bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient monitoring with Google Glass: a pilot study of a novel monitoring technology
Authors: Drake‐Brockman Thomas F. E. , Datta Amitava , von Ungern‐Sternberg Britta S.
Published: March 2016

Background

Head‐mounted devices (HMDs) are of significant interest for applications within medicine, including in anesthesia for patient monitoring. Previous devices trialed in anesthesia for this purpose were often bulky, involved cable tethers, or were otherwise ergonomically infeasible. Google Glass is a modern HMD that is lightweight and solves many of the issues identified with previous HMDs.

Aim

To examine the acceptance of Google Glass as a patient monitoring device in a pediatric anesthesia context at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia.

Methods

We developed a custom‐designed software solution for integrating Google Glass into the anesthesia environment, which enabled the device user to continuously view patient monitoring parameters transmitted wirelessly from the anesthesia workstation.

Results

A total of 40 anesthetists were included in the study. Each anesthetist used the device for the duration of a theater list. We found 90% of anesthetists trialing the device agreed that it was comfortable to wear, 86% agreed the device was easy to read, and 82.5% agreed the device was not distracting. In 75% of cases, anesthetists reported unprompted that they were comfortable using the device in theater. Anesthetists reported that they would use the device again in 76% of cases, and indicated that they would recommend the device to a colleague in 58% of cases.

Conclusion

Given the pilot nature of this study, we consider these results highly favorable. Anesthetists readily accepted Google Glass in the anesthetic environment, with further enhancements to device software, rather than hardware, now being the barrier to adoption. There are a number of applications for HMDs in pediatric anesthesia.
Pediatric transport medicine and the dawn of the pediatric anesthesiology and critical care medicine subspecialty: an interview with pioneer Dr. Alvin Hackel
Authors: Mai Christine L. , Ahmed Zulfiqar , Maze Aubrey , Noorulla Fatima , Yaster Myron
Published: March 2016

Dr. Alvin ‘Al’ Hackel (1932‐) Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and Pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has been an influential pioneer in shaping the scope and practice of pediatric anesthesia. His leadership helped to formally define the subspecialty of pediatric anesthesiology (‘who is a pediatric anesthesiologist?’) and the importance of specialization and regionalization of expertise in both patient transport and perioperative care. His enduring impact on pediatric anesthesia and critical care practice was recognized in 2006 by the American Academy of Pediatrics when it bestowed upon him the profession's highest lifetime achievement award, the Robert M. Smith Award. Of his many contributions, Dr. Hackel identifies his early involvement in the development of pediatric transport medicine as well as the subspecialty of pediatric anesthesiology as his defining contribution. Based on a series of interviews held with Dr. Hackel between 2009 and 2014, this article reviews the early development of transportation medicine and the remarkable career of a pioneering pediatric anesthesiologist.
QTLmapping for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content in a population ofCapsicum annuum‘NB1’ × Capsicum chinense‘Bhut Jolokia’
Authors: Lee Jundae , Park Seok Jin , Hong Sun Chul , Han Jung‐Heon , Choi Doil , Yoon Jae Bok
Published: March 2016

Capsaicinoids are pungent compounds used for industrial and medical purposes including food, medicine and cosmetics. The Indian local variety ‘Bhut Jolokia’ (Capsicum chinenseJacq.) is one of the world's hottest chilli peppers. It produces more than one million Scoville heat units (SHUs) in total capsaicinoids. In this study, our goal was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for the high content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in ‘Bhut Jolokia’.Capsicum annuum‘NB1’, a Korean pepper inbred line containing 14 000SHUs, was used as a maternal line. An F2population derived by crossing between ‘NB1’ and ‘Bhut Jolokia’ was generated to mapQTLs for capsaicinoids content. A total of 234 markers, including 201HRM, 21SSR, 2CAPSand 10 gene‐based markers of the capsaicinoid synthesis pathway, were mapped. The final map covered a total distance of 1175.2cMand contained 12 linkage groups corresponding to the basic chromosome number of chilli pepper. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content were analysed in 175 F2pepper fruits using theHPLCmethod. The maximum total capsaicinoids content was 1389 mg per 100g DW (dry weight), and the minimum content was 11 mg per 100g DW. TwoQTLs (qcap3.1andqcap6.1) for capsaicin content were identified onLG3 andLG6, and twoQTLs (qhdc2.1andqdhc2.2) for dihydrocapsaicin content were located onLG2. We did not detectQTLs for total capsaicinoids content. TheQTLpositions for capsaicin content were different from those for dihydrocapsaicin content. These results indicate that the complexity of selecting for more pungent chilli peppers must be considered in a chilli pepper breeding programme. TheQTL‐linked markers identified here will be helpful to develop more pungent pepper varieties from ‘Bhut Jolokia’, a very hot pepper.
Combined plerixafor and granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor for harvesting high‐dose hematopoietic stem cells: Possible niche for plerixafor use in pediatric patients
Authors: Bitan Menachem , Eshel Rinat , Sadot Efraim , Friedman Shirley , Pinhasov Aviva , Levin Dror , Dvir Rina , Manisterski Michal , Berger‐Achituv Sivan , Rosenfeld‐Keidar Hila , Elhasid Ronit
Published: March 2016

PB is a source of HSC, especially for autologous HCT in solid tumors. However, there is a risk of failing to achieve the target number of SC after mobilization with growth factors alone in patients who were heavily pretreated with chemotherapy or those in need for tandem transplants. SC were harvested from seven pediatric patients with solid tumors who were in need of autologous HCT following combination GCSF and plerixafor. Six of them received plerixafor after failing to achieve enough SC with GCSF only, while the seventh patient received the combined protocol upfront. All seven patients achieved the target number of SC according to their treatment protocol. There were no adverse events. All patients underwent autologous HCT using the harvested HSC and achieved full engraftment. A protocol for harvesting autologous HCT using GCSF and plerixafor is feasible and safe in children with solid tumors who had been heavily pretreated with chemotherapy or needed tandem transplants.
Changing a Leopard's Spots: A New Research Direction for Organizational Culture in the Operations Management Field
Authors: Marshall Donna , Metters Richard , Pagell Mark
Published: March 2016

Operations Management (OM) research on organizational culture has to change to be able to inform practice. Currently, organizational culture research in OM is largely confined to narrow topical and methodological niches and culture is most frequently used as an explanatory variable in quantitative, survey‐based research. We argue that the relegation of culture to this niche is due to self‐imposed methodological blinders that hobble the OM field. We then present four research imperatives to reinvigorate organizational culture research within our field. We urge OM scholars to view culture as a dynamic concept that can be influenced, to adopt alternative methods, to use non‐traditional data sources, and to rethink assumptions about dependent variables. We also identify gaps in the current knowledge and new research questions for the OM domain. We conclude that the field of OM could greatly expand its understanding of organizational culture and in so doing greatly improve business practice, but that to do so will require a change in the culture of the operations management research community.
Serum Levels of Cardiac Markers NT‐proANP and NT‐proBNP in Brachycephalic bitches at Different Gestational Stages
Authors: Feliciano MAR , Uscategui RR , Maciel GS , de Almeida VT , Silveira MF , de Oliveira GAC , Vicente WRR
Published: March 2016

Contents

The aim of this study was to determine serum levels of natriuretic peptide precursors (NT‐proANP and NT‐proBNP) during pregnancy in brachycephalic bitches. Fifteen healthy multiparous bitches were selected for this prospective study. Serum levels of NT‐proANP and NT‐proBNP were measured during anoestrous and at 14, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days (2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th weeks) of pregnancy. Fourteen animals had normal gestations, and one bitch developed single foetus syndrome. The natriuretic peptide levels of this animal were not included in this study; however, it is important to report that its NT‐proANP levels were four times greater than those of normal patients. There was no significant difference (p = 0.072) in NT‐proBNP levels between anoestrous (0.20 ± 0.10 ng/ml) and the different pregnancy weeks (0.27 ± 0.12 ng/ml). There was a positive correlation (p < 0.0001) between NT‐proANP and gestational age, and the levels of this marker increased significantly (p < 0.0001) during the 6th (0.26 ± 0.06 ng/ml), 7th (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/ml) and 8th weeks (0.29 ± 0.05 ng/ml) when compared to anoestrous (0.18 ± 0.02 ng/ml). NT‐proANP serum levels are correlated with gestational development and may be indicative of cardiovascular adaptation in canine brachycephalic pregnancy.
Restoring phylogenetic diversity through facilitation
Authors: Navarro‐Cano Jose A. , Ferrer‐Gallego Pablo P. , Laguna Emilio , Ferrando Inmaculada , Goberna Marta , Valiente‐Banuet Alfonso , Verdú Miguel
Published: March 2016

Phylogenetic diversity enhances ecosystem functioning but restoration ecology has not taken advantage of this knowledge. We propose plant facilitation as a mechanism to promote phylogenetic diversity in restoration practices. We planted three functionally different species (Gypsophila struthium, Sedum album, and Limonium sucronicum) in a degraded gypsum ecosystem in Spain and found that after 7 years, the species with nurse traits (G. struthium) survived longer and facilitated the establishment of new species forming phylogenetically diverse neighborhoods. These facilitation‐driven phylodiverse communities may potentially produce a cascade of benefits on ecosystem functioning.
HLA‐A*24:334, a novel variant of HLA‐A*24, discovered in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Yang K. L. , Hung J. H. , Lin P. Y.
Published: March 2016

One nucleotide replacement at residue 587 of HLA‐A*24:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐A*24:334.
Hd1,a CONSTANS ortholog in rice, functions as an Ehd1 repressor through interaction with monocot‐specific CCT‐domain protein Ghd7
Authors: Nemoto Yasue , Nonoue Yasunori , Yano Masahiro , Izawa Takeshi
Published: March 2016

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait that affects crop yields. In cereals, several CCT‐domain proteins unique to monocots, such as Grain number, plant height, and heading date 7 (Ghd7) gene, have been identified as key floral repressors, although the corresponding molecular mechanisms have been unknown until now. In rice, a short‐day plant, Heading date 1 (Hd1) gene, a rice ortholog of Arabidopsis floral activator CONSTANS (CO), represses flowering under non‐inductive long‐day (LD) conditions and induces it under inductive short‐day (SD) conditions. Here, we report biological interactions between Ghd7 and Hd1, which together repress Early heading date 1 (Ehd1), a key floral inducer under non‐inductive LD conditions. In addition to this genetic interaction between them, Co‐IP experiments further demonstrated that a Ghd7‐Hd1 protein formed a complex in vivo and ChIP and luciferase reporter analyses suggested that this complex specifically binds to a cis‐regulatory region in Ehd1 and represses its expression. These findings imply that Hd1, an evolutionally conserved transcriptional activator, can function as a strong transcriptional repressor within a monocot‐specific flowering‐time pathway through with Ghd7.
How Could the South Respond to Secular Stagnation in the North?
Authors: Mayer Joerg
Published: March 2016

Developed countries face the risk of a sustained lack of aggregate demand, that is, secular stagnation. Demand‐oriented growth models emphasising the balance‐of‐payments constraint raise concerns about attendant adverse growth impacts on developing countries from reduced export growth. These concerns are well‐founded, albeit less serious than the simplest versions of these models would imply. Relaxing their assumptions and emphasising cumulative causation forces from domestic‐demand growth and relative price effects indicates how developing countries can combine export and domestic‐demand based strategies and how changed policies can maintain rapid growth while reducing the income elasticity of import demand.
Effect of timolol maleate gel‐forming solution on intraocular pressure, pupil diameter, and heart rate in normal and glaucomatous cats
Authors: Kiland Julie A. , Voss Andrea M. , McLellan Gillian J.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To determine the effects of once‐daily topical treatment with timolol maleate gel‐forming solution (GFS) on intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil diameter (PD), and heart rate (HR) in normal cats and cats with feline primary congenital glaucoma (FCG).

Animals studied and procedures

A single drop of timolol maleate 0.5%GFSwas administered topically to one randomly assigned eye of 18 adult cats (8 normal, 10FCG) at 8 am for 8 days; the opposite eye served as the untreated control.IOPwas measured in both eyes (OU) every 2 h (PDandHRwere measured every 4 h), for 14 h total, 1 day prior to and on days 1 and 8 of treatment. In a second treatment phase, a single drop of timolol was administered at 8 pm for 3 nights andIOP,PD, andHRwere measured, as above, beginning at 8 am on day 4. Slit‐lamp examinations were conducted prior to and after treatment phases. Comparisons of meanIOP,PD, andHRwere made at each time point and between treated and untreated eyes by repeated‐measuresANOVAand Tukey–Kramer post hoc test, withP< 0.05 considered significant.

Results

Timolol maleate 0.5%GFShad an inconsistent effect onIOP, with maximumIOP‐lowering effect (mean = 5.6 mmHg, 17.4%) observed 6 h post‐treatment inFCG. The drug caused significant miosis (from 4 to 8 h post‐treatment), but had no effect onHR.

Conclusion

Once‐daily application of timolol maleate 0.5%GFSmay be of limited clinical benefit in the management of feline congenital glaucoma.
Shaping of cutaneous function by encounters with commensals
Authors: Barnard Emma , Li Huiying
Published: March 2016

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and provides the first line of defence against environmental attack and pathogen invasion. It harbor multiple commensal microbial communities at different body sites, which play important roles in sensing the environment, protecting against colonization and infection of pathogens, and guiding the host immune system in response to foreign invasions. The skin microbiome is largely variable between individuals and body sites, with several core commensal members commonly shared among individuals at the healthy state. These microbial commensals are essential to skin health and can potentially lead to disease when their abundances and activities change due to alterations in the environment or in the host. While recent advances in sequencing technologies have enabled a large number of studies to characterize the taxonomic composition of the skin microbiome at various body sites and under different physiological conditions, we have limited understanding of the microbiome composition and dynamics at the strain level, which is highly important to many microbe‐related diseases. Functional studies of the skin microbial communities and the interactions among community members and with the host are currently scant, warranting future investigations. In this review, we summarize the recent findings on the skin microbiome, highlighting the roles of the major commensals, including bacteria, fungi and bacteriophages, in modulating skin functions in health and disease. Functional studies of the skin microbiota at the metatranscriptomic and proteomic levels are also included to illustrate the interactions between the microbiota and the host skin.

image
Mechano‐signalling pathways in an experimental intensive critical illness myopathy model
Authors: Corpeno Kalamgi Rebeca , Salah Heba , Gastaldello Stefano , Martinez‐Redondo Vicente , Ruas Jorge L. , Fury Wen , Bai Yu , Gromada Jesper , Sartori Roberta , Guttridge Denis C. , Sandri Marco , Larsson Lars
Published: March 2016

Key points

Using an experimental rat intensive care unit (ICU) model, not limited by early mortality, we have previously shown that passive mechanical loading attenuates the loss of muscle mass and force‐generation capacity associated with the ICU intervention.

Mitochondrial dynamics have recently been shown to play a more important role in muscle atrophy than previously recognized.

In this study we demonstrate that mitochondrial dynamics, as well as mitophagy, is affected by mechanosensing at the transcriptional level, and muscle changes induced by unloading are counteracted by passive mechanical loading.

The recently discovered ubiquitin ligases Fbxo31 and SMART are induced by mechanical silencing, an induction that similarly is prevented by passive mechanical loading.

The complete loss of mechanical stimuli of skeletal muscles, i.e. loss of external strain related to weight bearing and internal strain related to activation of contractile proteins, in mechanically ventilated, deeply sedated and/or pharmacologically paralysed intensive care unit (ICU) patients is an important factor triggering the critical illness myopathy (CIM). Using a unique experimental ICU rat model, mimicking basic ICU conditions, we have recently shown that mechanical silencing is a dominant factor triggering the preferential loss of myosin, muscle atrophy and decreased specific force in fast‐ and slow‐twitch muscles and muscle fibres. The aim of this study is to gain improved understanding of the gene signature and molecular pathways regulating the process of mechanical activation of skeletal muscle that are affected by the ICU condition. We have focused on pathways controlling myofibrillar protein synthesis and degradation, mitochondrial homeostasis and apoptosis. We demonstrate that genes regulating mitochondrial dynamics, as well as mitophagy are induced by mechanical silencing and that these effects are counteracted by passive mechanical loading. In addition, the recently identified ubiquitin ligases Fbxo31 and SMART are induced by mechanical silencing, an induction that is reversed by passive mechanical loading. Thus, mechano‐cell signalling events are identified which may play an important role for the improved clinical outcomes reported in response to the early mobilization and physical therapy in immobilized ICU patients.
Enhanced wall-plug efficiency in monolithically integrated vertical light-emitting-diode cells based on III-nitride heterostructures
Authors: Park Hyung Jo , Bae Hyo Jung , Park Jun Beom , Ha Jun Seok , Jeong Tak , Baek Jong Hyeob , Kim Seung Hwan , Ryou Jae-Hyun
Published: March 2016

This work presents the enhancement of the wall-plug efficiency in GaN-based vertical light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by splitting into nine LED cells. The cells are monolithically integrated and connected in series to develop high-voltage vertical LEDs (HV-VLEDs). Wall-plug efficiency at an input power of 1 W for the optimum-design HV-VLEDs is improved to 43.5% from the value of 40.6%, as compared to that of conventional VLED with the same active device area. The result indicates that the HV-VLEDs with uniform current spreading improve the conversion efficiencies of VLEDs and are expected to be more beneficial in larger-chip-size and higher-power LEDs.
Technical Note: Effect of explicit M and N‐shell atomic transitions on a low‐energy x‐ray source
Authors: Watson Peter G. F. , Seuntjens Jan
Published: March 2016

Purpose:

In EGSnrc, atomic transitions to and from the M and N‐shells are treated in an average way by default. This approach is justified in which the energy difference between explicit and average M and N‐shell binding energies is less than 1 keV, and for most applications can be considered negligible. However, for simulations of low energy x‐ray sources on thin, high‐Z targets, characteristic x‐rays can make up a significant portion of the source spectra. As of release V4‐2.4.0, EGSnrc has included an option to enable a more complete algorithm of all atomic transitions available in the EADL compilation. In this paper, the effect of M and N‐shell averaging on the calculation of half‐value layer (HVL) and relative depth dose (RDD) curve of a 50 kVp intraoperative x‐ray tube with a thin gold target was investigated.

Methods:

A 50 kVp miniature x‐ray source with a gold target (The INTRABEAM System, Carl Zeiss, Germany) was modeled with the EGSnrc user code cavity, both with and without M and N‐shell averaging. From photon fluence spectra simulations, the source HVLs were determined analytically. The same source model was then used with egs_chamber to calculate RDD curves in water.

Results:

A 4% increase of HVL was reported when accounting for explicit M and N‐shell transitions, and up to a 9% decrease in local relative dose for normalization at 3 mm depth in water.

Conclusions:

The EGSnrc default of using averaged M and N‐shell binding energies has an observable effect on the HVL and RDD of a low energy x‐ray source with high‐Z target. For accurate modeling of this class of devices, explicit atomic transitions should be included.
Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery
Authors: Viña Andrés , McConnell William J. , Yang Hongbo , Xu Zhenci , Liu Jianguo
Published: March 2016

China’s forest cover exhibited a positive trend that was significantly related with the implementation of a national conservation policy.
Universal dependence of hydrogen oxidation and evolution reaction activity of platinum-group metals on pH and hydrogen binding energy
Authors: Zheng Jie , Sheng Wenchao , Zhuang Zhongbin , Xu Bingjun , Yan Yushan
Published: March 2016

A universal correlation is established between HOR/HER activity and hydrogen binding energy on platinum-group metals.
Voyage into darkness
Authors: Kintisch Eli
Published: March 2016

Researchers are learning that Arctic organisms aren't dormant during the long polar night.
Reboot Gitmo for U.S.-Cuba research diplomacy
Authors: Roman Joe , Kraska James
Published: March 2016

Transform Guantánamo into a peace park and ecological research center
The small satellites of Pluto as observed by New Horizons
Authors: Weaver H. A. , Buie M. W. , Buratti B. J. , Grundy W. M. , Lauer T. R. , Olkin C. B. , Parker A. H. , Porter S. B. , Showalter M. R. , Spencer J. R. , Stern S. A. , Verbiscer A. J. , McKinnon W. B. , Moore J. M. , Robbins S. J. , Schenk P. , Singer K. N. , Barnouin O. S. , Cheng A. F. , Ernst C. M. , Lisse C. M. , Jennings D. E. , Lunsford A. W. , Reuter D. C. , Hamilton D. P. , Kaufmann D. E. , Ennico K. , Young L. A. , Beyer R. A. , Binzel R. P. , Bray V. J. , Chaikin A. L. , Cook J. C. , Cruikshank D. P. , Dalle Ore C. M. , Earle A. M. , Gladstone G. R. , Howett C. J. A. , Linscott I. R. , Nimmo F. , Parker J. Wm. , Philippe S. , Protopapa S. , Reitsema H. J. , Schmitt B. , Stryk T. , Summers M. E. , Tsang C. C. C. , Throop H. H. B. , White O. L. , Zangari A. M.
Published: March 2016

New Horizons unveils the Pluto system

In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew through the Pluto system at high speed, humanity's first close look at this enigmatic system on the outskirts of our solar system. In a series of papers, the New Horizons team present their analysis of the encounter data downloaded so far: Moore
et al.
present the complex surface features and geology of Pluto and its large moon Charon, including evidence of tectonics, glacial flow, and possible cryovolcanoes. Grundy
et al.
analyzed the colors and chemical compositions of their surfaces, with ices of H
2
O, CH
4
, CO, N
2
, and NH
3
and a reddish material which may be tholins. Gladstone
et al.
investigated the atmosphere of Pluto, which is colder and more compact than expected and hosts numerous extensive layers of haze. Weaver
et al.
examined the small moons Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra, which are irregularly shaped, fast-rotating, and have bright surfaces. Bagenal
et al.
report how Pluto modifies its space environment, including interactions with the solar wind and a lack of dust in the system. Together, these findings massively increase our understanding of the bodies in the outer solar system. They will underpin the analysis of New Horizons data, which will continue for years to come.

Science
, this issue pp.
1284
,
10.1126/science.aad9189
,
10.1126/science.aad8866
,
10.1126/science.aae0030
, &
10.1126/science.aad9045
Response to Comment on “Unique in the shopping mall: On the reidentifiability of credit card metadata”
Authors: de Montjoye Yves-Alexandre , Pentland Alex “Sandy”
Published: March 2016

Sánchez
et al
.’s textbook
k
-anonymization example does not prove, or even suggest, that location and other big-data data sets can be anonymized and of general use. The synthetic data set that they “successfully anonymize” bears no resemblance to modern high-dimensional data sets on which their methods fail. Moving forward, deidentification should not be considered a useful basis for policy.
Large, soft, and polarizable hydride ions sneak around in an oxyhydride
Authors: Yamaguchi Shu
Published: March 2016

A perovskite containing highly electropositive cations conducts hydride anions

[Also see Report by

Kobayashi
et al.

]
Throwing deep
Authors: Turner Michael S.
Published: March 2016

In a galaxy far, far away (a billion light years away, to be more precise), two massive black holes merged. Spacetime twisted, contorted, and rearranged itself in dramatic fashion, and ripples within its very fabric shot out across the cosmos. Occurrences like this happen hourly somewhere in the universe. What is notable is that on Earth, we detected these ripples, an event now known as GW150914. In the fraction of a second that we “heard” black holes shake up spacetime, a new window on the universe was opened where we hope to hear more black holes, cosmic phase transitions, and even the birth of the universe. The last big prediction of general relativity—the existence of gravitational waves—has been directly confirmed, and we now have a new way of advancing our understanding of gravity, the force that shapes our universe.
Draft Genome Sequence of “
Halomonas chromatireducens
” Strain AGD 8-3, a Haloalkaliphilic Chromate- and Selenite-Reducing Gammaproteobacterium
Authors: Sharko Fedor S. , Shapovalova Anna A. , Tsygankova Svetlana V. , Komova Anastasia V. , Boulygina Eugenia S. , Teslyuk Anton B. , Gotovtsev Pavel M. , Namsaraev Zorigto B. , Khijniak Tatiana V. , Nedoluzhko Artem V. , Vasilov Raif G.
Published: March 2016

Here, we report the complete genome sequence (3.97 Mb) of “
Halomonas chromatireducens
” AGD 8-3, a denitrifying bacterium capable of chromate and selenite reduction under extreme haloalkaline conditions. This strain was isolated from soda solonchak soils of the Kulunda steppe, Russian Federation.
Health insurance determines antenatal, delivery and postnatal care utilisation: evidence from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveillance data
Authors: Browne Joyce L , Kayode Gbenga A , Arhinful Daniel , Fidder Samuel A J , Grobbee Diederick E , Klipstein-Grobusch Kerstin
Published: March 2016

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the effect of maternal health insurance status on the utilisation of antenatal, skilled delivery and postnatal care.

Design

A population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

We utilised the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey data of Ghana, which included 2987 women who provided information on maternal health insurance status.

Primary outcomes

Utilisation of antenatal, skilled delivery and postnatal care.

Statistical analyses

Multivariable logistic regression was applied to determine the independent association between maternal health insurance and utilisation of antenatal, skilled delivery and postnatal care.

Results

After adjusting for socioeconomic, demographic and obstetric factors, we observed that among insured women the likelihood of having antenatal care increased by 96% (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.52 to 2.52; p value<0.001) and of skilled delivery by 129% (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.92 to 2.74; p value<0.001), while postnatal care among insured women increased by 61% (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.21; p value<0.01).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that maternal health insurance status plays a significant role in the uptake of the maternal, neonatal and child health continuum of care service.
Evaluating the effects of caffeine and sodium bicarbonate, ingested individually or in combination, and a taste-matched placebo on high-intensity cycling capacity in healthy males
Authors: Higgins Matthew F. , Wilson Susie , Hill Cameron , Price Mike J. , Duncan Mike , Tallis Jason
Published: March 2016

This study evaluated the effects of ingesting sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or caffeine individually or in combination on high-intensity cycling capacity. In a counterbalanced, crossover design, 13 healthy, noncycling trained males (age: 21 ± 3 years, height: 178 ± 6 cm, body mass: 76 ± 12 kg, peak power output (Wpeak): 230 ± 34 W, peak oxygen uptake: 46 ± 8 mL·kg−1·min−1) performed a graded incremental exercise test, 2 familiarisation trials, and 4 experimental trials. Trials consisted of cycling to volitional exhaustion at 100% Wpeak (TLIM) 60 min after ingesting a solution containing either (i) 0.3 g·kg−1 body mass sodium bicarbonate (BIC), (ii) 5 mg·kg−1 body mass caffeine plus 0.1 g·kg−1 body mass sodium chloride (CAF), (iii) 0.3 g·kg−1 body mass sodium bicarbonate plus 5 mg·kg−1 body mass caffeine (BIC-CAF), or (iv) 0.1 g·kg−1 body mass sodium chloride (PLA). Experimental solutions were administered double-blind. Pre-exercise, at the end of exercise, and 5-min postexercise blood pH, base excess, and bicarbonate ion concentration ([HCO3−]) were significantly elevated for BIC and BIC-CAF compared with CAF and PLA. TLIM (median; interquartile range) was significantly greater for CAF (399; 350–415 s; P = 0.039; r = 0.6) and BIC-CAF (367; 333–402 s; P = 0.028; r = 0.6) compared with BIC (313: 284–448 s) although not compared with PLA (358; 290–433 s; P = 0.249, r = 0.3 and P = 0.099 and r = 0.5, respectively). There were no differences between PLA and BIC (P = 0.196; r = 0.4) or between CAF and BIC-CAF (P = 0.753; r = 0.1). Relatively large inter- and intra-individual variation was observed when comparing treatments and therefore an individual approach to supplementation appears warranted.
New Constructions of Optimal Frequency-Hopping Sequence Sets with Low-Hit-Zone
Authors: Wang Changyuan , Peng Daiyuan , Zhou Limengnan
Published: March 2016

The frequency-hopping sequence set with low-hit-zone (LHZ FHS set) is useful for eliminating multiple-access interference in quasi-synchronous frequency-hopping multiple access systems. In this paper, basing on Cyclotomy, the discrete logarithm function and the Chinese remainder theorem, we construct two classes of LHZ FHS sets which have new parameters not covered in the literature. It is proved that proposed LHZ FHS sets are optimal respectively with respect to the Peng-Fan-Lee bounds.
Inferring Social Strength from Spatiotemporal Data
Authors: Pham Huy , Shahabi Cyrus , Liu Yan
Published: March 2016

The advent of geolocation technologies has generated unprecedented rich datasets of people’s location information at a very high fidelity. These location datasets can be used to study human behavior; for example, social studies have shown that people who are seen together frequently at the same place and same time are most probably socially related. In this article, we are interested in inferring these social connections by analyzing people’s location information; this is useful in a variety of application domains, from sales and marketing to intelligence analysis. In particular, we propose an entropy-based model (EBM) that not only infers social connections but also estimates the strength of social connections by analyzing people’s co-occurrences in space and time. We examine two independent methods:

diversity

and

weighted frequency

, through which co-occurrences contribute to the strength of a social connection. In addition, we take the characteristics of each location into consideration in order to compensate for cases where only limited location information is available. We also study the role of location semantics in improving our computation of social strength. We develop a parallel implementation of our algorithm using MapReduce to create a scalable and efficient solution for online applications. We conducted extensive sets of experiments with real-world datasets including both people’s location data and their social connections, where we used the latter as the ground truth to verify the results of applying our approach to the former. We show that our approach is valid across different networks and outperforms the competitors.
Rare Event Detection and Propagation in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Harrison David C. , Seah Winston K. G. , Rayudu Ramesh
Published: March 2016

Rarely occurring events present unique challenges to energy constrained systems designed for long term sensing of their occurrence or effect. Unlike periodic sampling or query based sensing systems, longevity cannot be achieved simply by adjusting the sensing nodes’ duty cycle until an equitable balance between data density and network lifetime is established. The low probability of occurrence and random nature of rare events makes it difficult to guarantee duty cycled battery powered sensing nodes will be energised when events occur. Equally, it is usually considered impractical to leave the sensing nodes energised at all times if the network is to have an acceptably long operational life. In the past decade and a half, wireless sensor network research has addressed this aspect of rare event sensing by investigating techniques including synchronised duty cycling of redundant nodes, passive sensing, duplicate message suppression, and energy efficient network protocols. Researchers have also demonstrated the efficacy of harvesting energy from the environment to extend operational life. Here we survey existing rare event detection and propagation techniques, and suggest areas suitable for continued research.
Music therapy on interactive surfaces to improve sensorimotor problems of children with autism
Authors: Cibrian Franceli L.
Published: March 2016

Children with autism have sensorimotor problems. Music therapy combining music and rhythm is increasingly used to support individuals with autism to improve sensorimotor synchronization with promising clinical results. Interactive surfaces (IS) are appropriate to assist different kinds of therapy for children with autism. However, little has been said about if IS can augment music therapy sessions and improve the sensorimotor synchronization of children with autism, in particular when they try to keep the beat of music with movements. In this dissertation, I propose to design and develop an IS empowered with multi-touch capabilities and gestural interactions to augment music therapy instruction, and evaluate its impact in improving the ability of children with autism to keep the beat. To date, I am working in a qualitative study to uncover the design implications that an IS should incorporate, and I am developing a bendable surface prototype that enables children with autism improvise rhythmical music in an open-ended manner following the improvisation phase of a music therapy session.
Why prices need algorithms
Authors: Roughgarden Tim , Talgam-Cohen Inbal
Published: March 2016

Understanding when equilibria are guaranteed to exist is a central theme in economic theory, seemingly unrelated to computation. In this note we survey our main result from [Roughgarden and Talgam-Cohen 2015], which shows that the existence of pricing equilibria is inextricably connected to the computational complexity of related optimization problems: demand oracles, revenue-maximization and welfare-maximization. We demonstrate how this relationship implies, under suitable complexity assumptions, a host of impossibility results. We also suggest a complexity-theoretic explanation for the lack of useful extensions of the Walrasian equilibrium concept: such extensions seem to require the invention of novel polynomial-time algorithms for welfare-maximization.
Broadening participation
Authors: Payton Jamie , Souvenir Richard
Published: March 2016

The recent surge in student activism concerning the racial climate on college campuses has garnered national attention. Student groups are demanding institutional change at universities across the country, including an increased commitment to hire faculty of color in tenure-track positions. At the University of Missouri and Virginia Commonwealth University, for example, students have demanded that their institutions increase the percentage of black faculty members to 10% within the next two years.
Dilution space ratio of2H and18O of doubly labeled water method in humans
Authors: Sagayama Hiroyuki , Yamada Yosuke , Racine Natalie M. , Shriver Timothy C. , Schoeller Dale A. ,   DLW Study Group
Published: March 2016

Variation of the dilution space ratio (Nd/No) between deuterium (2H) and oxygen-18 (18O) impacts the calculation of total energy expenditure (TEE) by doubly labeled water (DLW). Our aim was to examine the physiological and methodological sources of variation of Nd/Noin humans. We analyzed data from 2,297 humans (0.25-89 yr old). This included the variables Nd/No, total body water, TEE, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (%fat). To differentiate between physiologic and methodologic sources of variation, the urine samples from 54 subjects were divided and blinded and analyzed separately, and repeated DLW dosing was performed in an additional 55 participants after 6 mo. Sex, BMI, and %fat did not significantly affect Nd/No, for which the interindividual SD was 0.017. The measurement error from the duplicate urine sample sets was 0.010, and intraindividual SD of Nd/Noin repeats experiments was 0.013. An additional SD of 0.008 was contributed by calibration of the DLW dose water. The variation of measured Nd/Noin humans was distributed within a small range and measurement error accounted for 68% of this variation. There was no evidence that Nd/Nodiffered with respect to sex, BMI, and age between 1 and 80 yr, and thus use of a constant value is suggested to minimize the effect of stable isotope analysis error on calculation of TEE in the DLW studies in humans. Based on a review of 103 publications, the average dilution space ratio is 1.036 for individuals between 1 and 80 yr of age.
Elucidation of the Roles of Tumor Integrin β1 in the Extravasation Stage of the Metastasis Cascade
Authors: Chen Michelle B. , Lamar John M. , Li Ran , Hynes Richard O. , Kamm Roger D.
Published: March 2016

Tumor integrin β1 (ITGB1) contributes to primary tumor growth and metastasis, but its specific roles in extravasation have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, we engineered a three-dimensional microfluidic model of the human microvasculature to recapitulate the environment wherein extravasation takes place and assess the consequences of β1 depletion in cancer cells. Combined with confocal imaging, these tools allowed us to decipher the detailed morphology of transmigrating tumor cells and associated endothelial cells in vitro at high spatio-temporal resolution not easily achieved in conventional transmigration assays. Dynamic imaging revealed that β1-depleted cells lacked the ability to sustain protrusions into the subendothelial matrix in contrast with control cells. Specifically, adhesion via α3β1 and α6β1 to subendothelial laminin was a critical prerequisite for successful transmigration. β1 was required to invade past the endothelial basement membrane, whereas its attenuation in a syngeneic tumor model resulted in reduced metastatic colonization of the lung, an effect not observed upon depletion of other integrin alpha and beta subunits. Collectively, our findings in this novel model of the extravasation microenvironment revealed a critical requirement for β1 in several steps of extravasation, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying metastasis. Cancer Res; 76(9); 2513–24. ©2016 AACR.
Immune and Stromal Classification of Colorectal Cancer Is Associated with Molecular Subtypes and Relevant for Precision Immunotherapy
Authors: Becht Etienne , de Reyniès Aurélien , Giraldo Nicolas A. , Pilati Camilla , Buttard Bénédicte , Lacroix Laetitia , Selves Janick , Sautès-Fridman Catherine , Laurent-Puig Pierre , Fridman Wolf Herman
Published: March 2016

Purpose: The tumor microenvironment is formed by many distinct and interacting cell populations, and its composition may predict patients' prognosis and response to therapies. Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which immune classifications and four consensus molecular subgroups (CMS) have been described. Our aim was to integrate the composition of the tumor microenvironment with the consensus molecular classification of colorectal cancer.

Experimental Design: We retrospectively analyzed the composition and the functional orientation of the immune, fibroblastic, and angiogenic microenvironment of 1,388 colorectal cancer tumors from three independent cohorts using transcriptomics. We validated our findings using immunohistochemistry.

Results: We report that colorectal cancer molecular subgroups and microenvironmental signatures are highly correlated. Out of the four molecular subgroups, two highly express immune-specific genes. The good-prognosis microsatellite instable–enriched subgroup (CMS1) is characterized by overexpression of genes specific to cytotoxic lymphocytes. In contrast, the poor-prognosis mesenchymal subgroup (CMS4) expresses markers of lymphocytes and of cells of monocytic origin. The mesenchymal subgroup also displays an angiogenic, inflammatory, and immunosuppressive signature, a coordinated pattern that we also found in breast (n = 254), ovarian (n = 97), lung (n = 80), and kidney (n = 143) cancers. Pathologic examination revealed that the mesenchymal subtype is characterized by a high density of fibroblasts that likely produce the chemokines and cytokines that favor tumor-associated inflammation and support angiogenesis, resulting in a poor prognosis. In contrast, the canonical (CMS2) and metabolic (CMS3) subtypes with intermediate prognosis exhibit low immune and inflammatory signatures.

Conclusions: The distinct immune orientations of the colorectal cancer molecular subtypes pave the way for tailored immunotherapies. Clin Cancer Res; 22(16); 4057–66. ©2016 AACR.
Cardiopulmonary Dysfunction and Adiponectin in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Bjornstad Petter , Truong Uyen , Dorosz Jennifer L. , Cree‐Green Melanie , Baumgartner Amy , Coe Gregory , Pyle Laura , Regensteiner Judith G. , Reusch Jane E. B. , Nadeau Kristen J.
Published: March 2016

Background

Myocardial mechanics are altered in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D); insulin resistance and adipokines have been implicated as important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but these relationships are poorly described in adolescents. We hypothesized that obese adolescents and adolescents with T2D would have abnormal cardiac function compared to lean adolescents. In addition, we hypothesized that insulin sensitivity (
IS
), adiposity, and adipokines would be associated with altered cardiac strain and cardiopulmonary fitness in adolescents with T2D.

Methods and Results

Adolescents (15±2 years) with T2D (n=37), obesity without diabetes (n=41), and lean controls (n=31) of similar age and pubertal stage underwent echocardiography with speckle tracking, assessment of
IS
by hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp, body composition by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry, peak oxygen consumption (
VO
2
peak) by cycle ergometry, adiponectin, and leptin. Compared to lean and to obese controls, adolescents with T2D had significantly lower cardiac circumferential strain (
CS
) (−18.9±4.6 [T2D] versus −21.5±3.5 [obese] versus −22.0±4.2% [lean],
P
=0.04) and
VO
2
peak (37.6±7.5 [T2D] versus 43.4±8.2 [obese] versus 47.6±8.6 
mL
/lean kg/min [lean],
P
<0.0001). In T2D youth,
VO
2
peak was associated with
CS
, and the association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and
IS
(β±
SE
: −0.73±0.26,
P
=0.02). Among adolescents with T2D,
CS
was also associated with adiponectin, longitudinal strain with leptin, and
VO
2
peak with adiponectin and
IS
.

Conclusions

Adolescents with T2D had abnormal
CS
and reduced
VO
2
peak compared to obese and lean controls, which may represent the earliest evidence of cardiac functional impairment in T2D. Low adiponectin, rather than conventional risk factors and
IS
, correlated with
CS
, while both adiponectin and
IS
related to cardiopulmonary fitness.
Integration-Free Reprogramming of Lamina Propria Progenitor Cells
Authors: Howard-Jones R.A. , Cheung O.K.Y. , Glen A. , Allen N.D. , Stephens P.
Published: March 2016

Producing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human tissue for use in personalized medicine strategies or therapeutic testing is at the forefront of medicine. Therefore, identifying a source of cells to reprogram that is easily accessible via a simple noninvasive procedure is of great clinical importance. Reprogramming these cells to iPSCs through nonintegrating methods for genetic manipulation is paramount for regenerative purposes. Here, we demonstrate reprogramming of oral mucosal lamina propria progenitor cells from patients undergoing routine dental treatment. Reprogramming was performed utilizing nonintegrating plasmids containing all 6 pluripotency genes ( OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, NANOG, LIN28, and cMYC). Resulting iPSCs lacked genetic integration of the vector genes and had the ability to differentiate down mesoderm, ectoderm, and endoderm lineages, demonstrating pluripotency. In conclusion, oral mucosal lamina propria progenitor cells represent a source of cells that can be obtained with minimal invasion, as they can be taken concurrently with routine treatments. The resulting integration-free iPSCs therefore have great potential for use in personalized medicine strategies.
Linking for influence: Twitter linked content in the Scottish Referendum televised debates
Authors: Burnett Simon , Bloice Lyndsay
Published: March 2016

Twitter, the micro-blogging social media tool, has established a critical role in facilitating social engagement. Its low technical and economic barriers to uptake provide a readily accessible forum for public engagement with events such as televised political debates, and in this context provides a ‘backchannel’ to mainstream media, allowing users to comment on and engage in debates. Most recently during the 2014 Scottish Referendum, Twitter was used extensively by both ‘Better Together’ (pro-Unionist) and ‘Yes’ (pro-independence) campaigners. The aim of this research was to develop an understanding of the linked content present in tweets sent during three televised debates on the issue of Scottish Independence. Analysis of the linked content shows a broad subject proximity to the topics under discussion during the debates, but highlights the lack of specificity in relation to the peaks and troughs of Twitter traffic during the debates. The paper also highlights the use made of links to a variety of resources such as the mainstream media as well as more informal sources including user-generated image and video content to support political viewpoints, and argues that, while the use of such content is beneficial in terms of unifying perspectives, supporter activism and the gratification of the social need for connectivity, it does not act to convert political opinion.