bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acoustic tweezers via sub–time-of-flight regime surface acoustic waves
Authors: Collins David J. , Devendran Citsabehsan , Ma Zhichao , Ng Jia Wei , Neild Adrian , Ai Ye
Published: July 2016

Researchers use pulsed excitation to generate localized 2D acoustic tweezers for spatially selective microfluidic patterning.
A low upper limit on the subsurface rise speed of solar active regions
Authors: Birch Aaron C. , Schunker Hannah , Braun Douglas C. , Cameron Robert , Gizon Laurent , Löptien Björn , Rempel Matthias
Published: July 2016

Comparison of observations and simulations provides a strong upper limit on the subsurface rise speed of solar active regions.
The avenger
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: July 2016

Afflicted by a rare disease, a young doctor fights back.
Discovery of robust in-plane ferroelectricity in atomic-thick SnTe
Authors: Chang Kai , Liu Junwei , Lin Haicheng , Wang Na , Zhao Kun , Zhang Anmin , Jin Feng , Zhong Yong , Hu Xiaopeng , Duan Wenhui , Zhang Qingming , Fu Liang , Xue Qi-Kun , Chen Xi , Ji Shuai-Hua
Published: July 2016

Thinning a ferroelectric makes it better

As a ferroelectric material becomes thinner, the temperature below which it develops its permanent electrical polarization usually decreases. Chang
et al.
fabricated high-quality thin films of SnTe that, in contrast to this conventional wisdom, had a considerably higher transition temperature than that of the material in bulk (see the Perspective by Kooi and Noheda). This was true even for single-unit cell films, whereas only slightly thicker films became ferroelectric above room temperature. This finding may enable the miniaturization of ferroelectric devices.

Science
, this issue p.
274
; see also p.
221
Coinfections of Zika and Chikungunya Viruses in Bahia, Brazil, Identified by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Sardi Silvia I. , Somasekar Sneha , Naccache Samia N. , Bandeira Antonio C. , Tauro Laura B. , Campos Gubio S. , Chiu Charles Y.
Published: July 2016

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of samples from 15 patients with documented Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in Bahia, Brazil, from April 2015 to January 2016 identified coinfections with chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in 2 of 15 ZIKV-positive cases by PCR (13.3%). While generally nonspecific, the clinical presentation corresponding to these two CHIKV/ZIKV coinfections reflected infection by the virus present at a higher titer. Aside from CHIKV and ZIKV, coinfections of other viral pathogens were not detected. The mNGS approach is promising for differential diagnosis of acute febrile illness and identification of coinfections, although targeted arbovirus screening may be sufficient in the current ZIKV outbreak setting.
Identification by Molecular Methods and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Clinically Significant Rare Aspergillus Species in a Referral Chest Hospital in Delhi, India
Authors: Masih Aradhana , Singh Pradeep K. , Kathuria Shallu , Agarwal Kshitij , Meis Jacques F. , Chowdhary Anuradha
Published: July 2016

Aspergillus
species cause a wide spectrum of clinical infections. Although
Aspergillus fumigatus
and
Aspergillus flavus
remain the most commonly isolated species in aspergillosis, in the last decade, rare and cryptic
Aspergillus
species have emerged in diverse clinical settings. The present study analyzed the distribution and
in vitro
antifungal susceptibility profiles of rare
Aspergillus
species in clinical samples from patients with suspected aspergillosis in 8 medical centers in India. Further, a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry in-house database was developed to identify these clinically relevant
Aspergillus
species. β-Tubulin and calmodulin gene sequencing identified 45 rare
Aspergillus
isolates to the species level, except for a solitary isolate. They included 23 less common
Aspergillus
species belonging to 12 sections, mainly in
Circumdati
,
Nidulantes
,
Flavi
,
Terrei
,
Versicolores
,
Aspergillus
, and
Nigri
. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified only 8 (38%) of the 23 rare
Aspergillus
isolates to the species level. Following the creation of an in-house database with the remaining 14 species not available in the Bruker database, the MALDI-TOF MS identification rate increased to 95%. Overall, high MICs of ≥2 μg/ml were noted for amphotericin B in 29% of the rare
Aspergillus
species, followed by voriconazole in 20% and isavuconazole in 7%, whereas MICs of >0.5 μg/ml for posaconazole were observed in 15% of the isolates. Regarding the clinical diagnoses in 45 patients with positive rare
Aspergillus
species cultures, 19 (42%) were regarded to represent colonization. In the remaining 26 patients, rare
Aspergillus
species were the etiologic agent of invasive, chronic, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, keratitis, and mycetoma.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Bacterial DNA Load in the Pharynges and Saliva of Men Who Have Sex with Men
Authors: Chow Eric P. F. , Tabrizi Sepehr N. , Phillips Samuel , Lee David , Bradshaw Catriona S. , Chen Marcus Y. , Fairley Christopher K.
Published: July 2016

Neisseria gonorrhoeae
can be cultured in the saliva of individuals with pharyngeal gonorrhea. The aim of this study was to quantify the gonococcal bacterial DNA loads in the pharynges and saliva among men who have sex with men (MSM) with untreated pharyngeal gonorrhea. Untreated MSM who tested positive for pharyngeal gonorrhea by culture and returned for antibiotic treatment within 14 days at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between October 2014 and March 2015 were eligible for this study. The gonococcal bacterial DNA load was measured using real-time quantitative PCR. The median gonococcal bacterial DNA loads in the pharynges and saliva were calculated and compared to culture positivity using the Mann-Whitney U test. A total of 33 men were included in this study. The median gonococcal bacterial DNA load did not differ between the pharynges in men who were culture positive (2.5 × 10
5
copies/swab) and culture negative (2.9 × 10
4
copies/swab) (
P
= 0.166) and the saliva (culture positive, 2.2 × 10
5
copies/ml; culture negative, 2.7 × 10
5
copies/ml) (
P
= 0.499). The bacterial DNA load in the pharynges (
P
= 0.695) and saliva (
P
= 0.969) did not differ between who men returned for treatment within 7 days and those who returned 8 to 14 days later. Substantial gonococcal bacterial DNA loads were detected in both saliva and pharynges among MSM with pharyngeal gonorrhea. These findings suggest that gonorrhea can be transmitted via sexual practices involving exposure to saliva, such as oroanal practices (rimming) and saliva use as a lubricant for anal sex.
Commentary: The First Fully Automated Molecular Diagnostic Panel for Meningitis and Encephalitis: How Well Does It Perform, and When Should It Be Used?
Authors: Hanson Kimberly E.
Published: July 2016

Rapid and accurate molecular diagnostic tests for the most common causes of infectious meningitis and encephalitis have the potential for high clinical impact. In this issue of the
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
, Leber et al. (J Clin Microbiol 54:2251–2261, 2016,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00730-16
) report results from a large clinical study designed to prospectively assess the performance of the FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel compared to conventional methods.
Human Papillomavirus Entry: Hiding in a Bubble
Authors: DiGiuseppe Stephen , Bienkowska-Haba Malgorzata , Sapp Martin
Published: July 2016

Incoming human papillomavirus (HPV) utilize vesicular transport to traffic from the plasma membrane to the trans-Golgi network. Following nuclear envelope breakdown during mitosis, the viral DNA associates with condensed chromosomes utilizing spindle microtubules for delivery. Most intriguingly, the viral DNA resides in a transport vesicle until mitosis is completed and the nuclear envelope has reformed. This finding provides support for the transient existence of nuclear membrane-bound vesicles. Due to their transient nature, it also points to the existence of a cell pathway for the disposal of vesicles ending up fortuitously or purposefully in the nucleus.
Bowel perforation from occult ileal involvement after diagnosis in a case of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: De Philippis Chiara , Di Chio Maria Chiara , Sabattini Elena , Bolli Niccolo
Published: July 2016

Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is confined to the mediastinum or contiguous nodal areas in most cases. Extramediastinal and abdominal involvement, especially at diagnosis, is extremely rare. Our case describes the first case of histologically proven ileal involvement of PMBCL at diagnosis that led to ileal perforation. Positron emission tomography CT could increase the sensitivity of staging by detecting unusual sites of disease localisation, and could impact clinical management.
Prioritising the care of critically ill children: a pilot study using SCREEN reduces clinic waiting times
Authors: Hansoti Bhakti , Dalwai Mohammed , Katz Joanne , Kidd Martin , Maconochie Ian , Labrique Alain , Wallis Lee
Published: July 2016

Objective

In low-resource settings, childhood mortality secondary to delays in triage and treatment remains high. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of the novel Sick Children Require Emergency Evaluation Now (SCREEN) tool on the waiting times of critically ill children who present for care to primary healthcare clinics in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods

We used a pre/postevaluation study design to calculate the median waiting times of all children who presented to four randomly chosen clinics for 5 days before, and 5 days after, the implementation of SCREEN.

Findings

The SCREEN programme resulted in statistical and clinically significant reductions in waiting times for children with critical illness to see a professional nurse (2 hours 45 min to 1 hour 12 min; p<0.001). There was also a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of children who left without being seen by a professional nurse (25.8% to 18.48%; p<0.001).

Conclusions

SCREEN is a novel programme that uses readily available laypersons, trained to make a subjective assessment of children arriving at primary healthcare centres, and provides a low cost, simple methodology to prioritise children and reduce waiting times in low-resource healthcare clinics.
Other side of the coin for personalised medicine and healthcare: content analysis of ‘personalised’ practices in the literature
Authors: Cesuroglu Tomris , Syurina Elena , Feron Frans , Krumeich Anja
Published: July 2016

Objectives

Various terms and definitions are used to describe personalised approaches to medicine and healthcare, but in ambiguous and inconsistent ways. They mostly have been defined in a top-down manner. However, actual practices might take different paths. Here, we aimed to provide a ‘practice-based’ perspective on the debate by analysing the content of ‘personalised’ practices published in the literature.

Methods

The search in PubMed and EMBASE (April 2014) using the terms frequently used for personalised approaches resulted in 5333 records. 2 independent researchers used different strategies for screening, resulting in 157 articles describing 88 ‘personalised’ practices that were implemented/presented on at least 1 individual/patient case. The content analysis was grounded on these data and did not have a priori analytical frameworks.

Results

‘Personalised medicine/healthcare’ can be a commodity in the healthcare market, a way how health services are provided, or a keyword for emerging applications. It can help individuals/patients to gain control of their health, health professionals to provide better services, healthcare organisations to increase effectiveness and efficiency, or national health systems to increase performance. Country examples indicated that for integration of practices into health services, attitude towards innovations and health system and policy context is important. Categorisation based on the terms or the technologies used, if any, was not possible.

Conclusions

This study is the first to provide a comprehensive content analysis of the ‘personalised’ practices in the literature. Unlike the top-down definitions, our findings highlighted not the technologies but real-life issues faced by the practices. ‘Personalised medicine’ and ‘personalised healthcare’ can be differentiated by using the former for specific tools available and the latter for health services with a holistic approach, implemented in certain contexts. To realise integration of ‘personalised medicine/healthcare’ into real life, science, technology, health policy and practice, and society domains must work together.
COBA-Cohort: a prospective cohort of HIV-negative men who have sex with men, attending community-based HIV testing services in five European countries (a study protocol)
Authors: Lorente Nicolas , Fernàndez-López Laura , Fuertes Ricardo , Rojas Castro Daniela , Pichon François , Cigan Bojan , Chanos Sophocles , Meireles Paula , Lucas Raquel , Morel Stéphane , Slaaen Kaye Per , Agustí Cristina , Klavs Irena , Platteau Tom , Casabona Jordi
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Community-based voluntary counselling and testing (CBVCT) services for men who have sex with men (MSM) can reach those most-at-risk and provide an environment for gay men that is likely to be non-stigmatising. Longitudinal data on the behaviour of HIV-negative MSM are scarce in Europe. The aim of this protocol, developed during the Euro HIV Early Diagnosis And Treatment (EDAT) project, is to implement a multicentre community-based cohort of HIV-negative MSM attending 15 CBVCT services in 5 European countries.

Research objectives

(1) To describe the patterns of CBVCT use, (2) to estimate HIV incidence, and to identify determinants of (3) HIV seroconversion and (4) HIV and/or sexually transmitted infection (STI) test-seeking behaviour.

Methods and analysis

All MSM aged 18 years or over and who had a negative HIV test result are invited to participate in the COmmunity-BAsed Cohort (COBA-Cohort). Study enrolment started in February 2015, and is due to continue for at least 12 months at each study site. Follow-up frequency depends on the testing recommendations in each country (at least 1 test per year). Sociodemographic data are collected at baseline; baseline and follow-up questionnaires both gather data on attitudes and perceptions, discrimination, HIV/STI testing history, sexual behaviour, condom use, and pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. Descriptive, exploratory and multivariate analyses will be performed to address the main research objectives of this study, using appropriate statistical tests and models. These analyses will be performed on the whole cohort data and stratified by study site or country.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Public Health authorities of each country where the study is being implemented. Findings from the COBA-Cohort study will be summarised in a report to the European Commission, and in leaflets to be distributed to study participants. Articles and conference abstracts will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
Protocol for a randomised control trial of methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation and gastrointestinal stasis in intensive care patients (MOTION)
Authors: Patel Parind B , Brett Stephen J , O'Callaghan David , Anjum Aisha , Cross Mary , Warwick Jane , Gordon Anthony C
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Gastrointestinal dysmotility and constipation are common problems in intensive care patients. The majority of critical care patients are sedated with opioids to facilitate tolerance of endotracheal tubes and mechanical ventilation, which inhibit gastrointestinal motility and lead to adverse outcomes. Methylnaltrexone is a peripheral opioid antagonist that does not cross the blood–brain barrier and can reverse the peripheral side effects of opioids without affecting the desired central properties. This trial will investigate whether methylnaltrexone can reverse opioid-induced constipation and gastrointestinal dysmotility.

Methods

This is a single-centre, multisite, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. 84 patients will be recruited from 4 intensive care units (ICUs) within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Patients will receive intravenous methylnaltrexone or placebo on a daily basis if they are receiving opioid infusion to facilitate mechanical ventilation and have not opened their bowels for 48 hours. All patients will receive standard laxatives as per the clinical ICU bowel protocol prior to randomisation. The primary outcome of the trial will be time to significant rescue-free laxation following randomisation. Secondary outcomes will include tolerance of enteral feed, gastric residual volumes, incidence of pneumonia, blood stream andClostridium difficileinfection, and any reversal of central opioid effects.

Ethics and dissemination

The trial protocol, the patient/legal representative information sheets and consent forms have been reviewed and approved by the Harrow Research Ethics Committee (REC Reference 14/LO/2004). An independent Trial Steering Committee and Data Monitoring Committee are in place, with patient representation. On completion, the trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international scientific meetings.

Trial registration number

2014-004687-37; Pre-results.
No magic number: determining cost-effective sample size and enumeration effort for diatom-based environmental assessment analyses
Authors: Bennett Joseph R. , Rühland Kathleen M. , Smol John P.
Published: July 2016

Aquatic microorganisms are commonly used as indicators in environmental assessments. Two key aspects of sampling design for these studies are the number of sites sampled and the enumeration effort of organisms within samples. However, there has been no rigorous determination of a cost-effective balance between them. Here, we use regional diatom data sets from 207 to 493 lakes to determine the influence of sample size (lake number) and enumeration effort (valve count) on the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of commonly used environmental assessment analyses. We find that both lake number and valve count can be considerably reduced from the original data sets. However, there is considerable variation among analyses, such that a single most cost-effective sampling configuration cannot be recommended. For weighted-averaging assemblage versus environment models, we recommend 70–100 lakes and 200 valves for retaining high accuracy. For other analyses, we recommend iteratively building up data sets, using initially high (300 or more) and consistent valve counts and using subsampling to determine when the influence of either lake number or valve count plateaus. This technique is applicable to other types of microorganisms used in environmental assessments.
Conservation laws and conserved quantities for the two-dimensional laminar wake
Authors: Kokela L. N. , Mason D. P. , Hutchinson A. J.
Published: July 2016

A systematic and unified method is presented for the derivation of the conserved quantities for the laminar classical wake and the wake of a self-propelled body. The multiplier method for the derivation of conservation laws is applied to the far downstream wake equations expressed in terms of the velocity components which gives rise to a second-order system of two partial differential equations, and in terms of the stream function which results in one third-order partial differential equation. Once the corresponding conservation laws are obtained, they are integrated across the wake and upon imposing the boundary conditions and the condition that the drag on a self-propelled body is zero, the conserved quantities for the classical wake and the wake of a self-propelled body are derived. In addition, this method results in the discovery of a new laminar wake which may have physical significance.
Effects of Tsallis distribution on parametric resonance in chiral phase transitions
Authors: Ishihara Masamichi
Published: July 2016

The parametric resonance was studied in chiral phase transitions when the momentum distribution is described by a Tsallis distribution. A Tsallis distribution has two parameters, the temperature [Formula: see text] and the entropic index [Formula: see text]. The amplification was estimated in two cases: (1) expansionless case and (2) one-dimensional (1D) expansion case. In an expansionless case, the temperature [Formula: see text] is constant, and the amplified modes as a function of [Formula: see text] were calculated for various [Formula: see text]. In 1D expansion case, the temperature [Formula: see text] decreases as a function of the proper time, and the amplification as a function of the transverse momentum was calculated for various [Formula: see text]. In the expansionless case, the following facts were found: (1) the larger the value [Formula: see text] is, the softer the amplified modes are for the first and second resonance bands, (2) the amplified mode of the first resonance band decreases and vanishes, as the temperature [Formula: see text] increases and (3) the amplified mode of the second resonance band decreases and approaches to zero, as the temperature [Formula: see text] increases. In 1D expansion case, the following facts were found: (1) the soft mode is amplified, (2) the amplification is extremely strong around the amplified mode of the first resonance band at [Formula: see text] and (3) the magnitude of the amplification as a function of transverse momentum oscillates around the amplified mode of the first resonance band at [Formula: see text].
Quantum Noise from Reduced Dynamics
Authors: Vacchini Bassano
Published: July 2016

We consider the description of quantum noise within the framework of the standard Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to a composite system environment setting. Averaging over the environmental degrees of freedom leads to a stochastic quantum dynamics, described by equations complying with the constraints arising from the statistical structure of quantum mechanics. Simple examples are considered in the framework of open system dynamics described within a master equation approach, pointing in particular to the appearance of the phenomenon of decoherence and to the relevance of quantum correlation functions of the environment in the determination of the action of quantum noise.
Compressive Imaging of Moving Object Based on Linear Array Sensor
Authors: Zha Changjun , Li Yao , Gui Jinyao , Duan Huimin , Xu Tailong
Published: July 2016

Using the characteristics of a moving object, this paper presents a compressive imaging method for moving objects based on a linear array sensor. The method uses a higher sampling frequency and a traditional algorithm to recover the image through a column-by-column process. During the compressive sampling stage, the output values of the linear array sensor are multiplied by a coefficient that is a measurement matrix element, and then the measurement value can be acquired by adding all the multiplication values together. During the reconstruction stage, the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm is used to recover the original image when all the measurement values are obtained. Numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed compressive imaging method not only effectively captures the information required from the moving object for image reconstruction but also achieves direct separation of the moving object from a static scene.
Evaluation of Er,Cr:YSGG Laser Effect on Microshear Bond Strength of a Self-Adhesive Flowable Composite in the Dentin of Permanent Molar: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Moslemi Masoumeh , Fotouhi Ardakani Faezeh , Javadi Fatemeh , Khalili Sadrabad Zahra , Shadkar Zahra , Shadkar Mohammad Saeid
Published: July 2016

Aim and Background. Recently, new restorative materials such as self-adhesive flowable composites, because of their simple use and no need to bonding and etching, are considered important, particularly in pediatric dentistry. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Er,Cr:YSGG laser on microshear bond strength of self-adhesive flowable composite on permanent teeth dentin in vitro.Material and Methods. In this experimental study, 40 dentin sections were prepared from healthy third molars and divided into two groups according to their surface preparation by Er,Cr:YSGG laser or without laser, only with silicon carbide paper. In each group, two groups of 10 teeth were treated with self-adhesive flowable composite (Dyad) and conventional flowable composite (acid etch and bonding). Samples were stored in normal saline and after 48 hours their bond strength was measured. The failure mode of samples was observed on stereomicroscope. In order to analyse the results, the one way ANOVA and Tukey’s test for multiple comparisons were used.Result. The maximum bond strength was related to conventional flowable composite with laser preparation group (24/21 Mpa). The lowest one was seen in Dyad composite without laser emitting (9/89 Mpa). The statistical difference between this two groups was significant (Pvalue = 0/0038). The microshear bond strength differences between Dyad composite groups with laser preparation (mean =16/427±1/79) and without laser preparation (mean =12/85±1/90) were statistically significant too (Pvalue = 0/01).Conclusion. Self-adhesive flowable composite has lower microshear bond strength than conventional flowable composite. Moreover, the laser irradiation as a surface treatment can improve this bond strength.
Musculoskeletal Disorders and Perceived Work Demands among Female Nurses at a Tertiary Care Hospital in India
Authors: Raithatha Apexa S. , Mishra Daxa G.
Published: July 2016

Introduction. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common among nurses and can affect patient outcomes. There is a dearth of literature on MSD among Indian nurses. The study objective was to measure prevalence of MSD and their association with perceived work demands and sociodemographic variables among female nurses at a tertiary care hospital in rural India.Methods. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2013 through interviewer administered questionnaires which comprised three parts: sociodemographic data, modified Nordic questionnaire, and perceived physical and psychological work demands.Results. 296 nurses with a mean age of 30.4 years participated. Prevalence of any MSD in the last seven days was 60.5% with low back pain being the most common and elbow pain the least common. Occurrence of any MSD was associated with age, number of children, working hours at home, BMI, and total work experience. High perceived physical demands score was associated with lower back (OR: 3.06) and knee pain (OR: 7.73).Conclusion. Prevalence of MSD was high and occurrence of lower back and knee MSD was associated with perceived physical demands. This information should be used as a benchmark and guiding tool for designing work place interventions to improve working conditions and health of nurses.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Antimicrobial Properties of [Diaquabis(hexamethylenetetramine)diisothiocyanato-κN]nickel(II)  Complex
Authors: Tabong Che Dieudonne , Yufanyi Divine Mbom , Paboudam Awawou Gbambie , Nono Katia Nchimi , Eni Donatus Bekindaka , Agwara Moise Ondoh
Published: July 2016

A nickel(II) complex with hexamethylenetetramine and thiocyanate ion as coligands has been synthesized and characterised by infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic techniques. The crystal structure of the complex was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and the ligands were found to coordinate terminally through N-atoms. The ligand and the complex were screened for their activity against resistant strains of bacteria (Salmonella enteric, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) and fungi (Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida neoformans).
Cost-Effectiveness and Validity Assessment of Cyscope Microscope, Quantitative Buffy Coat Microscope, and Rapid Diagnostic Kit for Malaria Diagnosis among Clinic Attendees in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Ogunniyi Abiodun , Dairo Magbagbeola David , Dada-Adegbola Hannah , Ajayi Ikeoluwapo O. , Olayinka Adebola , Oyibo Wellington A. , Fawole Olufunmilayo I. , Ajumobi Olufemi
Published: July 2016

Background. Unavailability of accurate, rapid, reliable, and cost-effective malaria diagnostic instruments constitutes major a challenge to malaria elimination. We validated alternative malaria diagnostic instruments and assessed their comparative cost-effectiveness. Method. Using a cross-sectional study design, 502 patients with malaria symptoms at selected health facilities in Ibadan between January and April 2014 were recruited consecutively. We examined malaria parasites using Cyscope®, QBC, and CareStart™ and results were compared to light microscopy (LM). Validity was determined by assessing sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Costs per hour of use for instruments and turnaround time were determined. Result. Sensitivity of the instruments was 76.0% (CareStart), 95.0% (Cyscope), and 98.1% (QBC). Specificity was 96.0% (CareStart), 87.3% (Cyscope), and 85.5% (QBC). PPV were 65.2%, 67.5%, and 84.7%, while NPV were 93.6%, 98.6%, and 99.4% for CareStart, Cyscope, and QBC with Kappa values of 0.75 (CI = 0.68–0.82) for CareStart, 0.72 (CI = 0.65–0.78) for Cyscope, and 0.71 (CI = 0.64–0.77) for QBC. Average cost per hour of use was the lowest ($2.04) with the Cyscope. Turnaround time was the fastest with Cyscope (5 minutes). Conclusion. Cyscope fluorescent microscope had the shortest turnaround time and is the most cost-effective of all the malaria diagnostic instruments evaluated.
Vortex-Induced Vibration Suppression of a Circular Cylinder with Vortex Generators
Authors: Tao Shi-bo , Tang Ai-ping , Xin Da-bo , Liu Ke-tong , Zhang Hong-fu
Published: July 2016

The vortex-induced vibration is one of the most important factors to make the engineering failure in wind engineering. This paper focuses on the suppression method of vortex-induced vibration that occurs on a circular cylinder fitted with vortex generators, based on the wind tunnel experiment. The effect of the vortex generators is presented with comparisons including the bare cylinder. The experimental results reveal that the vortex generators can efficiently suppress vortex-induced vibration of the circular cylinder. Vortex generator control can make the boundary layer profile fuller and hence more resistant to separation. The selections of skew angles and the angular position have a significant influence on the vortex generator control effect. By correlation analysis, it can be concluded that the vortex generators can inhibit the communication between the two shear layers and produce streamwise vortices to generate a disturbance in the spanwise direction.
Distribution of Triamcinolone Acetonide after Intravitreal Injection into Silicone Oil-Filled Eye
Authors: Da Ma , Li Kenneth K. W. , Chan Kevin C. , Wu Ed X. , Wong David S.H.
Published: July 2016

There is increasing use of the vitreous cavity as a reservoir for drug delivery. We study the intraocular migration and distribution of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) after injection into silicone oil tamponade agent during and after vitrectomy surgeryex vivo(pig eye) andin vitro(glass bottle). Forex vivoassessment, intraocular migration of TA was imaged using real-time FLASH MRI scans and high-resolution T2W imaging and thein vitromodel was monitored continuously with a video camera. Results of theex vivoexperiment showed that the TA droplet sank to the interface of silicone oil and aqueous almost immediately after injection and remained inside the silicone oil bubble for as long as 16 minutes. Thein vitroresults showed that, after the shrinkage of the droplet, TA gradually precipitated leaving only a lump of whitish crystalline residue inside the droplet for about 100 minutes. TA then quickly broke the interface and dispersed into the underlying aqueous within 15 seconds, which may result in a momentary increase of local TA concentration in the aqueous portion and potentially toxic to the retina. Our study suggests that silicone oil may not be a good candidate as a drug reservoir for drugs like TA.
The Epithelial Sodium Channel and the Processes of Wound Healing
Authors: Chifflet Silvia , Hernandez Julio A.
Published: July 2016

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mediates passive sodium transport across the apical membranes of sodium absorbing epithelia, like the distal nephron, the intestine, and the lung airways. Additionally, the channel has been involved in the transduction of mechanical stimuli, such as hydrostatic pressure, membrane stretch, and shear stress from fluid flow. Thus, in vascular endothelium, it participates in the control of the vascular tone via its activity both as a sodium channel and as a shear stress transducer. Rather recently, ENaC has been shown to participate in the processes of wound healing, a role that may also involve its activities as sodium transporter and as mechanotransducer. Its presence as the sole channel mediating sodium transport in many tissues and the diversity of its functions probably underlie the complexity of its regulation. This brief review describes some aspects of ENaC regulation, comments on evidence about ENaC participation in wound healing, and suggests possible regulatory mechanisms involved in this participation.
Recent Natural Corrosion Inhibitors for Mild Steel: An Overview
Authors: Chigondo Marko , Chigondo Fidelis
Published: July 2016

Traditionally, reduction of corrosion has been managed by various methods including cathodic protection, process control, reduction of the metal impurity content, and application of surface treatment techniques, as well as incorporation of suitable alloys. However, the use of corrosion inhibitors has proven to be the easiest and cheapest method for corrosion protection and prevention in acidic media. These inhibitors slow down the corrosion rate and thus prevent monetary losses due to metallic corrosion on industrial vessels, equipment, or surfaces. Inorganic and organic inhibitors are toxic and costly and thus recent focus has been turned to develop environmentally benign methods for corrosion retardation. Many researchers have recently focused on corrosion prevention methods using green inhibitors for mild steel in acidic solutions to mimic industrial processes. This paper provides an overview of types of corrosion, corrosion process, and mainly recent work done on the application of natural plant extracts as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel.
Green Route Fabrication of Graphene Oxide Reinforced Polymer Composites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties
Authors: Mahendran R. , Sridharan D. , Santhakumar K. , Gnanasekaran G.
Published: July 2016

A facile and “Green” route has been applied to fabricate graphene oxide (GO) reinforced polymer composites utilizing “deionized water” as solvent. The GO was reinforced into water soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (PAMPS) matrix by ultrasonication followed by mechanical stirring. The incorporation and dispersion of the GO in the polymer matrix were analyzed by XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, FT-IR, and TGA. Further, the FE-SEM and AFM images revealed that the surface roughness and agglomeration of the GO in the polymer matrix increased by increasing its concentration. Ionic exchange capacity, proton conductivity, and tensile texture results showed that the reinforcement of GO in the polymer matrix enhances the physicochemical properties of the host polymer. These PVA/PAMPS/GO nanocomposites showed improved mechanical stability compared to the pristine polymer, because of strong interfacial interactions within the components and homogeneous dispersion of the GO sheets in the PVA/PAMPS matrix.
Prevalence of Hypercalcaemia in a Renal Transplant Population: A Single Centre Study
Authors: Amin Tony , Coates P. Toby , Barbara Jeffrey , Hakendorf Paul , Karim Nazmul
Published: July 2016

Introduction. Postrenal transplant bone disease is a significant problem. Factors influencing postrenal transplant bone status include high dose acute and low dose long-term steroid use, persistent hypercalcaemia, and graft failure. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of hypercalcaemia and to evaluate the risk factors for postrenal transplant hypercalcaemia in long-term renal transplant patients at our centre.Methods. This is a biochemical audit in which we studied renal transplant recipients from the Central Northern Adelaide Renal Transplant Services, South Australia. Inclusion criteria include kidney transplant patients with functioning graft since 1971 and at least 3 months after transplantation at the time of analysis. Hypercalcaemia was defined as persistently elevated serum corrected calcium greater than or equal to 2.56 mmol/L for three consecutive months.Results. 679 renal transplant recipients with a functioning graft were studied and 101 were hypercalcaemic between March 2011 and June 2011 (15%). 60% of the hypercalcaemic patients were male and 40% were female, with chronic glomerulonephritis (39%) being the commonest cause of their end stage kidney disease (ESKD). Prevalence was similar in those that had haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis pretransplantation. Hypercalcaemia in the renal transplant population was not secondary to suboptimal allograft function but secondary to pretransplantation hyperparathyroidism with persistent high parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels after transplantation.Conclusion. There is a high prevalence of hypercalcaemia (15%) in renal transplant recipients. The predominant cause for hypercalcaemia is pretransplantation hyperparathyroidism. The magnitude of pretransplantation hyperparathyroidism is the major determinant for long-term parathyroid function rather than graft function or pretransplantation duration on dialysis or mode of dialysis.
Effects of a Lifestyle-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Medical Expenditure in Japanese Adults: A Community-Based Retrospective Study
Authors: Yoshizawa Yasuyo , Kim Junghoon , Kuno Shinya
Published: July 2016

Background.This study aimed to investigate whether a lifestyle-based physical activity program could contribute to reduced medical expenditure.Methods.The study participants were 60 adults aged 63.1 (standard deviation, 4.4) years in the intervention group; the case-control group consisted of 300 adults who were randomly selected from Japan’s national health insurance system. This community-based retrospective study incorporated a 3-year follow-up.Results.The total and outpatient medical expenditure in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group: total expenditure, $US640.4/year; outpatient expenditure, $369.1/year. The odds ratio for outpatient visiting was 6.47-fold higher in the control than in the intervention group.Conclusion.Our study suggests that a health program to promote physical activity can result in reduced total medical expenditure, outpatient medical expenditure, and possibly also inpatient medical expenditure.
Antioxidant and Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Campomanesia adamantium O. Berg Root
Authors: Espindola Priscilla Pereira de Toledo , Rocha Paola dos Santos da , Carollo Carlos Alexandre , Schmitz Wanderlei Onofre , Pereira Zefa Valdivina , Vieira Maria do Carmo , Santos Edson Lucas dos , de Picoli Souza Kely
Published: July 2016

Campomanesia adamantium O. Berg, popularly known as guavira, has been used in Brazilian traditional medicine for reduction of serum lipid. The present study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic effects of Campomanesia adamantium root aqueous extract (ExCA). Phenolic compounds were quantified in the ExCA and gallic and ellagic acids were identified by HPLC. ExCA showed efficiency in 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, with IC50 similar to butylhydroxytoluene control, and protected the erythrocytes against lipid peroxidation induced by 2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride, reducing generated malondialdehyde. Hyperlipidemic Wistar rats treated daily by gavage during eight weeks with ExCA (200 mg/kg of body weight) showed reduced serum level of total cholesterol and triglycerides, similar to normolipidemic rats and hyperlipidemic rats treated with simvastatin (30 mg/kg of body weight) and ciprofibrate (2 mg/kg of body weight). Moreover, the treatment with ExCA also decreased malondialdehyde serum level in the hyperlipidemic rats. The body weight and organ mass were unmodified by ExCA in hyperlipidemic rats, except an increase of liver mass; however, the hepatic enzymes, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, were unchanged. Together, these results confirm the potential value of Campomanesia adamantium root for lowering lipid peroxidation and lipid serum level, improving risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases development.
A Shortest Dependency Path Based Convolutional Neural Network for Protein-Protein Relation Extraction
Authors: Hua Lei , Quan Chanqin
Published: July 2016

The state-of-the-art methods for protein-protein interaction (PPI) extraction are primarily based on kernel methods, and their performances strongly depend on the handcraft features. In this paper, we tackle PPI extraction by using convolutional neural networks (CNN) and propose a shortest dependency path based CNN (sdpCNN) model. The proposed method(1)only takes the sdp and word embedding as input and(2)could avoid bias from feature selection by using CNN. We performed experiments on standard Aimed and BioInfer datasets, and the experimental results demonstrated that our approach outperformed state-of-the-art kernel based methods. In particular, by tracking the sdpCNN model, we find that sdpCNN could extract key features automatically and it is verified that pretrained word embedding is crucial in PPI task.
Nuove questioni linguistiche: pier Paolo Pasolini scandalizza linguisti, filologi, scrittori, critici e intellettuali
Authors: Negri Teodoro
Published: July 2016

Após diagnosticar a crise da fase de busca da literatura contemporânea, especialmente dos anos 50, incapaz de criar os pressupostos de uma língua nacional, Pasolini analisa as profundas mutações da sociedade italiana, que determinaram um novo panorama sócio-linguístico, e mais precisamente um acentuado tecnicismo e instrumentação de linguagem. Os exemplos citados pelo autor, extraídos do periodismo, da televisão, dos discursos políticos oficiais e da publicidade, mostram o predomínio da comunicação sobre a expressão, remetendo o fenômeno a um princípio único regulamentador e homologador de todas as linguagens nacionais, que procederia do processo de transformação tecnológica e industrial, instituidor de uma nova burguesia hegemônica. A unificação linguística produzida por este princípio homologador subentenderia, por conseguinte, a manifestação social realizada por esta classe.
A margem da redenção: considerações sobre Accattone
Authors: Fabris Mariarosaria
Published: July 2016

O tema central do primeiro filme de Pier Paolo Pasolini é a morte, que representa para o protagonista a única possibilidade para escapar de sua condição social.
Impact of Routine Fractional Flow Reserve Evaluation During Coronary Angiography on Management Strategy and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Baptista Sergio Bravo , Raposo Luís , Santos Lino , Ramos Ruben , Calé Rita , Jorge Elisabete , Machado Carina , Costa Marco , Infante de Oliveira Eduardo , Costa João , Pipa João , Fonseca Nuno , Guardado Jorge , Silva Bruno , Sousa Maria-João , Silva João Carlos , Rodrigues Alberto , Seca Luís , Fernandes Renato
Published: July 2016

Background—

Penetration of fractional flow reserve (FFR) in clinical practice varies extensively, and the applicability of results from randomized trials is understudied. We describe the extent to which the information gained from routine FFR affects patient management strategy and clinical outcome.

Methods and Results—

Nonselected patients undergoing coronary angiography, in which at least 1 lesion was interrogated by FFR, were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter registry. FFR-driven change in management strategy (medical therapy, revascularization, or additional stress imaging) was assessed per-lesion and per-patient, and the agreement between final and initial strategies was recorded. Cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization (MACE) at 1 year was recorded. A total of 1293 lesions were evaluated in 918 patients (mean FFR, 0.81±0.1). Management plan changed in 406 patients (44.2%) and 584 lesions (45.2%). One-year MACE was 6.9%; patients in whom all lesions were deferred had a lower MACE rate (5.3%) than those with at least 1 lesion revascularized (7.3%) or left untreated despite FFR≤0.80 (13.6%; log-rank
P
=0.014). At the lesion level, deferral of those with an FFR≤0.80 was associated with a 3.1-fold increase in the hazard of cardiovascular death/myocardial infarction/target lesion revascularization (
P
=0.012). Independent predictors of target lesion revascularization in the deferred lesions were proximal location of the lesion, B2/C type and FFR.

Conclusions—

Routine FFR assessment of coronary lesions safely changes management strategy in almost half of the cases. Also, it accurately identifies patients and lesions with a low likelihood of events, in which revascularization can be safely deferred, as opposed to those at high risk when ischemic lesions are left untreated, thus confirming results from randomized trials.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01835808.
European Society of Cardiology–Recommended Coronary Artery Disease Consortium Pretest Probability Scores More Accurately Predict Obstructive Coronary Disease and Cardiovascular Events Than the Diamond and Forrester Score
Authors: Bittencourt Marcio Sommer , Hulten Edward , Polonsky Tamar S. , Hoffman Udo , Nasir Khurram , Abbara Suhny , Di Carli Marcelo , Blankstein Ron
Published: July 2016

Background:

The most appropriate score for evaluating the pretest probability of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown. We sought to compare the Diamond-Forrester (DF) score with the 2 CAD consortium scores recently recommended by the European Society of Cardiology.

Methods:

We included 2274 consecutive patients (age, 56±13 years; 57% male) without prior CAD referred for coronary computed tomographic angiography. Computed tomographic angiography findings were used to determine the presence or absence of obstructive CAD (≥50% stenosis). We compared the DF score with the 2 CAD consortium scores with respect to their ability to predict obstructive CAD and the potential implications of these scores on the downstream use of testing for CAD, as recommended by current guidelines.

Results:

The DF score did not satisfactorily fit the data and resulted in a significant overestimation of the prevalence of obstructive CAD (
P
<0.001); the CAD consortium basic score had no significant lack of fitness; and the CAD consortium clinical provided adequate goodness of fit (
P
=0.39). The DF score had a lower discrimination for obstructive CAD, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve of 0.713 versus 0.752 and 0.791 for the CAD consortium models (
P
<0.001 for both). Consequently, the use of the DF score was associated with fewer individuals being categorized as requiring no additional testing (8.3%) compared with the CAD consortium models (24.6% and 30.0%;
P
<0.001). The proportion of individuals with a high pretest probability was 18% with the DF and only 1.1% with the CAD consortium scores (
P
<0.001)

Conclusions:

Among contemporary patients referred for noninvasive testing, the DF risk score overestimates the risk of obstructive CAD. On the other hand, the CAD consortium scores offered improved goodness of fit and discrimination; thus, their use could decrease the need for noninvasive or invasive testing while increasing the yield of such tests.