bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Absolute calibration of a time-resolved high resolution x-ray spectrometer for the National Ignition Facility (invited)
Authors: Gao Lan , Kraus B. F. , Hill K. W. , Bitter M. , Efthimion P. , Schneider M. B. , MacPhee A. G. , Thorn D. B. , Kilkenny J. , Ayers J. , Kauffman R. , Chen H. , Nelson D.
Published: October 2018

A high resolution, Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM)-based x-ray Bragg crystal spectrometer has been calibrated for and deployed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to diagnose plasma conditions in ignition capsules near stagnation times. The spectrometer has two conical crystals in the Hall geometry focusing rays from the Kr Heα, Lyα, and Heβ complexes onto a streak camera, with the physics objectives of measuring time-resolved electron density and temperature through observing Stark broadening and the relative intensities of dielectronic satellites. A third von Hámos crystal that time-integrates the Kr Heα, Heβ and intervening energy range provides in situ calibration for the streak camera signals. The spectrometer has been absolutely calibrated using a microfocus x-ray source, an array of CCD and single-photon-counting detectors, and multiple K- and L-absorption edge filters at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) x-ray laboratory. Measurements of the integrated reflectivity, energy range, and energy resolution for each crystal are discussed. These calibration data provide absolute x-ray signal levels for NIF measurements, enabling precise filter selection and comparisons to simulations.
Large-scale ab initio simulations of MAS DNP enhancements using a Monte Carlo optimization strategy
Authors: Perras Frédéric A. , Pruski Marek
Published: October 2018

Magic-angle-spinning (MAS) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has recently emerged as a powerful technology enabling otherwise unrealistic solid-state NMR experiments. The simulation of DNP processes which might, for example, aid in refining the experimental conditions or the design of better performing polarizing agents, is, however, plagued with significant challenges, often limiting the system size to only 3 spins. Here, we present the first approach to fully ab initio large-scale simulations of MAS DNP enhancements. The Landau-Zener equation is used to treat all interactions concerning electron spins, and the low-order correlations in the Liouville space method is used to accurately treat the spin diffusion, as well as its MAS speed dependence. As the propagator cannot be stored, a Monte Carlo optimization method is used to determine the steady-state enhancement factors. This new software is employed to investigate the MAS speed dependence of the enhancement factors in large spin systems where spin diffusion is of importance, as well as to investigate the impacts of solvent and polarizing agent deuteration on the performance of MAS DNP.
Robust entropy requires strong and balanced excitatory and inhibitory synapses
Authors: Agrawal Vidit , Cowley Andrew B. , Alfaori Qusay , Larremore Daniel B. , Restrepo Juan G. , Shew Woodrow L.
Published: October 2018

It is widely appreciated that balanced excitation and inhibition are necessary for proper function in neural networks. However, in principle, balance could be achieved by many possible configurations of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic strengths and relative numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. For instance, a given level of excitation could be balanced by either numerous inhibitory neurons with weak synapses or a few inhibitory neurons with strong synapses. Among the continuum of different but balanced configurations, why should any particular configuration be favored? Here, we address this question in the context of the entropy of network dynamics by studying an analytically tractable network of binary neurons. We find that entropy is highest at the boundary between excitation-dominant and inhibition-dominant regimes. Entropy also varies along this boundary with a trade-off between high and robust entropy: weak synapse strengths yield high network entropy which is fragile to parameter variations, while strong synapse strengths yield a lower, but more robust, network entropy. In the case where inhibitory and excitatory synapses are constrained to have similar strength, we find that a small, but non-zero fraction of inhibitory neurons, like that seen in mammalian cortex, results in robust and relatively high entropy.
Modeling effects of neural fluctuations and inter-scale interactions
Authors: Liljenström Hans
Published: October 2018

One of the greatest challenges to science, in particular, to neuroscience, is to understand how processes at different levels of organization are related to each other. In connection with this problem is the question of the functional significance of fluctuations, noise, and chaos. This paper deals with three related issues: (1) how processes at different organizational levels of neural systems might be related, (2) the functional significance of non-linear neurodynamics, including oscillations, chaos, and noise, and (3) how computational models can serve as useful tools in elucidating these types of issues. In order to capture and describe phenomena at different micro (molecular), meso (cellular), and macro (network) scales, the computational models need to be of appropriate complexity making use of available experimental data. I exemplify by two major types of computational models, those of Hans Braun and colleagues and those of my own group, which both aim at bridging gaps between different levels of neural systems. In particular, the constructive role of noise and chaos in such systems is modelled and related to functions, such as sensation, perception, learning/memory, decision making, and transitions between different (un-)conscious states. While there is, in general, a focus on upward causation, I will also discuss downward causation, where higher level activity may affect the activity at lower levels, which should be a condition for any functional role of consciousness and free will, often considered to be problematic to science.
Accurate potential energy surface of H2S+(X2A″) via extrapolation to the complete basis set limit and its use in dynamics study of S+(D2)+H2(X1Σg+) reaction
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Gao Shoubao , Meng Qingtian , Pan Jie , Song Yuzhi
Published: October 2018

The single-sheeted potential energy surface (PES) of H2S+(X 2A′′) is developed based on the ab initio energies calculated by the multi-reference configuration interaction method including the Davidson correction. All the ab initio energies are first calculated using aug-cc-pVQdZ and aug-cc-pV5dZ basis sets, which are then extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. A switching function is developed to model the transition of S+D2 to S+S4. The many-body expansion formalism is employed to obtain the H2S+(X 2A′′) PES by fitting such CBS energies and the root-mean square derivation is 0.0367 eV. The topographical features of the present PES are examined in detail, which are well consistent with previous studies. The quasiclassical trajectory method is subsequently utilized to study the S+D2+H2(X1Σg+) → SH+(X 3Σ−)+H(S2) reaction. The capture time, integral cross sections, and rovibrational distributions are calculated. By examining the capture time, it can be concluded that the title reaction is mainly controlled by the indirect mechanism for lower collision energies, while the direct and indirect mechanisms coexist and the latter plays a dominant role for higher collision energies.
Photothermally modulated magnetic resonance using a light access microwaves cavity: Influence of skin depth and of photo-injected carriers
Authors: Cordeiro T. C. , Soffner M. E. , Mansanares A. M. , da Silva E. C.
Published: October 2018

This study reports on the modulation frequency dependence of the photothermally modulated magnetic resonance signal of a set of magnetic samples in the form of foils, layers, and thin films: 50μm Fe and Ni foils; 5μm magnetic layer of γ-Fe2O3 in a cassette tape; and 150nm Co and Permalloy films deposited on glass and Si (111) substrates, besides the naked Si substrate. It is shown, both by analytical calculation and by measurements, that the skin depth of the microwaves deeply influences the signal behavior by selecting the portion of the sample that is probed. Clear differences in the frequency dependence are observed between the metallic Ni and Fe foils and the dielectric γ-Fe2O3 cassette tape. Furthermore, the thermal mismatch between the magnetic films (Co and Permalloy) and substrates (glass and Si) also plays a crucial role, once the modulation of the temperature is strongly dependent on the substrate thermal parameters at low modulation frequencies. The non-resonant signal from the diamagnetic Si is also analyzed. It is produced by the absorption of microwaves by the photo-injected free carriers and presents characteristic behavior in the investigated frequency range.
Hydrodynamic characteristics of flow past a square cylinder at moderate Reynolds numbers
Authors: Jiang Hongyi , Cheng Liang
Published: October 2018

Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic characteristics of flow past a square cylinder are investigated using direct numerical simulations. The variations of the hydrodynamic forces and wake flow characteristics with the Reynolds number (Re) are examined for Re = 10–400 with a high resolution in Re. Distinct features in the variation trends of the hydrodynamic forces with Re are examined and explained. In addition, for the 3D flows up to Re = 400, three critical conditions are observed at Re of approximately 165.7, 210, and 330. At the onset of the secondary wake instability of Re = 165.7, a sudden increase or decrease in the 3D flow property with respect to its 2D counterpart is observed, which is due to the sudden increase in the flow three-dimensionality at the mode A instability that is subcritical in nature. The second critical condition is because for Re > 210, the mode B flow structure becomes increasingly disordered and the wake flow becomes increasingly turbulent such that the 3D flow property is increasingly deviated from its 2D counterpart. The third critical condition at Re ∼ 330 is related to the disappearance and reappearance of the recirculation regions on the upper and lower sides of the cylinder. While the first two critical conditions are also observed for flow past a circular cylinder, the third one is not since the geometry of a circular cylinder does not give rise to recirculation regions on the upper and lower sides of the cylinder.
Demonstration of steering acoustic waves by generalized Eaton lens
Authors: Lee Dongwoo , Cho Choonlae , Mun Jungho , Park Namkyoo , Rho Junsuk
Published: October 2018

We demonstrate an acoustic generalized Eaton lens that steers an acoustic wave to a desired angle, to propose a design method for gradient-index devices using the sub-wavelength structure to shape an acoustic wave. Based on investigations on the effective parameter with several methods: the S-parameter retrieval method, Floquet-Bloch calculations, and multiple scattering theory (MST) for the cylindrical rigid rod structure, we speculate the design process to realize inhomogeneous refractive index distribution. For realization of a high effective index (∼2), the MST design inevitably fails, whereas the Floquet-Bloch calculations and S-parameter retrieval give identical results. By appropriately designing a two-dimensional array of cylindrical PMMA rods, we experimentally verify the acoustic generalized Eaton lenses for steering angles of 15° and 45°. Furthermore, the use of non-resonant metamaterials enables the proposed devices to work in the broad frequency range from 4 to 8 kHz.
A stable and diffusive atmospheric pressure glow discharge in ambient air obtained by applying an axial magnetic field between pin-to-plate electrodes
Authors: Wang Yong Sheng , Ding Wei Dong , Wang Jia Chen
Published: October 2018

In recent years, a lot of research focuses on atmospheric pressure glow discharge, but how to obtain a stable and uniform large-volume glow discharge at atmospheric pressure is still a difficult technological problem, especially in large ambient air gap. In this paper, with an external axial magnetic field applied in the pin-to-plate electrode gap, a stable and diffusive atmospheric pressure glow discharge in ambient air is obtained. Influences of different factors such as the output-voltage amplitude of the power supply, the intensity of the magnetic field, the resonant frequency of power supply, and different inter-electrode gap sizes are studied. The results show that a more diffusive and bigger-volume glow discharge can be obtained by increasing the amplitude of the output voltage of the power supply, the intensity of the external magnetic field, or the resonant frequency in the longer-distance pin-to-plate gap.
Letter: A note on flow characterization of the FX63-137 airfoil at low Reynolds number using oil-film interferometry technique
Authors: Dong H. , Liu S. C. , Geng X. , Cui Y. D. , Khoo B. C.
Published: October 2018

The Wortmann FX 63-137 airfoil has been extensively studied and used in a low Reynolds number flow regime due to its excellent aerodynamic performance with high lift and soft-stall characteristics. In this work, a laminar separation bubble (LSB) on the upper surface of the FX63-137 airfoil is experimentally studied at low Reynolds numbers of 200 000, 300 000, and 500 000 with different angles of attack via the oil-film interferometry (OFI) technique. The flow features, such as laminar separation, reattachment, turbulent separation, and laminar-turbulent transition, on the upper surface were clearly captured. Furthermore, the characteristics of the reverse flow and reattached flow of LSB were also exhibited evidently. Compared with oil flow visualization, the OFI technique is much easier to use, is less time-consuming, and provides for more indistinct flow features over the airfoil surface.
Mechanisms underlying contrast-dependent orientation selectivity in mouse V1
Authors: Dai Wei P. , Zhou Douglas , McLaughlin David W. , Cai David
Published: October 2018

Recent experiments have shown that mouse primary visual cortex (V1) is very different from that of cat or monkey, including response properties—one of which is that contrast invariance in the orientation selectivity (OS) of the neurons’ firing rates is replaced in mouse with contrast-dependent sharpening (broadening) of OS in excitatory (inhibitory) neurons. These differences indicate a different circuit design for mouse V1 than that of cat or monkey. Here we develop a large-scale computational model of an effective input layer of mouse V1. Constrained by experiment data, the model successfully reproduces experimentally observed response properties—for example, distributions of firing rates, orientation tuning widths, and response modulations of simple and complex neurons, including the contrast dependence of orientation tuning curves. Analysis of the model shows that strong feedback inhibition and strong orientation-preferential cortical excitation to the excitatory population are the predominant mechanisms underlying the contrast-sharpening of OS in excitatory neurons, while the contrast-broadening of OS in inhibitory neurons results from a strong but nonpreferential cortical excitation to these inhibitory neurons, with the resulting contrast-broadened inhibition producing a secondary enhancement on the contrast-sharpened OS of excitatory neurons. Finally, based on these mechanisms, we show that adjusting the detailed balances between the predominant mechanisms can lead to contrast invariance—providing insights for future studies on contrast dependence (invariance).
Conformational entropy of a single peptide controlled under force governs protease recognition and catalysis
Authors: Guerin Marcelo E. , Stirnemann Guillaume , Giganti David
Published: October 2018

Significance

In the cell, enzymes such as proteases target peptides with specific amino acid sequences. The mechanism of specificity is typically examined by looking at the peptide structure in complex with the enzyme. However, a question remains: How do enzymes recognize a free peptide that can adopt a large number of geometries before the association? Here, we propose a method to control the peptide flexibility by stretching it under force. In our assay, we can follow the substrate elongation and its catalytic cleavage by a single protease. Finally, we designed a computational model to describe all possible geometries of a free peptide that acts as an elastic under force and assessed the impact of peptide flexibility upon the specific recognition.
“And all this is spoken of the naturall byrth …”
Authors: Whitt Richard J.
Published: October 2018

This paper provides an examination of the use of metadiscourse in the two versions ofThe Birth of Mankind, the first midwifery manual to be printed in English during the sixteenth century. It is a translation of a Latin text, which itself is a translation of the GermanRosengarten. While much has been made of the differences in the use of medical terminology in various versions, little attention has been paid to what differences – if any – exist in the ways the various authors/translators signal text structure or use other overt markers to the reader as to how the text is to be read or understood. Corpus linguistic methods are employed to provide a quantitative angle on the analysis of these texts.
Online conference announcements as spaces for disciplinary communication
Authors: Lorés Sanz Rosa
Published: October 2018

The aim of the study is to explore online conference announcements as sites for disciplinary communication and the way they are
realized linguistically. A corpus of 50 conference announcements included in a major listserv in the field of linguistics is
analysed, focusing on rhetorical structure and major interpersonal features, namely self mentions, engagement markers, modal verbs
and the use of passive voice. Results show that linguistic interpersonal markers are deployed in the text according to the various
communicative functions the text has and also the role played by the writer at each stage and, subsequently, the roles ascribed to
readers. Moreover, it is claimed that the wide distribution of conference announcements ensured through electronic platforms
reinforces the strategic role of these texts as vehicles of communication and interaction among disciplinary members.
Flemish Sign Language development
Authors: Wille Beatrijs , Mouvet Kimberley , Vermeerbergen Myriam , Van Herreweghe Mieke
Published: October 2018

This case study provides a first exploratory study on the early Flemish Sign Language acquisition of a deaf infant from the perspective of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Theory. It highlights some remarkable aspects of sign language acquisition with respect to interpersonal interaction between the child and its mother. The free play interactions of the Deaf mother and her moderately deaf daughter were recorded when the child was 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months old. These interactions were annotated in ELAN and transcribed in view of the analysis adapting Systemic Functional Linguistics. The analysis indicates that the early sign language development of the child chronologically correlates with Halliday’s descriptions of the universal functions of language. The infant’s first lexical signs appeared at 12 months. The child produced one-sign utterances (12 months and older), one-sign utterances along with a pointing sign (18 months and older) and two-sign utterances (24 months). The mother integrated attentional strategies to redirect the child’s attention. She also adopted techniques that are appropriate for child-directed signing, i.e. questions, recasts and expansions.
Gestures in mathematical function talk
Authors: Herbert Sandra
Published: October 2018

The mathematical concept of function is an essential underpinning for advanced study in mathematics, such as calculus, and influences success in higher mathematics. Teaching about functions is challenging as many students find it difficult to understand. Effective teaching strategies are reliant on a teacher’s knowledge of the current understandings of their students. The gestures of the twenty-three middle-secondary Australian students (14–15 years old) in this study clarified the meaning of their words as they were interviewed whilst viewing two different computer simulations. Five ways in which students used their hands when providing multiple representations of mathematical functions are presented, which provide insights into students’ thinking about functions not available in their words alone.
The impact of work environment on verbs in Gulf Pidgin Arabic
Authors: Næss Unn Gyda
Published: October 2018

In this paper, I propose that the Arabic-based migrant pidgin Gulf Pidgin Arabic (GPA) is shaped by the initial work environment of its speakers. My data consist of recordings of conversations with 16 GPA speakers living in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, who have learned the language working either as shopkeepers or as maids in private homes. By looking at the use of verb forms, I find that the maids use significantly more verbs derived from imperatives than the shopkeepers, and argue that this is the result of the social context in which they work. I then compare the speech of the maids to the speakers of Pidgin Madam (PM) in Lebanon, who work in a similar environment, and show that while these two varieties share the preponderance of imperative verbs, the feminine-derived forms which make up most of the verbal inventory of PM are comparatively rare in maids’ GPA. I attribute this to the existence of similar yet distinct foreigner talk norms in the Gulf and in Lebanon, each of them reflecting the composition of the migrant population in their respective regions.
Ecological landscape in narrative thought
Authors: Lucić Luka , Bridges Elizabeth
Published: October 2018

This study explores how 16 individuals who grew up during the four-year long military siege of the city employ language to make
sense of their everyday experiences in Sarajevo following the conclusion of the Bosnian War. Narrative inquiry is employed in this
work to study sense-making, a psychological process based in language and situated in interaction with extant
social and physical landscapes. During the study, participants wrote responses across the three narrative contexts (1) the prewar,
(2) the acute war, and (3) the postwar. Data analyses examine how participants enact ecological landscape in
narrative construction through varied use of prepositions across the three narrative contexts. Significantly higher use of
prepositions in the acute war narrative context indicates that growing up amidst urban destruction gives rise to thought processes
that draw on spatial and temporal relations in order to make sense of radical environmental changes in the landscape of war.
Evidence and presumptions for analyzing and detecting misunderstandings
Authors: Macagno Fabrizio
Published: October 2018

The detection and analysis of misunderstandings are crucial aspects of discourse analysis, and presuppose a twofold investigation of their structure. First, misunderstandings need to be identified and, more importantly, justified. For this reason, a classification of the types and force of evidence of a misunderstanding is needed. Second, misunderstandings reveal differences in the interlocutors’ interpretations of an utterance, which can be examined by considering the presumptions that they use in their interpretation. This paper proposes a functional approach to misunderstandings grounded on presumptive reasoning and types of presumptions, in which incompatible interpretations or interpretative failures are examined as defaults of the underlying interpretative reasoning, caused by overlooked evidence or conflicting presumptions. Moreover, it advances a classification of the types and the probative weights of the evidence that can be used to detect misunderstandings. The proposed methodology and its implications are illustrated through the analysis of doctor–patient communication in diabetes care.
Gender agreement alternation in Aqusha Dargwa
Authors: Ganenkov Dmitry
Published: October 2018

The article discusses gender agreement alternation in Aqusha Dargwa (Nakh-Daghestanian, the Caucasus, Russian Federation). The phenomenon is observed in periphrastic verbal forms with transitive verbs where gender agreement on the auxiliary can show the gender features of either the ergative subject or the absolutive direct object. Considering existing analyses of the phenomenon in terms of information structure, I argue that agreement alternation cannot be captured by sentence-topic-oriented accounts. I also discuss a structural proposal developed bySumbatova and Lander (2014)and show that their analysis cannot be maintained in full. Instead, I propose a modified analysis according to which only subject agreement, but not object agreement, results from a cross-clausal referential dependency between the ergative subject of the lexical verb and the absolutive subject of the matrix restructuring verb. On this view, agreement alternation may be assimilated to the familiar distinction between ergative and biabsolutive constructions found elsewhere in Nakh-Daghestanian.
Maternal Evaluations of Children's Emergent Literacy Level, Maternal Mediation in Book Reading, and Children's Emergent Literacy Level: A Comparison between SES Groups
Authors: Korat Ofra , Haglili Sharon
Published: October 2018

This study examined whether maternal evaluations of children's emergent literacy (EL) levels, maternal mediation during a book-reading activity with children, and the children's EL levels differ as a function of socioeconomic status (SES; low vs. high), and whether the relationships between these variables differ as a function of SES levels. Study participants included 84 kindergarteners, 41 from low SES (LSES) and 43 from high (HSES) families, and their mothers. Maternal evaluations of their children's EL levels were gathered, mother-child interactions in a book-reading activity were videotaped, and the children's EL levels were independently assessed. LSES mothers were less accurate in evaluating their children's EL levels and exhibited lower mediation levels in the book-reading interactions. Their children exhibited lower EL levels than did the children in the HSES group. In the HSES group, children's EL levels were explained by maternal evaluations and by maternal mediation levels. HSES maternal mediation levels while book reading were explained by their children's EL levels. No such relationships appeared between these variables in the LSES group. Suggestions for educational practices and further research are discussed.
Elementary Classroom Web Sites: Support for Literacy within and beyond the Classroom
Authors: Baker Elizabeth A. (Betsy)
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this study was to understand how elementary classroom Web sites support children's literacy. From a sociocultural perspective of literacy and a transformative stance toward the integration of literacy and technology, and building on explorations of new literacies, I discuss opportunities provided by the Internet that can support literacy within and beyond classrooms. Using open and axial coding as well as typological analyses, I found 3 basic Web site features and consider how they support common instructional approaches, parental involvement, and notions of the invisible classroom. I conclude with a discussion of how these findings are encouraging and revealing. I offer a variety of suggestions to expand features that are currently available on elementary classroom Web sites.
SENSE: Siamese neural network for sequence embedding and alignment-free comparison
Authors: Zheng Wei , Yang Le , Genco Robert J , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Buck Michael , Sun Yijun
Published: October 2018

Motivation

Sequence analysis is arguably a foundation of modern biology. Classic approaches to sequence analysis are based on sequence alignment, which is limited when dealing with large-scale sequence data. A dozen of alignment-free approaches have been developed to provide computationally efficient alternatives to alignment-based approaches. However, existing methods define sequence similarity based on various heuristics and can only provide rough approximations to alignment distances.

Results

In this article, we developed a new approach, referred to as SENSE (SiamEse Neural network for Sequence Embedding), for efficient and accurate alignment-free sequence comparison. The basic idea is to use a deep neural network to learn an explicit embedding function based on a small training dataset to project sequences into an embedding space so that the mean square error between alignment distances and pairwise distances defined in the embedding space is minimized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use deep learning for alignment-free sequence analysis. A large-scale experiment was performed that demonstrated that our method significantly outperformed the state-of-the-art alignment-free methods in terms of both efficiency and accuracy.

Availability and implementation

Open-source software for the proposed method is developed and freely available at https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/∼yijunsun/lab/SENSE.html.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
TissueEnrich: Tissue-specific gene enrichment analysis
Authors: Jain Ashish , Tuteja Geetu
Published: October 2018

RNA-Seq data analysis results in lists of genes that may have a similar function, based on differential gene expression analysis or co-expression network analysis. While tools have been developed to identify biological processes that are enriched in the genes sets, there remains a need for tools that identify enrichment of tissue-specific genes. Therefore, we developed TissueEnrich, a tool that calculates tissue-specific gene enrichment in an input gene set. We demonstrated that TissueEnrich can assign tissue identities to single cell clusters and differentiated embryonic stem cells.

Availability and implementation

The TissueEnrich web application is freely available at http://tissueenrich.gdcb.iastate.edu/. The R package is available through Bioconductor at https://bioconductor.org/packages/TissueEnrich. Both the web application and R package are for non-profit academic use under the MIT license.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Clinical and Virologic Outcomes Following Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Seroconverters in the Microbicide Trials Network-020 Phase III Trial of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring
Authors: Riddler Sharon A , Balkus Jennifer E , Parikh Urvi M , Mellors John W , Akello Carolyne , Dadabhai Sufia , Mhlanga Felix , Ramjee Gita , Mayo Ashley J , Livant Edward , Heaps Amy L , O’Rourke Colin , Baeten Jared M ,   MTN-015 and MTN-020/ASPIRE Study Teams
Published: October 2018

Background

A vaginal ring containing dapivirine, a non-nucleoside human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), was safe and effective in preventing HIV-1 infection in African women. We examined the impact of dapivirine ring use at the time of HIV-1 acquisition on subsequent HIV-1 disease progression and responses to NNRTI-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

HIV-1 disease progression and virologic failure following initiation of ART were assessed among women who acquired HIV-1 while participating in Microbicide Trials Network–020, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a monthly, dapivirine vaginal ring.

Results

Among the 158 participants who acquired HIV-1 (65 dapivirine, 93 placebo), no differences between dapivirine and placebo participants were observed in CD4+ cell counts or plasma HIV-1 RNA over the first year after infection (prior to ART). During follow-up, 100/158 (63%) participants initiated NNRTI-containing ART (dapivirine: 39/65; placebo: 61/93); the median time to HIV-1 RNA <200 copies/ml was approximately 90 days for both dapivirine and placebo ring recipients (log-rank P = .40). Among the 81 participants with at least 6 months of post-ART follow-up, 19 (24%) experienced virologic failure (dapivirine: 6/32, 19%; placebo: 13/39, 27%; P = .42).

Conclusions

The acquisition of HIV-1 infection during dapivirine or placebo treatment in ASPIRE did not lead to differences in HIV-1 disease progression. After the initiation of NNRTI-containing ART, dapivirine and placebo participants had similar times to virologic suppression and risks of virologic failure. These results provide reassurance that NNRTI-based ART regimens are effective among women who acquired HIV-1 while receiving the dapivirine vaginal ring.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT016170096 and NCT00514098.
Post-stroke memory deficits and barriers to seeking help: views of patients and carers
Authors: Tang Eugene Y H , Price Christopher , Stephan Blossom C M , Robinson Louise , Exley Catherine
Published: October 2018

Background

Memory and cognitive deficits post stroke are common and associated with increased risk of future dementia. Rehabilitation tends to focus on physical recovery; however, once in the community, it is unclear what happens in the longer term to the stroke-survivor with new memory difficulties.

Objective

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine in stroke-survivors what factors influence contact with health professionals.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stroke-survivors and their family carers where memory difficulties were reported at 6 months post stroke. A topic guide was used which sought to critically examine participants care experience following their stroke diagnosis. All participants were interviewed at baseline (around 6 months post stroke) and offered an interview at around 12 months post stroke. All interviews were conducted in the North East of England. All transcripts were coded and thematically analysed.

Results

Ten stroke-survivors (age range 72–84 years) were interviewed alongside five carers at baseline; eight stroke-survivors and four carers agreed to a follow-up interview. Three main barriers were identified: (i) fear of a dementia diagnosis; (ii) denial or minimization of symptoms leading to adaptation and (iii) obstacles to seeking help in the community.

Conclusions

With an ageing population and increase in stroke-survival, the burden of post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia will only increase. Stroke-survivors and their family carers in this study have identified issues that may hinder their presentation to health care professionals at a personal and organizational level. Health professionals need to be aware of these potential issues when planning services for stroke-survivors.
Subjective Age and Emotion Covariation: Findings From Two Daily Experience Studies
Authors: Shrira Amit , Segel-Karpas Dikla , Bodner Ehud , Palgi Yuval
Published: October 2018

Objectives

This article focuses on an aspect of emotional complexity as seen in the covariation between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Lifespan theories predict distinctive patterns of change in emotion covariation with chronological age. Nevertheless, research shows mixed evidence with most studies failing to find a significant connection between chronological age and emotion covariation. We propose to look beyond chronological age and assess the relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation. Subjective age refers to how old one perceives oneself to be, and therefore may be more pertinent to one’s emotional experience than chronological age. We further explored whether the relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation is modified by chronological age.

Method

We used data from 2 daily diary study samples (N = 188, mean age = 57.84, range = 29–100, and N = 334, mean age = 58.15, range = 30–90).

Results

Multilevel models showed that individuals who perceived themselves as older showed stronger inverse PA–NA relationship, reflecting lower emotional complexity. Chronological age (net of subjective age) and emotion covariation were unrelated in both samples. Moreover, in Study 2 there was a 3-way interaction between PA, subjective age and chronological age, suggesting that subjective age is more strongly related to emotion covariation among older adults than among younger adults.

Discussion

The relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation is discussed in light of lifespan theories.
EARS to cyber incidents in health care
Authors: Jalali Mohammad S , Russell Bethany , Razak Sabina , Gordon William J
Published: October 2018

Background

Connected medical devices and electronic health records have added important functionality to patient care, but have also introduced a range of cybersecurity concerns. When a healthcare organization suffers from a cybersecurity incident, its incident response strategies are critical to the success of its recovery.

Objective

In this article, we identify gaps in research concerning cybersecurity response plans in healthcare. Through a systematic literature review, we develop aggregated strategies that professionals can use to construct better response strategies in their organizations.

Methods

We reviewed journal articles on cyber incident response plans in healthcare published in PubMed and Web of Science. We sought to collect articles on the intersection of cybersecurity and healthcare that focused on incident response strategies.

Results

We identified and reviewed 13 articles for cybersecurity response recommendations. We then extracted information such as research methods, findings, and implications. Finally, we synthesized the recommendations into a framework of eight aggregated response strategies (EARS) that fall under managerial and technological categories.

Conclusions

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on cybersecurity response plans in healthcare and developed a novel framework for response strategies that could be deployed by healthcare organizations. More work is needed to evaluate incident response strategies in healthcare.
Counting the Population and the Wealth in an “Unruly” Land: Census Making as a Social Process in Ottoman Kurdistan, 1830–50
Authors: Özok-Gündoğan Nilay
Published: October 2018

This article examines the earliest modern Ottoman censuses in Kurdistan in the mid-nineteenth century from a social history perspective. Echoing the efforts of its contemporaries, the Ottoman state set out to conduct its first modern population census in 1830. This early census reflected the state’s aims for standardization and centralization, yet it was conducted “successfully” only in provinces geographically close to the capital. In Kurdistan, a border area controlled by ancient Kurdish chiefdoms and tribes, the census remained a herculean task for over four decades. Following recent society-centered views of global census history, this article approaches the modern Ottoman census experience in this early period as a social process rather than a top down enterprise. It argues that what determined the content, structure, and the format of these early censuses was not the discussions in the meeting rooms of the Ottoman imperial bureaucracy but social encounters between local and central, state and nonstate actors situated in the locality.
Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines on the Role of Chemotherapy in the Management of Adults With Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Brain Tumors
Authors: Sherman Jonathan H , Lo Simon S , Harrod Tom , Hdeib Alia , Li Yiping , Ryken Timothy , Olson Jeffrey J
Published: October 2018

QUESTION 1

Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy in addition to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for the treatment of their brain metastases?

TARGET POPULATION

This recommendation applies to adult patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases amenable to both chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Level 1: Routine use of chemotherapy following WBRT for brain metastases is not recommended.

Level 3: Routine use of WBRT plus temozolomide is recommended as a treatment for patients with triple negative breast cancer.

QUESTION 2

Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy in addition to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of their brain metastases?

RECOMMENDATIONS

Level 1: Routine use of chemotherapy following SRS is not recommended.

Level 2: SRS is recommended in combination with chemotherapy to improve overall survival and progression free survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

QUESTION 3

Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy alone?

RECOMMENDATION

Level 1: Routine use of cytotoxic chemotherapy alone for brain metastases is not recommended as it has not been shown to increase overall survival.

Please see the full-text version of this guideline (https://www.cns.org/guidelines/guidelines-treatment-adults-metastatic-brain-tumors/chapter_5) for the target population of each recommendation.
Cigarette Smoking Quit Rates Among Persons With Serious Psychological Distress in the United States From 2008 to 2016: Are Mental Health Disparities in Cigarette Use Increasing?
Authors: Streck Joanna M , Weinberger Andrea H , Pacek Lauren R , Gbedemah Misato , Goodwin Renee D
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Prior work suggests that the prevalence of cigarette smoking is persistently higher among people with mental health problems, relative to those without. Lower quit rates are one factor that could contribute to higher prevalence of smoking in this group. This study estimated trends in the cigarette quit rates among people with and without past-month serious psychological distress (SPD) from 2008 to 2016 in the United States.

Methods

Data were drawn from 91 739 adult participants in the 2008–2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a repeated, cross-sectional, national survey. Linear time trends of cigarette quit rates, stratified by past-month SPD, were assessed using logistic regression models with continuous year as the predictor.

Results

Cigarette quit rates among individuals with past-month SPD were lower than among those without SPD every year from 2008 to 2016. Quit rates did not change appreciably among those with past-month SPD (odds ratio = 1.02 [0.99, 1.06]) from 2008 to 2016, whereas quit rates increased among those without past-month SPD (odds ratio = 1.02 [1.01, 1.02]).

Conclusions

In the United States, quit rates among individuals with past-month SPD are approximately half than quit rates of those without SPD and have not increased over the past decade. This discrepancy in quit rates may be one factor driving increasing disparities in prevalence of smoking among those with versus without mental health problems. Tobacco control efforts require effective and targeted interventions for those with mental health problems.

Implications

Cigarette smoking quit rates have not increased among persons with serious mental health problems over the past decade. This work extends prior findings showing that smoking prevalence is not declining as quickly among persons with serious mental health problems. Findings suggest that diverging trends in quit rates are one possible driver of the persistent disparity in smoking by mental health status. Innovation in both tobacco control and targeted interventions for smokers with mental health problems is urgently needed.
Complete Bilateral Brachial Plexus Injury from Rhabdomyolysis and Compartment Syndrome: Surgical Case Report
Authors: Tonetti Daniel A , Tarkin Ivan S , Bandi Kiran , Moossy John J
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Acute bilateral brachial plexus injury is rare and usually a result of traction injury. Immediate operative intervention is reserved for rare cases of ongoing compression of the plexus; the role for acute decompression of the brachial plexus secondary to compartment syndrome has not been previously described. In this report, we describe the technique and role for urgent brachial plexus decompression.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

A 32-yr-old man presented with acute complete bilateral brachial plexus palsy due to focal rhabdomyolysis and brachial plexus compression after a night of excess alcohol and methadone ingestion. He had complete loss of motor and sensory function from C5 to T1, with the exception of partial sensory sparing of the C5 dermatome. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated diffuse muscular edema of the supraclavicular and infraclavicular fossae in addition to the pectoralis muscles and the deltoids bilaterally. He underwent urgent surgical decompression of his supraclavicular and infraclavicular fossae with fasciotomies of the pectoral muscles and the anterior deltoids, allowing direct visualization and decompression of the entire brachial plexus resulting in a near-complete functional recovery.

CONCLUSION

Neurosurgeons should include brachial plexus compression due to compartment syndrome in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute upper extremity weakness, particularly when associated with prolonged immobilization and/or substance abuse. Prompt surgical decompression should be performed in these patients if imaging and laboratory data suggest compartment syndrome and resultant neurological deficit.
Colors of Centaurs observed by the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam and implications for their origin
Authors: Sakugawa Haruka , Terai Tsuyoshi , Ohtsuki Keiji , Yoshida Fumi , Takato Naruhisa , Lykawka Patryk Sofia , Wang Shiang-Yu
Published: October 2018

Centaurs have orbits between Jupiter and Neptune and are thought to originate from the trans-Neptunian region. Observations of surface properties of Centaurs and comparison with those of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) would provide constraints on their origin and evolution. We analyzed imaging data of nine known Centaurs observed by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) installed on the Subaru Telescope with the g- and i-band filters. Using the data available in the public HSC data archive, as well as those obtained by the HSC Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) by the end of 2017 June, we obtained the g − i colors of the nine Centaurs. We compared them with those of known TNOs in the HSC-SSP data obtained by T. Terai et al. (2018, PASJ, 70, S40). We found that the color distribution of the nine Centaurs is similar to that of those TNOs with high orbital inclinations, but distinct from those TNOs with low orbital inclinations. We also examined correlations between the colors of these Centaurs and their orbital elements and absolute magnitude. The Centaurs’ colors show a moderate positive correlation with semi-major axis, while no significant correlations between the color and other orbital elements or absolute magnitude were found for these Centaurs. On the other hand, recent studies on Centaurs with larger samples show interesting correlations between their color and absolute magnitude or orbital inclination. We discuss how our data fit in these previous studies, and also discuss implications of these results for their origin and evolution.
Stably free cancellation for group rings of metacyclic type
Authors: Evans J D P
Published: October 2018

Let p,q be primes such that q|p−1. Write Fn for the free group of rank n≥1 and let G(p,q)=Cp⋊Cq. We show that any stably free module over Z[G(p,q)×Fn] is necessarily free.