bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of serious fungal infections in Mexico
Authors: Corzo‐León D. E. , Armstrong‐James D. , Denning D. W.
Published: October 2015

Serious fungal infections (SFIs) could be more frequent than are recognised. Estimates of the incidence and prevalence of SFIs are essential in order to identify public health problems. We estimated the rates of SFIs in Mexico, following a methodology similar to that used in prior studies. We obtained information about the general population and populations at risk. A systematic literature search was undertaken to identify epidemiological reports of SFIs in Mexico. When Mexican reports were unavailable, we based our estimates on international literature. The most prevalent SFIs in Mexico are recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (5999 per 100 000) followed by allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (60 per 100 000), chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (15.9 per 100 000), fungal keratitis (10.4 per 100 000), invasive candidiasis (8.6 per 100 000) and SFIs in HIV (8.2 per 100 000); coccidioidomycosis (7.6 per 100 000), IA (4.56 per 100 000). These correspond to 2 749 159 people affected in any year (2.45% of the population), probably >10 000 deaths and 7000 blind eyes. SFIs affect immunocompromised and healthy populations. Most are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Validation of these estimates with epidemiological studies is required. The burdens indicate that an urgent need to improve medical skills, surveillance, diagnosis, and management of SFIs exists.
Biocrust‐forming mosses mitigate the negative impacts of increasing aridity on ecosystem multifunctionality in drylands
Authors: Delgado‐Baquerizo Manuel , Maestre Fernando T. , Eldridge David J. , Bowker Matthew A. , Ochoa Victoria , Gozalo Beatriz , Berdugo Miguel , Val James , Singh Brajesh K.
Published: October 2015

The increase in aridity predicted with climate change will have a negative impact on the multiple functions and services (multifunctionality) provided by dryland ecosystems worldwide. In these ecosystems, soil communities dominated by mosses, lichens and cyanobacteria (biocrusts) play a key role in supporting multifunctionality. However, whether biocrusts can buffer the negative impacts of aridity on important biogeochemical processes controlling carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) pools and fluxes remains largely unknown.

Here, we conducted an empirical study, using samples from three continents (North America, Europe and Australia), to evaluate how the increase in aridity predicted by climate change will alter the capacity of biocrust‐forming mosses to modulate multiple ecosystem processes related to C, N and P cycles.

Compared with soil surfaces lacking biocrusts, biocrust‐forming mosses enhanced multiple functions related to C, N and P cycling and storage in semiarid and arid, but not in humid and dry‐subhumid, environments. Most importantly, we found that the relative positive effects of biocrust‐forming mosses on multifunctionality compared with bare soil increased with increasing aridity. These results were mediated by plant cover and the positive effects exerted by biocrust‐forming mosses on the abundance of soil bacteria and fungi.

Our findings provide strong evidence that the maintenance of biocrusts is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change on multifunctionality in global drylands.
Bilateral mandibular coronoid hyperplasia causing trismus – a case report
Authors: Jenkins S. , Smart K. , Mustafa S. , Evans R.
Published: October 2015

Mandibular coronoid process hyperplasia is a rare developmental condition. It commonly presents with progressive restriction of mouth opening, due to the impingement of the enlarged and elongated coronoid process on the distal aspect of the zygomatic arch during mandibular movement. It may present unilaterally or bilaterally. Surgical intervention to improve opening is advocated in cases with significant functional impairment, followed by post‐operative physiotherapy. A case of bilateral coronoid process hyperplasia in a 28‐year‐old man treated with bilateral coronoidectomy, with subsequent post‐operative relapse in degree of opening successfully treated via manipulation under intravenous sedation is presented.
Etiology and Programming Effects on Shock Efficacy in ICD Recipients
Authors: BERTOMEU‐GONZÁLEZ VICENTE , MORENO‐ARRIBAS JOSÉ , CASTILLO‐CASTILLO JESÚS , MARTÍNEZ‐FERRER JOSÉ , VIÑOLAS XAVIER , RODRÍGUEZ ANÍBAL , DÍAZ‐INFANTE ERNESTO , FERNÁNDEZ‐LOZANO IGNACIO , ALZUETA JAVIER , FONTENLA ADOLFO
Published: October 2015

Background

We sought to assess the efficacy of high‐energy shocks to restore rhythm and predictors of success in patients with sustained ventricular arrhythmias and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

Methods and results

Data from 162 patients included in the UMBRELLA study that experienced one or more episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) for which ICD shocks of at least 30 Joules were delivered (appropriate high‐energy shocks) were analyzed. In total, 456 ventricular arrhythmia episodes were registered. Forty four episodes (9.6%) from 39 patients (24%) had at least one ineffective high‐energy shock delivered. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was more frequent among patients with unsuccessful shocks (10.3% vs 2.4%). Patients with ineffective shocks had higher proportion of sustained monomorphic ventricular arrhythmias (86.4%; the other 13.6% were sustained polymorphic and ventricular fibrillation [VF]) compared with patients with all their shocks effective (62.9%, P = 0.02). No statistical differences were found between groups in time from detection to the high‐energy shock delivery, in tachycardia cycle length, or in antitachycardia pacing, but patients with ineffective high‐energy shocks had higher proportion of previously ineffective low‐energy shock (9.1% vs 0.5%, P = 0.01).

Conclusion

We found a substantial rate of ineffective high‐energy shocks for the treatment of VT or VF in patients with ICD. High‐energy shock efficacy seems to be reduced by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and by the administration of previous low‐energy shocks.
Estimating Sun Exposure of Children in Day Care Nurseries in South Oxfordshire, UK
Authors: Baczynska Katarzyna A. , Price Luke L. A. , Higlett Michael P. , O'Hagan John B.
Published: October 2015

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation and sunburn during childhood and adolescence is linked to increased risks of melanoma and basal cell carcinoma later in life. Infants and toddlers are thought to be unusually vulnerable to UVR because of lower levels of melanin, a thinner stratum corneum and a higher surface area/body mass ratio. The aim of this study was to assess variations in the available erythema effective radiant doses to young children in day care nurseries in South Oxfordshire, UK over 7 years between 2008 and 2014. The data were analyzed in three distinct seasons according to a series of realistic exposure scenarios taking into account nursery routines. The results indicate the time of year when high doses are to be expected and provide strong support for arguments in favor of raising public awareness of sun protection earlier in the year.
Predictors of Pseudomonas and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospitalized patients with healthcare‐associated pneumonia
Authors: Metersky Mark L. , Frei Christopher R. , Mortensen Eric M.
Published: October 2015

Background and objective

Patients with healthcare‐associated pneumonia (HCAP) are at high risk of infection with multidrug‐resistant (MDR) pathogens. Factors discriminating infection with MDR Gram‐negative (MDR‐GN) organism from infection with methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are not well understood and patients are often treated for both organisms. This study was performed to determine risk factors predicting pneumonia due to Pseudomonas versus MRSA.

Methods

Veterans age ≥65 hospitalized with HCAP between 2002 and 2012 were identified from the Veterans Affairs administrative databases. Patients were identified with Pseudomonas pneumonia, MRSA pneumonia or neither according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We assessed unadjusted and adjusted associations of patient characteristics and HCAP due to Pseudomonas or MRSA.

Results

Of the 61 651 patients with HCAP, 1156 (1.9%) were diagnosed with Pseudomonas pneumonia, 641 (1.0%) with MRSA pneumonia and 59 854 (97.1%) with neither. MRSA pneumonia was positively associated with male gender, age >74, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), recent nursing home or hospital stay, recent exposure to fluoroquinolone or antibiotics treating Gram‐positive organisms, and severe pneumonia. MRSA pneumonia was negatively associated with complicated diabetes. Pseudomonas pneumonia was positively associated with recent hospital stay, immunocompromise, COPD, hemiplegia, recent exposure to inhaled corticosteroids, β‐lactam/cephalosporin/carbapenem antibiotics, antibiotics against Gram‐positive organisms, ‘other antibiotics’ and severe pneumonia. Pseudomonas pneumonia was negatively associated with age >84, higher socioeconomic status, drug abuse and diabetes.

Conclusions

Patient characteristics may assist in identifying patients at risk for HCAP due to Pseudomonas or MRSA.
Information Policy in Tournaments with Sabotage
Authors: Gürtler Oliver , Münster Johannes , Nieken Petra
Published: October 2015

Sabotage is one of the main problems of tournament‐like reward schemes. Workers who are leading in a tournament are more dangerous rivals, and are therefore sabotaged more heavily. This implies that there is an extra cost to becoming a leader and, hence, to choosing high productive effort in the early stages of a tournament. The incentives to exert productive effort are thereby reduced. We show that this problem can be solved by concealing intermediate information on the performances of workers (i.e., by clever information management). Moreover, we offer experimental evidence indicating that such information management does increase productive efforts.
Choosing between Time and State Dependence: Micro Evidence on Firms' Price‐Reviewing Strategies
Authors: Dias Daniel A. , Marques Carlos Robalo , Martins Fernando
Published: October 2015

Because of recent findings based on survey data, it is now well known that firms differ from each other with respect to their price‐reviewing strategies. While some firms review their prices at fixed intervals of time, others prefer to perform price revisions in response to changes in economic conditions. Some theories have been suggested to explain this. However, empirical evidence on the relative importance of the factors that determine the different strategies of firms is virtually non‐existent. In this paper, we help to fill this gap by investigating the factors that explain why firms follow time‐dependent, state‐dependent, or both time‐ and state‐dependent price‐reviewing rules. We find that the strategies of firms vary with firm characteristics that have a bearing on the importance of information costs, with the variability of the optimal price, and with the sensitivity of profits to non‐optimal prices.
Economic Engineering and the Design of Matching Markets: The Contributions of Alvin E. Roth
Authors: Jackson Matthew O.
Published: October 2015

Alvin Roth's research on, and design of, new economic systems has had a wide and large impact on human welfare, from the matching of residents to medical programs, to the assignment of students to schools, to the manner in which kidneys are allocated to patients needing transplants. This article discusses his important contributions to the understanding and improvement of matching markets, highlighting Roth's key roles in some of the most prominent successes of market design and the ascension of economic engineering.
Sabotage in Tournaments with Heterogeneous Contestants: Empirical Evidence from the Soccer Pitch
Authors: Deutscher Christian , Frick Bernd , Gürtler Oliver , Prinz Joachim
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we address the problem of sabotage in tournaments with heterogeneous contestants. In a first step, we develop a formal model, which yields the prediction that favorites exert higher productive effort, while underdogs are more tempted to engage in destructive actions (sabotage). This is because favorites have a higher return on productive effort and both types of effort are substitutes. In a second step, we use data from German professional soccer to test this prediction. In line with the model, we find that favorite teams win more tackles in a fair way, while underdog teams commit more fouls.
Domestic Credit Growth and International Capital Flows*
Authors: Lane Philip R. , McQuade Peter
Published: October 2015

During the pre‐crisis period, Europe experienced substantial cross‐country variation in domestic credit growth and cross‐border capital flows. We investigate the inter‐relations between domestic credit growth and international capital flows during the period 1993–2008, with a special focus on the boom period of 2003–2008. We establish that domestic credit growth in European countries is strongly related to net debt inflows but not to net equity inflows. This pattern also holds for an extended sample of 54 advanced and emerging economies.
The Discursive Dilemma in Monetary Policy
Authors: Claussen Carl Andreas , Røisland Øistein
Published: October 2015

The discursive dilemma implies that the decision of a board depends on whether the board votes directly on the decision (conclusion‐based procedure) or votes on the premises for the decision (premise‐based procedure). We derive results showing when the discursive dilemma might occur. Under majority voting, a discursive dilemma can occur either (i) if the relationship between the premise and the decision is non‐monotonic, or (ii) if the board members have different judgments on at least two of the premises. Normatively, a premise‐based procedure tends to give better decisions when there is disagreement on parameters of the model.
Markovian Social Security in Unequal Societies
Authors: Chen Kaiji , Song Zheng
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we develop a dynamic political‐economic theory of social security. We analytically characterize a Markov perfect equilibrium and find that the interaction between Markovian tax policy and tax distortion on private investment in human capital shapes an intertemporal policy rule, linking taxes positively over time. By allowing current taxpayers to influence their own future social security benefits, the positive intertemporal tax linkage provides political support for social security. Moreover, this positive tax linkage leads to a negative correlation between wage inequality and the size of a nation's social security system, consistent with the empirical pattern observed across OECD countries.
Accounting for the Changing Role of Family Income in Determining College Entry
Authors: Winter Christoph
Published: October 2015

In this paper, I analyze the determinants of college enrolment and the changes in these determinants over time. I propose a quantitative life‐cycle model with college enrolment. Altruistic parents provide financial support to their children. Using counterfactual experiments, I find that 24 percent of all households are financially constrained in their college decision. Constraints become more severe over time. I show that my model is consistent with a narrow college enrolment gap between students from rich and poor families, as previously reported in the empirical literature. The estimation of enrolment gaps is a popular reduced‐form approach for measuring the fraction of constrained households. My results suggest that these reduced‐form estimates are misleading, and that a structural model of parental transfers is needed to correctly identify constrained households. Further, I show that parental transfers are an important driver behind the changing role of family income as a determinant of college entry, a fact that is well documented for the US economy.
Decentralized Bribery and Market Participation
Authors: Popov Sergey V.
Published: October 2015

I propose a bribery model that examines decentralized bureaucratic decision‐making. There are multiple stable equilibria. High levels of bribery reduce an economy's productivity because corruption suppresses small business, and reduces the total graft, even though the size of an individual bribe might increase. Decentralization prevents movement towards a Pareto‐dominant equilibrium. Anticorruption efforts, even temporary ones, might be useful to improve participation, if they lower the bribe levels demanded and thus encourage small businesses to participate.
Upper Secondary School Completion and the Business Cycle
Authors: Reiling Rune Borgan , Strøm Bjarne
Published: October 2015

Previous evidence suggests that enrollment in post‐compulsory education increases (decreases) in cyclical downturns (upturns). However, little evidence exists on whether enrollment is successfully transformed into completed education. This paper adds to the literature by analyzing the relationship between completion of upper secondary education and regional unemployment using Norwegian regional panel data on students graduating from compulsory school between 1981 and 2004. We find robust evidence that completion rates are countercyclical. Our results suggest that poor labor‐market conditions when starting upper secondary education have a lasting effect and motivate students to stay in school and graduate.
Do Urban Neighborhoods Benefit from Homeowners? Evidence from Housing Prices
Authors: Kortelainen Mika , Saarimaa Tuukka
Published: October 2015

Homeownership is heavily subsidized in most countries. The adverse effects of this policy on economic efficiency and income distribution are well documented in the economics literature. The main argument in favor of subsidizing homeownership is that it creates positive externalities that offset these adverse effects. In this paper, we test whether homeowners create positive externalities that capitalize into housing prices in multi‐storey buildings. Using semi‐parametric hedonic regressions with and without instrumental variables, we find no evidence of positive externalities, although the results with instrumental variables are somewhat imprecise. This result is robust to several sensitivity checks and to a relaxation of the identification assumptions of our instrument using set identification.
Job Polarization and Task‐Biased Technological Change: Evidence from Sweden, 1975–2005
Authors: Adermon Adrian , Gustavsson Magnus
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we show that between 1975 and 2005, Sweden exhibited a pattern of job polarization with expansions of the highest‐ and lowest‐paid jobs compared to middle‐wage jobs. The most popular explanation for such a pattern is the hypothesis of task‐biased technological change, where technological progress reduces the demand for routine middle‐wage jobs but increases the demand for non‐routine jobs located at the tails of the job–wage distribution. However, our estimates do not support this explanation for the 1970s and 1980s. Stronger evidence for task‐biased technological change, albeit not conclusive, is found for the 1990s and 2000s. In particular, there is both a statistically and economically significant growth of non‐routine jobs and a decline of routine jobs. However, results for wages are mixed; while task‐biased technological change cannot explain changes in between‐occupation wage differentials, it does have considerable explanatory power for changes in within‐occupation wage differentials.
National Sentiment and Consumer Choice: The Iraq War and Sales of US Products in Arab Countries
Authors: Clerides Sofronis , Davis Peter , Michis Antonis
Published: October 2015

Did the rise in anti‐American sentiment caused by the Iraq war affect sales of US goods abroad? We address this question using data on soft drinks and fabric detergents sales in nine Arab countries. We find a statistically significant negative impact of the war on sales of US soft drinks in seven countries. The impact dissipates after a few months in two countries but persists in the other five. In the case of detergents, we only find a significant negative impact in one country. We conclude that international politics can sometimes affect consumer behavior and market outcomes.
Tirole's Industrial Regulation and Organization Legacy in Economics
Authors: Fudenberg Drew
Published: October 2015

Jean Tirole was awarded the 2014 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for his analysis of market power and regulation. This paper provides an overview of some of that work, and of his related contributions to game theory.
Malthus in Sweden
Authors: Lagerlöf Nils‐Petter
Published: October 2015

This paper presents some new and unique cross‐county data from 19th‐century Sweden over birth, death, and marriage rates, grain prices, and harvests. Local grain prices correlate negatively with local harvests, suggesting imperfectly integrated food markets. The so‐called positive and preventive checks are also present: good local harvests are associated with high birth and marriage rates, and low death rates. We also find that the fertility and marriage effects from changes in prices – but not harvests – are greater in counties that rely more on manufacturing, consistent with an open‐economy model of fertility choice, where agents earn income from both agriculture and manufacturing.
A Voting Architecture for the Governance of Free‐Driver Externalities, with Application to Geoengineering
Authors: Weitzman Martin L.
Published: October 2015

Abating climate change is an enormous international public‐goods problem with a classical “free‐rider” structure. However, it is also a global “free‐driver” problem because geoengineering the stratosphere with reflective particles to block incoming solar radiation is so cheap that it could essentially be undertaken unilaterally by one state perceiving itself to be in peril. This exploratory paper develops the main features of a free‐driver externality in a simple model motivated by the asymmetric consequences of type‐I and type‐II errors. I propose a social‐choice decision architecture, embodying the solution concept of a supermajority voting rule, and derive its basic properties.
Does the Welfare State Destroy the Family? Evidence from OECD Member Countries
Authors: Halla Martin , Lackner Mario , Scharler Johann
Published: October 2015

We study the effect of the size of the welfare state on demographic trends in OECD member countries. Exploiting exogenous variation in public social spending, due to varying degrees of political fractionalization (i.e., the number of relevant parties involved in the legislative process), we show that an expansion in the welfare state increases fertility, marriage, and divorce rates with a quantitatively stronger effect on the marriage rate. We conclude that the welfare state supports family formation in the aggregate. Further, we find that the welfare state decouples marriage and fertility, and therefore alters the organization of the average family.
The impact of alcohol consumption on African people in 2012: an analysis of burden of disease
Authors: Ferreira‐Borges Carina , Rehm Jürgen , Dias Sónia , Babor Thomas , Parry Charles D. H.
Published: October 2015

Objectives

To determine the impact of alcohol consumption on deaths and disability in Africa.

Methods

We estimated alcohol exposure for 2012, and its impact on deaths and disability in Africa using estimates from the WHO Global Health Estimates for outcome data, and the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014 for risk relations. We provide a scenario that includes the impact of alcohol on HIV/AIDS incidence, and qualitative predictions on future exposure and harm.

Results

Overall, alcohol consumption has a large impact on burden of disease and mortality in African countries. Alcohol‐attributable disease burden is more important when the impact of alcohol consumption on the incidence and course of HIV/AIDS is taken into account, with alcohol being responsible, in 2012, for 6.4% of all deaths and 4.7% of all DALYs lost in the African region. Alcohol exposure is expected to increase in the next years, and thus alcohol‐attributable fractions.

Conclusions

The weight of new evidence, especially of alcohol's role in the incidence and course of HIV/AIDS, is particularly relevant to African countries and points to the need for a strong policy response to reduce the alcohol‐related burden of disease on the continent.
Modeling and Characterization of Rotary Electrohydrostatic Actuators
Authors: Galluzzi Renato , Amati Nicola , Tonoli Andrea
Published: October 2015

Electrohydrostatic actuators are increasingly finding applications in different fields due to their numerous advantages with respect to electromechanical and conventional hydraulic systems. To understand their behavior, potentialities, limitations, and design aspects, the present paper deals with the modeling of such devices. The discussed phenomena are experimentally validated through the stationary and dynamic characterization tests of a rotary electrohydrostatic prototype. Results emphasize the role of mechanical and hydraulic dissipative effects and the fluid bulk modulus.
Development of a New Factor for Hot Gas Ingestion Through Rim Seal
Authors: Liu Dongdong , Tao Zhi , Luo Xiang , Wu Hongwei , Yu Xiao
Published: October 2015

This article presents a further investigation on the mechanism of hot gas ingestion by exploring the ingress with complicated cavity generated by the rotor-mounted cylinder protrusion. During the experiment, a cavity with 32 cylinder protrusions circumferentially distributed in rotor that contained 59 blades is applied. The annulus Reynolds number and rotating Reynolds number are fixed to be 1.77 × 105 and 7.42 × 105, respectively, while the dimensionless sealing air flow rate ranges from 3047 to 8310. The measurement of CO2 concentration and pressure is conducted. Experimental results show that the sealing efficiency is improved with the introduction of the cylinder protrusions even the static pressure inside cavity is found to be reduced. The effect of the circumferentially nonuniform cavity pressure wave is considered and added into the orifice model, and the effect of some impact factors, i.e., the amplitude, initial phase angle difference, and frequency of the cavity pressure wave, on hot gas ingestion is theoretically discussed in detail. However, it is noted that the cavity pressure wave that was introduced by 32 cylinder rotor-mounted protrusions is found to have insignificant effect on improving the sealing efficiency. In the present study, a modified orifice model that takes the tangential velocity into account is proposed and a new factor H is introduced to well explain the mechanism of the ingress.
Fabrication of artificial graphene in a GaAs quantum heterostructure
Authors: Scarabelli Diego , Wang Sheng , Pinczuk Aron , Wind Shalom J. , Kuznetsova Yuliya Y. , Pfeiffer Loren N. , West Ken , Gardner Geoff C. , Manfra Michael J. , Pellegrini Vittorio
Published: October 2015

The unusual electronic properties of graphene, which are a direct consequence of its two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Creation of artificial lattices that re-create graphene's honeycomb topology, known as artificial graphene, can facilitate the investigation of graphenelike phenomena, such as the existence of massless Dirac fermions, in a tunable system. In this work, the authors present the fabrication of artificial graphene in an ultrahigh quality GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, with lattice period as small as 50 nm, the smallest reported so far for this type of system. Electron-beam lithography is used to define an etch mask with honeycomb geometry on the surface of the sample, and different methodologies are compared and discussed. An optimized anisotropic reactive ion etching process is developed to transfer the pattern into the AlGaAs layer and create the artificial graphene. The achievement of such high-resolution artificial graphene should allow the observation for the first time of massless Dirac fermions in an engineered semiconductor.
Training Load and Player Monitoring in High-Level Football: Current Practice and Perceptions
Authors: Akenhead Richard , Nassis George P.
Published: October 2015

Training load (TL) is monitored with the aim of making evidence-based decisions on appropriate loading schemes to reduce injuries and enhance team performance. However, little is known in detail about the variables of load and methods of analysis used in high-level football. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide information on the practices and practitioners’ perceptions of monitoring in professional clubs. Eighty-two high-level football clubs from Europe, the United States, and Australia were invited to answer questions relating to how TL is quantified, how players’ responses are monitored, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of monitoring. Forty-one responses were received. All teams used GPS and heart-rate monitors during all training sessions, and 28 used rating of perceived exertion. The top-5-ranking TL variables were acceleration (various thresholds), total distance, distance covered above 5.5 m/s, estimated metabolic power, and heart-rate exertion. Players’ responses to training are monitored using questionnaires (68% of clubs) and submaximal exercise protocols (41%). Differences in expected vs actual effectiveness of monitoring were 23% and 20% for injury prevention and performance enhancement, respectively (P < .001 d = 1.0−1.4). Of the perceived barriers to effectiveness, limited human resources scored highest, followed by coach buy-in. The discrepancy between expected and actual effectiveness appears to be due to suboptimal integration with coaches, insufficient human resources, and concerns over the reliability of assessment tools. Future approaches should critically evaluate the usefulness of current monitoring tools and explore methods of reducing the identified barriers to effectiveness.
Cerebral and Muscle Tissue Oxygenation During Incremental Cycling in Male Adolescents Measured by Time-Resolved Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Ganesan Goutham , Leu Szu-yun , Cerussi Albert , Tromberg Bruce , Cooper Dan M. , Galassetti Pietro
Published: October 2015

Near-infrared spectroscopy has long been used to measure tissue-specific O2 dynamics in exercise, but most published data have used continuous wave devices incapable of quantifying absolute Hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations. We used time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy to study exercising muscle (Vastus Lateralis, VL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) Hb oxygenation in 11 young males (15.3 ± 2.1 yrs) performing incremental cycling until exhaustion (peak VO2 = 42.7 ± 6.1 ml/min/kg, mean peak power = 181 ± 38 W). Time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy measurements of reduced scattering (µs´) and absorption (µa) at three wavelengths (759, 796, and 833 nm) were used to calculate concentrations of oxyHb ([HbO2]), deoxy Hb ([HbR]), total Hb ([THb]), and O2 saturation (stO2). In PFC, significant increases were observed in both [HbO2] and [HbR] during intense exercise. PFC stO2% remained stable until 80% of total exercise time, then dropped (−2.95%, p = .0064). In VL, stO2% decreased until peak time (−6.8%, p = .01). Segmented linear regression identified thresholds for PFC [HbO2], [HbR], VL [THb]. There was a strong correlation between timing of second ventilatory threshold and decline in PFC [HbO2] (r = .84). These findings show that time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to study physiological threshold phenomena in children during maximal exercise, providing insight into tissue specific hemodynamics and metabolism.
Disruption of histone methylation in developing sperm impairs offspring health transgenerationally
Authors: Siklenka Keith , Erkek Serap , Godmann Maren , Lambrot Romain , McGraw Serge , Lafleur Christine , Cohen Tamara , Xia Jianguo , Suderman Matthew , Hallett Michael , Trasler Jacquetta , Peters Antoine H. F. M. , Kimmins Sarah
Published: October 2015

Generations affected by histone changes

Parent and even grandparent environmental exposure can transmit adverse health effects to offspring. The mechanism of transmission is unclear, but some studies have implicated variations in DNA methylation. In a mouse model, Siklenka
et al.
found that alterations in histone methylation during sperm formation in one generation leads to reduced survival and developmental abnormalities in three subsequent generations (see the Perspective by McCarrey). Although changes in DNA methylation were not observed, altered sperm RNA content and abnormal gene expression in offspring were measured. Thus, chromatin may act as a mediator of molecular memory in transgenerational inheritance.

Science
, this issue p.
10.1126/science.aab2006
; see also p.
634
Sestrin2 is a leucine sensor for the mTORC1 pathway
Authors: Wolfson Rachel L. , Chantranupong Lynne , Saxton Robert A. , Shen Kuang , Scaria Sonia M. , Cantor Jason R. , Sabatini David M.
Published: October 2015

From sensing leucine to metabolic control

The mTORC1 protein kinase complex plays central roles in regulating cell growth and metabolism and is implicated in common human diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The level of the amino acid leucine tells an organism a lot about its physiological state, including how much food is available, how much insulin is going to be needed, and whether new muscle mass can be made (see the Perspective by Buel and Blenis). Wolfson
et al.
identified a biochemical sensor of leucine, Sestrin2, which connects the concentration of leucine to the control of organismal metabolism and growth. When leucine bound to Sestrin2, it was released from a complex with the mTORC1 regulatory factor GATOR2, activating the mTORC1 complex. Saxton
et al.
describe the crystal structure of Sestrin2 and show how it specifically detects leucine. Aylett
et al.
determined the structure of human mTORC1 by cryoelectron microscopy and the crystal structure of a regulatory subunit, Raptor. The results reveal the structural basis for the function and intricate regulation of this important enzyme, which is also a strategic drug target.

Science
, this issue p.
43
, p.
48
, p.
53
; see also p.
25
Cryo-EM structure of the activated NAIP2-NLRC4 inflammasome reveals nucleated polymerization
Authors: Zhang Liman , Chen Shuobing , Ruan Jianbin , Wu Jiayi , Tong Alexander B. , Yin Qian , Li Yang , David Liron , Lu Alvin , Wang Wei Li , Marks Carolyn , Ouyang Qi , Zhang Xinzheng , Mao Youdong , Wu Hao
Published: October 2015

Inflammasomes take the wheel

Cells require microbial ligand binding to sense pathogens (see the Perspective by Liu and Xiao). Binding to the family of NOD-like receptors triggers the assembly of large protein signaling complexes called inflammasomes, leading infected cells to die and produce inflammatory mediators. Hu
et al.
and Zhang
et al.
use cryo–electron microscopy to uncover the structural and biochemical basis of two such receptors: NAIP2, which directly binds microbial ligands, and NLRC4, a protein functioning directly downstream. A self-propagating activation mechanism of downstream inflammasome signaling starts with one molecule of NAIP4 directly binding its microbial ligand. NAIP4 then catalyzes the activation of 10 to 12 NLRC4 molecules to form a wheel-like structure.

Science
, this issue p.
399
,
404
; see also p.
376
Ancient Ethiopian genome reveals extensive Eurasian admixture in Eastern Africa
Authors: Llorente M. Gallego , Jones E. R. , Eriksson A. , Siska V. , Arthur K. W. , Arthur J. W. , Curtis M. C. , Stock J. T. , Coltorti M. , Pieruccini P. , Stretton S. , Brock F. , Higham T. , Park Y. , Hofreiter M. , Bradley D. G. , Bhak J. , Pinhasi R. , Manica A.
Published: October 2015

Ancient African helps to explain the present

Tracing the migrations of anatomically modern humans has been complicated by human movements both out of and into Africa, especially in relatively recent history. Gallego Llorente
et al.
sequenced an Ethiopian individual, “Mota,” who lived approximately 4500 years ago, predating one such wave of individuals into Africa from Eurasia. The genetic information from Mota suggests that present-day Sardinians were the likely source of the Eurasian backflow. Furthermore, 4 to 7% of most African genomes, including Yoruba and Mbuti Pygmies, originated from this Eurasian gene flow.

Science
, this issue p.
820
Draft Genome Sequence of
Streptomyces
sp. JHA19, a Strain That Possesses β-
d
-Galactofuranosidase Activity
Authors: Matsunaga Emiko , Higuchi Yujiro , Mori Kazuki , Tashiro Kosuke , Kuhara Satoru , Takegawa Kaoru
Published: October 2015

By screening for microbes that exhibit β-
d
-galactofuranosidase (Gal
f
-ase) activity, a
Streptomyces
sp. strain, named JHA19, was isolated from a soil sample from Kagawa University, Japan, in 2010. Here, we report the results of whole-genome shotgun sequencing and found that the strain has four predicted Gal
f
-ase genes.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Rheinheimera
sp. KL1, Isolated from a Freshwater Lake in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: O’Connor Brady R. W. , Perry Benjamin J. , Yost Christopher K.
Published: October 2015

Rheinheimera
sp. KL1 was isolated from an algal bloom in Katepwa Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. The isolate shares genetic and physiological similarities with
Rheinheimera tangshanensis
. The genome is estimated to be 4,295,060 bp in length with a GC content of 46.37%. Sequence analysis suggests the strain carries a previously uncharacterized prophage.
Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus plantarum Strain SNU.Lp177 from Pig Feces in South Korea
Authors: Kim Eun Bae , Jin Gwi-Deuk , Lee Jun-Yeong , Choi Yun-Jaie
Published: October 2015

Herein we report a draft genome sequence for
Lactobacillus plantarum
SNU.Lp177, which was isolated from animal gut pig feces in South Korea. The draft genome of
L. plantarum
SNU.Lp177 contains 3,204,772 bp with a G+C content of 44.98% in 101 contigs (
N
50
= 116,595 bp).
Complete Genome Sequence of the Clostridium difficile Type Strain DSM 1296
T
Authors: Riedel Thomas , Bunk Boyke , Wittmann Johannes , Thürmer Andrea , Spröer Cathrin , Gronow Sabine , Liesegang Heiko , Daniel Rolf , Overmann Jörg
Published: October 2015

In this study, we sequenced the complete genome of the
Clostridium difficile
type strain DSM 1296
T
. A combination of single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing technology revealed the presence of one chromosome and two extrachromosomal elements, the bacteriophage phiCDIF1296T and a putative plasmid-like structure harboring genes of another bacteriophage.
Perforated Crohn's disease presenting during pregnancy
Authors: Burgers Jessica , Ruiz Oscar , Rivers Jose
Published: October 2015

Severe exacerbations of Crohn's disease (CD) requiring acute surgery are rare, and rarer still are those that occur during pregnancy. We present a case of perforated CD in an obstetric patient. A 24-year-old woman at 27 weeks gestation, with abdominal pain, leucocytosis and concern for preterm labour, presented to our institution. MRI was obtained and demonstrated a phlegmon in the small bowel mesentery near the distal ileum, with concern for perforation. The patient was taken for an emergent exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperatively, an ileal perforation with small bowel fistula was observed and an ileocolectomy with primary anastomosis was performed. Pathology of the resection revealed CD, a new diagnosis for the patient. She was ultimately discharged on postoperative day 13 and later went on to deliver a healthy term infant, and, 5 years later, has had no significant recurrence.
Diagnostic accuracy of screening tests for COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Haroon Shamil , Jordan Rachel , Takwoingi Yemisi , Adab Peymane
Published: October 2015

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is widely underdiagnosed. A number of studies have evaluated the accuracy of screening tests for COPD, but their findings have not been formally summarised. We therefore sought to determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of such screening tests in primary care.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of screening tests for COPD confirmed by spirometry in primary care. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and other bibliographic databases from 1997 to 2013 for diagnostic accuracy studies that evaluated 1 or more index tests in primary care among individuals aged ≥35 years with no prior diagnosis of COPD. Bivariate meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity was performed where appropriate. Methodological quality was assessed independently by 2 reviewers using the QUADAS-2 tool.

Results

10 studies were included. 8 assessed screening questionnaires (the COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ) was the most evaluated, n=4), 4 assessed handheld flow meters (eg, COPD-6) and 1 assessed their combination. Among ever smokers, the CDQ (score threshold ≥19.5; n=4) had a pooled sensitivity of 64.5% (95% CI 59.9% to 68.8%) and specificity of 65.2% (52.9% to 75.8%), and handheld flow meters (n=3) had a sensitivity of 79.9% (95% CI 74.2% to 84.7%) and specificity of 84.4% (68.9% to 93.0%). Inadequate blinding between index tests and spirometry was the main risk of bias.

Conclusions

Handheld flow meters demonstrated higher test accuracy than the CDQ for COPD screening in primary care. The choice of alternative screening tests within whole screening programmes should now be fully evaluated.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42012002074.
A Compact Multi-Input Power Conversion System with High Time-Efficiency Inductor–Sharing Technique for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Applications
Authors: Chang Chia-Lun , Lee Tai-Cheng
Published: October 2015

A compact multi-input thermoelectric energy harvesting system implemented in a 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology is proposed to extract electrical energy from human body heat. By combining the techniques on inductor sharing and bidirectional power converter, the harvesting- and regulating-stage circuits in conventional energy harvesting system can be merged into a single-stage circuit. With the proposed duty-cycle-based strategy for maximum power extraction and the high-efficiency timing scheme for inductor sharing, the proposed multi-input thermoelectric energy harvesting system can ensure optimal power transfer from each thermoelectric energy source without sacrificing power conversion efficiency (PCE) and maximum output power capability. The peak PCE is achieved at 58.5%, the maximum end-to-end output power is 2.43[Formula: see text]mW, and the maximum output power capability is 32.4[Formula: see text]mW while the storage capacitor is fully charged.
Representation numbers of certain quaternary quadratic forms in a genus consisting of a single class
Authors: Alaca Ayşe , Alaca Şaban , Williams Kenneth S.
Published: October 2015

An explicit formula is given for the representation number of each of the 75 reduced, positive-definite, integral, primitive, quaternary quadratic forms [Formula: see text], which belong to a genus with discriminant [Formula: see text] containing one and only one form class.
Multiple waves with energy sign-changing for Schrödinger–Poisson system of critical potential
Authors: Iskafi Khalid
Published: October 2015

We consider a nonhomogeneous Schrödinger–Poisson system in the whole physical space involving nonlinear potential of critical growth, and we prove existence of two waves with energy sign-changing by using the Mountain-Pass theorem.
Hilbert–Samuel functions of well bifiltered modules
Authors: Dichi H. , Sangare D.
Published: October 2015

In an earlier paper, we studied the Hilbert quasi-polynomial functions of finitely generated bigraded modules in the general framework when the base ring is bigraded and generated by finitely many homogeneous elements of arbitrary degrees. In this paper, we introduce the concept of [Formula: see text]-good bifiltration [Formula: see text] on a finitely generated [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are specified noetherian filtrations on the noetherian ring [Formula: see text]. The bigraded modules associated with such bifiltrations are shown to be finitely generated under reasonable hypotheses. Their Hilbert functions are studied. The Hilbert–Samuel function of [Formula: see text] with respect to the [Formula: see text]-good bifiltration [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is one of them. It is proved, among others, that this function is a quasi-polynomial function in two variables and that if [Formula: see text] is a noetherian local ring and if the filtrations [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are primary filtrations, then its degree equals the Krull dimension of [Formula: see text].
Two new operational methods for solving a kind of fractional volterra integral equations
Authors: Mollahasani Nasibeh , Mohseni Moghadam Mahmoud
Published: October 2015

In this paper, two methods based on CAS wavelets and Legendre polynomials are applied to approximate the solutions of a kind of fractional Volterra integral equations called weakly singular integral equations. The methods are compared presenting some examples.
Preparation of magnetic Co/graphene sheets composites and investigation on its catalytic activity for H2 generation
Authors: Zhao Dongcui , Nan Zhaodong
Published: October 2015

A cobalt (Co)/graphene sheets (GRs) composite was synthesized via a one-pot chemical method. The composite shows high saturation magnetizations (Ms), which leads it to be conveniently separated from aqueous solution by an external magnetic field. Compared to the pure Co and some references, the catalytic activity of the as-obtained composite was significantly enhanced for the generation of H2 gas by hydrolysis of NaBH4 solution. Effects of NaBH4 initial concentration, the composite and reaction temperature on the H2 generation rate were investigated. The H2 generation rate is independent with the initial NaBH4 concentration, increased with the reaction temperature increasing. The composite can be continuously used several times with about the same catalytic activity.
Graphs with large clique-chromatic numbers
Authors: Wichianpaisarn Tanawat , Uiyyasathian Chariya
Published: October 2015

The clique-chromatic number of a graph [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], is the least number of colors on [Formula: see text] without a monocolored maximal clique of size at least two. If [Formula: see text] is triangle-free, [Formula: see text]; we then consider only graphs with a triangle. Unlike the chromatic number, the clique-chromatic number of a graph is not necessary to be at least those of its subgraphs. Thus, for any family of graphs [Formula: see text], the boundedness of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] has been investigated. Many families of graphs are proved to have a bounded set of clique-chromatic numbers. In literature, only few families of graphs are shown to have an unbounded set of clique-chromatic numbers, for instance, the family of line graphs. This paper gives another family of graphs with such an unbounded set. These graphs are obtained by the well-known Mycielski’s construction with a certain property of the initial graph.