bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platelet activation and clotting cascade activation by dialyzers designed for high volume online hemodiafiltration
Authors: Tangvoraphonkchai Kamonwan , Riddell Anne , Davenport Andrew
Published: August 2017

Introduction: Hemodialysis patients are pro‐thrombotic. Higher volume online postdilutional hemodiafiltration (OL‐HDF), with increasing hematocrit increases the risk of clotting in the extracorporeal circuit (ECC). We wished to determine whether OL‐HDF increased platelet activation and ECC clotting.

Methods: Coagulation parameters, platelet, white cell, and endothelial activation markers were measured at the start and end of dialysis sessions in 10 patients and also pre‐ and post‐dialyzer after 15 minutes using two different dialyzers designed for high volume OL‐HDF; cellulose triacetate (TAGP) and polysulphone (PS), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Patients were anticoagulated with a heparin bolus.

Findings: At the start of OL‐HDF, D dimers, thrombin antithrombin complexes (TATs), and soluble adhesions molecules (sICAM‐1 and sVCAM‐1) were increased. Post‐treatment soluble P selectin (PS/PVP 26.7 ± 7.1 versus 36.6 ± 9.9; TAGP 28.7 ± 7.2 versus 43.5 ± 8.4 ng/ml, P < 0.001), and soluble CD40 ligand (PS/PVP 297 ± 228 versus 552 ± 272, TAGP 245 ± 187 versus 390 ± 205 ng/ml, P < 0.05) increased. Post‐dialyzer concentrations increased versus pre‐dialyzer for tissue factor (PS/PVP 117 ± 12 versus 136 ± 16, TAGP 100 ± 25 versus 128 ± 40 ng/ml, P < 0.05), factor VIIIc (PS/PVP 174 ± 54 versus 237 ± 83, TAGP 163 ± 60 versus 247 ± 102 IU/ml, P < 0.01), sVCAM‐1 (PS/PVP 782 ± 64 versus 918 ± 140, TAGP 722 ± 121 versus 889 ± 168 ng/ml, P < 0.01), and D‐dimers (PS/PVP 292 ± 132 versus 355 ± 167, TAGP 300 ± 129 versus 391 ± 171 ng/ml, P < 0.001). There was no macroscopic thrombus noted in the ECC, and no increase in microparticles, platelet factor‐4, or TATs.

Discussion: Despite being pro‐thrombotic, with activation of platelets, and lymphocytes during passage through ECC, no macroscopic clotting, or increased TATs were noted during OL‐HDF, and no major differences between cellulosic and polysulphone dialyzers.
Effectiveness of self‐management programmes in diabetes management: A systematic review
Authors: Vas Aldrin , Devi Elsa Sanatombi , Vidyasagar Sudha , Acharya Raviraja , Rau Nileshwar Radhakrishna , George Anice , Jose Tessy , Nayak Baby
Published: July 2017

Background

Diabetes is a major noncommunicable disease, which is increasing, and approximately 415 million people are affected around the globe. Since diabetes is a lifelong disease, patients require better understanding and knowledge of the condition to become self‐reliant in making diabetes‐related decisions.

Aims

This systematic review was performed to assess the effectiveness of diabetes self‐management programs in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was undertaken to identify all published English language articles through EBSCO discovery services in the following electronic database: Science Direct, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and Access Medicine. Studies were published from January 2000 to October 2015. The initial search retrieved 37 566 studies and based on the inclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected for review.

Results

Of 14 studies, most findings favoured diabetes self‐management. But the overall effectiveness of individual interventions was not conclusive. A wide variety of interventions was used including diabetes education as a major component in self‐management programs.

Conclusion

Interventions used varied strategies in differing composition, and further work is needed to find out the effectiveness of individual interventions.
Exploring disparities in receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy in culturally and linguistically diverse groups: an Australian centre's experience
Authors: Thai Alesha A. , Tacey Mark , Byrne Amanda , White Shane , Yoong Jaclyn
Published: August 2017

Background

Globally, racial and ethnic disparities exist in treatments and outcomes for cancer patients. In Australia, there are few published data related to cancer patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Aim

To explore disparities in adjuvant chemotherapy utilisation in cancer patients from CALD groups.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients who were recommended adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer or early stage colorectal cancer between July 2011 and October 2014 was performed. Rates of adjuvant chemotherapy uptake were analysed between those who identified English as their first‐preferred language, versus those who did not, as well as between patients who were born in a country where English is the main language (non‐CALD), versus those born in a country where English is not the main language (CALD).

Results

Two hundred and eleven patients were identified. One hundred and forty‐three (67.7%) patients had early stage breast cancer and 68 (32.2%) patients had early stage colorectal cancer. No difference was detected in the acceptance of adjuvant chemotherapy between non‐CALD (80.9%) and CALD patients (81.3%, P = 0.984) or between patients who identified English as their first‐preferred language (80.8%) and those who did not (81.8%, P = 0.870). There was no difference in the rate of chemotherapy completion, with 75.6% completion in the non‐English‐speaking group and 81.1% in the English‐speaking group (P = 0.426).

Conclusion

No difference was observed in adjuvant chemotherapy utilisation in patients who identified English as their first‐preferred language compared to those who did not, as well as between non‐CALD and CALD groups. This is the first study to assess these differences in Australia.
Synthesis of ultra‐fine TaB2 nano powders by liquid phase method
Authors: Ren Xuanru , Feng Peizhong , Guo LiTong , Tao XueYu , Li Ziyu , Shi Huilun , Zhang Xiangxiang , Wang He
Published: July 2017

Ultra‐fine TaB2 powders were synthesized by a liquid phase method using tantalum ethoxide, boric acid and sucrose as the sources of tantalum, boron, and carbon. The TaB2 precursor powders is a Ta–B–C–O network system, which were heat‐treated at lower temperature (1500°C) in normal argon atmosphere to obtain the TaB2 powders. XRD confirms the presence of only hexagonal TaB2, while EDS and XPS spectrums confirm the composition and element chemical states of TaB2. The TEM images show a platelet shape of the TaB2 powder and the monocrystal SAED pattern confirms the presence of hexagonal TaB2. Particle size distribution curves show that particle size of the TaB2 powders distributes in the range of 30‐160 nm, whose mean particle size is 106 nm.
Secondary contact after divergence in allopatry explains current lack of ecogeographical isolation in two hybridizing alpine plant species
Authors: Schneeweiss Gerald M. , Winkler Manuela , Schönswetter Peter
Published: August 2017

Aim

Allopatric speciation plays an important role in generating the high diversity of alpine biomes, but in cases of species with largely overlapping distribution, allopatric divergence is usually rather assumed than explicitly tested. The hypothesis of allopatric divergence in currently sympatric and hybridizing species is here tested using phylogeographical tools.

Location

European high mountain ranges (Alps, Pyrenees).

Methods

We gathered amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data and plastid DNA sequences from (1–)2–7 individuals of each of 38 populations ofAndrosace helveticaand of nine populations ofA. pubescens(Primulaceae), spanning their entire distributional areas. AFLP data were analysed with Bayesian clustering approaches, PopGraphs analysis and Bayesian tree estimation methods, the latter permitting ancestral area reconstruction including estimation of Bayes factor support for specific regions. Relationships among plastid haplotypes were inferred using statistical parsimony.

Results

Androsace helveticaandA. pubescensoriginated in allopatry and attained their overlapping distributional areas after range expansion. Gene flow between species did occur (evidenced by haplotype sharing in areas of sympatry), but apparently was not sufficient to erode species boundaries (no signature for gene flow from AFLP data even in syntopic populations of the twoAndrosacespecies). Distributional patterns of gene pools and of plastid haplotypes suggest that the largely centrifugal pattern inA. helveticaand the unidirectional pattern of range expansion inA. pubescenswere modulated by range contractions during Pleistocene climate oscillations into peripheral and interior refugia.

Main conclusions

The hypothesis of allopatric divergence in closely related and ecologically similar species can be readily tested using ancestral area reconstruction at the intraspecific level. Phylogeographical patterns in the twoAndrosacespecies emphasize the relevance of both peripheral and interior refugia for Pleistocene range formation.
Provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe: Is it developing and spreading?
Authors: Costa Filipa A. , Scullin Claire , Al‐Taani Ghaith , Hawwa Ahmed F. , Anderson Claire , Bezverhni Zinaida , Binakaj Zahida , Cordina Maria , Foulon Veerle , Garcia de Bikuña Borja , de Gier Han , Granås Anne Gerd , Grinstova Olga , Griese‐Mammen Nina , Grincevicius Jonas , Grinceviciene Svitrigaile , Kaae Susanne , Kubiliene Loreta , Mariño Eduardo L. , Martins Silvia , Modamio Pilar , Nadin Giancarlo , Nørgaard Lotte Stig , Obarcanin Emina , Tadic Ivana , Tasic Ljiljana , McElnay James C. , Hersberger Kurt E. , Westerlund Tommy
Published: August 2017

Rationale, Aims, and Objectives

Pharmaceutical care involves patient‐centred pharmacist activity to improve medicines management by patients. The implementation of this service in a comprehensive manner, however, requires considerable organisation and effort, and indeed, it is often not fully implemented in care settings.

The main objective was to assess how pharmaceutical care provision within community pharmacy has evolved over time in Europe.

Method

A cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based survey of community pharmacies, using a modified version of the Behavioural Pharmaceutical Care Scale (BPCS) was conducted in late 2012/early 2013 within 16 European countries and compared with an earlier assessment conducted in 2006.

Results

The provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care has slightly improved in all European countries that participated in both editions of this survey (n = 8) with progress being made particularly in Denmark and Switzerland. Moreover, there was a wider country uptake, indicating spread of the concept. However, due to a number of limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution. Using combined data from participating countries, the provision of pharmaceutical care was positively correlated with the participation of the community pharmacists in patient‐centred activities, routine use of pharmacy software with access to clinical data, participation in multidisciplinary team meetings, and having specialized education.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated a slight evolution in self‐reported provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe, as measured by the BPCS. The slow progress suggests a range of barriers, which are preventing pharmacists moving beyond traditional roles. Support from professional bodies and more patient‐centred community pharmacy contracts, including remuneration for pharmaceutical care services, are likely to be required if quicker progress is to be made in the future.
Smallest detectable change and test‐retest reliability of a self‐reported outcome measure: Results of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, General Self‐Efficacy Scale, and 12‐item General Health Questionnaire
Authors: Ohno Shotaro , Takahashi Kana , Inoue Aimi , Takada Koki , Ishihara Yoshiaki , Tanigawa Masaru , Hirao Kazuki
Published: July 2017

Rationale, aims, and objectives

This study aims to examine the smallest detectable change (SDC) and test‐retest reliability of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D), General Self‐Efficacy Scale (GSES), and 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12).

Method

We tested 154 young adults at baseline and 2 weeks later. We calculated the intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for test‐retest reliability with a two‐way random effects model for agreement. We then calculated the standard error of measurement (SEM) for agreement using the ICC formula. The SEM for agreement was used to calculate SDC values at the individual level (SDCind) and group level (SDCgroup).

Results

The study participants included 137 young adults. The ICCs for all self‐reported outcome measurement scales exceeded 0.70. The SEM of CES‐D was 3.64, leading to an SDCind of 10.10 points and SDCgroup of 0.86 points. The SEM of GSES was 1.56, leading to an SDCind of 4.33 points and SDCgroup of 0.37 points. The SEM of GHQ‐12 with bimodal scoring was 1.47, leading to an SDCind of 4.06 points and SDCgroup of 0.35 points. The SEM of GHQ‐12 with Likert scoring was 2.44, leading to an SDCind of 6.76 points and SDCgroup of 0.58 points.

Conclusion

To confirm that the change was not a result of measurement error, a score of self‐reported outcome measurement scales would need to change by an amount greater than these SDC values. This has important implications for clinicians and epidemiologists when assessing outcomes.
Life stage dependent responses to desiccation risk in the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi
Authors: Grégoir A. F. , Philippe C. , Pinceel T. , Reniers J. , Thoré E. S. J. , Vanschoenwinkel B. , Brendonck L.
Published: July 2017

To assess whether the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi responds plastically to a desiccation risk and whether this response is life stage dependent, life‐history traits such as maturation time, fecundity and life span were experimentally measured in N. wattersi that were subjected to a drop in water level either as juveniles, as adults or both as juveniles and adults. Fish that were exposed to simulated pool drying as juveniles did not show changes in reproductive output or life span. Adults reacted by doubling short term egg deposition at the cost of a shorter lifespan. Overall, these results suggest that annual fish species can use phenotypic plasticity to maximize their reproductive output when faced with early pond drying, but this response appears to be life‐stage specific. In addition to frogs and aquatic insects, phenotypic plasticity induced by forthcoming drought is now also confirmed in annual fishes and could well be a common feature of the limited number of fish taxa that manage to survive in this extreme environment.
A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of The Effect of Low Vitamin D on Cognition
Authors: Goodwill Alicia M. , Szoeke Cassandra
Published: July 2017

Background/Objective

With an aging population and no cure for dementia on the horizon, risk factor modification prior to disease onset is an urgent health priority. Therefore, this review examined the effect of low vitamin D status or vitamin D supplementation on cognition in midlife and older adults without a diagnosis of dementia.

Design

Systematic review and random effect meta‐analysis.

Setting

Observational (cross‐sectional and longitudinal cohort) studies comparing low and high vitamin D status and interventions comparing vitamin D supplementation with a control group were included in the review and meta‐analysis.

Participants

Studies including adults and older adults without a dementia diagnosis were included.

Measurements

Medline (PubMed), AMED, Psych INFO, and Cochrane Central databases were searched for articles until August 2016. The Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale and Physiotherapy Evidence Database assessed methodological quality of all studies.

Results

Twenty‐six observational and three intervention studies (n = 19–9,556) were included in the meta‐analysis. Low vitamin D was associated with worse cognitive performance (OR = 1.24, CI = 1.14–1.35) and cognitive decline (OR = 1.26, CI = 1.09–1.23); with cross‐sectional yielding a stronger effect compared to longitudinal studies. Vitamin D supplementation showed no significant benefit on cognition compared with control (SMD = 0.21, CI = −0.05 to 0.46).

Conclusion

Observational evidence demonstrates low vitamin D is related to poorer cognition; however, interventional studies are yet to show a clear benefit from vitamin D supplementation. From the evidence to date, there is likely a therapeutic age window relevant to the development of disease and therefore vitamin D therapy. Longitudinal lifespan studies are necessary to depict the optimal timing and duration in which repletion of vitamin D may protect against cognitive decline and dementia in aging, to better inform trials and practice towards a successful therapy.
Repair of damaged ligaments with tissue fixation system minisling is sufficient to cure major prolapse in all three compartments: 5‐year data
Authors: Inoue Hiromi , Kohata Yutaka , Fukuda Takanori , Monma Mika , Uzawa Yosie , Kubo Yuina , Watanabe Remi , Kusaka Takeshi
Published: August 2017

Aim

The ageing population in Japan brings problems of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), bladder and bowel incontinence, and fragility as regards major pelvic surgery. Existing data from tissue fixation system (TFS) surgery show high cure rates for these conditions, but long‐term data are lacking. We aimed to elucidate the usefulness of TFS by assessing 5‐year postoperative outcomes.

Methods

A total of 68 patients, mean age 70 years, underwent total pelvic floor repair. Cystocele, apical prolapse, and rectocele were variously addressed by TFS repair of pubourethral, arcus tendineus fasciae pelvis, cardinal, uterosacral, and perineal body ligaments using a mean 3.2 tapes per patient (n = 216). Patients were followed up at 12 months then yearly. We included patients with third‐ or fourth‐degree uterine/vaginal prolapse (POP Quantification classification). We excluded patients with serious comorbid conditions.

Results

The mean operating time was 88 min and the mean blood loss was 78 mL. There was minimal postoperative pain and urinary retention, as evidenced by a mean hospital stay of 0.8 days and early return to normal activities. The 5‐year cure rates for urinary stress incontinence, urgency, nocturia, and frequency were 82%, 91.7%, 58%, and 52%, respectively. The surgical cure rate for POP was 87.1% at 12 months, falling to 79.0 at 60 months. The cumulative 5‐year erosion rate was 0% and 1.7% for all ligaments except the perineal body (25.7%), reducing to 2.6% by year 5 following anchor placement into deep transversus perinei. Two cases of ileus were attributed to incorrect technique.

Conclusion

Reinforcing up to four ligaments with the TFS was sufficient for cure of third‐ and fourth‐degree POP. The technique is minimally invasive, suitable for elderly women, and effective at 5 years for both anatomical and symptom cure.
Case of spontaneous splenic rupture caused by ectopic pregnancy in the spleen
Authors: Wu Bao‐Qiang , Zhu Feng , Jiang Yong , Sun Dong‐Lin
Published: August 2017

Splenic ectopic pregnancy refers to the implantation of the oosperm in the spleen. If not diagnosed early, the results of this phenomenon would almost certainly be splenic rupture, which is equivalent to the spontaneous rupture of the spleen. If the patient has no history of trauma, it is difficult to diagnose this condition early and an explicit diagnosis is often obtained by exploratory laparotomy. We report the case of a 27‐year‐old woman who was admitted to the hospital due to abdominal pain and hemorrhagic shock. Under emergency general anesthesia, gynecologist and hepatobiliary surgeons worked together to conduct an exploratory laparotomy. It was confirmed during surgery that this was ectopic pregnancy in the spleen, which caused rupture of the spleen. Hence, splenectomy was conducted. Postoperative recovery was good.
Complete auxotrophy for unsaturated fatty acids requires deletion of two sets of genes in Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Di Capua Cecilia B. , Doprado Mariana , Belardinelli Juan Manuel , Morbidoni Héctor R.
Published: August 2017

The synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Mycobacterium smegmatis is poorly characterized. Bioinformatic analysis revealed four putative fatty acid desaturases in its genome, one of which, MSMEG_1886, is highly homologous to desA3, the only palmitoyl/stearoyl desaturase present in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. A MSMEG_1886 deletion mutant was partially auxotrophic for oleic acid and viable at 37°C and 25°C, although with a long lag phase in liquid medium. Fatty acid analysis suggested that MSMEG_1886 is a palmitoyl/stearoyl desaturase, as the synthesis of palmitoleic acid was abrogated, while oleic acid contents dropped by half in the mutant. Deletion of the operon MSMEG_1741‐1743 (highly homologous to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa acyl‐CoA desaturase) had little effect on growth of the parental strain; however the double mutant MSMEG_1886‐MSMEG_1741‐1743 strictly required oleic acid for growth. The ΔMSMEG_1886‐ΔMSMEG_1741 double mutant was able to grow (poorly but better than the ΔMSMEG_1886 single mutant) in solid and liquid media devoid of oleic acid, suggesting a repressor role for ΔMSMEG_1741. Fatty acid analysis of the described mutants suggested that MSMEG_1742‐43 desaturates C18:0 and C24:0 fatty acids. Thus, although the M. smegmatis desA3 homologue is the major player in unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, a second set of genes is also involved.
Necroptosis in the periodontal homeostasis: Signals emanating from dying cells
Authors: Li J , Ke X , Yan F , Lei L , Li H
Published: August 2017

Periodontal tissues are constantly exposed to microbial stimuli. The equilibrium between microbes and host defense system helps maintain the homeostasis in the periodontal microenvironment. Growth of pathogenic bacteria in dental biofilms may induce proinflammatory cytokine production to recruit sentinel cells, mainly neutrophils and monocytes into the gingival sulcus or the periodontal pocket. Moreover, dysbiosis with overgrowth of anaerobic pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia, may induce death of both immune cells and host resident cells. Necroptosis is one newly characterized programmed cell death mediated by receptor‐interacting protein kinase (RIPK)‐1, RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase like (MLKL). With its release of death‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) into extracellular environment, necroptosis may help transmit the danger signal and amplify the inflammatory responses. In this review, we present recent advances on how necroptosis influences bacterial infection progression and what a role necroptosis plays in maintaining the homeostasis in the periodontal niche. Until we fully decipher the signals emanated from dying cells, we cannot completely understand the mechanism of disease progression.
Pulsed‐Dye Laser Treatment of Port‐Wine Stains in Children: Useful Tips to Avoid General Anesthesia
Authors: Alegre‐Sánchez Adrián , Pérez‐García Bibiana , Boixeda Pablo
Published: July 2017

Pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of port‐wine stains (PWSs) in children is a common procedure performed in most laser units. Pain assessment in our younger patients is a major concern, especially in those with extensive PWSs. The use of general anesthesia (GA) results in pain‐free treatment, but its effects on the developing brain are far from totally understood. Thus we propose some tips that avoid the use of GA in most of our young patients, including the use of topical anesthetics and cooling systems, large laser spot size and high frequencies, early and frequent treatment with parents present, and the “introduction” and “pressure” techniques, among others.
Do Subtle Linguistic Interventions Priming a Social Identity as a Voter Have Outsized Effects on Voter Turnout? Evidence From a New Replication Experiment
Authors: Gerber Alan , Huber Gregory , Fang Albert
Published: August 2017

An ongoing debate in political psychology is about whether small wording differences have outsized behavioral effects. A leading example is whether subtle linguistic cues embedded in voter mobilization messages dramatically increase turnout. An initial study analyzing two small‐scale field experiments argued that describing someone as a voter (noun) instead of one who votes (verb) increases turnout rates 11 to 14 points because the noun activates a person's social identity as a voter. A subsequent study analyzing a large‐scale field experiment challenged this claim and found no effect. But questions about the initial claim's domain of applicability persist. The subsequent study may not have reproduced the conditions necessary for the psychological phenomenon to occur, specifically the electoral contexts were not competitive or important enough for the social identity to matter. To address the first of these critiques, as well as other potential explanations for different results between the first two studies, we conduct a large‐scale replication field experiment. We find no evidence that this minor wording change increases turnout levels. This research provides new evidence that the strategy of invoking the self does not appear to consistently increase turnout and calls into question whether subtle linguistic cues have outsized behavioral effects.
Evidence that Austropuccinia psidii may complete its sexual life cycle on Myrtaceae
Authors: McTaggart A. R. , Shuey L. S. , Granados G. M. , du Plessis E. , Fraser S. , Barnes I. , Naidoo S. , Wingfield M. J. , Roux J.
Published: July 2017

The rust fungus Austropuccinia psidii has spread globally and naturalized in areas with naïve species of Myrtaceae. Previous studies have revealed multiple strains of A. psidii within South America and two strains outside of its native range. The rust spreads by windborne mitotic urediniospores, which are the dominant spore stage. Teliospores and basidiospores of A. psidii are also formed; however, the biological role of these stages in the life cycle is unknown. Experiments presented here tested whether basidiospores of A. psidii could infect Syzygium jambos. The sori produced by infection with basidiospores were screened with five microsatellite markers to confirm whether they were a product of recombination. The findings showed that basidiospores of A. psidii could cause infection on species of Myrtaceae and the resulting sori were a product of recombination. This has important implications for programmes that breed for resistance to this aggressive pathogen in commercial eucalypt forestry.
Lasers and the treatment of periodontitis: the essence and the noise
Authors: Cobb Charles M.
Published: July 2017

The dental literature contains 25 years of accumulated reports and clinical studies addressing the utility of lasers in the treatment of periodontitis, both as a monotherapy or as an adjunct to surgical and nonsurgical therapy. Yet, the evidence from the 118 human clinical studies cited in this narrative review remains conflicted and insufficient to suggest that integration of a laser in a periodontal treatment protocol will provide antimicrobial and healing outcomes superior to those achieved by traditional therapy. When viewed as a collective body of evidence, it becomes apparent that a majority of the studies are underpowered and exhibit significant heterogeneity in design. Furthermore, the collected studies report a varied choice of parameters, even within the same wavelength of laser. There is little uniformity between studies in the reporting of measured clinical parameters. Most studies reported 3‐ and/or 6‐month post‐treatment results; however, the range of time intervals includes studies reporting results from 1 week to up to 1–12 months or longer. Lastly, many studies were considered at risk for bias as a result of a lack of examiner masking and/or calibration. There is great need for well‐designed, highly controlled multicenter clinical trials that are adequately powered in terms of subject enrollment, that use similar protocols in terms of laser parameters and that report measureable outcomes in a uniform manner. Without such studies, the questions surrounding the use of lasers in the treatment of periodontal disease will persist.
Periodontal plastic surgery of gingival recessions at single and multiple teeth
Authors: Cairo Francesco
Published: July 2017

This manuscript aims to review periodontal plastic surgery for root coverage at single and multiple gingival recessions. Techniques are assessed based on biological principles, surgical procedures, prognosticative factors and expected clinical and esthetic outcomes. The use of coronally advanced flap, laterally sliding flap, free gingival graft, the tunnel grafting technique, barrier membranes, enamel matrix derivative, collagen matrix and acellular dermal matrix are evaluated. The clinical scenario and practical implications are analyzed according to a modern evidence‐based approach.
Periodontitis epidemiology: is periodontitis under‐recognized, over‐diagnosed, or both?
Authors: Papapanou Panos N. , Susin Cristiano
Published: July 2017

Currently, two principal forms of destructive periodontal disease are recognized – chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis – but their distinction in epidemiologic studies has been rather problematic because of substantial overlap of their primary features. This review critically appraises some key features relevant to the epidemiology of human periodontitis that underlie its core ‘identity’ as a bacterial biofilm‐induced, inflammatory disease and discusses its impact within the larger context of aging populations. The currently adopted epidemiologic methodologies/definitions that result in the almost ubiquitous prevalence of periodontitis indeed overestimate the occurrence of the disease that may actually put individuals at a true biologic, functional or psychosocial disadvantage. Use of these definitions has inevitably promoted the inference that periodontitis constitutes an insurmountable oral health problem. In contrast, reliance solely on physical measurements of probing depth and/or attachment loss under‐recognizes the true impact that periodontitis may have on the well‐being of individuals. It is currently unclear whether inclusion of the psychosocial and systemic dimensions of the disease in case definitions would result in higher or lower prevalence estimates. The review concludes that periodontitis should no longer be defined solely by gingival/periodontal inflammation in the presence of increased probing depths and attachment loss but should incorporate additional dimensions capturing impaired function, esthetics, and impact on general health and quality of life. A multidimensional approach to the assessment of periodontitis would facilitate an improved understanding of its epidemiology and consequences.
Small‐scale variation of corticolous microalgal covers: Effects of microhabitat, season, and space
Authors: Štifterová Anna , Neustupa Jiří
Published: August 2017

The present study focuses on temporal and microscale spatial variation of the community structure and richness of subaerial microalgae growing on the bark of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees in temperate deciduous forests. Subaerial phototrophic biofilms present common and conspicuous microalgal communities growing on a variety of natural and man‐made substrata. However, in comparison with other major microalgal communities such as phytoplankton and microphytobenthos, basic patterns of their spatio‐temporal variation remain largely unknown. The bark samples were collected six times each spring and autumn in a period of 3 years (2010–2013) and were cultured on agar plates, and then individual clonal strains were identified by light microscopy. A total of 55 morphotypes (considered as operational taxonomic units for subsequent analyses) were recognized, which mainly belong to the classes Trebouxiophyceae and Chlorophyceae. Interestingly, temporal variation explained the largest proportion of variation in the community structure. This variation was primarily related to seasonal fluctuations, and although the communities recorded in spring and autumn showed many overlapping taxa, a clear distinction in species composition and abundance was observed. However, the microhabitat characteristics such as bark roughness also significantly structured the microalgal community. Conversely, spatial factors such as the height of the samples above ground or distance of the samples on a trunk seemed to be of lesser importance on this scale. Thus, we concluded that the previously unrecognized seasonal changes, resulting from variation in temperature, humidity, and irradiance, as well as the non‐seasonal temporal changes, possibly resulting from local colonization or extinction of individual taxa, should be considered as one of the important factors in structuring aerial microalgal communities.
miR‐182 selectively targets HOXA10 in goat endometrial epithelium cells in vitro
Authors: Zhang L , Liu X‐R , Liu J‐Z , Song Y‐X , Zhou Z‐Q , Cao B‐Y
Published: July 2017

Contents

Proper HOXA10 expression was essential for endometrial receptivity what was crucial for successful embryo implantation in mammalian. This study confirmed that miR‐182 regulated the expression levels of HOXA10 by binding to its 3′ UTR, selectively downregulated HOXA10 in goat endometrial epithelium cells (gEECs) but not stromal cell (gESCs) in vitro. However, HOXA10 and miR‐182 both up‐expressed in the goat endometrium at gestational day 15 (D15) compared with gestational day 5 (D5), suggesting that there were some other factors regulated the expression of HOXA10 during the development of goat endometrium in vivo. What's more, HOXA10 gene silencing (HOXA10‐siRNA) resulted in gEECs apoptosis in vitro, and it regulated the protein levels of oestrogen receptor a (ERa), progesterone receptor B (PRb), insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), BCL‐2, pleiotrophin (PTN), AKT and p‐JNK in gEECs. Furthermore, HOXA10 might regulate the protein levels of endometrial receptivity biomarker genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), osteopontin (OPN), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in gEECs. In conclusion, miR‐182 targeted HOXA10 selectively in EECs in vitro, and HOXA10 played an important role in maintaining the function of EECs in dairy goats.
The global burden of respiratory infections in indigenous children and adults: A review
Authors: Basnayake Thilini L. , Morgan Lucy C. , Chang Anne B.
Published: July 2017

This review article focuses on common lower respiratory infections (LRIs) in indigenous populations in both developed and developing countries, where data is available.

Indigenous populations across the world share some commonalities including poorer health and socio‐economic disadvantage compared with their non‐indigenous counterparts. Generally, acute and chronic respiratory infections are more frequent and more severe in both indigenous children and adults, often resulting in substantial consequences including higher rates of bronchiectasis and poorer outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Risk factors for the development of respiratory infections require recognition and action. These risk factors include but are not limited to socio‐economic factors (e.g. education, household crowding and nutrition), environmental factors (e.g. smoke exposure and poor access to health care) and biological factors. Risk mitigation strategies should be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner and targeted to educate both individuals and communities at risk.

Improving the morbidity and mortality of respiratory infections in indigenous people requires provision of best practice care and awareness of the scope of the problem by healthcare practitioners, governing bodies and policy makers.
Not One but Many: Monetary Punishment and the Fergusons of America,
Authors: Henricks Kasey , Harvey Daina Cheyenne
Published: July 2017

How typical is Ferguson? That is, to what extent is monetary punishment driven by fiscal crisis and deficit spending? Do communities that increasingly rely less on property taxes generate higher rates of fines and fees? And how might increased spending on policing over time impact whether local governments turn to these sanctions for revenue? We compile city‐ and county‐level information from four national data sets to answer these questions through a series of least squares regression models. Our findings add to what sociologists, criminologists, and policymakers know about monetary punishment in at least three ways. First, we offer an analysis that focuses on monetary sanctions for not only criminal but civil courts. Second, our focus broadens the scope of local case studies that emphasize questions of process. And third, our study furthers the project of the New Fiscal Sociology. Throughout, we stress how public finance formalizes inequality in ways that define the symbolic relations between groups, their relation to the state, and the unspoken social contract. Our discussion concludes with some policy recommendations.
Frequency and number of B‐lines using a regionally based lung ultrasound examination in cats with radiographically normal lungs compared to cats with left‐sided congestive heart failure
Authors: Lisciandro Gregory R. , Fulton Robert M. , Fosgate Geoffrey T. , Mann Kelly A.
Published: August 2017

Objective

To establish a baseline lung ultrasound (LUS) artifact profile using a regionally based protocol in cats without clinical signs of respiratory disease and with radiographically normal lungs compared to a cohort of cats with left‐sided congestive heart failure (CHF).

Design

Prospective case series.

Animals

Forty‐nine cats without clinical signs of respiratory disease and with radiographically normal lungs and 7 cats with radiographic evidence of left‐sided CHF.

Interventions

Application of a previously published LUS protocol. Frequency of B‐lines was compared based on signalment, body condition score, investigator, and reasons for radiography and between 49 cats with radiographically normal lungs to 7 cats with radiographic evidence of left‐sided CHF.

Results

Overall frequency of B‐lines was 12% (95% confidence interval, 5–24%) in cats without respiratory disease versus 100% (95% confidence interval, 65–100%) in those with left‐sided CHF. Six cats (6/49) had B‐lines with 5/6 having B‐lines at a single site; and 4/5 having a single B‐line at 1 site, 1/5 having 2 B‐lines at 1 site; and the sixth cat having 2 positive sites with a single B‐line at each. In the cohort of cats with left‐sided CHF, all cats (7/7) had >3 B‐lines detected at every site.

Conclusions

The lack of B‐lines in cats without respiratory disease (with radiographically normal lungs) and the predominance of B‐lines in cats with left‐sided CHF suggest that a regionally based LUS protocol may be clinically useful for the identification and evaluation of feline respiratory conditions.
GRID INDEPENDENT STUDY ON TETRAHEDRAL AND HEXAHEDRAL DOMINANT ELEMENTS TYPES IN FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PACKAGE
Authors: Samat Khairul Fadzli , Jaafar Rosidah , Idris Muhammad Idzdihar , Maidin, S. Vincent Ong, , Kasim Mohd Shahir , Abdullah Zulkeflee
Published: July 2017

The development of integrated circuit (IC) packaging is one of the important factors for the advanced production of the semi-conductor industry. With the recent rise of innovative demand of the production technology, lot of issues had been raised at the manufacturing level especially at back-end production. In order to solve the problem, finite element analysis (FEA) is one of the methods that has been broadly used to evaluate the internal stress of IC package. The performance effect of tetrahedral or hexahedral dominance elements in the meshing stage may lead to the unswerving of FEA results. In such condition, the performance of the element type needs to be analyzed in order to determine which implementation leads to result with higher confident level. This study used the quasi-static simulation of FEA to determine the performance of tetrahedral and hexahedral dominance elements in FEA of IC package strength. The monitored stress was focused on the component levels of IC package, the die and the diepad. The IC package is modelled in three-dimensional case which represented as close as the actual product by simplifying certain parts. The performance evaluation had considered the effect of grid independent study for each of the element type. The maximum stress produced by using the tetrahedral element had been compared with the stress produced by the hexahedral dominance elements. Comparison of the performance showed that the value of the maximum stress produced from hexahedral dominance element was significantly higher at 16% to 40% than the solution obtained from the tetrahedral element. It is found that by using hexahedral element in the finite element analysis, a significant higher value of Von Mises stress is produced, which is more than 505 MPa in diepad. This stress value has been established by previous study within the plastic deformation range and also has good agreement with the physical examination.Â
EFFECT OF FATIGUE TEST ON SPOT WELDED STRUCTURAL JOINT
Authors: Wahid Mohammad Khalid , Muhammed Sufian Muhammad Nabil , Hussin Mohamed Saiful Firdaus
Published: July 2017

Spot welding is mainly used method in joining sheet metals for body structure in automotive industry. The comprehension of the fatigue strength for the spot welds is very critical in automotive component design. Parameter for the resistance spot welding and fatigue machines is constant for each specimen used. The S-N curve is obtained from the fatigue testing for each specimen. This experiment parameters are varies the different thickness and different material combination in spot welding structure to investigate the fatigue life cycle and fatigue stress. For 1050A aluminium joint, fatigue life cycle and fatigue strength will decrease from number of cycle 500 at 16.58 MPa to number of cycle 61 at 6.62 MPa as the thickness increase. The fatigue life cycle and fatigue stress for galvanized iron will increase from number of cycle Â 46 at 9.25 MPa to number of cycleÂ  1500 at 57.8 MPa when the thickness of joint increase. The finding from the combination of 1050A aluminum and galvanized iron on spot welded structure has shown no improvement in term of fatigue life cycle and fatigue strength because specimens experienced failure at number of cycle 19 with fatigue stress 2.36 MPa.
MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBES ENHANCING NITROGEN UPTAKE AND USE EFFICIENCY OF UREA FERTLIZER BY PADDY
Authors: Shaaban Azizah , Mohamad Yatim Norazlina , Dimin Mohd Fairuz , Yusof Faridah , Abd Razak Jeefferie
Published: July 2017

Efficient use of urea fertilizer (UF) as important nitrogen (N) source in the world's rice production has been a concern for the economic sustainability of cropping systems. The use of carbon-based materials to enhance UF efficiency still facing a great challenge. Hence, N Nano-carrier is developed based on functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) grafted with UF to produce urea-multiwall carbon nanotubes (UF-MWCNTs) for enhancing the nitrogen uptake (NU) and use efficiency (NUE). The grafted N was found efficiently absorbed and utilized by rice, and overcome the N propensity for loss from soilâ€plant systems when UF-MWCNTs are applied. The UF-MWCNTs shown tremendous NUE up to 96% and NU at 1180mg/pot. The chemical changes were monitored by Raman spectroscopy. Hence, UF-MWCNTs provides a promising strategy in enhancing plant nutrition for rice.
A NEW DESIGN ENHANCES HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY G. SULFURREDUCENS PCA STRAIN IN A SINGLE-CHAMBER MICROBIAL ELECTROLYSIS CELL (MEC)
Authors: Kadier Abudukeremu , Kalil Mohd Sahaid , Mohamed Azah , Abdul Hamid Aidil
Published: August 2017

Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is an innovative and green technology to generate hydrogen from a wide range of renewable energy sources and wastewater. At current stage, the performance of these systems is still far from real-world applications. The most likely limiting factors for successful commercialization of this technology are the large internal resistance, high fabrication and operational costs. The aim of the present study was to enhance hydrogen production, reduce the construction and operational costs in MECs via development of a novel MEC design. A single-chamber membrane-free MEC was designed and successfully produced hydrogen from organic substrate using a pure culture: Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. The MEC system was operated with Platinum (Pt) cathode at applied voltage range of 0.6 V to 1.1 V. Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA strain and sodium acetate used as inoculum and a fuel sources, respectively. The conductivity of electrolyte solution in the MEC was 4.5 mS/cm. Due to an improved the MEC reactor architecture, the maximum hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 3.67 ± 0.03 m3 H2 /m3 d with volumetric current density (IV) of 293.73 ± 1.18 A/m3 was achieved under an external applied voltage (Eap): 1.1 V. The highest overall hydrogen recovery ( ) and overall energy efficiency ( ) were 91.80 ± 1.06% and 66.97 ± 0.09%, respectively.
FAULT DIAGNOSIS BASED ON MULTI-SCALE CLASSIFICATION USING KERNEL FISHER DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS AND GAUSSIAN MIXTURE MODEL AND K-NEAREST NEIGHBOR METHOD
Authors: Md Nor Norazwan , Hussain Mohd Azlan , Che Hassan Che Rosmani
Published: August 2017

Effective fault monitoring, detection and diagnosis of chemical processes is important to ensure the consistency and high product quality, as well as the safety of the processes. Fault diagnosis problems can be considered as classification problems as these techniques have been proposed and greatly improved over the past few years. However, a chemical process is often characterized by large scale and non-linear behavior. When linear discriminant analysis is used for fault diagnosis in the system, a lot of incorrect diagnosis will occur. As solution, this paper presents a novel approach for feature extraction and classification framework in chemical process systems based on wavelet transformation and discriminant analysis. The proposed multi-scale kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (MSKFDA) method used the combination of kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (KFDA) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to improve the classification performance as compared to conventional approaches. A DWT is applied to extract the process dynamics at different scales by decomposed the data into multiple scales, analyzed by the KFDA and only dynamical characteristics with important information was reconstructed by inverse discrete wavelet transform (IDWT). Then, Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) method were individually applied for the fault classification using the output from the MSKFDA approach. These two classifiers are evaluated and compared based on their performance on the Tennessee Eastman process database. The proposed framework for GMM and KNN classifiers had achieved average classification accuracies of 84.72% and 82.00%, respectively, with the results show significant improvement over existing methods in fault detection and classification.
Year 2015 Benchmark Analysis on Realizing Performance and Emissions of Combustion Boilers
Authors: Fuller Jack , Guo Yang
Published: August 2017

This current research effort will consider boiler conditions in 2015. The analysis was based on data gathered from a voluntary survey completed by plant owners and operators. The survey responses included the following: (1) boiler fuel sources, (2) efficiency performance, (3) environmental performance, (4) operations and maintenance activities, and (5) boiler availability. The analysis also included future concerns with respect to daily boiler operations from the responding plant operators and management.