bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization strategies for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis testing in Infectious Disease Clinic and Dermatology Unit of Modena: 7‐year results of collaboration experience
Authors: Mandel V.D. , Di Tullio F. , Rugge W. , Coppini M. , Mussini C. , Pellacani G. , Borghi V.
Published: December 2018

Background

Screening tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis infections performed in at‐risk population show a higher number of positive tests compared to those carried out in the general population. ‘Test & Counselling’ Ambulatory of Infectious Disease Clinic (T&C‐IDC) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Ambulatory of Dermatology Unit (STDs‐DU) of Modena began collaboration in 2010 and adopted a common diagnostic serological profile since 2013.

Objectives

The main objective was to analyse the number of screening tests performed in the T&C‐IDC and STDs‐DU, comparing the results obtained after the adoption of the shared protocol with the previous period. The secondary aim was to evaluate the linkage to care of newly diagnosed patients.

Methods

Consecutive patients referred to the T&C‐IDC and STDs‐DU from January 2010 to December 2016, with at least one performed screening test for HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis were enrolled. Referral of patients with a new infection was obtained by capture‐recapture methods in hospital databases.

Results

During the 7‐year observation, we collected 13 117 admittances for 9154 patients. A significant increase in the number of screening tests (P < 0.001) and ratio between tests and admissions (P = 0.002) was observed. A total of 644 (7.0%) people with at least one infection were diagnosed. Among these, the most common was syphilis (41.9%), followed by HBV (25.7%), HCV (21.4%) and HIV (10.9%). Syphilis occurred predominantly in Italians (72.5%) and males (75.7%), as like as HCV, while foreign‐born (85.5%) mainly harboured HBV infection. HIV diagnosis was detected more frequently among males (67.1%) with a similar proportion between Italians and foreign‐born. Five hundred and forty‐three out of 644 (84.3%) patients were linked to care.

Conclusion

The collaboration between T&C‐IDC and STDs‐DU has proven to work well increasing the diagnosis over the time and obtaining good results in linkage to care.
Diagnostic methods for identifying different Aeromonas species and examining their pathogenicity factors, their correlation to cytotoxicity and adherence to fish mucus
Authors: Jung‐Schroers Verena , Jung Arne , Ryll Martin , Bauer Julia , Teitge Felix , Steinhagen Dieter
Published: December 2018

Aeromonas spp. are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment, acting as facultative or obligate pathogens for fish. Identifying Aeromonas spp. is important for pathogenesis and prognosis in diagnostic cases but can be difficult because of their close relationship. Forty‐four already characterized isolates of Aeromonas spp. were analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, by gyrase B sequencing, by analysing their fatty acid profiles, by biochemical reactions and by MALDI‐TOF MS. To determine their pathogenicity, cytotoxicity, adhesion to mucus and the expression of 12 virulence factors were tested. The susceptibility of the isolates towards 13 different antibiotics was determined. MALDI‐TOF MS was found to be an acceptable identification method for Aeromonas spp. Although the method does not detect all species correctly, it is time‐effective and entails relatively low costs and no other methods achieved better results. A high prevalence of virulence‐related gene fragments was detected in almost all examined Aeromonas spp., especially in A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida, and most isolates exhibited a cytotoxic effect. Single isolates of A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida showed multiple resistance to antibiotics. These results might indicate the potentially pathogenic capacity of Aeromonas spp., suggesting a risk for aquatic animals and even humans, given their ubiquitous nature.
Efficacy of a polyvalent injectable vaccine against Flavobacterium psychrophilum administered to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss L.)
Authors: Hoare Rowena , Jung Sung‐Ju , Ngo Thao P. H. , Bartie Kerry L. , Thompson Kim D. , Adams Alexandra
Published: December 2018

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is one of the most important pathogens affecting cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Recent information from UK salmonid farms showed country‐wide distribution of genetically and serologically divergent clones, which has hampered the development of a vaccine for rainbow trout fry syndrome. The current study assessed the efficacy of an injectable polyvalent vaccine containing formalin‐inactivated F. psychrophilum in rainbow trout. The vaccine was formulated with an oil adjuvant (Montanide ISA 760VG) or formalin‐killed cells alone. Duplicate groups of trout (60 ± 13 g) were given phosphate‐buffered saline or vaccine formulated with Montanide by intra‐peritoneal (i.p.) injection and challenged by intra‐muscular (i.m.) injection with a homologous and a heterologous isolate of F. psychrophilum at 525 degree days post‐vaccination (dd pv). Significant protection was achieved in vaccinated fish (p = 0.0001, RPS 76% homologous, 88% heterologous). Efficacy of the adjuvanted vaccine was also demonstrated by heterologous challenge at 1155 dd pv resulting in 100% protection, whereas survival in the un‐adjuvanted group was not significantly different from control fish. Levels of specific antibody at 1155 dd pv, as measured by ELISA, were significantly higher in the fish vaccinated with adjuvant when compared with unvaccinated fish.
International Business Cycle and Financial Intermediation
Authors: CSABAFI TAMAS Z. , GILLMAN MAX , NARAIDOO RUTHIRA
Published: December 2018

The paper extends a standard two‐country international real business cycle model to include financial intermediation by banks of loans and government bonds. The paper contributes an explanation for both the United States relative to the Euro‐area, and the United States relative to China, of cross‐country correlations of loan rates, deposit rates, and the loan premia. It shows a type of financial retrenchment for the United States relative to both Europe and China following a negative bank productivity shock, such as during the 2008 crisis. After 2008, results suggest that the Euro‐area has been more financially integrated with the United States, and China less financially integrated.
Improvements in the perception of facial attractiveness following surgical aesthetic treatment; study based on online before and after photos
Authors: Przylipiak Mateusz , Przylipiak Jerzy , Terlikowski Robert , Lubowicka Emilia , Chrostek Lech , Przylipiak Andrzej
Published: December 2018

Background

Aesthetic surgery procedures such as lip augmentation, eyelid correction, face‐lifting, or Botox treatment for lines and wrinkles are an important part of cosmetic surgery.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to estimate improvement in appearance following plastic surgery using modern collective intelligence methods of validation.

Methods

A total of 108 photographs showing 54 patients prior to and following cosmetic surgery were downloaded from Internet web presentations of several unnamed plastic surgeons. The same number of photographs depicted each of the four investigated areas of treatment—26 lip enhancement, 26 blepharoplasty, 26 face‐lift, 26 botulinum toxin injection. Attractiveness of depicted individuals was assessed by 167 observers. Each photograph was judged separately.

Results

Blepharoplasty produced the most remarkable improvement in attractiveness amounting to 32.79 (SD ± 26.35). Improvement following Botox treatment stood at 30.29 (SD ± 24.55), whereas face‐lifting produces improvement of 28.70 (SD ± 22.76). Improvement following lip augmentation was estimated at 12.70 (SD ± 29.8). Highest Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was obtained for face‐lift and Botox (0.24 and 0.22, respectively).

Conclusions

Blepharoplasty, face‐lifting, and Botox deliver a significant improvement in facial attractiveness. Additionally, face‐lifting and Botox are distinguished by a high level of reproducibility. Our results indicate that lip augmentation is a treatment with a statistically significant, but less marked improvement in attractiveness.
Development and validation of a haematuria cancer risk score to identify patients at risk of harbouring cancer
Authors: Tan W. S. , Ahmad A. , Feber A. , Mostafid H. , Cresswell J. , Fankhauser C. D. , Waisbrod S. , Hermanns T. , Sasieni P. , Kelly J. D. ,   DETECT I trial collaborators
Published: December 2018

Background

A lack of consensus exists amongst national guidelines regarding who should be investigated for haematuria. Type of haematuria and age‐specific thresholds are frequently used to guide referral for the investigation of haematuria.

Objectives

To develop and externally validate the haematuria cancer risk score (HCRS) to improve patient selection for the investigation of haematuria.

Methods

Development cohort comprise of 3539 prospectively recruited patients recruited at 40 UK hospitals (DETECT 1; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02676180) and validation cohort comprise of 656 Swiss patients. All patients were aged >18 years and referred to hospital for the evaluation of visible and nonvisible haematuria. Sensitivity and specificity of the HCRS in the validation cohort were derived from a cut‐off identified from the discovery cohort.

Results

Patient age, gender, type of haematuria and smoking history were used to develop the HCRS. HCRS validation achieves good discrimination (AUC 0.835; 95% CI: 0.789–0.880) and calibration (calibration slope = 1.215) with no significant overfitting (P = 0.151). The HCRS detected 11.4% (n = 8) more cancers which would be missed by UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines. The American Urological Association guidelines would identify all cancers with a specificity of 12.6% compared to 30.5% achieved by the HCRS. All patients with upper tract cancers would have been identified.

Conclusion

The HCRS offers good discriminatory accuracy which is superior to existing guidelines. The simplicity of the model would facilitate adoption and improve patient and physician decision‐making.
Normal utilization as the adjusting variable in Neo‐Kaleckian growth models: A critique
Authors: Girardi Daniele , Pariboni Riccardo
Published: December 2018

As well‐known, the canonical Neo‐Kaleckian growth model fails to reconcile actual and normal rates of utilization in equilibrium. Some recent contributions revive an old proposal for solving this problem—making the normal rate of utilization an endogenous variable that converges to the actual utilization rate—justifying it with new, micro‐founded premises. We argue that these new justifications for the convergence of normal to actual utilization do not stand closer scrutiny. First, the proposed microeconomic model relies on various restrictive assumptions, some of which are mutually inconsistent. Second, the derivation of the macroeconomic adjustment mechanism from the microeconomic analysis involves a logical leap that can be justified only by a very arbitrary assumption with little economic justification. Finally, we discuss the way in which this mechanism has been incorporated into the Neo‐Kaleckian growth model by proposers of this approach. We show that, even if one puts aside, for the sake of argument, the first two points, the existence of autonomous components of demand is sufficient to invalidate the resulting macroeconomic model.
Impact of left atrial box surface ratio on the recurrence after ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Keçe Fehmi , Scholte Arthur J. , de Riva Marta , Naruse Yoshihisa , Watanabe Masaya , Alizadeh Dehnavi Reza , Schalij Martin J. , Zeppenfeld Katja , Trines Serge A.
Published: December 2018

Background

The posterior wall of the left atrium (LA) is a well‐known substrate for atrial fibrillation (AF) maintenance. Isolation of the posterior wall between the pulmonary veins (box lesion) may improve ablation success. Box lesion surface area size varies depending on the individual anatomy. This retrospective study evaluates the influence of box lesion surface area as a ratio of total LA surface area (box surface ratio) on arrhythmia recurrence.

Methods

Seventy consecutive patients with persistent AF (63 ± 11 years, 53 men) undergoing computed tomography (CT) imaging and ablation procedure consisting of a first box lesion were included in this study. Box lesion surface area was measured on electroanatomical maps and total LA surface area was derived from CT. Patients were followed with 24‐h electrocardiography and exercise tests at 3, 6, and 12 months after AF ablation. Arrhythmia recurrence was defined as any AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) beyond 3 months without antiarrhythmic drugs.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 13 (interquartile range = 10‐17) months, 42 (60%) patients had AF/AT recurrence. Multivariate Cox proportional regression analysis showed that a larger box surface ratio protected against recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.690‐0.955; P = 0.012). Left atrial volume index (HR = 1.01 [0.990‐1.024, P = 0.427] and a history of mitral valve surgery (HR = 2.90; 95% CI = 0.970‐8.693; P = 0.057) were not associated with AF recurrence in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

A larger box lesion surface area as a ratio of total LA surface area is protective for AF/AT recurrence after ablation for persistent AF.
Streptomycin resistance in Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains from Chile is related to an rpsL gene mutation
Authors: Valenzuela M. , Méndez V. , Montenegro I. , Besoain X. , Seeger M.
Published: December 2018

Streptomycin has been used for decades in Chile to control Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), the causal agent of tomato bacterial canker. The aim of this work was to evaluate streptomycin resistance and to analyse the presence of resistance‐related genes in Cmm strains from Chile. A collection of 25 Cmm strains isolated from different localities in central Chile between 1996 and 2015 was analysed. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of streptomycin was determined. A search of streptomycin resistance‐related genes was carried out in Cmm genomes, and the presence of these genes was studied in all Chilean strains using PCR and sequencing techniques. MIC results showed that four of 25 strains were highly sensitive to streptomycin, with MIC values <2 μg mL−1. The remaining 21 strains possessed MIC of streptomycin ≥100 μg mL−1. The strB gene, encoding an aminoglycoside 6‐phosphotransferase that inactivates streptomycin, was detected in all Chilean strains, including sensitive and resistant strains. In the 21 resistant strains, a mutation in codon 43 of the rpsL gene was determined, conferring high streptomycin resistance. Interestingly, the four streptomycin‐sensitive Cmm strains did not possess this mutation. This study proposes that the continuous use of streptomycin leads to emergence of resistant Cmm strains, challenging researchers to look for novel alternatives to control this plant pathogenic bacterium.
Transport infrastructure investments and competition for FDI
Authors: Hynes Kate , Ma Jie , Yuan Cheng
Published: December 2018

This paper studies how transport infrastructure investments (TIIs) affect a bidding war for a firm between two asymmetric countries within a region in a context of imperfect competition, where TIIs play the role of a global public good, leading to a reduction in the unit trade cost between the two countries. A number of interesting results are derived from the model. In particular, TIIs can intensify fiscal competition between the two countries. Surprisingly, this conventional wisdom seems to be confirmed by this paper for the first time. Welfare implications of the model are also examined.
Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn due to alloanti‐M: three Chinese case reports and a review of the literature
Authors: Li Si , Mo Chunyan , Huang Linhuan , Shi Xiaomei , Luo Guangping , Ji Yanli , Fang Qun
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

Alloanti‐M was once regarded as not clinically significant, with a few exceptions in extremely rare cases. However, an increasing number of cases of severe hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), resulting in fetal hydrops and recurrent abortion caused by alloanti‐M, have been reported mainly in the Asian population.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Three pregnant Chinese women with a history of abnormal pregnancy with hydrops fetalis were encountered. During this pregnancy, a series of clinical examinations and an alloantibody identification against RBCs and platelets were conducted. Intrauterine transfusion and postnatal transfusion were then performed in the fetuses. In addition, the HDFN cases caused by alloanti‐M reported in different ethnic groups as well as their clinical and serologic features are also summarized.

RESULTS

Three pregnant women were identified with an M‐N+ phenotype and IgM mixed with IgG alloanti‐M in serum. Their fetuses were found by ultrasound examination and cord blood testing to have severe anemia. Additionally, an M+N+ phenotype and IgG alloanti‐M were detected in the cord blood of the three fetuses with titers ranging from 1:1 to 1:128. Moreover, low reticulocyte counts and negative direct antiglobulin tests were also shown in two of the fetuses. After receiving intrauterine transfusions and postnatal transfusions several times, these three fetuses eventually survived and then healthfully developed in the follow‐up tracking.

CONCLUSION

Alloanti‐M immunization can cause severe HDFN with hyporegenerative anemia, often seen in the Asian population, and suppression of erythropoiesis might account for it.
Seroprevalence and geographical distribution of sero‐positive blood donors to Trypanosoma cruzi at the central blood bank of the National Medical Center “La Raza”
Authors: González‐Guzmán Saúl , Paredes‐Cervantes Vladimir , Edward Bagu Tshima , Crescencio‐Trujillo José A. , Guerra‐Marquez Ángel , Rivas Nancy , Alejandre‐Aguilar Ricardo , Bermúdez‐Torres Efraín , González‐Cano Patricia
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease endemic to Latin‐America. It is estimated that 1.0 to 1.5% of Mexicans are infected with T. cruzi, which constitutes a potential risk of disease transmission via contaminated blood. New cases are being reported worldwide due to the migration of infected people from endemic areas.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Serum samples were collected from donors at the Central Blood Bank of the National Medical Center “La Raza” from July 2008 to December 2015 and analyzed for T. cruzi antibodies using Enzyme‐linked Immunosorbent Assays. Blood donors were classified serologically as either negative or positive for Chagas disease based on the Official Mexican Standard NOM‐032‐SSA2‐2014. The geographical distribution of sero‐positive donors for Chagas disease was then determined based on the donor's areas of residence.

RESULTS

Of the 510, 047 donors, 595 tested positive for Chagas disease. We found a prevalence of 0.12%, was higher in males (0.13%) than females (0.08%) In both genders, there were more sero‐positive donors aged 51–65 years as compared to other age groups.

Overall there were more positive donors from the State of Mexico, northern area of Mexico City, and southern area of Hidalgo State, with rates of 67.4%, 20.6%, and 5.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The seroprevalence of Chagas disease in blood donors attending to La Raza BB is low. Chagas disease is more prevalent in the older age groups; most sero‐positive donors are from areas considered non‐endemic to Chagas disease.
A high five for TB screening
Authors: Langelier Chaz
Published: December 2018

Whole-blood transcriptional profiling identifies a five-gene signature for tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV.
High prevalence of infection and low incidence of disease in child contacts of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Huerga Helena , Sanchez-Padilla Elisabeth , Melikyan Nara , Atshemyan Hakob , Hayrapetyan Armen , Ulumyan Ani , Bastard Mathieu , Khachatryan Naira , Hewison Catherine , Varaine Francis , Bonnet Maryline
Published: December 2018

Objective

We aimed to measure the prevalence and incidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and tuberculosis (TB) disease in children in close contact with patients with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) in a country with high DR-TB prevalence.

Design and setting

This is a prospective cohort study of paediatric contacts of adult patients with pulmonary DR-TB in Armenia. Children were screened using tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma release assay and chest X-ray at the initial consultation, and were reassessed every 3–6 months for a period of 24 months. Children did not receive preventive treatment.

Main outcome measures

Prevalence and incidence of LTBI and TB disease; factors associated with prevalent LTBI.

Results

At initial evaluation, 3 of the 150 children included were diagnosed with TB disease (2.0%). The prevalence of LTBI was 58.7%. The incidence of LTBI was 19.9 per 100 children per year, and was especially high during the first 6 months of follow-up (33.3 per 100 children per year). No additional cases with incident disease were diagnosed during follow-up. After adjustment, prevalent LTBI was significantly associated with the child’s age, sleeping in the same house, higher household density, the index case’s age, positive smear result and presence of lung cavities.

Conclusions

Children in close contact with patients with DR-TB or in contact with very contagious patients had an increased risk of prevalent LTBI. Although none of the children developed TB disease during a 2-year follow-up period, screening for symptoms of TB disease, based on the prevalence of disease at recruitment, together with follow-up and repeated testing of non-infected contacts, is highly recommended in paediatric contacts of patients with DR-TB.
Psychometric testing of the Norwegian Diabetes Health Profile (DHP-18) in patients with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Jelsness-Jørgensen Lars-Petter , Jensen Øystein , Gibbs Charlotte , Bekkhus Moe Ragnar , Hofsø Dag , Bernklev Tomm
Published: December 2018

Objective

The Diabetes Health Profile-18 (DHP-18) was developed to measure disease-specific health-related quality of life. It has been translated into Norwegian but remains invalidated. The purpose of this paper was to examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian DHP-18.

Research design and methods

Participants with type 1 diabetes were recruited from three outpatient clinics in Norway. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected, and participants completed the DHP-18 and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Descriptive analysis, frequencies, t-tests and the chi-squared tests were used. Principal axis factoring (PAF) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used. Convergent validity was tested using Spearman’s correlation between the DHP-18 and SF-36. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results

In total, 288 patients were included. No floor and ceiling effects were found. A forced PAF analysis revealed that three questions had an eigenvalue below 0.40. In the unforced PAF analysis, one question loaded below 0.40, while three questions loaded into a fourth factor. The correlation between the DHP-18 and SF-36 dimensions was low to moderate. Problematic internal consistency was observed for the disinhibited eating dimension in the forced PAF and in the suggested fourth dimension in the unforced PAF. CFA revealed poor fit. The test–retest reliability displayed good to excellent values, but responsiveness was limited.

Conclusions

Problematic issues were identified regarding factor structure, item loadings, internal consistency and responsiveness. Further evaluation of responsiveness is particularly recommended, and using a revised 14-item DHP version is suggested.
Utility of the Seattle Heart Failure Model for palliative care referral in advanced ambulatory heart failure
Authors: Ng Fat Hing Nicholas , MacIver Jane , Chan Derrick , Liu Helen , Lu Yu Tong Linda , Malik Abdullah , Wang Vicky N , Levy Wayne C , Ross Heather J , Alba Ana Carolina
Published: December 2018

Background

Physicians face uncertainty when predicting death in heart failure (HF) leading to underutilisation of palliative care. To facilitate decision-making, we assessed the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) as a referral tool by evaluating its performance in predicting 1-year event-free survival from death, heart transplant (HTx), and ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of consecutive patients with advanced ambulatory HF with New York Heart Association Class III/IV HF and a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤40% from 2000 to 2016. We evaluated SHFM’s performance by using the Cox proportional hazards model, its discrimination using the c-statistic, its calibration by comparing the observed and predicted survival and its clinical utility by hypothetically assessing the proportion of patients adequately or inadequately referred to palliative care.

Results

We included 612 patients in our study. During the 1-year follow-up, there were 83 deaths, 4 HTx and 1 VAD. Although SHFM showed very good discrimination (c-statistic=0.71) and adequate calibration in medium to low-risk patients, it underestimated event-free survival by 12% in high-risk patients. SHFM’s clinical utility was limited: 33% of eligible patients would have missed the opportunity for referral and only 27% of referred patients would have benefited.

Conclusion

Use of SHFM could result in a high proportion of referrals while capturing the majority of patients who may benefit from palliative care. Though this may be a more encompassing and safer alternative than current referral practices, it could lead to many early referrals.
Visceral fat is associated with elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyltransferase in middle-aged Chinese adults
Authors: Tang Lizhi , Yuan Bo , Zhang Fang , Cao Hongyi , Yan Zhe , Li Jing , John Jobin , Tong Nanwei
Published: December 2018

Background

Elevation of hepatic enzymes is associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and obesity. However, the factors behind elevation of liver enzymes remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the role of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in relation with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) in middle-aged Chinese adults.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study on 959 adults aged 40–65 without hepatitis. VAT and SAT were measured at the level of L4–L5 by MRI. Pearson correlation and linear regression were performed to assess the association of VAT/SAT with serum ALT and GGT. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of VAT and SAT with high ALT (≥40 U/L) and high GGT (≥35 U/L).

Results

VAT had higher correlation coefficient r with ALT and GGT than SAT. VAT, but not SAT, was associated with ALT (males: β=0.15, p=0.01; females: β=0.17, p=0.02) and GGT (males: β=0.39, p<0.0001) in linear regression. VAT remained to be associated with GGT in males (β=0.33, p=0.0001) when was further adjusted. Logistic regression showed that VAT was associated with elevated GGT (OR=2.218, p=0.043) in males but not in females and no such association was observed for SAT.

Conclusions

Increased VAT, but not SAT, was associated with elevation of hepatic enzymes including ALT and GGT. Moreover, VAT was associated with elevated GGT independent of insulin resistance and subcutaneous fat in males.
Calculations for energies, lifetimes, and transition parameters of E1 and E2 transitions in Mg II
Authors: Karaçoban Usta Betül
Published: December 2018

The lifetimes for 2p6ns (n = 4–15), 2p6nd (n = 3–15), 2p6ng (n = 5–15), 2p6ni (n = 7–15), 2p6np (n = 3–15), 2p6nf (n = 4–15), 2p6nh (n = 6–15), 2p53s2, 2p53snp (n = 3, 4), 2p53p2, 2p53sns (n = 4, 5), 2p53snd (n = 3, 4), and 2p53s4f configurations and the transition parameters for the electric dipole (E1) and electric quadrupole (E2) transitions between valence excitation levels have been calculated using the relativistic Hartree–Fock method for singly ionized magnesium (Mg II, Z = 12). Comparisons are made with experimental and other available theoretical results to assess the reliability and accuracy of the present calculations. Moreover, some new wavelengths, oscillator strengths, and transition probabilities of E1 and E2 transitions and lifetime values have been obtained using this method. These results are reported for the first time in this work.
A test of the predator avoidance hypothesis to explain delayed onset of communal breeding
Authors: Strickland D. , Brouwer E. , Burg T.M.
Published: December 2018

A neglected question in the study of communal breeding concerns why alloparental behaviour begins at variously late stages in the breeding cycle. In group-living corvids, the delay tends to be longer in species that are small and (or) typically have only a small nonbreeder complement. This pattern has been attributed to the relatively poor defensive capabilities of such species and their consequently greater need to minimize predator-attracting traffic to the nest or fledglings. We tested this predator avoidance hypothesis with the Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1766)), a species in which the feeding of young by any nonbreeders in the family group is delayed until the fledgling period. We reasoned that, on Anticosti Island, Quebec (Canada), in the absence of squirrels and other nest predators, nonbreeders might be permitted to feed nestlings as well as fledglings, and that breeders might feed nestlings more frequently (with smaller food loads) than on the mainland. We found no evidence for either prediction and thus no support for the predator avoidance hypothesis but suggest that Anticosti Canada Jays may have had insufficient time to evolve behaviour more appropriate for their predator-free environment. Secondarily, we confirmed that in all observed instances, the nonbreeders were offspring of the breeding pair from previous years and that they therefore failed to provision nestlings in spite of an apparent genetic interest to do so.
Isotopic spiking and food dye experiments provide evidence that nestling Canada Jays (Perisoreuscanadensis) receive cached food from their parents
Authors: Derbyshire R. , Norris D.R. , Hobson K.A. , Strickland D.
Published: December 2018

While many animals rely on stored food to survive periods of no or few resources, some of these species may also use cached food to feed young. The Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1766)) is a territorial, food-caching resident of North American boreal forests. Canada Jays have high winter survival when fresh food is rarely available and achieve high fledging rates before the return and breeding of most sympatric migratory passerines. Stored food must account for the Canada Jay’s winter survival, but it is less certain that stores are also used to feed nestlings. We conducted two experiments seeking evidence of such use, one using food marked with dye and a second using15N-enriched glycine. Breeding pairs were supplemented with marked food in the pre-incubation period, followed by our attempts to find the marker in nestling feces (dye experiment) or feathers (15N-enrichment experiment). Both experiments provided evidence that at least some nestlings had ingested the marker, although the importance of this behaviour within the population remains unknown. Our study demonstrates how food markers can be used to infer feeding behaviour that has not been directly recorded in the wild, even after over 50 years of close observation.
PREDATOR–PREY DYNAMICS WITH SEASONAL WATER-LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS
Authors: MOUSSAOUI A. , AZIZ-ALAOUI M. A. , BASSAID S.
Published: December 2018

Water level in rivers, lakes and reservoirs has great influence on the interactions between prey and predator fish. Indeed, the increase of the water volume hinders the capture of the prey by the predator. The same reasoning applies when there is a decrease in the volume of water, favoring the capture of the prey by the predator. In this paper, we consider a seasonally varying predator–prey model to study the influence of water-level variations on the interaction between two species of fishes in an artificial lake. A seasonal variation of the water-level is introduced in the predation rate taking into account two values, leading to a general switched system. Permanence, stability and existence of an invariant domain containing at least one periodic solution are established. Our theoretical results confirm the assumption that the water exerts a strong influence on the interaction between fishes.
A Three Particles Algorithm for Solving Some Very High Dimensional Benchmark Unconstrained Optimization Problems Using a Fuzzy Fitness Criterium
Authors: De-Los-Cobos-Silva Sergio G. , Mora-Gutiérrez Roman A. , Rincón-García Eric A. , Lara-Velázquez Pedro , Gutiérrez-Andrade Miguel A. , Montes-Orozco Edwin
Published: December 2018

This work focuses predominantly on unconstrained optimization problems and presents an original algorithm (the code can be downloaded from Ref. 1), which is used for solving a variety of benchmark problems whose dimensions range from 2 to 2.5 millions, using only 3 particles. The algorithm was tested in 36 benchmark continuous unconstrained optimization problems, on a total of 312 instances. The results are presented comparing two fitness criteria: crisp and a fuzzy. The numerical results show that the proposed algorithm is able to reach the global optimum in every benchmark problem.
Subgroups of minimal index in polynomial time
Authors: Skresanov Saveliy V.
Published: December 2018

By applying an old result of Y. Berkovich, we provide a polynomial-time algorithm for computing the minimal possible index of a proper subgroup of a finite permutation group [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we find that subgroup explicitly and within the same time if [Formula: see text] is given by a Cayley table. As a corollary, we get an algorithm for testing whether or not a finite permutation group acts on a tree non-trivially.
Planning for Knowledge Management Implementation in Academic Libraries: Empirical Evidence From Federal University Libraries in Nigeria
Authors: Ugwu Cyprian. I. , Ezema I. J.
Published: December 2018

The main reason for the failure of many knowledge management (KM) projects is the absence of a well-defined framework or strategy to guide KM implementation. This paper is an attempt to determine the planning needs of the KM deployment process and propose a framework that could be used specifically by the federal university libraries in Nigeria to guide the KM implementation process. Quantitative research approach was adopted in this study and the design was a descriptive survey. A total of 300 librarians responded to the survey that sought their opinions on the planning needs for KM implementation process. The survey instrument was a questionnaire, and it was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation, ranks and percentages obtained with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study revealed the planning needs for KM implementation as consisting of the goals which the university library intends to achieve through KM, the KM process, skills and tools required as well as the type of partnerships needed. Based on these needs, this study proposes a KM framework made up of strategies and tactical moves to guide the KM implementation process.
Notes from the Pier No. 1: On Route to “A Global Renaissance”: An f : Fabric in the “BRI: One Belt One Road”
Authors: Huang Chihlien
Published: December 2018

This paper is actually a summary of the authors series of academic research since 1970s. It focuses on interconnectivity of civilizations with a focus on major civilizations and their impact on regional development. It is very clear that in comparison to Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and modern Western Civilizations, the Imperial China and its traditional civilizations did not play a profound role outside China as judged by the Kublai Khan and Zheng Hes naval expeditions to East Asia and Indian Ocean areas. Apparently, she did not make good use of the “f-shaped” maritime road either. This “civilization-inabsentia” was probably due to traditional Chinas economy and culture which were built on unstable agricultural bases; thus conditioning its Han Chinese elites had its upper structure that evolved around paternalism and a feudal family system. Its inward-looking approach prohibited them from going outside to impose its cultural system so as to colonize the local populations along the “f-shaped maritime and land Silk Roads”. Her refusal to pursue an open policy inhibited formal international trades, thus giving the British East India Company a good excuse to conduct a so-called “Trade War” against the Qing Dynasty; and the Opium War had caused a total collapse of the Chinese Empire in 1830s. On the contrary, the Westerners have been using the “f-strategy” to impose on a broken China westernization in her search of model of modernizations. Here, the author has been trying to make good use of an “f-shaped” theory and methodology to interpret and understand Chinas historical, contemporary and future development processes. The f : fabric has proved to be an inspiring and useful model to configure Chinas shuttles between the so-called “#1.0: Pre-Western Culture” (before 1500 AD) and the “#2.0: Western Supremacy Culture” (1500–1990) and from here to move ahead for its “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” after entering the 21st century; finally, she could be a pioneer in the pursuit of a “#3.0: Post-Western and Non-Western World”. The tentative conclusion of the paper is that this newly introduced f : BRI-OBOR can be taken as a prelude to the future civilizations which are going to satisfy the human needs so as to promote the so-called “human pentagonal system” much more effectively.
China’s Plans: A View from the Outside after a Previous Period on the “Inside”
Authors: Mathieson Peter
Published: December 2018

The author, a British academic who was President of the University of Hong Kong between 2014 and 2018, discusses the Belt and Road initiative and the Greater Bay Area plan, particularly focusing on the possible implications for the higher education sector in China and beyond.
Rapid Triggering Capability Using an Adaptive Overlay during FPGA Debug
Authors: Eslami Fatemeh , Wilton Steven J. E.
Published: December 2018

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology is rapidly gaining traction in a wide range of applications. Nonetheless, FPGAs still require long design and debug cycles. To debug hardware circuits, trace-based instrumentation is inserted into the design that enables capturing data during the circuit execution into on-chip memories for later offline analysis. Since on-chip memories are limited, a trigger circuitry is used to only record data related to specific events during the execution. However, during debugging, a circuit recompilation is required on modifying these instruments. This can be very slow, reducing debug productivity. In this article, we propose a non-intrusive and rapid triggering solution with a tailored overlay fabric and mapping algorithm that seeks to enable fast debug iterations without performing a recompilation. This overlay is specialized for small combinational and sequential circuits with a single output; such circuits are typical of common trigger functions. We present an adaptive strategy to construct the overlay fabric using spare FPGA resources at compile time. At debug time, our proposed trigger mapping algorithms adapt to this specialized overlay to rapidly implement combinational and sequential trigger circuits. Our results show that the overlay fabric can be reconfigured to map different triggering scenarios in less than 40s instead of recompiling the circuit during debug iterations, increasing debug productivity.
Fault-Tolerant Unicast-Based Multicast for Reliable Network-on-Chip Testing
Authors: Xiang Dong , Chakrabarty Krishnendu , Fujiwara Hideo
Published: December 2018

We present a unified test technique that targets faults in links, routers, and cores of a network-on-chip design based on test sessions. We call an entire procedure, that delivers test packets to the subset of routers/cores, a test session. Test delivery for router/core testing is formulated as two fault-tolerant multicast algorithms. Test packet delivery for routers is implemented as a fault-tolerant unicast-based multicast scheme via the fault-free links and routers that were identified in the previous test sessions to avoid packet corruption. A new fault-tolerant routing algorithm is also proposed for the unicast-based multicast core test delivery in the whole network. Identical cores share the same test set, and they are tested within the same test session. Simulation results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed method in reducing test time.
SMAPH
Authors: Cornolti Marco , Ferragina Paolo , Ciaramita Massimiliano , Rüd Stefan , Schütze Hinrich
Published: December 2018

We study the problem of linking the terms of a web-search query to a semantic representation given by the set of entities (a.k.a. concepts) mentioned in it. We introduce SMAPH, a system that performs this task using the information coming from a web search engine, an approach we call “piggybacking.” We employ search engines to alleviate the noise and irregularities that characterize the language of queries. Snippets returned as search results also provide a context for the query that makes it easier to disambiguate the meaning of the query. From the search results, SMAPH builds a
set of candidate entities
with high coverage. This set is filtered by
linking back
the candidate entities to the terms occurring in the input query, ensuring high precision. A greedy disambiguation algorithm performs this filtering; it maximizes the
coherence
of the solution by iteratively discovering the pertinent entities mentioned in the query. We propose three versions of SMAPH that outperform state-of-the-art solutions on the known benchmarks and on the GERDAQ dataset, a novel dataset that we have built specifically for this problem via crowd-sourcing and that we make publicly available.
A Robust Watermarking Scheme Based on the Mean Modulation of DWT Coefficients
Authors: Kricha Zied , Kricha Anis , Sakly Anis
Published: December 2018

In an endeavor to deal with image copyright infringement, robust watermarking approaches are commonly used. However, most of the existing approaches either present a limited robustness or rely on highly computational algorithms, thereby limiting the efficiency of these solutions. In this paper, a novel blind and robust watermarking method is presented. First, the vertical and horizontal subbands coefficients, resulting from the wavelet transformation, are scrambled using a chaotic sequence and then gathered into individual blocks. Next, the mean value of each block is modulated according to watermark bit. At the extraction stage, based on the sign of the blocks’ mean, a blind watermark extractor is suggested. The imperceptibility, security, complexity, and robustness of the proposed approach have been evaluated and compared with state of the art solutions. Experimental results prove that the proposed approach successfully satisfies the watermarking requirement and outperforms existing methods against both geometric and signal processing attacks.
Renal Colic: A Red Herring for Mucocele of the Appendiceal Stump
Authors: Ganti Sameera , Sohil Pothiawala
Published: December 2018

Flank pain with hematuria is a common presentation in the emergency department. The commonest differential diagnosis of these patients is renal/ureteric calculus or pyelonephritis. These patients are usually treated with analgesia, antibiotics in case of pyelonephritis, and are discharged with an outpatient referral to a urologist. This case report describes a 51 year old male who presented to the ED for recurrent flank pain and hematuria. Bedside ultrasonography in the ED demonstrated a cystic lesion in the renal area. CT urography revealed an appendiceal stump mucocele and patient was transferred under surgical care. This case highlights the importance of the utility of bedside ultrasound in patients presenting to the ED with flank pain or abdominal pain which can lead to expedited assessment and appropriate management.
CFD Analysis of the Passive Decay Heat Removal System of an LBE-Cooled Fast Reactor
Authors: Mao Jiarun , Song Lei , Liu Yuhao , Lin Jiming , Huang Shanfang , Zou Yaolei
Published: December 2018

This paper presents capacity of the passive decay heat removal system (DHRS) operated under the natural circulation conditions to remove decay heat inside the main vessel of the Lead-bismuth eutectic cooled Fast Reactor (LFR). The motivation of this research is to improve the inherent safety of the LFR based on the China Accelerator Driven System (ADS) engineering project. Usually the plant is damaged due to the failure of the main pumps and the main heat exchangers under the Station Blackout (SBO). To prevent this accident, we proposed the DHRS based on the diathermic oil cooling for the LFR. The behavior of the DHRS and the plant was simulated using the CFD code STAR CCM+ using LFR with DHRS. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the heat exchange capacity of the DHRS and is to provide the reference for structural improvement and experimental design. The results show that the stable natural circulations are established in both the main vessel and the DHRS. During the decay process, the heat exchange power is above the core decay heat power. In addition, in-core decay heat and heat storage inside the main vessel are efficiently removed. All the thermal-hydraulics parameters are within a safe range. Moreover, the highest temperature occurs at the upper surface of the core. A swirl occurs at the corner of the lateral core surface and some improvements should be considered. And the natural circulation driving force can be further increased by reducing the loop resistance or increasing the natural circulation height based on the present design scenario to enhance the heat exchange effect.
Preeclampsia in 2018: Revisiting Concepts, Physiopathology, and Prediction
Authors: Mayrink J. , Costa M. L. , Cecatti J. G.
Published: December 2018

Preeclampsia currently remains one of the leading causes of death and severe maternal morbidity. Although its prevalence is still underestimated in some places due to underreporting, preeclampsia is a disease that health professionals need to know how to deal with and take action. For this reason, the studies about the theme remain along with the advances in their understanding that often implies improvement and change of concepts and conducts. The complexity of its etiology is a challenge and requires further studies for its full understanding. Apparently, poor adaptation of the maternal organism to the conceptus, marked by the nonoccurrence of changes in the uterine spiral arteries, determines a series of systemic repercussions that compound the various forms of preeclampsia presentation. In recent years, the use of acetylsalicylic acid to prevent cases of early onset of the disease has been consolidated and, alongside, studies have advanced the development of accessible and effective methods of identifying women at risk of preeclampsia. The aim of this review is to discuss updates on the occurrence, concept, pathophysiology, repercussion, prevention, and prediction of preeclampsia.