bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Probiotic Mechanisms of the Oral Bacterium
Streptococcus
sp. A12 as Explored with Functional Genomics
Authors: Lee K. , Walker A. R. , Chakraborty B. , Kaspar J. R. , Nascimento M. M. , Burne R. A.
Published: August 2019

Advances in defining the composition of health-associated biofilms have highlighted the important role of beneficial species in maintaining health. Comparatively little, however, has been done to address the genomic and physiological bases underlying the probiotic mechanisms of beneficial commensals. In this study, we explored the ability of a novel oral bacterial isolate,
Streptococcus
A12, to compete with the dental pathogen
Streptococcus mutans
using various gene products with diverse functions. A12 displayed enhanced competitiveness by (i) disrupting intercellular communication pathways of
S. mutans
, (ii) sensing and resisting antimicrobial peptides, and (iii) producing factors involved in the production of a putative antimicrobial compound. Research on the probiotic mechanisms employed by
Streptococcus
A12 is providing essential insights into how beneficial bacteria may help maintain oral health, which will aid in the development of biomarkers and therapeutics that can improve the practice of clinical dentistry.
Recombinant Cysteine Proteinase B from Leishmania braziliensis and Its Domains: Promising Antigens for Serodiagnosis of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis in Dogs
Authors: Bivona A. E. , Czentner L. , Sanchez Alberti A. , Cerny N. , Cardoso Landaburu A. C. , Nevot C. , Estévez O. , Marco J. D. , Basombrio M. A. , Malchiodi E. L. , Cazorla S. I.
Published: August 2019

Leishmaniasis represents a group of parasitic diseases caused by a protozoan of the genusLeishmaniaand is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Leishmaniasis is one of the major tropical neglected diseases, with 1.5 to 2 million new cases occurring annually. Diagnosis remains a challenge despite advances in parasitological, serological, and molecular methods. Dogs are an important host for the parasite and develop both visceral and cutaneous lesions.
Multilaboratory Assessment of Epstein-Barr Virus Serologic Assays: the Case for Standardization
Authors: Liu Zhiwei , Yu Kelly J. , Coghill Anna E. , Brenner Nicole , Cao Su-Mei , Chen Chien-Jen , Chen Yufeng , Doolan Denise L. , Hsu Wan-Lun , Labo Nazzarena , Middeldorp Jaap M. , Miley Wendell , Simon Julia , Wang Cheng-Ping , Waterboer Tim , Whitby Denise , Xie Shang-Hang , Ye Weimin , Hildesheim Allan
Published: August 2019

IgA antibodies targeting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have been proposed for screening for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, methods differ, and the antigens used in these assays differ considerably between laboratories. To enable formal comparisons across a range of established EBV serology assays, we created a panel of 66 pooled serum samples and 66 pooled plasma samples generated from individuals with a broad range of IgA antibody levels.
Persistent Infection and Transmission of Senecavirus A from Carrier Sows to Contact Piglets
Authors: Maggioli Mayara F. , Fernandes Maureen H. V. , Joshi Lok R. , Sharma Bishwas , Tweet Megan M. , Noll Jessica C. G. , Bauermann Fernando V. , Diel Diego G.
Published: August 2019

Persistent viral infections have significant implications for disease control strategies. Previous studies demonstrated the persistence of SVA RNA in the tonsil of experimentally or naturally infected animals long after resolution of the clinical disease. Here, we showed that SVA establishes persistent infection in SVA-infected animals, with the tonsil serving as one of the sites of virus persistence. Importantly, persistently infected carrier animals shedding SVA in oral and nasal secretions or feces can serve as sources of infection to other susceptible animals, as evidenced by successful transmission of SVA from persistently infected sows to contact piglets. These findings unveil an important aspect of SVA infection biology, suggesting that persistently infected pigs may function as reservoirs for SVA.
Regular performance feedback may be key to maintain good quality DKA management: results from a five-year study
Authors: Kempegowda Punith , Chandan Joht Singh , Coombs Benjamin , De Bray Anne , Jawahar Nitish , James Sunil , Ghosh Sandip , Narendran Parth
Published: August 2019

Objectives

We postulate that performance feedback is a prerequisite to ensure sustained improvement in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) management.

Design

The study was based on ‘theory of change’ concept that suggests changes of primary drivers determine the main outcome. A set of secondary drivers can be implemented to achieve improvements in these primary drivers and thus the main outcome.

Setting

This study was conducted at a large tertiary care center in the West Midlands, UK. The region has above average prevalence of diabetes and DKA admissions in the country.

Participants

All participants diagnosed with DKA as per national guidelines, except those managed in intensive care unit from April 2014 to March 2018, were included in this study.

Interventions

Monthly feedback of performance was the main intervention. Development of a real-time live DKA audit tool, automatic referral system of DKA to the specialist team, electronic monitoring of blood gas measurements and education and redesigning of local (trust) guidelines were the other interventions in this study.

Main outcome measures

Total DKA duration, appropriateness of fixed rate intravenous insulin infusion, fluid prescription, glucose monitoring, ketone monitoring and referral to specialists.

Results

There was a significant reduction in the duration of DKA postintervention compared with baseline results. However, in the absence of regular feedback, the duration of DKA showed an upward trend nearing baseline values. Similar trends were noted in secondary drivers influencing DKA duration.

Conclusion

Based on these results, we recommend regular audit and feedback is required to sustain improvements in DKA management.
Developing and applying a "living guidelines" approach to WHO recommendations on maternal and perinatal health
Authors: Vogel Joshua P , Dowswell Therese , Lewin Simon , Bonet Mercedes , Hampson Lynn , Kellie Frances , Portela Anayda , Bucagu Maurice , Norris Susan L , Neilson James , Gülmezoglu Ahmet Metin , Oladapo Olufemi T
Published: August 2019

How should the WHO most efficiently keep its global recommendations up to date? In this article we describe how WHO developed and applied a ‘living guidelines’ approach to its maternal and perinatal health (MPH) recommendations, based on a systematic and continuous process of prioritisation and updating. Using this approach, 25 new or updated WHO MPH recommendations have been published in 2017–2018. The new approach helps WHO ensure its guidance is responsive to emerging evidence and remains up to date for end users.
Optimising computerised decision support to transform medication safety and reduce prescriber burden: study protocol for a mixed-methods evaluation of drug–drug interaction alerts
Authors: Baysari Melissa T , Zheng Wu Yi , Li Ling , Westbrook Johanna , Day Richard O , Hilmer Sarah , Van Dort Bethany Annemarie , Hargreaves Andrew , Kennedy Peter , Monaghan Corey , Doherty Paula , Draheim Michael , Nair Lucy , Samson Ruby
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Drug–drug interaction (DDI) alerts in hospital electronic medication management (EMM) systems are generated at the point of prescribing to warn doctors about potential interactions in their patients’ medication orders. This project aims to determine the impact of DDI alerts on DDI rates and on patient harm in the inpatient setting. It also aims to identify barriers and facilitators to optimal use of alerts, quantify the alert burden posed to prescribers with implementation of DDI alerts and to develop algorithms to improve the specificity of DDI alerting systems.

Methods and analysis

A controlled pre-post design will be used. Study sites include six major referral hospitals in two Australian states, New South Wales and Queensland. Three hospitals will act as control sites and will implement an EMM system without DDI alerts, and three as intervention sites with DDI alerts. The medical records of 280 patients admitted in the 6 months prior to and 6 months following implementation of the EMM system at each site (total 3360 patients) will be retrospectively reviewed by study pharmacists to identify potential DDIs, clinically relevant DDIs and associated patient harm. To identify barriers and facilitators to optimal use of alerts, 10–15 doctors working at each intervention hospital will take part in observations and interviews. Non-identifiable DDI alert data will be extracted from EMM systems 6–12 months after system implementation in order to quantify alert burden on prescribers. Finally, data collected from chart review and EMM systems will be linked with clinically relevant DDIs to inform the development of algorithms to trigger only clinically relevant DDI alerts in EMM systems.

Ethics and dissemination

This research was approved by the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (18/02/21/4.07). Study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at local and international conferences and workshops.
Childhood adversity and deliberate self-poisoning in Sri Lanka: a protocol for a hospital-based case–control study
Authors: Knipe Duleeka W , Bandara Piumee , Senarathna Lalith , Kidger Judi , López-López José , Rajapakse Thilini
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Childhood adversity (CA) has been suggested as a key risk factor for suicidal behaviour, but evidence from low/middle-income countries is lacking. In Sri Lanka, CA, in the form of child maltreatment or as a consequence of maternal separation, has been highlighted in primarily qualitative or case series work, as a potentially important determinant of suicidal behaviour. To date, there have been no quantitative studies to investigate CA as a key exposure associated with suicidal behaviour in Sri Lanka. The aim of the research is to understand the association between CA and suicidal behaviour in Sri Lanka and to identify potentially modifiable factors to reduce any observed increased risk of suicidal behaviour associated with CA.

Methods and analysis

This is a hospital-based case–control study. Cases (n=200) will be drawn from individuals admitted to the medical toxicology ward of the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, for medical management of intentional self-poisoning. Sex and age frequency-matched controls (n=200) will be recruited from either patients or accompanying visitors presenting at the outpatient department and clinic of the same hospital for conditions unrelated to the outcome of interest. Conditional logistic regression will be used to investigate the association between CA and deliberate self-poisoning and whether the association is altered by other key factors including socioeconomic status, psychiatric morbidity, current experiences of domestic violence and social support.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Researchers have been trained in administering the questionnaire and a participant safety and distress protocol has been designed to guide researchers in ensuring participant safety and how to deal with a distressed participant. Results will be disseminated in local policy fora and peer-reviewed articles, local media, and national and international conferences.
Passive enhanced safety surveillance of GSK’s quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine in Belgium, Germany and Spain, an observational study: protocol for the 2018/2019 influenza season
Authors: Dos Santos Gaël , Yeakey Anne , Shende Vishvesh , Smith Katie , Lin Frederic , Zandman-van-Dijk Elvira , Damaso Silvia , Schmidt Alexander
Published: August 2019

Introduction

The European Medicines Agency requires Marketing Authorisation Holders providing seasonal influenza vaccines in Europe to conduct enhanced safety surveillance accounting for the different age groups based on the vaccine indication, in order to detect any potential increase of local and systemic adverse reactions early in an influenza season. To comply with this requirement, a multicountry European passive enhanced safety surveillance study has been set up to capture and assess adverse events occurring within 7 days following seasonal influenza vaccination. Here we share our surveillance protocol for the 2018/2019 influenza season.

Methods

Nine healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Belgium, Germany and Spain have been recruited for this study. Cumulatively, approximately 1000 vaccinees will be provided with customised adverse event recording cards to report adverse events experienced within 7 days following vaccination with GSK’s split-virion inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine. The cards are to be returned to the HCPs and the events encoded using an electronic case report form. Adverse event reporting rates will be analysed weekly and cumulatively, throughout the study period. Event rates will be described by country, age group and by influenza morbidity/mortality risk status of vaccinees (based on HCP assessment).

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics committee approval was obtained for all participating sites prior to enrolment of the study participants. At the end of the study, each participating site will receive their data, and the outputs from the research will be made available to regulatory authorities. We intend to seek publication in peer-reviewed journals. GSK has posted a summary of the study protocol before the start of the study and results will be posted within 12 months of statistical analysis completion, in line with the National Institutes of Health recommendations.

Trial registration number

NCT03688620.
Swallowing behaviours and feeding environment in relation to communication development from early infancy to 6 years of age: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Flowers Heather , Bérubé Daniel , Ebrahimipour Mona , Perrier Marie-France , Moloci Sarah , Skoretz Stacey
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Understanding the influences of early swallowing function and feeding environment on the development of communication will enhance prevention and intervention initiatives for young children. This scoping review will help elucidate key elements affecting the developmental trajectory of communicative systems, typically robust and well-developed by formal school entry. We aim to (1) map the current state of the literature in a growing field of interest that has the potential to advance knowledge translation, (2) identify existing gaps and (3) provide research direction for future investigations surrounding feeding-swallowing functions and environment that support or forestall communication development in young children.

Methods and analysis

We are proposing a scoping review to identify the breadth and depth of the existing literature regarding swallowing-feeding functions and environment relative to the onset and progression of communicative behaviours from infancy to 6 (<6;0) years of age. Our protocol delineates rigorous methods according to Arskey and O’Malley’s framework and includes elaborations by Levac and colleagues. We will search the literature based on 10 databases, 17 peer-reviewed journals, 4 conference proceedings and 6 grey literature sources. Two authors will independently screen abstracts and review full articles, remaining blind to each other’s results. A third author will contribute to resolving any discrepant results from both the abstract and article review. Subsequently, we will extract data and chart information from accepted articles using a pre-established data collection form. We will stratify results according to healthy versus impaired swallowing-feeding functions and communication development.

Ethics and dissemination

Our scoping review does not require ethical approval. We will disseminate our final study results through international and national conference presentations, publication in a peer-reviewed journal and knowledge translation activities with stakeholders.
Alcohol consumption trajectories and self-rated health: findings from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort
Authors: Gémes Katalin , Moeller Jette , Engström Karin , Sidorchuk Anna
Published: August 2019

Objective

To investigate whether poor self-rated health and psychological distress are differentially associated with drinking trajectories over time.

Methods

From the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, two subcohorts surveyed in 2002–2010–2014 and 2006–2010–2014 (n=23 794 and n=34 667 at baseline, respectively) were used. Alcohol consumption, self-rated health, psychological distress (measured by General Health Questionnaire-12), lifestyle factors and longstanding illness were assessed by questionnaires. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were obtained by register linkage. Logistic regression was fitted to assess the associations with eight alcohol consumption trajectories, which were constructed among 30 228 individuals (13 898 and 16 330 from the 2002 and 2006 subcohorts, respectively) with measures of consumption at three time points.

Results

Compared with stable moderate drinkers, all other trajectories were associated with poor self-rated health with multiadjusted OR for stable non-drinkers of 2.35 (95% CIs 1.86 to 2.97), unstable non-drinkers (OR=2.58, 95% CI 1.54 to 3.32), former drinkers (OR=2.81, 95% CI 2.31 to 3.41) and stable heavy drinkers (OR=2.16, 95% CI 1.47 to 3.20). The associations were not fully explained by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and longstanding illness. Former drinking, but no other trajectories, was associated with psychological distress (OR=1.24; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.41).

Conclusion

We found a U-shape association between alcohol trajectories and self-rated health, but not with psychological distress. Compared with stable moderate drinking, former drinking was associated with the highest odds of both poor self-rated health and psychological distress. The study confirms the importance of a life-course approach to examining the effect of alcohol consumption on health and highlights the poorer general and mental health status of non-drinkers who were former drinkers.
Ability of observer and self-report measures to capture shared decision-making in clinical practice in the UK: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Williams Denitza , Edwards Adrian , Wood Fiona , Lloyd Amy , Brain Kate , Thomas Nerys , Prichard Alison , Goodland Annwen , Sweetland Helen , McGarrigle Helen , Hill Gwenllian , Joseph-Williams Natalie
Published: August 2019

Objectives

To examine how observer and self-report measures of shared decision-making (SDM) evaluate the decision-making activities that patients and clinicians undertake in routine consultations.

Design

Multi-method study using observational and self-reported measures of SDM and qualitative analysis.

Setting

Breast care and predialysis teams who had already implemented SDM.

Participants

Breast care consultants, clinical nurse specialists and patients who were making decisions about treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Predialysis clinical nurse specialists and patients who needed to make dialysis treatment decisions.

Methods

Consultations were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. SDM was measured using Observer OPTION-5 and a dyadic SureScore self-reported measure.

Results

Twenty-two breast and 21 renal consultations were analysed. SureScore indicated that clinicians and patients felt SDM was occurring, but scores showed ceiling effects for most participants, making differentiation difficult. There was mismatch between SureScore and OPTION-5 score data, the latter showing that each consultation lacked at least some elements of SDM. Highest scoring items using OPTION-5 were ‘incorporating patient preferences into decisions’ for the breast team (mean 18.5, range 12.5–20, SD 2.39) and ‘eliciting patient preferences to options’ for the renal team (mean 16.15, range 10–20, SD 3.48). Thematic analysis identified that the SDM encounter is difficult to measure because decision-making is often distributed across encounters and time, with multiple people, it is contextually adapted and can involve multiple decisions.

Conclusions

Self-reported measures can broadly indicate satisfaction with SDM, but do not tell us about the quality of the interaction and are unlikely to capture the multi-staged nature of the SDM process. Observational measures provide an indication of the extent to which elements of SDM are present in the observed consultation, but cannot explain why some elements might not be present or scored lower. Findings are important when considering measuring SDM in practice.
Improving Primary Care After Stroke (IPCAS) trial: protocol of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate a novel model of care for stroke survivors living in the community
Authors: Mullis Ricky , Aquino Maria Raisa Jessica (Ryc) , Dawson Sarah Natalie , Johnson Vicki , Jowett Sue , Kreit Elizabeth , Mant Jonathan
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Survival after stroke is improving, leading to increased demand on primary care and community services to meet the long-term care needs of people living with stroke. No formal primary care-based holistic model of care with clinical trial evidence exists to support stroke survivors living in the community, and stroke survivors report that many of their needs are not being met. We have developed a multifactorial primary care model to address these longer term needs. We aim to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of this new model of primary care for stroke survivors compared with standard care.

Methods and analysis

Improving Primary Care After Stroke (IPCAS) is a two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with general practice as the unit of randomisation. People on the stroke registers of general practices will be invited to participate. One arm will receive the IPCAS model of care including a structured review using a checklist; a self-management programme; enhanced communication pathways between primary care and specialist services; and direct point of contact for patients. The other arm will receive usual care. We aim to recruit 920 people with stroke registered with 46 general practices. The primary endpoint is two subscales (emotion and handicap) of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) as coprimary outcomes at 12 months (adjusted for baseline). Secondary outcomes include: SIS Short Form, EuroQol EQ-5D-5L, ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults, Southampton Stroke Self-management Questionnaire, Health Literacy Questionnaire and medication use. Cost-effectiveness of the new model will be determined in a within-trial economic evaluation.

Ethics and dissemination

Favourable ethical opinion was gained from Yorkshire and the Humber-Bradford Leeds NHS Research Ethics Committee. Approval to start was given by the Health Research Authority prior to recruitment of participants at any NHS site. Data will be presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Patient and public involvement helped develop the dissemination plan.

Trial registration number

NCT03353519
Ophthalmic simulated surgical competency assessment rubric (Sim-OSSCAR) for trabeculectomy
Authors: Dean William H , Buchan John , Admassu Fisseha , Kim Min J , Golnik Karl C , McNaught Andrew , Burton Matthew
Published: August 2019

Background/aims

To develop, test and determine whether a surgical-competency assessment tool for simulated glaucoma surgery is valid.

Methods

The trabeculectomy ophthalmic simulated surgical competency assessment rubric (Sim-OSSCAR) was assessed for face and content validity with a large international group of expert eye surgeons. Cohorts of novice and competent surgeons were invited to perform anonymised simulation trabeculectomy surgery, which was marked using the Sim-OSSCAR in a masked fashion by a panel of four expert surgeons. Construct validity was assessed using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Krippendorff’s alpha was calculated for interobserver reliability.

Results

For the Sim-OSSCAR for trabeculectomy, 58 of 67 surgeons (86.6%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR is an appropriate way to assess trainees’ surgical skill. Face validity was rated as 4.04 (out of 5.00). Fifty-seven of 71 surgeons (80.3%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR contents represented the surgical technique of surgical trabeculectomy. Content validity was rated as 4.00. Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed that competent surgeons perform better than novices (p=0.02). Interobserver reliability was rated >0.60 (Krippendorff’s alpha) in 19 of 20 steps of the Sim-OSSCAR.

Conclusion

The Sim-OSSCAR for trabeculectomy, a newly developed and validated assessment tool for simulation glaucoma surgery, has validity and reliability. It has the potential to play a useful role in ophthalmic surgical education.
Peptide growth factors and their receptors in the vein wall
Authors: Bruczko-Goralewska Marta , Romanowicz Lech , Bączyk Justyna , Wolańska Małgorzata , Sobolewski Krzysztof , Kowalewski Radosław
Published: August 2019

The varicose vein wall remodeling is a very complex process, which is controlled by numerous factors, including peptide growth factors. The aim of the study was to assess a/b FGF, IGF-1, TGF-β1, VEGF-A and their receptors in the vein wall. Varicose vein samples were taken from 24 patients undergoing varicose vein surgery. The control material consisted of vein specimens collected from 12 patients with chronic limb ischemia. Contents of aFGF, bFGF, IGF-I, TGF-β1, VEGF, IGF-1R, VEGF R1 and VEGF R2 were assessed with ELISA method. Protein expression of FGF R1 and TGF-β RII were evaluated with western blot. Increased contents of aFGF, IGF-1 and VEGF-A were found in varicose veins in comparison with normal ones (p<0.05). In contrast, a significant decrease in TGF-β content was demonstrated in varicose veins (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was no difference in bFGF content in both groups (p>0.05). IGF-1 R content was significantly increased in varicose veins (p<0.05). There was no difference in VEGF R1 content between varicose and normal veins (p>0.05), whereas VEGF R2 content was significantly increased in varicose veins (p<0.05). Western blot demonstrated increased expression of TGF-β RII in varicose veins (p<0.05) and similar expression of FGF R1 in both groups (p>0.05). Demonstrated changes in peptide growth factors and their receptors may disturb metabolism of extracellular matrix in the varicose vein wall and contribute to the development of the disease to its more advanced stages.
Moral distress in veterinarians
Authors: Arbe Montoya Alejandra I , Hazel Susan , Matthew Susan M , McArthur Michelle L
Published: August 2019

Moral distress is a psychological state of anguish that has been widely studied in healthcare professionals. Experiencing moral distress can lead to problems including avoidance of patients and increased staff turnover. Moral distress in veterinarians has not yet been explored to the extent seen in the human medical field, and there is limited data regarding moral distress in veterinarians. However, it is expected to be prevalent in these professionals. So far, it has been reported that veterinarians commonly experience moral conflict, ethical challenges and ethical dilemmas during their career. These conflicts in association with other modifying factors such as personality traits can lead to the experience of moral distress. In a profession with known levels of occupational stress and reported mental health problems, exploring the area of moral distress and its effects on the professional wellbeing of veterinarians is important. Further studies such as developing a moral distress scale to measure this issue are needed in order to evaluate the incidence of this problem in veterinary professionals. Furthermore, assessing a possible relationship between moral distress, mental illness and attrition in veterinarians would be useful in developing intervention strategies to minimise the experience of moral distress and its associated negative consequences in veterinarians.
INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN STOCKS AND EXCHANGE RATE IN EAST ASIA — A WAVELET-BASED APPROACH
Authors: ŽIVKOV DEJAN , PEĆANAC MARKO , ERCEGOVAC DAJANA
Published: August 2019

This paper investigates whether the portfolio-balance approach or the flow-oriented theory better explains the connection between stocks and exchange rate in various time-horizons in the four East Asian countries — Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Japan. For the analysis, we use different approaches of the wavelet methodology — wavelet correlation, wavelet coherence and wavelet cross-correlation. Wavelet correlations suggest that negative correlation is dominant across the wavelet scales in the emerging East Asian markets, which indicates that the portfolio-balance approach, that is, capital mobility stands behind this nexus. For the Japanese case, we find positive wavelet correlation across the scales, which suggests that the flow-oriented model or current account explains the interlink. Results of wavelet coherence are in line with the wavelet correlation results, and these results provide an additional evidence that investors’ panic during World financial crisis was the main culprit behind the massive financial fund reallocation in the all emerging Asian markets.
Further results on permutation polynomials via linear translators
Authors: Qin Xiaoer , Yan Li
Published: August 2019

In this paper, by using linear translators, we characterize a new class of permutation polynomials of the form [Formula: see text], which has a more general form than [Formula: see text]. Then, we present the compositional inverses of such permutation polynomials. Furthermore, by specifying the functions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we can get some new permutation polynomials of the forms [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the trace function.
Improving protein–ligand binding prediction by considering the bridging water molecules in Autodock
Authors: Lu Qiangna , Qi Lian-Wen , Liu Jinfeng
Published: August 2019

Water plays a significant role in determining the protein–ligand binding modes, especially when water molecules are involved in mediating protein–ligand interactions, and these important water molecules are receiving more and more attention in recent years. Considering the effects of water molecules has gradually become a routine process for accurate description of the protein–ligand interactions. As a free docking program, Autodock has been most widely used in predicting the protein–ligand binding modes. However, whether the inclusion of water molecules in Autodock would improve its docking performance has not been systematically investigated. Here, we incorporate important bridging water molecules into Autodock program, and systematically investigate the effectiveness of these water molecules in protein–ligand docking. This approach was evaluated using 18 structurally diverse protein–ligand complexes, in which several water molecules bridge the protein–ligand interactions. Different treatment of water molecules were tested by using the fixed and rotatable water molecules, and a considerable improvement in successful docking simulations was found when including these water molecules. This study illustrates the necessity of inclusion of water molecules in Autodock docking, and emphasizes the importance of a proper treatment of water molecules in protein–ligand binding predictions.
Design and Evaluation of an “Athletic” Approach to Software Engineering Education
Authors: Johnson Philip
Published: August 2019

Modern web application development provides an attractive application area for introductory software engineering education, as students have direct experience with the domain and it provides them with the potential to gain practical, real-world skills. Achieving this potential requires the development of competency with a multiple component tech stack for web application development, which is challenging to acquire within a single semester. In this research, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a new pedagogy called “athletic software engineering” which is intended to help students efficiently and effectively acquire competency with a multiple component tech stack as a precursor to a web application development project. We evaluated the pedagogy over 4 years and six semesters with 286 students and found strong evidence for its effectiveness.
Bertrand Game with Nash Bargaining Fairness Concern
Authors: Yi Wentao , Tan Chunqiao
Published: August 2019

The classical Bertrand game is assumed that players are perfectly rational. However, many empirical researches indicate that people have bounded rational behavior with fairness concern, which is important in the two‐person game and has attracted much attention. In this paper, fairness concern is incorporated into the Bertrand game with two homogeneous products and the effect of fairness concern on this extended Bertrand game is explored. Nash bargaining solution of player is applied to be his own fairness reference point. Then, a Bertrand game model with fairness concern is established, and its equilibrium price is also derived and analyzed. It is shown from some numerical examples that fairness concern and bargaining power of players have a significant influence on their equilibrium price, expected profits, and utilities. As a player gets more fair‐minded, if the other player has a less focus on fairness, the price competition between them will be intensified and both of them suffer loss. Thus, fairness concern may be advantageous or disadvantageous for players. In most situations, the fairness concern behavior is not beneficial for players. Additionally, the effect of bargaining power is relative to fairness concern. A player who manufactures a low‐cost product should have a weak bargaining power if he terribly focuses on fairness and should have a strong bargaining power if he pays little attention to fairness. However, a player who manufactures a high‐cost product should have a weak bargaining power if he is rarely concerned about fairness. Anyway, the same bargaining power is the best for two players.
An Experimental Study to Reduce the Fracture Pressure of High Strength Rocks Using a Novel Thermochemical Fracturing Approach
Authors: Tariq Zeeshan , Mahmoud Mohamed A. , Abdulraheem A. , Al-Nakhli Ayman , BaTaweel Mohammed
Published: August 2019

Current oil prices and global financial situations underline the need for the best engineering practices to recover remaining oil from unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. These hydrocarbon reservoirs are mostly situated in deep and overpressured formations, with high rock strength and integrity. Breakdown pressure of the rock is a function of their tensile strength and in situ stresses acting on them. Fracturing stimulation techniques become challenging when treating these types of rocks, and many cases approached to the operational limits. This leaves a small operational window to initiate and place hydraulic fractures. In this study, a new methodology to reduce the breakdown pressure of the high stressed rock is presented. The new method enables the fracturing of high stressed rocks more economically and efficiently. Fracturing experiments were carried out on different blocks, and the breakdown pressure was measured by creating a simulated borehole at the center of the block. Thermochemical fluids were injected to create the microfractures. These microfractures improved the permeability and porosity and reduced the elastic strength of the subjected samples prior to the main hydraulic fracturing job. The posttreatment experimental analysis confirmed the presence of microfractures which were originated due to the pressure pulse generated from the thermochemical reaction. The results of this study showed that the newly formulated method of thermochemical fracturing reduced the breakdown pressure by 38% in slim borehole blocks and 60% in large borehole blocks. Results also showed that the breakdown time to initiate the fractures was reduced to 19% in slim borehole blocks and 17% in large borehole blocks. The reduction in breakdown pressure and breakdown time happened due to the creation of microfractures by the pressure rise phenomenon in a new thermochemical fracturing approach.
Robust Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Quadrotor UAV with External Disturbances
Authors: Labbadi Moussa , Cherkaoui Mohamed
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem of controlling of the quadrotor exposed to external constant disturbances. The quadrotor system is partitioned into two parts: the attitude subsystem and the position subsystem. A new robust integral terminal sliding mode control law (RITSMC) is designed for stabilizing the inner loop and the quick tracking of the right desired values of the Euler angles. To estimate the disturbance displayed on the z-axis and to control the altitude position subsystem, an adaptive backstepping technique is proposed, while the horizontal position subsystem is controlled using the backstepping approach. The stability of the quadrotor subsystems is guaranteed by the Lyapunov theory. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is clearly comprehended through the obtained results of the various simulations effectuated on MATLAB/Simulink, and a comparison with another technique is presented.
A New Intelligent Fault Diagnosis Method of Rotating Machinery under Varying‐Speed Conditions Using Infrared Thermography
Authors: Li Yongbo , Wang Xianzhi , Si Shubin , Du Xiaoqiang
Published: August 2019

A novel systematic framework, infrared thermography‐ (IRT‐) based method, for rotating machinery fault diagnosis under nonstationary running conditions is presented in this paper. In this framework, IRT technique is first applied to obtain the thermograph. Then, the fault features are extracted using bag‐of‐visual‐word (BoVW) from the IRT images. In the end, support vector machine (SVM) is utilized to automatically identify the fault patterns of rotating machinery. The effectiveness of proposed method is evaluated using lab experimental signal of rotating machinery. The diagnosis results show that the IRT‐based method has certain advantages in classification rotating machinery faults under nonstationary running conditions compared with the traditional vibration‐based method.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Gas Pressure on Ultrasonic Velocity and Anisotropy of Anthracite
Authors: Wang Bo , Hao Jialin , Liu Shengdong , Zhou Fubao , Zhang Zhendong , Zhang Heng , Sun Huachao
Published: August 2019

To research the elasticity of gas-bearing coal fluid-solid two-phase medium with seismic exploration method is critical to the prevention of gas disasters. To investigate the elasticity, the ultrasonic elastic test of anthracite samples under different gas pressures was carried out and the ultrasonic velocity and anisotropy of the samples were analyzed in this study. The results show that the velocities (P- and S-waves) decrease in turn in the strike, dip, and vertical directions. However, a negative linear correlation is proved to exist between ultrasonic velocity and gas pressure. With the increase of gas pressure, the anisotropy degree of both the P-wave and the S-wave of the samples decreases but the declining degree of the P-wave is greater than that of the S-wave. In addition, the decrease in velocity and the anisotropy degree of the P-wave is greater than that of the S-wave, indicating that the P-wave is more sensitive to gas pressure changes in terms of velocity and its anisotropy degree.
A Green and Facile Approach for Synthesis of Starch-Pectin Magnetite Nanoparticles and Application by Removal of Methylene Blue from Textile Effluent
Authors: Nsom Mih Venasius , Etape Ekane Peter , Tendo Josepha Foba , Namond Beckley Victorine , Chongwain Paul T. , Yufanyi Mbom Divine , William Nzegge
Published: August 2019

Pectin-starch magnetite hybrid nanoparticles were fabricated, characterized, and evaluated as potential absorbents for methylene blue dye based on recycling water from the textile industry. The nanocomposite adsorbent was synthesized with the iron salt coprecipitation method, and the precipitates obtained were sponge-like. The effects of a pectin : starch ratio in the absorbent and the amount of methylene blue adsorbed were investigated. The nanocomposites obtained were characterized using a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), before and after methylene blue adsorption. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra provided the evidence that the starch-pectin iron oxide hybrid nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. It also indicated that the hybrid nanoparticles actually absorbed the methylene blue dye from the effluent. PXRD results showed that the synthesized hybrid composite adopted the spinel microstructure of Fe3O4 though the crystallinity of the composite decreased with an increase in the pectin : starch ratio. Furthermore, calculations based on PXRD showed that the synthesized powders were nanoparticles. The amount of adsorbed dye by hybrid adsorbent increased with an increase in the starch : pectin ratio, and the increase was better observed at a low polymer concentration of 18%. The amount of adsorbed dye by hybrid adsorbent was high at high pH and low at low pH value which attested to the ion exchange and electrostatic force mechanism during the adsorption process. Finally, the capacity of the absorbent decreased with an increase in temperature.
Influence of Microbiota on Diabetic Foot Wound in Comparison with Adjacent Normal Skin Based on the Clinical Features
Authors: Park Ji-Ung , Oh Bumjo , Lee Jung Pyo , Choi Min-Ha , Lee Min-Jung , Kim Bong-Soo
Published: August 2019

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a complication experienced by diabetic patients and does not heal well in an altered wound environment. Although diverse microbes in DFU were detected, little is known about their influences on diabetic foot wound (DFW) and the association with the skin microbiota in normal tissue from the same patients according to clinical features. We aimed to analyze the microbiota in normal skin and DFW tissue from the same subject and predict their roles based on clinical features. We analyzed the microbiota in normal skin and DFW tissue from the same subject and compared the associated members of microbiota with clinical parameters. The diversity of skin microbiota was higher than that of DFW tissues, along with compositional differences. In addition, different microbes were associated with clinical features. The proportions of Bacteroidetes,Prevotella,Peptoniphilus,Porphyromonas, andDialisterwere higher in the severe groups than of the mild groups, whereas that of Firmicutes was lower in the severe groups. According to wound severity, the microbiota could be related to inflammation, damaging host cell membrane, and pathogenicity through lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, cellular antigens, and protein digestion metabolism. The predicted DFW microbiota functions according to systemic diabetic status defined by ESRD and HbA1c, differed from those presented by wound severity. Results indicate that the microbiota in normal skin is related to the colonizing microbes in DFW tissue according to clinical features and the different microbes can play important roles in DFW prognosis. This information can be applied to prevent and manage DFW by modulating the microbiota.
Advances in Molecular Mechanisms and Immunotherapy Involving the Immune Cell-Promoted Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Lung Cancer
Authors: De Matteis Serena , Canale Matteo , Verlicchi Alberto , Bronte Giuseppe , Delmonte Angelo , Crinò Lucio , Martinelli Giovanni , Ulivi Paola
Published: August 2019

Immunotherapy has offered a new opportunity for the treatment of many malignancies. In patients with lung cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly improved survival. However, little is known about predictive factors or primary and acquired resistance mechanisms. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex of phenotypic changes involved in carcinogenesis and resistance to cancer treatments. Specifically, immune cells in the tumor microenvironment can promote EMT, and mesenchymal phenotype acquisition negatively regulates the anticancer immune response. EMT is associated with higher expression of PD-L1 and other immune checkpoints. In this review, we focused on the role of EMT in the interplay between tumor cells and the immune system, with particular emphasis on lung cancer. On the basis of our findings, we hypothesize that the effects of EMT on immune cells could be overcome in this disease by a new combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Clinical Significance and Impact on Prognosis
Authors: Ptaszynska-Kopczynska Katarzyna , Kiluk Izabela , Sobkowicz Bozena
Published: August 2019

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular death. The most often PE etiology is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities, but embolic material can arise in pelvic or upper extremity veins as well as in right heart chambers. There is growing number of evidences of atrial fibrillation (AF) involvement in PE. The presence of AF in patients with PE may be both the cause and the consequence of PE. The PE association with AF should be considered in patients without confirmed DVT and with history of AF, which itself is associated with prothrombotic state. The valuable diagnostic method is echocardiography that may bring the insight into source of embolic material. Another possible AF and PE association is the AF as a consequence of an abrupt increase in pulmonary vascular resistance due to the occlusion of the pulmonary vessels. Large-scale population-based studies have provided a considerable body of evidence on the involvement of PE in the onset of subsequent AF. Another important issue is the influence of AF on prognosis in patients with PE. Most investigators demonstrated a negative impact of AF on mortality. The main problem to resolve is whether AF is an independent mortality risk factor or whether it occurs as a result of comorbidities or the severity of a PE episode. Although the pathophysiological basis of this bidirectional relationship exists, many questions are still unresolved and require further studies, including the significance of paroxysmal AF accompanying an acute PE episode, the usefulness of PE risk scales in patients with concomitant AF, and the effect of anticoagulant treatment on PE and AF occurrence. Regardless of the type of AF, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of PE in patients with previous history of AF or presenting with new-onset AF.