumor cells themselves. Importantly, the expression of ISGs correlated with outcome in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen or radiotherapy, but not in systemically untreated patients or chemotherapy-treated patients.

Conclusions: Our data indicate that expression of ISGs by tumor cells is involved in acquired, treatment-induced resistance to tamoxifen and radiotherapy, and might play a role in intrinsic resistance via interaction with TILs. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3397–408. ©2018 AACR.