bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restricting the above ground sink corrects the root/shoot ratio and substantially boosts the yield potential per panicle in field‐grown rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Nada Reham M. , Abogadallah Gaber M.
Published: August 2015

Rice has shallow, weak roots, but it is unknown how much increase in yield potential could be achieved if the root/shoot ratio is corrected. Removing all tillers except the main one, in a japonica (Sakha 101) and an indica (IR64) rice cultivar, instantly increased the root/shoot ratio from 0.21 to 1.16 in Sakha 101 and from 0.16 to 1.46 in IR64. Over 30 days after detillering, the root/shoot ratios of the detillered plants decreased to 0.49 in Sakha 101 and 0.46 in IR64 but remained significantly higher than in the controls. The detillered plants showed two‐ or fourfold increase in the main tiller fresh weight, as a consequence of more positive midday leaf relative water content (RWC), and consistently higher rates of stomatal conductance and photosynthesis, but not transpiration, compared with the controls. The enhanced photosynthesis in Sakha 101 after detillering resulted from both improved water status and higher Rubisco contents whereas in IR64, increasing the Rubisco content did not contribute to improving photosynthesis. Detillering did not increase the carbohydrate contents of leaves but prevented starch depletion at the end of grain filling. The leaf protein content during vegetative and reproductive stages, the grain filling rate, the number of filled grains per panicle were greatly improved, bringing about 38.3 and 35.9% increase in the harvested grain dry weight per panicle in Sakha 101 and IR64, respectively. We provide evidence that improving the root performance by increasing the root/shoot ratio would eliminate the current limitations to photosynthesis and growth in rice.
Antibiotic‐associated diarrhea and the older dental patient: how do dentists respond?
Authors: Zwetchkenbaum Samuel R. , Overbeck Kevin J. , Pomerantz Sherry C.
Published: August 2015

Background

Gastrointestinal complications from antibiotic use, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), can have significant morbidity, especially among older patients. This descriptive study surveyed dentists to find out how they would respond to a patient with signs indicating potential CDI.

Methods

A survey on prescribing medications for older patients was mailed to 1,000 dentists in New Jersey. Questions were asked regarding antibiotic selection, probiotic use, and approach to a patient scenario of diarrhea after antibiotic use.

Results

Respondents chose amoxicillin most frequently as an antibiotic, and clindamycin if penicillin allergy. When informed their patients had diarrhea, 64.5% advised them to stop the antibiotic. If the patient continued to have diarrhea on follow‐up, 75.5% contacted the patient's physician. Most (61.6%) do not prescribe probiotics prophylactically.

Conclusions

Most dentists respond appropriately to antibiotic‐associated diarrhea in advising to stop the antibiotic, and seeking physician involvement if no improvement, but there are still many who make recommendations that could delay appropriate care. Dentists may wish to learn more about benefits of probiotics.
Fabrication of low grass, smooth sidewall InGaAsP by methane–hydrogen inductively coupled plasma RIE through a metal lift-off mask patterned by e-beam lithography
Authors: Sadasivan Viswas , Dagar Shikha , Das Utpal
Published: August 2015

An optimized CH4+H2 inductively coupled-plasma reactive-ion-etching process for fabrication of high quality nanophotonic InGaAsP/InP waveguide device has been developed. Important parameters that influence e-beam lithography and etching have been optimized for a simple metal lift-off masked process. Smooth sidewalls with low grass content has been demonstrated for >3 μm etch depths in InGaAsP/InP using an Al lift-off etch mask.
Detection of dead layers and defects in polycrystalline Cu2O thin-film transistors by x-ray reflectivity and photoresponse spectroscopy analyses
Authors: Ran Fan-Yong , Hiramatsu Hidenori , Hosono Hideo , Kamiya Toshio , Taniguti Masataka
Published: August 2015

Polycrystalline Cu2O films were fabricated on amorphous SiO2 glass by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature and postdeposition thermal annealing in N2 + O2 mixing gases. The authors made a phase map in annealing temperature (Tann) vs RO2 = [O2]/([O2] + [N2]) ratio and found that highly pure Cu2O films were obtained at RO2 ∼ 0.002%. The increase in Tann improved the crystal quality of the Cu2O films, and the maximum Hall mobility of ∼26 cm2/(V s) was obtained at 700 °C. Bottom-gate Cu2O thin-film transistors (TFTs) using the optimum Cu2O channels exhibited clear p-type operation; however, the largest field effect mobility is as small as the order of 10−2 cm2/(V s), indicating the existence of high-density hole trap states. Several subgap states were observed by optical absorption spectra of films and photoresponse spectroscopy of the TFTs. X-ray reflectivity analysis detected a low-density dead layer at the Cu2O–SiO2 glass substrate interface, which would be attributed to Cu diffusion into the glass substrate.
Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo
Authors: Silva Fernandes Fernando M. S. , Fartaria Rui P. S.
Published: August 2015

The Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo algorithm is discussed in the context of gas-liquid coexistence. The details of the algorithm and a Java based program are presented.
Method of measuring dielectric constant using an oscilloscope
Authors: Nogi Yasuyuki , Watanabe Masayuki , Suzuki Kiyomitsu , Ohkuma Yasunori
Published: August 2015

A simple relationship determining the dielectric constant of a material inserted in a parallel-plate capacitor is formulated from Gauss's law for a uniform electric field and the continuity condition of electric flux at the boundary of the material. The relationship suggests that the dielectric constant can be determined from the dependence of the charge stored on the capacitor on the thicknesses of the material and the air layer between the plates. A uniform field is created by applying an ac voltage to the plates, which includes a guard ring. The stored charge is estimated by using an oscilloscope to measure the voltage across a resistor inserted between the power supply and the capacitor. The results of the measurement are given for planar materials such as soda-lime glass, Bakelite, acrylic glass, and Teflon with a thickness of 0.5–1 cm.
What was measured in Millikan's study of the photoelectric effect?
Authors: Lloyd David R.
Published: August 2015

Millikan's photoemission paper of 1916 is of great historical importance because it provided the first unambiguous experimental support for Einstein's theory of the photoelectric effect. His graphical presentation of the results, for the correlation of stopping potential with frequency of the incident light on a sodium surface, is widely reproduced in textbooks, both at the high school and undergraduate levels. By far the most significant result that emerged from the experiments is the slope of this graph, which provided an accurate value of the Planck constant h. However, some modern textbooks also emphasize the intercept on Millikan's graph, even though Millikan made little use of this. As previously emphasised, the intercept does not give a measure of the work function of the illuminated sample, but measures that of the collector surface. Millikan made this point very clear, and his experimental plots have been corrected for this, but it is still not generally realized that this is so. Even with Millikan's correction, his intercept does not give the true work function for sodium. Neither of his surfaces was metallic, though this was assumed by Millikan and is assumed in textbook accounts. It is shown here that the sodium surface was almost certainly heavily contaminated with sodium hydroxide. The consequences for the interpretation of the experiment, and for the use of these results in teaching, are explored.
The role of reverberation-related binaural cues in the externalization of speech
Authors: Catic Jasmina , Santurette Sébastien , Dau Torsten
Published: August 2015

The perception of externalization of speech sounds was investigated with respect to the monaural and binaural cues available at the listeners' ears in a reverberant environment. Individualized binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs) were used to simulate externalized sound sources via headphones. The measured BRIRs were subsequently modified such that the proportion of the response containing binaural vs monaural information was varied. Normal-hearing listeners were presented with speech sounds convolved with such modified BRIRs. Monaural reverberation cues were found to be sufficient for the externalization of a lateral sound source. In contrast, for a frontal source, an increased amount of binaural cues from reflections was required in order to obtain well externalized sound images. It was demonstrated that the interaction between the interaural cues of the direct sound and the reverberation strongly affects the perception of externalization. An analysis of the short-term binaural cues showed that the amount of fluctuations of the binaural cues corresponded well to the externalization ratings obtained in the listening tests. The results further suggested that the precedence effect is involved in the auditory processing of the dynamic binaural cues that are utilized for externalization perception.
Effects of Acute Carnosine and β-Alanine on Isometric Force and Jumping Performance
Authors: Invernizzi Pietro Luigi , Limonta Eloisa , Riboli Andrea , Bosio Andrea , Scurati Raffaele , Esposito Fabio
Published: August 2015

Purpose:

To assess the effects of acute combined L-carnosine and β-alanine (Carn-BA) supplementation on isometric and dynamic tasks.

Methods:

Twelve healthy participants performed knee-extensor maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) and countermovement jumps (CMJs) before and after a fatiguing protocol (45-s continuous CMJs). Isometric and dynamic tests were performed 4 h after ingestion of Carn-BA (2 g of L-carnosine and 2 g of β-alanine) or placebo (PLA), in random order. After the fatiguing protocol, blood lactate concentration ([La−]), general and muscular rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and muscle pain (24 and 48 h after the end of the fatiguing protocol) were assessed.

Results:

During the fatiguing protocol, significant decreases in jump height and increases in contact time were found in both groups from the 15th second onward to the end of the fatiguing protocol. Average contact time and jump height were respectively lower (−7%; P = .018) and higher (+6%; P = .025) in Carn-BA than in PLA. After the fatiguing protocol, MVC decreased in both PLA and Carn-BA, but it was higher in Carn-BA than in PLA (+15%, P = 0.012), while CMJ did not change. Moreover, general RPE was lower and muscle pain at 24 h was higher in Carn-BA than in PLA, whereas muscle RPE and [La−] did not differ between conditions.

Conclusions:

Ingesting Carn-BA before exercise induced positive effects on MVC and CMJ after the fatiguing protocol and improved CMJ performance during the 45-s continuous jumping effort, even when acutely supplemented. Furthermore, Carn-BA reduced the general RPE and increased muscle pain 24 h after the fatiguing task.
Mutation tracking in circulating tumor DNA predicts relapse in early breast cancer
Authors: Garcia-Murillas Isaac , Schiavon Gaia , Weigelt Britta , Ng Charlotte , Hrebien Sarah , Cutts Rosalind J. , Cheang Maggie , Osin Peter , Nerurkar Ashutosh , Kozarewa Iwanka , Garrido Javier Armisen , Dowsett Mitch , Reis-Filho Jorge S. , Smith Ian E. , Turner Nicholas C.
Published: August 2015

Noninvasive mutation tracking in plasma can detect circulating tumor DNA arising from residual micrometastatic disease and thus identify patients at high risk of recurrence.
Pronounced species divergence in corticospinal tract reorganization and functional recovery after lateralized spinal cord injury favors primates
Authors: Friedli Lucia , Rosenzweig Ephron S. , Barraud Quentin , Schubert Martin , Dominici Nadia , Awai Lea , Nielson Jessica L. , Musienko Pavel , Nout-Lomas Yvette , Zhong Hui , Zdunowski Sharon , Roy Roland R. , Strand Sarah C. , van den Brand Rubia , Havton Leif A. , Beattie Michael S. , Bresnahan Jacqueline C. , Bézard Erwan , Bloch Jocelyne , Edgerton V. Reggie , Ferguson Adam R. , Curt Armin , Tuszynski Mark H. , Courtine Grégoire
Published: August 2015

Fundamental differences in the anatomy and function of the corticospinal tract support enhanced recovery of leg and hand function after lateralized spinal cord injury in primates compared to rodents, emphasizing the importance of primate models for spinal cord repair therapies.
Novel LinA Type 3 δ-Hexachlorocyclohexane Dehydrochlorinase
Authors: Shrivastava Nidhi , Prokop Zbynek , Kumar Ashwani
Published: August 2015

LinA is the first enzyme of the microbial degradation pathway of a chlorinated insecticide, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and mediates the dehydrochlorination of α-, γ-, and δ-HCH. Its two variants, LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, which differ at 10 out of 156 amino acid residues, have been described. Their activities for the metabolism of different HCH isomers differ considerably but overall are high for γ-HCH, moderate for α-HCH, low for δ-HCH, and lacking for β-HCH. Here, we describe the characterization of a new variant of this enzyme, LinA type 3, whose gene was identified from the metagenome of an HCH-contaminated soil sample. Its deduced primary structure in the region spanning amino acid residues 1 to 147 of the protein exhibits 17 and 12 differences from LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, respectively. In addition, the residues GIHFAPS, present at the region spanning residues 148 to 154 in both LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, are deleted in LinA type 3.The activity of LinA type 3 for the metabolism of δ-HCH is several orders of magnitude higher than that of LinA type 1 or LinA type 2 and can be useful for improvement of the metabolism of δ-HCH.
Profiling Humoral Immune Responses to Clostridium difficile-Specific Antigens by Protein Microarray Analysis
Authors: Negm Ola H. , Hamed Mohamed R. , Dilnot Elizabeth M. , Shone Clifford C. , Marszalowska Izabela , Lynch Mark , Loscher Christine E. , Edwards Laura J. , Tighe Patrick J. , Wilcox Mark H. , Monaghan Tanya M.
Published: August 2015

Clostridium difficile
is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, and spore-forming bacterium that is the leading worldwide infective cause of hospital-acquired and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Several studies have reported associations between humoral immunity and the clinical course of
C. difficile
infection (CDI). Host humoral immune responses are determined using conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. Herein, we report the first use of a novel protein microarray assay to determine systemic IgG antibody responses against a panel of highly purified
C. difficile
-specific antigens, including native toxins A and B (TcdA and TcdB, respectively), recombinant fragments of toxins A and B (TxA4 and TxB4, respectively), ribotype-specific surface layer proteins (SLPs; 001, 002, 027), and control proteins (tetanus toxoid and
Candida albicans
). Microarrays were probed with sera from a total of 327 individuals with CDI, cystic fibrosis without diarrhea, and healthy controls. For all antigens, precision profiles demonstrated <10% coefficient of variation (CV). Significant correlation was observed between microarray and ELISA in the quantification of antitoxin A and antitoxin B IgG. These results indicate that microarray is a suitable assay for defining humoral immune responses to
C. difficile
protein antigens and may have potential advantages in throughput, convenience, and cost.
Unconventional N-Linked Glycosylation Promotes Trimeric Autotransporter Function in Kingella kingae and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus
Authors: Rempe Katherine A. , Spruce Lynn A. , Porsch Eric A. , Seeholzer Steven H. , Nørskov-Lauritsen Niels , St. Geme Joseph W.
Published: August 2015

Glycosylation is a widespread mechanism employed by both eukaryotes and bacteria to increase the functional diversity of their proteomes. The nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
glycosyltransferase HMW1C mediates unconventional N-linked glycosylation of the adhesive protein HMW1, which is encoded in a two-partner secretion system gene cluster that also encodes HMW1C. In this system, HMW1 is modified in the cytoplasm by sequential transfer of hexose residues. In the present study, we examined
Kingella kingae
and
Aggregatibacter aphrophilus
homologues of HMW1C that are not encoded near a gene encoding an obvious acceptor protein. We found both homologues to be functional glycosyltransferases and identified their substrates as the
K. kingae
Knh and the
A. aphrophilus
EmaA trimeric autotransporter proteins. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed multiple sites of N-linked glycosylation on Knh and EmaA. Without glycosylation, Knh and EmaA failed to facilitate wild-type levels of bacterial autoaggregation or adherence to human epithelial cells, establishing that glycosylation is essential for proper protein function.

IMPORTANCE
This work emphasizes the importance of glycosylation for proper function of bacterial proteins. Here we show that the
Kingella kingae
Knh and the
Aggregatibacter aphrophilus
EmaA trimeric autotransporter proteins are N-glycosylated by novel homologues of the
Haemophilus influenzae
HMW1C glycosyltransferase, highlighting the first examples of trimeric autotransporters that are modified by HMW1C-like enzymes. In the absence of glycosylation, Knh and EmaA lack adhesive activity. This work has relevance to our understanding of bacterial pathogenicity and expression of potential vaccine antigens.
Effects of Acupuncture on Cortical Expression of Wnt3A, β-Catenin and Sox2 in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Zhang Yi-min , Dai Qiu-fu , Chen Wei-hao , Jiang Shu-ting , Chen Sheng-xin , Zhang Yu-juan , Tang Chun-zhi , Cheng Shao-bing
Published: August 2015

Objective

To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods

A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI. Rats in each group were randomly and equally divided into 3-day, 7-day and 14-day subgroups according to the duration of therapy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2. Western blots were performed to determine the expression levels of WNT3a, β-Catenin and SOX2.

Results

Wnt3a mRNA was upregulated in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.05). β-catenin expression was significantly increased in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.01). In the 3-day and 7-day acupuncture subgroups, Sox2 expression was significantly higher than that in the normal and model groups (p<0.01 each). The levels of WNT3a, β-catenin and SOX2 were generally consistent with the corresponding mRNA levels.

Conclusions

Acupuncture exerts a regulatory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which may in turn influence the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells.
Idiopathic pseudoaneurysm: a rare cause of parotid mass
Authors: Pennell David John Laurie , Asimakopoulos Panagiotis , Vallamkondu Vamsidhar , Ah-See Kim
Published: August 2015

A 77-year-old woman presented with a pulsatile blue-tinged mass over the left parotid, present for 5 years, and slowly enlarging. The size of the mass fluctuated during this period and there was no associated pain. The patient reported no history of surgery or trauma. Vascular lesions are rarely encountered within parotid glands in adults. MRI with contrast demonstrated a soft tissue lesion; despite the presence of feeding vessels it was thought unlikely to be an arterial venous malformation or aneurysmal change. The appearance was thought to be in keeping with an enlarged lymph node or sebaceous cyst. Fine-needle aspiration was obtained using ultrasound guidance and yielded bloody fluid. The lesion was closely related to the superficial temporal artery and a diagnosis of a thrombosed pseudoaneurysm was made. The vessel had thrombosed and the decision was made to enact a watchful waiting policy. The patient will be monitored in the outpatient setting.
The outcome and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led care in the community for people with rheumatoid arthritis: a non-randomised pragmatic study
Authors: Watts Richard A , Mooney Janice , Barton Garry , MacGregor Alex J , Shepstone Lee , Irvine Lisa , Scott David G I
Published: August 2015

Objective

To determine the outcome and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led care in the community for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Design

Non-randomised pragmatic study.

Setting

Primary (7 primary care practices) and secondary care (single centre) in the UK.

Methods

In a single area, pragmatic non-randomised study, we assessed the outcome, cost-effectiveness of community-based nurse-led care (NLC) compared with rheumatologist-led outpatient care (RLC). Participants were 349 adults (70% female) with stable RA assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. In the community NLC arm there were 192 participants. Outcome was assessed using Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The economic evaluation (healthcare perspective) estimated cost relative to change in HAQ and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) derived from EQ-5D-3L. We report complete case and multiple imputation results from regression analyses.

Results

The demographics and baseline characteristics of patients in the community group were comparable to those under hospital care apart from use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS), which were adjusted for in the analysis. The mean incremental cost was estimated to be £224 less for RLC compared to the community NLC, with wide CIs (CI –£213 to £701, p=0.296). Levels of functional disability were not clinically significantly higher in the community NLC group: HAQ 0.096 (95% CI −0.026 to 0.206; p=0.169) and QALY 0.023 (95% CI −0.059 to 0.012; p=0.194).

Conclusions

The results suggest that community care may be associated with non-significant higher costs with no significant differences in clinical outcomes, and this suggests a low probability that it is cost-effective.
Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews of interventions to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions among adults
Authors: Bobrovitz Niklas , Onakpoya Igho , Roberts Nia , Heneghan Carl , Mahtani Kamal R
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Unscheduled hospital admissions are an increasing burden on health systems worldwide. To date, initiatives to reduce admissions have had limited success as it is unclear which strategies effectively reduce admissions and are supported by a strong evidence-base. Therefore, we will conduct an overview to find, assess and summarise all published peer-reviewed systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials that examine the effect of an intervention on unplanned admissions among adults.

Methods and analysis

This is a protocol for a systematic overview of reviews. We will search four databases: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. We will consider systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials in adults (≥16 years old) evaluating the effect of any intervention on unscheduled hospital admissions including those to treat, monitor, diagnose or prevent a health problem. We will only include reviews that identified unscheduled hospitalisations as a prespecified outcome. Two authors will independently screen articles for inclusion using a priori criteria. We will assess the quality of included reviews and extract ratings of the quality of evidence from within each review. We will create a hierarchical list of interventions based on estimates of absolute admission reductions and the quality of the evidence. Presentation of results will align with guidelines in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not required. We will submit the results of this study for peer-review publication. The results will inform future research and could be used by healthcare managers, administrators and policymakers to guide resource allocation decisions and inform local implementation and optimisation of interventions to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions.
Protocol for updating a systematic review of randomised controlled trials on the prophylactic use of intravenous immunoglobulin for patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Cowan Juthaporn , Cameron D W , Knoll Greg , Tay Jason
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is commonly employed in the management of haematological malignancies. This intervention results in an increased risk of infectious and immune-related complications. Prophylactic immunoglobulin therapy has been used to prevent post-HSCT complications, including infections, with varying efficacy. We sought to update the current evidence supporting the use of immunoglobulins in the modern HSCT era.

Methods/analysis

Using a structured search strategy, we will perform a systematic review of the literature from MEDLINE, EMBASE and all EBM Reviews databases. We will include randomised clinical trials investigating clinical outcomes of prophylactic polyvalent immunoglobulin or cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunoglobulin or plasma in patients undergoing HSCT. Clinical outcomes will include overall survival, transplant-related mortality, CMV infection, CMV disease, graft-versus-host disease, interstitial pneumonitis/fibrosis and hepatic veno-occlusive disease. Studies that only reported the results of biochemical tests will be excluded. Data will be extracted by two investigators independently. Study quality assessment will be evaluated using a validated five-point system as proposed by Jadad. Trial quality will be further assessed by identifying whether there was adequate allocation concealment. Where appropriate, a meta-analysis will be performed where relative risk will be used as the primary summary measure with 95% CIs. Pooled measures will be calculated for randomised clinical trials using a random-effects model. The Cochrane Q/χ2test and I2statistic will also be calculated to evaluate heterogeneity. We will also use a visual inspection of a funnel plot to assess potential publication bias.

Discussion

This systematic review aims to provide current evidence to justify the use of immunoglobulin prophylaxis in HSCT recipients. We will discuss whether current HSCT guidelines are supported by the current evidence, and whether further trials are needed, given the changing landscape of patients undergoing HSCT and the immunoglobulin manufacturing process.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42015016684.
Mortality from treatable illnesses in marginally housed adults: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Jones Andrea A , Vila-Rodriguez Fidel , Leonova Olga , Langheimer Verena , Lang Donna J , Barr Alasdair M , Procyshyn Ric M , Smith Geoffrey N , Schultz Krista , Buchanan Tari , Krausz Michael , Montaner Julio S , MacEwan G William , Rauscher Alexander , Panenka William J , Thornton Allen E , Honer William G
Published: August 2015

Objectives

Socially disadvantaged people experience greater risk for illnesses that may contribute to premature death. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of treatable illnesses on mortality among adults living in precarious housing.

Design

A prospective cohort based in a community sample.

Setting

A socially disadvantaged neighbourhood in Vancouver, Canada.

Participants

Adults (N=371) living in single room occupancy hotels or recruited from the Downtown Community Court and followed for median 3.8 years.

Main outcome measures

Participants were assessed for physical and mental illnesses for which treatment is currently available. We compared cohort mortality rates with 2009 Canadian rates. Left-truncated Cox proportional hazards modelling with age as the time scale was used to assess risk factors for earlier mortality.

Results

During 1269 person-years of observation, 31/371 (8%) of participants died. Compared with age-matched and sex-matched Canadians, the standardised mortality ratio was 8.29 (95% CI 5.83 to 11.79). Compared with those that had cleared the virus, active hepatitis C infection was a significant predictor for hepatic fibrosis adjusting for alcohol dependence and age (OR=2.96, CI 1.37 to 7.08). Among participants <55 years of age, psychosis (HR=8.12, CI 1.55 to 42.47) and hepatic fibrosis (HR=13.01, CI 3.56 to 47.57) were associated with earlier mortality. Treatment rates for these illnesses were low (psychosis: 32%, hepatitis C virus: 0%) compared with other common disorders (HIV: 57%, opioid dependence: 61%) in this population.

Conclusions

Hepatic fibrosis and psychosis are associated with increased mortality in people living in marginal conditions. Timely diagnosis and intervention could reduce the high mortality in marginalised inner city populations.
Comparative evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry and conventional phenotypic-based methods for identification of clinically important yeasts in a UK-based medical microbiology laboratory
Authors: Fatania Nita , Fraser Mark , Savage Mike , Hart Jason , Abdolrasouli Alireza
Published: August 2015

Aims

Performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was compared in a side-by side-analysis with conventional phenotypic methods currently in use in our laboratory for identification of yeasts in a routine diagnostic setting.

Methods

A diverse collection of 200 clinically important yeasts (19 species, five genera) were identified by both methods using standard protocols. Discordant or unreliable identifications were resolved by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene.

Results

MALDI-TOF and conventional methods were in agreement for 182 isolates (91%) with correct identification to species level. Eighteen discordant results (9%) were due to rarely encountered species, hence the difficulty in their identification using traditional phenotypic methods.

Conclusions

MALDI-TOF MS enabled rapid, reliable and accurate identification of clinically important yeasts in a routine diagnostic microbiology laboratory. Isolates with rare, unusual or low probability identifications should be confirmed using robust molecular methods.
Characteristics of azathioprine use and cessation in a longitudinal lupus cohort
Authors: Croyle Lucy , Hoi Alberta , Morand Eric F
Published: August 2015

Objective

Guidelines for azathioprine (AZA) use in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including indications for initiation and cessation, are lacking. Clinical decision-making could be improved if reasons for cessation of AZA treatment were standardised.

Methods

We determined the characteristics of AZA use in a cohort of patients with SLE and evaluated reasons for AZA cessation. Patients with SLE in a single centre had longitudinal recording of disease activity (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI)-2k), laboratory investigations and treatment from 2007 to 2012.

Results

Of 183 patients studied, 67 used AZA on at least one occasion. There was no significant difference between AZA users and non-users in age or American College of Rheumatology criteria. Compared with those not treated with AZA, patients treated with AZA had higher disease activity (time-adjusted mean SLEDAI 5.2±0.3 vs 3.8±0.3, p=0.0028) and damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)-SDI 1.6±0.3 vs 1.2±0.1, p=0.0445), and were more likely to have a positive dsDNA (p=0.0130) and receive glucocorticoids (p<0.0001). AZA therapy was ceased in 30/67 (45%) patients. The predominant reasons for cessation were treatment de-escalation 14 (47%), treatment failure 12 (40%) and toxicity 3 (10%). AZA was switched to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in 9/12 (75%) of treatment failures, and this choice was strongly associated with active lupus nephritis.

Conclusions

AZA toxicity was uncommon, and many patients ceased therapy in the context of treatment de-escalation. However, the frequent development of active lupus nephritis requiring MMF suggests the need to distinguish refractoriness, under-treatment and non-adherence to AZA in patients with SLE. These findings suggest that future studies of AZA metabolite measurement could prove valuable in the management of SLE.
Patients’ perceptions of physical activity before and after joint replacement: a systematic review with meta-ethnographic analysis
Authors: Smith Toby O , Latham Sarah , Maskrey Vivienne , Blyth Annie
Published: August 2015

Background

It has been perceived that people following total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have the capability, with reduced pain, to increase their levels of physical activity.

Objectives

To determine the attitudes and perceptions of people awaiting or having undergone THA or TKA to physical activity post-arthroplasty and to identify potential facilitators or barriers to engage in active living and physical activity pursuits.

Methods

Systematic review of published and unpublished databases was undertaken from their inception to November 2014. Studies exploring the attitudes and perceptions of people awaiting or having undergone THA or TKA to physical activity post-arthroplasty were included. Data were analysed through a meta-ethnography approach.

Results

From 528 citations, 13 papers were eligible, sampling 282 people post-THA or TKA. The literature was judged moderate to high quality. Following THA and TKA, people either wished to return to their pre-pathology level of physical activity or simply be able to engage in less physically demanding activities that are meaningful to them and their lifestyles. Barriers to engaging in higher levels of physical activity were largely related to limited information, which culminated in fear surrounding ‘doing the right thing’ both for individual's recovery and the longevity of the joint replacement.

Conclusions

While many people post-THA or TKA wish to return to pre-pathological physical activity status, there is limited interest in actually undertaking greater levels of physical activity post-arthroplasty either for pleasure or health gains. Improvement in education and awareness of this may be key drivers to improve habitualisation of physical activity post-arthroplasty.

Trial registration number

CRD42014014995.
Star-plus-wormhole systems with two interacting scalar fields
Authors: Dzhunushaliev Vladimir , Folomeev Vladimir , Urazalina Ajnur
Published: August 2015

We study static, spherically symmetric mixed configurations with a nontrivial (wormhole) spacetime topology provided by the presence of two interacting ghost scalar fields. Wormhole is assumed to be filled by a perfect relativistic neutron fluid modeled by a polytropic equation of state. For such mixed configurations, we find regular, asymptotically flat general relativistic solutions. It is shown that the maximum of the fluid density is always shifted from the center and the resulting configurations represent, in general, double-throat systems.
General weak limit for Kähler–Ricci flow
Authors: Zhang Zhou
Published: August 2015

Consider the Kähler–Ricci flow with finite time singularities over any closed Kähler manifold. We prove the existence of the flow limit in the sense of current toward the time of singularity. This answers affirmatively a problem raised by Tian in [New results and problems on Kähler–Ricci flow, Astérisque 322 (2008) 71–92] on the uniqueness of the weak limit from sequential convergence construction. The notion of minimal singularity introduced by Demailly in the study of positive current comes up naturally. We also provide some discussion on the infinite time singularity case for comparison. The consideration can be applied to more flexible evolution equation of Kähler–Ricci flow type for any cohomology class. The study is related to general conjectures on the singularities of Kähler–Ricci flows.
Fusion categories via string diagrams
Authors: Bartlett Bruce
Published: August 2015

We use the string diagram calculus to give graphical proofs of the basic results of Etingof, Nikshych and Ostrik [On fusion categories, Ann. Math. 162 (2005) 581–642; arXiv:math/0203060, doi:10.4007/annals.2005.162.581] on fusion categories. These results include: the quadruple dual is canonically isomorphic to the identity, positivity of the paired dimensions, and Ocneanu rigidity. We introduce the pairing convention as a convenient graphical framework for working with fusion categories. We use this framework to express the pivotal operators as a product of the apex associator monodromy and the pivotal indicators. We also characterize pivotal structures as solutions of an explicit set of algebraic equations over the complex numbers, refining a formula of Wang.
On generic submanifolds of manifolds endowed with metric mixed 3-structures
Authors: Vîlcu Gabriel Eduard
Published: August 2015

We introduce the concept of generic submanifold in a manifold equipped with a metric mixed 3-structure and investigate the canonical distributions induced on such submanifold. In particular, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the integrability of these distributions and discuss the geometry of leaves. Moreover, some examples are given.
Approximate Noether symmetries from geodetic Lagrangian for plane symmetric spacetimes
Authors: Ali Farhad , Feroze Tooba
Published: August 2015

Noether symmetries from geodetic Lagrangian for time-conformal plane symmetric spacetime are presented. Here, time-conformal factor is used to find the approximate Noether symmetries. This is a generalization of the idea discussed,5–6 where they obtained approximate Noether symmetries from Lagrangian for a particular plane symmetric static spacetime. In the present paper, the most general plane symmetric static spacetime is considered and perturbed it by introducing a general time-conformal factor eϵf(t), where ϵ is very small which causes the perturbation in the spacetime. Taking the perturbation up to the first-order, we find all Lagrangian for plane symmetric spacetimes for which approximate Noether symmetries exist.
Polymer Composites for Intelligent Food Packaging
Authors: He Jiating , Yap Ray Chin Chong , Wong Siew Yee , Li Xu
Published: August 2015

Over the last 50 years, remarkable improvements in mechanical and barrier properties of polymer composites have been realized. Their improved properties have been widely studied and employed for food packaging to keep food fresh, clean and suitable for consumption over sufficiently long storage period. In this paper, the current progress of science and technology development of polymer composites for intelligent food packaging will be highlighted. Future directions and perspectives for exploring polymer composites for intelligent food packaging to reveal freshness and quality of food packaged will also be put forward.
Integration of palaeomagnetic data, basement-cover relationships and theoretical calculations to characterize the obliquity of the Altomira–Loranca structures (central Spain)
Authors: Valcárcel M. , Soto R. , Beamud E. , Oliva-Urcia B. , Muñoz J. A. , Biete C.
Published: August 2015

The main objective of this work is to characterize the structures belonging to the Altomira Range and Loranca Basin (SW Iberian Chain, Central Spain) in terms of understanding their present-day orientation, highly oblique with respect to the NW–SE orientation of adjacent structures of the Iberian Chain. The Altomira and Loranca fold and thrust belts present a slightly curved geometry with a general north–south orientation at their central sector, and structures oriented NNE–SSW and north–south to NNW–SSE at their northern and southern sectors, respectively. Palaeomagnetic data from Middle Eocene–Lower Miocene rocks (including clays, fine sandstones and limestones) reveal the absence of vertical-axis rotations in the central sector of the studied area, where structures are oriented north–south, and up to 17° of clockwise and 21° of anticlockwise vertical-axis rotations in the northern and southern sectors, respectively. These data are supported by calculations of the theoretical vertical-axis rotations from shortening estimates and basement-cover structural relationships. This approach highlights the importance of integrating different datasets to characterize the obliquity of fold and thrust belts.

Supplementary material:

Complete information about the paleomagnetic sites and directions is available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18841
Trustworthy hardware from untrusted components
Authors: Sethumadhavan Simha , Waksman Adam , Suozzo Matthew , Huang Yipeng , Eum Julianna
Published: August 2015

This defense-in-depth approach uses static analysis and runtime mechanisms to detect and silence hardware backdoors.
Link-Aware Reconfigurable Point-to-Point Video Streaming for Mobile Devices
Authors: Lee Suk Kyu , Yoo Seungho , Jung Jongtack , Kim Hwangnam , Ryoo Jihoon
Published: August 2015

Even though people of all social standings use current mobile devices in the wide spectrum of purpose from entertainment tools to communication means, some issues with real-time video streaming in hostile wireless environment still exist. In this article, we introduce
CoSA
, a link-aware real-time video streaming system for mobile devices. The proposed system utilizes a 3D camera to distinguish the region of importance (ROI) and non-ROI region within the video frame. Based on the link-state feedback from the receiver, the proposed system allocates a higher bandwidth for the region that is classified as ROI and a lower bandwidth for non-ROI in the video stream by reducing the video's bit rate. We implemented
CoSA
in a real test-bed where the IEEE 802.11 is employed as a medium for wireless networking. Furthermore, we verified the effectiveness of the proposed system by conducting a thorough empirical study. The results indicate that the proposed system enables real-time video streaming while maintaining a consistent visual quality by dynamically reconfiguring video coding parameters according to the link quality.
Testing a distributed system
Authors: Maddox Philip
Published: August 2015

Testing a distributed system can be trying even under the best of circumstances.
CelebrityNet
Authors: Li Li-Jia , Shamma David A. , Kong Xiangnan , Jafarpour Sina , Van Zwol Roelof , Wang Xuanhui
Published: August 2015

Photos are an important information carrier for implicit relationships. In this article, we introduce an image based social network, called
CelebrityNet
, built from implicit relationships encoded in a collection of celebrity images. We analyze the social properties reflected in this image-based social network and automatically infer communities among the celebrities. We demonstrate the interesting discoveries of the CelebrityNet. We particularly compare the inferred communities with human manually labeled ones and show quantitatively that the automatically detected communities are highly aligned with that of human interpretation. Inspired by the uniqueness of visual content and tag concepts within each community of the CelebrityNet, we further demonstrate that the constructed social network can serve as a knowledge base for high-level visual recognition tasks. In particular, this social network is capable of significantly improving the performance of automatic image annotation and classification of unknown images.
Guided exploration of physically valid shapes for furniture design
Authors: Umentani Nobuyuki , Igarashi Takeo , Mitra Niloy J.
Published: August 2015

It is common to use computers to design shapes of physical objects such as furniture, but geometric modeling and the physical validity of shapes are conventionally considered independently. This makes creating aesthetically pleasing yet physically valid models challenging. In this paper, we propose an interactive design framework for the efficient and intuitive exploration of geometrically and physically valid shapes. During any geometric editing operation, the system continuously allows visualization of the valid range of the parameters being edited. When one or more constraints are violated following an operation, the system generates multiple suggestions involving both discrete and continuous changes to restore validity. Each suggestion is accompanied by an editing mode, which simultaneously adjusts multiple parameters in a coordinated manner to maintain validity. Thus, while the user focuses on the aesthetics of the design, our computational design framework helps to achieve physical realizability by providing active guidance to the user. We demonstrate our framework on plank-based furniture designs with nail-joints and frictional constraints. We use our system to design a range of examples, conduct a user study, and also fabricate a physical prototype to test its validity and usefulness.
The value of social theories for global computing
Authors: Kleine Dorothea
Published: August 2015

Conceptual toolkits for projects that work.
Migration of Web Applications with Seamless Execution
Authors: Oh JinSeok , Kwon Jin-woo , Park Hyukwoo , Moon Soo-Mook
Published: August 2015

Web applications (apps) are programmed using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, and are distributed in the source code format. Web apps can be executed on any devices where a web browser is installed, allowing one-source, multi-platform environment. We can exploit this advantage of platform independence for a new user experience called
app migration
, which allows migrating an app in the middle of execution seamlessly between smart devices. This paper proposes such a migration framework for web apps where we can save the current state of a running app and resume its execution on a different device by restoring the saved state. We save the web app's state in the form of a
snapshot
, which is actually another web app whose execution can restore the saved state. In the snapshot, the state of the JavaScript variables and DOM trees are saved using the JSON format. We solved some of the saving/restoring problems related to event handlers and closures by accessing the browser and the JavaScript engine internals. Our framework does not require instrumenting an app or changing its source code, but works for the original app. We implemented the framework on the Chrome browser with the V8 JavaScript engine and successfully migrated non-trivial sample apps with reasonable saving and restoring overhead. We also discuss other usage of the snapshot for optimizations and user experiences for the web platform.