bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining the Key Parts of a Procedure: Implications for Overlapping Surgery
Authors: Bernstein Joseph , Bernstein James J. , Mehta Samir , Hume Eric L. , Schenker Mara L. , Ahn Jaimo
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

The American College of Surgeons’ Statements on Principles requires attending surgeons to be present for the “key parts” of surgical procedures, but the term is not defined. The research question addressed in this study is whether a functional definition of the critical or key steps of common orthopaedic surgical procedures can be reliably constructed. We used the examples of hip and knee arthroplasty because these procedures are highly structured and divisible into distinct subroutines.

Methods:

We surveyed 100 experienced orthopaedic surgeons regarding whether particular steps in knee and hip arthroplasty procedures were considered “key.” The patterns of individual surgeons’ responses were compared among surgeons for overall reliability. The steps frequently cited as key were also identified.

Results:

The agreement rates among surgeons for the definitions of the key parts of hip and knee arthroplasty were 3.2% and 8.6%, respectively. For both procedures, five steps were identified as key by >90% of the respondents.

Discussion:

The agreement rate on what constitutes the key parts of hip and knee arthroplasty was poor, despite the fact that these are highly structured procedures. Accordingly, defining the key parts for a given procedure must rely on either the operating surgeon’s discretion or a consensus definition. Imposing a single surgeon’s standard on others is not the optimal approach because such a standard is likely to be idiosyncratic.

Conclusion:

A consensus standard articulated by the orthopaedic surgery community may be the best means for identifying the key parts of orthopaedic surgical operations. The data presented here suggest a foundation upon which a consensus definition for the key parts of arthroplasty procedures may be built.
Effects of Waste Disposal: Temporo-Spatial Patterns of Bacterial Community Composition on Oyster Farms in Estuary Regions of Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Santos Maíra Pessoa Jornane Barbosa , Ribas Jorge Raimundo Lins , Ramos Carlos Eduardo Crispim de Oliveira , Navarro Rodrigo Dianna , Pereira Denise Soledade Peixoto , Silva Rodrigo Fortes da
Published: January 2018

Oyster farming in Brazil is limited by a number of problems, such as lack of sanitary control in production areas. The aim of the present study was to use the multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) to correlate the microbiological quality of oyster production in the state of Bahia, Brazil, by linking it to environment parameters. Samples were randomly collected from 15 different oyster farms, from two different cultivation techniques (lantern and pillow baskets), corresponding dry and rainy periods. Twenty eight samples were collected, stored at 5 °C and send to the laboratory. The analyzed environmental parameters were pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and polluting sources like sewage outflow. Coliforms were counted at 35 °C and 45 °C: Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Aeromonas sp. Statistical analyzes were performed using the data sizing reduction procedure (MCA), through the SPPS Program, version 18.0. A positive relationship was found between the dry period and lantern net farming with poor sanitary conditions. MCA allowed the analyzed commercial oyster farms to form three distinct groups, helped define the intervention strategies of these commercial oyster farms and provided the basis for implementing health protection measures.
Effect of Salinity and Potassium on Phytomass and Quality of Guava Rootstocks
Authors: Bonifácio Benedito F. , Nobre Reginaldo G. , Gheyi Hans R. , De Lima Geovani S. , Souza Leandro De P. , Pinheiro Francisco Wesley A. , Barbosa Joicy L. , Da Silva Evandro M.
Published: January 2018

Potassium fertilization is one of the main techniques that has been studied to mitigateeffects of salt stress in plants, probably because potassium reduces the toxic effect of sodium by competitive inhibition and provides greater tolerance to genotypes of plants to salinity. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different salinities of irrigation water in the formation of phytomass and quality of rootstocks of guava cv. Paluma, fertilized with increasing doses of potassium, in an experiment conducted using eutrophic Fluvic Neosol with sandy loam texture under greenhouse conditions, in the municipality of Pombal-PB, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks in 5 × 4 factorial scheme, and the treatments resulted from the combination of five levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity (ECw = 0.3; 1.1; 1.9; 2.7 and 3.5 dS m-1) and four K doses (70, 100, 130 and 160% of K), in which the dose of 100% K corresponded to 726 mg of K dm-3 of substrate, with four replicates and two plants evaluated in each plot. Irrigation with water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 compromises the total dry matter accumulation and the Dickson quality index of guava rootstocks cv. Paluma at 225 days after emergence (DAE), independent of potassium fertilization. Fertilization with different potassium doses did not promote differences in phytomasses and quality of rootstocks. There was no significant effect of interaction (salt × doses of K) on the studied variables.
Effect of Intercroping Maize-Soybean on Grain Quality Traits in Kenya
Authors: Jean Pierre Habineza M. , Kinama Josiah M. , Olubayo Florence M. , Wanderi Susan W. , Muthomi James W. , Nzuve Felister M.
Published: January 2018

An experiment was conducted in Kenya to determine the effect of intercropping maize-soybean on soybean grain quality traits. A randomized complete block design replicated three times with seven treatments was used. Data were collected and analysed for soybean protein content, oil content and dry matter while grain size was done for maize and soybean. Data were subjected to ANOVA and means separated using LSD0.05. The results showed that TGX1990-5F variety recorded high protein content (p ≤ 0.05) in sole crop compared to intercropping with 42.96% and 38.4% respectively while SB19 obtained 36.57% and 40.41% of protein between sites for the first season. A bout the second season, TGX1990-5F gave 40.84% of protein compared to 31.98% for GAZELLE in intercrop at both sites. GAZELLE showed higher oil content followed by TGX1990-5F and SB19 was the last in both seasons. TGX1990-5F showed higher dry matter followed by GAZELLE and SB19 was the last in intercrop. In addition, GAZELLE a local variety showed greater size than SB19 in both rainy seasons. Intercropping affected slightly the protein content, oil content and gain size  than sole crop but it did not affect the dry matter in both seasons.Thus, TGX1990-5F can be recommended to small-scale farmers for intercropping with maize because it produced higher value of protein and small-scale farmers could use it to fight mal nutrition. GAZELLE variety can be also recommended for oil production. Maize grain size was not affected by intercropping system.
De implementatie van de vierde en vijfde anti-witwasrichtlijn
Authors: van Poelgeest J.M.
Published: January 2018

De implementatie van de vierde en vijfde anti-witwasrichtlijn

De vierde anti-witwasrichtlijn is in werking getreden en diende uiterlijk 26 juni 2017 te zijn geïmplementeerd. In verband met de implementatie van de richtlijn wijzigt onder meer de Wet ter voorkoming van witwassen en financieren van terrorisme (Wwft). In dit artikel worden de belangrijkste wijzigingen besproken als gevolg van de Implementatiewet registratie uiteindelijk belanghebbenden en de Implementatiewet vierde anti-witwasrichtlijn. De implementatie heeft een aanzienlijke impact op het beleid van alle instellingen die onder de Wwft vallen. Zo zullen de instellingen hun beleid moeten aanpassen en gebruik moeten gaan maken van het register met uiteindelijk belanghebbenden. De risicogebaseerde benadering komt nog meer naar voren in het cliëntenonderzoek dat door de instellingen moet worden verricht.
Proposta de Modelo Conceitual de Atitudes Implícitas e Explícitas no Varejo
Authors: Bizarrias Flavio Santino , Brandão Marcelo Moll
Published: January 2018

Atitudes duplas, uma mais refletida (consciente) e outra mais impulsiva (inconsciente, ou automtica) podem ser desenvolvidas em relao a um mesmo objeto de atitude. Ao mesmo tempo, a maior parte das pesquisas em comportamento do consumidor no varejo estuda as influncias de marketing e do ambiente sobre o consumidor, e poucos estudos observam as influncias que os prprios consumidores exercem entre si. O varejo um espao compartilhado em que as atitudes duplas podem ser observadas, sob as influncias sociais. Este trabalho prope um modelo conceitual para estudo de fenmenos de consumo no varejo que estejam sujeitos a divergncia de avaliaes conscientes e inconscientes dos consumidores. Estabelecemos ainda proposies tericas fundamentadas no modelo conceitual em um campo de pesquisa que ainda pouco desenvolvido no mbito de marketing. Soma a isso o potencial dos fenmenos estudados por meio de processos duplos de formao e mudana de atitudes produzirem concluses complementares ou at diferentes para pesquisadores e gestores.
Psychometric Properties of the Inventory of Beliefs about Intimate Partner Violence (IBIPV)
Authors: García-Ael Cristina , Recio Patricia , Silván-Ferrero Prado
Published: January 2018

This study analysed the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Beliefs about Intimate Partner Violence (IBIPV) which is designed to measure general and specific attitudes to violence against women in intimate relationships. The participants were 1169 people aged from 18 to 77 years. We found that the IBIPV has a three-factor structure, the factors identified were: a) Justifying Partner Violence (JPV), b) Victims Responsible for Violence (VRV) and c) Abuser Responsible for Violence (ARV). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed three levels of measurement invariance across gender: configural, metric and scalar invariance. As expected, evidence of the convergent and divergent validity of the inventory was provided by comparisons with the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) and Ambivalence toward Men Inventory (AMI). Potential applications of the scale in the field of partner violence are discussed.
Spanish version of “Self-Efficacy for Writing Scale” (SEWS)
Authors: Ramos-Villagrasa Pedro J. , Sánchez-Iglesias Iván , Grande-de-Prado Mario , Oliván-Blázquez Bárbara , Martín-Peña Javier , Cancer-Lizaga Pilar
Published: January 2018

Self-efficacy is a fruitful construct on psychological research, including the educational setting. The present study is focused on measuring the writing self-efficacy. Specifically, we translated into Spanish the “Self-Efficacy for Writing Scale” (SEWS; Bruning, Dempsey, Kauffman, McKim, & Zumbrunn, 2013) and assessed its psychometric properties on a sample of university students. Five hundred and twelve students (78% women, 22% men) from three different Spanish universities participated in our study. They filled a questionnaire that includes the Spanish version of SEWS, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Self-Efficacy for Writing. Results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis has shown that SEWS keep their dimensionality in the Spanish version (explained variance of 65.86%), being composed by Ideation (α = .90), writing Conventions (α = .89), and Self-regulation of writing (α = .90). The correlations with the General Self-Efficacy Scale are high, but higher with the Self-Efficacy for Writing, outlining that are measuring the same construct. We also found than men report higher values on the overall SEWS and two of its dimensions (Ideation and Conventions). Finally, we discuss the implications of these results, point out the main limitations of our study, and suggest further research avenues.
Primary Determination of Particle Number Concentration with Light Obscuration and Dynamic Imaging Particle Counters
Authors: Ripple Dean C. , DeRose Paul C.
Published: January 2018

Accurate number concentrations of particles in liquid media are needed to assess the quality of water, pharmaceuticals, and other liquids, yet there are limited reference materials or calibration services available with clear traceability to the International System of Units. We describe two methods, based on very simple modifications of commercial particle counter instruments, that can provide traceable number concentration measurements. One method used a light obscuration counter. Fitting a model to the data enabled correction for timing and coincidence errors, and gravimetric calibration of the syringe pump gave a traceable determination of measured volume. Other potential biases were diagnosed by analysis of the particle size distribution. The other method used a dynamic imaging particle counter (a flow imaging microscope). The instrument was intentionally configured so that each particle passing through the flow cell was imaged multiple times. Following the particle image acquisition runs, runs with a rinse solution released and counted microspheres adsorbed to tubing or flow-cell walls. Software assembled the redundant particle images into tracks, and the total number of tracks was assigned as the number of particles counted. Both light obscuration and dynamic imaging methods, when applied to polystyrene microspheres of approximately 4 μm diameter, achieved expanded uncertainties (k = 2) of approximately 2 % of number concentration and agreed to within a difference of 1.1 %.
Characteristics of frequent presenters: An analysis of 1 year of data from an Irish Emergency Department
Authors: Walker Philip A , Cummings Niamh , Collins Niamh
Published: January 2018

Introduction: Frequent presenters (FPs) to the Emergency Department (ED) have been studied heavily in international literature. Many studies suggest that maintaining services for this cohort of patients is wasteful and detracts from the needs of nonfrequent presenters. In this study we aim to describe the characteristics of FPs to the ED. We review data pertaining to frequent ED use, demographics of FPs, their preferred methods of arrival to the ED and their social living arrangements. FP's tend to rely heavily on other services as well as the ED and primary care. Methods: A systematic retrospective review of FPs attendance was performed. Results: FPs accounted for 3.9% (n=1231) of total ED attendance. The age of the FP population ranged from 19- 94 (Median = 45.5, SD 18.422). Increased ED attendance was positively associated with younger age groups. The age category accounting for the highest ED attendance was those aged between 19-35 years. From the 152 (100%) FPs, 50.7% (n=77) were males and 49.3% (n=75) were female. When the living arrangements of FPs were examined, 40.1% (n=61) lived with family, 37.5% (n=57) lived alone, 12.5% (n=19) resided in residential care while data on 9.9% (n=15) FPs was unknown. A Chi-squared analysis was computed to determine if age showed any significant correlation with living arrangements. The findings were not significant as X2 =2.148 (df3, p=0.542). Conclusions: FP's are positively associated with being young and often present with true medical needs. Many believe that frequent presentation is positively associated with free health care and living alone this is not the case. FP's are more likely to live with family and up to 17% of FP attendances have been as a result of primary care referral. FPs also present frequently to the ambulance service with almost 50% utilising the service for transport to the ED.
Oxygen transport and release of adenosine triphosphate in micro-channels
Authors: Moschandreou Terry
Published: January 2018

The governing nonlinear steady equations for oxygen transport in a microfluidic channel are solved analytically. The Lagrange inversion theorem is used which admits complete integrable solutions in the channel. Considering a cell-rich and cell free region with RBCs and blood plasma, we obtain results showing clearly that there is a significant decrease in oxygen tension in the vicinity of an oxygen permeable membrane placed on the upper channel/tube wall and to the right side of it in the downstream field. The purpose of the membrane is to cause a rapid change in oxygen saturation as RBC’s flow through channel/tube. To the right of the membrane downstream the greatest amount of ATP is released. The method of solution is compared to numerical results. The analytical results obtained could prove useful for the corresponding time dependent problem in future studies.
Options for modulating intra-specific competition in colonial pinnipeds: the case of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Wadden Sea
Authors: Wilson Rory P , Liebsch Nikolai , Gomez-Laich Agustina , Kay William P. , Bone Andrew , Hobson Victoria J , Siebert Ursula
Published: January 2018

Colonial pinnipeds may be subject to substantial consumptive competition because they are large, slow-moving central place foragers. We examined possible mechanisms for reducing this competition by examining the diving behaviour of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) after equipping 34 seals (11 females, 23 males) foraging from three locations; Rømø, Denmark and Lorenzenplate and Helgoland, Germany, in the Wadden Sea area with time-depth recorders. Analysis of 319,021 dives revealed little between-colony variation but appreciable inter-sex differences, with males diving deeper than females, but for shorter periods. Males also had higher vertical descent rates. This result suggests that males may have higher overall swim speeds, which would increase higher oxygen consumption, and may explain the shorter dive durations compared to females. Intersex variation in swim speed alone is predicted to lead to fundamental differences in the time use of three-dimensional space, which may help reduce consumptive competition in harbour seals and other colonial pinnipeds.
Transplantation of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica through naturalistic engineering techniques: value, weakness and further improvements
Authors: Acunto Stefano , Piazzi Luigi , Cinelli Francesco L. , De Biasi Anna Maria , Pacciardi Lorenzo , Ceraudo Simonetta , Fersini Giorgio
Published: January 2018

Transplantation of seagrasses is considered a useful method to favour the recovery of degraded meadows. Hence, many projects have been carried out worldwide and a manifold of techniques have been applied. However, the choice of transplantation procedures remains a main problem to be assessed. In order to optimize efforts and to minimize risks of plants loss, the applied methodologies should take into account typology of hosting substratum, hydrodynamic conditions, depth and seagrass species. Due to their fundamental ecological role in the Mediterranean coastal system, many restoration projects aiming to preserve Posidonia oceanica meadows took place in the last decades. Several transplantation techniques have produced different results. In fact the same transplanting methodology may originate diverse results under different environmental conditions. Recently, naturalistic engineering techniques developed on land, have been used for transplantations of P. oceanica. Pilot projects concerning small surfaces were carried out between 2006 and 2010. More recently, a large-scale program (0.1 km2) was realized in 2012 at Civitavecchia (Roma, Thyrrenian Sea). The applied technique consists basically of mattresses filled with sand coupled with a net covering able to hold steady in situ the plant rhizomes. These structures have been variously modified in time to be adapted to the different type of substratum and various hydrodynamic conditions of the transplanting sites. Following the results of these transplantation experiences, we analyzed pros and cons of the techniques in order to improve the methodology. Firstly, these techniques may be considered suitable to large-scale projects allowing to minimize transplantation times. Secondly, the rhizomes may be successfully fixed to the structures; the majority of the transplanted shoots was not damaged showing a very good vegetative vitality with the production of new rhizomes, leaves and roots few months after transplanting. Finally, this procedure is flexible, as the basic technique can be modified and tailored to the various environmental conditions of the different receiving site. However, the results obtained in different areas are highly heterogeneous suggesting that a careful selection of the hosting site is a focal point. To this aim, a pilot study before the beginning of large-scale project seems mandatory, providing a fundamental support to guarantee successful results.
Assessment of long term interaction between the endemic seagrass P. oceanica and the exotic green alga C. cylindracea in the South Eastern coast of Spain (Murcia Region)
Authors: Bernardeau-Esteller Jaime , García-Muñoz Rocio , Marín-Guirao Lázaro , Sandoval-Gil Jose Miguel , Fernandez Ruiz Juan
Published: January 2018

The green alga Caulerpa cylindracea has rapidly spread throughout the Western Mediterranean during the last 20 years. Compared with other native benthic communities, Posidonia oceanica meadows seems to be highly resistant to the colonization by the alga. Nonetheless, it is suggested that in the long-term C. cylindracea could affect the seagrass altering its vitality, structure and functions, however little is known about the interactive effects between these two structuring species. To this end, the abundance of both macrophytes was quantified and monitored in invaded and non-invaded localities of the South Eastern coast of Spain (Murcia Region) over an 8-year period (2007-2014). Results indicate that no differences were highlighted between invaded and no invaded meadows and all the monitored meadows showed stable or progressive trends in shoot density, meadow cover and net population growth. Regardless of the depth, in all of the invaded localities C. cylindracea biomass present inside the seagrass leaf canopy was about 10 to 50–fold lower than that measured just outside the leaf canopy. In summary, our results do not support the existence of a long-term competitive interaction between the invasive alga and the native seagrass, at least in the studied meadows and at the meadow level. C. cylindracea forms huge biomass gradients associated to the seagrass meadow edges that are stable with time, which suggests the existence of highly limiting conditions for algal growth and survival under the P. oceanica leaf canopy. Future research on such limiting factors could help us to understand the invasive capacity of the alga and the factors involved in the resistance of native habitats to bioinvasions.
Awake fMRI reveals a specialized region in dog temporal cortex for face processing
Authors: Dilks Daniel D , Cook Peter , Weiller Samuel K , Berns Helen P , Spivak Mark H , Berns Gregory
Published: January 2018

Recent behavioral evidence suggests that dogs, like humans and monkeys, are capable of visual face recognition. But do dogs also exhibit specialized cortical face regions similar to humans and monkeys? Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in six dogs trained to remain motionless during scanning without restraint or sedation, we found a region in the canine temporal lobe that responded significantly more to movies of human faces than to movies of everyday objects. Next, using a new stimulus set to investigate face selectivity in this predefined candidate dog face area, we found that this region responded similarly to images of human faces and dog faces, yet significantly more to both human and dog faces than to images of objects. Such face selectivity was not found in dog primary visual cortex. Taken together, these findings: 1) provide the first evidence for a face-selective region in the temporal cortex of dogs, which cannot be explained by simple low-level visual feature extraction; 2) reveal that neural machinery dedicated to face processing is not unique to primates; and 3) may help explain dogs’ exquisite sensitivity to human social cues.
The tolerability of transcranial electrical stimulation used across extended periods in a naturalistic context by healthy individuals
Authors: Paneri Bhaskar , Toshev Peter , Khadka Niranjan , Patel Vaishali , Thomas Chris , Tyler William , Parra Lucas , Bikson Marom
Published: January 2018

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is one of the most widely implemented forms of non-invasive neuromodulation in basic and clinical neuroscience. Further, the use of tES by healthy populations for various purposes is growing widespread daily. The effects of tES protocols on the skin and other tissues has remained uncharacterized when used across extended periods of time by healthy individuals. Therefore, we examined the basic safety and tolerability profile of two distinct tES protocols used repeatedly across an extended period of time by healthy subjects and report our findings here for the first time. The safety and tolerability profile previously accumulated regarding extended use of tES in clinical populations is compelling and supports a low-risk or non-significant risk designation. In the present study, we tested the tolerability (safety) and compliance, compared to sham, of two common tES approaches having a current density < 2 mA/cm2; transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) or transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (tPCS) used by healthy subjects three to five days (17 - 20 minutes per day) per week for up to six weeks in a naturalistic environment. In this study 100 healthy subjects were randomized to one of three treatment groups: tDCS (n = 33), tPCS (n = 30), or sham (n = 37) and blinded to the treatment condition. The tES and sham waveforms were delivered through self-adhering electrodes on the right lateral forehead and back of the neck. We conducted 1905 treatment sessions (636 sham, 623 tDCS, and 646 tPCS sessions) on study volunteers over a six-week period. There were no serious adverse events in any treatment condition. Common side effects were primarily restricted to influences upon the skin and included skin tingling, itching, and mild burning sensations. The incidence of these events in active tES treatment arms (tPCS, tDCS) was equivalent or significantly lower than their incidence in the sham treatment arm. Other adverse events had a rarity (< 5% incidence) that could not be statistically distinguished across the treatment groups. Some subjects withdrew early from the study for atypical headache (sham n = 2, tDCS n = 2, and tPCS n = 3), atypical discomfort (sham n = 0, tDCS n = 1, and tPCS n = 1), or atypical skin irritation (sham n = 2, tDCS n = 8, and tPCS n = 1). The compliance (elected sessions completed) for tPCS was significantly greater when compared to sham (p = 0.007). The present study represents the most comprehensive analysis of tES tolerability and safety in healthy subjects to date. Limited to the hardware, electrodes, and protocols tested here, we conclude that repeated use of limited output tES across extended periods, is well tolerated and poses no significant risks to healthy subjects, as previously observed in clinical studies.
Bacteriophage richness reduces bacterial niche overlap in experimental microcosms
Authors: Matias Miguel G. , Gravel Dominique , Combe Marine , Poisot Timothee , Barbera Claire , Lounnas Manon , Bouvier Thierry , Mouquet Nicolas
Published: January 2018

Antagonistic interactions such as competition and predation shape the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. Their combined effects can affect the species richness within a particular trophic level. Despite theory linking the complementarity of interactions across trophic levels and ecosystem functioning, there is a shortage of empirical tests of such predictions. We present an experimental investigation of these combined effects within a bacteria-phage interaction network. We measured the biomass yield of combinations of bacterial strains under increasing levels of bacteriophage richness. Our results show an increasing impact of phage on bacteria with increasing phage diversity. In contrast, no combination of phages significantly changed the overall productivity of bacterial mixed cultures when compared with expectations based on bacterial monocultures. Finally, we found that the addition of phages decreases the realized niche overlap among pair of bacterial species with the greatest reduction occurring when all phages were present. Our results show that the productivity of this system is the results from the combined effects of exploitative (shared resources between bacteria) and apparent (shared phages between bacteria) competition.
Workload assessment for mental arithmetic tasks using the task-evoked pupillary response
Authors: Marquart Gerhard , de Winter Joost
Published: January 2018

Pupillometry is a promising method for assessing mental workload and could be helpful in the optimization of systems that involve human-computer interaction. The present study focuses on replicating the studies by Ahern (1978) and Klingner (2010), which found that for three levels of difficulty of mental multiplications, the more difficult multiplications yielded larger dilations of the pupil. Using a remote eye tracker, our research expands upon these two previous studies by statistically testing for each 1.5 s interval of the calculation period (1) the mean absolute pupil diameter (MPD), (2) the mean pupil diameter change (MPDC) with respect to the pupil diameter during the pre-stimulus accommodation period, and (3) the mean pupil diameter change rate (MPDCR). An additional novelty of our research is that we compared the pupil diameter measure with a self-report measure of workload, the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and with the mean blink rate (MBR). The results showed that the findings of Ahern and Klingner were replicated, and that the MPD and MPDC discriminated just as well between the lowest and highest difficulty levels as did the NASA-TLX. The MBR, on the other hand, did not interpretably differentiate between the difficulty levels. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the MPDC and the proportion of incorrect responses, indicating that the MPDC was higher for participants with a poorer performance. For practical applications, validity could be improved by combining pupillometry with other physiological techniques.
Zeta potential of bacterial cells: Effect of wash buffers
Authors: Ng Wenfa , Ting Yen-Peng
Published: January 2018

Zeta potential, defined as the electric charge at the shear plane, is widely used as a proxy for bacterial cell surface charge. Nonspecific adsorption of ions or polyelectrolytes onto the cell surface, however, alters the value and polarity of the measured zeta potential, leading to erroneous results. Multiple wash and centrifugation steps are commonly used in preparing cells for zeta potential analysis, where various wash buffers (such as 9 g/L NaCl, 0.001M KCl, and 0.1M NaNO3) are routinely used for removing (via charge screening) ions and charged molecules that bind nonspecifically to the cell surface. Preliminary data revealed that, for Escherichia coli DH5α grown in LB Lennox (with 2 g/L glucose, LBG hereafter), the zeta potential-pH profile was not significantly different over the pH range from 2 to 12 for deionized water, 9 g/L NaCl, and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) wash buffers. As LBG is a low salt medium without a phosphate buffer, it was likely that the extent of nonspecific adsorption of ions on the cell surface was not severe, and the different wash buffers would, correspondingly, not exert much effect on measured zeta potential. For E. coli grown in a semi-defined medium (with a high capacity phosphate buffer system), the zeta potential-pH profile was significantly different over the pH range from 1 to 12 for deionized water, 9 g/L NaCl, 0.1M NaNO3, 0.1M sodium acetate, and 0.1M sodium citrate wash buffers with the extent of difference positively correlated with wash buffer’s ionic strength. Furthermore, the point of zero charge (pHzpc) for E. coli grown in the semi-defined medium varies between 1.5 and 3, in an ionic strength-dependent manner, for the various wash buffers tested. Collectively, this preliminary study highlights that wash buffer ionic strength plays important roles in affecting removal efficiency of nonspecifically absorbed ions on bacterial surfaces, where a threshold exists (0.15M) for charge screening to be effective, while 0.6M ionic strength might result in intrinsic cations removal, leading to possible cell surface damage and erroneous measurements.
EndoPRIME - Prehabilitation and exercise before arthroplasty
Authors: Seefried Lothar , Luksche Nicole , Schneider Michael , Genest Franca
Published: January 2018

Over the last two decades the number of total joint replacement surgeries increased consistently. With the patient population growing older and therefore suffering from more comorbidities and total joint replacement being progressively indicated even in patients with compromised medical status, the need for preoperative optimization of medical conditions appears a promising approach to reduce perioperative risk for complication, and readmission rates, avoid prolonged functional deficiency and improve functional, objective as well as patient reported, subjective outcome following surgery. Literature addressing the question of preoperative status afflicting postoperative outcome after total joint replacement is still imprecise and inconsistent. There seems to be some data, that a worse preoperative functional status predicts worse outcome in terms of both function and pain after total joint replacement. It is still not clear, what preoperatively evaluable parameters can be modified by which kind of intervention and which measures are suitable to monitor improvement of the outcome following such interventions. Based on the hypothesis that patient reported outcome, the frequency of untoward events and functional outcome following total joint replacement can be improved by establishing an individualized concept aiming at improving medical conditions and physical performance preoperatively, the EndoPRIME Trial (ENDOprosthetic joint replacement – improving treatment by integrating Prehabilitation, Rehabilitation, Individualized Management and Education) was initiated. The trial was approved by the competent ethics committee at Wuerzburg University. The project aims at expanding current knowledge about the feasibility and potential of preoperative improvement and quantivfy respective effects on postoperative outcome after total joint replacement, The proposed study is an interventional, prospective, single-center pilot study with exploratory data analysis to evaluate the feasibility and potential of improving peri- and postoperative outcome in total joint replacement of the hip, knee and shoulder by a standardized, individually optimized treatment pathway including pre- and postoperative exercising, risk management and patient education based on a comprehensive preoperative functional assessment and expanded clinical evaluation. Study duration for each individual patient comprises 12 weeks prior to surgery and one year after surgery, i.e. individual participation will last weeks. The primary endpoint of the trial is intraindividual development of osteoarthritis-associated health-limitations as measured by the WOMAC-Score. Further objectives include Patient Reported Outcome measures, type and frequency of perioperative untoward events, and a wide range of clinical and technical assessments of physical performance. Results can be expected by the third quarter 2017.
Composable languages for bioinformatics: the NYoSh experiment
Authors: Simi Manuele , Campagne Fabien
Published: January 2018

Language Workbenches (LWs) are software engineering tools that help domain experts develop solutions to various classes of problems. Some of these tools focus on non-technical users and provide languages to help organize knowledge while other workbenches provide means to create new programming languages. A key advantage of language workbenches is that they support the seamless composition of independently developed languages. This capability is useful when developing programs that can benefit from different levels of abstraction. We reasoned that language workbenches could be useful to develop bioinformatics software solutions. In order to evaluate the potential of language workbenches in bioinformatics, we tested a prominent workbench by developing an alternative to shell scripting. To illustrate what LWs and Language Composition can bring to bioinformatics, we report on our design and development of NYoSh (Not Your ordinary Shell). NYoSh was implemented as a collection of languages that can be composed to write programs as expressive and concise as shell scripts. This manuscript offers a concrete illustration of the advantages and current minor drawbacks of using the MPS LW. For instance, we found that we could implement an environment-aware editor for NYoSh that can assist the programmers when developing scripts for specific execution environments. This editor further provides semantic error detection and can be compiled interactively with an automatic build and deployment system. In contrast to shell scripts, NYoSh scripts can be written in a modern development environment, supporting context dependent intentions and can be extended seamlessly by end-users with new abstractions and language constructs. We further illustrate language extension and composition with LWs by presenting a tight integration of NYoSh scripts with the GobyWeb system. The NYoSh Workbench prototype, which implements a fully featured integrated development environment for NYoSh is distributed at http://nyosh.campagnelab.org .
Insight on the anatomy, systematic relationships, and age of the Early Cretaceous ankylopollexian dinosaur Dakotadon lakotaensis
Authors: Boyd Clint A , Pagnac Darrin C
Published: January 2018

Knowledge regarding the early evolution within the dinosaurian clade Ankylopollexia drastically increased over the past two decades, in part because of an increase in described taxa from the Early Cretaceous of North America. These advances motivated the recent completion of extensive preparation and conservation work on the holotype and only known specimen of Dakotadon lakotaensis, a basal ankylopollexian from the Lakota Formation of South Dakota. That specimen (SDSM 8656) preserves a partial skull, lower jaws, a single dorsal vertebra, and two caudal vertebrae. That new preparation work exposed several bones not included in the original description and revealed that other bones were previously misidentified. The presence of extensive deformation in areas of the skull is also noted that influenced inaccuracies in prior descriptions and reconstructions of this taxon. In addition to providing an extensive re-description of D. lakotaensis, this study reviews previously proposed diagnoses for this taxon, identifies three autapomorphies, and provides an extensive differential diagnosis. Dakotadon lakotaensis is distinct from the only other ankylopollexian taxon known from the Lakota Formation, Osmakasaurus depressus, in the presence of two prominent, anteroposteriorly oriented ridges on the ventral surfaces of the caudal vertebrae, the only overlapping material preserved between these taxa. The systematic relationships of Dakotadon lakotaensis are evaluated using both the parsimony and posterior probability optimality criteria, with both sets of analyses recovering D. lakotaensis as a non-hadrosauriform ankylopollexian that is more closely related to taxa from the early Cretaceous (e.g., Iguanacolossus, Hippodraco, and Theiophytalia) than to more basally situated taxa from the Jurassic (e.g., Camptosaurus, Uteodon). This taxonomic work is supplemented by field work that relocated the type locality, confirming its provenance from unit L2 (lower Fuson Member equivalent) of the Lakota Formation. Those data, combined with recently revised ages for the members of the Lakota Formation based on charophyte and ostracod biostratigraphy, constrain the age of this taxon to the late Valanginian to early Hauterivian. The only other equivalent-aged ankylopollexian taxon from North America, the poorly known Planicoxa venenica from the Poison Strip Sandstone of Utah, preserves caudal vertebrae that bear the same ventral ridges seen in D. lakotaensis, raising the possibility of a close affinity between these taxa.
Pan-genomics: Unmasking the gene diversity hidden in the bacteria species.
Authors: Alcaraz Luis David
Published: January 2018

The dramatic increase in genome sequencing during the last years has changed our ideas about bacteria diversity, from single gene to whole community DNA surveys; we have learned that the nature largest gene repository resides in bacteria. Comparison of bacteria genomes has contributed to understand the flexibility in size and gene content as well as the gene movement due to gene family expansions and Horizontal Gene Transfer. Bacteria species are currently defined by means of 16S rRNA sequence comparisons and some limited phenotypic traits. There is an ongoing debate about the biological and evolutive significance of the bacteria species, and thus the need of refine the definition of it using the most of the genomic shared information. When comparing multiple genomes of related strains we can divide the common shared features like the core genome, and the strain specific genes are known as accessory genome, both accessory and core genome as the total of the genetic composition are known as pan-genome. Here we present the possibilities using pan-genomics as a workhorse to describe both taxonomical and functional diversity within bacteria.
The biological side of randomness. A starting point to rethink causation of diseases and prevention as a strategy
Authors: Ciulla Michele M
Published: January 2018

It's time to rethink prevention as a strategy to fight diseases? In this opinion I'll try to question preventive medicine as a strategy starting from the evidences on the randomness of disease, as suggested by recent and very questioned data on variation in cancer risk among different tissues. To understand the scope of this refutation we must remember that the preventive strategy was developed since the introduction of the concept of risk factor, that date back to the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) started in 1948. Indeed, prior to the FHS, doctors were still engaged in the study of causation by following the established paradigm of aetiology, and had not yet focused on the concept of multifactorial diseases and prevention or prophylaxis of risk factors was not yet a paradigm in medicine. After having metabolised these new concepts and made prevention of risk factors the main strategy to fight multifactorial diseases for years, today, in a Western world that is aging, we are facing a new challenge since prevention seems to be no longer enough to cope with diseases such as cancer and, possibly, we need new strategies that we still have not. And this why? Possibly because the randomness appears ever more like the engine that drives the physical universe even if, for living organisms, we must admit several deterministic or, at least, very reproducible events since they are able to actively interact with the environment.
Development of a semi-defined medium for high cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli in shake flask culture system: Part 1
Authors: Ng Wenfa , Ting Yen-Peng
Published: January 2018

Sufficient quantities of cells of consistent characteristics are needed for studying processes - at the population level and beyond - in many areas of applied microbiology research. Nevertheless, given the relatively low biomass yield of many commercial culture media in shake flasks, producing the requisite biomass by cell culture is generally the rate-limiting step. This work reports the formulation of a semi-defined medium that enabled aerobic high cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli DH5α (ATCC 53868) in shake flasks. The formulated medium (FM) comprises: a buffer system (K2HPO4: 12.54 g/L and KH2PO4: 2.31 g/L); vitamins and trace elements (yeast extract: 12.0 g/L); salts (NaCl: 5.0 g/L and MgSO4: 0.24 g/L); and carbon and nitrogen sources (D-Glucose: 6.0 g/L and NH4Cl: 1.5 g/L). Notable characteristics of this medium are: high buffer capacity (89 mM phosphate), 1:1 molar ratio between D-Glucose and NH4Cl, and yeast extract providing trace elements and a secondary source of carbon and nitrogen. Preliminary data revealed that an OD600nm of 9 was attained after 24 hours of cultivation at 37 oC – most probably fuelled by glucose and NH4Cl. At 48 hours, the OD600nm reached a maximal value of 11 with yeast extract providing the necessary nutrients for cell growth and biomass formation. The broth’s pH varied between 5.5 and 7.8 during cultivation. For comparison, the maximum OD600nm of E. coli grown in three commonly used complex media: Nutrient Broth, LB Lennox, and Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) were 1.4, 3.2 and 9.2, respectively, under identical culture conditions. Finally, FM maintained the viability of a larger population for three days - compared to a population collapse observed in TSB after one day. Taken together, the present findings suggest that the formulated medium may find use as a high cell density aerobic growth medium for E. coli in shake flask. Part 2 of this work describes improvements in medium performance - specifically, higher cell yield as well as a shorter diauxic lag phase and total culture period – achieved through a small reduction in D-Glucose and NH4Cl concentrations in the medium composition. A preprint of the work is available at https://peerj.com/preprints/117v1.