bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active WV: A Systematic Approach to Developing a Physical Activity Plan for West Virginia
Authors: Elliott Eloise , Jones Emily , Bulger Sean
Published: April 2014

Background:

Modeled after the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP), ActiveWV 2015: The West Virginia Physical Activity Plan was developed to provide strategic direction for physical activity promotion within the state. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the systematic approach taken in developing ActiveWV.

Method:

Plan development began with establishing capacity and leadership among key stakeholders representing all societal sectors. A multiphase, statewide decision-making process allowed for input across sectors and geographic regions. The process results identified five priority areas that served as the conceptual framework for ActiveWV. Sector teams, comprised of key organization stakeholders across the eight sectors, finalized the sector-specific strategies and tactics using the NPAP evidence-based recommendations, results from a formalized strategic process, and the teams’ expertise and experience.

Results:

ActiveWV was officially released on January 19, 2012 at the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia. Community events throughout the state surrounded the release and celebrated West Virginia Physical Activity Day. Ongoing implementation and dissemination efforts are underway at state and local levels.

Conclusions:

As the NPAP calls for states and communities to develop plans that meet the needs of their particular context, other states may find the lessons learned from West Virginia helpful in the development process.
Fostering Life Skills Development in High School and Community Sport: A Comparative Analysis of the Coach’s Role
Authors: Trottier Christiane , Robitaille Sophie
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of coaches’ perceptions of their role in the development of life skills in adolescent athletes in two different sport contexts. Semistructured interviews were held with 24 coaches: 12 coaching high school basketball and 12 coaching community swimming. All coaches followed a holistic, athlete-centered approach. Coaches described the life skills they taught, their motivations, and the strategies they used to foster life skills development in practice. Although some differences between the two contexts were identified, the overall results indicate that all coaches fostered the development of life skills through various teaching and transfer strategies, and that coaches had two main motivations: athletes’ needs and their own values. The main results are discussed in light of the literature on life skills in sport and positive youth development, and in terms of methodological considerations. The study concludes with some practical recommendations for coaches.
Imagery Intervention to Increase Flow State and Performance in Competition
Authors: Koehn Stefan , Morris Tony , Watt Anthony P.
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an imagery intervention for enhancing the experience of flow state and performance in junior athletes. On the basis of previous results, a tailored imagery script was developed to target critical flow dimensions, namely challenge-skills balance, clear goals, concentration on the task, and sense of control. It was hypothesized that the use of cognitive and motivational imagery would increase specific flow dimensions, which, in turn, would enhance flow state and competition performance. Participants in a single-case, multiple baseline A-B design study were four nationally ranked athletes. Following a 6-week baseline phase monitoring flow state and performance and a 6-week intervention phase using relaxation in conjunction with imagery techniques, three participants showed a sustained increase in flow experiences, and all four participants improved their service performance, groundstroke performance, and ranking-list position.
Promoting Pancreatic Cell Proliferation
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: April 2014

Macrophages promote Smad7-dependent β cell expansion in response to pancreatic injury.
Depressed by Dual Insults
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: April 2014

Two neuroinflammatory insults lead to microglial-mediated long-term depression of hippocampal neurons.
Extracellular miRNAs Mediate Pain
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: April 2014

Stimulation of sensory neurons triggers the release of a microRNA that activates nociceptive neurons.
Three Phase III Randomized Controlled Trials of Topical Resiquimod 0.01-Percent Gel To Reduce Anogenital Herpes Recurrences
Authors: Mark Karen E. , Spruance Spotswood , Kinghorn George R. , Sacks Stephen L. , Slade Herbert B. , Meng Tze-Chiang , Selke Stacy , Magaret Amalia , Wald Anna
Published: April 2014

Resiquimod, a Toll-like receptor 7 and 8 agonist, stimulates production of cytokines that promote an antigen-specific T helper type 1 acquired immune response. Animal and phase II human trials showed posttreatment efficacy in reducing recurrent herpes lesion days and/or time to first recurrence. Three phase III randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials of topical resiquimod to reduce anogenital herpes recurrences were conducted in healthy adults with ≥4 recurrences within the prior year. Participants applied resiquimod 0.01% gel or vehicle gel 2 times per week for 3 weeks to each recurrence for 12 months. Trials 1 and 2 had 2:1 resiquimod-vehicle randomization. Trial 3 had 1:1:1 randomization for resiquimod and 500 mg valacyclovir orally twice daily for 5 days (RESI-VAL), resiquimod and oral placebo (RESI-PLA), and vehicle and oral placebo (VEH-PLA). The median time to first recurrence was similar for resiquimod and vehicle (trial 1, 60 and 56 days,
P
= 0.7; trial 2, 54 and 48 days,
P
= 0.47; trial 3, 51 [RESI-VAL], 55 [RESI-PLA], and 44 [VEH-PLA] days,
P
= not significant [NS]). The median time to healing of initial treated recurrence was longer for resiquimod (trial 1, 18 compared to 10 days,
P
< 0.001; trial 2, 19 compared to 13 days,
P
= 0.16; trial 3, 14 [RESI-VAL], 16 [RESI-PLA], and 8 [VEH-PLA] days,
P
< 0.001). In trials 1 and 2, moderate to severe erythema and erosion/ulceration at the application site were more common in resiquimod recipients. In conclusion, no posttreatment efficacy of resiquimod 0.01% gel was observed. Increased application site reactions and initial recurrence healing time are consistent with resiquimod-induced cytokine effects.
Identification of AP80978, a Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus Replication That Targets NS4B
Authors: Dufner-Beattie Jodi , O'Guin Andrew , O'Guin Stephanie , Briley Aaron , Wang Bin , Balsarotti Jennifer , Roth Robert , Starkey Gale , Slomczynska Urszula , Noueiry Amine , Olivo Paul D. , Rice Charles M.
Published: April 2014

A small-molecule inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) designated AP89652 was identified by screening a compound library with an HCV genotype 1b subgenomic replicon assay. AP89652 contains two chiral centers, and testing of two
syn
enantiomers revealed that activity in the replicon assay resided with only one, AP80978, whose 50% effective concentration (EC
50
) (the concentration at which a 50% reduction in
Renilla
luciferase levels was observed relative to an untreated control) was 630 nM. AP80978 was inhibitory against HCV genotypes 1a and 1b but not genotype 2a. In a replicon clearance assay, the potency and clearance rate of AP80978 were similar to those of telaprevir (VX950) and cyclosporine (CsA). AP80978 was nontoxic when tested against a panel of human cell lines, and inhibitory activity was HCV specific in that there was limited activity against negative-strand viruses, an alphavirus, and flaviviruses. By selection of resistant replicons and assessment of activity in genotype 1b/2a intergenotypic replicons, the viral protein target of this compound was identified as NS4B. NS4B F98V/L substitutions were confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis as AP80978 resistance-associated mutations. When tested against HCV produced in cell culture, the compound was significantly more potent than other HCV inhibitors, including VX950, CsA, and 2′-C-methyladenosine (2′C-meA). In addition, AP80977, the enantiomer that was inactive in the replicon assay, had activity against the virus, although it was lower than the activity of AP80978. These results suggest that AP80978 has the potential to be optimized into an effective antiviral drug and is a useful tool to further study the role of NS4B in HCV replication.
Selective Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus Infection by Hydroxyzine and Benztropine
Authors: Mingorance Lidia , Friesland Martina , Coto-Llerena Mairene , Pérez-del-Pulgar Sofía , Boix Loreto , López-Oliva Juan Manuel , Bruix Jordi , Forns Xavier , Gastaminza Pablo
Published: April 2014

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major biomedical problem worldwide as it causes severe liver disease in millions of humans around the world. Despite the recent approval of specific drugs targeting HCV replication to be used in combination with alpha interferon (IFN-α) and ribavirin, there is still an urgent need for pangenotypic, interferon-free therapies to fight this genetically diverse group of viruses. In this study, we used an unbiased screening cell culture assay to interrogate a chemical library of compounds approved for clinical use in humans. This system enables identifying nontoxic antiviral compounds targeting every aspect of the viral life cycle, be the target viral or cellular. The aim of this study was to identify drugs approved for other therapeutic applications in humans that could be effective components of combination therapies against HCV. As a result of this analysis, we identified 12 compounds with antiviral activity in cell culture, some of which had previously been identified as HCV inhibitors with antiviral activity in cell culture and had been shown to be effective in patients. We selected two novel HCV antivirals, hydroxyzine and benztropine, to characterize them by determining their specificity and genotype spectrum as well as by defining the step of the replication cycle targeted by these compounds. We found that both compounds effectively inhibited viral entry at a postbinding step of genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 without affecting entry of other viruses.
Molecular and Epidemiological Characterization of IMP-Type Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacter cloacae in a Large Tertiary Care Hospital in Japan
Authors: Hayakawa Kayoko , Miyoshi-Akiyama Tohru , Kirikae Teruo , Nagamatsu Maki , Shimada Kayo , Mezaki Kazuhisa , Sugiki Yuko , Kuroda Emi , Kubota Shiho , Takeshita Nozomi , Kutsuna Satoshi , Tojo Masayoshi , Ohmagari Norio
Published: April 2014

IMP-type metallo-β-lactamase enzymes have been reported in different geographical areas and in various Gram-negative bacteria. However, the risk factors and epidemiology pertaining to IMP-type metallo-β-lactamase-producing
Enterobacter cloacae
(IMP-producing
E. cloacae
) have not been systematically evaluated. We conducted a retrospective, matched case-control study of patients from whom IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolates were obtained, in addition to performing thorough molecular analyses of the clinically obtained IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolates. Unique cases with IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolation were included. Patients with IMP-producing
E. cloacae
were matched to uninfected controls at a ratio of 1 to 3. Fifteen IMP-producing
E. cloacae
cases were identified, with five of the isolates being obtained from blood, and they were matched to 45 uninfected controls. All (100%) patients from whom IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolates were obtained had indwelling devices at the time of isolation, compared with one (2.2%) uninfected control. Independent predictors for isolation of IMP-producing
E. cloacae
were identified as cephalosporin exposure and invasive procedures within 3 months. Although in-hospital mortality rates were similar between cases and controls (14.3% versus 13.3%), the in-hospital mortality of patients with IMP-producing
E. cloacae
-caused bacteremia was significantly higher (40%) than the rate in controls. IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolates were frequently positive for other resistance determinants. The MICs of meropenem and imipenem were not elevated; 10 (67%) and 12 (80%) of the 15 IMP-producing
E. cloacae
isolates had a MIC of ≤1 μg/ml. A phylogenetic tree showed a close relationship among the IMP-producing
E. cloacae
samples. Indwelling devices, exposure to cephalosporin, and a history of invasive procedures were associated with isolation of IMP-producing
E. cloacae
. Screening for carbapenemase production is important in order to apply appropriate clinical management and infection control measures.
Luliconazole Demonstrates Potent
In Vitro
Activity against Dermatophytes Recovered from Patients with Onychomycosis
Authors: Wiederhold Nathan P. , Fothergill Annette W. , McCarthy Dora I. , Tavakkol Amir
Published: April 2014

The
in vitro
activities of luliconazole, amorolfine, ciclopirox, and terbinafine were determined against 320 dermatophyte isolates from large toenails of onychomycosis patients enrolled into an ongoing phase 2b/3 clinical study. The geometric mean MIC for luliconazole was 0.00022 μg/ml against all isolates, compared to 0.0194 to 0.3107 μg/ml for the three other agents. The
in vitro
potency of luliconazole was maintained regardless of the dermatophyte species.
Salmonella enterica Invasion of Polarized Epithelial Cells Is a Highly Cooperative Effort
Authors: Lorkowski Martin , Felipe-López Alfonso , Danzer Claudia A. , Hansmeier Nicole , Hensel Michael
Published: April 2014

The invasion of polarized epithelial cells by
Salmonella enterica
requires the cooperative activity of the
Salmonella
pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1)-encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) and the SPI4-encoded adhesin SiiE. The invasion of polarized cells is more efficient than that of nonpolarized cells, and we observed the formation of clusters of bacteria on infected cells. Here we demonstrate that the invasion of polarized cells is a highly cooperative activity. Using a novel live-cell imaging approach, we visualized the cooperative entry of multiple bacteria into ruffles induced on the apical surfaces of polarized cells. The induction of membrane ruffles by activity of
Salmonella
enables otherwise noninvasive mutant strains to enter polarized host cells. Bacterial motility and chemotaxis were of lower importance for cooperativity in polarized-cell invasion. We propose that cooperative invasion is a key factor for the very efficient entry into polarized cells and a factor contributing to epithelial damage and intestinal inflammation.
Fatal haemolytic crisis with microvascular pulmonary obstruction mimicking a pulmonary embolism in a young African man with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Albertsen Jens , Ommen Hans Beier , Wandler Anne , Munk Kim
Published: April 2014

We report a fatal case of haemolytic crisis mimicking a pulmonary embolism in a previously healthy 42-year-old African man. The patient was admitted to hospital with fatigue, shortness of breath and jaundice lasting for 2 days. Laboratory tests were consistent with haemolysis and inflammation. The patient was treated as having a mycoplasma pneumonia. His condition deteriorated rapidly, with respiratory distress and circulatory failure. Echocardiography showed pulmonary hypertension and right heart dilation. Despite the fact that he was given fibrinolysis for suspected pulmonary embolism, he developed cardiac arrest and died after a long-lasting resuscitation attempt. Postmortem examinations revealed that the patient had a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and disseminated intravascular coagulation with pulmonary microthrombi. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of death caused by right heart failure due to microvascular obstruction resulting from multiple microvascular thrombosis in a patient with acute haemolysis due to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
Recurrent lipoblastoma of upper extremity in a 9-year-old boy
Authors: Panda Shasanka Shekhar , Bajpai Minu , Singh Amit
Published: April 2014

Lipoblastoma is a benign soft-tissue tumour of infancy and early childhood. The location of the tumour varies from that of the extremities, trunk, retroperitoneum, mediastinal, inguinal and scrotal regions. The most common symptoms are painless mass with or without increasing size. Complete surgical excision is the gold standard for managing this entity. Though rare, the recurrence occurs usually because of incomplete excision. We report a case of recurrent lipoblastoma of the upper extremity in a 9-year-old boy.
Giant granuloma gravidarium of the oral cavity
Authors: Krishnan Balasubramanian , Arunprasad Gnanasekaran , Madhan Balasubramanian
Published: April 2014

Oral health is affected by hormonal changes during pregnancy but is usually neglected by both the obstetrician and the patient during follow-up visits. Gingival enlargement is one of the most common oral lesions seen during pregnancy. Rarely, gingival enlargement can be very big, significantly affecting maternal nutrition and impairing haemodynamic status. A giant granuloma gravidarium and appropriate management strategies are discussed. Patients must be encouraged to undergo regular dental check-ups during pregnancy. Simple oral hygiene measures are highly effective in mitigating most oral lesions of pregnancy.
Low-dose prednisolone treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis and late cardiovascular outcome and survival: 10-year follow-up of a 2-year randomised trial
Authors: Ajeganova Sofia , Svensson Björn , Hafström Ingiäld ,   on behalf of the BARFOT Study Group
Published: April 2014

Objective

To examine the long-term effects of early low-dose prednisolone use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality.

Design

Retrieval of data from a 2-year open randomised trial comparing prednisolone 7.5 mg/day in addition to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with DMARD therapy alone. Participants were followed for 10 years since inclusion into the original prednisolone trial or until occurrence of the studied outcomes.

Setting

Secondary level of care; six participating centres from southern Sweden; both urban and rural populations.

Participants

Overall, 223 patients with early RA were included. The participants had no history of CV events at baseline and incident cases were identified via the Swedish Hospital Discharge and Cause of Death Registries.

Outcomes

Composite CV events, that is, ischaemic coronary and cerebrovascular events, components of the composite CV outcome, and death. Relative HRs from Cox proportional-hazards regression models were calculated.

Results

Within 2041 person-years, 17 incident composite CV events occurred in 112 patients (15%) randomised to prednisolone, and 15 events of 111 patients (14%) who were assigned not to receive prednisolone. There were nine deaths (8%) in each group. The age-adjusted relative hazards (HRs; 95% CI) for the first composite CV event, first coronary event and death in the prednisolone group versus the group not treated with prednisolone were 1.8 (0.9 to 3.6), 0.98 (0.4 to 2.6) and 1.6 (0.6 to 4.1), respectively. The risk for the first cerebrovascular event showed a 3.7-fold increased relative hazard (95% CI 1.2 to 11.4) among prednisolone treated patients.

Conclusions

In this inception cohort study of low-dose prednisolone use during the first 2 years of RA disease, the incidence of ischaemic coronary artery events was similar in the two treatment groups, whereas the long-term risk of ischaemic cerebrovascular events was higher in the prednisolone group. There was a trend towards reduced survival in the prednisolone group.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN20612367.
The efficacy of dapagliflozin combined with hypoglycaemic drugs in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Sun Yu-nan , Zhou Yi , Chen Xi , Che Weng-si , Leung Siu-wai
Published: April 2014

Objectives

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether dapagliflozin is synergistic with other antidiabetic drugs without body weight gain.

Setting

Randomised controlled trial (RCT) reports were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar and Google. Eligible RCTs were selected according to the criteria (including types of participants, intervention, outcomes) and assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool and GRADEpro software for evidential quality. Meta-analysis on the eligible RCTs was performed with the random effects model. The RCTs of low-quality and interim stages were excluded for further sensitivity analysis. Meta-regression was conducted on the follow-up durations. Publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots and the Egger's regression test and adjusted using the trim-and-fill procedure. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I2statistics.

Participants

Adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Interventions

Dapagliflozin combined with conventional antidiabetic drugs.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Glycaemic level (measured by glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG)) and body weight.

Results

12 RCTs were eligible for quantitative synthesis and meta-analysis. The overall effect size of HbA1c calculated from mean difference was −0.52% (Z=−13.56, p<0.001) with 95% CI (−0.60 to −0.45). The effect size of FPG was −1.13 mmol/L (Z=−11.12, p<0.001) with 95% CI (−1.33 to −0.93). The effect size of body weight was −2.10 kg (Z=−18.77, p<0.001) with 95% CI (−2.32 to −1.88). Exclusions of low quality and interim RCTs changed the overall mean differences respectively to −0.56%, −1.11 mmol/L, 2.23 kg and −0.50%, −1.08 mmol/L, −2.08 kg. The sensitivity analysis indicated good robustness of the meta-analysis on HbA1c, FPG and body weight.

Conclusions

The meta-analysis showed that dapagliflozin as an add-on drug to conventional antidiabetic drugs improved the glycaemic control in T2DM participants without significant body weight gain.

Trial registration number

CRD42013005034.
Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and progression of carotid artery atherosclerosis: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Gan Wen Qi , Allen Ryan W , Brauer Michael , Davies Hugh W , Mancini G B John , Lear Scott A
Published: April 2014

Objectives

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and coronary heart disease (CHD). Atherosclerosis is the principal pathological process responsible for CHD events, but effects of traffic-related air pollution on progression of atherosclerosis are not clear. This study aimed to investigate associations between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and progression of carotid artery atherosclerosis.

Setting

Healthy volunteers in metropolitan Vancouver, Canada.

Participants and outcome measures

509 participants aged 30–65 years were recruited and followed for approximately 5 years. At baseline and end of follow-up, participants underwent carotid artery ultrasound examinations to assess atherosclerosis severity, including carotid intima-media thickness, plaque area, plaque number and total area. Annual change of each atherosclerosis marker during the follow-up period was calculated as the difference between these two measurements divided by years of follow-up. Living close to major roads was defined as ≤150 m from a highway or ≤50 m from a major road. Residential exposures to traffic-related air pollutants including black carbon, fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide were estimated using high-resolution land-use regression models. The data were analysed using general linear models adjusting for various covariates.

Results

At baseline, there were no significant differences in any atherosclerosis markers between participants living close to and those living away from major roads. After follow-up, the differences in annual changes of these markers between these two groups were small and not statistically significant. Also, no significant associations were observed with concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants including black carbon, fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide.

Conclusions

This study did not find significant associations between traffic-related air pollution and progression of carotid artery atherosclerosis in a region with lower levels and smaller contrasts of ambient air pollution.
The impact of different point-of-care testing lipid analysers on cardiovascular disease risk assessment
Authors: Whitehead Simon John , Ford Clare , Gama Rousseau
Published: April 2014

Aims

Lipid point-of-care testing (POCT) analysers are being used to screen target populations to identify individuals at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) as part of the National Health Service (NHS) Health Checks programme. We evaluated the performance of the Cholestech LDX and CardioChek PA POCT analysers against laboratory methods in CVD risk assessment.

Methods

Ten-year QRISK2, Joint British Societies' II (JBSII), and Framingham CVD risk scores were calculated for subjects recruited from Wolverhampton City PCT community NHS Health Check clinics. CVD risk scores derived using POCT capillary whole blood total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol measurements were compared with those derived from the laboratory analysis of paired venous serum samples. Data from subjects with diabetes, overt CVD, and those who did not meet the risk algorithm age criteria were excluded.

Results

All subjects classified as high risk (risk score >20%) by the three risk algorithms on the basis of the laboratory results were correctly identified by the LDX. One (2.2%) and four (7.0%) moderate-risk subjects were misclassified by the LDX as high risk, using the JBSII and Framingham risk algorithms, respectively. The CardioChek identified all subjects classed as high risk by QRISK2, but failed to identify 6/31 (19.4%) and 3/19 (15.8%) of subjects classed as high risk by the Framingham and JBSII algorithms, respectively. The CardioChek, however, did not misclassify any moderate-risk subjects as high risk.

Conclusions

Identification of subjects at risk of CVD depends on the cardiovascular risk algorithm and also on the performance of the POCT device.
Associations between obesogenic risk and depressive symptomatology in Australian adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hoare E , Millar L , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M , Skouteris H , Nichols M , Jacka F , Swinburn B , Chikwendu C , Allender S
Published: April 2014

Background

Depression and obesity are significant health concerns currently facing adolescents worldwide. This paper investigates the associations between obesity and related risk behaviours and depressive symptomatology in an Australian adolescent population.

Methods

Data from the Australian Capital TerritoryIt's Your Moveproject, an Australian community-based intervention project were used. In 2012, 800 students (440 females, 360 males) aged 11–14 years (M=13.11 years, SD=0.62 years), from 6 secondary schools were weighed and measured and completed a questionnaire which included physical activity, sedentary behaviour and dietary intake. Weight status was defined by WHO criteria. A cut-off score ≥10 on the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire indicated symptomatic depression. Logistic regression was used to test associations.

Results

After controlling for potential confounders, results showed significantly higher odds of depressive symptomatology in males (OR=1.22, p<0.05) and females (OR=1.12, p<0.05) who exceeded guidelines for daily screen-time leisure sedentary activities. Higher odds of depressive symptoms were seen in females who consumed greater amounts of sweet drink (OR=1.18, p<0.05), compared to lower female consumers of sweet drinks, and males who were overweight/obese also had greater odds of depressive symptoms (OR=1.83, p<0.05) compared to male normal weight adolescents.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the associations between obesogenic risks and depression in adolescents. Further research should explore the direction of these associations and identify common determinants of obesity and depression. Mental health outcomes need to be included in the rationale and evaluation for diet and activity interventions.
Disposition to home or acute rehabilitation is associated with a favorable clinical outcome in the SENTIS trial
Authors: Belagaje Samir R , Zander Kay , Thackeray Lisa , Gupta Rishi
Published: April 2014

Objective

To explore the impact of stroke severity and discharge disposition on 90-day outcomes in US patients enrolled in the SENTIS trial.

Methods

SENTIS is a previously published prospective randomized controlled trial. We analyzed the demographic information, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scores (NIHSS) on day 4, discharge disposition and 90-day modified Rankin Score (mRS). Univariate models were constructed to determine the impact of discharge disposition on 90-day outcomes as well as the association of the day 4 NIHSS with outcomes.

Results

A total of 292 patients with a mean age of 65±14 years were analyzed. Discharge disposition was distributed as follows: 153 (52.1%) to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), 111 (38.0%) to home and 28 (9.6%) to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Only 2 out of 28 patients (7.1%) discharged to a SNF achieved a 90-day mRS ≤2 compared with 60/153 (39.2%) in the IRF group (OR 8.39 (95% CI 1.92 to 36.64), p=0.0047). This association persisted after adjusting for age and admission NIHSS. Only 3 of 50 patients (6%) with a NIHSS of ≥14 at day 4 achieved a mRS 0–2 at day 90.

Conclusions

This analysis shows that discharge to an IRF is associated with better neurological outcomes than discharge to a SNF. Additionally, patients with a NIHSS of ≥14 at day 4 are unlikely to achieve independent function.
Increased ultraviolet radiation sensitivity ofEscherichia coligrown at low temperature
Authors: Mangoli Suhas , Rath Devashish , Goswami Manish , Jawali Narendra
Published: April 2014

The repair of DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is well understood in both lower and higher organisms. Genetic studies carried out at optimum temperature for growth, 37 °C in Escherichia coli, have revealed the major pathways of DNA repair. We show that E. coli cells grown at 20 °C are more sensitive to UVR than cells grown at 37 °C. The analysis of knockout mutants demonstrates that cells impaired in recombinational DNA repair pathways show increased UV sensitivity at 20 °C. Cells with mutations in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway genes are highly sensitive to UVR when grown at 37 °C and retain that sensitivity when grown at 20 °C, whereas wild-type cells are not sensitive when grown at 37 °C but become more sensitive to UVR when grown at low temperatures. Our results taken along with reports from the literature suggest that the UVR sensitivity of E. coli cells at low temperature could be due to impaired NER function.
Thin film uncooled microbolometers based on plasma deposited materials
Authors: Kosarev Andrey , Torres Alfonso , Moreno Mario , Ambrosio Roberto
Published: April 2014

We make a summary of our research and development efforts made about microbolometers (MBs) based on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) materials, like noncrystalline semiconductors that provide high temperature coefficient of resistivity values, in conjunction with SiOx and SiNx dielectrics used for thermoisolation, which, together with micromachining, are paving new ways for fabrication of MBs, making them promising for 2D imagers in both infrared and tera-Hertz regions. We studied a-Si:H(B), a-Ge:H, a-GeSi:H, and polymorphous p-Ge:H, p-SiGe:H as thermosensing materials (TSMs) for MBs in “bridge” configuration with “planar” and “sandwich” electrodes. This allows placing the read-out circuitry under the bridge, improving use of pixel area. PECVD SiNx films were used as both a support layer and as a coating for improving the response for λ = 8–12 μm. 2D modeling revealed both linear and super linear response to IR intensity. Voltage responsivity RU = (1.2–7) × 105 V/W is observed in both “planar” and “sandwich” MBs. The latter shows current responsivity RI = 0.3–14 A/W higher by about three orders of magnitude than the former. A key issue for any detector is the detectivity. Different TSMs show different noise characteristics. Noise in “sandwich” MBs is several orders of magnitude higher than that in “planar” structures. The best parameters observed with TSM Ge-Si:H are: RU = 7.2 × 105 V/W, RI = 14 A/W voltage and current detectivities [Formula: see text] = 8 × 109 cm Hz1/2W−1 and [Formula: see text] = 4 × 109 cm Hz1/2W−1. Junction structures on top of the “bridge” are also discussed. Finally we describe some reported applications of MBs.
First-principle study of the electronic structure and optical property of Nb-doped anatase TiO2
Authors: Hou Q. Y. , Liu Q. L. , Zhao C. W. , Zhang Y.
Published: April 2014

The absorption edge shifted to long wavelength direction and short wavelength direction of two opposite experimental conclusions have been reported, when the band-gap and absorption spectra of Nb -doped anatase TiO 2 were studied. In order to solve this contradiction, the electronic structure and the optical property of Nb heavy doped anatase TiO 2 have been studied by the first-principles plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential method based on the density functional theory with +U method modification. The calculated results indicate that the higher the Nb -doping is, the higher the total energy is, the worse the stability is, the higher the formation energy is, the more difficult the doping is, the wider the optical band-gap is, the more obvious the absorption edge shifting to short wavelength direction is, the lower the absorptivity and the reflectivity is, which is in agreement with the experimental results. The reasonable interpretation of the contradiction has been reported in this paper, too.
Microwave dielectric properties ofBa4LaTi0.3Sn0.7Nb3O15ceramic
Authors: Manan Abdul , Hussain Imtiaz
Published: April 2014

Ba4LaTi0.3Sn0.7O15ceramic was prepared through conventional solid state mix oxide route followed by characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) for phase and microstructural investigation. The dielectric properties at low and microwave frequencies were measured using LCR meter and vector network analyzer. XRD results revealed single phase ceramics and the microstructure was comprised of compact grains with size ranging from 4–12 μm. The lattice parameters refined by the least squares method were a = b = 5.7680(2) Å, c = 11.7491(6) Å, V = 337.81 Å3and Z = 1. Optimum properties i.e., εr~44.6, Qufo~15, 500 GHz and τf~2.05 ppm /° C were achieved for Ba4LaTi0.3Sn0.7Nb3O15ceramic sintered at 1475°C for 4 h.
Electronic and magnetic properties of F atoms adsorbed on TiO2:Mn(001) diluted magnetic semiconductor surfaces: First-principles calculations
Authors: Wang Chunlei , Li Dan , Niu Yuan , Zhao Hongmin , Liang Chunjun
Published: April 2014

We performed first-principles calculations for two Mn -doped structures in which Mn atoms substitute Ti atoms to determine whether (i) it is more conducive to Mn ion doping and (ii) ferromagnetism can occur in F adsorption anatase TiO 2 surfaces. Ferromagnetic (FM) coupling is more stable than antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling for all doping configurations as the adsorption of F atoms on the surface significantly lowers the formation energy of the TiO 2: Mn system. The magnetic moments of the Mn ions are reduced, whereas those of O atoms on the surface are increased. The magnetic moment of the O atoms is mainly derived from the spin polarization p x and p y orbitals. F adsorption promotes doping of Mn atoms and to a certain extent improves the stability of the structure, magnetism and metallicity.
Protonation-deprotonation equilibria in tetrapyrroles Part 4: Mono- and diprotonations of deutero-, hemato-, meso-, and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl esters in methanolic hydrochloric acid
Authors: Hynninen Paavo H.
Published: April 2014

The N-protonations in the deutero, hemato, meso and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl esters (DME) were investigated by spectrophotometric titrations using HCl as the acid and methanol as the solvent. Two spectroscopically different protonated species were observed for each porphyrin DME in addition to the neutral form. These were assigned to the N-protonated monocation and dication. There were no difficulties encountered in observing the monocation formation in the HCl – MeOH system. Very sharp isosbestic points were characteristic of each protonation stage. The p K3 values for the porphyrins in the above order were 3.23, 4.70, 2.93 and 3.37; the p K4 values were 2.48, 2.62, 2.41 and 2.64, respectively. For all porphyrins studied, no further spectral changes were observed after the dication was completely formed. This was interpreted as indicating that the formation of more highly protonated species is not possible in fullydelocalized porphyrins possessing the 18 π-electron [18]diazaannulene delocalization pathway. When the titration was performed on the free dicarboxylic acid porphyrins, aggregation obscured the first protonation step and no clear monocation spectrum could be distinguished. However, also in that case the titration ended up to a UVvis spectrum typical of the dication and the effect of aggregation on the p K4 values was negligible. The UVvis spectrometric parameters are given for the neutral forms and for the protonated species of the porphyrin DMEs. The results are discussed in terms of the NH tautomerization connected to the π-electron delocalization pathway (aromaticity), which tends to hinder outofplane distortions in the porphyrin plane, and in terms of solvation and counterion stabilization of the protonated forms.
MultiNets
Authors: Nirjon Shahriar , Nicoara Angela , Hsu Cheng-Hsin , Singh Jatinder Pal , Stankovic John A.
Published: April 2014

MultiNets is a system supporting seamless switch-over between wireless interfaces on mobile devices in real-time. MultiNets is configurable to run in three different modes: (i)
Energy Saving mode
--for choosing the interface that saves the most energy based on the condition of the device, (ii)
Offload mode
--for offloading data traffic from the cellular to WiFi network, and (iii)
Performance mode
--for selecting the network for the fastest data connectivity. MultiNets also provides a powerful API that gives the application developers: (i) the choice to select a network interface to communicate with a specific server, and (ii) the ability to simultaneously transfer data over multiple network interfaces. MultiNets is modular, easily integrable, lightweight, and applicable to various mobile operating systems. We implement MultiNets on Android devices as a show case. MultiNets does not require any extra support from the network infrastructure and runs existing applications transparently.

To evaluate MultiNets, we first collect data traces from 13 actual Android smartphone users over three months. We then use the collected traces to show that, by automatically switching to WiFi whenever it is available, MultiNets can offload on average 79.82% of the data traffic. We also illustrate that, by optimally switching between the interfaces, MultiNets can save on average 21.14 KJ of energy per day, which is equivalent to 27.4% of the daily energy usage. Using our API, we demonstrate that a video streaming application achieves 43--271% higher streaming rate when concurrently using WiFi and 3G interfaces. We deploy MultiNets in a real-world scenario and our experimental results show that depending on the user requirements, it outperforms the state-of-the-art Android system either by saving up to 33.75% energy, achieving near-optimal offloading, or achieving near-optimal throughput while substantially reducing TCP interruptions due to switching.
Guided test generation for database applications via synthesized database interactions
Authors: Pan Kai , Wu Xintao , Xie Tao
Published: April 2014

Testing database applications typically requires the generation of tests consisting of both program inputs and database states. Recently, a testing technique called Dynamic Symbolic Execution (DSE) has been proposed to reduce manual effort in test generation for software applications. However, applying DSE to generate tests for database applications faces various technical challenges. For example, the database application under test needs to physically connect to the associated database, which may not be available for various reasons. The program inputs whose values are used to form the executed queries are not treated symbolically, posing difficulties for generating valid database states or appropriate database states for achieving high coverage of query-result-manipulation code. To address these challenges, in this article, we propose an approach called
SynDB
that synthesizes new database interactions to replace the original ones from the database application under test. In this way, we bridge various constraints within a database application: query-construction constraints, query constraints, database schema constraints, and query-result-manipulation constraints. We then apply a state-of-the-art DSE engine called Pex for .NET from Microsoft Research to generate both program inputs and database states. The evaluation results show that tests generated by our approach can achieve higher code coverage than existing test generation approaches for database applications.
On the impact of UML analysis models on source-code comprehensibility and modifiability
Authors: Scanniello Giuseppe , Gravino Carmine , Genero Marcela , Cruz-Lemus Jose' A. , Tortora Genoveffa
Published: April 2014

We carried out a family of experiments to investigate whether the use of UML models produced in the requirements analysis process helps in the comprehensibility and modifiability of source code. The family consists of a controlled experiment and 3 external replications carried out with students and professionals from Italy and Spain. 86 participants with different abilities and levels of experience with UML took part. The results of the experiments were integrated through the use of meta-analysis. The results of both the individual experiments and meta-analysis indicate that UML models produced in the requirements analysis process influence neither the comprehensibility of source code nor its modifiability.
Degree-of-knowledge
Authors: Fritz Thomas , Murphy Gail C. , Murphy-Hill Emerson , Ou Jingwen , Hill Emily
Published: April 2014

As a software system evolves, the system's codebase constantly changes, making it difficult for developers to answer such questions as who is knowledgeable about particular parts of the code or who needs to know about changes made. In this article, we show that an externalized model of a developer's individual knowledge of code can make it easier for developers to answer such questions. We introduce a degree-of-knowledge model that computes automatically, for each source-code element in a codebase, a real value that represents a developer's knowledge of that element based on a developer's authorship and interaction data. We present evidence that shows that both authorship and interaction data of the code are important in characterizing a developer's knowledge of code. We report on the usage of our model in case studies on expert finding, knowledge transfer, and identifying changes of interest. We show that our model improves upon an existing expertise-finding approach and can accurately identify changes for which a developer should likely be aware. We discuss how our model may provide a starting point for knowledge transfer but that more refinement is needed. Finally, we discuss the robustness of the model across multiple development sites.
Explicit reservation of cache memory in a predictable, preemptive multitasking real-time system
Authors: Whitham Jack , Audsley Neil C. , Davis Robert I.
Published: April 2014

We describe and evaluate explicit reservation of cache memory to reduce the cache-related preemption delay (CRPD) observed when tasks share a cache in a preemptive multitasking hard real-time system. We demonstrate the approach using measurements obtained from a hardware prototype, and present schedulability analyses for systems that share a cache by explicit reservation. These analyses form the basis for a series of experiments to further evaluate the approach. We find that explicit reservation is most useful for larger task sets with high utilization. Some task sets cannot be scheduled with a conventional cache, but are schedulable with explicit reservation.
ADAM
Authors: Ganesan Dharmalingam , Lindvall Mikael
Published: April 2014

This article introduces the Architecture Discovery and Analysis Method (ADAM). ADAM supports the discovery of module and runtime views as well as the analysis of quality attributes, such as testability, performance, and maintainability, of software systems. The premise of ADAM is that the implementation constructs, architecture constructs, concerns, and quality attributes are all influenced by the external entities (e.g., libraries, frameworks, COTS software) used by the system under analysis. The analysis uses such external dependencies to identify, classify, and review a minimal set of key source-code files supported by a knowledge base of the external entities. Given the benefits of analyzing external dependencies as a way to discover architectures and potential risks, it is demonstrated that dependencies to external entities are useful not only for architecture discovery but also for analysis of quality attributes. ADAM is evaluated using the NASA's Space Network Access System (SNAS). The results show that this method offers systematic guidelines for discovering the architecture and locating potential risks (e.g., low testability and decreased performance) that are hidden deep inside the system implementation. Some generally applicable lessons for developers and analysts, as well as threats to validity are also discussed.
Key factors for adopting inner source
Authors: Stol Klaas-Jan , Avgeriou Paris , Babar Muhammad Ali , Lucas Yan , Fitzgerald Brian
Published: April 2014

A number of organizations have adopted Open Source Software (OSS) development practices to support or augment their software development processes, a phenomenon frequently referred to as
Inner Source
. However the adoption of Inner Source is not a straightforward issue. Many organizations are struggling with the question of whether Inner Source is an appropriate approach to software development for them in the first place. This article presents a framework derived from the literature on Inner Source, which identifies nine important factors that need to be considered when implementing Inner Source. The framework can be used as a probing instrument to assess an organization on these nine factors so as to gain an understanding of whether or not Inner Source is suitable. We applied the framework in three case studies at Philips Healthcare, Neopost Technologies, and Rolls-Royce, which are all large organizations that have either adopted Inner Source or were planning to do so. Based on the results presented in this article, we outline directions for future research.