bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public good agreements under the weakest‐link technology
Authors: Caparrós Alejandro , Finus Michael
Published: February 2020

We analyze the formation of public good agreements under the weakest‐link technology. Whereas policy coordination is not necessary for symmetric players, it matters for asymmetric players; however, this fails in the absence of transfers. By contrast, with a transfer scheme, asymmetry may be an asset for cooperation. We characterize various types and degrees of asymmetry and relate them to the stability of self‐enforcing agreements. Asymmetric distributions of autarky public good provision levels (also representing asymmetric interests in cooperation) that are positively skewed tend to be conducive to the stability of agreements. We show that under such conditions, even a coalition including all players can be stable. However, asymmetries that foster stability (instability) tend to be associated with low (high) gains from cooperation.
Differential Relationships of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well‐Being with Self‐Control and Long‐Term Orientation1
Authors: Joshanloo Mohsen , Jovanović Veljko , Park Joonha
Published: February 2020

This study sought to explore differential relations between the hedonic (life satisfaction, negative affect, and positive affect) and eudaimonic (psychological well‐being and social well‐being) components of well‐being and five criterion variables: long‐term planning, self‐control, sensation‐seeking, grit, and intellectualism. The study used a sample of 1,310 Korean adults (Mage = 40.024 years, SDage = 10.922 years). It was predicted and found that the criterion variables of the study had stronger associations with eudaimonic well‐being than hedonic well‐being. The results indicate that eudaimonic well‐being is more consistent than hedonic well‐being with a long‐term emphasis on skill‐building and striving for future goals (as opposed to immediate gratification).
Prevalence of Parent Reported Health Conditions Among 0‐ to 17‐Year‐Olds in Rural United States: National Survey of Children's Health, 2016‐2017
Authors: Kenney Mary Kay , Chanlongbutra Amy
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study's purpose was to determine the prevalence of physical, mental, and developmental health conditions among US children and assess the association with urban versus rural residence.

Methods

Bivariate/multivariable analyses were conducted with cross‐sectional data for children aged 0‐17 years (N = 71,811) from the 2016‐2017 National Survey of Children's Health. Prevalence estimates of excellent/very good health were derived from parents’ qualitative judgments. Parent‐reported health conditions were aggregated by condition type (physical, mental, developmental). Prevalence was determined for condition type and severity. Adjusted risk ratios assessed the effect of residence on having physical, mental, or developmental conditions.

Results

Among rural children in the general population, we found lower crude rates of excellent/very good overall health and higher rates of ≥1 physical condition(s) and ≥1 mental condition(s), as well as these 2 conditions in combination with ≥1 developmental condition(s). Rural children in the general population were also more likely to have physical and mental conditions that parents rated as moderate/severe in unadjusted analyses. To a lesser extent, these differences held true for the children with special health care needs. Risk ratios for rural residence were largely nonsignificant in adjusted analyses.

Conclusions

While rural children had lower crude rates of parent‐reported excellent/very good health and higher crude rates of parent‐reported or doctor‐diagnosed physical and mental health conditions compared to urban children, the same pattern of urban‐rural differentials was not evident in the adjusted analyses. Compositional and contextual differences in the urban/rural populations suggest that social determinants of health may have accounted for rate disparities in child health conditions.
Investigation of the relationship between ionised and total calcium in dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia
Authors: Tørnqvist‐Johnsen C. , Schnabel T. , Gow A. G. , Del‐Pozo J. , Milne E. , Macklin V. , Fisher C. , Handel I. , Mellanby R. J.
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between total and ionised calcium concentrations in dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia and to evaluate how albumin influences this relationship.

Methods

Initially, a reference interval for ionised and total calcium was established using a large population of healthy adult dogs. Our teaching hospital clinical database was searched to identify adult dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia between 2012 and 2017, a time frame when the same sample handling and analysis protocols were in place as for the healthy reference interval population. The relationship between ionised and total calcium concentrations was then examined in the ionised hypercalcaemia population.

Results

Based on biochemical analysis of 351 healthy adult dogs, a reference interval of 1.18 to 1.53 mmol/L for ionised calcium and 2.24 to 2.85 mmol/L for total calcium was established. Using these reference intervals, 63 dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia were identified, of which 23 did not have total hypercalcaemia. Only seven of the 23 dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia and total calcium below the upper limit of the reference interval had hypoalbuminemia. The majority of dogs with ionised hypercalcemia and normal total calcium had a modest increase in ionised calcium.

Clinical Significance

If relying on total calcium alone, more than one third of dogs with ionised hypercalcaemia will be classified as normocalcaemic and the majority of these dogs had normal serum albumin.
Coalition Prospects and Policy Change: An Application to the Environment
Authors: Kayser Mark A. , Rehmert Jochen
Published: February 2020

In most developed democracies, parties adjust their positions to polls and public opinion. Yet, in a coalition government, the policy that emerges is often the outcome of negotiations between governing parties. We argue that the credibility of exit threats by current coalition members and the importance of outside parties for the formation of potential alternative coalitions both matter for policy adoption. Building on a new data set measuring the expected coalition‐inclusion probabilities of parties in parliamentary democracies, we estimate the effect of coalition prospects on an important policy outcome—environmental policy stringency—in nine European countries between 1990 and 2012. Our findings demonstrate that only polling shifts that alter coalition probabilities affect outcomes. Changes in the coalition‐inclusion probability of green parties—regardless of whether they are in government—predict changes in the environmental policy stringency of sitting governments. Political polls, in contrast, do not.
Understanding Conceptual Change and Science Learning through Educational Neuroscience
Authors: Vaughn Ashley R. , Brown Rhonda D. , Johnson Marcus L.
Published: February 2020

Although the field of educational neuroscience has grown in recent years, little research has been conducted on conceptual change and science learning through an educational neuroscience framework. Educational neuroscience is frequently used to study processes of language and mathematics cognition, but is not extensively applied to conceptual change and science learning. This review integrates insights from extant conceptual change educational neuroscience studies to inform the fields of educational psychology and science education. These new insights shed light on the persistence of misconceptions and the roles of error detection, inhibition, executive function, and memory in conceptual change. Future directions for the study of conceptual change and educational neuroscience are discussed.
Regulation of root adaptive anatomical and morphological traits during low soil oxygen
Authors: Pedersen Ole , Sauter Margret , Colmer Timothy David , Nakazono Mikio
Published: February 2020

Flooding causes oxygen deprivation in soils. Plants adapt to low soil oxygen availability by changes in root morphology, anatomy, and architecture to maintain root system functioning. Essential traits include aerenchyma formation, a barrier to radial oxygen loss, and outgrowth of adventitious roots into the soil or the floodwater. We highlight recent findings of mechanisms of constitutive aerenchyma formation and of changes in root architecture. Moreover, we use modelling of internal aeration to demonstrate the beneficial effect of increasing cortex‐to‐stele ratio on sustaining root growth in waterlogged soils. We know the genes for some of the beneficial traits, and the next step is to manipulate these genes in breeding in order to enhance the flood tolerance of our crops.
Discouraging unethicality versus encouraging ethicality: Unraveling the differential effects of prevention‐ and promotion‐focused ethical leadership
Authors: Bush John T. , Welsh David T. , Baer Michael D. , Waldman David
Published: February 2020

Theory on the impact of ethical leadership has traditionally been based on a deontological approach to morality. Underlying this perspective is the assumption that all leader behaviors that encourage “normatively appropriate conduct” will influence followers in a similar fashion. Put differently, the current consensus seems to suggest that actions that focus on preventing unethical behavior—attending to “the wrong”—will have the same impact as actions that focus on promoting ethical behavior—attending to “the right.” Taking a within‐person approach, we draw upon social exchange theory to challenge this consensus and build theory that suggests a follower's felt trust from their leader will be differentially impacted by prevention‐ versus promotion‐focused ethical leadership. We also explore how these different types of ethical leadership may indirectly, through felt trust, impact citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior. Finally, we consider how the role of the “moral manager” may interact with the “moral person” by identifying leader moral hypocrisy as an important between‐person moderator of these effects. Given the importance of ethical decision‐making in organizations and the calls for increased ethical leadership, our findings have important implications for both theory and practice.
A study on sexual functioning in adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Amani Jabalkandi Samaneh , Raisi Firoozeh , Shahrivar Zahra , Mohammadi Abolfazl , Meysamie Alipasha , Firoozikhojastefar Reihaneh , Irani Fatemeh
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Sexual dysfunction has been ignored in adults with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (A‐ADHD). This study examined sexual function in adults with ADHD compared to a healthy control group.

Design and Methods

The experimental group (N = 63, mean age = 31.11 ± 4.29, females = 31) were recruited among referrals with ADHD to an outpatient A‐ADHD clinic. The DIVA‐2 (Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults) and the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia (SADS) were used to assess for A‐ADHD and comorbid psychiatric disorders, respectively. The healthy groups (N = 66, mean age = 31.37 ± 4.30, females = 31) were demographically matched and had no psychiatric disorders based on the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales—Self Report, Short Version and SADS. Sexual functions were evaluated using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for females and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for males.

Findings

Females with ADHD compared to the control group showed significantly (P < .001) poorer scores in all FSFI domains (desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, pain, and lubrication). The IIEF mean scores in the males with A‐ADHD were lower (P = .00) than their counterparts for all the subscales including orgasm, erectile function, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction, except for the desire (P = .75). The orgasmic function had a significant negative correlation with Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale—Self Report: Short total scores in males (r = −.48) and females (r = −.40).

Practice Implications

This study provides preliminary information on greater difficulties with sexual function in adults with ADHD. Assessment of sexual function in referrals with A‐ADHD is suggested.
Postoperative delirium: the findings from a multidisciplinary survey
Authors: Jin Zhaosheng , Rahman Aktar , Pattnaik Sudhansu , Smith Maurice
Published: February 2020

Background

Delirium is a common postoperative neurocognitive complication in the older population and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, as well as cognitive and functional impairment. Hypoactive delirium is characterised by drowsiness and inactivity, and expert opinions suggest that it is more likely to be missed and can lead to more complications. Current guidelines and literature evidence both support the use of non‐pharmacological management of delirium.

Methods

To investigate the recognition of hyperactive and hypoactive delirium by the surgical multidisciplinary team, and to investigate staff understanding regarding the management and prognosis of postoperative delirium. We conducted a single‐centre, multidisciplinary survey on the diagnosis, management and complication of postoperative delirium.

Results

We found that hypoactive delirium is significantly less likely to be identified. In contrast, acute psychosis is likely to be misdiagnosed as delirium. Only a small proportion of the respondents had knowledge of the supportive management options for delirium; and the medical complications and higher mortality risk associated with postoperative delirium.

Discussion

The finding of the survey demonstrates a need for delirium education. Surveys such as this may be conducted in other centres to identify areas of focus on staff delirium education.
The problem with descriptive correctness
Authors: Kaplan Jeffrey
Published: February 2020

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the normativity of meaning was thought to be more‐or‐less ‘incontestable.’ But in the last 25 years, many philosophers of mind and language have contested it in several seemingly different ways. This, however, is somewhat illusory. There is an unappreciated commonality among most anti‐normativist arguments, and this commonality, I argue, poses a problem for anti‐normativism. The result, however, is not a wholesale rejection of anti‐normativism. Rather, an insight from the anti‐normativist position can be harnessed to reveal an unappreciated position in the normativity of meaning debate.
Risk and risk management of spillover effects: Evidence from the literature
Authors: Eckert Christian
Published: February 2020

In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the existing theoretical and empirical literature regarding spillover effects (effects of a crisis event in an announcing firm on other firms). In particular, we focus on the mechanism behind spillover effects and investigate factors that drive spillover effects. The results of our literature analysis show that spillover effects are most often significantly negative, that is, lead to losses in nonannouncing firms and depend on certain events and firm characteristics. On this basis, we derive implications for the risk management of spillover effects. Taking previous work on certain individual risk‐management measures into account, we are the first to provide a holistic spillover risk‐management process.
Prehabilitation in cancer care: patients’ ability to prepare for major abdominal surgery
Authors: Beck Anne , Vind Thaysen Henriette , Hasselholt Soegaard Charlotte , Blaakaer Jan , Seibaek Lene
Published: February 2020

Background

Patients’ perspectives on standardised, multimodal prehabilitation programmes showed barriers to adherence. Further investigation of patients’ ability to prepare is needed.

Aim

To investigate what patients with cancer who were due to undergo major abdominal surgery actually were able to do when provided with preoperative, home‐based, multimodal recommendations presented in a leaflet.

Methods

Patients from the colorectal‐ or ovarian cancer centre, who were scheduled for major abdominal surgery, received a leaflet with preoperative recommendations. On a daily basis, the patients filled in what they had completed in relation to these recommendations, so that adherence could be investigated. Additionally, face‐to‐face interviews were conducted to evaluate patients’ experiences of using the leaflet. Malterud’s principles of systematic text condensation were used to analyse the interviews. A convergent design was used to merge the quantitative and qualitative data into a combined interpretation presented in the discussion.

Results

A total of 53 patients returned a completed leaflet, and five patients were interviewed. In the combined interpretation, patients’ ability to prepare was presented through four major domains. The domains were adherence and the importance of support, manageable actions leading to change, preparation in a broader perspective and impediments to preparation and to symptom relief.

Conclusions

Patients prepared themselves in various ways, which were not limited to recommendations inspired by multimodal prehabilitation. Patients from the ovarian cancer centre increased their weekly exercise during the preoperative period, which indicates that the leaflet not only functioned as a data collection tool, but also motivated and supported the patients in prehabilitation‐related actions. Patients’ perspectives on prehabilitation need to be taken into account, when aiming to enhance patient‐centredness and adherence.
Refining the “double two‐thirds” rule: Genotype‐based breed grouping and clinical presentation help predict the diagnosis of canine splenic mass lesions in 288 dogs
Authors: Davies Owen , Taylor Angela J.
Published: February 2020

Prediction of the likely histopathological diagnosis of canine splenic masses can guide appropriate decision‐making. This study explores the predictive effect of breed and clinical presentation on the diagnosis of a canine splenic mass. Records from the Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom (2007‐2017) were reviewed. Dogs with a histopathologic or cytologic diagnosis from a splenic mass, or imaging findings consistent with disseminated metastatic disease, were included. Signalment, physical examination, haematology results, imaging findings and pathology reports were recorded. Breeds were grouped according to several permutations of their phenotype and then by clustering of breeds based on single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of malignancy and haemangiosarcoma. Two hundred and eighty‐eight dogs were identified: 27% female and 63% male, 21% entire and 79% neutered; German Shepherd was the most common breed (11%). Median age was 10 years and median bodyweight 25 kg. Thirty‐eight percent of dogs presented with haemoabdomen; a splenic mass was found incidentally in 28%. Sixty percent had a malignant tumour of which haemangiosarcoma comprised 66%. On multivariable analysis, genotype‐based breed group (P= .004), haemoabdomen (P < .001) and neutrophil count (P= .025) predicted malignancy, and genotype‐based breed group (P < .001) and haemoabdomen (P < .001) predicted haemangiosarcoma. Genotype‐based breed group and occurrence of haemoabdomen may have predictive value to diagnose malignant splenic masses and more specifically haemangiosarcoma. The effect of genotype‐based breed grouping was a superior predictor of the diagnosis of a canine splenic mass lesion compared with all phenotype‐based groupings tested.
Functionalization ratio of isocyanate groups on plasma-processed multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Ogawa Daisuke , Michiya Kazuki , Uchida Hideo , Nakamura Keiji
Published: February 2020

This article reports the functionalization ratio of isocyanate (NCO) groups on multiwalled carbon nanotubes after exposure of plasma, which was generated with the gas mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The ratio was derived from measurements with an organic fluorescence, so-called acridine yellow G (AYG), which identifies the modified groups on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). First, the authors made several microscopic observations with the fluorescence. The observation showed that the fluorescence was especially intense from the area where small-sized CNTs exist, indicating that plasma-treated CNTs have more NCO density in small size than in large size. Second, the authors made a size selection on the CNTs with centrifugal forces and investigated the ratio of the groups over the total number of carbons in the CNTs to confirm the first observation and indication. This second investigation showed that the ratio increases as the degree of centrifugal force increases, i.e., the size of the nanotubes gets smaller, supporting the authors’ first microscopic observation. The authors also took the diameter distributions of the CNTs with an observation of an electron microscope, which proved that the centrifugation decreases the size distribution of the CNTs. As a result of overall experiments, the small diameter of plasma-processed CNTs has more NCO number density than the large diameter of the nanotubes in functionalizing isocyanate groups with the plasma.
Singing in different rooms: Common or individual adaptation patterns to the acoustic conditions?
Authors: Luizard Paul , Steffens Jochen , Weinzierl Stefan
Published: February 2020

A classical singing performance occurring in different rooms is likely to vary for different reasons. This study investigates to which extent this variation is due to different acoustic conditions. To analyse the performance of four singers rendering four musical pieces in eight different rooms, room acoustical parameters were used to predict musical performance features extracted from recordings based on linear mixed-effects models. Considering the common behaviour of all singers, only a small proportion of the variance in performance can be explained. Instead, rather individual patterns indicate that each singer developed a specific strategy of adaptation to the varying acoustic environment.
An empirical mode decomposition based hidden Markov model approach for detection of Bryde's whale pulse calls
Authors: Ogundile Olayinka O. , Usman Ayinde M. , Versfeld Daniel J. J.
Published: February 2020

This letter proposes an empirical mode decomposition (EMD) based hidden Markov model (HMM) approach for the detection of mysticetes' pulse calls such as the Bryde's whales. The HMM detection capabilities depend on the deployed feature extraction (FE) technique. The EMD is proposed as a performance efficient alternative to the popular Mel-scale frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) and linear predictive coefficient (LPC) FE techniques. The amplitude modulation–frequency modulation components derived from the EMD process are modified to form feature vectors for the HMM. Also, the ensemble EMD (EEMD) is adapted in a similar way as the EMD. These proposed EMD-HMM and EEMD-HMM approaches achieved better performance in comparison to the MFCC-HMM and LPC-HMM approaches.
The Effect of the Model of Organizational Infrastructure on Collegiate Athletic Trainer Job Satisfaction: A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: Hall Emily A. , Gonzalez Dario , Lopez Rebecca M.
Published: February 2020

Clinical Question: Does the medical model of organizational structure compared to either the academic or traditional models have a greater influence on job satisfaction and quality of life in collegiate athletic trainers? Clinical Bottom Line: Based on the quality of the person-oriented evidence available, the recommendation to adopt the medical model for athletic training staff would receive a Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) grade of B.
Development of an Anthropometric Prediction Model for Fat-Free Mass and Muscle Mass in Elite Athletes
Authors: Sesbreno Erik , Slater Gary , Mountjoy Margo , Galloway Stuart D.R.
Published: February 2020

The monitoring of body composition is common in sports given the association with performance. Surface anthropometry is often preferred when monitoring changes for its convenience, practicality, and portability. However, anthropometry does not provide valid estimates of absolute lean tissue in elite athletes. The aim of this investigation was to develop anthropometric models for estimating fat-free mass (FFM) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) using an accepted reference physique assessment technique. Sixty-four athletes across 18 sports underwent surface anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessment. Anthropometric models for estimating FFM and SMM were developed using forward selection multiple linear regression analysis and contrasted against previously developed equations. Most anthropometric models under review performed poorly compared with DXA. However, models derived from athletic populations such as the Withers equation demonstrated a stronger correlation with DXA estimates of FFM (r = .98). Equations that incorporated skinfolds with limb girths were more effective at explaining the variance in DXA estimates of lean tissue (Sesbreno FFM [R2 = .94] and Lee SMM [R2 = .94] models). The Sesbreno equation could be useful for estimating absolute indices of lean tissue across a range of physiques if an accepted option like DXA is inaccessible. Future work should explore the validity of the Sesbreno model across a broader range of physiques common to athletic populations.
Tissue Distribution of Doxycycline in Animal Models of Tuberculosis
Authors: Gengenbacher Martin , Zimmerman Matthew D. , Sarathy Jansy P. , Kaya Firat , Wang Han , Mina Marizel , Carter Claire , Hossen Md Amir , Su Hongwei , Trujillo Carolina , Ehrt Sabine , Schnappinger Dirk , Dartois Véronique
Published: February 2020

Doxycycline, an FDA-approved tetracycline, is used in tuberculosis
in vivo
models for the temporal control of mycobacterial gene expression. In these models, animals are infected with recombinant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
carrying genes of interest under transcriptional control of the doxycycline-responsive TetR-
tetO
unit. To minimize fluctuations of plasma levels, doxycycline is usually administered in the diet. However, tissue penetration studies to identify the minimum doxycycline content in food achieving complete repression of TetR-controlled genes in tuberculosis (TB)-infected organs and lesions have not been conducted.
PII Signal Transduction Protein GlnK Alleviates Feedback Inhibition of
N
-Acetyl-
l
-Glutamate Kinase by
l
-Arginine in Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Xu Meijuan , Tang Mi , Chen Jiamin , Yang Taowei , Zhang Xian , Shao Minglong , Xu Zhenghong , Rao Zhiming
Published: February 2020

Corynebacteria are safe industrial producers of diverse amino acids, including
l
-glutamic acid and
l
-arginine. In this study, we showed that PII protein GlnK played an important role in
l
-glutamic acid and
l
-arginine biosynthesis in
C. glutamicum
. Through clarifying the molecular mechanism of CgGlnK in
l
-arginine biosynthesis, the novel interaction between CgGlnK and CgNAGK was revealed. The alleviation of
l
-arginine inhibition of CgNAGK reached approximately 48.21% by CgGlnK addition, and the semi-inhibition constant of CgNAGK increased 1.4-fold. Furthermore, overexpression of
glnK
in a high-yield
l
-arginine-producing strain and fermentation of the recombinant strain in a 5-liter bioreactor led to a remarkably increased production of
l
-arginine, 49.978 g/liter, which was about 22.61% higher than that of the initial strain. In conclusion, this study provides a new strategy for modifying amino acid biosynthesis in
C. glutamicum
.
Fitness and Productivity Increase with Ecotypic Diversity among
Escherichia coli
Strains That Coevolved in a Simple, Constant Environment
Authors: Yang Dong-Dong , Alexander Ashley , Kinnersley Margie , Cook Emily , Caudy Amy , Rosebrock Adam , Rosenzweig Frank
Published: February 2020

Polymicrobial consortia occur in both environmental and clinical settings. In many cases, diversity and productivity correlate in these consortia, especially when sustained by positive, density-dependent interactions. However, the evolutionary history of such entities is typically obscure, making it difficult to establish the relative fitness of consortium partners and to use those data to illuminate the diversity-productivity relationship. Here, we dissect an
Escherichia coli
consortium that evolved under continuous glucose limitation in the laboratory from a single common ancestor. We show that a partnership consisting of cross-feeding ecotypes is better able to secure primary and secondary resources and to convert those resources to offspring than the ancestral clone. Such interactions may be a prelude to a special form of syntrophy and are likely determinants of microbial community structure in nature, including those having clinical significance such as chronic infections.
Viral and Bacterial Fecal Indicators in Untreated Wastewater across the Contiguous United States Exhibit Geospatial Trends
Authors: Korajkic Asja , McMinn Brian , Herrmann Michael P. , Sivaganesan Mano , Kelty Catherine A. , Clinton Pat , Nash Maliha S. , Shanks Orin C.
Published: February 2020

This study provides multiple insights to consider for the application of bacterial and viral indicators in sewage to surface water quality monitoring across the contiguous United States, ranging from method selection considerations to future research directions. Systematic testing of a large collection of sewage samples confirmed that crAssphage genetic markers occur at a higher average concentration than key human-associated
Bacteroides
spp. on a national scale. Geospatial testing also suggested that some methods may be more suitable than others for widespread implementation. Nationwide characterization of indicator geospatial trends in untreated sewage represents an important step toward the validation of these newer methods for future water quality monitoring applications. In addition, the large paired-measurement data set reported here affords the opportunity to conduct a range of secondary analyses, such as the generation of new or updated quantitative microbial risk assessment models used to estimate public health risk.
Distinct Contributions of CD18 Integrins for Binding and Phagocytic Internalization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Demirdjian Sally , Hopkins Daniel , Cumbal Nadia , Lefort Craig T. , Berwin Brent
Published: February 2020

Phagocytosis is the key mechanism for host control ofPseudomonas aeruginosa, a motile Gram-negative, opportunistic bacterial pathogen which frequently undergoes adaptation and selection for traits that are advantageous for survival. One such clinically relevant adaptation is the loss of bacterial motility, observed within chronic infections, that is associated with increased antibiotic tolerance and phagocytic resistance. Previous studies using phagocytes from a leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD-I) patient identified CD18 as a putative cell surface receptor for uptake of liveP. aeruginosa.
Role of Mfd and GreA in Bacillus subtilis Base Excision Repair-Dependent Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis
Authors: Leyva-Sánchez Hilda C. , Villegas-Negrete Norberto , Abundiz-Yañez Karen , Yasbin Ronald E. , Robleto Eduardo A. , Pedraza-Reyes Mario
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we report that spontaneous genetic lesions of an oxidative nature in growing and nutritionally stressed
B. subtilis
strain YB955 (
hisC952 metB5 leuC427
) cells drive Mfd- and GreA-dependent repair transactions. However, whereas Mfd and GreA elicit faithful repair events during growth to maintain genome fidelity, under starving conditions, both factors promote error-prone repair to produce genetic diversity, allowing
B. subtilis
to escape from growth-limiting conditions.
A Universal, Genomewide GuideFinder for CRISPR/Cas9 Targeting in Microbial Genomes
Authors: Spoto Michelle , Guan Changhui , Fleming Elizabeth , Oh Julia
Published: February 2020

With the explosion in our understanding of human and environmental microbial diversity, corresponding efforts to understand gene function in these organisms are strongly needed. CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized interrogation of gene function in a wide variety of model organisms. Efficient CRISPR guide design is required for systematic gene targeting. However, existing tools are not adapted for the broad needs of microbial targeting, which include extraordinary species and subspecies genetic diversity, the overwhelming majority of which is characterized by draft genomes. In addition, flexibility in guide design parameters is important to consider the wide range of factors that can affect guide efficacy, many of which can be species and strain specific. We designed GuideFinder, a customizable, user-friendly program that addresses the limitations of existing software and that can design guides for any annotated bacterial genome with numerous features that facilitate guide design in a wide variety of microorganisms.
Basic principles of neonatal bubble CPAP: effects on CPAP delivery and imposed work of breathing when altering the original design
Authors: Baldursdottir Sonja , Falk Markus , Donaldsson Snorri , Jonsson Baldvin , Drevhammar Thomas
Published: February 2020

Background

The original bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) design has wide-bore tubing and a low-resistance interface. This creates a stable airway pressure that is reflected by the submersion depth of the expiratory tubing. Several systems with alterations to the original bCPAP design are now available. Most of these are aimed for use in low-income and middle-income countries and have not been compared with the original design.

Objective

We identified three major alterations to the original bCPAP design: (1) resistance of nasal interface, (2) volume of dead space and (3) diameter of expiratory tubing. Our aim was to study the effect of these alterations on CPAP delivery and work of breathing in a mechanical lung model. Dead space should always be avoided and was not further tested.

Methods

The effect of nasal interface resistance and expiratory tubing diameter was evaluated with simulated breathing in a mechanical lung model without interface leakage. The main outcome was delivered CPAP and imposed work of breathing.

Results

High-resistance interfaces and narrow expiratory tubing increased the work of breathing. Additionally, narrow expiratory tubing resulted in higher CPAP levels than indicated by the submersion depth.

Conclusion

Our study shows the significant effect on CPAP delivery and imposed work of breathing when using high-resistance interfaces and narrow expiratory tubing in bCPAP systems. New systems should include low-resistance interfaces and wide-bore tubing and be compared with the original bCPAP. Referring to all systems that bubble as bCPAP is misleading and potentially hazardous.
Natural language processing for structuring clinical text data on depression using UK-CRIS
Authors: Vaci Nemanja , Liu Qiang , Kormilitzin Andrey , De Crescenzo Franco , Kurtulmus Ayse , Harvey Jade , O'Dell Bessie , Innocent Simeon , Tomlinson Anneka , Cipriani Andrea , Nevado-Holgado Alejo
Published: February 2020

Background

Utilisation of routinely collected electronic health records from secondary care offers unprecedented possibilities for medical science research but can also present difficulties. One key issue is that medical information is presented as free-form text and, therefore, requires time commitment from clinicians to manually extract salient information. Natural language processing (NLP) methods can be used to automatically extract clinically relevant information.

Objective

Our aim is to use natural language processing (NLP) to capture real-world data on individuals with depression from the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) clinical text to foster the use of electronic healthcare data in mental health research.

Methods

We used a combination of methods to extract salient information from electronic health records. First, clinical experts define the information of interest and subsequently build the training and testing corpora for statistical models. Second, we built and fine-tuned the statistical models using active learning procedures.

Findings

Results show a high degree of accuracy in the extraction of drug-related information. Contrastingly, a much lower degree of accuracy is demonstrated in relation to auxiliary variables. In combination with state-of-the-art active learning paradigms, the performance of the model increases considerably.

Conclusions

This study illustrates the feasibility of using the natural language processing models and proposes a research pipeline to be used for accurately extracting information from electronic health records.

Clinical implications

Real-world, individual patient data are an invaluable source of information, which can be used to better personalise treatment.
Introducing artificial intelligence in acute psychiatric inpatient care: qualitative study of its use to conduct nursing observations
Authors: Barrera Alvaro , Gee Carol , Wood Andrew , Gibson Oliver , Bayley Daniel , Geddes John
Published: February 2020

Background

All patients admitted to an acute inpatient mental health unit must have nursing observations carried out at night either hourly or every 15 minutes, to ascertain that they are safe and breathing. However, while this practice ensures patient safety, it can also disturb patients’ sleep, which in turn can impact negatively on their recovery.

Objective

This article describes the process of introducing artificial intelligence (‘digitally assisted nursing observations’) in an acute mental health inpatient ward, to enable staff to carry out the hourly and the 15 minutes observations, minimising disruption of patients’ sleep while maintaining their safety.

Findings

The preliminary data obtained indicate that the digitally assisted nursing observations agreed with the observations without sensors when both were carried out in parallel and that over an estimated 755 patient nights, the new system has not been associated with any untoward incidents. Preliminary qualitative data suggest that the new technology improves patients’ and staff’s experience at night.

Discussion

This project suggests that the digitally assisted nursing observations could maintain patients’ safety while potentially improving patients’ and staff’s experience in an acute psychiatric ward. The limitations of this study, namely, its narrative character and the fact that patients were not randomised to the new technology, suggest taking the reported findings as qualitative and preliminary.

Clinical implications

These results suggest that the care provided at night in acute inpatient psychiatric units could be substantially improved with this technology. This warrants a more thorough and stringent evaluation.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (T-MACS) decision aid with a point-of-care cardiac troponin assay
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulrhman , Reynard Charles , Morris Niall , Moss Phil , Jarman Heather , Hardy Elaine , Harris Tim , Horner Daniel , Parris Richard , Body Richard
Published: February 2020

Objective

Point-of-care (POC) cardiac troponin (cTn) assays have a rapid turnaround time but are generally less sensitive than laboratory-based assays. Previous research found that the Abbott i-Stat cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay has good diagnostic accuracy when used with the Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (T-MACS) decision aid and serial sampling over 3 hours. Accuracy of other assays may differ. We therefore evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a different POC cTnI assay with serial sampling over 3 hours, both with T-MACS and when used alone.

Methods

In a prospective diagnostic accuracy study at eight EDs in England (July 2015–October 2017), we collected clinical data from consenting adults with suspected ACS at the time of assessment in the ED. Blood samples were drawn on arrival and 3 hours later for POC cTnI (Cardio 3 Triage, Alere). The target condition was an adjudicated diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), based on reference standard serial laboratory-based cTn testing. We calculated test characteristics for POC cTnI using the limit of detection (LoD, 0.01 µg/L) and the T-MACS decision aid.

Results

Of 347 participants, 59 (14.9%) had AMI. With serial POC cTnI testing over 3 hours, POC cTnI at the LoD cut-off ruled out AMI in 193 (55.6%) patients with 98.1% sensitivity (95% CI 89.9% to 100.0%) and 99.5% negative predictive value (NPV, 95% CI 96.5% to 99.9%). T-MACS ruled out AMI in 117 (33.7%) patients with 98.1% sensitivity (95% CI 89.9% to 100%) and 99.2% NPV (95% CI 94.3% to 99.9%). T-MACS ruled in AMI with 97.9% specificity (95% CI 95.8% to 99.5%) and 83.7% positive predictive value (95% CI 70.6% to 91.7%).

Conclusions

With serial sampling over 3 hours, the Alere Cardio 3 Triage cTnI assay has relatively high NPV for AMI using either the LoD cut-off alone or the T-MACS decision aid. However, wide CIs around the measures of diagnostic accuracy mean that further prospective testing of this strategy is required before clinical implementation.

Trial registration number

UKCRN 18000.
Identification of human papillomavirus in oral rinse specimens from women with and without cervical intraepithelial lesions
Authors: Nemesio Isabela , Cury Fernanda , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Fregnani José Humberto , Musselwhite Laura , Vazquez Fabiana , Peters Ana Carolina , Oliveira Cristina
Published: February 2020

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the oral cavity of women with and without abnormal cervical cytology and to determine whether there is an association of oral HPV infection with infection of the cervix or with cervical cancer precursor lesions.

Methods

The present study was conducted among 406 women, aged 18–82 years, who attended the Prevention Department of Barretos Cancer Hospital (HCB), Brazil due to a previous altered cervical cytology result. Oral rinse, cervical cytology and biopsy were collected at the same day. The participants also answered a questionnaire about socioeconomic characteristics and risk factors for cervical cancer. Molecular screening for HPV16, HPV18 and 12 other high-risk HPV types was performed on cervical and oral rinse specimens using Cobas 4800 (Roche Molecular Systems, USA).

Results

HPV was detected in the oral rinse of 3.9% of participants. Infection of the oral cavity with a non-HPV16 or 18 type was most frequent (81.2%), followed by HPV16 (18.7%). Infection with HPV in the cervix and oral cavity was present in 11 (2.7%) of participants. There were no differences observed in the smoking status (p value 0.62), mean age of first sexual intercourse (p value 0.25), mean age of the first oral sex (p value 0.90) or mean lifetime number of sexual partners (p value 0.08) between the participants with oral HPV infection or not.

Conclusion

The presence of HPV infection in the oral cavity was low in the group of women with abnormal cervical cancer screening findings and a high rate of cervical HPV infection.
It’s Just Steam: a qualitative analysis of New Zealand ENDS users’ perceptions of secondhand aerosol
Authors: Haggart Kerri , Robertson Lindsay , Blank Mei-Ling , Popova Lucy , Hoek Janet
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Many smokers who begin using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) report vaping in settings where they would not have smoked and believe secondhand aerosol (SHA) is simply steam. However, current understanding of how ENDS users differentiate between secondhand smoke and SHA, or how vaping norms develop, is limited.

Methods

We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 39 current ENDS users (dual users and former smokers, now exclusive ENDS users) from New Zealand to explore participants’ perceptions of SHA. We probed how these perceptions arose and examined implications for vaping practices and policy. We managed the data using NVivo V.11 and used a thematic analysis approach to interpret the transcripts.

Results

Participants had limited understanding of SHA, its constituents or its possible effects on others. They drew on the absence of harm information, and their sensory experiences and perceptions of others’ views of vaping, to support the conclusion that SHA posed few, if any, risks to bystanders. Yet despite this perception, some felt they should recognise others’ rights to clean air and most would not vape around children to avoid setting an example.

Conclusions

In the absence of trusted information, participants used sensory heuristics to rationalise their ENDS practices. Policy-makers face the challenge of correcting misperceptions about SHA without deterring full transition from smoking to ENDS use. They could consider including vaping in current smoke-free area policies; this measure would signal that SHA is not harmless, and could protect clean-air settings and reduce potential normalisation of vaping among non-smokers.
Entangled baryons: violation of inequalities based on local realism assuming dependence of decays on hidden variables
Authors: Shi Yu , Yang Ji-Chong
Published: February 2020

Bell inequalities are consequences of local realism while violated by quantum mechanics. In particle physics, entangled high energy particles can be produced from a common source, and the decay of each particle plays the role of measurement. However, in a hidden variable theory, the decay could be determined by hidden variables. This loophole killed such approaches to Bell test in particle physics. It is a special form of measurement-setting or free-will loophole, which also exists in other systems. Using entangled baryons, we present new inequalities of local realism with the explicit assumption of the dependence of the decays on hidden variables, as well as the consideration of the statistical mixture of polarizations and the separation of local hidden variables for objects with spacelike distances. These violations closes the measurement-setting loophole once and for all. We propose to use the processes $$\eta _c\rightarrow \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ηc→ΛΛ¯ and $$\chi _{c0} \rightarrow \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$χc0→ΛΛ¯ to test our inequalities, and show that their violations are likely to be observed with the data already collected in BESIII.
General consensus with circular opinion under attractive and repulsive mechanisms
Authors: Gao Shun , Huang Changwei , Han Wenchen , Yang Junzhong
Published: February 2020

In this work, we study a nonlocal opinion dynamics in a ring of agents with circular opinion in the presence of both attractive and repulsive mechanisms. We identify three types of consensus in this model, including global consensus, local consensus and chimera consensus. In global consensus, both local agreement among adjacent agents and global agreement among all agents are achieved. In local consensus, local agreement is satisfied but global agreement fails. There are two domains in chimera consensus, one preserves local agreement and the other breaks the local agreement. The relation between the opinion difference between adjacent agents and the interaction radius is investigated and a scaling law is found. The transitions between local consensus and chimera consensus are exemplified.
Existence of chimera-like state in community structured networks
Authors: Lotfi Nastaran , Darooneh Amir Hossein
Published: February 2020

Synchronization is getting high attention in different fields specially in complex network area in the recent years. One of its new aspects is Chimera state in which some groups of oscillators are synchronized while the others are in the incoherent state. Here, we study how this state depends on the community structure in complex networks. In this work, we consider scale-free networks with community structures and study how the measurements such as the size of the community and mixing parameter could influence the global synchronization and chimera-like state.