bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The scientist's summer reading list
Underland: A Deep Time Journey,
Robert Macfarlane,
Norton, 2019. 496 pp.
Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past,
Sarah Parcak,
Henry Holt, 2019. 288 pp.
Digital Cash: The Unknown History of the Anarchists, Utopians, and Technologists Who Created Cryptocurrency,
Finn Brunton,
Princeton University Press, 2019. 266 pp.
Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us,
Ruth Kassinger,
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 318 pp.
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language,
Gretchen McCulloch,
Riverhead Books, 2019. 336 pp.
Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight,
Jonathan Fetter-Vorm,
Hill and Wang, 2019. 256 pp.
The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World,
Amanda Little,
Harmony, 2019. 350 pp.
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell,
Neal Stephenson,
William Morrow, 2019. 890 pp.
Authors: Haupt Ryan J. , Langis-Barsetti Dominique , O'Dwyer Rachel , Preuss Maren , van Driel Martine , Margolis Emily A. , Jain Meha , Marlin Bianca Jones
Published: June 2019

How will we eat in a warming world? What makes money real? Are we being good ancestors? From a graphic celebration of the semicentennial of the Apollo 11 mission to a dystopian foray into the digital afterlife, this year's summer reading picks—reviewed by an enthusiastic group of early-career scholars—aim to unpack where we came from and where we're headed. Focus on the big picture with an engaging exploration of space archaeology, dig into the details with a thought-provoking ode to algae, or sit back and LOL at an entertaining introduction to internet linguistics.
Population Pharmacokinetic Analyses for Arbekacin after Administration of ME1100 Inhalation Solution
Authors: Lakota Elizabeth A. , Sato Nobuo , Koresawa Tomokazu , Kondo Kenichiro , Bhavnani Sujata M. , Ambrose Paul G. , Rubino Christopher M.
Published: June 2019

ME1100, an inhalation solution of arbekacin, an aminoglycoside, is being developed for the treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. The objective of these analyses was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model to describe the arbekacin concentration-time profile in plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF) following ME1100 administration.
Hepatitis B Virus X Protein Function Requires Zinc Binding
Authors: Ramakrishnan Dhivya , Xing Weimei , Beran Rudolf K. , Chemuru Saketh , Rohrs Henry , Niedziela-Majka Anita , Marchand Bruno , Mehra Upasana , Zábranský Aleš , Doležal Michal , Hubálek Martin , Pichová Iva , Gross Michael L. , Kwon Hyock Joo , Fletcher Simon P.
Published: June 2019

The structural maintenance of chromosomes 5/6 complex (Smc5/6) is a host restriction factor that suppresses HBV transcription. HBV counters this restriction by expressing HBV X protein (HBx), which redirects a host ubiquitin ligase to target Smc5/6 for degradation. Despite this recent advance in understanding HBx function, the key regions and residues of HBx required for Smc5/6 degradation have not been determined. In the present study, we performed biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based analyses of HBx. By doing so, we mapped the minimal functional region of HBx and identified a highly conserved CCCH motif in HBx that is likely responsible for coordinating zinc and is essential for HBx function. We also developed a method to produce soluble recombinant HBx protein that likely adopts a physiologically relevant conformation. Collectively, this study provides new insights into the HBx structure-function relationship and suggests a new approach for structural studies of this enigmatic viral regulatory protein.
Contemporary Circulating Enterovirus D68 Strains Infect and Undergo Retrograde Axonal Transport in Spinal Motor Neurons Independent of Sialic Acid
Authors: Hixon Alison M. , Clarke Penny , Tyler Kenneth L.
Published: June 2019

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections are on the rise worldwide. Since 2014, the United States has experienced biennial spikes in EV-D68-associated acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) that have left hundreds of children paralyzed. Much remains to be learned about the pathogenesis of EV-D68 in the central nervous system (CNS). Herein we investigated the mechanisms of EV-D68 CNS invasion through neuronal pathways. A better understanding of EV-D68 infection in experimental models may allow for better prevention and treatment strategies of EV-D68 CNS disease.
Draft Genome Sequences of Novel Sequence Type 3559 Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates Recovered from the Environment
Authors: Ekwanzala Mutshiene Deogratias , Budeli Phumudzo , Dewar John Barr , Kamika Ilunga , Momba Maggy Ndombo Benteke
Published: June 2019

Here, we report a novel sequence type, 3559, from four genomes of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates from South African hospital wastewater, influent wastewater, river water, and riverbed sediment. The genome annotation indicated a wide variety of resistance genes, including
bla
KPC-2
, and virulence factors revealing their possible pathogenicity.
Determining Microbial Niche Breadth in the Environment for Better Ecosystem Fate Predictions
Authors: Muller Emilie E. L.
Published: June 2019

Integrated omics applied to microbial communities offers a great opportunity to analyze the niche breadths (i.e., resource and condition ranges usable by a species) of constituent populations, ranging from generalists, with a broad niche breadth, to specialists, with a narrow one. In this context, extracellular metabolomics measurements describe resource spaces available to microbial populations; dedicated analyses of metagenomics data serve to describe the fundamental niches of constituent populations, and functional meta-omics becomes a proxy to characterize the realized niches of populations and their variations though time or space.
Effect of channel tributaries on the evolution of submarine channel confluences (Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil)
Authors: Qin Yongpeng , Alves Tiago M. , Constantine José Antonio , Gamboa Davide , Wu Shiguo
Published: June 2019

Confluences are geomorphologic features fed by distinct channel tributaries that record the contribution of multiple sediment sources. They are key features of both fluvial and submarine channels in geomorphologic and sedimentologic terms. Here, we use high-quality three-dimensional seismic data from SE Brazil to document the response of a submarine channel confluence to turbidity currents originating from a tributary. The studied channel system consists of a west tributary, an east tributary, and a postconfluence channel, with the last two comprising the main channel at present. Downstream from the confluence, changes in planform morphology and architecture were found due to the effect of turbidity currents sourced from the west tributary channel. A channel bend in the main channel curved toward the west when it was first formed but later curved toward the east, and so remains until the present day. This process led to the migration of the confluence point ∼500 m to the east, and changed the bed morphology from discordant (where the beds of tributaries and main channels meet at an unequal depth) to concordant (where the beds of tributaries and main channels meet at approximately the same depth). In addition to the channel bend near the confluence, two other bends further downstream recorded significant changes with time, increasing channel sinuosity from 1.11 to 1.72. These three channel bends near the confluence accumulated a large volume of sediment at their inner banks, generating depositional bars. Multiple channel forms within the depositional bars indicate the occurrence of large-scale lateral migration near the confluence. Hence, turbidity currents from the west tributary are shown to influence the submarine channel by promoting lateral channel migration, confluence migration, increases in channel sinuosity, and the formation of large depositional bars. These variations near the confluence reveal a change in tributary activity and a shift in sediment sources from east to west on the continental shelf. Such a shift suggests variations in sedimentary processes on the continental shelf probably due to avulsions on Doce River Delta.
The birth of a forearc: The basal Great Valley Group, California, USA
Authors: Orme Devon A. , Surpless Kathleen D.
Published: June 2019

The Great Valley basin of California (USA) is an archetypal forearc basin, yet the timing, structural style, and location of basin development remain controversial. Eighteen of 20 detrital zircon samples (3711 new U-Pb ages) from basal strata of the Great Valley forearc basin contain Cretaceous grains, with nine samples yielding statistically robust Cretaceous maximum depositional ages (MDAs), two with MDAs that overlap the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, suggesting earliest Cretaceous deposition, and nine with Jurassic MDAs consistent with latest Jurassic deposition. In addition, the pre-Mesozoic age populations of our samples are consistent with central North America sources and do not require a southern provenance. We interpret that diachronous initiation of sedimentation reflects the growth of isolated depocenters, consistent with an extensional model for the early stages of forearc basin development.
Detrital zircon U-Pb data reveal a Mississippian sediment dispersal network originating in the Appalachian orogen, traversing North America along its southern shelf, and reaching as far as the southwest United States
Authors: Chapman Alan D. , Laskowski Andrew K.
Published: June 2019

Recent detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology reveals an increasing proportion of Grenville-age (ca. 0.95–1.3 Ga) and ca. 300–480 Ma grains in late Paleozoic strata of the SW United States. These grain populations are interpreted to have been sourced from the Appalachian orogen, though the precise timing, transport mechanisms, and pathway(s) of sediment dispersal remain unclear. We combine 35,796 published detrital zircon U-Pb ages from Ordovician to Pennsylvanian strata of southern Canada, northern Mexico, and the U.S. with new data (1,628 ages) from Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and South Dakota. These data are integrated with sedimentary structural data and paleogeographic reconstructions to reveal temporal and spatial patterns of the sediment routing system at continent scale. In Ordovician time, North America was partitioned into western, central, and eastern domains in which strata were derived primarily from the Peace River Arch, the Superior Craton, and the Appalachians, respectively. Silurian–Devonian time saw limited integration of these domains, corresponding with the delivery of Appalachian-derived detritus to the Midcontinent via prograding deltas and westward-flowing rivers. Appalachian detritus flowed westward in Mississippian time, accumulating in the Appalachian foreland and continuing westward through Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, and California along the continental shelf. Given that North America was at equatorial latitudes and was inundated by the Kaskaskia sea at this time, westward dispersal likely occurred by trade wind–driven longshore drift, waves, tides, and marine currents, with the possible added contribution of hurricanes. Modern analogs for the southern margin of North America during Mississippian time (e.g., the Great Barrier Reef and the east coast of South America) indicate that long-distance (>1000 km) shelf-parallel sediment transport is readily accomplished through fair-weather processes and extreme events. Finally, Appalachian-derived detritus became widespread throughout North America following regression of the Kaskaskia sea in Pennsylvanian time, likely via fluvial, deltaic, and aeolian processes.
Antipodean fugitive terranes in southern Laurentia: How Proterozoic Australia built the American West
Authors: Gibson G.M. , Champion D.C.
Published: June 2019

Paleoproterozoic arc and backarc assemblages accreted to the south Laurentian margin between 1800 Ma and 1600 Ma, and previously thought to be indigenous to North America, more likely represent fragments of a dismembered marginal sea developed outboard of the formerly opposing Australian-Antarctic plate. Fugitive elements of this arc-backarc system in North America share a common geological record with their left-behind Australia-Antarctic counterparts, including discrete peaks in tectonic and/or magmatic activity at 1780 Ma, 1760 Ma, 1740 Ma, 1710–1705 Ma, 1690–1670 Ma, 1650 Ma, and 1620 Ma. Subduction rollback, ocean basin closure, and the arrival of Laurentia at the Australian-Antarctic convergent margin first led to arc-continent collision at 1650–1640 Ma and then continent-continent collision by 1620 Ma as the last vestiges of the backarc basin collapsed. Collision induced obduction and transfer of the arc and more outboard parts of the Australian-Antarctic backarc basin onto the Laurentian margin, where they remained following later breakup of the Neoproterozoic Rodinia supercontinent. North American felsic rocks generally yield Nd depleted mantle model ages consistent with arc and backarc assemblages built on early Paleoproterozoic Australian crust as opposed to older Archean basement making up the now underlying Wyoming and Superior cratons.
Evaluation of a prescription support-tool for chronic management of oral antithrombotic combinations in adults using clinical vignettes: protocol of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zerah Lorene , Bonnet-Zamponi Dominique , Frappé Paul , Hauguel-Moreau Marie , De Rycke Yann , Magnier Anne-Marie , Pautas Eric , Charles Pierre , Collet Jean-Philippe , Dechartres Agnes , Tubach Florence
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Improving the appropriateness of prescriptions of oral antithrombotic (AT) drugs, especially AT combinations, is crucial because these drugs are implicated in bleeding events. We developed a prescription support-tool synthesising guidelines on chronic management of oral AT combinations. Our main objective is to assess the impact of this tool on improving the prescription of oral ATs to comply with guidelines.

Methods and analysis

A randomised controlled trial will be conducted among French general practitioners and cardiologists involved in outpatient settings. Physicians will be invited to participate to an online survey by email via physician associations, social networks or word of mouth. They will be randomised to two arms: the experimental arm (access to the prescription support-tool) or the control arm (no prescription support-tool). Then, all participants will be presented three different clinical vignettes illustrating outpatient clinical situations and will be asked to propose prescriptions for each vignette (number of ATs, type, dosage and duration). A computer-generated randomisation scheme implemented in the online survey will be used to allocate physicians to the experimental or control arm and then stratified by medical specialty. The primary outcome will be fully appropriate prescription of oral ATs ie, that comply with the guidelines in terms of number of drugs, drug class, dosage and duration. To demonstrate a 5% increase in this proportion, we will need to include a minimum of 230 physicians per arm. A logistic mixed model with a clinical vignette-effect and a physician-effect nested in the arm of the study will be used.

Ethics and dissemination

TheInstitutional Review Boardof Inserm (IRB00003888) approved our research project (no. 18–492). If the prescription support-tool improves the prescription of oral ATs, we will create an interactive web tool and will assess its impact in terms of clinical outcomes in real-life.

Trial registration number

NCT03630874; Pre-results.
How far do we still need to go? A survey on knowledge, attitudes, practice related to antimicrobial stewardship regulations among Chinese doctors in 2012 and 2016
Authors: Xia Ruyu , Hu Xiaoyang , Willcox Merlin , Li Xinxue , Li Yuxiu , Wang Jian , Li Xun , Moore Michael , Liu Jianping , Fei Yutong
Published: June 2019

Objectives

To explore doctors’ knowledge, willingness, concerns and the countermeasures to the most stringent antimicrobial stewardship regulations of China which implemented in August 2012.

Design

Cross-sectional survey. A pretested 32-point structured questionnaire was distributed to doctors by sending a web link via the mobile phone application WeChat through snowball sampling methods and email groups of medical academic societies.

Setting

China.

Participants

Doctors.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The questionnaire inquired about the doctors’ experiences, knowledge, willingness, concerns and the countermeasures to the stewardship policies.

Results

Total of persons in the groups was 19 791, among them 1194 submitted the answers, within them, 807 were doctors. Doctors had a mean age of 39.0 years. The majority (78.9% in 2012, 89.1% in 2016) reported that they were willing or very willing to accept the regulations. Almost all respondents (93.2%) felt the stewardship regulations had the potential to adversely affect the prognosis of patients who would have been prescribed antimicrobials before they were implemented, and >65% (65.7% in 2012, 66.9% in 2016) of doctors were often or always concerned about the prognosis of these patients. In 2012, 32% of doctors prescribed restricted antimicrobials or suggested patient self-medication with restricted antimicrobials to address doctors’ concerns, and this number decreased to 22.6% in 2016. Although compulsory antimicrobial stewardship training was frequent, less than half of respondents (46.8%) responded correctly to all three knowledge questions.

Conclusion

Antimicrobial stewardship regulations had some positive effect on rational antimicrobial use. Willingness and practice of doctors towards the regulations improved from 2012 to 2016. Knowledge about rational antimicrobial use was still lacking. Doctors found ways of accessing restricted antibiotics to address their concerns about the prognosis of patients, which undermined the implementation of the stewardship regulations.
Prevalence, nature and risk factors for medication administration omissions in English NHS hospital inpatients: a retrospective multicentre study using Medication Safety Thermometer data
Authors: Rostami Paryaneh , Heal Calvin , Harrison Abigail , Parry Gareth , Ashcroft Darren M , Tully Mary P
Published: June 2019

Objective

To determine the prevalence, nature and predictors of patients having medication administration omissions in hospitals.

Methods

All medication administration omissions data collected using the standardised methodology of the Medication Safety Thermometer in January 2015 were examined. Hospital inpatients prescribed at least one medication were included in the analysis. Multilevel logistic regression models ascertained the effects of patients’ gender, age, number of prescribed medicines, ward specialty and medicines reconciliation initiation status on the likelihood of having omissions. Valid clinical reasons (VCRs) were excluded from regression models. A sensitivity analysis, excluding patient refusal (PR) omissions, was also conducted.

Results

The final study sample included 5708 patients from 320 wards in 37 hospitals. Excluding VCRs, 30% of patients had medication administration omissions (95% CI 29 to 30). Approximately half of patients with omissions had refused medicines (51%, 95% CI 49 to 53). Univariable analysis suggested that all variables were significantly associated with omissions. However, in the multivariable model, significant differences were only observed regarding the numbers of medicines patients were prescribed and their ward specialty. Patients prescribed more than 20 medications were approximately five times more likely to have had omissions than patients prescribed one to four medications (OR 4.99, 95% CI 3.22 to 7.73). Patients on surgical wards were also more likely to have had omissions than those on medical wards (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.18, p=0.006), but there was no significant difference when PRs were excluded (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.27 to 1.22, p=0.473).

Conclusion

Medication administration omissions are a substantial problem that affect many hospital patients, and certain patient groups are at higher risk. Specific interventions are required targeting the underlying reasons for medication omissions for different patient subgroups.
DBDS Genomic Cohort, a prospective and comprehensive resource for integrative and temporal analysis of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors affecting health of blood donors
Authors: Hansen Thomas Folkmann , Banasik Karina , Erikstrup Christian , Pedersen Ole Birger , Westergaard David , Chmura Piotr Jaroslaw , Nielsen Kaspar , Thørner Lise , Hjalgrim Henrik , Paarup Helene , Larsen Margit Anita Hørup , Petersen Mikkel , Jennum Poul , Andersen Steffen , Nyegaard Mette , Jemec Gregor Borut Ernst , Olesen Jes , Werge Thomas , Johansson Pär I , Sørensen Erik , Brunak Søren , Ullum Henrik , Burgdorf Kristoffer Sølvsten
Published: June 2019

Purpose

To establish a cohort that enables identification of genomic factors that influence human health and empower increased blood donor health and safe blood transfusions. Human health is complex and involves several factors, a major one being the genomic aspect. The genomic era has resulted in many consortia encompassing large samples sizes, which has proven successful for identifying genetic factors associated with specific traits. However, it remains a big challenge to establish large cohorts that facilitate studies of the interaction between genetic factors, environmental and life-style factors as these change over the course of life. A major obstacle to such endeavours is that it is difficult to revisit participants to retrieve additional information and obtain longitudinal, consecutive measurements.

Participants

Blood donors (n=110 000) have given consent to participate in the Danish Blood Donor Study. The study uses the infrastructure of the Danish blood banks.

Findings to date

The cohort comprises extensive phenotype data and whole genome genotyping data. Further, it is possible to retrieve additional phenotype data from national registries as well as from the donors at future visits, including consecutive measurements.

Future plans

To provide new knowledge on factors influencing our health and thus provide a platform for studying the influence of genomic factors on human health, in particular the interaction between environmental and genetic factors.
Perception on risk factors of child maltreatment in China: a qualitative study among health professionals
Authors: Xu Tao , Yue Qing , Wang Yan , Wang Shuo , Liu Wenli , Huang Xiaoyan
Published: June 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to explore health professionals’ perception of risk factors related to child maltreatment in China.

Design

Qualitative research.

Setting

The study was conducted in November and December 2014 in Hunan, Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Guangdong provinces in China.

Participants

Five urban communities and five rural communities were randomly selected in each province, and interviews were conducted in maternal and child health hospitals, children’s hospitals, community health service centres and township hospitals in the selected areas. Doctors, nurses and administrators involved in child healthcare services were selected for in-depth-interview.

Results

A total of 102 health professionals were approached but 95 completed the interview. From their perspective, risk factors causing child maltreatment were categorised into four domains: (1) cultural factors, including parents’ absolute authority over their children and son preference; (2) social factors, including a fast-paced and stressful lifestyle, children left behind by migrant worker parents and lack of quality child care and education; (3) family factors, including economic status, family structure, parents’ inability to provide parental care, experience of maltreatment and parents’ illnesses; (4) children’s factors, including gender, temper, disabilities and poor awareness of self-protection.

Conclusions

The results indicate that health professionals in China are aware of certain risk factors for child maltreatment; however, some views are outdated and wrong. Based on the perception of health professionals, targeted training courses are needed to enable them to correctly identify and deal with suspected cases of child maltreatment.
Mortality during 6 years of follow-up in relation to visual impairment and eye disease: results from a population-based cohort study of people aged 50 years and above in Nakuru, Kenya
Authors: Kuper Hannah , Mathenge Wanjiku , Macleod David , Foster Allen , Gichangi Michael , Rono Hillary , Wing Kevin , Weiss Helen Anne , Bastawrous Andrew , Burton Matthew
Published: June 2019

Objective

To estimate the association between (1) visual impairment (VI) and (2) eye disease and 6-year mortality risk within a cohort of elderly Kenyan people.

Design, setting and participants

The baseline of the Nakuru Posterior Segment Eye Disease Study was formed from a population-based survey of 4318 participants aged ≥50 years, enrolled in 2007–2008. Ophthalmic and anthropometric examinations were undertaken on all participants at baseline, and a questionnaire was administered, including medical and ophthalmic history. Participants were retraced in 2013–2014 for a second examination. Vital status was recorded for all participants through information from community members. Cumulative incidence of mortality, and its relationship with baseline VI and types of eye disease was estimated. Inverse probability weighting was used to adjust for non-participation.

Primary outcome measures

Cumulative incidence of mortality in relation to VI level at baseline.

Results

Of the baseline sample, 2170 (50%) were re-examined at follow-up and 407 (10%) were known to have died (adjusted risk of 11.9% over 6 years). Compared to those with normal vision (visual acuity (VA) ≥6/12, risk=9.7%), the 6-year mortality risk was higher among people with VI (<6/18 to ≥6/60; risk=28.3%; risk ratio (RR) 1.75, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.40) or severe VI (SVI)/blindness (<6/60; risk=34.9%; RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.80). These associations remained after adjustment for non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors (mortality: RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.15; SVI/blind: RR 1.46, 95% CI 0.80 to 2.68). Mortality risk was also associated with presence of diabetic retinopathy at baseline (RR 3.18, 95% CI 1.98 to 5.09), cataract (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.66) and presence of both cataract and VI (RR 1.57, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.98). Mortality risk was higher among people with age-related macular degeneration at baseline (with or without VI), compared with those without (RR 1.42, 95% CI 0.91 to 2.22 and RR 1.34, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.81, respectively).

Conclusions

Visual acuity was related to 6-year mortality risk in this cohort of elderly Kenyan people, potentially because both VI and mortality are related to ageing and risk factors for NCD.
Improving developmental and educational support for children born preterm: evaluation of an e-learning resource for education professionals
Authors: Johnson Samantha , Bamber Deborah , Bountziouka Vasiliki , Clayton Sarah , Cragg Lucy , Gilmore Camilla , Griffiths Rose , Marlow Neil , Simms Victoria , Wharrad Heather J
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Children born preterm are at higher risk for special educational needs and poor academic attainment compared with term-born peers, yet education professionals receive limited training and have poor knowledge of preterm birth. We have developed an interactive e-learning resource and evaluated its efficacy in improving teachers’ knowledge of preterm birth and their confidence in supporting the learning of children born preterm.

Setting

Eight primary, infant or junior schools in England.

Participants

61 teachers of children aged 4–11 years, of which 55 (90%) were female.

Intervention

Interactive e-learning resource designed to improve education professionals’ knowledge of long-term outcomes following preterm birth and strategies that can be used to support children’s learning (www.pretermbirth.info). In a repeated measures design, participants were given up to 30 days access to the e-learning resource, before and after which they completed the Preterm Birth Knowledge Scale (PB-KS; scores 0–33; higher scores indicate greater knowledge) to assess knowledge of outcomes of prematurity. Four Likert scale items were used to assess confidence in supporting children’s learning and 10 items were used to evaluate the utility of the resource. PB-KS scores and responses on confidence item were compared pre-resource and post-resource use.

Results

PB-KS scores significantly increased after accessing the e-learning resource (median (95% CI): pre-resource 13 (11 to 14); post-resource 29 (28 to 30)), equating to a 2.6 SD increase in PB-KS scores. Teachers’ confidence in supporting children born preterm was also significantly improved after using the resource. The utility of the resource was evaluated positively by participants with 97% reporting that they would recommend its use to others.

Conclusions

The e-learning resource substantially improved teachers’ knowledge of preterm birth and their confidence in supporting preterm children in the classroom. Use of this resource may represent a key advance in improving educational outcomes for children born preterm.
Rational investigations in irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Black Christopher J , Ford Alexander C
Published: June 2019

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder which accounts for a substantial proportion of a gastroenterologist’s time in the outpatient clinic. However, there is variability in approaches to diagnosis and investigation between physicians, dependent on expertise. Many patients express disappointment over the lack of a patient-centred approach. Consequently, there have been calls for the care of patients with IBS to be standardised, a process which aims to promote high-quality and high-value care. Making an early diagnosis, based on a clinical assessment of symptoms, while limiting use of investigations, are key tenets of this process. Exhaustive investigation to exclude all organic pathology is unnecessary, and may be counterproductive. Routine blood tests in suspected IBS have low yield, but are an acceptable part of routine practice. All patients should have coeliac serology tested, regardless of their predominant stool form. Patients with diarrhoea should have a faecal calprotectin measured, and should proceed to colonoscopy to exclude inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) if this is positive. Beyond this, the need for investigations should be made on a case-by-case basis, contingent on the reporting of known risk factors for organic pathology. Colonoscopy should be considered in any patient with alarm features for colorectal cancer, and in those whose clinical features are suggestive of microscopic colitis. A 23-seleno-25-homotaurocholic acid (SeHCAT) scan should be considered in patients with IBS-D, a third of whom may actually have bile acid diarrhoea. There is no role for routine hydrogen breath tests for lactose malabsorption or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
Finger necrosis with eosinophilia and symmetrical occlusion of the peripheral artery
Authors: Nishikawa Ryo , Hirano Toru , Kawarada Osami
Published: June 2019

Case presentation

A 59-year-old man with hypertension, dyslipidemia and a current smoking history had presented with bilateral painful finger ulcers (figure 1A). The patient was referred to our hospital for the diagnosis and treatment. On his arrival, his fingers showed the development from ulcer to necrosis during the 3 weeks (figure 1B). Diagnostic angiography at the previous hospital had revealed symmetrical occlusions of the forearm and crural arteries (figure 2). Laboratory blood tests demonstrated an eosinophilia (21 %, 1743 cells/µL) with marked elevation of IgE (4200 mg/dL) as well as inflammatory reaction such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate 84 mm/h and C-reactive protein 0.85 mg/dL. There was no evidence of thrombophilia, and autoantibodies were negative. A skin biopsy from the border of the necrosis demonstrated perivascular considerable infiltration of inflammatory cells including eosinophils (figure 3).

Figure 1

(A) Initial manifestation at the previous hospital. Note the ulcers in the bilateral fingers. (B) Development to finger necrosis on his admission in our hospital.

Figure 2

(A) Upper extremity angiography revealed extensive occlusions in the bilateral radial and ulnar arteries (arrow). (B) Lower extremity angiography revealed multiple occlusions in the right anterior tibial artery, the left anterior tibial artery and the left posterior tibial artery (arrow).

Figure 3

(A) Skin biopsy from the border of the finger necrosis demonstrated nodular inflammatory cell infiltration in dermis and subcutaneous tissue (H&E stain). (B) Magnified histopathological examination of the skin biopsy found eosinophilic infiltration (arrows) in granulomatous inflammation of upper dermis (H&E stain). Immunohistochemistry (inset) showing major basic protein of eosinophils (immunostaining).

Question

What is the most likely diagnosis?

Buerger’s disease

Eosinophilic vasculitis

Drug abuse

Cholesterol embolisation syndrome

Paraneoplastic syndrome
Education modulates brain maintenance in presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Gazzina Stefano , Grassi Mario , Premi Enrico , Cosseddu Maura , Alberici Antonella , Archetti Silvana , Gasparotti Roberto , Van Swieten John , Galimberti Daniela , Sanchez-Valle Raquel , Laforce Robert Jr , Moreno Fermin , Synofzik Matthis , Graff Caroline , Masellis Mario , Tartaglia Maria Carmela , Rowe James B , Vandenberghe Rik , Finger Elizabeth , Tagliavini Fabrizio , de Mendonça Alexandre , Santana Isabel , Butler Christopher R , Ducharme Simon , Gerhard Alex , Danek Adrian , Levin Johannes , Otto Markus , Frisoni Giovanni , Sorbi Sandro , Padovani Alessandro , Rohrer Jonathan D , Borroni Barbara
Published: June 2019

Objective

Cognitively engaging lifestyles have been associated with reduced risk of conversion to dementia. Multiple mechanisms have been advocated, including increased brain volumes (ie, brain reserve) and reduced disease progression (ie, brain maintenance). In cross-sectional studies of presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia (FTD), higher education has been related to increased grey matter volume. Here, we examine the effect of education on grey matter loss over time.

Methods

Two-hundred twenty-nine subjects at-risk of carrying a pathogenic mutation leading to FTD underwent longitudinal cognitive assessment and T1-weighted MRI at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. The first principal component score of the graph-Laplacian Principal Component Analysis on 112 grey matter region-of-interest volumes was used to summarise the grey matter volume (GMV). The effects of education on cognitive performances and GMV at baseline and on the change between 1 year follow-up and baseline (slope) were tested by Structural Equation Modelling.

Results

Highly educated at-risk subjects had better cognition and higher grey matter volume at baseline; moreover, higher educational attainment was associated with slower loss of grey matter over time in mutation carriers.

Conclusions

This longitudinal study demonstrates that even in presence of ongoing pathological processes, education may facilitate both brain reserve and brain maintenance in the presymptomatic phase of genetic FTD.
Apparent salt diffusion coefficients for soil–bentonite backfills
Authors: Sample-Lord Kristin M. , Zhang Wenjie , Tong Shan , Shackelford Charles D.
Published: June 2019

Apparent diffusion coefficients, Da, were measured for two soil–bentonite (SB) backfills characteristic of those used in SB vertical cutoff walls for subsurface control of contaminant migration. The base soils for the backfills comprised either a natural lean clay or sand–bentonite mixtures. The base soils were mixed with 5% bentonite–water slurry to obtain a slump of 125 mm, resulting in total bentonite contents ranging from 4.76% to 7.31%. Values of Dafor sodium chloride were measured using a recently developed dialysis-leaching test method. The Davalues for the clay–bentonite and sand–bentonite backfills ranged from 2.5 × 10−10to 5.3 × 10−10m2/s and from 1.4 × 10−10to 8.1 × 10−10m2/s, respectively. Values of Dafor both backfills increased with increasing average salt concentration in the specimen (Cave). Values of Dadecreased by ≤50% with increasing backfill bentonite content. For all Cavevalues, the clay backfills exhibited lower Dathan the sand–bentonite backfills, likely due to additional fines from the lean clay. Results of this study enhance understanding of solute diffusion through SB cutoff walls, as well as support future use of the dialysis-leaching test method to measure diffusion properties of SB backfills.
Many-body blow-up profile of boson stars with external potentials
Authors: Nguyen Dinh-Thi
Published: June 2019

We consider a 3D quantum system of [Formula: see text] identical bosons in a trapping potential [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text], interacting via a Newton potential with an attractive interaction strength [Formula: see text]. For a fixed large [Formula: see text] and the coupling constant [Formula: see text] smaller than a critical value [Formula: see text] (Chandrasekhar limit mass), in an appropriate sense, the many-body system admits a ground state. We investigate the blow-up behavior of the ground state energy as well as the ground states when [Formula: see text] approaches [Formula: see text] sufficiently slowly in the limit [Formula: see text]. The blow-up profile is given by the Gagliardo–Nirenberg solutions.
Lagrange Multiplier Rules for Weakly Minimal Solutions of Compact-Valued Set Optimization Problems
Authors: Amahroq Tijani , Oussarhan Abdessamad
Published: June 2019

Optimality conditions are established in terms of Lagrange–Fritz–John multipliers as well as Lagrange–Kuhn–Tucker multipliers for set optimization problems (without any convexity assumption) by using new scalarization techniques. Additionally, we indicate how these results may be applied to some particular weak vector equilibrium problems.
On composite knots with symmetric union presentations
Authors: Tanaka Toshifumi
Published: June 2019

A symmetric union in the 3-space [Formula: see text] is obtained from a knot in [Formula: see text] and its mirror image, which is symmetric with respect to a 2-plane in [Formula: see text], by connecting them with some vertical 2-string tangles with twists and a horizontal 2-string tangle with no twists along the plane. We introduce the minimal twisting number of a symmetric union and show that if a knot [Formula: see text] is a composite symmetric union with minimal twisting number one, then [Formula: see text] has a non-trivial knot and its mirror image as connected summands. As an application, we study the minimal twisting number of a symmetric union and show that there exist infinitely many symmetric unions with minimal twisting number two.
AMORPHOUS PbSe THIN FILM PRODUCED BY CHEMICAL BATH DEPOSITION AT pH OF 5–8
Authors: KARİPER İ. A.
Published: June 2019

Lead selenide (PbSe) thin films have been deposited on amorphous glass substrates at room temperature, using the simple chemical bath deposition technique. Lead sulfate and sodium selenosulfate were used as the source materials to obtain lead selenide films. Transmittance, absorption, optical bandgap and refractive index of the films were investigated via the UV–vis spectrum. Amorphous form was observed in the XRD pattern. The structural and optical properties of PbSe thin films produced at different pH were analyzed. SEM analysis was performed for analyzing the surface of the films. Some properties of the films were observed to vary with pH and these properties were investigated according to the change of pH, for pH values of 5–8. Optical bandgap varied with pH between 1.46[Formula: see text]eV and 1.75[Formula: see text]eV. Film thickness also changed with pH from 465[Formula: see text]nm to 1765[Formula: see text]nm.
Representations and cohomologies of regular Hom-pre-Lie algebras
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Song Lina , Tang Rong
Published: June 2019

In this paper, first we study dual representations and tensor representations of Hom-pre-Lie algebras. Then we develop the cohomology theory of regular Hom-pre-Lie algebras in terms of the cohomology theory of regular Hom-Lie algebras. As applications, we study linear deformations of regular Hom-pre-Lie algebras, which are characterized by the second cohomology groups of regular Hom-pre-Lie algebras with the coefficients in the regular representations. The notion of a Nijenhuis operator on a regular Hom-pre-Lie algebra is introduced which can generate a trivial linear deformation of a regular Hom-pre-Lie algebra. Finally, we introduce the notion of a Hessian structure on a regular Hom-pre-Lie algebra, which is a symmetric nondegenerate 2-cocycle with the coefficient in the trivial representation. We also introduce the notion of an [Formula: see text]-operator on a regular Hom-pre-Lie algebra, by which we give an equivalent characterization of a Hessian structure.
A Stabilized Finite Volume Element Method for Stationary Stokes–Darcy Equations Using the Lowest Order
Authors: Wu Yanyun , Mei Liquan , Qiu Meilan , Chu Yuchuan
Published: June 2019

We present a stabilized finite volume element method for the coupled Stokes–Darcy problem with the lowest order [Formula: see text] element for the Stokes region and [Formula: see text] element for the Darcy region. Based on adding a jump term of discrete pressure to the approximation equation, a discrete inf-sup condition is established for the proposed method. The optimal error estimates in the [Formula: see text]-norm for the velocity and piezometric head and in the [Formula: see text]-norm for the pressure are proved. And they are also verified through some numerical experiments. Two figures are given to show the full comparison for the local mass conservation between the proposed method and the stabilized finite element method. And this method can also be computed directly in the irregular domain according to the last experiment.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Tractive Performance of Off-Road Tires on Gravel Terrain
Authors: Zeng Haiyang , Xu Wei , Zang Mengyan , Yang Peng
Published: June 2019

In this work, an indoor soil-bin is designed to investigate the tire–terrain interaction mechanisms for the off-road tires rolling on the gravel terrain. The soil-bin test is carried out by the indoor soil-bin experimental device and the three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) and discrete element (DE) coupling method under the same particles conditions, respectively. First, with the indoor soil-bin measurement system, the repeatability of the soil-bin experiments is employed to validate the experimental device and the numerical models. Moreover, the tractive performance experiments of the off-road tires with two tread patterns, smooth and grooved interacting with gravel terrain, are performed at the slip of 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively, to obtain the tractive force and the rim sinkage. Second, the corresponding numerical models are also established, and simulated by the FE–DE coupling method, where the FEM and the DEM are used to describe the off-road tires and the gravel terrain, respectively. The tractive mechanisms of the off-road tires in interaction with the gravel terrain such as the tractive force and the rim sinkage are investigated numerically. Meanwhile, The dynamics and discontinuity of the gravel assembly are described by the presented approach. Besides, both the results of the simulations and experiments indicate that tread patterns and slip conditions have great influence on the tire tractive performance. Finally, the numerical simulations and the experimental results qualitatively show good agreements, which certifies the effectiveness of the FE–DE coupling method in the tractive performance analysis of tire–gravel terrain interactions.
Vacuum quantum effects on Lie groups with bi-invariant metrics
Authors: Breev A. I. , Shapovalov A. V.
Published: June 2019

We consider the effects of vacuum polarization and particle creation of a scalar field on Lie groups with a non-stationary bi-invariant metric of the Robertson–Walker type. The vacuum expectation values of the energy momentum tensor for a scalar field determined by the group representation are found using the noncommutative integration method for the field equations instead of separation of variables. The results obtained are illustrated by the example of the three-dimensional rotation group.
The Vector Heat Method
Authors: Sharp Nicholas , Soliman Yousuf , Crane Keenan
Published: June 2019

This article describes a method for efficiently computing parallel transport of tangent vectors on curved surfaces, or more generally, any vector-valued data on a curved manifold. More precisely, it extends a vector field defined over any region to the rest of the domain via parallel transport along shortest geodesics. This basic operation enables fast, robust algorithms for extrapolating level set velocities, inverting the exponential map, computing geometric medians and Karcher/Fréchet means of arbitrary distributions, constructing centroidal Voronoi diagrams, and finding consistently ordered landmarks. Rather than evaluate parallel transport by explicitly tracing geodesics, we show that it can be computed via a short-time heat flow involving the
connection Laplacian
. As a result, transport can be achieved by solving three prefactored linear systems, each akin to a standard Poisson problem. To implement the method, we need only a discrete connection Laplacian, which we describe for a variety of geometric data structures (point clouds, polygon meshes, etc.). We also study the numerical behavior of our method, showing empirically that it converges under refinement, and augment the construction of intrinsic Delaunay triangulations so that they can be used in the context of tangent vector field processing.
Bloom Filters in Adversarial Environments
Authors: Naor Moni , Eylon Yogev
Published: June 2019

Many efficient data structures use randomness, allowing them to improve upon deterministic ones. Usually, their efficiency and correctness are analyzed using probabilistic tools under the assumption that the inputs and queries are
independent
of the internal randomness of the data structure. In this work, we consider data structures in a more robust model, which we call the
adversarial model
. Roughly speaking, this model allows an adversary to choose inputs and queries
adaptively
according to previous responses. Specifically, we consider a data structure known as a “Bloom filter” and prove a tight connection between Bloom filters in this model and cryptography.

A Bloom filter represents a set
S
of elements approximately by using fewer bits than a precise representation. The price for succinctness is allowing for some errors: For any
x ∈ S
, it should always answer Yes, and for any
x ∉ S
it should answer Yes only with small probability.

In the adversarial model, we consider both efficient adversaries (that run in polynomial time) and computationally unbounded adversaries that are only bounded in the number of queries they can make. For computationally bounded adversaries, we show that non-trivial (memory-wise) Bloom filters exist if and only if one-way functions exist. For unbounded adversaries, we show that there exists a Bloom filter for sets of size
n
and error
ε
that is secure against
t
queries and uses only
O
(
n
log 1/ε +
t
) bits of memory. In comparison,
n
log 1/ε is the best possible under a non-adaptive adversary.