bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cosmological inference from Bayesian forward modelling of deep galaxy redshift surveys
Authors: Ramanah Doogesh Kodi , Lavaux Guilhem , Jasche Jens , Wandelt Benjamin D.
Published: November 2018

We present a large-scale Bayesian inference framework to constrain cosmological parameters using galaxy redshift surveys, via an application of the Alcock-Paczyński (AP) test. Our physical model of the non-linearly evolved density field, as probed by galaxy surveys, employs Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT) to connect Gaussian initial conditions to the final density field, followed by a coordinate transformation to obtain the redshift space representation for comparison with data. We have implemented a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampler to generate realisations of three-dimensional (3D) primordial and present-day matter fluctuations from a non-Gaussian LPT-Poissonian density posterior given a set of observations. This hierarchical approach encodes a novel AP test, extracting several orders of magnitude more information from the cosmic expansion compared to classical approaches, to infer cosmological parameters and jointly reconstruct the underlying 3D dark matter density field. The novelty of this AP test lies in constraining the comoving-redshift transformation to infer the appropriate cosmology which yields isotropic correlations of the galaxy density field, with the underlying assumption relying purely on the geometrical symmetries of the cosmological principle. Such an AP test does not rely explicitly on modelling the full statistics of the field. We verified in depth via simulations that this renders our test robust to model misspecification. This leads to another crucial advantage, namely that the cosmological parameters exhibit extremely weak dependence on the currently unresolved phenomenon of galaxy bias, thereby circumventing a potentially key limitation. This is consequently among the first methods to extract a large fraction of information from statistics other than that of direct density contrast correlations, without being sensitive to the amplitude of density fluctuations. We perform several statistical efficiency and consistency tests on a mock galaxy catalogue, using the SDSS-III survey as template, taking into account the survey geometry and selection effects, to validate the Bayesian inference machinery implemented.
DEA based production planning considering technology heterogeneity with undesirable outputs
Authors: Liang Changyong , Wang Binyou , Ding Tao , Ma Yinchao
Published: November 2018

Many researchers have concentrated on production planning issues by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). However, the assumption made by existing approaches that all decision making units (DMUs) are equipped with the same level of production technology is not realistic. Additionally, with the development in the society, environmental factors have come to play important roles in the production process as well. Thus, undesirable outputs should be considered in production planning problems. Therefore, this paper considers the technology heterogeneity factors and undesirable outputs using the data envelopment analysis-based production planning approach. Two examples containing a numerical example that compare with other method and a real sample that concerns the industrial development of 30 provinces in China are used to validate the applicability of our approach.
CRMO und andere entzündlich rheumatische Erkrankungen des Stammskeletts im Kindesalter
Authors: Rietschel Christoph , Wolf Joachim , Latta Kay
Published: November 2018

Die Beteiligung der Wirbelsäule und der Iliosakralgelenke im Rahmen entzündlicher rheumatischer Erkrankungen im Kindesalter ist häufig schwer zu erkennen. Ärzte, die Kinder behandeln, sollten Kenntnisse über die unterschiedlichen Erkrankungen besitzen, um eine angemessene Therapie rechtzeitig zu beginnen und andere wichtige Differenzialdiagnosen wie bösartige Erkrankungen und bakterielle Osteomyelitiden auszuschließen. Die chronisch rekurrente multifokale Osteomyelitis (CRMO) betrifft häufig die Wirbelsäule und hat Potenzial zur Wirbelkörperschädigung. Die CRMO gilt heute als autoinflammatorische Erkrankung und zeigt einige Überlappungen zur Gruppe der Spondyloarthropathien (SpA). Bei Kindern und Jugendlichen wird die SpA üblicherweise als „Enthesitis-assoziierte Arthritis“ (EAA) bezeichnet und stellt eine Unterform der „juvenilen idiopathischen Arthritis“ (JIA) dar. Patienten mit EAA können eine typische Sakroiliitis und weniger häufig eine Beteiligung der lumbalen Wirbelsäule entwickeln. Im Gegensatz zur vorwiegend lumbalen Beteiligung bei EAA zeigt sich bei anderen Formen der JIA nicht selten eine potenziell schwer beeinträchtigende entzündliche Beteiligung der Halswirbelsäule. Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, ein Überblick über die unterschiedlichen klinischen und radiologischen Aspekte dieser Krankheitsbilder zu geben und auf die entsprechenden Behandlungsstrategien einzugehen.
Characterization of longitudinal acoustic phonons in InGaAsP multiple quantum wells by asynchronous optical sampling
Authors: Hitachi K. , Someya M. , Ishizawa A. , Nishikawa T. , Gotoh H.
Published: November 2018

We performed time-resolved reflectivity measurements and characterized the time-varying oscillations of longitudinal acoustic phonons in InGaAsP multiple quantum wells (MQWs) by asynchronous optical sampling with Er-doped fiber lasers. Oscillations of longitudinal acoustic phonons ranging from a few tens to a few hundred gigahertz were observed, which were induced by forward and backward Raman scattering in Brillouin and first zone-folded acoustic phonon modes. To investigate the dynamics of each phonon mode for various pump-probe time delays, we analyzed the experimental data with a continuous wavelet transformation (CWT) and a subsequent modified inverse CWT. For high-frequency oscillations, we observed the oscillatory profile with beats and identified the contribution of each phonon mode. For low-frequency oscillations, a series of dissipations of phonon wave packets from each QW to the InP substrate was deduced from the analyzed data. These results suggest that our analysis method is useful for investigating the dynamics of acoustic phonons.
Surface engineering with Ar+/O2+ ion beam bombardment: Tuning the electronic and magnetic behavior of Ni80Fe20/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3(001) junctions
Authors: Bergenti I. , Manna P. K. , Lin C.-H. , Graziosi P. , Liu X. , Causer G. L. , Liscio F. , Ruotolo A. , Dediu V. A. , van Lierop J. , Klose F. , Lin K.-W.
Published: November 2018

The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of Ni80Fe20/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (NiFe/LSMO) bilayers were investigated after bombarding the LSMO surface with low-energy Ar+ or O2+/Ar+ ion beams before the growth of the top NiFe layer. A variety of magnetic properties are revealed, including an asymmetric two-stepped hysteresis loop with an exchange bias loop shift, and alternatively, a symmetric two-stepped hysteresis loop with an enhanced coercivity. Polarized neutron reflectometry measurements provide details of the magnetic depth profile and interface layer magnetism at different temperatures. The LSMO surface modifications determine a complex magnetic and electric NiFe/LSMO interface having a strong effect on the magnetoresistance of the bilayer. Surface engineering based on ion beam bombardment is presented as a promising technique for optimizing the electronic and magnetic properties of NiFe/LSMO junctions for future device applications.
Explicitly correlated Gaussian functions with shifted-center and projection techniques in pre-Born–Oppenheimer calculations
Authors: Muolo Andrea , Mátyus Edit , Reiher Markus
Published: November 2018

Numerical projection methods are elaborated for the calculation of eigenstates of the non-relativistic many-particle Coulomb Hamiltonian with selected rotational and parity quantum numbers employing shifted explicitly correlated Gaussian functions, which are, in general, not eigenfunctions of the total angular momentum and parity operators. The increased computational cost of numerically projecting the basis functions onto the irreducible representations of the three dimensional rotation-inversion group is the price to pay for the increased flexibility of the basis functions. This increased flexibility allowed us to achieve a substantial improvement for the variational upper bound to the Pauli-allowed ground-state energy of the H3+={p+,p+,p+,e−,e−} molecular ion treated as an explicit five-particle system. We compare our pre-Born–Oppenheimer result obtained for this molecular ion with rotational-vibrational calculations carried out on a potential energy surface.
A fast computing three point model for PV system in uniform and non-uniform conditions
Authors: Mehta Hitesh K. , Nukala Tejeswar , Panchal Ashish K.
Published: November 2018

Design, planning, and control of a photovoltaic (PV) system demand an accurate and fast computing PV model. The existing PV models suffer with either inaccuracy or large computational time. This paper proposes an explicit PV model that can be evaluated from the three points mentioned in the PV module data-sheet. The proposed model is examined through numerical simulations and experiments under uniform and non-uniform environmental conditions. It has three salient features: (i) easily adjustable to the different irradiance and temperature, (ii) faster than the ideal PV model, and (iii) as accurate as the practical PV model. The proposed model provides a clear advantage over a few other models (polynomial and Lambert W) in the computation accuracy and time when a large PV system is studied in non-uniform irradiance.
Carbon nanotube tissue as anode current collector for flexible Li-ion batteries—Understanding the controlling parameters influencing the electrochemical performance
Authors: Yitzhack Neta , Auinat Mahmud , Sezin Nina , Ein-Eli Yair
Published: November 2018

In an attempt to upgrade the performance of lithium (Li)-ion batteries, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been suggested as a high-energy anode material. However, CNTs induce high irreversible capacity loss during the first cycle of the battery, which still poses a scientific challenge. This study explores CNT tissue as a flexible light-weight alternative to the copper (Cu) foil as an anode current collector in Li-ion batteries, employing graphite active material. The study demonstrates the impact of the graphite mass loaded on the anode performance and suggests that with the increase in the graphite mass, the irreversible capacity loss is considerably decreased. At sufficiently high graphite loadings, the performance during the first cycle becomes comparable to that of an anode utilizing the Cu current collector. This research also presents several distinct chemical pretreatments to the tissue, aiming to further decrease the irreversible capacity loss. It is suggested that this goal may be accomplished by washing the CNT with sulfuric acid prior to anode preparation, prompting better performance.
Dynamic reflectance changes in high-purity zirconium when it is shocked from the α to ω phase
Authors: Stevens G. D. , Scharff R. J. , Lang J. M. , La Lone B. M. , Turley W. D. , Veeser L. R.
Published: November 2018

Flash lamp-illuminated integrating spheres have been used to measure the dynamic reflectance at the interface between a shocked metal target and a window maintaining the shock stress. In conjunction with radiance measurements, this method was recently used to study the pressure versus temperature phase boundary of the beta phase to body-centered-tetragonal transition of tin at around 13 GPa and, in separate experiments, to show a relationship between the reflectance and the phase fraction. We have used this technique to measure the ratio, R, of the dynamic reflectance relative to the ambient value for a high-purity zirconium sample attached to a sapphire window to study the alpha to omega phase transition. Nine experiments cover the range of stress, σ, from 4 to 16 GPa at six wavelengths from 500 to 1550 nm. The two phases in zirconium differ in volume by <1%, so a phase change between them can be difficult to identify from anomalies in the particle velocity measured on the shock Hugoniot. The phase boundary is believed to cross the Hugoniot around 3 GPa, but dynamically it is observed at much higher stresses >6 GPa. Our results show that the relative reflectance decreases upon initial shock in the alpha state but increases as the material transforms to its omega state. The slope dR/dσ changes the sign around the phase transition. For shocks below 6 GPa, dR/dσ < 0, and for σ above 10 GPa, dR/dσ > 0. In the stress region between 6 and 10 GPa, dR/dσ varies somewhat, perhaps due to the band structure or because the transition is incomplete there.
Magnetic properties of XXZ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic core-shell nanowires
Authors: XianYu Zheng-Nan , Du An
Published: November 2018

A cylindrical core-shell nanowire was described by an anisotropic XXZ Heisenberg model. The spontaneous magnetization, critical temperature, and hysteresis behavior were calculated by using the double-time spin Green's function method. For the nanowire with antiferromagnetic interfacial exchange interaction, the spin quantum fluctuation of the core is more obvious than that of the shell. The critical temperature of the system does not change for the same values of the antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic interfacial exchange interaction, and it reduces to zero when the exchange anisotropy parameter reaches 1.0. The asymptotic value of the ratio of magnetizations from the shell to the core as the temperature approaches the critical temperature shows interesting behaviors during the interaction between spins in the core or the shell changing from Ising limit to Heisenberg limit. The magnetic hysteresis of the system with antiferromagnetic interfacial exchange interaction shows behaviors of magnetization plateaus, single loop, double loops, and tricyclic loops. When the interfacial exchange interaction is ferromagnetic, the hysteresis only shows single loops.
Multipolar-interference-assisted terahertz waveplates via all-dielectric metamaterials
Authors: Wang Da-Cheng , Sun Song , Feng Zheng , Tan Wei , Qiu Cheng-Wei
Published: November 2018

Polarization control via metamaterials boosts the design of polarimetric devices in the realm of terahertz technology for sensitive detection, bio-imaging, and wireless communication. Here, we propose all-dielectric metamaterials composed of silicon brick arrays that operate as terahertz quarter- and half-waveplates with close to unity transmission. Spherical multipole decomposition calculation indicates that the silicon brick can support multiple Mie-type resonances, such as electric dipole, electric quadrupole, magnetic dipole, and magnetic quadrupole modes. By tailoring the multipolar interference among these resonances, near unity transmission can be obtained with over π phase delay. We experimentally realize dielectric terahertz metamaterials that function as a quarter-wave plate at 0.79 THz and a half-wave plate at 0.91 THz with insertion losses of 0.54 and 1.25 dB, respectively. Such anisotropic dielectric metamaterials promise an exotic approach to engineer the interference among multipolar resonances and reveal the feasibility to realize functional, efficient, and compact terahertz meta-devices.
Characteristics of the den trees of the yellow-bellied glider in western Victoria
Authors: Goldingay Ross L. , Carthew Susan M. , Daniel Matthew
Published: November 2018

Effective management of tree-hollow-dependent wildlife is enhanced by detailed knowledge of the trees used for shelter and breeding. We describe the characteristics of 52 den trees and hollows (cavities) used by the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) in the south-west of its geographic range. We compared the following attributes of den trees to reference trees: tree height, diameter at breast height, hollow entrance height, hollow entrance diameter, cavity diameter, cavity depth, cavity roof height and cavity wall thickness. Dens and reference trees showed a highly significant multivariate difference (P<0.001), with these variables explaining 64% of the variance. Univariate analyses revealed that hollow entrance height was significantly different between den trees (9.0±0.5m) and reference trees (5.5±0.3m). While not significant, den trees tended to have narrower hollow entrances, deeper cavities and thinner walls than reference trees; cavities used by yellow-bellied gliders, on average, measured 36.8cm deep and 18.0cm in diameter, and had entrances 10.6cm in diameter. These observations should assist forest management for this species.
Nonmutational mechanism of inheritance in the Archaeon
Sulfolobus solfataricus
Authors: Payne Sophie , McCarthy Samuel , Johnson Tyler , North Erica , Blum Paul
Published: November 2018

Epigenetic phenomena have not yet been reported in archaea, which are presumed to use a classical genetic process of heritability. Here, analysis of independent lineages of
Sulfolobus solfataricus
evolved for enhanced fitness implicated a non-Mendelian basis for trait inheritance. The evolved strains, called super acid-resistant
Crenarchaeota
(SARC), acquired traits of extreme acid resistance and genome stability relative to their wild-type parental lines. Acid resistance was heritable because it was retained regardless of extensive passage without selection. Despite the hereditary pattern, in one strain, it was impossible for these SARC traits to result from mutation because its resequenced genome had no mutation. All strains also had conserved, heritable transcriptomes implicated in acid resistance. In addition, they had improved genome stability with absent or greatly decreased mutation and transposition relative to a passaged control. A mechanism that would confer these traits without DNA sequence alteration could involve posttranslationally modified archaeal chromatin proteins. To test this idea, homologous recombination with isogenic DNA was used to perturb native chromatin structure. Recombination at up-regulated loci from the heritable SARC transcriptome reduced acid resistance and gene expression in the majority of recombinants. In contrast, recombination at a control locus that was not part of the heritable transcriptome changed neither acid resistance nor gene expression. Variation in the amount of phenotypic and expression changes across individuals was consistent with Rad54-dependent chromatin remodeling that dictated crossover location and branch migration. These data support an epigenetic model implicating chromatin structure as a contributor to heritable traits.
Agendamelding and out-group derogation
Authors: Riley Jeffrey K. , Cowart Holly S.
Published: November 2018

This study is a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative content analysis that examined the overlapping presence of agendamelding theory and in-group out-group formation on the social media platform Reddit. The study looked at the top 10 posts for one month (n = 310) on the pro-Donald Trump subreddit /r/The_Donald. The results show that media choice was used to prove membership to the in-group, often by derogating the media used by the out-group. Specific patterns emerged within the derogative language as well. Links to left-wing and neutral news media sites were often commented on and criticized, while the content of the linked news article was ignored or changed. Right-wing news media sites, which were used as news sources rather than commentary, were typically posted without changes, unlike neutral news media sites, which were often posted in a mocking manner. As agendamelding suggests, participants sought to avoid dissonance by posting media to fit within the community.
¡Luego, luego!
Authors: Link Holly
Published: November 2018

This article is a reflection on my experience as a researcher and bilingual educator based in the United States who works, teaches and conducts research with the Latinx community in an area with large numbers of Mexican immigrant families. In my reflection, I draw from my work at a non-profit center dedicated to the empowerment of the Latinx community to consider how bilingual community education can serve as an ideological and implementationaltranslanguaging space. I argue that acknowledging ideological and implementational aspects of translanguaging practice and pedagogy can be an early step on the path of social transformation in, for, and with language-minoritized communities. I end by calling for increased collaboration among educators, researchers, and community members in order to develop and explore translanguaging spaces with and for immigrant families, not just in the United States, but globally.
Effect of Electrical Annealing to the Inhomogeneity Improvement of Type-S Thermocouples
Authors: Trisna Beni Adi , Suherlan  , Wiriadinata Hidayat , Fajria Melati Azizka , Rifa’i Iip Ahmad , Tistomo Arfan Sindhu , Zaid Ghufron
Published: November 2018

The thermoelectric inhomogeneity as a function of position along wires is one the significant uncertainty of measurement using thermocouples. Here we report development of an electrical annealing system for thermoelectric inhomogeneity treatment. Two inhomogeneous type-S thermocouples, which had the inhomogeneity greater than 0.04%emf, are successfully recovered using the system. An improvement on thermocouple performance as large as 0.28 °C (at temperature of 1000 °C) can be obtained using the system. This article provides detailed information and may help the reader to obtain a quick grasp about the system.
Female Cosmetic Genital Surgery: Patient Characteristics, Motivation, and Satisfaction
Authors: Kalaaji Amin , Dreyer Stine , Maric Ivana , Schnegg Jakob , Jönsson Vanja
Published: November 2018

Background

Female cosmetic genital surgery is rapidly growing. However, controversy reports raised around these procedures question their indications, motives, and safety. Warning against performing this surgery might unjustly restrict surgical alleviation of symptoms.

Objectives

Through anonymous research, the authors explored patient characteristics and motivation, when women started to think about surgery, and effects of surgery on psychosocial and cosmetic aspects.

Methods

Of 125 patients who underwent female cosmetic genital surgery at Oslo Plastic Surgery Clinic between 2010 and 2016, 69 patients were reachable by email. A questionnaire with 40 questions was completed anonymously. Answers were processed by a third, independent party via QuestBack return mail system.

Results

The response rate was 77%. Mean follow-up time was 31.4 months. Mean patient age was 30.8 years. Motivations for surgery were cosmetic (69.8%), physical/practical (62.3%), emotional (54.7%), and intimate (49.1%). When emotional reasons were involved, media (39.7%), pornography (31.5%), and negative comments (28.8%) influenced the decision to undergo surgery. Genital concerns had negative effects on self-esteem (63.2%) and sexual attractiveness (57.9%) among others; 90.5% thought about surgery for more than 1 year. The overall cosmetic result was satisfactory for 69.8%, and the operation as a whole was satisfactory for 75.5%.

Conclusions

Age, level of education, and gross income of patients who underwent this surgery seem high compared with those of breast implant patients. Genital dissatisfaction arose early in life and affected various psychosexual aspects. Most patients are satisfied with the outcome of surgery and would recommend this surgery to others. Additional anonymous multicenter studies are recommended.

Level of Evidence: 4
Predictive Policing and the Politics of Patterns
Authors: Kaufmann Mareile , Egbert Simon , Leese Matthias
Published: November 2018

Patterns are the epistemological core of predictive policing. With the move towards digital prediction tools, the authority of the pattern is rearticulated and reinforced in police work. Based on empirical research about predictive policing software and practices, this article puts the authority of patterns into perspective. Introducing four ideal-typical styles of pattern identification, we illustrate that patterns are not based on a singular logic, but on varying rationalities that give form to and formalize different understandings about crime. Yet, patterns render such different modes of reasoning about crime, and the way in which they feed back into policing cultures, opaque. Ultimately, this invites a stronger reflection about the political nature of patterns.
Prevalent Misconceptions About Opioid Use Disorders in the United States Produce Failed Policy and Public Health Responses
Authors: Heimer Robert , Hawk Kathryn , Vermund Sten H
Published: November 2018

The current opioid crisis in the United States has emerged from higher demand for and prescribing of opioids as chronic pain medication, leading to massive diversion into illicit markets. A peculiar tragedy is that many health professionals prescribed opioids in a misguided response to legitimate concerns that pain was undertreated. The crisis grew not only from overprescribing, but also from other sources, including insufficient research into nonopioid pain management, ethical lapses in corporate marketing, historical stigmas directed against people who use drugs, and failures to deploy evidence-based therapies for opioid addiction and to comprehend the limitations of supply-side regulatory approaches. Restricting opioid prescribing perversely accelerated narco-trafficking of heroin and fentanyl with consequent increases in opioid overdose mortality As injection replaced oral consumption, outbreaks of hepatitis B and C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infections have resulted. This viewpoint explores the origins of the crisis and directions needed for effective mitigation.
Genomic prediction for crossbred performance using metafounders1
Authors: van Grevenhof Elizabeth M , Vandenplas Jérémie , Calus Mario P L
Published: November 2018

Future genomic evaluation models to be used routinely in breeding programs for pigs and poultry need to be able to optimally use information of crossbred (CB) animals to predict breeding values for CB performance of purebred (PB) selection candidates. Important challenges in the commonly used single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) model are the definition of relationships between the different line compositions and the definition of the base generation per line. The use of metafounders (MFs) in ssGBLUP has been proposed to overcome these issues. When relationships between lines are known to be different from 0, the use of MFs generalizes the concept of genetic groups relying on the genotype data. Our objective was to investigate the effect of using MFs in genomic prediction for CB performance on estimated variance components, and accuracy and bias of GEBV. This was studied using stochastic simulation to generate data representing a three-way crossbreeding scheme in pigs, with the parental lines being either closely related or unrelated. Results show that using MFs, the variance components should be scaled appropriately, especially when basing them on estimates obtained with, for example a pedigree-based model. The accuracies of GEBV that were obtained using MFs were similar to accuracies without using MFs, regardless whether the lines involved in the CB were closely related or unrelated. The use of MFs resulted in a model that had similar or somewhat better convergence properties compared to other models. We recommend the use of MFs in ssGBLUP for genomic evaluations in crossbreeding schemes.
Reassessing two nineteenth-century proto-ethnographic collections in Italian museums
Authors: Taylor Paul Michael , Marino Cesare
Published: November 2018

Overshadowed by the immense cultural patrimony of Italy, within its extensive museum systems, many historically significant nineteenth-century Italian ethnographic collections from non-western peoples have remained ‘dormant’ and largely unknown to museum scholars until recently. The world’s first ‘museum of anthropology’ was founded in Florence, in 1869. By then Italian explorers and collectors had already assembled extensive collections that may be considered ‘proto-ethnographic’. This paper reassesses two exemplary proto-ethnographic collections by Giacomo Costantino Beltrami (1779–1855) from the Upper Mississippi region, and by Antonio Spagni (1809–1873) in the Upper Missouri River basin. In recent years, largely outside Italy, new uses for legacy museum collections have arisen. This has in turn had a strong effect on the organizational structures and approaches of Italian museums to their historic ethnographic collections.
Formation of Erysiphe necator Chasmothecia in the Pacific Northwest United States
Authors: Thiessen L. D. , Neill T. M. , Mahaffee W. F.
Published: November 2018

In the Pacific Northwest, chasmothecia formation is not observed in vineyards until the beginning of véraison despite heavy infestations whereby 100% of leaf tissue is covered by Erysiphe necator. Mating type proximity and distribution were sampled from individual lesions (∼71 mm2) on leaf tissue in a stratified sampling from three canopy heights at three times during the 2013, 2014, and 2015 growing seasons. Both mating types were observed at every sampling point and within the same lesions at all sampling dates and canopy heights. Effect of temperature and day length were examined by inoculating seedlings with known mating type 1 and 2 isolates and placed in incubators at different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C) or different day length changes (long day to long day, long day to short day, short day to short day, and short day to long day). Chasmothecia were produced at all temperatures that E. necator was able to colonize tissue, and the greatest number of chasmothecia were produced at 15 and 20°C (P ≤ 0.02). Day length shifts from short day (8 h) to long day (16 h) resulted in a significant increase in chasmothecia production (P < 0.001). End of season plant stress observed in the Pacific Northwest, such as water stress or host senescence, was assessed under naturally infested field conditions by either girdling canes or applying 150 mg·liter−1 abscisic acid solution to vines, respectively, and quantifying chasmothecia production. No differences were observed in chasmothecia production in the plant stress assessment, likely due to the high vigor and ability for plants to overcome stress treatments.
Eosinophils Among the Histological Features of Psoriasis
Authors: Penn Lauren , Brinster Nooshin K.
Published: November 2018

“Eosinophils are absent in psoriasis” has been dogma for generations; yet, there is little published to support this statement. Two recent studies examining the presence of eosinophils in psoriasis came to contrasting conclusions. We reviewed skin biopsies from 50 patients with clinically confirmed cases of psoriasis vulgaris to characterize the histologic features, with a focus on the number of eosinophils in the dermis. We noted the presence of eosinophils in nearly half of our study population (n = 23, 46.0%). There was no significant association between the presence of eosinophils and degree of spongiosis (P = 0.405). Eosinophil density ranged from 0 to 8 per tissue section. The mean average eosinophil density was 1.04 (range: 0–8) per tissue section. Among cases with eosinophils, there were 73.9% (n = 17/23) of cases with 1–2 eosinophils, and 26.1% (n = 6) with 3–8 eosinophils. Mild to moderate spongiosis was noted in the majority of cases (n = 48; 96.0%). Eosinophils were only present in psoriasis cases with evidence of spongiosis (n = 23; 47.9%). We conclude that eosinophils are not an uncommon finding in the dermis of psoriasis vulgaris, although the number is often few. The presence of eosinophils should not preclude a diagnosis of psoriasis, particularly if other histologic features are supportive.
Pathogenesis of Leprosy: An Insight Into B Lymphocytes and Plasma Cells
Authors: Fabel Agnes , Giovanna Brunasso Alexandra Maria , Schettini Antonio Pedro , Cota Carlo , Puntoni Matteo , Nunzi Enrico , Biondo Giovanni , Cerroni Lorenzo , Massone Cesare
Published: November 2018

The pathogenesis of leprosy is still not fully understood. Several studies have been performed on the involvement of T cells in leprosy and more recently have focused on genetic factors and innate immune response. There are still only few reports about the role of B cells in active leprosy lesions in different spectral forms of the disease. The literature on tuberculosis suggests that B cells play an important role in the regulation of the granulomas, in cytokine production, T-cell response, and antigen presentation. Only few studies investigated the role of B cell in leprosy. We investigated the distribution of B cells in 85 leprosy biopsies covering all forms of the disease and compared results with 13 biopsies of tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteriosis, expanding the previous experiences. A statistically significant difference in the number of CD20+ (P = 0.014) and CD138+ (P = 0.01) cells between the different forms of leprosy was observed. A remarkable amount of CD138+ cells could also be detected in borderline tuberculoid. The median of the CD20+ cells decreased from the bacilloscopy-negative samples to the bacilloscopy-positive samples by 50% (P = 0.004). Contrarily, the median of CD138+ cells showed an increase from bacilloscopy-negative to bacilloscopy-positive samples of 966.67% (P = 0.001). In our experience, tuberculoid leprosy showed more B cells and less plasma cells than lepromatous leprosy. Our results show that B cells might be implicated in leprosy pathogenesis, not only in the lepromatous pole as previously postulated, but also in tuberculoid granuloma formation and type 1 reactions.
Clinical management of hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Authors: Kingsberg Sheryl , Faubion Stephanie
Published: November 2018

Although a woman's healthcare provider has the best opportunity to address hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), most women are reluctant to discuss their loss of sexual desire. The feeling is often mutual, because limited education and misunderstanding persist, leaving few providers feeling competent to assess and treat this condition. The purpose of this Practice Pearl is to improve the clinician's understanding of and confidence in discussing HSDD, including symptoms, etiology, burden, diagnosis, and treatment.
The burden of vulvovaginal atrophy on women's daily living: implications on quality of life from a face-to-face real-life survey
Authors: Nappi Rossella E. , Palacios Santiago , Bruyniks Nico , Particco Martire , Panay Nick
Published: November 2018

Objective:

This subanalysis of the European Vulvovaginal Epidemiology Survey study aimed to assess the correlation of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) symptoms and severity, when confirmed by objective gynecologic examination, with the quality of life of postmenopausal women.

Methods:

Women aged 45 to 75 years with confirmation of last menstrual period more than 12 months before, who attended menopause or gynecology centers, were included. Those women had at least one VVA symptom filled in a group of questionnaires, including EuroQol-EQ-5D-3L and Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging (DIVA). To confirm the VVA diagnosis, an objective gynecologic examination was also performed.

Results:

Of a total of 2,160 evaluable women, 66.3%, 30.5%, and 11.2% suffered from severe vaginal, vulvar, and urinary symptoms, respectively. VVA was confirmed in more than 90% of the participants. Mean (±SD) EQ-5D-3L score was 0.892 ± 0.144 and mean (±SD) score on the associated visual analog scale was 71.7 ± 16.0. Mean (±SD) DIVA score was 0.922 ± 0.653. For both EQ-5D-3L and DIVA, the overall scores and most of the dimensions/components were statistically significantly worse for women with severe VVA symptoms (vulvar and urinary) compared with women not affected by severe symptoms. Quality of life questionnaires showed worse scores in women where the diagnosis of VVA was confirmed by gynecologic examination.

Conclusions:

Severe VVA symptoms showed a direct association with worse quality of life in postmenopausal women. This important effect on the quality of life of many women should be recognized as equivalent to those from other conditions and pathologies of which there is greater awareness.
Ubuntu—the Essence of Caring and Being
Authors: Nolte Anna , Downing Charlene
Published: November 2018

What is the South-African concept of caring? In Africa, the principle of Ubuntu introduces the concept of belonging and caring. The purpose of this concept analysis was thus to analyze the concept of Ubuntu. The 8 steps of a concept analysis by Walker and Avant were used.
Competencies for dermatology nurse practitioners
Authors: Bobonich Margaret , Nolen Mary
Published: November 2018

The number of nurse practitioners (NPs) specializing in dermatology has been rapidly rising. Most dermatology NPs acquire their knowledge and skills through post-master's continuing education, select NP fellowship programs, and on-the-job training. However, the professional competencies for dermatology NPs have not been defined or standardized. Competencies require unique knowledge, skills, and judgment for the care of dermatology patients. A national task force and validation panel was convened to define the entry-level competencies for dermatology NP practice.
Different regimens of penicillin antibiotics given to women routinely for preventing infection after cesarean section
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhang Lingli , Zhang Chuan , Chen Min , Zhang Li , Li Jinke , Liu Guanjian
Published: November 2018

Background:

Varied regimens of penicillin antibiotics were given to women for preventing infection after cesarean section, but there is no study compares the effectiveness and safety of them.

Methods:

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM Database, and contacted experts in the field and searched reference lists of retrieved studies. We included randomized controlled trials comparing different regimens of penicillin antibiotics given to women after cesarean section. Two review authors independently assessed the studies for inclusion, assessed risk of bias, and carried out data extraction.

Results:

A total of 18 randomized controlled trails (involving 3287 pregnant women) were eligible. Compared with after umbilical cord clamping, penicillin antibiotics prophylaxis before skin incision could reduce the risk of endometritis for women undergoing cesarean. Compared with using penicillin antibiotics alone, using antibiotic–inhibitor combination could reduce the risk of endometritis or fever. No statistically significant difference was present between single-dose versus multidose, short term versus long term, intravenous injection versus lavag in the risk of reported outcomes.

Conclusion:

There is insufficient evidence to draw certain conclusions on which regimen of penicillin antibiotics is the best in this review. Further studies should pay attention to the study design, and besides the outcomes of pregnant women, researchers should focus on the outcomes of newborns.
Brief topical sodium nitrite and its impact on the quality of life in patients with sickle leg ulcers
Authors: Connor Joseph L. , Sclafani Joseph A. , Kato Gregory J. , Hsieh Matthew M. , Minniti Caterina P.
Published: November 2018

Cutaneous ulceration from sickle cell disease negatively impacts quality of life. Topical sodium nitrite has previously been shown to reduce the size of sickle leg ulcers. This study examined how topical sodium nitrite impacted the quality of life scores in patients with sickle leg ulcers.

We prospectively collected data in patients enrolled in a leg ulcer study (n = 17) or an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant study (nonulcer group, n = 15). Both groups completed a pretreatment Short Form-36 questionnaire; the ulcer group completed a second questionnaire after 4 weeks of topical sodium nitrite applications. Data were analyzed by age, sex, >50% area improvement postintervention, and sickle-related complications (vaso-occlusive crises, pulmonary hypertension, or avascular necrosis). Physical and mental component summary scores were analyzed with Student t test.

Physical summary scores were lower than mental summary scores in all groups, indicating leg ulcers among other sickle related complications negatively impacted physical quality of life measures. After sodium nitrite use, physical summary scores improved in the leg ulcer group (34.5 ± 9.4 to 39 ± 10.3, P = .03), and mental summary scores improved more in ulcerated patients ≤35 years old (40.7 ± 6.9 to 51.7 ± 9.7, P = .01).

Brief topical sodium nitrite has the potential to improve quality of life, especially in younger individuals. Longer treatment duration and randomized-controlled trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of this topical therapy.
Comprehensive preoperative regime of selective gut decontamination in combination with probiotics, and smectite for reducing endotoxemia and cytokine activation during cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Liu Wei-Cheng , Zhan Yan-Ping , Wang Xiu-Hong , Hou Ben-Chao , Huang Jian , Chen Shi-Biao
Published: November 2018

Background:

Both selective digestive decontamination (SDD) and probiotics have been reported to reduce endotoxemia. However, the available results are conflicting and few studies have investigated the combined effect of SDD and probiotics. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a comprehensive preoperative regimen of SDD in combination with probiotics and smectite on perioperative endotoxemia and cytokine activation in patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in a pilot, prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Methods:

Patients who underwent elective Aortic Valve Replacement or Mitral Valve Replacement surgery from July 2010 to March 2015 were included. In total, 30 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive either the comprehensive preoperative regimen (n = 15) (a combination of preoperative SDD, probiotics, and smectite) or the control group (n = 15) who did not receive this treatment. The levels of endotoxin, IL-6, and procalcitonin were measured at the time before anesthesia induction, immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), 24 hours after CPB, and 48 hours after CPB. The primary outcomes were changes in endotoxin, IL-6, and procalcitonin concentrations after CPB.

Results:

The mean levels of change in endotoxin levels after CPB in patients receiving the comprehensive preoperative regimen was marginally significantly lower than those in control group (F = 4.0, P = .0552) but was not significantly different for procalcitonin (F = .14, P = .7134). An interaction between group and time for IL-6 was identified (F = 4.35, P = .0231). The increase in IL-6 concentration immediately after CPB in the comprehensive preoperative group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P = .0112). The changes in IL-6 concentration at 24 hours and 48 hours after CPB were not significant between the comprehensive preoperative group and control group.

Conclusion:

The present pilot, prospective, randomized, controlled study in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB demonstrated that 3 days of a comprehensive preoperative regime of SDD in combination with probiotics and smectite may reduce the endotoxin and IL-6 levels after CPB compared with the control group.
Comparison of dabigatran and warfarin used in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
Authors: Yu Yi-bo , Liu Jing , Fu Guo-hua , Fang Ren-yuan , Gao Fang , Chu Hui-min
Published: November 2018

Background:

Dabigatran is a kind of oral anticoagulant and there was little review only about dabigatran and warfarin used in patients with atrial fibrillation. This meta-analysis only assesses the dabigatran and warfarin used in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Design:

Cochrane Library, PubMed, Clinical Trials.gov, CNKI, and WanFang databases were searched. The primary endpoint was the incidence of stroke and the second endpoints were the incidence of bleeding and embolic events.

Results:

Six RCTs and 20086 patients were included in our meta-analysis. No significant difference was obtained between 110 mg dabigatran and warfarin on the endpoint of stroke (risk ratio (RR), 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71–1.12; P = .34; I2 = 0%) and embolic events p (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.71–1.12; P = .32; I2 = 0%). However, the 110 mg dabigatran associated lower incidence of bleeding (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69–0.95; P = .01; I2 = 0%) compare with warfarin. When compared with 150 mg dabigatran, warfarin associated with lower rate of stroke (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.83–1.12; P = .62; I2 = 0%) and embolic events (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.53–0.86; P = .001; I2 = 0%) but similar in the incidence of bleeding (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.53–0.86; P = .001; I2 = 0%).

Conclusion:

No significant difference was obtained between 110 mg dabigatran and warfarin in the incidence of stroke and embolic events. However, the 110 mg dabigatran associated lower incidence of bleeding compare with warfarin. When compared with 150 mg dabigatran, warfarin associated with lower incidence of stroke and embolic events but similar in the incidence of bleeding.
Application of shaft method assisted biological mesh in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair
Authors: Weng Hanqin , Ye Liqin , Lu Peilin , Sun Hongwu
Published: November 2018

To compare the feasibility and advantage of traditional tiling method and shaft method to place biological mesh following laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia.

Sixty cases from January 2013 to January 2014 treated with laparoscopic inguinal hernia neoplasty with biological patches were included. All the cases were randomly divided into control group and observation group. Observation group was treated with shaft method to place biological mesh, while control group was treated with traditional tiling method. The length of the operation, hospital fees, and rate of occurrence of surgical complications were compared.

All 60 cases were successfully treated with laparoscope inguinal hernia repair. None were converted to open operations. Total operation times for the observation group and control group were 54 ± 4.5 and 71 ± 7.2 minutes, respectively (P < .05). The hospital fees of the observation group and control group were 21,280 ± 365 RenMinBi Yuan (RMB) and 24,280 ± 428 RMB, respectively (P < .05). The rates of occurrence of surgical complications were 3.33% (1/30) and 16.7% (5/30), respectively (P < .05).

The shaft method can be applied in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with biological mesh. Compared with the traditional method, the shaft method has apparent advantages, fewer complications during and after the operation.
Prognostic value of pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase level in pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Gan Jianxin , Wang Wenhu , Yang Zengxi , Pan Jiebin , Zheng Liang , Yin Lanning
Published: November 2018

Background:

Several studies were conducted to investigate the prognostic value of pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level in pancreatic cancer (PC), but the results were inconsistent. This study aims to comprehensively assess the prognostic value of pretreatment serum LDH level in PC patients by combining the data of the published literatures on this topic.

Methods:

Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science were completely retrieved until June, 2018. The observational studies focusing on the prognostic value of pretreatment serum LDH level in PC patients were eligible. STATA version 12.0 was used to undertake the statistical analysis.

Results:

Eighteen studies with a total of 3345 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted to generate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for overall survival (OS). Our analysis results suggested that high serum LDH level predicted worse OS (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.30–1.90, P 
< .001) in PC patients. Moreover, for patients with advanced PC, the prognostic relevance of pretreatment serum LDH level not only existed in those receiving palliative chemotherapy (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.35–2.18, P 
< .001), but also in those who were precluded from chemotherapy (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.4219–2.58, P 
< .001).

Conclusion:

The meta-analysis results demonstrated that pretreatment serum LDH level is closely associated with OS, and it may be a useful biomarker for assessing the prognosis of PC patients.