bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences of dietary supplementation with Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on stallion sperm production and on preservation of sperm quality during storage at 5 °C
Authors: Del Prete C. , Tafuri S. , Ciani F. , Pasolini M. P. , Ciotola F. , Albarella S. , Carotenuto D. , Peretti V. , Cocchia N.
Published: January 2018

Stallion semen is damaged by oxidative stress during cooling and transport. Semen processing and extenders have been tested to improve the fertilizing capacity of semen and to preserve semen during transport. Dietary supplementation with natural antioxidants has been proposed to prevent oxidative damages. In this study, for the first time, the effect of dietary supplementation with Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on the characteristics of fresh and chilled stallion semen was evaluated. Maca is a traditional Andean crop used as a nutraceutical for the fertility‐enhancing properties that are linked with antioxidant activity. The diet of five stallions was supplemented with 20 g of Maca powder daily for a total of 60 days. A control group of five stallions received the same diet without Maca. Semen was collected once before the administration of Maca (D0), twice during the administration at 30 and 60 days (D30 and D60), and finally twice at 30 and 60 days after the end of the administration (D90 and D120). Ejaculates were processed for cooled shipping at 5 °C and evaluated in the laboratory for total and progressive motility, acrosome integrity, and lipid peroxidation after collection and after 24, 48, and 72 h of storage. Dietary supplementation with Maca improved sperm concentration (from 213 ± 80.4 to 447 ± 73.1 × 106 spz/mL) and total sperm count (from 10,880 ± 4377 to 24,783 ± 4419 × 106 spz). The beneficial effects of Maca supplementation on motility and acrosome integrity in the raw semen were detected from the end of treatment with Maca (D60) until the end of the study (D120). Furthermore, during cooling storage, total motility, progressive motility, and acrosome integrity declined more slowly in the Maca‐treated group than in the control group. Lipid peroxidation did not change during cooling storage in either group and did not show a significant difference between the two groups. In this study, the dietary supplementation with Maca increased sperm production and stabilized semen quality during chilled storage.
A Scalable Multi-Resolution Spatio-Temporal Model for Brain Activation and Connectivity in Fmri Data
Authors: Castruccio Stefano , Ombao Hernando , Genton Marc G.
Published: January 2018

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a primary modality for studying brain activity. Modeling spatial dependence of imaging data at different spatial scales is one of the main challenges of contemporary neuroimaging, and it could allow for accurate testing for significance in neural activity. The high dimensionality of this type of data (on the order of hundreds of thousands of voxels) poses serious modeling challenges and considerable computational constraints. For the sake of feasibility, standard models typically reduce dimensionality by modeling covariance among regions of interest (ROIs)—coarser or larger spatial units—rather than among voxels. However, ignoring spatial dependence at different scales could drastically reduce our ability to detect activation patterns in the brain and hence produce misleading results. We introduce a multi-resolution spatio-temporal model and a computationally efficient methodology to estimate cognitive control related activation and whole-brain connectivity. The proposed model allows for testing voxel-specific activation while accounting for non-stationary local spatial dependence within anatomically defined ROIs, as well as regional dependence (between-ROIs). The model is used in a motor-task fMRI study to investigate brain activation and connectivity patterns aimed at identifying associations between these patterns and regaining motor functionality following a stroke.
Modeling Survival Distribution as a Function of Time to Treatment Discontinuation: A Dynamic Treatment Regime Approach
Authors: Yang Shu , Tsiatis Anastasios A. , Blazing Michael
Published: January 2018

We consider estimating the effect that discontinuing a beneficial treatment will have on the distribution of a time to event clinical outcome, and in particular assessing whether there is a period of time over which the beneficial effect may continue after discontinuation. There are two major challenges. The first is to make a distinction between mandatory discontinuation, where by necessity treatment has to be terminated and optional discontinuation which is decided by the preference of the patient or physician. The innovation in this article is to cast the intervention in the form of a dynamic regime “terminate treatment optionally at time v unless a mandatory treatment-terminating event occurs prior to v” and consider estimating the distribution of time to event as a function of treatment regime v. The second challenge arises from biases associated with the nonrandom assignment of treatment regimes, because, naturally, optional treatment discontinuation is left to the patient and physician, and so time to discontinuation may depend on the patient's disease status. To address this issue, we develop dynamic-regime Marginal Structural Models and use inverse probability of treatment weighting to estimate the impact of time to treatment discontinuation on a time to event outcome, compared to the effect of not discontinuing treatment. We illustrate our methods using the IMPROVE-IT data on cardiovascular disease.
Correlates of students’ internalization and defiance of classroom rules: A self‐determination theory perspective
Authors: Aelterman Nathalie , Vansteenkiste Maarten , Haerens Leen
Published: January 2018

Background

It is generally accepted that well‐established classroom rules prevent problem behaviour, while also supporting students’ achievement gains. Yet, there might be considerable variability in students’ underlying motives to comply or refrain from complying with classroom rules, with some students adhering to them because they fully accept them as their own, and others feeling compelled by external or internal demands to do so or even defying the rules altogether.

Aims

Grounded in self‐determination theory, this study aimed to examine whether students’ reasons for following (i.e., internalization) and for refraining from following (i.e., defiance) classroom rules differentially and uniquely predict student outcomes, including feelings of resentment, acting out, cheating, and truancy.

Sample

A total of 1006 students (46.7% boys; M = 14.18 years ± 1.73) out of 56 different secondary school classes participated in the study.

Methods

Students were invited to fill out an online survey about experiences with their head teacher.

Results

For three out of four outcomes, identified regulation and external regulation to follow classroom rules were found to be, respectively, negatively and positively related, whereas a null relationship with introjected rule following was found. Controlled non‐rule following was most strongly predictive of maladaptive functioning, as indexed by more feelings of resentment, acting out, cheating, and truancy.

Conclusions

Whereas students’ ownership of rules is critical to prevent classroom misbehaviour, their pressured non‐adherence is a risk factor.
Locating the ‘Usefully Problematic’ in a Novel and a Memoir by Ian McEwan
Authors: Gray Suzanne
Published: January 2018

This article looks at aspects of a novel and a memoir, written over the same period in 2001, by author Ian McEwan. In ‘Mother tongue’, his memoir, McEwan reflects on his insular upbringing on various military bases abroad. His father, a soldier, was a periodic presence whose volatile moods interrupted the home‐life otherwise exclusively spent with his mother, to whom he was strongly attached. Meanwhile McEwan's novel, Atonement, employs the perspective of an adolescent girl, antagonistic to the link forming in her sister's mind towards someone else. I look at how in the novel this situation leads to a denial of oedipal hierarchy, and ultimately to what Chasseguet–Smirgel terms ‘pseudo‐creative’ solutions. Atonement, however, lays stress on the integrating effect of the creative process itself. In writing the novel in conjunction with the memoir, particularly where one interrupted the other, I speculate that McEwan embarked on a similar process, in which the initial disruption, delivered a gain in perspective, which came to promote further psychic and creative development. I explore this from the Kleinian viewpoint of the here and now, and contrast this with that of Chasseguet–Smirgel, and with the more recursive temporality found within the French tradition.
Anne‐Thérèse de Lambert on Aging and Self‐Esteem
Authors: Blank Andreas
Published: January 2018

This article studies Madame de Lambert's early eighteenth‐century views on aging, and especially the aging of women, by contextualizing them in a twofold way: (1) It understands them as a response to La Rochefoucauld's skepticism concerning aging, women, and the aging of women; (2) It understands them as being closely connected to a long series of scattered remarks concerning esteem, self‐esteem, andhonnêtetéin Lambert's moral essays. Whereas La Rochefoucauld describes aging as a decline of intellectual, emotional, and physical powers and is suspicious of the mechanisms of esteem and self‐esteem, Lambert develops a view of aging as offering the chance to become more independent of the judgment of others, especially the chance for women to become more independent of the judgment of men. As she argues, aging offers women the possibility of cultivating genuinely estimable intellectual and emotional qualities that attract the justified esteem essential for a stable friendship, as well as the opportunity to develop a form of self‐esteem that is based on respect for one's own capacities of judgment.
Capital Regulation, Bailout and Banking Asset Correlation
Authors: Sui Peng , Zhou Dandan
Published: January 2018

We study the effect of capital regulation on banking asset correlation. Banks are more efficient users of banking assets. This implies that it may be ex post optimal to bail out a failed bank. We show, under Basel 1 capital regulation, that the financial regulator is committed to a mixed bailout strategy in the state of systemic failure, which reduces banks’ incentive to choose highly correlated assets. The mixed strategy is not creditable under mark‐to‐market capital regulation. In the subgame perfect equilibrium, banking asset correlation increases, resulting in a high probability of systemic failure. We then discuss social losses under different capital regulations.
Oxygen vacancy formation in the SrTiO3 Σ5 [001] twist grain boundary from first‐principles
Authors: Behtash Maziar , Wang Yaqin , Luo Jian , Yang Kesong
Published: January 2018

The SrTiO3 5 [001] twist grain boundary (GB) is studied using first‐principles density functional theory calculations. Three types of GB structures, SrO/SrO (S/S), SrO/TiO2 (S/T), and TiO2/TiO2 (T/T), are modeled and their relative thermodynamic stabilities are examined. Our calculations show that the S/S and S/T structures can be formed within appropriate synthesis conditions, with the S/S structure thermodynamically favored over the S/T structure within a wide range of chemical potentials, while the T/T structure is unlikely to form. The segregation behavior of oxygen vacancies is also investigated by calculating oxygen vacancy formation energies with respect to the distance from GB plane. In the S/S system, oxygen vacancies tend to segregate to the layer adjacent to the GB layer, while in the S/T system, oxygen vacancies tend to segregate to the GB layer itself. In both S/S and S/T systems, oxygen vacancy formation energy is lower than that in bulk SrTiO3. To clearly show the experimental conditions necessary to promote oxygen vacancy formation in the 2 GB systems, we also generate grain boundary phase diagrams for oxygen vacancy with respect to synthesis temperature and oxygen partial pressure. Our calculations reveal different segregation behaviors and distributions of oxygen vacancies in the S/S and S/T systems, providing a possible avenue for GB engineering.
Clinical and Ethical Considerations for Delivering Couple and Family Therapy via Telehealth
Authors: Wrape Elizabeth R. , McGinn Meghan M.
Published: January 2018

Studies have generally supported telehealth as a feasible, effective, and safe alternative to in‐office visits. Telehealth may also be of particular benefit to couples/families interested in relational treatments, as it addresses some of the barriers that may be more prominent for families, such as childcare and scheduling difficulties. Therapists interested in expanding their practice to include telehealth should understand ethical and practical considerations of this modality. This article discusses areas unique to the delivery of telehealth to couples and families. Each broad domain is then elaborated upon with case examples from actual clinical practice and specific recommendations for addressing potential difficulties. Authors recommend further empirical research examining differences in modality outcome, as well as feasibility of the suggestions proposed here.
B‐Flow and B‐Mode Ultrasound Imaging in Carotid Fibromuscular Dysplasia
Authors: Cutler Joshua J. , Campo Nelly , Koch Sebastian
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Previous ultrasound studies in fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) have largely reported on color flow imaging, power Doppler, and Doppler flow augmentation. We here report on arterial wall imaging findings by B‐flow and B‐mode in patients with carotid FMD.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed ultrasonographic findings in subjects with known or suspected FMD. All patients were evaluated with a standardized imaging protocol including Doppler, B‐mode, and B‐flow. Vessel wall abnormalities were classified as normal, luminal irregularities, or classical beading (fusiform dilatations).

RESULTS

We identified 23 patients and 33 carotid arteries were found to be abnormal, of which 10 had classical beading and 23 showed endoluminal irregularities. Bilateral disease was present in 10/23 patients. In the classical beading cases, B‐mode revealed isoechoic ridges, which protruded into the lumen, alternating with dilated arterial segments, which were also clearly demonstrated by B‐flow imaging. In cases with endoluminal irregularities, B‐mode and B‐flow showed isoechoic subendothelial irregular thickening, which did not lead to a fusiform dilatory appearance of the artery. The average distal internal carotid artery peak systolic velocity of arteries with classical beading (123 ± 29 cm/second) was significantly greater than that of arteries with mild irregularities (94 ± 34 cm/second) (P = .024).

CONCLUSION

Morphological arterial wall changes of FMD were well depicted by careful B‐flow and B‐mode imaging of the distal internal carotid artery. We would like to emphasize the utility of B‐flow and B‐mode in the noninvasive evaluation of FMD.
Gender roles, family relationships, and household food and nutrition security in Ohafia matrilineal society in Nigeria
Authors: Ene‐Obong Henrietta Nkechi , Onuoha Nne Ola , Eme Paul Eze
Published: January 2018

This study examined gender roles, family relationships, food security, and nutritional status of households in Ohafia: a matrilineal society in Nigeria. A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 287 households from three villages: Akanu, Amangwu, and Elu. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were adopted, namely, focus group discussions and questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight for mothers and children and Mid‐Upper Arm Circumference for young children) were taken using standard techniques. The body mass index of women was calculated. All nutritional indices were compared with reference standards. Food insecurity was assessed using the Household Hunger Scale and Dietary Diversity Score, then analysed using the Statistical Product for Service Solution version 21. Data analysis used descriptive statistics. Most (91.2%) of the respondents were female. The matrilineal system known as ikwu nne or iri ala a nne (inheritance through mothers' lineage) is still in place but is changing. One important benefit of the system is the access to land by women. Whereas women participated actively in agriculture, food preparation, and care of family, the men were moving to off‐farm activities. High prevalence of household food insecurity (66%) and signs of malnutrition including moderate to severe stunting (48.4%) and wasting (31.7%) in children, household hunger (34.5%), and overweight (27.5%) and obesity (19.2%) among mothers were observed. These communities urgently need gender sensitive food and nutrition interventions.
Matriarchy, Buddhism, and food security in Sanephong, Thailand
Authors: Sirisai Solot , Chotiboriboon Sinee , Sapsuwan Charana , Tantivatanasathien Praiwan , Setapun Nuchjaree , Duangnosan Prangtong , Thongkam Nattapach , Chuangyanyong Sasiwimon
Published: January 2018

Sanephong is a matriarchal Karen community located in western Thailand. The community benefits greatly from the availability of local foods, such as cereals, tubers, wild vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, and animals. In the first phase of this project, 387 distinct local foods were identified, which were shown to be good sources of energy, protein, and vitamins. Despite the availability of a variety of nutritious local foods, the majority of households surveyed expressed concern over a decline in local foods due to changing socio‐economic and environmental conditions. This study used a qualitative research approach to look at the dual influences of matriarchy and Buddhism on food security in the community. Through this approach, matriarchal values central to the community were adopted as a framework; these included care, consensus, collaboration, and cosmological respect. In Sanephong, women are central to life in the community, and matriarchal cultural practices reflect a nurturing spirit—for both the earth and family. The community practices Buddhism, which is very complementary to the matriarchal system. A type of gift economy within the Buddhist context, known as dhana, transfers food from the wealthy to the poor with no expectation of reciprocity. Consequently, matriarchy and Buddhism jointly promote food security in the community. Studies of matriarchal societies help society‐at‐large to understand the potential benefits of systems that contrast the current patriarchal paradigm.
Understanding the determinants of hemoglobin and iron status: adolescent–adult women comparisons in SANHANES‐1
Authors: Mchiza Zandile J. , Parker Whadi‐ah , Sewpaul Ronel , Job Nophiwe , Chola Lumbwe , Mutyambizi Chipo , Sithole Moses , Stokes Andrew , Labadarios Demetre
Published: January 2018

The study compared hemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin levels between adolescent and adult women with different body mass indices, dietary intake, and sociodemography. A secondary analysis of data for 3177 South African women ⩾15 years of age who participated in the SANHANES‐1 study was undertaken. Abnormal Hb (≤12 g/dL) and serum ferritin (<15 μg/mL) were based on the World Health Organization's criteria for nonpregnant women aged ⩾15 years. Data were analyzed using STATA version 11. Overall, anemia was detected in 740 (23.3%) participants. Of the individuals in the subsample (n = 1123, 15–35 years) who had serum ferritin measured, 6.0% presented with iron depletion (ID) and 10.8% presented with iron‐deficiency anemia (IDA). The highest prevalences of anemia, ID, and IDA were in 15‐ to 18‐year‐olds (11.2%, 8.8%, and 20.2%, respectively). Black young adults (19–24 years) were up to 40 times more likely to present with ID compared with their non‐black counterparts. While overweight adolescents were three times more likely to be anemic, overweight and obese young adults, as well as obese older adults (25–35 years), were less likely to be anemic compared with normal‐weight women of all age groups. Overconsumption of dietary fat increased ID by up to 54‐ and 11‐fold (adolescents and 25‐ to 35‐year‐olds, respectively). In South Africa, anemia is most prevalent in adolescents and black women. Anemia is also an indicator of overconsumption of dietary fat and a marker of socioeconomic disadvantage.
‘He is ruler over all’ – Man and ‘his’ universe at the 1539 Ghent refreynen contest
Authors: Buys Ruben
Published: January 2018

In 1539, nineteen chambers of rhetoric presented their refereynen int vroede at the famous rhetorician's contest of Ghent. Taken together, these poems, printed that same year, provide a series of closely related perspectives on humankind, human nature, and the world and its wonders. In general they consider man to be the most powerful of all creatures, as only he (interestingly, in some cases more specifically she) is able to overcome any worldly danger, temptation, or challenge. However, true dominance over the world is only possible if man meets specific conditions, set by God and nature – above all: rationality, piety, and a readiness to subdue one's inner world of desires and self‐conceit. Thus, the poems present various ideal types of the human self. This contribution analyzes those perspectives on humankind and the way in which the basic theme of human mastery of the world is integrated into the content as well as the structure of the refreynen. The essay also situates these refreynen in the broader context of vernacular philosophy and vernacular learning in the late medieval and early modern Low Countries.
Urban space and the literary exploration of self – A rhetorician makes a mental tour through his city
Authors: Mareel Samuel
Published: January 2018

A remarkable characteristic of the Testament Rhetoricael (Rhetorical Testament) (1562) by the Bruges rhetorician Eduard de Dene, one of the most important collections of lyrical texts to have come down to us from the sixteenth‐century Low Countries, is its combination of autobiography, and chorography. The author's persona provides the reader of that time with an unusual amount of information about his occupations, character, social world, and opinions. Most of it is given in the context of an evocation of specific places and spaces in the author's hometown. This essay analyses why, for a mid‐sixteenth century Netherlandish author such as Eduard De Dene, personal recollections seem to have been triggered in particular by specific urban places and spaces.
Cosmological talk – Three dialogues on the heavens in early seventeenth‐century Amsterdam
Authors: van Trijp Didi
Published: January 2018

This essay investigates the extent to which natural philosophical and literary discourses converged in the chambers of rhetoric of early seventeenth‐century Amsterdam. The inquiry is based on a set of three dialogues written by the merchant, diplomat, and rhetorician Theodoor Rodenburgh. Rodenburgh was clearly invested in expanding both his own and his audiences’ knowledge of the stars, as is witnessed by his various writings that incorporate celestial teachings. The dialogues feature experts on the stars that instruct diplomats, servants, noble ladies, and other inquisitive individuals in the workings of the heavens. These passages can be traced to texts published by specialists in spherical cosmology and astrology. The inclusion of cosmological themes was meant to stimulate reflection not only on the constitution of the heavens, but also on the place of the human in Creation. In tracing Rodenburgh's teachings on the heavens, this essay shows that rhetoricians, in addition to their already significant repertoire of philosophical resources, worked unencumbered on and with cosmological knowledge.
Sources of efficiency, productivity and output growth in Botswana agriculture
Authors: Temoso Omphile , Hadley David , Villano Renato
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore reasons for the decline in agricultural performance in Botswana that has occurred during the implementation of a variety of policy measures, as well as the introduction of new technologies, and to identify ways in which it might be reversed. Panel data from six regions in Botswana (period 1979–2012) is analyzed with a stochastic output distance function and inefficiency effects model. We decompose agricultural output growth into; total factor productivity (TFP) and changes in input use (factors of production). TFP is further decomposed into scale effects, technical efficiency and technological change. The results show that over the study period agricultural output grew at a very low rate of 0.072 percent per year, which is largely due to a growth in factors of production at 0.071 percent per year rather than TFP growth (which declined at 0.003 percent per year). We found that the decline in productivity has been due to technological regress and low growth in technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Policy options aimed at improving agricultural productivity and output growth will require the strengthening of extension services; improving the agronomic and husbandry management skills of farmers through training; and by encouraging farmers to adopt and utilize technologies that have been provided under existing policy programs.
Women's Work? The Relationship between Farmwork and Gender Self‐Perception
Authors: Smyth Jolene D. , Swendener Alexis , Kazyak Emily
Published: January 2018

Women have long been involved in agricultural production, yet farming and ranching have been associated with masculinity and men. In recent years women have become more involved and more likely to take active and equal roles on farms and ranches and thus increasingly are doing tasks that have been associated with masculinity. Prior work indicates that women are perceived by others as more masculine when they do these tasks, but less work has focused on the association between women's involvement in farming and women's own perceptions of their gender (i.e., how masculine or feminine they feel). Using 2006 survey data from a random sample of women in livestock and grain operations in Washington State, we find that women's involvement in farm and ranch tasks is associated with their gender self‐perception, with more involvement being associated with a more masculine self‐perception. Women who view their primary role as independent agricultural producers or full partners also perceive themselves as more masculine than women who view their primary role as homemaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for women's experiences in agriculture.
Black Agrarianism: The Significance of African American Landownership in the Rural South
Authors: Quisumbing King Katrina , Wood Spencer D. , Gilbert Jess , Sinkewicz Marilyn
Published: January 2018

Agrarianism is important in the American mythos. Land represents both a set of values and a store of wealth. In this article, we ask how land matters in the lives of rural, southern, Black farmland owners. Drawing on 34 interviews, we argue that, since the end of slavery, land has continued to operate as a site of racialized exclusion. Local white elites limit Black farmers’ access to landownership through discriminatory lending practices. At the same time, Black farmland owners articulate an ethos in which land is a source of freedom, pride, and belonging. This we term “Black agrarianism.” They cultivate resistance to the legacies of slavery and sharecropping and contemporary practices of social closure. These Black farmland owners, then, view land as protection from white domination. Thus, we demonstrate how landownership is a site for the re‐creation of racial hierarchy in the contemporary period while also offering the potential for resistance and emancipation.
A clinical trial of frozen platelets: rationale, protocol and pilot analysis plan
Authors: Marks D. C. , Johnson L. , Reade M. C.
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Platelets have a short shelf life and may be discarded due to expiry. Smaller Australian hospitals often cannot justify keeping platelet units on‐site. Cryopreserved platelets may alleviate this problem. To date, a single controlled clinical trial has been conducted, demonstrating that transfusion of cryopreserved platelets was associated with less bleeding and fewer transfusions compared to liquid‐stored platelets. Despite these encouraging results, there is insufficient clinical data to support regulatory approval. A pilot clinical trial of cryopreserved platelets is being conducted to demonstrate effectiveness and feasibility and to inform a future definitive trial.

Methods

Cryopreserved versus liquid platelets for surgical bleeding (CLIP) is a multisite, blinded randomized controlled pilot effectiveness trial comparing cryopreserved platelets to liquid‐stored platelets. Cardiac surgery patients at high risk of perioperative bleeding are identified, consented and randomized to receive either cryopreserved or liquid‐stored platelets. Outcomes include acceptability to clinicians, efficacy in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements and the adverse event rate.

Results

To date, 118 patients in four metropolitan tertiary hospitals have been randomized, and 42 patients have been transfused. No significant adverse events have been reported. Challenges have included the low conversion rate from randomization to transfusion (37%), access to monitored −80°C freezers and training large numbers of hospital blood bank staff to thaw platelets.

Conclusions

Introduction of a novel blood component for a clinical trial has posed many challenges, which have been overcome. Upon completion, data will be used to inform the design and sample size calculations for a larger definitive trial.
Impact of temporal Doppler on synthetic aperture sonar imagery
Authors: Pailhas Yan , Dugelay Samantha , Capus Chris
Published: January 2018

Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) coherently processes the acoustic data acquired along a linear trajectory. The imaging process is in essence an inverse problem where the reflectivity of the seafloor has to be estimated. Several imaging algorithms have been proposed over the years including back-projection algorithms. One commonly assumed hypothesis, however, is that the antenna is motionless during transmission and reception. This hypothesis is known as the start-stop assumption. This paper questions the validity of this assumption, and proposes a full derivation of the SAS processing taking into account the vehicle motion by using the Lorentz transformation. The cell migration for the SAS system is computed and the validity limit of the stop-start assumption depending on the SAS system parameters is derived. Numerical examples of start-stop assumption violations are given and the Doppler cell migration correction on real SAS data are presented and discussed.
Spatial decorrelation of wind noise with porous microphone windscreens
Authors: Zhao Sipei , Cheng Eva , Qiu Xiaojun , Burnett Ian , Chia-chun Liu Jacob
Published: January 2018

This paper explores the wind noise reduction mechanism of porous microphone windscreens by investigating the spatial correlation of wind noise. First, the spatial structure of the wind noise signal is studied by simulating the magnitude squared coherence of the pressure measured with two microphones at various separation distances, and it is found that the coherence of the two signals decreases with the separation distance and the wind noise is spatially correlated only within a certain distance less than the turbulence wavelength. Then, the wind noise reduction of the porous microphone windscreen is investigated, and the porous windscreen is found to be the most effective in attenuating wind noise in a certain frequency range, where the windscreen diameter is approximately 2 to 4 times the turbulence wavelengths (2 < D0/ξ < 4), regardless of the wind speed and windscreen diameter. The spatial coherence between the wind noise outside and inside a porous microphone windscreen is compared with that without the windscreen, and the coherence is found to decrease significantly when the windscreen diameter is approximately 2 to 4 times the turbulence wavelengths, corresponding to the most effective wind noise reduction frequency range of the windscreen. Experimental results with a fan are presented to support the simulations. It is concluded that the wind noise reduction mechanism of porous microphone windscreens is related to the spatial decorrelation effect on the wind noise signals provided by the porous material and structure.
Microbiome Structure Influences Infection by the Parasite Crithidia bombi in Bumble Bees
Authors: Mockler Blair K. , Kwong Waldan K. , Moran Nancy A. , Koch Hauke
Published: January 2018

Recent declines in bumble bee populations are of great concern and have prompted critical evaluations of the role of pathogen introductions and host resistance in bee health. One factor that may influence host resilience when facing infection is the gut microbiota. Previous experiments with
Bombus terrestris
, a European bumble bee, showed that the gut microbiota can protect against
Crithidia bombi
, a widespread trypanosomatid parasite of bumble bees. However, the particular characteristics of the microbiome responsible for this protective effect have thus far eluded identification. Using wild and commercially sourced
Bombus impatiens
, an important North American pollinator, we conducted cross-wise microbiota transplants to naive hosts of both backgrounds and challenged them with a
Crithidia
parasite. As with
B. terrestris
, we find that microbiota-dependent protection against
Crithidia
operates in
B. impatiens
. Lower
Crithidia
infection loads were experimentally associated with high microbiome diversity, large gut bacterial populations, and the presence of
Apibacter
,
Lactobacillus
Firm-5, and
Gilliamella
spp. in the gut community. These results indicate that even subtle differences between gut community structures can have a significant impact on a microbiome's ability to defend against parasite infections.

IMPORTANCE
Many wild bumble bee populations are under threat due to human activity, including through the introduction of pathogens via commercially raised bees. Recently, it was found that the bumble bee gut microbiota can help defend against a common parasite,
Crithidia bombi
, but the particular factors contributing to this protection are unknown. Using both wild and commercially raised bees, we conducted microbiota transplants to show that microbiome diversity, total gut bacterial load, and the presence of certain core members of the microbiota may all impact bee susceptibility to
Crithidia
infection. Bee origin (genetic background) was also a factor. Finally, by examining this phenomenon in a previously uninvestigated bee species, our study demonstrates that microbiome-mediated resistance to
Crithidia
is conserved across multiple bumble bee species. These findings highlight how intricate interactions between hosts, microbiomes, and parasites can have wide-ranging consequences for the health of ecologically important species.
Peptide Transporter CstA Imports Pyruvate in Escherichia coli K-12
Authors: Hwang Soonkyu , Choe Donghui , Yoo Minseob , Cho Sanghyuk , Kim Sun Chang , Cho Suhyung , Cho Byung-Kwan
Published: January 2018

Pyruvate is an important intermediate of central carbon metabolism and connects a variety of metabolic pathways in
Escherichia coli
. Although the intracellular pyruvate concentration is dynamically altered and tightly balanced during cell growth, the pyruvate transport system remains unclear. Here, we identified a pyruvate transporter in
E. coli
using high-throughput transposon sequencing. The transposon mutant library (a total of 5 × 10
5
mutants) was serially grown with a toxic pyruvate analog (3-fluoropyruvate [3FP]) to enrich for transposon mutants lacking pyruvate transport function. A total of 52 candidates were selected on the basis of a stringent enrichment level of transposon insertion frequency in response to 3FP treatment. Subsequently, their pyruvate transporter function was examined by conventional functional assays, such as those measuring growth inhibition by the toxic pyruvate analog and pyruvate uptake activity. The pyruvate transporter system comprises CstA and YbdD, which are known as a peptide transporter and a conserved protein, respectively, whose functions are associated with carbon starvation conditions. In addition to the presence of more than one endogenous pyruvate importer, it has been suggested that the
E. coli
genome encodes constitutive and inducible pyruvate transporters. Our results demonstrated that CstA and YbdD comprise the constitutive pyruvate transporter system in
E. coli
, which is consistent with the tentative genomic locus previously suggested and the functional relationship with the extracellular pyruvate sensing system. The identification of this pyruvate transporter system provides valuable genetic information for understanding the complex process of pyruvate metabolism in
E. coli
.

IMPORTANCE
Pyruvate is an important metabolite as a central node in bacterial metabolism, and its intracellular levels are tightly regulated to maintain its functional roles in highly interconnected metabolic pathways. However, an understanding of the mechanism of how bacterial cells excrete and transport pyruvate remains elusive. Using high-throughput transposon sequencing followed by pyruvate uptake activity testing of the selected candidate genes, we found that a pyruvate transporter system comprising CstA and YbdD, currently annotated as a peptide transporter and a conserved protein, respectively, constitutively transports pyruvate. The identification of the physiological role of the pyruvate transporter system provides valuable genetic information for understanding the complex pyruvate metabolism in
Escherichia coli
.
An Optimized Synthetic-Bioinformatic Natural Product Antibiotic Sterilizes Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-Infected Wounds
Authors: Vila-Farres Xavier , Chu John , Ternei Melinda A. , Lemetre Christophe , Park Steven , Perlin David S. , Brady Sean F.
Published: January 2018

Natural product-inspired antibiotics have saved millions of lives and played a critical role in modern medicine. However, the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens is outpacing the rate at which new clinically useful antibiotics are being discovered. The lack of a means to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Acinetobacter baumannii
is of particular concern. The sharp increase in cases of MDR
A. baumannii
infections in recent years prompted the CDC (
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest_threats.html
) and WHO (
http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/global-priority-list-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/en/
) to list this pathogen as a “serious threat” and “critical pathogen,” respectively. Here we report a new antibiotic, paenimucillin C, active against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, including many clinical isolates of MDR
A. baumannii
strains. Mechanistic studies point to membrane disruption leading to leakage of intracellular contents as its antibacterial mode of action. Paenimucillin C sterilizes MDR
A. baumannii
infections in a rat cutaneous wound model with no sign of rebound infection, providing a potential new therapeutic regimen.
Barriers and facilitators to medication adherence: a qualitative study with general practitioners
Authors: Kvarnström Kirsi , Airaksinen Marja , Liira Helena
Published: January 2018

Background

General practitioners (GPs) manage the drug therapies of people with chronic diseases, and poor adherence to medication remains a major challenge.

Objective

This qualitative study examined GPs’ insights into non-adherence and ways of overcoming this problem.

Methods

We ran four focus groups comprising 16 GPs at the Kirkkonummi Health Centre (Southern Finland). Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed by inductive content analysis.

Main results

The two main themes in the discussions with the GPs were non-adherence in the care of chronic disease and increased need for medicine information. The medication management challenges identified were related to: patient-specific factors, the healthcare system, characteristics of drug therapies and the function and role of healthcare professionals as a team. To improve the situation, the GPs offered a number of solutions: improved coordination of care, better patient education and IT systems as well as enhanced interprofessional involvement in the follow-up of patients.

Discussion and conclusions

With an ageing population, the GPs were increasingly confronted with non-adherence in the care of chronic diseases. They had mostly a positive attitude towards organising care in a more interprofessional manner. To support medication adherence and self-management, the GPs appreciated pharmacists’ assistance especially with patients with polypharmacy and chronic diseases.
Randomised controlled trial of a web-based programme in sustaining best practice alcohol management practices at community sports clubs: a study protocol
Authors: McFadyen Tameka , Wolfenden Luke , Kingsland Melanie , Tindall Jennifer , Rowland Bosco , Sherker Shauna , Gillham Karen , Heaton Rachael , Clinton-McHarg Tara , Lecathelinais Christophe , Brooke Daisy , Wiggers John
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Community-based interventions have been found to effectively increase the implementation of alcohol management practices and reduce excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related harm at sports clubs. However, once implementation support ceases there may be a reduction in such intervention effects. Thus, ongoing contribution to improving the health of the community is diminished; sustaining practice implementation is a key determinant to address this. One possible solution to the strategic and logistical challenges of sustainability involves the use of the web. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a web-based programme in sustaining the implementation of alcohol management practices by community football clubs. The secondary aim is to assess the effectiveness of the programme in preventing excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among members of community football clubs.

Methods and analysis

The study will employ a repeat randomised controlled trial design and be conducted in regional and metropolitan areas within two states of Australia. Community level football clubs who are currently accredited with an existing alcohol management programme (‘Good Sports’) and implementing at least 10 of the 13 core alcohol management practices (eg, not serving alcohol to <18-year-olds) required by the programme will be recruited and randomised to either a web-based sustainability programme or a ‘minimal contact’ programme. The primary outcome measures are the proportion of football clubs implementing ≥10 of the 13 required alcohol management practices and the mean number of those practices being implemented at 3-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: the proportion of club members who report risky drinking at their club, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) score and mean AUDIT score of club members. Outcome data will be collected via observation at the club during a 1-day visit to a home game, conducted by trained research assistants at baseline and follow-up.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by The University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee (reference: H-2013-0429). Study findings will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12614000746639; Pre-results.
Validation of intellectual disability coding through hospital morbidity records using an intellectual disability population-based database in Western Australia
Authors: Bourke Jenny , Wong Kingsley , Leonard Helen
Published: January 2018

Objectives

To investigate how well intellectual disability (ID) can be ascertained using hospital morbidity data compared with a population-based data source.

Design, setting and participants

All children born in 1983–2010 with a hospital admission in the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System (HMDS) were linked with the Western Australian Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers (IDEA) database. The International Classification of Diseases hospital codes consistent with ID were also identified.

Main outcome measures

The characteristics of those children identified with ID through either or both sources were investigated.

Results

Of the 488 905 individuals in the study, 10 218 (2.1%) were identified with ID in either IDEA or HMDS with 1435 (14.0%) individuals identified in both databases, 8305 (81.3%) unique to the IDEA database and 478 (4.7%) unique to the HMDS dataset only. Of those unique to the HMDS dataset, about a quarter (n=124) had died before 1 year of age and most of these (75%) before 1 month. Children with ID who were also coded as such in the HMDS data were more likely to be aged under 1 year, female, non-Aboriginal and have a severe level of ID, compared with those not coded in the HMDS data. The sensitivity of using HMDS to identify ID was 14.7%, whereas the specificity was much higher at 99.9%.

Conclusion

Hospital morbidity data are not a reliable source for identifying ID within a population, and epidemiological researchers need to take these findings into account in their study design.
Protocol for the systematic review of the reporting of transoral robotic surgery
Authors: Main Barry G , Blencowe Natalie S , Howes Noah , Cousins Sian , Avery Kerry N L , Gormley Alexander , Radford Phil , Elliott Daisy , Byrne Benjamin , Wilson Nicholas , Hinchliffe Robert , Blazeby Jane M
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has been adopted in some parts of the world as an innovative approach to the resection of oropharyngeal tumours. The development, details and outcomes of early-to-later phase evaluation of this technique and the quality of evidence to support its adoption into practice have hitherto not been summarised. The aim of this review is to identify and summarise the early and later phase studies of, and evidence for, TORS and to understand how early phase studies report intervention development, governance procedures and selection and reporting of outcomes to optimise methods for using the Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long-term follow-up (IDEAL) framework for surgical innovation that informs evidence-based practice. The protocol has been written in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist.

Methods and analysis

Electronic searches in OVID SP versions of Medline and EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from the start of indexing to 30 April 2017 will identify studies reporting TORS. At least two independent researchers will identify studies for inclusion. Two researchers will extract data from each paper. Studies will be categorised into IDEAL stages of study design from ‘pre-IDEAL’ to randomised controlled trials (stage 3). Data will be collected about the (1) novel intervention and criteria for modification, (2) governance arrangements and patient information provision, (3) outcome domains selected and reported and (4) quality of study design, conduct and reporting. Descriptive statistics and a narrative synthesis will be presented.

Ethics and dissemination

The results of this systematic review will be presented at relevant conferences. The methods will be used to inform future reviews exploring other novel surgical innovations. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. This study does not require ethical approval.