bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning: Contemplating the unexamined core of Learning Health Systems
Authors: Potts Jennifer , Thompson Randy , Merchant Robert , Ciemins Elizabeth L. , Bush Roger W. , Anderson Ruth A. , Lindberg Curt
Published: August 2017

Introduction

The current Learning Health Systems literature affords insufficient attention to the process of learning. In response, Billings Clinic focused on how to advance its learning capabilities and subsequently to contribute new insights into the process of learning to the LHS literature.

Methods

An environmental scan was conducted, including the grey literature (eg, technical reports and white papers) and peer‐reviewed research publications. Semistructured interviews were also conducted with Clinic staff members to determine the motivation of their engagement in meaningful quality improvement, or learning, initiatives.

Results

Six learning principles emerged from the literature review and staff interviews: (1) draw on wisdom of groups and value connections; (2) embrace sensemaking over decision making in dealing with the unexpected; (3) bring diverse perspectives to complex challenges; (4) animate people, provide direction, update regularly, and interact respectfully; (5) appreciate the power and ubiquity of emergent change and the limitations of planned change; and (6) concentrate on small wins and characterize challenges as mere problems. Examples of how these principles are beginning to influence how learning and improvement are understood and approached at Billings Clinic are described and serve as illustrations of the principles in action.

Conclusion

Becoming adept in learning is essential to realizing the vision of Learning Health Systems—to harness science, clinical research, and information generated by digital technology to inform and accelerate improvement in quality health care. This article seeks to contribute to greater understanding of this process by sharing a set of principles that are proving useful at one health care organization and to a more comprehensive conceptualization of Learning Health Systems.
Development of a Dual‐Functional Hydrogel Using RGD and Anti‐VEGF Aptamer
Authors: Zhao Nan , Battig Mark R. , Xu Ming , Wang Xiuli , Xiong Na , Wang Yong
Published: August 2017

Synthetic molecular libraries hold great potential to advance the biomaterial development. However, little effort is made to integrate molecules with molecular recognition abilities selected from different libraries into a single biomolecular material. The purpose of this work is to incorporate peptides and nucleic acid aptamers into a porous hydrogel to develop a dual‐functional biomaterial. The data show that an anti‐integrin peptide can promote the attachment and growth of endothelial cells in a 3D porous poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel and an antivascular endothelial growth factor aptamer can sequester and release VEGF of high bioactivity. Importantly, the dual‐functional porous hydrogel enhances the growth and survival of endothelial cells. This work demonstrates that molecules selected from different synthetic libraries can be integrated into one system for the development of novel biomaterials.
Biocatalytic Stimuli‐Responsive Asymmetric Triblock Terpolymer Membranes for Localized Permeability Gating
Authors: Poole Jennifer L. , Donahue Scott , Wilson David , Li Yuk Mun , Zhang Qi , Gu Yibei , Ferebee Rachel , Lu Zhao , Dorin Rachel Mika , Hancock Lawrence F. , Takiff Larry , Hakem Ilhem F. , Bockstaller Michael R. , Wiesner Ulrich , Walker Jeremy
Published: August 2017

The functionalization with phosphotriesterase of poly(isoprene‐b‐styrene‐b‐4‐vinylpyridine)‐based nanoporous membranes fabricated by self‐assembly and nonsolvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) is shown to enable dynamically responsive membranes capable of substrate‐specific and localized gating response. Integration of the SNIPS process with macroporous nylon support layers yields mechanically robust textile‐type films with high moisture vapor transport rates that display rapid and local order‐of‐magnitude modulation of permeability. The simplicity of the fabrication process that is compatible with large‐area fabrication along with the versatility and efficacy of enzyme reactivity offers intriguing opportunities for engineered biomimetic materials that are tailored to respond to a complex range of external parameters, providing sensing, protection, and remediation capabilities.
Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopic fractionation in captive juvenile hooded seal (Cystophora cristata): Application for diet analysis
Authors: Pinzone Marianna , Acquarone Mario , Huyghebaert Loreen , Sturaro Nicolas , Michel Loïc N. , Siebert Ursula , Das Krishna
Published: August 2017

Rationale

Intrinsic biogeochemical markers, such as stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, are increasingly used to trace the trophic ecology of marine top predators. However, insufficient knowledge of fractionation processes in tissues continues to hamper the use of these markers.

Methods

We performed a controlled feeding experiment with eight juvenile hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) that were held on a herring‐based diet (Clupea harengus) for two years. Stable isotope ratios were measured via isotope ratio mass spectrometry in three of their tissues and related to values of these markers in their diet.

Results

Diet‐tissue isotope enrichment (trophic enrichment factor, TEF) values between dietary herring and seal tissues for carbon (Δ13C) were +0.7 ‰ for red blood cells, +1.9 ‰ for hair and +1.1 ‰ for muscle. The TEFs for nitrogen trophic (Δ15N) were +3.3 ‰ for red blood cells, +3.6 ‰ for hair and +4.3 ‰ for muscle. For sulphur, the Δ34S values were +1.1 ‰ for red blood cells, +1.0 ‰ for hair and +0.9 ‰ for muscle.

Conclusions

These enrichment values were greater than those previously measured in adult seals. This increase may be related to the higher rate of protein synthesis and catabolism in growing animals. This study is the first report on sulphur isotope enrichment values for a marine mammal species.
Targeted genome editing in Caenorhabditis elegans using CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Farboud Behnom
Published: August 2017

Utilization of programmable nucleases to generate DNA lesions at precise endogenous sequences has transformed the ability to edit genomes from microbes to plants and animals. This is especially true in organisms that previously lacked the means to engineer precise genomic changes, like Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans is a 1 mm long free‐living, nonparasitic, nematode worm, which is easily cultivated in a laboratory. Its detailed genetic map and relatively compact genome (~100 megabases) helped make it the first metazoan to have its entire genome sequenced. With detailed sequence information came development of numerous molecular tools to dissect gene function. Initially absent from this toolbox, however, were methods to make precise edits at chosen endogenous loci. Adapting site‐specific nucleases for use in C. elegans, revolutionized studies of C. elegans biology. Zinc‐finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs), and then CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9) were used to target specific endogenous DNA sequences to make double‐strand DNA breaks (DSBs). Precise changes could be engineered by providing repair templates targeting the DSB in trans. The ease of programming Cas9 to bind and cleave DNA sequences with few limitations has led to its widespread use in C. elegans research and sped the development of strategies to facilitate mutant recovery. Numerous innovative CRISPR/Cas9 methodologies are now primed for use in C. elegans. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e287. doi: 10.1002/wdev.287

This article is categorized under:

Invertebrate Organogenesis > Worms

Technologies > Perturbing Genes and Generating Modified Animals
Alzheimer's disease genetic risk variants beyond APOE ε4 predict mortality
Authors: Mez Jesse , Marden Jessica R. , Mukherjee Shubhabrata , Walter Stefan , Gibbons Laura E. , Gross Alden L. , Zahodne Laura B. , Gilsanz Paola , Brewster Paul , Nho Kwangsik , Crane Paul K. , Larson Eric B. , Glymour M. Maria
Published: August 2017

Introduction

We hypothesized that, like apolipoprotein E (APOE), other late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) genetic susceptibility loci predict mortality.

Methods

We used a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) from 21 non‐APOE LOAD risk variants to predict survival in the Adult Changes in Thought and the Health and Retirement Studies. We meta‐analyzed hazard ratios and examined models adjusted for cognitive performance or limited to participants with dementia. For replication, we assessed the GRS‐longevity association in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology, comparing cases surviving to age ≥90 years with controls who died between ages 55 and 80 years.

Results

Higher GRS predicted mortality (hazard ratio = 1.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.10, P = .04). After adjusting for cognitive performance or restricting to participants with dementia, the relationship was attenuated and no longer significant. In case‐control analysis, the GRS was associated with reduced longevity (odds ratio = 0.64; 95% confidence interval: 0.41–1.00, P = .05).

Discussion

Non‐APOE LOAD susceptibility loci confer risk for mortality, likely through effects on dementia incidence.
Searching for Truth in the Transitional Justice Movement
Authors: Rowen Jamie
Published: August 2017

Searching for Truth in the Transitional Justice Movement examines calls for a truth commission to redress the brutal war during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia, and US detention policies in the War on Terror. In so doing, it argues that transitional justice is an idea around which a loosely structured movement emerged and professionalized, making truth commissions a standard response to mass violence. By exploring how this movement developed, as well as efforts to make truth commissions in the Balkans, Colombia, and the US, this book explains different processes through which political actors translate new legal ideas such as transitional justice into political action. Further, it reveals how the malleability of transitional justice and truth commissions is both an asset and a liability for those hoping to ensure accountability, improve survivor well-being, and prevent future violence.
Sin, Slave Status, and the “City”: Zanzibar, 1865–c. 1930
Authors: Greenfield-Liebst Michelle
Published: August 2017

The Universities’ Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) missionaries equated urbanity with moral contagion, to which those with slave status were especially vulnerable. To the former slaves who came into contact with the mission, the growing commercial center of Zanzibar, and the coastal cultures it was associated with, were not only enticing, but also crucial to social and economic mobility. The mission’s ex-slaves rarely enjoyed a special advantage though their connection to missionaries. Even for the missionaries’ most treasured dependents, the advantages were ambiguous. However, the mission did facilitate the making of strong cohorts and ease the transition to town living.
Stochastic modelling and diffusion modes for proper orthogonal decomposition models and small-scale flow analysis
Authors: Resseguier Valentin , Mémin Etienne , Heitz Dominique , Chapron Bertrand
Published: August 2017

We present here a new stochastic modelling approach in the constitution of fluid flow reduced-order models. This framework introduces a spatially inhomogeneous random field to represent the unresolved small-scale velocity component. Such a decomposition of the velocity in terms of a smooth large-scale velocity component and a rough, highly oscillating component gives rise, without any supplementary assumption, to a large-scale flow dynamics that includes a modified advection term together with an inhomogeneous diffusion term. Both of those terms, related respectively to turbophoresis and mixing effects, depend on the variance of the unresolved small-scale velocity component. They bring an explicit subgrid term to the reduced system which enables us to take into account the action of the truncated modes. Besides, a decomposition of the variance tensor in terms of diffusion modes provides a meaningful statistical representation of the stationary or non-stationary structuration of the small-scale velocity and of its action on the resolved modes. This supplies a useful tool for turbulent fluid flow data analysis. We apply this methodology to circular cylinder wake flow at Reynolds numbers $Re=100$ and $Re=3900$. The finite-dimensional models of the wake flows reveal the energy and the anisotropy distributions of the small-scale diffusion modes. These distributions identify critical regions where corrective advection effects, as well as structured energy dissipation effects, take place. In providing rigorously derived subgrid terms, the proposed approach yields accurate and robust temporal reconstruction of the low-dimensional models.
Fractal structures in freezing brine
Authors: Alyaev Sergey , Keilegavlen Eirik , Nordbotten Jan Martin , Pop Iuliu Sorin
Published: August 2017

The process of initial ice formation in brine is a highly complex problem. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model that captures the dynamics of nucleation and development of ice inclusions in brine. The primary emphasis is on the interaction between ice growth and salt diffusion, subject to external forcing provided by temperature. Within this setting two freezing regimes are identified, depending on the rate of change of the temperature: a slow freezing regime where a continuous ice domain is formed; and a fast freezing regime where recurrent nucleation appears within the fluid domain. The second regime is of primary interest, as it leads to fractal-like ice structures. We analyse the critical threshold between the slow and fast regimes by identifying the explicit rates of external temperature control that lead to self-similar salt-concentration profiles in the fluid domains. Subsequent heuristic analysis provides estimates of the characteristic length scales of the fluid domains depending on the time-variation of the temperature. The analysis is confirmed by numerical simulations.
Coherent structures, uniform momentum zones and the streamwise energy spectrum in wall-bounded turbulent flows
Authors: Saxton-Fox Theresa , McKeon Beverley J.
Published: August 2017

Large-scale motions (LSMs) in wall-bounded turbulent flows have well-characterised instantaneous structural features (Kovasznay et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 41 (2), 1970, pp. 283–325; Meinhart & Adrian, Phys. Fluids, vol. 7 (4), 1995, pp. 694–696) and a known spectral signature (Monty et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 632, 2009, pp. 431–442). This work aims to connect these previous observations through the development and analysis of a representative model for LSMs. The model is constructed to be consistent with the streamwise energy spectrum (Monty et al. 2009) and amplification characteristics of the Navier–Stokes equations (McKeon & Sharma, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 658, 2010, pp. 336–382), and is found to naturally recreate characteristics of instantaneous turbulent structures, including a bulge shape (Kovasznay et al. 1970) and the presence of uniform momentum zones (Meinhart & Adrian 1995) in the streamwise velocity field. The observed structural similarity between the LSM representative model and instantaneous experimental data supports the use of travelling wave models to connect statistical and instantaneous descriptions of coherent structures, and clarifies a simple general equivalency between symmetry in a Reynolds-decomposed velocity field and asymmetry in the laboratory frame.
Limulitella tejraensis, a new species of limulid (Chelicerata, Xiphosura) from the Middle Triassic of southern Tunisia (Saharan Platform)
Authors: Błażejowski Błażej , Niedźwiedzki Grzegorz , Boukhalfa Kamel , Soussi Mohamed
Published: August 2017

Numerous well-preserved remains of a new limulid species from the Anisian-lower Ladinian (Middle Triassic) of the Tejra section of southern Tunisia are described. Comparisons are made with limulids from the Triassic deposits of Europe and Australia. The new specimens are congeneric with the type species ofLimulitella, but show some morphological differences. Here we describeLimulitella tejraensisnew species, a small limulid with semicircular prosoma, small and triangular opisthosoma, well-defined axial ridge, and pleurae along both ridges of the opisthosoma. The TunisianLimulitellafossils are associated with conchostracans, bivalves, gastropods, and microconchids. Sedimentological and paleontological data from the Tejra section suggest freshwater to brackish-water conditions during the formation of the fossil-bearing interval and the influence of marine transgression into a playa-like environment. Supposed adaptation to the stressful environment sheds new light on the origin and survival of the extant limulines. This is the first report of limulid body fossils from the Triassic of North Africa and the first documentation ofLimulitellain the Middle Triassic of northern Gondwanaland.
Memory and the Popular: Rwanda in Mukoma Wa Ngugi’s Fiction
Authors: Coundouriotis Eleni
Published: August 2017

This essay locates the valences of the popular in Mukoma Wa Ngugi’s fiction to understand how Rwanda as a background for a thriller fits into a longer tradition of African popular genres that represent the aftermath of violent conflict. The question of whether Nairobi Heat and Black Star Nairobi attempt to illuminate the genocide or only evoke it as background shapes the approach to the popular. The essay then identifies ways in which Mukoma’s novels are also in conversation with the more canonical works of anticolonial “writing back” to empire and in fact perform an unnarration, or blotting out, of that discourse and the historical dynamics that inform it. Mukoma does not divorce himself entirely from this older literary project, which exercises a disruptive influence in the popular as he configures it. Finally, the essay examines the relation among action, morality, and sentimentality to identify how Mukoma reclaims the plot of intervention from the humanitarian framing of the failure of international intervention.
The Evolution of Pragmatism
Authors: Nungesser Frithjof
Published: August 2017

The pragmatist theory of history, action, and sociality can be understood as the result of a specific interpretation of Darwin’s theory of evolution, which has nothing in common with teleological, reductionist, or social Darwinist evolutionary models. Thishistorical claimwill be developed in three steps. First, I will show why Darwin’s theory was so attractive to the classical pragmatists and how theirconception of historywas affected by their reading of Darwin. Second, I will illustrate how the pragmatist understanding ofindividual actionwas influenced by contemporary discussions in evolutionary theory, physiology, and psychology. Third, I will discuss pragmatism’s “cultural naturalism” (John Dewey), according to which a new, autonomous level ofsociocultural changeemerges as a result of the process of biological evolution. The reconstruction of pragmatist evolutionary thought not only aims to achieve a better historical understanding of pragmatism but also implies asystematic and theoretical claim. As will be argued in the last section of this paper, thetimeliness and continuing relevance of pragmatismis largely due to the fact that it took shape in a transdisciplinary context and remained an “empirically responsible” theory (Erkki Kilpinen). Currently, various innovative developments within psychology, the cognitive sciences, neurophysiology, and ethology are connected with the core insights of pragmatism, thereby supporting the argument that pragmatism is still evolving.
The Car, the Hammer and the Cables under the Tables
Authors: Moret Joëlle , Dümmler Kerstin , Dahinden Janine
Published: August 2017

Based on ethnographic material, this article explores how three groups of apprentices negotiate masculinities in the specific setting of a male-dominated vocational school in Switzerland dedicated to the building trades. We use an intersectional and relational perspective to highlight how the institutional setting of the school—mirroring wider social hierarchies—influences these young men’s identity work. The apprentices use three discursive dichotomies: manual vs. mental work; proud heterosexuality vs. homosexuality; and adulthood vs. childhood. However, the three different groups employ the dichotomies differently depending on their position in the school’s internal hierarchies, based on their educational path, the trade they are learning and the corresponding prestige. The article sheds light on the micro-processes through which existing hierarchies are internalised within an institution. It further discusses how the school’s internal differentiations and the staff’s discourses and behaviours contribute to the (re)production of specific classed masculinities, critically assessing the role of the Swiss educational system in the reproduction of social inequalities.
Organization Theory in Business and Management History: Present Status and Future Prospects
Authors: Maclean Mairi , Harvey Charles , Clegg Stewart R.
Published: August 2017

A common lament is that business history has been marginalized within mainstream business and management research. We propose that the remedy lies in part with more extensive engagement with organization theory. We illustrate our argument by exploring the potentialities for business history of three cognitive frameworks: institutional entrepreneurship, evolutionary theory, and Bourdieusian social theory. Exhibiting a higher level of theoretical fluency might enable business historians to accrue scholarly capital within the business and management field by producing theoretically informed historical discourse, demonstrating the potential of business history to extend theory, generate constructs, and elucidate complexities in unfolding relationships, situations, and events.
Spinning War and Peace: Foreign Relations and Public Relations on the Eve of World War II
Authors: JOHNSTONE ANDREW
Published: August 2017

The eve of World War II saw the development of direct connections between public relations experts and issues of foreign affairs in the United States. Public relations professionals assisted both internationalists and noninterventionists to spread their arguments across the nation, helping them to hone their messages, to organize, and to raise money. All of the main citizens’ organizations created during this period sought public relations assistance in the face of growing popular awareness of global events, and with an awareness of the need for public relations counsel in the face of an increasingly measurable concept of public opinion.
State of Perpetual Emergency: Law, Militarization and State Preservation in the United States
Authors: PIRYAEI SHABNAM
Published: August 2017

This project scrutinizes the law and its relation to violence. It reassesses the parameters for discerning a state of emergency. It investigates state violence, crisis production and enemy designation, to elucidate implicit and coded state violence enacted in African American communities in the contemporary US. Specifically, this text considers states of emergency that are not exceptions to the rule, but rather integral to the ideology behind, and the formation of, the rule (i.e. the legal, economic, educational and political institutions of the nation).
Are Capital Market Anomalies Common to Equity and Corporate Bond Markets? An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Chordia Tarun , Goyal Amit , Nozawa Yoshio , Subrahmanyam Avanidhar , Tong Qing
Published: August 2017

Corporate bond returns exhibit predictability in a manner consistent with efficient pricing. Many equity characteristics, such as accruals, standardized unexpected earnings, and idiosyncratic volatility, do not impact bond returns. Profitability and asset growth are negatively related to corporate bond returns. Because firms that are profitable or have high asset growth (and hence more collateral) should be less risky, with lower required returns, the evidence accords with the risk–reward paradigm. Past equity returns are positively related to bond returns, indicating that equities lead bonds. Cross-sectional bond return predictors generally do not provide materially high Sharpe ratios after accounting for trading costs.
Possible role of Dickkopf-1 protein in the pathogenesis of tympanosclerosis in a rat model
Authors: Zhang Y , Wang S , Zheng Y , Liu A
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

This study aimed to investigate the expression of DKK1 protein in an experimental model of tympanosclerosis and its possible role in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

Methods:

Forty Sprague Dawley rats were included in the study: 20 in the control group (which received no treatment) and 20 in the experimental group (which received an incision to induce tympanosclerosis). Otomicroscopy was performed to observe the development of myringosclerosis. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe the morphological changes. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess the expression of DKK1 protein.

Results:

At day 15, sclerotic lesions were observed in 70 per cent of the tympanic membranes. Inflammatory infiltration and hyaline degeneration markedly appeared in the tympanic membranes and middle-ear mucosa. DKK1 protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells, which were widely distributed in the tympanic membranes and middle-ear mucosa. The expression of DKK1 protein was significantly decreased in the calcified experimental ears.

Conclusion:

DKK1 protein is involved in the pathogenesis of tympanosclerosis by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.
Stage is a prognostic factor for surgically treated patients with early-stage lip cancer for whom a ‘wait and see’ policy in terms of neck status has been implemented
Authors: Eskiizmir G , Ozgur E , Karaca G , Temiz P , Yanar N Hacioglu , Ozyurt B Cengiz
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

To determine the locoregional control and survival rates (in terms of risk factors) of patients who underwent surgical resection of early-stage lip cancer and for whom a ‘wait and see’ policy in terms of neck status had been implemented.

Methods:

The sociodemographic data, tumour stage, tumour characteristics and histopathological features of 41 patients with early-stage lip cancer were evaluated. Factors predictive of survival and locoregional recurrence were analysed. The five-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were determined, and the prognostic risk factors were compared.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 60.5 months (range, 4–92 months). Age, sex, tumour stage, tumour thickness and volume, and perineural involvement were not predictive of locoregional recurrence or survival. Pathological tumour stage (T1vsT2) was a prognostic factor for both five-year overall survival (87.3vs65.6 per cent,p= 0.042) and disease-free survival (88.6vs65.6 per cent,p= 0.037).

Conclusion:

Tumour stage was clearly a major factor affecting the prognosis of surgically treated patients with early-stage lip cancer for whom a ‘wait and see’ policy in terms of neck status had been implemented.
The incidence of hyperthermia during cochlear implant surgery in children
Authors: Schwartz A , Kaplan D , Rosenzweig V , Klein M , Gruenbaum B F , Gruenbaum S E , Boyko M , Zlotnik A , Brotfain E
Published: August 2017

Background:

Inadvertent hyperthermia during anaesthesia is a rare but life-threatening complication. We have encountered several cases of severe hyperthermia in paediatric patients undergoing anaesthesia for cochlear implantation.

Methods:

This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of children who developed hyperthermia while undergoing cochlear implantation, and to explore possible mechanisms and predisposing factors. The anaesthetic charts of all patients aged under 18 years who underwent cochlear implantation, or mastoid or ophthalmic surgery, between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009, at Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel, were reviewed. Patients undergoing mastoid and ophthalmic surgical procedures were used as controls.

Results:

A larger percentage of patients who underwent cochlear implant surgery (10 per cent) developed hyperthermia compared to controls (0.7 per cent, p < 0.05). In five of the seven cases, hyperthermia appeared in combination with tachycardia and hypercapnia, adhering to the clinical triad of malignant hyperthermia.

Conclusion:

Patients undergoing cochlear implantation are susceptible to developing intra-operative hyperthermia. This article describes the hyperthermic events that occur during paediatric cochlear implantation, and attempts to identify potential triggers of hyperthermia.
Oral steroids alone or followed by intranasal steroids versus watchful waiting in the management of otitis media with effusion
Authors: Hussein A , Fathy H , Amin S M , Elsisy N
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To evaluate the effects of oral steroids alone or followed by intranasal steroids versus watchful waiting on the resolution of otitis media with effusion in children aged 2–11 years.

Methods:

A total of 290 children with bilateral otitis media with effusion were assigned to 3 groups: group A was treated with oral steroids followed by intranasal steroids, group B was treated with oral steroids alone and group C was managed with watchful waiting. Patients were evaluated with audiometry and tympanometry.

Results:

The complete resolution rates of otitis media with effusion were higher in groups A and B than in group C at six weeks. There were no significant differences in otitis media with effusion resolution rates between the groups at three, six and nine months.

Conclusion:

Oral steroids lead only to a quick resolution of otitis media with effusion, with no long-term benefits. There was no benefit of using intranasal steroids in the management of otitis media with effusion.
Laser-assisted management of a symptomatic anterior pharyngeal diverticulum
Authors: Pujary K , Agarwal A C , Balakrishnan R , Bhandarkar A
Published: August 2017

Background:

Dysphagia is a relatively common symptom following laryngectomy. An anterior pharyngeal diverticulum is a rare cause of post-laryngectomy dysphagia. However, it is often an incidental finding on rigid telescopic examination.

Methods and results:

This article describes two patients with a symptomatic anterior pharyngeal diverticulum. They were treated by transoral micro-endoscopic potassium titanyl phosphate 532 nm laser assisted resection. Both patients could take feeds orally after the procedure without any difficulty. One patient died one and a half years after the procedure because of secondary lung cancer. The other patient died after three years as a result of regional recurrence. The patients were able to swallow during their survival period post treatment.

Conclusion:

Laser-assisted micro-endoscopic resection is a relatively safe, quick and effective procedure for the management of anterior pharyngeal diverticulum.
Evaluation of cardiovascular risks and recovery of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in hospitalised patients: comparison between complete and partial sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Haremza C , Klopp-Dutote N , Strunski V , Page C
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To evaluate the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and recovery of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in hospitalised patients.

Methods:

A single-centre retrospective study of 80 patients hospitalised for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss was conducted over a 6-year period. Mean pure tone hearing thresholds were assessed by pure tone audiometry.

Results:

Twenty-three of 80 patients (28.75 per cent) initially had no cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-five patients had hyperlipidaemia, 22 patients had hypertension, 7 patients had diabetes mellitus and 7 patients were obese. No statistically significant difference was observed between patients with complete versus partial sudden sensorineural hearing loss (p = 0.0708) concerning the cardiovascular risk factors. At long-term follow up, the hearing recovery rate was not significantly different between the two groups of patients (p = 0.7541).

Conclusion:

The lack of a clear relationship between idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and cardiovascular risk factors suggests that sudden sensorineural hearing loss has a predominantly multifactorial disease profile regardless of hearing impairment severity.
MicroRNA let-7a up-regulates OPN expression in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis
Authors: Yu H , Sun H , Wang Z , Liu Y
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To investigate the effect of microRNA let-7a on OPN expression in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis.

Methods:

Thirty-two mature female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups, with eight mice in each group: microRNA let-7a, microRNA control, OVA and phosphate-buffered saline groups. The microRNA let-7a, microRNA control and OVA groups were sensitised with OVA to establish a mouse model of allergic rhinitis. Nose-scratching events were counted. Nasal mucosa was used to evaluate histological changes of goblet cell hyperplasia. Interleukins 5 and 13 were detected. Interferon-γ levels in the nasal lavage fluid were assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. OPN expression was estimated with polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Compared with microRNA control mice, microRNA let-7a treated mice had a significantly increased number of nose-scratching events, nasal mucosal eosinophilia and goblet cell hyperplasia (p < 0.05), and significantly higher interleukins 5 and 13 in nasal mucosa (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in interferon-γ (p > 0.05). In addition, microRNA let-7a treated mice had significantly enhanced OPN expression in nasal mucosa (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

MicroRNA let-7a can promote allergic rhinitis development partly by regulating OPN expression.
Neuropsychiatric characteristics of antiterrorist operation combatants in the Donbass (Ukraine)
Authors: Loganovsky Konstantin N. , Zdanevich Natalia A. , Gresko Marina V. , Marazziti Donatella , Loganovskaja Tatiana K.
Published: August 2017

Objective

The present paper aimed to explore the neuropsychiatric characteristics of the antiterrorism (ATO) combatants in the Donets Basin (Donbass) and to propose therapeutic strategies for managing their mental healthcare.

Methods

A total of 54 ATO combatants were included in our study and compared with four groups of subjects exposed to other emergencies, including the Chernobyl disaster and the war in Afghanistan. The neuropsychiatric features were assessed through psychopathological assessments, neurological examinations, and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG).

Results

The ATO combatants were characterized by low health self-estimation, somatic concerns, a high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, insomnia, depression, social dysfunction, mild cognitive impairment, and neurological soft signs, similar to individuals involved in the Chernobyl disaster and veterans of the Afghan War. Quantitative EEG showed abnormalities suggestive of irritation of the corticolimbic system and diencephalic structures. Some post-conflict personality changes in ATO combatants were recorded. The treatment of ATO combatants included a comprehensive strategy: from psychotropic drugs to different psychotherapies.

Conclusions

On the basis of 30 years of experience in the management of the consequences of Chernobyl disaster and the available studies on war veterans, the authors proposed a method for assessment and an approach to providing mental healthcare for ATO combatants, refugees, and migrants from the Donbass, which perhaps can be used as guidelines for other conflicts. Taken together, the findings of the study suggest that voluntary participation in war may decrease but does not eliminate the risk of developing the neuropsychiatric consequences caused by such conflicts. A comprehensive strategy—one that would encompass psychopharmacological, psychological, and rehabilitation techniques—seems to be the most successful approach to managing the main symptoms and disorders involved.
Secular trends in dietary patterns of young children in Brazil from 1996 to 2006
Authors: Rinaldi Ana Elisa Madalena , Conde Wolney Lisboa
Published: August 2017

Objective

To describe dietary patterns (DP) from 1996 to 2006 and in the first 5 years of life and to explore individual and contextual characteristics associated with each DP.

Design

DP were defined by principal component analysis. The association between DP and individual (sociodemographic, maternal and child) and contextual (geographic regional and year) characteristics was analysed by multilevel analysis.

Setting

Two complex probabilistic Brazilian Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS 1996, 2006).

Subjects

Brazilian children under 5 years of age.

Results

DP1 included yoghurt, vegetables, fruits, tubers, red meat. DP2 included liquids, milk, fruits, egg/chicken/fish, red meat, breast milk (negative loading). DP3 included fruit juices, ‘papilla’, yoghurt, red meat (negative loading). DP4 included formulas, milk, enriched ‘papilla’, egg/chicken/fish (negative loading). DP prevalence within the age range from 1996 to 2006 remained constant for DP1; increased after 12 and 6 months, respectively, for DP2 and DP3; and decreased for DP4. DP1 was explained by higher maternal education, wealth, lower number of children at home; DP2 by living in rural area and younger mothers; and DP4 by lower maternal education and wealth. The total variance of the model attributable to geographic region was 30·2, 20·7 and 54·2 % for DP2, DP3 and DP4, respectively.

Conclusions

DP trends observed from 1996 to 2006 show positive aspects, such as: maintenance of DP1 as the main DP after 12 months; an increase in the prevalence of DP2 and DP3 followed by a decrease of DP4 after 6 months. DP1 is explained mainly by socio-economic factors, regardless of contextual characteristics, and DP2, DP3, DP4 are partially explained by contextual effects.
Visions of human futures in space and SETI
Authors: Wright Jason T. , Oman-Reagan Michael P.
Published: August 2017

We discuss how visions for the futures of humanity in space and SETI are intertwined, and are shaped by prior work in the fields and by science fiction. This appears in the language used in the fields, and in the sometimes implicit assumptions made in discussions of them. We give examples from articulations of the so-called Fermi Paradox, discussions of the settlement of the Solar System (in the near future) and the Galaxy (in the far future), and METI. We argue that science fiction, especially the campy variety, is a significant contributor to the ‘giggle factor’ that hinders serious discussion and funding for SETI and Solar System settlement projects. We argue that humanity's long-term future in space will be shaped by our short-term visions for who goes there and how. Because of the way they entered the fields, we recommend avoiding the term ‘colony’ and its cognates when discussing the settlement of space, as well as other terms with similar pedigrees. We offer examples of science fiction and other writing that broaden and challenge our visions of human futures in space and SETI. In an appendix, we use an analogy with the well-funded and relatively uncontroversial searches for the dark matter particle to argue that SETI's lack of funding in the national science portfolio is primarily a problem of perception, not inherent merit.
Does financial education enhance financial preparedness? Evidence from a natural experiment in Singapore
Authors: BARUA RASHMI , KOH BENEDICT , MITCHELL OLIVIA S.
Published: August 2017

We evaluate how financial education provided to college students influenced their financial knowledge and planning in a quasi-experimental setting where we control for student motivation to enroll in the course. Using a difference-in-difference strategy, we show that financial education led to an increase in financial knowledge and planning. Specifically, we find that financial education improved students’ financial knowledge score by 11%, and financial planning score by 16%. No statistically significant effects are detected for student levels of financial prudence, discipline, or outcomes related to credit card usage.
Influence of Cover Crops on Management of Amaranthus Species in Glyphosate- and Glufosinate-Resistant Soybean
Authors: Loux Mark M. , Dobbels Anthony F. , Bradley Kevin W. , Johnson William G. , Young Bryan G. , Spaunhorst Douglas J. , Norsworthy Jason K. , Palhano Matheus , Steckel Lawrence E.
Published: August 2017

A field study was conducted for the 2014 and 2015 growing season in Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee to determine the effect of cereal rye and either oats, radish, or annual ryegrass on the control of Amaranthus spp. when integrated with comprehensive herbicide programs in glyphosate-resistant and glufosinate-resistant soybean. Amaranthus species included redroot pigweed, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth. The two herbicide programs included were: a PRE residual herbicide followed by POST application of foliar and residual herbicide (PRE/POST); or PRE residual herbicide followed by POST application of foliar and residual herbicide, followed by another POST application of residual herbicide (PRE/POST/POST). Control was not affected by type of soybean resistance trait. At the end of the season, herbicides controlled 100 and 96% of the redroot pigweed and Palmer amaranth, respectively, versus 49 and 29% in the absence of herbicides, averaged over sites and other factors. The PRE/POST and PRE/POST/POST herbicide treatments controlled 83 and 90% of waterhemp at the end of the season, respectively, versus 14% without herbicide. Cover crop treatments affected control of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth and soybean yield, only in the absence of herbicides. The rye cover crop consistently reduced Amaranthus spp. density in the absence of herbicides compared to no cover treatment.
Phonon broadening in high entropy alloys
Authors: Körmann Fritz , Ikeda Yuji , Grabowski Blazej , Sluiter Marcel H. F.
Published: August 2017

Refractory high entropy alloys feature outstanding properties making them a promising materials class for next-generation high-temperature applications. At high temperatures, materials properties are strongly affected by lattice vibrations (phonons). Phonons critically influence thermal stability, thermodynamic and elastic properties, as well as thermal conductivity. In contrast to perfect crystals and ordered alloys, the inherently present mass and force constant fluctuations in multi-component random alloys (high entropy alloys) can induce significant phonon scattering and broadening. Despite their importance, phonon scattering and broadening have so far only scarcely been investigated for high entropy alloys. We tackle this challenge from a theoretical perspective and employ ab initio calculations to systematically study the impact of force constant and mass fluctuations on the phonon spectral functions of 12 body-centered cubic random alloys, from binaries up to 5-component high entropy alloys, addressing the key question of how chemical complexity impacts phonons. We find that it is crucial to include both mass and force constant fluctuations. If one or the other is neglected, qualitatively wrong results can be obtained such as artificial phonon band gaps. We analyze how the results obtained for the phonons translate into thermodynamically integrated quantities, specifically the vibrational entropy. Changes in the vibrational entropy with increasing the number of elements can be as large as changes in the configurational entropy and are thus important for phase stability considerations. The set of studied alloys includes MoTa, MoTaNb, MoTaNbW, MoTaNbWV, VW, VWNb, VWTa, VWNbTa, VTaNbTi, VWNbTaTi, HfZrNb, HfMoTaTiZr.
Accelerated estimation of corrosion rate in supercritical and ultra-supercritical water
Authors: Rodriguez David , Chidambaram Dev
Published: August 2017

This study explores a methodology for the determination of the accelerated corrosion rate of candidate materials to be used in advanced supercritical and ultra-supercritical water-based thermal reactors. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical frequency modulation were used to evaluate the corrosion rates of SAE 316 stainless steel, Nitronic 50, Inconel 718, and Inconel 625 in supercritical water at 530 °C and in ultra-supercritical water at 600 °C. The results were compared to the results of gravimetric studies that were performed to determine the viability of the utilization of electrochemical analyses in supercritical and ultra-supercritical water. For all of the conditions that were tested, results showed that the corrosion rates during electrochemical testing had trends that were similar to the long-term gravimetric results. Thus, the hybrid methodology described in this manuscript can reduce testing times from >1000 h to ~ 10 h.
Generalized image deconvolution by exploiting the transmission matrix of an optical imaging system
Authors: Lee SangYun , Lee KyeoReh , Shin Seungwoo , Park YongKeun
Published: August 2017

Intact optical information of an object delivered through an imaging system is deteriorated by imperfect optical elements and unwanted defects. Image deconvolution has been widely exploited as a recovery technique due to its practical feasibility, and operates by assuming linear shift-invariant property of the imaging system. However, shift invariance does not rigorously hold in all imaging situations and is not a necessary condition for solving an inverse problem of light propagation. Several improved deconvolution techniques exploiting spatially variant point spread functions have been proposed in previous studies. However, the full characterization of an optical imaging system for compensating aberrations has not been considered. Here, we present a generalized method to solve the linear inverse problem of coherent light propagations without any regularization method or constraint on shift invariance by fully measuring the transmission matrix of the imaging system. Our results show that severe aberrations produced by a tilted lens or an inserted disordered layer can be corrected properly only by the proposed generalized image deconvolution. This work generalizes the theory of image deconvolution, and enables distortion-free imaging under general imaging condition.