bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geometry Effects on Light‐Harvesting Complex's Light Absorption and Energy Transfer in Purple Bacteria
Authors: Zeng Lingyu , Liao Zeyang , Wang Xue‐hua
Published: June 2019

Light‐harvesting complexes (LHC) in photosynthetic organisms perform the major function of light absorption and energy transportation. Optical spectrum of LHC provides a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the excitation energy transfer (EET) processes, which has been widely studied. Here, we study how the geometric property of LHC in Rhodospirillum (Rs.) molischianum would affect its spectral characteristics and energy transfer process. By adopting the effective Hamiltonian and the dipole–dipole approximation, we calculate the exciton level structures for the LH2 ring and LH1 ring and the energy transfer time between different LHCs under various structural parameters and different rotational symmetries. Our numerical results show that the LHC's absorption peaks and the energy transfer time between different LHCs can be modified by changing the geometric configurations. Our study may be beneficial to the applications in designing highly efficient photovoltaic cell and other artificial photosynthetic systems.
Beyond client criminalization: Analyzing collaborative governance arrangements for combatting prostitution and trafficking in Sweden
Authors: Erikson Josefina , Larsson Oscar L.
Published: June 2019

Sweden is well known as the first country in the world to adopt client criminalization in an effort to control and eventually eliminate prostitution. Less attention has been paid to the emergence of extensive collaborative governance arrangements that serve as complements to the legal framework. The aim of this article is to provide new knowledge as it investigates the multifaceted ways in which governance arrangements have developed in Sweden, employing collaborative governance theories and the Regulatory–Intermediaries–Target model for this purpose. The strategies of responsibilization directed toward target groups that have been utilized to implement policies to control prostitution and trafficking are also explored. The article analyzes not only the rationale behind the adoption of collaborative governance in Sweden, but also the complex governance practices that have emerged in this regard, in which a range of actors are involved in policymaking and application as well as regulation. We conclude that the previous understanding of the Swedish model needs to be revised, and that although collaborative governance has made a fruitful contribution to the field in question, it also introduces new types of problems, particularly a significant increase in informality and decisionmaking outside the legal framework, primarily by civil society actors.
Sensitivity Analysis for Inverse Probability Weighting Estimators via the Percentile Bootstrap
Authors: Zhao Qingyuan , Small Dylan S. , Bhattacharya Bhaswar B.
Published: June 2019

To identify the estimand in missing data problems and observational studies, it is common to base the statistical estimation on the ‘missingness at random’ and ‘no unmeasured confounder’ assumptions. However, these assumptions are unverifiable by using empirical data and pose serious threats to the validity of the qualitative conclusions of statistical inference. A sensitivity analysis asks how the conclusions may change if the unverifiable assumptions are violated to a certain degree. We consider a marginal sensitivity model which is a natural extension of Rosenbaum’s sensitivity model that is widely used for matched observational studies. We aim to construct confidence intervals based on inverse probability weighting estimators, such that asymptotically the intervals have at least nominal coverage of the estimand whenever the data-generating distribution is in the collection of marginal sensitivity models. We use a percentile bootstrap and a generalized minimax–maximin inequality to transform this intractable problem into a linear fractional programming problem, which can be solved very efficiently. We illustrate our method by using a real data set to estimate the causal effect of fish consumption on blood mercury level.
Genetic structure, species limits and evolution of the parasitoid wasp genus Stenocorse (Braconidae: Doryctinae) based on nuclear 3RAD and mitochondrial data
Authors: Delgado‐Machuca Natalia , Meza‐Lázaro Rubi N. , Romero‐Nápoles Jesús , Sarmiento‐Monroy Carlos E. , Amarillo‐Suárez Ángela R. , Bayona‐Vásquez Natalia J. , Alejandro Zaldívar‐Riverón
Published: June 2019

Stenocorse (Braconidae: Doryctinae) is an ectoparasitoid wasp genus widely distributed from southern U.S.A. to central Argentina, which is known to attack over 60 bruchine beetle species that feed on a variety of legumes. This genus currently comprises a single described species, S. bruchivora (Crawford, 1910), though it is probably composed of additional, morphologically similar species. In this study we investigated genetic structure, species limits and evolutionary relationships of sampled populations of Stenocorse obtained along its known geographic distribution, with an emphasis on the Mexican territory. For this, we generated DNA sequences from both the mitochondrial (mt) barcoding locus and nuclear genome data obtained with the 3RAD technique. The Bayesian phylogenetic reconstructions based on the two datasets were mostly congruent, both showing clear geographic structure. Four clusters were recovered with nuclear data, which were also congruent with the geographic distribution of the samples and the species delimitation analyses. We delimited six evolutionary lineages with the two data sources, and three additional species were also delimited with the COI locus alone. Stenocorse probably originated during the mid‐ to early Miocene, and the diversification events that led to its current species distribution probably occurred between the early Pliocene and late Pleistocene. Our species delineation analyses, phylogenetic reconstructions and rearing records suggest that the species of Stenocorse have generalist feeding habits, contrary to what was expected due to host plant specialization of the bruchine species and the cascading effect that this could have in the species diversification of their parasitoids.
Peripheral blood smear findings in a kidney transplant recipient with disseminated histoplasmosis and elevated Aspergillus galactomannan
Authors: McCurdy Lewis , Wheat Lawrence Joseph , Block Jared , Gajurel Kiran
Published: June 2019

We report a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a renal transplant recipient who presented with a nodular pulmonary lesion and elevated serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) Aspergillus galatomannan. This almost led to an erroneous diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis since the donor respiratory tract was known to be colonized with Aspergillus terreus. However, distinctive intracelluar Histoplasma yeasts on peripheral blood smear led to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The cross‐reactivity between Aspergillus galactomannan and Histoplasma antigen is discussed further.
Education Towards Jewish Values in the Israeli State Preschool: Its Character, Essence, and Scope
Authors: Dori Nitsa
Published: June 2019

A Jewish–Israeli identity incorporates two identities—Jewish and Israeli, and various philosophers suggest different ways to view the combination or separation of these identities. Agasi and Samucha come from different approaches to suggest ways of integrating both identities. They speak about the existing division between the two identities, in light of the unique characteristics of the State of Israel. The ever-increasing essential need for providing a significant and systematic solution to the issue of value-based education and nurturing the Jewish-Israeli identity of the students of the State education system must be seen in light of the collapse of values in many postmodern Western societies. The existing education system perpetuates the division into sectors that divides Israeli society from within. At the same time, the emphasis in State preschools examined in this article, is on culture and nationalism, as connected to values of good behavior towards others. The findings show that Jewish education at an early age is influenced by the personality and inner world of the preschool teacher and her own connection to Jewish content, irrespective of the educational stream to which the preschool belongs.
The Role of China Seminars in Building Other Developing Countries: An Experience Case in Sierra Leone
Authors: Kamara Alhaji Bakar
Published: June 2019

This paper shows an experience gained during the touring and visitation of various cities in China. It focuses on the experience from the seminars attended in China in 2013 and 2016. It shows some of what was learnt, experiences gained, and a food for thought for the author upon returning home. The paper starts with a background and introduction of China, and the seminars that are conducted to help empower other developing countries. It then shows a reflection of Sierra Leone and China Relationship. The paper then throws light on the seminars conducted in China and the conditions that participants should know about these seminars. In a clearer picture, the paper highlights the subject matter schedule for the entire seminar with some few benefits of lectures about China. Also a snap shot of cities that are visited and a background of some important cities like Beijing and Shanghai. The author indicates the relevance and significant of the seminars in China. Finally some recommendations were made to the organizers of the seminars.
School-based obesity prevention programs in rural communities: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Robinson Jennifer C. , Lim Crystal S. , Hinton Elizabeth , Pintado Irene , Gamble Abigail , Compretta Caroline , Ravola Martha
Published: June 2019

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to map the available literature on school-based obesity prevention programs in rural communities.

Introduction:

Significant health disparities are associated with childhood obesity, and these disparities disproportionately affect children in disadvantaged communities, such as rural areas. Youth in rural areas are 26% more likely to be obese than youth in urban communities. To combat obesity in children, schools have become an avenue for educating children about the importance of healthy diet and physical activity. Although many school-based obesity prevention programs have been implemented in recent years, more information is needed on programs in rural communities.

Inclusion criteria:

This scoping review will consider studies that include children 5 to 18 years of age who are enrolled in elementary, middle or high school in a rural setting and that investigate school-based obesity prevention programs. Studies that include children who are in non-rural areas, who are home-schooled, who are in an alternative setting (e.g. juvenile detention) or who are hospitalized will be excluded. Studies published in English since 1990 will be included.

Methods:

Multiple databases will be searched, including PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, Embase, Scopus and Academic Search Premier. Trials registers and gray literature will also be searched. After screening the titles and abstracts of identified citations, potentially relevant studies will be retrieved in full. Data will be extracted by independent reviewers and presented in a diagrammatic or tabular form, accompanied by a narrative summary.
Acoustic dipole and monopole effects in solid particle interaction dynamics during acoustophoresis
Authors: Saeidi Davood , Saghafian Mohsen , Haghjooy Javanmard Shaghayegh , Hammarström Björn , Wiklund Martin
Published: June 2019

A method is presented for measurements of secondary acoustic radiation forces acting on solid particles in a plain ultrasonic standing wave. The method allows for measurements of acoustic interaction forces between particles located in arbitrary positions such as in between a pressure node and a pressure antinode. By utilizing a model that considers both density- and compressibility-dependent effects, the observed particle−particle interaction dynamics can be well understood. Two differently sized polystyrene micro-particles (4.8 and 25 μm, respectively) were used in order to achieve pronounced interaction effects. The particulate was subjected to a 2-MHz ultrasonic standing wave in a microfluidic channel, such as commonly used for acoustophoresis. Observation of deflections in the particle pathways shows that the particle interaction force is not negligible under this circumstance and has to be considered in accurate particle manipulation applications. The effect is primarily pronounced when the distance between two particles is small, the sizes of the particles are different, and the acoustic properties of the particles are different relative to the media. As predicted by theory, the authors also observe that the interaction forces are affected by the angle between the inter-particle centerline and the axis of the standing wave propagation direction.
Radical open-access plan is delayed a year
Authors: Rabesandratana Tania
Published: June 2019

In response to criticisms, Plan S also lifts cap on article fees.
Women of color face double dose of bias
Authors: Langin Katie
Published: June 2019

Postdoc application study reveals gender and racial preferences.
Magnetic field–induced pair density wave state in the cuprate vortex halo
Authors: Edkins S. D. , Kostin A. , Fujita K. , Mackenzie A. P. , Eisaki H. , Uchida S. , Sachdev Subir , Lawler Michael J. , Kim E.-A. , Séamus Davis J. C. , Hamidian M. H.
Published: June 2019

Decoding the halo pattern

Magnetic fields can cause the formation of vortices in a superconductor. In cuprate superconductors, the vortex cores are surrounded by “halos,” where the density of electronic states exhibits a checkerboard pattern. Edkins
et al.
used scanning tunneling spectroscopy to take a closer look into the halos. The results revealed that the patterns correspond to an exotic state called the pair density wave, in which the density of finite momentum Cooper pairs is spatially modulated.

Science
, this issue p.
976
Response to Comment on “Designing river flows to improve food security futures in the Lower Mekong Basin”
Authors: Sabo John L. , Holtgrieve Gordon W. , Ruhi Albert , Arias Mauricio E. , Ngor Peng Bun , Elliott Vittoria , Räsänen Timo , Nam So
Published: June 2019

Williams
et al
. claim that the data used in Sabo
et al
. were improperly scaled to account for fishing effort, thereby invalidating the analysis. Here, we reanalyze the data rescaled per Williams
et al
. and following the methods in Sabo
et al
. Our original conclusions are robust to rescaling, thereby invalidating the assertion that our original analysis is invalid.
RNA sequence analysis reveals macroscopic somatic clonal expansion across normal tissues
Authors: Yizhak Keren , Aguet François , Kim Jaegil , Hess Julian M. , Kübler Kirsten , Grimsby Jonna , Frazer Ruslana , Zhang Hailei , Haradhvala Nicholas J. , Rosebrock Daniel , Livitz Dimitri , Li Xiao , Arich-Landkof Eila , Shoresh Noam , Stewart Chip , Segrè Ayellet V. , Branton Philip A. , Polak Paz , Ardlie Kristin G. , Getz Gad
Published: June 2019

Somatic mosaicism in normal tissues

Somatic cells can accumulate mutations over the course of an individual's lifetime. This generates cells that differ genetically at specific loci within the genome. To explore how this genetic diversity in individuals contributes to disease, Yizhak
et al.
developed a method to detect mutations from RNA sequencing data (see the Perspective by Tomasetti). Applying this method to Cancer Genome Atlas samples and normal samples from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project generated a tissue-specific study of mutation accumulation. Somatic mutations were detected in nearly all individuals and across many normal human tissues in genomic regions called cancer hotspots and in genes that play a role in cancer. Interestingly, the skin, lung, and esophagus exhibited the most mutations, suggesting that the environment generates many human mutations.

Science
, this issue p.
eaaw0726
; see also p.
938
Eocene Fagaceae from Patagonia and Gondwanan legacy in Asian rainforests
Authors: Wilf Peter , Nixon Kevin C. , Gandolfo Maria A. , Cúneo N. Rubén
Published: June 2019

Fossil Fagaceae from Patagonia

The oak family Fagaceae is thought to have its evolutionary origins in northern temperate forests and Southeast Asia. Wilf
et al.
now report 52-million-year-old fossils from the Southern Hemisphere belonging to the still-living genus
Castanopsis
. Hypotheses of Fagaceae origins have focused only on the Northern Hemisphere. Ancestral
Castanopsis
may represent one of numerous paleo-Antarctic plant genera that are found with
Castanopsis
today in Southeast Asian rainforests.

Science
, this issue p.
eaaw5139
Organoids by design
Authors: Takebe Takanori , Wells James M.
Published: June 2019

Organoids are multicellular structures that can be derived from adult organs or pluripotent stem cells. Early versions of organoids range from simple epithelial structures to complex, disorganized tissues with large cellular diversity. The current challenge is to engineer cellular complexity into organoids in a controlled manner that results in organized assembly and acquisition of tissue function. These efforts have relied on studies of organ assembly during embryonic development and have resulted in the development of organoids with multilayer tissue complexity and higher-order functions. We discuss how the next generation of organoids can be designed by means of an engineering-based narrative design to control patterning, assembly, morphogenesis, growth, and function.
Mutated clones are the new normal
Authors: Tomasetti Cristian
Published: June 2019

Measuring and understanding the dynamics of clonal cell populations is key for cancer prevention
Cell fate decisions during development
Authors: Mayor Roberto
Published: June 2019

Cell differentiation involves activation of mutually exclusive genetic programs
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Da_7 and Cry1B.868 Protein Interactions with Novel Receptors Allow Control of Resistant Fall Armyworms, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)
Authors: Wang Yanfei , Wang Jinling , Fu Xiaoran , Nageotte Jeffrey R. , Silverman Jennifer , Bretsnyder Eric C. , Chen Danqi , Rydel Timothy J. , Bean Gregory J. , Li Ke Sherry , Kraft Edward , Gowda Anilkumar , Nance Autumn , Moore Robert G. , Pleau Michael J. , Milligan Jason S. , Anderson Heather M. , Asiimwe Peter , Evans Adam , Moar William J. , Martinelli Samuel , Head Graham P. , Haas Jeffrey A. , Baum James A. , Yang Fei , Kerns David L. , Jerga Agoston
Published: June 2019

There is increased concern with the development of resistance to insecticidal proteins currently expressed in crop plants, especially against high-resistance-risk pests such as fall armyworm (FAW),
Spodoptera frugiperda
, a maize pest that already has developed resistance to
Bacillus thuringiensis
(
Bt
) proteins such as Cry1F. Lepidopteran-specific proteins that bind new insect receptors will be critical in managing current Cry1F-resistant FAW and delaying future resistance development. Results from resistant insect assays, disabled insecticidal protein (DIP) bioassays, and cell-based assays using insect cells expressing individual receptors demonstrate that target receptors of the Cry1Da_7 and Cry1B.868 proteins are different from each other and from those of commercially available
Bt
proteins such as Cry1F, Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A. Therefore, pyramiding these two new proteins in maize will provide durable control of this economically important pest in production agriculture.
Intradermal Synthetic DNA Vaccination Generates
Leishmania
-Specific T Cells in the Skin and Protection against Leishmania major
Authors: Louis Lumena , Clark Megan , Wise Megan C. , Glennie Nelson , Wong Andrea , Broderick Kate , Uzonna Jude , Weiner David B. , Scott Phillip
Published: June 2019

Vaccination remains one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in human history and has resulted in the near eradication of many formerly lethal diseases in many countries, including the complete eradication of smallpox. However, there remain a number of diseases for which there are no or only partially effective vaccines. There are numerous hurdles in vaccine development, of which knowing the appropriate immune response to target is one of them.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein in Primary Human Hepatocytes
Authors: Kornyeyev Dmytro , Ramakrishnan Dhivya , Voitenleitner Christian , Livingston Christine M. , Xing Weimei , Hung Magdeleine , Kwon Hyock Joo , Fletcher Simon P. , Beran Rudolf K.
Published: June 2019

Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) is a promising drug target since it promotes the degradation of the host structural maintenance of chromosomes 5/6 complex (Smc5/6) that inhibits HBV transcription. To date, it has not been possible to study HBx in physiologically relevant cell culture systems due to the lack of a highly specific and selective HBx antibody. In this study, we developed a novel monoclonal HBx antibody and performed a spatiotemporal analysis of HBx in a natural infection system. This revealed that HBx localizes to the nucleus of infected cells, is expressed shortly after infection, and has a short half-life. In addition, we demonstrated that inhibiting HBx expression or function promotes the reappearance of Smc6 in the nucleus of infected cells. These data provide new insights into HBx and underscore its potential as a novel target for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
Sulfide oxidation affects the preservation of sulfur isotope signals
Authors: Findlay Alyssa J. , Boyko Valeria , Pellerin André , Avetisyan Khoren , Guo Qingjun , Yang Xi , Kamyshny Alexey
Published: June 2019

The accumulation of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans in the late Archean had profound implications for the planet’s biogeochemical evolution. Oxygen impacts sulfur cycling through the oxidation of sulfide minerals and the production of sulfate for microbial sulfate reduction (MSR). The isotopic signature of sulfur species preserved in the geologic record is affected by the prevailing biological and chemical processes and can therefore be used to constrain past oxygen and sulfate concentrations. Here, in a study of a late Archean analogue, we find that the sulfur isotopic signature in the water column of a seasonally stratified lake in southern China is influenced by MSR, whereas model results indicate that the isotopic signature of the underlying sediments can be best explained by concurrent sulfate reduction and sulfide oxidation. These data demonstrate that small apparent sulfur isotope fractionations (δ34Ssulfate-AVS = 4.2‰–1.5‰; AVS—acid volatile sulfides) can be caused by dynamic sulfur cycling at millimolar sulfate concentrations. This is in contrast to current interpretations of the isotopic record and indicates that small fractionations do not necessarily indicate very low sulfate or oxygen.
Severe cholestatic hyperbilirubinaemia secondary to thyrotoxicosis complicated with bile cast nephropathy treated with plasma exchange and haemodialysis
Authors: Ocon Anthony J , Rosenblum Matthew , Desemone James , Blinkhorn Richard
Published: June 2019

Thyrotoxicosis rarely presents as cholestatic hyperbilirubinaemia, and severe bilirubin elevation may lead to bile cast nephropathy. We present a case of a young woman with newly diagnosed Graves’ disease with thyrotoxicosis who developed severe hyperbilirubinaemia and bile cast nephropathy. Serial plasma exchange and temporary haemodialysis led to full renal recovery. After treatment of her thyrotoxicosis with antithyroid medication and radioactive iodine ablation, her bilirubin normalised.
Successful endovascular coil embolisation of a ruptured V1-segment vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm making a fistula with the adjacent vein
Authors: Muhammad Sajjad , Raj Rahul , Numminen Jussi , Niemelä Mika
Published: June 2019

Sudden supraclavicular pain is often associated with myocardial infarction but seldom due to a rupture of V1-segment vertebral artery aneurysm. A ruptured V1 segment of vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm making a fistula with the adjacent vein has rarely been described in literature. Here we present a case of a 29-year-old healthy woman with sudden supraclavicular pain and palpable mass that developed after pain. Initial ultrasound showed suspicion of large haematoma. CT angiogram showed a left-sided dissecting V1-segment vertebral artery ruptured aneurysm. Angiography showed an additional fistula between the aneurysm and the adjacent vein. The patient was treated successfully with coil embolisation. The vertebral artery occlusion was well tolerated without any complications. Endovascular coiling is a fast and effective treatment modality. However, a parent vessel occlusion can be sometimes dangerous if the contralateral vertebral artery supply is not sufficient. Surgical possibilities to reconstruct the parent vessel should also be considered in complex cases.
Epidemiology of injuries in professional football: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: López-Valenciano Alejandro , Ruiz-Pérez Iñaki , Garcia-Gómez Alberto , Vera-Garcia Francisco J , De Ste Croix Mark , Myer Gregory D , Ayala Francisco
Published: June 2019

Objective

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in professional male football.

Method

Forty-four studies have reported the incidence of injuries in football. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement and Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Studies were combined in a pooled analysis using a Poisson random effects regression model.

Results

The overall incidence of injuries in professional male football players was 8.1 injuries/1000 hours of exposure. Match injury incidence (36 injuries/1000 hours of exposure) was almost 10 times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.7 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (6.8 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (4.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Minor injuries (1–3 days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries in the top 5 European professional leagues was not different to that of the professional leagues in other countries (6.8 vs 7.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure, respectively).

Conclusions

Professional male football players have a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches.
Confirmed cardiac output on emergency medical services arrival as confounding by indication: an observational study of prehospital airway management in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Authors: Sakurai Atsushi , Kinoshita Kosaku , Maeda Yukihiro , Homma Yosuke , Tahara Yoshio , Yonemoto Naohiro , Nagao Ken , Yaguchi Arino , Morimura Naoto
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Many registry studies on patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have reported that conventional bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is independently associated with favourable outcomes. This study aimed to compare the data of patients with OCHA with confirmed cardiac output on emergency medical services (EMS) arrival and consider the confounding factors in prehospital airway management studies.

Methods

This was a cohort study using the registry data for survivors after out-of hospital cardiac arrest in the Kanto region at 2012 in Japan (SOS-KANTO 2012). Survivors who received advanced airway management (AAM) group and a BVM group were compared for confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival and neurolgical outcome at 1 month. Favourable neurological outcome was defined as a score of one or two on the Cerebral Performance Categories Scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust the neurological outcome by age, gender, cardiac aetiology, witnessed arrest, shockable rhythm, cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by a bystander, BVM at prehospital ventilation and presence of confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival.

Results

A total of 16 452 patients were enrolled in the SOS-KANTO 2012 study, and of those data 12 867 were analysed; 5893 patients comprised the AAM group and 6974 comprised the BVM group. Of the study participants, 386 (2.9%) had confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival; 340 (2.6%) of the entire study group had a favourable neurological outcome. The proportion of patients with confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival was significantly higher in the BVM group (272: 3.9%) than in the AAM group (114: 1.9%) (95% CI: 1.65 to 2.25). The proportion of patients with favourable neurological outcomes was 30% (117/386) in those with cardiac output on EMS arrival compared with 1.8% (223/12481) in those without. The OR for a good neurological outcome with BVM decreased from 3.24 (2.49 to 4.20) to 2.60 (1.97 to 3.44) when confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival was added to the multivariable model analysis.

Conclusion

Confirmed cardiac output on EMS arrival should be considered as confounding by indication in observational studies of prehospital airway management.
Using MRI art, poetry, photography and patient narratives to bridge clinical and human experiences of stroke recovery
Authors: Brand Gabrielle , Osborne Ashlee , Wise Steve , Isaac Collette , Etherton-Beer Christopher
Published: June 2019

Integrating co-produced humanities-based pedagogy into patient and workforce education is of growing interest. The aim of our Depth of Field: Exploring Stroke Recovery project grew from a strong commitment to use patients' lived experiences as a voice to educate new stroke patients and the health professional staff who will care for them. The aim of the initial Quality Improvement project at a West Australian Stroke Rehabilitation Unit (SRU) was to co-produce a reflective learning resource with stroke patients and their families to help navigate the stroke recovery journey. A series of artefacts (documentary-style photographs, audio-narrated vignettes, MRI images and poetry) were collected from four stroke patients and their families at differing stages of recovery over 12 months as they recounted the honest and raw reality of what life is really like following a stroke. These artefacts were used in a pilot qualitative project to explore new stroke patients, their families and SRU health professional staff perceptions towards the artefacts in order to inform the final educational resource. These findings enhance our understandings of how we can use art and patient (healthcare consumers) voice to widen the lens of stroke recovery and provides a valuable template to co-produce peer-to-peer and health professions education reflective learning resources to promote more human- centred approaches to care.
Balancing immunosuppression and infection: recurrent enterovirus encephalitis in SLE
Authors: Cheema Sanjay , Bunting Eva , Good Catriona , Hajela Vijay , Ridha Basil H , Saha Romi Anirban
Published: June 2019

A young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed recurrent enterovirus meningoencephalitis while taking prednisolone, azathioprine and rituximab. After reducing the immunosuppression, she developed a central nervous system (CNS) flare of SLE, with enterovirus still present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There are no evidence-based specific treatments for enterovirus encephalitis, but she responded well to intravenous immunoglobulin alongside pulsed methylprednisolone and rituximab. This case highlights the difficulties in managing people with co-existing infective and autoimmune conditions, especially if each affects the CNS. A viral infection and SLE flare can resemble one another clinically, although here the radiological differentiation of CNS lupus versus enterovirus encephalitis helped to guide the diagnosis.
Soil contamination sampling intensity: determining accuracy and confidence using a Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Sorenson P.T. , McCormick S. , Dyck M.
Published: June 2019

Soil pollution is an extensive global problem, and effective management depends on accurate characterization and mapping of the extent of soil contamination. The objectives of this study were to determine the accuracy of different sampling intensities and the optimal number of samples required to minimize remediation project costs. To determine the accuracy associated with different sampling intensities, a Monte Carlo simulation was conducted. A simulated contaminant plume was created based on inverse distance weighting, kriging, or multivariate adaptive regression splines. Different sampling intensities, with grid spacing ranging from approximately 10% to 50% of the site extent, were used to generate a plume map using random forest model with a Euclidean distance matrix as predictors. The relative error was then determined as part of a Monte Carlo simulation that ran 10 000 simulations for each grid intensity for a total of 90 000 simulations. The optimal number of samples was determined based on economic factors, and the error functions generated with the Monte Carlo simulations. Average error ranged from 57% for 25 data points to 5% for 2800 data points. The 90th percentile error ranged from 100% to 0.3% for the sample data point range. Based on these results, the optimal number of samples, depending on pricing, ranged from 31 samples for a 10 m3 contaminant plume to 3475 samples for a 10 000 m3 soil contaminant plume.
A High Throughput and Pipelined Implementation of the LUKS on FPGA
Authors: Li Xiaochao , Wu Kongcheng , Zhang Qi , Lin Shaoyu , Chen Yihui , Wong Shen Yuong
Published: June 2019

The Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) is the standard key management scheme for the full disk encryption solution implemented in Linux-based operating systems. It is composed of PBKDF2, an anti-forensic splitter, and a cipher. In this paper, a new FPGA-based high-throughput and pipelined implementation of LUKS is presented. We design a four-stage pipelined SHA-1 module without the multiplexers between piecewise function and a total eight-stage pipelined PBKDF2 by reusing two hash results. Besides, we implement ST box-based AES decipher with BRAM resources, which improves the performance and leaves most of the slice resources to PBKDF2 architecture. By using the above techniques, we instantiate a high throughput LUKS co-processor in a Xilinx Zynq 7030 FPGA. Compared to the previous work of implementation of LUKS PBKDF2 with AES on FPGA, our design shows better improvement of the speed and efficiency by 16 times and 8 times, respectively. Our speed of LUKS key recovery is even faster than Nvidia GPU GTX480.
A nonconforming Trefftz virtual element method for the Helmholtz problem
Authors: Mascotto Lorenzo , Perugia Ilaria , Pichler Alexander
Published: June 2019

We introduce a novel virtual element method (VEM) for the two-dimensional Helmholtz problem endowed with impedance boundary conditions. Local approximation spaces consist of Trefftz functions, i.e. functions belonging to the kernel of the Helmholtz operator. The global trial and test spaces are not fully discontinuous, but rather interelement continuity is imposed in a nonconforming fashion. Although their functions are only implicitly defined, as typical of the VEM framework, they contain discontinuous subspaces made of functions known in closed form and with good approximation properties (plane-waves, in our case). We carry out an abstract error analysis of the method, and derive [Formula: see text]-version error estimates. Moreover, we initiate its numerical investigation by presenting a first test, which demonstrates the theoretical convergence rates.
On the unsteady Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman equation in local and nonlocal tumor growth models
Authors: Fritz Marvin , Lima Ernesto A. B. F. , Tinsley Oden J. , Wohlmuth Barbara
Published: June 2019

A mathematical analysis of local and nonlocal phase-field models of tumor growth is presented that includes time-dependent Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman models of convective velocity fields and models of long-range cell interactions. A complete existence analysis is provided. In addition, a parameter-sensitivity analysis is described that quantifies the sensitivity of key quantities of interest to changes in parameter values. Two sensitivity analyses are examined; one employing statistical variances of model outputs and another employing the notion of active subspaces based on existing observational data. Remarkably, the two approaches yield very similar conclusions on sensitivity for certain quantities of interest. The work concludes with the presentation of numerical approximations of solutions of the governing equations and results of numerical experiments on tumor growth produced using finite element discretizations of the full tumor model for representative cases.
The nature of the gravitational vacuum
Authors: Mathur Samir D.
Published: June 2019

The vacuum must contain virtual fluctuations of black hole microstates for each mass [Formula: see text]. We observe that the expected suppression for [Formula: see text] is counteracted by the large number [Formula: see text] of such states. From string theory, we learn that these microstates are extended objects that are resistant to compression. We argue that recognizing this ‘virtual extended compression-resistant’ component of the gravitational vacuum is crucial for understanding gravitational physics. Remarkably, such virtual excitations have no significant effect for observable systems like stars, but they resolve two important problems: (a) gravitational collapse is halted outside the horizon radius, removing the information paradox, (b) spacetime acquires a ‘stiffness’ against the curving effects of vacuum energy; this ameliorates the cosmological constant problem posed by the existence of a planck scale [Formula: see text].
INFLUENCE OF INVESTING IN TREATING A POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT ON THE HARVEST: A PROBLEM OF OPTIMAL ALLOCATION
Authors: SRINIVASU P. D. N. , ZAWKA SIMON D.
Published: June 2019

This study is concerned with harvesting a renewable resource that is surviving in a polluted environment. Fall in the revenue from the resource due to presence of pollution in the environment drives the sole owner to allocate a part of the available effort towards treating the environment and the interest is to find the optimal allocation of the available effort towards harvesting the resource and treating the environment so that the revenue is maximized. Resource-pollution dynamics are studied, maximum sustainable yield and maximum sustainable revenue have been evaluated. Further, an optimal allocation problem has been formulated on infinite horizon and optimal solutions are obtained. Key results of the study are demonstrated through numerical illustrations.
Geoforensics in Italy: education and research standards
Authors: Di Maggio R. M. , Barone P. M.
Published: June 2019

Forensic investigations in Italy have no geoforensic protocols or standard protocols to provide the country's law enforcement agencies with the materials to create a multidisciplinary approach to crime scene investigation, using the correct personnel and appropriate tools. Several factors contribute to this situation in Italy, but the main two are: (i) a lack of education, which allows the CSI effect to spread at all levels of society; and (ii) a lack of proper financial and environmental resources to support research. Moreover, the stressful context and psychological pressure of working in such an environment impedes the creation and implementation of proper protocols and standard procedures to the level attained in other more famous forensic sciences.
Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry of earth materials: considerations for forensic analysis
Authors: Bergslien Elisa
Published: June 2019

Miniaturization of components and other advances in technology have resulted in significantly increased availability of portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (PXRF) units, leading to a boom in their use in a variety of fields. An unfortunate corollary, however, is that there has also been a boom in the publication of data of doubtful quality, based on misunderstandings of PXRF and the underlying physics of X-ray fluorescence. Many manufacturers sell the units as point-and-shoot black boxes, capable of generating usable data under a range of conditions but, in reality, all of the assumptions and limitations inherent in laboratory-based XRF systems still apply or are even amplified in portable units. This paper highlights some of the areas of highest concern to alert readers and practitioners alike, and provides examples of some issues that may arise during analysis.
Volume Path Guiding Based on Zero-Variance Random Walk Theory
Authors: Herholz Sebastian , Zhao Yangyang , Elek Oskar , Nowrouzezahrai Derek , Lensch Hendrik P. A. , Křivánek Jaroslav
Published: June 2019

The efficiency of Monte Carlo methods, commonly used to render participating media, is directly linked to the manner in which random sampling decisions are made during path construction. Notably, path construction is influenced by scattering direction and distance sampling, Russian roulette, and splitting strategies. We present a consistent suite of volumetric path construction techniques where all these sampling decisions are guided by a cached estimate of the
adjoint transport solution
. The proposed strategy is based on the theory of zero-variance path sampling schemes, accounting for the spatial and directional variation in volumetric transport. Our key technical contribution, enabling the use of this approach in the context of volume light transport, is a novel guiding strategy for sampling the particle
collision distance
proportionally to the product of transmittance and the adjoint transport solution (e.g., in-scattered radiance). Furthermore, scattering directions are likewise sampled according to the product of the phase function and the incident radiance estimate. Combined with guided Russian roulette and splitting strategies tailored to volumes, we demonstrate about an order-of-magnitude error reduction compared to standard unidirectional methods. Consequently, our approach can render scenes otherwise intractable for such methods, while still retaining their simplicity (compared to, e.g., bidirectional methods).
Algorithm 994
Authors: Hernando Fernando , Igual Francisco D. , Quintana-Ortí Gregorio
Published: June 2019

The minimum distance of an error-correcting code is an important concept in information theory. Hence, computing the minimum distance of a code with a minimum computational cost is crucial to many problems in this area. In this article, we present and assess a family of implementations of both the brute-force algorithm and the Brouwer-Zimmermann algorithm for computing the minimum distance of a random linear code over F
2
that are faster than current implementations, both in the commercial and public domain. In addition to the basic sequential implementations, we present parallel and vectorized implementations that produce high performances on modern architectures. The attained performance results show the benefits of the developed optimized algorithms, which obtain remarkable improvements compared with state-of-the-art implementations widely used nowadays.
QoE for Mobile Clients with Segment-aware Rate Adaptation Algorithm (SARA) for DASH Video Streaming
Authors: Yarnagula Hema Kumar , Juluri Parikshit , Mehr Sheyda Kiani , Tamarapalli Venkatesh , Medhi Deep
Published: June 2019

Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) is widely used for video streaming on mobile devices. Ensuring a good quality of experience (QoE) for mobile video streaming is essential, as it severely impacts both the network and content providers’ revenue. Thus, a good rate adaptation algorithm at the client end that provides high QoE is critically important. Recently, a segment size-aware rate adaptation (SARA) algorithm was proposed for DASH clients. However, its performance on mobile clients has not been investigated so far. The main contributions of this article are twofold: (1) We discuss SARA’s implementation for mobile clients to improve the QoE in mobile video streaming, one that accurately predicts the download time for the next segment and makes an informed bitrate selection, and (2) we developed a new parametric QoE model to compute a cumulative score that helps in fair comparison of different adaptation algorithms. Based on our subjective and objective evaluation, we observed that SARA for mobile clients outperforms others by 17% on average, in terms of the Mean Opinion Score, while achieving, on average, a 76% improvement in terms of the interruption ratio. The score obtained from our new parametric QoE model also demonstrates that the SARA algorithm for mobile clients gives a better QoE among all the algorithms.
Look at Me! Correcting Eye Gaze in Live Video Communication
Authors: Hsu Chih-Fan , Wang Yu-Shuen , Lei Chin-Laung , Chen Kuan-Ta
Published: June 2019

Although live video communication is widely used, it is generally less engaging than face-to-face communication because of limitations on social, emotional, and haptic feedback. Missing eye contact is one such problem caused by the physical deviation between the screen and camera on a device. Manipulating video frames to correct eye gaze is a solution to this problem. In this article, we introduce a system to rotate the eyeball of a local participant before the video frame is sent to the remote side. It adopts a warping-based convolutional neural network to relocate pixels in eye regions. To improve visual quality, we minimize the L2 distance between the ground truths and warped eyes. We also present several newly designed loss functions to help network training. These new loss functions are designed to preserve the shape of eye structures and minimize color changes around the periphery of eye regions. To evaluate the presented network and loss functions, we objectively and subjectively compared results generated by our system and the state-of-the-art, DeepWarp, in relation to two datasets. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of our system. In addition, we showed that our system can perform eye-gaze correction in real time on a consumer-level laptop. Because of the quality and efficiency of the system, gaze correction by postprocessing through this system is a feasible solution to the problem of missing eye contact in video communication.
Watch Me from Distance (WMD)
Authors: Atrey Pradeep K. , Trehan Bakul , Saini Mukesh K.
Published: June 2019

Preserving the privacy of people in video surveillance systems is quite challenging, and a significant amount of research has been done to solve this problem in recent times. Majority of existing techniques are based on detecting bodily cues such as face and/or silhouette and obscuring them so that people in the videos cannot be identified. We observe that merely hiding bodily cues is not enough for protecting identities of the individuals in the videos. An adversary, who has prior contextual knowledge about the surveilled area, can identify people in the video by exploiting the implicit inference channels such as behavior, place, and time. This article presents an anonymous surveillance system, called Watch Me from Distance (WMD), which advocates for outsourcing of surveillance video monitoring (similar to call centers) to the long-distance sites where professional security operators watch the video and alert the local site when any suspicious or abnormal event takes place. We find that long-distance monitoring helps in decoupling the contextual knowledge of security operators. Since security operators at the remote site could turn into adversaries, a trust computation model to determine the credibility of the operators is presented as an integral part of the proposed system. The feasibility study and experiments suggest that the proposed system provides more robust measures of privacy yet maintains surveillance effectiveness.