bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of temporomandibular disorder pain in Chinese adolescents compared to an age‐matched Swedish population
Authors: Hongxing L. , Astrøm A. N. , List T. , Nilsson I.‐M. , Johansson A.
Published: November 2015

This study aimed to (i) assess the prevalence and perceived need for treatment of TMD pain, and its association with socio‐economic factors and gender, in adolescents in Xi᾽an, Shaanxi Province, China, and (ii) compare the prevalence and association with gender of TMD pain in Xi᾽an to an age‐matched Swedish population. We surveyed Chinese adolescents aged 15 to 19 years in Xi'an, China (n = 5524), using a questionnaire with two‐stage stratified sampling and the school as the sampling unit. The study included second‐year students at selected high schools. It also included an age‐matched Swedish population (n = 17 015) surveyed using the same diagnostic criteria for TMD pain as that used in the Chinese sample. The survey found TMD pain in 14·8% (n = 817) of the Chinese sample and 5·1% (n = 871) of the Swedish sample (P < 0·0001). Girls had significantly more TMD pain than boys in both the Chinese (P < 0·05) and Swedish (P < 0·001) samples. TMD pain increased with age in the Chinese population. Of the Chinese adolescents with TMD pain, 47% reported that they felt a need for treatment. Rural schools, low paternal education levels, poverty, living outside the home, poor general and oral health, and dissatisfaction with teeth all showed significant positive correlations with TMD pain. Prevalence of TMD pain in Chinese adolescents was significantly higher than in the Swedish sample.
Using megestrol acetate to ameliorate protein‐energy wasting in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Smith Christine Skouberdis , Logomarsino John V.
Published: November 2015

Background

Various populations are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), and a low dose appetite stimulant megestrol acetate (MA) is sometimes recommended in patients with CKD to ameliorate protein‐energy wasting (PEW). Patients with CKD are at greater risk of developing PEW since the progression of their disease can cause decreased nutrient intake, catabolic effects, systemic inflammation and metabolic changes. Providers can detect PEW in CKD by identifying low serum levels ≤3.8 g/dl of albumin, <30 mg/dl of transthyretin, or <100 mg/dl of cholesterol. Other characteristics include BMI <22 kg/m2 (for ≤65 years), unintentional weight loss of ≥5% in three months or ≥10% in six months, body fat percentage <10%, with muscle wasting of a reduction of ≥5% in three months or ≥10% in six months of muscle mass.

Method

A review of research was completed and data collected from small population‐based retrospective studies to determine the effect of MA.

Results

Clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness of MA by showing increases in BMI up to 9%, albumin levels up to 1.1 g/dl, with reported protein and energy intake increases from 27% to 42%. There are potential adverse effects of using MA in CKD.

Conclusion

After reviewing the available literature, the benefits of using MA should be evaluated against the potential side effects. For further examination of MA's potential benefits, long‐term, prospective, large clinical trials should be carried out.
URBAN‐TO‐RURAL POPULATION GROWTH LINKAGES: EVIDENCE FROM OECD TL3 REGIONS*
Authors: Veneri Paolo , Ruiz Vicente
Published: November 2015

The objective of this paper is to understand, from an international comparative perspective, how population growth in rural regions is affected by the relationship with their nearby urban centers. By means of a cross‐sectional analysis on OECD small regions (Territorial Level 3), the paper distinguishes spread effects—positive spillovers arising from urban growth—from the net effect of distance to nonrural places. The results show that spread effects outweigh backwash effects, so that rural regions benefit from growth in urban places. A rural region's distance from urban and intermediate regions has a negative effect on its population growth rate. Nevertheless, both the strength of this effect and the growth spillovers decline with distance, and this occurs relatively faster in Europe. The results further suggest that proximity to large urban areas has a higher positive influence than proximity to intermediate areas, but only outside Europe.
URBAN SPATIAL STRUCTURE AND MOTORIZATION IN CHINA
Authors: Sun Bindong , Zhang Tinglin , He Zhou , Wang Rui
Published: November 2015

Using data from 161 Chinese cities, this paper investigates the effects of various dimensions of urban spatial structure on the ownership and commute mode split of automobile. Results confirm the positive effects of city size on auto ownership and mode split and the negative effect of density on auto ownership. Echoing a small number of studies, this research discovers the seemingly counterintuitive effect of jobs‐housing balance on the use of automobiles, probably due to the potential advantage of public transit relative to driving in dense and congested Chinese cities. Cities should emphasize public transit and maintain density in the future.
Amending the constitution
Authors: Cram Ian
Published: November 2015

How easy ought it to be to enact constitutional amendment? In the absence of constitutionally prescribed procedures, fundamental reforms in the UK can often appear hurried, under-consultative and controlled by transient political majorities. In the recent referendum on Scottish independence, the NO campaign's promise of additional powers to Holyrood in the face of a possible ‘Yes’ vote appears to fit this pattern (even if, for reasons of political sensitivity, it was not driven directly by members of the Coalition government). A recent sample of concluded constitutional reforms, including the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, have drawn criticism from within Westminster on the grounds of defective process. Specific options to improve pre-parliamentary and parliamentary stages of constitutional reform have been proposed with a view to attaining principled procedures of constitutional reform removed from executive control that signal attachment to process values such as wide and effective consultation, deliberation outside and inside Parliament, and informed scrutiny. The foregoing prescriptions for remedying defective processes may, however, be said in the ultimate analysis to retain a normative preference for a more formal, elite-managed vision of constitutional change that is premised upon a limited conception of the citizens' ‘informed consent’. In any case, in purely descriptive terms, top-down managed change does not capture the totality of patterns of past constitutional reform in the UK. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, for example, radical grassroots campaigns for the extension of the franchise resulted ultimately in universal adult suffrage. More recently, the Scotland Act 1998 can be seen as the culmination of a civic society–led, deliberative engagement with ordinary voters over decades that offered an alternative vision of ‘bottom-up’ constitutional reform to that seen in more formal, elite-led processes of constitutional reform. The inclusive and participatory nature of the campaign for Scottish devolution marked out a radically different model of constitutional reform to that which has typified Westminster-style amendment and which is still largely directed by political elites. In such circumstances as prevail currently at Westminster, it is difficult to give much credence to claims that the outcomes of constitutional reform processes enjoy the ‘informed consent’ of the people.
The survivability of phyllosilicates and carbonates impacting Stardust Al foils: Facilitating the search for cometary water
Authors: Wozniakiewicz Penelope J. , Ishii Hope A. , Kearsley Anton T. , Bradley John P. , Price Mark. C. , Burchell Mark J. , Teslich Nick , Cole Mike J.
Published: November 2015

Comet 81P/Wild 2 samples returned by NASA's Stardust mission provide an unequalled opportunity to study the contents of, and hence conditions and processes operating on, comets. They can potentially validate contentious interpretations of cometary infrared spectra and in situ mass spectrometry data: specifically the identification of phyllosilicates and carbonates. However, Wild 2 dust was collected via impact into capture media at ~6 km s−1, leading to uncertainty as to whether these minerals were captured intact, and, if subjected to alteration, whether they remain recognizable. We simulated Stardust Al foil capture conditions using a two‐stage light‐gas gun, and directly compared transmission electron microscope analyses of pre‐ and postimpact samples to investigate survivability of lizardite and cronstedtite (phyllosilicates) and calcite (carbonate). We find the phyllosilicates do not survive impact as intact crystalline materials but as moderately to highly vesiculated amorphous residues lining resultant impact craters, whose bulk cation to Si ratios remain close to that of the impacting grain. Closer inspection reveals variation in these elements on a submicron scale, where impact‐induced melting accompanied by reducing conditions (due to the production of oxygen scavenging molten Al from the target foils) has resulted in the production of native silicon and Fe‐ and Fe‐Si‐rich phases. In contrast, large areas of crystalline calcite are preserved within the calcite residue, with smaller regions of vesiculated, Al‐bearing calcic glass. Unambiguous identification of calcite impactors on Stardust Al foil is therefore possible, while phyllosilicate impactors may be inferred from vesiculated residues with appropriate bulk cation to Si ratios. Finally, we demonstrate that the characteristic textures and elemental distributions identifying phyllosilicates and carbonates by transmission electron microscopy can also be observed by state‐of‐the‐art scanning electron microscopy providing rapid, nondestructive initial mineral identifications in Stardust residues.
Irish language education and the national ideal: the dynamics of nationalism inNorthernIreland
Authors: McManus Cathal
Published: November 2015

Since the beginning of theNorthernIreland conflict in the late 1960s,Irish nationalism has been identified as a prominent force in the political culture of the state. Recent studies have suggested, however, that the ‘Nationalist’ population has become increasingly content within the new political framework created by the peace process and the aspiration for Irish unity diminished. In placing theNorthernIreland situation within the theoretical framework of nationalism, this paper will analyse how these changing priorities have been possible. Through an analysis ofIrish language study inNorthernIreland's schools, the paper will examine how the political ideals espoused by the nationalistSinnFéin Party reflected the priorities of the ‘nationalist community’. It will be contended that the relationship between the ideology and ‘the people’ is much more complex than is often allowed for and that educational inequalities are a significant contributing factor to this.
Prevalence of aggressive behaviours among inpatients with psychiatric disorders: A case study analysis from Jordan
Authors: Al‐Sagarat Ahmad Y. , Hamdan‐Mansour Ayman M. , Al‐Sarayreh Faris , Nawafleh Hani , Moxham Lorna
Published: November 2015

In this study, we investigated the correlates of aggression among consumers with mental illness within two psychiatric hospitals in Jordan. This was a descriptive, cross sectional study carried out by auditing consumers’ medical records in regards to incidents of aggression before and during admission. Approval was gained from 203 next of kins to review the consumers’ medical records. Results from this case analysis, found the prevalence of aggressive behaviours among psychiatric inpatient's in Jordan to be 23.6%, the most common form of aggression was consumer to consumer and that the aggressive act was more likely to be perpetrated by younger consumers. Such findings contribute to the discourse about aggression and understanding who and what causes aggression can go toward identify strategies for early intervention and management. After all, mental health units should be places of safety, that is, an asylum, and everyone who enters that environment deserves to be safe.
Immunoregulation in larval Echinococcus multilocularis infection
Authors: Wang J. , Gottstein B.
Published: November 2015

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a clinically very severe zoonotic helminthic disease, characterized by a chronic progressive hepatic damage caused by the continuous proliferation of the larval stage (metacestode) of Echinococcus multilocularis. The proliferative potential of the parasite metacestode tissue is dependent on the nature/function of the periparasitic immune‐mediated processes of the host. Immune tolerance and/or down‐regulation of immunity are a marked characteristic increasingly observed when disease develops towards its chronic (late) stage of infection. In this context, explorative studies have clearly shown that T regulatory (Treg) cells play an important role in modulating and orchestrating inflammatory/immune reactions in AE, yielding a largely Th2‐biased response, and finally allowing thus long‐term parasite survival, proliferation and maturation. AE is fatal if not treated appropriately, but the current benzimidazole chemotherapy is far from optimal, and novel options for control are needed. Future research should focus on the elucidation of the crucial immunological events that lead to anergy in AE, and focus on providing a scientific basis for the development of novel and more effective immunotherapeutical options to support cure AE by abrogating anergy, anticipating also that a combination of immuno‐ and chemotherapy could provide a synergistic therapeutical effect.
Modes of action of the protective strain Fo47 in controlling verticillium wilt of pepper
Authors: Veloso J. , Alabouvette C. , Olivain C. , Flors V. , Pastor V. , García T. , Díaz J.
Published: November 2015

The protective fungus Fusarium oxysporum Fo47 reduces the severity of wilt caused by the soilborne pathogen Verticillium dahliae in pepper. Modes of action responsible for the biocontrol activity were studied. Microscopic observations of fluorescent protein‐transformed strains colonizing the root surface show that the colonization patterns of Fo47 and V. dahliae were similar. Pixel counting of the images obtained by confocal microscopy showed that Fo47 reduces colonization of the root surface by V. dahliae, suggesting a possible role of competition for nutrients at the root surface. Besides these effects on surface colonization, the hormonal pathways activated during priming of plant defence responses were identified by measuring the amount of some phytohormones and their derivatives in roots and stems of pepper. Results showed an early, slight increase of jasmonyl isoleucine, followed by a transient increase of salicylic acid during the pre‐challenged phase of priming and an increase of 12‐oxo‐phytodienoic acid during the challenge phase of priming. The caffeic, ferulic and chlorogenic acids, known to play a role in plant defence reactions, showed a strong antimicrobial activity against V. dahliae in vitro. In pepper roots, Fo47 stimulated the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and primed that of chlorogenic acid. These results demonstrated that the effective control of V. dahliae provided by Fo47 is based on different but complementary mechanisms.
Migrant Care Work Going Dutch? The Emergence of a Live‐in Migrant Care Market and the Restructuring of the Dutch Long‐term Care System
Authors: Da Roit Barbara , van Bochove Marianne
Published: November 2015

In recent years, a live‐in migrant care (LIMC) market has emerged in European countries with specific care, migration, and employment regime features. In countries with relatively low levels of formal long‐term care (LTC) provision, people in need of care and their families have started purchasing LTC directly from individual – mostly migrant – workers who live‐in with the person in need of care. Previous research has shown that this arrangement is facilitated by the availability of cash‐for‐care benefits that can be freely used by the beneficiaries, and/or by low levels of regulation of employment and migration. The Netherlands traditionally features strong, universal and generous LTC policies. However, recently, the phenomenon of LIMC has also appeared there. Based on exploratory qualitative research, this article examines the features of Dutch LIMC and the factors that foster or hinder its development. Our findings show that the ongoing restructuring of the Dutch LTC system – particularly the emphasis on informal care and decreasing accessibility of institutional care – are important factors pushing an LIMC market. At the same time, various institutional factors limit its growth, particularly the high levels of regulation of the Dutch care, migration and employment regimes. Further cutbacks in the care sector might push more families to this market in the near future, and change the character of the Dutch LTC sector. The Dutch case is relevant for other countries with longstanding traditions of generous LTC services which currently undergo retrenchment, and sheds light on routes to institutional change.
Labels of Interest Groups as Indicators of A Vernacular Region: A Case Study in Croatia
Authors: Vukosav Branimir , Fuerst‐Bjeliš Borna
Published: November 2015

While not necessarily actual in the contemporary administrative divisions, vernacular regions are an integral part of regional identities. As such, they are a type of perceptual regions based solely on the inhabitants’ inner perception of a region. Vernacular regions are usually articulated through the occurrence of a region's name in various informal narratives such as labels of interest groups. The aim of the paper is to use the official online databases as a means to identify and extract interest groups such as businesses, companies and public associations with labels containing the name of Zagora region in southern Croatia. The extracted data is used to map the vernacular region and reach conclusions about the applicability of the method and the utilised data sources, as well as to find out how external perception influences regional affiliation in a traditional region without institutional frame.
Mycobacterium avium complex disseminated infection in a kidney transplant recipient
Authors: Fadlallah J. , Rammaert B. , Laurent S. , Lanternier F. , Pol S. , Franck N. , Mamzer M.F. , Dupin N. , Lortholary O.
Published: November 2015

Mycobacterium avium‐intracellulare complex (MAC) infections are well known in immunocompromised patients, notably in human immunodeficiency virus infection, but remain scarcely described in kidney transplantation. Moreover, cutaneous involvement in this infection is very unusual. We describe here a disseminated infection caused by MAC in a kidney transplant recipient revealed by cutaneous lesions. This case highlights the need for an exhaustive, iterative microbiologic workup in the context of an atypical disease presentation in a renal transplant patient, regardless of the degree of immunosuppression.
Mindfulness and Leadership: A Critical Reflection
Authors: Beekum Servaas Van
Published: November 2015

This paper critically highlights the history and the current use of the concept of mindfulness, from its Buddhist roots via medical application and organizational consulting into its application as a management tool. The paper puts the concept of mindfulness in its historical context, mentions some of the controversies the ‘brand of mindfulness’ has stirred and prefers the term ‘being mindful’ over ‘mindfulness’. However, as Stolarov (1992) argued: the mind in isolation is a myth. The mind itself is social and relational in such a way that the intrapsychic inner world is directly related to the relational context in which it is embedded. In consulting and management, being mindful is, beyond an individual process of growth and development, also relational, recognizing that there are two or more entities working in a mutual and reciprocal process. Once we apply ‘being mindful’ on professionals in organizations it is clear that this can improve the wellbeing of leaders, managers and staff and the overall effectiveness of an organization. In the organizational literature the concept of ‘deep thinking’ is explored in marketing and sales. The paper promotes, explores and elaborates the concept of being mindful, including deep thinking, as essential for practical and spiritual aspects of organizational and corporate life, in particular for the transformational tasks of leaders and managers. Eight characteristics of mindful leadership are elaborated. Finally the potential parallel process of the rise of mindfulness and transactional analysis, stands out as a warning.
The sensory origins of human position sense
Authors: Tsay A. J. , Giummarra M. J. , Allen T. J. , Proske U.
Published: November 2015

Key points

Position sense at the human forearm can be measured in blindfolded subjects by matching positions of the arms or by a subject pointing to the perceived position of an unseen arm.

Effects on position sense tested were: elbow muscle conditioning with a voluntary contraction, muscle vibration, loading the arm and elbow skin stretch.

Conditioning contractions and vibration produced errors in a matching task, consistent with the action of muscle spindles as position sensors. Position errors in a pointing task were not consistent with the action of muscle spindles. Loading the arm or skin stretch had no effect in either matching or pointing tasks.

It is proposed that there are two kinds of position sense: (i) indicating positions of different body parts relative to one another, using signals from muscle spindles; and (ii) indicating position of the body in extrapersonal space, using signals from exteroceptors, vision, touch and hearing.

Human limb position sense can be measured in two ways: in a blindfolded matching task, position of one limb is indicated with the other limb. Alternatively, position of a limb, hidden from view, is indicated with a pointer, moved by pressing a lever. These experiments examined the sensory basis of position sense measured in these two ways. Position errors were measured in 14 subjects after elbow flexors or extensors had been conditioned with a half‐maximum voluntary contraction. In agreement with previous studies, in the matching trials, position errors were distributed according to a pattern consistent with the action of muscle spindles as the position sensors. In the pointing trials, all errors lay in the direction of extension of the true position of the hidden arm and their distribution was inconsistent with influences arising in muscle spindles. Vibration of elbow muscles produced an illusion of muscle lengthening during a matching task, while during the pointing task no illusion was present. Finally, the matching–pointing error difference was preserved, even when one arm was loaded with a weight or skin over the elbow was stretched. It is proposed that there are two kinds of position sense. One is signalled by muscle spindles, indicating position of one part of the body relative to another. A second provides information about the position of the body in extrapersonal space and here we hypothesise that exteroceptors, including vision, touch and hearing, acting via a central map of the body, provide the spatial information.
On Saint-Venant's Problem for Helicoidal Beams
Authors: Han Shilei , Bauchau Olivier A.
Published: November 2015

This paper proposes a novel solution strategy for Saint-Venant's problem based on Hamilton's formalism. Saint-Venant's problem focuses on helicoidal beams and its solution hinges upon the determination of the subspace of the system's Hamiltonian matrix associated with its null and pure imaginary eigenvalues. A projection approach is proposed that reduces the system Hamiltonian matrix to a matrix of size 12 × 12, whose eigenvalues are identical to the null and purely imaginary eigenvalues of the original system, with the same Jordan structure. A fundamental theoretical result is established: Saint-Venant's solutions exist because rigid-body motions create no strains. Indeed, the solvability conditions for the governing equations of the problem are satisfied because a matrix identity holds, which expresses the fact that rigid-body motions create no strains. Because it avoids the identification of the Jordan structure of the original system, the implementation of the proposed projection for large, realistic problems is straightforward. Closed-form solutions of the reduced problem are found and three-dimensional stress and strain fields can be recovered from the closed-form solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the analysis. Predictions are compared to exact solutions of three-dimensional elasticity and three-dimensional FEM analysis.
Volumetric Three-Dimensional Wind Measurement Using a Single Mobile-Based LiDAR
Authors: Zendehbad M. , Chokani N. , Abhari R. S.
Published: November 2015

A novel approach to measure the wind flow field in a utility-scale wind farm is described. The measurement technique uses a mobile, three-dimensional scanning LiDAR system to make successive measurements of the line-of-sight (LOS) wind speed from three different positions; from these measurements, the time-averaged three-dimensional wind velocity vectors are reconstructed. The scanning LiDAR system is installed in a custom-built vehicle in order to enable measurements of the three-dimensional wind flow field over a footprint that is larger than with a stationary scanning LiDAR system. At a given location, multiple series of plan position indicator (PPI) and velocity azimuthal display scans are made to average out turbulent fluctuations; this series is repeated at different locations across the wind farm. The limited duration of the total measurement time period yields measurements of the three-dimensional wind flow field that are unaffected by diurnal events. The approach of this novel measurement technique is first validated by comparisons to a meteorological mast and SODAR at a meteorological observatory. Then, the measurement technique is used to characterize the wake flows in two utility-scale wind farms: one in complex terrain and the other in flat terrain. The three-dimensional characteristics of the wakes are described in the measurements, and it is observed that in complex terrain the wake has a shorter downstream extent than in flat terrain. A maximum deficit in the wind speed of 20–25% is observed in the wake. The location of the maximum deficit migrates upward as the wake evolves; this upward migration is associated with an upward pitching of the wake flow. A comparison of the measurements to a semi-empirical wake model illustrates how the measurements, at full-scale Reynolds numbers, can support further development of wake models.
Fluid–Structure Interaction in the Flexible Porous Stratification Manifold
Authors: Wang Shuping , Davidson Jane H.
Published: November 2015

A model of the flexible porous manifold that captures the interaction between the flow field and the deformation of the manifold is developed and applied to understand how the fabric manifold works for conditions expected in solar water heaters. Contrary to the widely held hypothesis that the change of cross-sectional area induced by the fluid–structure interaction is beneficial, the numerical results demonstrate the change of cross-sectional area has no significant impact on the effectiveness of the manifold. In comparison to a rigid porous manifold, the performance of the flexible manifold is slightly worse because the collapse of the manifold encourages entrainment. The dimensionless permeability plays a crucial role in determining the performance and can be selected to limit entrainment and release fluid near the vertical level of neutral buoyancy.
Novel Configurations for Hybrid Transmissions Using a Simple Planetary Gear Train
Authors: Ngo Huu-Tich , Yan Hong-Sen
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a design approach to systematically synthesize feasible configurations for series–parallel and parallel hybrid transmissions subject to design constraints and required operation modes using a simple planetary gear train (PGT). The configuration synthesis process includes two main steps: (1) assign inputs and output powers to the PGT subject to design constraints by the power arrangement process and (2) assign clutches and brakes to the obtained systems subject to desired operation modes by the clutch arrangement process. By applying the proposed design approach, 9 clutchless and 31 clutched configurations for series–parallel and parallel hybrid transmission systems are synthesized, respectively. For each type of the hybrid systems, we analyzed kinematics and power flows of a new configuration to demonstrate the feasibility of the synthesized systems. The design approach can be used to systematically synthesize future hybrid transmissions with different mechanisms, design constraints, and desired operation modes.
India orders premier labs to pay their own way
Authors: Ravindran Shruti
Published: November 2015

“Self-finance” directive comes as government pushes indigenous innovation.
The cultural evolution
The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge
Matt Ridley
Harper, 2015. 366 pp.
Authors: Gawne Richard
Published: November 2015

An ambitious attempt to show that human culture evolves from the bottom up falls flat
Performance of BD Max StaphSR for Screening of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates among a Contemporary and Diverse Collection from 146 Institutions Located in Nine U.S. Census Regions: Prevalence of
mecA
Dropout Mutants
Authors: Mendes Rodrigo E. , Watters Amy A. , Rhomberg Paul R. , Farrell David J. , Jones Ronald N.
Published: November 2015

This study determined the performance of BD Max StaphSR and the rate of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) with an unrecognized staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec
(SCC
mec
) right-extremity junction (MREJ) region among 907 methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA) and 900 methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
(MSSA) isolates. The rate of
mecA/mecC
dropout mutants was also evaluated. Only three MRSA isolates (99.7% sensitivity; 904/907) were classified as MSSA by the BD Max StaphSR assay, due to negative results for MREJ. Eight MSSA isolates (99.1% sensitivity; 892/900) were assigned as MRSA. However, six of these MSSA isolates had the
mecA
gene confirmed by PCR and sequencing (99.8% sensitivity; 898/900). Overall, 7.1% (64/900) of MSSA isolates showed results compatible with a
mecA
dropout genotype.
Epstein-Barr Virus BZLF1-Mediated Downregulation of Proinflammatory Factors Is Essential for Optimal Lytic Viral Replication
Authors: Li Yuqing , Long Xubing , Huang Lu , Yang Mengtian , Yuan Yan , Wang Yan , Delecluse Henri-Jacques , Kuang Ersheng
Published: November 2015

Elevated secretion of inflammatory factors is associated with latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and the pathology of EBV-associated diseases; however, knowledge of the inflammatory response and its biological significance during the lytic EBV cycle remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the immediate early transcriptional activator BZLF1 suppresses the proinflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by binding to the promoter of TNF-α and preventing NF-κB activation. A BZLF1Δ207-210 mutant with a deletion of 4 amino acids (aa) in the protein-protein binding domain was not able to inhibit the proinflammatory factors TNF-α and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and reduced viral DNA replication with complete transcriptional activity during EBV lytic gene expression. TNF-α depletion restored the viral replication mediated by BZLF1Δ207-210. Furthermore, a combination of TNF-α- and IFN-γ-neutralizing antibodies recovered BZLF1Δ207-210-mediated viral replication, indicating that BZLF1 attenuates the antiviral response to aid optimal lytic replication primarily through the inhibition of TNF-α and IFN-γ secretion during the lytic cycle. These results suggest that EBV BZLF1 attenuates the proinflammatory responses to facilitate viral replication.

IMPORTANCE
The proinflammatory response is an antiviral and anticancer strategy following the complex inflammatory phenotype. Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection strongly correlates with an elevated secretion of inflammatory factors in a variety of severe diseases, while the inflammatory responses during the lytic EBV cycle have not been established. Here, we demonstrate that BZLF1 acts as a transcriptional suppressor of the inflammatory factors TNF-α and IFN-γ and confirm that BZLF1-facilitated escape from the TNF-α and IFN-γ response during the EBV lytic life cycle is required for optimal viral replication. This finding implies that the EBV lytic cycle employs a distinct strategy to evade the antiviral inflammatory response.
Disparities in health and access to healthcare between asylum seekers and residents in Germany: a population-based cross-sectional feasibility study
Authors: Schneider Christine , Joos Stefanie , Bozorgmehr Kayvan
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To assess disparities in health and healthcare between asylum seekers (AS) and residents in Germany as a proof of concept using European Core Health Indicators (ECHI).

Design

Population-based cross-sectional feasibility study.

Participants

All AS (aged 18 years or above) registered in three counties in Germany during a 3-month study period (N=1017). Cross-sectional data on the resident population were taken from the German Health Interview (2008–2011, N=8152), and the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (2012, N=23 065).

Outcome measures

Self-reported health status and healthcare access (utilisation and unmet medical need) in line with ECHI.

Method

Inequalities in health and access to healthcare were quantified both by crude and age-stratified/sex-stratified ORs with 95% CI using cross-tabulations.

Results

A total of N=156 AS (15.34%) participated in the study. Compared with residents, AS were significantly more likely to report a bad health status (OR=1.72 (1.23 to 2.41)), activity limitations (OR=1.97 (1.39 to 2.79)) or (only younger age groups) any chronic morbidity (18–24 years: OR=6.23 (2.62 to 14.57); 25–49 years: OR=2.05 (1.23 to 3.37)). AS had significantly lower odds for consulting any physician (OR=0.1 (0.07 to 0.16)) or general practitioners (OR=0.44 (0.31 to 0.62)), but higher odds for hospital admissions (OR=2.29 (1.54 to 3.34)), visits to psychotherapists (OR=4.07 (2.48 to 6.43)) and unmet needs (OR=3.74 (2.62 to 5.21)). The direction of healthcare-related associations was consistent across all strata despite variation in magnitude and statistical significance.

Conclusions

Quantifying disparities between AS and the resident population by means of selected ECHI proved to be feasible. The approach yielded first quantitative evidence for disparities in health and access to healthcare in the German context. Further research is needed to generate representative estimates, for example, by including AS in national health monitoring programmes.
Observing temporal trends in cardiac rehabilitation from 1996 to 2010 in Ontario: characteristics of referred patients, programme participation and mortality rates
Authors: Grace Sherry L , Oh Paul I , Marzolini Susan , Colella Tracey , Tan Yongyao , Alter David A
Published: November 2015

Objectives

We sought to describe temporal trends in the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of participants referred to cardiac rehabilitation (CR), and its effect on programme participation and all-cause mortality over 14 years.

Setting

A large CR centre in Toronto, Canada.

Participants

Consecutive patients between 1996 and 2010.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Referrals received were deterministically linked to administrative data, to complement referral form abstraction. Out-of-hospital deaths were identified using vital statistics. Patients were tracked until 2012, and mortality was ascertained. Percentage attendance at prescribed sessions was also assessed.

Results

There were 29 171 referrals received, of which 28 767 (98.6%) were successfully linked, of whom 22 795 (79.2%) attended an intake assessment. The age of the referred population steadily increased, with more females, less affluent and more single patients referred over time (p<0.001). More patients were referred following percutaneous coronary intervention and less following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (p<0.001). The number of comorbidities decreased (p<0.001). Hypertension increased over time (p<0.001), yet the control of cholesterol steadily improved over time. The proportion of smokers decreased over time (p<0.001). Participation in CR significantly declined, and there were no significant changes in mortality. 3-year mortality rates were less than 5%.

Conclusions

Characteristics of referred patients tended to reflect broader trends in risk factors and cardiovascular disease burden. Physicians appear to be referring more sociodemographically diverse patients to CR; however, programmes may need to better adapt to engage these patients to fully participate. More complex patients should be referred, using explicit criteria-based referral processes.
Effect of gas bubbles on pore pressure response in peat beneath a railway embankment
Authors: Acharya Mohan P. , Hendry Michael T. , Martin C. Derek
Published: November 2015

This paper presents the pore pressure behaviour observed within peat beneath a newly constructed railway embankment. Piezometers installed at different depths beneath the structure showed episodic increases in pore pressure above hydrostatic pressure followed by a rapid pore pressure decrease. It was postulated that this fluctuation in pore pressure was due to the movement and expulsion of gases within the peat. Investigations were conducted in the laboratory to replicate this pore pressure response. The peat specimens were subjected to isotropic consolidation, within a triaxial cell, at constant confining pressure while measuring the change in the specimen’s pore pressure and volume. The results of this investigation indicate that the gas bubbles move through the channeled network of voids towards the drainage boundary where they restrict the flow of water, which results in the increase of pore pressure towards an upper limit or escape pressure, ultimately causing an expulsion of gas bubbles. This expulsion of bubbles results in a rapid drop in pore pressure and volume change within the specimen. The implications of the volume change associated with this pore pressure behaviour are discussed.
Territorial and foraging behaviour of juvenile Mediterranean trout under changing conditions of food and competitors
Authors: Nicola Graciela G. , Ayllón Daniel , Elvira Benigno , Almodóvar Ana
Published: November 2015

Territoriality is probably the most important ecological mechanism regulating densities in stream-living salmonids. Body size is typically regarded as the best predictor of territory size, but food abundance and competitor density may be key driving factors. However, a global analysis of literature data showed no clear patterns on the relative causal role of those factors on determining territory size in juvenile salmonids. Thus, in a factorial experiment, we estimated to what extent simultaneous variations of fish size, competitor density, and food abundance affected the size of foraging and defended areas of Mediterranean brown trout (Salmo trutta). In contrast with former studies, we found that foraging areas were larger than defended territories. Foraging and territorial behaviour changed significantly under varying density and feeding regimes. Foraging areas decreased with increasing competitor density and food availability, and there was a strong interaction between these two factors. Defended territories decreased with increasing density, irrespective of food abundance. Although our findings showed a significant allometric relationship between fish length and territory size, the data contained much unexplained variability. Our findings suggest that defended areas are relatively fixed for a given trout length. However, at extremely high population densities, defended areas decreased. Thus, under extreme competition, such as during critical periods right after emergence, trout may subdivide available habitat and thereby moderate density declines.
Solitary wave and multi-front wave collisions for the Bogoyavlenskii–Kadomtsev–Petviashili equation in physics, biology and electrical networks
Authors: Xie Xi-Yang , Tian Bo , Sun Wen-Rong , Wang Ming , Wang Yun-Po
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we investigate a Bogoyavlenskii–Kadomtsev–Petviashili equation, which can be used to describe the propagation of nonlinear waves in physics, biology and electrical networks. We find that the equation is Painlevé integrable. With symbolic computation, Hirota bilinear forms, solitary waves and multi-front waves are derived. Elastic collisions between/among the two and three solitary waves are graphically discussed, where the waves maintain their shapes, amplitudes and velocities after the collision only with some phase shifts. Inelastic collisions among the multi-front waves are discussed, where the front waves coalesce into one larger front wave in their collision region.
Study of surface-enhanced Raman scattering of InAs particles of subwavelength apertures at terahertz frequencies
Authors: Liu Ying , Ren Guangjun , Du Rongjian , Zhang Yongming , Tan Tianbo , Wang Yaqi , Yao Jianquan
Published: November 2015

We present a theoretical mechanism for electric field enhancement with SERS of InAs particles of subwavelength apertures under THz excitation. The distribution of electric field confirms that there is a strong enhancement in the InAs particles at THz frequencies. The InAs with a Drude-like behavior in THz range, which is similar to metals at optical frequencies, leads to different SERS when the parameters of these two particles change. The SERS enhancement factor can reach [Formula: see text] under the certain conditions.
An asymptotic formula for boundary potential perturbations in a semilinear elliptic equation related to cardiac electrophysiology
Authors: Beretta Elena , Cerutti M. Cristina , Manzoni Andrea , Pierotti Dario
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we provide a representation formula for boundary voltage perturbations caused by internal conductivity inhomogeneities of low volume fraction in a simplified monodomain model describing the electrical activity of the heart. We derive such a result in the case of a nonlinear problem. Our long-term goal is the solution of the inverse problem related to the detection of regions affected by heart ischemic disease, whose position and size are unknown. We model the presence of ischemic regions in the form of small inhomogeneities. This leads to the study of a boundary value problem for a semilinear elliptic equation. We first analyze the well-posedness of the problem establishing some key energy estimates. These allow us to derive rigorously an asymptotic formula of the boundary potential perturbation due to the presence of the inhomogeneities, following an approach similar to the one introduced by Capdeboscq and Vogelius in [A general representation formula for boundary voltage perturbations caused by internal conductivity inhomogeneities of low volume fraction, Math. Model. Numer. Anal. 37 (2003) 159–173] in the case of the linear conductivity equation. Finally, we propose some ideas of the reconstruction procedure that might be used to detect the inhomogeneities.
Certified reduced-order methods for optimal treatment planning
Authors: Ahmedov Bahodir , Grepl Martin A. , Herty Michael
Published: November 2015

We study numerical methods for inverse problems arising in cancer therapy treatment under uncertainty. The interest is on efficient and reliable numerical methods that allow to determine the influence of possible unknown parameters on the treatment plan for cancer therapy. A kinetic transport equation is used to model the evolution of charged particles in tissue. A mixed variational framework is presented and existence and uniqueness of a weak solution is established. The optimality system is approximated using a low-dimensional reduced basis formulation based on a [Formula: see text]-FE discretization. We derive a posteriori bounds for the error in the reduced basis solution of the optimal control problem with respect to the solution of the [Formula: see text]-FE discretization. Numerical results in slab geometry are presented to confirm the validity of our approach.
Ordering homotopy string links over surfaces
Authors: Theodoro de Lima Juliana R. , de Mattos Denise
Published: November 2015

Let [Formula: see text] be a closed, connected and oriented surface of genus [Formula: see text]. In this work, we prove that the homotopy string links over [Formula: see text] , namely, [Formula: see text], are bi-orderable, i.e. there is an (explicit) left and right order for such group.
Knot lattice homology in L-spaces
Authors: Ozsváth Peter , Stipsicz András I. , Szabó Zoltán
Published: November 2015

We show that the knot lattice homology of a knot in an [Formula: see text]-space is chain homotopy equivalent to the knot Floer homology of the same knot (viewed these invariants as filtered chain complexes over the polynomial ring [Formula: see text]). Suppose that [Formula: see text] is a negative definite plumbing tree which contains a vertex [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is a union of rational graphs. Using the identification of knot homologies we show that for such graphs the lattice homology [Formula: see text] is isomorphic to the Heegaard Floer homology [Formula: see text] of the corresponding rational homology sphere [Formula: see text].
ARC 2014 Over-Clocking KLT Designs on FPGAs under Process, Voltage, and Temperature Variation
Authors: Duarte Rui Policarpo , Bouganis Christos-Savvas
Published: November 2015

Karhunen-Loeve Transformation is a widely used algorithm in signal processing that often implemented with high-throughput requisites. This work presents a novel methodology to optimise KLT designs on FPGAs that outperform typical design methodologies, through a prior characterisation of the arithmetic units in the datapath of the circuit under various operating conditions. Limited by the ever-increasing process variation, the delay models available in synthesis tools are no longer suitable for extreme performance optimisation of designs, and as they are generic, they need to consider the worst-case performance for a given fabrication process. Hence, they heavily penalise the maximum possible achieved performance of a design by leaving safety margin. This work presents a novel unified optimisation framework which contemplates a prior characterisation of the embedded multipliers on the target FPGA device under process, voltage, and temperature variation. The proposed framework allows a design space exploration leading to designs without any latency overheads that achieve high throughput while producing less errors than typical methodologies, operating with the same throughput. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methodology outperforms the typical implementation in three real-life design strategies: high performance, low power, and temperature variation; and it produced circuit designs that performed up to 18dB better when over-clocked.