bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovery and characterization of 2 novel subpopulations of aPS/PT antibodies in patients at high risk of thrombosis
Authors: Chinnaraj Mathivanan , Planer William , Pengo Vittorio , Pozzi Nicola
Published: June 2019

Anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies are often detected in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), but how aPS/PT engage prothrombin at the molecular level remains unknown. Here, the antigenic determinants of immunoglobulin G aPS/PT were investigated in 24 triple-positive APS patients at high risk of thrombosis by using prothrombin mutants biochemically trapped in closed and open conformations, and relevant fragments spanning the entire length of prothrombin. Two novel unexpected findings emerged from these studies. First, we discovered that some aPS/PT are unique among other anti-prothrombin antibodies insofar as they efficiently recognize prothrombin in solution after a conformational change requiring exposure of fragment-1 to the solvent. Second, we identified and characterized 2 previously unknown subpopulations of aPS/PT, namely type I and type II, which engage fragment-1 of prothrombin at different epitopes and with different mechanisms. Type I target a discontinuous density-dependent epitope, whereas type II engage the C-terminal portion of the Gla-domain, which remains available for binding even when prothrombin is bound to the phospholipids. Based on these findings, APS patients positive for aPS/PT were classified into 2 groups, group A and group B, according to their autoantibody profile. Group A contains mostly type I antibodies whereas group B contains both type I and type II antibodies. In conclusion, this study offers a first encouraging step toward unveiling the heterogeneity of anti-prothrombin antibodies in correlation with thrombosis, shedding new light on the mechanisms of antigen–autoantibody recognition in APS.
Associations between readmission and patient-reported measures in acute psychiatric inpatients: a study protocol for a multicenter prospective longitudinal study (the ePOP-J study)
Authors: Yamaguchi Sosei , Ojio Yasutaka , Koike Junko , Matsunaga Asami , Ogawa Makoto , Tachimori Hisateru , Kikuchi Akiko , Kimura Hiroshi , Inagaki Ataru , Watanabe Hiroyuki , Kishi Yoshiki , Yoshida Koji , Hirooka Takaaki , Oishi Satoru , Matsuda Yasuhiro , Fujii Chiyo
Published: June 2019

Background

Several previous observational studies have reported the risk factors associated with readmission in people with mental illness. While patient-reported experiences and outcomes have become increasingly important in healthcare, only a few studies have examined these parameters in terms of their direct association with readmission in an acute psychiatric setting. This project will investigate multiple factors associated with readmission and community living in acute psychiatric patients in Japan. This study will primarily investigate whether patient-reported experiences at discharge, particularly quality of life (QoL), are associated with future readmission and whether readmission after the index hospitalization is associated with changes in patient-reported outcomes during the study period. Here, we describe the rationale and methods of this study.

Methods

This multicenter prospective cohort study is being conducted in 21 participating Japanese hospitals, with a target sample of approximately 600 participants admitted to the acute psychiatric ward. The study has four planned assessment points: time of index admission (T1), time of discharge (from the index admission) (T2), 6 months after discharge from the index admission (T3), and 12 months after discharge from the index admission (T4). Participants will complete self-reported measures including a QoL scale, a subjective disability scale, and an empowerment- and self-agency-related scale at each assessment point; additionally, service satisfaction, subjective view of need for services, and subjective relationships with family members will be assessed at T2 and T3. We will assess the participants’ hospitalization during the study period and evaluate several potential individual- and service-level factors associated with readmission and patient-reported experiences and outcomes. Multivariate analyses will be conducted to identify potential associations between readmission and patient-reported experiences and outcomes.

Discussion

The present study may produce evidence on how patient-reported experiences at discharge influence readmission and on the influence of readmission on the course of patient-reported outcomes from admission to community living after discharge. The study may contribute to improving care for both patients’ subjective views of their own health conditions and their community lives in an acute psychiatric setting.

Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network—Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000034220. Registered on September 20, 2018.
Extracellular lipid loading augments hypoxic paracrine signaling and promotes glioma angiogenesis and macrophage infiltration
Authors: Offer Svenja , Menard Julien A. , Pérez Julio Enríquez , de Oliveira Kelin G. , Indira Chandran Vineesh , Johansson Maria C. , Bång-Rudenstam Anna , Siesjö Peter , Ebbesson Anna , Hedenfalk Ingrid , Sundgren Pia C. , Darabi Anna , Belting Mattias
Published: June 2019

Background

Primary brain tumors, in particular glioblastoma (GBM), remain among the most challenging cancers. Like most malignant tumors, GBM is characterized by hypoxic stress that triggers paracrine, adaptive responses, such as angiogenesis and macrophage recruitment, rescuing cancer cells from metabolic catastrophe and conventional oncological treatments. The unmet need of strategies to efficiently target tumor “stressness” represents a strong clinical motivation to better understand the underlying mechanisms of stress adaptation. Here, we have investigated how lipid loading may be involved in the paracrine crosstalk between cancer cells and the stromal compartment of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment.

Methods

Regions from patient GBM tumors with or without the lipid loaded phenotype were isolated by laser capture microdissection and subjected to comparative gene expression analysis in parallel with cultured GBM cells with or without lipid loading. The potential involvement of extracellular lipids in the paracrine crosstalk with stromal cells was studied by immunoprofiling of the secretome and functional studies in vitro as well as in various orthotopic GBM mouse models, including hyperlipidemic ApoE−/− mice. Statistical analyses of quantitative experimental methodologies were performed using unpaired Student’s T test. For survival analyses of mouse experiments, log-rank test was used, whereas Kaplan-Meier was performed to analyze patient survival.

Results

We show that the lipid loaded niche of GBM patient tumors exhibits an amplified hypoxic response and that the acquisition of extracellular lipids by GBM cells can reinforce paracrine activation of stromal cells and immune cells. At the functional level, we show that lipid loading augments the secretion of e.g. VEGF and HGF, and may potentiate the cross-activation of endothelial cells and macrophages. In line with these data, in vivo studies suggest that combined local tumor lipid loading and systemic hyperlipidemia of ApoE−/− mice receiving a high fat diet induces tumor vascularization and macrophage recruitment, and was shown to significantly decrease animal survival.

Conclusions

Together, these data identify extracellular lipid loading as a potentially targetable modulator of the paracrine adaptive response in the hypoxic tumor niche and suggest the contribution of the distinct lipid loaded phenotype in shaping the glioma microenvironment.
Evidence that DNA repair genes, a family of tumor suppressor genes, are associated with evolution rate and size of genomes
Authors: Voskarides Konstantinos , Dweep Harsh , Chrysostomou Charalambos
Published: June 2019

Adaptive radiation and evolutionary stasis are characterized by very different evolution rates. The main aim of this study was to investigate if any genes have a special role to a high or low evolution rate. The availability of animal genomes permitted comparison of gene content of genomes of 24 vertebrate species that evolved through adaptive radiation (representing high evolutionary rate) and of 20 vertebrate species that are considered as living fossils (representing a slow evolutionary rate or evolutionary stasis). Mammals, birds, reptiles, and bony fishes were included in the analysis. Pathway analysis was performed for genes found to be specific in adaptive radiation or evolutionary stasis respectively. Pathway analysis revealed that DNA repair and cellular response to DNA damage are important (false discovery rate = 8.35 × 10−5; 7.15 × 10−6, respectively) for species evolved through adaptive radiation. This was confirmed by further genetic in silico analysis (p = 5.30 × 10−3). Nucleotide excision repair and base excision repair were the most significant pathways. Additionally, the number of DNA repair genes was found to be linearly related to the genome size and the protein number (proteome) of the 44 animals analyzed (p < 1.00 × 10−4), this being compatible with Drake’s rule. This is the first study where radiated and living fossil species have been genetically compared. Evidence has been found that cancer-related genes have a special role in radiated species. Linear association of the number of DNA repair genes with the species genome size has also been revealed. These comparative genetics results can support the idea of punctuated equilibrium evolution.
Bonnie Berger named ISCB 2019 ISCB Accomplishments by a Senior Scientist Award recipient
Authors: Kovats Diane , Shamir Ron , Fogg Christiana
Published: June 2019

The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) honors a leader in the fields of computational biology and bioinformatics each year with the Accomplishments by a Senior Scientist Award. This award is the highest honor conferred by ISCB to a scientist who is recognized for significant research, education, and service contributions. Bonnie Berger, Simons Professor of Mathematics and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the 2019 recipient of the Accomplishments by a Senior Scientist Award. She is receiving her award and presenting a keynote address at the 2019 Joint International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology/European Conference on Computational Biology in Basel, Switzerland on July 21-25, 2019.
2019 ISCB Overton Prize: Christophe Dessimoz
Authors: Kovats Diane , Shamir Ron , Fogg Christiana
Published: June 2019

Each year the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) honors the achievements of an early- to mid-career scientist with the Overton Prize. This prize was instituted in 2001 to honor the untimely loss of Dr. G. Christian Overton, a respected computational biologist and founding member of the ISCB Board of Directors. The Overton Prize recognizes early or mid-career phase scientists who have made significant contributions to computational biology or bioinformatics through their research, teaching, and service. In 2019, ISCB recognized Dr. Christophe Dessimoz, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Professor at the University of Lausanne, Associate Professor at the University College London, and Group Leader at the Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics. Dessimoz receives his award and is presenting a keynote address at the 2019 Joint Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology/European Conference on Computational Biology held in Basel, Switzerland on July 21-25, 2019.
Learning to Rank in Entity Relationship Graphs
Authors: Raschid Louiqa , Sayyadi Hassan , Hristidis Vagelis
Published: June 2019

Many real-world data sets are modeled as entity relationship graphs or heterogeneous information networks. In these graphs, nodes represent entities and edges mimic relationships. ObjectRank extends the well-known PageRank authority flow–based ranking method to entity relationship graphs using an authority flow weight vector (W). The vector W assigns a different authority flow–based importance (weight) to each edge type based on domain knowledge or personalization. In this paper, our contribution is a framework for Learning to Rank in entity relationship graphs to learn W, in the context of authority flow. We show that the problem is similar to learning a recursive scoring function. We present a two-phase iterative solution and multiple variants of learning. In pointwise learning, we learn W, and hence the scoring function, from the scores of a sample of nodes. In pairwise learning, we learn W from given preferences for pairs of nodes. To demonstrate our contribution in a real setting, we apply our framework to learn the rank, with high accuracy, for a real-world challenge of predicting future citations in a bibliographic archive—that is, the FutureRank score. Our extensive experiments show that with a small amount of training data, and a limited number of iterations, our Learning to Rank approach learns W with high accuracy. Learning works well with pairwise training data in large graphs.
Mapeamento de políticas públicas para os refugiados no Brasil
Authors: França Rômulo Ataides , Ramos Wilsa Maria , Montagner Maria Inez
Published: June 2019

Frente à chegada de imigrantes refugiados ao Brasil, surge a preocupação acerca do alcance das políticas públicas estabelecidas para o acolhimento dessas pessoas no país. Para tanto, realizou-se a revisão documental e de literatura buscando mapear as legislações e documentos de órgãos oficiais sobre os refugiados, bem como a produção acadêmica sobre os eixos temáticos políticas públicas, saúde e xenofobia, no período entre 2007 a 2017. Não foram encontrados artigos brasileiros sobre refugiados e xenofobia. A falta de políticas públicas ampla foi um aspecto diagnosticado pelas produções relacionadas aos eixos saúde e políticas públicas. O problema das migrações forçadas tende a atingir cada vez mais o Brasil, de forma que este estudo pode contribuir para a sofisticação das estruturas legislativas e sociais para lidar com o acolhimento de refugiados no Brasil.
Sensory autoethnography: Engaging the senses, emotions and autobiographical narrative towards a transformative pedagogical practice in higher education
Authors: de Matas Réa
Published: June 2019

By combining the sensorial and narrative ways of knowing, I consider sensory embodied experiences and autobiographical narrative as a means of producing ‘academic knowledge’, as described in Sarah Pink’s Doing Sensory Ethnography (2015). Sensory embodied experiences and autobiographical narrative not only expose us to the life of the researcher, but also to a culture and to those being researched and how they are making and remaking meaning. In this article, I explore my use of a reflexive approach and my autobiographical narrative to tell the story of my experiences of Caribbean diaspora festive culture and tradition in the United Kingdom. I consider my sensory embodied experiences in both culture and academia, seeking to discover the making of self in culture and academia.
Music, Memory and Memoir: Critical and creative engagement with an emerging genre
Authors: Edgar Robert , Mann Fraser , Pleasance Helen
Published: June 2019

In this article, we outline and explore a plural and flexible methodology for engaging with the contemporary music memoir. These are texts in which narrative experimentation and self-conscious interrogations of voice shape content. They are texts that blur and blend the lines between memory, storytelling and myth. They offer a literate and culturally engaged reader the opportunity to shape their own musical histories and memories. We view these titles as a new and emerging genre. Our work, which we are developing in a forthcoming edited collection entitled Music, Memory and Memoir, approaches this fluid genre with a fluid methodology. We combine scholarly rigor and critical analysis in our readings of text but these combine with an open-ended and reflexive approach to our own critical and cultural voices.
Patient teacher: The complexity of in-betweenness in the teaching profession
Authors: Greer G. H.
Published: June 2019

Using theory and analysis, I story my experience of being in-between ill and well as a teacher. First, I employ the work of Turner (1991), Massumi (2002) and Butler (2002) to define in-betweenness. Then I develop a tool for exploring the values of in-betweenness. Finally, I conduct discourse analysis (Fairclough 2003) on a small archive of non-fiction writing on teacher burnout in the Canadian north. I discover three possible values of in-betweenness in educational settings: (1) validation of diversity, (2) support of open dialogue and (3) development of self-reflection.
Through the looking glass: Biographical writing as self-reflection
Authors: Everington Shanta
Published: June 2019

Combining creative writing excerpts from my Ph.D. work-in-progress, ‘The Other Mothers: Exploring adoption, surrogacy and egg donation through life writing’, with reflective commentary, this article will discuss the ways in which writing the lives of others can serve as a process of self-reflection. Inspired by my personal experience as a biological and adoptive mother, my Ph.D. project involves creative practice as research, alongside critical approaches, to culminate in the production of a multi-subject biographical narrative of women who have become mothers through adoption, surrogacy and egg donation, and their silent partners – birth mothers, surrogates and egg donors – whose stories remain largely untold.
Capturing the moment
Authors: Kelly John
Published: June 2019

This article will firstly account for the role of the graphic designer as a custodian of stories and their transcriptions into visual form. This is a mode of storying the self through the production of different graphic formats. Secondly, it will address the mixing of narratives from out of the archive: between the researcher as narrator and the archive source (in this case, Edward C. Rigg). Thirdly, the benefits of this project will consider how graphic design students engage with storytelling as a means to develop brand and content strategies. This approach examines the role of storytelling in type and image selection and its relevance within graphic design. The process will be analysed through the mechanisms of autoethnography, cultural analysis and the reinterpretation of oral, written and physical ephemera. The article argues that these are the building blocks for creating new narratives and design concepts.
How writing poetry and counselling combine to help a writer come to terms with life-limiting bone marrow cancer
Authors: Simpson David
Published: June 2019

The article follows writing what becomes a satirical poem about the writer’s imagined death. It is written after a cancer diagnosis brings on a fear of dying. A period of counselling poses questions to turn him towards how he might live: his compulsion to write leads him to write in a more experimental voice; challenging ‘new sounds’ are explored to help reduce a fear of dying, including a satirical ‘sound’ to sharpen the poem and narrow a gap between his poetry, cancer and himself. Writing the poem also confirms that ongoing changes in his cancer are best expressed through experiments with his poetic voice.
Relações de gênero em sala de aula: compartilhando experiências do pibid interdisciplinar de petrolina
Authors: Silva Janaina Guimarães da Fonseca
Published: June 2019

Levando em consideração as novas diretrizes para os cursos de licenciatura, de julho de 2015 e também a tentativa de reação aos diversos projetos que pretendem limitar as discussões de gênero em sala de aula, nosso projeto, aqui apresentado, utilizou o PIBID-Programa de Iniciação a Docência da CAPES, para trabalhar as relações de gênero, em escolas públicas de Petrolina, no ano de 2016. O projeto foi coordenado por Janaina Guimarães e desenvolvido pelas alunas e alunos dos cursos de Licenciatura em História e Biologia da Universidade de Pernambuco, Campus Petrolina, numa perspectiva interdisciplinar. Nossa proposta teve como objetivo trabalhar os a construção histórica dos conceitos de sertaneja e sertanejo por meio das relações de gênero, focando a realidade das/os alunas/os e seu papel enquanto agentes históricos, estimulando-as/os a desenvolverem um olhar crítico sobre os estereótipos e preconceitos machistas e misóginos presentes nas práticas cotidianas. As atividades desenvolvidas ao longo do ano, bem como o material que utilizamos como base, produzidos pela Ação Educativa e pelo instituto Sou da Paz, serão descritas e analisadas, bem como a recepção por parte das/os licenciadas/os, tutores e estudantes do Ensino Médio à abordagem das relações de gênero em sala de aula.
Escola de princesas: estratégias ficcionais e discursos androcêntricos
Authors: Marin Andreia Aparecida , Martins Stheffany Cruvinel
Published: June 2019

A presente escrita gira em torno de representações a respeito da mulher veiculadas no discurso inerente ao currículo das Escolas de Princesas. A necessidade de uma análise de tais representações se justifica pela suspeita de que fazem retroceder amplas discussões críticas sobre a construção social do conceito de mulher, sua objetivação e as contenções nela fundadas. A argumentação se desenvolve no sentido de demonstrar que a pedagogia das referidas escolas oculta ou ignora discussões feministas, tanto amparadas em Beauvoir, quanto em Butler, duas importantes pensadoras que influenciam vertentes dos feminismos contemporâneos.
Pensar la enseñanza de la historia desde la perspectiva de género en las escuelas argentinas
Authors: Valdemarca Laura Beatriz
Published: June 2019

El artículo reseña la matriz que sostuvo la enseñanza de la historia desde el siglo XIX, gestada en la necesidad de fundar un conocimiento común sobre el pasado heroico que a la vez sirviera para inculcar valores. Recorre algunas modificaciones y postula cómo las mismas no incidieron en el modelo androcéntrico inicial. Recupera que desde hace tres décadas venimos realizando modificaciones que esperamos, tengan consecuencias en los aprendizajes escolares y en la formación de ciudadanos y proponer algunos textos para el trabajo de cuestiones relativas a la violencia política y económica con perspectiva de género, en las aulas.
Educación sexual como clivaje del debate parlamentario por la legalización del aborto en Argentina (2018)
Authors: Sgró Ruata María Candelaria , Gastiazoro María Eugenia
Published: June 2019

Se abordó la categoría educación sexual como dimensión de disputa entre las posiciones -a favor y en contra- en el proyecto de legalización del aborto en la Cámara de Diputados de la Nación Argentina (2018). El trabajo se inscribe en el marco conceptual de tecnología de género y derecho y en el contexto de controversias en torno a Educación Sexual Integral (ESI) y la Campaña por la ley de Interrupción Voluntaria de Embarazo (IVE). El corpus de trabajo se construyó sobre el debate parlamentario, realizándose la sistematización de variables y el análisis cualitativo de las intervenciones. Los resultados muestran las delimitaciones que el cuerpo legislativo imprimió al debate, sentando las bases para una nueva discusión política en torno a la educación sexual centrada en la tensión entre ampliación/restricción de derechos.
Echoism
Authors: Green Ava
Published: June 2019

Echoism: The silenced response to narcissism by Donna Christina Savery (2018), London, Routledge, 180 pages.
СЕМАНТИКА УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ПАРЕМІЙ
Authors: Калько Валентина
Published: June 2019

Paremia językowa charakteryzuje się specyfi cznym połączeniem formy i treści, co umożliwia zachowanie, pozyskiwanie, przetwarzanie i transmisję informacji. Semantyka przysłowia motywowana jest strukturą formalną, na podstawie której tworzy się swoista przestrzeń treściowa wypowiedzi. Z jednej strony, znaczenie paremii uwarunkowane jest semantyką czynników, które kreują treść powierzchowną, z drugiej zaś — składniki strukturalne w wielu przypadkach ulegają przekształceniom o charakterze kognitywno-konceptualnym, co powoduje kreowanie zupełnie innej treści.
The Variable Sampling Interval EWMA X¯ Chart with Estimated Process Parameters
Authors: Teoh Wei Lin , Ong L. V. , Khoo Michael B. C. , Castagliola Philippe , Chong Z. L.
Published: June 2019

The exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) X¯ chart with the variable-sampling-interval (VSI) feature is usually scrutinized under the assumption of known process parameters. However, in practice, process parameters are usually unknown, and they need to be estimated from the in-control Phase-I data set. With this in mind, this article proposes the VSI EWMA X¯ chart in which the process parameters are estimated. A Markov Chain approach is adopted to derive the run-length properties of the VSI EWMA X¯ chart with estimated process parameters. The standard deviation of the average time to signal (SDATS) is employed to measure the practitioner-to-practitioner variation in the control chart’s performance. This variation occurs because different Phase-I datasets are used among practitioners to estimate the process parameters. Based on the SDATS criterion, this article provides recommendations regarding the minimum number of required Phase-I samples. For an optimum implementation, this article develops two optimization algorithms for the VSI EWMA X¯ chart with estimated process parameters, i.e., by minimizing the (i) out-of-control expected value of the average time to signal (AATS) and (ii) out-of-control expected value of the AATS (EAATS) for the cases of deterministic and unknown shift sizes, respectively. With the implementation of these new design procedures, the VSI EWMA X¯ chart with estimated process parameters is not only able to achieve a desirable in-control performance, but it is also able to quickly detect changes in the process.
An Innovative Approach to Simulate Biocorrosion in Concrete Pipes
Authors: Roghanian Negar , Banthia Nemkumar
Published: June 2019

Concrete corrosion in wastewater concrete pipes is mainly caused by the diffusion of aggressive solutions and in situ production of sulfuric acid by sulfur oxidizing microorganisms, which affect the physicochemical properties of concrete. In this study, a novel pilot-scale experimental setup was designed to replicate conditions in sewage systems as well as the bacterial-induced corrosion process in concrete pipes. The reliability of this test was evaluated by conducting a flexural strength test on arch-shaped cement mortar specimens over a 6-month period. Quantitative assessments of the properties were carried out over the 6-month period, and the average corrosion rate of 3 mm/y with 73 % reduction in bending strength (of the initial strength) and an average weight loss of 15 % was observed in cement-based mortar specimens. The proposed methodology and the results provide a better understanding of the biocorrosion process and quantitative information on the performance and effectiveness of different pipe/coating materials, which is necessary in evaluating concrete pipe’s durability.
Fazendo gênero no candomblé: entre o feminismo internacional e a retórica salvacionista. Por um enunciado epistemológico desde os terreiros.
Authors: Ferreira J. Flávio
Published: June 2019

Inspirado no conceito de ‘colonialidade do poder’, tal como proposto por Quijano, viso neste ensaio refletir sobre a relação entre o ‘feminismo’ e o universo candomblecista. Através de um resgate de fragmentos da história dos terreiros no Brasil, questiono o quanto poderá ser a leitura do candomblé enquanto um ‘matriarcado’ uma imposição da agenda feminista acadêmica. E, assim o sendo, uma relação regulatória entre a academia e o ‘mundo das práticas’ que, em última análise, acaba por suprimir uma alternativa ‘feminista negra candomblecista’ em detrimento de um modelo internacionalista de ‘ser-se feminista’. Abrindo mão do universo estritamente ritualístico desta religião de terreiro, apoio-me nos debates feministas e pós-coloniais contra o eurocentrismo para reforçar, claramente, a necessidade de promover-se uma reflexão epistemológica em prol de um feminismo negro situado: localizado e enunciado filosoficamente desde os terreiros. Palavras-chave: Candomblé; Descolonialidade; Pós-colonialismo; Feminismo; Subjetivação
Early Acid Suppression Therapy Exposure and Fracture in Young Children
Authors: Malchodi Laura , Wagner Kari , Susi Apryl , Gorman Gregory , Hisle-Gorman Elizabeth
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND:

Acid suppression therapy (AST), including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs), is frequently prescribed to treat symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux in otherwise healthy infants. PPI use has been associated with increased fracture risk in older adults; 2 preliminary studies in children have conflicting results.

METHODS:

A retrospective cohort of children born 2001 to 2013 who were followed for ≥2 years was formed. Those with osteogenesis imperfecta, cholestasis, or child maltreatment were excluded. Prescription data were used to identify AST prescription before age 1 year. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes identified fractures after age 1 year. A Cox proportional hazard analysis assessed fracture hazard and was adjusted for sex, prematurity, low birth weight, previous fracture, anti-epileptics, and overweight or obesity.

RESULTS:

Of 851 631 included children, 97 286 (11%) were prescribed AST in the first year of life; 7998 (0.9%) children were prescribed PPI, 71 578 (8%) were prescribed H2RA, and 17 710 (2%) were prescribed both a PPI and H2RA. Infants prescribed AST had an earlier median first fracture age (3.9 vs 4.5 years). After adjustment, increased fracture hazard was associated with PPI use (21%) and PPI and H2RA use (30%), but not H2RA use alone. Longer duration of AST treatment and earlier age of first AST use was associated with increased fracture hazard.

CONCLUSIONS:

Infant PPI use alone and together with H2RAs is associated with an increased childhood fracture hazard, which appears amplified by days of use and earlier initiation of ASTs. Use of AST in infants should be weighed carefully against possible fracture.
Factors Affecting Participation in Mentoring Research in Academia
Authors: Qureshi Henna A.
Published: June 2019

Higher Education is focused on research, yet not many postdoctoral researchers participate in academic research regarding their experiences during mentoring.  This lack of participation is creating a gap in research on mentoring.  The study found sharing experiences with an interviewer not only works as cathartic instrument for postdoctoral researcher but also provides them with new perspective on their mentoring experience.  Meanwhile, participating in research about their experiences in mentoring adds valuable information for mentoring programs, mentors and mentees.  Despite postdoctoral researchers’ scientific background lack of interest in participating in academic research is of serious concern. The study was conducted using Grounded Theory as a tool.  The data was collected in 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews with professors and postdoctoral researchers participating in mentoring programs across Germany.  The paper aims to propose initiating a dialogue for participating in academic research in higher education especially at postdoctoral researchers' level to increase awareness.
Distribution Channel Management and the Control of Fake/Counterfeit Products in Selected Pharmaceuticals Companies in Benue State.
Authors: Tyopine Dr. Hanmaikyur
Published: June 2019

This study evaluated distribution channel management and control of counterfeit products in Nigeria with specific reference to selected pharmaceutical industries in Benue State. The study used mainly primary data obtained by the use of a well-structured questionnaire. The study used multiple regression analysis to test the two hypotheses of the study. The result shows that a negative relationship exist between distribution management and its effect on consumer's accessibility and it is statistically significant (p<0.05) and in line with a priori expectation. Also, the study found that the source of fake and counterfeit product is positively related to distribution channel management but it is not statistically significant (p>0.05). It was concluded therefore that efficient distribution channel management could help to greatly reduce the proliferation of counterfeit products in the health sector. In view of this, it was recommended that laws guiding the regulation of imported and manufactured products should be strengthened to ensure effectiveness by regulatory authorities. Hence, the distribution channels management policies should be an approach to control counterfeit products by instituting on a clear post market surveillance system that will aid the fast identification of counterfeit and other substandard drugs while  consumer's access to counterfeit product should be restricted through an efficient distribution channel management.
Synthesis and Compositional Control of Size Monodisperse SixGe1-x Nanocrystals for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Linehan Keith , Carolan Darragh , Sé Daithi Ó , Doyle Hugh
Published: June 2019

Alkyl-terminated SixG1-x nanocrystals are prepared at room temperature by co-reduction of Si and Ge precursors by hydride reducing agents within inverse micelles. Compositional control of the alloy silicon-germanium NCs (ca. 3.6 nm) is achieved by varying the relative amounts of each precursor used in the synthesis. Transmission electron microscopy imaging confirmed that the NCs are highly crystalline with a narrow size distribution; optical spectroscopy shows strong quantum confinement effects, with moderate absorption in the UV spectral range, and a strong blue emission with a marked dependency on excitation wavelength.
Gold Nanoparticles Supported on SrTiO3 by Solution Plasma Sputter Deposition for Enhancing UV- and Visible-light Photocatalytic Efficiency
Authors: Panomsuwan Gasidit , Zettsu Nobuyuki , Saito Nagahiro
Published: June 2019

Gold (Au) nanoparticles were synthesized and deposited on the perovskite SrTiO3 (STO) via a one-step solution plasma sputter deposition (SPSD) without any reducing reagents at ambient condition. Good dispersion of the Au nanoparticles deposited on the STO surface was clearly observed. The synthesized Au nanoparticles were well-crystallized with a spherical shape and preferably exhibited multiply twinned structure. An average diameter of Au nanoparicles was estimated to be 6.1 ± 1.4 nm by transmission electron microscopy. Enhanced photocatalytic activity was found for the Au-STO when compared to the pure STO, as investigated from the degradation of methylene blue solution under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. The SPSD seems to be a rapid and facile approach to prepare the Au nanoparticles supported on the metal oxide for photocatalytic applications.
SiC-based 1D Nanostructures
Authors: Ollivier Maelig , Latu-Romain Laurence , Martin Mickaël , Mantoux Arnaud , Bano Edwige
Published: June 2019

Thanks to an original approach based on the carburization of silicon nanowires, silicon carbide-based one dimensional nanostructures – SiC nanotubes, Si-SiC core-shell nanowires and SiC nanowires – have been synthesized. The original process, which relies on controlling the out-diffusion of Si atoms through SiC, can be monitored by the temperature, the pressure and the time of carburization. These SiC-based 1D nanostructures have been characterized by SEM, FIB-SEM and TEM microscopies and also Raman spectroscopy. Bio-nano-sensors, nano-Field-Effect-Transistors (nano-FETs) or gas sensors may be some applications for these nanostructures.
Proton infiltration of phosphosilicate glass-electrolytes for intermediate temperature fuel cell
Authors: Daiko Yusuke , Yamada Takeshi , Mineshige Atsushi , Yazawa Tetsuo
Published: June 2019

A fast proton conducting glass with proton transport number tH = 1 was successfully prepared by using conventional melting method. In-situ FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) measurements under hydrogen atmosphere, temperature of 300°C and applying 1 V between Pt electrodes were carried out in order to monitor the proton concentration. The electrode reaction on Pt in these conditions is similar to that under intermediate-temperature fuel cell operation. It was found from the in-situ FTIR measurements that the absorbance around 2900 cm-1 increases clearly after applying 1 V, whereas no significant change was observed around 3400 cm-1. Proton infiltration into the glass is discussed based on the in-situ FTIR and impedance results.
Thermoelectric Properties of Doped Iron Disilicide
Authors: Tani Jun-ichi , Kido Hiroyasu
Published: June 2019

In order to investigate the thermoelectric properties of Re-doped β-FeSi2 (Fe1-xRexSi2), Ir-doped β-FeSi2 (Fe1-xIrxSi2), and Pt-doped β-FeSi2 (Fe1-xPtxSi2), the electrical resistivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the thermal conductivity of these samples have been measured in the temperature range between 300 and 1150 K. Fe1-xRexSi2 is p-type, while Fe1-xIrxSi2 and Fe1-xPt xSi2 are n-type over the measured temperature range. The solubility limits of dopant are estimated to be 0.2at% for Fe1-xRexSi2, 0.5at% for Fe1-xIrxSi2, and 1.9at% for Fe1-xPtxSi2. A maximum ZT value of 0.14 was obtained for Fe1-xPt xSi2 (x=0.03) at the temperature 847 K.
Processing, Characterization, and Measurement of the Seebeck Coefficient of Bismuth Microwire Array Composites
Authors: Huber T.E. , Constant P.
Published: June 2019

We have fabricated Bi microwire array composites ranging in diameter from 10 to 50 micrometer using the method of high-pressure-injection (HPI) of the Bi melt into microchannel arrays (MCA) templates. The composites are dense, with Bi volume fraction in excess of 70 %. The parallel Bi nanowires, whose length appears to be limited only by the thickness of the host template (up to 2 mm), terminate at both sides of the composite in the Bi bulk. The individual Bi microwire crystal structure is rhombohedral, with the same lattice parameters as that of bulk Bi; the wires crystalline orientation is predominantly perpendicular to the (113) lattice plane. The transversal magnetoresistance and Seebeck effect of the wires has been measured in magnetic fields up to 0.8 Tesla and for temperatures ranging between 77 K and room temperature.
Material Instability in Rapid Granular Shear Flow
Authors: Goddard J. D.
Published: June 2019

This is a survey of recent theoretical work on shear flow instabilities of dry granular media in the Bagnold or “grain-inertia” régime. Attention is devoted to steady homogeneous unbounded simple shear, with the goal of identifying material (constitutive) instabilities arising from the coupling of stress to granular concentration and temperature fields. Such instabilities, the dissipative analogs of thermodynamic phase transitions, are familiar in numerous branches of the mechanics of materials.

The current interest is motivated in part by the “dissipative clustering” found in various particle-dynamics (“DEM”) simulations of granular systems. Since particle clustering may invalidate standard gas kinetic theory, it is pertinent to ask whether hydrodynamic models based on such theories may themselves exhibit clustering instability.

The present article is based largely on a recent review (Goddard and Alam 1999), which provides a unified linear-stability treatment for rapid granular flow, as well for slow flow of mobile particles immersed in viscous liquids. The analysis is based on a “short-memory” response of various fluxes to perturbations on steady uniform states, a feature characteristic of the most popular constitutive models for granular flow. In the absence of gravity, previous theoretical analyses reveal transverse “layering” and spanwise “corrugations” as possible forms of material instability (Alam and Nott 1998)

Based on current theoretical findings, further work is recommended, including the exploration of the effects of gravity and of stress relaxation, both of which are likely to be important in real granular flows.
Dynamics and Patterning of Screw Dislocations in Two Dimensions
Authors: Selinger Robin L. B. , Smith Brian B. , Luo Wei-Dong
Published: June 2019

To understand how dislocations form ordered structures during the deformation of metals, we perform computer simulation studies of the dynamics and patterning of screw dislocations in two dimensions. The simulation is carried out using an idealized atomistic model with anti-plane displacements only; we show that this system is an analog of the two-dimensional XY rotor model. Simulation studies show that under a constant applied shear strain rate, the flow of dislocations spontaneously coalesces to form narrow dislocation-rich channels separated by wide dislocation-free regions, so that the applied strain is localized into slip bands. We argue that this pattern formation represents a phase separation into low/high defect density phases associated with the XY model, and conjecture that thermodynamic forces drive strain localization.
Experimental Assessment of Strain Gradient Plasticity
Authors: Barney Monica M. , Campbell Geoffrey H. , Stölken James S. , Schwartz Adam J. , Plitzko Jürgen M. , King Wayne E. , Morris John W.
Published: June 2019

Classical plasticity theories generally assume that the stress at a point is a function of strain at that point only. However, when gradients in strain become significant, this localization assumption is no longer valid. These conventional models fail to display a ‘size effect’. This effect is seen experimentally when the scale of the phenomenon of interest is on the order of several microns. Under these conditions, strain gradients are of a significant magnitude as compared to the overall strain and must be considered for models to accurately capture observed phenomena.

The mechanics community has been actively involved in the development of strain gradient theories for many years. Recently, interest in this area has been rekindled and several new approaches have appeared in the literature. Two different approaches are currently being evaluated. One approach considers strain gradients as internal variables that do not introduce work conjugate higher order stresses. Another approach considers the strain gradients as internal degrees of freedom that requires work conjugate higher order stresses. Experiments are being performed to determine which approach models material behavior accurately with the least amount of complexity. A key difference between the two models considered here is the nature of the assumed boundary conditions at material interfaces. Therefore, we are investigating the deformation behavior of aluminum/sapphire interfaces loaded under simple shear. Samples are fabricated using ultra-high vacuum diffusion bonding. To determine the lattice rotations near the boundary, we are examining the samples with both electron backscatter diffraction methods (EBSD) in the scanning electron microscope and with a variety of diffraction techniques in the transmission electron microscope. The experimentally found boundary conditions shall be subsequently used to determine whether the simpler internal variable model is adequately descriptive or if the greater complexity associated with the internal degree of freedom approach is warranted.
STM Nanospectroscopic Study of Defects in Semiconductors
Authors: Maeda Koji , Hida Akira , Mera Yutaka
Published: June 2019

Coupling of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) with various schemes of optical spectroscopy was found to provide powerful tools for study of crystalline defects in bulk semiconducting solids. The simplest method was applied to a subsurface defect in a bulk GaAs crystal in which the signal was acquired by detecting the change in the tunneling current reflecting a local surface swelling that occurs when the wavelength of the chopped light used for spectroscopic measurements coincides with a photoabsorption spectral peak of the defect. Another scheme using a continuous light of variable wavelength was applied to midgap centers, assigned as arsenic antisite defects, densely populated in low-temperature-grown GaAs epifilms. Experiments at 90K revealed that light illumination causes reversible transformation of the individual defects to a metastable state with an excitation spectrum very close to one observed for the photo-quenching effect of EL2 centers in bulk GaAs.
Characterization of Deep Levels in 3C-SiC by Optical-Capacitance-Transient Spectroscopy
Authors: Nakakura Y. , Kato M. , Ichimura M. , Arai E. , Tokuda Y.
Published: June 2019

An optical-capacitance-transient spectroscopy (O-CTS) method was used to characterize the defects in 3C-SiC on Si. The O-CTS measurement enables us to estimate optical threshold energy and optical cross section for the defects. In the O-CTS spectrum, a peak was observed for photon energy hv larger than 0.5 eV. This peak was thought to be due to the ND1 center, which was also observed by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and found to have a thermal activation energy of 0.37 eV. The optical cross section for the center increased with hv for hv<0.6 eV and then decreased with increasing hv. The apparent optical threshold energy was about 0.47 eV. Another deep levels which have optical threshold energy of around 1.4 eV were also observed.
Carrier dynamics in spatially ordered InAs quantum dots
Authors: Siegert Jörg , Marcinkevièius Saulius , Gaarder Andreas , Leon Rosa , Chaparro Sergio , Johnson Shane R. , Navarro Carlos , Jin Xu , Zhang Yong-Hang
Published: June 2019

Spatial ordering of InAs quantum dots was attained by using misfit dislocations generated in a metastable InGaAs layer by means of thermal annealing. Influence of quantum dot positional ordering and dot proximity to dislocation arrays on carrier dynamics was studied by timeresolved photoluminescence. Substantially narrower inhomogeneous broadening from the ordered quantum dots was observed. Excitation intensity dependence of the photoluminescence intensity and carrier lifetime indicates stronger influence of nonradiative recombination for the ordered quantum dot structures. Numerical simulations allow estimating electron and hole capture rates from the quantum dots to traps located either at the quantum dot interfaces or in the vicinity of the quantum dots.
Effects of Hydrogen on the Deep Levels in Si, ZnO and Diamond Studied by Cathodoluminescence
Authors: Sekiguchi Takashi
Published: June 2019

The effects of hydrogen on the deep level luminescence in Si, ZnO and diamond were studied by means of cathodoluminescence. It is well known that most of the deep levels in Si are passivated by hydrogen. Scratch lines on Si surface, which do not show any characteristic luminescence, obtain so-called D-line luminescence by hydrogen plasma treatment. It indicates that only nonradiative defects are passivated but D-line luminescence is not passivated by hydrogenation. Contrarily, typical ZnO crystal shows the green emission, which is attributed to the point defects or impurities. Hydrogen completely passivates this green emission, and in turn, enhances the band edge emission. The effect of hydrogen passivation disappeared by the annealing at temperatures higher than 600 °C. Hydrogen behaves more peculiarly in diamond. The hydrogenated diamond film shows the characteristic emission around 2.3 eV in photon energy. Since it disappears by oxidization treatment, this emission is attributed to hydrogen at the subsurface region. The detailed study indicated that hydrogen in diamond has bistable states.