bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Needle-use declarations at the Olympic Games Rio 2016
Authors: Allen Molly , Stuart Mark Campbell , Gribble Hannah , Budgett Richard , Pipe Andrew
Published: November 2017

Aim

We report on the results of the ‘IOC Needle Policy’ applied during the course of the Games of the XXXI Summer Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The policy was intended to empower physicians to ensure appropriate clinical use of needles within team medical environments, enhance the safety of those responsible for housekeeping services and others in the Olympic environment, and permit documentation of such procedures as an adjunct to the doping control programme. Any needle use required the submission of an ‘Injection Declaration Form’ to IOC medical officials.

Method

All‘Injection Declaration Forms’ were reviewed and archived. The declarations provided basic information regarding the nature of the needle use and the product(s) involved, the physician, athlete and respective National Olympic Committee (NOC). The details of the declarations were subsequently categorised.

Results

A total of 367 declarations were received from physicians representing 49 NOCs. Needle-use declarations were more common in athletics, gymnastics, football and aquatics. A single product was administered in 60% of the cases, and more than one product was administered in 40%. The majority of declarations indicated the use of local anaesthetics, glucocorticoids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.

Conclusion

The introduction of a ‘Needle Policy’ in the Olympic Games setting was intended to minimise the use of needles by non-physicians, promote evidence-based practice and to deter needle-based doping practices. Declarations were received from 49 of 209 NOCs suggesting either that needle use is minimal among certain teams or opportunities remain to enhance compliance with such policies at future games.
Updated systematic review of exercise studies in breast cancer survivors: attention to the principles of exercise training
Authors: Neil-Sztramko Sarah E , Winters-Stone Kerri M , Bland Kelcey A , Campbell Kristin L
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To update our previous evaluation of the exercise interventions used in randomised controlled trials of breast cancer survivors in relation to (1) the application of the principles of exercise training in the exercise prescription; (2) the reporting of the components of the exercise prescription; and (3) the reporting of adherence of participants to the prescribed interventions.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

The OVID Medline, Embase, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus electronic databases were searched from January 2010 to January 2017.

Eligibility criteria

Randomised controlled trials of at least 4 weeks of aerobic and/or resistance exercise in women diagnosed with breast cancer, reporting on physical fitness or body composition outcomes.

Results

Specificity was appropriately applied by 84%, progression by 29%, overload by 38% and initial values by 67% of newly identified studies. Reversibility was reported by 3% anddiminishing returns by 22% of newly identified studies. No studies reported all components of the exercise prescription in the methods, or adherence to the prescribed intervention in the results. Reporting of reversibility has increased from 2010, but no other improvements in reporting were noted from the previous review.

Summary/Conclusion

No studies of exercise in women with breast cancer attended to all principles of exercise training, or reported all components of the exercise prescription in the methods, or adherence to the prescription in the results. Full reporting of the exercise prescribed and completed is essential for study replication in research and translating research findings into the community, and should be prioritised in future trials.
Prevention and assessment of infectious diseases among children and adult migrants arriving to the European Union/European Economic Association: a protocol for a suite of systematic reviews for public health and health systems
Authors: Pottie Kevin , Mayhew Alain D , Morton Rachael L , Greenaway Christina , Akl Elie A , Rahman Prinon , Zenner Dominik , Pareek Manish , Tugwell Peter , Welch Vivian , Meerpohl Joerg , Alonso-Coello Pablo , Hui Charles , Biggs Beverley-Ann , Requena-Méndez Ana , Agbata Eric , Noori Teymur , Schünemann Holger J
Published: November 2017

Introduction

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is developing evidence-based guidance for voluntary screening, treatment and vaccine prevention of infectious diseases for newly arriving migrants to the European Union/European Economic Area. The objective of this systematic review protocol is to guide the identification, appraisal and synthesis of the best available evidence on prevention and assessment of the following priority infectious diseases: tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis (polio),Haemophilus influenzadisease, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis.

Methods and analysis

The search strategy will identify evidence from existing systematic reviews and then update the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness evidence using prospective trials, economic evaluations and/or recently published systematic reviews. Interdisciplinary teams have designed logic models to help define study inclusion and exclusion criteria, guiding the search strategy and identifying relevant outcomes. We will assess the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Ethics and dissemination

There are no ethical or safety issues. We anticipate disseminating the findings through open-access publications, conference abstracts and presentations. We plan to publish technical syntheses as GRADEpro evidence summaries and the systematic reviews as part of a special edition open-access publication on refugee health. We are following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols reporting guideline. This protocol is registered in PROSPERO: CRD42016045798.
The health and well-being of Australia’s future medical doctors: protocol for a 5-year observational cohort study of medical trainees
Authors: Cvejic Erin , Parker Gordon , Harvey Samuel B , Steel Zachery , Hadzi-Pavlovic Dusan , Macnamara Claire L , Vollmer-Conna Uté
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Clinical training in the undergraduate medical course places multiple stressors on trainees, which have been held to lead to heightened distress, depression, suicide, substance misuse/abuse and poor mental health outcomes. To date, evidence for morbidity in trainees is largely derived from cross-sectional survey-based research. This limits the accuracy of estimates and the extent to which predispositional vulnerabilities (biological and/or psychological), contextual triggers and longer-term consequences can be validly identified. Longitudinal clinical assessments embedded within a biopsychosocial framework are needed before effective preventative and treatment strategies can be put in place.

Methods and analysis

This study is an observational longitudinal cohort study of 330 students enrolled in the undergraduate medicine course at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia. Students will be recruited in their fourth year of study and undergo annual assessments for 4 consecutive years as they progress through increasingly demanding clinical training, including internship. Assessments will include clinical interviews for psychiatric morbidity, and self-report questionnaires to obtain health, psychosocial, performance and functioning information. Objective measures of cognitive performance, sleep/activity patterns as well as autonomic and immune function (via peripheral blood samples) will be obtained. These data will be used to determine the prevalence, incidence and severity of mental disorder, elucidate contextual and biological triggers and mechanisms underpinning psychopathology and examine the impact of psychopathology on performance and professional functioning.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been granted by the UNSW human research ethics committee (reference HC16340). The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, and distributed to key stakeholders within the medical education sector. The outcomes will also inform targeted preventative and treatment strategies to enhance stress resilience in trainee doctors.
Effect of individual patient risk, centre, surgeon and anaesthetist on length of stay in hospital after cardiac surgery: Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Critical Care (ACTACC) consecutive cases series study of 10 UK specialist centres
Authors: Papachristofi Olympia , Klein Andrew A , Mackay John , Nashef Samer , Fletcher Nick , Sharples Linda D
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To determine the relative contributions of patient risk profile, local and individual clinical practice on length of hospital stay after cardiac surgery.

Design

Ten-year audit of prospectively collected consecutive cardiac surgical cases. Case-mix adjusted outcomes were analysed in models that included random effects for centre, surgeon and anaesthetist.

Setting

UK centres providing adult cardiac surgery.

Participants

10 of 36 UK specialist centres agreed to provide outcomes for all major cardiac operations over 10 years. After exclusions (duplicates, cases operated by more than one consultant, deaths and procedures for which the EuroSCORE risk score for cardiac surgery is not appropriate), there were 107 038 cardiac surgical procedures between April 2002 and March 2012, conducted by 127 consultant surgeons and 190 consultant anaesthetists.

Main outcome measure

Length of stay (LOS) up to 3 months postoperatively.

Results

The principal component of variation in outcomes was patient risk (represented by the EuroSCORE and remaining patient heterogeneity), accounting for 95.43% of the variation for postoperative LOS. The impact of the surgeon and centre was moderate (intra-class correlation coefficients ICC=2.79% and 1.59%, respectively), whereas the impact of the anaesthetist was negligible (ICC=0.19%). Similarly, 96.05% of the variation for prolonged LOS (>11 days) was attributable to the patient, with surgeon and centre less but still influential components (ICC=2.12% and 1.66%, respectively, 0.17% only for anaesthetists). Adjustment for year of operation resulted in minor reductions in variation attributable to surgeons (ICC=2.52% for LOS and 2.23% for prolonged LOS).

Conclusions

Patient risk profile is the primary determinant of variation in LOS, and as a result, current initiatives to reduce hospital stay by modifying consultant performance are unlikely to have a substantial impact. Therefore, substantially reducing hospital stay requires shifting away from a one-size-fits-all approach to cardiac surgery, and seeking alternative treatment options personalised to high-risk patients.
Non-typhoidalSalmonellain Calabria, Italy: a laboratory and patient-based survey
Authors: Mascaro Valentina , Pileggi Claudia , Crinò Maria , Proroga Yolande Therese Rose , Carullo Maria Rosaria , Graziani Caterina , Arigoni Fabio , Turno Pasquale , Pavia Maria
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Although there has been a decrease in the number of cases of salmonellosis in the European Union, it still represents the primary cause of foodborne outbreaks. In Calabria region, data are lacking for the incidence of human non-typhoid salmonellosis as active surveillance has never been carried out.

Objective

To report the results of a laboratory and patient-based morbidity survey in Calabria to describe the incidence and distribution ofSalmonellaserovars isolated from humans, with a focus on antimicrobial resistance patterns.

Methods

Positive cultures from human samples were collected from every laboratory participating in the surveillance, with a minimum set of information about each isolate. A questionnaire was then administered to the patients by telephone interview to assess the potential risk exposures.

Salmonellaisolates underwent biochemical identification, molecular analysis by PCR and antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the disk-diffusion method.

Results

During a 2-year period, 105 strains ofSalmonellaspp were isolated from samples of patients with diarrhoea, with the highest isolation rate for children aged 1–5 years. The standardised rate was 2.7 cases per 1 00 000 population. The most commonSalmonellaisolates belonged to monophasic variant ofS.Typhimurium (S.4,[5],12:i:-) (33.3%), followed byS. Typhimurium (21.9%). 30.5% of the isolates were susceptible to all microbial agents tested and the most common pan-susceptible serotype wasS.Napoli (100%).S. 4,[5],12:i:- was resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfonamides and tetracyclines in 42.9% cases, while resistance to quinolones was seen in 14.3% of the isolates.

Conclusions

The results provide evidence that an active surveillance system effectively enhancesSalmonellanotifications. The high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, including resistance to quinolones and multiresistance, enforces the need to strengthen strategies of surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial use.
Using environmental engineering to increase hand hygiene compliance: a cross-over study protocol
Authors: Schmidtke Kelly Ann , Aujla Navneet , Marshall Tom , Hussain Abid , Hodgkinson Gerard P , Arheart Kristopher , Marti Joachim , Birnbach David J , Vlaev Ivo
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Compliance with hand hygiene recommendations in hospital is typically less than 50%. Such low compliance inevitably contributes to hospital-acquired infections that negatively affect patients’ well-being and hospitals’ finances. The design of the present study is predicated on the assumption that most people who fail to clean their hands are not doing so intentionally, they just forget. The present study will test whether psychological priming can be used to increase the number of people who clean their hands on entering a ward. Here, we present the protocol for this study.

Methods and analysis

The study will use a randomised cross-over design. During the study, each of four wards will be observed during four conditions: olfactory prime, visual prime, both primes and neither prime. Each condition will be experienced for 42 days followed by a 7-day washout period (total duration of trial=189 days). We will record the number of people who enter each ward and whether they clean their hands during observation sessions, the amount of cleaning material used from the dispensers each week and the number of hospital-acquired infections that occur in each period. The outcomes will be compared using a regression analysis. Following the initial trail, the most effective priming condition will be rolled out for 3 months in all the wards.

Ethics and dissemination

Research ethics approval was obtained from the South Central—Oxford C Research Ethics Committee (16/SC/0554), the Health Regulatory Authority and the sponsor.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN (15397624); Edge ID 86357.
A randomised controlled trial comparing venous stenting with conservative treatment in patients with deep venous obstruction: research protocol
Authors: van Vuuren Timme MAJ , van Laanen Jorinde H H , de Geus Maaike , Nelemans Patty J , de Graaf Rick , Wittens Cees H A
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Deep venous obstruction (DVO) has a great impact on quality of life (QoL) comparable to angina pectoris or chronic pulmonary disease. Post-thrombotic scar formation and May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) are the most common causes of DVO. Conventional treatment of DVO focuses on reducing pain or leg swelling by use of (pain) medication and therapeutic elastic stockings. In the past, a venous bypass was offered in severe post-thrombotic cases, but this procedure showed bad clinical and patency outcomes. With the introduction of percutaneous angioplasty and dedicated venous stents new opportunities were created. Deep venous stenting has been shown to be effective in retrospective case series. However, there is no prior research in which QoL after interventional treatment is compared with QoL after conventional treatment. Currently, there is a debate about the true additional value of interventional treatment. We investigate whether those patients who are treated with stenting experience a change in short form 36 (SF-36) and the Veines-QoL/Sym questionnaires compared with conventionally treated patients.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised trial comparing conservative deep venous management to interventional treatment. A total of 130 patients with post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) or MTS, eligible for interventional percutaneous treatment, who did not have previous deep venous intervention will be included. Patients will be randomised to conservative treatment or venous stenting and stratified for the PTS or MTS subgroup. Conservative treatment consists of either one or a combination of pain medications, manual lymphatic drainage, compression stockings and regular post-thrombotic anticoagulant therapy.

The primary outcome is the QoL change after 12 months compared with baseline QoL. Secondary outcomes are QoL changes at 6 weeks, clinical assessment of DVO, recurrence rate of deep venous thrombosis at 6 weeks and 12 months, and the total amount of working days lost. Intervention-specific outcomes include complications and patency.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol is approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Academisch ziekenhuis Maastricht/Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands (protocol number NLNL55641.068.15 / METC 161008).We aim to publish the results of this study in a peer reviewed journal and present our findings at national or international conferences.

Trial registration number

The study protocol was registered atwww.clinicaltrials.gov(registration number:NCT03026049) on 17 January 2017.
The incidence and healthcare costs of persistent postoperative pain following lumbar spine surgery in the UK: a cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
Authors: Weir Sharada , Samnaliev Mihail , Kuo Tzu-Chun , Ni Choitir Caitriona , Tierney Travis S , Cumming David , Bruce Julie , Manca Andrea , Taylor Rod S , Eldabe Sam
Published: November 2017

Objective

To characterise incidence and healthcare costs associated with persistent postoperative pain (PPP) following lumbar surgery.

Design

Retrospective, population-based cohort study.

Setting

Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) databases.

Participants

Population-based cohort of 10 216 adults who underwent lumbar surgery in England from 1997/1998 through 2011/2012 and had at least 1 year of presurgery data and 2 years of postoperative follow-up data in the linked CPRD–HES.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures

Incidence and total healthcare costs over 2, 5 and 10 years attributable to persistent PPP following initial lumbar surgery.

Results

The rate of individuals undergoing lumbar surgery in the CPRD–HES linked data doubled over the 15-year study period, fiscal years 1997/1998 to 2011/2012, from 2.5 to 4.9 per 10 000 adults. Over the most recent 5-year period (2007/2008 to 2011/2012), on average 20.8% (95% CI 19.7% to 21.9%) of lumbar surgery patients met criteria for PPP. Rates of healthcare usage were significantly higher for patients with PPP across all types of care. Over 2 years following initial spine surgery, the mean cost difference between patients with and without PPP was £5383 (95% CI £4872 to £5916). Over 5 and 10 years following initial spine surgery, the mean cost difference between patients with and without PPP increased to £10 195 (95% CI £8726 to £11 669) and £14 318 (95% CI £8386 to £19 771), respectively. Extrapolated to the UK population, we estimate that nearly 5000 adults experience PPP after spine surgery annually, with each new cohort costing the UK National Health Service in excess of £70 million over the first 10 years alone.

Conclusions

Persistent pain affects more than one-in-five lumbar surgery patients and accounts for substantial long-term healthcare costs. There is a need for formal, evidence-based guidelines for a coherent, coordinated management strategy for patients with continuing pain after lumbar surgery.
On open access, data mining and plant conservation in the Circumpolar North with an online data example of the Herbarium, University of Alaska Museum of the North
Authors: Huettmann Falk , Ickert-Bond Stefanie M.
Published: November 2017

With the advent of global online data sharing initiatives, few limits remain to using the treasure troves of museum data for biodiversity and conservation. The University of Alaska Museum Herbarium is fully online with metadata. Over 260 000 specimens representing the largest collection of Alaska plants anywhere can be data mined. We found that most specimens were collected through the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring program at Denali National Park and Preserve. The majority of specimens were collected along roads, trails, coastline, or waterways, while high-altitude, remote, and pristine sampling locations are underrepresented still. Actual field efforts varied over the years, peaking in the late 1980s. From 1 to 400 specimens were collected per sampling location, and on average 40 species were obtained per collection event at a unique location. Our analysis presents a first data mining inventory of such open access data allowing for a rapid assessment, quality control, and predictive modeling involving automated high-performing machine learning algorithms and mapping analysis using open geographic information systems concepts. Our research sets a first template for more investigations in the Arctic and we briefly compare with selected specimen details from adjacent landscapes such as the Russian Far East, Canada, and the Circumpolar North.
Polynomial spectrum of gamma ray from dark matter
Authors: Tang Yong
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we present some general features of gamma-ray spectra from dark matter (DM). We find that the spectrum with sharp features could appear in a wide class of DM models and mimic the gamma line signals. If all other physical degrees of freedom are heavy or effectively decoupled, the resulting gamma ray from DM decay or annihilation would generally have polynomial-type spectra or power-law with positive index. We illustrate our findings in a model-independent framework with generic kinematic analysis. Similar results can also apply for cosmic ray or neutrino cases.
Probing degenerate heavy Higgs bosons in NMSSM with vector-like particles
Authors: Wang Fei , Wang Wenyu , Wu Lei , Yang Jin Min , Zhang Mengchao
Published: November 2017

In this work, we investigate the degenerate heavy Higgs bosons in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) by introducing vector-like particles. Such an extension is well motivated from the top-down view since some grand unified theories usually predict the existence of singlet scalars and vector-like particles at weak scale. Under the constraints from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and dark matter experiments, we find that (1) the null results of searching for high mass resonances have tightly constrained the parameter space; (2) two degenerate heavy singlet Higgs bosons [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] can sizably decay to [Formula: see text] invisibly. Therefore, search for the monojet events through the process [Formula: see text] may further test our scenario at the future LHC.
Experimental and theoretical premises of new stable hadron existence
Authors: Bazhutov Yu. N. , Vereshkov G. M. , Kuksa V. I.
Published: November 2017

The hypothesis of the new stable heavy hadrons existence is proposed which follows from Cosmic rays physics indirect data. It is shown that the hypothesis does not contradict Cosmochemical data, Cosmological test and the restrictions on New Physics effects. The conclusion is based on the most important property of the new hadrons — repulsion strong interaction with nucleons at large distance asymptote. This effect is substantiated theoretically in the framework of the low-energy hadron interaction model. Some extensions of Standard Model is considered where new stable and metastable quarks appear.
Effect of current vehicle’s interruption on traffic stability in cooperative car-following theory
Authors: Zhang Geng , Liu Hui
Published: November 2017

To reveal the impact of the current vehicle’s interruption information on traffic flow, a new car-following model with consideration of the current vehicle’s interruption is proposed and the influence of the current vehicle’s interruption on traffic stability is investigated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. By linear analysis, the linear stability condition of the new model is obtained and the negative influence of the current vehicle’s interruption on traffic stability is shown in the headway-sensitivity space. Through nonlinear analysis, the modified Korteweg–de Vries (mKdV) equation of the new model near the critical point is derived and it can be used to describe the propagating behavior of the traffic density wave. Finally, numerical simulation confirms the analytical results, which shows that the current vehicle’s interruption information can destabilize traffic flow and should be considered in real traffic.
A Metaheuristic Optimization Approach for Tuning of Fractional-Order PID Controller for Speed Control of Sensorless BLDC Motor
Authors: Vanchinathan K. , Valluvan K. R.
Published: November 2017

This paper deals with a novel method for Bat Algorithm (BA) based on optimal tuning of Fractional-Order Proportional Integral Derivative (FOPID) controller for governing the rotor speed of sensorless Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motor. The BA is used for developing a novel optimization algorithm which can generate five degrees of freedom parameters namely [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of FOPID controller. The desired speed control and robust performance are achieved by using the FOPID closed loop speed controller with the help of BA for optimal tuning. The time domain specifications of a dynamic system for unit step input to FOPID controller for speed response such as peak time ([Formula: see text]), Percentage of overshoot (PO), settling time ([Formula: see text]), rise time ([Formula: see text]) have been evaluated and the steady-state error ([Formula: see text]) of sensorless speed control of BLDC motor has been measured. The simulation results are compared with Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) optimization method and Modified Genetic Algorithm (MGA) for evaluation of transient and steady state time domain characteristics. The proposed BA-based FOPID controller optimization technique is more efficient in improving the transient characteristic performance and reducing steady state error.
On Chaotic Behavior of Temperature Distribution in a Heat Exchanger
Authors: Bagyalakshmi Morachan , Gangadharan SaiSundarakrishnan , Ganesh Madhu
Published: November 2017

The objective of this paper is to introduce the notion of fractional derivatives in the energy equations and to study the chaotic nature of the temperature distribution in a heat exchanger with variation of temperature dependent transport properties. The governing fractional partial differential equations are transformed to a set of recurrence relations using fractional differential transform method and solved using inverse transform. The approximate analytical solution obtained by the proposed method has good agreement with the existing results.
The Role of Master Laser with Feedback in Time-Delay Signature Suppression of Semiconductor Laser Subject to Chaotic Optical Injection
Authors: Zhang Liyue , Pan Wei , Mu Penghua , Li Xiaofeng , Xiang Shuiying , Zhang Weili , Jiang Ning , Li Nianqiang
Published: November 2017

The important role of parameters in master laser with optical feedback for the elimination of time-delay (TD) signature in semiconductor laser subject to chaotic optical injection is investigated systemically. The experimental results show that TD signature suppressed chaotic signals can be credibly generated by increasing the feedback strength of the master laser, which is quite different from the trends observed in semiconductor laser (SL) with optical feedback. Systematically numerical analysis is also carried out as a validation, and it is shown that with low bias current and strong feedback strength, parameter regions contributing to successful TD suppression are much wider. Furthermore, it is shown that the influence of frequency detuning in TD concealment will change with the increase of feedback strength. All the numerical results are in perfect accordance with experimental observation.
Periodicity and Chaos of High-Order Lorenz Systems
Authors: Moon Sungju , Han Beom-Soon , Park Junho , Seo Jaemyeong Mango , Baik Jong-Jin
Published: November 2017

High-order Lorenz systems with five, six, eight, nine, and eleven equations are derived by choosing different numbers of Fourier modes upon truncation. For the original Lorenz system and for the five high-order Lorenz systems, solutions are numerically computed, and periodicity diagrams are plotted on [Formula: see text] parameter planes with [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. Dramatic shifts of patterns are observed among periodicity diagrams of different systems, including the appearance of expansive areas of period 2 in the fifth-, eighth-, ninth-, and 11th-order systems and the disappearance of the onion-like structure beyond order 5. Bifurcation diagrams along with phase portraits offer a closer look at the two phenomena.
Effect of Higher Order Terms on the Bifurcation Structure of Coupled Rulkov Neurons
Authors: Cheng Lifang , Cao Hongjun
Published: November 2017

Three kinds of bifurcations of two coupled Rulkov neurons with electrical synapses are investigated in this paper. The critical normal forms are derived based on the center manifold theorem and the normal form theory. For the flip and the Neimark–Sacker bifurcation, the quartic terms and above in the normal forms are defined as higher order terms, which originate from the Taylor expansion of the original system. Then the effects of the quartic and quintic terms on the flip and the Neimark–Sacker bifurcation structure are discussed, which verifies that the normal form is locally topologically equivalent to the original system for the infinitesimal 4-sphere of initial conditions and tiny perturbation on the bifurcation curve. By the flip-Neimark–Sacker bifurcation analysis, a novel firing pattern can be found which is that the orbit oscillates between two invariant cycles. Two disconnected cardioid cycles also appear, which makes one, two, three, four, etc. turns happen before closure. Finally, we present a global bifurcation structure in the parameter space and exhibit the distribution of the periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic firing patterns of the coupled neuron model.
Implications of occupancy of 2s1/2 state in sd-shell within RMF+BCS approach
Authors: Saxena G. , Kumawat M. , Kaushik M. , Singh U. K. , Jain S. K. , Singh S. Somorendro , Aggarwal Mamta
Published: November 2017

We employ the relativistic mean-field plus BCS (RMF+BCS) approach to study the behavior of [Formula: see text]-shell by investigating in detail the single particle energies, and proton and neutron density profiles along with the deformations and radii of even–even nuclei. Emergence of new shell closure, weakly bound structure and most recent phenomenon of bubble structure are reported in the [Formula: see text]-shell. [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]O and [Formula: see text]S are found to have a weakly bound structure due to particle occupancy in 2[Formula: see text] state. On the other hand [Formula: see text]O, [Formula: see text]Ca and [Formula: see text]Si are found with depleted central density due to the unoccupied 2[Formula: see text] state and hence they are the potential candidates of bubble structure. [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]O emerge as doubly magic with [Formula: see text] in accord with the recent experiments and [Formula: see text]S emerges as a new proton magic nucleus with [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are predicted as magic numbers in doubly magic [Formula: see text]O, [Formula: see text]Ca and [Formula: see text]Si, respectively. These results are found in agreement with the recent experiments and have consistent with the other parameters of RMF and other theories.
Comment on “Three-dimensional study of the six-body bound-state for the case of effective three-body configuration model”
Authors: Hadizadeh M. R. , Radin M. , Bayegan S.
Published: November 2017

The authors argue that the calculated binding energies of 6He obtained by the solution of the coupled Faddeev-Yakubovsky integral equation in a three-dimensional scheme reported by E. Ahmadi Pouya and A. A. Rajabi [Int. J. Mod. Phys. E 25(9) (2016) 1650072] are incorrect. The formalism of the paper has serious mistakes and the numerical calculations are quite misleading because such a calculation even with a small number of grids for Jacobi momenta and the angle variables leads to a huge memory of 37.8[Formula: see text]PB (petabyte) which cannot even be achieved on existing supercomputers.
EFFECTS OF EARLY REHABILITATION PROTOCOL POST HIGH FLEX CRUCIATE RETAINING TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT ON RANGE OF MOTION, PAIN AND FUNCTION: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
Authors: Harikesavan Karvannan , Chakravarty Raj Dev , Maiya Arun G.
Published: November 2017

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to find the effects of early rehabilitation on high flex cruciate retaining total knee replacement (TKR) on pain and function. Methods: We designed a prospective pre-post trial and evaluated 34 participants who underwent unilateral TKR following end stage knee osteoarthritis. Outcome measure of numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), knee ROM, quadriceps strength and functional measure of timed up and go test (TUG) and six-minute walk test (SMWT) was assessed before and three months post surgery by a blinded observer. Results: The knee flexion ROM showed significant improvement of 25.1∘[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]11.2∘at 3-months. The NPRS, TUG and SMWT showed significant change of 6.47[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]0.92, 21.7[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]2.6, 157.7[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]31 from baseline to 1.3[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]0.8, 17.5[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]1.6, 263[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]37.9 at 3 months respectively following TKR (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Early rehabilitation showed improvement in knee ROM, pain reduction, and accelerated recovery in performing TUG and SMWT.
Comparative Analysis of AHP-TOPSIS and Fuzzy AHP Models in Selecting Appropriate Nanocomposites for Environmental Noise Barrier Applications
Authors: Naderzadeh Mahdiyeh , Arabalibeik Hossein , Monazzam Mohammad Reza , Ghasemi Ismaeil
Published: November 2017

Choosing the right material in the design of environmental noise barriers has always been a challenging issue in acoustics. In less-developed countries, the material selection is affected by many factors from various aspects, which makes the decision-making very complicated. This study attempts to compare and assign weights to the most important indices affecting the choice of appropriate noise barrier material. These criteria include absorption coefficient, transparency, tensile modulus, strength at yield, elongation at break, impact strength, flexural modulus, hardness, and cost. For this purpose, experts' opinions was gathered through a total of 13 questionnaires and used for assigning weights by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy process (FAHP) techniques. According to the AHP results, impact strength, with only a minor difference of 0.093 compared to the AHP, was recognized as the most important criterion. Finally, the optimal composite material was selected using two different methods; first by Technique for Order-Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) based on the weights obtained from AHP, and next by directly applying the obtained weights from FAHP to the true measured values of parameters. As the results show, in both abovementioned methods, Polycarbonate-SiO2 0.3% with roughened surface (PCSI3-R) received the highest score and was selected as the preferred composite material. Given the close similarity of the results, to determine the superiority of one method over the other, some noise was added to the original data set from the mechanical and acoustic tests and then the variance of the changes in the final orders of preferences was calculated. This indicates the robustness of the method against the measurement errors and noise. The results shows that under the same circumstances, the overall order shift variance in the classic TOPSIS is six times higher than that of the fuzzy AHP method.
Ensuring Water Availability to Water Users through Incentive Payment for Ecosystem Services Scheme: A Case Study in a Small Hilly Town of Nepal
Authors: Rai Rajesh K. , Nepal Mani , Bhatta Laxmi D. , Das Saudamini , Khadayat Madan S. , Somanathan E. , Baral Kedar
Published: November 2017

This study was carried out to design an incentive payment for an ecosystem services (IPES) scheme in the Baitadi Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project of Nepal. The main intention behind the designing of the scheme was to develop strategy for equitable use of water resources and involve communities, watershed and water user, in the sustainable management of water resources. We administered household survey in both the watershed community and water users to elicit their preferences regarding water source management and drinking water supply. A discrete choice experiment was employed in the case of water users which showed that, for them, water quality and quantity are the most important attributes. The estimated annual willingness-to-pay of water users for doubling water availability is NPR 482,076 (USD 4,505) and for doubling the water quantity and the supply of clean water that can be drunk directly from the tap is NPR 1.18 million (USD 10,988). The results of consultations with stakeholders indicate that the construction of public toilets, the regularization of grazing, off-season vegetable farming and drinking water distribution in the upstream area may contribute to maintaining the quality of water while keeping the watershed community satisfied with regard to water-sharing. These activities require NPR 1.17 million (USD 10,987) in the first year and NPR 425,640 (USD 3,978) annually from the second year on. The estimated willingness-to-pay and cost of the watershed activities indicate that implementing IPES in the Baitadi Town Water Supply Project is financially feasible and socially acceptable. Our study recommends the integration of the IPES design into the project design phase in future drinking water scheme, the best option being its integration into the initial environmental examination at the time of project design.
Role of immune factors in angiotensin II-induced hypertension and renal damage in Dahl salt-sensitive rats
Authors: Wade Brittany , Petrova Galina , Mattson David L.
Published: November 2017

The present study assessed the importance of immunity in angiotensin (ANG) II (5 ng·kg−1·min−1 iv)-mediated hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats and SS rats deficient in T and B lymphocytes (SSRag1−/−) fed a 0.4% NaCl diet. Baseline mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was not different between groups. ANG II infusion significantly increased MAP in both groups, although MAP increased more rapidly in SS rats, and the maximal MAP achieved was significantly greater in SS than SSRag1−/− rats (190 ± 3 vs. 177 ± 3 mmHg) after 12 days. Renal damage, as assessed by albumin excretion rate, was significantly increased after 12 days of ANG lI infusion in SS (from 32 ± 4 to 81 ± 9 mg/day) and SSRag1−/− (from 12 ± 2 to 51 ± 8 mg/day) rats; albumin excretion rate was significantly different between SS and SSRag1−/− rats at all points measured. After 9 days of recovery from ANG II, MAP was decreased to a greater extent in SSRag1−/− than SS rats (143 ± 5 vs. 157 ± 8 mmHg) compared with the peak MAP during ANG II infusion. At this same time point, albumin excretion rate was significantly lower in SSRag1−/− than SS rats (42 ± 8 vs. 66 ± 7 mg/day). Further studies demonstrated an increase in CD45+ total leukocytes, CD11b/c+ macrophages/monocytes, and CD3+ T cells in kidneys of ANG II- compared with vehicle-treated SS rats. The present data suggest that infiltrating T cells in the kidney exacerbate renal damage in ANG II-induced hypertension in SS rats maintained on a 0.4% NaCl diet, similar to results observed with a salt stimulus in SS rats.
Exercise training reverses inflammation and muscle wasting after tobacco smoke exposure
Authors: Krüger Karsten , Seimetz Michael , Ringseis Robert , Wilhelm Jochen , Pichl Alexandra , Couturier Aline , Eder Klaus , Weissmann Norbert , Mooren Frank C.
Published: November 2017

Long-term cigarette smoking induces inflammatory processes in the pulmonary system that are suggested to “spill over” into systemic inflammation. Regular exercise has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of therapeutic exercise on inflammation and muscle wasting in smoke-exposed mice. C57BL/6J mice ( n = 30) were separated into three groups to receive either 1) no specific treatment (control group), 2) 8-mo exposure to cigarette smoke [smoke-exposed (SE) group], or 3) 8 mo of cigarette smoke combined with exercise training during the last 2 mo (SEex group). The inflammatory status was analyzed by quantifying levels of various plasma proteins using multiplex ELISA and detection of lymphocyte surface markers by flow cytometry. Muscle tissue was analyzed by histological techniques and measurements of RNA/protein expression. SE led to decreased maximal O2 uptake (V̇o2max) and maximal running speed ( Vmax), which was reversed by exercise ( P < 0.05). Expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD62L on T cells increased and was reversed by exercise ( P < 0.05). Similarly, SE induced an increase of various inflammatory cytokines, which were downregulated by exercise. In muscle, exercise improved the structure, oxidative capacity, and metabolism by reducing ubiquitin proteasome system activation, stimulating insulin-like growth factor 1 expression, and the SE-induced inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway ( P < 0.05). Exercise training reverses smoke-induced decline in exercise capacity, systemic inflammation, and muscle wasting by addressing immune-regulating, anabolic, and metabolic pathways.
The Impact of Saffron on Symptoms of Withdrawal Syndrome in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Sabzevar Parish in 2017
Authors: Nemat Shahi Mohammad , Asadi Atefeh , Behnam Talab Elham , Nemat Shahi Mahbobeh
Published: November 2017

Background and Objective. Drug dependence is one of the serious problems around the world. Saffron is one of those beneficial medicinal plants which is embedded with a similar mechanism to methadone (e.g., inhibition of serotonin reuptake). Thus, it can be helpful in reducing the withdrawal symptoms. The aim of this study was to reduce the daily dose of methadone usage and reduce its side effects using saffron in the form of medicinal supplements.Methodology. This study was categorized as a clinical trial. Accordingly, 44 clients of addiction treatment centers in Sabzevar parish were randomly selected to participate in this study in 2016–2017. While the experimental group was treated with methadone syrup and self-made saffron capsules, the control group received methadone syrup and placebo capsules.Results. The results showed that the use of saffron and methadone alleviated the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome (p<0.001).Conclusion. Having reviewed the research participants, it was indicated that the introduction of saffron alleviated the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome in patients undergoing maintenance treatment for opioid addiction. Thus, it seems rational to make use of saffron in combination with methadone in order to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome.
A Novel Interference Detection Method of STAP Based on Simplified TT Transform
Authors: Wang Qiang , Zhang Yongshun , Liu Hanwei , Guo Yiduo
Published: November 2017

Training samples contaminated by target‐like signals is one of the major reasons for inhomogeneous clutter environment. In such environment, clutter covariance matrix in STAP (space‐time adaptive processing) is estimated inaccurately, which finally leads to detection performance reduction. In terms of this problem, a STAP interference detection method based on simplified TT (time‐time) transform is proposed in this letter. Considering the sparse physical property of clutter in the space‐time plane, data on each range cell is first converted into a discrete slow time series. Then, the expression of simplified TT transform about sample data is derived step by step. Thirdly, the energy of each training sample is focalized and extracted by simplified TT transform from energy‐variant difference between the unpolluted and polluted stage, and the physical significance of discarding the contaminated samples is analyzed. Lastly, the contaminated samples are picked out in light of the simplified TT transform‐spectrum difference. The result on Monte Carlo simulation indicates that when training samples are contaminated by large power target‐like signals, the proposed method is more effective in getting rid of the contaminated samples, reduces the computational complexity significantly, and promotes the target detection performance compared with the method of GIP (generalized inner product).
Compound Wumei Powder Inhibits the Invasion and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer via Cox‐2/PGE2‐PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β‐Catenin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Ma Nai-Xia , Sun Wei , Wu Jian , Liu Shen-Lin , Weng Lei , Liu Yang-Qing , Pu Wen-Xiu , Wu Ting-Ting , Ding Xue-Lian , Huang Nan-Guang , Zheng Pei-Qiu , Zou Xi
Published: November 2017

To explore the role of CWP in invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells and its underlying molecular mechanism, we performed the experiment in SGC‐7901 cells both in vitro and in vivo. In the cell experiment, we evaluated cell proliferation by MTT assay. The results showed that CWP can inhibit the growth of SGC‐7901 cells. The influence on cell migration and invasion was detected by wound‐healing and Transwell invasion assays. The results showed that the abilities of invasion and migration are restrained in CWP group. Western blot showed that CWP can decrease the expression of Cox‐2 and inhibit the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β‐catenin signaling pathway. In the animal experiment, we observed that CWP had an inhibitory effect on the growth of xenograft tumors of nude mice. IHC assay, ELISA, RT‐PCR assay, and Western blot assay were used to test relevant cytokines of Cox‐2/PGE2‐PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β‐catenin pathway. The results showed that CWP can suppress relevant cytokines of Cox‐2/PGE2‐PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β‐catenin pathway. In conclusion, we suggest that CWP inhibits the invasion and metastasis of SGC‐7901 cells via Cox‐2/PGE2‐PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β‐catenin signaling pathway.