bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of an Active Video Gaming Classroom Curriculum on Health-Related Fitness, School Day Step Counts, and Motivation in Sixth Graders
Authors: Fu You , Burns Ryan D.
Published: May 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an active video gaming (AVG) classroom curriculum on health-related fitness, school day steps, and motivation in sixth graders. Methods: A convenience sample of 65 sixth graders were recruited from 2 classrooms from a school located in the Western United States. One classroom served as the comparison group (n = 32) that participated in active free play, and one classroom served as the intervention group (n = 33) that participated in an AVG curriculum for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 18 weeks. Cardiorespiratory endurance was assessed using Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps. School day steps were recorded, and motivational variables were collected using questionnaires. Measures were collected at baseline and an 18-week posttest time point. Results: There was a significant group × time interaction for Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps (b = 20.7 laps; 95% confidence interval, 14.6 to 26.8; P < .001). No statistically significant interactions were found for step counts or any of the motivational variables. Conclusions: An 18-week AVG classroom curriculum improved cardiorespiratory endurance relative to the comparison group in sixth graders. This study supports the use of low-cost AVG curricula to improve the health-related fitness of youth.
The root problem of heart valve engineering
Authors: Butcher Jonathan T.
Published: May 2018

Acellular heart valve grafts optimized through computational modeling recellularize and function in sheep for up to 1 year (Emmert
et al.
, this issue).
Memorable cerebral inflammation
Authors: Attenello Frank J.
Published: May 2018

Exposure to peripheral inflammation induces microglia to alter subsequent course of stroke and Alzheimer’s pathologies.
Thioredoxin and Glutaredoxin Systems Required for Oxidative Stress Resistance, Fungicide Sensitivity, and Virulence of Alternaria alternata
Authors: Ma Haijie , Wang Mingshuang , Gai Yunpeng , Fu Huilan , Zhang Bin , Ruan Ruoxin , Chung Kuang-Ren , Li Hongye
Published: May 2018

This study determined the function of thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems in the phytopathogenic fungus
Alternaria alternata
via analyzing mutants obtained from the targeted deletion of genes encoding thioredoxin peroxidase (
Tsa1
), thioredoxin reductase (
Trr1
), and glutathione reductase (
Glr1
).
Trr1
and
Glr1
, but not
Tsa1
, are required for growth and conidiation. The reduced growth and conidiation seen in the
Trr1
or
Glr1
deletion mutant can be restored by glutathione. Deletion mutants showing growth inhibition by oxidants are defective for H
2
O
2
detoxification and induce smaller lesions on citrus leaves.
Trr1
and
Glr1
, but not
Tsa1
, also contribute to NaCl resistance.
Glr1
is required for sorbitol resistance and is responsible for resistance to mancozeb and boscalid but not chlorothalonil fungicides, a novel phenotype that has not been reported in fungi.
Trr1
is required for resistance to boscalid and chlorothalonil fungicides but confers susceptibility to mancozeb. The
Tsa1
deletion mutant displays wild-type sensitivity to the tested fungicides. The expression of
Tsa1
and
Trr1
is regulated by the oxidative stress responsive regulators Yap1, Hog1, and Skn7. The expression of
Tsa1
, but not
Trr1
, is also regulated indirectly by the NADPH oxidase. The results indicate that the capability to resist oxidative stress is required for virulence of
A. alternata
.

IMPORTANCE
The thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems are important thiol antioxidant systems in cells, and knowledge of these two systems in the plant-pathogenic fungus
A. alternata
is useful for finding new strategies to reduce the virulence of this pathogen. In this study, we demonstrated that thiol antioxidant system-related genes (
Tsa1
,
Trr1
, and
Glr1
) are required for H
2
O
2
detoxification and virulence in
A. alternata
. Moreover, deletion of
Trr1
results in hypersensitivity to the fungicides chlorothalonil and boscalid, and
Glr1
deletion mutants are highly sensitive to mancozeb, which is the fungicide mostly used in citrus fields. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that the ability to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a critical role in pathogenesis on citrus and provide novel insights into the physiological functions of thiol-containing systems in fungicide sensitivity for
A. alternata
.
Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus haemolyticus Type Strain SGAir0252
Authors: Premkrishnan Balakrishnan N. V. , Junqueira Ana Carolina M. , Uchida Akira , Purbojati Rikky W. , Houghton James N. I. , Chénard Caroline , Wong Anthony , Kolundžija Sandra , Clare Megan E. , Kushwaha Kavita K. , Panicker Deepa , Putra Alexander , Gaultier Nicolas E. , Heinle Cassie E. , Vettath Vineeth Kodengil , Drautz-Moses Daniela I. , Schuster Stephan C.
Published: May 2018

Staphylococcus haemolyticus
is a coagulase-negative staphylococcal species that is part of the skin microbiome and an opportunistic human pathogen. The strain SGAir0252 was isolated from tropical air samples collected in Singapore, and its complete genome comprises one chromosome of 2.63 Mb and one plasmid of 41.6 kb.
Genome Sequence of Bacillus cereus Strain TG1-6, a Plant-Beneficial Rhizobacterium That Is Highly Salt Tolerant
Authors: Vílchez Juan Ignacio , Tang Qiming , Kaushal Richa , Chen Shenglan , Liu Renyi , Zhang Huiming
Published: May 2018

The complete genome sequence of
Bacillus cereus
strain TG1-6, which is a highly salt-tolerant rhizobacterium that enhances plant tolerance to drought stress, is reported here. The sequencing process was performed based on a combination of pyrosequencing and single-molecule sequencing. The complete genome is estimated to be approximately 5.42 Mb, containing a total of 5,610 predicted protein-coding DNA sequences (CDSs).
High-Quality Whole-Genome Sequences for 77 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Generated with PacBio Sequencing
Authors: Patel Pooja N. , Lindsey Rebecca L. , Garcia-Toledo Lisley , Rowe Lori A. , Batra Dhwani , Whitley Samuel W. , Drapeau Daniel , Stoneburg Devon , Martin Haley , Juieng Phalasy , Loparev Vladimir N. , Strockbine Nancy
Published: May 2018

Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) is an enteric foodborne pathogen that can cause mild to severe illness. Here, we report the availability of high-quality whole-genome sequences for 77 STEC strains generated using the PacBio sequencing platform.
Draft Genome Sequencing of an Acinetobacter ursingii Isolate from Healthy Human Skin, Carrying Multidrug Resistance Genes
Authors: Palkova Lenka , Minarik Gabriel , Soltys Katarina
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we report the data from whole-genome shotgun sequencing of an
Acinetobacter ursingii
isolate from healthy human skin of the forearm. The bacterial genome includes 3,473 genes and carries beta-lactamase resistance genes as well as resistance genes for several heavy metals.
Complete Genome Sequences of Two Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli O145 Environmental Strains
Authors: Carter Michelle Qiu , Pham Antares
Published: May 2018

Escherichia coli
O145 strains RM14715 and RM14723 were isolated from wildlife feces near a leafy greens-growing region in Yuma, Arizona. Both strains carry a distinct genotype compared with the
E. coli
O145 strains isolated from Salinas Valley, California. Here we report complete genome sequences and annotations of RM14715 and RM14723.
Model of Persistent Salmonella Infection: Salmonella enterica Serovar Pullorum Modulates the Immune Response of the Chicken from a Th17-Type Response towards a Th2-Type Response
Authors: Tang Ying , Foster Neil , Jones Michael A. , Barrow Paul A.
Published: May 2018

Salmonella entericainfection affects a wide range of animals and humans, and a small number of serovars cause typhoid-like infections, one characteristic of which is persistent infection in convalescents. Avian-specificS. entericaserovar Pullorum produces systemic disease in young chickens, which is followed by a carrier state in convalescent birds, leading to infection of the ovary at sexual maturity and vertical transmission.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Inhibits TANK-Binding Kinase 1 through Formation of the Us11-Hsp90 Complex
Authors: Liu Xing , Main David , Ma Yijie , He Bin
Published: May 2018

The Us11 protein of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is an accessory factor with multiple functions. In virus-infected cells, it inhibits double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), 2′,5′-oligoadenylate synthetase, RIG-I, and MDA-5. However, its precise role is incompletely defined. By screening a human cDNA library, we showed that the Us11 protein targets heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which inactivates TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and antiviral immunity. When ectopically expressed, HSV-1 Us11 precludes TBK1 from access to Hsp90 and interferon (IFN) promoter activation. Consistently, the Us11 protein, upon HSV infection, suppresses the expression of beta interferon (IFN-β), RANTES, and interferon-stimulated genes. This is mirrored by a blockade in the phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3. Mechanistically, the Us11 protein associates with endogenous Hsp90 to disrupt the Hsp90-TBK1 complex. Furthermore, Us11 induces destabilization of TBK1 through a proteasome-dependent pathway. Accordingly, Us11 expression facilitates HSV growth. In contrast, TBK1 expression restricts viral replication. These results suggest that control of TBK1 by Us11 promotes HSV-1 infection.

IMPORTANCE
TANK binding kinase 1 plays a key role in antiviral immunity. Although multiple factors are thought to participate in this process, the picture is obscure in herpes simplex virus infection. We demonstrated that the Us11 protein of HSV-1 forms a complex with heat shock protein 90, which inactivates TANK binding kinase 1 and IFN induction. As a result, expression of the Us11 protein promotes HSV replication. These experimental data provide a new insight into the molecular network of virus-host interactions.
Regulation of Virus-Associated Lymphoma Growth and Gene Expression by Bacterial Quorum-Sensing Molecules
Authors: Qiao Jing , Cao Yueyu , Zabaleta Jovanny , Yang Liang , Dai Lu , Qin Zhiqiang
Published: May 2018

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) can cause several human cancers, including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), which frequently occur in immunocompromised patients. KSHV-infected patients often suffer from polymicrobial infections caused by opportunistic bacterial pathogens. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how these coinfecting microorganisms or their secreted metabolites may affect KSHV infection and the pathogenesis of virus-associated malignancies. Quorum sensing (QS), a cell density-based intercellular communication system, employs extracellular diffusible signaling molecules to regulate bacterial virulence mechanisms in a wide range of bacterial pathogens, such as
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, which is one of the most common opportunistic microorganisms found in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we evaluated and compared the influence on PEL growth and the host/viral interactome of the major QS signaling molecules [
N
-(3-oxododecanoyl)-
l
-homoserine lactone (OdDHL),
N
-butyrylhomoserine lactone (BHL), and 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4-quinolone (PQS)] in conditioned medium from wild-type (wt) and QS mutant laboratory strains as well as clinical isolates of
P. aeruginosa
. Our data indicate that
P. aeruginosa
coinfection may facilitate virus dissemination and establishment of new infection and further promote tumor development through effectively inducing viral lytic gene expression by its QS systems.

IMPORTANCE
Currently, most studies about KSHV infection and/or virus-associated malignancies depend on pure culture systems or immunodeficient animal models. However, the real situation should be much more complicated in KSHV-infected immunocompromised patients due to frequent polymicrobial infections. It is important to understand the interaction of KSHV and coinfecting microorganisms, especially opportunistic bacterial pathogens. Here we report for the first time that
P. aeruginosa
and its quorum-sensing signaling molecules display a complicated impact on KSHV-associated lymphoma growth as well as the intracellular host/viral gene expression profile. Our data imply that targeting of coinfecting pathogens is probably necessary during treatment of virus-associated malignancies in these immunocompromised patients.
Longitudinal associations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with metabolic syndrome in the Chinese population: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Xiao-rong , Song Gui-rong , Li Meng , Sun Hong-ge , Fan Yong-jun , Liu Ying , Liu Qi-gui
Published: May 2018

Objective

Currently, most studies only reveal the relationship between baseline high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The relationship between dynamic changes in HDL-c or LDL-c and MetS remains unclear. We aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the dynamic changes in HDL-c or LDL-c and MetS.

Design

A prospective study.

Setting

The Medical Centre of the Second Hospital affiliated with Dalian Medical University from 2010 to 2016.

Participants

A total of 4542 individuals who were initially MetS-free and completed at least two follow-up examinations as part of the longitudinal population were included.

Methods

The Joint Interim Statement criteria 2009 were used to define MetS. We used the Joint model to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of incident MetS.

Results

The cumulative incidence of MetS was 17.81% and was 14.86% in men and 5.36% in women during the 7 years of follow-up. In the Joint models, the RRs of the longitudinal decrease in HDL-c and the longitudinal increase in LDL-c for the development of MetS were 18.8781-fold (95% CI 12.5156 to 28.4900) and 1.3929-fold (95% CI 1.2283 to 1.5795), respectively.

Conclusions

The results highlight that the dynamic longitudinal decrement of HDL-c or the increment of LDL-c is associated with an elevated risk of MetS.
Clinical course of pain and disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Tangrood Zohreh Jafarian , Gisselman Angela Spontelli , Sole Gisela , Ribeiro Daniel Cury
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Previous systematic reviews have identified the multiple factors impacting on the prognosis of shoulder pain. However, the typical clinical course of subacromial shoulder pain remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the clinical course of pain and disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain.

Method and analysis

We will systematically search electronic databases (Medline, Embase and AMED (via Ovid), Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus) from the date of inception to 28 February 2018 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies with patients with subacromial shoulder pain. We will follow patient groups measured with pain and disabilities with no intervention or usual care treatment. Two reviewers will extract the data, and assess the risk of bias within included studies. We will use the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs, and a methodological quality assessment tool for observational studies. We will perform meta-analyses for changes in pain and disability scores for each group (usual care and no intervention) at different time categories (up to 6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, 12–26 weeks or more). If there are 10 or more studies, we will perform a meta-regression for each planned analysis. The outcomes of the included studies will be described individually if the above statistical methods are not possible. Findings from this review will be of interest to clinicians and researchers, and will describe the expected clinical course of subacromial shoulder pain. This study may indicate the potential differences between the clinical courses of pain and disability over time.

Ethics and dissemination

This review will not gather original data, hence ethical approval is not required. The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at a scientific conference.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016052518.
Prospective longitudinal study of the pregnancy DNA methylome: the US Pregnancy, Race, Environment, Genes (PREG) study
Authors: Lapato Dana M , Moyer Sara , Olivares Emily , Amstadter Ananda B , Kinser Patricia A , Latendresse Shawn J , Jackson-Cook Colleen , Roberson-Nay Roxann , Strauss Jerome F , York Timothy P
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The goal of the Pregnancy, Race, Environment, Genes study was to understand how social and environmental determinants of health (SEDH), pregnancy-specific environments (PSE) and biological processes influence the timing of birth and account for the racial disparity in preterm birth. The study followed a racially diverse longitudinal cohort throughout pregnancy and included repeated measures of PSE and DNA methylation (DNAm) over the course of gestation and up to 1 year into the postpartum period.

Participants

All women were between 18 and 40 years of age with singleton pregnancies and no diagnosis of diabetes or indication of assisted reproductive technology. Both mother and father had to self-identify as either African-American (AA) or European-American (EA). Maternal peripheral blood samples along with self-report questionnaires measuring SEDH and PSE factors were collected at four pregnancy visits, and umbilical cord blood was obtained at birth. A subset of participants returned for two additional postpartum visits, during which additional questionnaires and maternal blood samples were collected. The pregnancy and postpartum extension included n=240 (AA=126; EA=114) and n=104 (AA=50; EA=54), respectively.

Findings to date

One hundred seventy-seven women (AA=89, EA=88) met full inclusion criteria out of a total of 240 who were initially enrolled. Of the 63 participants who met exclusion criteria after enrolment, 44 (69.8%) were associated with a medical reason. Mean gestational age at birth was significantly shorter for the AA participants by 5.1 days (M=272.5 (SD=10.5) days vs M=277.6 (SD=8.3)).

Future plans

Future studies will focus on identifying key environmental factors that influence DNAm change across pregnancy and account for racial differences in preterm birth.
Identical anthropometric characteristics of impaired fasting glucose combined with impaired glucose tolerance and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: anthropometric indicators to predict hyperglycaemia in a community-based prospective cohort study in southwest China
Authors: Zhang Fang , Wan Qin , Cao Hongyi , Tang Lizhi , Li Daigang , Lü Qingguo , Yan Zhe , Li Jing , Yang Qiu , Zhang Yuwei , Tong Nanwei
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To assess the anthropometric characteristics of normoglycaemic individuals who subsequently developed hyperglycaemia, and to evaluate the validity of these measures to predict prediabetes and diabetes.

Design

A community-based prospective cohort study.

Participants

In total, 1885 residents with euglycaemia at baseline from six communities were enrolled.

Setting

Sichuan, southwest China.

Primary outcome measures

The incidences of prediabetes and diabetes were the primary outcomes.

Methods

The waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of all participants were measured at baseline and during follow-up. A 75 g glucose oral glucose tolerance test was conducted at each survey.

Results

During a median of 3.00 (IQR: 2.92–4.17) years follow-up, the cumulative incidence of isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), IFG combined with IGT (IFG+IGT), and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (NDDM) were 8.44%, 18.14%, 8.06% and 13.79%, respectively. WHtR, BMI, WC and WHR were significantly different among subjects who subsequently progressed to isolated IFG or IGT, IFG+IGT or NDDM (p<0.05). The anthropometric characteristics of IFG+IGT subjects were similar to those of the NDDM population (p>0.005). All the baseline anthropometric measurements were useful for the prediction of future prediabetes and NDDM (p<0.05). The optimal thresholds for the four measurements were calculated for the prediction of hyperglycaemia, with a WHtR value of 0.52 performing best to identify isolated IFG or IGT, IFG+IGT and NDDM.

Conclusions

Anthropometric measures, especially WHtR, could be used to predict hyperglycaemia 3 years in advance. Distinct from isolated IFG and IGT, the individuals who developed combined IFG+IGT had identical anthropometric profiles to those who progressed to NDDM.
Reducing urinary catheter use: a protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an electronic reminder system in hospitalised patients in Australia
Authors: Fasugba Oyebola , Cheng Allen C , Russo Philip L , Northcote Maria , Rosebrock Hannah , Mitchell Brett G
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Despite advances in infection prevention and control, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common and remain problematic. Prolonged urinary catheterisation is the main risk factor for development of CAUTIs; hence, interventions that target early catheter removal warrant investigation. The study’s objectives are to examine the efficacy of an electronic reminder system, the CATH TAG, in reducing urinary catheter use (device utilisation ratio) and to determine the effect of the CATH TAG on nurses’ ability to deliver patient care.

Methods and analysis

This study uses a mixed methods approach in which both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected. A stepped wedge randomised controlled design in which wards provide before and after observations will be undertaken in one large Australian hospital over 24 weeks. The intervention is the use of the CATH TAG. Eligible hospital wards will receive the intervention and act as their own control, with analysis undertaken of the change within each ward using data collected in control and intervention periods. An online survey will be administered to nurses on study completion, and a focus group for nurses will be conducted 2 months after study completion. The primary outcomes are the urinary catheter device utilisation ratio and perceptions of nurses about ease of use of the CATH TAG. Secondary outcomes include a reduced number of cases of catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria, a reduced number of urinary catheters inserted per 100 patient admissions, perceptions of nurses regarding effectiveness of the CATH TAG, changes in ownership/interest by patients in catheter management, as well as possible barriers to successful implementation of the CATH TAG.

Ethics and dissemination

Approval has been obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committees of Avondale College of Higher Education (2017:15) and Queensland Health (HREC17QTHS19). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12617001191381 (Pre-results).
Mid-upper arm circumference, calf circumference and mortality in Chinese long-term care facility residents: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Weng Chien-Hsiang , Tien Chia-Ping , Li Chia-Ing , L’Heureux Abby , Liu Chiu-Shong , Lin Chih-Hsueh , Lin Cheng-Chieh , Lai Shih-Wei , Lai Ming-May , Lin Wen-Yuan
Published: May 2018

Objective

To investigate the association between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference (CC) and all-cause mortality in a Chinese population.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Eight long-term care facilities in central Taiwan.

Participants

A total of 329 residents age 60 years and older (median 79.0 years, range 60–101; 139 men, 190 women) were enrolled.

Methods

Anthropometrics and metabolic parameters were measured at the time of enrolment to the study. Mean MUAC and CC were 24.2±3.4 cm and 27.5±4.3 cm, respectively. Mortality data were obtained from the Department of Health in Taiwan.

Main outcome measure

To identify the association between all-cause mortality and MUAC or CC.

Results

There were 255 deaths during the 7-year follow-up period. After adjusting for age, sex, cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol use, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale score, serum albumin level, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, subjects in the highest tertile of MUAC (27.8±2.2 cm) and CC (32.1±2.6 cm) had a significantly lower mortality rate than did subjects in the lowest tertile (MUAC 20.6±1.7 cm; CC 22.8±1.9 cm). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest MUAC tertile was 0.64 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.90). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest CC tertile was 0.51 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.74).

Conclusions

MUAC and CC are negative predictors for all-cause mortality in older Chinese adults living in long-term care facilities. Participants with higher MUAC and CC had lower all-cause mortality.
Sickness absence as a predictor of disability retirement in different occupational classes: a register-based study of a working-age cohort in Finland in 2007–2014
Authors: Salonen Laura , Blomgren Jenni , Laaksonen Mikko , Niemelä Mikko
Published: May 2018

Objectives

The objective of the study was to examine diagnosis-specific sickness absences of different lengths as predictors of disability retirement in different occupational classes.

Design

Register-based prospective cohort study up to 8 years of follow-up.

Participants

A 70% random sample of the non-retired Finnish population aged 25–62 at the end of 2006 was included (n=1 727 644) and linked to data on sickness absences in 2005 and data on disability retirement in 2007–2014.

Main outcome measures

Cox proportional hazards regression was utilised to analyse the association of sickness absence with the risk of all-cause disability retirement during an 8-year follow-up.

Results

The risk of disability retirement increased with increasing lengths of sickness absence in all occupational classes. A long sickness absence was a particularly strong predictor of disability retirement in upper non-manual employees as among those with over 180 sickness absence days the HR was 9.19 (95% CI 7.40 to 11.40), but in manual employees the HR was 3.51 (95% CI 3.23 to 3.81) in men. Among women, the corresponding HRs were 7.26 (95% CI 6.16 to 8.57) and 3.94 (95% CI 3.60 to 4.30), respectively. Adjusting for the diagnosis of sickness absence partly attenuated the association between the length of sickness absence and the risk of disability retirement in all employed groups.

Conclusions

A long sickness absence is a strong predictor of disability retirement in all occupational classes. Preventing the accumulation of sickness absence days and designing more efficient policies for different occupational classes may be crucial to reduce the number of transitions to early retirement due to disability.
Impacts on health outcomes and on resource utilisation of home-based parenteral chemotherapy administration: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Mittaine-Marzac Benedicte , De Stampa Matthieu , Bagaragaza Emmanuel , Ankri Joël , Aegerter Philippe
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Despite the demonstrated feasibility and policies to enable more to receive chemotherapy at home, in a few countries, parenteral chemotherapy administration at home remains currently marginal. Of note, findings of different studies on health outcomes and resources utilisation vary, leading to conflicting results. This protocol outlines a systematic review that seeks to synthesise and critically appraise the current state of evidence on the comparison between home setting and hospital setting for parenteral chemotherapy administration within the same high standards of clinical care.

Methods and analysis

This protocol has been prepared following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols approach. Electronic searches will be conducted on bibliographic databases selected from the earliest available data through 15 November 2017 published in French and English languages. Additional potential papers in the selected studies and grey literature will be also included in the review. The review will include all types of studies exploring patients receiving anticancer drugs for injection at home compared with patients receiving the drugs in a hospital setting, and will assess at least one of the following criteria: patients’ health outcomes, patients’ or caregivers’ satisfaction, resource utilisation with cost savings, and incentives and/or barriers of each admission setting according to patients’ and relatives’ points of view. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract relevant data from the included studies. Methodological quality of studies will be assessed using the ‘Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies’ developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool, in addition to the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards statement for economic studies.

Ethics and dissemination

As the review is focused on the analysis of secondary data, it does not require ethics approval. The results of the study will be disseminated through articles in peer-reviewed journals and trade publications, as well as presentations at relevant conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017068164.
What is the quality of reporting on guideline, protocol or algorithm implementation in adult trauma centres? Protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Gotlib Conn Lesley , Nathens Avery B , Perrier Laure , Haas Barbara , Watamaniuk Aaron , Daniel Pereira Diego , Zwaiman Ashley , da Luz Luis Teodoro
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Quality improvement (QI) is mandatory in trauma centres but there is no prescription for doing successful QI. Considerable variation in implementation strategies and inconsistent use of evidence-based protocols therefore exist across centres. The quality of reporting on these strategies may limit the transferability of successful initiatives across centres. This systematic review will assess the quality of reporting on guideline, protocol or algorithm implementation within a trauma centre in terms of the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0).

Methods and analysis

We will search for English language articles published after 2010 in EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL electronic databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The database search will be supplemented by searching trial registries and grey literature online. Included studies will evaluate the effectiveness of guideline implementation in terms of change in clinical practice or improvement in patient outcomes. The primary outcome will be a global score reporting the proportion of studies respecting at least 80% of the SQUIRE 2.0 criteria and will be obtained based on the 18-items identified in the SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. Secondary outcome will be the risk of bias assessed with the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies— of Interventions tool for observational cohort studies and with the Cochrane Collaboration tool for randomised controlled trials. Meta-analyses will be conducted in randomised controlled trials to estimate the effectiveness of guideline implementation if studies are not heterogeneous. If meta-analyses are conducted, we will combine studies according to the risk of bias (low, moderate or high/unclear) in subgroup analyses. All study titles, abstracts and full-text screening will be completed independently and in duplicate by the review team members. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment will also be done independently and in duplicate.

Ethics and dissemination

Results will be disseminated through scientific publication and conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018084273.
Pinocchio testing in the forensic analysis of waiting lists: using public waiting list data from Finland and Spain for testing Newcomb-Benford’s Law
Authors: Pinilla Jaime , López-Valcárcel Beatriz G , González-Martel Christian , Peiro Salvador
Published: May 2018

Objective

Newcomb-Benford’s Law (NBL) proposes a regular distribution for first digits, second digits and digit combinations applicable to many different naturally occurring sources of data. Testing deviations from NBL is used in many datasets as a screening tool for identifying data trustworthiness problems. This study aims to compare public available waiting lists (WL) data from Finland and Spain for testing NBL as an instrument to flag up potential manipulation in WLs.

Design

Analysis of the frequency of Finnish and Spanish WLs first digits to determine if their distribution is similar to the pattern documented by NBL. Deviations from the expected first digit frequency were analysed using Pearson’s χ2, mean absolute deviation and Kuiper tests.

Setting/participants

Publicly available WL data from Finland and Spain, two countries with universal health insurance and National Health Systems but characterised by different levels of transparency and good governance standards.

Main outcome measures

Adjustment of the observed distribution of the numbers reported in Finnish and Spanish WL data to the expected distribution according to NBL.

Results

WL data reported by the Finnish health system fits first digit NBL according to all statistical tests used (p=0.6519 in χ2test). For Spanish data, this hypothesis was rejected in all tests (p<0.0001 in χ2test).

Conclusions

Testing deviations from NBL distribution can be a useful tool to identify problems with WL data trustworthiness and signalling the need for further testing.
Occurrence, fate, and confounding influence of ghost passive integrated transponder tags in an intensively monitored watershed
Authors: Bond Rosealea M. , Nicol Colin L. , Kiernan Joseph D. , Spence Brian C.
Published: May 2018

Over the last three decades, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags have been widely used to study fish populations. Interpretation of PIT tag detections, however, can be confounded by the presence of ghost tags, tags liberated when a fish dies. We used a combination of mobile antenna surveys, stationary antenna detections, and multistate mark–recapture modeling to assess the abundance and fate of ghost tags in a coastal California watershed. Accumulation of ghost tags from released hatchery-origin coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts was substantial during California’s recent drought, with 2224 ghost tags identified during mobile reader surveys. Between surveys, PIT tags moved downstream a median distance of 346 m and a maximum distance of 1982 m. Stationary antenna array detections indicated that these movements occurred during high-flow events, concurrent with live fish movement. The multistate model estimated that, during winter, approximately 40% of tags were buried in the substrate beyond the read range of mobile readers. Failure to account for transport and burial dynamics of ghost tags can lead to biased estimates of fish abundance, survival, and movement.
The effect of wall temperature distribution on streaks in compressible turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Tao Yang , Xiong Neng , Qian Fengxue
Published: May 2018

The thermal boundary condition at wall is very important for the compressible flow due to the coupling of the energy equation, and a lot of research works about it were carried out in past decades. In most of these works, the wall was assumed as adiabatic or uniform isothermal surface; the flow over a thermal wall with some special temperature distribution was seldom studied. Lagha studied the effect of uniform isothermal wall on the streaks, and pointed out that higher the wall temperature is, the longer the streak (POF, 2011, 23, 015106). So, we designed streamwise stripes of wall temperature distribution on the compressible turbulent boundary layer at Mach 3.0 to learn the effect on the streaks by means of direct numerical simulation in this paper. The mean wall temperature is equal to the adiabatic case approximately, and the width of the temperature stripes is in the same order as the width of the streaks. The streak patterns in near-wall region with different temperature stripes are shown in the paper. Moreover, we find that there is a reduction of friction velocity with the wall temperature stripes when compared with the adiabatic case.
Radial basis function and its application in tourism management
Authors: Hu Shan-Feng , Zhu Hong-Bin , Zhao Lei
Published: May 2018

In this work, several applications and the performances of the radial basis function (RBF) are briefly reviewed at first. After that, the binomial function combined with three different RBFs including the multiquadric (MQ), inverse quadric (IQ) and inverse multiquadric (IMQ) distributions are adopted to model the tourism data of Huangshan in China. Simulation results showed that all the models match very well with the sample data. It is found that among the three models, the IMQ-RBF model is more suitable for forecasting the tourist flow.
What if string theory has no de Sitter vacua?
Authors: Danielsson Ulf H. , Riet Thomas Van
Published: May 2018

We present a brief overview of attempts to construct de Sitter vacua in string theory and explain how the results of this 20-year endeavor could point to the fact that string theory harbors no de Sitter vacua at all. Making such a statement is often considered controversial and “bad news for string theory”. We discuss how perhaps the opposite can be true.
Definition of Strategies for Crime Prevention and Combat Using Fuzzy Clustering and Formal Concept Analysis
Authors: de Farias Adriana M. Guimaraes , Cintra Marcos E. , Felix Angelica C. , Cavalcante Danniel L.
Published: May 2018

Public security has always been an important research topic. In this sense, machine learning algorithms have been used to extract knowledge from criminal databases, which usually maintain records in order to generate statistics. The automatic extraction of knowledge from such databases allows the improvement and planning of strategies to prevent and combat crimes. Accordingly, in this work different models related to public security are presented. Such models are based on clustering algorithms, on the analysis of formal concept techniques, and on the analysis of crime record data collected in the city of Mossoro, Brazil. The two types of models generated are: (i) concept lattices with crime patterns; (ii) criminal hot spot maps. We also produced a ranking of dangerousness for neighbourhoods of Mossoro. The Fuzzy K-Means clustering algorithm was used to obtain criminal hot spots, which indicate locations with high crime incidence. Formal concept analysis was used for extracting visual models describing patterns that characterize criminal activities. Such models have the form of conceptual lattices that provide graphical displays which can be used for defining strategies to combat and prevent crime. The models were first empirically evaluated and then analysed by public security experts, who provided positive feedback for their practical use. The advantages of the automatically generated models presented in this paper are many, including the short time to produce such models, the variety of different models that can be generated for specific regions and periods of days, months, or years, the graphical characteristic of such models that allow a fast analysis of them, as well as the use of large amounts of data, which are infeasible activities to be done by human experts.
Synthesis and crystallographic characterization of a brominated porphyrin with a nitrophenyl substituent and its iron derivative
Authors: Hu Tingting , Liu Taotao , Hu Chuanjiang , Lang Jian-ping
Published: May 2018

2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-Octabromo-5-(2-nitrophenyl)-10,15,20-triphenyl porphyrin (H[Formula: see text]OBP-NO[Formula: see text] and its metallic complexes have been designed and synthesized. Both the free-base porphyrin and its iron(III) complex have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. Structures confirm there are three phenyl groups and one 2-nitrophenyl at meso positions and eight bromine atoms at [Formula: see text]-pyrrole positions. The crowded substituents cause the porphyrin plane to be distorted and become saddle shaped. The complexes were also characterized by NMR and UV-vis spectra. The UV-vis spectrum of the free-base porphyrin shows that substitution by eight bromine atoms at [Formula: see text]-pyrrole positions leads to a red shift of the bands.
Fuzzy Reliability of an Imprecise Failure to Start of an Automobile Using Pseudo-Parabolic Fuzzy Numbers
Authors: Abbasi F.
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we propose the notion of pseudo-parabolic fuzzy numbers and the component failure probabilities are considered as a new type of fuzzy number as pseudo-parabolic to incorporate the uncertainties in the parameter, due to a more realistic estimate of them. Then, we analyze the reliability of fuzzy system (particularly, series and parallel system) with independent and non-identically distributed components, and using the new operations of TA [F. Abbasi et al., Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems 29 (2015) 851–861], due to the smaller results support, easier calculations and special properties than fuzzy arithmetic operations based on the extension principle (in the domain of the membership function) and the interval arithmetic (in the domain of the [Formula: see text]-cuts). We provide a more realistic fuzzy reliability analysis. Finally, an imprecise failure to start of an automobile is considered in fuzzy environment. The reliability of components of the proposed model is considered as pseudo-parabolic fuzzy numbers.
Approaches to Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making Based on Induced Interval-Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Einstein Aggregation Operator
Authors: Rahman K. , Ali A. , Abdullah S. , Amin F.
Published: May 2018

Interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy set is one of the successful extensions of the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set for handling the uncertainties in the data. Under this environment, in this paper, we introduce the notion of induced interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy Einstein ordered weighted averaging (I-IVPFEOWA) aggregation operator. Some of its desirable properties namely, idempotency, boundedness, commutatively, monotonicity have also been proved. The main advantage of using the proposed operator is that this operator gives a more complete view of the problem to the decision-makers. The method proposed in this paper provides more general, more accurate and precise results as compared to the existing methods. Therefore this method play a vital role in real world problems. Finally, we apply the proposed operator to deal with multi-attribute group decision- making problems under interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy information. The approach has been illustrated with a numerical example from the field of the decision-making problems to show the validity, practicality and effectiveness of the new approach.
A New Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Numbers: Ranking Methodology and Application
Authors: Bharati S. K. , Singh S. R.
Published: May 2018

Ranking of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) numbers is a most popular and elegant work in the area of decision-making of several real-world problems. Some limited methods have been presented concerning the ranking of IVIF sets in literature. In the present paper, we generalize the intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) number to interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy number by defining interval membership and nonmembership functions instead of fixed-valued function and hence it will present uncertain situation better than IF numbers. It may also be applied in data analysis, industrial management, artificial intelligence, forecasting, time series and so on. In this paper, ranking methodology of IVIF numbers is presented, for this first we define the value and ambiguity of IVIF numbers. Proposed ranking method also is compared with existing ranking methods. Further, IVIF numbers are used to capture fuzziness and hesitation in transportation problem (TP), and we propose a new method to find optimal solutions of TP with IVIF number parameters and finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the proposed method.
A Maze Routing-Based Methodology With Bounded Exploration and Path-Assessed Retracing for Constrained Multilayer Obstacle-Avoiding Rectilinear Steiner Tree Construction
Authors: Lin Kuen-Wey , Lin Yeh-Sheng , Li Yih-Lang , Lin Rung-Bin
Published: May 2018

Owing to existing intellectual properties, prerouted nets, and power/ground wires, the routing of a system on chip design demands to detour around multilayer obstacles. Traditional approaches for the multilayer obstacle-avoiding rectilinear Steiner tree (ML-OARST) problem are thus nonmaze routing-based approaches for runtime issues, yet they cannot be directly applied to deal with additional constraints such as variant edge weights on a routing layer. In this article, we propose the maze routing-based methodology with bounded exploration and path-assessed retracing to reduce runtime and routing cost for the constrained ML-OARST construction problem. The exploration of maze routing is bounded to reduce the runtime; the costs of connecting pins are computed to select Steiner points in the retracing phase. To further reduce the routing cost, we develop a Steiner point-based ripping-up and rebuilding scheme for altering tree topology. Experimental results on industrial and randomly generated benchmarks demonstrate that the proposed methodology can provide a solution with good quality in terms of routing cost and has a significant speedup compared to traditional maze routing. A commercial tool is also used to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
The Development of the African System of Cities
Authors: Henderson J. Vernon , Kriticos Sebastian
Published: May 2018

Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced high urban population growth over the past half century, dramatically reshaping the economic and spatial profile of the region. Simultaneously, this process has challenged the conventional view that countries urbanize alongside structural transformation, as urbanization in Africa has occurred despite low productivity gains in agriculture and very limited industrialization. While there are large household income gaps between urban and rural areas that induce migration, most cities have very high agricultural employment, blurring the connection between structural transformation and urbanization. Urban income premiums apply equally to farm and nonfarm families. Looking across the urban hierarchy, we discuss how high urban primacy presents problems for economic growth in Africa, how secondary cities are faltering with a lack of industrialization, and how growth of employment in tradable services may signal a different path to structural transformation.