bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomarkers in Persistent AF and Heart Failure: Impact of Catheter Ablation Compared with Rate Control
Authors: JONES DAVID G. , HALDAR SHOUVIK K. , DONOVAN JACQUELINE , MCDONAGH THERESA A. , SHARMA RAKESH , HUSSAIN WAJID , MARKIDES VIAS , WONG TOM
Published: July 2016

Background

To investigate the effects of catheter ablation and rate control strategies on cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with heart failure and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

Patients were recruited from the ARC‐HF trial (catheter Ablation vs Rate Control for management of persistent AF in Heart Failure, NCT00878384), which compared ablation with rate control for persistent AF in heart failure. B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR‐proANP), apelin, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were assayed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. The primary end point, analyzed per‐protocol, was changed from baseline at 12 months.

Results

Of 52 recruited patients, 24 ablation and 25 rate control subjects were followed to 12 months. After 1.2 ± 0.5 procedures, sinus rhythm was present in 22 (92%) ablation patients; under rate control, rate criteria were achieved in 23 (96%) of 24 patients remaining in AF. At 12 months, MR‐proANP fell significantly in the ablation arm (–106.0 pmol/L, interquartile range [IQR] –228.2 to –60.6) compared with rate control (–28.7 pmol/L, IQR –69 to +9.5, P = 0.028). BNP showed a similar trend toward reduction (P = 0.051), with no significant difference in apelin (P = 0.13) or IL‐6 (P = 0.68). Changes in MR‐proANP and BNP correlated with peak VO2 and ejection fraction, and MR‐proANP additionally with quality‐of‐life score.

Conclusions

Catheter ablation, compared with rate control, in patients with heart failure and persistent AF was associated with significant reduction in MR‐proANP, which correlated with physiological and symptomatic improvement. Ablation‐based rhythm control may induce beneficial cardiac remodeling, unrelated to changes in inflammatory state. This may have prognostic implications, which require confirmation by event end point studies.
A new NO ledge in Chlamydomonas: when the old nitrate reductase meets amidoxime reducing component to produce nitric oxide
Authors: Truong Hoai‐Nam , Meyer Christian
Published: July 2016

This article comments on: A dual system formed by the ARC and NR molybdoenzymes mediates nitrite‐dependent NO production in Chlamydomonas
Wittgenstein's Private Language Investigation
Authors: Lin Francis Y.
Published: July 2016

In this paper, I first review previous interpretations of Wittgenstein's remarks on private language, revealing their inadequacies, and then present my own interpretation. Basing mainly on Wittgenstein's notes for lectures on private sensations, I establish the following points: (i) ‘remembering the connection right’ means ‘reidentifying sensation‐types’; (ii) the reason for ‘no criterion of correctness’ is that nothing, especially no inner mechanisms nor external devices, can be utilised by the private speaker to tell whether some sensations are of one type or different types; and (iii) private names are not really names, private language is not really a language, therefore, private language is a grammatical illusion. My interpretation has the advantage of being able to reconcile Wittgenstein's conception of philosophy, which is to dissolve philosophical problems by rearranging grammatical facts, with his actual philosophical practice, at least in the case of private language.
Combined salivary duct carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma suspected of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma
Authors: Enokida Tomohiro , Fujii Satoshi , Kuno Hirofumi , Mukaigawa Takashi , Tahara Makoto , Sakuraba Minoru , Hayashi Ryuichi
Published: July 2016

A 76‐year‐old Japanese woman had noticed an asymptomatic and palpable mass in her left parotid gland region for 20 years. The tumor had showed rapid growth during the last two months. Therefore, the tumor was clinically suspected of being a malignant tumor and was surgically resected. A histopathological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of two different histopathological neoplastic components accompanied by hyalinized fibrosis at the center of the tumor. The two‐neoplastic components were squamous cell carcinoma and salivary duct carcinoma. The tumor was suspected to be a carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma after considering the clinical course and the histopathological findings, such as hyalinized fibrosis at the center of the tumor. There was no evidence of recurrence at 30 months after the surgical resection.
Organizations, Policies, and the Roots of Public Value Failure: The Case of For‐Profit Higher Education
Authors: Anderson Derrick M. , Taggart Gabel
Published: July 2016

While public value theory has emerged to offer important insights into the evaluation of social enterprises, little is known about the origins of public value failure and even less about the role that organizations and public policy play in creating public value failure. Accordingly, this analysis explores the origins of public value failure using examples from for‐profit higher education. A selection of organization and public policy concepts are integrated into a public value mapping framework to develop a theoretical basis for public value “failure drivers.” In addition to advancing public value theory, an understanding of the origins of public value failure and the role of failure drivers has important implications for the design of public value–maximizing strategies and institutions.
Limited Consumer Attention in International Trade
Authors: Egger Hartmut , Falkinger Josef
Published: July 2016

This paper introduces a model of limited consumer attention into an otherwise standard new trade theory model with love‐of‐variety preferences and heterogeneous firms. In this setting, we show that international integration needs not be welfare enhancing if the consumers' capacity to gather and process information is limited. Rather, it intensifies competition for scarce consumer attention, which causes mutual overbidding of producers in their advertising expenditures. The mutual overbidding renders advertising—which is informative in principle—wasteful and diverts purchases to imported goods at an inefficient scale. Wasteful advertising provides scope for policy intervention in the form of an advertising tax. However, if the tax instrument is not allowed to discriminate against foreign producers, it cannot eliminate inefficient diversion of consumer purchases to imports; hence it needs not be successful in securing gains from international integration in this framework.
Turbidite stacking patterns in salt‐controlled minibasins: Insights from integrated analogue models and numerical fluid flow simulations
Authors: Wang Xiaoxi , Luthi Stefan M. , Hodgson David M. , Sokoutis Dimitrios , Willingshofer Ernst , Groenenberg Remco M.
Published: July 2016

The sea floor of intraslope minibasins on passive continental margins plays a significant role in controlling turbidity current pathways and the resulting sediment distribution. To address this, laboratory analogue modelling of intraslope minibasin formation is combined with numerical flow simulations of multi‐event turbidity currents. This approach permits an improved understanding of evolving flow–bathymetry–deposit interactions and the resulting internal stacking patterns of the infills of such minibasins. The bathymetry includes a shelf to slope channel followed by an upper minibasin, which are separated by a confining ridge from two lower minibasins that compares well with analogous bathymetries reported from natural settings. From a wider range of numerical flow experiments, a series of 100 consecutive flows is reported in detail. The turbidity currents are released into the channel and upon reaching the upper minibasin follow a series of stages from short initial ponding, ‘filling and spilling’ and an extended transition to long retrogradational ponding. Upon reaching the upper minibasin floor, the currents undergo a hydraulic jump and therefore much sediment is deposited in the central part of the minibasin and the counterslope. This modifies the bathymetry such that in the fill and spill stage, flow stripping and grain‐size partitioning cause some finer sediment to be transported across the confining ridge into the lower minibasins. Throughout the basin infill process, the sequences retrograde upstream, accompanied by lateral switching into locally formed depressions in the upper minibasin. After the fill and spill stage, significant deposition occurs in the channel where retrograding cyclic steps with wavelengths of 1 to 2 km develop as a function of pulsating flow criticality. These results are at variance with conventional schemes that emphasize sequential downstream minibasin filling through ponding dominated by vertical aggradation. Comparison of these results with published field and experimental examples provides support for the main conclusions.
Skin indentation firmness and tissue dielectric constant assessed in face, neck, and arm skin of young healthy women
Authors: Mayrovitz Harvey N. , Corbitt Kelly , Grammenos Alexandra , Abello Allen , Mammino Jason
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Our goal was to test the hypothesis that skin firmness correlates with skin hydration.

Methods

Dermal water was assessed by tissue dielectric constant (TDC) at 0.5 mm (TDC0.5) and 2.5 mm (TDC2.5) depths on four face sites and two arm sites of 35 women (25.0 ± 1.6 years). Firmness was determined by force (mN) to indent skin to 0.3 mm (F0.3) and 1.3 mm (F1.3).

Results

F0.3 was similar among face sites (avg = 16.2 ± 7.2 mN) but F1.3 varied (avg = 32.5 ± 4.1 mN). TDC2.5 was similar among face sites (avg = 37.7 ± 4.2) but TDC0.5 varied (avg = 36.2 ± 4.8). F1.3 of arm sites was similar (avg = 60.2 ± 18.6 mN) and both greater than F1.3 of neck (28.3 ± 7.1 mN) and face. Regression analysis showed a near‐zero correlation between forces and TDC at all sites.

Conclusion

The near‐zero correlation may be due to low skin interstitial hydraulic resistance to mobile water movement in healthy young skin. If true, then conditions in which dermal hydraulic conductance is reduced as in lymphedematous, diabetic, or aged skin are more likely show the hypothesized relationship. Our findings provide normalized reference values and suggest that such persons are an important population to study to test for a possible skin water–indentation force relationship and its utilization for early diagnosis.
Time‐lapse monitoring of soil water content using electromagnetic conductivity imaging
Authors: Huang J. , Scudiero E. , Clary W. , Corwin D. L. , Triantafilis J.
Published: July 2016

The volumetric soil water content (θ) is fundamental to agriculture because its spatiotemporal variation in soil affects the growth of plants. Unfortunately, the universally accepted thermogravimetric method for estimating volumetric soil water content is very labour intensive and time‐consuming for use in field‐scale monitoring. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have proven to be useful in mapping the spatiotemporal variation of θ. However, depth‐specific variation in θ, which is important for irrigation management, has been little explored. The objective of this study was to develop a relationship between θ and estimates of true electrical conductivity (σ) and to use this relationship to develop time‐lapse images of soil θ beneath a centre‐pivot irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crop in San Jacinto, California, USA. We first measured the bulk apparent electrical conductivity (ECa – mS/m) using a DUALEM‐421 over a period of 12 days after an irrigation event (i.e. days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12). We used EM4Soil to generate EM conductivity images (EMCIs). We used a physical model to estimate θ from σ, accounting for soil tortuosity and pore water salinity, with a cross‐validation RMSE of 0.04 cm3/cm3. Testing the scenario where no soil information is available, we used a three‐parameter exponential model to relate θ to σ and then to map θ along the transect on different days. The results allowed us to monitor the spatiotemporal variations of θ across the surveyed area, over the 12‐day period. In this regard, we were able to map the soil close to field capacity (0.27 cm3/cm3) and approaching permanent wilting point (0.03 cm3/cm3). The time‐lapse θ monitoring approach, developed using EMCI, has implications for soil and water use and management and will potentially allow farmers and consultants to identify inefficiencies in water application rates and use. It can also be used as a research tool to potentially assist precision irrigation practices and to test the efficacy of different methods of irrigation in terms of water delivery and efficiency in water use in near real time.
Characterization of Friction Condition Transition by Phase Space Trajectories
Authors: Shen Yan , Jin Mei , Liu Ye , Zhu Feng
Published: July 2016

A starved lubrication experiment and analytical model have been developed to investigate the friction condition transition (FCT) at the interface between a piston ring and a cylinder liner with the piston ring reciprocating liner test rig. To obtain a solution for the friction condition transition, phase space trajectories are used to extract the transient features of the friction force. The trajectories have three typical patterns for starved lubrication conditions. The irregular friction force of different strokes is classified based on the trajectories. When the projection of the trajectories in the phase space enters into the third pattern variation, this indicates the onset and progression of scuffing. The autocorrelation analysis of the wear surface topography at the stroke end validates the characterization method.
Solid Element Rotordynamic Modeling of a Rotor on a Flexible Support Structure Utilizing Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output Support Transfer Functions
Authors: Hu Lingnan , Palazzolo Alan
Published: July 2016

The authors present an improved modeling approach to analyze the coupled rotor-support dynamics by modeling the rotor with solid finite elements (FEs) and utilizing multiple-input and multiple-output transfer functions (TFs) to represent the flexible support. A state-space model is then employed to perform general rotordynamic analyses. Transfer functions are used to simulate dynamic characteristics of the support structure, including cross-coupling between degrees-of-freedom. These TFs are derived by curve-fitting the frequency response functions of the support model at bearing locations. The impact of the polynomial degree of the TF on the response analysis is discussed, and a general rule is proposed to select an adequate polynomial degree. To validate the proposed approach, a comprehensive comparison between the complete solid FE rotor-support model (CSRSM) and the reduced state-space model (RSSM) is presented. Comparisons are made between natural frequencies, critical speeds, unbalance response, logarithmic decrement, and computation time. The results show that the RSSM provides a dynamically accurate approximation of the solid FE model in terms of rotordynamic analyses. Moreover, the computation time for the RSSM is reduced to less than 20% of the time required for the CSRSM. In addition, the modes up to 100,000 cpm are compared among the super-element, beam element, and RSSM. The results show that the RSSM is more accurate in predicting high-frequency modes than the other two approaches. Further, the proposed RSSM is useful for applications in vibration control and active magnetic bearing systems.
Shockless Explosion Combustion: Experimental Investigation of a New Approximate Constant Volume Combustion Process
Authors: Reichel Thoralf G. , Schäpel Jan-Simon , Bobusch Bernhard C. , Klein Rupert , King Rudibert , Oliver Paschereit Christian
Published: July 2016

Approximate constant volume combustion (aCVC) is a promising way to achieve a step change in the efficiency of gas turbines. This work investigates a recently proposed approach to implement aCVC in a gas turbine combustion system: shockless explosion combustion (SEC). The new concept overcomes several disadvantages such as sharp pressure transitions, entropy generation due to shock waves, and exergy losses due to kinetic energy which are associated with other aCVC approaches such as pulsed detonation combustion. The combustion is controlled via the fuel/air mixture distribution which is adjusted such that the entire fuel/air volume undergoes a spatially quasi-homogeneous auto-ignition. Accordingly, no shock waves occur and the losses associated with a detonation wave are not present in the proposed system. Instead, a smooth pressure rise is created due to the heat release of the homogeneous combustion. An atmospheric combustion test rig is designed to investigate the auto-ignition behavior of relevant fuels under intermittent operation, currently up to a frequency of 2 Hz. Application of OH*– and dynamic pressure sensors allows for a spatially and time-resolved detection of ignition delay times and locations. Dimethyl ether (DME) is used as fuel since it exhibits reliable auto-ignition already at 920 K mixture temperature and ambient pressure. First, a model-based control algorithm is used to demonstrate that the fuel valve can produce arbitrary fuel profiles in the combustion tube. Next, the control algorithm is used to achieve the desired fuel stratification, resulting in a significant reduction in spatial variance of the auto-ignition delay times. This proves that the control approach is a useful tool for increasing the homogeneity of the auto-ignition.
Laser ablation compatible substoichiometric SiOx/SiNy passivating rear side mirror for passivated emitter and rear thin-film crystalline silicon solar cells
Authors: Gérenton Félix , Mandorlo Fabien , Fourmond Erwann , Le Coz Marine , Blanc-Pélissier Danièle , Lemiti Mustapha
Published: July 2016

Fabrication of industrial thin-film crystalline silicon solar cells remains challenging because of the high level of light trapping and surface passivation required to achieve a good conversion efficiency, while reducing the process cost. This work proposes a solution of rear side reflector supplying both passivation and light trapping, and guaranteeing compatibility with a laser process for local opening in order to use the passivated emitter and rear cell architecture. The key element is the use of substoichiometric silicon oxide deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with a higher silicon concentration than the usual nearly stoichiometric oxide. This material is absorbent at usual ultraviolet laser wavelengths, and thus allows laser ablation with limited substrate heat, greatly reducing substrate damage after ablation. A layer of this oxide is incorporated into a SiOx/SiNy dielectric stack, which shows the expected qualities in term of passivation and reflectivity.
Effects of proton irradiation and thermal annealing on off-state step-stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors
Authors: Kim Byung-Jae , Ahn Shihyun , Ren Fan , Pearton Stephen J. , Yang Gwangseok , Kim Jihyun
Published: July 2016

The effects of proton irradiation doses on dc characteristics of reference, electrically stressed under off-state conditions and stressed/annealed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were investigated. The HEMTs were irradiated with protons at a fixed energy of 5 MeV and doses ranging from 1013 to 1015 cm−2. As expected, in all three types of HEMTs, more degradation of the device dc characteristics was observed for higher doses due to the larger displacement damage in two-dimensional electron gas channel of the HEMTs. The electrically stressed HEMTs after proton irradiation showed more degradation compared with reference and stressed/annealed HEMTs. After proton irradiation at a dose of 1015 cm−2, the drain saturation current and maximum transconductance of stressed HEMTs were decreased by 28.5% and 15%, respectively, compared to 24% and 11.5%–12%, respectively, for reference and stressed/annealed devices. The dc characteristics of stressed/annealed HEMTs after proton irradiation showed similar degradation trends compared with those of reference HEMTs, confirming that annealing is effective in removing defects created by the off-state stressing. In some cases, the authors also annealed stressed/irradiated HEMTs after the proton irradiation step. The drain current and transconductance of stressed/irradiated HEMTs were slightly increased after subsequent thermal annealing at 450 °C for 10 min, while reverse gate leakage current after annealing was decreased more than an order of magnitude. The interface trap density of stressed HEMTs after proton irradiation at a dose of 1015 cm−2 increased from 3.05 × 1012 to 1.37 × 1013/cm2 V and were reduced to 6.01 × 1012/cm2 V following thermal annealing. Our results are consistent with the notion that off-state stressing creates defects that have a common origin with those created by proton irradiation, and thus, irradiation of off-state stressed devices leads to more defects than in unstressed devices that are subsequently irradiated. Annealing the stressed devices prior to irradiation makes them behave the same as unstressed HEMTs when both are irradiated with protons.
Ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy: Recent results and related techniques
Authors: Bell L. Douglas
Published: July 2016

Interfaces play a central role in determining properties of optical and electronic devices. Many mature techniques exist for surface characterization, providing a great deal of detailed, local information. Interface methods with equivalent capabilities have not developed as fully, due primarily to the inaccessibility of buried interfaces to traditional surface sensitive probes. Ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) is a class of microscopies and spectroscopies that uses energetic electrons injected by a scanning tunneling microscopy tip as a probe of subsurface electronic structure. This article reviews the growth of BEEM methods and summarizes recent areas of investigation using these techniques. Research areas span a range of materials, such as metals, semiconductors, insulators, magnetic materials, and organic layers, as well as a variety of physical properties that include interface barrier height, hot-carrier scattering, interface heterogeneity, magnetic domain structure, and electronic band structure.
Particle plasmons: Why shape matters
Authors: Barnes William L.
Published: July 2016

Simple analytic expressions for the polarizability of metallic nanoparticles are in wide use in the field of plasmonics, but their origins are not obvious. In this article, expressions for the polarizability of a particle are derived in the quasistatic limit in a manner that allows the physical origin of the terms to be clearly seen. The discussion is tutorial in nature, with particular attention given to the role of particle shape since this is a controlling factor in particle plasmon resonances.
Mapping a path for precision cancer therapies
Authors: Wood Kris C.
Published: July 2016

A large-scale pharmacogenomic analysis of human cancer cell lines identifies cancer lineage- and genotype-selective therapies.
Complementary Effects of Interleukin-15 and Alpha Interferon Induce Immunity in Hepatitis B Virus Transgenic Mice
Authors: Di Scala Marianna , Otano Itziar , Gil-Fariña Irene , Vanrell Lucia , Hommel Mirja , Olagüe Cristina , Vales Africa , Galarraga Miguel , Guembe Laura , Ortiz de Solorzano Carlos , Ghosh Indrajit , Maini Mala K. , Prieto Jesús , González-Aseguinolaza Gloria
Published: July 2016

In chronic hepatitis B (CHB), failure to control hepatitis B virus (HBV) is associated with T cell dysfunction. HBV transgenic mice mirror many features of the human disease, including T cell unresponsiveness, and thus represent an appropriate model in which to test novel therapeutic strategies. To date, the tolerant state of CD8+T cells in these animals could be altered only by strong immunogens or by immunization with HBV antigen-pulsed dendritic cells; however, the effectors induced were unable to suppress viral gene expression or replication. Because of the known stimulatory properties of alpha interferon (IFN-α) and interleukin-15 (IL-15), this study explored the therapeutic potential of liver-directed gene transfer of these cytokines in a murine model of CHB using adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery. This combination not only resulted in a reduction in the viral load in the liver and the induction of an antibody response but also gave rise to functional and specific CD8+immunity. Furthermore, when splenic and intrahepatic lymphocytes from IFN-α- and IL-15-treated animals were transferred to new HBV carriers, partial antiviral immunity was achieved. In contrast to previous observations made using either cytokine alone, markedly attenuated PD-L1 induction in hepatic tissue was observed upon coadministration. An initial study with CHB patient samples also gave promising results. Hence, we demonstrated synergy between two stimulating cytokines, IL-15 and IFN-α, which, given together, constitute a potent approach to significantly enhance the CD8+T cell response in a state of immune hyporesponsiveness. Such an approach may be useful for treating chronic viral infections and neoplastic conditions.

IMPORTANCEWith 350 million people affected worldwide and 600,000 annual deaths due to HBV-induced liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major health problem. However, current treatment options are costly and not very effective and/or need to be administered for life. The unprecedented efficacy of the strategy described in our paper may offer an alternative and is relevant for a broad spectrum of readers because of its clear translational importance to other chronic viral infections in which a hyporesponsive antigen-specific T cell repertoire prevents clearance of the pathogen.
IncA/C Conjugative Plasmids Mobilize a New Family of Multidrug Resistance Islands in Clinical Vibrio cholerae Non-O1/Non-O139 Isolates from Haiti
Authors: Carraro Nicolas , Rivard Nicolas , Ceccarelli Daniela , Colwell Rita R. , Burrus Vincent
Published: July 2016

Mobile genetic elements play a pivotal role in the adaptation of bacterial populations, allowing them to rapidly cope with hostile conditions, including the presence of antimicrobial compounds. IncA/C conjugative plasmids (ACPs) are efficient vehicles for dissemination of multidrug resistance genes in a broad range of pathogenic species of
Enterobacteriaceae
. ACPs have sporadically been reported in
Vibrio cholerae
, the infectious agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. The regulatory network that controls ACP mobility ultimately depends on the transcriptional activation of multiple ACP-borne operons by the master activator AcaCD. Beyond ACP conjugation, AcaCD has also recently been shown to activate the expression of genes located in the
Salmonella
genomic island 1 (SGI1). Here, we describe MGI
Vch
Hai6, a novel and unrelated mobilizable genomic island (MGI) integrated into the 3′ end of
trmE
in chromosome I of
V. cholerae
HC-36A1, a non-O1/non-O139 multidrug-resistant clinical isolate recovered from Haiti in 2010. MGI
Vch
Hai6 contains a mercury resistance transposon and an integron In104-like multidrug resistance element similar to the one of SGI1. We show that MGI
Vch
Hai6 excises from the chromosome in an AcaCD-dependent manner and is mobilized by ACPs. Acquisition of MGI
Vch
Hai6 confers resistance to β-lactams, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, and streptomycin/spectinomycin.
In silico
analyses revealed that MGI
Vch
Hai6-like elements are carried by several environmental and clinical
V. cholerae
strains recovered from the Indian subcontinent, as well as from North and South America, including all non-O1/non-O139 clinical isolates from Haiti.

IMPORTANCE
Vibrio cholerae
, the causative agent of cholera, remains a global public health threat. Seventh-pandemic
V. cholerae
acquired multidrug resistance genes primarily through circulation of SXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements. IncA/C conjugative plasmids have sporadically been reported to mediate antimicrobial resistance in environmental and clinical
V. cholerae
isolates. Our results showed that while IncA/C plasmids are rare in
V. cholerae
populations, they play an important yet insidious role by specifically propagating a new family of genomic islands conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics. These results suggest that nonepidemic
V. cholerae
non-O1/non-O139 strains bearing these genomic islands constitute a reservoir of transmissible resistance genes that can be propagated by IncA/C plasmids to
V. cholerae
populations in epidemic geographical areas as well to pathogenic species of
Enterobacteriaceae
. We recommend future epidemiological surveys take into account the circulation of these genomic islands.
A comparison of preprepared commercial infant feeding meals with home-cooked recipes
Authors: Carstairs Sharon A , Craig Leone CA , Marais Debbi , Bora Ourania E , Kiezebrink Kirsty
Published: July 2016

Objectives

To compare the cost, nutritional and food variety contents of commercial meals and published infant and young child feeding (IYCF) home-cooked recipes, and to compare nutritional contents to age-specific recommendations.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Full range of preprepared main meals available within the UK market. Main-meal recipes identified from a survey of Amazon's top 20 best-sellers and IYCF cookbooks available from local libraries.

Samples

278 commercial IYCF savoury meals from UK market and 408 home-cooked recipes from best-selling IYCF published cookbooks.

Main outcome measures

Cost and nutritional content per 100 g and food variety per meal for both commercial meals and home-cooked recipes.

Results

Commercial products provided more ‘vegetable’ variety per meal (median=3.0; r=−0.33) than home-cooked recipes (2.0). Home-cooked recipes provided 26% more energy and 44% more protein and total fat than commercial products (r=−0.40, −0.31, −0.40, respectively) while costing less (£0.33/100 g and £0.68/100 g, respectively). The majority of commercial products (65%) met energy density recommendations but 50% of home-cooked recipes exceeded the maximum range.

Conclusions

The majority of commercial meals provided an energy-dense meal with greater vegetable variety per meal to their home-cooked counterparts. Home-cooked recipes provided a cheaper meal option, however the majority exceeded recommendations for energy and fats.
Tuberculosis, a rare cause of haematuria
Authors: Silverman Joshua Anton , Patel Kunal , Hotston Matthew
Published: July 2016

Tuberculosis of the bladder is a rare pathology in the western world and often not considered as a differential when seeing patients with common urological presentations. This case illustrates a 69-year-old woman in rural England who presented with visible haematuria and was subsequently diagnosed with tuberculosis of the bladder. The case aims to highlight the significance of early diagnosis and treatment, which in turn may help prevent disease progression and organ dysfunction.
Sugar-sweetened beverages coverage in the British media: an analysis of public health advocacy versus pro-industry messaging
Authors: Elliott-Green Alex , Hyseni Lirije , Lloyd-Williams Ffion , Bromley Helen , Capewell Simon
Published: July 2016

Objectives

To assess the extent of media-based public health advocacy versus pro-industry messaging regarding sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).

Design

We conducted a systematic analysis to identify and examine all articles regarding SSBs published in all mainstream British print newspapers and their online news websites from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014. We initially conducted a brief literature search to develop appropriate search terms and categorisations for grouping and analysing the articles. Articles were then coded according to the publishing newspaper, article type, topic, prominence and slant (pro-SSB or anti-SSB). A contextual analysis was undertaken to examine key messages in the articles.

Results

We identified 374 articles published during 2014. The majority of articles (81%) suggested that SSBs are unhealthy. Messaging from experts, campaign groups and health organisations was fairly consistent about the detrimental effects of SSB on health. However, relatively few articles assessed any approaches or solutions to potentially combat the problems associated with SSBs. Only one-quarter (24%) suggested any policy change. Meanwhile, articles concerning the food industry produced consistent messages emphasising consumer choice and individual responsibility for making choices regarding SSB consumption, and promoting and advertising their products. The food industry thus often managed to avoid association with the negative press that their products were receiving.

Conclusions

SSBs were frequently published in mainstream British print newspapers and their online news websites during 2014. Public health media advocacy was prominent throughout, with a growing consensus that sugary drinks are bad for people's health. However, the challenge for public health will be to mobilise supportive public opinion to help implement effective regulatory policies. Only then will our population's excess consumption of SSBs come under control.
Simulation study to determine the impact of different design features on design efficiency in discrete choice experiments
Authors: Vanniyasingam Thuva , Cunningham Charles E , Foster Gary , Thabane Lehana
Published: July 2016

Objectives

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are routinely used to elicit patient preferences to improve health outcomes and healthcare services. While many fractional factorial designs can be created, some are more statistically optimal than others. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate how varying the number of (1) attributes, (2) levels within attributes, (3) alternatives and (4) choice tasks per survey will improve or compromise the statistical efficiency of an experimental design.

Design and methods

A total of 3204 DCE designs were created to assess how relative design efficiency (d-efficiency) is influenced by varying the number of choice tasks (2–20), alternatives (2–5), attributes (2–20) and attribute levels (2–5) of a design. Choice tasks were created by randomly allocating attribute and attribute level combinations into alternatives.

Outcome

Relative d-efficiency was used to measure the optimality of each DCE design.

Results

DCE design complexity influenced statistical efficiency. Across all designs, relative d-efficiency decreased as the number of attributes and attribute levels increased. It increased for designs with more alternatives. Lastly, relative d-efficiency converges as the number of choice tasks increases, where convergence may not be at 100% statistical optimality.

Conclusions

Achieving 100% d-efficiency is heavily dependent on the number of attributes, attribute levels, choice tasks and alternatives. Further exploration of overlaps and block sizes are needed. This study's results are widely applicable for researchers interested in creating optimal DCE designs to elicit individual preferences on health services, programmes, policies and products.
Association of age with health-related quality of life in a cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the Georgians Organized Against Lupus study
Authors: Plantinga Laura , Lim S Sam , Bowling C Barrett , Drenkard Cristina
Published: July 2016

Objective

To examine whether older age was associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and whether differential disease-related damage and activity explained these associations.

Methods

We used cross-sectional data on 684 patients with SLE aged ≥20 years from the Georgians Organized Against Lupus cohort to estimate the associations between age (categorised as 20–39, 40–59 and ≥60 years) and HRQOL (Short Form-12 norm-based domain and physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores), using multivariable linear regression. We then examined the effect of disease-related damage and activity on these associations.

Results

The mean age of the cohort was 48.2±13.1 years (range, 20–88 years), with 28.0%, 52.9% and 19.1% of participants being aged 20–39, 40–59 and ≥60 years, respectively; 79.0% were African-American and 93.7% were female. The mean PCS score was 39.3 (41.8, 38.7 and 37.4 among those aged 20–39, 40–59 and ≥60 years, respectively), while the mean MCS score was 44.3 (44.2, 43.8 and 46.1, respectively). In general, lower physical but not mental HRQOL scores were associated with older age. With adjustment, older ages (40–59 and ≥60, respectively, vs 20–39) remained associated (β (95% CI)) with lower PCS (−2.53 (−4.58 to −0.67) and −3.57 (−6.19 to −0.96)) but not MCS (0.47 (−1.46 to 2.41) and 1.20 (−1.52 to 3.92)) scores. Associations of age with HRQOL domain and summary scores were not substantially changed by further adjustment for disease-related damage and/or activity.

Conclusions

Nearly one in five participants in this large, predominantly African-American cohort of patients with SLE was at least 60 years old. The associations of older age with lower physical, but not mental, HRQOL were independent of accumulated SLE damage and current SLE activity. The results suggest that studies of important geriatric outcomes in the setting of SLE are needed to inform patient-centred clinical care of the ageing SLE population.
Can graminoids used for mine tailings revegetation improve substrate structure?
Authors: Guittonny-Larchevêque Marie , Meddeb Yasmine , Barrette Dominique
Published: July 2016

The seeding of agronomic graminoid species that are tolerant to the compacted and low aeration conditions associated with mine tailings allows for rapid cover of mine waste, which in turn controls erosion. These graminoids can be used as primer-species on mine tailings to improve the rooting of other plant species, which may not tolerate soil compaction and low aeration. Tailings colonization by graminoid roots could improve ecological filters such as low air-filled porosity and elevated bulk density. The effect of above- and below-ground development of graminoid species used for hay-field seeding on the macroporosity and density of gold mine tailings was studied under controlled conditions as well as in situ. All of the graminoid species tested improved the macroporosity of the tailings after only 2 months of growth under greenhouse conditions, but had no effect on the density of the tailings. The perennial Bromus inermis Leyss. was most efficient in improving the macroporosity of tailings, having greater root diameter, biomass, and volume. The annual Avena sativa L. also produced high root biomass and length, which improved the macroporosity of the tailings. However, under field conditions, graminoids had low cover and no effect on macroporosity, which highlights that their growth should be improved to make them usefull as primer-plants.
Recent failure to control sea louse outbreaks on salmon in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia
Authors: Bateman Andrew W. , Peacock Stephanie J. , Connors Brendan , Polk Zephyr , Berg Dana , Krkošek Martin , Morton Alexandra
Published: July 2016

The advent and growth of salmon farming has changed the epidemiology of some salmon diseases. In 2015, in the salmon-farming region of the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, an outbreak of native ectoparasitic copepods (sea lice; Lepeophtheirus salmonis) recurred in wild juvenile salmon after a decade of effective control. We draw on a 15-year data set of sea lice on wild and farmed salmon in the area to assess the evidence for four factors that may explain the recent outbreak: (i) poorly timed parasiticide treatments of farmed salmon relative to wild salmon migration, (ii) evolution of resistance to parasiticide treatments in sea lice, (iii) anomalous environmental conditions promoting louse population growth, and (iv) a high influx of lice with an abundant pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) return in 2014. We propose that a combination of poorly timed treatments and warm environmental conditions likely explains the outbreak. Where wild salmon conservation is a concern, a more effective approach to managing sea lice on wild and farmed salmon could incorporate the out-migration timing of wild juvenile salmon and information on environmental conditions.
Using quantitative techniques to evaluate and explain the sustainability of forest plantations
Authors: Diaz-Balteiro Luis , Alfranca Oscar , Bertomeu Mercedes , Ezquerro Marta , Giménez Juan Carlos , González-Pachón Jacinto , Romero Carlos
Published: July 2016

We present an approach based on several quantitative techniques to derive a ranking of sustainable Eucalyptus plantations. A list of indicators was defined and applied to a set of heterogeneous Eucalyptus globulus plantations located in the northwest of Spain. These indicators were aggregated into a synthetic index with the help of a binary goal programming model. This model has been fed with the responses of 45 stakeholders to find out the preferential weights and targets attached to each indicator. In addition, we have analyzed the causes behind the level of sustainability achieved by each plantation. This task was carried out by taking the composite sustainability indexes as endogenous variables and a tentative set of economic, environmental, and social variables as explanatory variables. The link between endogenous and exogenous variables was made with the help of a statistical analysis. The results show how some variables such as altitude or distance to pulp mills are statistically significant, whereas others such as certification are not statistically significant.
Reliability of Haemophilus influenzae biofilm measurement via static method, and determinants of in vitro biofilm production
Authors: Obaid Najla A. , Tristram Stephen , Narkowicz Christian K. , Jacobson Glenn A.
Published: July 2016

Information is lacking regarding the precision of microtitre plate (MTP) assays used to measure biofilm. This study investigated the precision of an MTP assay to measure biofilm production by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and the effects of frozen storage and inoculation technique on biofilm production. The density of bacterial final growth was determined by absorbance after 18–20 h incubation, and biofilm production was then measured by absorbance after crystal violet staining. Biofilm formation was categorised as high and low for each strain. For the high biofilm producing strains of NTHi, interday reproducibility of NTHi biofilm formation measured using the MTP assay was excellent and met the acceptance criteria, but higher variability was observed in low biofilm producers. Method of inoculum preparation was a determinant of biofilm formation with inoculum prepared directly from solid media showing increased biofilm production for at least one of the high producing strains. In general, storage of NTHi cultures at –80 °C for up to 48 weeks did not have any major effect on their ability to produce biofilm.
Effects of scale-free avalanche walks on anomalous diffusions
Authors: Kim Hyun-Joo
Published: July 2016

Effects of scale-free avalanche walks on anomalous diffusions have been studied by introducing simple non-Markovian walk models. The scale-free avalanche walk is realized as a walker goes to one direction consistently in a time interval, the distribution of which follows a power-law. And it is applied to the memory models, in which the entire history of a walk process is memorized or the memory for the latest step is enhanced with time. The power-law avalanche walk with memory effects strengthens the persistence between steps and thus makes the Hurst exponent be larger than the cases without avalanche walks, while does not affect the anti-persistent nature.
A quantized spacetime based on Spin(3,1) symmetry
Authors: Chen Pisin , Chiang Hsu-Wen , Hu Yao-Chieh
Published: July 2016

We introduce a new type of the spacetime quantization based on the spinorial description suggested by loop quantum gravity. Specifically, we build our theory on a string theory inspired [Formula: see text] worldsheet action. Because of its connection with quantum gravity theories, our proposal may in principle link back to string theory, connect to loop quantum gravity where SU(2) is suggested as the fundamental symmetry, or serve as a Lorentzian spin network. We derive the generalized uncertainty principle and demonstrate the holographic nature of our theory. Due to the quantization of spacetime, geodesics in our theory are fuzzy, but the fuzziness is shown to be much below conceivable astrophysical bounds.
Design of a University-Based Venture Gestation Program (UVGP)
Authors: Goi Hoe Chin , Kokuryo Jiro
Published: July 2016

Design science methodology was used to develop and test a University-based Venture Gestation Program (UVGP), the model built after identifying key problems and reactions to them in student based gestation ventures. The model relied on a three-year longitudinal comparative case study of a successful and an unsuccessful student venture team. The teams came from the same university and were winners of business plan contests in 2012 and 2013. Although the teams were very similar to begin with, analyses revealed that different responses to three shared problems were key determinants of venture gestation success, and failure. Based on these observations, three design principles, termed tenure, competence compatibility and entrepreneurial bricolage, were adapted to derive a solution model, the Venture Gestation Model (VGM), with the aim of improving chances of venture success. To develop the model, the study drew on dynamic capability theory, and subsequently yielded the UVGP which provided concrete tools (prescriptions) toward gestation venture success. As a means of testing the designed solution, an evaluation of the program was conducted by observing the gestation venture of the 2014 winner of the annual contest. Findings show that gestation success depends more on the effectiveness of the program in increasing awareness of internal problems than on reactions to external changes. However, the prescription on competency development requires revision to overcome inadequacy issues.