bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nursing curriculum through a social justice lens: An upstream approach
Authors: Reichlin Rachel , Peltier Mat , Raether Erin , Polonsky Sara
Published: February 2019

This article describes a one‐day seminar rooted in critical interactionism for nursing students in a diverse urban setting in the United States. The authors are registered nurses and members of Nurses for Social Justice (NSJ)—a loose network of nurses and nursing students committed to societal change. Informed by the history of NSJ and larger social justice movements, the authors intentionally incorporate their personal experiences and offer an example of how nursing education can improve health at the micro and macro levels. The seminar starts with introductions and creating a safe space for authentic engagement. Students are guided to connect with their own journey to nursing and the experiences that have shaped their identities, including being oppressed and privileged. The lack of diversity within the nursing workforce and various nursing roles along the continuum of care are discussed. Case‐based scenarios are presented where students explore leveraging their power and privilege to effectively partner with individuals and communities. In closing, lessons learned are shared through a group activity that uses the ecologic model. Recommendations are made to equip nursing students with tools to better understand their role in the broader context of health.
Phototherapy‐induced elevation of serum level of melanoma inhibitory activity
Authors: Datz Elisabeth , Zeman Florian , Koller Michael , Szeimies Rolf‐Markus , Berneburg Mark , Landthaler Michael , Bosserhoff Anja K. , Karrer Sigrid
Published: February 2019

Background

Phototherapy is a frequently used treatment modality for a variety of dermatologic diseases. UV radiation has different effects on the skin, for example increased production and release of cytokines and other proteins, and is involved in the initiation and progression of skin cancer. Objective of this clinical trial was to investigate potential systemic effects of UV phototherapy on cytokine profiles in blood.

Methods

In a prospective, mono‐centric, one‐armed study, the serum levels of the melanoma tumour marker “melanoma inhibitory activity” (MIA), Il‐1α, Il‐4, Il‐6, Il‐10, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ of 115 patients with different skin diseases were compared before and 24‐48 hours as well as 2‐4 weeks after the first phototherapy with PUVA (psoralen and ultraviolet A), UVA or UVB, or both. Data were analysed using linear mixed models.

Results

Estimated marginal means of MIA levels were 6.05 ng/mL (95%‐CI: 5.37‐6.72, range: 2.83‐14.49) before the first treatment, which had significantly increased to 6.79 ng/mL 2‐4 weeks after the first phototherapy (CI 95%: 6.12‐7.47, range: 3.09‐15.45; P = 0.0042). MIA levels 2‐4 weeks after the first phototherapy were significantly higher than 24‐48 hours after the first phototherapy (P = 0.0083). 2‐4 weeks after the first treatment, TNF‐α levels had decreased significantly (P = 0.033) more in patients with psoriasis who had responded well to phototherapy than in patients unresponsive to treatment. Serum levels of the other cytokines had not changed significantly.

Conclusions

Short‐term phototherapy significantly increased the serum levels of the melanoma tumour marker MIA. The potential clinical relevance of these findings (ie an increased risk of melanoma) is unclear and should be further investigated.
Protein arrangement factor: a new photosynthetic parameter characterizing the organization of thylakoid membrane proteins
Authors: Konert Grzegorz , Steinbach Gabor , Canonico Myriam , Kaňa Radek
Published: February 2019

A proper spatial distribution of photosynthetic pigment‐protein complexes – PPCs (photosystems, light‐harvesting antennas) is crucial for photosynthesis. In plants, photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII) are heterogeneously distributed between granal and stromal thylakoids. Here we have described similar heterogeneity in the PSI, PSII and phycobilisomes (PBSs) distribution in cyanobacteria thylakoids into microdomains by applying a new image processing method suitable for the Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 strain with yellow fluorescent protein‐tagged PSI. The new image processing method is able to analyze the fluorescence ratios of PPCs on a single‐cell level, pixel per pixel. Each cell pixel is plotted in CIE1931 color space by forming a pixel‐color distribution of the cell. The most common position in CIE1931 is then defined as protein arrangement (PA) factor with xy coordinates. The PA‐factor represents the most abundant fluorescence ratio of PSI/PSII/PBS, the ‘mode color’ of studied cell. We proved that a shift of the PA‐factor from the center of the cell‐pixel distribution (the ‘median’ cell color) is an indicator of the presence of special subcellular microdomain(s) with a unique PSI/PSII/PBS fluorescence ratio in comparison to other parts of the cell. Furthermore, during a 6‐h high‐light (HL) treatment, ‘median’ and ‘mode’ color (PA‐factor) of the cell changed similarly on the population level, indicating that such microdomains with unique PSI/PSII/PBS fluorescence were not formed during HL (i.e. fluorescence changed equally in the whole cell). However, the PA‐factor was very sensitive in characterizing the fluorescence ratios of PSI/PSII/PBS in cyanobacterial cells during HL by depicting a 4‐phase acclimation to HL, and their physiological interpretation has been discussed.
Management practices and SME performance
Authors: Forth John , Bryson Alex
Published: February 2019

We examine the association between management practices and SME performance in Britain over the period 2011–2015, using a unique dataset which links survey data on management practices with firm performance data from the UK's official business register. We find that SMEs are less likely to use formal management practices than larger firms. However, such practices appear to have demonstrable benefits for those SMEs who use them, being positively associated with firm survival, growth and productivity. Our results add further weight to policy initiatives which seek to encourage SMEs to improve their management skills and capabilities.
Electrophysiology equipment for reliable study of kHz electrical stimulation
Authors: FallahRad Mohamad , Zannou Adantchede Louis , Khadka Niranjan , Prescott Steven A. , Ratté Stéphanie , Zhang Tianhe , Esteller Rosana , Hershey Brad , Bikson Marom
Published: February 2019

Characterizing the cellular targets of kHz (1–10 kHz) electrical stimulation remains a pressing topic in neuromodulation because expanding interest in clinical application of kHz stimulation has surpassed mechanistic understanding. The presumed cellular targets of brain stimulation do not respond to kHz frequencies according to conventional electrophysiology theory. Specifically, the low‐pass characteristics of cell membranes are predicted to render kHz stimulation inert, especially given the use of limited‐duty‐cycle biphasic pulses. Precisely because kHz frequencies are considered supra‐physiological, conventional instruments designed for neurophysiological studies such as stimulators, amplifiers and recording microelectrodes do not operate reliably at these high rates. Moreover, for pulsed waveforms, the signal frequency content is well above the pulse repetition rate. Thus, the very tools used to characterize the effects of kHz electrical stimulation may themselves be confounding factors. We illustrate custom equipment design that supports reliable electrophysiological recording during kHz‐rate stimulation. Given the increased importance of kHz stimulation in clinical domains and compelling possibilities that mechanisms of actions may reflect yet undiscovered neurophysiological phenomena, attention to suitable performance of electrophysiological equipment is pivotal.

image
Effects of droplet size and perfluorocarbon boiling point on the frequency dependence of acoustic vaporization threshold
Authors: Aliabouzar Mitra , Kumar Krishna N , Sarkar Kausik
Published: February 2019

Phase shift liquid perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets vaporizable by ultrasound into echogenic microbubble above a threshold pressure, termed acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV), are used for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This study systematically investigated the effect of excitation frequency (2.25, 10, and 15 MHz) on the ADV and inertial cavitation (IC) thresholds of lipid-coated PFC droplets of three different liquid cores—perfluoropentane (PFP), perfluorohexane (PFH), and perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB)—and of two different sizes—average diameters smaller than 3 μm and larger than 10 μm—in a tubeless setup. This study found that the ADV threshold increases with frequency for the lowest boiling point liquid, PFP, for both large and small size droplets. For higher boiling point liquids, PFH and PFOB, this study did not detect vaporization for small size droplets at the excitation levels (maximum 4 MPa peak negative) studied here. The large PFOB droplets experienced ADV only at the highest excitation frequency 15 MHz. For large PFH droplets, ADV threshold decreases with frequency that could possibly be due to the superharmonic focusing being a significant effect at larger sizes and the higher excitation pressures. ADV thresholds at all the frequencies studied here occurred at lower rarefactional pressures than IC thresholds indicating that phase transition precedes inertial cavitation.
Signal-to-noise ratio of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) across click rate in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Finneran James J. , Mulsow Jason , Burkard Robert F.
Published: February 2019

Although the maximum length sequence (MLS) and iterative randomized stimulation and averaging (I-RSA) methods allow auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements at high rates, it is not clear if high rates allow ABRs of a given quality to be measured in less time than conventional (CONV) averaging (i.e., fixed interstimulus intervals) at lower rates. In the present study, ABR signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was examined in six bottlenose dolphins as a function of measurement time and click rate using CONV averaging at rates of 25 and 100 Hz and the MLS/I-RSA approaches at rates from 100 to 1250 Hz. Residual noise in the averaged ABR was estimated using (1) waveform amplitude following the ABR, (2) waveform amplitude after subtracting two subaverage ABRs (i.e., the “±average”), and (3) amplitude variance at a single time point. Results showed that high stimulus rates can be used to obtain dolphin ABRs with a desired SNR in less time than CONV averaging. Optimal SNRs occurred at rates of 500–750 Hz, but were only a few dB higher than that for CONV averaging at 100 Hz. Nonetheless, a 1-dB improvement in SNR could result in a 25% time savings in reaching criterion SNR.
Benefits of the Paris Agreement to ocean life, economies, and people
Authors: Sumaila U. Rashid , Tai Travis C. , Lam Vicky W. Y. , Cheung William W. L. , Bailey Megan , Cisneros-Montemayor Andrés M. , Chen Oai Li , Gulati Sumeet S.
Published: February 2019

The Paris Agreement is good for fish, fishers, seafood workers, and consumers.
Lower-crustal rheology and thermal gradient in the Taiwan orogenic belt illuminated by the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake
Authors: Tang Chi-Hsien , Hsu Ya-Ju , Barbot Sylvain , Moore James D. P. , Chang Wu-Lung
Published: February 2019

Rapid shortening reveals transient creep and the temperature conditions of dislocation creep in the Taiwan lower crust.
A neuronal molecular switch through cell-cell contact that regulates quiescent neural stem cells
Authors: Dong Jian , Pan Yuan-Bo , Wu Xin-Rong , He Li-Na , Liu Xian-Dong , Feng Dong-Fu , Xu Tian-Le , Sun Suya , Xu Nan-Jie
Published: February 2019

Excitatory hippocampal granule cells regulate activation and transition of quiescent neural stem cells during voluntary exercise.
Increased glymphatic influx is correlated with high EEG delta power and low heart rate in mice under anesthesia
Authors: Hablitz Lauren M. , Vinitsky Hanna S. , Sun Qian , Stæger Frederik Filip , Sigurdsson Björn , Mortensen Kristian N. , Lilius Tuomas O. , Nedergaard Maiken
Published: February 2019

We show that glymphatic influx into the brain occurs in direct proportion to slow cortical activity and inversely to heart rate.
Shaping of infant B cell receptor repertoires by environmental factors and infectious disease
Authors: Nielsen Sandra C. A. , Roskin Krishna M. , Jackson Katherine J. L. , Joshi Shilpa A. , Nejad Parastu , Lee Ji-Yeun , Wagar Lisa E. , Pham Tho D. , Hoh Ramona A. , Nguyen Khoa D. , Tsunemoto Hannah Y. , Patel Sonal B. , Tibshirani Robert , Ley Catherine , Davis Mark M. , Parsonnet Julie , Boyd Scott D.
Published: February 2019

Distinct environmental exposures are associated with the maturation of antibody types in early childhood.
Patients with autism spectrum disorders display reproducible functional connectivity alterations
Authors: Holiga Štefan , Hipp Joerg F. , Chatham Christopher H. , Garces Pilar , Spooren Will , D’Ardhuy Xavier Liogier , Bertolino Alessandro , Bouquet Céline , Buitelaar Jan K. , Bours Carsten , Rausch Annika , Oldehinkel Marianne , Bouvard Manuel , Amestoy Anouck , Caralp Mireille , Gueguen Sonia , Ly-Le Moal Myriam , Houenou Josselin , Beckmann Christian F. , Loth Eva , Murphy Declan , Charman Tony , Tillmann Julian , Laidi Charles , Delorme Richard , Beggiato Anita , Gaman Alexandru , Scheid Isabelle , Leboyer Marion , d’Albis Marc-Antoine , Sevigny Jeff , Czech Christian , Bolognani Federico , Honey Garry D. , Dukart Juergen
Published: February 2019

Functional connectivity alterations are conserved in multiple cohorts of patients with autism spectrum disorder.
Broken connections
Authors: Tully Hannah M.
Published: February 2019

Interictal discharges affect functional connectivity in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.
All mixed up: Pb isotopic constraints on the transit of sands through the Mississippi-Missouri River drainage basin, North America
Authors: Blowick Aoife , Haughton Peter , Tyrrell Shane , Holbrook John , Chew David , Shannon Patrick
Published: February 2019

Pb isotope data from over 2400 detrital K-feldspars in >50 modern sands sampled across the Mississippi-Missouri River drainage basin of North America have been collected in order to construct the first basin-wide provenance model using geochemical signals in a framework, rather than an accessory, mineral. This study represents a critical initial step in understanding the long-term routing of framework sand grains through the Mississippi-Missouri River drainage basin.

Four unique Pb isotopic groups, otherwise petrographically and geochemically indistinguishable, are identifiable. Source comparisons reveal two groups corresponding to the Archean Superior and Wyoming terranes to the north of the catchment. The remaining two Pb groups represent a mixture of Appalachian, Grenville and older Granite-Rhyolite, and Yavapai-Mazatzal sourced-grains in the east of the catchment, with noteworthy input from Cenozoic volcanic rocks along the western fringe of the catchment to tributaries west of the Mississippi River, confirming prior assertions of zircon recycling in the lower drainage basin.

Tracing suites of Pb isotopic groups provide a detailed map of previously undocumented tributary mixing and reveals the importance of long-lived, naturally formed impoundments in the Upper Mississippi River, which locally sequester and release sand. Tentative proportioning of sediment contributions to the terminus of the Mississippi River from individual tributaries produces similar results to recent U-Pb zircon models, boding well for the use of framework grain based modeling of sediment fluxes.

The study is the largest application of Pb-in-K-feldspar fingerprinting to date and advocates its potential as a new and necessary tool for constraining relative source contributions to sinks—which will have wide applicability—especially if combined with provenance information from detrital grains of varying resilience, within large drainage systems.
Gut microbiome meta-analysis reveals dysbiosis is independent of body mass index in predicting risk of obesity-associated CRC
Authors: Greathouse K Leigh , White James Robert , Padgett R Noah , Perrotta Brittany G , Jenkins Gregory D , Chia Nicholas , Chen Jun
Published: February 2019

Objective

Obesity is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), accounting for more than 14% of CRC incidence. Microbial dysbiosis and chronic inflammation are common characteristics in both obesity and CRC. Human and murine studies, together, demonstrate the significant impact of the microbiome in governing energy metabolism and CRC development; yet, little is understood about the contribution of the microbiome to development of obesity-associated CRC as compared to individuals who are not obese.

Design

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis using five publicly available stool and tissue-based 16S rRNA and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data sets of CRC microbiome studies. High-resolution analysis was employed for 16S rRNA data, which allowed us to achieve species-level information to compare with WGS. 

Results

Characterisation of the confounders between studies, 16S rRNA variable region and sequencing method did not reveal any significant effect on alpha diversity in CRC prediction. Both 16S rRNA and WGS were equally variable in their ability to predict CRC. Results from diversity analysis confirmed lower diversity in obese individuals without CRC; however, no universal differences were found in diversity between obese and non-obese individuals with CRC. When examining taxonomic differences, the probability of being classified as CRC did not change significantly in obese individuals for all taxa tested. However, random forest classification was able to distinguish CRC and non-CRC stool when body mass index was added to the model.

Conclusion

Overall, microbial dysbiosis was not a significant factor in explaining the higher risk of colon cancer among individuals with obesity.
Socioeconomic inequality in functional deficiencies and chronic diseases among older Indian adults: a sex-stratified cross-sectional decomposition analysis
Authors: Singh Lucky , Goel Richa , Rai Rajesh Kumar , Singh Prashant Kumar
Published: February 2019

Objectives

Older adults with adverse socioeconomic conditions suffer disproportionately from a poor quality of life. Stratified by sex, income-related inequalities have been decomposed for functional deficiencies and chronic diseases among older adults, and the degree to which social and demographic factors contribute to these inequalities was identified in this study.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Participants

Data used for this study were retrieved from the WHO Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1. A total of 3753 individuals (men: 1979, and women: 1774) aged ≥60 years were found eligible for the analysis.

Measures

Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) deficiency and presence of chronic diseases.

Method

The decomposition method proposed by Adam Wagstaff and his colleagues was used. The method allows estimating how determinants of health contribute proportionally to inequality in a health variable.

Results

Compared with men, women were disproportionately affected by both functional deficiencies and chronic diseases. The relative contribution of sociodemographic factors to IADL deficiency was highest among those with poor economic status (38.5%), followed by those who were illiterate (22.5%), which collated to 61% of the total explained inequalities. Similarly, for chronic diseases, about 93% of the relative contribution was shared by those with poor economic status (42.3%), rural residence (30.5%) and illiteracy (20.3%). Significant difference in predictors was evident between men and women in IADL deficiency and chronic illness.

Conclusion

Pro-poor intervention strategies could be designed to address functional deficiencies and chronic diseases, with special attention to women.
Minimum income for healthy living and frailty in adults over 65 years old in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Watts Paul Nicholas , Blane David , Netuveli Gopalakrishnan
Published: February 2019

Objective

To test whether minimum income for healthy living of a person aged 65 years or older (MIHL65) is associated with frailty in older adults.

Design and setting

Secondary analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a multiwave prospective cohort study in England, UK.

Participants

A subset (n=1342) of English Longitudinal Study of Ageing participants, who at wave 1 in 2002 were aged 65 years or older, without any limiting long-standing illnesses, and who had the information required to calculate MIHL65in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and two measures of frailty in 2008.

Main outcome measures

Frailty defined using Fried’s phenotype criteria and Rockwood’s Index of deficits.

Results

The odds of frailty in 2008 were significantly higher for participants living below MIHL65in 2002, both on Fried’s phenotype criteria (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.57 to 4.19) and Rockwood’s Index (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.74 to 4.60). These associations remained after adjustment for age and gender for both Fried’s phenotype (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.90) and Rockwood’s Index (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.35). Compared with those whose income during 2002–2006 was always above MIHL65, the odds of frailty in 2008 for those below MIHL65were two-to-three times higher, with a tendency for the ORs to increase in line with the length of time spent below MIHL65(ORs (95% CIs) were: Fried’s phenotype, below MIHL65once: 2.02 (1.23 to 3.34); twice: 2.52 (1.37 to 4.62); thrice: 3.53 (1.65 to 7.55). Rockwood’s Index: once: 2.34 (1.41 to 3.86); twice: 3.06 (1.64 to 5.71); thrice: 2.56 (1.22 to 5.34)). These associations remained after adjustment for age and gender on Rockwood’s Index, but not Fried’s phenotype.

Conclusions

These results provide some support for the idea that frailty at older ages is associated with not having sufficient income to lead a healthy life.
Aspirin use in central retinal arterial occlusion to prevent ischaemic stroke: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Kang Eugene Yu-Chuan , Lin Yun-Hsuan , Wang Nan-Kai , Yeung Ling , Luo Caesar , Wu Wei-Chi , Sun Chi-Chin , Kang Je-Ho , Hung Ming-Jui , Chen Tien-Hsing
Published: February 2019

Objective

To understand the efficacy of aspirin use for preventing ischaemic stroke after central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

Design

The retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database from 1998 to 2013.

Setting

A population-based study.

Participants

A total of 9437 participants with newly diagnosed CRAO were identified. Participants who had a previous stroke and/or retinal vascular occlusion, were aged <20 years and used aspirin 3 months before the event were excluded. There were 3778 eligible participants matched by propensity score, and they were divided into aspirin (n=434) and aspirin-naive (n=1736) groups after the matching.

Methods

Cox proportional hazard models and cumulative survival curves were used to assess ischaemic stroke in the study groups, along with log-rank tests to compare group differences.

Main outcome measures

Incidence of ischaemic stroke in the aspirin and aspirin-naive groups 1 year after CRAO.

Results

Of the 3778 patients with newly diagnosed CRAO, 151 (4%) had a subsequent ischaemic stroke within 1 year. The risk was especially high during the first week of the CRAO. No difference between the aspirin and aspirin-naive groups was found in risk of ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, major bleeding, acute coronary syndrome, retinal vein occlusion, new-onset glaucoma, undergoing panretinal photocoagulation or all-cause mortality. Risk factors for ischaemic stroke within 1 year of CRAO included male gender (p=0.031; HR=1.46) and age (p=0.032; HR=1.14).

Conclusions

Aspirin use after a CRAO showed no benefit on attenuating the risk of ischaemic stroke. The risk of ischaemic stroke was increased after CRAO especially during the first week. Male gender and age were risk factors for ischaemic stroke after CRAO.
When pigs fly: emotional support animals, service dogs and the politics of legitimacy across species boundaries
Authors: Wlodarczyk Justyna
Published: February 2019

This paper probes the distinction between the so-called emotional support animals (ESAs), a term that is specific to the USA and that has recently been the subject of significant media attention, and service animals. The attention devoted to ESAs has largely taken on the form of jokes and critical comments related to the absurdity of the ‘political correctness’ that makes it possible for pigs to fly in the passenger cabin of airplanes and llamas to accompany their owners on trips to the supermarket. Much criticism is meted out, also from within the disability community, against animal guardians who try to ‘pass their animals off’ as service dogs and ESAs, with a call for the establishment of clear-cut criteria for the definition of ESAs and service animals. The paper’s methodology is an analysis of the media accounts of legitimate and illegitimate service animals; an analysis that reveals how the boundary between legitimate and illegitimate is constructed through the building blocks of these stories. ESAs are something of a limit case that points to the cultural paradoxes that govern Americans’ relationships with companion animals and with concepts of disability. The paper also argues that the insistence on establishing firm boundaries between ‘legitimate’ service animals and ESAs actually fosters a politics of suspicion, which can easily slip into suspicion directed at the human handlers of the animals.
Prevalence of early stages of heart failure in an elderly risk population: the Copenhagen Heart Failure Risk Study
Authors: Gaborit Freja Stoltze , Kistorp Caroline , Kümler Thomas , Hassager Christian , Tønder Niels , Køber Lars , Hansen Pernille Mørk , Kamstrup Pia Rørbæk , Faber Jens , Iversen Kasper Karmark , Schou Morten
Published: February 2019

Aims

To describe the prevalence of heart failure (HF) stages in elderly outpatients with risk factors for HF but without known HF, and characterise the clinical, biochemical and echocardiographic findings in each stage.

Background

Early stages of HF are underdiagnosed; nevertheless, they are associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation and increased mortality. The prevalence of HF stages in elderly high-risk patients is unknown.

Methods

A total of 400 patients were consecutively included: ≥60 years old, ≥1 risk factor for HF (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension), and without known or suspected HF. HF stages were defined as the following: stage A (risk factor for HF, normal echocardiography), stage B (abnormal echocardiography, without symptoms of HF) and stage C (abnormal echocardiography, symptoms of HF, clinical signs/increased plasma aminoterminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP] concentrations).

Results

After thorough examination 44.25% of patients were categorised as HF stage A, 37.5% were HF stage B and 18.25% HF stage C. Those with higher stages of HF were older (p<0.001) and more often had atrial fibrillation (p=0.006). The median plasma NT-proBNP concentrations (pg/mL) were 132.5 for HF stage A, 275.5 for HF stage B and 400.0 for HF stage C (p<0.001). Detectable plasma troponin-I was more frequent with abnormal echocardiography: HF stage A 9.7%, HF stage B 27.3% and HF stage C 30.1% (p<0.001). HF stage C reported higher score on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (p<0.001).

Conclusions

In an elderly high-risk population without known or suspected HF, more than half were HF stage B or C. Higher stages of HF had increased plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP and troponin-I, besides a reduced quality of life. Focus on symptoms and signs of HF in this population are warranted.
Cardiovascular health technology assessment: recommendations to improve the quality of evidence
Authors: Berry Colin , Corcoran David , Mangion Kenneth
Published: February 2019

The aim of this article is to review the role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) organisations in appraising and recommending innovative cardiovascular technologies. We consider how bias impairs the quality of evidence from clinical trials involving cardiovascular healthcare technologies. Finally, we provide recommendations to HTA organisations to take account of bias when making guideline recommendations.

Clinical research studies of medical devices, diagnostics and interventions in cardiovascular healthcare are susceptible to impairment through bias. While HTA organisations, such as the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, may require reviewers to take account of bias, there are uncertainties as to how this is achieved, especially in cardiovascular technology trials. This becomes more relevant given that large trials are few in number; therefore, the quality of evidence from an individual trial may have a large bearing on guideline recommendations and clinical practice.

HTA organisations should drive improvements in the design and rigour of randomised trials. The evolving landscape of cardiovascular healthcare technologies and related trials presents a challenge for HTA organisations and healthcare providers. The rapid turnover of evidence is externally relevant because the period from the trial publication to implementation of HTA guideline recommendations by healthcare providers may be prolonged, by which time new evidence may have emerged from subsequent trials. Implementation of a cardiovascular healthcare technology including be it a medical device, diagnostic or intervention may have profound implications for healthcare providers. These technologies may have high absolute costs and access may be influenced by socioeconomic and geographic factors.
Mechanical performance and healing patterns of the novel sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable Fantom scaffold: 6-month and 9-month follow-up by optical coherence tomography in the FANTOM II study
Authors: Simonsen Jo Krogsgaard , Holck Emil Nielsen , Carrié Didier , Frey Norbert , Lutz Matthias , Weber-Albers Joachim , Dudek Dariusz , Chevalier Bernard , Daemen Joost , Dijkstra Jouke , Fox Maule Camilla , Neghabat Omeed , Lassen Jens Flensted , Anderson Jeffrey , Christiansen Evald Høj , Abizaid Alexandre , Holm Niels Ramsing
Published: February 2019

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the mechanical properties and healing patterns 6 and 9 months after implantation of the sirolimus-eluting Fantom bioresorbable scaffold (BRS).

Background

The Fantom BRS (Reva Medical, San Diego, USA) has differentiating properties including radiopacity, strut thickness of 125 µm, high expansion capacity and has demonstrated favourable mid-term clinical and angiographic outcomes.

Methods and results

FANTOM II was a prospective, single arm study with implantation of the Fantom BRS in 240 patients with stable angina pectoris. Guidance by optical coherence tomography (OCT) was encouraged and was repeated at 6-month (cohort A) or 9-month follow-up (cohort B). Matched baseline and follow-up OCT recordings were available in 152 patients. In-scaffold mean lumen area in cohort A was 6.8±1.7 mm2and 5.7±1.4 mm2at baseline and follow-up (p<0.0001) and was 7.2±1.6 mm2and 5.6±1.4 mm2in cohort B (p<0.0001). Mean scaffold area remained stable from 7.1±1.5 mm2at baseline to 7.2±1.4 mm2at 6 months (p=0.12), and from 7.4±1.5 mm2to 7.3±1.4 mm2at 9 months. Strut malapposition was median 0.8 (IQR 0.0;3.5)% and 1.8 (IQR 0.3;6.0)% at baseline and was 0.0 (IQR 0.0;0.0)% in both groups at 6-month and 9-month follow-up. Strut tissue coverage was 98.1 (IQR 95.9;99.4)% at 6 months and 98.9 (IQR 98.3;100.0)% at 9 months.

Conclusions

The novel Fantom BRS had favourable healing patterns at 6-month and 9-month follow-up as malapposition was effectively resolved and strut coverage was almost complete. The scaffold remained stable through follow-up with no signs of systematic late recoil.
Survey of husbandry practices for bovidae in zoos: the importance of parasite management for reintroduction programmes
Authors: Moreno Mañas Eulalia , Gonzálvez Juan Moisés , Ruiz de Ybáñez Carnero María del Rocío , Gilbert Tania , Ortiz Juana , Espeso Gerardo , Benzal Jesús , Ibáñez Belén , Valera Hernández Francisco
Published: February 2019

Animals from zoological institutions may be used for reintroductions. These individuals are considered healthy, but they are not necessarily free of parasites, despite the minimum husbandry standards required of zoological institutions as described in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria guidelines. In this sense, parasitism has been identified as the cause of failure, or has added difficulties, in some reintroduction programmes. Here the authors attempt to summarise the risk of parasitism to animals originating from zoological institutions by analysing a questionnaire about parasite prevalence, sampling methods, treatment and control in three ungulates in European zoos. Completed questionnaires were received from 38 institutions (58.5 per cent response rate). Most of the responding institutions (97 per cent) detected the eggs of endoparasites in faeces, but only one reported ectoparasites. Most institutions followed a similar preventive schedule, with ivermectin as the preferred prophylactic treatment for parasites, commonly administered in food every six months. The frequent use of concentrating flotation techniques as the sole method to evaluate the presence of parasite eggs in faecal samples is not recommended because it fails to detect trematode and lung nematode infections, so it would be better to use flotation techniques together with sedimentation procedures or serological and molecular tests. The results suggest that parasite control in zoological institutions can be complicated, indicating the need to implement a specific management schedule for institutions involved in reintroduction projects.
Sociodemographic factors which predict low private rabies vaccination coverage in dogs in Blantyre, Malawi
Authors: Mazeri Stella , Gibson Andrew D , de Clare Bronsvoort Barend Mark , Handel Ian G , Lohr Fred , Bailey Jordana Burdon , Mayer Dagmar , Gamble Luke , Mellanby Richard J
Published: February 2019

Although rabies kills approximately 60,000 people globally every year, vaccination of over 70 per cent of the canine population has been shown to eliminate the disease in both dogs and human beings. In some rabies endemic countries, owners are able to vaccinate their dogs through private veterinary clinics. However, uptake of dog vaccinations through private veterinary clinics is often low in many rabies endemic countries. In this study, the authors examined the sociodemographic factors which predicted low private rabies vaccination coverage in Blantyre, Malawi. Data on 23,205 dogs were recorded during a door‐to‐door rabies vaccination programme in 2016. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to identify factors associated with private rabies vaccination. Negative predictors of private vaccination included increasing poverty levels, higher housing densities, male dogs, pregnant or lactating dogs, and puppies and dogs allowed to roam. In contrast, neutered and healthy dogs had greater odds of being privately vaccinated. The present study demonstrated that low private rabies vaccination coverage can be accurately predicted by sociodemographic factors. This information may help inform public health interventions which deliver mass vaccination programmes in rabies endemic countries.
Katharine Elizabeth Borer‐Weir
Authors:   Written by her veterinary family at the Royal Veterinary College, past and present
Published: February 2019

A valued member of the equine and veterinary anaesthesia community and a superb mentor and friend to many. Those who knew her will remember her smile and her love of life.
Walking an Unknown Street with Limited Sensing
Authors: Wei Qi , Tan Xuehou , Ren Yonggong
Published: February 2019

This paper studies a searching problem in an unknown street. A simple polygon [Formula: see text] with two distinguished vertices, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], is called a street if the two boundary chains from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] are mutually weakly visible. We use a mobile robot to locate [Formula: see text] starting from [Formula: see text]. Assume that the robot has a limited sensing capability that can only detect the constructed edges (also called gaps) on the boundary of its visible region, but cannot measure any angle or distance. The robot does not have knowledge of the street in advance. We present a new competitive strategy for this problem and prove that the length of the path generated by the robot is at most 9-times longer than the shortest path. We also propose a matching lower bound to show that our strategy is optimal. Compared with the previous strategy, we further relaxed the restriction that the robot should take a marking device and use the data structure S-GNT. The analysis of our strategy is tight.
Distributed Coordinated Attitude Regulation Control for Multiple Spacecraft with Time-varying Uncertainties
Authors: Zhu Zhihao , Guo Yu , Gao Zhi
Published: February 2019

For multiple spacecrafts under the communication topology containing a spanning tree with the leader as the root, we investigate a distributed coordinated attitude regulation control problem of the spacecraft with unknown time-varying uncertainties and state-dependent disturbances. Aiming at solving the practical problem that the information of the leader may be only available to a subset of the followers, a novel class of distributed finite-time leaders’ state observer for each follower is proposed. Meanwhile, a new self-adjustment matrix is designed to reduce the overshoot of the system. In addition, an adaptive compensation term is designed to reject the impact of the time-varying inertia uncertainties and external state-dependent and state-independent disturbances. On the basis of the distributed finite-time observer, the self-adjustment matrix and the adaptive law, two distributed coordinated attitude regulation control laws are designed. With the first controller, the coordinated attitude regulation system is stable asymptotically, and with the second controller, the system is bounded stable. Both distributed coordinated attitude regulation controllers can guarantee that the follower spacecraft can track a common time-varying trajectory of the leader. Numerical simulation examples validate the effectiveness of the proposed controllers.
Bridge Surface Roughness Identification Based on Vehicle–Bridge Interaction
Authors: Zhan Y. , Au F. T. K.
Published: February 2019

As the surface roughness of a bridge has significant influence on the interaction between a moving vehicle and the bridge itself, it is one of the hurdles for the use of the drive-by technique in the assessment of bridges. Proper identification of the surface roughness of a bridge will help minimize the associated uncertainties and improve the accuracy of numerical simulation. This paper presents a method for estimating the surface roughness profile from the responses extracted from a vehicle instrumented with accelerometers passing on the bridge tested. By letting the vehicle run along the bridge multiple times with different added masses, an estimation of the roughness profile can be obtained based on the vehicle–bridge interaction theory. No baseline data is required. Three simplified vehicle models have been used in this study, i.e. spring–mass model, spring–damper–mass model and half-vehicle model. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method are evaluated by finite element simulation with a simply supported bridge and a continuous bridge. The performance of this method for different levels of road surface roughness is assessed by suitable error indicators. A parametric study about the influence of vehicle and bridge parameters, measurement noise and structural damage on the identified results have been carried out.
COMPUTATIONAL ALGORITHM OF TWO PARALLEL ULTRASOUND BEAMS OF 1D CANCER TISSUE MODEL FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE HYPERTHERMIA TREATMENT
Authors: SONGKAITIWONG KITTIPHOT , LOCHAROENRAT KITSAKORN
Published: February 2019

The mathematical algorithm of two parallel ultrasound beams on a one-dimensional (1D) cancer tissue model for hyperthermia treatment was created using Matlab software. Physically, the model incorporated two beams; the first beam was permanently placed at the center of the tumor, whereas the other was set between the first beam and the tumor. The computational implementation of this technique relies on the Crank–Nicolson method. This technique is a finite different method that offers an exact heat transfer calculation based on the heat analysis of the heat node structure from a 1D biological tissue model. The Matlab software implementation was composed of two stages: tissue temperature profile calculation and optimization computation. To obtain the tissue temperature profile, the beam heat was varied from 45∘C to 75∘C (seven different levels of heat from the same source), while the second beam was allowed to move between the first beam and the tumor to locations at distances of 1 to 9[Formula: see text]mm (nine positions). The obtained tissue temperature profiles were subsequently analyzed to achieve the optimal time, beam position, and beam heat of the treatment. As a result of the optimization, the best position for the second beam was determined to be 5[Formula: see text]mm from the center of the tumor. Further, all tumor cells were observed to have died, whereas all normal tissues were safe. The optimal time, beam position, and beam heat of the treatment were finally collected to create and fit a mathematical function for further hyperthermia treatment.
An Improved Four-Node Element for Analysis of Composite Plate/Shell Structures Based on Twice Interpolation Strategy
Authors: Ton-That Hoang Lan , Nguyen-Van Hieu , Chau-Dinh Thanh
Published: February 2019

This paper deals with numerical linear analyses of laminated composite plate/shell structures. The method is based on a four-node quadrilateral element, namely, SQ4T, within the framework of the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). This element is established by incorporating the twice interpolation strategy (TIS) into a traditional four-node finite element to build the membrane, bending and shear stiffness matrices. Many desirable characteristics of this efficient numerical method are shown as continuous nodal gradients, higher-order polynomial basis, no increase in number of the degree of freedom of the system. The performance of the proposed element is validated and demonstrated through several numerical benchmark problems. Convergence studies and comparison with other existing solutions in the literature suggest that the present element is efficient, accurate and free of lockings.
Defect and Equivalence of Unitary Matrices. The Fourier Case. Part I
Authors: Tadej Wojciech
Published: February 2019

Consider the real space 𝔻U of directions one can move in from a unitary N × N matrix U without disturbing its unitarity and the moduli of its entries in the first order. dimℝ (𝔻U) is called the defect of U and denoted D(U). We give an account of Alexander Karabegov’s theory where 𝔻U is parametrized by the imaginary subspace of the eigenspace, associated with λ = 1, of a certain unitary operator IU on 𝕄N, and where D(U) is the multiplicity of 1 in the spectrum of IU. This characterization allows us to establish the dependence of D(U(1) ⊗ … ⊗U(r)) on D(U(k))’s, to derive formulas expressing D(F) for a Fourier matrix F of the size being a power of a prime, as well as to show the multiplicativity of D(F) with respect to Kronecker factors of F if their sizes are pairwise relatively prime. Also partly due to the role of symmetries of U in the determination of the eigenspaces of IU we study the ‘permute and enphase’ symmetries and the equivalence of Fourier matrices, associated with arbitrary finite abelian groups. This work is divided in two parts — the present one and the second appearing in the next issue of OSID [1].
Refraction of P- and S-Wave at the Interface of Micropolar Elasticity and Thermoelasticity with Voids
Authors: Lianngenga R. , Lalvohbika J. , Lalawmpuia
Published: February 2019

The problem of incident plane waves at the interface of micropolar thermoelastic half-space with voids and micropolar elastic half-space with voids has been attempted. The amplitude and energy ratios of various reflected and refracted waves for the incident [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-waves are obtained with the help of appropriate boundary conditions at the interface. The effect of linear thermal expansion and microinertia on the amplitude and energy ratios due to the incident [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-waves are discussed. Numerically and analytically, these amplitude and energy ratios are computed to show the effect of linear thermal expansion and microinertia. It is observed that the effect of linear thermal expansion is less for incident [Formula: see text]-wave and the effect of microinertia is less for incident [Formula: see text]-wave.
Laboratory investigation of nonlinear flow characteristics through natural rock fractures
Authors: Nasri Fakherdavood Mohammad Javad , Ramezanzadeh Ahmad , Jenabi Human
Published: February 2019

This paper aims to assess the influence of
in situ
stresses and geometry of the fracture surface on the behaviour of fluid flow through rock fractures. In this regard, fluid flow tests were performed on four mated, natural limestone fractures, under changing confining pressure ranging between 1.0 and 14 MPa. Based on the experimental observations, three types of relationship between pressure gradient and flow rate can be determined (linear, nonlinear induced by inertial effect and nonlinear induced by fracture dilation). Regression analyses of experimental data show that the nonlinearity induced by the inertial effect can be well quantified by the Forchheimer equation. The results of the experiments demonstrated that the confining pressure can change flow patterns from linear to nonlinear at higher flow rates, although by increasing the confining pressures the viscous and inertial coefficients in the Forchheimer equation show an increase of 10–40 and 2–10 times the initial magnitude, respectively. However, the rate of increase of the nonlinear coefficient
b
used in the Forchheimer equation steadily diminishes with the increase of confining pressure. The critical Reynolds number was successfully determined by taking a non-Darcy effect factor of 0.1, and the calculated critical Reynolds numbers show a decrease with further increase of the confining pressure and fracture roughness.
Peter Bailis Speaks Out on building tools users want to use
Authors: Winslett Marianne , Braganholo Vanessa
Published: February 2019

Welcome to this installment of ACM Sigmod Records series of interviews with distinguished members of the database community. I'm Marianne Winslett and today we're at the 2017 SIGMOD and PODS Conference in Chicago. I have here with me Peter Bailis who's a professor at Stanford University. Peter won the 2017 ACM SIGMOD Jim Gray Dissertation award for his thesis entitled "Coordination Avoidance in Distributed Databases." Peter's advisors were Joseph Hellerstein, Ion Stoica, and Ali Ghodsi at Berkeley.