bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agencies’ formal independence and credible commitment in the Latin American regulatory state: A comparative analysis of 8 countries and 13 sectors
Authors: Pavón Mediano Andrés
Published: February 2018

This article tests functional and institutional explanations for the different levels of formal independence of regulatory agencies in Latin America. The analysis is grounded in an original database of the formal independence level of 104 regulators in 8 countries and 13 regulatory sectors. The results challenge a central claim of the credible commitment hypothesis as they indicate that privatization is not a significant determinant of agency independence nor are utility regulators more likely to be independent than other economic regulators. Veto players are positively correlated with formal independence, indicating that in developing countries they operate together as credibility‐enhancing mechanisms, rather than as functional equivalents, as previous studies on developed countries have shown. Democratization is positively correlated with formal independence, whereas trade opening and vulnerability to international pressures has no significant impact. Hence, this article enhances the understanding of the delegation of regulatory powers to formally independent agencies in developing countries.
Variability in Cross‐Domain Risk Perception among Smallholder Farmers in Mali by Gender and Other Demographic and Attitudinal Characteristics
Authors: Cullen Alison C. , Anderson C. Leigh , Biscaye Pierre , Reynolds Travis W.
Published: February 2018

Previous research has shown that men and women, on average, have different risk attitudes and may therefore see different value propositions in response to new opportunities. We use data from smallholder farm households in Mali to test whether risk perceptions differ by gender and across domains. We model this potential association across six risks (work injury, extreme weather, community relationships, debt, lack of buyers, and conflict) while controlling for demographic and attitudinal characteristics. Factor analysis highlights extreme weather and conflict as eliciting the most distinct patterns of participant response. Regression analysis for Mali as a whole reveals an association between gender and risk perception, with women expressing more concern except in the extreme weather domain; however, the association with gender is largely absent when models control for geographic region. We also find lower risk perception associated with an individualistic and/or fatalistic worldview, a risk‐tolerant outlook, and optimism about the future, while education, better health, a social orientation, self‐efficacy, and access to information are generally associated with more frequent worry—with some inconsistency. Income, wealth, and time poverty exhibit complex associations with perception of risk. Understanding whether and how men's and women's risk preferences differ, and identifying other dominant predictors such as geographic region and worldview, could help development organizations to shape risk mitigation interventions to increase the likelihood of adoption, and to avoid inadvertently making certain subpopulations worse off by increasing the potential for negative outcomes.
Environmental factors and pattern of riparian vegetation along the downstream sections of the Lower Ogun River, Nigeria
Authors: Fashae Olutoyin , Olusola Adeyemi , Faniran Adetoye
Published: February 2018

The River Continuum Concept (RCC) is an existing theory regarding the distribution of plant communities along riverbanks. This study is concerned with the pattern of riparian vegetation along the Lower Ogun River (LOR) in relation to the observed downstream variation of various environmental factors (bank height, width, gradient, distance, cross‐sectional area and particle size). The LOR transits between undisturbed and disturbed sections. Forty‐eight cross sections were established at bankfull stage along the river channel stretch of about 90 km. Environmental variables distribution were determined using standard field procedures. Gradient was estimated from a 1:50 000 topographical map. At each corridor along the study sites, a 0.1 ha sampling site was chosen, in which 10 transects of 100 m2 were demarcated. In all, 332 individuals stratified under 80 species were recorded across the transects. The study revealed that total species richness (TSR) downstream decreases exponentially. TSR is significantly correlated with channel width, suggesting that hydraulic variable contributes more to the variation in TSR. The downstream total environmental factors revealed that width is inversely significant with downstream distance, suggesting that the river channel is narrower downstream. This affects plant life form distribution downstream and confirms why there is appearance of anthropogenic induced species downstream as against those in the upper course.
Relations between subdomains of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and quality of life in young adult men
Authors: Päivärinne V. , Kautiainen H. , Heinonen A. , Kiviranta I.
Published: February 2018

To assess the relationship between physical activity (PA) in work, transport, domestic, and leisure‐time domains (with sitting time included) and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among young adult men. The long version of IPAQ and SF‐36 Health Survey were used to assess PA and HRQoL, respectively, in 1425 voluntary 20‐ to 40‐year‐old Finnish male participants. Participants were divided into tertiles (MET‐h/week): Lowest tertile (<38 MET‐h/week), Middle tertile (38‐100 MET‐h/week), and Highest tertile (>100 MET‐h/week). The IPAQ domain leisure‐time PA predicted positively the Physical Component Summary (PCS) (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.16) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.16) dimensions. Occupational PA predicted negative relationships in the PCS (β = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.19 to −0.07), and sitting time predicted negative relationships in the MCS dimension (β = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.18 to −0.07). In addition, a linear relationship was found between total PA level (including sitting time) and all of the IPAQ domains (<0.001). The Middle tertile had the highest leisure‐time PA (38% of total PA), whereas the highest sitting time (28%) and lowest occupational PA (8%) were found in the Lowest tertile. The Highest tertile had the highest occupational PA (61%), while the leisure‐time PA was the lowest (16%). Different PA domains appear to have positive and negative relationships to mental and physical aspects of HRQoL. Relatively high leisure‐time PA indicated a better HRQoL regardless of the amount of total PA, while occupational PA and higher daily sitting time related negatively to HRQoL.
Technical determinants of biathlon standing shooting performance before and after race simulation
Authors: Ihalainen Simo , Laaksonen Marko S. , Kuitunen Sami , Leppävuori Antti , Mikkola Jussi , Lindinger Stefan Josef , Linnamo Vesa
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study was to identify performance‐determining factors in biathlon standing shooting in rest and after intense exercise. Eight Finnish national‐ and nine junior‐team biathletes participated in the study. Participants fired 40 resting shots (REST) and 2 × 5 competition simulation shots (LOAD) after 5 minutes of roller skiing at 95% of peak heart rate. Hit percentage, aiming point trajectory and postural balance were measured from each shot. Cleanness of triggering (ATV, movement of the aiming point 0‐0.2 second before the shot) and vertical stability of hold (DevY) were the most important components affecting shooting performance both in REST (DevY, R = −0.61, P < .01; ATV, R = −0.65, P < .01) and in LOAD (DevY, R = −0.50, P < .05; ATV, R = −0.77, P < .001). Postural balance, especially in shooting direction, was related to DevY and ATV. Stability of hold in horizontal (F(1,15) = 7.025, P < .05) and vertical (F(1,15) = 21.285, P < .001) directions, aiming accuracy (F(1,15) = 9.060, P < .01), and cleanness of triggering (F(1,15) = 59.584, P < .001) decreased from REST to LOAD, accompanied by a decrease in postural balance. National‐ and junior‐team biathletes differed only in hit percentage in REST (92 ± 8% vs 81 ± 8%, P < .05) and left leg postural balance in shooting direction in LOAD (0.31 ± 0.18 mm vs 0.52 ± 0.20 mm, P < .05), and the intense exercise affected the shooting technical components similarly in both national and junior groups. Biathletes should focus on cleanness of triggering and vertical stability of hold in order to improve biathlon standing shooting performance. More stable postural balance in shooting direction could help to improve these shooting technical components.
Longitudinal relations between behavioral inhibition and social information processing: Moderating role of maternal supportive reactions to children's emotions
Authors: Nozadi Sara S. , White Lauren K. , Degnan Kathryn A. , Fox Nathan A.
Published: February 2018

Utilizing multiple measures of interpretive biases, the current study examined the roles of toddlers’ behavioral inhibition (BI) and maternal supportive reactions to children's negative emotions in relation to children's interpretive biases across middle to late childhood. Toddlers’ BI was measured during several laboratory tasks (n = 248) at 2 and 3 years of age. Mothers reported on their reactions to children's negative emotional expressions when children were 7 years old (n = 203), and children's interpretations of social cues were assessed at 7 and 10 years of age (ns = 179 and 161, respectively). Toddlers with high levels of BI expressed less positivity toward social engagement with unfamiliar peers during discussion of ambiguous social situations. Further, children with high BI were less likely to attribute the cause of negative social situations to external factors, particularly when mothers were less accepting of children's negative emotional displays. Findings are discussed in terms of cognition related to the interpretation of ambiguous and threat‐related social situations among temperamentally at‐risk children.
Maternal disclosure and adolescent prosocial behavior: The mediating roles of adolescent disclosure and coping
Authors: Kil Hali , Grusec Joan E. , Chaparro Maria Paula
Published: February 2018

In this study, we considered the impact of mothers' willingness to disclose about distressing events and rule transgressions on their adolescent children's willingness to disclose about similar events, as well as adolescents' ability to cope and to show concern for others. Mothers and their 12‐ to 14‐year‐old children (N = 125) were asked to say how likely they would be to talk about moderately distressing concerns as well as minor rule transgressions. Adolescent positive coping skills were also assessed. Teachers (N = 92) rated the adolescents' prosocial behaviors in the classroom. Adolescents' disclosure about distressing events and positive coping mediated the relation between maternal disclosure about distressing events and adolescent prosocial behavior. Further, maternal disclosure alone about both distressing events and rule transgressions was related to adolescent prosocial behavior through positive coping. These results suggest that mothers' willingness to talk about their own negative experiences can help children cope better and, ultimately, to show greater empathy and concern for others.
Engineering controls in veterinary oncology: A survey of 148 ACVIM board‐certified oncologists and environmental surveillance in 20 specialty hospitals
Authors: Alexander K. , Northrup N. , Clarke D. , Lindell H. , Laver T.
Published: February 2018

Engineering controls (EC, facility and equipment barriers between hazards and people) are used to avoid exposure to chemotherapy drugs. In this study, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine board‐certified veterinary oncologists were surveyed about their use of containment primary EC (C‐PEC) and supplemental EC (closed system transfer devices, CSTD). The survey was completed by 148 (38%) of practicing diplomates. All used EC. Both C‐PEC and CSTD were used at 92% of hospitals; however, US Pharmacopoeial Convention Chapter <800> (USP <800>) standards were met at only 19% of hospitals and oncologists did not know the type of C‐PEC at 18% of hospitals. Next, surface contamination and EC use were assessed with environmental surveillance for carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine in 20 veterinary specialty hospitals using a commercially available kit. No contamination with carboplatin, doxorubicin, or vincristine was detected, however, there was contamination with cyclophosphamide at 4 hospitals. Based on this study, most veterinary oncologists use C‐PEC and CSTD, but few meet USP <800> standards. Current measures appear effective for preventing contamination with IV drugs, but additional measures are needed for oral drugs.
Prior ingestion of exogenous ketone monoester attenuates the glycaemic response to an oral glucose tolerance test in healthy young individuals
Authors: Myette‐Côté Étienne , Neudorf Helena , Rafiei Hossein , Clarke Kieran , Little Jonathan Peter
Published: February 2018

Key points

The recent development of exogenous ketone supplements allows direct testing of the metabolic effects of elevated blood ketones without the confounding influence of widespread changes experienced with ketogenic diets or prolonged fasting.

In the present study, we determined the effect of (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyl (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate ketone monoester on the glycaemic response and insulin sensitivity index during a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in humans.

The results obtained show that consuming a ketone monoester supplement 30 min prior to an OGTT reduced the glycaemic response and markers of insulin sensitivity without affecting insulin secretion.

The findings of the present study provides evidence that ketone supplements could have therapeutic potential for future application as a glucose‐lowering nutritional supplement.

The main objectives of the present study were: (i) to determine whether acute ingestion of ketone monoester (Kme); (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyl (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate impacts plasma glucose levels during a standardized oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and (ii) to compare changes in insulin concentrations and estimates of insulin sensitivity after acute Kme supplementation. Twenty healthy participants (n = 10 males/females) aged between 18 and 35 years took part in a randomized cross‐over study. After an overnight fast, participants consumed a Kme supplement (ΔG®; TΔS Ltd, UK, Oxford, UK; 0.45 ml kg−1 body weight) or placebo (water) 30 min before completing a 75 g OGTT. Blood samples were collected every 15–30 min over 2.5 h. The participants and study personnel performing the laboratory analyses were blinded to the study condition. Kme acutely raised blood d‐beta‐hydroxybutyrate (β‐OHB) to 3.2 ± 0.6 mm within 30 min with levels remaining elevated throughout the entire OGTT. Compared to placebo, Kme significantly decreased the glucose area under the curve (AUC; −16%, P = 0.001), non‐esterified fatty acid AUC (–44%, P < 0.001) and C‐peptide incremental AUC (P = 0.005), at the same time as improving oral glucose insulin sensitivity index by ∼11% (P = 0.001). In conclusion, a Kme supplement that acutely increased β‐OHB levels up to ∼3 mm attenuated the glycaemic response to an OGTT in healthy humans. The reduction in glycaemic response did not appear to be driven by an increase in insulin secretion, although it was accompanied by improved markers of insulin sensitivity. These results suggest that ketone monoester supplements could have therapeutic potential in the management and prevention of metabolic diseases.
Progressive phase trends in plates with embedded acoustic black holes
Authors: Conlon Stephen C. , Feurtado Philip A.
Published: February 2018

Acoustic black holes (ABHs) have been explored and demonstrated to be effective passive treatments for broadband noise and vibration control. Performance metrics for assessing damping concepts are often focused on maximizing structural damping loss factors. Optimally performing damping treatments can reduce the resonant response of a driven system well below the direct field response. This results in a finite structure whose vibration input–output response follows that of an infinite structure. The vibration mobility transfer functions between locations on a structure can be used to assess the structure's vibration response phase, and compare its phase response characteristics to those of idealized systems. This work experimentally explores the phase accumulation in finite plates, with and without embedded grids of ABHs. The measured results are compared and contrasted with theoretical results for finite and infinite uniform plates. Accumulated phase characteristics, their spatial dependence and limits, are examined for the plates and compared to theoretical estimates. The phase accumulation results show that the embedded acoustic black hole treatments can significantly enhance the damping of the plates to the point that their phase accumulation follows that of an infinite plate.
Convolutional neural network for earthquake detection and location
Authors: Perol Thibaut , Gharbi Michaël , Denolle Marine
Published: February 2018

ConvNetQuake is the first neural network for detection and location of earthquakes from seismograms.
Unprecedented climate events: Historical changes, aspirational targets, and national commitments
Authors: Diffenbaugh Noah S. , Singh Deepti , Mankin Justin S.
Published: February 2018

UN aspirational targets reduce risk but still produce increases in probability of unprecedented extremes.
Pre-Quaternary decoupling between Asian aridification and high dust accumulation rates
Authors: Nie Junsheng , Pullen Alex , Garzione Carmala N. , Peng Wenbin , Wang Zhao
Published: February 2018

Pre-Quaternary Asian dust accumulation rate increases were caused by monsoon-driven erosion increases.
Multiplexed and portable nucleic acid detection platform with Cas13, Cas12a, and Csm6
Authors: Gootenberg Jonathan S. , Abudayyeh Omar O. , Kellner Max J. , Joung Julia , Collins James J. , Zhang Feng
Published: February 2018

Taking CRISPR technology further

CRISPR techniques are allowing the development of technologies for nucleic acid detection (see the Perspective by Chertow). Taking advantages of the distinctive enzymatic properties of CRISPR enzymes, Gootenberg
et al.
developed an improved nucleic acid detection technology for multiplexed quantitative and highly sensitive detection, combined with lateral flow for visual readout. Myhrvold
et al.
added a sample preparation protocol to create a field-deployable viral diagnostic platform for rapid detection of specific strains of pathogens in clinical samples. Cas12a (also known as Cpf1), a type V CRISPR protein, cleaves double-stranded DNA and has been adapted for genome editing. Chen
et al.
discovered that Cas12a also processes single-stranded DNA threading activity. A technology platform based on this activity detected human papillomavirus in patient samples with high sensitivity.

Science
, this issue p.
439
, p.
444
, p.
436
; see also p.
381
Complete Sequence of the IncA/C
1
Plasmid pCf587 Carrying
bla
PER-2
from Citrobacter freundii
Authors: Ruggiero Melina , Girlich Delphine , Dabos Laura , Power Pablo , Naas Thierry , Gutkind Gabriel
Published: February 2018

The
bla
PER-2
-harboring plasmid pCf587 (191,541 bp) belongs to lineage IncA/C
1
and is closely related to pRA1. It contains a large resistance island including the
bla
PER-2
gene between two copies of IS
Kox2
-like elements, the toxin-antitoxin module
pemK-pemI
, several other resistance genes inserted within a Tn
2
transposon, a Tn
21
-like structure, and a class 1 integron. pCf587 belongs to sequence type 13 (ST13), a new plasmid multilocus sequence typing (pMLST) ST.
Insights into the Fundamental Physiology of the Uncultured Fe-Oxidizing Bacterium Leptothrix ochracea
Authors: Fleming E. J. , Woyke T. , Donatello R. A. , Kuypers M. M. M. , Sczyrba A. , Littmann S. , Emerson D.
Published: February 2018

Leptothrix ochracea
is known for producing large volumes of iron oxyhydroxide sheaths that alter wetland biogeochemistry. For over a century, these delicate structures have fascinated microbiologists and geoscientists. Because
L. ochracea
still resists long-term
in vitro
culture, the debate regarding its metabolic classification dates back to 1885. We developed a novel culturing technique for
L. ochracea
using
in situ
natural waters and coupled this with single-cell genomics and nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrophotometry (nanoSIMS) to probe
L. ochracea
's physiology. In microslide cultures
L. ochracea
doubled every 5.7 h and had an absolute growth requirement for ferrous iron, the genomic capacity for iron oxidation, and a branched electron transport chain with cytochromes putatively involved in lithotrophic iron oxidation. Additionally, its genome encoded several electron transport chain proteins, including a molybdopterin alternative complex III (ACIII), a cytochrome
bd
oxidase reductase, and several terminal oxidase genes.
L. ochracea
contained two key autotrophic proteins in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, a form II ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, and a phosphoribulose kinase.
L. ochracea
also assimilated bicarbonate, although calculations suggest that bicarbonate assimilation is a small fraction of its total carbon assimilation. Finally,
L. ochracea
's fundamental physiology is a hybrid of those of the chemolithotrophic
Gallionella-
type iron-oxidizing bacteria and the sheathed, heterotrophic filamentous metal-oxidizing bacteria of the
Leptothrix-Sphaerotilus
genera. This allows
L. ochracea
to inhabit a unique niche within the neutrophilic iron seeps.

IMPORTANCE
Leptothrix ochracea
was one of three groups of organisms that Sergei Winogradsky used in the 1880s to develop his hypothesis on chemolithotrophy.
L. ochracea
continues to resist cultivation and appears to have an absolute requirement for organic-rich waters, suggesting that its true physiology remains unknown. Further,
L. ochracea
is an ecological engineer; a few
L. ochracea
cells can generate prodigious volumes of iron oxyhydroxides, changing the ecosystem's geochemistry and ecology. Therefore, to determine
L. ochracea
's basic physiology, we employed new single-cell techniques to demonstrate that
L. ochracea
oxidizes iron to generate energy and, despite having predicted genes for autotrophic growth, assimilates a fraction of the total CO
2
that autotrophs do. Although not a true chemolithoautotroph,
L. ochracea
's physiological strategy allows it to be flexible and to extensively colonize iron-rich wetlands.
Evaluation of the Elecsys Chagas Assay for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific Antibodies in a Multicenter Study in Europe and Latin America
Authors: Flores-Chavez Maria Delmans , Sambri Vittorio , Schottstedt Volkmar , Higuera-Escalante Fernando Aparicio , Roessler Dieter , Chaves Monica , Laengin Tina , Martinez Alfredo , Fleischer Bernhard
Published: February 2018

Serology is the preferred method to confirm a Chagas disease diagnosis and to screen blood donors. A battery of assays is often required due to the limited accuracy of single assays. The Elecsys Chagas assay is a newly developed, double-antigen sandwich assay for use on the Elecsys and cobas e immunoassay analyzers, intended to identify individuals infected with
Trypanosoma cruzi
, for diagnosis and screening. The performance of the Elecsys Chagas assay was evaluated in comparison with those of other widely used
T. cruzi
antibody assays, at multiple sites (Europe/Latin America). Relative sensitivity and specificity were assessed by using samples from blood donors, pregnant women, and hospitalized patients from regions where Chagas disease is endemic and from regions of nonendemicity. The Elecsys Chagas assay had an overall relative sensitivity of 100% (
n
= 674). Overall relative specificities were 99.90% (
n
= 14,681), 100% (
n
= 313), and 100% (
n
= 517) for samples from blood donors, pregnant women, and hospitalized patients, respectively. The analytical specificity was 99.83% (
n
= 594). The Elecsys Chagas assay detected
T. cruzi
antibodies in two World Health Organization (WHO) standard
T. cruzi
reference panels (panels 09/188 and 09/186) at a 1:512 dilution, corresponding to a cutoff sensitivity of approximately 1 mIU/ml. The Elecsys Chagas assay demonstrated robust performance under routine conditions at multiple sites in Europe and Latin America. In contrast to other available Chagas assays, the Elecsys assay uses a reduced number of recombinant
T. cruzi
antigens, resulting in a significantly smaller number of cross-reactions and improved analytical specificity while being highly sensitive.
Global Influenza Hospital-based Surveillance Network (GIHSN): results of surveillance of influenza and other respiratory viruses in hospitalised patients in Brazil, 2015
Authors: Raboni Sonia M , Moura Fernanda EA , Caetano Braulia C , Avanzi Valéria M , Pereira Luciane A , Nogueira Meri B , Vidal Luine R , Tavares Isabel CF , Pradel Florence K , Picot Valentina S , Puig-Barbera Joan , Siqueira Marilda M
Published: February 2018

Background

Influenza-like illness occurs annually worldwide, with peak timing and severity varying seasonally, resulting in significant annual mortality.

Objectives

There were three objectives: (1) to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory infection caused by influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORVs); (2) to report the influenza seasonality in the region and (3) to correlate findings of influenza circulation and immunisation time in Brazil.

Patients/methods

This study took place in three Brazilian hospitals located in cities with different climatic conditions (Curitiba (south), Rio de Janeiro (south-east) and Fortaleza (north-east)). Patients presenting with an acute process with indication for admission consisting of a predefined set of conditions potentially associated with recent influenza infection were enrolled.

Results

We screened 1666 patients, with 595 meeting the inclusion criteria. Influenza viruses and ORVs were detected in 6.5% and 59% of patients, respectively. Influenza-positive cases fell into the severe spectrum as compared with those with ORVs (30% vs 11%), but without any difference in mortality rates. Epidemiological results revealed variations in the peak time of influenza infections between north-east (Fortaleza) and south (Curitiba) Brazil, basically following the rain period of each region. In north-east Brazil, viral circulation was prevalent in the first 4 months of the year, indicating that the vaccination campaign occurred in a postseasonal period, possibly explaining the low effectiveness.

Conclusions

The active-surveillance model is a valuable tool for investigating respiratory virus impact on hospitalised patients, with influenza-infection monitoring enabling implementation of adequate preventive measures.
Regional variation and predictors of over-registration in English primary care in 2014: a spatial analysis
Authors: Burch Patrick , Doran Tim , Kontopantelis Evangelos
Published: February 2018

Background

There are more people registered with a general practice in England than are estimated to be resident in the country. The reasons behind this are not fully understood. We investigated the levels of over-registration (or under-registration) in English primary care, their regional variability and their association with population and geographical characteristics.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study using mid-year population estimates for 2014 and general practice populations for the same year. We calculated levels of patient registration with English primary care, in relation to census-derived population estimates, at various geographical levels of interest: regions, clinical commissioning groups and lower super output areas (LSOAs, 2011 census derived geographical areas of 1500 people on average). We used linear regressions to investigate the relationship between levels of registration and area deprivation, urbanicity, ethnicity, age, sex and mean distance to practice.

Results

The total over-registration rate for England was 3.9% (2 097 101 people) but there was wide regional variability. London had significantly higher levels of over-registration (6.0% and 515 063 people) than other areas in England. Higher levels of over-registration at the LSOA level were associated with greater proportions of non-White British residents, women, elderly people and higher levels of social deprivation.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that high mobility and health need may be the underlying causes of over-registrations. The regional variation in over-registration, with London being an outlier, points towards potential inequalities in resourcing of primary care and the ability of the National Health Service to adequately match funding to population need.
Republished: Stent-assisted coil embolization on down-the-barrel view with spring-shaped microcatheter in patient with M1 ultrawide necked circumferential aneurysm
Authors: Kwak Hyo Sung , Park Jung Soo , Koh Eun Jeong
Published: February 2018

Herein, we describe a technique for stent-assisted coil embolization with a spring-shaped microcatheter in a patient with an M1 ultrawide-necked circumferential aneurysm in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). A 49-year-old man was referred for treatment of an incidentally detected M1 large-circumference aneurysm on magnetic resonance angiography. Subsequent digital subtraction angiography revealed an 18.2×16.5 mm ultrawide-necked circumferential aneurysm on the distal M1 portion of the left MCA, and we planned stent-assisted coil embolization using a spring-shaped microcatheter. After we deployed the stent, we performed coil embolization under the down-the-barrel view by pulling out the microcatheter little by little. Using this technique, we could fill the coil mass evenly into the aneurysmal sac around the stent. And there were no immediate or delayed complications after the procedure. Stent-assisted coiling using a spring-shaped microcatheter is a useful and safe technique for treating ultrawide-necked circumferential aneurysm or fusiform aneurysms.
Effect of on‐farm interventions in the aftermath of an outbreak of hypervirulent verocytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Sweden
Authors: Tamminen Lena‐Mari , Fransson Helena , Tråvén Madeleine , Aspán Anna , Alenius Stefan , Emanuelson Ulf , Dreimanis Ilmars , Törnquist Mats , Eriksson Erik
Published: February 2018

In 2007, human infections with a hypervirulent strain of verocytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 increased in Sweden and especially in the Halland County. A connection between the cases and a local beef cattle farm with an on‐farm abattoir and meat processing plant was established. In this observational study the control measures implemented on the infected farm and the dynamics of infection in the herd are described. In May 2008, when measures were initiated and animals put to pasture, the prevalence of positive individuals was 40 per cent and 18 carcasses out of 24 slaughtered animals were contaminated. During summer the monthly prevalence of positive carcasses varied between 8 and 41 per cent and at turning‐in 22 out of 258 individually sampled animals were shedding the pathogen. After January 2009 no positive carcasses were found at slaughter and follow‐up samplings of environment and individuals remained negative until the study period ended in May 2010. The results indicate that on‐farm measures have potential to reduce the prevalence of the pathogen in a long‐term perspective. However, as self‐clearance cannot be excluded the effectiveness of the suggested measures needs to be confirmed.
Influence of ageing on quantitative contrast‐enhanced ultrasound of the kidneys in healthy cats
Authors: Stock Emmelie , Paepe Dominique , Daminet Sylvie , Duchateau Luc , Saunders Jimmy H , Vanderperren Katrien
Published: February 2018

The degenerative effects of ageing on the kidneys have been extensively studied in humans. However, only recently interest has been focused on renal ageing in veterinary medicine. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound allows non‐invasive evaluation of renal perfusion in conscious cats. Renal perfusion parameters were obtained in 43 healthy cats aged 1–16 years old, and the cats were divided in four age categories: 1–3 years, 3–6 years, 6–10 years and over 10 years. Routine renal parameters as serum creatinine, serum urea, urine‐specific gravity, urinary protein:creatinine ratio and systolic blood pressure were also measured. No significant differences in any of the perfusion parameters were observed among the different age categories. A trend towards a lower peak enhancement and wash‐in area under the curve with increasing age, suggestive for a lower blood volume, was detected when comparing the cats over 10 years old with the cats of 1–3 years old. Additionally, no significant age‐effect was observed for the serum and urine parameters, whereas a higher blood pressure was observed in healthy cats over 10 years old.
Inverted P3HT:PC61BM organic solar cells incorporating a π-extended squaraine dye with H- and (or) J-aggregation
Authors: Dayneko Sergey V. , Payne Abby-Jo , Welch Gregory C.
Published: February 2018

In this report, we investigated the impact of adding a large π-extended squaraine dye to the classic bulk heterojunction P3HT:PC61BM system. The compound, SQIQ-A, is a bis-indole squaraine dye appended with acetylene-indoloquinoxaline end-capping units that exhibits strong optical absorption in thin film from 650 to 750 nm, beyond the absorption wavelength cut-off for P3HT:PC61BM films (ca. ∼650 nm). The dye SQIQ-A can form H- or J-aggregates (blue or red shifting the optical absorption profiles) via solvent vapour annealing with CHCl3 or THF, respectively, thus providing a simple method to control the morphology and optical properties of the molecule. Ternary blended films composed of P3HT:PC61BM:SQIQ-A (1:1:0.3 mass ratio) were investigated as-cast, after solvent vapour annealing, and after thermal annealing. Films were characterized using optical absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and polarized light microscopy. Solar cells were fabricated using an inverted architecture in air and analysed using current–voltage and external quantum efficiency measurements. It was found that solar cells thermally annealed at 130 °C for 10 min gave good power conversion efficiencies of 3%, similar to the control P3HT:PC61BM but with improved fill factors and noticeable photocurrent generation from 650 to 760 nm where the SQIQ-A molecule absorbs. Exposure to solvent vapour (CHCl3 or THF) results in aggregation of all components but specifically leads to the formation of micron-sized domains, lowering the overall photovoltaic performance.
High-Capacity Reversible Data Hiding Using Modified Pixel Value Ordering Approach
Authors: Jain Neeraj Kumar , Kasana Singara Singh
Published: February 2018

The proposed reversible data hiding technique is the extension of Peng et al.’s technique [F. Peng, X. Li and B. Yang, Improved PVO-based reversible data hiding, Digit. Signal Process. 25 (2014) 255–265]. In this technique, a cover image is segmented into nonoverlapping blocks of equal size. Each block is sorted in ascending order and then differences are calculated on the basis of locations of its largest and second largest pixel values. Negative predicted differences are utilized to create empty spaces which further enhance the embedding capacity of the proposed technique. Also, the already sorted blocks are used to enhance the visual quality of marked images as pixels of these blocks are more correlated than the unsorted pixels of the block. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Information Management Model for Intellectual Capital of HEIs in Oman: Theoretical Quantitative Approach and Practical Results
Authors: Al-Hemyari Zuhair A. , Al-Sarmi Abdullah M.
Published: February 2018

In the last decade, international organisations (World Bank, OECD and OEU) and many European countries have been apprised of the urgent need to develop and enhance what is generally termed “intellectual capital” and thus the “knowledge creating organization”. The importance of this is something that is increasingly being realised. The importance of Intellectual Capital and how to analyse its important components such as human capital, structural capital and customer capital are also being recognised. In fact, these components constitute the main factors whereby institutions produce and disseminate knowledge which in turn serve as the means through which the quantity of knowledge produced within a country can be added to the national pool of knowledge. This paper deals with the importance of measuring and analysing Intellectual Capital, and furthermore, performs an extensive review of national and international practices related to IC. The paper then proposes a model for measuring the Intellectual Capital of private HEIs in Oman. Indeed, such a model as of the kind we visualise, will improve the performance of organisations, develop better understanding of the nature of IC and go on to study the construction of IC and IC reporting in developing countries. The research was done in the Sultanate of Oman and the results show that the level of measuring the IC of HEIs is still in its early stages. The technique called “the point estimate of overall performance” and “overall performance index” are proposed and implemented to differentiate between the performance of ICs of different institutions. Finally, the paper discusses the difficulties that hinder the assessment of IC in institutions.
TIFR Near Infrared Imaging Camera-II on the 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope
Authors: Baug T. , Ojha D. K. , Ghosh S. K. , Sharma S. , Pandey A. K. , Kumar Brijesh , Ghosh Arpan , Ninan J. P. , Naik M. B. , D’Costa S. L. A. , Poojary S. S. , Sandimani P. R. , Shah H. , Krishna Reddy B. , Pandey S. B. , Chand H.
Published: February 2018

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Near Infrared Imaging Camera-II (TIRCAM2) is a closed-cycle Helium cryo-cooled imaging camera equipped with a Raytheon 512[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]512 pixels InSb Aladdin III Quadrant focal plane array (FPA) having sensitivity to photons in the 1–5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text] wavelength band. In this paper, we present the performance of the camera on the newly installed 3.6[Formula: see text]m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) based on the calibration observations carried out during 2017 May 11–14 and 2017 October 7–31. After the preliminary characterization, the camera has been released to the Indian and Belgian astronomical community for science observations since 2017 May. The camera offers a field-of-view (FoV) of [Formula: see text] on the DOT with a pixel scale of 0.169[Formula: see text]. The seeing at the telescope site in the near-infrared (NIR) bands is typically sub-arcsecond with the best seeing of [Formula: see text] realized in the NIR [Formula: see text]-band on 2017 October 16. The camera is found to be capable of deep observations in the [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bands comparable to other 4[Formula: see text]m class telescopes available world-wide. Another highlight of this camera is the observational capability for sources up to Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1-band (3.4[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m) magnitudes of 9.2 in the narrow [Formula: see text]-band ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text] 3.59[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m). Hence, the camera could be a good complementary instrument to observe the bright [Formula: see text]-band sources that are saturated in the Spitzer-Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) ([3.6] [Formula: see text] 7.92 mag) and the WISE W1-band ([3.4] [Formula: see text] 8.1 mag). Sources with strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 3.3[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m are also detected. Details of the observations and estimated parameters are presented in this paper.
Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problems with Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization
Authors: Xu Haitao , Pu Pan , Duan Feng
Published: February 2018

As we all know, there are a great number of optimization problems in the world. One of the relatively complicated and high-level problems is the vehicle routing problem (VRP). Dynamic vehicle routing problem (DVRP) is a major variant of VRP, and it is closer to real logistic scene. In DVRP, the customers’ demands appear with time, and the unserved customers’ points must be updated and rearranged while carrying out the programming paths. Owing to the complexity and significance of the problem, DVRP applications have grabbed the attention of researchers in the past two decades. In this paper, we have two main contributions to solving DVRP. Firstly, DVRP is solved with enhanced Ant Colony Optimization (E-ACO), which is the traditional Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) fusing improved K-means and crossover operation. K-means can divide the region with the most reasonable distance, while ACO using crossover is applied to extend search space and avoid falling into local optimum prematurely. Secondly, several new evaluation benchmarks are proposed, which can objectively and comprehensively estimate the proposed method. In the experiment, the results for different scale problems are compared to those of previously published papers. Experimental results show that the algorithm is feasible and efficient.
Improved Encrypted-Signals-Based Reversible Data Hiding Using Code Division Multiplexing and Value Expansion
Authors: Chen Xianyi , Zhong Haidong , Xiong Lizhi , Xia Zhihua
Published: February 2018

Compared to the encrypted-image-based reversible data hiding (EIRDH) method, the encrypted-signals-based reversible data hiding (ESRDH) technique is a novel way to achieve a greater embedding rate and better quality of the decrypted signals. Motivated by ESRDH using signal energy transfer, we propose an improved ESRDH method using code division multiplexing and value expansion. At the beginning, each pixel of the original image is divided into several parts containing a little signal and multiple equal signals. Next, all signals are encrypted by Paillier encryption. And then a large number of secret bits are embedded into the encrypted signals using code division multiplexing and value expansion. Since the sum of elements in any spreading sequence is equal to 0, lossless quality of directly decrypted signals can be achieved using code division multiplexing on the encrypted equal signals. Although the visual quality is reduced, high-capacity data hiding can be accomplished by conducting value expansion on the encrypted little signal. The experimental results show that our method is better than other methods in terms of the embedding rate and average PSNR.
Spatiotemporal Patterns and Cause Analysis of PM2.5 Concentrations in Beijing, China
Authors: Tian Guangjin , Liu Xiaojuan , Kong Lingqiang
Published: February 2018

According to the monthly comprehensive air index ranking in China in 2016, Beijing ranked in the bottom tenth three times, indicating that the air pollution situation is very serious compared to other cities in China. In this study, we chose 23 urban environmental assessment points, which covered all districts and counties in Beijing. We used ArcGIS software to analyze atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) for each month of 2016 in each district/county of Beijing. Our results showed that PM2.5 concentrations in winter and spring were generally higher than those in summer and autumn. The higher monthly average PM2.5 concentrations were primarily in the southwest and southeast areas. The higher annual average values were distributed in Fangshan, Daxing, and Tongzhou, which were closely related to the high terrain in the northwest and the low-lying terrain in the southeast, the “Beijing Bay” terrain, and local climatic conditions. The temporal and spatial distributions of PM2.5 constitute a warning signal for human life and production during different seasons and regions.
Detecting Activation in fMRI Data: An Approach Based on Sparse Representation of BOLD Signal
Authors: Guillen Blanca , Paredes Jose L. , Medina Rubén
Published: February 2018

This paper proposes a simple yet effective approach for detecting activated voxels in fMRI data by exploiting the inherent sparsity property of the BOLD signal in temporal and spatial domains. In the time domain, the approach combines the General Linear Model (GLM) with a Least Absolute Deviation (LAD) based regression method regularized by the pseudonorml0to promote sparsity in the parameter vector of the model. In the spatial domain, detection of activated regions is based on thresholding the spatial map of estimated parameters associated with a particular stimulus. The threshold is calculated by exploiting the sparseness of the BOLD signal in the spatial domain assuming a Laplacian distribution model. The proposed approach is validated using synthetic and real fMRI data. For synthetic data, results show that the proposed approach is able to detect most activated voxels without any false activation. For real data, the method is evaluated through comparison with the SPM software. Results indicate that this approach can effectively find activated regions that are similar to those found by SPM, but using a much simpler approach. This study may lead to the development of robust spatial approaches to further simplifying the complexity of classical schemes.
Real-Time QoE Monitoring System for Video Streaming Services with Adaptive Media Playout
Authors: Li Mingfu , Yeh Chien-Lin , Lu Shao-Yu
Published: February 2018

Quality of Experience (QoE) of video streaming services has been attracting more and more attention recently. Therefore, in this work we designed and implemented a real-time QoE monitoring system for streaming services with Adaptive Media Playout (AMP), which was implemented into the VideoLAN Client (VLC) media player to dynamically adjust the playout rate of videos according to the buffer fullness of the client buffer. The QoE monitoring system reports the QoE of streaming services in real time so that network/content providers can monitor the qualities of their services and resolve troubles immediately whenever their subscribers encounter them. Several experiments including wired and wireless streaming were conducted to show the effectiveness of the implemented AMP and QoE monitoring system. Experimental results demonstrate that AMP significantly improves the QoE of streaming services according to the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) estimated by our developed program. Additionally, some challenging issues in wireless streaming have been easily identified using the developed QoE monitoring system.
Total Flavonoids from Oroxylum indicum Induce Apoptosis via PI3K/Akt/PTEN Signaling Pathway in Liver Cancer
Authors: Li Nan-nan , Meng Xian-sheng , Men Wen-xiao , Bao Yong-rui , Wang Shuai
Published: February 2018

Total flavonoids (TF), derived from the seeds of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent., possess many pharmacological functions. In the present study, H22‐bearing mice and SMMC‐7721 models were employed to evaluate the antitumor activity of TF and to and investigate its possible mechanisms both in vitro and in vivo. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay; cell apoptosis rate was analyzed via Annexin V‐FITC/PI double staining by flow cytometer. Meanwhile, the expressions of apoptosis‐related mRNA and proteins were evaluated by RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis. The results revealed that TF could significantly inhibit the tumor growth, and the possible mechanism was related to the effect of inducing tumor cells apoptosis through PI3K/Akt/PTEN signaling pathway. This study has provided a theoretical basis for the further development and application of TF as antitumor drugs.