bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishing routines to cope with the loneliness associated with widowhood: a narrative analysis
Authors: Davies N. , Crowe M. , Whitehead L.
Published: September 2016

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Loneliness in older adults has been identified as an important public health issue in many countries.

Widowhood is a time when many older people experience loneliness.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge?

Little is known about strategies that are effective in mitigating experiences of loneliness and this paper explores this with older people who have been through the process.

The narratives of the older people in this study described a trajectory in which loneliness was experienced as both a loss of spouse and a loss of routines that enabled them to maintain connections with others.

This trajectory moved onto the establishment of new routines that enabled connections to be developed.

What are the implications for practice?

Loneliness is strongly associated with depression and anxiety in the elderly and mental health nurses should be encouraged to screen for loneliness when undertaking assessments.

Interventions that facilitate the development of meaningful routines could be integrated into mental health nursing care of older people.

Background

Loneliness in older people is a public health concern in many Western countries. While not necessarily a symptom of mental disorder, it is often associated with depression and anxiety. Widowhood is a transition period during which many older people experience acute loneliness but over time develops strategies to manage it. Little is known about effective strategies that older people have used to manage the experience. The strategies older people used to manage this was the focus of this paper.

Aim

The aim was to examine older widows’ experiences of loneliness.

Design

The design of this study was a qualitative narrative analysis with thematic analysis and the participants were 40 older widow/widowers aged between 70 and 97 years.

Findings

The study found that the participants negotiated the experience of loneliness following widowhood from an acute phase of experiencing an absence and the associated loss of routine connection to the establishment of new routines that provided new connections and a new sense of identity as an individual rather than a couple.

Conclusions

It is important for mental health nurses to screen for loneliness and be able to facilitate interventions that may alleviate the experience of loneliness.
Increased expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 and 2 in inflamed human gingiva
Authors: Chen S. S. , Wang K. , Zhao J. , Wu W. C. , Wu Y. F. , Zhao L.
Published: September 2016

Background and Objective

Periodontitis is an infectious disease in which the host immune and inflammatory responses play essential roles in resistance to bacterial infection, as well as the induction of tissue destruction if the immune response is dysregulated. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREMs) modulates inflammatory and innate immune signaling. TREM‐1 is considered as an amplifier of the immune response, while TREM‐2 is a negative regulator that has yet to be explored in periodontal disease before. We hypothesized that TREMs participated in the innate immune responses during the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate TREM‐1 and TREM‐2 expression in the gingival tissues from patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy subjects as well as their correlation with clinical periodontal parameters. This study is the first to identify TREM‐2 in periodontal tissue, as well as the protein expression changes of TREM‐1 and TREM‐2 in periodontal tissues.

Material and Methods

Gingival tissue sections were collected from 31 healthy subjects and 53 patients with chronic periodontitis. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction were employed to evaluate the protein and mRNA expression of these receptors in gingival tissues. The recorded clinical parameters were probing depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index and bleeding on probing.

Results

In addition to myeloid cells in gingival connective tissues, TREM‐1 and TREM‐2 were also found expressed in gingival epithelial cells. In particular, TREM‐1 was detected in almost all gingival epithelium from both healthy and inflamed biopsies. The expression levels of TREM‐1 and TREM‐2 were significantly increased in the periodontitis group compared to the healthy group. Increased levels of these receptors are to be positively correlated with site‐specific periodontal parameters.

Conclusion

The increased expression of TREM‐1 and TREM‐2 levels in periodontitis may confer diagnostic and potential therapeutic targets as well as indicating their association with the clinical severity of the disease.
Retrospective characterisation and outcome of canine idiopathic mesenteric purulent lymphadenitis and lymph node abscesses at a teaching hospital from 2005 to 2015
Authors: Salavati Schmitz S.
Published: September 2016

Background

Idiopathic purulent mesenteric lymphadenitis or lymph node abscessation, even though rare in dogs, are important diseases in which rapid diagnosis and treatment is critical. This study aimed to characterise the typical features of these conditions in dogs.

Material and Methods

Archived records from 2005 to 2015 were retrospectively evaluated for the occurrence of idiopathic purulent mesenteric lymphadenitis or lymph node abscesses in dogs. History, physical and clinicopathological abnormalities, diagnostic tests performed, treatment and outcome were reviewed.

Results

A total of 14 cases with histopathologic and/or cytologic confirmation were identified. Typically, there were gastrointestinal signs including abdominal pain and elevated body temperature. Blood analysis revealed non‐specific inflammatory changes including elevated C‐reactive protein. Half of the bacterial cultures from lymph nodes showed growth of various bacteria. A primary cause was not identified in any case. Out of 14 cases, 10 cases underwent surgery and all dogs were discharged from the hospital. Three suffered from a relapse between 1 and 5 months after discharge but were successfully managed with antibiotics.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Idiopathic purulent mesenteric lymphadenitis or lymph node abscessation are infrequent but clinically important diseases. Surgical, symptomatic and antibiotic treatment led to resolution of clinical signs in the evaluated cases. Thorough and standardised diagnostic workup and treatment of future cases are necessary to investigate possible pathogeneses and optimal therapeutic options. Outcome was favourable overall.
Preferential attention towards the eye‐region amongst individuals with insomnia
Authors: Akram Umair , Ellis Jason G. , Myachykov Andriy , Barclay Nicola L.
Published: September 2016

People with insomnia often perceive their own facial appearance as more tired compared with the appearance of others. Evidence also highlights the eye‐region in projecting tiredness cues to perceivers, and tiredness judgements often rely on preferential attention towards this region. Using a novel eye‐tracking paradigm, this study examined: (i) whether individuals with insomnia display preferential attention towards the eye‐region, relative to nose and mouth regions, whilst observing faces compared with normal‐sleepers; and (ii) whether an attentional bias towards the eye‐region amongst individuals with insomnia is self‐specific or general in nature. Twenty individuals with DSM‐5 Insomnia Disorder and 20 normal‐sleepers viewed 48 neutral facial photographs (24 of themselves, 24 of other people) for periods of 4000 ms. Eye movements were recorded using eye‐tracking, and first fixation onset, first fixation duration and total gaze duration were examined for three interest‐regions (eyes, nose, mouth). Significant group × interest‐region interactions indicated that, regardless of the face presented, participants with insomnia were quicker to attend to, and spent more time observing, the eye‐region relative to the nose and mouth regions compared with normal‐sleepers. However, no group × face × interest‐region interactions were established. Thus, whilst individuals with insomnia displayed preferential attention towards the eye‐region in general, this effect was not accentuated during self‐perception. Insomnia appears to be characterized by a general, rather than self‐specific, attentional bias towards the eye‐region. These findings contribute to our understanding of face perception in insomnia, and provide tentative support for cognitive models of insomnia demonstrating that individuals with insomnia monitor faces in general, with a specific focus around the eye‐region, for cues associated with tiredness.
Reading‐Specific Flexibility Moderates the Relation Between Reading Strategy Use and Reading Comprehension During the Elementary Years
Authors: Gnaedinger Emily K. , Hund Alycia M. , Hesson‐McInnis Matthew S.
Published: September 2016

The goal was to test whether cognitive flexibility moderates the relation between reading strategy use and reading comprehension during the elementary years. Seventy‐five second‐ through fifth‐grade students completed a think aloud task and a metacognitive questionnaire to measure reading strategies, two card‐sorting tasks to measure general and reading‐specific cognitive flexibility, and one standardized measure of reading comprehension, as well as measures of oral reading fluency and vocabulary. As expected, oral reading fluency and vocabulary predicted reading comprehension, as did reading‐specific flexibility. Importantly, reading‐specific flexibility had a significant moderating effect, over and above the other effects. Specifically, weak reading‐specific flexibility skills were associated with a negative relation between reading strategy use during think aloud and reading comprehension, suggesting that children with weak flexibility skills are less adept at using reading strategies effectively.
University Educator Mindsets: How Might Adult Constructive‐Developmental Theory Support Design of Adaptive Learning?
Authors: Stewart Cherry , Wolodko Brenda
Published: September 2016

This article explores Robert Kegan's adult constructive‐developmental (ACD) theory. We compare these ideas to the way educators at each of Kegan's meaning‐making levels might plan, implement, and assess digitally enhanced teaching activities. Using Drago‐Severson's interpretation of Kegan's concepts, the authors propose that behaviors of university teaching practitioners indicate mindsets evident at four ACD levels—instrumental, socialized, self‐authoring, and self‐transforming. Higher education professional development literature has identified a significant gap in practitioner implementation of interactive strategies using digital tools. If university practitioners increase their mental complexity they may become more adaptive in the application of interactive pedagogies and digital technologies. Adaptive approaches might cultivate new pedagogies supporting and challenging students toward more complex and flexible qualities of mind.
Panoramic Image Stitching for Arbitrarily Shaped Tunnel Lining Inspection
Authors: Zhu Zhi‐Heng , Fu Jin‐Yang , Yang Jun‐Sheng , Zhang Xue‐Min
Published: September 2016

This article presents a low‐cost panoramic image stitching system for tunnel lining inspection. The system can produce a high‐quality layout panorama of the target lining using photographs taken freely in a tunnel with a hand‐held camera and the tunnel design information as inputs. The three‐dimensional (3D) freeform shape corresponding to the tunnel design geometry is used as the warping surface for photograph rectification. A newly designed random sample consensus algorithm is used to estimate the freeform tunnel shape from the 3D reconstructed point cloud, which can perform the registration between point sets with different sizes. These processes can make full use of the geometry information of a real tunnel and the reconstructed scene; thus, the photographs can be precisely rectified, and a planar motion stitching can composite them together. Two field applications demonstrate that the system can create a tunnel layout panorama with sufficient accuracy in tunnel lining inspection and that it is applicable to noncircular‐shaped tunnels.
Predictive time‐series modeling using artificial neural networks for Linac beam symmetry: an empirical study
Authors: Li Qiongge , Chan Maria F.
Published: September 2016

Over half of cancer patients receive radiotherapy (RT) as partial or full cancer treatment. Daily quality assurance (QA) of RT in cancer treatment closely monitors the performance of the medical linear accelerator (Linac) and is critical for continuous improvement of patient safety and quality of care. Cumulative longitudinal QA measurements are valuable for understanding the behavior of the Linac and allow physicists to identify trends in the output and take preventive actions. In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and autoregressive moving average (ARMA) time‐series prediction modeling techniques were both applied to 5‐year daily Linac QA data. Verification tests and other evaluations were then performed for all models. Preliminary results showed that ANN time‐series predictive modeling has more advantages over ARMA techniques for accurate and effective applicability in the dosimetry and QA field.
Health‐related Quality of Life in Patients with Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression
Authors: Morgen Søren S , Engelholm Svend A , Larsen Claus F , Søgaard Rikke , Dahl Benny
Published: September 2016

Objective

Improvements in cancer treatment have resulted in an increased number of patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). Because patients with MSCC often have a limited expected survival time, maintenance of a high functional level and quality of life are important. However, there is limited information about health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with MSCC. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of routine assessment of HRQoL based on the Euroqol‐5 dimensions (EQ‐5D) questionnaire in a cohort of patients consecutively admitted for evaluation of acute symptoms of MSCC.

Methods

From 1 January to 31 December 2011, 544 patients diagnosed with acute symptoms of MSCC were consecutively enrolled in a cohort study. All patients were evaluated through a centralized referral system at one treatment facility. Data were prospectively registered, the variables age, sex, primary oncologic diagnosis, Tokuhashi Revised score, EQ‐5D score and treatment modality being recorded on admission. The study patients were treated conservatively with radiotherapy alone or with surgery and subsequent radiotherapy. The EQ‐5D questionnaire was administered on admission (baseline) and 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after admission. Response rates, completion rates and HRQoL scores were analyzed by relevant subgroups. Response rates were based on all questionnaires returned regardless of whether or not they had been completed, whereas completion rates were based on fully completed questionnaires (i.e., containing responses to all five questions.

Results

The mean age was 65 years (range, 20–95 years); 57% of the patients were men. The overall response rate to the Euroqol‐5 dimensions (EQ‐5D) questionnaires was 84% and the overall completion rate 72%. At baseline, mean EQ‐5D scores were significantly lower for patients treated with surgery and subsequent radiotherapy 0.28 (95% CI, 0.19–0.36) than for those treated with radiotherapy alone 0.42 (95% CI, 0.38–0.46). At the one‐year follow‐up, the mean EQ‐5D scores had improved to 0.71 (95% CI, 0.64–0.77) for patients treated with surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.56–0.70) for patients treated with radiotherapy alone.

Conclusions

Measurement of HRQoL in patients consecutively admitted for evaluation of acute symptoms of MSCC is feasible and detects significant changes over time between treatment modalities and different strata of expected survival.
Efficiency and Safety of Intravenous Tranexamic Acid in Simultaneous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Jiang Xuan , Ma Xin‐long , Ma Jian‐xiong
Published: September 2016

The objective of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of i.v. tranexamic acid (TXA) in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Potentially relevant published reports were identified from the following electronic databases: Medline, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library. RevMan v5.3was used to pool data. Two randomized controlled trials and four case‐control studies met the inclusion criteria. The current meta‐analysis identified significant differences between TXA group and control groups in terms of postoperative hemoglobin concentration (P < 0.01), drainage volume (P < 0.01), transfusion rate (P < 0.01) and units transfused (P = 0.006). There were no significant differences in length of stay (P = 0.66), operation time (P = 0.81) or and incidence of adverse effects such as infection (P = 0.42), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (P = 0.88) and pulmonary embolism (PE) (P = 0.11). Our results show that i.v. administration of TXA in simultaneous bilateral TKA reduces postoperative drops in hemoglobin concentration, drainage volume, and transfusion requirements and does not prolong length of stay or operation time. Moreover, no adverse effects, such as infection, DVT or PE, were associated with TXA.
Three‐dimensional Computer‐assisted Modeling of Talus Morphology in Chinese Patients
Authors: He Jin‐quan , Ma Xin‐long , Zhang Xi , Xin Jing‐yi , Li Nan
Published: September 2016

Objective

To provide more accurate reference data for the assessment and treatment of talar injuries by constructing 3‐D computer‐assisted models of the talus and comparing them with reference data obtained from measurements on cadaver specimens.

Methods

Three‐dimensional talus models were constructed from CT data recorded for healthy Chinese volunteers using SuperImage Orthopedics software. Structural variables such as length, width, height and volume of talus were compared using the Fisher least significant difference test to determine the significance of bilateral or sex‐specific differences in the study cohort.

Results

Measurement data were normally distributed. No significant difference between the left and right talus in either men or women was identified for any measurement (P > 0.05). The bilateral mean volume of the talus in men (37.87 ± 6.69 mm) was significantly larger than that in women (26.95 ± 5.73 mm; P < 0.05). Although the dimensions of most of the structural features and articular surfaces of the talus were significantly larger in men than in women (P < 0.05), no significant differences in the angles of the talar neck and head were observed between men and women in our cohort (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Our method of 3‐D model construction provided precise measurements of the structural features of the talus. The talar dimensions in our Chinese study cohort differ from those previously reported for people of different ethnic groups. Our models should provide accurate reference data for constructing models based on CT images for the assessment and treatment of talar injuries in Chinese patients.
Characterization of a Wheat Breeders’ Array suitable for high‐throughput SNP genotyping of global accessions of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Authors: Allen Alexandra M. , Winfield Mark O. , Burridge Amanda J. , Downie Rowena C. , Benbow Harriet R. , Barker Gary L. A. , Wilkinson Paul A. , Coghill Jane , Waterfall Christy , Davassi Alessandro , Scopes Geoff , Pirani Ali , Webster Teresa , Brew Fiona , Bloor Claire , Griffiths Simon , Bentley Alison R. , Alda Mark , Jack Peter , Phillips Andrew L. , Edwards Keith J.
Published: September 2016

Targeted selection and inbreeding have resulted in a lack of genetic diversity in elite hexaploid bread wheat accessions. Reduced diversity can be a limiting factor in the breeding of high yielding varieties and crucially can mean reduced resilience in the face of changing climate and resource pressures. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of molecular markers for use in the assessment and utilization of genetic diversity in hexaploid wheat. Starting with a large collection of 819 571 previously characterized wheat markers, here we describe the identification of 35 143 single nucleotide polymorphism‐based markers, which are highly suited to the genotyping of elite hexaploid wheat accessions. To assess their suitability, the markers have been validated using a commercial high‐density Affymetrix Axiom® genotyping array (the Wheat Breeders’ Array), in a high‐throughput 384 microplate configuration, to characterize a diverse global collection of wheat accessions including landraces and elite lines derived from commercial breeding communities. We demonstrate that the Wheat Breeders’ Array is also suitable for generating high‐density genetic maps of previously uncharacterized populations and for characterizing novel genetic diversity produced by mutagenesis. To facilitate the use of the array by the wheat community, the markers, the associated sequence and the genotype information have been made available through the interactive web site ‘CerealsDB’.
OsDi19‐4 acts downstream of OsCDPK14 to positively regulate ABA response in rice
Authors: Wang Lili , Yu Changchun , Xu Shanglin , Zhu Yingguo , Huang Wenchao
Published: September 2016

The drought‐induced 19 protein family consists of several atypical Cys2/His2‐type zinc finger proteins in plants and plays an important role in abiotic stress. In this study, we found that overexpressing OsDi19‐4 in rice altered the expression of a series of abscisic acid (ABA)‐responsive genes, resulting in strong ABA‐hypersensitive phenotypes including ABA‐induced seed germination inhibition, early seedling growth inhibition and stomatal closure. On the contrary, OsDi19‐4 knockdown lines were less sensitive to ABA. Additionally, OsCDPK14 was identified to interact with OsDi19‐4 and be responsible for the phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4, and the phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4 was further enhanced after the treatment of ABA. Apart from these, OsDi19‐4 was shown to directly bind to the promoters of OsASPG1 and OsNAC18 genes, two ABA‐responsive genes, and regulate their expression. Transient expression assays confirmed the direct regulation role of OsDi19‐4, and the regulation was further enhanced by the increased phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4 after the treatment of ABA. Taken together, these data demonstrate that OsDi19‐4 acts downstream of OsCDPK14 to positively regulate ABA response by modulating the expression of ABA‐responsive genes in rice.
Risk factors and clinical characteristics of the depressive state induced by pegylated interferon therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus infection: A prospective study
Authors: Kawase Kohei , Kondo Kenji , Saito Takeo , Shimasaki Ayu , Takahashi Atsushi , Kamatani Yoichiro , Kawabe Naoto , Hashimoto Senju , Ikeda Masashi , Kubo Michiaki , Yoshioka Kentaro , Iwata Nakao
Published: September 2016

Aim

Pegylated interferon (PegIFN) therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection often induce a depressive state. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for and clinical characteristics of PegIFN‐induced depressive state.

Methods

Sixty‐nine subjects with HCV who received PegIFN therapy were enrolled. Before beginning therapy, all subjects were evaluated using the Neuroticism–Extraversion–Openness Five‐Factor Inventory and the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores were also evaluated at baseline, 2–4 weeks after initiating therapy, and every 4 weeks thereafter.

Results

During the study, 18 subjects (24.3%) developed a depressive state (BDI ≥ 10). A bimodal peak of onset was observed during the early (2–8 weeks) and late (after 20 weeks) therapy phases. Moreover, we observed that baseline BDI scores (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40,
P
 = 0.0104) and neuroticism (OR = 1.14,
P
 = 0.0275) were significant risk factors for developing a depressive state. To determine the specific characteristics of this condition, we compared the BDI subscales between the ‘PegIFN‐induced’ and ‘general’ depressive state reported previously. We found that the score at ‘somatic symptoms’ was higher in the ‘PegIFN‐induced’ group.

Conclusion

Our results indicate the following: (i) PegIFN‐induced depressive state most frequently develops during the first 8 weeks of therapy; (ii) baseline BDI and neuroticism scores are risk factors for PegIFN‐induced depressive state; and (iii) the core symptoms of PegIFN‐induced depressive state are different from those of ‘general’ depression.
Cadherin tales: Regulation of cadherin function by endocytic membrane trafficking
Authors: Cadwell Chantel M. , Su Wenji , Kowalczyk Andrew P.
Published: September 2016

Cadherins are the primary adhesion molecules in adherens junctions and desmosomes and play essential roles in embryonic development. Although significant progress has been made in understanding cadherin structure and function, we lack a clear vision of how cells confer plasticity upon adhesive junctions to allow for cellular rearrangements during development, wound healing and metastasis. Endocytic membrane trafficking has emerged as a fundamental mechanism by which cells confer a dynamic state to adhesive junctions. Recent studies indicate that the juxtamembrane domain of classical cadherins contains multiple endocytic motifs, or “switches,” that can be used by cellular membrane trafficking machinery to regulate adhesion. The cadherin‐binding protein p120‐catenin (p120) appears to be the master regulator of access to these switches, thereby controlling cadherin endocytosis and turnover. This review focuses on p120 and other cadherin‐binding proteins, ubiquitin ligases, and growth factors as key modulators of cadherin membrane trafficking.
Multicriteria decision analysis for the evaluation of water quality improvement and ecosystem service provision
Authors: McInnes Robert , Smith Graham , Greaves Julian , Watson David , Wood Nikki , Everard Mark
Published: September 2016

Water and land management decisions require consideration of multiple factors. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a structured, auditable and transparent tool that helps inform and add rigour to multioption decisions. MCDA was used in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) project to evaluate options for delivering good ecological status in Tortworth Brook, Gloucestershire, UK. Following a process of stakeholder engagement, final options considered were: (1) doing nothing; (2) modifying existing sewage treatment works; (3) a single integrated constructed wetland (ICW) targeting multiple ecosystem service outcomes; and (4) catchment wide multiple ICWs. The analysis concluded that the ‘do nothing’ option and modifying the existing works are both likely to provide poor utility and value for money. Both ICW options offered the greatest utility in terms of optimising the benefits to all stakeholders.
A Faster and More Secure Human Blood Type Determining Product—Concept Design
Authors: Bezerra Karolina , Carvalho Vítor , Matos Demétrio , Machado José , Soares Filomena , Ferraz Ana
Published: September 2016

This paper is focused on the design of a portable and semi-automatic product that allows human blood typing in a short time interval. To solve the technical and mechanical issues, innovative technologies in the areas of industrial design, electronics, and mechanical engineering were incorporated. Thus, we have developed a mechanical system that performs a fast and secure mixing of samples based on the manual plate test. This product concept aims to determinate human blood type in less than 5 min using image-processing algorithms into the mechatronic system. It incorporates formal harmonic aspects as well as some important features, such as ergonomics, portability, safety, security, simple maintenance, and easy to use.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Lithium Peroxide Formation in Lithium–Oxygen Battery
Authors: Jithin M. , Das Malay K. , De Ashoke
Published: September 2016

Present research deals with multiphysics, pore-scale simulation of Li–O2 battery using multirelaxation time lattice Boltzmann method. A novel technique is utilized to generate an idealized electrode–electrolyte porous media from the known macroscopic variables. Present investigation focuses on the performance degradation of Li–O2 cell due to the blockage of the reaction sites via Li2O2 formation. Present simulations indicate that Li–air and Li–O2 batteries primarily suffer from mass transfer limitations. The study also emphasizes the importance of pore-scale simulations and shows that the morphology of the porous media has a significant impact on the cell performance. While lower porosity provides higher initial current, higher porosity maintains sustainable output.
Analytical Modeling and Experimental Validation of Heating at the Leaf Seal/Rotor Interface
Authors: Pekris Michael J. , Franceschini Gervas , Owen Andrew K. , Jones Terry V. , Gillespie David R. H.
Published: September 2016

The secondary air system of a modern gas or steam turbine is configured to satisfy a number of requirements, such as to purge cavities and maintain a sufficient flow of cooling air to key engine components, for a minimum penalty on engine cycle efficiency and specific fuel consumption. Advanced sealing technologies, such as brush seals and leaf seals, are designed to maintain pressures in cavities adjacent to rotating shafts. They offer significant reductions in secondary air parasitic leakage flows over the legacy sealing technology, the labyrinth seal. The leaf seal comprises a series of stacked sheet elements which are inclined relative to the radial direction, offering increased axial rigidity, reduced radial stiffness, and good leakage performance. Investigations into leaf seal mechanical and flow performance have been conducted by previous researchers. However, limited understanding of the thermal behavior of contacting leaf seals under sustained shaft contact has led to the development of an analytical model in this study, which can be used to predict the power split between the leaf and rotor from predicted temperature rises during operation. This enables the effects of seal and rotor thermal growth and, therefore, implications on seal endurance and rotor mechanical integrity to be quantified. Consideration is given to the heat transfer coefficient in the leaf pack. A dimensional analysis of the leaf seal problem using the method of extended dimensions is presented, yielding the expected form of the relationship between seal frictional power generation, leakage mass flow rate, and rotor temperature rise. An analytical model is derived which is in agreement. Using the derived leaf temperature distribution formula, the theoretical leaf tip temperature rise and temperature distributions are computed over a range of mass flow rates and frictional heat values. Experimental data were collected in high-speed tests of a leaf seal prototype using the Engine Seal Test Facility at Oxford University. These data were used to populate the analytical model and collapsed well to confirm the expected linear relationship. In this form, the thermal characteristic can be used with predictions of mass flow rate and frictional power generated to estimate the leaf tip and rotor temperature rise in engine operation.
A general algorithm for calculation of recombination losses in ionization chambers exposed to ion beams
Authors: Christensen Jeppe Brage , Tölli Heikki , Bassler Niels
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Dosimetry with ionization chambers in clinical ion beams for radiation therapy requires correction for recombination effects. However, common radiation protocols discriminate between initial and general recombination and provide no universal correction method for the presence of both recombination types in ion beams of charged particles heavier than protons. The advent of multiple field optimization in ion beams, allowing for complex patterns of dose delivery in both temporal and spatial domains, results in new challenges for recombination correction where the resulting recombination depends on the plan delivered. Here, the authors present the open source code IonTracks version 1.0, where the combined initial and general recombination effects in principle can be predicted for any ion beam with arbitrary particle‐energy spectrum and temporal structure.

Methods

IonTracks uses track structure theory to distribute the charge carriers in ion tracks. The charge carrier movements are governed by a pair of coupled differential equations, based on fundamental physical properties as charge carrier drift, diffusion, and recombination, which are solved numerically while the initial and general charge carrier recombination is computed. A space charge screening of the electric field is taken into account and the algorithm furthermore allows an inclusion of a free‐electron component.

Results

The algorithm is numerically stable and in accordance with experimentally validated theories for initial recombination in heavy ion tracks and general recombination in a proton beam.

Conclusions

Given IonTracks’ ability to handle arbitrary inputs, IonTracks can in principle be applied to any complex particle field in the spatial and temporal domain. IonTracks is validated against the Jaffé's and Boag's theory of recombination in pulsed beams of multiple ion species. IonTracks is able to calculate the correction factor for initial and general recombination losses in parallel‐plate ionization chambers. Even if only few experimental data on recombination effects in ionization chambers are available today, the universal concept of IonTracks is not limited to the ions investigated here. Future experimental investigations of recombination in pulsed and possibly also continuous ion beams may be conducted with IonTracks, which ultimately may lead to a more precise prediction of recombination factors in complex radiation fields.
Treatment of otitis media by transtympanic delivery of antibiotics
Authors: Yang Rong , Sabharwal Vishakha , Okonkwo Obiajulu S. , Shlykova Nadya , Tong Rong , Lin Lily Yun , Wang Weiping , Guo Shutao , Rosowski John J. , Pelton Stephen I. , Kohane Daniel S.
Published: September 2016

A hydrogel drug delivery system allowed controlled, local delivery of ciprofloxacin across the tympanic membrane to treat acute otitis media in chinchillas.
PITing host against bacteria in the fight for infection control
Authors: Rayner Katey J.
Published: September 2016

Formation of pore-inducing cellular traps allows effective killing and clearance of bacteria-infected host cells.
Maintenance of Transcription-Translation Coupling by Elongation Factor P
Authors: Elgamal Sara , Artsimovitch Irina , Ibba Michael
Published: September 2016

Under conditions of tight coupling between translation and transcription, the ribosome enables synthesis of full-length mRNAs by preventing both formation of intrinsic terminator hairpins and loading of the transcription termination factor Rho. While previous studies have focused on transcription factors, we investigated the role of
Escherichia coli
elongation factor P (EF-P), an elongation factor required for efficient translation of mRNAs containing consecutive proline codons, in maintaining coupled translation and transcription. In the absence of EF-P, the presence of Rho utilization (
rut
) sites led to an ~30-fold decrease in translation of polyproline-encoding mRNAs. Coexpression of the Rho inhibitor Psu fully restored translation. EF-P was also shown to inhibit premature termination during synthesis and translation of mRNAs encoding intrinsic terminators. The effects of EF-P loss on expression of polyproline mRNAs were augmented by a substitution in RNA polymerase that accelerates transcription. Analyses of previously reported ribosome profiling and global proteomic data identified several candidate gene clusters where EF-P could act to prevent premature transcription termination.
In vivo
probing allowed detection of some predicted premature termination products in the absence of EF-P. Our findings support a model in which EF-P maintains coupling of translation and transcription by decreasing ribosome stalling at polyproline motifs. Other regulators that facilitate ribosome translocation through roadblocks to prevent premature transcription termination upon uncoupling remain to be identified.

IMPORTANCE
Bacterial mRNA and protein syntheses are often tightly coupled, with ribosomes binding newly synthesized Shine-Dalgarno sequences and then translating nascent mRNAs as they emerge from RNA polymerase. While previous studies have mainly focused on the roles of transcription factors, here we investigated whether translation factors can also play a role in maintaining coupling and preventing premature transcription termination. Using the polyproline synthesis enhancer elongation factor P, we found that rapid translation through potential stalling motifs is required to provide efficient coupling between ribosomes and RNA polymerase. These findings show that translation enhancers can play an important role in gene expression by preventing premature termination of transcription.
Eukaryotic-Like Virus Budding in
Archaea
Authors: Quemin Emmanuelle R. J. , Chlanda Petr , Sachse Martin , Forterre Patrick , Prangishvili David , Krupovic Mart
Published: September 2016

Similar to many eukaryotic viruses (and unlike bacteriophages), viruses infecting archaea are often encased in lipid-containing envelopes. However, the mechanisms of their morphogenesis and egress remain unexplored. Here, we used dual-axis electron tomography (ET) to characterize the morphogenesis of Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1), the prototype of the family
Fuselloviridae
and representative of the most abundant archaea-specific group of viruses. Our results show that SSV1 assembly and egress are concomitant and occur at the cellular cytoplasmic membrane via a process highly reminiscent of the budding of enveloped viruses that infect eukaryotes. The viral nucleoprotein complexes are extruded in the form of previously unknown rod-shaped intermediate structures which have an envelope continuous with the host membrane. Further maturation into characteristic spindle-shaped virions takes place while virions remain attached to the cell surface. Our data also revealed the formation of constricted ring-like structures which resemble the budding necks observed prior to the ESCRT machinery-mediated membrane scission during egress of various enveloped viruses of eukaryotes. Collectively, we provide evidence that archaeal spindle-shaped viruses contain a lipid envelope acquired upon budding of the viral nucleoprotein complex through the host cytoplasmic membrane. The proposed model bears a clear resemblance to the egress strategy employed by enveloped eukaryotic viruses and raises important questions as to how the archaeal single-layered membrane composed of tetraether lipids can undergo scission.

IMPORTANCE
The replication of enveloped viruses has been extensively studied in eukaryotes but has remained unexplored for enveloped viruses infecting
Archaea
. Here, we provide a sequential view on the assembly and egress of SSV1, a prototypic archaeal virus. The observed process is highly similar to the budding of eukaryotic enveloped viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, influenza virus, and Ebola virus. The present study is the first to characterize such a phenomenon in archeal cells, showing that membrane budding is not an exclusive feature of eukaryotic viruses. Our results provide significant insights into the biogenesis and architecture of unique, spindle-shaped virions that infect archaea. Furthermore, our findings open doors for future inquiries into (i) the evolution of the virus budding process, (ii) mechanistic details of virus-mediated membrane scission in
Archaea
, and (iii) elucidation of virus- and host-encoded molecular players responsible for archaeal membrane and surface remodeling.
What do young people think about their school-based sex and relationship education? A qualitative synthesis of young people's views and experiences
Authors: Pound Pandora , Langford Rebecca , Campbell Rona
Published: September 2016

Objectives

Although sex and relationship education (SRE) represents a key strand in policies to safeguard young people and improve their sexual health, it currently lacks statutory status, government guidance is outdated and a third of UK schools has poor-quality SRE. We aimed to investigate whether current provision meets young people's needs.

Design

Synthesis of qualitative studies of young people's views of their school-based SRE.

Setting

Eligible studies originated from the UK, Ireland, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Iran, Brazil and Sweden.

Participants

Studies of students aged 4–19 in full-time education, young adults ≤19 (not necessarily in full-time education) or adults ≤25 if recalling their experiences of school-based SRE.

Results

–69 publications were identified, with 55 remaining after quality appraisal (representing 48 studies). The synthesis found that although sex is a potent and potentially embarrassing topic, schools appear reluctant to acknowledge this and attempt to teach SRE in the same way as other subjects. Young people report feeling vulnerable in SRE, with young men anxious to conceal sexual ignorance and young women risking sexual harassment if they participate. Schools appear to have difficulty accepting that some young people are sexually active, leading to SRE that is out of touch with many young people's lives. Young people report that SRE can be negative, gendered and heterosexist. They expressed dislike of their own teachers delivering SRE due to blurred boundaries, lack of anonymity, embarrassment and poor training.

Conclusions

SRE should be ‘sex-positive’ and delivered by experts who maintain clear boundaries with students. Schools should acknowledge that sex is a special subject with unique challenges, as well as the fact and range of young people's sexual activity, otherwise young people will continue to disengage from SRE and opportunities for safeguarding and improving their sexual health will be reduced.
Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers in the UK: appraisal of systematic reviews and policy options
Authors: Kliner Merav , Keenan Alex , Sinclair David , Ghebrehewet Sam , Garner Paul
Published: September 2016

Background

The UK Department of Health recommends annual influenza vaccination for healthcare workers, but uptake remains low. For staff, there is uncertainty about the rationale for vaccination and evidence underpinning the recommendation.

Objectives

To clarify the rationale, and evidence base, for influenza vaccination of healthcare workers from the occupational health, employer and patient safety perspectives.

Design

Systematic appraisal of published systematic reviews.

Results

The quality of the 11 included reviews was variable; some included exactly the same trials but made conflicting recommendations. 3 reviews assessed vaccine effects in healthcare workers and found 1 trial reporting a vaccine efficacy (VE) of 88%. 6 reviews assessed vaccine effects in healthy adults, and VE was consistent with a median of 62% (95% CI 56 to 67). 2 reviews assessed effects on working days lost in healthcare workers (3 trials), and 3 reported effects in healthy adults (4 trials). The meta-analyses presented by the most recent reviews do not reach standard levels of statistical significance, but may be misleading as individual trials suggest benefit with wide variation in size of effect. The 2013 Cochrane review reported absolute effects close to 0 for laboratory-confirmed influenza, and hospitalisation for patients, but excluded data on clinically suspected influenza and all-cause mortality, which had shown potentially important effects in previous editions. A more recent systematic review reports these effects as a 42% reduction in clinically suspected influenza (95% CI 27 to 54) and a 29% reduction in all-cause mortality (95% CI 15 to 41).

Conclusions

The evidence for employer and patient safety benefits of influenza vaccination is not straightforward and has been interpreted differently by different systematic review authors. Future uptake of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers may benefit from a fully transparent guideline process by a panel representing all relevant stakeholders, which clearly communicates the underlying rationale, evidence base and judgements made.
Safety and effectiveness of microsurgical clipping, endovascular coiling, and stent assisted coiling for unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms: a systematic analysis of observational studies
Authors: O'Neill Anthea H , Chandra Ronil V , Lai Leon T
Published: September 2016

Objective

Treatment outcomes for unruptured anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms are not well established. We aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of microsurgical clipping (MC), endovascular coiling (EC), and stent assisted coiling (SAC) of unruptured ACoA aneurysms to aid pretreatment clinical decisions.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the Ovid Medline and EMBASE electronic databases, encompassing all English language studies reporting treatment outcomes for unruptured ACoA aneurysms published between 2005 and 2015. The analyses were directed towards patient focused outcomes: good therapeutic outcome (Glasgow Outcome Score of 5 (GOS 5), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–1), poor therapeutic outcome (GOS 1–4, mRS 2–6), 30 day mortality, recurrence/retreatment rates, and post-treatment subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Results

14 studies with 862 treated aneurysms were included (EC, n=372; MC, n=401; SAC, n=89). EC resulted in significantly lower treatment related morbidity compared with MC or SAC (EC 0.8%, MC 4.4%, SAC 7.9%; p=0.001); treatment related mortality occurred in 0%, 0.3%, and 1.1%, for EC, MC, and SAC, respectively. MC resulted in significantly lower angiographic recurrence (EC 7.2%, MC 0%, SAC 12.3%; p<0.001) and retreatment (EC 4.9%, MC 0%, SAC 6.8%; p=0.001). SAH from the treated aneurysm was not reported with any treatment modality.

Conclusions

While there are limitations to the data, EC resulted in a more favorable clinical outcome, and MC resulted in more robust aneurysm repair, for unruptured ACoA aneurysms. SAC had a higher treatment morbidity risk than EC, without reduction in retreatment rate. All treatments were effective in preventing SAH. The current pooled analysis of treatment outcomes provides a useful aid to pretreatment clinical decision making.
Diversity of indoor fungi as revealed by DNA metabarcoding
Authors: Korpelainen Helena , Pietiläinen Maria
Published: September 2016

In the present study, we conducted DNA metabarcoding (the nuclear ITS2 region) for indoor fungal samples originating from two nursery schools with a suspected mould problem (sampling before and after renovation), from two university buildings, and from an old farmhouse. Good-quality sequences were obtained, and the results showed that DNA metabarcoding provides high resolution in fungal identification. The pooled proportions of sequences representing filamentous ascomycetes, filamentous basidiomycetes, yeasts, and other fungi equalled 62.3%, 8.0%, 28.3%, and 1.4%, respectively, and the total number of fungal genera found during the study was 585. When comparing fungal diversities and taxonomic composition between different types of buildings, no obvious pattern was detected. The average pairwise values of SørensenChao indices that were used to compare similarities for taxon composition between samples among the samples from the two university buildings, two nurseries, and farmhouse equaled 0.693, 0.736, 0.852, 0.928, and 0.981, respectively, while the mean similarity index for all samples was 0.864. We discovered that making explicit conclusions on the relationship between the indoor air quality and mycoflora is complicated by the lack of appropriate indicators for air quality and by the occurrence of wide spatial and temporal changes in diversity and compositions among samples.