bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying Persistent Asthma in Children: A Comparison of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set Criteria and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Guidelines
Authors: Hall Ashleigh , Smolij Carol , Moughan Beth , Kechli Amer , Aronoff Stephen
Published: August 2017

Persistent asthma requires a daily controller medication. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality measures are used to identify persistent asthma, the former method used by clinicians, and the latter by managed care organizations (MCOs). This study aims to determine the degree of agreement between these criteria in classifying pediatric persistent asthma. Asthmatic patients aged 5–18 years old in a university pediatric practice who were continuously enrolled with one MCO from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013 (Cohort 1: 329 patients) and January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 (Cohort 2: 212 patients) were identified. Subjects with at least one asthma visit were included. Independence of NHLBI and HEDIS criteria was determined by the McNemar test. Agreement was determined by confusion matrix analysis and Cohen kappa statistic with continuity correction. Agreement in controller assignment was 82% in Cohort 1 and 88% in Cohort 2. Agreement was fair in Cohort 1 (Cohen kappa = 0.364; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.217–0.511) and moderate in Cohort 2 (Cohen kappa = 0.447; 95% CI = 0.247–0.646). The HEDIS misclassified persistent asthma by 16.4% (95% CI: 11.5–21.2%) and 11.8% (95% CI: 6.8–16.7%) in Cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. NHLBI and HEDIS criteria show fair to moderate agreement; however, the HEDIS consistently misclassified persistent asthma, suggesting that it is a poor measure of practice performance.
Impact of Simulation-Enhanced Pharmacology Education in Prelicensure Nursing Education
Authors: Sanko Jill Steiner , Mckay Mary
Published: August 2017

Student and novice nurses are susceptible to committing medication errors related to lack of experience. To address medication safety, a quasi-experimental design (N = 120) was used to test the effect of adding simulation to an undergraduate nursing pharmacology course on students’ confidence and competence, medication adverse events, and observed medication administration practices. Students who received simulation-enhanced pharmacology demonstrated important improvements in medication administration safety. Implementing simulation in nursing pharmacology curriculum is consistent with recommendations to implement Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies into nursing education.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Transmission Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: An Anatomical Site-Specific Mathematical Model Evaluating the Potential Preventive Impact of Mouthwash
Authors: Zhang Lei , Regan David G. , Chow Eric P.F. , Gambhir Manoj , Cornelisse Vincent , Grulich Andrew , Ong Jason , Lewis David A. , Hocking Jane , Fairley Christopher K.
Published: August 2017

Background

Gonorrhoea notifications are rapidly rising in men who have sex with men (MSM). We developed a model to assess mouthwash as a novel intervention for gonorrhoea control.

Methods

We developed a model of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) transmission to explain anatomic site-specific prevalence of gonorrhoea among MSM. The model was calibrated to available epidemiological and behavioral data. We estimated the contribution of various sexual acts to gonorrhoea incidence and evaluate the potential impacts of screening scale-up and utilization of mouthwash on the gonorrhoea epidemic.

Results

We calibrated the model to prevalence of oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral gonorrhoea of 8.6% (7.7–9.5%), 8.3% (7.4–9.1%), and 0.20% (0.04–0.35%), respectively, among MSM. Oropharynx to oropharynx transmission through kissing is estimated to account for nearly three quarters of all incident cases (71.6% [64.4–80.5%]) of gonorrhoea in MSM. Substantially increasing annual oropharynx screening for gonorrhoea from the current 40% to 100% may only halve the prevalence of gonorrhoea in MSM. In contrast, the use of mouthwash with moderate efficacy (additional 1% clearance per daily use) would further reduce the corresponding prevalence rates to 3.1% (2.2–4.4%), 3.8% (2.3–4.9%), and 0.10% (0.06–0.11%), and a high-efficacy mouthwash (additional 1.5% clearance per daily use) may further halve the gonorrhoea prevalence. Without oropharynx to oropharynx transmission, we could not replicate current prevalence data.

Conclusions

Despite a dearth of empirical data, our model suggests that kissing could potentially play an important role in NG transmission among MSM. Control through sexually transmitted infection screening alone is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the gonorrhoea epidemic in MSM.
A Systematic Review of Hospital Trauma Team Activation Criteria for Children
Authors: Drendel Amy L. , Gray Matthew P. , Lerner E. Brooke
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Hospital trauma activation criteria are intended to identify children who are likely to require aggressive resuscitation or specific surgical interventions that are time sensitive and require the resources of a trauma team at the bedside. Evidence to support criteria is limited, and no prior publication has provided historical or current perspectives on hospital practices toward informing best practice. This study aimed to describe the published variation in (1) highest level of hospital trauma team activation criteria for pediatric patients and (2) hospital trauma team membership and (3) compare these finding to the current ACS recommendations.

Methods

Using an Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations search, any published description of hospital trauma team activation criteria for children that used information captured in the prehospital setting was identified. Only studies of children were included. If the study included both adults and children, it was included if the number of children assessed with the criteria was included.

Results

Eighteen studies spanning 20 years and 13,184 children were included. Hospital trauma team activation and trauma team membership were variable. Nearly all (92%) of the trauma criteria used physiologic factors. Penetrating trauma (83%) was frequently included in the trauma team activation criteria. Mechanisms of injury (52%) were least likely to be included in the highest level of activation. No predictable pattern of criterion adoption was found. Only 2 of the published criteria and 1 of published trauma team membership are consistent with the current American College of Surgeons recommendations.

Conclusions

Published hospital trauma team activation criteria and trauma team membership for children were variable. Future prospective studies are needed to define the optimal hospital trauma team activation criteria and trauma team membership and assess its impact on improving outcomes for children.
Perceived Need Versus Current Spending: Gaps in Providing Foundational Public Health Services in Communities
Authors: Bekemeier Betty , Marlowe Justin , Squires Linda Sharee , Tebaldi Jennifer , Park Seungeun
Published: August 2017

Objective:

Our objective was to estimate the gap between the costs for local health jurisdictions (LHJs) to provide foundational public health services (FPHS) and actual spending on FPHS and to examine factors associated with that gap.

Design:

We employed resource-based cost estimation methods for this observational study and conducted multivariate analyses with measures derived from secondary administrative data. We used primary data collected from LHJ leaders that depicted 2014 spending and perceived need. We also included secondary administrative data depicting annual 2000-2013 expenditures organized into categories containing key elements of FPHS areas.

Setting:

We included primary data from a representative sample of 10 LHJs in Washington State and secondary data for all 35 LHJs in Washington.

Participants:

Participants were public health practice leaders from each sample LHJ.

Main Outcome Measure:

Our main outcome of interest was the gap identified between current spending and the perceived spending needed to provide FPHS in a jurisdiction.

Results:

Actual FPHS spending was approximately 65% of spending needed to provide overall FPHS for our sample LHJs, but the size of the gap varied substantially by program. Some gaps also varied widely by LHJ, with spending gaps widest among rural and high poverty communities. Percent poverty and the metropolitan nature of a jurisdiction were factors significantly related to FPHS spending in our multivariate analyses.

Conclusions:

Actual spending lags far behind local officials' estimates of spending needed to provide FPHS and is likely influenced by local conditions. Major apparent gaps between spending and need, particularly in areas such as costly Business Competencies, underscore the need for cross-cutting capabilities to support public health system responsiveness and for attention to be paid to local conditions.
Using Obesity Research to Shape Obesity Policy in Minnesota: Stakeholder Insights and Feasibility of Recommendations
Authors: Jou Judy , Nanney Marilyn S. , Walker Elizabeth , Callanan Rachel , Weisman Susan , Gollust Sarah E.
Published: August 2017

Objective:

Preventing childhood obesity requires innovative, evidence-based policy approaches. This study examines the use of research evidence by obesity policy stakeholders in Minnesota and develops pilot tools for communicating timely evidence to policymakers.

Design, Setting, and Participants:

From November 2012 to January 2013, semistructured interviews were conducted with 51 Minnesota stakeholders in childhood obesity prevention. Interviewees included 16 state legislators and staff; 16 personnel from the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Health, and Minnesota Department of Transportation; and 19 advocates for and against childhood obesity prevention legislation (response rate = 71%).

Main Outcome Measures:

Participants were asked their views on 3 themes: (1) Whether and how they used research evidence in their current decision-making processes; (2) barriers to using research evidence for policymaking; and (3) suggestions for improving the evidence translation process. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A team approach to qualitative analysis was used to summarize themes, compare findings across interviewees' professional roles, and highlight unexpected findings, areas of tension, or illuminating quotes.

Results:

Stakeholders used research evidence to support policy decisions, educate the public, and overcome value-based arguments. Common challenges included the amount and complexity of research produced and limited relationships between researchers and decision makers. Responding to interviewee recommendations, we developed and assessed 2 pilot tools: a directory of research experts and a series of research webinars on topics related to childhood obesity. Stakeholders found these materials relevant and high-quality but expressed uncertainty about using them in making policy decisions.

Conclusions:

Stakeholders believe that research evidence should inform the design of programs and policies for childhood obesity prevention; however, many lack the time and resources to consult research consistently. Future efforts to facilitate evidence-informed policymaking should emphasize approaches to designing and presenting research that better meets the needs of policy and programmatic decision makers.
Identifying Overweight and Obesity in Brazilian Schoolchildren, 2014
Authors: Pozza Fernanda Seyr , Nucci Luciana Bertoldi , Enes Carla Cristina
Published: August 2017

Context:

For any intervention in a population, we need to understand population characteristics and needs. The School Health Program (PSE) is a Brazilian national proposal for the improvement of schoolchildren's quality of life by integrating health and education areas to address vulnerabilities that affect the development of students from public schools.

Objective:

To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents and to expound methods to evaluate the nutritional status deviation.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Schools in Itatiba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, participating in PSE.

Participants:

A total of 6829 schoolchildren aged 6 month to 15 years.

Main Outcome Measures:

Nutritional status and standard percentile curves for body mass index (BMI) for gender.

Results:

In children younger than 5 years, the prevalence of being overweight was 13.9%; for those between 5 years or older and younger than 10 years, it was 33.9%; and for those 10 years or older, it was 34.0%. In males, obesity and severe obesity were more present (10.7% and 3.7%, respectively) than in girls (9.5% and 1.9%, respectively). Regarding location, it was found that the region with the highest income showed a higher prevalence of overweight children. Compared with the World Health Organization reference BMI curves, our reference percentile curve showed a higher standard for the cutoff points between normal range and overweight.

Conclusion:

From our results, we found that age and measures of weight and height in schoolchildren could contribute, in a cheap and simple way, to the assessment of nutritional status in a region. This is helpful in providing health monitoring and assisting in making public health decisions, as well as serving in comparison with other scientific studies. Partnership between education and health systems can facilitate and improve the quality of health management among schoolchildren.
Pediatric chronic pain programs: current and ideal practice
Authors: Miró Jordi , McGrath Patrick J. , Finley G. Allen , Walco Gary A.
Published: August 2017

Introduction:

The treatment of youth with chronic pain has improved in recent years. However, because pediatric chronic pain programs are not governed by international standards, the development and implementation of new initiatives may be limited.

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to identify the features of programs as they exist at present and to determine what features they should have in an ideal state.

Methods:

A web-based international survey was used to collect information. The survey contained 86 questions seeking respondent professional demographic data and information about the pain program with which the respondent was affiliated at the time (program organization, types of pain problem treated, professionals involved, services provided, size of the program, research, professional training, public education and advocacy, and funding sources).

Results:

Respondents were 136 pediatric pain experts representing different specialties located in 12 countries. Most respondents indicated that ideal programs would have a multidisciplinary staff; provide a wide range of treatments for different chronic pain problems; integrate research, formal clinical training of specialists, and public education and advocacy into their activities; and be an accredited part of the public health system.

Conclusions:

The results of this survey may be useful for health care professionals interested in treating chronic pain in children and adolescents and for policy makers concerned with improving the care given to these children and their families.
Brief Report: Stigma and HIV Care Continuum Outcomes Among Ethiopian Adults Initiating ART
Authors: Hoffman Susie , Tymejczyk Olga , Kulkarni Sarah , Lahuerta Maria , Gadisa Tsigereda , Remien Robert H. , Melaku Zenebe , Nash Denis , Elul Batya
Published: August 2017

Background:

Stigma harms the mental health of HIV-positive individuals and reduces adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), but less is known about stigma and other outcomes across the HIV care continuum.

Methods:

Among 1180 Ethiopian adults initiating ART at 6 urban HIV clinics, we examined the relationship of internalized, anticipated, and enacted stigma to HIV care-related outcomes ascertained by interview (repeat HIV-positive testing, provider vs. self-referred testing, missed clinic visit before ART initiation, eagerness to begin ART), and by abstraction of routinely collected clinical data (late ART initiation, 3-month gap in care following ART initiation). Logistic regression was used to assess the association of each type of stigma with each outcome, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results:

Scoring higher on each stigma domain was associated with 50%–90% higher odds of repeat HIV-positive testing. High internalized stigma was associated with higher odds of provider vs. self-referred test [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)high vs. low: 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3 to 2.2]. Higher anticipated stigma was associated with lower eagerness to begin ART (aORhigh vs. low: 0.55; 0.35–0.87; aORmedium vs. low: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.69). Any enacted stigma was associated with higher odds of a missed visit (aORany vs. none 1.8; 1.2–2.8). Stigma was not associated with late ART-initiation or with a subsequent gap in care.

Discussion and Conclusions:

These findings provide further evidence of the importance of measuring and addressing stigma across the entire care continuum. Future work should test hypotheses about specific stigma domains and outcomes in prospective intervention or observational studies.
Modelling variability in cardiac electrophysiology: a moment-matching approach
Authors: Tixier Eliott , Lombardi Damiano , Rodriguez Blanca , Gerbeau Jean-Frédéric
Published: August 2017

The variability observed in action potential (AP) cardiomyocyte measurements is the consequence of many different sources of randomness. Often ignored, this variability may be studied to gain insight into the cell ionic properties. In this paper, we focus on the study of ionic channel conductances and describe a methodology to estimate their probability density function (PDF) from AP recordings. The method relies on the matching of observable statistical moments and on the maximum entropy principle. We present four case studies using synthetic and sets of experimental AP measurements from human and canine cardiomyocytes. In each case, the proposed methodology is applied to infer the PDF of key conductances from the exhibited variability. The estimated PDFs are discussed and, when possible, compared to the true distributions. We conclude that it is possible to extract relevant information from the variability in AP measurements and discuss the limitations and possible implications of the proposed approach.
Host population structure and treatment frequency maintain balancing selection on drug resistance
Authors: Cobey Sarah , Baskerville Edward B. , Colijn Caroline , Hanage William , Fraser Christophe , Lipsitch Marc
Published: August 2017

It is a truism that antimicrobial drugs select for resistance, but explaining pathogen- and population-specific variation in patterns of resistance remains an open problem. Like other common commensals,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
has demonstrated persistent coexistence of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains. Theoretically, this outcome is unlikely. We modelled the dynamics of competing strains of
S. pneumoniae
to investigate the impact of transmission dynamics and treatment-induced selective pressures on the probability of stable coexistence. We find that the outcome of competition is extremely sensitive to structure in the host population, although coexistence can arise from age-assortative transmission models with age-varying rates of antibiotic use. Moreover, we find that the selective pressure from antibiotics arises not so much from the rate of antibiotic use
per se
but from the frequency of treatment: frequent antibiotic therapy disproportionately impacts the fitness of sensitive strains. This same phenomenon explains why serotypes with longer durations of carriage tend to be more resistant. These dynamics may apply to other potentially pathogenic, microbial commensals and highlight how population structure, which is often omitted from models, can have a large impact.
Zebrafish nephrosin helps host defence againstEscherichia coliinfection
Authors: Di Qianqian , Lin Qing , Huang Zhibin , Chi Yali , Chen Xiaohui , Zhang Wenqing , Zhang Yiyue
Published: August 2017

Neutrophils play important roles in innate immunity and are mainly dependent on various enzyme-containing granules to kill engulfed microorganisms. Zebrafishnephrosin(npsn) is specifically expressed in neutrophils; however, its function is largely unknown. Here, we generated annpsnmutant (npsnsmu5) via CRISPR/Cas9 to investigate thein vivofunction of Npsn. The overall development and number of neutrophils remained unchanged innpsn-deficient mutants, whereas neutrophil antibacterial function was defective. Upon infection withEscherichia coli, thenpsnsmu5mutants exhibited a lower survival rate and more severe bacterial burden, as well as augmented inflammatory response to challenge with infection when compared with wild-type embryos, whereasnpsn-overexpressing zebrafish exhibited enhanced host defence againstE. coliinfection. These findings demonstrated that zebrafish Npsn promotes host defence against bacterial infection. Furthermore, our findings suggested thatnpsn-deficient and -overexpressing zebrafish might serve as effective models ofin vivoinnate immunity.
Control mechanisms for stochastic biochemical systems via computation of reachable sets
Authors: Lakatos Eszter , Stumpf Michael P. H.
Published: August 2017

Controlling the behaviour of cells by rationally guiding molecular processes is an overarching aim of much of synthetic biology. Molecular processes, however, are notoriously noisy and frequently nonlinear. We present an approach to studying the impact of control measures on motifs of molecular interactions that addresses the problems faced in many biological systems: stochasticity, parameter uncertainty and nonlinearity. We show that our reachability analysis formalism can describe the potential behaviour of biological (naturally evolved as well as engineered) systems, and provides a set of bounds on their dynamics at the level of population statistics: for example, we can obtain the possible ranges of means and variances of mRNA and protein expression levels, even in the presence of uncertainty about model parameters.
Tumour heterogeneity promotes collective invasion and cancer metastatic dissemination
Authors: Hallou Adrien , Jennings Joel , Kabla Alexandre J.
Published: August 2017

Heterogeneity within tumour cell populations is commonly observed in most cancers. However, its impact on metastatic dissemination, one of the primary determinants of the disease prognosis, remains poorly understood. Working with a simplified numerical model of tumour spheroids, we investigated the impact of mechanical heterogeneity on the onset of tumour invasion into surrounding tissues. Our work establishes a positive link between tumour heterogeneity and metastatic dissemination, and recapitulates a number of invasion patterns identified
in vivo
, such as multicellular finger-like protrusions. Two complementary mechanisms are at play in heterogeneous tumours. A small proportion of stronger cells are able to initiate and lead the escape of cells, while collective effects in the bulk of the tumour provide the coordination required to sustain the invasive process through multicellular streaming. This suggests that the multicellular dynamics observed during metastasis is a generic feature of mechanically heterogeneous cell populations and might rely on a limited and generic set of attributes.
The role of climatic and geological events in generating diversity in Ethiopian grass frogs (genusPtychadena)
Authors: Smith Megan L. , Noonan Brice P. , Colston Timothy J.
Published: August 2017

Ethiopia is a world biodiversity hotspot and harbours levels of biotic endemism unmatched in the Horn of Africa, largely due to topographic—and thus habitat—complexity, which results from a very active geological and climatic history. Among Ethiopian vertebrate fauna, amphibians harbour the highest levels of endemism, making amphibians a compelling system for the exploration of the impacts of Ethiopia's complex abiotic history on biotic diversification. Grass frogs of the genusPtychadenaare notably diverse in Ethiopia, where they have undergone an evolutionary radiation. We used molecular data and expanded taxon sampling to test for cryptic diversity and to explore diversification patterns in both the highland radiation and two widespread lowlandPtychadena. Species delimitation results support the presence of nine highland species and four lowland species in our dataset, and divergence dating suggests that both geologic events and climatic fluctuations played a complex and confounded role in the diversification ofPtychadenain Ethiopia. We rectify the taxonomy of the endemicP. neumannispecies complex, elevating one formally synonymized name and describing three novel taxa. Finally, we describe two novel lowlandPtychadenaspecies that occur in Ethiopia and may be more broadly distributed.
Assessment and analysis of human laterality for manipulation and communication using the Rennes Laterality Questionnaire
Authors: Prieur Jacques , Barbu Stéphanie , Blois-Heulin Catherine
Published: August 2017

Despite significant scientific advances, the nature of the left-hemispheric systems involved in language (speech and gesture) and manual actions is still unclear. To date, investigations of human laterality focused mainly on non-communication functions. Although gestural laterality data have been published for infants and children, relatively little is known about laterality of human gestural communication. This study investigated human laterality in depth considering non-communication manipulation actions and various gesture types involving hands, feet, face and ears. We constructed an online laterality questionnaire including 60 items related to daily activities. We collected 317 594 item responses by 5904 randomly selected participants. The highest percentages of strong left-lateralized (6.76%) and strong right-lateralized participants (75.19%) were for manipulation actions. The highest percentages of mixed left-lateralized (12.30%) and ambidextrous (50.23%) participants were found for head-related gestures. The highest percentage of mixed right-lateralized participants (55.33%) was found for auditory gestures. Every behavioural category showed a significant population-level right-side bias. More precisely, participants were predominantly right-lateralized for non-communication manual actions, for visual iconic, visual symbolic, visual deictic (with and without speech), tactile and auditory manual gestures as well as for podial and head-related gestures. Our findings support previous studies reporting that humans have left-brain predominance for gestures and complex motor activities such as tool-use. Our study shows that the Rennes Laterality Questionnaire is a useful research instrument to assess and analyse human laterality for both manipulation and communication functions.
Natal foraging philopatry in eastern Pacific hawksbill turtles
Authors: Gaos Alexander R. , Lewison Rebecca L. , Jensen Michael P. , Liles Michael J. , Henriquez Ana , Chavarria Sofia , Pacheco Carlos Mario , Valle Melissa , Melero David , Gadea Velkiss , Altamirano Eduardo , Torres Perla , Vallejo Felipe , Miranda Cristina , LeMarie Carolina , Lucero Jesus , Oceguera Karen , Chácon Didiher , Fonseca Luis , Abrego Marino , Seminoff Jeffrey A. , Flores Eric E. , Llamas Israel , Donadi Rodrigo , Peña Bernardo , Muñoz Juan Pablo , Ruales Daniela Alarcòn , Chaves Jaime A. , Otterstrom Sarah , Zavala Alan , Hart Catherine E. , Brittain Rachel , Alfaro-Shigueto Joanna , Mangel Jeffrey , Yañez Ingrid L. , Dutton Peter H.
Published: August 2017

The complex processes involved with animal migration have long been a subject of biological interest, and broad-scale movement patterns of many marine turtle populations still remain unresolved. While it is widely accepted that once marine turtles reach sexual maturity they home to natal areas for nesting or reproduction, the role of philopatry to natal areas during other life stages has received less scrutiny, despite widespread evidence across the taxa. Here we report on genetic research that indicates that juvenile hawksbill turtles (
Eretmochelys imbricata
) in the eastern Pacific Ocean use foraging grounds in the region of their natal beaches, a pattern we term natal foraging philopatry. Our findings confirm that traditional views of natal homing solely for reproduction are incomplete and that many marine turtle species exhibit philopatry to natal areas to forage. Our results have important implications for life-history research and conservation of marine turtles and may extend to other wide-ranging marine vertebrates that demonstrate natal philopatry.
Hovering hummingbird wing aerodynamics during the annual cycle. I. Complete wing
Authors: Achache Yonathan , Sapir Nir , Elimelech Yossef
Published: August 2017

The diverse hummingbird family (Trochilidae) has unique adaptations for nectarivory, among which is the ability to sustain hover-feeding. As hummingbirds mainly feed while hovering, it is crucial to maintain this ability throughout the annual cycle—especially during flight-feather moult, in which wing area is reduced. To quantify the aerodynamic characteristics and flow mechanisms of a hummingbird wing throughout the annual cycle, time-accurate aerodynamic loads and flow field measurements were correlated over a dynamically scaled wing model of Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna). We present measurements recorded over a model of a complete wing to evaluate the baseline aerodynamic characteristics and flow mechanisms. We found that the vorticity concentration that had developed from the wing’s leading-edge differs from the attached vorticity structure that was typically found over insects’ wings; firstly, it is more elongated along the wing chord, and secondly, it encounters high levels of fluctuations rather than a steady vortex. Lift characteristics resemble those of insects; however, a 20% increase in the lift-to-torque ratio was obtained for the hummingbird wing model. Time-accurate aerodynamic loads were also used to evaluate the time-evolution of the specific power required from the flight muscles, and the overall wingbeat power requirements nicely matched previous studies.
Chemical element transport in stellar evolution models
Authors: Salaris Maurizio , Cassisi Santi
Published: August 2017

Stellar evolution computations provide the foundation of several methods applied to study the evolutionary properties of stars and stellar populations, both Galactic and extragalactic. The accuracy of the results obtained with these techniques is linked to the accuracy of the stellar models, and in this context the correct treatment of the transport of chemical elements is crucial. Unfortunately, in many respects calculations of the evolution of the chemical abundance profiles in stars are still affected by sometimes sizable uncertainties. Here, we review the various mechanisms of element transport included in the current generation of stellar evolution calculations, how they are implemented, the free parameters and uncertainties involved, the impact on the models and the observational constraints.
Expansion of the known distribution of Asiatic mouflon (
Ovis orientalis
) in the Late Pleistocene of the Southern Levant
Authors: Yeomans Lisa , Martin Louise , Richter Tobias
Published: August 2017

Wild sheep (
Ovis orientalis
) bones recovered from the Natufian site of Shubayqa 1 demonstrate a wider distribution of mouflon in the Late Pleistocene of the Southern Levant than previously known. Early Epipalaeolithic sites are common in the limestone steppe region of eastern Jordan but have yielded only a handful of caprine bones that cannot be identified to species level and few faunal remains from excavated Late Epipalaeolithic sites have been reported. Analysis of animal bone from Shubayqa 1 suggests a significant population of wild sheep could be found concentrated in the basalt desert environment of eastern Jordan during the Late Pleistocene, especially where higher rainfall over the Jebel Druze provided more water. A population of wild sheep was still present in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A when the nearby site of Shubayqa 6 was occupied. Hunting of diverse, locally available resources including wild sheep at the end of the Pleistocene illustrates the flexible and adaptive exploitation strategies that hunter-forager groups engaged in. This provides further evidence to the increasing body of data showing the creative and opportunistic approach of terminal Pleistocene groups allowing continued occupation even in more marginal environments in a period of environmental change.
Non-contact incipient fault diagnosis method of fixed-axis gearbox based on CEEMDAN
Authors: Vanraj  , Dhami S. S. , Pabla B. S.
Published: August 2017

Gearbox plays most essential role in the modern machinery for transmitting the required torque along with motion and contributes to wide range of applications. Any failure in gearbox components affects the productivity and efficiency of the system. Most machine breakdowns related to gears are a result of improper operating conditions and loading, hence lead to failure of the whole mechanism. Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) comprises advancement and valuable addition in Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and has been widely used in fault detection of rotating machines. However, intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) produced by EEMD often carry the residual noise. Also, the produced IMFs are different in number due to addition of white Gaussian noise, which leads to final averaging problem. To alleviate these drawbacks, Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN) was previously presented. This paper describes and presents the implementation of CEEMDAN for fault diagnosis of simulated local defects using sound signals in a fixed-axis gearbox. Statistical parameters are extracted from decomposed sound signals for different simulated faults. Results show the effectiveness of CEEMDAN over EEMD in order to obtain more accurate IMFs and fault severity.
Starvation effects on nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes of animals: an insight from meta-analysis of fasting experiments
Authors: Doi Hideyuki , Akamatsu Fumikazu , González Angélica L.
Published: August 2017

Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopic compositions (δ15N andδ13C) of consumers have been used for physiological and food web studies. Previous studies have shownδ15N andδ13C values are affected by several biological and environmental factors during starvation, but the generality of the effect of starvation onδ15N andδ13C values has not yet been tested. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of starvation onδ15N andδ13C values of consumers, and the underlying factors that may explain the observed variation. The δ15N and δ13C values were calculated as the differences between the finalδ15N andδ13C values of consumers (post-starvation) and the pre-starvation values on each experiment. Our meta-analysis showed a large variation in the δ15N and δ13C values of consumers (δ15N range: –0.82 to 4.30‰; mean: 0.47‰ and δ13C range: –1.92 to 2.62‰; mean: 0.01‰). The δ15N values of most consumers increased along the length of the starvation period and were influenced by nitrogen excretion and thermoregulation types, probably because differences in nitrogen metabolism and thermoregulation affect nitrogen processing and excretion rates. None of our predictor variables accounted for the variation in δ13C values, which showed both increases and decreases due to fasting. Our findings suggest that starvation results in changes in consumerδ15N values which are mainly explained by the length of the fasting period and by nitrogen and energy metabolism, but the underlying mechanisms of the starvation effects onδ13C values seem to be more complex than previously thought.
Essential oil optimizes the susceptibility of
Callosobruchus maculatus
and enhances the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea
Vigna unguiculata
Authors: Akami Mazarin , Chakira Hamada , Andongma Awawing A. , Khaeso Kanjana , Gbaye Olajire A. , Nicolas Njintang Y. , Nukenine E.-N. , Niu Chang-Ying
Published: August 2017

The intensive use of synthetic pesticides in cowpea storage has led to the development of resistance by
Callosobruchus maculatus
and subsequent degradation of grain quality. In an attempt to circumvent these constraints, the susceptibility of
C. maculatus
to 2,2-dichlorovinyldimethyl phosphate (DDVP) and
Lippia adoensis
essential oil (EO) was investigated and variations in the proportions of nutritional values of treated grains 150 days after storage were assessed. The survival rate was recorded after five generations. The resistance index and biochemical parameters of grains were determined. The results from this study revealed that the survival rate and resistance index significantly increased proportionally with damage in DDVP treatments (
r
 = 0.889;
p
 = 0.018) while in EO treatments, those values remained low without significant variations (
p
 = 0.0764) throughout the generations. DDVP stored grains yielded higher crude protein values, but lower carbohydrates, tannins, phenolics and minerals compared to EO. Eighteen amino acids were detected in EO treated grains and 14 in DDVP which was devoid of albumin and prolamin.
Lippia adoensis
EO could therefore represent a safe alternative bio-pesticide to cope with insect resistance and enhance the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea seeds.
Annulus fibrosus functional extrafibrillar and fibrous mechanical behaviour: experimental and computational characterisation
Authors: Mengoni Marlène , Kayode Oluwasegun , Sikora Sebastien N. F. , Zapata-Cornelio Fernando Y. , Gregory Diane E. , Wilcox Ruth K.
Published: August 2017

The development of current surgical treatments for intervertebral disc damage could benefit from virtual environment accounting for population variations. For such models to be reliable, a relevant description of the mechanical properties of the different tissues and their role in the functional mechanics of the disc is of major importance. The aims of this work were first to assess the physiological hoop strain in the annulus fibrosus in fresh conditions (
n
 = 5) in order to extract a functional behaviour of the extrafibrillar matrix; then to reverse-engineer the annulus fibrosus fibrillar behaviour (
n
 = 6). This was achieved by performing both direct and global controlled calibration of material parameters, accounting for the whole process of experimental design and
in silico
model methodology. Direct-controlled models are specimen-specific models representing controlled experimental conditions that can be replicated and directly comparing measurements. Validation was performed on another six specimens and a sensitivity study was performed. Hoop strains were measured as 17 ± 3% after 10 min relaxation and 21 ± 4% after 20–25 min relaxation, with no significant difference between the two measurements. The extrafibrillar matrix functional moduli were measured as 1.5 ± 0.7 MPa. Fibre-related material parameters showed large variability, with a variance above 0.28. Direct-controlled calibration and validation provides confidence that the model development methodology can capture the measurable variation within the population of tested specimens.
Connecting the dots across time: reconstruction of single-cell signalling trajectories using time-stamped data
Authors: Mukherjee Sayak , Stewart David , Stewart William , Lanier Lewis L. , Das Jayajit
Published: August 2017

Single-cell responses are shaped by the geometry of signalling kinetic trajectories carved in a multidimensional space spanned by signalling protein abundances. It is, however, challenging to assay a large number (more than 3) of signalling species in live-cell imaging, which makes it difficult to probe single-cell signalling kinetic trajectories in large dimensions. Flow and mass cytometry techniques can measure a large number (4 to more than 40) of signalling species but are unable to track single cells. Thus, cytometry experiments provide detailed time-stamped snapshots of single-cell signalling kinetics. Is it possible to use the time-stamped cytometry data to reconstruct single-cell signalling trajectories? Borrowing concepts of conserved and slow variables from non-equilibrium statistical physics we develop an approach to reconstruct signalling trajectories using snapshot data by creating new variables that remain invariant or vary slowly during the signalling kinetics. We apply this approach to reconstruct trajectories using snapshot data obtained fromin silicosimulations, live-cell imaging measurements, and, synthetic flow cytometry datasets. The application of invariants and slow variables to reconstruct trajectories provides a radically different way to track objects using snapshot data. The approach is likely to have implications for solving matching problems in a wide range of disciplines.
Designing the optimal bit: balancing energetic cost, speed and reliability
Authors: Deshpande Abhishek , Gopalkrishnan Manoj , Ouldridge Thomas E. , Jones Nick S.
Published: August 2017

We consider the challenge of operating a reliable bit that can be rapidly erased. We find that both erasing and reliability times are non-monotonic in the underlying friction, leading to a trade-off between erasing speed and bit reliability. Fast erasure is possible at the expense of low reliability at moderate friction, and high reliability comes at the expense of slow erasure in the underdamped and overdamped limits. Within a given class of bit parameters and control strategies, we define ‘optimal’ designs of bits that meet the desired reliability and erasing time requirements with the lowest operational work cost. We find that optimal designs always saturate the bound on the erasing time requirement, but can exceed the required reliability time if critically damped. The non-trivial geometry of the reliability and erasing time scales allows us to exclude large regions of parameter space as suboptimal. We find that optimal designs are either critically damped or close to critical damping under the erasing procedure.
The structure of turbulence in a rapid tidal flow
Authors: Milne I. A. , Sharma R. N. , Flay R. G. J.
Published: August 2017

The structure of turbulence in a rapid tidal flow is characterized through new observations of fundamental statistical properties at a site in the UK which has a simple geometry and sedate surface wave action. The mean flow at the Sound of Islay exceeded 2.5 m s
−1
and the turbulent boundary layer occupied the majority of the water column, with an approximately logarithmic mean velocity profile identifiable close to the seabed. The anisotropic ratios, spectral scales and higher-order statistics of the turbulence generally agree well with values reported for two-dimensional open channels in the laboratory and other tidal channels, therefore providing further support for the application of universal models. The results of the study can assist in developing numerical models of turbulence in rapid tidal flows such as those proposed for tidal energy generation.
A toothless dwarf dolphin (Odontoceti: Xenorophidae) points to explosive feeding diversification of modern whales (Neoceti)
Authors: Boessenecker Robert W. , Fraser Danielle , Churchill Morgan , Geisler Jonathan H.
Published: August 2017

Toothed whales (Odontoceti) are adapted for catching prey underwater and possess some of the most derived feeding specializations of all mammals, including the loss of milk teeth (monophyodonty), high tooth count (polydonty), and the loss of discrete tooth classes (homodonty). Many extant odontocetes possess some combination of short, broad rostra, reduced tooth counts, fleshy lips, and enlarged hyoid bones—all adaptations for suction feeding upon fishes and squid. We report a new fossil odontocete from the Oligocene (approx. 30 Ma) of South Carolina (Inermorostrum xenops, gen. et sp. nov.) that possesses adaptations for suction feeding: toothlessness and a shortened rostrum (brevirostry). Enlarged foramina on the rostrum suggest the presence of enlarged lips or perhaps vibrissae. Phylogenetic analysis firmly placesInermorostrumwithin the Xenorophidae, an early diverging odontocete clade typified by long-snouted, heterodont dolphins.Inermorostrumis the earliest obligate suction feeder within the Odontoceti, a feeding mode that independently evolved several times within the clade. Analysis of macroevolutionary trends in rostral shape indicate stabilizing selection around an optimum rostral shape over the course of odontocete evolution, and a post-Eocene explosion in feeding morphology, heralding the diversity of feeding behaviour among modern Odontoceti.
Evolution of a predator-induced, nonlinear reaction norm
Authors: Carter Mauricio J. , Lind Martin I. , Dennis Stuart R. , Hentley William , Beckerman Andrew P.
Published: August 2017

Inducible, anti-predator traits are a classic example of phenotypic plasticity. Their evolutionary dynamics depend on their genetic basis, the historical pattern of predation risk that populations have experienced and current selection gradients. When populations experience predators with contrasting hunting strategies and size preferences, theory suggests contrasting micro-evolutionary responses to selection.Daphnia pulexis an ideal species to explore the micro-evolutionary response of anti-predator traits because they face heterogeneous predation regimes, sometimes experiencing only invertebrate midge predators and other times experiencing vertebrate fish and invertebrate midge predators. We explored plausible patterns of adaptive evolution of a predator-induced morphological reaction norm. We combined estimates of selection gradients that characterize the various habitats thatD. pulexexperiences with detail on the quantitative genetic architecture of inducible morphological defences. Our data reveal a fine scale description of daphnid defensive reaction norms, and a strong covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues. By analysing the response of the reaction norm to plausible, predator-specific selection gradients, we show how in the context of this covariance, micro-evolution may be more uniform than predicted from size-selective predation theory. Our results show how covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues for morphological defence can shape the evolutionary trajectory of predator-induced defences inD. pulex.
Social disappointment explains chimpanzees' behaviour in the inequity aversion task
Authors: Engelmann Jan M. , Clift Jeremy B. , Herrmann Esther , Tomasello Michael
Published: August 2017

Chimpanzees’ refusal of less-preferred food when an experimenter has previously provided preferred food to a conspecific has been taken as evidence for a sense of fairness. Here, we present a novel hypothesis—the social disappointment hypothesis—according to which food refusals express chimpanzees' disappointment in the human experimenter for not rewarding them as well as they could have. We tested this hypothesis using a two-by-two design in which food was either distributed by an experimenter or a machine and with a partner present or absent. We found that chimpanzees were more likely to reject food when it was distributed by an experimenter rather than by a machine and that they were not more likely to do so when a partner was present. These results suggest that chimpanzees’ refusal of less-preferred food stems from social disappointment in the experimenter and not from a sense of fairness.