bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a questionnaire for the assessment of the knowledge, management and reporting ADR in paediatrics by healthcare teams (QUESA-P)
Authors: Tavares Sheilla S , Cruz Luciane N , Castro Juliana , Lopes Luciane Cruz
Published: October 2019

Objective

We aimed to develop and validate a new instrument called Questionnaire for the assessment of the knowledge, management and reporting ADR in Paediatrics by Healthcare teams (QUESA-P).

Design

This is a cross-sectional study.

Settings and participants

Teams of healthcare professionals (HCP) that lead with pharmacological therapy in Paediatrician’s sector (Paediatric-HCP) in seven public hospitals in Brazil.

Outcome

An assessment of the knowledge and current management of ADR in Paediatric-HCP.

Methods

We developed and validated QUESA-P, using a standardised procedure which included item development and psychometric prevalidation using Cronbach’s Alpha, item-total correlation and test–retest validity for internal consistency and reliability. External criterion was used as criterion validation (the instrument was applied to the focus group expert vs focus group team of Paediatric-HCP in hospitals). The focus group of experts who participated in psychometrics was asked to respond to the QUESA-P twice in order to assess test-retest reliability. The content validity of the initial questionnaire was assessed by the Delphi method and pilot test. Subsequently, we made minor revisions and finalized the QUESA-P

Results

Selection of domains and facets were based on literature review made in duplicate by authors. Content validity was done by trial of different examiners (panellists, n=16), conducting analysis through Delphi method (three rounds). The QUESA-P was constructed with three domains. The intraclass correlations (0.80) and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.82), indicated adequate test–retest reliability and internal consistency for each domain. The application of the QUESA to 61 Paediatric-HCP in hospital resulted in lower mean score of 42.1 ± 3.4 in all domains when compared with expert teams (n= 46) 48.2 ± 3.7 (p <0.001) indicating that the instrument is valid to discriminate QUESA experts and Paediatric-HCP.

Conclusion

The selected domains can be used to check weaknesses in the identification, management and reporting of suspected ADR by Paediatric-HCP in Brazil.
Regional variation in primary care improvement strategies and policy: case studies that consider qualitative contextual data for performance measurement in three Canadian provinces
Authors: Martin-Misener Ruth , Wong Sabrina T , Johnston Sharon , Blackman Stephanie , Scott Catherine , Hogg William , Burge Fred , Grool Anne M , Campbell John L , Wuite Sara
Published: October 2019

Objective

To explore regional primary care improvement strategies that are potentially determinants of primary care performance.

Design

Multiple comparative embedded case study.

Setting

Three regions in Canada: Fraser East, British Columbia; Eastern Ontario Health Unit, Ontario; Central Zone, Nova Scotia.

Data sources

(1) In-depth interviews with purposively selected key informants (eg, primary care decision-makers, physician leads, regulatory agencies) and focus groups with patients and clinicians (n=68 participants) and (2) published and grey literature (n=205 documents).

Outcome measures

Variations in spread and uptake of primary care improvement strategies across the three study regions. NVivo (V.11) was used to manage data and perform content analysis to identify categories within and across cases. The coding structure was developed by researchers through iterative collaboration, using inductive and deductive processes.

Results

Six overarching primary care improvement strategies, differing in focus and spread, were implemented across the three study regions: interprofessional team-based approaches, provider skill mix expansion, physician groups and networks, information systems, remuneration and performance measurement and reporting infrastructure.

Conclusion

The addition of information on regional improvement strategies to primary care performance reports could add important contextual insights into primary care performance results. This could help identify possible drivers of reported performance outcomes and levers for change in practice, regional and system-level settings.
Study protocol for a systematic review of evidence for digital interventions for comorbid excessive drinking and depression in community-dwelling populations
Authors: Schulte Bernd , Kaner Eileen F S , Beyer Fiona , Schmidt Christiane S , O'Donnell Amy
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Excessive drinking and depression are frequently comorbid and make a substantial contribution to the global non-communicable disease burden. A range of effective interventions and treatments exist for either excessive drinking or depression alone, including a positive emerging evidence base for the use of digital interventions. Computerised and/or smartphone delivered advice could provide flexible, coordinated support for patients with comorbid excessive drinking and depression. However, to date, no systematic review of the evidence has been conducted focused on the effectiveness of digital interventions for this specific comorbid population. This systematic review will identify and evaluate the effectiveness of digital interventions for reducing comorbid excessive drinking and depression in community-dwelling populations.

Methods and analysis

We will search MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC and SCI from inception to end of July 2019 for randomised controlled trials that evaluate any personalised digital intervention for comorbid excessive drinking and depression and published in any language. Primary outcomes will be changes in quantity of alcohol consumed and depressive symptoms. Screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be undertaken independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved through discussion. Meta-analytic methods will be used to synthesise the data collected relating to the primary outcomes of interest.

Ethics and dissemination

As a systematic review, ethical approval is not needed. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Trial registration number

CRD42019130134.
Primary care integration of sexual and reproductive health services for chlamydia testing across WHO-Europe: a systematic review
Authors: Quezada-Yamamoto Harumi , Dubois Elizabeth , Mastellos Nikolaos , Rawaf Salman
Published: October 2019

Objective

To identify current uptake of chlamydia testing (UCT) as a sexual and reproductive health service (SRHS) integrated in primary care settings of the WHO European region, with the aim to shape policy and quality of care.

Design

Systematic review for studies published from January 2001 to May 2018 in any European language.

Data sources

OVID Medline, EMBASE, Maternal and Infant Care and Global Health.

Eligibility criteria

Published studies, which involved women or men, adolescents or adults, reporting a UCT indicator in a primary care within a WHO European region country. Study designs considered were: randomised control trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental, observational (eg, cohort, case–control, cross-sectional) and mixed-methods studies as well as case reports.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two independent reviewers screened the sources and validated the selection process. The BRIGGS Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2011 and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists were considered for quality and risk of bias assessment.

Results

24 studies were finally included, of which 15 were cross-sectional, 4 cohort, 2 RCTs, 2 case–control studies and 1 mixed-methods study. A majority of the evidence cites the UK model, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium only. Acceptability if offered test in primary healthcare (PHC) ranged from 55% to 81.4% in women and from 9.5% to 70.6% when both genders were reported together. Men may have a lower UCT compared with women. When both genders were reported together, the lowest acceptability was 9.5% in the Netherlands. Denmark presented the highest percentage of eligible people who tested in a PHC setting (87.3%).

Conclusions

Different health systems may influence UCT in PHC. The regional use of a common testing rate indicator is suggested to homogenise reporting. There is very little evidence on integration of SRHS such as chlamydia testing in PHC and there are gaps between European countries.
Motivators and barriers to engagement with evidence-based practice among medical and dental trainees from the UK and Republic of Ireland: a national survey
Authors: Hong Bosun , O'Sullivan Eoin Daniel , Henein Christin , Jones Christopher Mark
Published: October 2019

Objectives

To explore the extent to which doctors and dentists in training within the UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) engage in and with evidence-based practice (EBP), and to identify motivators and barriers to them doing so.

Design

An observational, prepiloted web-based survey developed by a trainee-led focus group.

Setting

The survey instrument was disseminated to doctors and dentists in training within the UK and RoI during June 2017 via social media and through deaneries, Royal Colleges and specialty-specific mailing lists.

Participants

Data from 243 trainees were analysed; 188 doctors from 31 specialties and 55 dentists from 9 specialties. Responses were received from trainees at all stages of postgraduate training though the overall response rate was low.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The motivators and barriers to, and the extent of, trainee engagement with EBP.

Results

Cronbach’s α was 0.83. Most trainees (87.6% (n=148) of doctors and 75.1% (n=39) of dentists) consulted the evidence base at least monthly, while 23.1% [n=39 doctors, 12 dentists] of both specialties did so daily. The two most commonly cited barriers to engagement with EBP for both doctors and dentists, respectively, were insufficient time (57.6% (n=95) and 45.1% (n=23)) and a tendency to follow departmental practice (40.6% (n=67) and 45.1% (n=23)). Key motivators for EBP included curiosity, following the example set by senior colleagues and a desire to avoid harm. Most trainees reported high levels of confidence interpreting evidence yet for 26.8% (n=45) of doctors and 36.5% (n=19) of dentists, medical hierarchy would impede them querying a colleague’s management plan based on their own reading of the evidence.

Conclusions

Time, accepted departmental practice and the behaviour of senior clinicians all highly impact on trainee engagement with EBP. Given the low response rate, the extent to which these data represent the overall population is unclear.
Clinician education, advice and SMS/text reminders improve test of reinfection rates following diagnosis ofChlamydia trachomatisorNeisseria gonorrhoeae: before and after study in primary care
Authors: Rose Sally B , Garrett Susan M , Hutchings Deborah , Lund Kim , Kennedy Jane , Pullon Susan R H
Published: October 2019

Background

Evidence-based guidelines for the management ofChlamydia trachomatisandNeisseria gonorrhoeaerecommend testing for reinfection 3–6 months following treatment, but retesting rates are typically low.

Methods

Participants included six primary care clinics taking part in a pilot study of strategies designed to improve partner notification, follow-up and testing for reinfection. Rates of retesting between 6 weeks and 6 months of a positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea diagnosis were compared across two time periods: (1) a historical control period (no systematic approach to retesting) and (2) during an intervention period involving clinician education, patient advice about reinfection risk reduction and retesting, and short messaging service/text reminders sent 2–3 months post-treatment inviting return for retesting. Retesting was calculated for demographic subgroups (reported with 95% CI).

Results

Overall 25.4% (61 of 240, 95% CI 20.0 to 31.4) were retested during the control period and 47.9% (116 of 242, 95% CI 43.2 to 55.1) during the intervention period. Retesting rates increased across most demographic groups, with at least twofold increases observed for men, those aged 20–29 years old, and Māori and Pasifika ethnic groups. No significant difference was observed in repeat positivity rates for the two time periods, 18% (11 of 61) retested positive during the control and 16.4% (19 of 116) during the intervention period (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Clinician and patient information about retesting and a more systematic approach to follow-up resulted in significant increases in proportions tested for reinfection within 6 months. These simple strategies could readily be implemented into primary healthcare settings to address low rates of retesting for bacterial sexually transmitted infections.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12616000837426.
Long noncoding RNA HIF1A-AS2 facilitates cell survival and migration by sponging miR-33b-5p to modulate SIRT6 expression in osteosarcoma
Authors: Lin Hang , Zhao Zhenxu , Hao Yi , He Jun , He Jian
Published: October 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as vital regulators in various physiological and pathological processes. It was recently found that lncRNA HIF1A-AS2 could play oncogenic roles in several cancers. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of lncRNA HIF1A-AS2 in osteosarcoma (OS) remain largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that HIF1A-AS2 was overexpressed in OS tissues and cells. Downregulation of HIF1A-AS2 significantly affects multiple biological functions in OS cells, including cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell apoptosis, cell migration, and cell invasiveness. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that HIF1A-AS2 can interact with miR-33b-5p and negatively regulate its expression, thereby upregulating the protein expression of miR-33b-5p’s target SIRT6. Additionally, in vivo experiments using a xenograft tumor mouse model revealed that downregulation of HIF1A-AS2 suppresses tumor growth in OS. Taken together, a newly identified regulatory mechanism for the lncRNA HIF1A-AS2–miR-33b-5p–SIRT6 axis was systematically studied in OS, which could be a promising target for the treatment of OS.
Formative assessments using text messages to develop students’ ability to provide causal reasoning in general chemistry
Authors: Sweeder Ryan David , Herrington Deborah G.
Published: October 2019

Formative assessment is critical in providing students the opportunity to self-assess their content knowledge and providing data to inform instructional decisions. It also provides students with information about course expectations. If, as called for in numerous science instruction reform efforts, we expect students to be able to apply their chemistry knowledge to analyze data and construct coherent explanations, then not only must summative assessments include items that require this of students, but students must also be provided with frequent and ongoing opportunities to individually practice this difficult task and receive feedback. Although online homework systems can be quite effective at providing students with feedback regarding their mastery of basic skills, it is typically less useful in providing meaningful feedback on constructed student explanations. This study examined the impact of providing students with frequent out-of-class formative assessment activities initiated by text messages. Student responses were then used to facilitate in-class instruction. Increased student participation in these formative assessment tasks correlated positively with success on exams even after accounting for student prior knowledge. There was also evidence that students increased their ability to construct complete explanation over the course of the semester. All results were consistent across two different institutions and three instructors.
In vitro propagation of Camellia fascicularis: a plant species with extremely small populations
Authors: Wang Mengting , Zhang Guiliang , Xin Peiyao , Liu Yun , Li Bin , Tang Junrong
Published: October 2019

Camellia fascicularis is an endangered evergreen ornamental plant with pale yellow flowers. An efficient and reproducible in vitro regeneration method is required for its large-scale propagation and germplasm conservation. In this study, one axillary bud per nodal stem was obtained from C. fascicularis cultured on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.1 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) combined with 1.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Axillary buds from the stem segments were transferred to modified woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 3.0 mg L−1 BA in combination with 0.3 mg L−1 IAA for multiplication, thereby resulting in a high shoot multiplication rate of 6.8. Multiple shoots were divided into nodal stems and shoot tips and were induced to root. The shoot tips were induced to root by culturing on one-half MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in combination with 0.3 mg L−1 α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), which resulted in 76.0% rooting efficiency with 2.3 roots per shoot. The optimal hormone ratio for inducing rooting of nodal stems was 1.0 mg L−1 IBA in combination with 2.0 mg L−1 NAA, which resulted in 72.7% rooting efficiency with 1.7 roots per nodal stem. These two rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized and established in a greenhouse.
Jake hard red spring wheat
Authors: Spaner D. , Iqbal M. , Navabi A. , Strenzke K. , Beres B.
Published: October 2019

Jake hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed using a modified bulk breeding method at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. Jake is an awned, hollow-stemmed line with high yield potential, medium tall plants, and medium maturity. During the three years (2015–2017) of evaluation in the Parkland Wheat Cooperative test, Jake yielded 6% higher than the mean of all of the checks, and matured 0.7 and 1.7 d later than Parata and Splendor but 2.9 d earlier than Glenn. Jake was 91.2 cm tall, shorter than AC Splendor (95.8 cm), but similar in height to Glenn (91.8 cm) and Parata (92 cm). The lodging score of Jake (2.2) was lower than Parata (3.1) and AC Splendor (3.1), but similar to Glenn. The test weight of Jake (80.8) was higher than AC Splendor (78.3), similar to Parata (80.5), but lower than Glenn (82.5). The grain weight of Jake (35.6 g) was similar to Parata (35.6 g), but lower than Glenn (36.7 g) and AC Splendor (37.4 g), while the NIR Protein of Jake (15.9%) was higher than Glenn (15.5%) and similar to the other checks. Jake was moderately resistant to resistant to leaf, stem, and stripe rusts, and moderately resistant to common bunt during the 3 yr of testing. The reaction of Jake to Fusarium head blight was variable and ranged from moderately susceptible to moderately resistant, with DON values similar to Carberry and Glenn. Three years of end-use quality evaluation has indicated that Jake is acceptable for the CWRS class.
Erratum to: The two-loop energy–momentum tensor within the gradient-flow formalism
Authors: Harlander Robert V. , Kluth Yannick , Lange Fabian
Published: October 2019

Two typos in Ref. 1 are corrected.
A mechanical characterization of electroconductive magnetorheological elastomer and semi-analytical modeling of magnetic force
Authors: Aguib Salah , Nour Abdelkader , Djedid Toufik
Published: October 2019

Materials with novel properties and compounds of intelligent material combinations are a key to innovation in various successful sectors of the global industry as well as for its export. Magnetorheological elastomer materials have interesting physical properties; most of these properties are modified and adapted under the influence of external parameters such as the magnetic field. In this work, an experimental characterization of the magnetorheological elastomers (MRE) loaded with 20% of the iron particles was made. The results showed that the properties of these materials can be modified very selectively and reversibly under the influence of magnetic field, where the stiffness of the material varies depending on the magnetic field intensity that influences the attractive force between iron particles.
The study of complexitons and periodic solitary-wave solutions with fifth-order KdV equation in (2+1) dimensions
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , Awan Aziz Ullah
Published: October 2019

In this paper, the generalized fifth-order (2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional KdV equation is scrutinized via the extended homoclinic test technique (EHTT) and extended transformed rational function (ETRF) method. With the aid of Hirota’s bilinear form, various exact solutions comprising, periodic solitary-wave, kinky-periodic solitary-wave, periodic soliton and complexiton solutions are constructed. Moreover, the mechanical features and dynamic characteristics of the obtained solutions are presented by three-dimensional plots.
Weighted Sobolev regularity and rate of approximation of the obstacle problem for the integral fractional Laplacian
Authors: Borthagaray Juan Pablo , Nochetto Ricardo H. , Salgado Abner J.
Published: October 2019

We obtain regularity results in weighted Sobolev spaces for the solution of the obstacle problem for the integral fractional Laplacian [Formula: see text] in a Lipschitz bounded domain [Formula: see text] satisfying the exterior ball condition. The weight is a power of the distance to the boundary [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] that accounts for the singular boundary behavior of the solution for any [Formula: see text]. These bounds then serve us as a guide in the design and analysis of a finite element scheme over graded meshes for any dimension [Formula: see text], which is optimal for [Formula: see text].
A node-numbering-invariant directional length scale for simplex elements
Authors: Takizawa Kenji , Ueda Yuki , Tezduyar Tayfun E.
Published: October 2019

Variational multiscale methods, and their precursors, stabilized methods, have been very popular in flow computations in the past several decades. Stabilization parameters embedded in most of these methods play a significant role. The parameters almost always involve element length scales, most of the time in specific directions, such as the direction of the flow or solution gradient. We require the length scales, including the directional length scales, to have node-numbering invariance for all element types, including simplex elements. We propose a length scale expression meeting that requirement. We analytically evaluate the expression in the context of simplex elements and compared to one of the most widely used length scale expressions and show the levels of noninvariance avoided.
Factorizations of elements in local rings and semilocal rings of finite type
Authors: Arroyo Paniagua María José , Facchini Alberto , Tolooei Yaser
Published: October 2019

Factorizations of ring elements are described by finite chains of principal ideals. We use the description of cyclically presented modules over local rings to study factorization of elements in local rings.
Formal aspects of non-perturbative Quantum Field Theory via an operator theoretic setting
Authors: Shojaei-Fard Ali
Published: October 2019

The paper builds the original foundations of a new operator theoretic setting for the study of quantum dynamics of non-perturbative aspects originated from Green’s functions in Quantum Field Theory with strong couplings.
Johnson pseudo-contractibility of second duals of certain Banach algebras
Authors: Sahami A. , Ghaderi E. , Kazemi Torbaghan S. M. , Olfatian Gillan B.
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we study Johnson pseudo-contractibility of second dual of some Banach algebras. We show that the semigroup algebra [Formula: see text] is Johnson pseudo-contractible if and only if [Formula: see text] is a finite amenable group, where [Formula: see text] is an archimedean semigroup. We also show that the matrix algebra [Formula: see text] is Johnson pseudo-contractible if and only if [Formula: see text] is finite. We study Johnson pseudo-contractibility of certain projective tensor product second duals Banach algebras.
CORN YIELD DYNAMICS AND WEATHER SHOCKS: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE U.S. CORN BELT
Authors: McFADDEN JONATHAN , MIRANOWSKI JOHN
Published: October 2019

Unmitigated climate change is projected to reduce average U.S. corn yields. Many of these projections rely on stable model coefficients, which may not hold in practice. We investigate the assumption of spatio-temporal stability of weather coefficients in regressions of U.S. Corn Belt yields during 1950–2014 and examine their implications for climate change projections. We reject the null hypothesis of time-constant weather shock coefficients for roughly one-third of sample counties and find that smoothly evolving parameters contribute to near-term prediction deterioration. We next estimate a dynamic econometric model that accounts for nonstationarities, outliers, and smoothly evolving parameters. Though average yields are projected to decline through 2050, there is considerable uncertainty when bootstrapping from a set of 30 downscaled climate models for both the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. Long-tailed distributions suggest a small number of counties could experience only small short-term yield decreases. Projections from a static analogue of our dynamic model have distributions with thinner tails, less dispersion, and higher means.
Recognition and significance of
c.
800 Ma upper amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism in metasedimentary rocks from the NW margin of the Yangtze Block
Authors: Haozheng Wang , Oscar Laurent , Huafeng Zhang , Hong Zhang , Xi Chen , Mingguo Zhai
Published: October 2019

The evolutionary history of the NW Yangtze Block is important in interpreting its location and relationship with the Rodinia supercontinent. Although a Neoproterozoic arc-related tectonothermal event is recognized in the Micangshan area of the NW Yangtze Block, its timing and
P–T
conditions are poorly constrained. We address this issue by focusing on the garnet–biotite gneiss that represents the main lithology of the Huodiya Group on the NW margin of the Yangtze Block. This gneiss is predominantly composed of garnet, biotite, feldspar and quartz. The peak mineral assemblage in the matrix consists of garnet + biotite + quartz + plagioclase + K-feldspar. The retrograde stage is characterized by embayed rims of the garnet and its associated biotite in the matrix. The
P–T
conditions in the peak and retrograde stages are constrained to 7–8 kbar and
c.
710°C and 5–6 kbar and 650–675°C, respectively, and suggest that 4–5 vol.% melt was produced during an upper amphibolite–granulite facies metamorphic event. The first report of monazite U–Pb dating in the Huodiya Group of the Micangshan area yielded a weighted mean
206
Pb/
238
U age of 802 ± 5 Ma. The studied samples contained detrital igneous zircons with
206
Pb/
238
U dates >800 Ma, whereas the metamorphic zircons yielded a weighted mean
206
Pb/
238
U age of 797 ± 9 Ma. Based on the compressional tectonic environment and previous studies, we propose that the Yangtze Block was probably located on the periphery of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Supplementary material:
The analytical methods are summarized in
Supplementary
Text File 1. Representative mineral composition and the results of U–Pb isotopic analyses of monazites and zircons are presented in
supplementary table 1–7
. The results of trace element concentrations in garnets are presented in
Supplementary table 8
.
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4698356
DICTUM
Authors: Winkler Daniel A. , Wang Robert , Blanchette Francois , Carreira-Perpiñán Miguel Á. , Cerpa Alberto E.
Published: October 2019

Lawns make up the largest irrigated crop by surface area in North America and carry with it a demand for over 7B gallons of freshwater each day. Despite recent developments in irrigation control and sprinkler technology, state-of-the-art irrigation systems do nothing to compensate for areas of turf with heterogeneous water needs. In this work, we overcome the physical limitations of the traditional irrigation system with the development of a sprinkler node that can sense the local soil moisture, communicate wirelessly, and actuate its own sprinkler based on a centrally computed schedule. A model is then developed to compute moisture movement from runoff, absorption, and diffusion. Integrated with an optimization framework, optimal valve scheduling can be found for each sprinkler node in the space. In a turf area covering over 10,000ft
2
, two separate deployments with four weeks of fine-grained data collection show that DICTUM can reduce water consumption by 23.4% over traditional campus scheduling, and by 12.3% over state-of-the-art evapotranspiration systems while substantially improving conditions for plant health. In addition to environmental, social, and health benefits, DICTUM is shown to return its investment in 16 to 18 months based on water consumption alone.
BikeGPS
Authors: Chen Kongyang , Tan Guang
Published: October 2019

The past few years have witnessed a rapid growth of
stationless bike sharing
services. The service allows the bikes to be dropped off freely and to be found through GPS localization. In practice, the bikes are often parked in close proximity to buildings, where GPS accuracy suffers, making bike search a challenging task. This article proposes a novel approach to addressing this problem. Inspired by multi-antenna systems, our method tries to collect GPS signals from multiple distributed bikes, by organizing a group of bikes into a network, called a
BikeGPS
network. Formed by pedestrian users who opportunistically measure inter-bike distance via radio sensing and step tracking, the generated network permits one to map all the nodes’ satellite range measurements into a single
lead node
’s view. By considering both signal and geometry properties of satellite raw measurements, and using an asynchronous coarse time navigation algorithm, the lead node can accurately derive the locations of all the network nodes. Experiments in real-world scenarios show that BikeGPS significantly improves the localization performance, in terms of both accuracy and solution availability, compared with the naive GPS approach and a high-level cooperative localization method.
Route or Flood? Reliable and Efficient Support for Downward Traffic in RPL
Authors: Istomin Timofei , Iova Oana , Picco Gian Pietro , Kiraly Csaba
Published: October 2019

Modern protocols for wireless sensor networks efficiently support multi-hop
upward
traffic from many sensors to a collection point, a key functionality enabling monitoring applications. However, the ever-evolving scenarios involving low-power wireless devices increasingly require support also for
downward
traffic, e.g., enabling a controller to issue actuation commands based on the monitored data. The IETF Routing Protocol for Low-power and Lossy Networks (RPL) is among the few tackling both traffic patterns. Unfortunately, its support for downward traffic is significantly unreliable and inefficient compared to its upward counterpart.

We tackle this problem by extending RPL with mechanisms inspired by opposed, yet complementary, principles. At one extreme, we retain the route-based operation of RPL and devise techniques allowed by the standard but commonly neglected by popular implementations. At the other extreme, we rely on flooding as the main networking primitive. Inspired by these principles, we define three base mechanisms, integrate them in a popular RPL implementation, analyze their individual and combined performance, and elicit the resulting tradeoffs in scalability, reliability, and energy consumption. The evaluation relies on simulation, using both real-world topologies from a smart city scenario and synthetic grid ones, as well as on testbed experiments validating our findings from simulation. Results show that the combination of
all
three mechanisms into a novel protocol, T-RPL (i) yields high reliability, close to the one of flooding, (ii) with a low energy consumption, similar to route-based approaches, and (iii) improves remarkably the scalability of RPL with respect to downward traffic.
BoRe
Authors: Lv Pengtao , Meng Xiangwu , Zhang Yujie
Published: October 2019

News recommendation has become an essential way to help readers discover interesting stories. While a growing line of research has focused on modeling reading preferences for news recommendation, they neglect the instability of reader consumption behaviors, i.e., consumption behaviors of readers may be influenced by other factors in addition to user interests, which degrades the recommendation effectiveness of existing methods. In this article, we propose a probabilistic generative model, BoRe, where user interests and crowd effects are used to adapt to the instability of reader consumption behaviors, and reading sequences are utilized to adapt user interests evolving over time. Further, the extreme sparsity problem in the domain of news severely hinders accurately modeling user interests and reading sequences, which discounts BoRe’s ability to adapt to the instability. Accordingly, we leverage domain-specific features to model user interests in the situation of extreme sparsity. Meanwhile, we consider groups of users instead of individuals to capture reading sequences. Besides, we study how to reduce the computation to allow online application. Extensive experiments have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of BoRe on real-world datasets. The experimental results show the superiority of BoRe, compared with the state-of-the-art competing methods.
Environmental life cycle modelling of the production and use of lithium-ion batteries utilising novel electrode chemistries in China
Authors: Kallitsis Evangelos , Korre Anna , Kelsall Geoff , Kupfersberger Magdalena , Nie Zhenggang
Published: October 2019

The electrification of transport systems is essential for improved city air quality and reduced noise, may also contribute to enhanced energy security and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. The key enabler of the large-scale uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) are improved lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), offering higher mass specific energies, volumetric energy densities, potential differences and energy efficiencies. Most LIBs used in automotive applications combine nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) oxide cathodes with graphite (Gr) anodes intercalating lithium ions from organic electrolyte solutions of lithium salts. Two widely reported modifications include increasing the nickel content in cathodes and introducing silicon-graphite (SiGr) composite anodes, enabling increased energy storage capacities. This paper reports on the development of a detailed unit process-based Life Cycle Inventory model, built to assess the production of current and future NCM batteries in China. The definition of the studied product system and LCI model is followed by the introduction of four different battery production scenarios, which were developed to assess the impacts of producing batteries in China, study the introduction of silicon in anodes and examine the effects of two novel cathode chemistries with increased nickel content (NCM622, NCM811). A detailed presentation of the production phase impacts is provided, based on the ReCiPe 1.08 Midpoint characterisation method. The production phase analysis is complemented by the development of a gate-to-gate model, assessing the environmental impact of using a LIB in a passenger vehicle in China.
Metabolic Subtyping for Novel Personalized Therapies Against Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Mehla Kamiya , Singh Pankaj K.
Published: October 2019

Through metabolic subtyping, metabolic vulnerabilities can be exploited for developing efficacious treatments. A glycolytic subtype indicates poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer, whereas a cholesterogenic subtype correlates with better outcomes potentially due to more energy expenditure. Personalized medicine holds great promise for improving therapy outcomes by optimally targeting metabolic pathways.

See related article by Karasinska et al., p. 135
A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, and Microbiome on the Diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus
Authors: Di Jia , Cheng Yan , Chang Danyan , Liu Yan
Published: October 2019

Background and Aim: The etiology and pathogenesis of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) have been widely studied during recent decades. However, the association between BE and possible risk factors, including abdominal obesity (AO), metabolic syndrome (MetS), insulin resistance (IR), and the microbiome has not reached a consensus and lacks a systematic assessment. The purpose of our study is to evaluate, quantify, and summarize the association between these factors and BE risk. Methods: A systematic search of Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify relevant studies before September 2018. Studies were estimated with the OR, the weighted mean difference (WMD), and the 95% CI by using a random effects model. Subgroup analysis and publication bias were also performed. Results: A total of 46 citations were included in the analysis, and 119,273 subjects were analyzed (AO 13, MetS 15, IR 9, and microbiome: 9). The pooled results showed that AO (p < 0.01, OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.11–1.52, I2 = 31.9%), MetS (p < 0.01, OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.40–2.01, I2 = 87.6%), and IR (p < 0.01, WMD 0.23, 95% CI 0.11–0.35, I2 = 55.8%) were all significantly associated with an increased risk of BE, but except for the microbiome (p > 0.05, OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.66–2.43, I2 = 46.7%). In addition, subgroup analyses were stratified by waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, body mass index, diagnosis criteria, strain type, geographical region, and study design, respectively. Moreover, we observed no evidence of publication bias in Egger’s and Begg’s tests. Conclusions: Our study reveals that AO, MetS, and IR are significantly associated with BE risk, except for the microbiome. The mechanism of BE induced by 3 risk factors should be further explored.
Progression of Metabolic Acidosis in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Tanemoto Masayuki
Published: October 2019

Background: Metabolic acidosis, which is classified into either high anion gap type (high-AGMA) or non-anion gap type (non-AGMA), is a common complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its development in CKD is obscure. Methods: Records of venous blood gas at a general hospital (2015–2017) were assessed by the physiological approach. Excluding records of primary respiratory disturbances, parameters of high-AGMA and non-AGMA (∆AG and ΔΔ, respectively) were compared with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: ΔAG correlated with eGFR negatively (r = –0.397, p < 0.001), but ΔΔ did not correlate with eGFR (p = 0.51). Among the records grouped by the CKD stage (either G1–3, G4, or G5), ∆AG in G5 (0.9 ± 2.7) was higher than those in G1–3 (–2.2 ± 2.6, p < 0.001) and in G4 (–2.0 ± 2.1, p < 0.001). ∆∆ in G4 (4.0 ± 4.1) was higher than that in G1–3 (1.5 ± 3.7, p = 0.056). Between the subgroups in G5 (either G5a: eGFR 10–15, G5b: eGFR 5–10, or G5c: eGFR <5 mL/min/1.73 m2), ∆AG in G5c (3.8 ± 2.1) was higher than that in G5b (0.8 ± 2.4, p < 0.001), which was higher than that in G5a (–0.9 ± 1.8, p < 0.001). ΔΔ in G5a (5.6 ± 4.1) was higher than those in G4 (p = 0.041) and in G5b (3.2 ± 3.9, p = 0.001), which was higher than that in G5c (0.8 ± 3.8, p = 0.006). Conclusion: High-AGMA developed and progressed in CKD stage G5. Non-AGMA generally progressed before the early phase of CKD stage G5 and regressed thereafter.
Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals the Relationship between Phenotypes and Genotypes of Klinefelter Syndrome
Authors: Liu Xiaohui , Tang Donge , Zheng Fengping , Xu Yong , Guo Hui , Zhou Jun , Lin Linhua , Xie Jiansheng , Ou Minglin , Dai Yong
Published: October 2019

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is one of the most common congenital disorders of male infertility. Given its high heterogeneity in clinical and genetic presentation, the relationship between transcriptome, clinical phenotype, and associated co-morbidities seen in KS has not been fully clarified. Here, we report a 47,XXY Chinese male with infertility and analyzed the differences in gene expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with regard to a Chinese male and a female control with normal karyotype by single-cell sequencing. A total of 24,439 cells were analyzed and divided into 5 immune cell types (including B cells, T cells, macrophage cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells) according to marker genes. Using unsupervised dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms, we identified molecularly distinct subpopulations of cells between the KS patient and both controls. Gene ontology enrichment analyses yielded terms associated with well-known comorbidities seen in KS as well as an affected immune system and type I diabetes mellitus. Based on our data, we identified several candidate genes which may be implicated in regulating the phenotype of KS. Overall, this analysis provides a comprehensive map of the cell types of PBMCs in a KS patient at the single-cell level, which will contribute to the prevention of comorbidity and improvement of the life quality of KS patients.
Effect of the Number of Neurointerventionalists on Off‐Hour Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke Within 12 Hours of Symptom Onset
Authors: Kim Joong‐Goo , Choi Jay Chol , Kim Duk Ju , Bae Hee‐Joon , Lee Soo‐Joo , Park Jong‐Moo , Park Tai Hwan , Cho Yong‐Jin , Lee Kyung Bok , Lee Jun , Kim Dong‐Eog , Cha Jae‐Kwan , Kim Joon‐Tae , Lee Byung‐Chul , Han Moon‐Ku , Kim Beom Joon , Kang Jihoon , Kang Kyusik , Kim Jae Guk , Kim Dae‐Hyun , Park Sang‐Soon , Park Moo‐Seok , Hong Keun‐Sik , Park Hong‐Kyun , Oh Mi‐Sun , Yu Kyung‐Ho , Ryu Wi‐Sun , Cho Ki‐Hyun , Choi Kangho , Kim Wook‐Joo , Kwon Jee Hyun , Shin Dong‐Ick , Yum Kyu Sun , Sohn Sung Il , Hong Jeong‐Ho , Yoo Joonsang , Jang Min Uk , Sang‐Hwa Lee , Park Kwang Yeol , Lee June‐Young , Lee Ji Sung
Published: October 2019

Background

Off‐hour presentation can affect treatment delay and clinical outcomes in endovascular therapy (
EVT
) for acute ischemic stroke. We aimed to examine the treatment delays and clinical outcomes of
EVT
between on‐ and off‐hour admission and to evaluate the effect of hospital procedure volume and the number of neurointerventionalists on off‐hour
EVT
.

Methods and Results

From a multicenter registry, we identified patients who were treated with
EVT
within 12 hours of symptom. Annual hospital procedure volume was divided as low (<30), medium (30–60), and high (>60). The effect of the number of neurointerventionalists and annual hospital procedure volume on clinical outcome was estimated by the generalized estimation equation. Of the 31 133 stroke patients, 1564 patients met the eligibility criteria (mean age: 69±12 years; median baseline National Institutes of Health stroke scale score, 15 [interquartile range, 10–19]). Of 1564 patients, 893 (57.1%) arrived during off‐hour. The off‐hour patients had greater median door‐to‐puncture time (110  versus 95 minutes;
P
<0.001) compared with on‐hour patients. Despite the treatment delay, the functional outcome at 3 months did not differ between off‐ and on‐hour (odds ratio with 95% CI for 3‐month modified Rankin Scale 0–2, 0.99 [0.78–1.25];
P
=0.90). The presence of three neurointerventionalists was significantly associated with favorable outcomes at 3 months during on‐ and off‐hour (2.07 [1.53–2.81];
P
<0.001). The association was not observed for annual hospital procedural volume and the functional outcomes.

Conclusions

The number of neurointerventionalists was more crucial to effective around‐the‐clock
EVT
for acute stroke patients than hospital procedural volume.
In Wildness Is the Liberation of the World: On Maroon Ecology and Partisan Nature
Authors: Malm Andreas
Published: October 2019

For good reasons, the green movement turned from wilderness to environmental justice as its central category in the 1980s and ’90s. Today, several leading wilderness advocates seem to compete for the most reactionary positions, particularly on the issue of migration. A case can, however, be made for a progressive, cosmopolitan, Marxist view of wilderness as a space less fully subjugated to capital than others. There is a long history of exploited and persecuted people seeking freedom in and through the wild. This essay focuses on two such groups – maroons and Jewish partisans – and asks what we lose in a rapidly warming world where the remotest and supposedly wildest corners of the world are among the first to be destroyed.
The Influence of the Encoding Modality on Spatial Navigation for Sighted and Late-Blind People
Authors: Santoro Ilaria , Murgia Mauro , Sors Fabrizio , Agostini Tiziano
Published: October 2019

People usually rely on sight to encode spatial information, becoming aware of other sensory cues when deprived of vision. In the absence of vision, it has been demonstrated that physical movements and spatial descriptions can effectively provide the spatial information that is necessary for the construction of an adequate spatial mental model. However, no study has previously compared the influence of these encoding modalities on complex movements such as human spatial navigation within real room-size environments. Thus, we investigated whether the encoding of a spatial layout through verbal cues — that is, spatial description — and motor cues — that is, physical exploration of the environment — differently affect spatial navigation within a real room-size environment, by testing blindfolded sighted (Experiment 1) and late-blind (Experiment 2) participants. Our results reveal that encoding the environment through physical movement is more effective than through verbal descriptions in supporting active navigation. Thus, our findings are in line with the studies claiming that the physical exploration of an environment enhances the development of a global spatial representation and improves spatial updating. From an applied perspective, the present results suggest that it might be possible to improve the experience for visually impaired people within a new environment by allowing them to explore it.
Concussion Management for Children Has Changed: New Pediatric Protocols Using the Latest Evidence
Authors: DeMatteo Carol , Randall Sarah , Falla Katie , Lin Chia-Yu , Giglia Lucy , Mazurek Michael F. , Koelink Eric
Published: October 2019

Return to activity (RTA) and return to school (RTS) are important issues in pediatric concussion management. This study aims to update CanChild’s 2015 RTA and RTS protocols, on the basis of empirical data and feedback collected from our recently completed prospective cohort study, focusing on concussed children and their caregivers; systematic review of evidence published since 2015; and consultation with concussion management experts. The new protocols highlight differences from the earlier versions, mainly, (1) symptom strata to allow quicker progression for those who recover most quickly; (2) a shortened rest period (24-48 hours) accompanied by symptom-guided activity; (3) the recommendation that children progress through the stages before they are symptom free, if symptoms have decreased and do not worsen with activity; (4) specific activity suggestions at each stage of the RTA protocol; (5) recommendations for the amount of time to spend per stage; and (6) integration of RTS and RTA.