bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled study on the effectiveness of animal‐assisted therapy on depression, anxiety, and illness perception in institutionalized elderly
Authors: Ambrosi Caterina , Zaiontz Charles , Peragine Giuseppe , Sarchi Simona , Bona Francesca
Published: September 2018

Aim

The aim of this study was to verify dog‐assisted therapy's effectiveness on depression and anxiety in institutionalized elderly. Patients’ illness perception was examined to identify core beliefs regarding mood, personal control, and illness coherence because they can affect treatment compliance. Subjective perception of pain, social interaction, and setting‐bound observable variables were also studied.

Methods

This study involved a randomized sample of institutionalized patients 65 years of age and older; the treatment group had 17 subjects and the control group had 14 subjects. All patients were administered the Mini‐Mental State Examination, 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, Illness Perception Questionnaire, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Intra‐ and inter‐group data analysis was performed before and after treatment. Over the course of 10 weeks, patients participated in individual 30‐min sessions. An observational methodology was developed to record verbal and non‐verbal interactions between the elderly, the dog, and the dog handler.

Results

A large effect size and a statistically significant decrease in 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale scores were identified in the treatment group. No significant differences were detected in the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale. However, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale showed a moderate decrease. The Illness Perception Questionnaire's timeline (acute/chronic) and treatment control subscales showed a clinically relevant, large effect size.

Conclusions

Dog‐assisted therapy has proved to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression in institutionalized elderly. The increase in verbal interactions with the handlers throughout the study suggests the dog acts as a facilitator of social interaction, eliciting positive emotional responses. Dog‐assisted therapy shows promising results in the perception of illness timeline and treatment control, indicating potential enhancement of the sense of treatment‐related empowerment. However, further study is required.
Functional Clustering of Accelerometer Data Via Transformed Input Variables
Authors: Lim Yaeji , Oh Hee-Seok , Cheung Ying Kuen
Published: September 2018

The paper considers the clustering problem of physical activity data measured by a computerized accelerometer. Classical methods such as K-means clustering and partitioning around medoids are not efficient in handling accelerometer data that are high dimensional with inherent multiscale structures. Existing functional clustering approaches do not naturally utilize the dynamic structures of accelerometer data that may be necessary to form homogeneous clusters in a meaningful way. The paper introduces new input variables for clustering the accelerometer data based on the rank-based transformation and thick pen transformation, which reflect specific structures of the data such as the amount and the pattern of physical activity while preserving a functional form. The clustering methods proposed are obtained by coupling the transformed input variables with functional clustering that considers a marginal representation of the data for building clustering criteria. We suggest several clustering schemes using the proposed methods and apply the schemes to a real data set of 365 subjects. A simulation study is performed to evaluate the empirical performance of the methods proposed, which are shown to be superior to some existing methods.
Sustainable antibullying program implementation: School profiles and predictors
Authors: Sainio Miia , Herkama Sanna , Turunen Tiina , Rönkkö Mikko , Kontio Mari , Poskiparta Elisa , Salmivalli Christina
Published: September 2018

We examined the sustainability of the KiVa antibullying program in Finland from its nationwide roll‐out in 2009 to 2016. Using latent class analyses, we identified four different patterns of implementation. The persistent schools (43%) maintained a high likelihood of participation throughout the study period. The awakened (14%) had a decreasing trend during the first years, but then increased the likelihood of program participation. The tail‐offs (20%) decreased in the likelihood of participating after the third year, and the drop‐offs (23%) already after the first year. The findings suggest that many schools need support during the initial years to launch and maintain the implementation of evidence‐based programs; yet a large proportion of schools manage to sustain the program implementation for several years. The logistic regression analyses showed that large schools persisted more likely than small schools. Lower initial level of victimization was also related to the sustainability of the program. Finally, persistent program participation was predicted by several school‐level actions during the initial years of implementing the program. These results imply that the sustainability of evidence‐based programs could be enhanced by supporting and guiding schools when setting up the program during the initial implementation.
Voices from the field: Constraints encountered by early career elementary science teachers
Authors: Johnson Teri N. , Dabney Katherine P.
Published: September 2018

This multiple‐case study examined constraints encountered by early career elementary school teachers as they try to deliver high‐quality science instruction. Four first‐year teachers, who expressed confidence in their preparation and enthusiasm for teaching science, were asked to reflect on the most effective strategies for teaching elementary science and on the constraints to implementing those strategies. Effective strategies for teaching elementary science included inquiry‐based instruction and group work with peers, discrepant events, and integration across other subjects and work with student vocabulary. Three categories of constraints emerged related to planning and delivering high‐quality science lessons: access to materials and resources, scheduling and prioritizing science instruction, and challenges associated with early career teaching. The findings provide evidence that factors beyond teacher preparation and teacher self‐efficacy continue to negatively impact science instruction in elementary classrooms. Promising avenues for future research in science education include more extensive examinations of educational policy, elementary school leaders’ perspectives and valuation of teaching science, and strategies for helping teachers advocate for best science teaching practices within their schools.
Effects of chemical and physical grassland renovation on the temporal dynamics of organic carbon stocks and water‐stable aggregate distribution in a sandy temperate grassland soil
Authors: Linsler D. , Nüsse A. , Buchen C. , Helfrich M. , Piepho H.‐P. , Ludwig B.
Published: September 2018

Grassland renovation can be done physically by ploughing or chemically using herbicides, but information on influences of grassland renovation on soil structure is scarce. Our objective was to compare physically and chemically renovated grasslands and to quantify temporal variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, water‐stable aggregates and SOC stored in different aggregate fractions. Soil samples were taken on a sandy soil before (T0), 6 days (T6_days), 2 (T2_mo), 7 (T7_mo) and 12 months (T12_mo) after grassland renovation and in permanent grassland. Neither grassland renovation practice led to SOC losses in 0–10 cm after 12 months. The physical renovation led to an increase in microaggregates (53–250 μm) in the surface soil between T0 and T6_days and to highest microaggregate concentrations in T2_mo and T7_mo. Therefore, ploughing seems to have direct negative effects on macroaggregates (10 mm–250 μm) followed by indirect longer‐lasting negative effects which were nullified after 1 year. Chemical renovation resulted in no different aggregate distribution than permanent grassland. Strong temporal variations in aggregate distribution were found especially for large macroaggregates with lowest concentrations in T6_days and 6.7‐ to 10.2‐fold higher concentrations in T2_mo. A linear regression suggested that the soil gravimetric moisture content might have caused this observation.
Risk factors for infection after pediatric lung transplantation
Authors: Onyearugbulem Chinyere , Williams Lauren , Zhu Huirong , Gazzaneo Maria C. , Melicoff Ernestina , Das Shailendra , Coss‐Bu Jorge , Lam Fong , Mallory George , Munoz Flor M.
Published: September 2018

Although infection is the leading cause of death in the first year following pediatric lung transplantation, there are limited data on risk factors for early infection. Sepsis remains under‐recognized and under‐reported in the early post‐operative period for lung transplant recipients (LTR). We evaluated the incidence of infection and sepsis, and identified risk factors for infection in the early post‐operative period in pediatric LTRs. A retrospective review of medical records of LTRs at a large quaternary‐care hospital from January 2009 to March 2016 was conducted. Microbiology results on days 0‐7 after transplant were obtained. Sepsis was defined using the 2005 International Pediatric Consensus Conferencecriteria. Risk factors included history of recipient and donor infection, history of multi‐drug resistant (MDR) infection, nutritional status, and surgical times. Among the 98 LTRs, there were 22 (22%) with post‐operative infection. Prolonged donor ischemic time ≥7 hours, cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) time ≥340 minutes, history of MDR infection and diagnosis of cystic fibrosis were significantly associated with infection. With multivariable regression analysis, only prolonged donor ischemic time remained significant (OR 4.4, 95% CI: 1.34‐14.48). Further research is needed to determine whether processes to reduce donor ischemic time could result in decreased post‐transplant morbidity.
Bacterial infections in pediatric patients during early post liver transplant period: A prospective study in Iran
Authors: Pouladfar Gholamreza , Jafarpour Zahra , Malek Hosseini Seyed Ali , Firoozifar Mohammad , Rasekh Razieh , Khosravifard Leila
Published: September 2018

Background

Bacterial infection in early period after liver transplant (LT) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality; however, data on children is limited.

Methods

To investigate the frequency, characteristics, and the associated factors of bacterial infection during hospitalization after LT, we prospectively enrolled all consecutive children with LT for a one‐year, case‐control study at the unique referral center of pediatric LT in Iran.

Results

Eighty‐five events of bacterial infection were detected among 51 out of 94 LT recipients (54.3%) (infection group). Forty‐three patients without bacterial infection constituted the control group. The frequency of bacterial infection based on the 51 microbiologically documented events was 31.9% (30 out of 94 patients). Major site of bacterial isolation were abdomen (43.6%). The following variables were associated with bacterial infection in univariate analysis: younger age (5.6 vs 8.9 years old), longer duration of JP Drain (13.4 vs 6.3 days), central venous catheter (14.6 vs 7.6 days), and Foley catheter insertion (7.3 vs 4.5 days), reoperation (57% vs 12% of patients), mean frequency of reoperation (1.1 vs 0.1 times), and intensive care unit stay (12.1 vs 6.5 days). In multivariate analysis, only longer hospital stay after transplant (23.6 vs 10.9 days) was independently associated with bacterial infection. All ten deaths occurred within the infection group and half of which directly caused by infection.

Conclusions

These infections were associated with longer hospital stay and higher mortality rate. Conducting further studies with larger sample size and investigating more effective prophylactic measures should be considered in future studies.
Severe hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn due to allo‐anti‐D in a patient with a partial DEL phenotype arising from the variant allele described as RHD*148+1T (RHD*01EL.31)
Authors: Turley Elona , McGowan Eunike C. , Hyland Catherine A. , Schoeman Elizna M. , Flower Robert L. , Skoll Amanda , Delisle Marie‐France , Nelson Tanya , Clarke Gwen , Au Nicholas
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

RhD DEL variants may show complete or partial expression of RhD epitopes. There have been only rare reports of anti‐D causing hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) in this context. We report a case of severe HDFN associated with a recently described DEL variant.

CASE REPORT

A multiparous woman presented with an allo‐anti‐D and showed incongruent phenotyping and genotyping results on initial study. Further investigations identified the RHD mutation, defined as RHD*148+1T and named RHD*01EL.31, which had been previously associated with a DEL phenotype. Extended RhD phenotyping by adsorption‐elution showed that there was reactivity with four of nine monoclonal anti‐D antibodies, suggesting a partial DEL phenotype. The first child showed no clinical evidence of HDFN, although the cord direct antiglobulin test was positive. The second child developed fetal anemia treated with intrauterine transfusion, and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion.

CONCLUSION

The RHD allele, RHD*148+1T, results in a partial Del phenotype, and the anti‐D formed in pregnant women with this phenotype is capable of causing severe HDFN.
Comparison of three mobilization protocols for peripheral blood stem cell apheresis with Spectra Optia continuous mononuclear cell protocol in healthy dogs
Authors: Kim Sangho , Hosoya Kenji , Kobayashi Ayumi , Okumura Masahiro
Published: September 2018

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation following consolidation therapy is a feasible treatment option for canine haematological malignancies. In veterinary medicine, haematopoietic stem cells are generally mobilized into peripheral circulation using a granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the haematopoietic stem cell mobilization effect of three different regimens for PBSC apheresis with Spectra Optia continuous mononuclear cell (CMNC) protocol in healthy dogs. Stem cell mobilization was performed using high‐dose plerixafor (CXCR‐4 inhibitor) alone, a G‐CSF alone, or a combination of the low‐dose plerixafor and G‐CSF. Three dogs were assigned to each mobilization protocol. Regardless of the mobilization protocol, the total blood volume processed was uniformly set as 270 mL/kg and many PBSCs, defined as CD34+/CD45dim cells, within the apheresis product were compared. Changes in complete blood count, PBSC counts, and blood chemistry analysis were monitored before, during, and after apheresis. All dogs tolerated the apheresis procedure using the Spectra Optia system with minimal adverse effects. The mean PBSC counts of the apheresis products for plerixafor, G‐CSF, and the combination groups were 1.3 ± 0.24, 4.2 ± 0.47, and 6.4 ± 0.9 × 106 cells/kg, respectively. The apheresis procedure using Spectra Optia CMNC protocol in dogs is safe and feasible. Furthermore, PBSC mobilization with a combination of G‐CSF and plerixafor appeared more effective than either compound alone in mobilizing PBSC to the peripheral blood in dogs.
Impact of Consumption and Investment onto Growth: An Example of the Republic of Srpska
Authors: Spasojević Boris , Đukić Aleksandar
Published: September 2018

The economy of the Republic of Srpska is burdened by inherited (structural) issues and a sluggish adjustment of the current economic policy to the contemporary global trends. According to the standards of the WB, IMF and Kuznets, the Republic of Srpska is classified as a small economy. Just like Bosnia and Herzegovina or any other countries of Western Balkans, it too is finalising the transition to a market economy. The Republic of Srpska features insufficient GDP growth rates. Under such circumstances, there is a need for enticement of GDP growth. Consumption (both final and public) as well as all forms of investment affect economic growth, with FDIs having a particularly important role. In most countries, there is a positive correlation between investment and GDP growth. Likewise, there is a positive correlation between GDP growth and final consumption. Therefore, the Republic of Srpska, as well as any other small economy, resorts to attracting investments and increasing final consumption. However, the issue is that public debt maintains its growing trend in most of such transitional economies. This paper contains the quantification of the impact of investments and consumption onto the GDP of the Republic of Srpska. It has been proven that the final consumption and investments affect GDP growth in the Republic of Srpska. Correlation-regression analysis confirmed a positive correlation between the mentioned variables. This development policy affects the continuous growth of public debt and brings the increase in the share of government (public) consumption in total consumption. In addition, it also affects the insufficient efficiency of investments. As a consequence, low productivity and insufficient competitiveness emerge, followed by the occurrence of other economic and social problems. Therefore, the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina need to complete the initiated reforms and expedite their EU integration, modernize and restructure their industry as per the requirements of the global market, reduce the costs of public institutions and increase their overall competitiveness.
Play with Words-Palindrome: A Method to Make English Vocabulary-Learning Interesting
Authors: Yu Peng
Published: September 2018

It is commonly believed that one of the unpopular English courses is vocabulary course, because the content is boring, the classroom atmosphere is dull and the students’ enthusiasm is low. Moreover some people think that English vocabulary course is unnecessary and it should only be learned by students themselves. Worse still, some teachers just give up the teaching of vocabulary for they think vocabulary lesson is to recite words and that is the students’ business.But in fact, it is not right, for teacher’s guidance in students’ learning is crucial, and the teaching of vocabulary is important for students’ language competence. English vocabulary learning belongs to the category of basic knowledge, and the basic knowledge of students is a necessary condition and foundation for practical use of English, no matter for oral English competence or English writing and reading ability. It is the responsibility of teachers to think such a question why students have little enthusiasm and weak interest in vocabulary course, and why the classroom atmosphere is dull instead of active and interactive. It is the task of teachers to design a vocabulary course with interesting content and interactive parts to make the lesson vivid and to improve the students’ enthusiasm and interest.Actually, in English vocabulary there are many interesting and meaningful phenomena, such as Spoonerisms, Tongue Twister Fun, oxymoron, Malapropisms, Palindrome, Redundancies, Ambiguities, "Net Lingua" – The Language of the Internet, Etymology: Word Origins, and Pangrams Section, etc., which leave a “space” for language-leaners to find out secret and surprise, and to actively explore and discover something different instead of negatively reciting words. They make the boring vocabulary lesson changed into the interesting and interactive practical course, which is one of the sources of interest for students.The author in this paper intends to give a brief introduction to one of these interesting linguistic phenomena, Palindrome, including definition, origin and function etc., for teachers to use for reference to make their course more vivid and effective.
Cultural Presentation in Thai Secondary School ELT Coursebooks: An Analysis From Intercultural Perspectives
Authors: Thumvichit Athip
Published: September 2018

Globalization has accelerated the growth of English and created a need for several changes in English language teaching (ELT), one of which is related to the role of ELT materials in facilitating interaction across cultures. Considering the fast growing importance of cultural content in ELT, this study explores issues of cultural presentation in Thai secondary school ELT coursebooks. The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to analyze cultural content presented in visuals and reading texts; second, to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward cultural presentation in ELT coursebooks. The coursebook sample included seven approved ELT coursebooks entitled Bridge 1, English in Mind 1, Messages 1, Motivate! 1, New World 1, Time Zone 1, and Your Space 1. The findings suggested that native speakers’ contexts were dominantly portrayed in both visuals and reading texts in all the coursebooks except Time Zone 1, which yielded a great deal of non-native speakers’ contexts. Nevertheless, Thai cultural context was completely absent from the reading-focused activities, and only a few pictures presenting Thai culture were identified. The questionnaire findings revealed that Thai secondary teachers are ready to embrace the intercultural aspects of ELT, as the overwhelming majority of respondents’ opinions signified the shift toward localized and culturally diversified materials.
Theoretical Analysis and Numerical Optimization of a Wearable Spring-Clutch Mechanism for Reducing Metabolic Energy Cost During Human Walking
Authors: Keren Roee , Or Yizhar
Published: September 2018

There is a growing interest in assistive wearable devices for laden walking, with applications to civil hiking or military soldiers carrying heavy loads in outdoor rough terrains. While the solution of powered exoskeleton is known to be heavy and energy consuming, recent works presented wearable light-weight (semi-)passive elements based on elastic springs engaged by timed clutches. In this work, we theoretically study the dynamics of a five-link model of a human walker with point feet, using numerical simulations. We propose a novel mechanism of a spring and two triggered clutches, which enables locking the spring with stored energy while the device's length can change freely. For a given gait of joint angles trajectories, we numerically optimize the spring parameters and clutch timing for minimizing the metabolic energy cost. We show that a cleverly designed device can, in theory, lead to a drastic reduction in metabolic energy expenditure.
Ankle Strength Deficits in a Cohort of College Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Wisthoff Bethany , Matheny Shannon , Struminger Aaron , Gustavsen Geoffrey , Glutting Joseph , Swanik Charles , Kaminski Thomas W.
Published: September 2018

Context: Lateral ankle sprains commonly occur in an athletic population and can lead to chronic ankle instability. Objective: To compare ankle strength measurements in athletes who have mechanical laxity and report functional instability after a history of unilateral ankle sprains. Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: Athletic Training Research Lab. Participants: A total of 165 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes, 97 males and 68 females, with history of unilateral ankle sprains participated. Main Outcome Measures: Functional ankle instability was determined by Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool scores and mechanical ankle instability by the participant having both anterior and inversion/eversion laxity. Peak torque strength measures, concentric and eccentric, in 2 velocities were measured. Results: Of the 165 participants, 24 subjects had both anterior and inversion/eversion laxity and 74 self-reported functional ankle instability on their injured ankle. The mechanical ankle instability group presented with significantly lower plantar flexion concentric strength at 30°/s (139.7 [43.7] N·m) (P = .01) and eversion concentric strength at 120°/s (14.8 [5.3] N·m) (P = .03) than the contralateral, uninjured ankle (166.3 [56.8] N·m, 17.4 [6.2] N·m, respectively). Conclusion: College athletes who present with mechanical laxity on a previously injured ankle exhibit plantar flexion and eversion strength deficits between ankles.
Differential Effect of Recurrent Concussions on Symptom Clusters in Sport Concussion Assessment Tool
Authors: Chen Jian , Oddson Bruce , Gilbert Heather C.
Published: September 2018

Context: Symptom checklist in Sport Concussion Assessment Tool has been widely used in preseason assessment and in concussion diagnosis, but the impact of prior concussions on the graded symptoms after a new concussion has not been evaluated. Objective: This study was undertaken to examine reported symptoms associated with recurrent concussions using data of a comprehensive survey among athletes. Design: Retrospective survey and cross-sectional study. Setting: College athletes. Participants: Student athletes who sustained one or more concussions. Main Outcome Measures: Concussion history and graded symptoms of the most recent concussion at time of the survey were surveyed. The impact of prior concussions was examined over symptoms and aggregated symptoms. Results: Multiple concussions were associated with greater reporting of individual symptoms related to emotion and physical symptoms of sensitivity to light and noise: more emotional (z = 2.3, P = .02); sadness (z = 2.4, P = .02); nervousness (z = 2.4, P = .02); irritability (z = 3.6, P = .01); sensitivity to light (z = 2.6, P = .01); and sensitivity to noise (z = 2.4, P = .04). The composite scores of emotional symptom and sensitivity symptom clusters were significantly higher: t = 2.68 (P < .01) and t = 3.35 (P < .01), respectively. Conclusions: The significant rises in emotional and sensitivity symptoms may be an important additive effect of concussive injury. Closer attention should be given to these symptom clusters when evaluating concussion injury and recovery.
Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Dose-Finding Study To Evaluate High-Dose Rifampin for Tuberculous Meningitis
Authors: Dian S. , Yunivita V. , Ganiem A. R. , Pramaesya T. , Chaidir L. , Wahyudi K. , Achmad T. H. , Colbers A. , te Brake L. , van Crevel R. , Ruslami R. , Aarnoutse R.
Published: September 2018

High doses of rifampin may help patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) to survive. Pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic evaluations suggested that rifampin doses higher than 13 mg/kg given intravenously or 20 mg/kg given orally (as previously studied) are warranted to maximize treatment response.
Gametocytes from K13 Propeller Mutant Plasmodium falciparum Clinical Isolates Demonstrate Reduced Susceptibility to Dihydroartemisinin in the Male Gamete Exflagellation Inhibition Assay
Authors: Lozano Sonia , Gamallo Pablo , González-Cortés Carolina , Presa Matilla Jesús-Luís , Fairhurst Rick M. , Herreros Esperanza , Amaratunga Chanaki , Rodrigues Janneth
Published: September 2018

Mutations in the kelch propeller domain (K13 propeller) of
Plasmodium falciparum
parasites from Southeast Asia are associated with reduced susceptibility to artemisinin. We exposed
in vitro
-cultured stage V gametocytes from Cambodian K13 propeller mutant parasites to dihydroartemisinin and evaluated the inhibition of male gamete formation in an
in vitro
exflagellation inhibition assay (EIA).
Implications of the EUCAST Trailing Phenomenon in Candida tropicalis for the
In Vivo
Susceptibility in Invertebrate and Murine Models
Authors: Astvad K. M. T. , Sanglard D. , Delarze E. , Hare R. K. , Arendrup M. C.
Published: September 2018

Candida tropicalis
isolates often display reduced but persistent growth (trailing) over a broad fluconazole concentration range during EUCAST susceptibility testing. Whereas weak trailing (<25% of the positive growth control) is common and found not to impair fluconazole efficacy, we investigated if more pronounced trailing impacted treatment efficacy.
Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling Studies of Chiral Chloroquine Analogues as Antimalarial Agents
Authors: Kondaparla Srinivasarao , Debnath Utsab , Soni Awakash , Dola Vasantha Rao , Sinha Manish , Srivastava Kumkum , Puri Sunil K. , Katti Seturam B.
Published: September 2018

In a focused exploration, we designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated chiral conjugated new chloroquine (CQ) analogues with substituted piperazines as antimalarial agents.
In vitro
as well as
in vivo
studies revealed that compound 7c showed potent activity (
in vitro
50% inhibitory concentration, 56.98 nM for strain 3D7 and 97.76 nM for strain K1; selectivity index
in vivo
[up to at a dose of 12.5 mg/kg of body weight], 3,510) as a new lead antimalarial agent.
Catalase Expression in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 Is Regulated by a Network Consisting of OxyR and Two RpoH Paralogs and Including an RpoE1→RpoH5 Regulatory Cascade
Authors: Rai Ashutosh Kumar , Singh Sudhir , Dwivedi Sushil Kumar , Srivastava Amit , Pandey Parul , Kumar Santosh , Singh Bhupendra Narain , Tripathi Anil Kumar
Published: September 2018

In silico
analysis of the
A. brasilense
genome showed the presence of multiple paralogs of genes involved in oxidative stress response, which included 2 OxyR transcription regulators and 3 catalases. So far,
Deinococcus radiodurans
and
Vibrio cholerae
are known to harbor two paralogs of OxyR, and
Sinorhizobium meliloti
harbors three catalases. We do not yet know how the expression of multiple catalases is regulated in any bacterium. Here we show the role of multiple RpoH sigma factors and OxyR in regulating the expression of multiple catalases in
A. brasilense
Sp7. Our work gives a glimpse of systems biology of
A. brasilense
used for responding to oxidative stress.
Quantitation of Integrated HIV Provirus by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and Droplet Digital PCR
Authors: Lada Steven M. , Huang Karissa , VanBelzen D. Jake , Montaner Luis J. , O'Doherty Una , Richman Douglas D.
Published: September 2018

We utilized pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to purify high-molecular-weight DNA from HIV-infected cells. This purification, in combination with our previously described droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay, was used to develop a method to quantify proviral integrated HIV DNA free of lower-molecular-weight species of HIV DNA.
Characterization of Aspergillus niger Isolated from the International Space Station
Authors: Romsdahl Jillian , Blachowicz Adriana , Chiang Abby J. , Singh Nitin , Stajich Jason E. , Kalkum Markus , Venkateswaran Kasthuri , Wang Clay C. C.
Published: September 2018

A thorough understanding of how fungi respond and adapt to the various stimuli encountered during spaceflight presents many economic benefits and is imperative for the health of crew. As
A. niger
is a predominant ISS isolate frequently detected in built environments, studies of
A. niger
strains inhabiting closed systems may reveal information fundamental to the success of long-duration space missions. This investigation provides valuable insights into the adaptive mechanisms of fungi in extreme environments as well as countermeasures to eradicate unfavorable microbes. Further, it enhances understanding of host-microbe interactions in closed systems, which can help NASA’s Human Research Program maintain a habitat healthy for crew during long-term manned space missions.
Validity of neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born very preterm assessed during routine clinical follow-up in England
Authors: Wong Hilary S , Cowan Frances M , Modi Neena
Published: September 2018

Objective

To determine the validity of assessing and recording the neurodevelopmental outcome of very preterm infants during routine clinical follow-up in England.

Design

Children born <30 weeks gestation, attending routine clinical follow-up at post-term ages 20–28 months, were recruited. Data on neurodevelopmental outcomes were recorded by the reviewing clinician in a standardised format in the child’s electronic patient record, based on a set of key questions designed to be used without formal training or developmental testing. Using a predefined algorithm, each participant was classified as having ‘no’, ‘mild/moderate’ or ‘severe’ impairment in cognitive, communication and motor domains. All participants also received a research assessment by a single assessor using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, third edition (Bayley-III). The sensitivity and specificity of routine data in capturing impairment (any Bayley-III score <85) or severe impairment (any Bayley-III score <70) was calculated.

Results

190 children participated. The validity of routine assessments in identifying children with no impairment and no severe impairment was high across all domains (specificities 83.9%–100.0% and 96.6%–100.0%, respectively). However, identification of impairments, particularly in the cognitive (sensitivity 69.7% (55.1%–84.3%)) and communication (sensitivity (53.2% (42.0%–64.5%)) domains, was poor.

Conclusions

Neurodevelopmental status determined during routine clinical assessment lacks adequate sensitivity in cognitive and communication domains. It is uncertain whether this reflects the assessment or/and the recording of findings. As early intervention may improve education and social outcomes, this is an important area for healthcare quality improvement research.
Haemoglobin A1c and hearing impairment: longitudinal analysis using a large occupational health check-up data of Japan
Authors: Nagahama Satsue , Kashino Ikuko , Hu Huanhuan , Nanri Akiko , Kurotani Kayo , Kuwahara Keisuke , Dan Masashi , Michikawa Takehiro , Akter Shamima , Mizoue Tetsuya , Murakami Yoshitaka , Nishiwaki Yuji
Published: September 2018

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level is associated with the incidence of hearing impairment accounting for smoking status and diabetic condition at baseline.

Methods

Participants were 131 689 men and 71 286 women aged 30–65 years and free of hearing impairment at baseline (2008) who attended Japanese occupational annual health check-ups from 2008 to 2015. We defined low-frequency hearing impairment at a hearing threshold >30 dB at 1 kHz and high frequency at >40 dB at 4 kHz in the better ear in pure-tone audiometric tests. HbA1c was categorised into seven categories. The association between HbA1c and hearing impairment was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

On 5 years mean follow-up, high HbA1c was associated with high-frequency hearing impairment. In non-smokers, HbA1c≥8.0% was associated with high-frequency hearing impairment, with a multivariable HR (95% CI) compared with HbA1c 5.0%–5.4% of 1.46 (1.10 to 1.94) in men and 2.15 (1.13 to 4.10) in women. There was no significant association between HbA1c and hearing impairment in smokers. A J-shaped association between HbA1c and high-frequency hearing impairment was observed for participants with diabetes at baseline. HbA1c was not associated with low-frequency hearing impairment among any participants.

Conclusions

HbA1c ≥8.0% of non-smokers and ≥7.3% of participants with diabetes was associated with high-frequency hearing impairment. These findings indicate that appropriate glycaemic control may prevent diabetic-related hearing impairment.
Neonatal palliative care: a practical checklist approach
Authors: Taylor Naomi , Liang Yi Fan , Tinnion Robert
Published: September 2018

Objectives

Following publication of detailed national neonatal palliative care guidance, practical regional guidance, in the form of multidisciplinary ‘checklists’, was implemented aiming to improve the quality of neonatal palliative care.

Methods

Case note audit was used to examine the quality of locally delivered neonatal palliative care before and after regional guidance implementation.

Results

27 patients were allocated to the ‘before’ cohort and 10 to the ‘after’ cohort. Introduction of the checklists was apparently associated with improvements in domains of pain relief and comfort care, monitoring, fluids and nutrition, completion of diagnostics, treatment ceiling decisions, resuscitation status and discussion with parents. Other support for parents was poorly adhered to.

Conclusion

Regional guidance improved some aspects of palliative care delivery though other areas remained suboptimal. Other strategies, for example, consultation with paediatric palliative care services, need to be considered to further improve the quality of palliative care delivered to babies with life-limiting illnesses.
Coupled Oscillators Model of Hyperexcitable Neuroglial Networks
Authors: Farah Firas H. , Grigorovsky Vasily , Bardakjian Berj L.
Published: September 2018

Glial populations within neuronal networks of the brain have recently gained much interest in the context of hyperexcitability and epilepsy. In this paper, we present an oscillator-based neuroglial model capable of generating Spontaneous Electrical Discharges (SEDs) in hyperexcitable conditions. The network is composed of 16 coupled Cognitive Rhythm Generators (CRGs), which are oscillator-based mathematical constructs previously described by our research team. CRGs are well-suited for modeling assemblies of excitable cells, and in this network, each represents one of the following populations: excitatory pyramidal cells, inhibitory interneurons, astrocytes, and microglia. We investigated various pathways leading to hyperexcitability, and our results suggest an important role for astrocytes and microglia in the generation of SEDs of various durations. Analysis of the resultant SEDs revealed two underlying duration distributions with differing properties. Particularly, short and long SEDs are associated with deterministic and random underlying processes, respectively. The mesoscale of this model makes it well-suited for (a) the elucidation of glia-related hypotheses in hyperexcitable conditions, (b) use as a testing platform for neuromodulation purposes, and (c) a hardware implementation for closed-loop neuromodulation.
Low-Resolution Face Recognition with Single Sample per Person via Domain Adaptation
Authors: Chu Yongjie , Zhao Yong , Ahmad Touqeer , Zhao Lindu
Published: September 2018

Numerous low-resolution (LR) face images are captured by a growing number of surveillance cameras nowadays. In some particular applications, such as suspect identification, it is required to recognize an LR face image captured by the surveillance camera using only one high-resolution (HR) profile face image on the ID card. This leads to LR face recognition with single sample per person (SSPP), which is more challenging than conventional LR face recognition or SSPP face recognition. To address this tough problem, we propose a Boosted Coupled Marginal Fisher Analysis (CMFA) approach, which unites domain adaptation and coupled mappings. An auxiliary database containing multiple HR and LR samples is introduced to explore more discriminative information, and locality preserving domain adaption (LPDA) is designed to realize good domain adaptation between SSPP training set (target domain) and auxiliary database (source domain). We perform LPDA on HR and LR images in both domains, then in the domain adaptation space we apply CMFA to learn the discriminative coupled mappings for classification. The learned coupled mappings embed knowledge from the auxiliary dataset, thus their discriminative ability is superior. We extensively evaluate the proposed method on FERET, LFW and SCface database, the promising results demonstrate its effectiveness on LR face recognition with SSPP.
ANALYTICAL APPROXIMATE SOLUTIONS OF (N + 1)-DIMENSIONAL FRACTAL HARRY DYM EQUATIONS
Authors: SUN JIANSHE
Published: September 2018

The new fractal models of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional and [Formula: see text]-dimensional nonlinear local fractional Harry Dym equation (HDE) on Cantor sets are derived and the analytical approximate solutions of the above two new models are obtained by coupling the fractional complex transform via local fractional derivative (LFD) and local fractional reduced differential transform method (LFRDTM). Fractional complex transform for functions of [Formula: see text]-dimensional variables is generalized and the theorems of [Formula: see text]-dimensional LFRDTM are supplementary extended. The travelling wave solutions of the fractal HDE show that the proposed LFRDTM is effective and simple for obtaining approximate solutions of nonlinear local fractional partial differential equations.
A General Way to Construct a New Optimal Scheme with Eighth-Order Convergence for Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Behl Ramandeep , Chun Changbum , Alshormani Ali Saleh , Motsa S. S.
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we present a new and interesting optimal scheme of order eight in a general way for solving nonlinear equations, numerically. The beauty of our scheme is that it is capable of producing further new and interesting optimal schemes of order eight from every existing optimal fourth-order scheme whose first substep employs Newton’s method. The construction of this scheme is based on rational functional approach. The theoretical and computational properties of the proposed scheme are fully investigated along with a main theorem which establishes the order of convergence and asymptotic error constant. Several numerical examples are given and analyzed in detail to demonstrate faster convergence and higher computational efficiency of our methods.
Study on threshold segmentation of multi-resolution 3D human brain CT image
Authors: Cui Ling-ling , Zhang Hui
Published: September 2018

In order to effectively improve the pathological diagnosis capability and feature resolution of 3D human brain CT images, a threshold segmentation method of multi-resolution 3D human brain CT image based on edge pixel grayscale feature decomposition is proposed in this paper. In this method, first, original 3D human brain image information is collected, and CT image filtering is performed to the collected information through the gradient value decomposition method, and edge contour features of the 3D human brain CT image are extracted. Then, the threshold segmentation method is adopted to segment the regional pixel feature block of the 3D human brain CT image to segment the image into block vectors with high-resolution feature points, and the 3D human brain CT image is reconstructed with the salient feature point as center. Simulation results show that the method proposed in this paper can provide accuracy up to 100% when the signal-to-noise ratio is 0, and with the increase of signal-to-noise ratio, the accuracy provided by this method is stable at 100%. Comparison results show that the threshold segmentation method of multi-resolution 3D human brain CT image based on edge pixel grayscale feature decomposition is significantly better than traditional methods in pathological feature estimation accuracy, and it effectively improves the rapid pathological diagnosis and positioning recognition abilities to CT images.
An automatic approach for characterization of the thermal maturity of dispersed organic matter Raman spectra at low diagenetic stages
Authors: Schito Andrea , Corrado Sveva
Published: September 2018

An automatic approach for analyses of Raman spectra of dispersed organic matter in diagenesis is proposed in this work. The need for a reproducible method of thermal maturity assessment by means of Raman spectroscopic analyses on the organic matter is essential for the development of this technique as a robust support in organic petrographical analyses. The new method was tested on concentrated kerogen derived from a set of 33 samples that originated from cuttings from a 5000 m-thick section drilled in offshore Angola. The proposed method can be applied separately in the D and G bands regions of the Raman spectra, and uses a fitting approach based on asymmetrical Gaussian deconvolution and on the measurement of the integrated area. Results from this work demonstrate that Raman parameters carried out by the new methods reflect the increase in aromaticity in kerogen in diagenesis. Finally, two parametric equations have been proposed to correlate Raman parameters and thermal maturity: the first is for the thermal maturity interval between 0.3 and 1.5% R
o
; and the second has a higher precision of between 1.0 and 1.5% R
o
. The two equations are the result of a multi-linear regression based on robust correlations between Raman parameters and vitrinite reflectance (R
o
%).
Linear Programming as a Baseline for Software Effort Estimation
Authors: Sarro Federica , Petrozziello Alessio
Published: September 2018

Software effort estimation studies still suffer from discordant empirical results (i.e., conclusion instability) mainly due to the lack of rigorous benchmarking methods. So far only one baseline model, namely, Automatically Transformed Linear Model (ATLM), has been proposed yet it has not been extensively assessed. In this article, we propose a novel method based on Linear Programming (dubbed as Linear Programming for Effort Estimation, LP4EE) and carry out a thorough empirical study to evaluate the effectiveness of both LP4EE and ATLM for benchmarking widely used effort estimation techniques. The results of our study confirm the need to benchmark every other proposal against accurate and robust baselines. They also reveal that LP4EE is more accurate than ATLM for 17% of the experiments and more robust than ATLM against different data splits and cross-validation methods for 44% of the cases. These results suggest that using LP4EE as a baseline can help reduce conclusion instability. We make publicly available an open-source implementation of LP4EE in order to facilitate its adoption in future studies.
The ABC of Software Engineering Research
Authors: Stol Klaas-Jan , Fitzgerald Brian
Published: September 2018

A variety of research methods and techniques are available to SE researchers, and while several overviews exist, there is consistency neither in the research methods covered nor in the terminology used. Furthermore, research is sometimes critically reviewed for characteristics inherent to the methods. We adopt a taxonomy from the social sciences, termed here the ABC framework for SE research, which offers a holistic view of eight archetypal research strategies. ABC refers to the research goal that strives for generalizability over Actors (A) and precise measurement of their Behavior (B), in a realistic Context (C). The ABC framework uses two dimensions widely considered to be key in research design: the level of obtrusiveness of the research and the generalizability of research findings. We discuss metaphors for each strategy and their inherent limitations and potential strengths. We illustrate these research strategies in two key SE domains, global software engineering and requirements engineering, and apply the framework on a sample of 75 articles. Finally, we discuss six ways in which the framework can advance SE research.