bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Method for Assessment of the Velocity of Detonation for Primary Explosives
Authors: Jafari Mohammad , Keshavarz Mohammad Hossein , Zamani Ahmad , Zakinejad Sajjad , Alekaram Iman
Published: February 2018

Primary explosives are hazardous energetic materials with considerable sensitivities to external stimuli such as impact, friction, flame, heat, electric spark, and shock. A novel correlation has been introduced for prediction of detonation velocities of different hazardous primary explosives. The needed data for the new model are the loading density, the heat of detonation, the sum of the moles of gaseous products per gram of explosive and the average molecular weight of gaseous products. Decomposition products were specified based on the oxygen balance of primary explosives. Cross‐validation of the model and the statistical parameters were used for evaluating the goodness‐of‐fit, goodness‐of‐prediction, accuracy, and precision of the new model. The statistical parameters of the new model, as compared to the outputs of one of the best available thermochemical computer codes, confirm the higher reliability of the new correlation.
Time‐dependent effect of phytocannabinoid treatments in fat cells
Authors: Ramlugon S. , Levendal R.‐A. , Frost C.L.
Published: February 2018

The objectives of this paper is to investigate, demonstrate, and compare the mechanism of action of phytocannabinoids as antidiabetic and anti‐obesity agents in preadipocytes and adipocytes, relative to rosiglitazone and metformin. Briefly, cannabis extract, Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (in very low dosages) were shown to promote glucose uptake higher or to equivalent levels, reduce fat accumulation, and reverse the insulin‐resistant state of 3T3‐L1 cells more effectively, relative to rosiglitazone and metformin. The phytocannabinoids had a more pronounced effect in preadipocytes undifferentiated model rather than the differentiated model. They induced a protective effect at the mitochondrial level by preventing overactivity of the succinate dehydrogenase pathway (p < .01), unlike rosiglitazone, through activation of the glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase shuttling system. An increase in oxygen consumption and an increased expression of beta to alpha adrenoceptors (p < .05) in treated cells were noted. These findings contribute toward understanding the mechanism of action of phytocannabinoids in fat cells and highlight the antidiabetic and anti‐obesity properties of various phytocannabinoids that could potentially support the treatment of obesity‐related insulin resistance.
Comparative study of obstetric and neonatal outcomes of live births between poor‐ and good‐quality embryo transfers
Authors: Akamine Kozue , Mekaru Keiko , Gibo Keiya , Nagata Chinatsu , Oishi Sugiko , Miyagi Maho , Heshiki Chiaki , Kinjo Tadatugu , Masamoto Hitoshi , Aoki Yoichi
Published: February 2018

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of embryo quality on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective analysis included 80 live singleton births, resulting from morphologically good‐quality embryo transfers, and 25 live singleton births that resulted from morphologically poor‐quality embryo transfers between January, 2008 and December, 2014. Cleavage embryos that were graded as ≥2, according to the Veeck classification system, and blastocysts that were graded as ≥3BB, according to the Gardner classification system, were defined as good quality. The obstetric and neonatal outcomes were compared between the poor‐ and good‐quality embryo transfer groups.

Results

The mean maternal age between the groups was similar. The blastocyst transfer rate was higher in the good‐quality, than in the poor‐quality, embryo transfer group. Other characteristics, including parity, infertility duration, the intracytoplasmic sperm injection rate, frozen‐thawed embryo transfer rate, endometrial thickness, and hormone values before the embryo transfer, were similar between the groups. The obstetric and neonatal outcomes of live births between the two groups were not different in terms of preterm delivery, birthweight, small or large size for gestational age, malformation, umbilical artery cord pH of <7.20, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, chorioamnionitis, placenta previa, and placental abruption.

Conclusion

The obstetric and neonatal outcomes of live births between the poor‐ and good‐quality embryo transfers were equivalent.
Flume simulations of salmon bioturbation effects on critical shear stress and bedload transport in rivers
Authors: Buxton T.H.
Published: February 2018

Nest (redd) construction by female salmonids involves sequences of pit excavation and filling that winnow fines, loosen grains, and moves sediment downstream into a tailspill mound shaped like a dune. Prior research suggests that such bioturbation may destabilize streambeds by reducing friction between grains and converging flow that elevates shear stress on tailspills. Bed stability may alternatively be enhanced by form drag from redds that lowers basal shear stress, an effect that varies with the proportion of the bed that is occupied by redds (P). I used simulated redds and water‐worked (“unspawned”) beds in a laboratory flume to evaluate these competing influences on critical conditions and bedload transport in experiments with P = 0.11 (1 redd), 0.29 (2 redds), and 0.38 (3 redds). Results from competence (largest grain) and reference transport rate estimates of Shields stress indicate that particle entrainment inversely related to P. Bedload transport rates also increased as exponential functions of P and the boundary shear stress that exceeded critical conditions. Therefore, redd form drag did not overcome the destabilizing effects of redd construction. Instead, grain mobility and bedload transport increased with P because larger bed areas were composed of relatively loose grains and redd topography that experiences elevated shear stresses, as suggested in prior research. By winnowing fines and increasing bed surface mobility that exposes small particles in subsurface areas to flow, bioturbation by salmon can mitigate fine sedimentation of streambeds, which suggests an active role for salmon in restoring fish habitat in streams.
Concise Review: Is Cardiac Cell Therapy Dead? Embarrassing Trial Outcomes and New Directions for the Future
Authors: Tang Jun-Nan , Cores Jhon , Huang Ke , Cui Xiao-Lin , Luo Lan , Zhang Jin-Ying , Li Tao-Sheng , Qian Li , Cheng Ke
Published: February 2018

Stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for tissue regeneration. The therapeutic benefits of cell therapy are mediated by both direct and indirect mechanisms. However, the application of stem cell therapy in the clinic is hampered by several limitations. This concise review provides a brief introduction into stem cell therapies for ischemic heart disease. It summarizes cell-based and cell-free paradigms, their limitations, and the benefits of using them to target disease.
Sensitivity analysis for unobserved confounding of direct and indirect effects using uncertainty intervals
Authors: Lindmark Anita , de Luna Xavier , Eriksson Marie
Published: February 2018

To estimate direct and indirect effects of an exposure on an outcome from observed data, strong assumptions about unconfoundedness are required. Since these assumptions cannot be tested using the observed data, a mediation analysis should always be accompanied by a sensitivity analysis of the resulting estimates. In this article, we propose a sensitivity analysis method for parametric estimation of direct and indirect effects when the exposure, mediator, and outcome are all binary. The sensitivity parameters consist of the correlations between the error terms of the exposure, mediator, and outcome models. These correlations are incorporated into the estimation of the model parameters and identification sets are then obtained for the direct and indirect effects for a range of plausible correlation values. We take the sampling variability into account through the construction of uncertainty intervals. The proposed method is able to assess sensitivity to both mediator‐outcome confounding and confounding involving the exposure. To illustrate the method, we apply it to a mediation study based on the data from the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke). An R package that implements the proposed method is available.
Antimicrobial Activity of Thiocarbohydrazones: Experimental Studies and Alignment‐Independent 3D QSAR Models
Authors: Božić Aleksandra R. , Bjelogrlić Snežana K. , Novaković Irena T. , Filipović Nenad R. , Petrović Predrag M. , Marinković Aleksandar D. , Todorović Tamara R. , Cvijetić Ilija N.
Published: February 2018

Due to the rise of microbial strains resistant to conventional therapies, there is an urgent need for finding the new antimicrobial chemotypes. Heterocyclic compounds such as thiocarbohydrazones (TCHs) are able to interact with many metalloenzymes essential for microbes, while sulfur atom increases lipophilicity which is generally positively correlated with potency. In this paper, we report antibacterial and antifungal activity of twenty‐two TCHs toward eight bacterial and three fungal strains. Furthermore, three alignment independent 3D QSAR models based on descriptors derived from molecular interaction fields (MIFs) are developed in order to rationalize structure‐activity relationships for activities of TCHs toward S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. Several structural fragments important for biological activity are recognized in each model, and structural modifications which could lead to increased potency are suggested. Designed structures will be synthesized accordingly and tested toward the same microbial strains in order to obtain more potent derivatives.
Experimental Speciation of Plutonium(IV) in Natural Seawater
Authors: Dumas Thomas , Guigue Mireille , Moisy Philippe , Colina‐Ruiz Roberto , Mustre de Leon Jose , Matara‐Aho Minja , Solari Pier Lorenzo , Monfort Marguerite , Moulin Christophe , Beccia Maria Rosa , Auwer Christophe Den
Published: February 2018

Solubility, migration, and bioavailability of plutonium is lacunar because experimental evidences are missing. We report here on X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy of plutonium in natural seawater. The observed valence state is +IV and its speciation corresponds to PuO2 type colloids. Furthermore, aging of the solution shows a gradient of ordering from hydroxide colloidal species to more crystalline PuO2 colloids.
Ascorbic Acid as a Highly Efficient Organocatalyst for ipso‐Hydroxylation of Arylboronic Acid
Authors: Das Sameeran Kumar , Bhattacharjee Prantika , Bora Utpal
Published: February 2018

An effective organocatalyst, ascorbic acid has been successfully applied for the ipso‐hydroxylation of arylboronic acid using 30% aqueous H2O2 as oxidant in water at ambient temperature. The methodology proceeds without using any metal catalyst or base and avoids harsh reaction conditions. The protocol is applicable to various electronically diverse arylboronic acid moieties with good to excellent yield.
Exploring the Effect of Introducing a π‐Bridge on The Efficiency of a Perylene‐Brazilein Based D‐D‐π‐A System: A Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Manzoor Taniya , Pandith Altaf Hussain
Published: February 2018

We report theoretical studies on some perylene based dyes for their electron transfer properties in solar cell applications. The study involves modeling of Donor‐π‐Donor‐π‐Acceptor (D‐π‐D‐π‐A) systems with perylene and brazilein as the two donors, cyanoacrylic acid group as acceptor, thiophene as the π‐bridge between the brazilein and acceptor and a varying π‐Bridge between the two donors . The effect of introducing a π‐bridge as well as varying the π‐bridges on the efficiency of a perylene‐brazilein based D‐D‐π‐A framework was evaluated in terms of various opto‐electronic and photovoltaic parameters affecting cell efficiency. All quantum computations were carried out using Density functional theory (DFT) using 6‐311G(d, p) / LanL2DZ (for I and Ti atoms) as the basis sets and B3LYP as the functional, both in the gas phase as well as solvent phase, with Gaussian 03 set of codes. We found that the sensitizers show good optical as well as photovoltaic response. The dye molecules with benzene (PB2), pyrimidine (PB7), pyrazine (PB8) and aniline (PB9) as π‐bridges exhibit better electron injection efficiencies and are hence, expected to be better sensitizers. The overall opto‐electronic and transport parameters of the TiO2 ‐ dye adsorbed systems after anchoring the dyes on the model TiO2 cluster was also studied which revealed that the dye molecules are expected to be good sensitizers.
Aqueous Chloroplatinic Acid: A Green, Chemoselective and Reusable Catalyst for the Deprotection of Acetals, Ketals, Dioxolanes and Oxathiolanes
Authors: Anil Seegehalli M , Vinayaka Ajjampura C , Rajeev Narasimhamurthy , Swaroop Toreshettahally R , Mallesha Ningegowda , Rangappa Kanchugarakoppal S , Sadashiva Maralinganadoddi P
Published: February 2018

Aqueous chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) as an effective catalyst for the deprotection of acetals, ketals, 1,3‐dioxolanes and 1,3‐oxathiolanes to the corresponding carbonyl compounds in 56–99% yield has been reported. In addition, the catalyst has high‐selectivity in cleaving vicinol diol protection, yielding mono‐protected diols from di‐protected diols as a product. The present deprotection method is novel, chemoselective and offers broad functional group tolerance with short reaction time. Besides, the reaction protocol can be accomplished at ambient temperature and the catalyst is reusable.
Liquid Exfoliation of Colloidal Rhenium Disulfide Nanosheets as a Multifunctional Theranostic Agent for In Vivo Photoacoustic/CT Imaging and Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Miao Zhao‐Hua , Lv Lan‐Xiang , Li Kai , Liu Pei‐Ying , Li Zhenglin , Yang Huanjie , Zhao Qingliang , Chang Manli , Zhen Liang , Xu Cheng‐Yan
Published: February 2018

Near‐infrared light‐mediated theranostic agents with superior tissue penetration and minimal invasion have captivated researchers in cancer research in the past decade. Herein, a probe sonication‐assisted liquid exfoliation approach for scalable and continual synthesis of colloidal rhenium disulfide nanosheets, which is further explored as theranostic agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy, is reported. Due to high‐Z element of Re (Z = 75) and significant photoacoustic effect, the obtained PVP‐capped ReS2 nanosheets are evaluated as bimodality contrast agents for computed tomography and photoacoustic imaging. In addition, utilizing the strong near‐infrared absorption and ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficiency (79.2%), ReS2 nanosheets could also serve as therapeutic agents for photothermal ablation of tumors with a tumor elimination rate up to 100%. Importantly, ReS2 nanosheets show no obvious toxicity based on the cytotoxicity assay, serum biochemistry, and histological analysis. This work highlights the potentials of ReS2 nanosheets as a single‐component theranostic nanoplatform for bioimaging and antitumor therapy.
Liposomal Treatment of Cancer Cells Modulates Uptake Pathway of Polymeric Nanoparticles by Altering Membrane Stiffness
Authors: Xiang Shengnan , Sarem Melika , Shah Samveg , Shastri V. Prasad
Published: February 2018

Nanomedicines can be taken up by cells via nonspecific and dynamin‐dependent (energy‐dependent) clathrin and caveolae‐mediated endocytosis. While significant effort has focused on targeting pathway‐specific transporters, the role of nanobiophysics in the cell lipid bilayer nanoparticle uptake pathway remains largely unexplored. In this study, it is demonstrated that stiffness of lipid bilayer is a key determinant of uptake of liposomes by mammalian cells. Dynamin‐mediated endocytosis (DME) of liposomes is found to correlate with its phase behavior, with transition toward solid phase promoting DME, and transition toward fluidic phase resulting in dynamin‐independent endocytosis. Since liposomes can transfer lipids to cell membrane, it is sought to engineer the biophysical properties of the membrane of breast epithelial tumor cells (MD‐MBA‐231) by treatment with phosphatidylcholine liposomes, and elucidate its effect on the uptake of polymeric nanoparticles. Analysis of the giant plasma membrane vesicles derived from treated cells using flicker spectroscopy reveals that liposome treatment alters membrane stiffness and DME of nanoparticles. Since liposomes have a history of use in drug delivery, localized priming of tumors with liposomes may present a hitherto unexploited means of targeting tumors based on biophysical interactions.
Security policy monitoring of BPMN‐based service compositions
Authors: Asim Muhammad , Yautsiukhin Artsiom , Brucker Achim D. , Baker Thar , Shi Qi , Lempereur Brett
Published: February 2018

Service composition is a key concept of Service‐Oriented Architecture that allows for combining loosely coupled services that are offered and operated by different service providers. Such environments are expected to dynamically respond to changes that may occur at runtime, including changes in the environment and individual services themselves. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor these loosely coupled services throughout their lifetime. In this paper, we present a novel framework for monitoring services at runtime and ensuring that services behave as they have promised. In particular, we focus on monitoring non‐functional properties that are specified within an agreed security contract. The novelty of our work is based on the way in which monitoring information can be combined from multiple dynamic services to automate the monitoring of business processes and proactively report compliance violations. The framework enables monitoring of both atomic and composite services and provides a user friendly interface for specifying the monitoring policy. We provide an information service case study using a real composite service to demonstrate how we achieve compliance monitoring. The transformation of security policy into monitoring rules, which is done automatically, makes our framework more flexible and accurate than existing techniques.
Understanding the Selection Mechanism of the Polymer Wrapping Technique toward Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Salazar‐Rios Jorge Mario , Talsma Wytse , Derenskyi Vladimir , Gomulya Widianta , Keller Tina , Fritsch Martin , Kowalski Sebastian , Preis Eduard , Wang Ming , Allard Sybille , Bazan Guillermo Carlos , Scherf Ullrich , dos Santos Maria Cristina , Loi Maria Antonietta
Published: February 2018

Noncovalent functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using π‐conjugated polymers has become one of the most effective techniques to select semiconducting SWNTs (s‐SWNTs). Several conjugated polymers are used, but their ability to sort metallic and semiconducting species, as well as the dispersions yields, varies as a function of their chemical structure. Here, three polymers are compared, namely, poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis‐(2‐dodecyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[2,1‐b;3,4b′]dithiophene)‐alt‐4,7(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)] (P12CPDTBT), poly(9,9‐di‐n‐dodecylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl) (PF12), and poly(3‐dodecylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3DDT) in their ability to select two types of carbon nanotubes comprising small (≈1 nm) and large (≈1.5 nm) diameters. P12CPDTBT is a better dispersant than PF12 for small diameter nanotubes, while both polymers are good dispersants of large diameter nanotubes. However, these dispersions contain metallic species. P3DDT, instead presents the best overall performance regarding the selectivity toward semiconducting species, with a dispersion yield for s‐SWNTs of 15% for small and 21% for large diameter nanotubes. These results are rationalized in terms of electronic and chemical structure showing that: (i) the binding energy is stronger when more alkyl lateral chains adsorb on the nanotube surface; (ii) the binding energy is stronger when the polymer backbone is more flexible; (iii) the purity of the dispersions seems to depend on a strong polymer–nanotube interaction.
Multiple day biclustering of high‐frequency financial time series
Authors: Liu Haitao , Zou Jian , Ravishanker Nalini
Published: February 2018

With recent technological advances, high‐frequency transaction‐by‐transaction data are widely available to investors and researchers. To explore the microstructure of variability of stock prices on transaction‐level intra‐day data and to dynamically study patterns of comovement over multiple trading days, we propose a multiple day time series biclustering algorithm (CC‐MDTSB) that extends the time series biclustering algorithm (CC‐TSB). For identifying biclusters within each trading day, our algorithm provides a faster alternative to the random replacement method in the CC‐TSB algorithm. Moreover, our algorithm does not require prespecification of the number of biclusters for each trading day. Instead, we set a threshold on the number of stocks within the biclusters to yield an adaptive stopping criterion for multiple day analysis. An analysis of the biclusters determined over multiple trading days enables us to study the dynamic behaviour of stocks over time. We effectively estimate the comovement probability of each m‐tuple of stocks conditional on the other stocks within the dynamic biclusters and propose a method to forecast comovement days using a nonparametric double exponential smoothing procedure. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Novel Enzymatic Process to Produce Oxalate Depleted Starch From Taro
Authors: Kumar Kunal , Belur Prasanna D.
Published: February 2018

A novel process comprising treatment of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) tuber flour with oxalate oxidase enzyme is developed to deplete the oxalate content. Oxalate oxidase enzyme produced by an endophyte, Ochrobactrum intermedium CL6 is employed to treat taro tuber flour. The treatment followed by extraction of starch results in a 97% reduction in total oxalate content. Further, several physicochemical properties such as paste clarity, swelling power, solubility, amylose content, granule size of starch produced out of enzyme treatment are studied and compared with properties of taro starch produced without enzyme treatment. The study reveals that enzyme treatment does not bring appreciable changes in the studied parameters. The taro starch produced by enzyme treatment shows very low paste clarity (9.38%), high swelling power (15.32 g/g), very low solubility (21.66%), and low amylose content (7.52%) at 100 °C compared to potato and sweet‐potato starches. X‐ray diffraction data reveal that taro starch possesses an A‐crystalline form, unlike the B‐crystalline form found in potato and sweet potato starch. To the best of the authors knowledge, for the first time, the use of oxalate oxidase to produce oxalate depleted taro starch is reported. One of the interesting food industry applications of oxalate‐depleted taro starch, among many other uses could be for baby food formulation because of its small granule size.
Dual potential capacity model for reinforced concrete short and deep beams subjected to shear
Authors: Lee Deuck Hang , Kim Kang Su , Han Sun‐Jin , Zhang Dichuan , Kim Jong
Published: February 2018

The dual potential capacity model (DPCM) was proposed in this study to evaluate the shear strengths of short and deep reinforced concrete (RC) members with the shear span‐to‐depth ratios less than 2.5. In the proposed model, the nonlinear flexural analysis considering the bond mechanism between steel reinforcements and surrounding concrete was conducted to estimate the local stress increase in the steel reinforcements between flexural cracks, and the shear demand force of the cracked tension zone in an RC section can also be determined on this basis. The crack concentration factor was introduced to consider the size effect in estimation of the potential shear capacity corresponding to the shear demand force to be resisted by the cracked tension zone. For the compression zone, different plasticity models were adopted depending on the shear span‐to‐depth ratio to estimate the potential shear capacity of the intact compression zone. For the verification of the proposed model, a total of 466 test results of RC short and deep beams with various shear span‐to‐depth ratios less than 2.5 were collected from existing literature, and accuracy of the proposed model was verified in detail by comparing the shear strengths of the RC short and deep test specimens estimated from the proposed DPCM with those of the test results.
Effects of Temperature and Spatial Scale on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Growth and Abundance
Authors: Huntsman Brock M. , Martin Roy W. , Patten Kirk A.
Published: February 2018

Population persistence across broad spatial scales (e.g., watersheds) can depend on asynchronous dynamics among populations at finer scales (e.g., streams or habitats). We applied a von Bertalanffy growth model and closedN‐mixture abundance model in a hierarchical Bayesian framework to examine effects of fine‐scale variability in temperature and density dependence on growth and abundance as well as within‐ versus among‐stream variability in growth and abundance of Rio Grande Cutthroat TroutOncorhynchus clarkii virginalis(RGCT) in northern New Mexico streams. An accumulation of degree‐days positively influenced instantaneous growth rates and, to a lesser extent, negatively affected asymptotic body length. A nonlinear response of abundance to temperature was also observed, suggesting thatRGCTproductivity along the temperature continuum was affected by physiological limitations (e.g., optimal growth temperatures). Variability inRGCTabundance and the asymptotic size parameter could not be distinguished with certainty between spatial scales but was greatest at the stream level for the rate at which asymptotic size was reached. In total, our results suggested thatRGCTproductivity in our study streams was influenced by mechanisms operating at multiple spatial scales. Management actions should consider processes not only at the stream scale but within streams for improving the likelihood of future population persistence.
How Reliable are Cointegration-Based Estimates for Wealth Effects on Consumption? Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Galli Alain
Published: February 2018

According to economie theory, the intertemporal budget constraint of households implies that a permanent increase in wealth should have a positive effect on consumer spending. Given the comparatively strong increase in Swiss household wealth over the past few years, the question of the extent to which changes in wealth influence expenditures of households has become of special interest for Switzerland. In this paper, I show that while the link among consumption, wealth and income was quite strong from 1981 to 2000, it has been very unstable since 2001. This fact suggests that the gap among the three variables, i.e., the deviation from long-run equilibrium, that has opened over the last few years is less likely to close. The results apply to aggregate wealth effects as well as to separate financial and housing wealth effects. Furthermore, I document several fragility issues related to the use of the cointegration approach to estimating wealth effects. These issues highlight the importance of carefully checking the robustness of the results, instead of looking just at one cointegration estimation method and only one time period. They also highlight the need for a non-cointegration approach to estimating wealth effects.
A Nested Case–Control Study on the Risk of Surgical Site Infection After Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Salem F. A. , Almquist M. , Nordenström E. , Dahlberg J. , Hessman O. , Lundgren C. I. , Bergenfelz A.
Published: February 2018

Introduction

It is unclear if antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) in thyroid surgery. This study assessed risk factors for SSI and antibiotic prophylaxis in subgroups of patients.

Method and design

A nested case–control study on patients registered in the Swedish National Register for Endocrine Surgery was performed. Patients with SSI were matched 1:1 by age and gender to controls. Additional information on patients with SSI and controls was queried from attending surgeons using a questionnaire. Risk factors for SSI were evaluated by logistic regression analysis and presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

There were 9494 operations; 109 (1.2%) patients had SSI. Patients with SSI were older (median 53 vs. 49 years) than patients without SSI p = 0.01 and more often had a cancer diagnosis 23 (21.1%) versus 1137 (12.1%) p = 0.01. In the analysis of patients with SSI versus controls, patients with SSI more often had post‐operative drainage 68 (62.4%) versus 46 (42.2%) p = 0.01 and lymph node surgery 40 (36.7%) versus 14 (13.0%) p < 0.01, and both were independent risk factors for SSI, drain OR 1.82 (CI 1.04–3.18) and lymph node dissection, OR 3.22 (95% CI 1.32–7.82). A higher number of 26(62%) patients with independent risk factors for SSI and diagnosed with SSI did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis. Data were missing for 8 (31%) patients.

Conclusion

Lymph node dissection and drain are independent risk factors for SSI after thyroidectomy. Antibiotic prophylaxis might be considered in patients with these risk factors.
Psychosocial Impact of a Positive Gene Result for Asymptomatic Relatives at Risk of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Bonner Carissa , Spinks Catherine , Semsarian Christopher , Barratt Alex , Ingles Jodie , McCaffery Kirsten
Published: February 2018

Families with a history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) may be offered genetic testing in addition to clinical surveillance. Asymptomatic family members who are gene positive (silent gene carriers) represent a new group of “patients” who may not develop HCM, with little evidence available to assist clinical management. This study explored experiences of HCM genetic testing to identify potential benefits and harms. Thirty‐two individuals previously offered genetic testing for HCM were recruited. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted face‐to‐face or by phone, and transcribed audio‐recordings were coded using framework analysis. Key themes were as follows: (1) helping the next generation, (2) misunderstanding risk, (3) discrepancy between actual/perceived impact. Participants described multiple psychological (shock, worry, uncertainty) and behavioural (career, sport, insurance, family planning) consequences, depending on perceived risk. Most considered only the benefits of genetic testing for children or grandchildren, but there were some cases of significant adverse impact. The interpretation of the HCM genetic test result is variable for silent gene carriers and can lead to psychological and behavioural changes. The impact of a positive gene result may be mitigated by increased clarity of the clinical consequences and efforts to ensure informed decision‐making, highlighting even further the important role of cardiac genetic counselling.
Parenting a Child with Phenylketonuria (PKU): an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the Experience of Parents
Authors: Carpenter Katie , Wittkowski Anja , Hare Dougal J. , Medford Emma , Rust Stewart , Jones Simon A. , Smith Debbie M.
Published: February 2018

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder which can cause neurological damage if left untreated. PKU is identified through newborn screening in developed countries, and treatment begins immediately to prevent these severe consequences. When a child is diagnosed, parents must assume immediate responsibility for the management of PKU and prevention of neurological damage. Quantitative studies have identified significant psychosocial stressors for parents, but little is known about how the parents experience this process. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with PKU under the age of two. It is the first study to examine these experiences in this way. Seven parents were interviewed about their experiences, and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Three main themes were identified: control, striving for normality and acceptance of PKU as a continuum. Links between the themes and processes underpinning the results were explored with relation to existing literature and theories from a clinical psychology perspective. The role of acceptance of PKU was central to the parent's experiences. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
The Economic Foundations of Cohabiting Couples’ Union Transitions
Authors: Ishizuka Patrick
Published: February 2018

In recent decades, cohabitation has become an increasingly important relationship context for U.S. adults and their children, a union status characterized by high levels of instability. To understand why some cohabiting couples marry but others separate, researchers have drawn on theories emphasizing the benefits of specialization, the persistence of the male breadwinner norm, low income as a source of stress and conflict, and rising economic standards associated with marriage (the marriage bar). Because of conflicting evidence and data constraints, however, important theoretical questions remain. This study uses survival analysis with prospective monthly data from nationally representative panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation from 1996–2013 to test alternative theories of how money and work affect whether cohabiting couples marry or separate. Analyses indicate that the economic foundations of cohabiting couples’ union transitions do not lie in economic specialization or only men’s ability to be good providers. Instead, results for marriage support marriage bar theory: adjusting for couples’ absolute earnings, increases in wealth and couples’ earnings relative to a standard associated with marriage strongly predict marriage. For dissolution, couples with higher and more equal earnings are significantly less likely to separate. Findings demonstrate that within-couple earnings equality promotes stability, and between-couple inequalities in economic resources are critical in producing inequalities in couples’ relationship outcomes.
On well-posedness for some dispersive perturbations of Burgers' equation
Authors: Vento Stéphane , Molinet Luc , Pilod Didier
Published: February 2018

We show that the Cauchy problem for a class of dispersive perturbations of Burgers' equations containing the low dispersion Benjamin–Ono equation

\partial _{t}u−D_{x}^{\alpha }\partial _{x}u = \partial _{x}(u^{2})\:,\:0 < \alpha \leq 1,

is locally well-posed in

H^{s}(\mathbb{R})

when

s > s_{\alpha }: = \frac{3}{2}−\frac{5\alpha }{4}

. As a consequence, we obtain global well-posedness in the energy space

H^{\frac{\alpha }{2}}(\mathbb{R})

as soon as

\frac{\alpha }{2} > s_{\alpha }

, i.e.

\alpha > \frac{6}{7}

.
Preprocessing of 2-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis Images Applied to Proteomic Analysis: A Review
Authors: Goez Manuel Mauricio , Torres-Madroñero Maria Constanza , Röthlisberger Sarah , Delgado-Trejos Edilson
Published: February 2018

Various methods and specialized software programs are available for processing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) images. However, due to the anomalies present in these images, a reliable, automated, and highly reproducible system for 2-DGE image analysis has still not been achieved. The most common anomalies found in 2-DGE images include vertical and horizontal streaking, fuzzy spots, and background noise, which greatly complicate computational analysis. In this paper, we review the preprocessing techniques applied to 2-DGE images for noise reduction, intensity normalization, and background correction. We also present a quantitative comparison of non-linear filtering techniques applied to synthetic gel images, through analyzing the performance of the filters under specific conditions. Synthetic proteins were modeled into a two-dimensional Gaussian distribution with adjustable parameters for changing the size, intensity, and degradation. Three types of noise were added to the images: Gaussian, Rayleigh, and exponential, with signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) ranging 8–20 decibels (dB). We compared the performance of wavelet, contourlet, total variation (TV), and wavelet-total variation (WTTV) techniques using parameters SNR and spot efficiency. In terms of spot efficiency, contourlet and TV were more sensitive to noise than wavelet and WTTV. Wavelet worked the best for images with SNR ranging 10–20 dB, whereas WTTV performed better with high noise levels. Wavelet also presented the best performance with any level of Gaussian noise and low levels (20–14 dB) of Rayleigh and exponential noise in terms of SNR. Finally, the performance of the non-linear filtering techniques was evaluated using a real 2-DGE image with previously identified proteins marked. Wavelet achieved the best detection rate for the real image.
Evaluation of Performance‐Based Outcome Measures for the Upper Limb: A Comprehensive Narrative Review
Authors: Wang Sophie , Hsu C. Janice , Trent Lauren , Ryan Tiffany , Kearns Nathan T. , Civillico Eugene F. , Kontson Kimberly L.
Published: February 2018

Objective performance‐based outcome measures (OMs) have the potential to provide unbiased and reproducible assessments of limb function. However, very few of these performance‐based OMs have been validated for upper limb (UL) prosthesis users. OMs validated in other clinical populations (eg, neurologic or musculoskeletal conditions) could be used to fill gaps in existing performance‐based OMs for UL amputees. Additionally, a joint review might reveal consistent gaps across multiple clinical populations. Therefore, the objective of this review was to systematically characterize prominent measures used in both sets of clinical populations with regard to (1) location of task performance around the body, (2) possible grips employed, (3) bilateral versus unilateral task participation, and (4) details of scoring mechanisms. A systematic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, Medline, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health electronic databases for variations of the following terms: stroke, musculoskeletal dysfunction, amputation, prosthesis, upper limb, outcome, assessments. Articles were included if they described performance‐based OMs developed for disabilities of the UL. Results show most tasks were performed with 1 hand in the space directly in front of the participant. The tip, tripod, and cylindrical grips were most commonly used for the specific tasks. Few measures assessed sensation and movement quality. Overall, several limitations in OMs were identified. The solution to these limitations may be to modify and validate existing measures originally developed for other clinical populations as first steps to more aptly measure prosthesis use while more complete assessments for UL prosthesis users are being developed.

Level of Evidence

Level III
Fungus wars: basidiomycete battles in wood decay
Authors: Hiscox J. , O'Leary J. , Boddy L.
Published: February 2018

Understanding the mechanisms underlying wood decay basidiomycete community dynamics is crucial for fully understanding decomposition processes, and for modelling ecosystem function and resilience to environmental change. Competition drives community development in decaying woody resources,
with interactions occurring at a distance, following physical contact, and through specialised relationships such as mycoparasitism. Outcomes of combative interactions range from replacement, where one mycelium displaces another, to deadlock, where neither combatant captures territory from
the other; and a spectrum of intermediate outcomes (i.e. partial or mutual replacement) lie between these extremes. Many wood decay basidiomycetes coexist within a resource, in a complex and dynamic community, and new research techniques are focussing on spatial orientation of interactions
in 3 dimensions, as opposed to historical two-dimensional research. Not only do interactions drive changes in species composition and thus wood decomposition rate, they also may have industrial applications in biocontrol of pathogenic or nuisance fungi, enzyme production, and in the production
of novel antifungals and antibiotics. Altogether, fungal interactions are a fascinating and important field of study.
Fundamental Human Rights and ‘Traditional Japanese Values’: Constitutional Amendment and Vision of the Japanese Society
Authors: MATSUI Shigenori
Published: February 2018

Ever since the Constitution of Japan was enacted in 1946, conservative Japanese people must have been unhappy with it. Their past attempts to enact a new constitution or to make radical revisions have been unsuccessful, but they might finally accomplish their goal under the current Abe Cabinet. Why are conservative people unhappy with the Constitution? It is because the Constitution prevents Japan from becoming a ‘normal state’, and it is deemed not in line with ‘traditional Japanese values’. The fundamental human rights provisions are their main target. Therefore, conservative people want to restore ‘traditional Japanese values’ by amending the bill of rights of the Constitution. This article will examine the reasons why conservative people are upset with the Constitution, how they would like to amend it, and whether their arguments are persuasive. It will conclude that their arguments, just like the ‘Asian values’ theory, are hardly justifiable and could completely undermine the foundation of individual rights protection.
Crime Mapping and Crime Analysis of Property Crimes in Jodhpur
Authors: Lama Swikar , Rathore Sikandar Singh
Published: February 2018

This study is based on crime mapping and crime analysis of property crimes in Jodhpur. The property crimes which were selected were house breaking, auto thefts and chain snatching. Data from police stations were used to generate the maps to locate hot spots of crimes. The profile of these hot spots was analyzed through observations supplemented with interviews of police officers and public 100 cases of house breaking and 100 cases of auto thefts were further analyzed to understand the contexts which lead to these crimes. These contexts are in consonance with situational crime prevention theories. This study may help to understand the environmental factors which may be responsible for certain places becoming hot spot areas of property crimes in Jodhpur.
The Role of Oral Health in Complex Emergencies and Disaster Rehabilitation Medicine
Authors: Aggarwal Vishal R.
Published: February 2018

This paper presents an overview of the importance of oral health in complex emergencies. It highlights the importance of maintaining general and oral health in the acute, intermediate and long-term phases of such events which are increasing in frequency. The importance of oral health as an early warning sign for systemic disease and deprivation is also explored along with the crucial role of oral health in maintaining quality of life through adequate nutrition and speech. The overview of oral health in these situations identifies the need for training dental personnel as members of rehabilitation teams that set out to manage these disasters. They can quickly help in improving quality of life for victims by extracting carious and painful teeth as necessary, and also form part of an oral health education program for aid agencies. They can also be the first to identify systemic diseases like HIV and may also play a role in identifying victims of abuse, as non-accidental injuries can frequently present in the oro-facial region. The oral health overview concludes by describing the contents of innovative oral health packs that are tailored to prevention of dental diseases and that can be readily incorporated as part of food packs distributed by aid agencies. (Disaster Med Public Health Prepardness. 2018;12:772-777)
Safety of Palivizumab Stewardship in Conjunction with Infection Prevention and Control Strategies for Healthcare-Associated Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
Authors: Patel Rupal M. , Kociolek Larry K. , Merrick Emily , Reuter Caroline , Kronforst Kenny , Zheng Xiaotian , Patel Sameer J.
Published: February 2018

Transitioning from administration of monthly palivizumab to a single dose at discharge was associated with substantial pharmacy cost savings. With the concurrent adoption of private hospital rooms and visitor restriction policies, hospital-wide and neonatal intensive care unit healthcare-associated respiratory syncytial virus infections decreased following these changes.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:485–487
Flow rate–pressure drop relation for deformable shallow microfluidic channels
Authors: Christov Ivan C. , Cognet Vincent , Shidhore Tanmay C. , Stone Howard A.
Published: February 2018

Laminar flow in devices fabricated from soft materials causes deformation of the passage geometry, which affects the flow rate–pressure drop relation. For a given pressure drop, in channels with narrow rectangular cross-section, the flow rate varies as the cube of the channel height, so deformation can produce significant quantitative effects, including nonlinear dependence on the pressure drop (Gervaiset al.,Lab on a Chip, vol. 6, 2006, pp. 500–507). Gervaiset al. proposed a successful model of the deformation-induced change in the flow rate by heuristically coupling a Hookean elastic response with the lubrication approximation for Stokes flow. However, their model contains a fitting parameter that must be found for each channel shape by performing an experiment. We present a perturbation approach for the flow rate–pressure drop relation in a shallow deformable microchannel using the theory of isotropic quasi-static plate bending and the Stokes equations under a lubrication approximation (specifically, the ratio of the channel’s height to its width and of the channel’s height to its length are both assumed small). Our result contains no free parameters and confirms Gervaiset al.’s observation that the flow rate is a quartic polynomial of the pressure drop. The derived flow rate–pressure drop relation compares favourably with experimental measurements.
Trickle-Up Political Socialization: The Causal Effect on Turnout of Parenting a Newly Enfranchised Voter
Authors: DAHLGAARD JENS OLAV
Published: February 2018

Scholars have argued that children affect their parents’ political behavior, including turnout, through so-called trickle-up socialization. However, there is only limited causal evidence for this claim. Using a regression discontinuity design on a rich dataset, with validated turnout from subsets of Danish municipalities in four elections, I causally identify the effect of parenting a recently enfranchised voter. I consistently find that parents are more likely to vote when their child enters the electorate. On average across all four elections, I estimate that parents become 2.8 percentage points more likely to vote. In a context where the average turnout rate for parents is around 75%, this is a considerable effect. The effect is driven by parents whose children still live with them while there is no discernible effect for parents whose child has left home. The results are robust to a range of alternative specifications and placebo tests.