bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gasoline consumption in Saudi Arabia: an analysis of consumer attitudes and perceptions using microsurvey data
Authors: Al‐Sahlawi Mohammad , Miah Fazlul , Al‐Titi Omar
Published: October 2018

The study analyses gasoline consumption behaviour by ordinary consumers in Saudi Arabia using household‐level disaggregated survey data. We applied parametric methods to test 10 hypotheses related to gasoline consumption. To collect the data, we surveyed 1862 households across 13 regions of the country. The empirical results show that gasoline consumption is significantly affected by age, nationality, education, employment characteristics, household size, vehicle engine size, gasoline price, household location and consumers’ concern about future price change, but it is not affected by income. We also find that consumption varies among different groups within each factor and that many differences are statistically significant. The importance and contribution of this study stem from the fact that there is no research on gasoline demand using household‐level disaggregated survey data in Saudi Arabia, and thus our results should be useful to policymakers. Our study is particularly timely considering that the government is trying to move away from subsidy in the oil sector.
Dermatologic findings of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants
Authors: Kaur Sukhjot , Goraya Jatinder Singh
Published: October 2018

Background/Objectives

Vitamin B12 deficiency in infants is uncommonly reported from developed countries and generally lacks dermatologic manifestations. On the contrary, infantile vitamin B12 deficiency is common in India and cutaneous manifestations are a constant feature, although often overshadowed by neurologic and hematological manifestations. The aim of this study was to describe the skin changes of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective chart review of vitamin B12 deficient infants for clinical and laboratory parameters was performed and data analyzed.

Results

Forty‐three infants, 30 boys and 13 girls, aged 4 to 27 months, with vitamin B12 deficiency were identified. Skin hyperpigmentation was present in 41 infants; it was localized to the dorsa of hands and feet in 26. Fifteen infants had generalized hyperpigmentation; 10 had a reticulate pattern, and 5 had a homogeneous pattern. Brown and sparse scalp hair were present in all. Glossitis was seen in 5 infants and cheilitis in 3. Of the 32 infants who underwent laboratory investigations, 28 had anemia and 21 macrocytosis. Serum vitamin B12 was measured in 30 infants; it was low in 19. Of the 11 with normal serum vitamin B12, 9 had received vitamin B12 before referral but had macrocytosis and low maternal serum vitamin B12. The infants were treated with vitamin B12. Skin pigmentation and mucosal changes resolved completely by 3‐4 weeks, but hair changes were slower to reverse.

Conclusion

Cutaneous findings are a common feature of vitamin B12 deficiency in Indian infants and resolve with treatment.
Singularity. A manifesto for incomparable geographies
Authors: Jazeel Tariq
Published: October 2018

This paper is a methodological response to the challenge of decolonizing geographical knowledge. It mobilizes post‐ and de‐colonial critiques of geographical knowledge production and conceptual work, suggesting how such work unwittingly disfigures the precise contours of the places and socio‐spatial formations on which geographers work, drawing them into implicit and reductive forms of comparison. Drawing on research and sources from South Asia, the paper moves instead toward more uncertain engagements with, and dispositions to, the production of geographical knowledge; ones attuned to the poetics of planetary difference. The paper speculates on five intellectual and methodological resources, or tactics, aimed toward producing geographical scholarship attuned to the tableaux of heterogeneous and incomparable singularities at large across the world: theory and reading; friction and fragments; translation/untranslatability; abiding by; and poetics.
Sedentary time, physical activity, and sleep quality in fibromyalgia: The al‐Ándalus project
Authors: Borges‐Cosic Milkana , Aparicio Virginia A. , Estévez‐López Fernando , Soriano‐Maldonado Alberto , Acosta‐Manzano Pedro , Gavilán‐Carrera Blanca , Delgado‐Fernández Manuel , Geenen Rinie , Segura‐Jiménez Víctor
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To get insight into the potential significance of objectively measured sedentary time (ST), and physical activity (PA) intensity levels on sleep quality (SQ) in women with fibromyalgia; and to assess whether those who meet moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA) recommendations have better SQ than their counterparts.

Methods

Four‐hundred and nine women with fibromyalgia (age range 30‐65 years old) from Andalusia (southern Spain) were included in this cross‐sectional study. Sedentary time, PA intensity levels (light, moderate, and MVPA), and total PA were assessed with accelerometers during seven consecutive days. Sleep quality was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index self‐report questionnaire.

Results

Higher ST was associated with worse subjective SQ, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, and SQ global score (all, P < 0.05). All PA levels were associated with better subjective SQ and sleep latency and with less sleep medication and daytime dysfunction (all, P < 0.05). In addition, light and total PA were associated with better sleep efficiency, SQ global score, and less sleep disturbances (all, P < 0.05). Finally, women meeting bouted PA recommendations displayed better SQ than patients not meeting the recommendations (bouted or non‐bouted).

Conclusion

Lower ST and greater PA levels are associated with better SQ in women with fibromyalgia. This result demonstrates that those patients with fibromyalgia who reduce periods of inactivity and perform PA could be better sleepers, which might contribute to a lower severity of the disease. It is noteworthy that meeting bouted PA recommendations is associated with better SQ.
Differential regulation and interaction of homoeologous WRKY18 and WRKY40 in Arabidopsis allotetraploids and biotic stress responses
Authors: Abeysinghe Jayami K. , Lam Kai‐Man , Ng Danny W.‐K.
Published: October 2018

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) belong to a large family of regulatory proteins in plants that modulate many plant processes. Extensive studies have been conducted on WRKY‐mediated defense response in Arabidopsis thaliana and several crop species. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential roles and contributions of WRKY TFs in improving the defense response in the resynthesized Arabidopsis allotetraploids (Arabidopsis suecica) derived from two related autotetraploid progenitors, Arabidopsis thaliana (At4) and Arabidopsis arenosa (Aa). Rapid and differential induction of WRKY18 and WRKY40 expression was evident in response to Pseudomonas syringae and salicylic acid (SA) treatments in the allotetraploids. Selected direct targets of the WRKYs and PR1 also showed altered induction kinetics in the allotetraploids. Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence analysis further revealed the accumulation of preferential homoeologous alleles (AtWRKY18, AaWRKY40, and AtWRKY60) in the allotetraploids, suggesting the potential for altered protein–protein interaction networks in the hybrids. Indeed, results showed that the cis‐interacting AtWRKY18/AtWRKY18 homodimer or trans‐interacting AtWRKY18/AaWRKY40 heterodimer exists as the preferred dimer interaction. Moreover, differential affinities of WRKY18 and WRKY40 homo‐ and heterodimers toward the W‐boxes in the WRKY60 promoter were observed. Transient and stable expression of the selected WRKYs in transgenic Arabidopsis further supported the idea that differential interactions lead to changes in PR1 induction and direct target expression under stress, respectively. Our data suggest that differential expression as well as differences in the strength of protein–protein and/or protein–DNA interactions among the WRKY homoeologs could lead to altered regulatory networks of defense genes, contributing to improved defense in allotetraploids.
The arginine decarboxylase gene ADC1, associated to the putrescine pathway, plays an important role in potato cold‐acclimated freezing tolerance as revealed by transcriptome and metabolome analyses
Authors: Kou Shuang , Chen Lin , Tu Wei , Scossa Federico , Wang Yamei , Liu Jun , Fernie Alisdair R. , Song Botao , Xie Conghua
Published: October 2018

Low temperature severely influences potato production as the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) is frost sensitive, however the mechanism underlying the freezing tolerance of the potato is largely unknown. In the present research, we studied the transcriptome and metabolome of the freezing‐tolerant wild species Solanum acaule (Aca) and freezing‐sensitive cultivated S. tuberosum (Tub) to identify the main pathways and important factors related to freezing tolerance. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation indicated that polyamine and amino acid metabolic pathways were specifically upregulated in Aca under cold treatment. The transcriptome changes detected in Aca were accompanied by the specific accumulation of putrescine, saccharides, amino acids and other metabolites. The combination of transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that putrescine exhibited an accumulative pattern in accordance with the expression of the arginine decarboxylase gene ADC1. The primary role of putrescine was further confirmed by analyzing all three polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) and the genes encoding the corresponding enzymes in two sets of potato genotypes with distinct freezing tolerance, implying that only putrescine and ADC1 were uniquely enhanced by cold in the freezing‐tolerant genotypes. The function of putrescine was further analyzed by its exogenous application and the overexpression of SaADC1 in S. tuberosum cv. E3, indicating its important role(s) in cold‐acclimated freezing tolerance, which was accompanied with the activation of C‐repeat binding factor genes (CBFs). The present research has identified that the ADC1‐associated putrescine pathway plays an important role in cold‐acclimated freezing tolerance of potato, probably by enhancing the expression of CBF genes.
Methods for Activity Monitor Validation Studies: An Example With the Fitbit Charge
Authors: DeShaw Kathryn J. , Ellingson Laura , Bai Yang , Lansing Jeni , Perez Maria , Welk Greg
Published: October 2018

Purpose: To advance research practices with consumer monitors, standard validation methods are needed. This study provides an example of best practices through systematically evaluating the validity of the Fitbit Charge (FBC) under free-living conditions using a strong reference measure and robust measurement agreement methods. Methods: 94 healthy participants (Mage 41.8 ±9.3 yrs) wore a FBC and two research grade accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X and activPAL) as they went about normal activities for a week. Estimated daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from the FBC were compared against reference estimates obtained from the Sojourns Including Posture (SIP) methodology, while daily step counts were compared against the activPAL. Results: Correlations with reference indicators were high for average daily MVPA (r = 0.8; p < .0001) and steps (r = 0.76; p < .0001), but the FBC overestimated time spent in MVPA by 56% and steps by 15%. The mean absolute percent errors of MVPA and steps estimated by FBC were 71.5% and 30.0%, respectively. Neither of the MVPA and step estimates from the FBC fell into the ±10% equivalence zone set by the criterion. The Kappa statistics of the classification agreement between the two MVPA assessment methods was 0.32 with a low sensitivity of 30.1% but a high specificity of 96.7%. Conclusion: The FBC overestimated minutes of MVPA and steps when compared to both reference assessments in free-living conditions. Standardized reporting in future studies will facilitate comparisons with other monitors and with future versions of the FBC.
Stationary Exercise in Overweight and Normal Weight Children
Authors: Yaghoubi Mostafa , Fink Philip W. , Page Wyatt H. , Shultz Sarah P.
Published: October 2018

Purpose: This study examined differences in lower extremity kinematics and muscle activation patterns between normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) children during stationary exercises (running in place, frontal kick, and butt kick) at submaximal intensity. Methods: Healthy children (aged 10–13 y) were stratified into OW (n = 10; body fat percentage: 34.97 [8.60]) and NW (n = 15; body fat percentage: 18.33 [4.87]). Electromyography was recorded for rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior. In addition, the ratings of perceived exertion and range of motion of hip, knee, and ankle joints were collected during stationary exercises. Repeated-measures analysis of variance compared muscle activation, range of motion, and ratings of perceived exertion between groups and exercises. Friedman test examined sequencing of muscles recruitment. Results: Compared with NW, OW experienced significantly greater ratings of perceived exertion (13.7 [0.8] vs 11.7 [0.7]; P < .001) and electromyography amplitude in all muscles apart from vastus lateralis during stationary exercises. In addition, NW children used more consistent muscles’ recruitment pattern in comparison with OW children. The range of motion was similar between groups at all joints. Conclusion: OW children may adopt a more active neuromuscular strategy to provide greater stability and propulsion during stationary exercises. Stationary exercise can be prescribed to strengthen lower extremity muscles in OW children, but mode and intensity must be considered.
Moving Forward With Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity: Two Strategies to Ensure Meaningful, Interpretable, and Comparable Measures
Authors: Rowlands Alex V.
Published: October 2018

Significant advances have been made in the measurement of physical activity in youth over the past decade. Monitors and protocols promote very high compliance, both night and day, and raw measures are available rather than “black box” counts. Consequently, many surveys and studies worldwide now assess children’s physical behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) objectively 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using accelerometers. The availability of raw acceleration data in many of these studies is both an opportunity and a challenge. The richness of the data lends itself to the continued development of innovative metrics, whereas the removal of proprietary outcomes offers considerable potential for comparability between data sets and harmonizing data. Using comparable physical activity outcomes could lead to improved precision and generalizability of recommendations for children’s present and future health. The author will discuss 2 strategies that he believes may help ensure comparability between studies and maximize the potential for data harmonization, thereby helping to capitalize on the growing body of accelerometer data describing children’s physical behaviors.
Protein evolution earns chemistry Nobel
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: October 2018

Darwinian principles applied to biomolecules led to new drugs, fuels, and detergents.
A new leaf
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: October 2018

A decade ago, France launched an ambitious effort to cut pesticide use by half. It failed. Now, the country is trying again.
A fragile existence
Authors: Furfaro Hannah ,   Spectrum
Published: October 2018

Why is a remote Colombian town a hot spot of an inherited intellectual disability?
Pan-tumor genomic biomarkers for PD-1 checkpoint blockade–based immunotherapy
Authors: Cristescu Razvan , Mogg Robin , Ayers Mark , Albright Andrew , Murphy Erin , Yearley Jennifer , Sher Xinwei , Liu Xiao Qiao , Lu Hongchao , Nebozhyn Michael , Zhang Chunsheng , Lunceford Jared K. , Joe Andrew , Cheng Jonathan , Webber Andrea L. , Ibrahim Nageatte , Plimack Elizabeth R. , Ott Patrick A. , Seiwert Tanguy Y. , Ribas Antoni , McClanahan Terrill K. , Tomassini Joanne E. , Loboda Andrey , Kaufman David
Published: October 2018

Mining immunotherapy clinical trials

Clinical trial data can provide a wealth of information about how drugs work. Yet such information often belongs to pharmaceutical companies and is rarely accessible to the scientific community at large. Cristescu
et al.
provide exploratory analysis of a cancer genomics dataset, collected from four separate clinical trials of Merck's PD-1 immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab. This informative public resource examines more than 300 patient samples representing 22 different tumor types. Two widely used signatures that currently predict immunotherapy response are tumor mutational burden and a “hot” T cell–inflamed microenvironment. The study analyzed these two proposed biomarkers in combination to see what predictive clinical utility they may hold.

Science
, this issue p.
eaar3593
A hot and fast ultra-stripped supernova that likely formed a compact neutron star binary
Authors: De K. , Kasliwal M. M. , Ofek E. O. , Moriya T. J. , Burke J. , Cao Y. , Cenko S. B. , Doran G. B. , Duggan G. E. , Fender R. P. , Fransson C. , Gal-Yam A. , Horesh A. , Kulkarni S. R. , Laher R. R. , Lunnan R. , Manulis I. , Masci F. , Mazzali P. A. , Nugent P. E. , Perley D. A. , Petrushevska T. , Piro A. L. , Rumsey C. , Sollerman J. , Sullivan M. , Taddia F.
Published: October 2018

Explosive origin of a binary neutron star

Some types of core-collapse supernovae are known to produce a neutron star (NS). A binary NS merger was recently detected from its gravitational wave emission, but it is unclear how such a tight binary system can be formed. De
et al.
discovered a core-collapse supernova with unusual properties, including the removal of the outer layers of the star before the explosion. They interpret this as the second supernova in an interacting binary system that already contains one NS. Because the explosion probably produced a second NS (rather than a black hole) in a tight orbit, it could be an example of how binary NS systems form.

Science
, this issue p.
201
Methylammonium-free, high-performance, and stable perovskite solar cells on a planar architecture
Authors: Turren-Cruz Silver-Hamill , Hagfeldt Anders , Saliba Michael
Published: October 2018

Staying in the black phase

Hybrid perovskite solar cells often use the more thermally stable formamidinium (FA) cation rather than methylammonium, but its larger size can create lattice distortion that results in an inactive yellow phase. Turren-Cruz
et al.
show that by using iodide instead of bromide as the anion (to create a redder bandgap) and an optical mix of cesium, rubidium, and FA cations, they can make solar cells with a stabilized efficiency of more than 20%. No heating steps above 100°C were needed to create the preferred black phase.

Science
, this issue p.
449
Genome hypermobility by lateral transduction
Authors: Chen John , Quiles-Puchalt Nuria , Chiang Yin Ning , Bacigalupe Rodrigo , Fillol-Salom Alfred , Chee Melissa Su Juan , Fitzgerald J. Ross , Penadés José R.
Published: October 2018

Pathologizing
Staphylococcus
, fast

Bacteriophages are the main vehicle for gene swapping in bacteria, notoriously of pathogenicity islands and antibiotic resistance genes. Chen
et al.
noticed that the
Staphylococcus aureus
prophages do not excise from their host's genome until very late in their life cycles (see the Perspective by Davidson). Thus, the phage DNA is amplified while embedded in the bacterial chromosome. The resulting concatemers are processively packed into virus capsules while still integrated in the host chromosome. Each virion is only set loose when the capsule has reached physical capacity—a process called “headful” packaging. In situ amplification maximizes viral replication, and the headful mechanism means adjacent bacterial-host DNA also gets grabbed to fill the capsule. This process ensures that host genes are transmitted along with the phage.

Science
, this issue p.
207
; see also p.
152
Confined acids catalyze asymmetric single aldolizations of acetaldehyde enolates
Authors: Schreyer Lucas , Kaib Philip S. J. , Wakchaure Vijay N. , Obradors Carla , Properzi Roberta , Lee Sunggi , List Benjamin
Published: October 2018

An acid inaccessible to aldol products

The aldol reaction is a venerable and widely applicable method for making carbon-carbon bonds. Ironically, it is most challenged by the simplest substrates. The trouble is that the product looks a lot like one of the reactants, and so it can latch onto the coupling partner instead. Schreyer
et al.
report that a bulky phosphorus-based acid catalyst alleviates this problem. The acidic site is buried in a pocket that is too small to activate the product for further reaction. The chiral geometry of the catalyst also induces high enantioselectivity.

Science
, this issue p.
216
Homology, neocortex, and the evolution of developmental mechanisms
Authors: Briscoe Steven D. , Ragsdale Clifton W.
Published: October 2018

The six-layered neocortex of the mammalian pallium has no clear homolog in birds or non-avian reptiles. Recent research indicates that although these extant amniotes possess a variety of divergent and nonhomologous pallial structures, they share a conserved set of neuronal cell types and circuitries. These findings suggest a principle of brain evolution: that natural selection preferentially preserves the integrity of information-processing pathways, whereas other levels of biological organization, such as the three-dimensional architectures of neuronal assemblies, are less constrained. We review the similarities of pallial neuronal cell types in amniotes, delineate candidate gene regulatory networks for their cellular identities, and propose a model of developmental evolution for the divergence of amniote pallial structures.
Next-generation self-healing materials
Authors: Sumerlin Brent S.
Published: October 2018

Adjusting molecular structure tackles a long-standing problem of synthetic material longevity
Easy access to elusive radical reactions
Authors: Blackburn J. Miles , Roizen Jennifer L.
Published: October 2018

Two mild approaches generate radical intermediates from masked aldehydes
The effortless custody of automatism
Authors: Lerner Talia N.
Published: October 2018

Differentially controlled dopamine signaling in the striatum may be critical to habit formation
Bone Marrow-Derived CD4
+
T Cells Are Depleted in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques and Contribute to the Size of the Replication-Competent Reservoir
Authors: Hoang Timothy N. , Harper Justin L. , Pino Maria , Wang Hong , Micci Luca , King Colin T. , McGary Colleen S. , McBrien Julia B. , Cervasi Barbara , Silvestri Guido , Paiardini Mirko
Published: October 2018

The latent viral reservoir is one of the major obstacles in purging the immune system of HIV. It is paramount that we elucidate which anatomic compartments harbor replication-competent virus, which upon ART interruption results in viral rebound and pathogenesis. In this study, using the rhesus macaque model of SIV infection and ART, we examined the immunologic status of the BM and its role as a potential sanctuary for latent virus. We found that the BM compartment undergoes a similar depletion of memory CD4
+
T cells as PB, and during ART treatment the BM-derived memory CD4
+
T cells contain high levels of cells expressing CTLA-4 and PD-1, as well as amounts of cell-associated SIV DNA, SIV RNA, and replication-competent virus comparable to those in PB. These results enrich our understanding of which anatomic compartments harbor replication virus and suggest that BM-derived CD4
+
T cells need to be targeted by therapeutic strategies aimed at achieving an HIV cure.
Synergistic Activation of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Productive Infection and Viral Regulatory Promoters by the Progesterone Receptor and Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor 15
Authors: El-mayet Fouad S. , El-Habbaa Ayman S. , D’Offay Jean , Jones Clinton
Published: October 2018

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is the most frequently diagnosed cause of abortions in pregnant cows and can cause “abortion storms” in susceptible herds. Virulent field strains and even commercially available modified live vaccines can induce abortion, in part because BoHV-1 replicates efficiently in the ovary and corpus luteum. We now demonstrate that progesterone and the progesterone receptor (PR) stimulate productive infection. The BoHV-1 genome contains approximately 100 glucocorticoid receptor (GR) response elements (GREs). Interestingly, the PR can bind and activate many promoters that contain GREs. The PR and Krüppel-like transcription factor 15 (KLF15), which regulate key steps during embryo implantation, cooperate to stimulate productive infection and two viral promoters that drive expression of key viral transcriptional regulators. These studies suggest that the ability of progesterone and the PR to stimulate productive infection has the potential to promote virus spread in reproductive tissue and induce reproductive failure.
Clinical effectiveness of the Manchester Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Scheme
Authors: Gunn Patrick J G , Marks Joanne R , Konstantakopoulou Evgenia , Edgar David F , Lawrenson John G , Roberts Stephen A , Spencer Anne F , Fenerty Cecilia H , Harper Robert A
Published: October 2018

Background

Glaucoma referral filtering schemes have operated in the UK for many years. However, there is a paucity of data on the false-negative (FN) rate. This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of the Manchester Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Scheme (GERS), estimating both the false-positive (FP) and FN rates.

Method

Outcome data were collected for patients newly referred through GERS and assessed in ‘usual-care’ clinics to determine the FP rate (referred patients subsequently discharged at their first visit). For the FN rate, glaucoma suspects deemed not requiring referral following GERS assessment were invited to attend for a ‘reference standard’ examination including all elements of assessment recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) by a glaucoma specialist optometrist. A separate 33 cases comprising randomly selected referred and non-referred cases were reviewed independently by two glaucoma specialist consultant ophthalmologists to validate the reference standard assessment.

Results

1404 patients were evaluated in GERS during the study period; 651 (46.3%) were referred to the Hospital Eye Service (HES) and 753 (53.6%) were discharged. The FP rate in 307 assessable patients referred to the HES was 15.5%. This study reviewed 131 (17.4%) of those patients not referred to the HES through the GERS scheme; 117 (89.3%) were confirmed as not requiring hospital follow-up; 14 (10.7%) required follow-up, including 5 (3.8%) offered treatment. Only one patient (0.8%) in this sample met the GERS referral criteria and was not referred (true FN). There were no cases of missed glaucoma or non-glaucomatous pathology identified within our sample.

Conclusion

The Manchester GERS is an effective glaucoma filtering scheme with a low FP and FN rate.
Governing multisectoral action for health in low-income and middle-income countries: unpacking the problem and rising to the challenge
Authors: Bennett Sara , Glandon Douglas , Rasanathan Kumanan
Published: October 2018

Multisectoral action is key to addressing many pressing global health challenges and critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but to-date, understanding about how best to promote and support multisectoral action for health is relatively limited. The challenges to multisectoral action may be more acute in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) where institutions are frequently weak, and fragmentation, even within the health sector, can undermine coordination. We apply the lens of governance to understand challenges to multisectoral action. This paper (1) provides a high level overview of possible disciplines, frameworks and theories that could be applied to enrich analyses in this field; (2) summarises the literature that has sought to describe governance of multisectoral action for health in LMICs using a simple political economy framework that identifies interests, institutions and ideas and (3) introduces the papers in the supplement. Our review highlights the diverse, but often political nature of factors influencing the success of multisectoral action. Key factors include the importance of high level political commitment; the incentives for competition versus collaboration between bureaucratic agencies and the extent to which there is common understanding across actors about the problem. The supplement papers seek to promote debate and understanding about research and practice approaches to the governance of multisectoral action and illustrate salient issues through case studies. The papers here are unable to cover all aspects of this topic, but in the final two papers, we seek to develop an agenda for future action. This paper introduces a supplement on the governance of multisectoral action for health. While many case studies exist in this domain, we identify a need for greater theory-based conceptualisation of multisectoral action and more sophisticated empirical investigation of such collaborations.
Is establishing a specialist back pain assessment and management service in primary care a safe and effective model? Twelve-month results from the Back pain Assessment Clinic (BAC) prospective cohort pilot study
Authors: Moi John H Y , Phan Uyen , de Gruchy Adam , Liew Danny , Yuen Tanya I , Cunningham John E , Wicks Ian P
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To report on the design, implementation and evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of the Back pain Assessment Clinic (BAC) model.

Design

BAC is a new, community-based specialist service for assessing and managing neck and low back pain (LBP). The BAC pilot was supported by a Victorian Department of Health and Human Services grant and was evaluated using the Victorian Innovation Reform Impact Assessment Framework (VIRIAF). Data were obtained by auditing BAC activity (22 July 2014 to 30 June 2015) and conducting surveys and interviews of patients, stakeholders and referrers.

Setting

Tertiary and primary care.

Participants

Adult patients with neck and LBP referred for outpatient surgical consultation.

Main outcome measures

VIRIAF outcomes: (1) access to care; (2) appropriate and safe care; (3) workforce optimisation and integration; and (4) efficiency and sustainability.

Results

A total of 522 patients were seen during the pilot. Most were referred to hospital services by general practitioners (87%) for LBP (63%) and neck pain (24%). All patients were seen within 10 weeks of referral and commenced community-based allied health intervention within 2–4 weeks of assessment in BAC. Of patients seen, 34% had medications adjusted, 57% were referred for physiotherapy, 3.2% to pain services, 1.1% to rheumatology and 1.8% for surgical review. Less MRI scans were ordered in BAC (6.4%) compared with traditional spinal surgical clinics (89.8%), which translated to a cost-saving of $52 560 over 12 months. Patient and staff satisfaction was high. There have been no patient complaints or adverse incidents.

Conclusion

Evaluation of the BAC pilot suggests it is a potentially safe and cost-saving alternative model of care. Results of the BAC pilot merit further evaluation to determine the potential cost-effectiveness, longer term and broader societal impact of implementing BAC more widely.
Young age at school entry and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-related symptoms during primary school: results of a prospective cohort study conducted at German Rudolf Steiner Schools
Authors: Wendt Janine , Schmidt Martina F , König Jochem , Patzlaff Rainer , Huss Michael , Urschitz Michael S
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Young age at school entry (ASE) for students has been related to their impaired mental health in higher grades. To avoid the negative health consequences of young ASE, preschool examinations and individual school entry deferral for young children are routinely performed by some school authorities. We aimed to investigate whether ASE was associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms in pupils attending schools using a selective school enrolment procedure.

Design

Prospective open cohort study with baseline assessments at school entry and two follow-ups in the second and fourth grades.

Setting

Up to 128 Rudolf Steiner Schools (Waldorf Schools) located within Germany.

Participants

Of the 3079 children from whom data were gathered in the second or fourth grade, 2671 children born between 1 July 2001 and 31 October 2002 (age at baseline: mean 6.7, min 5.91, max 7.24 years, 50% girls) were selected for analysis to avoid bias introduced by individuals at the edges of the ASE distribution.

Main outcome measures

ADHD-related symptoms were assessed at school entry and second and fourth grades by parent-reported and teacher-reported versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Hyperactivity-Inattention Subscale).

Results

The agreement between parent-reported and teacher-reported symptoms was poor (intra-class correlation: 0.41 and 0.44 in second and fourth grade assessments, respectively). Regarding teacher reports, ASE was negatively associated with ADHD-related symptoms in the second grade (regression coefficient β=−0.66 per year, P=0.0006) and fourth grade (β=−0.56, P=0.0014). Associations remained after adjusting for potential confounders and pre-existing symptoms at baseline. Regarding parent reports, associations were markedly weaker in both grades (second grade: β=−0.22, P=0.12; fourth grade: β=−0.09, P=0.48).

Conclusions

Using a prospective study design and comprehensive adjustment for confounding and baseline symptoms, we confirmed prior evidence of the association between young ASE and teacher-reported ADHD symptoms in primary school.
Work-life balance behaviours cluster in work settings and relate to burnout and safety culture: a cross-sectional survey analysis
Authors: Schwartz Stephanie P , Adair Kathryn C , Bae Jonathan , Rehder Kyle J , Shanafelt Tait D , Profit Jochen , Sexton J Bryan
Published: October 2018

Background

Healthcare is approaching a tipping point as burnout and dissatisfaction with work-life integration (WLI) in healthcare workers continue to increase. A scale evaluating common behaviours as actionable examples of WLI was introduced to measure work-life balance.

Objectives

(1) Explore differences in WLI behaviours by role, specialty and other respondent demographics in a large healthcare system. (2) Evaluate the psychometric properties of the work-life climate scale, and the extent to which it acts like a climate, or group-level norm when used at the work setting level. (3) Explore associations between work-life climate and other healthcare climates including teamwork, safety and burnout.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey study completed in 2016 of US healthcare workers within a large academic healthcare system.

Results

10 627 of 13 040 eligible healthcare workers across 440 work settings within seven entities of a large healthcare system (81% response rate) completed the routine safety culture survey. The overall work-life climate scale internal consistency was α=0.830. WLI varied significantly among healthcare worker role, length of time in specialty and work setting. Random effects analyses of variance for the work-life climate scale revealed significant between-work setting and within-work setting variance and intraclass correlations reflected clustering at the work setting level. T-tests of top versus bottom WLI quartile work settings revealed that positive work-life climate was associated with better teamwork and safety climates, as well as lower personal burnout and burnout climate (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Problems with WLI are common in healthcare workers and differ significantly based on position and time in specialty. Although typically thought of as an individual difference variable, WLI appears to operate as a climate, and is consistently associated with better safety culture norms.
Neurofilament light chain in serum for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Verde Federico , Steinacker Petra , Weishaupt Jochen H , Kassubek Jan , Oeckl Patrick , Halbgebauer Steffen , Tumani Hayrettin , von Arnim Christine A F , Dorst Johannes , Feneberg Emily , Mayer Benjamin , Müller Hans-Peter , Gorges Martin , Rosenbohm Angela , Volk Alexander E , Silani Vincenzo , Ludolph Albert C , Otto Markus
Published: October 2018

Objective

To determine the diagnostic and prognostic performance of serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods

This single-centre, prospective, longitudinal study included the following patients: 124 patients with ALS; 50 patients without neurodegenerative diseases; 44 patients with conditions included in the differential diagnosis of ALS (disease controls); 65 patients with other neurodegenerative diseases (20 with frontotemporal dementia, 20 with Alzheimer’s disease, 19 with Parkinson’s disease, 6 with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)). Serum NFL levels were measured using the ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) technology.

Results

Serum NFL levels were higher in ALS in comparison to all other categories except for CJD. A cut-off level of 62 pg/mL discriminated between ALS and all other conditions with 85.5% sensitivity (95% CI 78% to 91.2%) and 81.8% specificity (95% CI 74.9% to 87.4%). Among patients with ALS, serum NFL correlated positively with disease progression rate (rs=0.336, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.506, p=0.0008), and higher levels were associated with shorter survival (p=0.0054). Serum NFL did not differ among patients in different ALS pathological stages as evaluated by diffusion-tensor imaging, and in single patients NFL levels were stable over time.

Conclusions

Serum NFL is increased in ALS in comparison to other conditions and can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. We established a cut-off level for the diagnosis of ALS.
Preferred orientation of ferromagnetic phases in rock-forming minerals: insights from magnetic anisotropy of single crystals
Authors: Hirt Ann M. , Biedermann Andrea R.
Published: October 2018

In the early days of paleomagnetism, David Strangway was interested in understanding why igneous rocks are faithful recorders of the Earth’s magnetic field. He recognized that ferromagnetic (s.l.) grains that could be discerned by optical microscopy were too large to carry a stable remanent magnetization, and speculated whether fine-grained, ferromagnetic (s.l.) inclusions or exsolutions in silicate minerals are responsible. When these inclusions or exsolutions are randomly oriented, or the silicate hosts are randomly oriented in a rock, they can be a good recorder of the field. If these minerals, however, show an alignment within the silicate host, and the host is preferentially aligned due to flow structures or deformation, then the paleomagnetic direction and paleointensity could be biased. We examine the magnetic anisotropy arising from the ferromagnetic (s.l.) phases in silicate-host minerals. Single crystals of phyllosilicate, clinopyroxene, and calcite show most consistent ferrimagnetic fabric with relation to the minerals’ crystallographic axes, whereas olivine and feldspar display only a weak relationship. No discernable relationship is found between the ferrimagnetic anisotropy and crystallographic axes for amphibole minerals. Our results have implications when single crystals are being used for either studies of field direction or paleointensity or in cases where silicate minerals have a preferential orientation. Phyllosilicate minerals and pyroxene should be screened for significant magnetic anisotropy.
Numerical analysis of Ag–CuO/water rotating hybrid nanofluid with heat generation and absorption
Authors: Hayat Tanzila , Nadeem S. , Khan A.U.
Published: October 2018

The present work is committed to examining the impacts of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), heat generation–absorption, and volume fraction of nanoparticles on the flow of hybrid nanofluid past a stretching surface. The comparison of heat transfer properties of rotating, conventional nanofluid with that of developing hybrid nanofluid is also studied. To examine the Lorentz force impacts on three-dimensional stretching surface, another model of “thermophysical properties” is used. The whole system, including nanofluid and stretching surface, is in rigid body rotation about an axis normal to the plane of the stretching surface with constant angular velocity. The system of governing nonlinear partial differential equations has been simplified by using suitable similarity transformations and then solved via an efficient numerical technique, BVP-4C. The velocity and local skin friction are obtained in both directions. The rate of heat transfer is determined on the surface. The effects of pertinent physical parameters, which are magnetic parameter, rotation parameter, stretching parameter, heat generation or absorption parameter, and Prandtl number, have been discussed through graphical and tabular form. From the present study, it is noticed that the rate of heat transfer of hybrid nanofluid is higher than that of ordinary nanofluid. In hybrid nanofluid, the required rate of heat transfer can be accomplished by picking distinctive and suitable nanoparticle extents.
Effects of metformin on apoptosis and α-synuclein in a rat model of pentylenetetrazole-induced epilepsy
Authors: Hussein Abdelaziz M. , Eldosoky Mohamed , El-Shafey Mohamed , El-Mesery Mohamed , Ali Amr N. , Abbas Khaled M. , Abulseoud Osama A.
Published: October 2018

The present study was designed to examine the possible neuroprotective and antiepileptic effects of metformin (Metf) in a rat model of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced epilepsy and its possible underlying mechanisms. Forty male albino rats were assigned to 4 groups of equal size: (1) normal control (NC) group, (2) Metf group: daily treatment with Metf (200 mg/kg, i.p.) for 2 weeks, (3) PTZ group: treatment with PTZ (50 mg/kg, i.p.) every other day for 2 weeks, and (4) Metf + PTZ group: daily treatment with PTZ and metformin (200 mg/kg, i.p.) for 2 weeks. Administration of PTZ caused a significant increase in seizure score and duration, induced a state of oxidative stress (high malondialdehyde, low reduced glutathione and catalase activity), and led to the upregulation of β-catenin, caspase-3, and its cleavage products, Hsp70 and α-synuclein, in hippocampal regions as well as a significant reduction in seizure latency. While Metf treatment significantly ameliorated PTZ-induced seizures, attenuated oxidative stress, and upregulated α-synuclein and β-catenin expression, it also inhibited caspase-3 activation and the release of the cleavage product and caused more upregulation in Hsp70 expression in hippocampal regions (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects of Metf in PTZ-induced epilepsy might be due to the inhibition of apoptosis, attenuation of oxidative stress and α-synuclein expression, and upregulation of Hsp70.
The effects of dietary flaxseed on cardiac arrhythmias and claudication in patients with peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Rodriguez-Leyva Delfin , Rodriguez-Portelles Ayelen , Weighell Wendy , Guzman Randolph , Maddaford Thane G. , Pierce Grant N.
Published: October 2018

Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are at increased risk for cardiovascular events, and higher susceptibility for cardiac arrhythmias may be involved. The objectives of this double-blinded randomized controlled FLAX-PAD trial were to determine whether daily consumption of a diet supplemented with 30 g of milled flaxseed (or placebo) over 1 year by PAD patients has effects on the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias and exercise capacity. Cardiac arrhythmias were assessed on a cardiac stress test and at rest. At baseline, the PAD patients had a high incidence of cardiac arrhythmias (48% in the flaxseed group and 32% in the placebo group). After 1 year, the presence of cardiac arrhythmias in the flaxseed group decreased by 2% and increased by 12% in the placebo group (P > 0.05). Electrocardiographic variables (P, PR, QRS, QT, and QTc) did not change in either group during the trial. Patients from both groups improved initial and absolute claudication distances but the intergroup difference was also not statistically significant. In summary, the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias and physical capacity trended in a positive direction for patients ingesting flaxseed but either a larger sample size or a longer intervention with flaxseed may be required to show statistically significant differences.
Higgs physics at future lepton colliders
Authors: Greco Mario
Published: October 2018

Various proposals of electron and muon colliders have been put forward for precision studies of the Higgs properties. It is shown that in both cases of Higgs resonant production through a muon collider, and associated HZ production in a electron–positron collider sizeable QED radiative effects must be carefully taken into account for the precise measurements of the decay channels of the Higgs particle.
Evolution of local atomic structures during rapid solidification of liquid metal W
Authors: Wen Dadong , Deng Yonghe , Dai Xiongying , Tian Zean , Mo Yunfei , Peng Ping
Published: October 2018

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate the evolution of local atomic structure during rapid solidification of liquid metal W. The microstructures were characterized by means of potential energy (PE) per atom, pair distribution function and largest standard cluster analysis (LSCA). Instead of [12/555] perfect icosahedra, the [8/555 2/544 2/433] distorted icosahedra dominated in W monatomic metallic glasses (MGs). With the decrease of temperature, these clusters in metal W systems aggregated steeply into icosahedral medium-range orders (IMROs), especially in the super-cooling liquid region. Moreover, the maximal size [Formula: see text] of IMROs played a control role in the formation of W monatomic MGs rather than the number [Formula: see text]. The mean local fivefold symmetry [Formula: see text] of IMROs was demonstrated to be an effective indicator to characterize the glass transition of monatomic metal W liquids.
Contact geometry and thermodynamics
Authors: Bravetti Alessandro
Published: October 2018

These are the lecture notes for the course given at the “XXVII International Fall Workshop on Geometry and Physics” held in Seville (Spain) in September 2018. We review the geometric formulation of equilibrium thermodynamics by means of contact geometry, together with the associated metric structures arising from thermodynamic fluctuation theory and the use of Hamiltonian flows to describe thermodynamic processes. Finally, we discuss the state of the art of the subject, its connection with other areas of physics, and suggest several possible further directions.
A free energy Lagrangian variational formulation of the Navier–Stokes–Fourier system
Authors: Gay-Balmaz François , Yoshimura Hiroaki
Published: October 2018

We present a variational formulation for the Navier–Stokes–Fourier system based on a free energy Lagrangian. This formulation is a systematic infinite-dimensional extension of the variational approach to the thermodynamics of discrete systems using the free energy, which complements the Lagrangian variational formulation using the internal energy developed in [F. Gay-Balmaz and H. Yoshimura, A Lagrangian variational formulation for nonequilibrium thermodynamics, Part II: Continuum systems, J. Geom. Phys. 111 (2017) 194–212] as one employs temperature, rather than entropy, as an independent variable. The variational derivation is first expressed in the material (or Lagrangian) representation, from which the spatial (or Eulerian) representation is deduced. The variational framework is intrinsically written in a differential-geometric form that allows the treatment of the Navier–Stokes–Fourier system on Riemannian manifolds.