bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acaricide resistance in Tetranychus urticae red form (Acari: Tetranychidae) collected from strawberry in southern Turkey: Bioassay and biochemical studies
Authors: Yalcin Kemal , Doker Ismail , Kazak Cengiz
Published: November 2018

Recent population outbreaks of Tetranychus urticae Koch (red form) (Acari: Tetranychidae) were observed in strawberry fields in southern Turkey. Growers frequently complained that acaricides becoming an inefficient means of controlling this polyphagous pest. Therefore, a laboratory based bioassay and biochemical tests were conducted to determine comparative acaricide resistance status of five fields and a lab population of T. urticae. Larval bioassays were conducted using etoxazole and spiromesifen, whereas adult bioassays were performed with abamectin and tebufenpyrad. Kinetic esterase and glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme activities were also determined using a microplate reader. When compared to the lab population, based on LC50 values, the resistance rations of field populations were found between 2.39–7.86, 6.80–15.39, 4.61–9.73, and 5.51–12.47-fold for abamectin, etoxazole, spiromesifen and tebufenpyrad, respectively. Total esterase and GST activities of field populations were much higher than of the lab population. A 7.72–10.69 mOD/min/mg protein and a 5.92–7.56 mOD/min/mg protein, esterase and GST enzyme activities were determined for field populations, respectively. Whereas these enzyme activities were found to be 3.83 and 5.49 mOD/min/mg protein for the susceptible lab population, respectively. The higher detoxification enzyme activities indicate that these two enzymes play an important role in metabolic pathway of acaricides in different T. urticae populations.
Long-term feeding on greenhouse cucumber affects life table parameters of two-spotted spider mite and its predator Phytoseiulus persimilis
Authors: Bahari Flora , Fathipour Yaghoub , Talebi Ali Asghar , Alipour Zahra
Published: November 2018

Bio-ecological parameters of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch and its predators depend on the quality of its host plants. In this study, the life table parameters of TSSM and its main predator Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot during different generations (1st, 5th, and 10th generations) were determined on the susceptible (‘Beth-Alpha’) and resistant (‘HED’) greenhouse cucumber cultivars. The results indicated that the longest total development time of TSSM was allocated to the first generation on the susceptible cultivar, but there was no significant difference among different generations on the resistant cultivar. The total development time of the 1st and 10th generations of P. persimilis on each of the susceptible and resistant cultivars had not significant difference. Total fecundity of TSSM was higher in the 10th generation on both cultivars tested than that of the former generations. However, the total fecundity of the predator drastically reduced after long-term rearing (10 generations) on both cultivars. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the 1st, 5th, and 10th generations of TSSM on the susceptible cultivar was 0.178, 0.238 and 0.319 day-1, respectively, and 0.157, 0.166 and 0.168 day-1 on the resistant cultivar, respectively which indicates the significantly negative effect of the resistant cultivar on this parameter. In P. persimilis, the value of the intrinsic rate of increase in the first and tenth generations on the susceptible cultivar was 0.275 and 0.267 day-1, respectively, and on the resistant cultivar was 0.244 and 0.210 day-1, respectively. By understanding these interactions in the long term, we will be able to develop suitable strategies for biological control of TSSM on cucumber.
Influence of surface topography on bacterial adhesion: A review (Review)
Authors: Wu Songze , Zhang Botao , Liu Yi , Suo Xinkun , Li Hua
Published: November 2018

Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation are ubiquitous undesirable phenomena in the marine industry and the medical industry, usually causing economic losses and serious health problems. Numerous efforts have been made to reduce bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation, most of which are based on the release of toxic biocides from coatings or substrates. In recent years, surface topography has been found to substantially influence the interaction between bacteria and surfaces. This review summarizes previous work dedicated in searching for the relationship between bacterial adhesion and surface topography in the last eight years, as well as the proposed mechanisms by which surface topographic features interact with bacterial cells. Next, various natural and artificial surfaces with bactericidal surface topography along with their bactericidal mechanisms and efficiency are introduced. Finally, the technologies for constructing antibacterial surfaces are briefly summarized.
Effects of signal bandwidth and noise on individual speaker identification
Authors: Schwartz Jeremy C. , Whyte Ashtyn T. , Al-Nuaimi Mohanad , Donai Jeremy J.
Published: November 2018

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing spectral bandwidth from 3 to 10 kHz on individual speaker recognition in noisy conditions (+5, 0, and −5 dB signal-to-noise ratio). Experiment 1 utilized h(Vowel)d (hVd) signals, while experiment 2 utilized sentences from the Rainbow Passage. Both experiments showed significant improvements in individual speaker identification in the 10 kHz bandwidth condition (6% for hVds; 10% for sentences). These results coincide with the extant machine recognition literature demonstrating significant amounts of individual speaker information present in the speech signal above approximately 3–4 kHz. Cues from the high-frequency region for speaker identity warrant further study.
Noise characterization of a subsea tidal kite
Authors: Schmitt Pál , Pine Matthew K. , Culloch Ross M. , Lieber Lilian , Kregting Louise T.
Published: November 2018

This paper presents the first noise measurements of a quarter-scale subsea tidal kite (anchored to the sea floor by a tether and flying in a figure-eight configuration in the water column) operating in field conditions. Challenges in the measurement and post-processing of the data are detailed. Results are presented for three operating conditions of the kite: (1) varying turbine rotations per minute (RPM), (2) varying kite speed, and (3) a twisted tether. Turbine RPM was identified as the main parameter influencing noise emissions.
Comparative Genomics of Serial
Candida glabrata
Isolates and the Rapid Acquisition of Echinocandin Resistance during Therapy
Authors: Barber Amelia E. , Weber Michael , Kaerger Kerstin , Linde Jörg , Gölz Hanna , Duerschmied Daniel , Markert Antonie , Guthke Reinhard , Walther Grit , Kurzai Oliver
Published: November 2018

The opportunistic pathogen
Candida glabrata
shows a concerning increase in drug resistance. Here, we present the analysis of two serial bloodstream isolates, obtained 12 days apart.
Response of the Biocontrol Agent Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes AVO110 to Rosellinia necatrix Exudate
Authors: Pliego Clara , Crespo-Gómez José Ignacio , Pintado Adrián , Pérez-Martínez Isabel , de Vicente Antonio , Cazorla Francisco M. , Ramos Cayo
Published: November 2018

Diseases associated with fungal root invasion cause a significant loss of fruit tree production worldwide. The bacterium
Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes
AVO110 controls avocado white root rot disease caused by
Rosellinia necatrix
by using mechanisms involving competition for nutrients and niches. Here, a functional genomics approach was conducted to identify the bacterial traits involved in the interaction with this fungal pathogen. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the multitrophic interactions established among bacterial biocontrol agents, the plant rhizosphere, and the mycelia of soilborne pathogens.
Generation of Markerless Deletions in the Nosocomial Pathogen
Clostridium difficile
by Induction of DNA Double-Strand Breaks
Authors: Theophilou Elena-Stella , Vohra Prerna , Gallagher Maurice P. , Poxton Ian R. , Blakely Garry W.
Published: November 2018

Most sequenced bacterial genomes contain genes encoding proteins of unknown or hypothetical function. To identify a phenotype for mutations in such genes, deletion is the preferred method for mutagenesis because it reduces the likelihood of polar effects, although it does not eliminate the possibility. Allelic exchange to produce deletions is dependent on the length of homologous regions used to generate merodiploids. Shorter regions of homology resolve at lower frequencies. The work presented here demonstrates the utility of inducing DNA double-strand breaks to increase the frequency of merodiploid resolution in
Clostridium difficile
. Using this approach, we reveal the roles of two genes, encoding homologues of AddAB, in survival following DNA damage. The method is readily applicable to the production of deletions in
C. difficile
and expands the toolbox available for genetic analysis of this important anaerobic pathogen.
The MarR Family Regulator BmrR Is Involved in Bile Tolerance of
Bifidobacterium longum
BBMN68 via Controlling the Expression of an ABC Transporter
Authors: Xu Qi , Zhai Zhengyuan , An Haoran , Yang Yang , Yin Jia , Wang Guohong , Ren Fazheng , Hao Yanling
Published: November 2018

Bifidobacteria are natural inhabitants of the human intestinal tract. Some bifidobacterial strains are used as probiotics in fermented dairy production because of their health-promoting effects. Following consumption, bifidobacteria colonize the lower intestinal tract, where the concentrations of bile salts remain nearly 0.05% to 2.0%. Bile salts, as detergent-like antimicrobial compounds, can cause cellular membrane disruption, protein misfolding, and DNA damage. Therefore, tolerance to physiological bile stress is indeed essential for bifidobacteria to survive and to exert probiotic effects in the gastrointestinal tract. In
B. longum
BBMN68, the MarR-type regulator BmrR was involved in the bile stress response by autoregulating the
bmrRAB
operon, and ox bile as an inducer could increase the expression of the BmrAB transporter to enhance the bile tolerance of BBMN68. Our study represents a functional analysis of the
bmrRAB
operon in the bile stress response, which will provide new insights into bile tolerance mechanisms in
Bifidobacterium
and other bacteria.
DksA Controls the Response of the Lyme Disease SpirocheteBorrelia burgdorferito Starvation
Authors: Boyle William K. , Groshong Ashley M. , Drecktrah Dan , Boylan Julie A. , Gherardini Frank C. , Blevins Jon S. , Samuels D. Scott , Bourret Travis J.
Published: November 2018

The Lyme disease bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferisurvives diverse environmental challenges as it cycles between its tick vectors and various vertebrate hosts.B. burgdorferimust withstand prolonged periods of starvation while it resides in unfedIxodesticks. In this study, the regulatory protein DksA is shown to play a pivotal role controlling the transcriptional responses ofB. burgdorferito starvation. The results suggest that DksA gene regulatory activity impactsB. burgdorferimetabolism, virulence gene expression, and the ability of this bacterium to complete its natural life cycle.
Phosphorylation at the D53 but Not the T65 Residue of CovR Determines the Repression of
rgg
and
speB
Transcription in
emm
1- and
emm
49-Type Group A Streptococci
Authors: Chiang-Ni Chuan , Kao Chih-Yuan , Hsu Chih-Yun , Chiu Cheng-Hsun
Published: November 2018

CovR/CovS is a two-component regulatory system in group A
Streptococcus
(GAS). The D53 residue of CovR is phosphorylated by CovS, and the phosphorylated CovR
D53
binds to the
rgg-speB
intergenic region and acts as the transcriptional repressor. Nonetheless, the transcription of
rgg
and Rgg-controlled
speB
is upregulated in the
covR
mutant but inhibited in the
covS
mutant. The present study showed that nonphosphorylated CovR
D53
protein inhibits
rgg
and
speB
transcription in the presence of the phosphorylated CovR
D53
in vivo
, indicating that nonphosphorylated CovR
D53
has a dominant role in suppressing
rgg
transcription. These results reveal the roles of nonphosphorylated CovR
D53
in regulating
rgg
transcription, which could contribute significantly to invasive phenotypes of
covS
mutants.
Mechanisms of Abrupt Loss of Virus Control in a Cohort of Previous HIV Controllers
Authors: Rosás-Umbert Miriam , Llano Anuska , Bellido Rocío , Olvera Alex , Ruiz-Riol Marta , Rocafort Muntsa , Fernández Marco A. , Cobarsi Patricia , Crespo Manel , Dorrell Lucy , del Romero Jorge , Alcami José , Paredes Roger , Brander Christian , Mothe Beatriz
Published: November 2018

A few individuals can control HIV infection without the need for antiretroviral treatment and are referred to as HIV controllers. We have studied HIV controllers who suddenly lose this ability and present with high
in vivo
viral replication and decays in their CD4
+
T-cell counts to identify potential immune and virological factors that were responsible for initial virus control. We identify
in vitro
-determined reductions in the ability of CD8 T cells to suppress viral control and the presence of PD-1-expressing CD8
+
T cells with a naive immune phenotype as potential predictors of
in vivo
loss of virus control. The findings could be important for the clinical management of HIV controller individuals, and it may offer an important tool to anticipate viral rebound in individuals in clinical studies that include combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) treatment interruptions and which, if not treated quickly, could pose a significant risk to the trial participants.
Use of Service Provision Assessments and Service Availability and Readiness Assessments for monitoring quality of maternal and newborn health services in low-income and middle-income countries
Authors: Sheffel Ashley , Karp Celia , Creanga Andreea A
Published: November 2018

Improving the quality of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services is key to reducing adverse MNH outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Service Provision Assessment (SPA) and Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) are the most widely employed, standardised tools that generate health service delivery data in LMICs. We ascertained the use of SPA/SARA surveys for assessing the quality of MNH services using a two-step approach: a SPA/SARA questionnaire mapping exercise in line with WHO’s Quality of Care (QoC) Framework for pregnant women and newborns and the WHO quality standards for care around the time of childbirth; and a scoping literature review, searching for articles that report SPA/SARA data. SPA/SARA surveys are well suited to assess the WHO Framework’scross-cuttingdimensions (physical and human resources); SPA also captures elements in theprovisionandexperience of caredomains for antenatal care and family planning. Only 4 of 31 proposed WHO quality indicators around the time of childbirth can be fully generated using SPA and SARA surveys, while 19 and 23 quality indicators can be partially obtained from SARA and SPA surveys, respectively; most of these are input indicators. Use of SPA/SARA data is growing, but there is considerable variation in methods employed to measure MNH QoC. With SPA/SARA data available in 30 countries, MNH QoC assessments could benefit from guidance for creating standard metrics. Adding questions in SPA/SARA surveys to assess the WHO QoC Framework’sprovision and experience of caredimensions would fill significant data gaps in LMICs.
Evaluation of the McMaster Family Health Team: results and practical implications for quality improvement
Authors: Nasser Laila , Stosic Alix , Price David
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To evaluate the McMaster Family Health Team (MFHT) as part of a Continuous Quality Improvement initiative using a set of provincial performance metrics to demonstrate which measures of assessment are actually clinically meaningful in context and where system-level changes might be implemented to improve operational practice.

Methods

Measures were selected from the Primary Care Performance Measurement Framework based on data availability for the MFHT and provincial comparators. The measures explored in this paper are those that were deemed to have actionable properties. Data were extracted from billing reports, electronic medical records and information collated for the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario Data to Decisions database. Metrics were then examined to demonstrate the importance of interpretation in clinical context.

Conclusions

Quantitative assessment of performance based on standardised measures is a suitable starting point when evaluating a practice, however it is not appropriate as a stand-alone report card of practice performance. Rather, quantitative measures must be of clinical relevance and applicable to the patient populations of interest in order to create conversation and impact change. Thus, the focus of quality improvement should not be to improve numbers relating to efficiency, patient satisfaction and continuity of care, but rather to determine what drives those numbers and how changes might be made at a system or practice level that will optimise clinician buy-in.
Anifrolumab effects on rash and arthritis: impact of the type I interferon gene signature in the phase IIb MUSE study in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Merrill Joan T , Furie Richard , Werth Victoria P , Khamashta Munther , Drappa Jorn , Wang Liangwei , Illei Gabor , Tummala Raj
Published: November 2018

Objective

This post hoc analysis compared anifrolumab 300 mg every 4 weeks with placebo on rash and arthritis measures with different stringency in patients with moderate to severe SLE (phase IIb; MUSE;NCT01438489). Subgroups were analysed by type I interferon gene signature (IFNGS test–high or test–low).

Methods

Rash was measured with the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) Index and modified Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (mCLASI). Arthritis was evaluated using SLEDAI-2K, BILAG and swollen and tender joint counts. Outcomes were measured at week 52.

Results

More anifrolumab-treated patients demonstrated resolution of rash by SLEDAI-2K versus placebo: 39/88 (44.3%) versus 13/88 (14.8%), OR (90% CI) 4.56 (2.48 to 8.39), p<0.001; improvement of BILAG: 48/82 (58.5%) versus 24/85 (28.2%), OR (90% CI) 3.59 (2.08 to 6.19), p<0.001; and ≥50% improvement by mCLASI: 57/92 (62.0%) versus 30/89 (33.7%), OR (90% CI) 3.31 (1.97 to 5.55), p<0.001. More anifrolumab-treated patients had improved arthritis by SLEDAI-2K versus placebo: 55/97 (56.7%) versus 42/99 (42.4%), OR (90%  CI) 1.88 (1.16 to 3.04), p=0.032;  and BILAG: 65/94 (69.1%) versus 47/95 (49.5%), OR (90% CI) 2.47 (1.48 to 4.12), p=0.003; and mean (SD) swollen and tender joint reductions: –5.5 (6.3) versus –3.4 (5.9), p=0.004. Comparable results were demonstrated in IFNGS test–high patients (n=151). In IFNGS test–low patients (n=50), substantial numerical differences in partial rash and arthritis responses were observed in anifrolumab-treated patients versus placebo, with statistical significance only for rash by BILAG in this small population.

Conclusions

Anifrolumab treatment was associated with improvements versus placebo in specific SLE features of arthritis and rash using measures of different stringency. Although driven by robust data in the prevalent IFNGS test–high population, further evaluation in IFNGS test–low patients is warranted.
Critical orientations for humanising health sciences education in South Africa
Authors: Pentecost Michelle , Gerber Berna , Wainwright Megan , Cousins Thomas
Published: November 2018

In this article, the authors make a case for the ’humanisation' and ’decolonisation' of health sciences curricula in South Africa, usingintegrationas a guiding framework.Integrationrefers to an education that is built on a consolidated conceptual framework that includes and equally values the natural or biomedical sciences as well as the humanities, arts and social sciences, respecting that all of this knowledge has value for the practice of healthcare. An integrated curriculum goes beyond add-on or elective courses in the humanities and social sciences. It is a curriculum that includes previously marginalised sources of knowledge(challenging knowledge hierarchies and decolonising curricula); addresses an appropriate intellectual self-image in health sciences education(challenging the image of the health professional); promotes understanding of history and social context, centring issues of inclusion, access and social justice(cultivating a social ethic)and finally, focuses on care and relatedness as an essential aspect of clinical work(embedding relatedness in practice). The article offers a brief historical overview of challenges in health and health sciences education in South Africa since 1994, followed by a discussion of contemporary developments in critical health sciences pedagogies and the medical and health humanities in South Africa. It then draws on examples from South Africa to outline how these four critical orientations or competencies might be applied in practice, to educate health professionals that can meet the challenges of health and healthcare in contemporary South Africa.
Field notes in the clinic: on medicine, anthropology and pedagogy in South Africa
Authors: Pentecost Michelle
Published: November 2018

This commentary is about medicine, anthropology and pedagogy: about the ways of knowing that different disciplinary orientations permit. I draw on a field note taken in the clinic to illustrate how cultures of healthcare and health sciences training in South Africa bracket the historical, social and political contexts of health and illness in this setting, at the expense of patient care and physician wellbeing. I consider what anthropological inquiry can offer to clinical practice, and advocate for critical orientations to clinical work and teaching that extend humanity to patients and providers.
Community engagement with HIV drug adherence in rural South Africa: a transdisciplinary approach
Authors: Treffry-Goatley Astrid , Lessells Richard John , Moletsane Relebohile , de Oliveira Tulio , Gaede Bernhard
Published: November 2018

Digital storytelling (DST) is an emerging participatory visual method which combines storytelling traditions with computer and video production technology. In this project, at the heart of the HIV epidemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we used DST to create a culturally grounded community engagement intervention. Our aim was to use narratives of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to stimulate dialogue among the wider community and to encourage reflection on the contextual factors that influence ART adherence in this setting. We also wanted to explore whether exposure to the personal narratives might influence health literacy around HIV and ART. We ran two DST workshops, where 20 community participants were supported to create short digital stories about personal experiences of adherence. We then hosted 151 screenings of the digital stories at seven local health facilities and evaluated the impact of the intervention using a three-tiered mixed methods approach. We conducted two independent quantitative surveys of healthcare users (852 respondents during the preintervention round and 860 people during the postintervention round), five focus group discussions and observation of practice. Exposure to the digital stories did stimulate rich dialogue among community members, which broadened from the focus on ART adherence to other aspects around the impact of HIV and its treatment on individuals and the community. In the independently conducted surveys, we found no clear difference in knowledge or understanding of HIV and ART between the people exposed to the digital stories and those who were not exposed. Our findings provide support for the use of DST as an engagement intervention, but highlight some of the challenges in delivering this type of intervention and in evaluating the impact of this approach.
Beyond the lab: Eh!woza and knowing tuberculosis
Authors: Masuku Bianca , Mkhwanazi Nolwazi , Young Ed , Koch Anastasia , Warner Digby
Published: November 2018

Eh!woza is a public engagement initiative that explores the biomedical and social aspects of tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa. The project is a collaboration between scientists based in an infectious disease research institute, a local conceptual/visual artist, a youth-based educational non-governmental organization (NGO) and young learners from a high-burden TB community. The learners participate in a series of interactive science and media production workshops: initially presented with biomedical knowledge about TB and, in later sessions, are trained in creating documentary films and engage with ideas around visual representation. The participants are encouraged to make use of this newly acquired knowledge to tell stories from their chosen communities in Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town. Through its engagement with the complex manner in which TB is experienced, framed and understood by biomedical scientists, young people, and those who have been affected by the disease, Eh!woza presents alternative ways of exploring the complexities of human illness. The integration and interrogation of biomedical understandings, lay narratives and the young participants’ framing of the disease poses questions about ’knowing', and the meanings people attribute to ways of ’knowing' and the actions they impel. The project also presents contrasting reflections on cure—from a biomedical perspective, and care—from the perspective of TB-affected young people and community members. In this article, we describe the Eh!woza project, present thoughts from the participating students on the science and media workshops, and detail the narratives of ill-health and disease from people within their neighbourhoods. We conclude with a critical analysis of the complexities of knowledge communication, notions of cure versus care, and a consideration of the potential contribution of this project to the growth of medical humanities in Africa.
Representing disability and development in the global south
Authors: Swartz Leslie
Published: November 2018

I reflect on two aesthetics which are at play in the presentation of critical disability and development work in the global south. On the one hand, authors of critical texts commonly use very complex and abstruse language, which may make such texts relatively inaccessible to some disabled people in the global south. On the other hand, the ways in which development work in the south is portrayed sometimes emphasises methods of engagement which may seen to be infantilising. Drawing on my own experience in such engagement activities, I suggest that it is important to understand, and to subvert, dominant forms of representation.
Patterns and trends in OSHA occupational noise exposure measurements from 1979 to 2013
Authors: Sayler Stephanie K , Roberts Benjamin J , Manning Michael A , Sun Kan , Neitzel Richard L
Published: November 2018

Objectives

Noise is one of the most common exposures, and occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is highly prevalent. In addition to NIHL, noise is linked to numerous non-auditory health effects. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) database of compliance-related measurements performed in various industries across the USA. The goal of the current study was to describe and analyse personal noise measurements available through the OSHA IMIS, identifying industries with elevated personal noise levels or increasing trends in worker exposure over time.

Methods

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, we obtained OSHA’s noise measurements collected and stored in IMIS between 1979 and 2013 and analysed permissible exposure limit (PEL) and action level (AL) criteria measurements by two-digit industry code.

Results

The manufacturing industry represented 87.8% of the 93 920 PEL measurements and 84.6% of the 58 073 AL measurements. The highest mean noise levels were found among the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry for PEL (93.1 dBA) and the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction group for AL (93.3 dBA). Overall, measurements generally showed a decreasing trend in noise levels and exceedances of AL and PEL by year, although this was not true for all industries.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that, despite reductions in noise over time, further noise control interventions are warranted both inside and outside of the manufacturing industry. Further reductions in occupational noise exposures across many industries are necessary to continue to reduce the risk of occupational NIHL.
Postdischarge outcome after Takotsubo syndrome compared with patients post-ACS and those without prior CVD: ANZACS-QI 19
Authors: Looi Jen-Li , Lee Mildred , Webster Mark W I , To Andrew C Y , Kerr Andrew J
Published: November 2018

Objective

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) mimics acute coronary syndrome (ACS) but has a distinct pathophysiology. While in-hospital adverse outcomes appear similar to those presenting with an ACS, data on longer term postdischarge risk are conflicting. This study sought to assess the long-term prognosis of patients discharged alive after TS.

Methods

The clinical profile and in-hospital and long-term outcomes were prospectively assessed in consecutive patients with TS. Survival in patients with TS was compared with two representative age-matched and gender-matched comparison cohorts: a hospitalised ACS cohort and a community cohort without known cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Results

Two hundred and-twenty-five patients with TS (216 women, mean age 63.7±11.8 years) were included. In-hospital mortality was 1.8% and 1.9% for patients with TS and ACS, respectively. Of the 219 patients with TS with postdischarge follow-up, at a mean follow-up of 4.8±3.2 years, there were 19 (8.3%) deaths, 18 of which were from non-cardiac causes. When compared with the cohort without prior CVD, postdischarge patients with TS were at increased mortality risk (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.17, p=0.003), but mortality in postdischarge patients with ACS was over threefold higher (HR 3.43, 95% CI 2.97 to 3.96, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

In-hospital mortality for patients diagnosed with TS and ACS was similar. However, while postdischarge survivors of TS had a long-term survival which was poorer than for a community-based cohort without known CVD, their survival was better than for postdischarge survivors of an ACS event. Late deaths in patients with TS were almost all from non-cardiac causes.
Evaluating the efficacy of sample collection approaches and DNA metabarcoding for identifying the diversity of plants utilized by nectivorous bats
Authors: Edwards Christine E. , Swift Joel F. , Lance Richard F. , Minckley Thomas A. , Lindsay Denise L.
Published: November 2018

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of sample collection approaches and DNA metabarcoding to identify plants utilized by nectivorous bats. Samples included guano collected from beneath bat roosts and pollen-swabs from bat fur, both of which were subjected to DNA metabarcoding and visual identification of pollen (microscopy) to measure plant diversity. Our objectives were to determine whether DNA metabarcoding could detect likely food plants of nectivorous bats, whether sample types would produce different estimates of plant diversity, and to compare results of DNA metabarcoding to visual identification. Visual identification found that 99% of pollen was from Agave, which is thought to be the bats’ main food source. The dominant taxon found by metabarcoding was also Agavoideae, but a broader diversity of plant species was also detected, many of which are likely “by-catch” from the broader environment. Metabarcoding outcomes differed between sample types, likely because pollen-swabs measured the plant species visited by bats and guano samples measured all items consumed in the bat’s diet, even those that were not pollen or nectar. Overall, metabarcoding is a powerful, high-throughput tool to understand bat ecology and species interactions, but careful analysis of results is necessary to derive accurate ecological conclusions.
Aspects of inflation in spatially homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi Type I spacetime with exponential potential
Authors: Bali Raj
Published: November 2018

The inflationary scenario in spatially homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi Type I spacetime with exponential potential [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and average scale factor (R) is considered as [Formula: see text] is discussed. The model isotropizes in special case and asymptotically. The spatial volume increases with time representing inflationary scenario and the expansion continues for long enough, thus solving the horizon problem. The model represents decelerating and accelerating phases of universe in special case. Also, the model is singularity free at t = 0. In special case, i.e. when constants b = 0, k = 0, then the model leads to FLRW model for which we have the average scale factor [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and deceleration parameter [Formula: see text]. This paper gives the answer why anisotropic and homogeneous Bianchi Type I spacetime is considered than FRW model to discuss inflationary scenario.
Fabrics and water contents of peridotites in the Neotethyan Luobusa ophiolite, southern Tibet: implications for mantle recycling in supra-subduction zones
Authors: Yu Meng , Wang Qin , Yang Jingsui
Published: November 2018

The preservation of ultra-high-pressure and super-reducing phases in the Neotethyan Luobusa ophiolite in Tibet suggests their deep origin near the mantle transition zone. Dunite and harzburgite core samples from the Luobusa Scientific Drilling Project show supra-subduction zone geochemical signatures and equilibration temperatures of
c.
950–1080°C. Olivine shows A-, B-, C- and E-type fabrics, and combinations of A- and E-type or B- and E-type fabrics. Transmission electron microscopy observations show straight dislocations and the activation of multiple slip systems [100](010), [001](010), [001](100) and [100](001) in olivine. The mean water content in olivine, orthopyroxene (Opx) and clinopyroxene (Cpx) from 24 peridotite samples was 16 ± 5, 90 ± 21 and 492 ± 64 ppm, respectively, which is different from the water content of hydrated peridotites above the mantle wedge. The trace element compositions of Cpx exclude significant metasomatism after melt extraction. The high hydrogen partition coefficient between Cpx and Opx (
D
H
Cpx/Opx
 = 5.56 ± 0.96) implies equilibrium at high pressures and rapid exhumation. Based on deformation experiments, the B- and C-type fabrics could be formed in a subduction zone at depths >200 km, whereas the A- and E-type fabrics were produced in the shallow mantle. In a process triggered by slab rollback, the Luobusa peridotites may have been rapidly exhumed within a subduction channel and mixed with the lithospheric mantle of the forearc.

Supplementary material:
Major oxide contents in Opx, Cpx and spinel, trace element concentration in Cpx, micrographs and TEM images of peridotite are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4307828

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the ‘Tethyan ophiolites and Tethyan seaways collection’ available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/tethyan-ophiolites-and-tethyan-seaways
A Scalable Room Occupancy Prediction with Transferable Time Series Decomposition of CO
2
Sensor Data
Authors: Arief-Ang Irvan B. , Hamilton Margaret , Salim Flora D.
Published: November 2018

Human occupancy counting is crucial for both space utilisation and building energy optimisation. In the current article, we present a semi-supervised domain adaptation method for carbon dioxide - Human Occupancy Counter Plus Plus (DA-HOC++), a robust way to estimate the number of people within one room by using data from a carbon dioxide sensor. In our previous work, the proposed Seasonal Decomposition for Human Occupancy Counting (SD-HOC) model can accurately predict the number of individuals when the training and labelled data are adequately available. DA-HOC++ is able to predict the number of occupants with minimal training data: as little as 1 day’s data. DA-HOC++ accurately predicts indoor human occupancy for five different rooms across different countries using a model trained from a small room and adapted to other rooms. We evaluate DA-HOC++ with two baseline methods: a support vector regression technique and an SD-HOC model. The results demonstrate that DA-HOC++’s performance on average is better by 10.87% in comparison to SVR and 8.65% in comparison to SD-HOC.
A Scalable System for Apportionment and Tracking of Energy Footprints in Commercial Buildings
Authors: Wei Peter , Chen Xiaoqi , Vega Jordan , Xia Stephen , Chandrasekaran Rishikanth , Jiang Xiaofan
Published: November 2018

We propose a system that tracks each occupant’s personal share of energy use, or “energy footprint,” inside commercial building environments and provides insights to occupants on the real-time energy impact of their actions. We propose a new space-centric policy for fair apportionment of energy in shared environments and demonstrate a method for automatically determining space-centric energy zones. In this work, we design and implement ePrints, a system for tracking personalized energy usage in real-time. ePrints supports different apportionment policies, with microsecond-level footprint computation time and graceful scaling with size of building, frequency of energy updates, and rate of occupant location changes. Finally, we present applications enabled by our system, such as mobile and wearable applications to provide users timely feedback on the energy impacts of their actions, as well as applications to provide energy saving suggestions and inform building-level policies.
Optimal Discrete Net-Load Balancing in Smart Grids with High PV Penetration
Authors: Kuppannagari Sanmukh R. , Kannan Rajgopal , Prasanna Viktor K.
Published: November 2018

Mitigating supply-demand mismatch is critical for smooth power grid operation. Traditionally, load curtailment techniques such as demand response have been used for this purpose. However, these cannot be the only component of a net-load balancing framework for smart grids with high PV penetration. These grids sometimes exhibit supply surplus, causing overvoltages. Currently, these are mitigated using voltage manipulation techniques such as Volt-Var Optimizations, which are computationally expensive, thereby increasing the complexity of grid operations. Taking advantage of recent technological developments that enable rapid selective connection of PV modules of an installation to the grid, we develop a unified net-load balancing framework that performs both load and solar curtailment. We show that when the available curtailment values are discrete, this problem is NP-hard and we develop bounded approximation algorithms. Our algorithms produce fast solutions, given the tight timing constraints required for grid operation, while ensuring that practical constraints such as fairness, network capacity limits, and so forth are satisfied. We also develop an online algorithm that performs net-load balancing using only data available for the current interval. Using both theoretical analysis and practical evaluations, we show that our net-load balancing algorithms provide solutions that are close to optimal in a small amount of time.
Sparse Hardware Embedding of Spiking Neuron Systems for Community Detection
Authors: Hamilton Kathleen E. , Imam Neena , Humble Travis S.
Published: November 2018

We study the applicability of spiking neural networks and neuromorphic hardware for solving general opti- mization problems without the use of adaptive training or learning algorithms. We leverage the dynamics of Hopfield networks and spin-glass systems to construct a fully connected spiking neural system to generate synchronous spike responses indicative of the underlying community structure in an undirected, unweighted graph. Mapping this fully connected system to current generation neuromorphic hardware is done by embedding sparse tree graphs to generate only the leading-order spiking dynamics. We demonstrate that for a chosen set of benchmark graphs, the spike responses generated on a current generation neuromorphic processor can improve the stability of graph partitions and non-overlapping communities can be identified even with the loss of higher-order spiking behavior if the graphs are sufficiently dense. For sparse graphs, the loss of higher-order spiking behavior improves the stability of certain graph partitions but does not retrieve the known community memberships.
Semi-Trained Memristive Crossbar Computing Engine with
In Situ
Learning Accelerator
Authors: Zyarah Abdullah M. , Kudithipudi Dhireesha
Published: November 2018

On-device intelligence is gaining significant attention recently as it offers local data processing and low power consumption. In this research, an on-device training circuitry for threshold-current memristors integrated in a crossbar structure is proposed. Furthermore, alternate approaches of mapping the synaptic weights into fully trained and semi-trained crossbars are investigated. In a semi-trained crossbar, a confined subset of memristors are tuned and the remaining subset of memristors are not programmed. This translates to optimal resource utilization and power consumption, compared to a fully programmed crossbar. The semi-trained crossbar architecture is applicable to a broad class of neural networks. System level verification is performed with an extreme learning machine for binomial and multinomial classification. The total power for a single 4 × 4 layer network, when implemented in IBM 65nm node, is estimated to be ≈42.16μW and the area is estimated to be 26.48μm × 22.35μm.
Efficient Directory Mutations in a Full-Path-Indexed File System
Authors: Zhan Yang , Jiao Yizheng , Porter Donald E. , Conway Alex , Knorr Eric , Farach-Colton Martin , Bender Michael A. , Yuan Jun , Jannen William , Johnson Rob
Published: November 2018

Full-path indexing can improve I/O efficiency for workloads that operate on data organized using traditional, hierarchical directories, because data is placed on persistent storage in scan order. Prior results indicate, however, that renames in a local file system with full-path indexing are prohibitively expensive.

This article shows how to use full-path indexing in a file system to realize fast directory scans, writes, and renames. The article introduces a range-rename mechanism for efficient key-space changes in a write-optimized dictionary. This mechanism is encapsulated in the key-value Application Programming Interface (API) and simplifies the overall file system design.

We implemented this mechanism in B
ε
-trees File System (BetrFS), an in-kernel, local file system for Linux. This new version, BetrFS 0.4, performs recursive greps 1.5x faster and random writes 1.2x faster than BetrFS 0.3, but renames are competitive with indirection-based file systems for a range of sizes. BetrFS 0.4 outperforms BetrFS 0.3, as well as traditional file systems, such as ext4, Extents File System (XFS), and Z File System (ZFS), across a variety of workloads.
A Framework for Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing with Enhanced Utility for Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Sangogboye Fisayo Caleb , Jia Ruoxi , Hong Tianzhen , Spanos Costas , Kjærgaard Mikkel Baun
Published: November 2018

Cyber-physical systems have enabled the collection of massive amounts of data in an unprecedented level of spatial and temporal granularity. Publishing these data can prosper big data research, which, in turn, helps improve overall system efficiency and resiliency. The main challenge in data publishing is to ensure the usefulness of published data while providing necessary privacy protection. In our previous work (Jia et al. 2017a), we presented a privacy-preserving data publishing framework (referred to as PAD hereinafter), which can guarantee
k
-anonymity while achieving better data utility than traditional anonymization techniques. PAD learns the information of interest to data users or features from their interactions with the data publishing system and then customizes data publishing processes to the intended use of data. However, our previous work is only applicable to the case where the desired features are linear in the original data record. In this article, we extend PAD to nonlinear features. Our experiments demonstrate that for various data-driven applications, PAD can achieve enhanced utility while remaining highly resilient to privacy threats.
Ribosome Hibernation
Authors: Prossliner Thomas , Skovbo Winther Kristoffer , Sørensen Michael Askvad , Gerdes Kenn
Published: November 2018

Protein synthesis consumes a large fraction of available resources in the cell. When bacteria encounter unfavorable conditions and cease to grow, specialized mechanisms are in place to ensure the overall reduction of costly protein synthesis while maintaining a basal level of translation. A number of ribosome-associated factors are involved in this regulation; some confer an inactive, hibernating state of the ribosome in the form of 70S monomers (RaiA; this and the following are based on Escherichia coli nomenclature) or 100S dimers (RMF and HPF homologs), and others inhibit translation at different stages in the translation cycle (RsfS, YqjD and paralogs, SRA, and EttA). Stationary phase cells therefore exhibit a complex array of different ribosome subpopulations that adjusts the translational capacity of the cell to the encountered conditions and ensures efficient reactivation of translation when conditions improve. Here, we review the current state of research regarding stationary phase-specific translation factors, in particular ribosome hibernation factors and other forms of translational regulation in response to stress conditions.
Mechanisms of Neural Crest Migration
Authors: Szabó András , Mayor Roberto
Published: November 2018

Neural crest cells are a transient embryonic cell population that migrate collectively to various locations throughout the embryo to contribute a number of cell types to several organs. After induction, the neural crest delaminates and undergoes an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition before migrating through intricate yet characteristic paths. The neural crest exhibits a variety of migratory behaviors ranging from sheet-like mass migration in the cephalic regions to chain migration in the trunk. During their journey, neural crest cells rely on a range of signals both from their environment and within the migrating population for navigating through the embryo as a collective. Here we review these interactions and mechanisms, including chemotactic cues of neural crest cells’ migration.