bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in IVIG use at a tertiary care Canadian center and impact of provincial use mitigation strategies: 10‐year retrospective study with interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Murphy Malia S.Q. , Tinmouth Alan , Goldman Mindy , Chassé Michaël , Colas Jo Ann , Saidenberg Elianna , Shehata Nadine , Fergusson Dean , Forster Alan J. , Wilson Kumanan
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a fractionated plasma product used to treat a range of autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, as well as immunodeficiency. Demand for this high‐cost product is increasing worldwide. Understanding historical changes in IVIG use is important for inventory management and demand forecasting as well as for the development of initiatives aimed at optimizing blood product use.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a 10‐year retrospective cohort study of all patient encounters involving an IVIG transfusion from 2007 to 2016 at a four‐site tertiary care hospital in Ontario, Canada. IVIG use was reported, including number of hospital encounters and amounts of IVIG prescribed. An interrupted time series analysis was performed to evaluate temporal changes in product use coinciding with the release of 2009–2010 provincial initiatives to optimize IVIG.

RESULTS

A total of 1,658,159.50 g of IVIG was administered from 2007 to 2016. Total annual volume administered initially decreased after implementation of new policies (−2032 g/quarter). The number of IVIG patient encounters also decreased (−49.8 encounters/quarter) but was mirrored by an increase in the total volume administered per patient encounter (+0.88 g/quarter). Use increased 820 g/quarter from 2013 to 2016 but was 21% lower than projected before implementation of provincial policies.

CONCLUSION

Trends in IVIG use show ongoing increases in the number of patients treated with the product. Development and implementation of provincial initiatives to optimize IVIG use coincided with significant short‐term changes at a large tertiary care hospital. Novel initiatives aimed at dose minimization and prescription rationalization for this therapy are needed on local as well as larger scales.
The Acquisition of Grammatical Gender in Arabic Demonstratives by English Native Speakers
Authors: Aljadani Anwar Saad
Published: March 2019

Recently, an increase interest in the acquisition of grammatical gender by second language (L2) learners has been revealed. This paper investigated the acquisition of Arabic, a language that has a rich grammatical gender system, by speakers of a first language (L1) that does not have gender (English). Arabic demonstrative pronouns selected as the linguistic feature to be investigated.  Due to the gender differentiations, Arabic has nearly ten demonstrative pronouns whereas English has four demonstrative pronouns. Consequently, learnability considerations, the Full Transfer/Full Access (FT/FA) hypothesis presumes that English learners of Arabic will have the ability to acquire L2 grammatical gender despite the absence of these systems in their L1. However, the Failed Functional Features (FFF) hypothesis predicts that English learners of Arabic cannot acquire these systems since they are not available in their L1. This paper investigated the ability of English learners of Arabic in acquiring the Arabic demonstrative pronouns with their gender as accurate as native speakers of Arabic do. Moreover, does the proficiency level play a role in the acquisition of demonstratives? Finally, which hypothesis will be supported by the findings? It was found that L2 learners did not acquire the phenomenon as accurate as the native speakers did. Furthermore, proficiency level played a role in the acquisition of demonstratives as a significant disparity between L2 learners’ levels was appeared. Finally, the current outcomes could be attributed to FT/FA hypothesis.
The Relationship Between Perceptions of Winning and Achievement Goals of Female Basketball Players
Authors: Çepikkurt Fatma , Kale Esen Kızıldağ
Published: March 2019

The aim of this study was to measure the levels of perceptions of winning and determine the achievement goals of female basketball players, and to investigate the relationship between the two. Ninety-two female basketball players between the ages of 16 and 31 (Xage=19.45± 3.46; Xsportage= 6.97± 4.64) participated in this study. In order to measure the participants’ perceptions related to winning, the “Perception of Winning Scale”, developed by Okur and Güven (2012), was used. The "2x2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire”, developed by Conroy et al. (2003) and adapted for Turkish by Kazak Çetinkalp et al. (2009), was used to determine the achievement goals of the participants. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Product-Moment Multiplication Correlation Analysis, and the independent t-test were used to analyse the data. The participants scored high on the Perception of Winning Scale, while their highest mean scores on the 2x2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire were on the “mastery approach” subscale. Pearson correlation analysis revealed the existence of a statistically significant and positive correlation between winning perception and performance-approach and between winning perception and performance-avoidance. The results of this study indicated that the participating female basketball players perceived winning as being ahead of others, being superior to or not being surpassed by others, and not being behind others. We thus concluded that they attributed winning to external factors.
Embryogenesis of the peristaltic reflex
Authors: Chevalier Nicolas R. , Dacher Nicolas , Jacques Cécile , Langlois Lucas , Guedj Chloé , Faklaris Orestis
Published: March 2019

Key points

Neurogenic gut movements start after longitudinal smooth muscle differentiation in three species (mouse, zebrafish, chicken), and at E16 in the chicken embryo.

The first activity of the chicken enteric nervous system is dominated by inhibitory neurons.

The embryonic enteric nervous system electromechanically couples circular and longitudinal spontaneous myogenic contractions, thereby producing a new, rostro‐caudally directed bolus transport pattern: the migrating motor complex.

The response of the embryonic gut to mechanical stimulation evolves from a symmetric, myogenic response at E12, to a neurally mediated, polarized, descending inhibitory, ‘law of the intestine’‐like response at E16.

High resolution, whole‐mount 3D reconstructions are presented of the enteric nervous system of the chicken embryo at the neural‐control stage E16 with the iDISCO+ tissue clarification technique.

Gut motility is a complex transport phenomenon involving smooth muscle, enteric neurons, glia and interstitial cells of Cajal. Because these different cells differentiate and become active at different times during embryo development, studying the ontogenesis of motility offers a unique opportunity to ‘time‐reverse‐engineer’ the peristaltic reflex. Working on chicken embryo intestinal explants in vitro, we found by spatio‐temporal mapping and signal processing of diameter and position changes that motility follows a characteristic sequence of increasing complexity: (1) myogenic circular smooth muscle contractions from E6 to E12 that propagate as waves along the intestine, (2) overlapping and independent, myogenic, low‐frequency, bulk longitudinal smooth muscle contractions around E14, and (3) tetrodotoxin‐sensitive coupling of longitudinal and circular contractions by the enteric nervous system as from E16. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase neurons shows that the coupling consists in nitric oxide‐mediated relaxation of circular smooth muscle when the longitudinal muscle layer is contracted. This mechanosensitive coupling gives rise to a directional, cyclical, propagating bolus transport pattern: the migrating motor complex. We further reveal a transition to a polarized, descending, inhibitory reflex response to mechanical stimulation after neuronal activity sets in at E16. This asymmetric response is the elementary mechanism responsible for peristaltic transport. We finally present unique high‐resolution 3D reconstructions of the chicken enteric nervous system at the neural‐control stage based on confocal imaging of iDISCO+ clarified tissues. Our study shows that the enteric nervous system gives rise to new peristaltic transport patterns during development by coupling spontaneous circular and longitudinal smooth muscle contraction waves.
Study of Electric Field-Induced Evaporation Like Process and Nucleation in Nanoscale
Authors: Darshan M. B. , Agarwal Pratyush , Indana Dhiraj , Datta Saikat , Kumar Ravi , Das Arup Kumar
Published: March 2019

A proposal is made to demonstrate features of thermodynamic evaporation at the nanoscale using only an external electric field. The consequences of exposure to both uniform and nonuniform electric field on the water nanofilms are analyzed through molecular dynamics simulations. The temporal evolution of temperature and molecular nucleation under uniform electric field resembles evaporation at high heat. The temperature fluctuations of the system are analyzed from the density variation of the system, which has received no heat input from outside. Evaporation like process and nucleation from the water surface is described as a systematic polarization of the water molecules in the presence of electric field. The nucleation of the vapor bubble with a nonuniform electric field also shows similarity with heat-induced pool boiling. The reason behind isolated nucleation is analyzed from the temperature map of the system at different time instants. Possible surface instabilities due to the exposure of electric field on water nanolayer are also elaborated for both uniform and nonuniform cases.
Comparison of Various RANS Models for Impinging Round Jet Cooling From a Cylinder
Authors: Ganatra Ketan Atulkumar , Singh Dushyant
Published: March 2019

The numerical analysis for the round jet impingement over a circular cylinder has been carried out. The v2f turbulence model is used for the numerical analysis and compared with the two equation turbulence models from the fluid flow and the heat transfer point of view. Further, the numerical results for the heat transfer with original and modified v2f turbulence model are compared with the experimental results. The nozzle is placed orthogonally to the target surface (heated cylindrical surface). The flow is assumed as the steady, incompressible, three-dimensional and turbulent. The spacing between the nozzle exit and the target surface ranges from 4 to 15 times the nozzle diameter. The Reynolds number based on the nozzle diameter ranges from 23,000 to 38,800. From the heat transfer results, the modified v2f turbulence model is better as compared to the other turbulence models. The modified v2f turbulence model has the least error for the numerical Nusselt number at the stagnation point and wall jet region.
Analytical Modeling of Process Damping in Machining
Authors: Tuysuz Oguzhan , Altintas Yusuf
Published: March 2019

The machining process induced damping caused by the indentation of the cutting edge into the wavy cut surface greatly affects the process stability in low-speed machining of thermally resistant alloys and hardened steel, which have high-frequency vibration marks packed with short wavelengths. This paper presents an analytical model to predict the process damping forces and chatter stability in low-speed machining operations. The indentation boundaries are evaluated using the cutting edge geometry and the undulated surface waveform. Contact pressure due to the interference of the rounded and straight sections of the rigid cutting edge with the elastic-plastic work material is analytically estimated at discrete positions along the wavy surface. The overall contact pressure is obtained as a function of the cutting edge geometry, vibration frequency and amplitude, and the material properties of the workpiece. The resulting specific indentation force is evaluated by integrating the overall pressure along the contact length. Then, the process damping force is linearized by an equivalent specific viscous damping, which is used in the frequency domain chatter stability analysis. The newly proposed analytical process damping model is experimentally validated by predicting the chatter stability in orthogonal turning, end milling, and five-axis milling of flexible blades. It is shown that the proposed model can replace currently used empirical models, which require extensive experimental calibration approach or computationally prohibitive finite elements based numerical simulation methods.
A Problem Class With Combined Architecture, Plant, and Control Design Applied to Vehicle Suspensions
Authors: Herber Daniel R. , Allison James T.
Published: March 2019

Here we describe a problem class with combined architecture, plant, and control design for dynamic engineering systems. The design problem class is characterized by architectures comprised of linear physical elements and nested co-design optimization problems employing linear-quadratic dynamic optimization. The select problem class leverages a number of existing theory and tools and is particularly effective due to the symbiosis between labeled graph representations of architectures, dynamic models constructed from linear physical elements, linear-quadratic dynamic optimization, and the nested co-design solution strategy. A vehicle suspension case study is investigated and a specifically constructed architecture, plant, and control design problem is described. The result was the automated generation and co-design problem evaluation of 4374 unique suspension architectures. The results demonstrate that changes to the vehicle suspension architecture can result in improved performance, but at the cost of increased mechanical complexity. Furthermore, the case study highlights a number of challenges associated with finding solutions to the considered class of design problems. One such challenge is the requirement to use simplified design problem elements/models; thus, the goal of these early-stage studies are to identify new architectures that are worth investigating more deeply. The results of higher-fidelity studies on a subset of high-performance architectures can then be used to select a final system architecture. In many aspects, the described problem class is the simplest case applicable to graph-representable, dynamic engineering systems.
Rapid Liquid Filling of a Pipe With Venting Entrapped Gas: Analytical and Numerical Solutions
Authors: Tijsseling Arris S. , Hou Qingzhi , Bozkuş Zafer
Published: March 2019

The motion of liquid filling a pipeline is impeded when the gas ahead of it cannot escape. Entrapped gas will lead to a significant pressure build-up in front of the liquid column, which slows down the column and eventually bounces it back. The pressure and temperature in the gas may become dangerously high, and for example, lead to fires and explosions caused by auto-ignition. This paper considers the case where the trapped gas can escape through a vent. One new element is that the pressure head of the liquid supply reservoir is fluctuating instead of staying constant. The obtained analytical and numerical solutions are utilized in parameter variation studies that give deeper insight in the system's behavior.
MMP12 Deletion Preferentially Attenuates Axial Stiffening of Aging Arteries
Authors: Brankovic Sonja A. , Hawthorne Elizabeth A. , Yu Xunjie , Zhang Yanhang , Assoian Richard K.
Published: March 2019

Arterial stiffening is a hallmark of aging, but how aging affects the arterial response to pressure is still not completely understood, especially with regard to specific matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Here, we performed biaxial inflation–extension tests on C57BL/6 mice to study the effects of age and MMP12, a major arterial elastase, on arterial biomechanics. Aging from 2 to 24 months leads to both circumferential and axial stiffening with stretch, and these changes are associated with an increased wall thickness, a decreased inner radius–wall thickness ratio, and a decreased in vivo axial stretch. Analysis of in vivo stretch and stress–stretch curves with arteries from age- and sex-matched wild-type (WT) and MMP12-null arteries demonstrates that MMP12 deletion attenuates age-dependent arterial stiffening, mostly in the axial direction. MMP12 deletion also prevents the aging-associated decrease in the in vivo stretch and, in general, leads to an axial mechanics phenotype characteristic of much younger mice. Circumferential arterial mechanics were much less affected by deletion of MMP12. We conclude that the induction of MMP12 during aging preferentially promotes axial arterial stiffening.
Recent Advances and Trends in Fan-Out Wafer/Panel-Level Packaging
Authors: Lau John H.
Published: March 2019

The recent advances and trends in fan-out wafer/panel-level packaging (FOW/PLP) are presented in this study. Emphasis is placed on: (A) the package formations such as (a) chip first and die face-up, (b) chip first and die face-down, and (c) chip last or redistribution layer (RDL)-first; (B) the RDL fabrications such as (a) organic RDLs, (b) inorganic RDLs, (c) hybrid RDLs, and (d) laser direct imaging (LDI)/printed circuit board (PCB) Cu platting and etching RDLs; (C) warpage; (D) thermal performance; (E) the temporary wafer versus panel carriers; and (F) the reliability of packages on PCBs subjected to thermal cycling condition. Some opportunities for FOW/PLP will be presented.
Micronutrient-fortified rice can be a significant source of dietary bioavailable iron in schoolchildren from rural Ghana
Authors: Hackl L. S. , Abizari A. R. , Speich C. , Zungbey-Garti H. , Cercamondi C. I. , Zeder C. , Zimmermann M. B. , Moretti D.
Published: March 2019

Novel fortified rice formulations enhance dietary iron bioavailability in deficient populations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Antibiotic resistance in European wastewater treatment plants mirrors the pattern of clinical antibiotic resistance prevalence
Authors: Pärnänen Katariina M. M. , Narciso-da-Rocha Carlos , Kneis David , Berendonk Thomas U. , Cacace Damiano , Do Thi Thuy , Elpers Christian , Fatta-Kassinos Despo , Henriques Isabel , Jaeger Thomas , Karkman Antti , Martinez Jose Luis , Michael Stella G. , Michael-Kordatou Irene , O’Sullivan Kristin , Rodriguez-Mozaz Sara , Schwartz Thomas , Sheng Hongjie , Sørum Henning , Stedtfeld Robert D. , Tiedje James M. , Giustina Saulo Varela Della , Walsh Fiona , Vaz-Moreira Ivone , Virta Marko , Manaia Célia M.
Published: March 2019

The antibiotic resistome in European UWTPs mirrors the gradient of north-to-south clinical antibiotic resistance prevalence.
Elastocapillary self-assembled neurotassels for stable neural activity recordings
Authors: Guan S. , Wang J. , Gu X. , Zhao Y. , Hou R. , Fan H. , Zou L. , Gao L. , Du M. , Li C. , Fang Y.
Published: March 2019

Neurotassels self-assemble into thin fibers through elastocapillary interactions and enable stable neural activity recordings.
Persistent hippocampal neural firing and hippocampal-cortical coupling predict verbal working memory load
Authors: Boran Ece , Fedele Tommaso , Klaver Peter , Hilfiker Peter , Stieglitz Lennart , Grunwald Thomas , Sarnthein Johannes
Published: March 2019

Human working memory maintenance builds on persistent hippocampal firing and hippocampal-cortical oscillatory synchronization.
Persistence of intense, climate-driven runoff late in Mars history
Authors: Kite Edwin S. , Mayer David P. , Wilson Sharon A. , Davis Joel M. , Lucas Antoine S. , Stucky de Quay Gaia
Published: March 2019

Mars once supported globally-distributed river systems; these flowed more recently and more intensely than previously thought.
Immunomodulatory nanogels overcome restricted immunity in a murine model of gut microbiome–mediated metabolic syndrome
Authors: Mosquera Matthew J. , Kim Sungwoong , Zhou Hao , Jing Tina T. , Luna Marysol , Guss Jason D. , Reddy Pooja , Lai Kristine , Leifer Cynthia A. , Brito Ilana L. , Hernandez Christopher J. , Singh Ankur
Published: March 2019

Gut microbiome and metabolic syndrome regulate nanovaccine response and can be immunomodulated using advanced nanomaterials.
Parallel testing of vehicle intelligence via virtual-real interaction
Authors: Li Li , Wang Xiao , Wang Kunfeng , Lin Yilun , Xin Jingmin , Chen Long , Xu Linhai , Tian Bin , Ai Yunfeng , Wang Jian , Cao Dongpu , Liu Yuehu , Wang Chenghong , Zheng Nanning , Wang Fei-Yue
Published: March 2019

A closed-loop parallel testing system implements more challenging tests to accelerate evaluation and development of autonomous vehicles.
A pannexin 1 channelopathy causes human oocyte death
Authors: Sang Qing , Zhang Zhihua , Shi Juanzi , Sun Xiaoxi , Li Bin , Yan Zheng , Xue Songguo , Ai Ai , Lyu Qifeng , Li Wei , Zhang Jilin , Wu Ling , Mao Xiaoyan , Chen Biaobang , Mu Jian , Li Qiaoli , Du Jing , Sun Qiang , Jin Li , He Lin , Zhu Shujia , Kuang Yanping , Wang Lei
Published: March 2019

Inherited dominant mutations in
PANX1
cause female infertility characterized by oocyte death.
Efficient Synthesis of Methyl 3-Acetoxypropionate by a Newly Identified Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase
Authors: Liu Yuan-Yang , Li Chun-Xiu , Xu Jian-He , Zheng Gao-Wei
Published: March 2019

BVMOs are emerging as a green alternative to traditional oxidants in the BV oxidation of ketones. Although many BVMOs are discovered and used in organic synthesis, few are really applied in industry, especially in the case of aliphatic ketones. Herein, a highly soluble and relatively stable monooxygenase from
Rhodococcus pyridinivorans
(BVMO
Rp
) was identified with high activity and excellent regioselectivity toward most aliphatic ketones. BVMO
Rp
possesses unusually high substrate loading during the catalysis of the oxidation of biobased methyl levulinate to 3-hydroxypropionic acid derivatives. This study indicates that the synthesis of 3-hydroxypropionate from readily available biobased levulinate by BVMO
Rp
-catalyzed oxidation holds great promise to replace traditional fermentation.
Draft Genome Sequence of an Enterococcus faecalis Strain (24FS) That Was Isolated from Healthy Infant Feces and Exhibits High Antibacterial Activity, Multiple-Antibiotic Resistance, and Multiple Virulence Factors
Authors: El Halfawy Nancy M. , El-Naggar Moustafa Y. , Andrews Simon C.
Published: March 2019

Enterococcus faecalis
24FS is a bacteriocin-producing, multiply antibiotic-resistant, and potentially virulent bacterium isolated from healthy infant feces. The draft 2.9-Mb genome sequence revealed 2,968 protein-encoding genes; 11 antibiotic resistance, 8 virulence, and 3 bacteriocin genes; and 2 plasmids, 4 prophages, 30 insertion sequence (IS) elements, 1 transposon, and 1 integron.
Complete Genome Sequence of Brevundimonas diminuta ATCC(B) 19146
Authors: Liang Qian , Yu Wenwen , Shi Ya , Li Hong , Fang Xu , Chen Huan
Published: March 2019

Here, we describe the complete genome sequence of the
Brevundimonas diminuta
ATCC(B) 19146 strain, which contains 3,375 protein-coding genes and 61 RNAs within its 3,551,819-bp-long genome. The genome consists of a circular chromosome.
Complete Genome Sequence of Rhodococcus erythropolis Phage Shuman
Authors: Ponce Reyes Sucely , Park Peter J. , Kaluka Daniel , Washington Jacqueline M.
Published: March 2019

Shuman is a bacteriophage isolated in Nyack, New York, using
Rhodococcus erythropolis
NRRL B-1574 as a host. It is a member of cluster CA and has a genome length of 46,544 bp.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Marine Bacterium Erythrobacter flavus Strain KJ5
Authors: Kanesaki Yu , Setiyono Edi , Pringgenies Delianis , Moriuchi Ryota , Brotosudarmo Tatas H. P. , Awai Koichiro
Published: March 2019

Erythrobacter flavus
strain KJ5 (formerly called
Erythrobacter
sp. strain KJ5) is a yellowish marine bacterium that was isolated from a hard coral in the Karimunjawa Islands of Indonesia.
Study protocol: quantitative fibronectin to help decision-making in women with symptoms of preterm labour (QUIDS) part 2, UK Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Stock Sarah Jane , Wotherspoon Lisa M , Boyd Kathleen Anne , Morris Rachel K , Dorling Jon , Jackson Lesley , Chandiramani Manju , David Anna L , Khalil Asma , Shennan Andrew , Hodgetts Morton Victoria , Lavender Tina , Khan Khalid , Harper-Clarke Susan , Mol Ben , Riley Richard D , Norrie John , Norman Jane
Published: March 2019

Introduction

The aim of the QUIDS study is to develop a decision support tool for the management of women with symptoms and signs of preterm labour, based on a validated prognostic model using quantitative fetal fibronectin (fFN) concentration, in combination with clinical risk factors.

Methods and analysis

The study will evaluate the Rapid fFN 10Q System (Hologic, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA) which quantifies fFN in a vaginal swab. In QUIDS part 2, we will perform a prospective cohort study in at least eight UK consultant-led maternity units, in women with symptoms of preterm labour at 22+0 to 34+6weeks gestation to externally validate a prognostic model developed in QUIDS part 1. The effects of quantitative fFN on anxiety will be assessed, and acceptability of the test and prognostic model will be evaluated in a subgroup of women and clinicians (n=30). The sample size is 1600 women (with estimated 96–192 events of preterm delivery within 7 days of testing). Clinicians will be informed of the qualitative fFN result (positive/negative) but be blinded to quantitative fFN result. Research midwives will collect outcome data from the maternal and neonatal clinical records. The final validated prognostic model will be presented as a mobile or web-based application.

Ethics and dissemination

The study is funded by the National Institute of Healthcare Research Health Technology Assessment (HTA 14/32/01). It has been approved by the West of Scotland Research Ethics Committee (16/WS/0068).

Version

Protocol V.2, Date 1 November 2016.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN41598423and CPMS: 31277.
European Qualitative research project on Patient-preferred outcomes in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (EQPERA): rationale, design and methods of a multinational, multicentre, multilingual, longitudinal qualitative study
Authors: Van der Elst Kristien , Bremander Ann , De Groef An , Larsson Ingrid , Mathijssen Elke G E , Vriezekolk Johanna E , Westhovens Rene , van Eijk-Hustings Yvonne J L
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Including the patient perspective is important to achieve optimal outcomes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Ample qualitative studies exist on patient outcomes in RA. A Belgian study recently unravelled what matters most to patients throughout the overwhelming and rapidly evolving early stage of RA. The present study, European Qualitative research project on Patient-preferred outcomes in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (EQPERA) was created to contribute to a more universal understanding of patient-preferred health and treatment outcomes by integrating the perspectives of patients with early RA from three European countries.

Methods and analysis

In EQPERA, a qualitative, explorative, longitudinal study will be implemented in The Netherlands and Sweden, parallel to the methods applied in the previously conducted Belgian study. In each country, a purposive sample of patients with early RA will be individually interviewed 3–6 months after start of the initial RA treatment and subsequently, the same participants will be invited to take part in a focus group 12–18 months after RA treatment initiation. Data collection and analysis will be independently conducted by the local research teams in their native language. A meta-analysis of the local findings will be performed to explore and describe similarities, differences and patterns across countries.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was granted by the responsible local ethics committees. EQPERA follows the recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki. Two main papers are foreseen (apart from the data reporting on the local findings) for peer-reviewed publication.
Results of a feasibility randomised clinical trial on pain education for low back pain in Nepal: the Pain Education in Nepal-Low Back Pain (PEN-LBP) feasibility trial
Authors: Sharma Saurab , Jensen Mark P , Moseley G Lorimer , Abbott J Haxby
Published: March 2019

Objectives

The aims of this study were to: (1) develop pain education materials in Nepali and (2) determine the feasibility of conducting a randomised clinical trial (RCT) of a pain education intervention using these materials in Nepal.

Design

A two-arm, parallel, assessor-blinded, feasibility RCT.

Setting

A rehabilitation hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Participants

Forty Nepalese with non-specific low back pain (mean [SD] age 41 [14] years; 12 [30%] women).

Interventions

Eligible participants were randomised, by concealed, 1:1 allocation, to one of two groups: (1) a pain education intervention and (2) a guideline-based physiotherapy active control group intervention. Each intervention was delivered by a physiotherapist in a single, 1-hour, individualised treatment session.

Primary outcome measures

The primary outcomes were related to feasibility: recruitment, retention and treatment adherence of participants, feasibility and blinding of outcome assessments, fidelity of treatment delivery, credibility of, and satisfaction with, treatment. Assessments were performed at baseline and at 1 week post-treatment.

Secondary outcome measures

Pain intensity, pain interference, pain catastrophising, sleep disturbance, resilience, global rating of change, depression and quality of life. Statistical analyses were conducted blind to group allocation.

Results

Forty participants were recruited. Thirty-eight participants (95%) completed the 1-week post-treatment assessment. Most primary outcomes surpassed the a priori thresholds for feasibility. Several findings have important implications for designing a full trial. Secondary analyses suggest clinical benefit of pain education over the control intervention, with larger decrease in pain intensity (mean difference=3.56 [95% CI 0.21 to 6.91]) and pain catastrophising (mean difference=6.16 [95% CI 0.59 to 11.72]) in the pain education group. Pain intensity would seem an appropriate outcome for a full clinical trial. One minor adverse event was reported.

Conclusion

We conclude that a full RCT of pain education for back pain in Nepal is feasible and warranted.

Trial registration number

NCT03387228; Results.
Analysis of geological hiatus surfaces across Africa in the Cenozoic and implications for the timescales of convectively-maintained topography
Authors: Carena Sara , Bunge Hans-Peter , Friedrich Anke M.
Published: March 2019

Geological maps are a powerful but underutilized tool for constraining geodynamic processes and models. Unraveling the Cenozoic elevation history of Africa and distinguishing between competing uplift and subsidence scenarios is of considerable interest to constrain the dynamic processes in the mantle beneath the continent. Here, we explore continental-scale geological maps, and map temporal and spatial patterns of geological contacts, assuming that interregional-scale unconformable contacts (hiatus surfaces) on geological maps yield proxy records of paleotopography and vertical motion. We found that significant differences in the spatial extents of interregional-scale hiatus surfaces exist across Africa at the timescale of geologic series. A significant expansion of total unconformable area at the base of the Miocene strongly suggests that the Oligocene was a period of uplift in most of Africa. In southern Africa there is a complete absence of marine sediments in both the Oligocene and Pleistocene. This pattern suggests that southernmost Africa reached a high elevation in the Oligocene, subsided in the Miocene–Pliocene, and has been high again since the latest Pliocene or Pleistocene. Our hiatus mapping results support a dynamic origin of Africa’s topography. In particular, they point to elevation changes at the timescale of geologic series (ten to a few tens of millions of years), which is considerably smaller than the mantle transit time. The timescale for elevation changes in Africa is, thus, comparable with the rapid spreading in the South Atlantic, which have been geodynamically linked to African elevation changes through pressure-driven upper mantle flow.
Latent Phase Detection of Hypoxic-Ischemic Spike Transients in the EEG of Preterm Fetal Sheep Using Reverse Biorthogonal Wavelets & Fuzzy Classifier
Authors: Abbasi Hamid , Bennet Laura , Gunn Alistair J. , Unsworth Charles P.
Published: March 2019

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) studies in preterms lack reliable prognostic biomarkers for diagnostic tests of HI encephalopathy (HIE). Our group’s observations from in utero fetal sheep models suggest that potential biomarkers of HIE in the form of developing HI micro-scale epileptiform transients emerge along suppressed EEG/ECoG background during a latent phase of 6–7[Formula: see text]h post-insult. However, having to observe for the whole of the latent phase disqualifies any chance of clinical intervention. A precise automatic identification of these transients can help for a well-timed diagnosis of the HIE and to stop the spread of the injury before it becomes irreversible. This paper reports fusion of Reverse-Biorthogonal Wavelets with Type-1 Fuzzy classifiers, for the accurate real-time automatic identification and quantification of high-frequency HI spike transients in the latent phase, tested over seven in utero preterm sheep. Considerable high performance of 99.78 ± 0.10% was obtained from the Rbio-Wavelet Type-1 Fuzzy classifier for automatic identification of HI spikes tested over 42[Formula: see text]h of high-resolution recordings (sampling-freq:1024[Formula: see text]Hz). Data from post-insult automatic time-localization of high-frequency HI spikes reveals a promising trend in the average rate of the HI spikes, even in the animals with shorter occlusion periods, which highlights considerable higher number of transients within the first 2[Formula: see text]h post-insult.
Masses of heavy–light mesons with two-loop static potential in a variational approach
Authors: Lahkar Jugal , Hoque Rashidul , Choudhury D. K.
Published: March 2019

In this work, we investigate the masses of a few heavy–light mesons with variational method, taking into account the two-loop effects in the static Cornell potential. Specifically, we consider two wave functions, Gaussian and Coulomb. Our analysis suggests that phenomenologically such approach is more successful in the heavy flavored meson sector than the stationary state perturbation theory and other approximation methods.
Two-Component Analysis of Photoluminescence Bands for Semiconductor Quantum Dots in Solutions
Authors: Zenkevich E. , Stupak A. , von Borczyskowski C.
Published: March 2019

We present the quantitative analysis of the photoluminescence (PL) obtained for semiconductor TOPO-capped CdSe/ZnS QDs in solutions at 77–293[Formula: see text]K. The PL bands are approximated more accurately when assuming the superposition of at least two Gaussian components differing considerably in the linewidth (FWHM) and having different nature.
Transformation of Evanescent Bessel Light Beams into Propagating Quasi-Nondiffracting Beams in Epsilon-Near-Zero Hyperbolic Metamaterials
Authors: Kurilkina S. , Belyi V. , Kazak N.
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we show the possibility of rebuilding of the structure of wave vector surface and the appearance of its local parts with near zero curvature for epsilon-near-zero hyperbolic metamaterials. It is established that when evanescent Bessel light beam falls in special directions related to these local parts, it is transformed into propagating one. The features of transformed beam are analyzed.
Photoconductivity Resonance Tunneling Spectroscopy of the Electron States in the InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Heterostructures
Authors: Ivina N. L. , Orlov M. L. , Volkova N. S.
Published: March 2019

The electric-field behavior of the resonance features in the photoelectric characteristics of InAs/GaAs heterostructures is studied. We discuss the emission mechanism of the charge carriers excited from InAs quantum dots into the GaAs matrix. It was shown that at the temperature of liquid nitrogen the photocurrent in a strong transverse electric field is only determined by the effect of electron tunneling through the barrier formed at the quantum-dot interfaces. Comparison of the experimental curves with the quasi-classical expression for the tunneling current component and analysis of the potential structure allowed us to specify some parameters of investigated heterostructures. Analysis of the electric-field dependences of the photocurrent-tunneling component revealed resonance peculiarities connected with the local defect states in the vicinity of InAs/GaAs interface.
Dependence of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Band on Concentration of Copper Nanoparticles in Transparent and Carbon-Bearing Matrices
Authors: Dynich R. A. , Zamkovetz A. D. , Ponyavina A. N. , Shpilevsky E. M.
Published: March 2019

An influence of matrix absorbance on electrodynamic coupling in arrays of close-packed plasmonic nanoparticles and on the surface plasmonic resonance absorption (SPRA) band was analyzed with the use of the Mie theory and statistical theory of multiple scattering of waves. A miss of the concentration red shift of the SPRA band in Cu–C60 nanostructures was observed experimentally and explained.
Gabor-oriented local order feature-based deep learning for face annotation
Authors: Kasthuri A. , Suruliandi A. , Raja S. P.
Published: March 2019

Face annotation, a modern research topic in the area of image processing, has useful real-life applications. It is a really difficult task to annotate the correct names of people to the corresponding faces because of the variations in facial appearance. Hence, there still is a need for a robust feature to improve the performance of the face annotation process. In this work, a novel approach called the Deep Gabor-Oriented Local Order Features (DGOLOF) for feature representation has been proposed, which extracts deep texture features from face images. Seven recently proposed face annotation methods are considered to evaluate the proposed deep texture feature under uncontrolled situations like occlusion, expression changes, illumination and pose variations. Experimental results on the LFW, IMFDB, Yahoo and PubFig databases show that the proposed deep texture feature provides efficient results with the Name Semantic Network (NSN)-based face annotation. Moreover, it is observed that the proposed deep texture feature improves the performance of face annotation, regardless of all the challenges involved.
Stability Analysis of Spin-Torque Nano-oscillator in the Rotating Frame
Authors: Chen HaoHsuan , Zeng Lang , Lee ChingMing , Zhao Weisheng
Published: March 2019

Spin-torque nano-oscillators (STNOs) have become one of the emerging and novel microwave devices with the high performance and tunability of GHz range frequency. The nanopillar structure with an out-of-plane (OP) spin polarizer and an in-plane (IP) magnetized free layer (FL) has been considered as a good candidate for the STNOs. Using the local rotational coordinate transformation, a nonstationary process describing magnetization dynamics in the laboratory frame is therefore transformed into a stationary one in the rotating frame. In this way, the state phase diagram of this type of STNOs is well established as a function of an applied current and external field, which is also evidenced by the macrospin simulations. Also, we show that the frequency tunability of the STNOs through electrical current can be well elevated by applying a static magnetic field anti-parallel to the spin-polarizer vector.
Asymptotics for the systematic and idiosyncratic volatility with large dimensional high-frequency data
Authors: Kong Xin-Bing , Lin Jin-Guan , Liu Guang-Ying
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we decompose the volatility of a diffusion process into systematic and idiosyncratic components, which are not identified with observations discretely sampled from univariate process. Using large dimensional high-frequency data and assuming a factor structure, we obtain consistent estimates of the Laplace transforms of the systematic and idiosyncratic volatility processes. Based on the discrepancy between realized bivariate Laplace transform of the pair of systematic and idiosyncratic volatility processes and the product of the two marginal Laplace transforms, we propose a Kolmogorov–Smirnov-type independence test statistics for the two components of the volatility process. A functional central limit theorem for the discrepancy is established under the null hypothesis that the systematic and idiosyncratic volatilities are independent. The limiting Gaussian process is realized by a simulated discrete skeleton process which can be applied to define an approximate critical region for an independence test.
Quantized Gradient-Descent Algorithm for Distributed Resource Allocation
Authors: Zhou Hongbing , Yu Weiyong , Yi Peng , Hong Yiguang
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we consider a distributed resource allocation problem with communication limitation. We propose a gradient-descent algorithm to solve the distributed resource allocation problem with quantization mechanism due to the communication limitations or in order to reduce the communication cost in the network. With carefully selected parameters, the convergence and correctness of the quantized algorithm can be obtained for fixed communication topologies and moreover, extended to switching jointly connected topologies. The exact optimal value can be obtained, which is different from some existing works, whose convergence accuracies were limited by the quantization bandwidth. In addition, the data rate of the proposed algorithm is also analyzed for both fixed and switching communication networks. Particularly, in the fixed topology case, we obtain that 1 bit is sufficient to solve the distributed problem with the proposed algorithm.
Why Are China and the U.S. Not Destined to Fall into the “Thucydides’ Trap”?
Authors: Shengli Ling , Huiyi Lv
Published: March 2019

With the rise of China and relative decline of the United States, the question of whether both countries will fall into the so-called “Thucydides’ Trap” — an analogy to the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece — has triggered heated debate within international academia. By discussing the misunderstanding about the concept and conducting a three-level analysis of modern Sino-U.S. relations, this article identifies a few major flaws in making a simple analogy between the Athens-Sparta confrontation in ancient Greece and the Sino-U.S. relationship today. It concludes that a war between China and the United States is unlikely to take place thanks to the confines of the international system, the different nature of alliance networks from the ancient Greek period, the economic interdependence among countries, and the changing public attitude toward war. It also suggests both countries expand their economic, political, security and cultural cooperation, so as to ultimately overcome the “Thucydides’ Trap.”
Propagation of Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Vaquer-Alicea Jaime , Diamond Marc I.
Published: March 2019

Most common neurodegenerative diseases feature deposition of protein amyloids and degeneration of brain networks. Amyloids are ordered protein assemblies that can act as templates for their own replication through monomer addition. Evidence suggests that this characteristic may underlie the progression of pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. Many different amyloid proteins, including Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein, exhibit properties similar to those of infectious prion protein in experimental systems: discrete and self-replicating amyloid structures, transcellular propagation of aggregation, and transmissible neuropathology. This review discusses the contribution of prion phenomena and transcellular propagation to the progression of pathology in common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It reviews fundamental events such as cell entry, amplification, and transcellular movement. It also discusses amyloid strains, which produce distinct patterns of neuropathology and spread through the nervous system. These concepts may impact the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Does Chemical Engineering Research Have a Reproducibility Problem?
Authors: Han Rebecca , Walton Krista S. , Sholl David S.
Published: March 2019

Concerns have been raised in multiple scientific fields in recent years about the reproducibility of published results. Systematic efforts to examine this issue have been undertaken in biomedicine and psychology, but less is known about this important issue in the materials-oriented research that underpins much of modern chemical engineering. Here, we relate a dramatic historical episode from our own institution to illustrate the implications of performing reproducible research and describe two case studies based on literature analysis to provide concrete information on the reproducibility of modern materials-oriented research. The two case studies deal with the properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of materials that have generated tens of thousands of papers. We do not claim that research on MOFs is less (or more) reproducible than other subfields; rather, we argue that the characteristics of this subfield are common to many areas of materials-oriented research. We conclude with specific recommendations for action by individual researchers, journal editors, publishers, and research communities.
Toward Sustainable Chemical Engineering: The Role of Process Systems Engineering
Authors: Bakshi Bhavik R.
Published: March 2019

Products from chemical engineering are essential for human well-being, but they also contribute to the degradation of ecosystem goods and services that are essential for sustaining all human activities. To contribute to sustainability, chemical engineering needs to address this paradox by developing chemical products and processes that meet the needs of present and future generations. Unintended harm of chemical engineering has usually appeared outside the discipline's traditional system boundary due to shifting of impacts across space, time, flows, or disciplines, and exceeding nature's capacity to supply goods and services. Being a subdiscipline of chemical engineering, process systems engineering (PSE) is best suited for ensuring that chemical engineering makes net positive contributions to sustainable development. This article reviews the role of PSE in the quest toward a sustainable chemical engineering. It focuses on advances in metrics, process design, product design, and process dynamics and control toward sustainability. Efforts toward contributing to this quest have already expanded the boundary of PSE to consider economic, environmental, and societal aspects of processes, products, and their life cycles. Future efforts need to account for the role of ecosystems in supporting industrial activities, and the effects of human behavior and markets on the environmental impacts of chemical products. Close interaction is needed between the reductionism of chemical engineering science and the holism of process systems engineering, along with a shift in the engineering paradigm from wanting to dominate nature to learning from it and respecting its limits.