bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for urological complications following living donor renal transplantation in children
Authors: ElSheemy Mohammed S. , Ghoneima Waleed , Aboulela Waseem , Daw Kareem , Shouman Ahmed M. , Shoukry Ahmed I. , Soaida Sherif , Salah Doaa M. , Bazaraa Hafez , Fadel Fatina I. , Hussein Ahmed A. , Habib Enmar , Saad Ismail R. , El Ghoneimy Mohamed , Morsi Hany A. , Lotfi Mohammed A. , Badawy Hesham
Published: October 2017

The aim of this study was to detect possible risk factors for UC and UTI following pediatric renal Tx and effect of these complications on outcome. One hundred and eight children who underwent living donor Tx between 2009 and 2015 were retrospectively included. Extraperitoneal approach was used with stented tunneled extravesical procedure. Mean recipient age was 9.89 ± 3.46 years while mean weight was 25.22 ± 10.43 kg. Seventy‐three (67.6%) recipients were boys while 92 (85.2%) were related to donors. Urological causes of ESRD were present in 33 (30.6%) recipients (14 [13%] posterior urethral valve, 16 [14.8%] VUR, and 3 [2.8%] neurogenic bladder). Augmentation ileocystoplasty was performed in 9 (8.3%) patients. Mean follow‐up was 39.3 ± 17.33 months. UC were detected in 10 (9.3%) children (leakage 4 [3.7%], obstruction 3 [2.8%], and VUR 3 [2.8%]) while UTIs were reported in 40 (37%) children. After logistic regression analysis, UC were significantly higher in children with cystoplasty (44.4% vs 6.1%; P = .001). UTIs were significantly higher in girls (51.4% vs 30.1%; P = .001) and in children with urological causes of ESRD (51.5% vs 30.7%; P = .049). UC and UTI were not significantly associated with increased graft loss or mortality. UC were significantly higher in children with cystoplasty while UTIs were significantly higher in girls and children with urological causes of ESRD. Presence of UC did not affect the rate of graft loss or mortality due to its early detection and proper management.
Reproductive ecology of the carnivorous plant Pinguicula moranensis (Lentibulariaceae)
Authors: Villegas S. G. , Alcalá R. E.
Published: October 2017

The interaction of plants with pollinators can be a determinant of their reproductive fitness. However, information about the pollination biology of carnivorous plants is scarce. To increase knowledge of reproductive ecology of carnivorous plants we focused on Pinguicula moranensis. Specifically, based on the presence of large, zygomorphic and spurred flowers, we predicted higher reproductive fitness in cross‐pollinated than in self‐pollinated flowers.

Within a plot of 51 m2 we characterised the reproductive phenology, including flower lifespan and stigmatic receptivity. We identified pollinators and their movement patterns within the plot. Breeding system was experimentally evaluated using hand‐pollination (i.e. autonomous, self‐ and cross‐pollination).

Flowers of P. moranensis were visited by long‐tongued pollinators, mainly members of the Lepidoptera. Hand‐pollination experiments confirmed our prediction and suggest that flower traits might favour cross‐pollination.

We mainly discuss the implications of the patchy distribution of plants and behaviour of pollinators on gene movement in this plant species, as pollination between genetically related individuals could be occurring.
Collaborative Prototyping of Alternative Designs Under a Target Costing Scheme
Authors: Shalpegin Timofey , Sommer Svenja , Wan Zhixi
Published: October 2017

Prototyping allows firms to evaluate the technical feasibility of alternative product designs and to better estimate their costs. We study a collaborative prototyping scenario in which a manufacturer involves a supplier in the prototyping process by letting the supplier make detailed design choices for critical components and provide prototypes for testing. While the supplier can obtain private information about the costs, the manufacturer uses target costing to gain control over the design choice. We show that involving the supplier in the prototyping process has an important influence on the manufacturer's optimal decisions. The collaboration results in information asymmetry, which makes parallel prototyping less attractive and potentially reverses the optimal testing sequence under sequential prototyping: It may be optimal to test designs in increasing order of attractiveness to avoid that the supplier does not release technically and economically feasible prototypes for strategic reasons. We also find that the classical target costing approaches (cost‐ and market‐based) need to be adjusted in the presence of alternative designs: Due to the strategic behavior of suppliers, it is not always optimal to provide identical target costs for designs with similar cost and performance estimates, nor to provide different target costs for dissimilar designs. Furthermore, the timing is important: While committing upfront to carefully chosen target costs reduces the supplier's strategic behavior, in some circumstances, the manufacturer can take advantage of this behavior by remaining flexible and specifying the second prototype's target costs later.
The Influence of Intellectual Property Rights on Poaching in Manufacturing Outsourcing
Authors: Skowronski Keith , Benton W.C.
Published: October 2017

Manufacturers are often placing their intellectual property (IP) at risk by outsourcing to suppliers in countries with weak IP rights. Thus, understanding how to safeguard their IP from poaching, which is a supplier's unauthorized use of a buyer's proprietary information, is of critical practical importance for manufacturers that outsource to suppliers in countries with weak IP rights. To investigate this phenomenon, we use dyadic data from globally dispersed manufacturer–supplier relationships to examine how the IP rights of a supplier's location affects poaching and how IP rights influence the effectiveness of two transactional characteristics—supplier idiosyncratic investments and media‐rich communication—on poaching. We examine these two transaction characteristics because they are representative of two forms of safeguards which create self‐enforcing agreements that do not require legal enforcement—economic and relational. We find that the strength of IP rights not only has a direct effect on poaching, but it also influences the relationships for both transaction characteristics. Intriguingly, when IP rights are weak, we find that not only are supplier idiosyncratic investments less effective in reducing poaching, but increases in these investments are associated with an increase in poaching. This finding illustrates that the strength of IP rights is a determinant of the degree to which supplier idiosyncratic investments are transaction specific. For suppliers in countries with weak IP rights, media‐rich communication is found to be more effective in reducing poaching. This finding illustrates the importance of manufacturers’ boundary spanners in building relationships with suppliers in countries with weak IP rights.
Interdependent Network Recovery Games
Authors: Smith Andrew M. , González Andrés D. , Dueñas‐Osorio Leonardo , D'Souza Raissa M.
Published: October 2017

Recovery of interdependent infrastructure networks in the presence of catastrophic failure is crucial to the economy and welfare of society. Recently, centralized methods have been developed to address optimal resource allocation in postdisaster recovery scenarios of interdependent infrastructure systems that minimize total cost. In real‐world systems, however, multiple independent, possibly noncooperative, utility network controllers are responsible for making recovery decisions, resulting in suboptimal decentralized processes. With the goal of minimizing recovery cost, a best‐case decentralized model allows controllers to develop a full recovery plan and negotiate until all parties are satisfied (an equilibrium is reached). Such a model is computationally intensive for planning and negotiating, and time is a crucial resource in postdisaster recovery scenarios. Furthermore, in this work, we prove this best‐case decentralized negotiation process could continue indefinitely under certain conditions. Accounting for network controllers' urgency in repairing their system, we propose an ad hoc sequential game‐theoretic model of interdependent infrastructure network recovery represented as a discrete time noncooperative game between network controllers that is guaranteed to converge to an equilibrium. We further reduce the computation time needed to find a solution by applying a best‐response heuristic and prove bounds on ε‐Nash equilibrium, where ε depends on problem inputs. We compare best‐case and ad hoc models on an empirical interdependent infrastructure network in the presence of simulated earthquakes to demonstrate the extent of the tradeoff between optimality and computational efficiency. Our method provides a foundation for modeling sociotechnical systems in a way that mirrors restoration processes in practice.
Influence of Distribution of Animals between Dose Groups on Estimated Benchmark Dose and Animal Welfare for Continuous Effects
Authors: Ringblom Joakim , Kalantari Fereshteh , Johanson Gunnar , Öberg Mattias
Published: October 2017

The benchmark dose (BMD) approach is increasingly used as a preferred approach for dose–effect analysis, but standard experimental designs are generally not optimized for BMD analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the use of unequally sized dose groups affects the quality of BMD estimates in toxicity testing, with special consideration of the total burden of animal distress. We generated continuous dose–effect data by Monte Carlo simulation using two dose–effect curves based on endpoints with different shape parameters. Eighty‐five designs, each with four dose groups of unequal size, were examined in scenarios ranging from low‐ to high‐dose placements and with a total number of animals set to 40, 80, or 200. For each simulation, a BMD value was estimated and compared with the “true” BMD. In general, redistribution of animals from higher to lower dose groups resulted in an improved precision of the calculated BMD value as long as dose placements were high enough to detect a significant trend in the dose–effect data with sufficient power. The improved BMD precision and the associated reduction of the number of animals exposed to the highest dose, where chemically induced distress is most likely to occur, are favorable for the reduction and refinement principles. The result thereby strengthen BMD‐aligned design of experiments as a means for more accurate hazard characterization along with animal welfare improvements.
Arabidopsis lipid droplet‐associated protein (LDAP) – interacting protein (LDIP) influences lipid droplet size and neutral lipid homeostasis in both leaves and seeds
Authors: Pyc Michal , Cai Yingqi , Gidda Satinder K. , Yurchenko Olga , Park Sunjung , Kretzschmar Franziska K. , Ischebeck Till , Valerius Oliver , Braus Gerhard H. , Chapman Kent D. , Dyer John M. , Mullen Robert T.
Published: October 2017

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are found in all types of plant cells; they are derived from the endoplasmic reticulum and function as a repository for neutral lipids, as well as serving in lipid remodelling and signalling. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation, steady‐state maintenance and turnover of plant LDs, particularly in non‐seed tissues, are relatively unknown. Previously, we showed that the LD‐associated proteins (LDAPs) are a family of plant‐specific, LD surface‐associated coat proteins that are required for proper biogenesis of LDs and neutral lipid homeostasis in vegetative tissues. Here, we screened a yeast two‐hybrid library using the Arabidopsis LDAP3 isoform as ‘bait’ in an effort to identify other novel LD protein constituents. One of the candidate LDAP3‐interacting proteins was Arabidopsis At5g16550, which is a plant‐specific protein of unknown function that we termed LDIP (LDAP‐interacting protein). Using a combination of biochemical and cellular approaches, we show that LDIP targets specifically to the LD surface, contains a discrete amphipathic α‐helical targeting sequence, and participates in both homotypic and heterotypic associations with itself and LDAP3, respectively. Analysis of LDIP T‐DNA knockdown and knockout mutants showed a decrease in LD abundance and an increase in variability of LD size in leaves, with concomitant increases in total neutral lipid content. Similar phenotypes were observed in plant seeds, which showed enlarged LDs and increases in total amounts of seed oil. Collectively, these data identify LDIP as a new player in LD biology that modulates both LD size and cellular neutral lipid homeostasis in both leaves and seeds.
Comparative and competitive adsorption of Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) onto Sepia pharaonis endoskeleton biomass from aqueous solutions
Authors: Rahbar Nadereh , Yazdanpanah Hamideh , Ramezani Zahra , Shushizadeh Mohammad Reza , Enayat Maryam , Mansourzadeh Marzieh
Published: October 2017

In this research, the possibility of simultaneous removal of lead, cadmium and copper divalent ions from water samples through the use of Sepia pharaonis endoskeleton powder (SPEB) as bio‐material, was investigated. The bio‐sorbent was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT‐IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). The different factors affecting the bio‐sorption process were studied. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyse the experimental data. The kinetic studies showed that the pseudo‐second order model kinetics were compatible with the investigated systems. It was found that under optimal conditions, this bio‐sorbent was efficient in the uptake of these heavy metal ions from both mono and multi‐metal solutions, and high removal percentages were achieved. This study verified the potential ability of SPEB as an efficient natural adsorbent for removal of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions from river, tap and mineral water samples.
Developments in the spoken component of ICE corpora
Authors: KIRK JOHN M.
Published: October 2017

This article considers the evolution of spoken components within the International Corpus of English. It begins with the classic orthographic transcription which has long been taken as a written means for representing what was said. Following a critique, the article suggests ways in which the representation of the spoken language in corpora could be better achieved: through the availability of recordings, through the alignment of recordings with the transcription, and through more annotation, especially of prosodic and pragmatic types, as in the SPICE‐Ireland Corpus. It ends with a discussion of the usefulness of a multi‐layer architecture approach to corpus compilation and exploitability.
The spoken corpus of Cameroon Pidgin English
Authors: OZÓN GABRIEL , AYAFOR MIRIAM , GREEN MELANIE , FITZGERALD SARAH
Published: October 2017

This article reports on the construction of a 240,000‐word pilot corpus of spoken Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE), a widely‐used yet stigmatised and largely uncodified written pidgin/creole variety. The corpus consists of private and public dialogues and monologues, with mark‐up and POS‐tagging. Text categories and the proportions of monologue and dialogue are guided by those of the International Corpus of English project, which makes the corpus immediately comparable with existing corpora of post‐colonial varieties of English. We discuss the extent to which this corpus can be regarded as an ICE component, and illustrate the relation between CPE and standardised Nigerian and Cameroonian varieties of English in Africa by means of case studies employing ICE‐NIGERIA and the Corpus of Cameroon English.
A Robot-Assisted Hand Exoskeletal System for Mirror Therapy Rehabilitation
Authors: Pu Shu-Wei , Cheng Li-Wei , Chang Jen-Yuan (James)
Published: October 2017

This paper proposes a robotics-assisted hand exoskeleton for mirror therapy. Through the mechanical design of hand exoskeleton, the proposed structure can perform pinching and hand grasping motion under the guidance from finger motion glove. Also, framework of proposed mechatronic system has been delineated in this paper. In order to examine the usability of proposed system, trial results of the proposed system that applying on normal human to interact with actual objects are also presented in this paper.
Control Development of Hydrostatic Indexing Plate System
Authors: Hsieh Shih-Yu , Tu Jia-Ying
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this paper is to use the hydrostatic bearing technology with a permanent magnet synchronous motor to develop a high-load, high-precision and heavy-cutting indexing plate, and the PI algorithm is used for developing the precise positioning control technology of the indexing plate system. Compared with the conventional ball bearing systems, hydrostatic bearings have the advantageous characteristics of high stiffness, small friction, long life and superior shock absorption. Therefore, equipment like linear motion platform and indexing plate which apply hydrostatic bearing can achieve a high positioning accuracy. It is expected that the indexing plate system with the PI controller can be used as a fourth or fifth axis for high precision processing machines.
Single-Input Multi-Output Converter With Backup Battery for Energy Harvesting System of the Gas Sensor
Authors: Yu Ming-Hung , Chao Paul C.-P.
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a single-input multi-output converter with backup battery for energy harvesting system of the gas sensor. Energy harvesting techniques used to catch energy from ambient light through photovoltaic (PV) modules as the main power source and regulate two outputs - 3.3V and 15V for different loads by a dc-dc converter. The backup battery is connected to input and output side of this system as a source and a load, when the PV energy more than the power of load, surplus energy charged in the rechargeable battery, when the ambient energy small than power of load, converter will storage power from PV cells, then charge power from battery and feed energy to the load. Finally, a multi-output converter for energy harvesting system is implemented to verify the precision of control strategy, light input and heavy input condition proposed in this paper.
The Effect of Track-Seeking Motion on Off-Track Vibrations of the Head Gimbal Assembly in HDDs
Authors: Zhang Guoqing , Li Hui , Shen Shengnan , Trinh Tan , Talke Frank E. , Zhu Lei , He Fengliang , Xue Qiankun
Published: October 2017

The effect of track-seeking on off-track residual vibrations of the head-gimbal assembly (HGA) is investigated for air and helium environments using the so-called “fluid dynamic mesh” method and the “fluid-structure interaction” method. Three different angular acceleration profiles (square wave, triangular wave and sinusoidal wave) are investigated as a function of seek time (10 ms and 5 ms). Results show that smoothening of sharp transitions of the seek profile improves the performance of off-track residual vibrations during track-following and shortens the track-following time of the head positioning servo system. In addition, the effect of lateral flow (windage) on off-track residual vibrations during track-following must be considered for a square wave angular acceleration profile. Simulation results show that helium improves the track-following accuracy compared to air due to the lower windage forces acting on the HGA. We observe that the sinusoidal wave angular acceleration performs best among the three angular acceleration profiles investigated. Furthermore, seek time is found to have only a small effect on off-track residual vibrations during track-following.
A Transient Performance Enhancement Scheme for Dual-Stage Actuated HDD Servo System
Authors: Jin Can-Can , Shi Bao-Jun , Sun Ya-Ru , Guo Kai , Hao Shi-Peng
Published: October 2017

For a dual-stage actuated (DSA) HDD servo control system, a large servo bandwidth is desirable to attain ultra-high accuracy in read/write head positioning, but the resonant modes hamper the achievement of such an essential high bandwidth. Aiming at the problem, we adopt a novel control scheme to achieve a transient performance enhancement. It is designed based on a newly developed feedback control methodology called integral resonant control (IRC). The primary coarse actuator voice coil motor (VCM) for facilitating large motion is regulated by reduced order composite nonlinear feedback (CNF) control approach, and the secondary piezoelectric micro-actuator (MA) for high-precision positioning is controlled through an IRC compensator together with a notch filter. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control scheme through simulation validation.
Prediction and Experimental Verification of the Heights of Air-Oil Interfaces in the FDBs in a Tied Shaft of HDDs During Non-Operating Conditions
Authors: Lee M. H. , Lee J. H. , Kim K. B. , Jang G. H.
Published: October 2017

We proposed a method to predict the heights of upper and lower air-oil interfaces of the fluid dynamic bearings (FDBs) in the tied shaft of hard disk drives (HDDs) during non-operating condition. We formulated a pressure equation according to capillary pressure, atmospheric pressure, hydrostatic pressure and applied pressure, and a volume equation according to the volumes of the clearance and the injected oil. We solved the linear equations of pressure equation and volume equation simultaneously to calculate the heights of upper and lower air-oil interfaces. Finally, we verified the proposed method by measuring the height of upper air-oil interface. Height of upper air-oil interface increases with the increase of pressure difference because pressure of lower air-oil interface is higher than that of upper air-oil interface. Since the volume of injected oil is constant, height of lower air-oil interface decrease with the increase of pressure difference.
A Continuous Opto-Electronic Sensor for Blood Pressure Monitoring With Real-Time System
Authors: Kao Yung-Hua , Chao Paul C.-P. , Wey Chin-Long
Published: October 2017

A new continuous wireless opto-electronic blood pressure (BP) sensor is successfully developed by this study. The BP device introduces the principle of photoplethysmograph (PPG) to sense the change of intravascular blood volume and calculate the BP. The real-time system adopts a LEDs of red/infrared light with a wavelengths of 660 and 905 nm. The analog front-end (AFE) circuit contains a pre-amplifier, a band-pass filter, a programmable gain amplifier (PGA), a microprocessor and a wireless module. A mobile phone is also used to display continuous BPs and record statistical analysis/results for users. The passband of filter is from 0.3 to 7.2 Hz. The PGA of adjustable gain are 8 channel. As results, 10 subjects in the experimental validation, in which the obtained BPs are compared with the results from a commercial BP monitor by OMRON. The maximum error of experimental results is ± 6 mmHg, which is less than ±8 mmHg conforming to the requirement by the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
Printing Pressure Uniformization of Roll-to-Roll Process Using Roll Configuration Matching
Authors: Kim MoonSoo , Oh Dongho , Kim Youngjin , Kim TaeHyeong , Kim JiHyeon
Published: October 2017

In a roll-to-roll printed electronics system, the matching state of two rolls is critical to increase the printing precision by uniformizing the printing pressure. To investigate the matching state of two rolls, the shape information of each roll was measured. Based on the measurement data, the variance in the axial distance of two rolls is taken into consideration. The results show that the uniformity of the printing pressure is increased through the shape measurement and matching of two rolls. In addition, the geometric relation between two rolls was estimated to apply to a control system to decrease the non-uniformity of the printing pressure.
A Longitudinal Model Based Probabilistic Fault Diagnosis Algorithm of Autonomous Vehicles Using Sliding Mode Observer
Authors: Oh Kwangseok , Yi Kyongsu
Published: October 2017

This paper describes a longitudinal model based probabilistic fault diagnosis algorithm of autonomous vehicles using sliding mode observer. Autonomous vehicles use various sensors such as radar, lidar, and camera to obtain environment information. And internal sensors such as wheel speed, acceleration, and steering angle sensors have been used in vehicle to measure vehicle dynamic states. Based on the measured environment and vehicle states information, autonomous vehicle decides how to drive and control steering, throttle, and brake. Therefore, fault diagnosis of sensors used in autonomous vehicles is the most important for safe driving. In order to diagnosis longitudinal acceleration sensor fault of autonomous vehicle, longitudinal kinematic model has been used. The relative acceleration has been reconstructed using sliding mode observer based on environment information such as relative displacement and velocity between preceding vehicle and subject vehicle. The reconstructed relative acceleration has been used to compute longitudinal acceleration probabilistically based on analyzed longitudinal vehicle’s acceleration. The computed acceleration has been compared with measured acceleration for fault diagnosis of the acceleration sensor. The probabilistic fault diagnosis algorithm has been proposed and evaluated using actual data with arbitrary fault signal. The evaluation results of the proposed fault diagnosis algorithm show the reasonable fault diagnosis performance.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Lubricant Transfer Between Slider and Bit Patterned Disk
Authors: Song Wenping , Yu Shimin , Pan Deng , Liu Qingkang , Li Longqiu
Published: October 2017

A modified coarse-grained, bead-spring model for lubricant transfer from a bit patterned media (BPM) disk to a slider is developed using molecular dynamics (MD). The lubricant transfer at slider/BPM disk interface is compared with that at slider/conventional disk interface. In addition, the effect of lubricant thickness and slider flying height is investigated.
Super water-repellent treatment of various cloths by deposition of catalytic-CVD polytetrafluoroethylene films
Authors: Matsumura Hideki , Mishiro Mai , Takachi Michihisa , Ohdaira Keisuke
Published: October 2017

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commercial name “Teflon,” films prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD), often called “hot-wire CVD,” are deposited on various cloths of cotton, cotton denim, nylon, and polyester. After deposition on such cloths, they show super water-repellent property without impairing breathability. The whole surface of fibers of these cloths is completely covered with PTFE layers which form reticulated sharp convex–concave network structures with a size of a few micrometers or less in pitch. The super water-repellent property can be seen even at the back side of the cloths when PTFE films are deposited only at the front side.
Temporary hearing threshold shift in a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) after exposure to multiple airgun sounds
Authors: Kastelein Ronald A. , Helder-Hoek Lean , Van de Voorde Shirley , von Benda-Beckmann Alexander M. , Lam Frans-Peter A. , Jansen Erwin , de Jong Christ A. F. , Ainslie Michael A.
Published: October 2017

In seismic surveys, reflected sounds from airguns are used under water to detect gas and oil below the sea floor. The airguns produce broadband high-amplitude impulsive sounds, which may cause temporary or permanent threshold shifts (TTS or PTS) in cetaceans. The magnitude of the threshold shifts and the hearing frequencies at which they occur depend on factors such as the received cumulative sound exposure level (SELcum), the number of exposures, and the frequency content of the sounds. To quantify TTS caused by airgun exposure and the subsequent hearing recovery, the hearing of a harbor porpoise was tested by means of a psychophysical technique. TTS was observed after exposure to 10 and 20 consecutive shots fired from two airguns simultaneously (SELcum: 188 and 191 dB re 1 μPa2s) with mean shot intervals of around 17 s. Although most of the airgun sounds' energy was below 1 kHz, statistically significant initial TTS1-4 (1–4 min after sound exposure stopped) of ∼4.4 dB occurred only at the hearing frequency 4 kHz, and not at lower hearing frequencies tested (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz). Recovery occurred within 12 min post-exposure. The study indicates that frequency-weighted SELcum is a good predictor for the low levels of TTS observed.
On the acoustical features of vowel nasality in English and French
Authors: Styler Will
Published: October 2017

Although much is known about the linguistic function of vowel nasality, whether contrastive (as in French) or coarticulatory (as in English), and much effort has gone into identifying potential correlates for the phenomenon, this study examines these proposed features to find the optimal acoustic feature(s) for nasality measurement. To this end, a corpus of 4778 oral and nasal vowels in English and French was collected, and data for 22 features were extracted. A series of linear mixed-effects regressions highlighted three promising features with large oral-to-nasal feature differences and strong effects relative to normal oral vowel variability: A1-P0, F1's bandwidth, and spectral tilt. However, these three features, particularly A1-P0, showed considerable variation in baseline and range across speakers and vowels within each language. Moreover, although the features were consistent in direction across both languages, French speakers' productions showed markedly stronger effects, and showed evidence of spectral tilt beyond the nasal norm being used to enhance the oral-nasal contrast. These findings strongly suggest that the acoustic nature of vowel nasality is both language- and speaker-specific, and that, like vowel formants, nasality measurements require speaker normalization for across-speaker comparison, and that these acoustic properties should not be taken as constant across different languages.
On the wind noise reduction mechanism of porous microphone windscreens
Authors: Zhao Sipei , Dabin Matthew , Cheng Eva , Qiu Xiaojun , Burnett Ian , Liu Jacob Chia-chun
Published: October 2017

This paper investigates the wind noise reduction mechanism of porous microphone windscreens. The pressure fluctuations inside the porous windscreens with various viscous and inertial coefficients are studied with numerical simulations. The viscous and inertial coefficients represent the viscous forces resulting from the fluid–solid interaction along the surface of the pores and the inertial forces imposed on the fluid flow by the solid structure of the porous medium, respectively. Simulation results indicate that the wind noise reduction first increases and then decreases with both viscous and inertial coefficients after reaching a maximum. Experimental results conducted on five porous microphone windscreens with porosity from 20 to 60 pores per inch (PPI) show that the 40 PPI windscreen has the highest wind noise reduction performance, and this supports the simulation results. The existence of the optimal values for the viscous and inertial coefficients is explained qualitatively and it is shown that the design of the porous microphone windscreens should take into account both the turbulence suppression inside and the wake generation behind the windscreen to achieve optimal performance.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole in Infants and Children
Authors: Autmizguine Julie , Melloni Chiara , Hornik Christoph P. , Dallefeld Samantha , Harper Barrie , Yogev Ram , Sullivan Janice E. , Atz Andrew M. , Al-Uzri Amira , Mendley Susan , Poindexter Brenda , Mitchell Jeff , Lewandowski Andrew , Delmore Paula , Cohen-Wolkowiez Michael , Gonzalez Daniel
Published: October 2017

Trimethoprim (TMP)-sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is used to treat various types of infections, including community-acquired methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(CA-MRSA) andPneumocystis jiroveciiinfections in children. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data for infants and children are limited, and the optimal dosing is not known. We performed a multicenter, prospective PK study of TMP-SMX in infants and children. Separate population PK models were developed for TMP and SMX administered by the enteral route using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Optimal dosing was determined on the basis of the matching adult TMP exposure and attainment of the surrogate pharmacodynamic (PD) target for efficacy, a free TMP concentration above the MIC over 50% of the dosing interval. Data for a total of 153 subjects (240 samples for PK analysis) with a median postnatal age of 8 years (range, 0.1 to 20 years) contributed to the analysis for both drugs. A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination characterized the TMP and SMX PK data well. Weight was included in the base model for clearance (CL/F) and volume of distribution (V/F). Both TMP and SMX CL/Fincreased with age. In addition, TMP and SMX CL/Fwere inversely related to the serum creatinine and albumin concentrations, respectively. The exposure achieved in children after oral administration of TMP-SMX at 8/40 mg/kg of body weight/day divided into administration every 12 h matched the exposure achieved in adults after administration of TMP-SMX at 320/1,600 mg/day divided into administration every 12 h and achieved the PD target for bacteria with an MIC of 0.5 mg/liter in >90% of infants and children. The exposure achieved in children after oral administration of TMP-SMX at 12/60 and 15/75 mg/kg/day divided into administration every 12 h matched the exposure achieved in adults after administration of TMP-SMX at 640/3,200 mg/day divided into administration every 12 h in subjects 6 to <21 years and 0 to <6 years of age, respectively, and was optimal for bacteria with an MIC of up to 1 mg/liter.
The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis) Immune Deficiency Signaling Pathway Regulates Rickettsia typhi Infection
Authors: Rennoll Sherri A. , Rennoll-Bankert Kristen E. , Guillotte Mark L. , Lehman Stephanie S. , Driscoll Timothy P. , Beier-Sexton Magda , Rahman M. Sayeedur , Gillespie Joseph J. , Azad Abdu F.
Published: October 2017

Rickettsia
species are obligate intracellular bacteria with both conserved and lineage-specific strategies for invading and surviving within eukaryotic cells. One variable component of
Rickettsia
biology involves arthropod vectors: for instance, typhus group rickettsiae are principally vectored by insects (i.e., lice and fleas), whereas spotted fever group rickettsiae are exclusively vectored by ticks. For flea-borne
Rickettsia typhi
, the etiological agent of murine typhus, research on vertebrate host biology is facilitated using cell lines and animal models. However, due to the lack of any stable flea cell line or a published flea genome sequence, little is known regarding
R. typhi
biology in flea vectors that, importantly, do not suffer lethality due to
R. typhi
infection. To address if fleas combat rickettsial infection, we characterized the cat flea (
Ctenocephalides felis
) innate immune response to
R. typhi
. Initially, we determined that
R. typhi
infects
Drosophila
cells and increases antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression, indicating immune pathway activation. While bioinformatics analysis of the
C. felis
transcriptome identified homologs to all of the
Drosophila
immune deficiency (IMD) and Toll pathway components, an AMP gene expression profile in
Drosophila
cells indicated IMD pathway activation upon rickettsial infection. Accordingly, we assessed
R. typhi
-mediated flea IMD pathway activation
in vivo
using small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown. Knockdown of
Relish
and
Imd
increased
R. typhi
infection levels, implicating the IMD pathway as a critical regulator of
R. typhi
burden in
C. felis
. These data suggest that targeting the IMD pathway could minimize the spread of
R. typhi
, and potentially other human pathogens, vectored by fleas.
Staphylococcus aureus Alpha-Toxin Disrupts Endothelial-Cell Tight Junctions via Acid Sphingomyelinase and Ceramide
Authors: Becker Katrin Anne , Fahsel Björn , Kemper Hannes , Mayeres Joelina , Li Cao , Wilker Barbara , Keitsch Simone , Soddemann Matthias , Sehl Carolin , Kohnen Marcus , Edwards Michael J. , Grassmé Heike , Caldwell Charles C. , Seitz Aaron , Fraunholz Martin , Gulbins Erich
Published: October 2017

Staphylococcus aureus
(
S. aureus
) infections are among the most common and severe infections, garnering notoriety in an era of increasing resistance to antibiotics. It is therefore important to define molecular mechanisms by which this pathogen attacks host cells. Here, we demonstrate that alpha-toxin, one of the major toxins of
S. aureus
, induces activation of acid sphingomyelinase and concomitant release of ceramide in endothelial cells treated with the toxin. Activation of acid sphingomyelinase by alpha-toxin is mediated via ADAM10. Infection experiments employing alpha-toxin-deficient
S. aureus
and the corresponding wild-type strain reveal that activation of acid sphingomyelinase in endothelial cells requires alpha-toxin expression by the pathogen. Activation of acid sphingomyelinase is linked to degradation of tight junctions in endothelial cells
in vitro
, which is blocked by pharmacological inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase. Most importantly, alpha-toxin induces severe degradation of tight junctions in the lung and causes lung edema
in vivo
, which is prevented by genetic deficiency of acid sphingomyelinase. These data indicate a novel and important role of the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide system for the endothelial response to toxins and provide a molecular link between alpha-toxin and the degradation of tight junctions. The data also suggest that inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase may provide a novel treatment option to prevent lung edema caused by
S. aureus
alpha-toxin.
Substrate Specificity for Bacterial RNases HII and HIII Is Influenced by Metal Availability
Authors: Randall Justin R. , Hirst William G. , Simmons Lyle A.
Published: October 2017

We tested the activities of four predicated RNase H enzymes, including two RNase HI-type enzymes, in addition to RNase HII (RnhB) and RNase HIII (RnhC), on several RNA-DNA hybrid substrates with different divalent metal cations. We found that the two RNase HI-type enzymes, YpdQ and YpeP, failed to show activity on the three substrates tested. RNase HII and RNase HIII cleaved all the substrates tested, although the activity was dependent on the metal made available. We show that
Bacillus subtilis
RNase HII and RNase HIII are both able to incise 5′ to a single ribonucleoside monophosphate (rNMP). We show that RNase HIII incision at a single rNMP occurs most efficiently with Mn
2+
, an activity we found to be conserved among other Gram-positive RNase HIII enzymes. Characterization of RNases HII and HIII with metal concentrations in the physiological range showed that RNase HII can cleave at single rNMPs embedded in DNA while RNase HIII is far less effective. Further, using metal concentrations within the physiological range, RNase HIII efficiently cleaved longer RNA-DNA hybrids lacking an RNA-DNA junction, while RNase HII was much less effective. Phenotypic analysis showed that cells with an
rnhC
deletion were sensitive to hydroxyurea (HU). In contrast, cells with an
rnhB
deletion showed wild-type growth in the presence of HU, supporting the hypothesis that RNases HII and HIII have distinct substrate specificities
in vivo
. This work demonstrates how metal availability influences the substrate recognition and activity of RNases HII and HIII, providing insight into their functions
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE
RNase H represents a class of proteins that cleave RNA-DNA hybrids, helping resolve R-loops and Okazaki fragments, as well as initiating the process of ribonucleotide excision repair (RER). We investigated the activities of four
Bacillus subtilis
RNase H enzymes and found that only RNases HII and HIII have activity and that their substrate preference is dependent on metal availability. To understand the factors that contribute to RNase HII and RNase HIII substrate preference, we show that in the presence of metal concentrations within the physiological range, RNases HII and HIII have distinct activities on different RNA-DNA hybrids. This work provides insight into how RNases HII and HIII repair the broad range of RNA-DNA hybrids that form in Gram-positive bacteria.
Cortical blindness as a rare presentation of hemorrhagic cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome following vertebral angioplasty
Authors: Fu Chao , Xu Zhongxin , Hu Zhenzhen , Yao Shuai , Liu Fengmin , Feng Baiqi , Zhao Conghai , Yu Weidong
Published: October 2017

Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a well-documented complication after carotid endarterectomy or stenting. In contrast, CHS following vertebral revascularization is extremely rare. Here we present a case of a 77-year-old man with high-grade vertebral stenosis who subsequently underwent balloon angioplasty, complicated by hemorrhagic CHS manifesting as cortical blindness, although strict postoperative blood pressure control was administered. To our knowledge, cortical blindness as a presentation of hemorrhagic CHS has not previously been reported. This study highlights the fact that identifying high-risk patients, as well as making an individual therapeutic plan, is important prior to revascularization. Further studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanism of this condition and thereby prevent it.
How can we implement exercise therapy for patellofemoral pain if we don’t know what was prescribed? A systematic review
Authors: Holden Sinead , Rathleff Michael Skovdal , Jensen Martin Bach , Barton Christian J
Published: October 2017

Objective

To evaluate the completeness of exercise prescription in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for patellofemoral pain (PFP), identify which elements are most frequently missing and supplement recommendations based on additional data from authors.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

All studies included in the most recent Cochrane review were evaluated. Additionally, the Cochrane search was updated in June 2016 in Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL and AMED databases. Two raters independently assessed completeness of reporting using the Toigo and Boutellier mechanobiological exercise descriptors, and Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Authors were also contacted to provide additional information.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

RCTs of exercise interventions for PFP.

Results

We included 38 RCTs. The level of exercise prescription detail was low, with no study providing complete information. The most commonly reported exercise descriptors were the ’duration of the experimental period' (n=38/38) and ’number of exercise interventions' (n=35). From TIDieR, the most commonly reported items were the ’intervention name' (n=38) and ’rationale' (n=36).

The least reported items from the exercise descriptors were ’volitional muscular failure', ’temporal distribution of contraction modes', ’time under tension' and ’recovery between exercise sessions' (all n=2/38). From TIDieR, the least reported item was ‘How well (fidelity and adherence)’ (n=3/38).

36 authors were contacted, with 22 replies and 13 providing additional exercise prescription details .

Conclusion

Exercise prescriptions in RCTs with proven efficacy for PFP are poorly reported, impairing their implementation in clinical practice.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016039138.
Direct medical costs of hospitalisations for mental disorders in Shanghai, China: a time series study
Authors: Chen Wenming , Wang Shengnan , Wang Qi , Wang Weibing
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To provide cost burden estimates and long-term trend forecast of mental disorders that need hospitalisations in Shanghai, China.

Design

Daily hospital admissions and medical expenditures for mental disorder hospitalisations between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015 were used for analysis. Yearly total health expenditures and expenditures per hospital admission for different populations, as well as per-admission-per-year medical costs of each service for mental disorder hospitalisations, were estimated through data from 2015. We also established time series analyses to determine the long-time trend of total direct medical expenditures for mental disorders and forecasted expenditures until 31 December 2030.

Setting

Shanghai, China.

Participants

Daily hospital admissions for mental disorders of registered residents living in all 16 districts of Shanghai, who participated in workers’ basic medical insurance or the urban residents’ basic medical insurance (n=60 306).

Results

From 2011 to 2015, there were increased yearly trends for both hospitalisations (from 10 919 to 14 054) and total costs (from US$23.56 to 42.13 million per year in 2015 currency) in Shanghai. Cost per mental disorder hospitalisation in 2015 averaged US$2998.01. Most direct medical costs were spent on medical supplies. By the end of 2030, the average cost per admission per month for mental disorders was estimated to be US$7394.17 (95% CI US$6782.24 to 8006.10) for mental disorders, and the total health expenditure for mental disorders would reach over US$100.52 million (95% CI US$92.20 to 108.83 million) without additional government interventions.

Conclusions

These findings suggest total health expenditures for mental disorders in Shanghai will be higher in the future. Effective measures should be taken to reduce the rapid growth of the economic burden of mental disorders.
How to measure experiences of healthcare quality in Denmark among patients with heart disease? The development and psychometric evaluation of a patient-reported instrument
Authors: Zinckernagel Line , Schneekloth Nanna , Zwisler Ann-Dorthe Olsen , Ersbøll Annette Kjær , Rod Morten Hulvej , Jensen Poul Dengsøe , Timm Helle , Holmberg Teresa
Published: October 2017

Objective

Measuring the quality of care as experienced by patients is increasingly recognised as a way of improving healthcare services. However, disease-specific measures that take the patient journey into account are needed. This paper presents the development of such a measure for patients with heart disease and details the psychometric evaluation.

Design

The questionnaire was developed based on a literature review, qualitative interviews and a pilot-test. The psychometric evaluation of the measure was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and differential item functioning analysis with data from a population-based survey.

Setting

Denmark in 2013–2014.

Study participants

Nineteen heart patients, four relatives and eight health professionals participated in qualitative interviews in the development phase, and 15 patients participated in the pilot-test. The questionnaire was subsequently sent to a random sample of 5000 heart patients who were diagnosed in 2013.

Results

The comprehensive development phase and pilot-testing contributed to high content validity of the questionnaire. Eligible questionnaire responses were received from 2496 patients. EFA indicated a nine-factor model: communication at the hospital, communication with the general practitioner, information on disease and treatment, information on psychosocial aspects, rehabilitation/support, organisation, medication, involvement of relatives and consideration of comorbidity. CFA confirmed the proposed factor structure (eg, goodness-of-fit index=0.88, adjusted goodness-of-fit index=0.86, root mean square error of approximation=0.05), and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient revealed good internal consistency of the factors (range: 0.69–0.93).

Conclusions

The results suggest that this disease-specific patient-reported experience measure is of good quality when measuring the quality of care among heart patients. The inclusion of patients in the development phase contributed to high content validity, and subsequent psychometric evaluation found high construct validity and internal consistency. This measure may be especially relevant when seeking information about which aspects of care require improvement and the impact on health outcomes.