bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric patterns of global diversity among plants and mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Toussaint Aurele , Bueno Guillermo , Davison John , Moora Mari , Tedersoo Leho , Zobel Martin , Öpik Maarja , Pärtel Meelis
Published: November 2019

Questions

Although the roles of mycorrhizal fungi in different vegetation types are widely acknowledged, it is still largely unknown how the diversity and frequency of different symbiotic partners vary among plant assemblages globally. We asked (1) how the global distribution of vascular plants correlates with the diversity (i.e. number of species) and frequency (i.e. relative abundance) of different plant mycorrhizal types (i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM], ectomycorrhizal [ECM], ericoid mycorrhizal [ERM], orchid mycorrhizal [ORM] and non‐mycorrhizal [NM]); and (2) how the diversities of the most dominant plant mycorrhizal types (AM and ECM) correlate with those of their respective mycorrhizal fungal partners.

Location

Worldwide.

Methods

We retrieved all vascular plant occurrences available in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database from sites worldwide where AM and ECM fungal diversity has been examined. Plant mycorrhizal types were assigned to plant species using expert‐based imputation. Diversity and frequency indices were calculated using extrapolation and bootstrapping procedures in order to account for the heterogeneity and uncertainty of the datasets.

Results

Each plant mycorrhizal type correlated differently with the global diversity pattern of vascular plants, with higher total plant diversity in AM‐dominated vegetation, compared with vegetation containing a larger share of ECM, ERM or NM plant species. The diversities of AM and ECM fungi were positively correlated with the frequency, but not diversity, of their respective plant mycorrhizal types; and weakly correlated with the frequency and diversity of other plant mycorrhizal types.

Conclusions

At the global scale, vascular plant distribution correlates, among other factors, with the frequency, and to a lesser extent diversity, of different mycorrhizal types of plants and fungi. Recognizing these relationships may help to predict changes in the frequency of ECM and AM plant mycorrhizal types under the different ongoing global changes.
The nation against the State: The Irish question and Britain‐based anarchists in the Age of Empire
Authors: Gutiérrez José Antonio , Ferretti Federico
Published: November 2019

This paper discusses the relationship between early anarchism and republican/nationalist ideas. We will focus on the case of British‐based activists grouped around the journal Freedom and their engagement with Irish nationalism during the Age of the Empire. Freedom, founded in 1886, was the most important anarchist journal of the English‐speaking anarchist–communist networks at the time and was the main editorial reference for the worldwide community of anarchist activists, mostly exiled, who resided in London at that time. Extending current interdisciplinary literature on transnational anarchism, we argue that anarchist views of nations, while rejecting the novel notion of the nation‐state, were associated with anti‐colonial struggles and with republican anti‐monarchical and egalitarian notions. Based on primary sources, we discuss the intersections between these Britain‐based anarchists and anti‐colonial Irish radicals, by engaging both with their writings and their international networks of solidarity, thus exploring the complex intermingling of anarchism, anti‐colonialism, and republicanism.
Proteomics of human glomerulonephritis by laser microdissection and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Kawata Naoto , Kang Dedong , Aiuchi Toshihiro , Obama Takashi , Yoshitake Osamu , Shibata Takanori , Takimoto Masafumi , Itabe Hiroyuki , Honda Kazuho
Published: November 2019

Aim

Laser microdissection (LMD) and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) enable clinicians to analyse proteins from tissue sections. In nephrology, these methods are used to diagnose diseases of abnormal protein deposition, such as amyloidosis, but they are seldom applied to the diagnosis and pathophysiological understanding of human glomerular diseases.

Methods

Renal biopsy specimens were obtained from five patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), five patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) and five kidney transplant donors (as controls). From 10‐μm‐thick sections of formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded specimens, 0.3‐mm2 samples of glomerular tissue were subjected to LMD. The samples were analysed by LC‐MS/MS and investigated clinically and histologically.

Results

From the control glomeruli, we identified more than 300 types of proteins. In patients with IgAN, we detected significant increases not only in IgA1 and in C3, but also in the factors related to oxidative stress and cell proliferation in comparison to the controls. In patients with MN, levels of IgG1, IgG4, C3, C4a and phospholipase‐A2‐receptor were significantly elevated in comparison to the controls, as were the aforementioned factors related to oxidative stress and cell proliferations detected in IgAN.

Conclusion

Application of LMD and LC‐MS/MS to renal biopsy specimens enabled us to identify not only pathognomonic proteins for the diagnosis, but also several factors possibly involved in the pathogenesis of human glomerular diseases.
Identification of the most clinically useful skeletal muscle mass indices pertinent to sarcopenia and physical performance in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Wilkinson Thomas J. , Nixon Daniel G. D. , Richler‐Potts Danielle , Neale Jill , Song Yan , Smith Alice C.
Published: November 2019

Aim

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are characterised by low skeletal muscle mass that negatively impacts physical performance. Operational definitions of ‘low muscle mass’ are inconsistent, and it is unknown how different skeletal muscle mass indices affect the relationship between muscle mass and physical function.

Methods

Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry in 72 CKD patients. Along with crude ASM, alternative muscle indices were calculated adjusting for height, height‐squared, body mass, and BMI. Physical performance was assessed by handgrip strength, sit‐to‐stand tests, gait speed, the incremental shuttle walk test and ‘Short Physical Performance Battery’.

Results

Prevalence of ‘low muscle mass’ ranged from 26% to 35% of patients depending on the criteria used. The relationship between muscle mass indices and physical function differed for each criteria. Using average coefficients, the association with overall physical function and muscle indices were as follows: crude ASM (r = .258), ASM/height (r = .249), ASM/height‐squared (r = .332), ASM/body mass (r = .249) and ASM/BMI (r = .206). Muscle adjusted for markers of adiposity (ASM/body fat %, r = .266; ASM/fat mass, r = .338) provided the best overall associations with physical function.

Conclusion

The use of alternative muscle mass indices provide different estimates of ‘low muscle mass’ prevalence, and the strongest (and most useful definition in regard to functional status) involves adjustment for either total or relative body fat. ASM adjusted for adiposity may be physiologically and clinically more relevant in patients with renal disease.
The genetics of exapted resistance to two exotic pathogens in pedunculate oak
Authors: Bartholomé Jérôme , Brachi Benjamin , Marçais Benoit , Mougou‐Hamdane Amira , Bodénès Catherine , Plomion Christophe , Robin Cécile , Desprez‐Loustau Marie‐Laure
Published: November 2019

Exotic pathogens cause severe damage in natural populations in the absence of coevolutionary dynamics with their hosts. However, some resistance to such pathogens may occur in naive populations. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetics of this so‐called ‘exapted’ resistance to two pathogens of Asian origin (Erysiphe alphitoides and Phytophthora cinnamomi) in European oak.

Host–pathogen compatibility was assessed by recording infection success and pathogen growth in a full‐sib family of Quercus robur under controlled and natural conditions. Two high‐resolution genetic maps anchored on the reference genome were used to study the genetic architecture of resistance and to identify positional candidate genes.

Two genomic regions, each containing six strong and stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) accounting for 12–19% of the phenotypic variation, were mainly associated with E. alphitoides infection. Candidate genes, especially genes encoding receptor‐like‐kinases and galactinol synthases, were identified in these regions. The three QTLs associated with P. cinnamomi infection did not colocate with QTLs found for E. alphitoides.

These findings provide evidence that exapted resistance to E. alphitoides and P. cinnamomi is present in Q. robur and suggest that the underlying molecular mechanisms involve genes encoding proteins with extracellular signaling functions.
Post‐operative pain management with meloxicam: a systematic literature review in the field of dentistry
Authors: Khosraviani F. , Saberi‐Demneh A. , Asadollahifar R. , Nakhostin A. , Khazaei P.
Published: November 2019

Aim

Pain is one of the clinical problems after orofacial surgeries. There have been various studies about the analgesic effect of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in this group of surgeries. In recent years, meloxicam has undergone clinical trials in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to review the efficacy of meloxicam on postoperative pain in dentistry.

Materials and methods

The study design was in accordance with the PRISMA guidance. The keywords according to MeSH and related articles were searched in the EBSCO, MEDLINE (via Ovid), PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Then eligible randomized clinical trials articles, which released up to December 2017, were thoroughly reviewed.

Results

The nine eligible articles were studied. Meloxicam was administered with doses of 7.5, 10 and 15 mg (oral or intramuscular) before or after the third molar extraction. Meloxicam has a similar or significantly better analgesic effect than some of the selective and non‐selective NSAIDs and significantly has a better analgesic effect than some of salicylic acids and tramadol.

Conclusion

Meloxicam can be considered as an alternative analgesic agent than some NSAIDs, tramadol and salicylic acids in patients who have undergone the third molar extraction.
Chemical mapping as a predictor of vein of Marshall ethanol ablative effects
Authors: Okishige Kaoru , Shigeta Takatoshi , Nishimura Takuro , Nakamura Rena A. , Hirao Tatsuhiko , Yoshida Hiroshi , Yamauchi Yasuteru , Keida Takehiko , Sasano Tetsuo , Hirao Kenzo , Valderrábano Miguel
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The aim of this study was to test regional pharmacological effects of an antiarrhythmic agents to predict ablative effects.

Background

The vein of Marshall (VOM) providing vascular access to myocardial tissue has been used for ablative purposes using ethanol.

Methods

A total of 35 patients (male 21, 63.2 ± 7.8 years old) were included. A balloon‐tipped infusion catheter was inserted into the VOM. Endocardial ultrahigh‐resolution mapping was performed along the VOM region to record the change in atrial electrograms (AEs) after VOM injection of cibenzoline of 3.5 mg during sustained atrial fibrillation (AF). Subsequently, ethanol was infused into the VOM and ablative region was mapped.

Results

In 17 patients (49 %), cibenzoline reduced AEs amplitude by >50%, all of which had also complete elimination of AEs following ethanol (Group A). In 18 patients (Group B), cibenzoline failed to eliminate AEs; yet, in 13 of 18 AEs were eliminated by ethanol. In the remaining five patients, ethanol did not eliminate AE.

Conclusions

Cibenzoline into the VOM could reliably predicts the results of subsequent ethanol infusion into the VOM using ultrahigh‐resolution mapping system, which leads to avoid unnecessary permanent lesion creation by ethanol infusion.
Participation in environmental enhancement and conservation activities for health and well‐being in adults: A review of quantitative and qualitative evidence
Authors: Pich Jacqueline
Published: November 2019

The rates of chronic diseases and lifestyle conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and obesity, as well as mental health conditions such as depression are increasing and have a negative impact on the health and well‐being of sufferers. The primary objective of this review was to review the quantitative and qualitative evidence about health and well‐being impacts on adults following participation in environmental enhancement or conservation activities.
Surprising absence of association between flower surface microstructure and pollination system
Authors: Kraaij M. , van der Kooi C. J.
Published: November 2019

The epidermal cells of flowers come in different shapes and have different functions, but how they evolved remains largely unknown. Floral micro‐texture can provide tactile cues to insects, and increases in surface roughness by means of conical (papillose) epidermal cells may facilitate flower handling by landing insect pollinators. Whether flower microstructure correlates with pollination system remains unknown.

Here, we investigate the floral epidermal microstructure in 29 (congeneric) species pairs with contrasting pollination system. We test whether flowers pollinated by bees and/or flies feature more structured, rougher surfaces than flowers pollinated by non‐landing moths or birds and flowers that self‐pollinate.

In contrast with earlier studies, we find no correlation between epidermal microstructure and pollination system. The shape, cell height and roughness of floral epidermal cells varies among species, but is not correlated with pollinators at large. Intriguingly, however, we find that the upper (adaxial) flower surface that surrounds the reproductive organs and often constitutes the floral display is markedly more structured than the lower (abaxial) surface.

We thus conclude that conical epidermal cells probably play a role in plant reproduction other than providing grip or tactile cues, such as increasing hydrophobicity or enhancing the visual signal.
Expected termination times of progressively Type‐I censored step‐stress accelerated life tests under continuous and interval inspections
Authors: Han David
Published: November 2019

A step‐stress accelerated life test is a special life test where test units are subjected to higher stress levels than normal operating conditions so that the information on the lifetime parameters of a test unit can be obtained more quickly in a shorter period of time. Also, progressive Type‐I censoring is a generalized form of time censoring where functional test units are withdrawn successively from the life test at some prefixed nonterminal time points. Despite its flexibility and efficient utilization of the available resources, progressively censored sampling has not gained much popularity due to its analytical complexity compared to the conventional censoring schemes. In particular, understanding the mean completion time of a life test is of great practical interest in order to design and manage the life test optimally under frequent budgetary and time constraints. In this work, the expected termination time of a general k‐level step‐stress accelerated life test under progressive Type‐I censoring is derived using a recursive relationship of the stochastic termination time based on the conditional block independence. To be comprehensive, two different modes of failure inspections are considered: continuous inspection, where the exact failure times are observed, and interval inspection, where the exact failure times are not available but only the number of failures that occurred.
Nicotinamide riboside does not alter mitochondrial respiration, content or morphology in skeletal muscle from obese and insulin‐resistant men
Authors: Dollerup Ole L. , Chubanava Sabina , Agerholm Marianne , Søndergård Stine D. , Altıntaş Ali , Møller Andreas B. , Høyer Kasper F. , Ringgaard Steffen , Stødkilde‐Jørgensen Hans , Lavery Gareth G. , Barrès Romain , Larsen Steen , Prats Clara , Jessen Niels , Treebak Jonas T.
Published: November 2019

Key points

This is the first long‐term human clinical trial to report on effects of nicotinamide riboside (NR) on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function, content and morphology.

NR supplementation decreases nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) protein abundance in skeletal muscle.

NR supplementation does not affect NAD metabolite concentrations in skeletal muscle.

Respiration, distribution and quantity of muscle mitochondria are unaffected by NR.

NAMPT in skeletal muscle correlates positively with oxidative phosphorylation Complex I, sirtuin 3 and succinate dehydrogenase.

Preclinical evidence suggests that the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) boosts NAD+ levels and improves diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. We aimed to determine if dietary NR supplementation in middle‐aged, obese, insulin‐resistant men affects mitochondrial respiration, content and morphology in skeletal muscle. In a randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trial, 40 participants received 1000 mg NR or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. Skeletal muscle biopsies were collected before and after the intervention. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity was determined by high‐resolution respirometry on single muscle fibres. Protein abundance and mRNA expression were measured by Western blot and quantitative PCR analyses, respectively, and in a subset of the participants (placebo n = 8; NR n = 8) we quantified mitochondrial fractional area and mitochondrial morphology by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Protein levels of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), an essential NAD+ biosynthetic enzyme in skeletal muscle, decreased by 14% with NR. However, steady‐state NAD+ levels as well as gene expression and protein abundance of other NAD+ biosynthetic enzymes remained unchanged. Neither respiratory capacity of skeletal muscle mitochondria nor abundance of mitochondrial associated proteins were affected by NR. Moreover, no changes in mitochondrial fractional area or network morphology were observed. Our data do not support the hypothesis that dietary NR supplementation has significant impact on skeletal muscle mitochondria in obese and insulin‐resistant men. Future studies on the effects of NR on human skeletal muscle may include both sexes and potentially provide comparisons between young and older people.
Uncertainty Quantification Analysis of a Pressurized Fuel Cell Hybrid System
Authors: Cuneo Alessandra , Giugno Andrea , Mantelli Luca , Traverso Alberto
Published: November 2019

Pressurized solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are a sustainable opportunity for improvement over conventional systems, featuring high electric efficiency, potential for cogeneration applications, and low carbon emissions. Such systems are usually analyzed in deterministic conditions. However, it is widely demonstrated that such systems are affected significantly by uncertainties, both in component performance and operating parameters. This paper aims to study the propagation of uncertainties related both to the fuel cell (ohmic losses, anode ejector diameter, and fuel gas composition) and the gas turbine cycle characteristics (compressor and turbine efficiencies, recuperator pressure losses). The analysis is carried out on an innovative hybrid system layout, where a turbocharger is used to pressurize the fuel cell, promising better cost effectiveness then a microturbine-based hybrid system, at small scales. Due to plant complexity and high computational effort required by uncertainty quantification methodologies, a response surface (RS) is created. To evaluate the impact of the aforementioned uncertainties on the relevant system outputs, such as overall efficiency and net electrical power, the Monte Carlo method is applied to the RS. Particular attention is focused on the impact of uncertainties on the opening of the turbocharger wastegate valve, which is aimed at satisfying the fuel cell constraints at each operating condition.
Controlling the refractive index and third-order nonlinearity of polyimide/Ta2O5 nanolaminates for optical applications
Authors: Färm Elina , Mehravar Soroush , Kieu Khanh , Peyghambarian Nasser , Ritala Mikko , Leskelä Markku , Kemell Marianna
Published: November 2019

In this study, the authors investigated third-order optical nonlinearity in polyimide/Ta2O5 nanolaminates deposited by atomic layer deposition. Third harmonic signal measurements were done with a multiphoton microscope at an excitation wavelength of 1.55 μm, laser pulse duration of 150 fs, and estimated pulse energy of 1.2 nJ. Third-order optical nonlinearity is an essential property in optical signal applications for telecommunication. Transparency at telecommunication wavelengths and a high refractive index are desired for a material. Polyimide is optically transparent, enabling light guidance through the material. The refractive index of the material can be fine-tuned by combining polyimide with a substantially higher refractive index material—in this case, Ta2O5. The layer thicknesses in nanolaminates were varied, and the third harmonic generation was compared to plain polyimide and Ta2O5 reference films. Third harmonic generation in the nanolaminates decreased slightly and refractive index increased with increasing Ta2O5 content. Normalized third-order nonlinear susceptibilities, χ(3), calculated for the nanolaminates were between the values of Ta2O5 and polyimide and increased with increasing polyimide content.
The importance of a broad bandwidth for understanding “glimpsed” speech
Authors: Best Virginia , Roverud Elin , Baltzell Lucas , Rennies Jan , Lavandier Mathieu
Published: November 2019

When a target talker speaks in the presence of competing talkers, the listener must not only segregate the voices but also understand the target message based on a limited set of spectrotemporal regions (“glimpses”) in which the target voice dominates the acoustic mixture. Here, the hypothesis that a broad audible bandwidth is more critical for these sparse representations of speech than it is for intact speech is tested. Listeners with normal hearing were presented with sentences that were either intact, or progressively “glimpsed” according to a competing two-talker masker presented at various levels. This was achieved by using an ideal binary mask to exclude time-frequency units in the target that would be dominated by the masker in the natural mixture. In each glimpsed condition, speech intelligibility was measured for a range of low-pass conditions (cutoff frequencies from 500 to 8000 Hz). Intelligibility was poorer for sparser speech, and the bandwidth required for optimal intelligibility increased with the sparseness of the speech. The combined effects of glimpsing and bandwidth reduction were well captured by a simple metric based on the proportion of audible target glimpses retained. The findings may be relevant for understanding the impact of high-frequency hearing loss on everyday speech communication.
Impact of Na
+
-Translocating NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase on Iron Uptake and
nqrM
Expression in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Agarwal Shubhangi , Bernt Melanie , Toulouse Charlotte , Kurz Hannes , Pfannstiel Jens , D’Alvise Paul , Hasselmann Martin , Block Alisha M. , Häse Claudia C. , Fritz Günter , Steuber Julia
Published: November 2019

Investigating strategies of iron acquisition, storage, and delivery in
Vibrio cholerae
is a prerequisite to understand how this pathogen thrives in hostile, iron-limited environments such as the human host. In addition to highlighting the maturation of the respiratory complex NQR, this study points out the influence of NQR on iron metabolism, thereby making it a potential drug target for antibiotics.
NusG-Dependent RNA Polymerase Pausing and Tylosin-Dependent Ribosome Stalling Are Required for Tylosin Resistance by Inducing 23S rRNA Methylation in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Yakhnin Helen , Yakhnin Alexander V. , Mouery Brandon L. , Mandell Zachary F. , Karbasiafshar Catherine , Kashlev Mikhail , Babitzke Paul
Published: November 2019

Antibiotic resistance is a growing health concern. Resistance mechanisms have evolved that provide bacteria with a growth advantage in their natural habitat such as the soil. We determined that
B. subtilis
, a Gram-positive soil organism, has a mechanism of resistance to tylosin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used in the meat industry. Tylosin induces expression of
yxjB
, which encodes an enzyme that methylates 23S rRNA. YxjB-dependent methylation of 23S rRNA confers tylosin resistance. NusG-dependent RNA polymerase pausing and tylosin-dependent ribosome stalling induce
yxjB
expression, and hence tylosin resistance, by preventing transcription termination upstream of the
yxjB
coding sequence and by preventing repression of
yxjB
translation.
Changes in alcohol consumption after treatment for depression: a secondary analysis of the Swedish randomised controlled study REGASSA
Authors: Strid Catharina , Hallgren Mats , Forsell Yvonne , Kraepelien Martin , Öjehagen Agneta
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Mental health problems and hazardous alcohol consumption often co-exist. Hazardous drinking could have a negative impact on different aspects of health and also negatively influence the effect of mental health treatment. The aims of this study were to examine if alcohol consumption patterns changed after treatment for depression and if the changes differed by treatment arm and patient sex.

Methods

This study of 540 participants was conducted in a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) that aimed to compare the effect of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, physical exercise and treatment as usual on 945 participants with mild-to-moderate depression. Treatment lasted for 12 weeks; alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)) and depression (Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)) were assessed at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Changes in alcohol consumption were examined in relation to depression severity, treatment arm and patient sex.

Results

The AUDIT distribution for the entire group remained unchanged after treatment for depression. Hazardous drinkers exhibit decreases in AUDIT scores, although they remained hazardous drinkers according to the cut-off scores. Hazardous drinkers experienced similar improvements in symptoms of depression compared with non-hazardous drinkers, and there was no significant relation between changes in AUDIT score and changes in depression. No differences between treatment arm and patient sex were found.

Conclusion

The alcohol consumption did not change, despite treatment effects on depression. Patients with depression should be screened for hazardous drinking habits and offered evidence-based treatment for hazardous alcohol use where this is indicated.

Trial registration number

DRKS00008745.
Association of the frequency of spicy food intake and the risk of abdominal obesity in rural Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yang Kaili , Li Yuqian , Xue Yuan , Wang Ling , Liu Xiaotian , Tu Runqi , Dong Xiaokang , Mao Zhenxing , Li Wenjie , Wang Chongjian
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Recent data relating to the association between spicy food intake frequency and abdominal obesity are limited, especially in low-income areas. Therefore, the study explored the relationship between spicy food intake frequency and abdominal obesity, and assessed the role of energy intake as a mediator of these associations in a rural Chinese adult population.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Rural Chinese adult population.

Participants

Subjects from Henan Rural Cohort Study (n=28 773).

Primary outcome measures

The effects of spicy food intake frequency on abdominal obesity were analysed by restricted cubic spline and logistic regression, and the mediation effect was analysed using the bootstrap method.

Results

The adjusted percentages of abdominal obesity were 47.32%, 51.93%, 50.66% and 50.29% in the spicy food intake subgroups of never, 1–2 day/week, 3–5 day/week and 6–7 day/week, respectively. An inverse U-shaped association was found between spicy food intake frequency and abdominal obesity (p<0.01). Compared with subjects who never consumed spicy food, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) in the 1–2 day/week, 3–5 day/week and 6–7 day/week subgroups were 1.186 (1.093, 1.287), 1.127 (1.038, 1.224) and 1.104 (1.044, 1.169), respectively. Furthermore, the increased odd of abdominal obesity related to more frequent spicy food intake was mediated by higher fat energy intake; the direct and indirect effects were 1.107 (1.053, 1.164) and 1.007 (1.003, 1.012), respectively.

Conclusions

The data indicated that spicy food intake increased the risk of abdominal obesity, and fat energy intake may be a mediator of this association in rural Chinese populations. Clarifying the mechanisms will facilitate the development of novel preventive and therapeutic approaches for abdominal obesity.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR-OOC-15006699
Association of microalbuminuria and high–normal 24-hour urinary albumin excretion with metabolic syndrome and its components in the general Chinese population: cross-sectional study
Authors: Xu Jianwei , Ma Jixiang , Chen Xiaorong , Yan Liuxia , Cai Xiaoning , Guo Xiaolei , Zhang Yongqing , Wu Jing
Published: November 2019

Objective

Microalbuminuria (MAU) has been described as a risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the association between MetS components with MAU and 24-hour urinary albumin excretion (UAE) has not been clearly explained in the general Chinese population. We aimed to analyse the associations between MAU and high–normal 24-hour UAE with MetS and its components.

Design

Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting

Four selected counties/districts in China’s Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces.

Participants

A total of 2261 participants aged 18–69 years were included in this study. Participants with missing physical examination data or incomplete urine collection were not included in the analysis.

Results

The prevalence of MAU was 9%, and the mean 24-hour UAE was 18 mg/d. The prevalence of MAU was significantly higher for the MetS, high blood pressure (BP), high triglyceride (TG) levels, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hyperglycaemia groups but not for the central obesity group. Both MAU and mean 24-hour UAE were significantly increased in association with a number of MetS components. The adjusted prevalence OR (POR) for MetS with MAU was 2.95 (95% CI 2.15 to 4.04) compared with those without MAU. MAU was significantly associated with three components of MetS: high BP (POR=1.86, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.64), high TG levels (POR=1.80, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.46) and hyperglycaemia (POR=1.84, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.53). No significant association between MAU and central obesity or low HDL-C was found. The presence of MetS gradually increased according to the normal-range 24-hour UAE quartiles: POR=1.00, POR=1.22, POR=1.14 and POR=2.02, respectively. Hyperglycaemia also increased significantly according to the normal-range 24-hour UAE quartiles.

Conclusions

MAU and elevated 24-hour UAE within the normal range were closely associated with MetS in the Chinese population, which may provide a basis for the development of early interventions to decrease the effects of MetS.
Transitioning from sickness absence to disability pension—the impact of poor health behaviours: a prospective Swedish twin cohort study
Authors: Helgadóttir Björg , Mather Lisa , Narusyte Jurgita , Ropponen Annina , Blom Victoria , Svedberg Pia
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To investigate the association between three poor health behaviours (current smoker, high consumption of alcohol and low physical activity levels) and the transition to disability pension (DP) among individuals who have recently been sickness absent. Furthermore, we aimed to explore whether having multiple poor health behaviours increased the risk of transitioning from sickness absence (SA) to DP.

Design

Prospective twin cohort study.

Setting

Sweden.

Participants

Twins aged 20–46 who had participated in a survey and been on SA (>14 days) in the year preceding baseline (date of answering the questionnaire).

Main outcome measure

Incident DP during the follow-up which ended on 31 December 2012 (mean 5.2 years). A national register with full coverage provided data on DP.

Results

The Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses showed that current smokers had a higher risk of transitioning from SA to DP compared with never smokers (HR 1.76; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.84). Alcohol use and lack of physical activity as well as poor health behaviour sum score showed no significant associations.

Conclusions

Being a current smoker influences the transition from SA to DP. Although non-significant, there were indications that more physical activity and fewer poor health behaviours could reduce the risk of exiting the labour market through DP. Improving health behaviours among people on SA could be a valuable tool for preventing the transition to DP.
Prehospital and in-hospital delays to care and associated factors in patients with STEMI: an observational study in 101 non-PCI hospitals in China
Authors: Feng Lin , Li Min , Xie Wuxiang , Zhang Aihua , Lei Licheng , Li Xian , Gao R , Wu Yangfeng
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To describe the prehospital and in-hospital delays to care and factors associated with the delays among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals in China.

Design, setting and participants

We analysed data from a large registry-based quality of care improvement trial conducted from 2011 to 2014 among 101 non-PCI hospitals in China. A total of 7312 patients with STEMI were included. Prehospital delay was defined as time from symptom onset to hospital arrival >120 min, first ECG delay as time from arrival to first ECG >10 min, thrombolytic therapy delay as time from first ECG to thrombolytic therapy >10 min and in-hospital delay as time from arrival to thrombolytic therapy >30 min. Logistic regressions with generalised estimating equations were preformed to identify the factors associated with each delay.

Results

The rates of prehospital delay, first ECG delay, thrombolytic therapy delay and in-hospital delay were 67.1%, 31.4%, 85.8% and 67.8%, respectively. Patients who were female, older than 65 years old, illiterate, farmers, onset during late night and forenoon, had heart rate ≥100 beats/m at admission were more likely and patients who had history of myocardial infarction, hypertension or SBP <90 mm Hg at admission were less likely to have prehospital delay. First ECG delay was more likely to take place in patients arriving on regular hours. Thrombolytic therapy delay rate was lower in patients who had prehospital delay or first ECG delay but higher in those with heart rate ≥100 beats/m at admission. In-hospital delay rate was lower in patients with a history of dyslipidaemia and those who arrived during regular hours.

Conclusion

Chinese patients with STEMI in low medical resource areas suffered severe prehospital and in-hospital delays to care. Future efforts should be made to improve the prehospital delay among vulnerable populations with low socioeconomic status.

Trial registration number

NCT01398228; Post-results.
Correlation between biomarkers of pain in saliva and PAINAD scale in elderly people with cognitive impairment and inability to communicate: descriptive study protocol
Authors: Cantón-Habas Vanesa , Carrera-González María del Pilar , Moreno-Casbas María Teresa , Quesada-Gómez José Manuel , Rich-Ruiz Manuel
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Pain is an under-diagnosed problem in elderly people, especially in those with cognitive impairment who are unable to verbalise their pain. Although the Pain assessment in advanced dementia scale (PAINAD) scale is a tool recognised for its clinical interest in this type of patients, its correlation with the saliva biomarkers reinforced its utility. The aim of this research will be to correlate the scores of this scale with the levels of biomarkers of pain found in saliva samples of patients with cognitive impairment and inability to communicate.

Methods and analysis

This is an observational study. The level of pain will be evaluated using the PAINAD scale. Moreover, pain biomarkers, in particular secretory IgA and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor type II, will be determined in saliva. Both assessments will be conducted in 75 patients aged over 65 years with advanced cognitive impairment and inability to communicate. The PAINAD scores will be correlated with the levels of these biomarkers of pain. A control group consisting of 75 healthy subjects aged over 65 years will be included in the study. Moreover, sociodemographic variables and variables related to pain, dementia and other clinical conditions will be recorded. The analysis will be performed with the statistical package SPSS V.22 and the software R.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been reviewed and approved by the Andalusian Human Research Ethics Committee. In addition, this study has been financed by the Junta de Andalucía through a regional health research fund (Research code: PI-0357–2017). The results will be actively disseminated trough a high-impact journal in our study area, conference presentations and social media.
Lifestyle modifications for treatment of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Middeldorp Melissa E , Ariyaratnam Jonathan , Lau Dennis , Sanders Prashanthan
Published: November 2019

The management of atrial fibrillation (AF) has focused on anticoagulation, rhythm control and ventricular rate control. Recently, a fourth pillar of AF management has been incorporated recognising the importance of risk factor management (RFM). There are several risk factors that contribute to the development and progression of AF, these include traditional risk factors such as age, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and valvular heart disease. However, increasingly it is recognised that obesity, sleep apnoea, hyperlipidaemia, smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, genetics, aortic stiffness are associated with the development of AF. Importantly, several of these risk factors are modifiable. We have seen the evolution of RFM programmes which have demonstrated promising results. Indeed, the evidence is now so compelling that major clinical guidelines strongly advocate that aggressive treatment of these risk factors as a key component of AF management. Patients with AF who comprehensively managed their risk factors demonstrate greater reduction in symptoms, AF burden, more successful ablations and improved outcomes with greater AF freedom. In this article, we will review the evidence for the association between cardiac risk factors and AF and assess the burgeoning evidence for improved AF outcomes associated with aggressive cardiac RFM.
Effects of linear features on resource selection and movement rates of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae)
Authors: DeMars C.A. , Nielsen S.E. , Edwards M.A.
Published: November 2019

Human-mediated disturbances can lead to novel environmental features that can affect native biota beyond simple habitat loss. In boreal forests of western Canada, linear features (LFs; e.g., pipelines, seismic lines, and roads) are known to alter behaviour, movements, and interactions among species. Understanding LF impacts on native species has therefore been a management priority. Here, we investigate how LFs affect the spatial behaviour of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898), which are designated as “threatened” in Canada. Using data collected from the Ronald Lake population in northeastern Alberta, we assessed how LFs influenced habitat selection and movement of bison by testing support among three hypotheses explaining whether LFs (i) increased forage availability, (ii) enhanced movement efficiency, or (iii) increased predation risk. Results supported the movement efficiency hypothesis as bison were generally ambivalent toward LFs, showing weak selection or avoidance depending on land-cover type, but moved slightly faster when on them. These findings contrast with avoidance behaviours reported for sympatric woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)), which are also “threatened.” Our results should inform critical habitat decisions for wood bison, but we caution that further research is needed to understand the effects of LFs on bison demography.
Vacuum stability of asymptotically safe two Higgs doublet models
Authors: Schuh Peter
Published: November 2019

We study different types of Two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDMs) under the assumption that all quartic couplings’ beta functions vanish simultaneously at the Planck scale. The Standard Model seems to display this property almost accidentally, because the Higgs boson mass is close to 125 GeV. This also ties closely into the question of whether the theory is stable or metastable. We investigate if such “fixed points” can exist in various $${\mathbb {Z}}_2$$Z2-symmetric 2HDM subclasses, and if the theories that meet these conditions are phenomenologically viable, as well as vacuum stable. We find that the fixed point condition drastically reduces the parameter space of 2HDM theories, but can be met. Fixed points can only exist in type II and type Y models, in regions of large tan$$\beta $$β, and they are only compatible with all existing experimental bounds if the $${\mathbb {Z}}_2$$Z2-symmetry is at least softly broken, with a soft breaking parameter of at least $$M_{12}>$$M12> 70 GeV (380 GeV) for type Y (type II) models. The allowed region falls into the alignment limit, with the mixing angle combination $$|\alpha - \beta | \approx \frac{\pi }{2}$$|α-β|≈π2. While there are both vacuum-stable and vacuum-unstable solutions, only the vacuum-unstable ones really agree with Standard-Model-like CP-even Higgs boson mass values of 125 GeV. The vacuum-stable solutions favour slightly higher values. While scenarios of asymptotically safe 2HDM exist, they cannot improve over the Standard Model regarding the question of vacuum stability.
Macro-coherent radiative emission of neutrino pair between parity-even atomic states
Authors: Tashiro M. , Das B. P. , Ekman J. , Jönsson P. , Sasao N. , Yoshimura M.
Published: November 2019

A new scheme to determine the neutrino mass matrix is proposed using atomic de-excitation between two states of a few eV energy spacing. The determination of the smallest neutrino mass of the order of 1 meV and neutrino mass type, Majorana or Dirac, becomes possible, if one can coherently excite more than 1 gram of atoms using two lasers.
ANALYZING THE ASYMMETRIC EFFECTS OF CRUDE OIL PRICE CHANGES ON CHINA’S PETROLEUM PRODUCT PRICES
Authors: LIAO XIANCHUN , BAEK JUNGHO
Published: November 2019

As the world’s second-largest crude oil consumer, China depends on imports for approximately 60% and domestic production for approximately 40%, of its oil demand. Therefore, it is very interesting to assess the pass-through effects of both domestic and international crude oil prices to gasoline and diesel prices. After the short- and long-run investigations using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology of Shin et al. [Shin, Y, BC Yu and M Greenwood-Nimmo (2014). Modelling asymmetric cointegration and dynamic multipliers in a nonlinear ARDL framework” Festschrift in Honor of Peter Schmidt: Econometric Methods and Applications, R Sickels and W Horrace (eds.), pp. 281–314. Springer.], we find overwhelming evidence supporting the asymmetric price transmission mechanism between crude oil prices and gasoline prices in both the short- and long-run. In the case of diesel prices, on the other hand, the asymmetry effects seem likely to be a long-run phenomenon.
Time–Frequency Signal Processing for Integrity Assessment and Damage Localization of Concrete Piles
Authors: Liu Jing-Liang , Wang Si-Fan , Zheng Jin-Yang , Chang Chia-Ming , Wei Xiao-Jun , Ren Wei-Xin
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a new integrity assessment and damage localization method for piles based on one-dimensional wave propagation theory by integrating the analytical mode decomposition (AMD), recursive Hilbert transform (RHT) and complex continuous wavelet transform (CCWT) into a single assessment tool. The AMD is first used as a band pass filter to extract the mono-component over a frequency band of interest from the response of a pile head, aimed at attenuating the interference from various noisy signals. Then, the mono-component signal is demodulated into a purely frequency-modulated signal by means of RHT, which greatly reduces the interferences from the amplitude-modulated function. Finally, the CCWT is utilized to process the frequency-modulated signal and to calculate phase angles; the latter are subsequently mapped into the time–frequency domain to localize pile damage. The methodology is verified by a numerical example, in which a concrete pile is modeled by the finite element method considering the soil-pile interaction, and by an experimental case study on an actual pile. The results from the numerical and experimental examples demonstrate that the proposed method improves the efficiency of damage identification when compared with other three methods ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and CCWT). In addition, the proposed method enables the localization of damage in full-scale piles situated in soil with an acceptable engineering accuracy by mutual validation with other pile integrity assessment methods, e.g. the ultrasonic emission method.
Horizontal Dynamic Response of a Combined Loaded Large-Diameter Pipe Pile Simulated by the Timoshenko Beam Theory
Authors: Zheng Changjie , Luan Lubao , Qin Hongyu , Zhou Hang
Published: November 2019

This paper presents an analytical framework for the horizontal dynamic analysis of a large-diameter pipe pile subjected to combined loadings, in which the pipe pile is simulated by the Timoshenko beam theory. The derived solution allows us to evaluate the effects of both the shear deformations and vertical loads on the horizontal dynamic performance of the pipe pile. The proposed solution provides appropriate estimates of complex impedances of large-diameter pipe piles, unlike the earlier solutions based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory for describing the pile behavior, which ignores the shear deformation of the pile. The results indicate that the Euler–Bernoulli theory overestimates the pipe pile’s horizontal impedance, while overestimating the effect of vertical loads on its horizontal performance.
Positive Emotions at Work
Authors: Diener Ed , Thapa Stuti , Tay Louis
Published: November 2019

Positive organizational scholarship has led to a growing interest in the critical role of positive emotions for the lives of both workers and organizations. We review and integrate the different perspectives on positive emotions (i.e., positive valence, positive emotion regulation strategies, and positive adaptive function) and the four main mechanisms (i.e., cognition, affect, behavior, and physiology) that lead to positive organizational outcomes. There is growing evidence that positive emotions influence variables vital for workplace success such as positive beliefs, creativity, work engagement, positive coping, health, teamwork and collaboration, customer satisfaction, leadership, and performance. We additionally review dynamic features of positive emotions (i.e., intraindividual variability, reactivity, inertia, cycles, feedback loops) and their relation to psychological and work outcomes. Finally, we discuss additional questions and future directions for consideration.