bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Offshore conversion of wind power to gaseous fuels: Feasibility study in a depleted gas field
Authors: O'Kelly-Lynch PD , Gallagher PD , Borthwick AGL , McKeogh EJ , Leahy PG
Published: May 2019

A proof-of-concept study is presented of a Power-to-Gas system that is located fully offshore. This paper analyses how such a system would perform if based at the depleted Kinsale Gas Field in the Celtic Sea Basin off the south coast of Ireland. An offshore wind farm is proposed as the power source for the system. Several conversion technologies are examined in detail in terms of resource efficiency, technological maturity, and platform area footprint, the aim being to ascertain their overall applicability to an offshore Power-to-Gas system. The technologies include proton exchange membrane electrolysers for electrolysis of water to release H2. Bipolar membrane electro-dialysis and electronic cation exchange module processes are also considered for the extraction of CO2 from seawater. These technologies provide the feedstock for the Sabatier process for the production of CH4 from H2 and CO2. Simulations of the end-to-end systems were carried out using Simulink, and it was found that the conversion of offshore wind power to hydrogen or methane is a technically feasible option. Hydrogen production is much closer to market viability than methane production, but production costs are too high and conversion efficiencies too low in both cases with present-day technology to be competitive with current wholesale natural gas prices.
Protective Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognitive Function in Patients with Vascular Dementia
Authors: Xu Yuzhen , Wang Qian , Qu Zhongsen , Yang Jiajun , Zhang Xinping , Zhao Yuwu
Published: May 2019

Recent studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has a therapeutic effect on vascular dementia (VD); however, the exact mechanism remains unclear. This article aims to reveal the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of HBO on VD. A total of 158 patients with VD were prospectively included in the study and were randomly divided into control group and HBO group. The control group was given conventional treatment and the HBO group was treated with HBO in addition to conventional treatment. The following HBO protocol was practiced: 5 days per week, 60 min each, 100% oxygen at 2 standard atmospheric pressures for 12 weeks. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and serum Humanin levels were detected before and after treatments in both groups. The baseline characteristics were not different dramatically between groups ( p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in MMSE scores and serum Humanin levels between the two groups before treatment ( p > 0.05). After treatment, compared with the control group, the MMSE scores and serum Humanin levels in the HBO group were significantly increased ( p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the serum Humanin levels were positively correlated with MMSE scores ( r = 0.409, p < 0.05) and this correlation was independent of baseline characteristics (β = 0.312, p < 0.05). HBO therapy can improve cognitive function in patients with VD, and its mechanism may be related to elevated serum Humanin levels.
The California Safer Consumer Products Program: Evaluating a Novel Chemical Policy Strategy
Authors: Solomon Gina M. , Hoang Anh , Reynolds Peggy
Published: May 2019

In 2008, California enacted laws to restructure chemical policy and promote green chemistry. Ten years after the passage of California’s green chemistry laws, we assessed their performance through structured interviews with a sample of experts from government, academia, business, and the nonprofit sector. We combined the interviews with a scoping literature review to propose a new ten-point framework for evaluating the effectiveness of a chemical regulatory policy, and we assessed the performance of the California law against this framework. The California program performed well on transparency of the regulatory process; protecting vulnerable populations; placing the primary burden on the manufacturer; breadth of regulatory authority; and advancing the public right-to-know. Areas of weakness include unclear authority to require data on chemical use in products; an inefficient pace of implementation; and limited incentives for innovation. Promoting safer chemicals in products will require additional incentives to protect public health and the environment.
Mathematical Model for Computer-Assisted Modification of Medication Dosing Rules
Authors: Grabel Michael Z , Vaughan Benjamin L , Dexheimer Judith W , Kirkendall Eric S
Published: May 2019

Objective:

Medication dosing in pediatrics is complex and prone to errors that may lead to patient harm. To improve computer-assisted dosing, a mathematical model and algorithm were developed to optimize clinical decision support dosing rules and reduce spurious alerts. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility of using this algorithm to adjust dosing rules.

Materials and methods:

Incorporating historical ordering data, a mathematical model and algorithm were developed to automatically determine optimal dosing rule parameters. The algorithm optimizes the dosing rules by balancing the number of alerts generated for a medication with a minimal length dose interval. In all, 5 candidate medications were tested. An analysis was performed to compare the number of alerts generated by the new model with the current dosing rules.

Results:

For the 5 medications, the algorithm generated multiple clinically relevant rule possibilities and the rules returned performed as well as current dosing rule or matched historical prescriber behavior. The rules were comparable to or better than the existing system rules in reducing the total alert burden.

Discussion:

The mathematical model and algorithm are an accurate and scalable solution to adjusting medication dosing rules. They can be implemented to change suboptimal rules more quickly than current manual methods and can be used to help identify and correct poor quality rules.

Conclusions:

Mathematical modeling using historic prescribing data can generate clinically appropriate electronic dosing rule parameters. This approach represents an automatable and scalable solution that could help reduce alert fatigue and decrease medication dosing errors.
Tumor Size and Overall Survival in Patients With Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Treated With Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab
Authors: Sostelly Alexandre , Mercier François
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Ovarian cancer is now recognized as a constellation of distinct subtypes of neoplasia involving the ovary and related structures. As a consequence of this heterogeneity, the analysis of covariates influencing the overall survival is crucial in this disease segment. In this work, an overall survival model incorporating tumor kinetics metrics in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer was developed from the randomized, open label, phase 3 AURELIA trial.

Methods:

Tumor size data from 361 patients randomly allocated to the bevacizumab + chemotherapy or chemotherapy study arm were collected at baseline and every 8 to 9 weeks until disease progression. Patients continued to be followed for survival after treatment discontinuation. A landmarked Cox proportional hazard survival model was developed to characterize the overall survival distribution.

Results:

Two sets of factors were found to be influential on survival time: those describing the type and severity of disease (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG], Féderation Internationale de Gynécologie et d’Obstétrique [FIGO] stages, presence of ascites) and those summarizing the key features of the tumor kinetic model (tumor shrinkage at week 8 and tumor size at treatment onset). The treatment group was not required in the final model as the drug effect was accounted for in the tumor kinetics model.

Conclusions:

This work has identified both ascites and tumor kinetics metrics as being the 2 most influential factors to explain variability in overall survival in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Differentiating between sensory sensitivity and sensory reactivity in relation to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours
Authors: Schulz Samantha E , Stevenson Ryan A
Published: May 2019

Recent studies have suggested that individuals who exhibit heightened sensitivity also exhibit higher rates and severity of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. This line of research has been conducted almost exclusively through caregiver reports of sensitivity. Here, a more rigorous psychophysics paradigm was applied to assess sensory sensitivity and relate hypersensitivity to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. In addition, commonly used questionnaire measures of sensory sensitivity were collected to determine if self-reported measures accurately reflect behavioural measures of sensory sensitivity. In all, 90 typically developing participants completed a visual detection task, a questionnaire measure of sensory processing and a measure of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Visual sensitivity, measured both behaviourally and with questionnaires, is positively related to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Surprisingly, visual sensitivity as measured behaviourally and through self-report are unrelated. Furthermore, a regression analysis suggests that while restricted interests and repetitive behaviours can be predicted based on both behavioural and self-reported sensitivity, these two predictors account for different portions of the variance in restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Thus, while these results provide evidence supporting the contribution of sensory sensitivity to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours, these results also indicate that behavioural and questionnaire measures of sensory sensitivity are measuring two distinct constructs. We hypothesize that behavioural measures are measuring sensory sensitivity, while questionnaires measures are in fact measuring sensory reactivity.
Esposito’s affirmative biopolitics in multispecies homes
Authors: Lynch Heather
Published: May 2019

Drawing on Roberto Esposito’s conceptualization of ‘affirmative biopolitics’, this article examines the relationship between bedbugs and humans in the Glasgow neighbourhood of Govanhill. Through an analysis of ethnographic field notes and interviews with people who live in the area, this article traces their experiences from first encounters. The trajectory of this experience shows a shift from a desire to immunize their homes through total annihilation of the creatures to the more pragmatic position of learning how to live with them through an orientation toward ‘shared vulnerability’. This case study raises interesting questions for biopolitical theory: how can we conceive of affirmative biopolitics when the limitations of species being are evident, and is it possible to conceive of a multi or even interspecies munus or obligation?
Seismic yield displacement of reinforced concrete bridge pier columns in saline soil environment
Authors: Yan Changwang , Zhao Jianjun , Liu Shuguang , Zhang Ju
Published: May 2019

Corrosion of bridge pier columns in saline soil environment is inevitable, resulting in a gradual decrease in seismic yield displacement. In this study, 10 reinforced concrete bridge pier columns were fabricated, and seismic yield displacement in the saline soil environment was studied. Electrochemical corrosion tests and low-cycle repeated loading tests were carried out. The axial compression ratio and corrosion rate are the main parameters considered in this article. The seismic yield displacement test value of the pier column is determined based on the energy method. Using the static method, the theoretical expression of the earthquake yield displacement is derived. According to our results, when the corrosion rate is constant, the axial compression ratio is within a certain range, and the seismic yield displacement of the pier increases with the increase in the axial compression ratio. Similarly, when the axial compression ratio is constant, the seismic yield displacement decreases as the corrosion rate increases. By comparing experimental results with calculation results, our mathematical expressions have been shown to be effective in predicting seismic yield displacements of pier columns at different times in saline soil environments.
Spatiotemporal flame mapping in a large-bore marine diesel engine using multiple high-speed cameras
Authors: Hult Johan , Matamis Alexios , Baudoin Eric , Mayer Stefan , Richter Mattias
Published: May 2019

A calibrated multiple high-speed camera arrangement recording the flame emission from three different directions has been demonstrated on an engine. From the multiple views, the flame position inside the engine cylinder can be spatially mapped, allowing quantitative studies of the dynamics of ignition, flame development and propagation. Through space carving, the three-dimensional flame contour can be estimated. From this contour, properties like flame length, flame height, ignition locations and flame directions can be extracted. The technique is demonstrated by measurements on diesel flames inside a marine two-stroke engine with a bore diameter of 500 mm. It is found to be a valuable tool for spatiotemporal flame mapping in this asymmetric industrial combustion system.
Discovering dimensions of research ethics in doing oral history: going public in the case of the Ghent orphanages
Authors: De Wilde Lieselot , Roets Griet , Vanobbergen Bruno
Published: May 2019

In this article, we argue that research ethics in the doing of oral history research are inadequately addressed in the existing body of research. Although oral history researchers have paid considerable attention to procedural ethical issues, there is currently a lack of attention on situational research ethics in the doing of oral history. We address particular ethical challenges that we experienced while reconstructing the history of three remaining orphanages after the Second World War in the city of Ghent (a city in Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) by drawing on oral history research from former orphans and ex-staff members. Their rather surprising, yet pertinent, questions enabled us to discover the political nature of research ethics, and prompted us to engage in ‘going public’. We discuss the complexities of our attempt to provide a ‘questionable’ historical interpretation for the ambiguous history of these childhood institutions in the recent past.
Damage detection in a novel deep-learning framework: a robust method for feature extraction
Authors: Guo Tian , Wu Lianping , Wang Cunjun , Xu Zili
Published: May 2019

Extracting damage features precisely while overcoming the adverse interferences of measurement noise and incomplete data is a problem demanding prompt solution in structural health monitoring (SHM). In this article, we present a deep-learning-based method that can extract the damage features from mode shapes without utilizing any hand-engineered feature or prior knowledge. To meet various requirements of the damage scenarios, we use convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm and design a new network architecture: a multi-scale module, which helps in extracting features at various scales that can reduce the interference of contaminated data; stacked residual learning modules, which help in accelerating the network convergence; and a global average pooling layer, which helps in reducing the consumption of computing resources and obtaining a regression performance. An extensive evaluation of the proposed method is conducted by using datasets based on numerical simulations, along with two datasets based on laboratory measurements. The transferring parameter methodology is introduced to reduce retraining requirement without any decreases in precision. Furthermore, we plot the feature vectors of each layer to discuss the damage features learned at these layers and additionally provide the basis for explaining the working principle of the neural network. The results show that our proposed method has accuracy improvements of at least 10% over other network architectures.
Quantified Play: Self-Tracking in Videogames
Authors: Egliston Ben
Published: May 2019

This essay develops the concept of “quantified play” to describe and analyze the recent practice of self-tracking in the play of videogames. I argue that statistical, self-tracking utilities in videogames shape how gameplay “appears” and how it is experienced and valued by users. I proceed by situating contemporary self-tracking in games as part of a broader history of play as “quantified.” From there, drawing on interdisciplinary studies of self-tracking, as well as Bernard Stiegler’s postphenomenological analyses of technology, I characterize quantified play in three main ways. First, it is voluntary and occupied with self-knowledge. Second, it is used in mundane or everyday contexts. Third, it relates to the habitual faculty of users. The remainder of the essay illustrates the concept of quantified play through two examples of tracking hardware and software—showing how numerical or statistical apprehensions of player activity (and visualizations thereof) shape how we negotiate videogames.
Antihyperglycemic Activity of Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Selective Medicinal Plants Curcuma longa, Lavandula stoechas, Aegle marmelos, and Glycyrrhiza glabra and Their Polyherbal Preparation in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Mice
Authors: Mustafa Sodah Bint , Akram Muhammad , Muhammad Asif Hafiz , Qayyum Imran , Hashmi Asif Mehmood , Munir Naveed , Khan Fahad Said , Riaz Muhammad , Ahmad Saeed
Published: May 2019

Background:

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with relative or absolute insulin deficiency or resistance, characterized by hyperglycemia. Modern prescriptions such as pioglitazone have better therapeutic potential, but its side effects and financial burden for developing countries have motivated the researchers to find alternative natural drugs to compete hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes. The present study was conducted to explore the therapeutic potential of selected medicinal plants for the treatment of diabetes as an alternative to allopathic medicines.

Method:

In present study, hydroalcoholic extracts of Curcuma longa, Lavandula stoechas, Aegle marmelos, and Glycyrrhiza glabra and their polyherbal preparation (PHP) as compound drug were investigated for their antihyperglycemic potential in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The study subjects (mice) were divided into different groups as normal control, diabetic control, pioglitazone treated (standard drug), test groups (plant extract treated 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg body weight), and PHP-treated group. Blood glucose concentration of all the study animals was determined by Glucose strip test. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of all the plant extracts was also performed following standard methods.

Result:

It was investigated that treatment of alloxan-induced diabetic mice with hydroalcoholic extracts of studied medicinal plants showed significant ( P < .05) effects on fasting blood glucose levels (from baseline to normal range) in a manner comparable to that of the reference drug, pioglitazone (1 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneal). The tested plant extracts significantly ( P < .05) reduced the glucose concentration in blood of diabetes-induced mice in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion:

It could be concluded that studied medicinal plants have antihyperglycemic activity. The study findings favor the use of traditional herbal medicinal practices for the management of diabetes that might due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents in plants. However, larger studies are required to identify, isolate, and characterize the bioactive phytoconstituents responsible for antihyperglycemic activity of studied medicinal plants.
Researching Professional Footballers: Reflections and Lessons Learned
Authors: Law Graeme
Published: May 2019

In this article, the author reflects on the process of interviewing professional footballers about the sensitive issue of money and the lessons learned from this process. The article discusses a case study approach using in-depth qualitative interviews, which generates an innovative insight into a closed social world. The focus is on the difficulties of obtaining a sample where challenges faced are discussed. The article also focuses on the interview style employed when dealing with individuals who are experienced at being interviewed regularly. It also examines the issues of being an “insider” when conducting research and ways in which this can benefit the research process. The issue of research being a messy process is also discussed as when conducting this research, it was imperative that the author could deal with unpredictability and had to be flexible to conduct the research. Finally, the article discusses the insecurities of the participants and the issues of trust, as the current position of the author led him to be seen as an “outsider” by some participants.
Configuring terrorism in the age of ISIS: The New York Times’ coverage of the 2015 Beirut and Paris attacks
Authors: Ismail Amani , Mishra Smeeta
Published: May 2019

This study inquires whether cultural proximity may explain how media handle terrorism in a global village era where cultural proximity may have given way to cosmopolitanism in news-making. Findings indicate that although loss of life is not culture-bound, cultural proximity persists, as comes through in the sheer contrast in the amount of coverage devoted to Paris versus Beirut. This distinction ought to be qualified, for even with Paris, the self-interest of the nation-state was prioritized, meaning that national security and welfare come first, followed by those of culturally proximate locales. Sensational violence was emphasized for both Lebanese and French victims.
Glypicans Dally and Dally-like control injury-induced allodynia in Drosophila
Authors: Brann Courtney L , Moulton Julie K , Ganter Geoffrey K
Published: May 2019

Over 100 million people are challenged by the effects of chronic pain in the United States alone. This burden also impacts the U.S. economy; 600 billion dollars annually is spent on medical care, medications, and lost productivity in the workplace. Current opioid treatments cause adverse effects including nausea, constipation, tolerance, and addiction liability. Nociceptive sensitization is thought to perpetuate chronic pain, but too little is known about its mechanisms. Components of the pathways that sensitize the nociceptors after injury are likely to be valuable targets for novel medications for the relief or prevention of chronic pain. Utilizing the Drosophila melanogaster cell targeting and RNA interference toolkit, we are investigating the bone morphogenetic protein pathway and its role in ultraviolet light injury-induced nociceptive sensitization. Bone morphogenetic proteins are well known as secreted developmental morphogens that control development, but other functions are known. We have previously identified bone morphogenetic protein signaling components used in nociceptors to modulate injury-induced allodynia, including Decapentaplegic (Dpp, orthologous to mammalian bone morphogenetic protein 2/4), and its downstream signaling components. The morphogen Hedgehog has also been shown to be necessary for allodynia following injury. Here, we show that two membrane-embedded regulators of the Dpp and Hedgehog pathways, Dally and Dally-like, are necessary for injury-induced thermal allodynia, as the formation of sensitization was reduced when either component was suppressed. These bone morphogenetic protein components are highly conserved and, because dysregulation of nociceptor sensitization underlies chronic pain, the homologs of Dally and Dally-like may represent novel therapeutic targets in humans challenged by chronic pain. Furthermore, because of their extracellular location, Dally and Dally-like represent attractive therapeutic drug targets because such drugs would not need to cross the plasma membrane.
Trends in recruitment of women and reporting of sex differences in large-scale published randomized controlled trials in stroke
Authors: Carcel Cheryl , Woodward Mark , Balicki Grace , Koroneos Georgia Louise , Sousa Diana Aguiar de , Cordonnier Charlotte , Lukaszyk Caroline , Thompson Kelly , Wang Xia , Davies Leo , Bassi Meenakshi , Anderson Craig S , Peters Sanne AE , Sandset Else Charlotte
Published: May 2019

Background

Understanding of sex differences, especially in terms of the influence of sex on therapeutic interventions, can lead to improved treatment and management for all.

Aim

We examined temporal and regional trends in female participation and the reporting of sex differences in stroke randomized controlled trials.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials from 1990 to 2018 were identified from ClinicalTrials.gov, using keywords “stroke” and “cerebrovascular accidents.” Studies were selected if they enrolled ≥100 participants, included both sexes and were published trials (identified using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus).

Results

Of 1700 stroke randomized controlled trials identified, 277 were published and eligible for analysis. Overall, these randomized controlled trials enrolled only 40% females, and in the past 10 years, this percentage barely changed, peaking at 41% in 2008–2009 and 2012–2013. North American randomized controlled trials recruited the most women, at 43%, and Asia the lowest, at 40%. Among the 277 randomized controlled trials, 101 (36%) reported results according to sex, of which 91 (33%) were pre-specified analyses. The increasing trend in the number of studies reporting sex-differentiated results from 2008 to 2018 merely paralleled the increase in the number of papers published during the same time period. North American randomized controlled trials most often reported sex-specific results (42%), and Australia and Europe least often (31%).

Conclusion

Little progress has been made in the inclusion of females and the reporting of sex in stroke randomized controlled trials. This highlights the need for key stakeholders, such as funders and journal editors, to provide clear guidance and effective implementation strategies to researchers in the scientific reporting of sex.
The perioperative Team Brief: A patient safety initiative or another tick-box exercise?
Authors: Pennington Bernard , Garside Joanne
Published: May 2019

The World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist has been the subject of many professional discussions following its introduction in 2008. Since the addition of the Team Brief and Debrief in 2010 and the acceptance of the Five Steps to Safer Surgery as the gold standard, compliance has steadily improved (as audited by Care Quality Commission Inspections). This review of the literature therefore examined the perioperative Team Brief and identified gaps in knowledge. Evidence appears to suggest that whilst compliance is good in quantitative terms, there may be inconsistencies within the quality of Team Briefs from organisation to organisation and surgeon to surgeon. Concluding further research is required to establish what an effective Team Brief looks, sounds and feels like to all involved.
Florence Nightingale: creator of modern nursing and public health pioneer
Authors: Ellis Harold
Published: May 2019

In his 2008 series of articles on notable women in healthcare, Professor Harold Ellis celebrates Florence Nightingale's contribution to nursing, research and public health. This month, we republish his article to coincide with the 2020, ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’, celebrating the famous lady with the lamp’s work in the Crimean War, as well as her pioneering work in the fields of nursing and public health, that helped shape current practice and research.
Dental clearance and postoperative heart infections: Observations from a preoperative evaluation clinic for day-admission surgery
Authors: J Casale Marc , Lurie Jacob M , Khromava Maryna , Silvay George
Published: May 2019

Every year, two-million hospitalised patients develop healthcare-associated infections with a consequent mortality eclipsing 90,000. The literature suggests that dental infections are one of many potential sources of these infections and may be associated with an increased risk of endocarditis in surgical patients, especially those undergoing cardiac procedures, though some studies have conversely shown no heightened risk of cardiac infections in patients forgoing pre-surgical dental screenings. We sought to elucidate whether patients seen at our preoperative evaluation clinic who obtained pre-surgical dental clearance experienced improved outcomes compared to those who did not receive dental clearance prior to their surgical interventions. The medical records of 196 consecutive patients were reviewed who were seen at the pre-anaesthesia evaluation prior to elective cardiac surgery from July 2017 to February 2018. Of this cohort, 102 patients had pre-surgical dental clearance, while 94 did not have dental clearance. Preoperative demographic and comorbidity data were analysed using independent t-tests. We found no significant differences between these group in terms of post-operation infections (zero instances versus four instances, p > 0.05), length of intensive care unit stay (two days versus two days, p = 0.815), or mortality associated with elective cardiac procedures (zero instances). Further evaluation of preoperative dental clearance and its potential to prevent morbidity (e.g. postoperative infections) is warranted.
Community management of burn injuries
Authors: Henry Nader , Radotra Ishan , Khalil Sheirin
Published: May 2019

Burn injuries are extremely common injuries for both adults and children, and yet knowledge of their management is often lacking in society and the subject is not routinely taught to clinicians. In this article, we aim to provide an overview of the pertinent points of the history, classification of burns, and rapid assessment methods for determining body surface area within primary care. This is followed by key aspects of management, referral criteria for transfer to a burns service, and important safeguarding issues surrounding burns.
BaMORC: A Software Package for Accurate and Robust 13C Reference Correction of Protein NMR Spectra
Authors: Chen Xi , Smelter Andrey , Moseley Hunter N. B.
Published: May 2019

We describe Bayesian Model Optimized Reference Correction (BaMORC), a software package that performs 13C chemical shifts reference correction for either assigned or unassigned peak lists derived from protein NMR spectra. BaMORC provides an intuitive command line interface that allows non-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experts to detect and correct 13C chemical shift referencing errors of unassigned peak lists at the very beginning of NMR data analysis, further lowering the bar of expertise required for effective protein NMR analysis. Furthermore, BaMORC provides an application programming interface for integration into sophisticated protein NMR data analysis pipelines, both before and after the protein resonance assignment step.
NMR-Based Metabolomic Profiling of Urine: Evaluation for Application in Prostate Cancer Detection
Authors: MacKinnon Neil , Ge Wencheng , Han Peisong , Siddiqui Javed , Wei John T. , Raghunathan Trivellore , Chinnaiyan Arul M. , Rajendiran Thekkelnaycke M. , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy
Published: May 2019

Detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and distinguishing indolent versus aggressive forms of the disease is a critical clinical challenge. The current clinical test is circulating prostate-specific antigen levels, which faces particular challenges in cancer diagnosis in the range of 4 to 10 ng/mL. Thus, a concerted effort toward building a noninvasive biomarker panel has developed. In this report, the hypothesis that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived metabolomic profiles measured in the urine of biopsy-negative versus biopsy-positive individuals would nominate a selection of potential biomarker signals was investigated. 1H NMR spectra of urine samples from 317 individuals (111 biopsy-negative, 206 biopsy-positive) were analyzed. A double cross-validation partial least squares-discriminant analysis modeling technique was utilized to nominate signals capable of distinguishing the two classes. It was observed that after variable selection protocols were applied, a subset of 29 variables produced an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.94 after logistic regression analysis, whereas a “master list” of 18 variables produced a receiver operating characteristic ROC) AUC of 0.80. As proof of principle, this study demonstrates the utility of NMR-based metabolomic profiling of urine biospecimens in the nomination of PCa-specific biomarker signals and suggests that further investigation is certainly warranted.
Substituting Inosine for Guanosine in DNA: Structural and Dynamic Consequences
Authors: Ferris Zachary E. , Li Qiushi , Germann Markus W.
Published: May 2019

Inosine differs from the guanosine nucleoside only by the absence of the N2 amino group. Both nucleosides also have similar electrostatic potentials. Therefore, substituting I for G has been used to probe various properties of nucleic acids and to facilitate the interpretation of binding studies. In particular, the absence of the amino group permits the assessment of its importance in the binding of ligands to the minor groove of duplex DNA. It has been known for some time that an I-C base pair is of lower stability than a regular G-C base pair, which needs to be considered when making DNA constructs containing inosine. However, it is generally assumed that both base pairs are structurally highly similar. To test this assumption in an identical sequence environment, we have determined the fine structure of two hairpin DNA substrates that differ only in the substitution of an I-C base pair for a G-C base pair. The structures have been solved using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) restraints in conjunction with Mardigras and molecular dynamics. The structural data are complemented with thermodynamic and dynamic data to get a comprehensive evaluation of the consequences of G-C vs I-C base pair substitutions. Our data show a strong similarity in the structures of the hairpins, but a significant difference in the melting temperatures, T m. This difference is also reflected in the drastically decreased base pair lifetime of 7.4 milliseconds compared to the G-C base pair lifetime of 155 milliseconds. The substitution of I-C for G-C is to probe for specific effect due to the amino group is satisfactory, as long as the lowered thermal stability and the drastically increased local dynamics are considered.
Efficacy of Short-Term Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Systematic Review
Authors: Zhang Yunyun , Wang Chengshuo , Huang Yanran , Lou Hongfei , Zhang Luo
Published: May 2019

Background

Corticosteroids are considered the most effective medication to control chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP); however, the studies of systemic corticosteroids in this field are relatively few and meta-analyses are lacking.

Objective

We aimed to systematically review the efficacy and safety of systemic corticosteroids for patients with CRSwNP via meta-analysis.

Methods

Data were extracted from relevant and appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of systemic corticosteroids for patients with CRSwNP from PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. Efficacy was assessed based on clinical outcomes, while safety was assessed based on adverse events (AEs).

Results

A total of 337 relevant publications were identified, of which 7 RCTs including 414 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to placebos or nonsteroid treatments, systemic corticosteroids significantly improved nasal obstruction scores standardized mean difference (SMD −2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], −4.68 to −0.95; P = .003), reduced the nasal polyp size (SMD −4.76; 95% CI, −6.99 to −2.52; P < .0001), and improved peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) (SMD 42.39; 95% CI, 28.95 to 55.84; P < .00001). The high-dose (more than or equal to 50 mg/day prednisone) and low-dose subgroups (less than 50 mg/day prednisone) experienced similar benefits. However, insomnia and gastrointestinal disturbances were noted more frequently in patients treated with high doses of prednisone. Other AEs were infrequent and were not significantly different between the subgroups.

Conclusion

Systemic corticosteroids provide significant improvements in nasal symptoms and PNIF as well as a reduction in nasal polyp size for patients with CRSwNP. Prednisone doses less than 50 mg/day were recommended when the efficacy of oral corticosteroids in CRSwNP was balanced against potential adverse effects.
Therapeutic levetiracetam monitoring during pregnancy: “mind the gap”
Authors: Berlin Maya , Barchel Dana , Gandelman-Marton Revital , Brandriss Nurit , Blatt Ilan , Ziv-Baran Tomer , Neufeld Miri Y. , Dinavitser Natalie , Kohn Elkana , Shaniv Dotan , De-Haan Tal , Ofek Fanny , Koren Gideon , Stepensky David , Berkovitch Matitiahu
Published: May 2019

Background:

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological conditions and its treatment during pregnancy is challenging. Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic medication frequently used during pregnancy. Only a few small studies have been published on LEV monitoring during pregnancy, demonstrating decreased serum LEV levels during the first and second trimester; however, the most significant decrease was observed during the third trimester of pregnancy. In this study we aimed to evaluate LEV pharmacokinetics during different stages of pregnancy.

Methods:

We followed up and monitored serum levels of pregnant women treated with LEV for epilepsy.

Results:

Fifty-nine women with 66 pregnancies during the study period were included. The lowest raw LEV serum concentrations were observed during the first trimester. Compared with the pre-pregnancy period, raw serum concentration was lower by 5.76 mg/L [95% confidence interval (CI) (2.78, 8.75), p = 0.039] during the first trimester. Comparing the decrease in the first trimester with either the second or the third, no significant changes were observed ( p = 0.945, p = 0.866). Compared with pre-pregnancy measurements, apparent clearance was increased by 71.08 L/day [95%CI (16.34, 125.83), p = 0.011] during the first trimester. About 30% of LEV serum levels during pregnancy were below the laboratory quoted reference range.

Conclusions:

Raw LEV serum levels tend to decrease during pregnancy, mainly during the first trimester contrary to previous reports. Monitoring of LEV serum levels is essential upon planning pregnancy and thereafter if pre-pregnancy LEV levels are to be maintained. However, more studies are needed to assess the correlation with clinical outcome.
Trauma-informed practices in early childhood education: Contributions, limitations and ethical considerations
Authors: Vericat Rocha Áurea M , Ruitenberg Claudia W
Published: May 2019

While it should be obvious on moral grounds that abusing children in any shape or form is wrong, biological, medical and economic arguments have been necessary to bring attention to the long-standing impact of early childhood trauma. In particular, stemming from the mental health field, a trauma-informed approach seems to have become a privileged way to understand and attend to children exposed to an array of traumatic experiences. However, the introduction of such an approach is relatively recent and its implementation still needs to be explored. In this article, the authors describe some of the possible contributions and limitations of a trauma-informed approach to early childhood educators’ practice. They highlight the risks involved in privileging children’s socialization to the detriment of their subjectification and underscore the need to broaden dominant approaches to early childhood trauma by assuming an ethical responsibility towards children. To guide educators in the necessary endeavour of encountering each child as an infinite Other, the authors found inspiration in the work of Lithuanian-French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiometabolic outcomes in childhood: A systematic review
Authors: Jansen Maria AC , Pluymen Linda PM , Dalmeijer Geertje W , Groenhof T Katrien J , Uiterwaal Cuno SPM , Smit Henriëtte A , van Rossem Lenie
Published: May 2019

Background

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) are among the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide and have been suggested to increase long-term cardiovascular disease risk in the offspring.

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate whether HDPs are associated with cardiometabolic markers in childhood.

Search strategy

PubMed, The Cochrane Library and reference lists of included studies up to January 2019.

Selection criteria

Studies comparing cardiometabolic markers in 2–18-year-old children of mothers with HDP in utero, to children of mothers without HDP.

Data collection and analysis

Sixteen studies reported in 25 publications were included in this systematic review, of which three were considered as having high risk of bias. Thus 13 studies were included in the evidence synthesis: respectively two and eight reported pregnancy induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and three studies reported on both HDPs.

Main results

Most studies (n = 4/5) found a higher blood pressure in children exposed to pregnancy induced hypertension. Most studies (n = 7/10) found no statistically significantly higher blood pressure in children exposed to preeclampsia. No association was found between exposure to HDP and levels of cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose (n = 5/5). No studies investigated an association with (carotid) intima-media thickness, glycated haemoglobin or diabetes mellitus type 2.

Conclusions

Most studies showed that exposure to pregnancy induced hypertension is associated with a higher offspring blood pressure. There is no convincing evidence for an association between exposure to preeclampsia and blood pressure in childhood. Based on current evidence, exposure to HDP is not associated with blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose in childhood.
A safe haven for everyone: Working with shared values in a nursing home for people with dementia
Authors: Söderlund Mona , Fagerberg Ingegerd
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to describe from a staff perspective what promotes a positive atmosphere in a nursing home for people with dementia. A nursing home renowned for its positive atmosphere and quality of care was chosen for our research. The study has a qualitative descriptive design using a modified grounded theory. Eight members of staff were interviewed. The analysis consisted of open, axial and selective coding and constant comparison between each narrative. The core category was ‘A safe haven for everyone’, with three categories; ‘Relating to people with dementia’, ‘Relating to work’ and ‘Relating to each other’. A shared set of values embraced by all staff was the foundation in the nursing home and supported the atmosphere and quality of care. The positive atmosphere had been founded on mutual trust between manager and staff, lending staff the freedom to be creative in their work, and ensuring that the residents with dementia were cared for in the best possible way.
The Analysis of the Structure, Validity, and Reliability of an Inclusive Physical Education Self-Efficacy Instrument for Lithuanian Physical Education Teachers
Authors: Selickaitė Dovilė , Hutzler Yeshayahu , Pukėnas Kazimieras , Block Martin E. , Rėklaitienė Diana
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the validity and reliability of the inclusive Self-efficacy Instrument for Physical Education Teacher scale (SE-PETE-D), using a Lithuanian physical education (PE) teachers’ sample, and (b) the impact of type of disability and personal attributes. The English version of the scale was translated into Lithuanian using the back-translation technique. The participants were 193 PE teachers working in Lithuanian schools (60 males and 132 females), ages between 22 and 65 years ( M = 46.47 years, SD = 9.08 years). The content and construct validity of the instrument was supported. The results of the factor analysis indicated a one-factor solution for the instrument’s intellectual disability (ID), physical disability (PD), and visual impairment (VI) subscales. Cronbach’s alpha reliability was high (ID = 0.96, PD = 0.97, and VI = 0.98). Test–retest correlation analysis showed a satisfactory coefficient (ID = 0.54, p < .05; PD = 0.75, p < .01; and VI = 0.63, p < .01; total of SE-PETE-D = 0.70, p < .01). The type of the students’ disability and the teachers’ adapted physical education (APE) training significantly influenced the teachers’ self-efficacy ( p < .05). The Lithuanian version of the SE-PETE-D appears to be a valid and reliable instrument, enabling future research on Lithuanian PE teachers.
College Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention: Testing an Integrated Model of SDT and TPB
Authors: Al-Jubari Ibrahim
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this study is to test an integrated entrepreneurial motivation and intention model based on self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Particularly, it aims at testing the direct and indirect effects of the basic psychological needs satisfaction of SDT, that is, autonomy, competence, and relatedness on entrepreneurial intention through the TPB attitudinal factors, that is, attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. A sample of 622 university students from two universities in Yemen has been used, and the integrated model was tested using structural equation modeling to check its validity and the hypothesized relationships. The study findings lend support to the theoretical integration of the model, where basic psychological needs satisfaction has a positive effect on attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, and in turn, they have positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. The findings suggest full mediation of attitude toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control due to the insignificant direct path from need satisfaction on entrepreneurial intention, whereas no mediation effect was observed in the case of subjective norms.
Parental Discipline in Emerging Adulthood: The Creation and Validation of the Domains of Young Adult Discipline Scale (DYADS)
Authors: Walker Courtney S. , McKinney Cliff
Published: May 2019

Emerging evidence suggests that parents engage in discipline practices during emerging adulthood, and the use of physical discipline is associated with negative mental health outcomes for emerging adults. However, it appears that no measure of discipline strategies used in emerging adulthood exists. The current study developed the Domains of Young Adult Discipline Scale (DYADS), a measure of parental discipline during emerging adulthood. After item construction, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on a random half of the data ( N = 288), followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the second random half of the data ( N = 304). Results of the CFA supported the factor structure of the EFA (i.e., three-factor structure) and revealed the best fitting model contained 24 items. The DYADS correlated with measures of parenting style and discipline as well as a measure of emerging adult mental health. Implications for future research are discussed.