bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Evidence-Based Rapid Review of Surgical Techniques for Correction of Prolapsed Nictitans Glands in Dogs
Authors: White Constance , Brennan Marnie L.
Published: August 2018

Prolapsed nictitans gland (PNG) is an important ocular condition of dogs. Various surgical interventions have been described, but effective technique is currently considered to be a matter of personal clinician preference. The aim of this rapid review was to evaluate existing peer-reviewed evidence of effectiveness for surgical techniques and their subsequent effects on quantitative and clinical lacrimal outcomes for PNG. We performed a structured bibliographic search of CAB Abstracts, PubMed, and Medline using terms relevant to dogs, nictitans gland, and surgery on 13 September 2017. Included studies were assessed for study design, reporting characteristics, surgical techniques, and surgical and lacrimal outcomes. Fifteen of three hundred fifteen identified studies were eligible for inclusion. Seven different replacement techniques were identified, along with gland excision. All studies were observational or descriptive, with the exception of a single crossover trial. Outcomes reporting was heterogeneous and provided limited detail on lacrimal outcomes or on breed propensity for recurrence. Insufficient data precluded comparison of techniques for either surgical failure rates or lacrimal outcomes, although proportional meta-analysis yielded an overall failure rate of 3% (95% CI 1–7%) for the Morgan’s pocket procedure. Improved reporting of veterinary surgical studies will improve evidence appraisal and synthesis, as well as reduce potential sources of bias.
Intensity and Persistence of Soil Water Repellency in Pine Forest Soil in a Temperate Continental Climate under Drought Conditions
Authors: Hewelke Edyta , Oktaba Lidia , Gozdowski Dariusz , Kondras Marek , Olejniczak Izabella , Górska Ewa Beata
Published: August 2018

Although soil water repellency (SWR) has been reported under different soils, climates, and vegetation types of the world, especially in forest land and following wildfires, the understanding of this variable continues to be rather limited. This study presented the characterization of SWR from wild fire measurements in a Scots pine Peucedano-Pinetum forest in the Kampinos National Park (central Poland), which is characterized by a temperate continental climate. The main objectives were: [i] To evaluate the potential occurrence, intensity, and persistence of soil water repellency in the surface layers of podzolized rusty soils during a dry summer; [ii] to determine whether a wildfire increased SWR, compared to the unburnt condition of soil; and [iii] to identify changes in hydrophobicity 13 months after a fire. The Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test was used to assess persistence and intensity of soil SWR. Hydrophobicity is a natural phenomenon during periods of drought in temperate continental climates. The extreme class of SWR was observed in surface layers of up to 20 cm. A higher hydrophobicity was noted in the older habitats of the Peucedano-Pinetum forest. Maximum WDPT values (10,800 s) were found for an older ecosystem cover, during a dry summer. SWR in fire-affected soils is dependent on the intensity of the fire, as well as displaying spatial and seasonal variability. Thirteen months after a fire, the highest variability in the occurrence of non-wettability, was recorded in the surface layers of areas affected by a weak fire. A positive relationship between soil pH and WDPT values was determined to a 20 cm depth. Prolonged dry periods resulting from global climate change, may enhance the effects of increasing SWR; it therefore seems reasonable for future research on biosphere–climate interactions, to take the presence of hydrophobicity into account.
The Integration of Nature-Inspired Algorithms with Least Square Support Vector Regression Models: Application to Modeling River Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
Authors: Yaseen Zaher Mundher , Ehteram Mohammad , Sharafati Ahmad , Shahid Shamsuddin , Al-Ansari Nadhir , El-Shafie Ahmed
Published: August 2018

The current study investigates an improved version of Least Square Support Vector Machines integrated with a Bat Algorithm (LSSVM-BA) for modeling the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in rivers. The LSSVM-BA model results are compared with those obtained using M5 Tree and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) models to show the efficacy of this novel integrated model. The river water quality data at three monitoring stations located in the USA are considered for the simulation of DO concentration. Eight input combinations of four water quality parameters, namely, water temperature, discharge, pH, and specific conductance, are used to simulate the DO concentration. The results revealed the superiority of the LSSVM-BA model over the M5 Tree and MARS models in the prediction of river DO. The accuracy of the LSSVM-BA model compared with those of the M5 Tree and MARS models is found to increase by 20% and 42%, respectively, in terms of the root-mean-square error. All the predictive models are found to perform best when all the four water quality variables are used as input, which indicates that it is possible to supply more information to the predictive model by way of incorporation of all the water quality variables.
Optimization-Based Agricultural Water-Saving Potential Analysis in Minqin County, Gansu Province China
Authors: Yue Qiong , Zhang Fan , Guo Ping
Published: August 2018

To deal with the contradictions that are caused by natural conditions and unreasonable water allocations in Minqin County, which are located downstream of the Shiyang River basin in arid northwest China, an optimization-based multi-scale calculation method was proposed for analyzing agricultural water-saving potential. Firstly, an optimization model was developed for allocating water and land resources legitimately with the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater. Secondly, the groundwater equilibrium was fully considered in developing optimization model to achieve the ecological value of agricultural water savings. Then, multi-scale agricultural water-saving potentials were analyzed based on optimal results under different water-saving levels. These results provide local water managers with satisfactory economic benefit with higher water use efficiency. With reasonable management strategies of water and land resources, the ecosystem of Minqin County could gradually recover in the future. The results of the multi-scale water-saving potential analysis can help decision makers to identify desired water-saving plans that consider the coordinated development of the local economy, society, and ecology.
Towards a New Paradigm of Urban Water Infrastructure: Identifying Goals and Strategies to Support Multi-Benefit Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Harris-Lovett Sasha , Lienert Judit , Sedlak David L.
Published: August 2018

Over the past decade, water professionals have begun to focus on a new paradigm for urban water systems, which entails the recovery of resources from wastewater, the integration of engineered and natural systems, and coordination among agencies managing different facets of water systems. In the San Francisco Bay Area, planning for nutrient management serves as an exemplary model of this transition. We employed a variety of methodological approaches including stakeholder analysis, multi-criteria decision-making weight elicitation, and document analysis to understand and support decision-making in this context. Based on interviews with 32 stakeholders, we delineate goals that are considered to be important for achieving the new paradigm and we highlight management strategies that can help reach these goals. We identify and analyze the social, institutional, and technical impediments to planning and implementing multi-benefit wastewater infrastructure projects and identify strategies to overcome some of these challenges. Transitioning to a new paradigm for urban water infrastructure will require stakeholders to proactively forge collaborative relationships, jointly define a shared vision and objectives, and build new rules to overcome limitations of current institutional policies.
Development of Bubble Characteristics on Chute Spillway Bottom
Authors: Bai Ruidi , Liu Chang , Feng Bingyang , Liu Shanjun , Zhang Faxing
Published: August 2018

Chute aerators introduce a large air discharge through air supply ducts to prevent cavitation erosion on spillways. There is not much information on the microcosmic air bubble characteristics near the chute bottom. This study was focused on examining the bottom air-water flow properties by performing a series of model tests that eliminated the upper aeration and illustrated the potential for bubble variation processes on the chute bottom. In comparison with the strong air detrainment in the impact zone, the bottom air bubble frequency decreased slightly. Observations showed that range of probability of the bubble chord length tended to decrease sharply in the impact zone and by a lesser extent in the equilibrium zone. A distinct mechanism to control the bubble size distribution, depending on bubble diameter, was proposed. For bubbles larger than about 1–2 mm, the bubble size distribution followed a—5/3 power-law scaling with diameter. Using the relationship between the local dissipation rate and bubble size, the bottom dissipation rate was found to increase along the chute bottom, and the corresponding Hinze scale showed a good agreement with the observations.
Flood Routing in River Reaches Using a Three-Parameter Muskingum Model Coupled with an Improved Bat Algorithm
Authors: Farzin Saeed , Singh Vijay P. , Karami Hojat , Farahani Nazanin , Ehteram Mohammad , Kisi Ozgur , Allawi Mohammed Falah , Mohd Nuruol Syuhadaa , El-Shafie Ahmed
Published: August 2018

Design of hydraulic structures, flood warning systems, evacuation measures, and traffic management require river flood routing. A common hydrologic method of flood routing is the Muskingum method. The present study attempted to develop a three-parameter Muskingum model considering lateral flow for flood routing, coupling with a new optimization algorithm namely, Improved Bat Algorithm (IBA). The major function of the IBA is to optimize the estimated value of the three-parameters associated with the Muskingum model. The IBA acts based on the chaos search tool, which mainly enhances the uniformity and erogidicty of the population. In addition, the current research, unlike the other existing models which consider flood routing, is based on dividing one reach to a few intervals to increase the accuracy of flood routing models. Three case studies with lateral flow were considered for this study, including the Wilson flood, Karahan flood, and Myanmar flood. Seven performance indexes were examined to evaluate the performance of the proposed Muskingum model integrated with IBA, with other models that were also based on the Muskingum Model with three-parameters but utilized different optimization algorithms. The results for the Wilson flood showed that the proposed model could reduce the Sum of Squared Deviations (SSD) value by 89%, 51%, 93%, 69%, and 88%, compared to the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, Pattern Search (PS) algorithm, Harmony Search (HS) algorithm, and Honey Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO), respectively. In addition, increasing the number of intervals for flood routing significantly improved the accuracy of the results. The results indicated that the Sum of Absolute Deviations (SAD) using IBA for the Karahan flood was 117, which had reduced by 83%, 88%, 94%, and 12%, compared to the PSO, GA, HS, and BA, respectively. Furthermore, the achieved results for the Myanmar flood showed that SSD for IBA relative to GA, BA, and PSO was reduced by 32%, 11%, and 42%, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed Muskingum Model integrated with IBA considering the existence of lateral flow, outperformed the existing applied simple Muskingum models in previous studies. In addition, the more the number of intervals used in the model, the better the accuracy of flood routing prediction achieved.
Water Resources Carrying Capacity Analysis of YarLung Tsangpo River Basin (I)
Authors: Wang Lili , Wang Zhonggen , Liu Xiaocong
Published: August 2018

Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) analysis is critically important in providing guidance to the sustainable development strategies of the YarLung Tsangpo River Basin (YTRB) due to the conflicts among the ample water resources, low development level of society, and the fragile ecological environment. This study evaluated the scheduled developing mode of YTRB in the planning years from 2016 to 2030 with a WRCC system containing three components: a hydrological informatics modeling system (HIMS), water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) model, and an index evaluation system. The averaged WRCC index is 4.29, 1.19, and 0.06 for the planning years, and 2.61, 0.98, 0.05 for the baseline years for the three sub-basins. The water deficiency problem becomes more severe in the upper sub-basin and appears in the middle sub-basin with the WRCC index greater than 1, while the water resources are not fully utilized in the lower sub-basin in the planning years, with the WRCC index far less than 1. The GDP of the three sub-basins is greater in the planning years, with 2.25 × 108, 54.60 × 108, and 3.94 × 108 dollars year−1 than those in the baseline years with 1.97 × 108, 47.71 × 108, 3.43 × 108 dollars year−1. However, GDP per capita/cubic meter keeps decreasing due to the great population growth rate and non-enhanced water use efficiency. The sustainability index is 0.04, 0.23, and 0.47 in the planning years, which is lower than the 0.04, 0.31, and 0.50 in the baseline years. Therefore, the scheduled growth rates of the population, urbanization, and GDP are a developing mode with low sustainability and are not appropriate to be continued in the planning years. Further work is needed to identify a sustainable developing mode with a decreased population growth rate, enhanced water use efficiency in the economic system, and the optimized allocation of water resources distribution in the three sub-basins with hydraulic facilities.
Perceptions of Vascular Access for Intravenous Systemic Therapy and Risk Factors for Lymphedema in Early-Stage Breast Cancer—A Patient Survey
Authors: LeVasseur N. , Stober C. , Ibrahim M. , Gertler S. , Hilton J. , Robinson A. , McDiarmid S. , Fergusson D. , Mazzarello S. , Hutton B. , Joy A.A. , McInnes M. , Clemons M.
Published: August 2018

Background: The choice of vascular access for systemic therapy administration in breast cancer remains an area of clinical equipoise, and patient preference is not consistently acknowledged. Using a patient survey, we evaluated the patient experience with vascular access during treatment for early-stage breast cancer and explored perceived risk factors for lymphedema. Methods: Patients who had received systemic therapy for early-stage breast cancer were surveyed at 2 Canadian cancer centres. Results: Responses were received from 187 patients (94%). The route of vascular access was peripheral intravenous line (IV) in 24%, a peripherally inserted central catheter (picc) in 42%, and a surgically inserted central catheter (port) in 34%. Anthracycline-based regimens were associated with a greater use of central vascular access devices (cvads— that is, a picc or port; 86/97, 89%). Trastuzumab use was associated with greater use of ports (49/64, 77%). Although few patients (7%) reported being involved in the decisions about vascular access, most were satisfied or very satisfied (88%) with their access type. Patient preference centred mainly on avoiding delays in the initiation of chemotherapy. Self-reported rates of complications (183 evaluable responses) were infiltration with peripheral IVs (9/44, 20%), local skin infections with piccs (7/77, 9%), and thrombosis with ports (4/62, 6%). Perceived risk factors for lymphedema included use of the surgical arm for blood draws (117/156, 75%) and blood pressure measurement (115/156, 74%). Conclusions: Most patients reported being satisfied with the vascular access used for their treatment. Improved education and understanding about the evidence-based requirements for vascular access are needed. Perceived risk factors for lymphedema remain variable and are not evidence-based.
Adherence to Guidelines in Requesting Oncotype DX in a Publicly Funded Health Care System
Authors: Martel S. , Lambertini M. , Simon R. , Matte C. , Prady C.
Published: August 2018

Background: Oncotype DX [ODX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, CA, U.S.A.)] is an approved prognostic tool for women with node-negative, hormone receptor–positive, her2-negative breast cancer. Because of cost, optimal use of this test is crucial, especially in a publicly funded health care system. We evaluated adherence with our provincial guidelines for ODX requests, the management of patients with an intermediate recurrence score (RS), and the cost impact of ODX. Methods: This retrospective study included 201 consecutive patients with an ODX request from two university institutions in Quebec between May 2012 and December 2014. Concordance with provincial guidelines was estimated, with its 95% confidence interval (CI). For patients with an intermediate RS, factors influencing the final treatment decision were assessed. The cost impact of ODX was derived from the proportion of patients for whom chemotherapy was not recommended. Results: In 93.0% of patients (95% CI: 89.5% to 96.6%), ODX was ordered according to guidelines. The concordance was similar in both institutions (92.7%; 95% CI: 88.1% to 97.3%; and 93.6%; 95% CI: 88.2% to 99.0%). In 112 (55.7%), 78 (38.8%), and 9 (4.5%) patients, the RS suggested low, intermediate, and high risk respectively. In the intermediate-risk group, most patients (n = 58, 74.4%) did not receive chemotherapy, mainly because of patient preference and the absence of a clear proven benefit. Savings of CA$100,000 for the study period (2.5 years) were estimated to be associated with ODX use. Conclusions: In our experience, the use of ODX was concordant with published recommendations and had a positive cost impact.
Targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 Axis for the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Meyers D.E. , Bryan P.M. , Banerji S. , Morris D.G.
Published: August 2018

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-specific death among Canadians, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the most common histologic variant. Despite advances in the understanding of the molecular biology of NSCLC, the survival rate for this malignancy is still poor. It is now understood that, to evade detection and immune clearance, NSCLC tumours overexpress the immunosuppressive checkpoint protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis with monoclonal antibodies has significantly changed the treatment landscape in NSCLC during the last 5 years. Despite evidence of clinical response in some patients, only approximately 20% of patients obtain any durable benefit, and many of the patients who do respond ultimately relapse with drug-resistant disease. The identification of patients who are most likely to benefit from such therapy is therefore important. In the present review, we cover the basics of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and its clinical significance in NSCLC, biomarkers that are predictive of treatment response, relevant clinical trials of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade completed to date, and proposed mechanisms of acquired therapeutic resistance.
Are Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria an Accurate Reflection of a Real-World Population of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients?
Authors: Al-Baimani Khalid , Jonker H. , Zhang T. , Goss G.D. , Laurie S.A. , Nicholas G. , Wheatley-Price P.
Published: August 2018

Background: Advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a major health issue globally. Systemic treatment decisions are informed by clinical trials, which, over years, have improved the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC. The applicability of clinical trial results to the broad lung cancer population is unclear because strict eligibility criteria in trials generally select for optimal patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC seen in outpatient consultation at our academic institution between September 2009 and September 2012, collecting data about patient demographics and cancer characteristics, treatment, and survival from hospital and pharmacy records. Two sets of arbitrary trial eligibility criteria were applied to the cohort. Scenario A stipulated Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0–1, no brain metastasis, creatinine less than 120 μmol/L, and no second malignancy. Less-strict scenario B stipulated ECOG PS 0–2 and creatinine less than 120 μmol/L. We then used the two scenarios to analyze treatment and survival of patients by trial eligibility status. Results: The 528 included patients had a median age of 67 years, with 55% being men and 58% having adenocarcinoma. Of those 528 patients, 291 received at least 1 line of palliative systemic therapy. Using the scenario A eligibility criteria, 73% were trial-ineligible. However, 46% of “ineligible” patients actually received therapy and experienced survival similar to that of the “eligible” treated patients (10.2 months vs. 11.6 months, p = 0.10). Using the scenario B criteria, only 35% were ineligible, but again, the survival of treated patients was similar in the ineligible and eligible groups (10.1 months vs. 10.9 months, p = 0.57). Conclusions: Current trial eligibility criteria are often strict and limit the enrolment of patients in clinical trials. Our results suggest that, depending on the chosen drug, its toxicities and tolerability, eligibility criteria could be carefully reviewed and relaxed.
What Characterizes Cancer Family History Collection Tools? A Critical Literature Review
Authors: Cleophat J. E. , Nabi H. , Pelletier S. , Bouchard K. , Dorval Michel
Published: August 2018

Background: Many tools have been developed for the standardized collection of cancer family history (fh). However, it remains unclear which tools have the potential to help health professionals overcome traditional barriers to collecting such histories. In this review, we describe the characteristics, validation process, and performance of existing tools and appraise the extent to which those tools can support health professionals in identifying and managing at-risk individuals. Methods: Studies were identified through searches of the medline, embase, and Cochrane central databases from October 2015 to September 2016. Articles were included if they described a cancer fh collection tool, its use, and its validation process. Results: Based on seventy-nine articles published between February 1978 and September 2016, 62 tools were identified. Most of the tools were paper-based and designed to be self-administered by lay individuals. One quarter of the tools could automatically produce pedigrees, provide cancer-risk assessment, and deliver evidence-based recommendations. One third of the tools were validated against a standard reference for collected fh quality and cancer-risk assessment. Only 3 tools were integrated into an electronic health records system. Conclusions: In the present review, we found no tool with characteristics that might make it an efficient clinical support for health care providers in cancer-risk identification and management. Adequately validated tools that are connected to electronic health records are needed to encourage the systematic identification of individuals at increased risk of cancer.
Eastern Canadian Colorectal Cancer Consensus Conference 2017
Authors: McGee S. F. , AlGhareeb W. , Ahmad C. H. , Armstrong D. , Babak S. , Berry S. , Biagi J. , Booth C. , Bossé D. , Champion P. , Colwell B. , Finn N. , Goel R. , Gray S. , Green J. , Harb M. , Hyde A. , Jeyakumar A. , Jonker D. , Kanagaratnam S. , Kavan P. , MacMillan A. , Muinuddin A. , Patil N. , Porter G. , Powell E. , Ramjeesingh R. , Raza M. , Rorke S. , Seal M. , Servidio-Italiano F. , Siddiqui J. , Simms J. , Smithson L. , Snow S. , St-Hilaire E. , Stuckless T. , Tate A. , Tehfe M. , Thirlwell M. , Tsvetkova E. , Valdes M. , Vickers M. , Virik K. , Welch S. , Marginean C. , Asmis T.
Published: August 2018

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2017 was held in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, 28–30 September. Experts in radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, and cancer genetics who are involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics in the management of gastric, rectal, and colon cancer, including (1) identification and management of hereditary gastric and colorectal cancer (CRC); (2) palliative systemic therapy for metastatic gastric cancer; (3) optimum duration of preoperative radiation in rectal cancer—that is, short- compared with long-course radiation; (4) management options for peritoneal carcinomatosis in CRC; (5) implications of tumour location for treatment and prognosis in CRC; and (6) new molecular markers in CRC.
Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer in the Primary Care Setting
Authors: Awan A. , Esfahani K.
Published: August 2018

The treatment of hormone-positive breast cancer (BCA) is a rapidly evolving field. Improvement in the understanding of the mechanisms of action and resistance to anti-hormonal therapy has translated, in the past decade, into multiple practice-changing clinical trials, with the end result of increased survivorship for patients with all stages of hormone-positive cancer. The primary care physician will thus play an increasing role in the routine care, surveillance, and treatment of issues associated with anti-hormonal therapy. The aim of the present review was to provide a focused description of the issues relevant to primary care, while briefly highlighting recent advances in the field of anti-hormonal therapy. Key Points: (1) Hormone-positive bca is the most prevalent form of bca and, compared with the other subtypes, is usually associated with better survival. (2) Survivorship has significantly increased for all stages of hormone-positive bca, making the primary care physician a key player in the care of affected patients. (3) The two most common classes of anti-hormonal agents used in these patients are selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors. Each class of medication is associated with signature side effects. (4) Within the past decade, multiple novel estrogen receptor blockers (for example, fulvestrant) and agents aimed at circumventing resistance to endocrine therapy [inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 and of mtor (the mechanistic target of rapamycin)] have gained clinical ground. Understanding their side effects will be increasingly relevant to primary care physicians. (5) Multidisciplinary care is always encouraged in the care of cancer patients receiving anti-hormonal therapy.
Investigation of the electrophilic reactivity of the biologically active marine sesquiterpenoid onchidal and model compounds
Authors: Cadelis Melissa M , Copp Brent R
Published: August 2018

The structure of the sesquiterpene onchidal (6), a component of the defensive secretion of the shell-less mollusc Onchidella binneyi, contains a masked α,β-unsaturated 1,4-dialdehyde moiety, the presence of which has been proposed to be the cause of the feeding deterrent activity exhibited by the mollusc. We have found onchidal acts as an electrophile, reacting rapidly with the model nucleophile n-pentylamine forming diastereomeric aminated pyrrole adducts. Somewhat surprisingly, no reaction was observed between onchidal and n-pentanethiol. Structurally simplified n-pentyl 11–13 and cyclohexylmethyl 15–17 analogues of onchidal were prepared and demonstrated similar amine-selective reactivity. Onchidal and analogues reacted with the model protein lysozyme, forming covalent adducts and leading to protein cross-linking. These results provide preliminary evidence supporting the molecular mechanism of biological activity exhibited by onchidal.
Weak-lensing Power Spectrum Reconstruction by Counting Galaxies. II. Improving the ABS Method with the Shift Parameter
Authors: Zhang Pengjie , Yang Xinjuan , Zhang Jun , Yu Yu
Published: August 2018

In Paper I of this series, we proposed an analytical method of blind separation (ABS) to extract the cosmic magnification signal in galaxy number distribution and reconstruct the weak-lensing power spectrum. Here, we report a new version of the ABS method with significantly improved performance. This version is characterized by a shift parameter,

, with the special case of

corresponding to the original ABS method. We have tested this new version, compared it with the previous one, and confirmed its superior performance in all investigated situations. Therefore, it supercedes the previous version. The proof of concept studies presented in this paper demonstrate that it may enable surveys such as LSST and SKA to reconstruct the lensing power spectrum at z ≃ 1 with 1% accuracy. We will test the new ABS method in more realistic simulations to verify its applicability to real data.
Limits on the Contribution of Endogenic Radiolysis to the Presence of Molecular Oxygen in Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
Authors: Bouquet Alexis , Mousis Olivier , Teolis Benjamin , Nicolaou Georgios , Ozgurel Ozge , Pauzat Francoise , Ellinger Yves , Ronnet Thomas , Waite J. Hunter
Published: August 2018

Radiolytic production has been proposed as a potential source for the molecular oxygen observed in comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Radiolysis can be exogenic or endogenic, the latter due to radionuclides present in the dust constitutive of the comet nucleus. We investigated the possibility of forming a significant amount of molecular oxygen through endogenic radiolysis. We applied a model of radiolytic production, developed for an Earth rock–water mixture, and improved it to account for the effect of the size of a radionuclide-bearing grain on the net radiation deposited in its ice mantle. We calculated the possible production of molecular oxygen considering the available experimental values of radiolytic yields. We found that endogenic radiolysis cannot account for the totality of the 3.8% (relative to water) O2 abundance derived from the ROSINA observations, with an end member case of our model producing at most a 1% abundance. By contrast, we predict H2O2 production leads to an abundance up to two orders of magnitude above observed values.
Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in an Elliptical Galaxy with the Most Updated AGN Physics. II. High Angular Momentum Case
Authors: Yoon Doosoo , Yuan Feng , Gan Zhao-Ming , Ostriker Jeremiah P. , Li Ya-Ping , Ciotti Luca
Published: August 2018

This is the second paper of our series of works of studying the effects of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. Compared to previous works, the main improvement here is that we adopt the most up-to-date AGN physics, which is described in detail in the first paper, including the discrimination of the two accretion modes and the most up-to-date descriptions of the wind and radiation in the two modes. In Paper I, we consider the case that the specific angular momentum of the gas in the galaxy is very low. In this paper, we consider the case that the specific angular momentum of the gas is high. At the galactic scale, we adopt the gravitational torques raised due to non-axisymmetric structure in the galaxy as the mechanism of the transfer of angular momentum of gas, as proposed in some recent works. Because our simulations are axisymmetric, we make use of a parameterized prescription to mimic this mechanism. Special attention is paid to the effects of specific angular momentum of the galaxy on the AGN light curve, growth of the black hole mass, AGN duty-cycle, star formation, and the X-ray surface brightness. We find that some results are qualitatively similar to those shown in Paper I, while other results, such as star formation and black hole growth, show a significant difference due to the mass concentration in the galactic disk as a consequence of galactic rotation.
Determining the Kappa Distributions of Space Plasmas from Observations in a Limited Energy Range
Authors: Nicolaou G. , Livadiotis G. , Owen C. J. , Verscharen D. , Wicks R. T.
Published: August 2018

Spacecraft observations allow us to reconstruct the velocity distributions of space plasmas, which fully describe the kinetic state of the plasma. Space plasmas often exist in stationary states out of equilibrium, which are typically described by kappa distributions. Thus, the kappa index and temperature that govern these distributions are parameters that need to be determined for a full and accurate description of these plasmas. In this study, we demonstrate a novel and reliable way to determine the kappa index and temperature of plasma distribution functions constructed from counts observed in a narrow energy range by typical electrostatic sensors. Our method applies to cases in which the high-energy tail of the plasma is observed with significant uncertainty, or not observed at all. For the validation of our method, we produce pseudo-observations for typical input plasma parameters, specifically considering the design of the ion plasma instrument SWA-PAS on board the Solar Orbiter mission. Our method reliably estimates the relevant plasma parameters by fitting the angular spread of the distribution in a narrow energy range around the core bulk energy. We compare the output of our technique with the input parameters used to generate artificial data for a selected range of the kappa index and the temperature, and for a bulk energy typical for the solar wind. In addition, we study the effects of Poisson errors on the instrument’s counting statistics, test our method against Helios 2 measurements, and discuss its potential applications and limitations.
Four new species of Lesticus (Carabidae, Pterostichinae) from China and supplementary comments on the genus
Authors: Zhu Pingzhou , Shi Hongliang , Liang Hongbin
Published: August 2018

The genusLesticusin China was studied, with descriptions of four new species:L.auripennissp. n.(Guangdong: Nanling, 24.93°N, 112.09°E);L.biisp. n.(Xizang: Mêdog, 29.32°N, 95.34°E);L.xiaodongisp. n.(Yunnan: Yingjiang, 24.71°N, 97.58°E); andL.violaceoussp. n.(Yunnan: Yingjiang, 24.71°N, 97.58°E). One new synonym is proposed:L.dubiusDubault, Lassalle & Roux, is a junior synonym ofL.solidusRoux & Shi. An improved key and a catalogue accommodating all known ChineseLesticusspecies are provided. Species relationships and the evolution of endophallic and other characters are preliminarily discussed.
Préparation à l’adoption et groupe Photolangage © : perspectives pratiques et théorico-cliniques
Authors: Veuillet-Combier Claudine
Published: August 2018

Cet article propose une réflexion sur l’usage de la médiation projective dans le cadre de la pratique groupale auprès de couples stériles ou hypofertiles postulants à l’adoption. Le cadre-dispositif retenu dans ce contexte est la méthode Photolangage © , avec présentation d’une séance clinique de recherche qui repère les processus en jeu du côté tant du sujet que du groupe. L’analyse souligne la mise au travail des représentations de la parentalité, d’un point de vue intrapsychique et intersubjectif avec création d’un espace intermédiaire aux fonctions transformationnelles. L’auteur souligne l’intérêt du recours au groupe à médiation projective comme outil de préparation à l’adoption.
Après la pluie, une éclaircie ? L’enfant orphelin confronté à la recomposition familiale en littérature jeunesse
Authors: Mietkiewicz Marie-Claude , Lemoine Lise , Schneider Benoît
Published: August 2018

Dans le cadre d’une recherche sur la littérature jeunesse dans l’accompagnement de l’enfant orphelin, ce travail porte sur les livres dans lesquels la recomposition familiale est abordée. En l’absence irréversible du parent décédé, la recomposition familiale confronte l’enfant orphelin à une nouvelle rupture dans la trajectoire familiale et oblige à penser la place du nouveau partenaire sans mettre en péril la pérennité du lien avec le parent définitivement manquant. Vingt-deux livres, destinés à des enfants de 3 à 11 ans, publiés en langue française au xxi e siècle, rendent compte des interrogations des jeunes héros, du rejet initial de l’intrus à l’acceptation conditionnelle. Miroir, mais aussi filtre, la littérature jeunesse semble être un médiateur capable d’aider l’enfant orphelin lors de l’entrée en scène d’un peut-être (futur) beau-parent.
Web Content Analysis of Online Grocery Shopping Web Sites in India
Authors: Banerjee Tanushri , Banerjee Arindam
Published: August 2018

This article evaluates online grocery shopping web sites catering to customers primarily in India. The process of evaluation has been carried out in 3 parts using Rapidminer. In part A, the authors have studied the similarity in content that resides on the grocery shopping web sites. Using unstructured data from homepage of grocery shopping websites and the keywords specified for the web sites, the authors have made an effort to establish a cosine similarity index amongst them. In part B, the authors have analysed the customer reviews from the web sites. Studying the resulting association rules, authors have attempted to identify the attributes that drive customer happiness. In part C, the authors have documented the web traffic metric parameters (attributes) measured by search engine optimization (SEO) tool web sites. Hence, the created a correlation matrix to determine the parameters that are significantly impacting per day revenue for the web sites.
Antecedents and Effects of Green IS Adoptions
Authors: Brooks Stoney , Hedman Jonas , Henningsson Stefan , Sarker Saonee , Wang Xuequn
Published: August 2018

This article develops an empirically grounded model of antecedents and effects of green information systems (IS) initiatives. The model is empirically based on an in-depth case of the Nordic financial institution. The authors' study examines the effect of several organizational factors, and characteristics of Green IS initiatives themselves on organizations' intention to adopt Green IS initiatives. Their study finds that employees' attitudes toward these initiatives affect their participation in the initiatives, as well as the success of Green IS initiatives. The adoption of the initiatives was seen to affect individual and organizational level outcomes, with positive experiences enabling employees to continue to use/support the initiatives, and organizations also often realizing improvements in practice.
Multi-Layer Agent Based Architecture for Internet of Things Systems
Authors: Sofia Kouah , Ilham Kitouni
Published: August 2018

Nowadays, the Internet of things (IoT) is becoming a promising technology which revolutionizes and simplifies our daily life style. It allows interaction and cooperation between a large variety of pervasive objects over wireless and wired connections, in order to achieve specific goals. Moreover, it provides a concise integration of physical world into computer systems through network infrastructure. This paper provides an agent-based architecture for developing IoT systems. The proposed architecture is multi-layer and generic. It encompasses four layers: Physical Component Management, Local Management -Coordination, Global Management-Coordination and Specialized Operative Management Layers. The first one can be seen as a smart layer that ensures connection and communication between things and the system. The second one constitutes the intelligent core of the system which acts locally to ensure coordination and further internal functioning. The third layer ensures coordination between the local system and the externals ones. The last layer supports additional behaviors which are domain dependent. The architecture is illustrated by an IoT system diagnosis.
Humanitarian Logistics
Authors: Kumar Anil , Kushwaha G.S.
Published: August 2018

The concept of humanitarian logistics is evolving rapidly and gaining popularity in the research community. This research reviews the literature on humanitarian logistics for providing a thorough outlook into the field. In this study, Authors conducted a scientometric analysis of the literature published in 1998–2015 to empirically explore the important areas and key contributors of humanitarian logistics research and providing new outlook towards publication patterns, authorship pattern, major subject areas, research impact, and research productivity. By using scientometric analysis, the research critically evaluates 509 articles published over the past 18 years and identifies some of the major contributing authors, organizations and key research topics related to the field. In the last, the paper examines the validity of Lotka's law to authorship pattern in humanitarian logistics. The result found that the author productivity distribution data in humanitarian logistics do not follow Lotka's law. The findings of the study provide a new outlook on humanitarian logistics research.
Effect of pitfall trap depth on epigaeic beetle sampling (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Staphylinidae) in wet forested ecosites in Alberta, Canada
Authors: Hammond H.E. James , Langor David W. , Hartley Dustin J.
Published: August 2018

The depth at which pitfall traps were sunk into the ground and the resulting catches of epigaeic Carabidae (Coleoptera) and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) assemblages in subhygric to hydric ecosites with very deep organic soil layers was investigated in the upper foothills ecoregion of Alberta, Canada. Traps were installed at seven sites, with six surface traps (the pitfall trap lip <5 cm below soil surface) and six deep traps (the pitfall trap lip >20 cm below soil surface) at each site. A total of 5289 beetles representing 75 taxa were collected. There were no significant effects of trap depth on catch. Rarefaction estimates of species diversity were higher in surface pitfall traps for both taxa. The similarity of pooled catches between deep and surface traps was on average 75%, suggesting that both trap types were collecting similar faunas. We found no advantage to using deep pitfall traps in addition to surface traps to sample the epigaeic fauna of wet forest stands and peatlands.
PPARγ Deficiency Suppresses the Release of IL-1β and IL-1α in Macrophages via a Type 1 IFN–Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Weber Kassandra J. , Sauer Madeline , He Li , Tycksen Eric , Kalugotla Gowri , Razani Babak , Schilling Joel D.
Published: August 2018

Obesity and diabetes modulate macrophage activation, often leading to prolonged inflammation and dysfunctional tissue repair. Increasing evidence suggests that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in obesity-associated inflammation. We have previously shown that activation of the lipotoxic inflammasome by excess fatty acids in macrophages occurs via a lysosome-dependent pathway. However, the mechanisms that link cellular lipid metabolism to altered inflammation remain poorly understood. PPARγ is a nuclear receptor transcription factor expressed by macrophages that is known to alter lipid handling, mitochondrial function, and inflammatory cytokine expression. To undercover novel links between metabolic signaling and lipotoxic inflammasome activation, we investigated mouse primary macrophages deficient in PPARγ. Contrary to our expectation, PPARγ knockout (KO) macrophages released significantly less IL-1β and IL-1α in response to lipotoxic stimulation. The suppression occurred at the transcriptional level and was apparent for multiple activators of the NLRP3 inflammasome. RNA sequencing revealed upregulation of IFN-β in activated PPARγKO macrophages, and this was confirmed at the protein level. A blocking Ab against the type 1 IFNR restored the release of IL-1β to wild type levels in PPARγKO cells, confirming the mechanistic link between these events. Conversely, PPARγ activation with rosiglitazone selectively suppressed IFN-β expression in activated macrophages. Loss of PPARγ also resulted in diminished expression of genes involved in sterol biosynthesis, a pathway known to influence IFN production. Together, these findings demonstrate a cross-talk pathway that influences the interplay between metabolism and inflammation in macrophages.
Collateral Damage: What Effect Does Anti-CD4 and Anti-CD8α Antibody–Mediated Depletion Have on Leukocyte Populations?
Authors: Jung So Ri , Suprunenko Tamara , Ashhurst Thomas M. , King Nicholas J. C. , Hofer Markus J.
Published: August 2018

Anti-CD4 or anti-CD8α Ab–mediated depletion strategies are widely used to determine the role of T cell subsets. However, surface expression of CD4 and CD8α is not limited to T cells and occurs on other leukocyte populations as well. Using both unbiased t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding of flow cytometry data and conventional gating strategies, we assessed the impact of anti-CD4 and anti-CD8α Ab–mediated depletion on non–T cell populations in mice. Our results show that anti-CD4 and anti-CD8α Ab injections not only resulted in depletion of T cells but also led to depletion of specific dendritic cell subsets in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, the extent of this effect varied between mock- and virus-infected mice. We also demonstrate the importance of using a second, noncompeting Ab (clone CT-CD8α) to detect CD8α+ cells following depletion with anti-CD8α Ab clone 2.43. Our study provides a necessary caution to carefully consider the effects on nontarget cells when using Ab injections for leukocyte depletion in all experimental conditions.
Absence of Surface IgD Does Not Impair Naive B Cell Homeostasis or Memory B Cell Formation inIGHDHaploinsufficient Humans
Authors: Nechvatalova Jana , Bartol Sophinus J. W. , Chovancova Zita , Boon Louis , Vlkova Marcela , van Zelm Menno C.
Published: August 2018

Surface IgD is coexpressed with IgM on naive mature B cells. Still, the role of surface IgD remains enigmatic even 50 y after its initial discovery. In this study, we examined the in vivo role of surface IgD in human B cell homeostasis and Ab responses in four individuals with heterozygous nonsense mutations in IGHD. All IGHD heterozygous individuals had normal numbers of B cells and serum Igs and did not show signs of immunodeficiency or immune dysregulation. IgD+ and IgD− naive mature B cells were present in equal numbers and showed similar immunophenotypes, except for decreased expression of CD79b in the IgD− subset. Furthermore, both IgD+ and IgD− naive mature B cells had normal replication histories and similar capacities to differentiate into plasma cells upon in vitro stimulation, and Ig class–switched memory B cells showed similar levels of somatic hypermutations. Thus, human B cells lacking IgD expression develop normally and generate immunological memory in vivo, suggesting that surface IgD might function more restrictedly in regulating of B cell activation to specific antigenic structures.
The Use of Imaging in Management of Patients with Low Back Pain
Authors: Rao Dinesh , Scuderi Gaelyn , Scuderi Chris , Grewal Reetu , Sandhu Sukhwinder JS
Published: August 2018

Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the most common chief complaints encountered in primary care. Advanced imaging studies, including computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are frequently ordered in the setting of LBP. Structural abnormalities are commonly identified by CT and MRI in patients complaining of low back pain, however, these findings are also found in asymptomatic patients. In the past decade, multiple guidelines have been published to help providers identify patients in whom the use of advanced imaging is appropriate. In this article, we review common conditions associated with LBP that require advanced imaging along with their clinical and associated imaging findings.