bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A MODEL FOR ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA CELL SUSPENSION GROWTH AND SUGAR UPTAKE KINETICS
Authors: Mohamad Puad Noor Illi , Abd-Karim Khairiah , Mavituna Ferda
Published: August 2017

Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) is a small weed which is related to the cabbage and mustard family. This flowering plant has been used widely as a model plant in genetics and molecular biology research since it is the first plant the full sequenced genome. Thus, A. thaliana literature provides plentiful information from genomics and transcriptomics point of view. However, there is still a lack of physiological information regarding its cell suspension cultures which can be powerful research tools in Plant Biotechnology and especially in Plant Systems and Synthetic Biology. In this study, cell growth and sugar uptake of A. thaliana Col ecotype grown in the continuous dark condition were modelled using the modified Monod and Michelis-menten equations. The model included sucrose hydrolysis by the cell-wall invertase enzyme into hexoses (glucose and fructose) and consumption of these hexoses at different rates to support cell growth. All kinetic model parameters were obtained from a control experiment where Col cells were grown on 30 gL-1 sucrose as well as other independent experiments where Col cells were supplied with different concentrations and combinations of sugars. The model adequately described and predicted the growth and sugars profile of A. thaliana cells. This model can also be applied for larger scale of growth with extended expressions for oxygen uptake rate, carbon dioxide production rate etc.
9,10-ANTHRAQUINONE-2,6-DISULFONIC ACID DISODIUM SALT/ EPOXY GRAPHITE COMPOSITE FOR ANODE IN MICROBIAL FUEL CELL
Authors: Abu Bakar Mimi Hani , F Pasco Neil , Gooneratne Ravi , Byung Hong Kim
Published: August 2017

Properties such as electrical conductivity, low resistivity, chemicals and corrosion resistance are mostly found in carbon based materials. Epoxy resin is excellent for electrical insulation and can be used as a conductor with the addition of conductive filler. Combinations of carbon and epoxy show qualities of a conductive electrode, mechanically strong with design flexibility and thus makes them suitable as electrodes in microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, graphite-epoxy composites were fabricated with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) embedded in the matrix surface. 9,10-Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid disodium salt/polypyrrole (PPy/AQDS) was used as mediator, covalently electrografted on electrode’s surface. Electrochemical stability of anodes during continuous operation were measured in air-cathode MFCs. It appears that maximum power in MFC could be increased up to 42% with surface modification using PPy/AQDS. Internal resistance (Rint) could be reduced up to 66% with the inclusion of MWCNT. These findings show that a one-day fabrication of a-ready-to-use conductive electrode is possible for graphite content between 70-80% (w/w).
Sex‐specific differences in cardiovascular and metabolic hormones with integrated signalling in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus
Authors: Loewen Spencer P. , Paterson Alex R. , Loh Su Yi , Rogers Mark F. , Hindmarch Charles C. T. , Murphy David , Ferguson Alastair V.
Published: August 2017

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

We describe roles of crucial signalling molecules in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and highlight recent data suggesting sex‐specific changes in the expression of crucial signalling molecules and their receptors, which may underlie sex differences in both cardiovascular and metabolic function.

What advances does it highlight?

This review highlights the integrative capacity of the paraventricular nucleus in mediating cardiovascular and metabolic effects by integrating information from multiple signalling molecules. It also proposes that these signalling molecules have sex‐specific differential gene expression, indicating the importance of considering these differences in our ongoing search to understand the female–male differences in the regulation of crucial autonomic systems.

Many traditional cardiovascular hormones have been implicated in metabolic function. Conversely, many hormones traditionally involved in metabolic regulation have an effect on cardiovascular function. Many of these signalling molecules exert such effects through specific actions in the paraventricular nucleus, an integrative autonomic control centre located in the hypothalamus. Here, we focus on four cardiovascular/metabolic peptide hormones that signal within the paraventricular nucleus, namely angiotensin II, orexin, adiponectin and nesfatin‐1. Each of these hormones has specific electrophysiological effects on paraventricular nucleus neurons that can be related to its physiological actions. In addition, we introduce preliminary transcriptomic data indicating that the genes for some of these hormones and their receptors have sex‐specific differential expression.
Synthesis and Thermal Properties of Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate/Urea Resin as Thermal Energy Storage Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Material
Authors: Liu Chenzhen , Ma Ling , Rao Zhonghao , Li Yimin
Published: August 2017

In this study, micro-encapsulated phase change material (microPCM) was successfully synthesized by emulsion polymerization method, using magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MSH) as core material and urea resin (UR) as shell material. The surface morphologies and particle size distributions of the microPCM were tested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser particle size analyzer. The chemical structure of microPCM was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal conductivity coefficient instrument, respectively.
Evaporation Heat Transfer in Thin-Film Region With Bulk Vapor Flow Effect
Authors: Fu Benwei , Zhao Nannan , Tian Bohan , Corey Wilson , Ma Hongbin
Published: August 2017

An extra high evaporating heat transfer coefficient can be obtained by thin-film evaporation. In the current investigation, a new detailed mathematical model is developed by considering the effects of bulk flow and interfacial thermal resistance on fluid flow and heat transfer in the thin-film region of an evaporating meniscus. In addition to the interfacial thermal resistance occurring at the liquid–vapor interface, the pressure difference between liquid and vapor is considered to the bulk flow effect. The results show that the bulk flow, which depends on the pressure difference between the interfacial pressure and vapor pressure, significantly affects thin-film profile, heat flux distribution, interfacial temperature, meniscus radius, mass flow rate, and average flow velocity in the evaporating thin-film region. While the interfacial thermal resistance occurring at the liquid–vapor interface affects fluid flow and heat transfer in the evaporating thin-film region, the bulk flow effect is more important than the interfacial thermal resistance.
Experimental Investigation of Spray and Combustion Performances of a Fuel-Staged Low Emission Combustor: Effects of Main Swirl Angle
Authors: Liu Cunxi , Liu Fuqiang , Yang Jinhu , Mu Yong , Hu Chunyan , Xu Gang
Published: August 2017

In order to reduce NOx emissions, modern gas turbines are often equipped with lean-burn combustion systems, where the high-velocity fuel-lean conditions that limit NOx formation in combustors also inhibit the ability of ignition, high altitude relight, and lean combustion stability. To face these issues, internally staged scheme of fuel injection is proposed. Primary and main fuel staging enable fuel distribution control, and multi-injections of main fuel lead to a fast and efficient mixing. A fuel-staged low emission combustor in the framework of lean-burn combustion is developed in the present study, i.e., the central pilot stage for low power conditions is swirl-cup prefilming atomization, the main stage is jet-in-crossflow multi-injection, and a combination of primary and main stage injection is provided for higher power output conditions. In lean-burn combustors, the swirling main air naturally tends to entrain the pilot flame and quench it at low power conditions, which is adverse to the operability specifications, such as ignition, lean blow-out (LBO), and high-altitude relight. In order to investigate the effects of the main swirl angle on combustion performances, the ignition and LBO performances were evaluated in a single dome rectangular combustor. Furthermore, the spray patterns and flow field are characterized by kerosene-planar laser induced fluorescence and particle image velocimetry (PIV) to provide insight into spray and combustion performances. Flow–flow interactions between pilot and main air streams, spray–flow interactions between pilot spray and main air streams, and flame–flow interactions between pilot flame and main air streams are comprehensively analyzed. The entrainment of recirculating main air streams on pilot air streams enhances with the increase of main swirl angle, because of the upward motion and increasing width of main recirculation zone. A small part of droplets are entrained by the recirculating main air streams at periphery of combustor and a majority of droplets concentrate near the centerline of combustor, making that entrainment of recirculating main air streams on pilot spray and quenching effects of recirculating main air streams on pilot flame are slight, and the extinguishing effects can be ignored. The contributions of main swirl strength to improvement of ignition and LBO performances are due to enhancement of air/fuel mixing by strengthening turbulence level in pilot zone.
High-Speed Imaging and Measurements of Ignition Delay Times in Oxy-Syngas Mixtures With High CO2 Dilution in a Shock Tube
Authors: Barak Samuel , Pryor Owen , Lopez Joseph , Ninnemann Erik , Vasu Subith , Koroglu Batikan
Published: August 2017

In this study, syngas combustion was investigated behind reflected shock waves in order to gain insight into the behavior of ignition delay times and effects of the CO2 dilution. Pressure and light emissions time-histories measurements were taken at a 2 cm axial location away from the end wall. High-speed visualization of the experiments from the end wall was also conducted. Oxy-syngas mixtures that were tested in the shock tube were diluted with CO2 fractions ranging from 60% to 85% by volume. A 10% fuel concentration was consistently used throughout the experiments. This study looked at the effects of changing the equivalence ratios (ϕ), between 0.33, 0.5, and 1.0 as well as changing the fuel ratio (θ), hydrogen to carbon monoxide, from 0.25, 1.0, and 4.0. The study was performed at 1.61–1.77 atm and a temperature range of 1006–1162 K. The high-speed imaging was performed through a quartz end wall with a Phantom V710 camera operated at 67,065 frames per second. From the experiments, when increasing the equivalence ratio, it resulted in a longer ignition delay time. In addition, when increasing the fuel ratio, a lower ignition delay time was observed. These trends are generally expected with this combustion reaction system. The high-speed imaging showed nonhomogeneous combustion in the system; however, most of the light emissions were outside the visible light range where the camera is designed for. The results were compared to predictions of two combustion chemical kinetic mechanisms: GRI v3.0 and AramcoMech v2.0 mechanisms. In general, both mechanisms did not accurately predict the experimental data. The results showed that current models are inaccurate in predicting CO2 diluted environments for syngas combustion.
A Review of Recent Research on the Mechanical Behavior of Lead-Free Solders
Authors: Yao Yao , Long Xu , Keer Leon M.
Published: August 2017

Due to the restriction of lead-rich solder and the miniaturization of electronic packaging devices, lead-free solders have replaced lead-rich solders in the past decades; however, it also brings new technical problems. Reliability, fatigue, and drop resistance are of concern in the electronic industry. The paper provides a comprehensive survey of recent research on the methodologies to describe the mechanical behavior of lead-free solders. In order to understand the fundamental mechanical behavior of lead-free solders, the visco-plastic characteristics should be considered in the constitutive modeling. Under mechanical and thermal cycling, fatigue is related to the time to failure and can be predicted based on the analysis to strain, hysteresis energy, and damage accumulation. For electronic devices with potential drop impacts, drop resistance plays an essential role to assess the mechanical reliability of solder joints through experimental studies, establishing the rate-dependent material properties and proposing advanced numerical techniques to model the interconnect failure. The failure mechanisms of solder joints are complicated under coupled electrical-thermal-mechanical loadings, the increased current density can lead to electromigration around the current crowding zone. The induced void initiation and propagation have been investigated based on theoretical approaches to reveal the effects on the mechanical properties of solder joints. To elucidate the dominant mechanisms, the effects of current stressing and elevated temperature on mechanical behavior of lead-free solder have been reviewed. Potential directions for future research have been discussed.
Transient Analysis of a Flexible Pin-on-Disk System and Its Application to the Research Into Time-Varying Squeal
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Wu Jun , Meng Dejian
Published: August 2017

In this paper, a flexible pin-on-disk system is used to simulate how squeal noise can be generated in frictional contact. As the research object, the modeling process and transient simulation method of the flexible pin-on-disk system are introduced. By means of numerical simulation, the time-varying frictional squeal reappears by introducing periodic frictional coefficient generated from rotation. Afterward, the features of time-varying squeal are studied including time-domain features, frequency-domain features, transient deformation features of the disk and the pin on the occurrence of squeal, as well as energy features. Finally, the conception and mathematical expressions of modal contribution factor are defined, and the transient modal contribution factor features of every mode are studied to make clear the function of every mode. The relationship between mode contribution factors and the vibration is revealed. It reveals that modal contribution factors between squeal and not are quite different from each other. On no occurrence of squeal, the modal contribution factors of sine and cosine modes of the disk fluctuate in the way similar to harmonic wave, and the phase difference between the contribution factors of sine and cosine mode with the same nodal circle and the same nodal diameter is 90 deg. During squeal, the coupling mode may play the most important role but not all the time. At any time, the low-frequency modes play the leading role.
High glucose–induced ROS activates TRPM2 to trigger lysosomal membrane permeabilization and Zn
2+
-mediated mitochondrial fission
Authors: Abuarab Nada , Munsey Tim S. , Jiang Lin-Hua , Li Jing , Sivaprasadarao Asipu
Published: August 2017

ROS produced in response to high glucose trigger mitochondrial fragmentation through a TRPM2-mediated pathway.
In Vitro
Isolation and Characterization of Oxazolidinone-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: McNeil Matthew B. , Dennison Devon D. , Shelton Catherine D. , Parish Tanya
Published: August 2017

Oxazolidinones are promising candidates for the treatment of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
infections. We isolated linezolid-resistant strains from H37Rv (Euro-American) and HN878 (East-Asian) strains; resistance frequencies were similar in the two strains. Mutations were identified in ribosomal protein L3 (RplC) and the 23S rRNA (
rrl
). All mutant strains were cross resistant to sutezolid; a subset was cross resistant to chloramphenicol. Mutations in
rrl
led to growth impairment and decreased fitness that may limit spread in clinical settings.
Molecular Characterization of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Moraxella catarrhalis Variants Generated
In Vitro
by Stepwise Selection
Authors: Yamada Kageto , Saito Ryoichi , Muto Saori , Kashiwa Machiko , Tamamori Yoshiko , Fujisaki Shingo
Published: August 2017

Moraxella catarrhalis
causes respiratory infections. In this study, fluoroquinolone-resistant strains were selected
in vitro
to evaluate the mechanism of fluoroquinolone resistance. Strains with reduced fluoroquinolone susceptibility were obtained by stepwise selection in levofloxacin, and fluoroquinolone targets
gyr
and
par
were sequenced. Six novel mutations in GyrA (D84Y, T594dup, and A722dup), GyrB (E479K and D439N), and ParE (Q395R) involved in
M. catarrhalis
resistance to fluoroquinolones were revealed.
Downmodulation of Effector Functions in NK Cells upon Toxoplasma gondii Infection
Authors: Sultana M. Afifa , Du Ann , Carow Berit , Angbjär Catrine M. , Weidner Jessica M. , Kanatani Sachie , Fuks Jonas M. , Muliaditan Tamara , James Jaime , Mansfield Imogen O. , Campbell Tessa M. , Liu Lifeng , Kadri Nadir , Lambert Henrik , Barragan Antonio , Chambers Benedict J.
Published: August 2017

The obligate intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondiican actively infect any nucleated cell type, including cells from the immune system. The rapid transfer ofT. gondiifrom infected dendritic cells to effector natural killer (NK) cells may contribute to the parasite's sequestration and shielding from immune recognition shortly after infection. However, subversion of NK cell functions, such as cytotoxicity or production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as gamma interferon (IFN-γ), upon parasite infection might also be beneficial to the parasite. In the present study, we investigated the effects ofT. gondiiinfection on NK cells.In vitro, infected NK cells were found to be poor at killing target cells and had reduced levels of IFN-γ production. This could be attributed in part to the inability of infected cells to form conjugates with their target cells. However, even upon NK1.1 cross-linking of NK cells, the infected NK cells also exhibited poor degranulation and IFN-γ production. Similarly, NK cells infectedin vivowere also poor at killing target cells and producing IFN-γ. Increased levels of transforming growth factor β production, as well as increased levels of expression of SHP-1 in the cytosol of infected NK cells upon infection, were observed in infected NK cells. However, the phosphorylation of STAT4 was not altered in infected NK cells, suggesting that transcriptional regulation mediates the reduced IFN-γ production, which was confirmed by quantitative PCR. These data suggest that infection of NK cells byT. gondiiimpairs NK cell recognition of target cells and cytokine release, two mechanisms that independently could enhanceT. gondiisurvival.
Genetic Evidence for Erythrocyte Receptor Glycophorin B Expression Levels Defining a Dominant Plasmodium falciparum Invasion Pathway into Human Erythrocytes
Authors: Dankwa Selasi , Chaand Mudit , Kanjee Usheer , Jiang Rays H. Y. , Nobre Luis V. , Goldberg Jonathan M. , Bei Amy K. , Moechtar Mischka A. , Grüring Christof , Ahouidi Ambroise D. , Ndiaye Daouda , Dieye Tandakha N. , Mboup Souleymane , Weekes Michael P. , Duraisingh Manoj T.
Published: August 2017

Plasmodium falciparum
, the parasite that causes the deadliest form of malaria, has evolved multiple proteins known as invasion ligands that bind to specific erythrocyte receptors to facilitate invasion of human erythrocytes. The EBA-175/glycophorin A (GPA) and Rh5/basigin ligand-receptor interactions, referred to as invasion pathways, have been the subject of intense study. In this study, we focused on the less-characterized sialic acid-containing receptors glycophorin B (GPB) and glycophorin C (GPC). Through bioinformatic analysis, we identified extensive variation in glycophorin B (GYPB) transcript levels in individuals from Benin, suggesting selection from malaria pressure. To elucidate the importance of the GPB and GPC receptors relative to the well-described EBA-175/GPA invasion pathway, we used an
ex vivo
erythrocyte culture system to decrease expression of GPA, GPB, or GPC via lentiviral short hairpin RNA transduction of erythroid progenitor cells, with global surface proteomic profiling. We assessed the efficiency of parasite invasion into knockdown cells using a panel of wild-type
P. falciparum
laboratory strains and invasion ligand knockout lines, as well as
P. falciparum
Senegalese clinical isolates and a short-term-culture-adapted strain. For this, we optimized an invasion assay suitable for use with small numbers of erythrocytes. We found that all laboratory strains and the majority of field strains tested were dependent on GPB expression level for invasion. The collective data suggest that the GPA and GPB receptors are of greater importance than the GPC receptor, supporting a hierarchy of erythrocyte receptor usage in
P. falciparum
.
Tpl2 Promotes Innate Cell Recruitment and Effector T Cell Differentiation To Limit Citrobacter rodentium Burden and Dissemination
Authors: Acuff Nicole V. , Li Xin , Latha Krishna , Nagy Tamas , Watford Wendy T.
Published: August 2017

Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2) is a serine-threonine kinase that regulates Th1 differentiation, secretion of the inflammatory cytokine gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and host defense against the intracellular pathogens
Toxoplasma gondii
,
Listeria monocytogenes
, and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. However, relatively little is known about the contribution of Tpl2 to Th17 differentiation and immune cell function during infection with an extracellular pathogen. The goal of this study was to determine whether Tpl2 influences the immune response generated to the extracellular bacterium
Citrobacter rodentium
, which induces a mixed Th1 and Th17 response. During peak infection with
C. rodentium
,
Tpl2
−/−
mice experienced greater bacterial burdens with evidence of dissemination to the liver and spleen but ultimately cleared the bacteria within 3 weeks postinfection, similar to the findings for wild-type mice.
Tpl2
−/−
mice also recruited fewer neutrophils and monocytes to the colon during peak infection, which correlated with increased bacterial burdens. In mixed bone marrow chimeras, Tpl2 was shown to play a T cell-intrinsic role in promoting both IFN-γ and interleukin-17A production during infection with
C. rodentium
. However, upon CD4 T cell transfer into
Rag
−/−
mice,
Tpl2
−/−
CD4 T cells were as protective as wild-type CD4 T cells against the dissemination of bacteria and mortality. These data indicate that the enhanced bacterial burdens in
Tpl2
−/−
mice are not caused primarily by impairments in CD4 T cell function but result from defects in innate immune cell recruitment and function.
Overexpression of Candida albicans Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase 2 or 5 Is Not Sufficient for Exacerbation of Immunopathology in a Murine Model of Vaginitis
Authors: Willems Hubertine M. E. , Bruner Winter S. , Barker Katherine S. , Liu Junyan , Palmer Glen E. , Peters Brian M.
Published: August 2017

The secreted aspartyl proteinases of
Candida albicans
have long been implicated in virulence at the mucosal surface, including contributions to colonization and immunopathogenesis during vulvovaginal candidiasis. In an effort to disentangle hypha-associated virulence factor regulation from morphological transition, the purpose of this study was to determine if overexpression of
SAP2
or
SAP5
in an
efg1
Δ/Δ
cph1
Δ/Δ mutant could restore the capacity to cause immunopathology during murine vaginitis to this avirulent hypofilamentous strain. Two similar yet distinct genetic approaches were used to construct expression vectors to achieve SAP overexpression, and both genetic and functional assays confirmed elevated SAP activity in transformed strains. Similar to previous findings, intravaginal challenge of C57BL/6 mice with hypha-defective strains attained high levels of mucosal colonization but failed to induce robust vaginal immunopathology (neutrophil recruitment, interleukin-1β [IL-1β] secretion, and lactate dehydrogenase release) compared to that with the hypha-competent control. Moreover, constitutive expression of
SAP2
or
SAP5
in two distinct sets of such strains did not elicit immunopathological markers at levels above those observed during challenge with isogenic empty vector controls. Therefore, these results suggest that the physiological contributions of SAPs to vaginal immunopathology require hypha formation, other hypha-associated factors, or genetic interaction with
EFG1
and/or
CPH1
to cause symptomatic infection. Additionally, the outlined expression strategy and strain sets will be useful for decoupling other downstream morphogenetic factors from hyphal growth.
Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Is Required To Alter the Nasal Microbiota in Cigarette Smoke-Exposed Mice
Authors: Shen Pamela , Whelan Fiona J. , Schenck L. Patrick , McGrath Joshua J. C. , Vanderstocken Gilles , Bowdish Dawn M. E. , Surette Michael G. , Stämpfli Martin R.
Published: August 2017

Smokers have nasal microbiota dysbiosis, with an increased frequency of colonizing bacterial pathogens. It is possible that cigarette smoke increases pathogen acquisition by perturbing the microbiota and decreasing colonization resistance. However, it is difficult to disentangle microbiota dysbiosis due to cigarette smoke exposure from microbiota changes caused by increased pathogen acquisition in human smokers. Using an experimental mouse model, we investigated the impact of cigarette smoke on the nasal microbiota in the absence and presence of nasal pneumococcal colonization. We observed that cigarette smoke exposure alone did not alter the nasal microbiota composition. The microbiota composition was also unchanged at 12 h following low-dose nasal pneumococcal inoculation, suggesting that the ability of the microbiota to resist initial nasal pneumococcal acquisition was not impaired in smoke-exposed mice. However, nasal microbiota dysbiosis occurred as a consequence of established high-dose nasal pneumococcal colonization at day 3 in smoke-exposed mice. Similar to clinical reports on human smokers, an enrichment of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera such as
Fusobacterium
,
Gemella
, and
Neisseria
was observed. Our findings suggest that cigarette smoke exposure predisposes to pneumococcal colonization independent of changes to the nasal microbiota and that microbiota dysbiosis observed in smokers may occur as a consequence of established pathogen colonization.
Turbulent tackle: a novel surgical approach to a rugby-related jejunal perforation
Authors: O'Shea Ross J , O'Sullivan Donal , Aherne Thomas , Sweeney Karl J
Published: August 2017

Viscus perforation in the context of blunt-force abdominal trauma is a rarity. Within a sporting context, it is especially rare. However, the increasing physicality observed in rugby union, both in the amateur and professional setting, has resulted in a higher rate of serious injury. We report a novel laparoscopic surgical approach to the management of a traumatic jejunal perforation sustained on the playing field in a previously fit and healthy 28-year-old.
Food insecurity and maternal–child nutritional status in Mexico: cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012
Authors: Shamah-Levy Teresa , Mundo-Rosas Verónica , Morales-Ruan Carmen , Cuevas-Nasu Lucia , Méndez-Gómez-Humarán Ignacio , Pérez-Escamilla Rafael
Published: August 2017

Objective

To examine the association between household food insecurity (HFI) and risk of childhood stunting and to determine whether this association is modified by maternal–child overweight/obesity.

Design

Observational cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data come from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2012by its initials in Spanish), representative of rural and urban areas.

Participants

Our study sample included 5087 mother–preschool child pairs and 7181 mother–schoolchild pairs.

Main outcome measures

Differences in the prevalence (95% CI) of each HFI category by socioeconomic characteristics and maternal–child nutritional status were estimated. A logistic regression model was conducted for stunting and overweight among preschool children and for stunting and overweight/obesity among schoolchildren, adjusting for pertinent covariates. HFI was measured according to the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA by its initials in Spanish). Weight and recumbent lenght or height measures were obtained from children. Overweight and obesity in women were determined according to the WHO Growth Reference Charts. The following covariates were included: sex of the child. urbanicity (urban/rural), region of residence and maternal education. Benefiting from food assistance programmes and socioeconomic status index were also included. Results were expressed as adjusted ORs.

Results

Stunting proved more prevalent in preschool children with moderate or severe HFI (16.2% and 16.8%, respectively) (p=0.036 and p=0.007, respectively) than in their counterparts with mild or no HFI (13.2% and 10.7%, respectively). Furthermore, the interaction between HFI and maternal obesity had a significant impact on stunting in preschool children (p<0.05). Severe HFI increased risk of stunting in children with non-obese mothers but not in those with obese mothers.

Conclusion

We have discovered a new relationship between HFI and maternal obesity on the one hand and risk of childhood stunting on the other hand. This may reflect a shared mechanism involving dual forms of malnutrition.
Prevalence and prescription patterns of oral glucocorticoids in adults: a retrospective cross-sectional and cohort analysis in France
Authors: Bénard-Laribière Anne , Pariente Antoine , Pambrun Elodie , Bégaud Bernard , Fardet Laurence , Noize Pernelle
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To study trends in use of oral glucocorticoids (GCs) among adults, characteristics of oral GC initiators and prescriptions for the prevention of potential adverse effects associated with GC therapy.

Design

First, a cross-sectional study repeated yearly was performed from 2007 to 2014 in a nationwide representative sample. Second, characteristics of initiators and patterns of GC therapy during the year following treatment initiation were described in a cohort of patients who began GC between 2007 and 2013.

Setting

Population-based study using data from the French reimbursement healthcare system (covering approximately 90% of the population) in patients aged ≥18 years.

Results

Over the study period, the prevalence of oral GC use ranged from 14.7% to 17.1% (95% CI 17.0%–17.2%) with a significant increase of 14.1% (95% CI +13.5% to +14.8%). The 2007–2013 cohort of oral GC initiators comprised 206 759 individuals. Oral GC use was mostly short-term (68% of unique reimbursement) and more than half of short-term users took concurrent antibiotics or respiratory/otological drugs. Chronic users (≥6 reimbursements/year) represented 1.8% (n=3789) of the cohort. The proportion of chronic users with comorbidities likely to be worsened by GC use (diabetes, psychotic disorders, osteoporosis) was 25%. Among patients at increased risk of osteoporosis, 62% received specific prevention/monitoring measures and only 27% had a bisphosphonate. Half of chronic oral GC users had a concurrent reimbursement of a proton pump inhibitor in the absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

Conclusions

Oral GC use was highly widespread and increased among adults from 2007 to 2014. The overwhelming short-term use could mainly concern a growing use of unjustified prescriptions rather than situations with a favourable benefit/risk ratio. For chronic users, our findings plead for the development of interventions designed to improve monitoring with regard to the frequent comorbidities at risk and inappropriate prescribing of preventive therapeutic measures.
Comparison of a ‘freeze-all’ strategy including GnRH agonist trigger versus a ‘fresh transfer’ strategy including hCG trigger in assisted reproductive technology (ART): a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Stormlund Sacha , Løssl Kristine , Zedeler Anne , Bogstad Jeanette , Prætorius Lisbeth , Nielsen Henriette Svarre , Bungum Mona , Skouby Sven O. , Mikkelsen Anne Lis , Andersen Anders Nyboe , Bergh Christina , Humaidan Peter , Pinborg Anja
Published: August 2017

Introduction

Pregnancy rates after frozen embryo transfer (FET) have improved in recent years and are now approaching or even exceeding those obtained after fresh embryo transfer. This is partly due to improved laboratory techniques, but may also be caused by a more physiological hormonal and endometrial environment in FET cycles. Furthermore, the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is practically eliminated in segmentation cycles followed by FET and the use of natural cycles in FETs may be beneficial for the postimplantational conditions of fetal development. However, a freeze-all strategy is not yet implemented as standard care due to limitations of large randomised trials showing a benefit of such a strategy. Thus, there is a need to test the concept against standard care in a randomised controlled design. This study aims to compare ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates between a freeze-all strategy with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist triggering versus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger and fresh embryo transfer in a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Methods and analysis

Multicentre randomised, controlled, double-blinded trial of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment including 424 normo-ovulatory women aged 18–39 years from Denmark and Sweden. Participants will be randomised (1:1) to either (1) GnRH agonist trigger and single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer in a subsequent hCG triggered natural menstrual cycle or (2) hCG trigger and single blastocyst transfer in the fresh (stimulated) cycle. The primary endpoint is to compare ongoing pregnancy rates per randomised patient in the two treatment groups after the first single blastocyst transfer.

Ethics and dissemination

The study will be performed in accordance with the ethical principles in the Helsinki Declaration. The study is approved by the Scientific Ethical Committees in Denmark and Sweden. The results of the study will be publically disseminated.

Trial registration number

NCT02746562; Pre-results.
Research protocol on early palliative care in patients with acute leukaemia after one relapse
Authors: Barbaret Cécile , Berthiller Julien , Schott Pethelaz Anne-Marie , Michallet Mauricette , Salles Gilles , Sanchez Stéphane , Filbet Marilène
Published: August 2017

Objectives

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology palliative care referrals are made within the last 3 weeks of patients’ lives and most frequently when oncological treatments have ceased especially for patients with haematological malignancies. Recent publications indicate that patients with acute leukaemia are prone to symptoms, an indication for which a close collaboration between the patient’s haematologist and a palliative care team might result in improved symptom management. The object of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of a clinical research trial to assess the effect of early palliative care in patients with acute leukaemia after one relapse.

Methods

This project is a multicentre, non-blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Patients in group 1 will receive standard haematological care associated with palliative care (intervention group). Patients in group 2 will receive standard haematological care with palliative care only if requested by the haematologist (control group). In order to measure an accurate sample size, patients who participate will complete a standardised questionnaire to assess their quality of life, as well as their psychological and physical symptoms, before being randomised to one of two groups in a 1:1 ratio without stratified randomisation.

Results

The aim of this study is to analyse causes of dropout, non-adherence and missing data in order to refine the protocol for the subsequent clinical research trial.

Conclusion

The ultimate objective of this project is to develop collaboration between haematologists and palliative care teams in order to improve patients’ quality of life.
Evolution of the operative management of colon trauma
Authors: Sharpe John P , Magnotti Louis J , Fabian Timothy C , Croce Martin A
Published: August 2017

For any trauma surgeon, colon wounds remain a relatively common, yet sometimes challenging, clinical problem. Evolution in operative technique and improvements in antimicrobial therapy during the past two centuries have brought remarkable improvements in both morbidity and mortality after injury to the colon. Much of the early progress in management and patient survival after colon trauma evolved from wartime experience. Multiple evidence-based studies during the last several decades have allowed for more aggressive management, with most wounds undergoing primary repair or resection and anastomosis with an acceptably low suture line failure rate. Despite the abundance of quality evidence regarding management of colon trauma obtained from both military and civilian experience, there remains some debate among institutions regarding management of specific injuries. This is especially true with respect to destructive wounds, injuries to the left colon, blunt colon trauma and those wounds requiring colonic discontinuity during an abbreviated laparotomy. Some programs have developed data-driven protocols that have simplified management of destructive colon wounds, clearly identifying those high-risk patients who should undergo diversion, regardless of mechanism or anatomic location. This update will describe the progression in the approach to colon injuries through history while providing a current review of the literature regarding management of the more controversial wounds.
Calculation of theP–Tphase diagram of nitrogen using a mean field model
Authors: Enginer Y. , Algul G. , Yurtseven H.
Published: August 2017

The P–T phase diagram is calculated at low and moderate pressures by obtaining the phase line equations for the transitions considered in nitrogen using the Landau phenomenological model. For some transitions, a quadratic coupling between the order parameters is taken into account in the expansion of free energies in terms of the order parameters. A quadratic function in T and P is fitted to the experimental P–T data from the literature and the fitted parameters are determined.

It is shown that the model studied here describes the observed data adequately, which can also be used to predict the thermodynamic properties of the phases of the molecular nitrogen within the temperatures and pressures of the P–T phase diagram of this system.
Electron correlation and spin-orbit coupling effects in scandium intermetallic compounds ScTM (TM = Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag and Au)
Authors: Iqbal Rashid , Ali Zahid , Jalali-Asadabadi S. , Ahmad Iftikhar
Published: August 2017

Spin-polarized density functional calculations are performed to study the correlation and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects in scandium intermetallic compounds viz. ScTM (TM[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag and Au) using FP-LAPW[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]lo method. The LDA, LDA[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]U and LDA[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]U[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]SOC exchange-correlation functionals are used to calculate the structural parameters and we found that the LDA[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]U results are consistent with the experiments. The electronic properties reveal that these compounds are metallic in nature. Correlations effects are determined using the U/W ratio and we found that ScCo, ScIr, ScPd, ScPt, ScCu and ScAg are highly correlated compounds, whereas ScRh, ScNi and ScAu are intermediately correlated compounds. Furthermore, stable magnetic phase for each compound is optimized, which reveals that ScCo, ScRh, ScPd, ScPt and ScCu are stable in ferromagnetic phase, ScIr, ScNi and ScAu are anti-ferromagnetic, whereas ScAg is a nonmagnetic material.
A mixed domain structure in magnetic films with large anisotropy
Authors: Akimov M. L. , Polyakov P. A. , Rusakova N. E.
Published: August 2017

Influence of anisotropy on a bending of a magnetic stripe domain wall due to a magnetostatic stray field of a cylindrical magnetic domain (CMD) that is located within the stripe one is under investigation. It is revealed that for a specific set of physical parameters of the domain structure, energy of domain wall bending anisotropy can suppress the bending. An analytical expression for the bending shape is obtained on account of a change of both magnetostatic energy of the configuration and energy of anisotropy of the domain wall.
Quantum red–green–blue image steganography
Authors: Heidari Shahrokh , Pourarian Mohammad Rasoul , Gheibi Reza , Naseri Mosayeb , Houshmand Monireh
Published: August 2017

One of the most considering matters in the field of quantum information processing is quantum data hiding including quantum steganography and quantum watermarking. This field is an efficient tool for protecting any kind of digital data. In this paper, three quantum color images steganography algorithms are investigated based on Least Significant Bit (LSB). The first algorithm employs only one of the image’s channels to cover secret data. The second procedure is based on LSB XORing technique, and the last algorithm utilizes two channels to cover the color image for hiding secret quantum data. The performances of the proposed schemes are analyzed by using software simulations in MATLAB environment. The analysis of PSNR, BER and Histogram graphs indicate that the presented schemes exhibit acceptable performances and also theoretical analysis demonstrates that the networks complexity of the approaches scales squarely.
Parametric Shape Grammar Formalism for Moorish Geometric Design Analysis and Generation
Authors: Nasri Abdelbar , Benslimane Rachid
Published: August 2017

The goal of this article is to propose a modeling method to automatically generate original and new forms of periodic Moorish geometric patterns. The proposed method is based on the symmetry-based approach and the shape grammar formalism. The symmetry-based approach consists of constructing a periodic pattern by using isometric transformations of its template motif. The main contribution of this article is to propose a parametric shape grammar method to generate the template motif. The process used consists first in identifying the shapes vocabulary characterizing the Moorish style. By identifying its common features by the analysis of a dataset of historical Moorish patterns, parametric shape grammar (PSG) rules are then determined. Furthermore, the use of PSGs implies additional mechanisms, such as the consideration of suitable constraints and goals. These mechanisms are imposed by the grid, which is the underlying geometric structure used traditionally by artisans to design sophisticated geometric patterns. The performance of the proposed method is measured by its capability to create original and new motifs of periodic Moorish patterns. This method preserves the authenticity of the style considered, because the generated patterns follow a parametric shape grammar based on
a priori
domain knowledge and extract one from representative images of Moorish style.
High-Level Design of Wireless Sensor Networks for Performance Optimization Under Security Hazards
Authors: Peñil Pablo , Díaz Alvaro , Posadas Hector , Medina Julio , Sánchez Pablo
Published: August 2017

The increasing complexity of current wireless sensor networks requires efficient methodologies to fulfill the strict constraints typically imposed in terms of power consumption and system performance. Furthermore, security issues are also becoming key features due to their impact on system behavior. As a consequence, new design frameworks are required to enable developers to model and address security risks from the very beginning of the WSN design process, while optimizing system performance. For this purpose, this article presents a design framework for modeling and simulating WSNs under external attacks. In this framework, the WSN is specified by using UML/MARTE models, from which automatic code generation enables fast, host-compiled simulation. The resulting information enables early detection of weaknesses in WSN designs and simplifies further exploration of design solutions. Minor modifications in the UML models are sufficient to automatically simulate and evaluate each design alternative in an iterative way. As a result, designers can develop more secure and optimized WSN systems with reduced design times and effort.
Efficient SimRank-Based Similarity Join
Authors: Zheng Weiguo , Zou Lei , Chen Lei , Zhao Dongyan
Published: August 2017

Graphs have been widely used to model complex data in many real-world applications. Answering vertex join queries over large graphs is meaningful and interesting, which can benefit friend recommendation in social networks and link prediction, and so on. In this article, we adopt “SimRank” [13] to evaluate the similarity between two vertices in a large graph because of its generality. Note that “Simank” is purely structure dependent, and it does not rely on the domain knowledge. Specifically, we define a
S
im
R
ank-based
j
oin (
SRJ
) query to find all vertex pairs satisfying the threshold from two sets of vertices
U
and
V
. To reduce the search space, we propose a shortest-path-distance-based upper bound for SimRank scores to prune unpromising vertex pairs. In the verification, we propose a novel index, called
h-go cover
+
, to efficiently compute the SimRank score of any single vertex pair. Given a graph
G
, we only materialize the SimRank scores of a small proportion of vertex pairs (i.e., the
h-go cover
+
vertex pairs), based on which the SimRank score of any vertex pair can be computed easily. To find the
h-go cover
+
vertex pairs, we propose an efficient method without building the vertex-pair graph. Hence, large graphs can be dealt with easily. Extensive experiments over both real and synthetic datasets confirm the efficiency of our solution.
QoS in Body Area Networks
Authors: Razzaque M. A. , Hira Muta Tah , Dira Mukta
Published: August 2017

Body Area Networks (BANs) are becoming increasingly popular and have shown great potential in real-time monitoring of the human body. With the promise of being cost-effective and unobtrusive and facilitating continuous monitoring, BANs have attracted a wide range of monitoring applications, including medical and healthcare, sports, and rehabilitation systems. Most of these applications are real time and life critical and require a strict guarantee of Quality of Service (QoS) in terms of timeliness, reliability, and so on. Recently, there has been a number of proposals describing diverse approaches or frameworks to achieve QoS in BANs (i.e., for different layers or tiers and different protocols). This survey put these individual efforts into perspective and presents a more holistic view of the area. In this regard, this article identifies a set of QoS requirements for BAN applications and shows how these requirements are linked in a three-tier BAN system and presents a comprehensive review of the existing proposals against those requirements. In addition, open research issues, challenges, and future research directions in achieving these QoS in BANs are highlighted.