bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic value of derived neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio in patients with ovarian cancer
Authors: Wu Yang‐yang , Qin Yuan‐yuan , Qin Jin‐qiu , Zhang Xuan , Lin Fa‐quan
Published: January 2019

Background

Inflammation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer. Numerous studies have used the derived neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) to evaluate prognosis in many types of cancer. However, the relationship between dNLR and ovarian cancer and its value in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian tumors remain unknown.

Methods

A total of 262 patients with ovarian cancer, 258 with benign ovarian disease, and 232 healthy controls were included in this study. dNLR was calculated using whole blood cell parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to obtain sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) to evaluate the diagnostic values of dNLR.

Results

dNLR was significantly different among the ovarian cancer, benign ovarian disease, and healthy control groups (all P < 0.001). Moreover, there were significant differences in dNLR between patients with early‐stage (I and II) and advanced‐stage (III and IV) disease (P < 0.001). dNLR was positively correlated with stage and carbohydrate antigen‐125 in ovarian cancer. A cutoff value of dNLR ≤2.11 was diagnostic in distinguishing ovarian cancer from benign ovarian disease with AUC of 0.729 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.689‐0.767; P = 0.0001). A cutoff value of dNLR ≤1.9 was diagnostic in distinguishing ovarian cancer from healthy controls with an AUC of 0.821 (95% CI, 0.784‐0.854; P = 0.0001).

Conclusion

dNLR may be a useful indicator for distinguishing between ovarian cancer and benign ovarian disease and for identifying early and advanced ovarian cancer.
The perceived importance of intersectoral collaboration by health care alliances
Authors: Hearld Larry R. , Alexander Jeffrey A. , Wolf Laura J. , Shi Yunfeng
Published: January 2019

There is growing interest in the use of intersectoral collaboration (e.g., alliances, coalitions, partnerships) to address complex, health‐related issues in local communities. Relatively little empirical research, however, has examined how to foster and sustain collaboration across sectors during later stages of development, despite a recognition that the needs and goals for collaboration may change over time. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining the perceptions of alliance participants regarding the importance of collaborating with different industry sectors as alliances transitioned from stable, prescriptive foundation support to a more uncertain future. Our findings suggest that, in addition to the contextual characteristics highlighted in previous research, the perceived importance of intersectoral collaboration varies for different types of alliances and participants. Moreover, the salience of these characteristics varied for different types of collaboration, in our case, collaboration with nonmedical health care sectors and nonhealth care sectors. Collectively, our findings point to the importance of thinking more comprehensively, across multiple levels of influence, when considering ways to foster or sustain intersectoral collaboration.
The role of parenting stress in mediating the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion and depression and anxiety among mothers of young children in fragile families
Authors: McCloskey Rebecca J. , Pei Fei
Published: January 2019

This study was designed to examine the roles of neighborhood social cohesion and parenting stress in influencing maternal mental health outcomes among primarily low‐income, unmarried, urban mothers. Structural equation modeling was conducted using cross‐sectional Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study data (N = 3,876), to test the hypotheses that neighborhood social cohesion would be associated with depression and anxiety among mothers with children aged 3 years and that this relationship would be mediated by parenting stress. The mediation model demonstrated good fit,χ2(796) = 3169.07,p < .001; comparative fit index = 0.96; root mean square error of approximation = 0.028 [90% confidence interval [0.027, 0.029]. Parenting stress partially mediated the effect of social cohesion on maternal depression (indirect effect: −0.04,p < 0.001) and anxiety (indirect effect: −0.05,p < 0.001); higher reported neighborhood social cohesion was associated with lower parenting stress, which was associated with a decreased likelihood of maternal anxiety and depression. Efforts to bolster neighborhood social cohesion may improve maternal mental health outcomes by reducing parenting stress.
microRNA‐665 silencing improves cardiac function in rats with heart failure through activation of the cAMP signaling pathway
Authors: Lin Bin , Feng De‐Guang , Xu Jing
Published: January 2019

Heart failure (HF) is a disease with high mortality and morbidity rate. Previous studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HF, potentially being able to improve the cardiac function in an HF rat model. The present study was designed to define the role of miR‐665 in the cardiac function of the HF rats. Following the establishm;ent of the rat models of HF, the functional role miR‐665 in HF was determined using an ectopic expression and knockdown experiments. The cardiac function was evaluated with the determination of ventricular mass index and hemodynamic parameters. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining was performed, with the apoptosis of cardiac cells detected in the process. The expression of miR‐665, glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway‐related, and apoptosis‐related genes was examined. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to determine the levels of inflammation‐related genes. Initially, the upregulation of miR‐665, downregulation of GLP1R, and inactivation of cAMP signaling pathway were observed in HF rats. GLP1R was a target of miR‐665. Forced expression of miR‐665 promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited GLP1R and the cAMP signaling pathway. In addition, miR‐665 overexpression has been known to impair cardiac function, promote inflammatory response while elevating malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase levels, and decreasing mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities. Furthermore, we also observed that the effects of miR‐665 inhibition had been reversed when the cAMP signaling pathway was also inhibited. This study demonstrates that miR‐665 inhibition can stabilize the cardiac function of HF rats via the cAMP signaling pathway via upregulation of the GLP1R.
Decreased number and impaired function of type 1 regulatory T cells in autoimmune diseases
Authors: Jia Xi , Zhai Tianyu , Wang Bing , Yao Qiuming , Li Qian , Mu Kaida , Zhang Jin‐an
Published: January 2019

Type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cell is a special type of T regulatory cells with surface molecular markers such as lymphocyte‐activation gene 3 and CD49b. A key property of Tr1 cells is the capability to produce high‐level interleukin 10 (IL‐10) upon activation, in a FOXP3‐independent manner. The immunosuppressive function of IL‐10 producing Tr1 cells has been extensively studied for many years. Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are conditions in which the immune system breaks down and starts to attack the body. AIDs include inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes mellitus, Greaves' disease, and so forth. In recent years, more and more studies have documented that the number of Tr1 cells is decreased and the function is inhibited in a variety of AIDs, among which MS is the most widely studied. The protocol for engineering Tr1 cell therapy has been established and is gradually being used in clinical practice in recent years. Tr1 cell therapy has been proven to be safe and effective, but it is mainly involved in myeloid leukemia, graft versus host disease currently. Its therapeutic role in AIDs still needs to be further explored. In this study, we will summarize the research advances of Tr1 cells in AIDs, which will provide useful information for treating AIDs through Tr1 cell therapy in the future.
Identification of the association between rs41274221 polymorphism in the seed sequence of microRNA‐25 and the risk of neonate sepsis
Authors: Zheng Ge , Xiang Wenna , Pan Minli , Huang Yihua , Li Zhishu
Published: January 2019

Background

Many studies have investigated the role of microRNA‐25 (miR‐25) in the initiation and progression of sepsis in newborns. In this study, we aim to explore how rs41274221 polymorphism in miR‐25 compromises the interaction between miR‐25 and CD69, so as to understand the mechanisms involved in the control of sepsis in newborns.

Methods

Computational analysis, luciferase assay, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and western blot analysis were performed in this study.

Results

The luciferase assays results showed that CD69 was a target gene of miR‐25, because the luciferase activity in cells transfected with wild type CD69 was much lower than that in the cells transfected with mutant CD69 or the scramble control. Real‐time PCR and western blot analysis results showed that the expression of miR‐25 in sepsis patients was significantly upregulated as compared with that in the normal control group, and the CD69 position ratio as well as the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein level of CD69 in sepsis patients was much higher than those in the normal control group. As compared with the scramble control, miR‐25 mimics, and CD69 small interfering RNA (siRNA) downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of CD69, whereas the expression of CD69 mRNA and protein in cells transfected with miR‐25 inhibitors was significantly higher as compared with that in the scramble control. In addition, interferonγ production was significantly downregulated in cells transfected with miR‐25 inhibitors but notably upregulated in cells transfected with miR‐25 mimics or CD69 siRNA.

Conclusion

The single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs41274221) in miR‐25 is associated with the risk of sepsis in newborns.
Fabrication of superhydrophobic bionic surface integrating with VOF simulation studies of liquid drop impacting
Authors: Liu Chunbao , Zhu Ling , Li Jing , Liang Yunhong
Published: January 2019

Superhydrophobic surface has wide application in self‐cleaning, anti‐pollution, anti‐adhesion, drag reduction, but the stable and efficient manufacture of bionic superhydrophobic surfaces is a challenge. We have reproduced the microscopic structure of natural plants and achieved superhydrophobic surface preparation without chemical modification by mechanical process. This program need many experiments to generate processing parameters based on the bionic surface structure. To solve this problem, based on the natural Green Bristlegrass superhydrophobic surface, an optimized bio‐inspired striped configuration was presented and the computational fluid dynamics approach was integrated into the fabrication, which was estimated the superhydrophobicity of bio‐inspired surface. The volume of fluid (VOF) model and the Level Set function were used to determine the position of the interface during the liquid impact process by solving the change of the volume fraction of each phase in the mixed fluid, thus tracking the gas–liquid phase interface. According to the simulation of striped surface structure, we have processed the bionic samples successfully and they showed an excellent superhydrophobic property, the contact angle was 154° ± 2° and the sliding angle was <5°. The contact time of bionic sample was 12.8 ms. This article used the VOF simulation method to evaluate the design and parameters of the structure, so that the selection of processing parameters were more optimized. Furthermore, the study was essential to access the bio‐inspired design and fabrication procedure of superhydrophobic surface.
Re‐examining the decadal change of tropical cyclogenesis over the South China Sea around the mid‐1990s
Authors: Cao Xi , Wu Renguang , Zhan Yingyu
Published: January 2019

A distinct inter‐decadal increase of tropical cyclone (TC) frequency occurred over the South China Sea (SCS) around the mid‐1990s. Previous studies linked this TC frequency increase to changes in seasonal mean background fields and in the intensity of intra‐seasonal oscillations according to regional and seasonal mean fields. The present study compares the contributions of environmental factors on different timescales to inter‐decadal change of the SCS TC frequency from a local and instantaneous perspective. It is shown that the intra‐seasonal variations of lower‐level vorticity, mid‐level specific humidity, and vertical motion have a dominant contribution to the SCS TC genesis during both 1979–1993 and 1994–2002. The inter‐annual anomalies of sea surface temperature (SST), outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), and vertical motion display an increase of favourable state near TC genesis regions at the mid‐1990s. The intra‐seasonal components of favourable OLR and vertical motion anomalies are larger in the latter period than in the former period. The synoptic components of favourable lower‐level vorticity, vertical wind shear, and mid‐level specific humidity anomalies increase from the former period to the latter period. The present study shows that the contributions of environmental factors to the SCS TC frequency have increased on different timescales around the mid‐1990s. The results suggest that this inter‐decadal increase of TC frequency may include both effects of dynamical‐driven changes and stochastic processes.
Statistical and synoptic analyses of offshore wind variations
Authors: Bakri Talaat , Jackson Peter
Published: January 2019

In this study, variations of offshore wind speed in the northern and central coasts of British Columbia are examined using wind observations from nine buoys distributed in the region. Wind speeds from all buoys are extrapolated to the standard (10 m) wind measurement height as well as to the wind turbine hub height (100 m) using Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. Sustained winds above several thresholds are analysed and values of 50 and 100‐year return extreme wind speed levels are calculated for all locations. The percentage of sustained winds between the wind turbine cut‐in and cut‐out wind speed thresholds at 100 m indicates short periods without power generation. The highest 50 and 100‐year return level values are found at locations west of Haida Gwaii, while the lowest values are calculated at the most southern and eastern locations. Spatial coherency analysis of high wind speeds between all locations shows high same‐day coherency ratios between all buoys located offshore of the mainland coast, which emphasizes the importance of the atmospheric circulation at the synoptic‐scale as the main driver of intense wind events; consequently, a synoptic‐scale circulation analysis is carried out by applying principal components analysis and k‐means clustering, and then relating the calculated synoptic patterns to some of the previously classified wind categories. The synoptic‐scale circulation analysis reveals that high wind speed events are mainly associated with a system of low pressure located west or northwest of the study region, which induces intense southerly to southeasterly winds. Low wind speeds are often associated with a high‐pressure system (Pacific High) originating southwest of the region that mainly predominates during the summer.
Quantifying the developed and developing worlds’ carbon reduction contributions to Northern Hemisphere cryosphere change
Authors: Yang Shili , Dong Wenjie , Chou Jieming , Dai Tanlong , Hong Tao , Xiao Cunde , Wei Ting , Tian Di , Ji Dong
Published: January 2019

Anthropogenically induced climate warming will not stop as long as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continue to increase. As positive feedback from the cryosphere can amplify climate warming in higher latitudes, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in the cryosphere have become particularly important. In this study, we quantified the contributions of climate policies of the developed and developing worlds to moderating decreases in Northern Hemisphere sea ice and snow, using the Earth System Model of Beijing Normal University (BNU‐ESM). The results indicate that the sea ice extent and snow cover would continue to shrink as CO2 concentrations continue to increase, and the combined efforts of the developed and developing worlds could successfully reduce losses of Arctic sea ice and snow. In the medium term (before 2060), contributions of the developing world to reducing the loss of Arctic sea ice extent are expected to be 65% in JFM and 60% in JAS, while the corresponding contributions to reducing snow cover loss are 46 and 70%. These contributions from the developed world are smaller: 44% in JFM and 22% in JAS for sea ice extent and 34% in JFM and 20% in JAS for snow cover. Over the long term (until 2100), the developing world is expected to contribute 71% in JFM and 77% in JAS to reducing the Arctic sea ice losses, and its contribution to reducing snow cover loss is 73 and 66%. Similarly, the corresponding contribution for the developed world is also smaller: 36% in JFM and 24% in JAS for sea ice extent and 32% in JFM and 30% in JAS for snow cover. However, the developed and developing world achieves a combined mitigation effect of more than 90% in the near and long term.
Linear respective roles of El Niño–Southern Oscillation and East Asian winter monsoon in the formation of the western North Pacific anticyclone
Authors: Yu Tiantian , Feng Juan , Chen Wen
Published: January 2019

Based on reanalysis data, we investigate the respective roles of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in building an anomalous western North Pacific anticyclone (WNPAC) in winter to the succeeding summer. The isolated ENSO and EAWM parts (termed ENSOres and EAWMres, respectively) are acquired by removing the ENSO–EAWM interdependent part through linear regression. The results suggest that both ENSOres and EAWMres can produce a WNPAC in winter. The ENSOres‐related WNPAC dominantly covers the southern part of the western North Pacific, whereas the EAWMres‐related WNPAC over the northern part of the western North Pacific. In the subsequent spring and summer, only ENSOres yields a WNPAC, while EAWMres has no effect on the atmospheric circulation over the western North Pacific. Additionally, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) can modulate the influence of ENSOres and EAWMres on the WNPAC. There tends to be a much stronger WNPAC associated with ENSOres (EAWMres) during positive (negative) PDO phases than during negative (positive) ones.
Production of biomolecules of interest to the anxiolytic herbal medicine industry in yellow passionfruit leaves (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) promoted by mycorrhizal inoculation
Authors: de Oliveira Paula Tarcila Félix , dos Santos Emanuela Lima , da Silva Wliana Alves Viturino , Ferreira Magda Rhayanny Assunção , Soares Luiz Alberto Lira , da Silva Francineyde Alves , da Silva Fábio Sérgio Barbosa
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Our contemporary way of life has led us to consume high amounts of chemically‐synthesized allopathic medicinal products and anxiolytics to which a viable alternative is the use of Passiflora‐based herbal medicines with composition containing vitexin, a flavonoid with anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known for enhancing the production of biomolecules, however, increase production of phytochemistry in Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa has not been reported in the literature. Our aim was to select AMF to benefit the production of vitexin in leaves of P. edulis by inoculating seedlings in the region of roots with Acaulospora longula, Claroideoglomus etunicatum and Gigaspora albida.

RESULTS

The inoculation increased the concentration of vitexin in 63.64% and the inoculation with A. longula also increased the content of flavonoids and total saponins in the leaves in relation to the control.

CONCLUSION

The increase in the production of vitexin in the leaf in response to the inoculation with AMF, with emphasis to A. longula, interests the pharmaceutical industry and can generate profit to the production of yellow passionfruit‐based anxiolytic herbal medicine. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Method validation and simultaneous quantification of eight organochlorines/organophosphates in apple by gas chromatography
Authors: Wani Ashraf A , Dar Alamgir A , Jan Ishrat , Sofi Khurshid A , Sofi Javid A , Dar Irshad H
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

The increasing and extensive use of pesticides worldwide has resulted in a significant loss of non‐target populations particularly humans by direct or indirect exposures. Also, various methods have been used for the estimation of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables from recent past which are either tedious, time consuming or expensive. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the pesticide residues from apple by simple and novel validated gas chromatography.

RESULTS

A novel, accurate, ecofriendly and cost‐effective gas chromatography method was developed for simultaneous quantification of eight pesticides, namely chlorpyrifos‐methyl (1), chlorpyrifos (2), quinolphos (3), profenofos (4), myclobutnil (5), ethion (6), fenpropathrin (7) and cypermethrin (8). The developed method was validated as per the SANTE guidelines. All calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.99) within the test range. Precision was evaluated by intra‐ and inter‐day tests with relative standard deviations (RSDs) < 2.0%, recovery in between 70% and 120% with RSDs < 2.00%.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that the concentration of pesticides 1 to 8 were found below the detectable limit. Method validation parameters like linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, robustness, detection and quantification limits were found within the acceptable range. The proposed method makes it possible to determine simultaneously pesticides 1–8 in one run which can be extended for residue‐based standardization of pesticides from apple and other fruits and vegetables. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Simultaneous deep inferior epigastric and bilateral anterolateral thigh perforator flap reconstruction of an extended perineoscrotal defect in Fournier's gangrene: A case report
Authors: Kadota Hideki , Momii Kenta , Hanada Masuo , Kamizono Kenichi , Inatomi Yusuke , Hisanaga Kana , Yoshida Sei , Ogaki Kippei , Kiyoshima Keijiro
Published: January 2019

Fournier's gangrene is lethal necrotizing fasciitis that involves the perineum and external genitalia. We describe the case of a 52‐year‐old man with Fournier's gangrene who underwent reconstruction of an extensive perineoscrotal defect using three pedicled perforator flaps. Three debridement procedures resulted in a skin and soft tissue defect of 36 × 18 cm involving the perineum, scrotum, groin, medial thigh, buttocks, and circumferential perianal area and left the perforating arteries originating from these locations unavailable for reconstruction. We repaired the defect using left deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) (29 × 8 cm) and bilateral anterolateral thigh perforator (ALT) flaps (35 × 8 cm and 22 × 7 cm). The flaps reached the defect without tension, and the defect was successfully covered without a skin graft. No postoperative complications occurred except for epidermal necrosis involving a tiny part of the DIEP flap tip. Nine months postoperatively, the patient experienced no impairment of bowel function or hip joint movement. There was also no avulsion or ulceration of the reconstructed perineal skin, and the cosmetic appearances of the healed wound and donor site were satisfactory. The combination of these three perforator flaps enabled us to achieve a satisfactory outcome while avoiding skin grafts.
Lateral thoracic artery as recipient vessel for head and neck free flap reconstruction in the vessel depleted neck: A case report
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed S. G. , Kakarala Kiran , Bur Andrés M.
Published: January 2019

Vessel depleted necks present a challenge to identifying suitable recipient vessels for microvascular head and neck reconstruction. Many alternative recipient vessels have been described. The purpose of this report is to describe the feasibility of using the lateral thoracic artery as a recipient vessel for head and neck free flap reconstruction in vessel depleted necks. In this report we describe surgery for a 62 year old male with osteoradionecrosis of the right mandibular body in which we performed right segmental mandibulectomy with free fibular flap reconstruction in a vessel depleted neck. We used the lateral thoracic artery which was ~10 cm in length. It provided good reach to the neck, proper blood flow, and acceptable vessel diameter of ~1.5 mm at 6 cm above the clavicle. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course and the flap was viable and well healed at 2 months follow‐up. The lateral thoracic artery could be considered as one of the options for recipient vessels for microvascular reconstruction in patients with vessel depleted necks.
Bandwidth optimization of linear to circular polarization convertors based on slot FSS
Authors: Clendinning Sarah , Cahill Robert , Zelenchuk Dmitry , Fusco Vincent
Published: January 2019

This study reports an evaluation of the maximum axial ratio (AR) bandwidth which is obtainable from a transmission type linear (LP) to circular polarization (CP) convertor working at normal incidence. The anisotropic bandpass FSS structure is composed of a thin metal surface perforated with an array of unequal length orthogonal slots. Full wave simulations are used to study the effect of changing the physical dimensions of the individual slot structural parameters by computing the amplitude and phase of the TE and TM transmitted waves at normal incidence over the frequency range 8‐12 GHz. The results are used to establish design guidelines which are employed to obtain the optimum topology for a single layer LP to CP convertor working at a center frequency of 10 GHz. The numerical results which are shown to be in close agreement with measurements, demonstrate that this class of periodic structure can be designed to give a 3 dB AR fractional bandwidth of 5.0%.
Adaptive finite element solution of the porous medium equation in pressure formulation
Authors: Ngo Cuong , Huang Weizhang
Published: January 2019

The pressure formulation of the porous medium equation has been commonly used in theoretical studies due to its much better regularities than the original formulation. The goal here is to study its use in the adaptive moving mesh finite element solution. The free boundary is traced explicitly through Darcy's law. The method is shown numerically second‐order in space and first‐order in time in the pressure variable. Moreover, the convergence order of the error in the location of the free boundary is almost second‐order in the maximum norm. However, numerical results also show that the convergence order in the original variable stays between first‐order and second‐order in L1 norm or between 0.5th‐order and first‐order in L2 norm. Nevertheless, the current method can offer some advantages over numerical methods based on the original formulation for situations with large exponents or when a more accurate location of the free boundary is desired.
Quintic trigonometric spline based numerical scheme for nonlinear modified Burgers' equation
Authors: Chandrasekharan Nair Lakshmi , Awasthi Ashish
Published: January 2019

This paper presents a numerical method based on quintic trigonometric B‐splines for solving modified Burgers' equation (MBE). Here, the MBE is first discretized in time by Crank–Nicolson scheme and the resulting scheme is solved by quintic trigonometric B‐splines. The proposed method tackles nonlinearity by using a linearization process known as quasilinearization. A rigorous analysis of the stability and convergence of the proposed method are carried out, which proves that the method is unconditionally stable and has order of convergence O(h4 + k2). Numerical results presented are very much in accordance with the exact solution, which is established by the negligible values of L2 and L∞ errors. Computational efficiency of the scheme is proved by small values of CPU time. The method furnishes results better than those obtained by using most of the existing methods for solving MBE.
Adaptive operator splitting finite element method for Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Huang Yunqing , Yang Wei , Wang Hao , Cui Jintao
Published: January 2019

In this paper, a new numerical method is proposed and analyzed for the Allen–Cahn (AC) equation. We divide the AC equation into linear section and nonlinear section based on the idea of operator splitting. For the linear part, it is discretized by using the Crank–Nicolson scheme and solved by finite element method. The nonlinear part is solved accurately. In addition, a posteriori error estimator of AC equation is constructed in adaptive computation based on superconvergent cluster recovery. According to the proposed a posteriori error estimator, we design an adaptive algorithm for the AC equation. Numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the effectiveness of our adaptive procedure.
Pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant patients with healthcare‐associated Clostridium difficile infection were already colonized on admission
Authors: Al‐Rawahi Ghada N. , Al‐Najjar Abeer , McDonald Rachel , Deyell Rebecca J. , Golding George R. , Brant Rollin , Tilley Peter , Thomas Eva , Rassekh Shahrad R. , O'Gorman Aisling , Wong Peggy , Turnham Lucy , Dobson Simon
Published: January 2019

Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of healthcare‐associated infections worldwide. The diagnosis of C. difficile infection (CDI) in pediatric oncology patients is complex as diarrhea is common, and there is a high rate of colonization in infants and young children. This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of the surveillance definitions of healthcare‐associated CDI (HA‐CDI) and to determine the prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile colonization among pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant patients.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted over a three‐year period in an inpatient pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant setting. Baseline stool samples were collected within three days of admission and were genotypically compared with clinically indicated samples submitted after three days of admission.

Results

A total of 175 patients were recruited with a total of 536 admissions. The adjusted prevalence of baseline toxigenic C. difficile colonization among admissions was 32.8%. Seventy‐eight percent of positive admissions did not have history of CDI. Colonization with a toxigenic strain on admission was predictive of CDI (OR = 28.6; 95% CI, 6.58–124.39; P < 0.001). Nearly all clinical isolates (8/9) shared identical pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis patterns with baseline isolates or were closely related (1/9). Only one of the 11 cases that were considered HA‐CDI was potentially nosocomially acquired.

Conclusion

The prevalence of colonization with toxigenic C. difficile in our cohort is high. Unfortunately, the current CDI surveillance definitions overestimate the incidence of HA‐CDI in pediatric oncology and stem cell transplantation settings.
Effectiveness of hydroxycarbamide in children with sickle cell disease – Analysis of dose‐response metrics in a large birth cohort in a tertiary sickle cell centre
Authors: Park Hyun , Bhatti Sabah , Chakravorty Subarna
Published: January 2019

Background

Despite the well‐established efficacy of hydroxycarbamide in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD), the paucity of real‐world clinical data limits the establishment of a practical dosing strategy. The aim of this study was to analyse the dose‐response metrics of hydroxycarbamide associated with the minimum effective dose protocol – specifically, between dose groups and differing degrees of myelosuppression.

Design/methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 93 patients who were initiated on hydroxycarbamide between 2005 and 2017 at a tertiary haemoglobinopathy centre in London, UK. The burden of acute SCD‐related complications was defined by the annualised rates of emergency department attendances and hospital admissions. Secondary outcomes included haematological, biochemical, liver, renal and transcranial Doppler velocity status. Comparisons were performed upon stratification via dose (<20 mg/kg/day, 20–24 mg/kg/day and ≥25 mg/kg/day) and sustained absolute neutrophil count (ANC) values (ANC <4 × 109/L and ANC ≥4 × 109/L).

Results

Clinical outcomes were not predicted by dose or ANC values. Whilst laboratory indices between dose groups were also non‐statistically significant, patients maintained on ANC <4 × 109/L were shown to achieve superior responses in haemoglobin, haemoglobin F, absolute reticulocyte count and liver function. Toxicities occurred idiosyncratically, with minimal reports of transient neutropaenia and thrombocytopaenia.

Conclusions

Objective clinical responses may be achievable without intensive dose escalation. Our finding that greater myelosuppression is associated with greater improvements in laboratory markers of clinical benefit is consistent with prior clinical trials, but ongoing effectiveness studies are needed to determine whether these benefits can be reliably demonstrated in routine clinical practice using different dosing protocols.
Content review of pediatric ethics consultations at a cancer center
Authors: Winter Meredith C. , Friedman Danielle Novetsky , McCabe Mary S. , Voigt Louis P.
Published: January 2019

Background/objectives

Ethical challenges in pediatric oncology arise at every stage of illness. However, there are sparse data on the content of and reason for ethics consultations in the field. We sought to evaluate the content and characteristics of ethics consultations in pediatric patients at a cancer center.

Design/methods

We retrospectively identified ethics consultations performed for patients diagnosed with cancer at ≤21 years of age who were treated in the Department of Pediatrics from 2007 to 2017. Using an established coding schema, two independent reviewers analyzed the content of ethics consultation notes and identified core ethical issues and relevant contextual issues. Demographic, clinical, and consultation‐specific data were also collected.

Results

Thirty‐five consultations were performed for 32 unique patients. The most commonly identified ethical issues were obligation to provide nonbeneficial treatment (29%) and resuscitation preferences (26%). Communication conflicts were the most commonly identified contextual issue (40%). There were two themes that emerged repeatedly but were not a part of the original coding schema—four consultations (11%) that involved physicians questioning their obligation to provide potentially toxic treatment in the setting of poor patient/parent compliance, and two consultations (6%) related to complex risk‐benefit analysis in the setting of an invasive procedure with uncertain benefit.

Conclusions

Pediatric ethics consultations are infrequent at this specialty cancer hospital. Ethical issues focused on treatment and end‐of‐life care and included a diversity of communication conflicts.
Discrimination of empty and filled intervals marked by auditory signals with different durations and directions of intensity change
Authors: Chen Lihan
Published: January 2019

A time interval marked by two short sounds (“empty interval”) is perceived to be longer when one or more short sounds are inserted within this time interval (“filled interval”). This illusion is known as the filled‐duration illusion (FDI), which has been mainly observed above 500 ms. Previous evidence has mostly shown, however, that the FDI within 500 ms is not robust due to individual differences. FDI in this short range has been less influenced by the properties of sound markers (such as amplitude, time duration, and sound energy distribution). I questioned whether the mixed evidence in the short range could be due to the methods and time ranges adopted. Here, I asked whether and how the perceived duration of both the empty interval and the filled interval (a continuous beep) was modulated by markers with different yet short durations, and by markers with intensity changes (ascending vs. descending). The results showed that the longer markers led to more expansion of the perceived time interval than did the short markers. The empty interval (300 ms) was perceived as shorter in the rising intensity (first tone marker)–decreasing intensity (second tone marker) condition, but as longer in the decreasing–decreasing condition. However, the filled interval (300 ms) bounded in the decreasing–decreasing condition was perceived as shorter. Therefore, perception of short empty and filled intervals (enclosed by auditory marks) could be modulated by the temporal properties of the markers. Those findings could be accounted for by the Gestalt perceptual groupings between the auditory markers and the to‐be‐timed gap/stimulus intervals in an adaptive way.
Application of the NZ‐1 Fab as a crystallization chaperone for PA tag‐inserted target proteins
Authors: Tamura Risako , Oi Rika , Akashi Satoko , Kaneko Mika K. , Kato Yukinari , Nogi Terukazu
Published: January 2019

An antibody fragment that recognizes the tertiary structure of a target protein with high affinity can be utilized as a crystallization chaperone. Difficulties in establishing conformation‐specific antibodies, however, limit the applicability of antibody fragment‐assisted crystallization. Here, we attempted to establish an alternative method to promote the crystallization of target proteins using an already established anti‐tag antibody. The monoclonal antibody NZ‐1 recognizes the PA tag with an extremely high affinity. It was also established that the PA tag is accommodated in the antigen‐binding pocket in a bent conformation, compatible with an insertion into loop regions on the target. We, therefore, explored the application of NZ‐1 Fab as a crystallization chaperone that complexes with a target protein displaying a PA tag. Specifically, we inserted the PA tag into the β‐hairpins of the PDZ tandem fragment of a bacterial Site‐2 protease. We crystallized the PA‐inserted PDZ tandem mutants with the NZ‐1 Fab and solved the co‐crystal structure to analyze their interaction modes. Although the initial insertion designs produced only moderate‐resolution structures, eliminating the solvent‐accessible space between the NZ‐1 Fab and target PDZ tandem improved the diffraction qualities remarkably. Our results demonstrate that the NZ‐1‐PA system efficiently promotes crystallization of the target protein. The present work also suggests that β‐hairpins are suitable sites for the PA insertion because the PA tag contains a Pro‐Gly sequence with a propensity for a β‐turn conformation.
Prescribed performance adaptive neural output control for a class of switched nonstrict‐feedback nonlinear time‐delay systems: State‐dependent switching law approach
Authors: Kamali Sara , Tabatabaei Seyyed Mostafa , Arefi Mohammad Mehdi , Jahed‐Motlagh Mohammad Reza
Published: January 2019

This paper investigates the tracking problem for a class of uncertain switched nonlinear delayed systems with nonstrict‐feedback form. To address this problem, by introducing a new common Lyapunov function (CLF), an adaptive neural network dynamic surface control is proposed. The state‐dependent switching rule is designed to orchestrate which subsystem is active at each time instance. In order to compensate unknown delay terms, an appropriate Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional is considered in the constructing of the CLF. In addition, a novel switched neural network–based observer is constructed to estimate system states through the output signal. To maintain the tracking error performance within a predefined bound, a prescribed performance bound approach is employed. It is proved that by the proposed output‐feedback control, all the signals of the closed‐loop system are bounded under the switching law. Moreover, the transient and steady‐state tracking performance is guaranteed by the prescribed performance bound. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by two numerical and practical examples.
A self‐excited threshold autoregressive state‐space model for menstrual cycles: Forecasting menstruation and identifying within‐cycle stages based on basal body temperature
Authors: Kawamori Ai , Fukaya Keiichi , Kitazawa Masumi , Ishiguro Makio
Published: January 2019

The menstrual cycle is divided into hypothermic and hyperthermic phases based on the periodic shift in the basal body temperature (BBT), reflecting events occurring in the ovary. In the present study, we proposed a state‐space model that explicitly incorporates the biphasic nature of the menstrual cycle, in which the probability density distributions for the advancement of the menstrual phase and that for the BBT switch depending on a latent state variable. Our model derives the predictive distribution of the day of the next menstruation onset that is adaptively adjusted by accommodating new observations of the BBT sequentially. It also enables us to obtain conditional probabilities of the woman being in the early or late stages of the cycle, which can be used to identify the duration of hypothermic and hyperthermic phases, possibly as well as the day of ovulation. By applying the model to real BBT and menstruation data, we show that the proposed model can properly capture the biphasic characteristics of menstrual cycles, providing a good prediction of the menstruation onset in a wide range of age groups. The application of the proposed model to a large data set containing 25 622 cycles provided by 3533 women further highlighted the between‐age differences in the population characteristics of menstrual cycles, suggesting its wide applicability.
Clinical Utility of Longitudinal Measurement of Motor Threshold in Wilson’s Disease
Authors: Stezin Albert , Kamble Nitish , Jhunjhunwala Ketan , Prasad Shweta , Pal Pramod Kumar
Published: January 2019

This study describes the longitudinal changes of resting motor threshold (RMT) and central motor conduction time (CMCT) in 18 patients with Wilson’s disease (WD). The RMT, CMCT, and Global Assessment Scale for Wilson Disease (GAS-WD) were measured at baseline and at follow-up after 12.94 ± 7.23 months. There was a significant decrease in the RMT (72.11 ± 18.62 vs. 63.7 ± 15.52%;p-value = 0.002) and GAS-WD scores (14.38 ± 5.35 vs. 9.77 ± 6.47 ms;p-value = 0.04). CMCT did not improve despite chelation therapy. Hence, RMT may serve as a marker of chelation efficacy in WD.
Three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic vortex equilibria with -fold symmetry
Authors: Reinaud Jean N.
Published: January 2019

We investigate arrays of $m$ three-dimensional, unit-Burger-number, quasi-geostrophic vortices in mutual equilibrium whose centroids lie on a horizontal circular ring; or$m+1$ vortices where the additional vortex lies on the vertical ‘central’ axis passing through the centre of the array. We first analyse the linear stability of circular point vortex arrays. Three distinct categories of vortex arrays are considered. In the first category, the $m$ identical point vortices are equally spaced on a circular ring and no vortex is located on the vertical central axis. In the other two categories, a ‘central’ vortex is added. The latter two categories differ by the sign of the central vortex. We next turn our attention to finite-volume vortices for the same three categories. The vortices consist of finite volumes of uniform potential vorticity, and the equilibrium vortex arrays have an (imposed) $m$-fold symmetry. For simplicity, all vortices have the same volume and the same potential vorticity, in absolute value. For such finite-volume vortex arrays, we determine families of equilibria which are spanned by the ratio of a distance separating the vortices and the array centre to the vortices’ mean radius. We determine numerically the shape of the equilibria for $m=2$ up to $m=7$, for each three categories, and we address their linear stability. For the $m$-vortex circular arrays, all configurations with $m\geqslant 6$ are unstable. Point vortex arrays are linearly stable for $m<6$. Finite-volume vortices may, however, be sensitive to instabilities deforming the vortices for $m<6$ if the ratio of the distance separating the vortices to their mean radius is smaller than a threshold depending on $m$. Adding a vortex on the central axis modifies the overall stability properties of the vortex arrays. For $m=2$, a central vortex tends to destabilise the vortex array unless the central vortex has opposite sign and is intense. For $m>2$, the unstable regime can be obtained if the strength of the central vortex is larger in magnitude than a threshold depending on the number of vortices. This is true whether the central vortex has the same sign as or the opposite sign to the peripheral vortices. A moderate-strength like-signed central vortex tends, however, to stabilise the vortex array when located near the plane containing the array. On the contrary, most of the vortex arrays with an opposite-signed central vortex are unstable.
The Illiberalism of Behavioural Conditionality: A Critique of Australia’s ‘No Jab, No Pay’ Policy
Authors: CURCHIN KATHERINE
Published: January 2019

Internationally the payment of welfare benefits is increasingly being made conditional on recipients’ behaviour. Behavioural conditions and the payments to which they apply are diversifying. This article aims to contribute to the debate among scholars and policymakers over the ethics of welfare conditionality. While other assessments of the ethics of welfare conditionality have focused on the potential harm caused to vulnerable welfare recipients, this paper develops the argument that welfare conditionality is illiberal. Drawing on findings from behavioural science, it argues that relying on extrinsic motivation in the form of financial incentives is a less desirable approach to behavioural change than bolstering intrinsic motivation. The argument is illustrated with the case of the Australian ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, under which family payments and childcare subsidies are denied to parents whose children are not fully immunised. As behavioural conditions and the payments to which they are applied diversify, the cumulative effects of these conditions pose an underappreciated threat to citizens’ autonomy.