bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishment of immunity against Epstein‐Barr virus infection in a patient with CHARGE/complete DiGeorge syndrome after peripheral blood lymphocyte transfusion
Authors: Hosaka Sho , Kobayashi Chie , Saito Hirota , Imai-Saito Ayako , Suzuki Ryoko , Iwabuchi Atsushi , Kato Yoshiaki , Jimbo Takahiro , Watanabe Nobuyuki , Onodera Masafumi , Imadome Ken‐Ichi , Masumoto Kouji , Nanmoku Toru , Fukushima Takashi , Kosaki Kenjiro , Sumazaki Ryo , Takada Hidetoshi
Published: April 2019

CHARGE syndrome is a rare congenital malformation syndrome which may share symptoms with DiGeorge syndrome. Complete DiGeorge syndrome (cDGS) is a severe form of DiGeorge syndrome, characterized by a CD3+ T‐cell count of <50/mm3 due to athymia, and is fatal without immunologic intervention. We performed peripheral blood lymphocyte transfusion (PBLT) from an HLA‐identical sibling without pretransplant conditioning in a CHARGE/cDGS patient with a novel CHD7 splice site mutation. Cyclosporine and short‐term methotrexate were used for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, and neither acute nor chronic GVHD was observed. After PBLT, T‐cell proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A recovered, and intractable diarrhea improved. EBV infection, evidenced by a gradual increase in the viral genome copy number to a maximum of 2861 copies/μgDNA on day 42 after PBLT, resolved spontaneously. HLA A2402 restricted, EBV‐specific CTLs were detected from peripheral blood on day 148, and EBV seroconversion was observed on day 181. Thus, EBV‐specific immunity was successfully established by PBLT. Our results indicate that PBLT is a simple and effective therapy to reconstitute immune systems in CHARGE/DiGeorge syndrome.
What did you Really Earn Last Year?: Explaining Measurement Error in Survey Income Data
Authors: Angel Stefan , Disslbacher Franziska , Humer Stefan , Schnetzer Matthias
Published: April 2019

The paper analyses the sources of income measurement error in surveys with a unique data set. We use the Austrian 2008–2011 waves of the European Union ‘Statistics on income and living conditions’ survey which provide individual information on wages, pensions and unemployment benefits from survey interviews and officially linked administrative records. Thus, we do not have to fall back on complex two-sample matching procedures like related studies. We empirically investigate four sources of measurement error, namely social desirability, sociodemographic characteristics of the respondent, the survey design and the presence of learning effects. We find strong evidence for a social desirability bias in income reporting, whereas the presence of learning effects is mixed and depends on the type of income under consideration. An Owen value decomposition reveals that social desirability is a major explanation of misreporting in wages and pensions, whereas sociodemographic characteristics are most relevant for mismatches in unemployment benefits.
Patients’ quest for recognition and continuity in health care: time for a new research agenda?
Authors: Gjengedal Eva , Sviland Randi , Moi Asgjerd Litleré , Ellingsen Sidsel , Flinterud Stine Irene , Sekse Ragnhild Johanne Tveit , Natvik Eli , Råheim Målfrid
Published: April 2019

User involvement is important in democratization of health care and is assumed to contribute to better and more relevant research. Despite increased requirements for user involvement in research, more studies are still needed. This study aimed at exploring what research agenda people with varied health problems consider as important, based on their own experience. The study had a phenomenological approach with a qualitative design. The sample consisted of 23 informants; nine had been critically ill and 14 were suffering from chronic muscle pain. Data were collected in five focus group interviews and one individual interview. A phenomenological approach was used in analyzing the data. Written consent was obtained from all the participants, and ethical considerations were taken throughout the entire research process. Despite various experiences among the participants, a quest to be taken seriously over time by healthcare professionals emerged as a strong meaning structure in both groups. Based on these experiences, continuity across lifetime changes turned out to be an important research topic for future research. User involvement should be appreciated in all parts of the research process. A crucial prerequisite is that the users get the opportunity to bring their own experiences into the process.
Sedimentary evidence of prehistoric distant‐source tsunamis in the Hawaiian Islands
Authors: La Selle Seanpaul , Richmond Bruce M. , Jaffe Bruce E. , Nelson Alan R. , Griswold Frances R. , Arcos Maria E. M. , Chagué Catherine , Bishop James M. , Bellanova Piero , Kane Haunani H. , Lunghino Brent D. , Gelfenbaum Guy
Published: April 2019

Over the past 200 years of written records, the Hawaiian Islands have experienced tens of tsunamis generated by earthquakes in the subduction zones of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ (for example, Alaska–Aleutian, Kuril–Kamchatka, Chile and Japan). Mapping and dating anomalous beds of sand and silt deposited by tsunamis in low‐lying areas along Pacific coasts, even those distant from subduction zones, is critical for assessing tsunami hazard throughout the Pacific basin. This study searched for evidence of tsunami inundation using stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of potential tsunami deposits beneath present and former Hawaiian wetlands, coastal lagoons, and river floodplains. Coastal wetland sites on the islands of Hawai΄i, Maui, O΄ahu and Kaua΄i were selected based on historical tsunami runup, numerical inundation modelling, proximity to sandy source sediments, degree of historical wetland disturbance, and breadth of prior geological and archaeological investigations. Sand beds containing marine calcareous sediment within peaty and/or muddy wetland deposits on the north and north‐eastern shores of Kaua΄i, O΄ahu and Hawai΄i were interpreted as tsunami deposits. At some sites, deposits of the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian tsunamis are analogues for deeper, older probable tsunami deposits. Radiocarbon‐based age models date sand beds from three sites to ca 700 to 500 cal yr bp, which overlaps ages for tsunami deposits in the eastern Aleutian Islands that record a local subduction zone earthquake. The overlapping modelled ages for tsunami deposits at the study sites support a plausible correlation with an eastern Aleutian earthquake source for a large prehistoric tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands.
Phylogenomic analysis resolves the relationships among net‐winged beetles (Coleoptera: Lycidae) and reveals the parallel evolution of morphological traits
Authors: Kusy Dominik , Motyka Michal , Bocek Matej , Masek Michal , Bocak Ladislav
Published: April 2019

Net‐winged beetles (Coleoptera: Lycidae) are a diverse group of elateroids known for aposematism and neoteny. Phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data have revealed different results with respect to within‐group relationships. In this study, we recovered a highly supported phylogenomic phylogeny and identified seven subfamilies: Dexorinae stat.n., Calochrominae stat.n., Erotinae, Ateliinae, Lycinae, Lyropaeinae stat.n. and Metriorrhynchinae stat.n. Our results suggest that female neoteny evolved multiple times. Therefore, the development of similar morphological modifications in neotenics may be linked and may have produced characteristics such as body miniaturization, structural simplification, i.e. reduction of mouthparts, fewer antennomeres and palpomeres, uniquely shaped terminal palpomeres, shortened elytra, the loss of coadaptation between the elytra and pronotum, and others. Additional traits evolved in parallel due to similarities in biology, function and sexual selection. These characteristics include mimetic similarities, the presence of the rostrum, pronotal carinae and elytral costae, and the structure of male genitalia. By comparing the phylogenomic topology with the evolution of morphological characters, we were able to identify evolutionary trends in lycids and compare them with analogues for other neotenic elateroids. These traits have not been accepted as homoplasies due to the ambiguous phylogenetic signal from Sanger sequencing markers.
Credibility based chance constrained programming for project scheduling with fuzzy activity durations
Authors: Arık Oğuzhan Ahmet
Published: April 2019

This paper proposes a credibility based chance constrained programming approach for project scheduling problems with fuzzy activity durations where the objective is to minimize the fuzzy project completion time. This paper expresses the fuzzy events such as a project activity’s duration or project completion time with fuzzy chance constraints and the chance of a fuzzy event is illustrated with fuzzy credibility distribution. Due to uncertainty in durations of a project, fuzzy sets and fuzzy numbers can be used in order to illustrate the uncertainty and find a solution space for the problem. Therefore, fuzzy credibility based chance constraint technique is investigated for project scheduling problems with fuzzy activity durations considering the uncertainty or chance of a fuzzy event within a closed interval. In this paper, a fuzzy mathematical model and its crisp equivalent by using credibility measure and chance-constrained programming are given for project scheduling problems with fuzzy activity durations.
Palestinian children: a transformation of national identity in the Abbas era
Authors: Habashi Janette
Published: April 2019

The constant rendering of Palestinian national identity provides crucial insight not only to the current Palestinian community’s political status, but also to past and the future experiences. National identity echoes the intersectionality of history and local politics. For the last few decades, Palestinian national identity has been evolving with continuous alteration that encompasses local political discourse in the Palestinian community. Whereas it once embraced unity among different political ideologies, a shift occurred with Hamas election victory in 2006, which resulted in the division of the Palestinian community, whereby the Palestinian Authority, under Abbas leadership is ruling the West Bank, and Hamas is governing the Gaza Strip. This political tension has served to render national identity. Palestinian children echoed such politics in the construction of their national identity through their interpretation of personal experiences that are intertwined with current political events. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to show how Palestinian children articulated national identity in a post-Arafat/Abbas era, recognizing that national identity is not static.
The long-term adaptation of a resource periphery as narrated by local policy-makers in Lieksa
Authors: Halonen Maija Elina
Published: April 2019

The paper’s general objective is to question the point of view whereby peripheries are seen only through a static downturn with no reflections on dynamicity or adaptation. The focus is set on the standpoints of actors in local government and their interface with the broader structures. The aim is to create a productive dialogue with evolutionary economic geography studies paying attention to actors and resilience studies where the human perspectives in adaptation are emphasised. The town of Lieksa, Finland, is used as a case study to exemplify a forest resource periphery located in relative isolation at the regional and national scale, but within a developed economy in Europe. The results, based on interviews with key local policy-makers, show that development did not stop at the time of the first bust despite the domination of the downturn. The study reveals two waves of restructuring which both include a type of regional bust followed by different kinds of institutional recovery. In general, the human adaptation appears as reactions reflecting the variation of giving up, forward-looking acceptance, desperate resistance, re-orientation with external support and search for renewal with an optimistic attitude. Above all, the resilience regarding the local governmental actors emphasises their flexible adaptability and ability to develop institutional capacities to tolerate their vulnerability, the uncertainties of the economic future and the difficulties of locals to influence it – and if anything – to act and bounce forward in spite of repetitive busts and restructuring phases.
Governing the future and the search for spatial justice: Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act
Authors: Jones Rhys
Published: April 2019

Recent contributions in Geography and beyond have examined historical and more contemporary efforts to govern the future. Work in this area has highlighted some important conceptual considerations by drawing attention to the way in which states, regions and other organisations view the future as an object of governance for a variety of reasons: as something that constitutes a threat that needs to be managed; as something that can be predicted, thus leading to an improvement in governance; as something that allows a more hopeful and just society, economy and environment to be expressed (and achieved). In this paper, I use this context as a way of making an argument for the need to: 1) consider more explicitly the many geographies associated with governing the future; and 2) explore how these geographies might impact on the definition and promotion of spatial justice. I illustrate these arguments through an empirical discussion of the development and implementation of Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, an Act that seeks to create a better and more just Wales by the year 2050. I conclude by exhorting geographers to take the lead in exploring the impact that geographical themes might have on states’ and regions’ attempts to achieve spatial justice in the present and the future.
No trenches: toward inclusive and hybrid methodologies – commentary to Tulumello
Authors: Herb Guntram H.
Published: April 2019

My critical reflection on Simone Tulumello’s intervention focuses first on the need to make a clear distinction between methodologies and epistemologies, asking the author to explain his own perspective. A second area of concern is the analogy he draws between structures engineered with concrete and human societies and how this appears to simplify the debate he initiates. In the third part I suggest that the goal should be to transcend the tensions between paradigms through inclusive and hybrid methodologies.
Geopolitical lives of children – commentary to Habashi
Authors: Laketa Suncana
Published: April 2019

I write this piece as a commentary to Habashi’s article (this issue) on the national identity of Palestinian children. Habashi reminds us here that national identities are not static and fixed and that children need to be considered as active agents in constructing and reconstructing national and global politics. I take her long-standing commitment to Palestinian children’s narratives of their own geopolitical worlds to consider the geopolitical lives of children in my own home country – Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Governing political spaces through “future work” – commentary to Jones
Authors: Moisio Sami
Published: April 2019

This reflections article is a comment upon Rhys Jones’ paper (in this issue) which deals with the geographies of the governance of the future. I suggest that the constant production of governmental imaginaries dealing with the future should be understood as “future work” that is an essential dimension of a broader phenomenon of “territory work” whereby processes of re-territorialization and de-territorialization come together. The active attempt to “know” and cope with the future should be understood as an essential constituent of all governing activities without which the rationality of governance would lose much of its meaning. Governance of the future, as it occurs in governmental practices and associated imaginaries that translate the future into a governable object, is an essential dimension in the ongoing remaking of territories of wealth, power and belonging. This process merits more geographical examination and commentary.
Future as an object of governance – commentary to Jones
Authors: Luukkonen Juho
Published: April 2019

In this commentary, I reflect Rhys Jones’ (in this issue) suggestion for geographers to take part in exploring and enabling the most effective governmental configurations for just futures. Starting from a Foucauldian perspective on governance as a problematizing activity, I bring to the fore that the future is not something that waits out there to be seized by rulers but a social and political construction dictated by the conditions of the present. Moreover, I also highlight that a conventional scalar framework is not sufficient for understanding complex networks of governance in an increasingly globalized policy world. Accordingly, in studying the future as an object of governance we need to be aware of the engagement of nationally/regionally situated policies with prevailing power relations which extend well beyond the territorial boundaries of governance and which regulate our capacities to imagine the future(s). This is of utmost importance for geographers entering the policy world.
Optimal Hybrid Power Energy Systems for Residential Communities in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Dehwah Ammar H. A. , Krarti Moncef
Published: April 2019

To meet the increasing energy demand and to shave the peak, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is currently planning to invest more on renewable energy (RE) seeking diversity of energy resources. Through the integration of demand-side management measures and renewable energy distributed generation (DG) systems, the study outlined in this paper aims at investigating the potential of hybrid renewable energy systems in supplying energy demands for residential communities in an oil-rich country. The residential community considered in this study, located in the eastern region of KSA, has an annual electrical usage of 1174 GWh and an electrical peak load of 335 MW that are met solely by the grid. The results of the analyses indicated that the implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures (EEMs) reduced the electricity usage by 38% and peak demand by 51% as well as CO2 emissions by 38%. Although the analysis of the hybrid systems showed that purchasing electricity from the grid is the best option with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $0.1/kWh based on the current renewable energy market and economic conditions of KSA, RE systems can be cost-effective to meet the loads of the residential communities under specific electricity prices and capital cost levels.
Which One Does Better Predict the Heating Value of Biomass?—Dry Based or As-Received Based Proximate Analysis Results?
Authors: Ozyuguran A. , Haykiri-Acma H. , Yaman S.
Published: April 2019

Thirty-nine different species of waste biomass materials that include woody or herbaceous resources as well as nut shells and juice pulps were used to develop empirical equations to predict the calorific value based on the proximate analysis results. Ten different linear/nonlinear equations that contain proximate analysis ingredients including or excluding the moisture content were tested by means of least-squares method to predict the HHV (higher heating value). Prediction performance of each equation was evaluated considering the experimental and the predicted values of HHV and the criteria of MAE (mean absolute error), AAE (average absolute error), and ABE (average bias error). It was concluded that the presence of moisture as a parameter improves the prediction performance of these equations. Also, the samples were classified into two subsets according to their fixed carbon (FC)/ash values and then the correlations were repeated for each subset. Both the full set of samples and the subsets showed a similar trend that the presence of moisture in equations enhances the prediction performance. Also, the FC content may be disregarded from the equation of the calorific value prediction when the FC/ash ratio is lower than a given value.
An analytical model for reverberation energy decays in rooms with specular and diffuse reflections
Authors: Embrechts Jean-Jacques
Published: April 2019

This research is focused on rooms with a pair of parallel surfaces in which non-exponential reverberation energy decays are expected. An analytical model developed in a previous paper is first simplified and completed. It is based on the assumptions of geometrical room acoustics and the formalism of sound particles. The energy of the flux of sound particles emitted by the source in the room is evaluated by introducing some approximations. As a result, a simplified and intuitive model of the reverberation decay is obtained. This model is then extensively compared with reverberation decays computed by a sound ray program, for several kinds of rectangular rooms. A good agreement is obtained between corresponding decays and reverberation times T30.
An archeoacoustic study of the history of the Palais du Trocadero (1878–1937)
Authors: Postma Barteld N. J. , Dubouilh Sandrine , Katz Brian F. G.
Published: April 2019

During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a room acoustic theory arose with design goal to avoid echoes from occurring by quantifying the perception threshold between direct sound and 1st-order reflections. The room acoustic design of the large 19th century concert hall Palais du Trocadero (1878–1937) was based on this theory. As the resulting acoustics were notoriously poor, an attempt was undertaken in 1909 to correct the acoustics by installing additional absorbing material following the same “echo theory” design approach. In order to study the consequences of this design theory, four configurations of this concert hall have been numerically reconstructed. Through calibrated simulations, it was shown that in the case of the Palais du Trocadero, design decisions based on “echo theory” had a positive effect on the acoustics; however, due to the many curved surfaces, echoes, and sound focusing, the acoustic conditions remained poor.
A round robin on room acoustical simulation and auralization
Authors: Brinkmann Fabian , Aspöck Lukas , Ackermann David , Lepa Steffen , Vorländer Michael , Weinzierl Stefan
Published: April 2019

A round robin was conducted to evaluate the state of the art of room acoustic modeling software both in the physical and perceptual realms. The test was based on six acoustic scenes highlighting specific acoustic phenomena and for three complex, “real-world” spatial environments. The results demonstrate that most present simulation algorithms generate obvious model errors once the assumptions of geometrical acoustics are no longer met. As a consequence, they are neither able to provide a reliable pattern of early reflections nor do they provide a reliable prediction of room acoustic parameters outside a medium frequency range. In the perceptual domain, the algorithms under test could generate mostly plausible but not authentic auralizations, i.e., the difference between simulated and measured impulse responses of the same scene was always clearly audible. Most relevant for this perceptual difference are deviations in tone color and source position between measurement and simulation, which to a large extent can be traced back to the simplified use of random incidence absorption and scattering coefficients and shortcomings in the simulation of early reflections due to the missing or insufficient modeling of diffraction.
NF-κB signaling dynamics is controlled by a dose-sensing autoregulatory loop
Authors: DeFelice Mialy M. , Clark Helen R. , Hughey Jacob J. , Maayan Inbal , Kudo Takamasa , Gutschow Miriam V. , Covert Markus W. , Regot Sergi
Published: April 2019

The kinase IRAK1 senses the cytokine load to prevent overstimulation of the immune system.
Microorganisms in the Placenta: Links to Early-Life Inflammation and Neurodevelopment in Children
Authors: Tomlinson Martha Scott , Lu Kun , Stewart Jill R. , Marsit Carmen J. , O’Shea T. Michael , Fry Rebecca C.
Published: April 2019

Prenatal exposure to various stressors can influence both early and later life childhood health. Microbial infection of the intrauterine environment, specifically within the placenta, has been associated with deleterious birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, as well as adverse neurological outcomes later in life.
Structural and Functional Variation in Outer Membrane Polysaccharide Export (OPX) Proteins from the Two Major Capsule Assembly Pathways Present in Escherichia coli
Authors: Sande Caitlin , Bouwman Catrien , Kell Elisabeth , Nickerson Nicholas N. , Kapadia Sharookh B. , Whitfield Chris
Published: April 2019

Capsules are protective layers of polysaccharides that surround the cell surface of many bacteria, including that of
Escherichia coli
isolates and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi. Capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) are often essential for virulence because they facilitate evasion of host immune responses. The attenuation of unencapsulated mutants in animal models and the involvement of protein families with conserved features make the CPS export pathway a novel candidate for therapeutic strategies. However, appropriate “antivirulence” strategies require a fundamental understanding of the underpinning cellular processes. Investigating export proteins that are conserved across different biosynthesis strategies will give important insight into how CPS is transported to the cell surface.
Diagnosing and Managing Sepsis by Probing the Host Response to Infection: Advances, Opportunities, and Challenges
Authors: Gunsolus Ian L. , Sweeney Timothy E. , Liesenfeld Oliver , Ledeboer Nathan A.
Published: April 2019

Sepsis is a major source of mortality and morbidity globally. Accurately diagnosing sepsis remains challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, and delays in diagnosis and intervention contribute to high mortality rates.
Don't Get Wound Up: Revised Fluoroquinolone Breakpoints for Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Van Tam T. , Minejima Emi , Chiu Chiao An , Butler-Wu Susan M.
Published: April 2019

Fluoroquinolones remain some of the more commonly prescribed antimicrobial agents in the United States, despite the wide array of reported side effects that are associated with their use. In 2019, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute revised the fluoroquinolone antimicrobial susceptibility testing breakpoints for both
Enterobacteriaceae
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
.
Penetrating intracranial trauma of two minors treated with endovascular technique with the use of temporary balloon occlusion for proximal arterial control
Authors: Kacheris Brian Nicholas , Jallo George , Crooms Jeffrey Wyatt , Oliver T Adam , Lawson Matthew F , Beaty Narlin
Published: April 2019

We present two children treated with endovascular techniques to gain proximal arterial control of the internal carotid and vertebral artery prior to removal of penetrating objects from the skull base. Both siblings (8-month-old and 22-month-old boys) were injured by different sharp objects (knife and scissor) by a guardian. They were transported to the emergency room where vascular control, including coil embolisation and internal carotid balloon occlusion, was performed in the neuroendovascular suite for safe removal of penetrating objects. Both minors recovered and were discharged home without any focal neurological deficits. In two children with scissor and knife stab with intracranial penetration, endovascular technique allowed safe removal of objects and ensured proximal arterial control was maintained to control for possible extravasation of blood on removal from the skull base.
Intracranial arachnoid cyst rupture after mild TBI in children: have we underestimated this risk?
Authors: Furtado Leopoldo Mandic Ferreira , Costa Val Filho José Aloysio , Ferreira Raquel Ida , Mariano Italo Guilherme Giarola de Freitas
Published: April 2019

The association between intracranial arachnoid cyst rupture and mild brain trauma is infrequently reported. The purpose of this case report is to describe the case of a child with a left temporal arachnoid cyst who suffered rupture with haemorrhage after mild trauma during a football match. The child presented with chronic headache of mild intensity that progressed to a more intense headache after a traumatic event. He underwent surgical intervention after diagnosis of chronic haemorrhage in an arachnoid cyst in the ipsilateral subdural space. The risk of intracranial arachnoid cyst rupture should be considered during the evaluation of oligosymptomatic patients because it is a potentially catastrophic event.
Does an abnormally elevated maternal alkaline phosphatase pose problems for the fetus?
Authors: McErlean Sarah , King Chris
Published: April 2019

We report a potential association between an abnormally raised pregnancy level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). There are few reports of women with abnormally high ALP during pregnancy. However, there is work to suggest an association with placental insufficiency, low birth weight and preterm delivery. In conjunction with a rising ALP, fetal IUGR and intermittent absence of umbilical artery end diastolic flow had evolved. A greatly elevated ALP may be a marker for placental insufficiency and IUGR.
Designing and implementing an integrated non-communicable disease primary care intervention in rural Nepal
Authors: Kumar Anirudh , Schwarz Dan , Acharya Bibhav , Agrawal Pawan , Aryal Anu , Choudhury Nandini , Citrin David , Dangal Binod , Deukmedjian Grace , Dhimal Meghnath , Dhungana Santosh , Gauchan Bikash , Gupta Tula , Halliday Scott , Jha Dhiraj , Kalaunee SP , Karmacharya Biraj , Kishore Sandeep , Koirala Bhagawan , Kunwar Lal , Mahar Ramesh , Maru Sheela , Mehanni Stephen , Nirola Isha , Pandey Sachit , Pant Bhaskar , Pathak Mandeep , Poudel Sanjaya , Rajbhandari Irina , Raut Anant , Rimal Pragya , Schwarz Ryan , Shrestha Archana , Thapa Aradhana , Thapa Poshan , Thapa Roshan , Wong Lena , Maru Duncan
Published: April 2019

Low-income and middle-income countries are struggling with a growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, their healthcare systems need to be strengthened and redesigned. The Starfield 4Cs of primary care—first-contact access, care coordination, comprehensiveness and continuity—offer practical, high-quality design options for non-communicable disease care in low-income and middle-income countries. We describe an integrated non-communicable disease intervention in rural Nepal using the 4C principles. We present 18 months of retrospective assessment of implementation for patients with type II diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We assessed feasibility using facility and community follow-up as proxy measures, and assessed effectiveness using singular ‘at-goal’ metrics for each condition. The median follow-up for diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was 6, 6 and 7 facility visits, and 10, 10 and 11 community visits, respectively (0.9 monthly patient touch-points). Loss-to-follow-up rates were 16%, 19% and 22%, respectively. The median time between visits was approximately 2 months for facility visits and 1 month for community visits. ‘At-goal’ status for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improved from baseline to endline (p=0.01), but not for diabetes or hypertension. This is the first integrated non-communicable disease intervention, based on the 4C principles, in Nepal. Our experience demonstrates high rates of facility and community follow-up, with comparatively low lost-to-follow-up rates. The mixed effectiveness results suggest that while this intervention may be valuable, it may not be sufficient to impact outcomes. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, further implementation research is urgently needed to determine how to optimise non-communicable disease interventions.
Assessing the non-inferiority of prosthesis constructs used in hip replacement using data from the National Joint Registry of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man: a benchmarking study
Authors: Deere Kevin C , Whitehouse Michael R , Porter Martyn , Blom Ashley W , Sayers Adrian
Published: April 2019

Objectives

To investigate the relative performance of hip prosthesis constructs as compared with the best performing prosthesis constructs and illustrate the substantial variability in performance of currently used prostheses.

Design

A non-inferiority study.

Setting

The National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (NJR).

Participants

All patients with a primary total hip replacement registered in the NJR between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2016.

Main outcome measures

Kaplan-Meier failure function for hip prosthesis constructs. Failure difference between best performing construct and remaining constructs.

Methods

Using a non-inferiority analysis, the performance of hip prosthesis constructs by brand were compared with the best performing contemporary construct. Construct failure was estimated using the 1-Kaplan-Meier survival function method, that is, an estimate of net failure. The difference in failure between the contemporary benchmark and all other constructs was tested.

Results

Of the 4442 constructs used, only 134 had ≥500 procedures at risk at 3 years postprimary, 89 of which were not demonstrated to be inferior to the benchmark by at least 100% relative risk. By 10 years postprimary, there were 26 constructs with ≥500 at risk, 13 of which were not demonstrated to be inferior by at least 20% relative risk.

Even fewer constructs were not inferior to the benchmark when analysed by age and gender. At 5 years postprimary, there were 15 constructs in males and 11 in females, aged 55–75 years, not shown to be inferior.

Conclusions

There is great variability in construct performance and the majority of constructs have not been demonstrated to be non-inferior to contemporary benchmarks. These results can help to inform patients, clinicians and commissioners when considering hip replacement surgery.
Use of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in porcine health management
Authors: Schoos Alexandra , Devreese Mathias , Maes Dominiek GD
Published: April 2019

Objective

Treatment of inflammation and pain management is an important topic in the welfare of pigs. It is very difficult for veterinary practitioners to choose the most appropriate product for a certain problem. This review aims to summarise and discuss the characteristics of different non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as well as paracetamol and metamizole, available for pigs in the European Union.

Methods

The databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, CliniPharm CliniTox and European Medicines Agency were searched. Relevant terms (eg,‘meloxicam’, ‘fever’, ‘swine’, ‘pig’, ‘inflammation’, ‘castration’, ‘pain’) were used to search for original articles, reviews and books. Only peer‐reviewed articles were used. References from studies were also analysed in order to find additional relevant studies.

Conclusion

Studies which have investigated the efficacy of NSAIDs for different conditions, using different treatment regimens, are scarce. Most studies focused on the efficacy of NSAID‐related pain alleviation in piglet castration, as well as the anti‐inflammatory potential of NSAIDs in experimental inflammation models. Little research has been carried out on the use of metamizole, tolfenamic acid, paracetamol and sodium salicylate and their effect in pigs.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus RNA detection in different matrices under typical storage conditions in the UK
Authors: Fan Jinghui , Gerber Priscilla F , Cubas Atienzar Ana , Eppink Lysan , Wang Chong , Opriessnig Tanja
Published: April 2019

In the UK, approximately 40 per cent of the pig breeding herds are outdoors. To monitor their porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) status, blood is collected commonly from piglets around weaning. Sample collection in British outdoor pigs often occurs during the early morning hours when the piglets tend to accumulate inside sheltered areas. For practical reasons, dry cotton swabs are occasionally used for blood collection and stored at room temperature until arrival in the laboratory. Detection of PRRSV RNA is a function of viral concentration, sample type and storage condition. To evaluate a possible impact of the sampling protocol on PRRSV1 detection, experimentally spiked blood samples using three dilutions of a representative PRRSV1 strain were prepared. In addition, blood samples from pigs naturally infected with PRRSV were obtained from a PRRSV‐positive British herd. Spiked blood and blood from infected pigs were used to obtain sera, dry or wet (immersed in saline) polyester or cotton swabs and FTA cards. The different samples were stored for 24 hours, 48 hours or 7 days at 4°C or 20°C and tested by a real‐time reverse transcriptase PRRSV PCR assay. Under the study conditions, the best matrix was serum (96.7 per cent), followed by wet swabs (78 per cent), dry swabs (61.3 per cent) and FTA cards (51 per cent). Polyester swabs (76 per cent) showed a better performance than cotton swabs (63.3 per cent). The reduction in sensitivity obtained for swabs and FTA cards was particularly high at low viral concentrations. The results indicate that wet polyester swabs should be used whenever possible.
Copper complex of polyglycerol anchored to graphene oxide as a recyclable nanocatalyst for sonochemical green synthesis of naphthoquinones
Authors: Naeimi Hossein , Farahnak Zarabi Maryam
Published: April 2019

In the present study, Cu(II) immobilized on hyperbranched polyglycerol functionalized graphene oxide catalyst was prepared as a novel, green, highly efficient, and reusable heterogeneous catalyst. Then, the synthesis of naphthoquinone derivatives was performed using Go-HPG-IA-Cu(II) as a catalyst under ultrasound irradiation to afford the desired products in high yields and short reaction times. This catalyst was easily recovered and reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity.
Effect of social environment on sexual differentiation in the highly gregarious red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
Authors: Tropea C. , López Greco L.S.
Published: April 2019

Studies on social control of functional sex in crustaceans are scarce and focused on hermaphroditic species. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine whether adult sex ratio affects juvenile sexual differentiation in the gonochoristic red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904)) (Decapoda, Caridea). We tested two alternative hypotheses: (1) that undifferentiated juveniles become males when reared in the presence of adult females and vice versa; (2) that the presence of adult males affects juvenile sexual differentiation through androgenic gland secretions. Newly hatched juveniles were maintained with adult males or adult females during a 50-day period, after which they were sexed. In both treatments, juvenile sex ratios showed no deviations from the expected 1:1 relationship. This suggests that adult sex ratio is not a selective force determining juvenile phenotypic sex, even though mating opportunities may be null for juveniles differentiating into the sex of surrounding adults. The 1:1 sex ratio observed in broods reared with adult males and adult females also suggests that the potential chemical cues released by adults have neither masculinizing nor feminizing effects on undifferentiated juveniles. Present results reject our initial hypotheses and are consistent with a strong genetic basis of juvenile sexual differentiation in caridean shrimps.
Food subsidies of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in anthropogenic landscapes
Authors: Demeny Kelsey , McLoon Meredith , Winesett Benjamin , Fastner Jenna , Hammerer Eric , Pauli Jonathan N.
Published: April 2019

Food subsidies from human sources are often exploited by free-ranging vertebrates living in human-dominated landscapes. To explore the importance and attempt to estimate the reliance of raccoons (Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758)) — common synanthropes in North America — on such food subsidies, we analyzed hair samples from 122 raccoons collected across four states in the Midwestern United States (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois), including 9 raccoons that were livetrapped and sampled in Madison (Wisconsin). We found that raccoons inhabiting areas with more agriculture had higher δ13C values, indicating a diet enriched with anthropogenic food from C4 photosynthetic plants, like corn (Zea mays L.). Surprisingly, raccoons inhabiting increasingly urban areas showed lower δ13C values, suggesting a diet with less anthropogenic food. Regardless, raccoons in urban areas enriched in 13C possessed high indices of body condition, suggesting that anthropogenic food subsidies are contributing to their overall nutritional condition. Our findings reveal that the degree to which synanthropes rely upon human foods differs by land-cover type and that the use of these calorically rich subsidies has important implications on individual health.
A Note on the Link Residual Closeness of Graphs Under Join Operation
Authors: Yiğit Esin , Berberler Zeynep Nihan
Published: April 2019

Link residual closeness is a novel graph based network vulnerability parameter. In this model, nodes are perfectly reliable and the links fail independently of each other. In this paper, the behavior of composite network types to the failure of individual links are observed and analyzed via link residual closeness which provides a much fuller characterization of the network.
k-uniform maximally mixed states from multi-qudit phase states
Authors: Mansour Mostafa , Daoud Mohammed
Published: April 2019

This paper concerns the construction of k-uniform maximally mixed multipartite states by using the formalism of phase states for finite dimensional systems (qudits). The k-uniform states are a special kind of entangled (n)-qudits states, such that after tracing out arbitrary (n[Formula: see text]k) subsystems, the remaining (k) subsystems are maximally mixed. We recall some basic elements about unitary phase operators of a multi-qudit system and we give the corresponding separable density matrices. Evolved density matrices arise when qudits of the multipartite system are allowed to interact via an Hamiltonian of Heisenberg type. The expressions of maximally mixed states are explicitly derived from multipartite evolved phase states and their properties are discussed.
Investigation of production of samarium-151 and europium-152,154,155 via particle accelerator
Authors: Artun Ozan
Published: April 2019

This work aimed to investigate the production of [Formula: see text]Sm and [Formula: see text]Eu on natural Nd and Sm targets via particle accelerator because these radionuclides have the potential for use in nuclear battery technology such as betavoltaic batteries and radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Therefore, this work estimated cross-section curves for proton, deuteron, triton, helium-3, and alpha particles induced reactions in the energy range [Formula: see text]. The activities and products of yield were simulated for all reaction processes under selected conditions, the particle beam current of 1 mA and the irradiation time of 24 h. Moreover, to understand the formations of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]Eu in the reaction processes, the appropriate energy region of the reactions by calculating the integral yield curves were determined. Based on the obtained results, determination of suitable targets, energy regions, and reaction processes were discussed by this work.
Investor immunization to Ponzi scheme diffusion in social networks and financial risk analysis
Authors: Zhu Anding , Chen Wanying , Zhang Jinming , Zong Xiaojie , Zhao Wenmin , Xie Yi
Published: April 2019

Most illegal Ponzi schemes are ultimately out of control and lead to systemic financial risk. Risk education and precaution are similar to mass random immunization of epidemic spreading. In this study, the effect of random immunization strategy is evaluated based on the potential-investor–divestor (PID) spreading model in both homo- and inhomogeneous social networks. Fund flux function and system balance function are formulated. The zero point of system balance is used as the collapse point. The peak value of balance, the total number of investors involved and the total amount of principal involved are defined to compare the immunization effects in various scenarios. Mathematical derivation and numerical simulation show that the random immunization takes effect by postponing the peak position of the system balance as well as suppressing the peak values of the system balance. This kind of positive effect helps reduce the scheme’s scale of total number of investors involved and total amount of principal involved. The random immunization is more powerful towards the schemes with small spreading rate than those with medium and high spreading rates. Hence, it is suitable for the concentrated regulation on a large amount of small scale and slow spreading schemes in bulk.
Oxygen-16 spectrum from tetrahedral vibrations and their rotational excitations
Authors: Halcrow C. J. , King C. , Manton N. S.
Published: April 2019

A reinterpretation of the complete energy spectrum of the Oxygen-16 nucleus up to 20[Formula: see text]MeV, and partly beyond, is proposed. The underlying intrinsic shape of the nucleus is tetrahedral, as in the naive alpha-particle model and other cluster models, and A-, E- and F-vibrational phonons are included. The A- and F-phonons are treated in the harmonic approximation, but the E-vibrations are extended into a two-dimensional E-manifold of [Formula: see text]-symmetric, four-alpha-particle configurations, following earlier works. This allows for the underlying tetrahedral configuration to tunnel through a square configuration into the dual tetrahedron, with the associated breaking of parity doubling. The frequency of an E-phonon is lower than in other models, and the first-excited [Formula: see text] state at 6.05[Formula: see text]MeV is modeled as a state with two E-phonons; this allows a good fit of the lowest [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] states as excitations with one E-phonon. Rotational excitations of the vibrational states are analyzed as in the classic works of Dennison, Robson and others, with centrifugal corrections to the rotational energy included. States with F-phonons require Coriolis corrections, and the Coriolis parameter [Formula: see text] is chosen positive to ensure the right splitting of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] states near 11[Formula: see text]MeV. Altogether, about 80 states with isospin zero are predicted below 20[Formula: see text]MeV, and these match rather well the more than 60 experimentally tabulated states. Several high-spin states are predicted, up to spin 9 and energy 30[Formula: see text]MeV, and these match some of the observed high-spin, natural-parity states in this energy range. The model proposed here is mainly phenomenological but it receives some input from analysis of skyrmions with baryon number 16.