bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educational intervention to decrease stigmatizing attitudes of undergraduate nurses towards people with mental illness
Authors: Bingham Helen , O'Brien Anthony John
Published: March 2017

Health professionals can hold stigmatizing views about people with mental illness. In addition to being discriminatory, these beliefs cause anxiety that can affect learning in the clinical environment. A review of an undergraduate nursing curriculum introduced the Modern Apprenticeship curriculum model and provided an opportunity for an educational intervention designed to address stigmatizing beliefs about people with mental health and addiction problems. The aim of the present study was to measure the extent to which an educational intervention – guided clinical experience in an acute mental health unit during the first year of the curriculum – decreased stigmatizing beliefs of undergraduate nurses towards those with mental health and addiction issues. In a before‐and‐after design, Corrigan's Attribution Questionnaire was used to collect data pre‐ and post‐guided clinical experience in an acute mental health unit. The intervention resulted in a significant positive change in stigmatizing attitudes for four of the nine factors tested. There was a non‐significant positive change in three factors, while two factors showed a non‐significant negative change. Using guided clinical experience as an educational intervention in the first year of an undergraduate nursing curriculum can contribute to positive change in undergraduate nurses’ stigmatizing beliefs. The findings have implications for teaching of mental health content in undergraduate nursing programmes.
Genomic and single‐step evaluations of carcass traits of young bulls in dual‐purpose cattle
Authors: Croué I. , Ducrocq V.
Published: March 2017

Genetic evaluations for carcass traits of young bulls in Normande and Montbeliarde breeds are currently being developed in France. In order to determine a suitable genomic evaluation for three carcass traits of young bulls, genomic breeding values were estimated for young candidates to selection using different approaches. Records of 111,789 Normande and 118,183 Montbeliarde were used. Average progeny pre‐adjusted performances (DYD) were calculated for sires. Evaluation approaches were compared based on an assessment of their accuracy (correlation between DYD and estimated breeding values [EBVs]) and bias (regression coefficient of DYD on EBVs) on the 20% youngest AI sires. All genomic approaches were generally more accurate than BLUP (+.045 to +.116 correlation points), except for age at slaughter where single‐step GBLUP (SSGBLUP) was the only genomic method leading to a greater accuracy (+.038 to +.126 points). The best setting of the SSGBLUP relationship matrix was characterized by a weight of 30% for pedigree information in the genomic relationship matrix. SSGBLUP was the most valuable evaluation approach for the evaluation of carcass traits of Normande and Montbeliarde young bulls.
Quantification of substrate and cellular strains in stretchable 3D cell cultures: an experimental and computational framework
Authors: GONZÁLEZ‐AVALOS P. , MÜRNSEER M. , DEEG J. , BACHMANN A. , SPATZ J. , DOOLEY S. , EILS R. , GLADILIN E.
Published: March 2017

The mechanical cell environment is a key regulator of biological processes . In living tissues, cells are embedded into the 3D extracellular matrix and permanently exposed to mechanical forces. Quantification of the cellular strain state in a 3D matrix is therefore the first step towards understanding how physical cues determine single cell and multicellular behaviour. The majority of cell assays are, however, based on 2D cell cultures that lack many essential features of the in vivo cellular environment. Furthermore, nondestructive measurement of substrate and cellular mechanics requires appropriate computational tools for microscopic image analysis and interpretation. Here, we present an experimental and computational framework for generation and quantification of the cellular strain state in 3D cell cultures using a combination of 3D substrate stretcher, multichannel microscopic imaging and computational image analysis. The 3D substrate stretcher enables deformation of living cells embedded in bead‐labelled 3D collagen hydrogels. Local substrate and cell deformations are determined by tracking displacement of fluorescent beads with subsequent finite element interpolation of cell strains over a tetrahedral tessellation. In this feasibility study, we debate diverse aspects of deformable 3D culture construction, quantification and evaluation, and present an example of its application for quantitative analysis of a cellular model system based on primary mouse hepatocytes undergoing transforming growth factor (TGF‐β) induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition.
Loggerhead sea turtle embryos (Caretta caretta) regulate expression of stress response and developmental genes when exposed to a biologically realistic heat stress
Authors: Bentley Blair P. , Haas Brian J. , Tedeschi Jamie N. , Berry Oliver
Published: March 2017

Oviparous reptile embryos are expected to breach their critical thermal maxima if temperatures reach those predicted under current climate change models due to the lack of the maternal buffering processes and parental care. Heat‐shock proteins (HSPs) are integral in the molecular response to thermal stress, and their expression is heritable, but the roles of other candidate families such as the heat‐shock factors (HSFs) have not been determined in reptiles. Here, we subject embryonic sea turtles (Caretta caretta) to a biologically realistic thermal stress and employ de novo transcriptomic profiling of brain tissue to investigate the underlying molecular response. From a reference transcriptome of 302 293 transcripts, 179 were identified as differentially expressed between treatments. As anticipated, genes enriched in the heat‐shock treatment were primarily associated with the Hsp families, or were genes whose products play similar protein editing and chaperone functions (e.g. bag3, MYOC and serpinh1). Unexpectedly, genes encoding the HSFs were not significantly upregulated under thermal stress, indicating their presence in unstressed cells in an inactive state. Genes that were downregulated under thermal stress were less well functionally defined but were associated with stress response, development and cellular organization, suggesting that developmental processes may be compromised at realistically high temperatures. These results confirm that genes from the Hsp families play vital roles in the thermal tolerance of developing reptile embryos and, in addition with a number of other genes, should be targets for evaluating the capacity of oviparous reptiles to respond adaptively to the effects of climate change.
HicA toxin of Escherichia coli derepresses hicAB transcription to selectively produce HicB antitoxin
Authors: Turnbull Kathryn J. , Gerdes Kenn
Published: March 2017

Antitoxins encoded by type II toxin – antitoxin (TA) modules neutralize cognate toxins by direct protein – protein contact and in addition, regulate TA operon transcription by binding to operators in the promoter regions. On top of the simple negative feed‐back regulation, canonical type II TA operons are regulated by a mechanism called ‘Conditional Cooperativity’(CC). In CC, the cellular toxin:antitoxin (T:A) ratio controls the transcription‐rate such that low T:A ratios favour repression and high T:A ratios favour de‐repression of TA operon transcription. Here a new molecular mechanism that secures selective synthesis of antitoxin in the presence of excess toxin was unravelled. The hicAB locus of E. coli K‐12 encodes HicA mRNase and HicB antitoxin. It was shown that hicAB is transcribed by two promoters, an upstream one that is activated by CRP‐cAMP and competence factor Sxy and a downstream one that is autorepressed solely by HicB. Excess HicA destabilizes the HicB•operator complex in vitro and consistently, activates hicAB transcription in vivo. Remarkably, the hicAB transcript synthesized from the HicB‐controlled promoter produces HicB but not HicA. Thus, the HicA‐mediated derepression of hicAB transcription provides a mechanism that conditionally and selectively stimulates synthesis of HicB antitoxin under conditions of excess HicA toxin.
Breeding apomictic bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) with improved turf traits
Authors: Rios Esteban , Kenworthy Kevin , Blount Ann , Quesenberry Kenneth , Unruh Bryan , Erickson John , Altpeter Fredy , Munoz Patricio
Published: March 2017

The development of a turf‐type bahiagrass could have a remarkable impact on the billion‐dollar turf industry in the south‐eastern United States. The goals of this study were to (i) select bahiagrass genotypes with improved turf attributes and (ii) determine the reproductive mode and seed fertility of selected genotypes. The population included mutants, wild types, hybrids and standard cultivars evaluated at two locations for two years. Morphological variation was observed and clonal repeatability (H2) ranged from 0.27 to 0.90. Flowering was extremely reduced in some mutants, which also exhibited dark green colour, finer texture and reduced canopy height. Cytoembryological observations revealed that diploids reproduced sexually and tetraploids by obligate or facultative apomixis. Genotypes with superior seed fertility were identified, while others were comparable to the standard cultivars. While mutant plants exhibited great morphological variation, the random mutations did not affect their reproductive mode, validating the use of mutagenesis in apomictic species. The high H2 indicated that selection for improved turf attributes could be successfully performed with the advantage of clonal seed propagation.
Evaluation of combined sewer overflow assessment methods: case study of Cork City, Ireland
Authors: Morgan David , Xiao Liwen , McNabola Aonghus
Published: March 2017

Discharges of untreated wastewater from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) present a potential threat to human health and the chemical and ecological status of receiving waters. Sewer monitoring coupled with hydraulic models are frequently applied to estimate CSO impacts and to test alternative improvement strategies, but their cost can be prohibitive. Therefore, municipal authorities must apply subjective assessment criteria to identify problematic CSOs which require immediate monitoring. In this paper, subjective assessment criteria for CSOs were reviewed and applied using a case study from Cork City, Ireland. Whilst the subjective criteria were robust in identifying nuisance CSOs (those giving rise to public complaint), the assessment of impacts on chemical and ecological status were confounded by other pollutant sources in the catchment and a lack of CSO monitoring data. A methodology was developed, using a geographical information systems (GIS) model, to prioritise monitoring of problematic CSOs on a national basis.
Validity of measures of neurological status used for predicting functional independence in adults after a cerebrovascular accident: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Ware Robert , Moore Mary
Published: March 2017

Review question/objective:

Are the measures of neurologic status that are used in adults who have had a cerebrovascular accident valid in predicting functional independence?

More specifically, the objective of this review is to assess the predictive validity of functional independence of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the Canadian Neurological Scale.
Interventions for healthcare professionals, organizations and patients to enhance quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative esophagogastric cancer: a systematic review
Authors: Cowley Alison , Bath-Hextall Fiona , Cooper Joanne
Published: March 2017

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

Esophagogastric (EG) cancer is the fifth most common malignancy, and its incidence is increasing. The disease is fast paced, and five-year survival rates are poor. Treatment with palliative intent is provided for the majority of patients but there remains a lack of empirical evidence into the most effective service models to support EG cancer patients.

Objectives

The overall objective of this quantitative systematic review was to establish best practice in relation to interventions targeted at healthcare professionals or the structures in which healthcare professionals deliver care (i.e. models of care and practice) and patients (diagnosed with palliative EG cancer) to enhance the quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer.

Inclusion criteria Types of participants

The current review considered studies that included patients diagnosed with palliative EG cancer and any health professionals involved in the delivery of palliative care to this patient group in a hospital, home or community setting.

Types of intervention

The current review considered studies that evaluated any intervention or combination of intervention strategies aimed at healthcare professionals, organizations or patients to improve quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer.

Types of studies

The current review considered both experimental and epidemiological study designs. Studies were excluded that evaluated: screening programs, pharmacology alone, palliative oncology and palliative endoscopy.

Outcomes

The primary outcome measure was objectively measured quality of life.

Search strategy

A three-step search strategy was utilized. Sixteen databases were searched for papers from the year 2000 onward and followed by hand searching of reference lists.

Methodological quality

Methodological quality was not assessed as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

Data extraction

Data extraction was not possible as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

Data synthesis

It was not possible to complete data synthesis as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

Results

Comprehensive searching and study selection process failed to identify any studies that were eligible for inclusion in the review.

Conclusion

There is currently a lack of published evidence to establish which interventions and strategies are most effective in delivering services to patients diagnosed with palliative EG cancer in terms of service structure, process and delivery.
A Simple Shear and Torsion-Free Beam Model for Multibody Dynamics
Authors: Carlos García Orden Juan , Cuenca Queipo Javier
Published: March 2017

This paper describes a very simple beam model, amenable to be used in multibody applications, for cases where the effects of torsion and shear are negligible. This is the case of slender rods connecting different parts of many space mechanisms, models useful in polymer physics, computer animation, etc. The proposed new model follows a lumped parameter method that leads to a rotation-free formulation. Axial stiffness is represented by a standard nonlinear truss model, while bending is modeled with a force potential. Several numerical experiments are carried out in order to assess accuracy, which is usually the main drawback of this type of approach. Results reveal a remarkable accuracy in nonlinear dynamical problems, suggesting that the proposed model is a valid alternative to more sophisticated approaches.
Interlaminar Toughening of GFRP—Part II: Characterization and Numerical Simulation of Curing Kinetics
Authors: Bian Dakai , Beeksma Bradley R. , Shim D. J. , Jones Marshall , Lawrence Yao Y.
Published: March 2017

Various methods of toughening the bonding between the interleaf and laminate glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) have been developed due to the increasing applications in industries. A polystyrene (PS) additive modified epoxy is used to improve the diffusion and precipitation region between polysulfone (PSU) interleaf and epoxy due to its influence on the curing kinetics without changing glass transition temperature and viscosity of the curing epoxy. The temperature-dependent diffusivities of epoxy, amine hardener, and PSU are determined by using attenuated total reflection–Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) through monitoring the changing absorbance of their characteristic peaks. Effects of PS additive on diffusivity in the epoxy system are investigated by comparing the diffusivity between nonmodified and PS modified epoxy. The consumption rate of the epoxide group in the curing epoxy reveals the curing reaction rate, and the influence of PS additive on the curing kinetics is also studied by determining the degree of curing with time. A diffusivity model coupled with curing kinetics is applied to simulate the diffusion and precipitation process between PSU and curing epoxy. The effect of geometry factor is considered to simulate the diffusion and precipitation process with and without the existence of fibers. The simulation results show the diffusion and precipitation depths which match those observed in the experiments.
Design Manifolds Capture the Intrinsic Complexity and Dimension of Design Spaces
Authors: Chen Wei , Fuge Mark , Chazan Jonah
Published: March 2017

This paper shows how to measure the intrinsic complexity and dimensionality of a design space. It assumes that high-dimensional design parameters actually lie in a much lower-dimensional space that represents semantic attributes—a design manifold. Past work has shown how to embed designs using techniques like autoencoders; in contrast, the method proposed in this paper first captures the inherent properties of a design space and then chooses appropriate embeddings based on the captured properties. We demonstrate this with both synthetic shapes of controllable complexity (using a generalization of the ellipse called the superformula) and real-world designs (glassware and airfoils). We evaluate multiple embeddings by measuring shape reconstruction error, pairwise distance preservation, and captured semantic attributes. By generating fundamental knowledge about the inherent complexity of a design space and how designs differ from one another, our approach allows us to improve design optimization, consumer preference learning, geometric modeling, and other design applications that rely on navigating complex design spaces. Ultimately, this deepens our understanding of design complexity in general.
Fabrication of radiation hardened SOI with embedded Si nanocrystal by ion-cut technique
Authors: Chang Yongwei , Cheng Shi , Dai Lihua , Chen Da , Xue Zhongying , Dong Yemin , Wei Xing , Wang Xi
Published: March 2017

The ion-cut technique has been proposed to improve the top Si crystalline quality of the radiation hardened silicon-on-insulator (SOI). Si ion implantation prior to wafer bonding and splitting is performed to reduce the lattice damage induced by direct Si implantation through top Si film. Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the top Si film possesses nearly perfect crystalline quality. Photoluminescence spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have corroborated the existence of the embedded Si nanocrystals. The pseudo-MOS transistors are fabricated on the hardened and unhardened SOI wafers for a quick and effective evaluation on the electrical properties of SOI wafers. The results indicate that the improvement in the total ionizing dose tolerance of the hardened SOI wafer can be attributed to the generation of deep electron and proton traps which reduce the positive charge build-up defects in the buried oxides.
Target-locus scaling for modeling formant transitions in vowel + consonant + vowel utterances
Authors: Broad David J. , Clermont Frantz
Published: March 2017

The coarticulatory effects described by Öhman [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 39, 151–168 (1966)] imply that consonant loci cannot always be defined by their associated consonantal contexts alone, but, in Swedish vowel + consonant + vowel utterances, they must also depend on their trans-consonantal vowels (TCVs). His discovery is extended here using a model with TCV-dependent consonant loci and with a unique target for each vowel. The model accurately characterizes the vowel-to-consonant and consonant-to-vowel transitions for the /b/ and /d/ contexts from Öhman's second formant-frequency data as families connected by linear-scaling relationships.
Effect of Continuous and Sequential Therapy among Veterans Receiving Daptomycin or Linezolid for Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Bacteremia
Authors: Britt Nicholas S. , Potter Emily M. , Patel Nimish , Steed Molly E.
Published: March 2017

Vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus faecium
bloodstream infections (VREF-BSI) cause significant mortality, highlighting the need to optimize their treatment. We compared the effectiveness and safety of daptomycin (DAP) and linezolid (LZD) as continuous or sequential therapy for VREF-BSI in a national, retrospective, propensity score (PS)-matched cohort study of hospitalized Veterans Affairs patients (2004 to 2014). We compared clinical outcomes and adverse events among patients treated with continuous LZD, continuous DAP, or sequential LZD followed by DAP (LZD-to-DAP). Secondarily, we analyzed the impact of infectious diseases (ID) consultation and source of VREF-BSI. A total of 2,630 patients were included in the effectiveness analysis (LZD [
n
= 1,348], DAP [
n
= 1,055], LZD-to-DAP [
n
= 227]). LZD was associated with increased 30-day mortality versus DAP (risk ratio [RR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.22;
P
= 0.042). After PS matching, this relationship persisted (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.26;
P
= 0.015). LZD-to-DAP switchers had lower mortality than those remaining on LZD (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.63;
P
= 0.021), suggesting a benefit may still be derived with sequential therapy. LZD-treated patients experienced more adverse events, including a ≥50% reduction in platelets (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.11;
P
= 0.001). DAP was associated with lower mortality than was LZD in patients with endocarditis (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.41;
P
= 0.024); however, there was no statistically significant association between treatment group and mortality with regard to other sources of infection. Therefore, source of infection appears to be important in selection of patients most likely to benefit from DAP over LZD.
Understanding clinician influences and patient perspectives on outpatient discharge decisions: a qualitative study
Authors: Harun N A , Finlay A Y , Piguet V , Salek S
Published: March 2017

Objective

To observe the influences on clinicians when discharging patients, to explore patients' perspectives concerning their discharge or follow-up decision and to identify what patients think is important for clinicians to consider when taking a discharge decision.

Design

Qualitative study involving observations of consultations and semistructured interviews with outpatients.

Setting

National Health Service outpatient clinics at a university hospital secondary referral centre.

Participants

64 consultations were observed followed by 56 interviews with patients aged over 18 years.

Main outcome measure

Analysis of patients' perspectives and expectations concerning whether or not they were discharged.

Results

25 types of influences were observed to be influencing the discharge decision process. All 31 discharged patients appeared to accept the clinicians' decision; however, 10 (22%) of those patients later expressed disappointment. Patients' discontent was due to perceived clinicians' uncertainty in diagnosis (patients mentioning=2), poor acceptance of the diagnosis (2), disease not‘cured’ (4), differing perception on medical needs (2), lack of concern for job demands (1), felt uninvolved in the decision-making (4), feeling rushed (3), prolonged open appointment (2), pushed to seek private care due to healthcare budget constraints (2), language barrier (1) and not keen to continue follow-up with general practitioner (2). Patients were happy when there was certainty of the diagnosis (19), clear treatment plan (16), advised on treatment side effects (7), given a contact number if symptoms recurred (4), considering their travelling and job demands (3).

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of accurately perceiving patients' perspectives in ensuring the appropriateness of outpatient discharge. There was a disparity between patients' and clinicians' perception on what was an appropriate discharge. This included discrepancies concerning diagnostic certainties, private healthcare as an alternative, need for easy reaccess and choice of words surrounding discharge. Medical education should include handling these issues.
Influence of psychological factors on the prognosis of chronic shoulder pain: protocol for a prospective cohort study
Authors: Martinez-Calderon Javier , Struyf Filip , Meeus Mira , Morales-Ascencio Jose Miguel , Luque-Suarez Alejandro
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Shoulder pain is a highly prevalent condition. Psychological factors could play an essential role in the prognosis of chronic shoulder pain (CSP). The aims of the study will be to analyse the level of association between psychological factors and pain-disability at baseline and prospectively to assess their prognostic role; to evaluate the association of pain catastrophising and kinesiophobia at baseline and prospectively in the relationship between pain intensity and disability, or between self-efficacy and disability in patients with CSP; to explore the association of self-efficacy at baseline and prospectively in the relationship between pain intensity and disability, in comparison with kinesiophobia and pain catastrophising.

Methods and analysis

The study is a longitudinal, prospective cohort study with a 12-month follow-up. It will be conducted in 4 primary-care centres and one hospital of the province of Malaga, Spain. 307 participants aged between 18 and 70 years suffering from CSP (3 months or more) will be included. Primary outcomes will include pain, disability and self-efficacy, whereas kinesiophobia, pain-related fear, pain catastrophising, anxiety, depression, patient expectations of recovery, age, gender, duration/intensity of symptoms, educational level and other factors will be predictive measures. Follow-up: baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months.

Ethics and dissemination

The local ethics committee (The Costa del Sol Ethics Committee, Malaga, 28042016) has approved this protocol. Dissemination will occur through presentations at National and International conferences and publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT02738372; pre-results
Community-deliverable exercise and anxiety in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Kelley George A , Kelley Kristi S , Callahan Leigh F
Published: March 2017

Introduction

While anxiety is a major public health problem in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD), the effects of exercise on anxiety in adults are not well established despite numerous studies on this topic. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review with an aggregate data meta-analysis to determine the effects of community-deliverable exercise interventions (aerobic, strength training or both) on anxiety in adults with AORD.

Methods and analysis

Randomised controlled exercise intervention trials ≥4 weeks and published in any language up to 31 December 2016 will be included. Studies will be retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases, cross-referencing and expert review. Dual selection and abstraction of data will occur. The primary outcome will be changes in anxiety. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment instrument while confidence in the cumulative evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) instrument. Standardised effect sizes for anxiety will be calculated from each study and then pooled using the inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) model. Meta-regression based on the IVhet model will be used to examine the relationship between changes in anxiety and selected covariates.

Dissemination

The results of this study will be presented at a professional conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

CRD42016048728.
Investigation of the 16O+194Pt reaction: One- and two-dimensional dynamical interpretation
Authors: Naderi D. , Farmani A.
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we applied the Langevin dynamical model to investigate the different aspects of the [Formula: see text]O+[Formula: see text]Pt reaction. Elongation and orientation degree of freedom ([Formula: see text] coordinate) which are the first and second dimensions of dynamical calculations, are presented here. Fission time, fission cross-section, pre-scission neutron multiplicity, and fission probability were calculated using one- and two-dimensional Langevin equations. Also, anisotropy of fission-fragments angular distribution has been investigated based on the transition state model, one- and two-dimensional Langevin dynamical models. It was found that by adding the orientation degree of freedom to calculations, the fission time and pre-scission neutrons multiplicity increases whereas fission cross-section, and fission probability decreases. The two-dimensional dynamical calculations are a better match to the experimental data than the one-dimensional dynamical calculations, when using nominal values for the reduced dissipation coefficient and shape-dependent level density parameter. However, if model parameters are adjusted to reproduce the fission cross-section data, then both the one- and two-dimensional models give a satisfactory match to the fission fragment anisotropy data. Nonequilibrium [Formula: see text] distributions in the dynamical model can better explain the experimental anisotropy of the angular distribution of fission-fragments with respect to the equilibrium [Formula: see text] distribution in saddle and scission point transition state models.
An Engel condition with b-generalized derivations for Lie ideals
Authors: Liau Pao-Kuei , Liu Cheng-Kai
Published: March 2017

Let [Formula: see text] be a prime ring with the extended centroid [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] a noncommutative Lie ideal of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] a nonzero [Formula: see text]-generalized derivation of [Formula: see text]. For [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text]. We prove that if [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] are fixed positive integers, then there exists [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text] except when [Formula: see text], the [Formula: see text] matrix ring over a field [Formula: see text]. The analogous result for generalized skew derivations is also described. Our theorems naturally generalize the cases of derivations and skew derivations obtained by Lanski in [C. Lanski, An Engel condition with derivation, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 118 (1993), 75–80, Skew derivations and Engel conditions, Comm. Algebra 42 (2014), 139–152.]
PATELLOFEMORAL ARTHROPLASTY CHANGES THE TROCHLEAR GROOVE ANGLE
Authors: WIESNER F. J. , ERASMUS P. J. , CHO K. J. , MÜLLER J. H.
Published: March 2017

High early failure rates occur in the treatment of isolated symptomatic patellofemoral arthritis with commercially available patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) prostheses. We postulate that PFA changes the trochlear groove angle, thereby causing patellar maltracking, catching and pain. We examined the extent of this change in trochlear groove angle by virtually implanting five commercially available patellofemoral prostheses into two 3D reconstructed knees, one with a normal and the other with a dysplastic trochlea. The axial and coronal trochlear groove angles were measured pre- and post PFA for the five different prostheses in both the normal and the dysplastic knee. Post PFA, the trochlear groove angle changed from the original in both the axial and coronal planes for all the prostheses in both the normal and the dysplastic knee. The trochlear groove change is dependent on the design of the specific prosthesis. To avoid excessive changes post PFA, both the wide variation of changes between different generic PFA prostheses, as well as the wide variation in patient femoral anatomy should be considered.
Preparation of a Novel Three-Dimensional TiO2 Macroporous/TiO2 Nanorods/Ag Nanoparticles Composite Nanostructure and its Use as SERS Substrates
Authors: Li Xiuhua , Lin Jian , Zhao Junhong
Published: March 2017

A novel composite nanostructure which is made up of TiO2 three dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) nanostructure and TiO2 nanorods (NRs) has been successfully synthesized through a combination of colloidal crystal template technology and hydrothermal method, then we achieved its combination with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) via a silver mirror reaction. We studied the SERS (Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering) performance of the obtained structure, the results show that our samples are very sensitive substrates when being used to detect dye R6G molecules, with a low detection concentration of 10[Formula: see text] M. This proves that it is a promising material in the area of analyzing and molecule-level detecting as a kind of novel and low-cost SERS substrate.
Investigation of the effect of temperature on aging behavior of Fe-doped lead zirconate titanate
Authors: Promsawat Napatporn , Promsawat Methee , Janphuang Pattanaphong , Marungsri Boonruang , Luo Zhenhua , Pojprapai Soodkhet
Published: March 2017

The aging degradation behavior of Fe-doped Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) subjected to different heat-treated temperatures was investigated over 1000[Formula: see text]h. The aging degradation in the piezoelectric properties of PZT was indicated by the decrease in piezoelectric charge coefficient, electric field-induced strain and remanent polarization. It was found that the aging degradation became more pronounced at temperature above 50% of the PZT’s Curie temperature. A mathematical model based on the linear logarithmic stretched exponential function was applied to explain the aging behavior. A qualitative aging model based on polar macrodomain switchability was proposed.
Distributed Matching with Mixed Maximum-Minimum Utilities
Authors: Azaria Amos , Sarne David , Aumann Yonatan
Published: March 2017

In this article, we study distributed agent matching with search friction in environments characterized by costly exploration, where each agent’s utility from forming a partnership is influenced by some linear combination of the maximum and the minimum among the two agents’ competence. The article provides a cohesive analysis for such case, proving the equilibrium structure for the different min-max linear combinations that may be used. The article presents an extensive equilibrium analysis of such settings, proving three distinct resulting patterns of the acceptance thresholds used by the different agents. The first relates to settings where a greater emphasis is placed on the minimum type, or in the extreme case where the minimum type solely determines the output. In these cases, the assortative matching characteristic holds, where all agents set their threshold below their own type and the greater is the agent type, the greater is its threshold. When the utility from the partnership formation is solely determined by the maximum type, we show that there exists a type
x
*
where partnerships form if and only if one of the agents has a type equal to or greater than
x
*
. When a greater emphasis is placed on the maximum type (but not only), we prove that assortative matching never holds, and the change in the agents’ acceptance thresholds can frequently shift from an increase to a decrease.
Faster and Simpler Sketches of Valuation Functions
Authors: Cohavi Keren , Dobzinski Shahar
Published: March 2017

We present fast algorithms for sketching valuation functions. Let
N
(|
N
| =
n
) be some ground set and
v
:2

N

→ R be a function. We say that v˜:2

N

→ R is an
α-sketch
of
v
if for every set
S
we have that
v
(
S
)/α ≤ v˜(
S
) ≤
v
(
S
) and v˜ can be described in
poly
(
n
) bits.

Goemans et al. [SODA’09] showed that if
v
is submodular then there exists an
õ
(√
n
)-sketch that can be constructed using polynomially many value queries (this is essentially the best possible, as Balcan and Harvey [STOC’11] show that no submodular function admits an
n
1/3 - ϵ
-sketch). Based on their work, Balcan et al. [COLT’12] and Badanidiyuru et al. [SODA’12] show that if
v
is subadditive, then there exists an
õ
(√
n
)-sketch that can be constructed using polynomially many demand queries. All previous sketches are based on complicated geometric constructions. The first step in their constructions is proving the existence of a good sketch by finding an ellipsoid that “approximates”
v
well (this is done by applying John’s theorem to ensure the existence of an ellipsoid that is “close” to the polymatroid that is associated with
v
). The second step is to show that this ellipsoid can be found efficiently, and this is done by repeatedly solving a certain convex program to obtain better approximations of John’s ellipsoid.

In this article, we give a significantly simpler, nongeometric proof for the existence of good sketches and utilize the proof to obtain much faster algorithms that match the previously obtained approximation bounds. Specifically, we provide an algorithm that finds
õ
(√
n
)-sketch of a submodular function with only
õ
(
n
3/2
value queries, and we provide an algorithm that finds
õ
(√
n
)-sketch of a subadditive function with
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Health Monitoring System for Nursing Homes with Lightweight Security and Privacy Protection
Authors: Jiang Yu’e , Liu Jiaxiang
Published: March 2017

With the rapid growth of aged population in China, it is urgent to design a safe and effective monitoring system for the nursing homes. An optimized scheme and high performance security and privacy protection for monitoring system have already become the focus studied especially. So this paper proposed a health monitoring system with lightweight security and privacy protection for nursing homes. Dual-band RFID, virtual routing location algorithm, and diet and exercise data collection based on RFID were adopted to obtain the location and health information. And that fused a mobile authentication protocol based on Hash function to realize security access and privacy protection, which can improve security and reduce the complexity of calculation and the implementation cost compared with the typical authentication protocols. The experiment results show that the ratio of relative network delay is below 35%. The system has strong real-time, high security, more comprehensive data, and lower cost of computation and communication. It can satisfy the requirements of health monitoring for nursing homes.
Thoracoscopic Resection of a Rare Case of Hemangioma of the Azygos Venous Arch
Authors: Husai Ma , Yixin Cai , Ni Zhang , Wenxin Wang , Xiangning Fu
Published: March 2017

Hemangioma of the azygos venous arch is an exceedingly rare incident. This is a case of a thoracoscopic complete resection of a hemangioma of the azygos venous arch in a 37-year-old woman.
Premature Ventricular Complex Causing Ice-Pick Headache
Authors: Ozturk Selcuk , Yetkin Ertan
Published: March 2017

Ice pick headache is a momentary, transient, repetitive headache disorder and manifests with the stabbing pains and jolts. The exact mechanism causing this disease is unknown. Premature ventricular contractions are early depolarization of the ventricular myocardium and in the absence of a structural heart disease, it is considered to be a benign disease. In this report, we describe a male patient presenting with the symptom of momentary headache attacks accompanied with instant chest pain which is associated with premature ventricular contraction.
Effects of Bamboo Shoot Dietary Fiber on Mechanical Properties, Moisture Distribution, and Microstructure of Frozen Dough
Authors: Zhang Hua , Zhang Yanyan , Wang Xintian , Xiang Qisen , Bai Yanhong , Li Suyun , Yang Lixin
Published: March 2017

In this paper, the effects of Bamboo shoot dietary fiber (BSDF) on the mechanical properties, moisture distribution, and microstructure of frozen dough were investigated. The state and distribution of water in frozen dough was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LNMR) spectroscopy. The microstructure of frozen dough was studied. The structure of the gluten protein network found in wheat flour dough was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The result showed that the BSDF could significantly improve the viscoelasticity and extensibility of frozen dough after thawing in a dose-dependent manner. It was significantly improved with the increase in the addition amount of BSDF (P<0.05). DSC analysis showed that the freezable water content and thermal stability of frozen dough were increased after the addition of BSDF. LNMR analysis showed that the appropriate (<0.1%) addition amount of BSDF could significantly (P<0.05) decline the contents of bound water. Meanwhile, the loose bound water and free water were raised significantly (P<0.05) after the addition of BSDF. Moreover, the addition of BSDF induces arrangement of starch granule and gluten network in frozen dough. BSDF can be used as a novel quality improver of frozen dough.
Minerals, Toxic Heavy Metals, and Antioxidant Properties of Honeys from Bangladesh
Authors: Paul Sudip , Hossen Md. Sakib , Tanvir E. M. , Afroz Rizwana , Hossen Delwar , Das Sagarika , Bhoumik Nikhil Chandra , Karim Nurul , Juliana Farha Matin , Gan Siew Hua , Khalil Md. Ibrahim
Published: March 2017

The study reports on major and trace elements as well as antioxidant properties of honey samples from Bangladesh. Four major cationic elements, seven trace elements, and three heavy metals were determined in the 12 honey samples using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Nutritional values in these honey samples were further investigated according to their antioxidant properties. The content of major elements was in the range of 62.75–616.58, 579.48–2219.43, 69.42–632.25, and 0.13–1.20 mg/kg for sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, respectively. The trace elements varied in the range of 0.41–28, 0.12–3.54, 1.54–2.85, 0.29–0.59, 0.02–0.35, and 0.01–0.06 mg/kg for iron, zinc, copper, nickel, cobalt, and cadmium, respectively. Among the heavy metals, only lead (0.17–2.19 mg/kg) was detected. The results of antioxidant analysis based on phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, and proteins (as nonphenolic antioxidants) revealed that multifloral raw honey samples contain significantly higher levels of reducing agents than monofloral and commercial brand honeys. The study provides a useful insight on the minerals, heavy metals, and antioxidant properties of honey samples commonly consumed in Bangladesh and found to be rich source of antioxidants and minerals. Some samples might pose some risk to the health due to lead contamination.
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Occurring in a Kidney Transplant Patient with Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Iglesias Jose , Ledesma Kandria Jumil , Couto Paul J. , Liu Jessie
Published: March 2017

Tuberculosis (TB) occurring in solid organ transplantation (SOT) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality usually due to delays in diagnosis, drug toxicity encountered with antimycobacterial therapy, and drug-drug interactions. TB in SOT patients may mimic other infectious and noninfectious posttransplant complications such as posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and systemic cytomegalovirus infection. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a host response resulting in paradoxical worsening of an infectious disease which occurs after the employment of effective therapy and reversal of an immunosuppressed state. We describe the development of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), a unique complication occurring during the treatment of extrapulmonary tuberculosis occurring after transplant which resulted from decreasing immunosuppression in a patient who received Alemtuzumab induction therapy. Although (IRIS) has been originally described in HIV/AIDS patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), solid organ transplant recipients with diagnosed or occult TB whose immune system may undergo immune reconstitution during their posttransplant course represent a new high risk group.
First Video Case Report of Chronic Retrograde Jejunojejunal Intussusception after Subtotal Gastrectomy with Braun’s Anastomosis
Authors: Bayrak Savaş , Bektaş Hasan , Derici Necdet , Çakar Ekrem , Çolak Şükrü
Published: March 2017

Intussusception, which is seen rarely in adults, is defined as the pulling or invagination of a part of the intestine into another segment of the intestine. In this case report we present chronic retrograde jejunojejunal intussusception following gastric surgery with Braun’s anastomosis in adult with video presentation. A 66-year-old woman, who had undergone gastric surgery 39 years ago and cholecystectomy 20 years ago, was admitted to our clinic with the complaints about weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGISE) was applied, and patient was treated with surgery. This case report indicates that intussusception should be considered in the presence of clinical complaints following gastric surgery, as well as importance of endoscopy in diagnosis.
Postural Syncope and Constipation: An Unusual Presentation of a Duodenal Dieulafoy’s Lesion
Authors: Dirweesh Ahmed , Chikezie Alvarez , Khan Muhammad Yasir , Zia Sana , Tahir Muhammad
Published: March 2017

Dieulafoy lesions are a rare etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding from a large caliber-persistent tortuous submucosal artery. They account for 1-2% of all causes of acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage with 80%–95% of these lesions located in the stomach along the lesser curvature. One-third of these lesions present at an extragastric location, with the proximal duodenum accounting for 15% of them. We present a 21-year-old male with no significant past medical history or risk factors, who presented with repeated syncopal episodes followed by hematemesis, found to have a Dieulafoy lesion located at the duodenal bulb. This lesion was diagnosed and successfully treated via upper endoscopy with epinephrine injection and the application of 2 endoscopic clips.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Protects against Spinal Cord Ischemia Reperfusion Injury‐Induced Apoptosis by Blocking Autophagy
Authors: Xie Lei , Yu Sifei , Wang Zhenfei , Yang Kai , Liu Zhuochao , Li Changwei , Liang Yu
Published: March 2017

The role of autophagy, neuroprotective mechanisms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), and their relationship in spinal cord ischemic reperfusion injury (SCIR) was assessed. Forty‐eight Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham, ischemia reperfusion (I/R), 10 mg/kg NAD+, and 75 mg/kg NAD+. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess autophagy and apoptosis. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores were used to assess neurological function. Expression levels of Beclin‐1, Atg12‐Atg5, LC3B‐II, cleaved caspase 3, and Bax were upregulated in the I/R group and downregulated in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group; p‐mTOR, p‐AKT, p62, and Bcl‐2 were downregulated in the I/R group and upregulated in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. Numbers of LC3B‐positive, caspase 3‐positive, Bax‐positive, and TUNEL‐positive cells were significantly increased in the I/R group and decreased in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. The mean integrated option density of Bax increased and that of Nissl decreased in the I/R group, and it decreased and increased, respectively, in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group. BBB scores significantly increased in the 75 mg/kg NAD+ group relative to the I/R group. No difference was observed between I/R and 10 mg/kg NAD+ groups for these indicators. Therefore, excessive and sustained autophagy aggravates SCIR; administration of NAD+ alleviates injury.