bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalised Scherk-Schwarz reductions from gauged supergravity
Authors: Inverso Gianluca
Published: December 2017

Abstract

A procedure is described to construct generalised Scherk-Schwarz uplifts of gauged supergravities. The internal manifold, fluxes, and consistent truncation Ansatz are all derived from the embedding tensor of the lower-dimensional theory. We first describe the procedure to construct generalised Leibniz parallelisable spaces where the vector components of the frame are embedded in the adjoint representation of the gauge group, as specified by the embedding tensor. This allows us to recover the generalised Scherk-Schwarz reductions known in the literature and to prove a no-go result for the uplift of ω-deformed SO(p, q) gauged maximal supergravities. We then extend the construction to arbitrary generalised Leibniz parallelisable spaces, which turn out to be torus fibrations over manifolds in the class above.
Environmental factors affecting benthic invertebrate assemblages on sandy shores along the Japan Sea coast: implications for coastal biogeography
Authors: Takada Yoshitake , Kajihara Naoto , Sawada Hideki , Mochizuki Shota , Murakami Takuhiko
Published: December 2017

Assemblages of sandy shores are primarily structured by physical environment factors. This structuring provides a unique opportunity to evaluate biogeographic regions. In this study, the shallow subtidal zone (0.2–1.2 m) of 39 sites of sandy shores along the Japan Sea coast of Honshu were surveyed using a sledge net to identify invertebrate assemblages and to elucidate their relationships with environmental factors and geographic distributions. In total, 78 taxonomic units were obtained and six clusters of assemblage were recognized according to the Morisita‐Horn dissimilarity index values between the assemblages of these sites. Indicator taxonomic units were identified for the clusters and a distance‐based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) demonstrated that a set of five environmental factors (slope angle of the swash zone, sediment grain size, average wave fetch, spring sea surface temperature, and summer Chlorophyll‐aconcentration) significantly explained variations of the assemblages. Geographical distributions of two of the clusters were localized and mutually exclusive (one in the north and one in the south), while the other four clusters were scattered along the coast. On the dbRDA ordination, these two clusters were plotted on opposite ends of the 1st axis on which spring sea surface temperature and summer Chlorophyll‐aconcentration showed high contributions. The spatial gap between the two clusters was located in an area between the Noto Peninsula and the Sado Island, central Honshu, which can be proposed as a boundary of geographic regions of sandy shore organisms along the Japan Sea coast.
Students Get Help from Weather Radar to Find Space Rock Remains
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: December 2017

Teens helped by scientists and educators seek meteorites that plunged into Lake Michigan early this year. Weather radar guided the search for the projectiles.
Static compression down-regulates N-cadherin expression and facilitates loss of cell phenotype of nucleus pulposus cells in a disc perfusion culture
Authors: Zhou Haibo , Shi Jianmin , Zhang Chao , Li Pei
Published: December 2017

Mechanical compression often induces degenerative changes of disc nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue. It has been indicated that N-cadherin (N-CDH)-mediated signaling helps to preserve the NP cell phenotype. However, N-CDH expression and the resulting NP-specific phenotype alteration under the static compression and dynamic compression remain unclear. To study the effects of static compression and dynamic compression on N-CDH expression and NP-specific phenotype in an in vitro disc organ culture. Porcine discs were organ cultured in a self-developed mechanically active bioreactor for 7 days and subjected to static or dynamic compression (0.4 MPa for 2 h once per day). The noncompressed discs were used as controls. Compared with the dynamic compression, static compression significantly down-regulated the expression of N-CDH and NP-specific markers (laminin, brachyury, and keratin 19); decreased the Alcian Blue staining intensity, glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyproline contents; and declined the matrix macromolecule (aggrecan and collagen II) expression. Compared with the dynamic compression, static compression causes N-CDH down-regulation, loss of NP-specific phenotype, and the resulting decrease in NP matrix synthesis.
Study of analgesic effect of earthworm extract
Authors: Luo Wei , Deng Zhen-han , Li Rui , Cheng Guo , Kotian Ronak Naveenchandra , Li Yu-sheng , Li Wen-ping
Published: December 2017

Pain represents a major clinical problem and one which has exercised generations of healthcare professionals. Earthworms are used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and have been applied pharmacologically and clinically since a long time in China. However, the analgesic effects of earthworm extract (EE) are seldom studied. Hence, we evaluated the analgesic effects of EE in mice. The obtained data showed that EE increased pain threshold and exhibited peripheral but not central analgesic effects in mice; evidenced by increased inhibition ratio in acetic acid writhing test and formalin test, whereas only slight increase in inhibition ratio in hot plate test and tail immersion test. In addition, EE decreased serum norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) concentration, similar to other analgesic drugs like morphine and aspirin. In a nutshell, the obtained data have demonstrated that EE has peripheral analgesic properties and could be used as a promising analgesic drug.
RecQ and Fe–S helicases have unique roles in DNA metabolism dictated by their unwinding directionality, substrate specificity, and protein interactions
Authors: Estep Katrina N. , Brosh Robert M.
Published: December 2017

Helicases are molecular motors that play central roles in nucleic acid metabolism. Mutations in genes encoding DNA helicases of the RecQ and iron–sulfur (Fe–S) helicase families are linked to hereditary disorders characterized by chromosomal instabilities, highlighting the importance of these enzymes. Moreover, mono-allelic RecQ and Fe–S helicase mutations are associated with a broad spectrum of cancers. This review will discuss and contrast the specialized molecular functions and biological roles of RecQ and Fe–S helicases in DNA repair, the replication stress response, and the regulation of gene expression, laying a foundation for continued research in these important areas of study.
Sufficient condition analysis of multipath matching pursuit
Authors: Park Daeyoung
Published: December 2017

This Letter presents a sufficient condition under which the multipath matching pursuit (MMP) algorithm recovers sparse signals perfectly in compressive sensing problems. The derived sufficient condition is much more relaxed than the existing one.
Multi‐stage least mean square algorithm based on polynomial fitting in time‐varying systems
Authors: Wu Guoan , Liang Jinxin , Li Wenguang
Published: December 2017

A multi‐stage least mean square (MLMS) algorithm based on polynomial fitting in time‐varying systems is proposed. As the name implies, the MLMS algorithm is divided into different stages in sequence. In non‐stationary environments, the optimal weight coefficients of the adaptive filter are variable with time and they are assumed to be approximated by a polynomial. According to the conditions above, the convergence of the MLMS algorithm is verified through theoretical analysis and formula derivation. Similar to the least mean square (LMS) algorithm, the step size μ must be chosen in the specific range to guarantee the feasibility and effectiveness of the MLMS algorithm. Compared with the LMS, LMF and NLMS algorithms, the MLMS algorithm provides the best convergence performance in the simulation experiments.
Graph regularised sparse NMF factorisation for imagery de‐noising
Authors: Fang Yixian , Zhang Huaxiang , Ren Yuwei
Published: December 2017

When utilising non‐negative matrix factorisation (NMF) to decompose a data matrix into the product of two low‐rank matrices with non‐negative entries, the noisy components of data may be introduced into the matrix. Many approaches have been proposed to address the problem. Different from them, the authors consider the group sparsity and the geometric structure of data by introducing ‐norm and local structure preserving regularisation in the formulated objective function. A graph regularised sparse NMF de‐noising approach is proposed to learn discriminative representations for the original data. Since the non‐differentiability of ‐norm increases the computational cost, they propose an effective iterative multiplicative update algorithm to solve the objective function by using the Frobenius‐norm of transpose coefficient matrix. Experimental results on facial image datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach over several state‐of‐the‐art approaches.
Reduced‐order modelling of solar‐PV generators for small‐signal stability assessment of power systems and estimation of maximum penetration levels
Authors: El‐Shimy Mohamed , Sharaf Adel , Khairy Hossam , Hashem Gamal
Published: December 2017

There is an urgent need for constructing adequately accurate standard reduced‐order models of various renewable sources for fast assessment of the stability and security of power grids. This study focuses on this theme considering solar‐photovoltaic generators (SPVGs). The main objectives of this study include the construction of a valid reduced‐order dynamic model for SPVGs, analysis of the impact of the SPVG model on the stability of the host power system in a mixed mode generation under various integration scenarios, and evaluation of the consistency of SPVGs with fault‐ride through requirements based on relevant grid codes. Various modes of operations of SPVGs are analysed and considered using an enhanced search algorithm for maximum power point tracking. In addition, this study proposes an algorithm for the estimation of the maximum penetration level of SPVGs constrained by the small‐signal stability of power systems. The results presented in this study are based on dynamic simulation and validation using the MATLAB, PSAT, and ETAP‐software environments for stability assessment of power systems. The results show that the developed reduced‐order model indicates an acceptable accuracy accompanied with simplicity in simulating complex dynamic performances of host power systems with SPVGs integration.
Passive wireless measurement of tension for overhead transmission line based on surface transverse wave
Authors: Ji Xiaojun , Fan Yanping , Xiao Qiang , Cai Ping
Published: December 2017

This study presents a passive wireless surface transverse wave (STW) torsion sensor for an overhead transmission line (OHTL). Two key techniques, namely the design of STW sensing element and clamping structure, were investigated. The relationship between the tension and the frequency shift of the STW resonator was analysed. A numerical analysis on the tension sensitivity and temperature coefficient using different cut types was performed. Results showed that Y  − 51° cut quartz, which has a close to zero temperature coefficient of frequency, is a suitable substrate of the STW tension sensors. Other parameters were optimised to obtain a resonator with a Q value of >11,000. Two STW resonators were adopted as sensing element to form a differential structure to reduce the temperature interference. An OHTL clamping and tension transfer mechanical structure was designed, which has an ability of adjusting the tension sensitivity and can be easily installed at any point of OHTL. Moreover, the OHTL tension measurement system was set up and evaluated. Experimental results indicated that the STW tension sensitivity was 24.31 kHz/kN, the non‐linearity was 0.26%, and the repeatability error was 0.32%. The OHTL tension measurement method is feasible for practical application.
Monte‐Carlo based approach to consider the cost of voltage dip and long duration interruption in optimal planning of SDGs
Authors: Eslami Ahmadreza , Hamedani Golshan Mohammad Esmail
Published: December 2017

Voltage dip and long duration interruption (LDI) are among the most costly power quality phenomena. In this study, a Monte‐Carlo based approach is proposed to consider the cost of sensitive loads disruption caused by dip and LDI in the optimal planning of synchronous distributed generations (SDGs). The idea is to link between trip probability due to dip and LDI and their yearly costs by employing Monte‐Carlo simulation and acquiring their total costs during the planning horizon. The addition of disruption cost along with the traditional planning objectives like network upgrade cost and loss cost allows utilities to include the customer's perception during planning. A formula for the probability of disruption due to dip is derived and a modified Monte‐Carlo approach is proposed. The methodology is illustrated on the distribution level of the IEEE 30‐bus system and the optimisation problem is solved by particle swarm optimisation algorithm. The results demonstrate that the sensitive loads performance is improved from the dip standpoint in the presence of SDGs. However, the LDI cost is either not affected or aggravated by the presence of SDGs depending on the protection model. The total disruption cost is decreased.
Hybrid full‐bridge converter for DC microgrids: analysis and implementation
Authors: Lin Bor‐Ren
Published: December 2017

This study presents a soft‐switching converter for direct current microgrid applications. The studied converter includes n cells of the hybrid full‐bridge converter with primary‐series–secondary‐parallel connection for high‐voltage input and large current output applications. Thus, the voltage stress of power switches and the current stress of rectifier diodes are decreased. Therefore, the low‐voltage stress and low conduction resistance of power metal–oxide–semiconductor field‐effect transistors are utilised in the studied converter to reduce conduction losses on power switches. The flying capacitors are connected between each circuit cell to prevent voltage unbalance on input split capacitors. On each circuit cell, a full‐bridge converter with an additional half‐bridge circuit is employed to achieve low circulating current losses, less output inductance and a wide range of zero‐voltage switching. Finally, the studied converter with 1800 W rated power is constructed and tested to verify the theoretical analysis.
Single‐phase high‐voltage gain switched LC Z‐source inverters
Authors: Bussa Vinod Kumar , Ahmad Anish , Singh Rajeev Kumar , Mahanty Ranjit
Published: December 2017

Recently, switched‐inductor Z‐source inverters (SL‐ZSIs) have been reported to achieve high‐voltage gain and good power inversion operation at low shoot‐through duty ratio D as compared to conventional ZSI. As the SL‐ZSIs have high passive component count, weight, volume and losses of the system increases that lead to reduction in efficiency. To address the issues of conventional ZSI and SL‐ZSIs, two single‐phase switched LC (SLC)‐ZSIs (Type 1 SLC‐ZSI and Type 2 SLC‐ZSI) are proposed in this study to achieve high‐voltage gains at low values of D with lower passive component count as compared to SL‐ZSIs. At low values of D, modulation index M approaches to higher values which results into improved AC output at reduced harmonic distortion. Due to low passive component count in the proposed inverters, weight, volume and losses decreases resulting into increase in efficiency. The proposed inverters can be used in various DC–AC and DC–DC power conversions in renewable energy applications due to their high‐voltage gain, better immunity to EMI noise and higher reliability. The detailed steady‐state analysis of the two proposed SLC‐ZSIs is given in this study. Scaled down experimentation has been carried out to verify the performance of the proposed inverters.
Power system security assessment with high wind penetration using the farms models based on their correlation
Authors: Mehdizadeh Majid , Ghazi Reza , Ghayeni Mohsen
Published: December 2017

Increasing the wind energy penetration in a power system presents some technical challenges to the transmission expansion planning (TEP). In the first stage of TEP, the transmission bottlenecks should be determined and ranked via security assessment. The high penetration of wind energy means a large number of wind farms exist in various geographic areas. It is found that there is a correlation between the wind speed series of different farms. Therefore, integration of the correlated wind farms into security assessment is addressed in this study. Hence, a new model of wind speed prediction is presented based on the correlated autoregressive moving average time series. The copula functions are used to make the predefined correlation among wind speed series. Here a linear correlation using a Gaussian copula is implemented. Then, the risk‐based security assessment is performed using the proposed sequential time simulation. The proposed process is applied to the modified IEEE 39‐bus test system which comprises 15 wind farms. Then, the transmission bottlenecks are identified and ranked regarding their overload risks. Finally, the impacts of the wind farms correlation on the risk index are investigated and those contingencies which impose the highest influence on this risk are identified.
Determining the sizes of renewable DGs considering seasonal variation of generation and load and their impact on system load growth
Authors: Barik Soumyabrata , Das Debapriya
Published: December 2017

In this study, a methodology for determining the solar and wind DG (distributed generation) capacity is proposed by using sequential optimisation method considering a seasonal variation of load demand, seasonal solar, and wind variations. The load demand profile is collected from state load dispatch centre; whereas solar data are collected from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and wind data are collected from a weather station. Along with the DGs, the shunt capacitors are also placed to improve the voltage profile and energy loss reduction with different scenarios. For this purpose, minimisation of a multi‐objective function is considered. The proposed methodology is applied to a 69‐bus distribution network. The results for different scenarios show the substantial reduction in the annual energy loss and improvement of voltage profile. The result also shows that maximum amount of profit is gained with both renewable DGs and shunt capacitors. The impact of load growth on the distribution network with and without renewable DGs and shunt capacitors are compared. The analysis reveals that with integrating the renewable DGs and shunt capacitors in the system, the distribution network can take load growth for few more years without violating the system constraints.
Approximate controllability of impulsive fractional integro-differential equation with state-dependent delay in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Zhou Yong , Suganya S , Arjunan M Mallika , Ahmad B
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the problem of approximate controllability for non-linear impulsive fractional integro-differential equation with state-dependent delay in Hilbert spaces is investigated. We study the approximate controllability for non-linear impulsive integro-differential systems under the assumption that the corresponding linear control system is approximately controllable. By utilizing the methods of fractional calculus, semigroup theory, fixed-point theorem coupled with solution operator, sufficient conditions are formulated and proved. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the proposed theory.
Lagrangian Constant Cycle Subvarieties in Lagrangian Fibrations
Authors: Lin Hsueh-Yung
Published: December 2017

We show that the image of a dominant meromorphic map from an irreducible compact Calabi–Yau manifold X whose general fiber is of dimension strictly between 0 and $\dim X$ is rationally connected. Using this result, we construct for any hyper-Kähler manifold X admitting a Lagrangian fibration a Lagrangian constant cycle subvariety ΣH in X which depends on a divisor class H whose restriction to some smooth Lagrangian fiber is ample. If $\dim X = 4$, we also show that up to a scalar multiple, the class of a zero-cycle supported on ΣH in CH0(X) depend neither on H nor on the Lagrangian fibration (provided b2(X) ≥ 8).
Early Identification of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in the Absence of Positive Pressure Ventilation: Implications for Revision of the Berlin Criteria for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Coudroy Rémi , Frat Jean-Pierre , Boissier Florence , Contou Damien , Robert René , Thille Arnaud W.
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

To assess whether patients breathing spontaneously under standard oxygen could be recognized early as acute respiratory distress syndrome patients according to the current Berlin definition.

Design:

A post hoc analysis from two prospective studies.

Setting:

Twenty-three French ICUs.

Patients:

All patients admitted for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and treated with noninvasive ventilation were analyzed. Patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or hypercapnia were excluded.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

The Pao
2/Fio
2 ratio was estimated at admission under standard oxygen and then under noninvasive ventilation 1 hour after initiation and within the first 24 hours. Among the 219 patients treated with noninvasive ventilation for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, 180 (82%) had bilateral infiltrates including 161 patients with Pao
2/Fio
2 less than or equal to 300 mm Hg under standard oxygen. Among them, 127 were treated with positive end-expiratory pressure of at least 5 cm H2O, and 120 (94%) fulfilled criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome within the first 24 hours. The mortality rate of patients with bilateral infiltrates and Pao
2/Fio
2 less than or equal to 300 mm Hg under standard oxygen was 29%, a rate very close to that of intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in the Berlin definition.

Conclusions:

Almost all patients with pulmonary bilateral infiltrates and a Pao
2/Fio
2 less than or equal to 300 mm Hg under standard oxygen fulfilled the acute respiratory distress syndrome criteria under noninvasive ventilation within the first 24 hours. Their mortality rate was similar to that reported in the Berlin definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Therefore, spontaneous breathing patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome criteria could be identified early without positive pressure ventilation.
Comparative Analysis of Ampicillin Plasma and Dried Blood Spot Pharmacokinetics in Neonates
Authors: Le Jennifer , Poindexter Brenda , Sullivan Janice E. , Laughon Matthew , Delmore Paula , Blackford Martha , Yogev Ram , James Laura P. , Melloni Chiara , Harper Barrie , Mitchell Jeff , Benjamin Daniel K. , Boakye-Agyeman Felix , Cohen-Wolkowiez Michael ,   On behalf of the Administrative Core Committee of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric Trials Network
Published: December 2017

Background:

Dried blood spot (DBS) is a practical sampling strategy for pharmacokinetic studies in neonates. The utility of DBS to determine the population pharmacokinetics (pop-PK) of ampicillin, as well as accuracy versus plasma samples, was evaluated.

Methods:

An open-label, multicenter, opportunistic, prospective study was conducted in neonates. Ampicillin concentrations from plasma and DBS (CONCPlasma and CONCDBS) were measured by liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry and analyzed using pop-PK and statistical (including transformation) approaches.

Results:

A total of 29 paired plasma and DBS samples from 18 neonates were analyzed. The median (range) gestational age and postnatal age were 37 (27–41) weeks and 8 (1–26) days, respectively. The geometric mean of CONCDBS to CONCPlasma ratio was 0.56. Correlation analysis demonstrated strong association between CONCPlasma and CONCDBS (r
2 = 0.902, analysis of variance P < 0.001). Using linear regression transformation, the estimated CONCPlasma (eCONCPlasma) was derived using (CONCDBS − 3.223)/0.51. The median bias and geometric mean ratio improved to −11% and 0.88 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < 0.001), respectively, when comparing eCONCPlasma to CONCPlasma. Furthermore, using pop-PK modeling, the median bias (interquartile range) for clearance and individual predicted concentrations improved to 8% (−11 to 50) and −8% (−34 to 11), respectively, when eCONCPlasma was used.

Conclusions:

After transformation, DBS sampling accurately predicted ampicillin exposure in neonates.
Cohesin mutations in myeloid malignancies made simple
Authors: Viny Aaron D. , Levine Ross L.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

Recurrent loss of function mutations within genes of the cohesin complex have been identified in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). STAG2 is the most commonly mutated cohesin member in AML as well as solid tumors. STAG2 is recurrently, mutated in Ewing's Sarcoma, bladder cancer, and glioblastoma, and is one of only ten genes known to be recurrently mutated in over four distinct tissue types of human cancer

Recent findings

The cohesin complex, a multiprotein ring, is canonically known to align and stabilize replicated chromosomes prior to cell division. Although initially thought to lead to unequal chromosomal separation in dividing cells, data in myeloid malignancies show this is not observed in cohesin mutant MDS/AML, either in large patient cohorts or mouse models. Mounting evidence supports a potential alternate mechanism whereby drivers of cell-type specific gene expression and hematopoietic development are impaired through alteration in three-dimensional nuclear organization and gene structure.

Understanding the functional consequences of cohesin mutations in regulating lineage-specific and signal-dependent defects and in myeloid transformation will identify novel pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease and inform the development of novel therapeutic targets.
The most novel of the novel agents for acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Perl Alexander E.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

Precious few drugs were successfully developed for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) over the past decades, despite a dramatic expansion of our understanding of its molecular underpinnings during this time. Then in 2017, a wave of new drugs suddenly became approved. This review serves to introduce the newly available drugs, discuss their impact upon therapy, and highlight additional novel agents that are waiting in the wings.

Recent findings

Newly approved agents in AML include a tyrosine kinase inhibitor for patients with FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutations, an inhibitor of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2), and two novel agents using antibody-delivered or liposome-delivered cytotoxics. All of these new agents have demonstrable activity in AML and several have improved survival in randomized studies. In addition to these agents, promising data from other inhibitors of FLT3, IDH1, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) will be discussed.

Response, survival, and symptom burden of AML therapy are all improving through novel agents. As many of the newly approved drugs benefit-specific genetic subsets, a new priority has emerged to increase the speed of diagnostic genomic studies as a means to guide frontline therapy. This will ensure patients are optimally categorized and treated with to the most rational agents.
The recurrent pleomorphic adenoma conundrum
Authors: Bradley Patrick J.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

Recurrent pleomorphic adenoma (RPA) is uncommon. Treatment selection is based on the likely possibility of minimizing the risk of tumour recurrence, avoiding local functional and cosmetic sequelae, and eradicates the possibility of metastatic or malignant transformation. Much has changed since the topic was reviewed in 2001, and this manuscript comments on clinical progress and discusses patient treatment options.

Recent findings

Surgery is the preferred treatment for head and neck pleomorphic adenoma. Over the recent decade the surgical radicality is favoured for parotid and submandibular gland pleomorphic adenoma, from total gland and tumour removal to endoscopic or minimal open extracapsular tumour excision. Currently molecular pathology and biomarker research has not identified any evidence that separates pleomorphic adenoma from RPA, thus supporting that tumour recurrence is likely associated with surgery. Revision surgery has been reported to be frequently noncurative depending on the extent of the primary surgery, with the added risk of local cosmetic and functional sequelae. Radiotherapy as a nonsurgical modality has advanced and has been shown to be effective in controlling, if not curing, high-risk patients who have identifiable prognostic factors of developing a recurrence and patients with RPA.

Current surgical management of pleomorphic adenoma is associated with improved quality of life and minimal disturbance to cosmetic and functional. The reported incidence of RPA has been reduced by ‘expert surgeons’ but with limited short-term follow-up following more recent surgical modifications. Patients with RPA should be offered treatment that includes surgery and/or radiotherapy and should be encouraged to partake of this decision making process.
Oncologic and functional outcomes of patients treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery or radiotherapy for T2 glottic carcinoma: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Hendriksma Martine , Heijnen Bas J. , Sjögren Elisabeth V.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

To give an overview of the laryngeal preservation and functional outcomes of patients treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery (TLM) or radiotherapy for T2 glottic carcinoma. This information supports physicians and patients in treatment counselling and choices.

Recent findings

A recent systematic review showed that local control rates at 5-year did not differ between radiotherapy and TLM for T2 glottic tumours. However, there is a lack of comparative data on laryngeal preservation as well as functional outcomes in T2 glottic carcinoma.

Laryngeal preservation for T2 tumours in this review is higher for patients treated primarily with TLM (88.8 vs. 79.0%). It is important to differentiate between tumours with normal and impaired mobility (T2a and T2b) because the latter showed poorer prognosis for both TLM and radiotherapy. Involvement of the anterior commissure does not result in significantly lower oncological results, if adequately staged and treated. More studies are needed to support these data and to compare the functional outcomes between TLM and radiotherapy for T2 glottic carcinoma.
Reduction of Injection-Related Risk Behaviors After Emergency Implementation of a Syringe Services Program During an HIV Outbreak
Authors: Patel Monita R. , Foote Carrie , Duwve Joan , Chapman Erika , Combs Brittany , Fry Alexandra , Hall Patti , Roseberry Jeremy , Brooks John T. , Broz Dita
Published: December 2017

Objective:

To describe injection-related HIV risk behaviors preimplementation and postimplementation of an emergency syringe services program (SSP) in Scott County, Indiana, after an HIV outbreak among persons who inject drugs (PWID).

Design:

Mixed methods retrospective pre–post intervention analysis.

Methods:

We analyzed routine SSP program data collected at first and most recent visit among clients with ≥2 visits, ≥7 days apart from April 4 to August 30, 2015, to quantify changes in injection-related risk behaviors. We also analyzed qualitative data collected from 56 PWID recruited in Scott County to understand factors contributing to these behaviors.

Results:

SSP clients included in our analysis (n = 148, 62% of all SSP clients) reported significant (P < 0.001) reductions over a median 10 weeks (range 1–23) in syringe sharing to inject (18%–2%) and divide drugs (19%–4%), sharing other injection equipment (eg, cookers) (24%–5%), and number of uses of the same syringe [2 (interquartile range: 1–4) to 1 (interquartile range: 1–1)]. Qualitative study participants described access to sterile syringes and safer injection education through the SSP, as explanatory factors for these reductions. Injection frequency findings were mixed, but overall suggested no change. The number of syringes returned by SSP clients increased from 0 at first visit to median 57. All qualitative study participants reported using sharps containers provided by the SSP.

Conclusions:

Analyses of an SSP program and in-depth qualitative interview data showed rapid reduction of injection-related HIV risk behaviors among PWID post-SSP implementation. Sterile syringe access as part of comprehensive HIV prevention is an important tool to control and prevent HIV outbreaks.
Treatment of severe skin and soft tissue infections: a review
Authors: Burnham Jason P. , Kollef Marin H.
Published: December 2017

Purpose of review

To review the salient features of the management of severe skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), including toxic shock syndrome, myonecrosis/gas gangrene, and necrotizing fasciitis.

Recent findings

For severe SSTIs, intensive care, source control, and broad-spectrum antimicrobials are required for the initial phase of illness. There is an increasing focus on the utility of rapid diagnostic tests to help in selection and de-escalation of antimicrobials for SSTIs. In addition, clinical prediction scores have shown promise in helping predict patients who do not require antimicrobials directed against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Immune status has been shown to be important in clinical outcomes of some, but not all types of SSTIs. The debate for benefits of intravenous immunoglobulin continues to be waged in the recent literature.

Severe SSTIs are common and their management complex due to regional variation in predominant pathogens and antimicrobial resistance patterns, as well variations in host immune responses. Unique aspects of care for severe SSTIs are discussed including the role of surgical consultation and source control. The unique features of SSTIs in immunocompromised hosts are also described.
Discrepancies Between Alzheimer’s Disease Patients’ and Caregivers’ Ratings About Patients’ Quality of Life
Authors: Sousa Maria F.B. , Santos Raquel L. , Simões Pedro , Conde-Sala Josep L. , Dourado Marcia C.N.
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

We investigated the factors associated with discrepancies between patients’ and caregivers’ ratings about patients’ general quality of life (QoL) and about the domains of Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s disease (QoL-AD) Scale at baseline and 12 months.

Methods:

This was a longitudinal study that comprised 114 outpatients with AD and their caregivers. Patients were assessed with the QoL-AD, Mini-mental State Examination, Assessment Scale of Psychosocial Impact of the Diagnosis of Dementia, Cornell Scale for Depression, Functional Activities Questionnaire, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. Caregivers answered the QoL-AD, Zarit Burden Interview and Sociodemographic Questionnaire.

Results:

Linear regression analyses indicated that the factors associated with discrepancies of patients’ and caregivers’ ratings of patients’ QoL-AD were impaired awareness and caregiver burden at baseline and impaired awareness at 12 months. Moreover, the factor associated with discrepancies in the domain memory was impaired awareness and in the domain ability to do chores, impaired awareness and functional deficit.

Conclusions:

The discrepancies between patients and caregivers were related to awareness and caregiver burden at baseline and to awareness at 12 months. These results raise questions regarding the subjective nature of QoL and the validity of patients’ evaluation of their own QoL.
Trends, geographic variation, and factors associated with prescribing of gluten-free foods in English primary care: a cross sectional study
Authors: Walker Alex J , Curtis Helen J , Bacon Seb , Croker Richard , Goldacre Ben
Published: December 2017

Background

There is substantial disagreement about whether gluten-free foods should be prescribed on the NHS. We aim to describe time trends, variation and factors associated with prescribing gluten-free foods in England.

Methods

We described long-term national trends in gluten-free prescribing, and practice and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) level monthly variation in the rate of gluten-free prescribing (per 1000 patients) over time. We used a mixed effect poisson regression model to determine factors associated with gluten-free prescribing rate.

Results

There were 1.3 million gluten-free prescriptions between July 2016 and June 2017, down from 1.8 million in 2012/13, with a corresponding cost reduction from £25.4m to £18.7m. There was substantial variation in prescribing rates among practices (range 0 to 148 prescriptions per 1000 patients, interquartile range 7.3 to 31.8), driven in part by substantial variation at the CCG level, likely due to differences in prescribing policy. Practices in the most deprived quintile of deprivation score had a lower prescribing rate than those in the highest quintile (incidence rate ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.87-0.91). This is potentially a reflection of the lower rate of diagnosed coeliac disease in more deprived populations.

Conclusion

Gluten-free prescribing is in a state of flux, with substantial clinically unwarranted variation between practices and CCGs.

Strengths and weaknesses of the study

We were able to measure the prescribing of gluten-free foods across all prescribing in England, eliminating bias. We also removed seasonal variation by aggregating savings over 12 months.

As well as gluten-free prescribing variation at practice and CCG level, we have described long-term prescribing trends at national level, back to 1998.

Using the available data, we were unable to look at gluten-free prescribing at prescriber level, or investigate factors associated with prescribing to individual patients
Correct laminar positioning in the neocortex influences proper dendritic and synaptic development
Authors: Martineau Fanny Sandrine , Sahu Surajit , Plantier Vanessa , Buhler Emmanuelle , Schaller Fabienne , Fournier Lauriane , Chazal Geneviève , Kawasaki Hiroshi , Represa Alfonso , Watrin Françoise , Manent Jean-Bernard
Published: December 2017

The neocortex is a six-layered laminated structure with a precise anatomical and functional organization ensuring proper function. Laminar positioning of cortical neurons, as determined by termination of neuronal migration, is a key determinant of their ability to assemble into functional circuits. However, the exact contribution of laminar placement to dendrite morphogenesis and synapse formation remains unclear. Here we manipulated the laminar position of cortical neurons by knocking down Dcx, a crucial effector of migration, and show that misplaced neurons fail to properly form dendrites, spines and functional glutamatergic synapses. We further show that knocking down Dcx in properly positioned neurons induces similar but milder defects, suggesting that the laminar misplacement is the primary cause of altered neuronal development. Thus, the specific laminar environment of their fated layers is crucial for the maturation of cortical neurons, and influences their functional integration into developing cortical circuits.
PolNet Analysis: a software tool for the quantification of network-level endothelial cell polarity and blood flow during vascular remodelling
Authors: Bernabeu Miguel O. , Jones Martin L. , Nash Rupert W. , Pezzarossa Anna , Coveney Peter V. , Gerhardt Holger , Franco Claudio A.
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we present PolNet, an open source software tool for the study of blood flow and cell-level biological activity during vessel morphogenesis. We provide an image acquisition, segmentation, and analysis protocol to quantify endothelial cell polarity in entire in vivo vascular networks. In combination, we use computational fluid dynamics to characterise the haemodynamics of the vascular networks under study. The tool enables, for the first time, network-level analysis of polarity and flow for individual endothelial cells. To date, PolNet has proven invaluable for the study of endothelial cell polarisation and migration during vascular patterning, as demonstrated by our recent papers [1, 2]. Additionally, the tool can be easily extended to correlate blood flow with other experimental observations at the cellular/molecular level. We release the source code of our tool under the LGPL licence.
Comparative analysis of neutrophil and monocyte epigenomes
Authors: Rico Daniel , Martens Joost HA , Downes Kate , Carrillo-de-Santa-Pau Enrique , Pancaldi Vera , Breschi Alessandra , Richardson David , Heath Simon , Saeed Sadia , Frontini Mattia , Chen Lu , Watt Stephen , Müller Fabian , Clarke Laura , Kerstens Hindrik HD , Wilder Steven P , Palumbo Emilio , Djebali Sarah , Raineri Emanuele , Merkel Angelika , Esteve-Codina Anna , Sultan Marc , van Bommel Alena , Gut Marta , Yaspo Marie-Laure , Rubio Miriam , Fernandez José María , Attwood Anthony , de la Torre Victor , Royo Romina , Fragkogianni Stamatina , Gelpí Josep Lluis , Torrents David , Iotchkova Valentina , Logie Colin , Aghajanirefah Ali , Singh Abhishek A , Janssen-Megens Eva M , Berentsen Kim , Erber Wendy , Rendon Augusto , Kostadima Myrto , Loos Remco , van der Ent Martijn A , Kaan Anita , Sharifi Nilofar , Paul Dirk S , Ifrim Daniela C , Quintin Jessica , Love Michael I. , Pisano David G , Burden Frances , Foad Nicola , Farrow Samantha , Zerbino Daniel R , Dunham Ian , Kuijpers Tacow , Lehrach Hans , Lengauer Thomas , Bertone Paul , Netea Mihai G , Vingron Martin , Beck Stephan , Flicek Paul , Gut Ivo , Ouwehand Willem H , Bock Christoph , Soranzo Nicole , Guigo Rodericw , Valencia Alfonso , Stunnenberg Hendrik G
Published: December 2017

Neutrophils and monocytes provide a first line of defense against infections as part of the innate immune system. Here we report the integrated analysis of transcriptomic and epigenetic landscapes for circulating monocytes and neutrophils with the aim to enable downstream interpretation and functional validation of key regulatory elements in health and disease. We collected RNA-seq data, ChIP-seq of six histone modifications and of DNA methylation by bisulfite sequencing at base pair resolution from up to 6 individuals per cell type. Chromatin segmentation analyses suggested that monocytes have a higher number of cell-specific enhancer regions (4-fold) compared to neutrophils. This highly plastic epigenome is likely indicative of the greater differentiation potential of monocytes into macrophages, dendritic cells and osteoclasts. In contrast, most of the neutrophil-specific features tend to be characterized by repressed chromatin, reflective of their status as terminally differentiated cells. Enhancers were the regions where most of differences in DNA methylation between cells were observed, with monocyte-specific enhancers being generally hypomethylated. Monocytes show a substantially higher gene expression levels than neutrophils, in line with epigenomic analysis revealing that gene more active elements in monocytes. Our analyses suggest that the overexpression of c-Myc in monocytes and its binding to monocyte-specific enhancers could be an important contributor to these differences. Altogether, our study provides a comprehensive epigenetic chart of chromatin states in primary human neutrophils and monocytes, thus providing a valuable resource for studying the regulation of the human innate immune system.
Going through the motions: incorporating movement analyses into disease research
Authors: Dougherty Eric R. , Seidel Dana P. , Carlson Colin J. , Spiegel Orr , Getz Wayne M.
Published: December 2017

Though epidemiology dates back to the 1700s, most mathematical representations of epidemics still use transmission rates averaged at the population scale, especially for wildlife diseases. In simplifying the contact process, we ignore the heterogeneities in host movements that complicate the real world, and overlook their impact on spatiotemporal patterns of disease burden. Movement ecology offers a set of tools that help unpack the transmission process, letting researchers more accurately model how animals within a population interact and spread pathogens. Analytical techniques from this growing field can also help expose the reverse process: how infection impacts movement behaviors, and therefore other ecological processes like feeding, reproduction, and dispersal. Here, we synthesize the contributions of movement ecology in disease research, with a particular focus on studies that have successfully used movement-based methods to quantify individual heterogeneity in exposure and transmission risk. Throughout, we highlight the rapid growth of both disease and movement ecology, and comment on promising but unexplored avenues for research at their overlap. Ultimately, we suggest, including movement empowers ecologists to pose new questions expanding our understanding of host-pathogen dynamics, and improving our predictive capacity for wildlife and even human diseases.
AYbRAH: a curated ortholog database for yeasts and fungi spanning 600 million years of evolution
Authors: Correia Kevin , Yu Shi M. , Mahadevan Radhakrishnan
Published: December 2017

Budding yeasts inhabit a range of environments by exploiting various metabolic traits. The genetic bases for these traits are mostly unknown, preventing their addition or removal in a chassis organism for metabolic engineering. To help understand the molecular evolution of these traits in yeasts, we created Analyzing Yeasts by Reconstructing Ancestry of Homologs (AYbRAH), an open-source database of predicted and manually curated ortholog groups for 33 diverse fungi and yeasts in Dikarya, spanning 600 million years of evolution. OrthoMCL and OrthoDB were used to cluster protein sequence into ortholog and homolog groups, respectively; MAFFT and PhyML were used to reconstruct the phylogeny of all homolog groups. Ortholog assignments for enzymes and small metabolite transporters were compared to their phylogenetic reconstruction, and curated to resolve any discrepancies. Information on homolog and ortholog groups can be viewed in the AYbRAH web portal (https://kcorreia.github.io/aybrah/) to review ortholog groups, predictions for mitochondrial localization and transmembrane domains, literature references, and phylogenetic reconstructions. Ortholog groups in AYbRAH were compared to HOGENOM, KEGG Orthology, OMA, eggNOG, and PANTHER. PANTHER and OMA had the most congruent ortholog groups with AYbRAH, while the other phylogenomic databases had greater amounts of under-clustering, over-clustering, or no ortholog annotations for proteins. Future plans are discussed for AYbRAH, and recommendations are made for other research communities seeking to create curated ortholog databases.