bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
4D Printing: dawn of an emerging technology cycle
Authors: Pei Eujin
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to reviews state-of-the-art developments in four-dimensional (4D) printing, discuss what it is, investigate new applications that have been discovered and suggest its future impact.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article clarifies the definition of 4D printing and describes notable examples covering material science, equipment and applications.

Findings

– This article highlights an emerging technology cycle where 4D printing research has gained traction within additive manufacturing. The use of stimuli-responsive materials can be programmed and printed to enable pre-determined reactions when subject to external stimuli.

Originality/value

– This article reviews state-of-the-art developments in 4D printing, discusses what it is, investigates new applications that have been discovered and suggests its future impact.
Illumination characteristics and image stitching for automatic inspection of bicycle part
Authors: Chang Wen-Yang , Tsai Chih-Ping
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate the spectral illumination characteristics and geometric features of bicycle parts and proposes an image stitching method for their automatic visual inspection.

Design/methodology/approach

– The unrealistic color casts of feature inspection is removed using white balance for global adjustment. The scale-invariant feature transforms (SIFT) is used to extract and detect the image features of image stitching. The Hough transform is used to detect the parameters of a circle for roundness of bicycle parts.

Findings

– Results showed that maximum errors of 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40° and 50° for the spectral illumination of white light light-emitting diode arrays with differential shift displacements are 4.4, 4.2, 7.8, 6.8, 8.1 and 3.5 per cent, respectively. The deviation error of image stitching for the stem accessory in x and y coordinates are 2 pixels. The SIFT and RANSAC enable to transform the stem image into local feature coordinates that are invariant to the illumination change.

Originality/value

– This study can be applied to many fields of modern industrial manufacturing and provide useful information for automatic inspection and image stitching.
A combined reordering procedure for preconditioned GMRES applied to solving equations using Lagrange multiplier method
Authors: Hu Zixiang , Wang Zhenmin , Zhang Shi , Zhang Yun , Zhou Huamin
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a combined reordering scheme with a wide range of application, called Reversed Cuthill-McKee-approximate minimum degree (RCM-AMD), to improve a preconditioned general minimal residual method for solving equations using Lagrange multiplier method, and facilitates the choice of the reordering for the iterative method.

Design/methodology/approach

– To reordering the coefficient matrix before a preconditioned iterative method will greatly impact its convergence behavior, but the effect is very problem-dependent, even performs very differently when different preconditionings applied for an identical problem or the scale of the problem varies. The proposed reordering scheme is designed based on the features of two popular ordering schemes, RCM and AMD, and benefits from each of them.

Findings

– Via numerical experiments for the cases of various scales and difficulties, the effects of RCM-AMD on the preconditioner and the convergence are investigated and the comparisons of RCM, AMD and RCM-AMD are presented. The results show that the proposed reordering scheme RCM-AMD is appropriate for large-scale and difficult problems and can be used more generally and conveniently. The reason of the reordering effects is further analyzed as well.

Originality/value

– The proposed RCM-AMD reordering scheme preferable for solving equations using Lagrange multiplier method, especially considering that the large-scale and difficult problems are very common in practical application. This combined reordering scheme is more wide-ranging and facilitates the choice of the reordering for the iterative method, and the proposed iterative method has good performance for practical cases in in-house and commercial codes on PC.
The extended unsymmetric frontal solution for multiple-point constraints
Authors: Miguel de Almeida Areias Pedro , Rabczuk Timon , Infante Barbosa Joaquim
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the linear solution of equality constrained problems by using the Frontal solution method without explicit assembling.

Design/methodology/approach

– Re-written frontal solution method with a priori pivot and front sequence. OpenMP parallelization, nearly linear (in elimination and substitution) up to 40 threads. Constraints enforced at the local assembling stage.

Findings

– When compared with both standard sparse solvers and classical frontal implementations, memory requirements and code size are significantly reduced.

Research limitations/implications

– Large, non-linear problems with constraints typically make use of the Newton method with Lagrange multipliers. In the context of the solution of problems with large number of constraints, the matrix transformation methods (MTM) are often more cost-effective. The paper presents a complete solution, with topological ordering, for this problem.

Practical implications

– A complete software package in Fortran 2003 is described. Examples of clique-based problems are shown with large systems solved in core.

Social implications

– More realistic non-linear problems can be solved with this Frontal code at the core of the Newton method.

Originality/value

– Use of topological ordering of constraints. A-priori pivot and front sequences. No need for symbolic assembling. Constraints treated at the core of the Frontal solver. Use of OpenMP in the main Frontal loop, now quantified. Availability of Software.
What determine firms’ capital structure in China?
Authors: Chen Jian , Jiang Chunxia , Lin Yujia
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of capital structure using a cross-section sample of 1,481 non-financial firms listed on the Chinese stock exchanges in 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

– Employing four leverage measures (total leverage and long-term leverage in terms of both book value and market value, respectively) this study examines the effects of factors with proven influences on capital structure in literature, along with industry effect and ownership effect.

Findings

– The authors find that large firms favour debt financing while profitable firms rely more on internal capital accumulation. Intangibility and business risk increase the level of debt financing but tax has little impact on capital structure. The authors also observe strong industrial effect and ownership effect. Real estate firms borrow considerably more and firms from utility and manufacturing industries use more long-term debt despite compared with commercial firms. On the other hand, firms with state ownership tend to borrow more, while firms with foreign ownership choose more equity financing.

Research limitations/implications

– The study uses cross-section data to avoid any potential time effects, which allows the authors to focus on their main research question – to identify the determinants of capital structure for Chinese firms. Future research may gain more insights using panel data and considering other factors such as crisis and financial reforms.

Practical implications

– These results may provide important implications to investors in making investment decision and to firms in making financing decisions.

Originality/value

– This paper uses by far the largest and latest cross-section sample from the Chinese stock markets, offering a more complete picture of the financing behaviours in the Chinese firms, with known characters and the impact of ownerships.
Foreign institutional investor trading in Chinese A-share markets
Authors: Wang Peng
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– This paper addresses the topic “The interaction between financial institutions and firms in the nonfinancial sectors” in the special issue of “Banking and finance in China.” The purpose of this paper is to examine the trading behavior and price effects of foreign institutions under the celebrated Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme on all non-financial firms in the Chinese A-share markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using quarterly equity-level foreign institution transactions from 2005Q1 to 2011Q4 in the Chinese A-share market, the author finds a positive and significant contemporaneous relationship between foreign flows and equity returns. For each quarter, the author sorts the stocks into ten portfolios based on the percentage of foreign flows, and employs the bivariate vector autoregression (VAR) model to examine the contemporaneous association in detail.

Findings

– Foreign institutions in the Chinese A-share markets do not show positive or negative feedback trading; however, their flows have a strong impact on future equity returns because of informational advantage. Additionally, different associations are found between foreign flows and equity returns.

Research limitations/implications

– Constraints on data availability exist, and a quarterly dimension is too coarse to provide a statistically precise result, although certain related papers use quarterly dimension data. Further research is required using higher frequency data.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a first look at foreign institution trading patterns and price effects on local equity returns in the Chinese A-share markets. Additionally, the equity level data allow the author to exclude the stocks that were not bought by foreign institutions and to detect the “pure effect” of foreign flows on equity returns.
Interference effects of aircraft on earth's electromagnetic response at very low frequency and low frequency
Authors: Shan C. , Pedersen L. B.
Published: September 2014

Over the last few decades, very low frequency electromagnetics has been widely and successfully applied in mineral exploration and groundwater exploration. Many radio transmitters with strong signal‐to‐noise ratios are scattered in the very low frequency band and low frequency band. Based on experiences gained from ground measurements with the radio‐magnetotelluric technique operating in the frequency interval 1–250 kHz, broadband magnetometers have been used to cover both very low frequency (3–30 kHz) and low frequency (30–300 kHz) bands to increase the resolution of the near‐surface structure. The metallic aircraft as a conductive body will distort the magnetic signal to some extent, and thus it is important to investigate aircraft interference on the electromagnetic signal. We studied noise caused by rotation of an aircraft and the aircraft itself as a metallic conductive body with three methods: 3D wave polarization, determination of transmitter direction and full tipper estimation. Both very low frequency and low frequency bands were investigated. The results show that the magnetic field is independent of the aircraft at low frequencies in the very low frequency band and part of the low frequency band (below 100 kHz). At high frequencies (above 100 kHz), the signals are more greatly influenced by the aircraft, and the wave polarization directions are more scattered, as observed when the aircraft turned. Some aircraft generated noise mixed with radio transmitter signals, detected as ‘dummy’ signals by the 3D wave polarization method. The estimated scalar magnetic transfer functions are dependent on the aircraft flight directions at high frequencies, because of aircraft interference. The aircraft eigenresponse in the transfer functions (tippers) between vertical and horizontal magnetic field components was compensated for in the real part of the estimated tippers, but some unknown effect was still observed in the imaginary parts.
Biogas production using anaerobic groundwater containing a subterranean microbial community associated with the accretionary prism
Authors: Baito Kyohei , Imai Satomi , Matsushita Makoto , Otani Miku , Sato Yu , Kimura Hiroyuki
Published: September 2014

In a deep aquifer associated with an accretionary prism, significant methane (CH4) is produced by a subterranean microbial community. Here, we developed bioreactors for producing CH4 and hydrogen (H2) using anaerobic groundwater collected from the deep aquifer. To generate CH4, the anaerobic groundwater amended with organic substrates was incubated in the bioreactor. At first, H2 was detected and accumulated in the gas phase of the bioreactor. After the H2 decreased, rapid CH4 production was observed. Phylogenetic analysis targeting 16S rRNA genes revealed that the H2‐producing fermentative bacterium and hydrogenotrophic methanogen were predominant in the reactor. The results suggested that syntrophic biodegradation of organic substrates by the H2‐producing fermentative bacterium and the hydrogenotrophic methanogen contributed to the CH4 production. For H2 production, the anaerobic groundwater, amended with organic substrates and an inhibitor of methanogens (2‐bromoethanesulfonate), was incubated in a bioreactor. After incubation for 24 h, H2 was detected from the gas phase of the bioreactor and accumulated. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene analysis suggested the dominance of the H2‐producing fermentative bacterium in the reactor. Our study demonstrated a simple and rapid CH4 and H2 production utilizing anaerobic groundwater containing an active subterranean microbial community.
Is diabetes an independent risk factor for in‐hospital complications after a stroke?
Authors: Cruz‐Herranz Andrés , Fuentes Blanca , Martínez‐Sánchez Patricia , Ruiz‐Ares Gerardo , Lara‐Lara Manuel , Sanz‐Cuesta Borja , Díez‐Tejedor Exuperio
Published: September 2014

Background

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more likely to develop in‐hospital complications (IHCs) than patients without DM. In addition, they have poorer outcomes after an ischemic stroke (IS). Our goal was to evaluate whether the increase in risk for the development of IHCs in patients with IS is due to DM per se, to poor metabolic control of the DM or to glucose levels on admission.

Methods

An observational study that included 1137 consecutive IS patients admitted to a stroke unit. Demographic data, vascular risk factors, stroke severity, on‐admission glycemia and IHC were compared between patients with and without DM. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with IHCs.

Results

Of all included patients, 283 (24.8%) had a previous diagnosis of DM. These patients were older and had higher comorbidity, with no differences in stroke severity. They presented on‐admission glycemia ≥155 mg/dL more often and suffered IHCs more frequently (24% versus 17.7%, P = 0.034). However, after adjusting for baseline differences, DM was not associated with the development of any IHC, whereas on‐admission glycemia ≥155 mg/dL (odds ratio: 1.959; 95% CI 1.276–3.009; P = 0.002) and stroke severity (odds ratio: 1.141; 95% CI 1.109–1.173; P < 0.001) were the primary predictors of the development of IHCs.

Conclusions

Although IS patients with DM more often suffered IHCs, previous diagnosis of DM is not per se associated with the risk of IHCs. Stroke severity and on‐admission glycemia ≥155 mg/dL were the most significant predictors for the development of IHCs.
Presence of Septal Q Waves in a Patient with WPW and Manifest Preexcitation
Authors: Tandon Damini , Scheinman Melvin M. , Badhwar Nitish
Published: September 2014

Wolff‐Parkinson‐White syndrome (WPW) is characteristically diagnosed by the presence of a short PR interval, a delta wave, and a wide QRS wave on the surface ECG. In the absence of these clear criteria, absent septal Q waves have been used as additional evidence suggestive of subtle preexcitation. We report a patient with WPW and manifest anteroseptal (AS) accessory pathway who had prominent septal Q waves on the surface ECG. This case highlights that physicians should be careful not to dismiss preexcitation in the presence of septal Q waves.
Decision making in prenatal screening: money matters
Authors: Verweij E. Joanne , Veersema Diederik , Pajkrt Eva , Haak Monique C.
Published: September 2014

The aim of this study is to determine the influence of withdrawal of reimbursement on the uptake of the first‐trimester combined test. Until January 2007 the combined test was offered to all pregnant women in a designated geographical area as a pilot study before the introduction of the national screening program in the Netherlands, to test the logistic procedures. In January 2007 the insurance companies suddenly stopped paying for the combined test with respect to women aged ≤35 years by decision of the government. In 2006 the combined test was performed in 4616 women compared with 3459 who had the combined test in 2007, a reduction of 25% (95% CI 23.8–26.3%, p < 0.001). A decline was observed in the uptake of the combined test in women aged ≤35 years (p < 0.001) as opposed to an increase in uptake in women aged ≥36 years (p < 0.001). The financial impact on the uptake of the first‐trimester combined test should not be underestimated.
7 Population Dynamics and Its Relation to Ancient Landscapes in the Northwestern Maya Lowlands: Evaluating Resilience and Vulnerability
Authors: Liendo Rodrigo , Solleiro‐Rebolledo Elizabeth , Solis‐Castillo Berenice , Sedov Sergei , Ortiz‐Pérez Arturo
Published: September 2014

In this article we present for discussion certain aspects of settlement and paleo‐environmental data obtained over the last few years for the northwestern Maya lowlands. Accordingly, our goal is to identify a point of departure for future research by presenting a list of possible “environmental attractors” that might later be used for a better understanding of the seemingly divergent trajectories shown by ancient communities located in different physical settings—particularly in the Sierras region and the Usumacinta plains, Mexico. Our study is based on the paleo‐pedological record of the region. Paleosols are good paleo‐environmental proxies and, with the climate information, they are indicators of past human activities and land use. In the Maya lowlands, they have been used extensively to register changes in environmental conditions and human impact on the soil cover. Nevertheless, this study represents the first attempt in that same direction in the northwestern Maya lowlands.
Rotation‐based multiple testing in the multivariate linear model
Authors: Solari Aldo , Finos Livio , Goeman Jelle J.
Published: September 2014

In observational microarray studies, issues of confounding invariably arise. One approach to account for measured confounders is to include them as covariates in a multivariate linear model. For this model, however, the application of permutation‐based multiple testing procedures is problematic because exchangeability of responses, in general, does not hold. Nevertheless, it is possible to achieve rotatability of transformed responses at the cost of a distributional assumption. We argue that rotation‐based multiple testing, by allowing for adjustments for confounding, represents an important extension of permutation‐based multiple testing procedures. The proposed methodology is illustrated with a microarray observational study on breast cancer tumors. Software to perform the procedure described in this article is available in the flip R package.
Processing Scalar Implicature: A Constraint‐Based Approach
Authors: Degen Judith , Tanenhaus Michael K.
Published: September 2014

Three experiments investigated the processing of the implicature associated withsomeusing a “gumball paradigm.” On each trial, participants saw an image of a gumball machine with an upper chamber with 13 gumballs and an empty lower chamber. Gumballs then dropped to the lower chamber and participants evaluated statements, such as “You got some of the gumballs.” Experiment 1 established thatsomeis less natural for reference to small sets (1, 2, and 3 of the 13 gumballs) and unpartitioned sets (all 13 gumballs) compared to intermediate sets (6–8). Partitivesome ofwas less natural than simplesomewhen used with the unpartitioned set. In Experiment 2, including exact number descriptions lowered naturalness ratings forsomewith small sets but not for intermediate size sets and the unpartitioned set. In Experiment 3, the naturalness ratings from Experiment 2 predicted response times. The results are interpreted as evidence for a Constraint‐Based account of scalar implicature processing and against both two‐stage, Literal‐First models and pragmatic Default models.
Urinary proteomics in obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity
Authors: Seetho Ian W. , Siwy Justyna , Albalat Amaya , Mullen William , Mischak Harald , Parker Robert J. , Craig Sonya , Duffy Nick , Hardy Kevin J. , Burniston Jatin G. , Wilding John P. H.
Published: September 2014

Background

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common complication of obesity and can have a substantial negative impact on a patient's quality of life and risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this case–control study was to undertake discovery profiling of urinary peptides using capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE‐MS) in obese subjects with and without OSA, without a history of coronary artery disease.

Materials and methods

Urinary samples were analysed by CE‐MS. Body composition and blood pressure measurements were recorded. Overnight polysomnography was conducted to confirm or refute OSA. OSA patients were naïve to continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Results

Sixty‐one subjects with OSA (age 47 ± 9 years, BMI 43 ± 8 kg/m2) and 31 controls (age 49 ± 10 years, BMI 40 ± 5 kg/m2) were studied; P = ns for age and BMI. Apnoea–hypopnoea Index was higher in patients with OSA (24 ± 18·6) than controls without OSA (non‐OSA) (2·6 ± 1·1; P < 0·0001). Metabolic syndrome was present in 35 (57%) of those with OSA compared with 4 (13%) of controls (P < 0·0001). Twenty‐four polypeptides were candidates for differential distribution (P < 0·01), although these differences did not reach significance after multiple testing. Sequences were determined for eight peptides demonstrating origins from collagens and fibrinogen alpha.

Conclusions

In this study, we report for the first time, urinary proteomic profile analyses using CE‐MS in OSA and non‐OSA obese groups. The differences in urinary proteomic profiles prior to adjustment for multiple testing, with increased metabolic syndrome in obese OSA subjects, suggest that there may be a role for CE‐MS in characterising urinary profiles in severely obese populations with OSA.
A 36‐bp deletion in the alpha subunit of glutamate‐gated chloride channel contributes to abamectin resistance in Plutella xylostella
Authors: Liu Feng , Shi Xiuzhen , Liang Yanpo , Wu Qingjun , Xu Baoyun , Xie Wen , Wang Shaoli , Zhang Youjun , Liu Nannan
Published: September 2014

Diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is one of the most destructive pests in Brassicaceae crops, such as Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.). It is rapidly developing resistance to abamectin, the dominant insecticide utilized in controlling P. xylostella in China and other southeastern Asian countries. The target of abamectin, the alpha subunit of glutamate‐gated chloride channel (GluClα), is thought to be involved in the development of abamectin resistance in nematodes and insects. This study investigated variants of GluClα in both abamectin‐susceptible and resistant strains of P. xylostella. A comparison of the PxGluClα sequences revealed three variants, including a 63‐bp substitution, a 36‐bp deletion, and a 65‐bp insertion. The frequency of the 36‐bp deletion was much higher in the abamectin‐resistant strain compared to the susceptible strain, whereas the 63‐bp substitution and 65‐bp insertion showed no significant difference between the resistant and susceptible strains. The in vitro expression of PxGluClα (with or without the 36‐bp deletion) in Xenopus laevis (Daudin) oocytes indicated that PxGluClα with the 36‐bp deletion was less sensitive to both glutamate and abamectin compared to the wild‐type PxGluClα. These findings suggest that the variant 36‐bp deletion in PxGluClα may confer abamectin resistance in P. xylostella after continuous abamectin selection, providing new insights into the management of this pest and contributing to the development of new reagents for pest control.
In situ assessment of PI3K and PTEN alterations in mycosis fungoides: correlation with clinicopathological features
Authors: Papadavid Evangelia , Korkolopoulou Penelope , Levidou Georgia , Saetta Angelica A. , Papadaki Theodora , Siakantaris Marina , Nikolaou Vassiliki , Oikonomidi Afroditi , Chatziandreou Ilenia , Marinos Leonidas , Kolialexi Aggeliki , Stratigos Alexandros , Rigopoulos Dimitrios , Psyrri Amanta , Patsouris Eftratios , Antoniou Christina
Published: September 2014

Deregulated signalling through phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a critical role in tumour initiation and progression. We have already shown that AKT is activated in skin lesions in Mycosis Fungoides (MF) and we herein further investigate the frequency and clinical significance of PTEN and PI3K at the protein and at the DNA level as well as the presence of AKT1 mutations in skin lesions from 50 patients with MF clinical stages I‐IV in relation to clinicopathological features. Increased p‐AKT expression correlated with poor prognosis in plaques (P = 0.0198), whereas p‐AKT was an independent predictor of poor survival in the entire cohort (P = 0.017, HR = 1.012). PTEN cytoplasmic expression was found low or absent in all 77.3% of cases and inversely correlated with advanced clinical stages (P = 0.0744). Molecular analysis showed no AKT1 mutation, no PI3KCA copy number gain, only 1 case with PI3KCA mutation in exon 9 and 3 cases with PTEN mutations (7%) in exons 7, 8 and 5. The latter correlated with disease (P = 0.0253) and progression (P < 0.0001) free survival in tumour stage. Although activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway due to PTEN alterations is rarely attributed to abnormalities in PTEN, PI3K, and AKT1 genes, PTEN mutations exert a negative effect on patients’ prognosis with tumours.
Allergenic pollen season variations in the past two decades under changing climate in the United States
Authors: Zhang Yong , Bielory Leonard , Mi Zhongyuan , Cai Ting , Robock Alan , Georgopoulos Panos
Published: September 2014

Many diseases are linked with climate trends and variations. In particular, climate change is expected to alter the spatiotemporal dynamics of allergenic airborne pollen and potentially increase occurrence of allergic airway disease. Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of changes in pollen season timing and levels is thus important in assessing climate impacts on aerobiology and allergy caused by allergenic airborne pollen. Here, we describe the spatiotemporal patterns of changes in the seasonal timing and levels of allergenic airborne pollen for multiple taxa in different climate regions at a continental scale. The allergenic pollen seasons of representative trees, weeds and grass during the past decade (2001–2010) across the contiguous United States have been observed to start 3.0 [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.1–4.9] days earlier on average than in the 1990s (1994–2000). The average peak value and annual total of daily counted airborne pollen have increased by 42.4% (95% CI, 21.9–62.9%) and 46.0% (95% CI, 21.5–70.5%), respectively. Changes of pollen season timing and airborne levels depend on latitude, and are associated with changes of growing degree days, frost free days, and precipitation. These changes are likely due to recent climate change and particularly the enhanced warming and precipitation at higher latitudes in the contiguous United States.
Thomistic Multiple Incarnations
Authors: Pawl Timothy
Published: September 2014

In this article I present St. Thomas Aquinas's views on the possibility of multiple incarnations. First I disambiguate four things one might mean when saying that multiple incarnations are possible. Then I provide and justify what I take to be Aquinas's answers to these questions, showing the intricacies of his argumentation and concluding that he holds an extremely robust view of the possibility of multiple incarnations. According to Aquinas, I argue, there could be three simultaneously existing concrete rational natures, each of which is assumed by all three of the Divine Persons, all at the same time.
Six years' follow‐up of multibacillary leprosy patients treated with uniform multi‐drug therapy in China
Authors: Shen Jianping , Yan Liangbin , Yu Meiwen , Li Jinlan , Yu Xiufeng , Zhang Guocheng
Published: September 2014

Objective

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of uniform multi‐drug therapy (UMDT) in patients with multibacillary (MB) leprosy.

Methods

Newly detected MB leprosy patients were treated with six months of UMDT as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated by clinical status and skin smear tests.

Results

At the start, 114 patients were recruited, examined, and treated. These patients were re‐examined and followed annually for up to six years. A total of 75 (65.8%) patients completed six years of follow‐up. Dropouts were attributable to death, severe drug reactions, and other reasons. The mean ± standard deviation bacteriological index (BI) of all patients decreased from 3.01 ± 1.50 before treatment to 0.02 ± 1.84 at the end of year 6, reflecting a mean annual decrease of 0.50. The rate of smear negativity in all patients was 98.7% at the end of year 6 of follow‐up. A total of 53 leprosy reactions were observed. One patient relapsed 13 months after the cessation of treatment.

Conclusions

A 6‐month administration of UMDT is effective in MB leprosy patients. The changes in BI values and the frequency of leprosy reactions were similar to those cited in reports in the literature of patients treated with 1‐ or 2‐year regimens of MDT. However, further research should be conducted to confirm the present results.
Prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients referred for transthoracic echocardiography
Authors: Majeed K. , Hamer A. W. , White S. C. , Pegg T. J. , Wilkins G. T. , Williams S. M. , Chen Y. H. , Williams M. J. A.
Published: September 2014

Background

Previous studies have documented the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during transthoracic echocardiography, but the effect of such screening on subsequent vascular interventions remains unclear.

Aim

This study aimed to determine the utility of opportunistic selective screening for AAA in a contemporary large series of patients having transthoracic echocardiography.

Methods

Subjects aged 50 years or older having transthoracic echocardiography had scanning of the infrarenal aorta in a consecutive series of 10 403 men and women.

Results

The study subjects had a mean age of 70.2 ± 10.7 years, and 54.1% were men. There was a 3.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2–3.9%) prevalence of AAA with a median diameter of 39 mm (interquartile range 32 mm–48 mm). In males ≥ 65 years the prevalence of newly diagnosed AAA was 6.2% (95% CI 5.5–7.0%). Of those with newly diagnosed AAA, 39.7% underwent AAA repair. Age and male gender were associated with AAA prevalence. After adjustment for age and gender, echocardiographic variables associated with AAA were left ventricular end diastolic dimension (odds ratio (OR) 1.02, 95%CI 1.01–1.04), interventricular septum thickness (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.17), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.15), left atrial diameter (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.07) and aortic root diameter (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.06–1.11).

Conclusions

This study revealed a high prevalence of newly diagnosed AAA in a group of older men having cardiac evaluation. There was a relationship of increasing age with AAA, and a significant proportion of newly diagnosed subjects were not suitable for AAA repair.
Associations of Daytime, Nighttime, and 24‐Hour Heart Rate With Four Distinct Markers of Inflammation in Hypertensive Patients: The Styrian Hypertension Study
Authors: ó Hartaigh Bríain , Gaksch Martin , Kienreich Katharina , Grübler Martin R. , Verheyen Nicolas , März Winfried , Tomaschitz Andreas , Gill Thomas M. , Pilz Stefan
Published: September 2014

The current study assessed which measure of heart rate (HR) is most associated with inflammatory activity. Among 368 hypertensive patients (mean age±standard deviation, 60.6±10.8; 52.9% women), mean daytime (from 6 am to 10 pm), nighttime (from 10 pm to 6 am), and 24‐hour HR were recorded using a continuous 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring portable device. Associations of daytime, nighttime, and 24‐hour HR with leukocytes, platelets, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D were calculated using multivariate linear regression, reporting unstandardized coefficients (B) with standard errors (SEs). Mean daytime, nighttime, and 24‐hour HR were 73, 64, and 71 beats per minute, respectively. All HR measures were positively associated with leukocytes after adjustment. Nighttime HR was additionally related with higher CRP. When all HR measures were simultaneously added to a single multivariate model, only the positive associations of nighttime HR with leukocytes (B [SE]=0.06 [0.03], P=.04), as well as with CRP (B [SE]=0.20 [0.07], P=.005), persisted. Nighttime HR was more closely associated with inflammatory activity. These observations lend some insight toward the pathophysiological mechanisms that implicate HR in cardiovascular risk and provide valuable direction for forthcoming investigations.
Fabp4‐CreER lineage tracing revealstwo distinctive coronary vascular populations
Authors: He Lingjuan , Tian Xueying , Zhang Hui , Wythe Joshua D. , Zhou Bin
Published: September 2014

Over the last two decades, genetic lineage tracing has allowed for the elucidation of the cellular origins and fates during both embryogenesis and in pathological settings in adults. Recent lineage tracing studies using Apln‐CreER tool indicated that a large number of post‐natal coronary vessels do not form from pre‐existing vessels. Instead, they form de novo after birth, which represents a coronary vascular population (CVP) distinct from the pre‐existing one. Herein, we present new coronary vasculature lineage tracing results using a novel tool, Fabp4‐CreER. Our results confirm the distinct existence of two unique CVPs. The 1st CVP, which is labelled by Fabp4‐CreER, arises through angiogenic sprouting of pre‐existing vessels established during early embryogenesis. The 2nd CVP is not labelled by Fabp4, suggesting that these vessels form de novo, rather than through expansion of the 1st CVP. These results support the de novo formation of vessels in the post‐natal heart, which has implications for studies in cardiovascular disease and heart regeneration.
The quantified self: closing the gap between general knowledge and particular case?
Authors: Thornquist Eline , Kirkengen Anna Luise
Published: September 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

This paper addresses the movements ‘evidence‐based’ (EBM) and ‘personalized’ (PM) medicine. The former is being criticized for failing to do justice to clinical complexity and human individuality. The latter aims at tailoring medical knowledge for every patient in a personalized fashion. Instrumental to this effort is the technological development engendering unlimited amounts of data about bodily fragments. The aim of this article is to stimulate a debate about the notion of the body and knowledge in medicine.

Methods

An authentic sickness history is used as a vantage point for a more comprehensive account of biomedicine.

Results

The analysis of the sickness history demonstrates how biomedical logic guided all approaches in the care for this particular patient. Each problem was identified and treated separately, whereby neglecting the interaction between body parts and systems, and between the woman's bodily condition and her experiences. The specialists involved seemed to look for phenomena that fit categories of disorders ‘belonging’ to their field. These approaches engendered unintended effects: chronification, poly‐pharmacy and multi‐morbidity, leading to an unsustainable increase in medical costs.

Conclusions

The article elucidates how the status that professionals ascribe to the body has vital implications for what they regard as relevant and how they interpret the information they have collected. On this ground, we challenge both the prevailing and tacitly accepted separation between the physical body and human experience and the view of knowledge underpinning EBM and PM. The growing molecularization of the body veils decisive sources of human illness.
Networking and data sharing reduces hospitalization cost of heart failure: the experience of GISC study
Authors: Pisanò Franco , Lorenzoni Giulia , Sabato Stefano S. , Soriani Nicola , Narraci Ottavio , Accogli Michele , Rosato Carlo , de Paolis Paola , Folino Franco , Buja Gianfranco , Tona Francesco , Baldi Ileana , Iliceto Sabino , Gregori Dario ,   GISC Study Group
Published: September 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

Heart failure (HF) is a concerning public health burden in Western society because, despite the improvement of medical treatments, it is still associated with adverse outcomes (high morbidity and mortality), resulting in one of the most expensive chronic disease in Western countries. Hospital admission particularly is the most expensive cost driver among the several resources involved in the management of HF. The aim of our study was to investigate the cost of hospitalization before and after the enrolment to a new strategy (GISC) in the management of patients with HF.

Methods

We enrolled a cohort of 90 patients. Patients were eligible to the study if they were hospitalized with a new diagnosis of HF or a diagnosis of decompensated HF. The enrolment to the study corresponded to the enrolment to the GISC intervention. We calculated the cost for every hospital admission at 6 and 12 months before and after the enrolment using the tariff paid for the diagnosis‐related group.

Results

Comparing per‐patient cumulative cost before and after the enrolment, we showed that patient's hospitalization was less expensive after the enrolment to the GISC intervention. The strategy resulted in an average cumulative estimated saving of €439 322.00 (95% CI €413 890.70; €464 753.40) at 6 months and of €832 276.80 (95% CI €786 863.70; €877 690.00) at 12 months after the enrolment.

Conclusions

We found out that the intervention was a cost‐saving strategy for follow‐up of the patients suffering from HF at 6 and 12 months after the enrolment compared with hospitalizations' cost before the recruitment.
OsSERK1 regulates rice development but not immunity to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae or Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Zuo Shimin , Zhou Xiaogang , Chen Mawsheng , Zhang Shilu , Schwessinger Benjamin , Ruan Deling , Yuan Can , Wang Jing , Chen Xuewei , Ronald Pamela C.
Published: September 2014

Somatic embryogenesis receptor kinase (SERK) proteins play pivotal roles in regulation of plant development and immunity. The rice genome contains two SERK genes, OsSerk1 and OsSerk2. We previously demonstrated that OsSerk2 is required for rice Xa21‐mediated resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and for normal development. Here we report the molecular characterization of OsSerk1. Overexpression of OsSerk1 results in a semi‐dwarf phenotype whereas silencing of OsSerk1 results in a reduced angle of the lamina joint. OsSerk1 is not required for rice resistance to Xoo or Magnaporthe oryzae. Overexpression of OsSerk1 in OsSerk2‐silenced lines complements phenotypes associated with brassinosteroid (BR) signaling defects, but not the disease resistance phenotype mediated by Xa21. In yeast, OsSERK1 interacts with itself forming homodimers, and also interacts with the kinase domains of OsSERK2 and BRI1, respectively. OsSERK1 is a functional protein kinase capable of auto‐phosphorylation in vitro. We conclude that, whereas OsSERK2 regulates both rice development and immunity, OsSERK1 functions in rice development but not immunity to Xoo and M. oryzae.
EMERGENCE OF LEAPFROGGING FROM RESIDENTIAL CHOICE WITH ENDOGENOUS GREEN SPACE: ANALYTICAL RESULTS
Authors: Peeters Dominique , Caruso Geoffrey , Cavailhès Jean , Thomas Isabelle , Frankhauser Pierre , Vuidel Gilles
Published: September 2014

Leapfrog development is a typical form of sprawl. This paper aims at analyzing the existence, size, and persistence of leapfrogging in a dynamic urban economic model with endogenous green amenities. We analyze whether incoming households choose to settle at the fringe of the city or to jump further away depending on their preferences and the structure of the city. We first provide an analytical treatment of the conditions and characteristics under which a first leapfrog occurs and show how the optimal choice is affected by the size of the city, income, commuting costs, as well as the size of the area where green amenities are considered. We then study how further leapfrogging and multiple urban rings may appear and be maintained in the long‐run equilibrium, and how infill processes take place through time.
INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANTS, BRIDGING SOCIAL CAPITAL, ETHNICITY, AND LOCALITY
Authors: Tselios Vassilis , Noback Inge , van Dijk Jouke , McCann Philip
Published: September 2014

This paper analyses a uniquely detailed data set of social integration characteristics of immigrants belonging to four non‐native ethnic groups (i.e., Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, and Antilleans) living in Dutch neighborhoods. It is well known that an individual's level of social integration is related to the ethnic composition and economic development of an immigrant's residential locality, as well as the generation of the immigrant. Yet, what is not known is whether the social and economic characteristics of adjacent or neighboring localities also influence an individual's level of social integration. Using a multilevel hierarchical analysis with spatial interaction effects, we examine the extent to which four social integration aspects of the bridging social capital of these immigrant groups are related to their ethnicity, their generation, their immediate locality, and the effects of the neighboring localities. Our findings regarding the effects of the ethnic concentration and economic development of the immediate locality along with the immigrant's generation broadly concur with existing studies. At the same time, however, we also find that the features of neighboring localities exert an additional influence on an individual's social integration over and above those related to the immigrant's generation and immediate locality. These additional spatial spillover effects are broadly in line with those associated with the immediate locality, but they are also sensitive to particular proxies for social integration which are employed. These spatial spillover effects on social capital and social integration have not been observed before.
Comparing CRIB‐II and SNAPPE‐II as mortality predictors for very preterm infants
Authors: Reid Shelley , Bajuk Barbara , Lui Kei , Sullivan Elizabeth A ,   NSW and ACT Neonatal Intensive Care Units Audit Group, PSN
Published: September 2014

Aims

This article compares the severity of illness scoring systems clinical risk index for babies (CRIB)‐II and score for neonatal acute physiology with perinatal extension (SNAPPE)‐II for discriminatory ability and goodness of fit in the same cohort of babies of less than 32 weeks gestation and aims to provide validation in the Australian population.

Methods

CRIB‐II and SNAPPE‐II scores were collected on the same cohort of preterm infants born within a 2‐year period, 2003 and 2004. The discriminatory ability of each score was assessed by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, and goodness of fit was assessed by the Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) test. The outcome measure was in‐hospital mortality. A multivariate logistic regression model was tested for perinatal variables that might add to the risk of in‐hospital mortality.

Results

Data for both scores were available for 1607 infants. Both scores had good discriminatory ability (CRIB‐II area under the curve 0.913, standard error (SE) 0.014; SNAPPE‐II area under the curve 0.907, SE 0.012) and adequate goodness of fit (HL χ2 = 11.384, 8 degrees of freedom, P = 0.183 for CRIB‐II; HL χ2 = 4.319, 7 degrees of freedom, P = 0.742 for SNAPPE‐II). The multivariate model did not reveal other significant variables.

Conclusions

Both severity of illness scores are ascertained during the first 12 h of life and perform similarly. Both can facilitate risk‐adjusted comparisons of mortality and quality of care after the first post‐natal 12 h. CRIB‐II scores have the advantage of being simpler to collect and calculate.
Quantitative Contrast‐enhanced Ultrasonographic Assessment of Naturally Occurring Pancreatitis in Dogs
Authors: Lim S.Y. , Nakamura K. , Morishita K. , Sasaki N. , Murakami M. , Osuga T. , Yokoyama N. , Ohta H. , Yamasaki M. , Takiguchi M.
Published: September 2014

Background

Quantitative contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) can detect pancreatic perfusion changes in experimentally induced canine pancreatitis. However, its usefulness in detecting perfusion changes in naturally occurring pancreatitis is unclear.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To determine the feasibility of usingCEUSto detect pancreatic and duodenal perfusion changes in naturally occurring canine pancreatitis.

Animals

Twenty‐three client‐owned dogs with pancreatitis, 12 healthy control dogs.

Methods

Dogs diagnosed with pancreatitis were prospectively included.CEUSof the pancreas and duodenum were performed. Time‐intensity curves were created from regions of interest in the pancreas and duodenum. Five perfusion parameters were obtained for statistical analyses: time to initial up‐slope, peak time (Tp), time to wash‐out (TTW), peak intensity (PI), and area under the curve (AUC).

Results

For the pancreas,Tpof the pancreatitis group was prolonged when compared to controls (62 ± 11 seconds versus 39 ± 13 seconds;P < .001).TTWalso was prolonged but not significantly (268 ± 69 seconds versus 228 ± 47 seconds;P = .47).PIandAUCwere increased when compared to controls (95 ± 15 versus 78 ± 13 MPV;P = .009 and 14,900 ± 3,400 versus 11,000 ± 2,800 MPV*s;P = .013, respectively). For the duodenum,PIandAUCwere significantly increased in the pancreatitis group when compared to controls.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography can detect pancreatic perfusion changes in naturally occurring canine pancreatitis characterized by delayed peak with prolonged hyperechoic enhancement of the pancreas onCEUS. Additionally, duodenal perfusion changes secondary to pancreatitis were observed.