bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Remediation Scheme for a Wastewater Recharge Site: Contaminants Fate and Transport Model
Authors: Rona Michael , Lev Ovadia , Gvirtzman Haim
Published: December 2017

A 3‐dimensional hydrologic groundwater flow and contaminant transport model was developed to address the feasibility and relevant time‐scales for remediation of a large soil aquifer treatment (SAT) site for domestic wastewater. The model accounted for a range of organic pollutant retardation factors and biodegradation kinetics. In order to detect the effect of the most retained and the most refracted/recalcitrant pollutants, it was crucial to model fractions of different properties rather than with average set properties.

Four aquifer remediation scenarios, including two active washing procedures and two involving natural attenuation, were evaluated. The remediation efficiencies, in terms of residual plume size and mass of pollutant washout, were compared to each other and to the current operation scheme. According to the results, remediation mainly via natural attenuation rather than some form of intense pump and treat technology, is feasible, unlike the situation with hazardous waste sites. Enforced washout becomes less efficient with time due to increasing retardation of the residual pollutants. Therefore, pollution containment with natural biodegradation, which removed 95% of the emerging contaminants within 30 to 40 years was found to be the most valuable remediation scheme.
Microfocused ultrasound in combination with diluted calcium hydroxylapatite for improving skin laxity and the appearance of lines in the neck and décolletage
Authors: Casabona Gabriela , Nogueira Teixeira Diana
Published: December 2017

Background

Skin laxity and wrinkling on the neck and décolletage reveal age as reliably as the face.

Objective

To evaluate the combined use of microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU‐V; Ultherapy®) and diluted calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA; Radiesse®) for treating the neck and décolletage.

Methods

Subjects with moderate‐to‐severe lines on the neck and/or décolletage were retrospectively enrolled. MFU‐V was applied using 7 and 10 MHz transducers followed by subdermal injection of CaHA diluted 1:1 with lidocaine solution. Photographs at baseline and 90 days were assessed by two independent, blinded evaluators using three scales: Merz Aesthetics décolleté wrinkles, Fabi‐Bolton chest wrinkle, and Allergan transverse neck lines scales.

Results

A total of 47 subjects were treated as follows: 29 (neck only), five (décolletage only), and 13 (both areas). Mean neckline score improved from 2.6 (moderate‐to‐severe lines) at baseline to 1.3 (mild lines) 90 days after treatment (P < .001). Mean décolletage scores improved from 2.6 and 3.3 (moderate‐to‐severe wrinkles) on the Merz Aesthetics and Fabi‐Bolton scales, respectively, to 1.1 and 1.8 (mild wrinkles), respectively, after treatment (both P < .001). Both procedures were well tolerated with high subject satisfaction.

Conclusions

Combining MFU‐V with 1:1 diluted CaHA is effective for improving the appearance of neck and décolletage lines and wrinkles.
A Comparison of Effectiveness of Dohsa‐hou and the Alexander Technique on Happiness, Social Adjustment, Hope, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Pour Kamali Tahereh , Yazdkhasti Fariba , Oreyzi HamiD Reza , Chitsaz Ahmad
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Dohsa‐hou and the Alexander Technique on happiness, social adjustment, hope, mental health, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease. The statistical population of this study included all of the patients with Parkinson's disease who were clients of neural therapeutic centers in Isfahan City in 2015. Among this population, 28 patients were selected through convenience sampling as the sample of the study. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the Social Adjustment Scale, the Adult Hope Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, and the Word Health Quality of Life Questionnaire were used as the instruments of the study. Data were analyzed by analyses of variance with repeated measures. The results showed that both interventions of this study can improve happiness, hope, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease, but Dohsa‐hou is more effective than the Alexander Technique in the improvement of happiness and hope. Probable explanations have been discussed.
Enhanced nondestructive characterization of ordinary chondrites using complex magnetic susceptibility measurements
Authors: Oliver P. , Ralchenko M. , Samson C. , Ernst R. E. , McCausland P. J. A. , West G. F.
Published: December 2017

Ordinary chondrites have previously been nondestructively characterized using bulk magnetic susceptibility, broadly reflecting their Fe‐Ni alloy content. We seek to expand the information that can be recovered from magnetic susceptibility by using the University of Toronto Electromagnetic Induction Spectrometer (UTEMIS) to measure the complex magnetic susceptibility tensor of 20 ordinary chondrites samples in addition to 16 Gao–Guenie (H5) chondrites at 35 frequencies from 90 Hz to 64 kHz, at variable low applied field strengths <10 A m−1. Following removal of the field‐dependent component of susceptibility, frequency dependence, in‐ and out‐of‐phase components, and bulk magnetic susceptibility were interpreted. Most meteorites showed no frequency‐dependent in‐phase responses, but had a frequency‐dependent out‐of‐phase response attributed to eddy currents induced in conductive minerals. Greater in‐ and out‐of‐phase frequency dependence correlated with lower fayalite content in olivine and was, in turn, inversely proportional to Fe‐Ni alloy content. The uncertainty in the UTEMIS measurements ranges from approximately 0.05% for low‐frequency in‐phase measurements to a maximum of 3% for low‐frequency out‐of‐phase measurements. This uncertainty level was far lower than the intra‐meteorite variability for the Gao–Guenie suite suggesting inhomogeneity at scales of approximately 10 g.
A Sraffian (no) trade‐off between autonomous demand and transfer payments
Authors: Mariolis Theodore
Published: December 2017

This paper explores the matrix demand multiplier in Sraffian frameworks and shows that it involves an autonomous demand‐transfer payments curve, which exhibits formal similarities with the well‐known consumption (wage)‐growth (profit) curve in steady‐state capital and growth theory.
The Renewal and Reform of the Catholic Church's Relationship with the Religious Others: Prospects and Challenges for a Theological Humanistic Turn in Christian‐Muslim Dialogue
Authors: Okwara MariaOlisaemeka Rosemary
Published: December 2017

This article aims at exploring some recent developments in Catholic Church's recent relationship with religious others. It does so by exploring the theological‐anthropological sources behind Vatican II and some subsequent Papal teachings concerning the Church's mission of dialogue. Specifically, it discusses the notion of common origin, destiny and common humanity as sources for praxis‐oriented and faith‐based initiatives in a Christian‐Muslim dialogue. This article is divided into three sub‐sections. First, it considers the Catholic Church's renewed dialogue with non‐Christian believers, with particular focus on the theological‐anthropological turn in recent Church teaching. Second, it examines the prospects and challenges of Christian‐Muslim dialogue based on belief in God the creator and divine revelation, and human beings' response to divine manifestations in history. Finally, it considers some faith‐based humanistic and dialogic initiatives that emerge from the Christian‐Muslim confession of one creator God. The paper suggests that a theology of dialogue that understands the world and human beings as the realm of encounter, uncovering and necessitating the divine and the Church's (salvific) activity in human history, can foster faith‐based humanistic and dialogic initiatives between Christians and Muslims.
Evidence for increased use of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia Critical Events Checklist in resource‐limited environments: A retrospective observational study of app data
Authors: O'Reilly‐Shah Vikas N. , Kitzman Jamie , Jabaley Craig S. , Lynde Grant C.
Published: December 2017

Background

Electronic decision support tools in anesthesiology practice have great value, including the potential for mobile applications to simplify delivery of best‐practice guidelines.

Aims

We sought to combine demographics with usage information to elucidate important patterns in the rate of use of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia Critical Events Checklist, as measured by in‐app accesses of the checklist via the freely available anesthesia calculator app anesthesiologist.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analytic observational case‐control study using analytics and survey data collected from the app. Users of the app were classified on the basis of whether or not they had accessed the checklist. This classification was used to perform logistic regression against a number of independent variables, including frequency of app use, country income level, professional role, rating of app importance, length of time in practice, group size, practice model, community served, and primary practice environment.

Results

Individual app users practicing in low‐ and middle‐income countries have a significantly higher rate of Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Critical Events Checklist utilization as compared with high‐income countries. Rural practitioners had higher utilization of the checklist. Practice size did not affect the utilization of the checklist. The checklist was used for both provider learning and for just‐in‐time patient care.

Conclusion

mHealth apps are invaluable resource in everyday clinical practice. Mobile app analytics and in‐app survey data reveal variable penetration and applicability of such technology worldwide. mHealth apps may be particularly impactful in limited‐resource areas, such as lower‐income environments and rural communities.
Implications of the galactosidase activity of yieldin in the regulatory mechanism of yield threshold that is fundamental to cell wall extension
Authors: Okamoto‐Nakazato Akane
Published: December 2017

To understand the action mechanism of yieldin (YLD) on the regulation of the yield threshold (Y), one of the critical parameters of cell wall extension, YLD was extracted from the cell walls of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) hypocotyls and the hemagglutinin activity (HA) as well as the glycosidase activity of the protein was measured. Sedimentation assays using trypsinated rabbit erythrocytes showed that YLD possessed HA at pH 7. The digestion assays using 4‐nitrophenyl (pNP) glycopyranosides as artificial substrates showed that YLD liberated galactose residues from pNP alpha‐d‐galactopyranoside mainly at pH 4.0, i.e. the pH level where Y was decreased at most. These results show that YLD is a bifunctional protein that switches between the HA and the galactosidase activities depending on the surrounding pH. Since D‐galactose at concentration of 0.03 g l−1 perfectly inhibited the HA, YLD was suggested to associate with galactose residues. However, the galactose application ten times concentrated was necessary to inhibit both the galactosidase activity of YLD and the acid‐induced shift of Y regulated by YLD. In addition, the specific inhibitor of alpha‐d‐galactosidase (deoxygalactonojirimycin) inhibited both the galactosidase activity of YLD and the shift of Y at the same concentration, but not the HA. On the basis of these results, it is suggested the galactosidase activity of YLD plays a central role in the mechanism of Y‐regulation at acidic pH.
Messages Matter: Investigating the Thematic Content of Picture Books Portraying Underrepresented Racial and Cultural Groups
Authors: Aronson Krista Maywalt , Callahan Brenna D. , O'Brien Anne Sibley
Published: December 2017

Books depicting underrepresented racial or cultural groups and the messages they convey offer vehicles for change. But not all messages have the same impact, and thought should be given to which messages are used when and for what purpose. Our research contributes to the national conversation about diverse children's books by illuminating nine themes dominant in fiction and narrative nonfiction picture books (K–3) published between 2008–2015 featuring characters who are Asian/Pacific Islander, black/African/African American, Central and South American (Hispanic/Latinx), Middle Eastern/North African/Arab, First/Native Nations, and bi‐/multiracial. We also provide insight into the messages communicated by the relative prevalence of characters portrayed in each theme from each group. Inviting those who use books with children to turn their attention to overarching messages, we provide a model of how these themes can be used to interrogate a collection and its nuances of representation.
The Xanthomonas effector XopL uncovers the role of microtubules in stromule extension and dynamics in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Erickson Jessica L. , Adlung Norman , Lampe Christina , Bonas Ulla , Schattat Martin H.
Published: December 2017

Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria type III‐secreted effectors were screened for candidates influencing plant cell processes relevant to the formation and maintenance of stromules in Nicotiana benthamiana lower leaf epidermis. Transient expression of XopL, a unique type of E3 ubiquitin ligase, led to a nearly complete elimination of stromules and the relocation of plastids to the nucleus. Further characterization of XopL revealed that the E3 ligase activity is essential for the two plastid phenotypes. In contrast to the XopL wild type, a mutant XopL lacking E3 ligase activity specifically localized to microtubules. Interestingly, mutant XopL‐labeled filaments frequently aligned with stromules, suggesting an important, yet unexplored, microtubule–stromule relationship. High time‐resolution movies confirmed that microtubules provide a scaffold for stromule movement and contribute to stromule shape. Taken together, this study has defined two populations of stromules: microtubule‐dependent stromules, which were found to move slower and persist longer, and microtubule‐independent stromules, which move faster and are transient. Our results provide the basis for a new model of stromule dynamics including interactions with both actin and microtubules.
Fabrication of 3D nanovolcano-shaped nanopores with helium ion microscopy
Authors: Wang Haitao , Xie Wanyi , Wang Yunjiao , Zhu Jifeng , Liu Mengwan , Lu Wenqiang , Deng Yunsheng , Wang Guodong , Wang Deqiang
Published: December 2017

Both helium and gallium ion beams were employed to fabricate nanopores. Herein, three-dimensional nano-volcano-shaped nanopores (3D-NVNs) were directly formed using helium ion beam with no precursors required, while the gallium ion beam produced V-shaped nanopores. Hundreds of 3D-NVNs were fabricated with a mean diameter of 229 ± 7 nm, where the He ion beam milling rate for the 3D-NVNs was 3.6 ± 0.2 μm3/μC. The height of the 3D-NVNs was greater than their depth when the dose range was 0–10 nC/μm2, while the height remained constant for doses above 10 nC/μm2. Trajectory simulations of the ion bombardment into the gold film clarified that ion implantation could primarily account for the volcano-shaped nanopore formation.
Atomic layer deposition of molybdenum disulfide films using MoF6 and H2S
Authors: Mane Anil U. , Letourneau Steven , Mandia David J. , Liu Jian , Libera Joseph A. , Lei Yu , Peng Qing , Graugnard Elton , Elam Jeffrey W.
Published: December 2017

Molybdenum sulfide films were grown by atomic layer deposition on silicon and fused silica substrates using molybdenum hexafluoride (MoF6) and hydrogen sulfide at 200 °C. In situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements confirmed linear growth at 0.46 Å/cycle and self-limiting chemistry for both precursors. Analysis of the QCM step shapes indicated that MoS2 is the reaction product, and this finding is supported by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showing that Mo is predominantly in the Mo(IV) state. However, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements failed to identify crystalline MoS2 in the as-deposited films, and this might result from unreacted MoFx residues in the films. Annealing the films at 350 °C in a hydrogen rich environment yielded crystalline MoS2 and reduced the F concentration in the films. Optical transmission measurements yielded a bandgap of 1.3 eV. Finally, the authors observed that the MoS2 growth per cycle was accelerated when a fraction of the MoF6 pulses were substituted with diethyl zinc.
Multivariate analysis of attachment of biofouling organisms in response to material surface characteristics
Authors: Gatley-Montross Caitlyn M. , Finlay John A. , Aldred Nick , Cassady Harrison , Destino Joel F. , Orihuela Beatriz , Hickner Michael A. , Clare Anthony S. , Rittschof Daniel , Holm Eric R. , Detty Michael R.
Published: December 2017

Multivariate analyses were used to investigate the influence of selected surface properties (Owens–Wendt surface energy and its dispersive and polar components, static water contact angle, conceptual sign of the surface charge, zeta potentials) on the attachment patterns of five biofouling organisms (Amphibalanus amphitrite, Amphibalanus improvisus, Bugula neritina, Ulva linza, and Navicula incerta) to better understand what surface properties drive attachment across multiple fouling organisms. A library of ten xerogel coatings and a glass standard provided a range of values for the selected surface properties to compare to biofouling attachment patterns. Results from the surface characterization and biological assays were analyzed separately and in combination using multivariate statistical methods. Principal coordinate analysis of the surface property characterization and the biological assays resulted in different groupings of the xerogel coatings. In particular, the biofouling organisms were able to distinguish four coatings that were not distinguishable by the surface properties of this study. The authors used canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) to identify surface properties governing attachment across all five biofouling species. The CAP pointed to surface energy and surface charge as important drivers of patterns in biological attachment, but also suggested that differentiation of the surfaces was influenced to a comparable or greater extent by the dispersive component of surface energy.
Relationship between growth and illness, enteropathogens and dietary intakes in the first 2 years of life: findings from the MAL-ED birth cohort study
Authors:   MAL-ED Network Investigators
Published: December 2017

Background

Dietary and illness factors affect risk of growth faltering; the role of enteropathogens is less clear. As part of the Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) study, we quantify the effects of enteropathogen infection, diarrhoea and diet on child growth.

Methods

Newborns were enrolled and followed until 24 months. Length and weight were assessed monthly. Illnesses and breastfeeding practices were documented biweekly; from 9 to 24 months, non-breast milk intakes were quantified monthly. Routinely collected non-diarrhoeal stools were analysed for a broad array of enteropathogens. A linear piecewise spline model was used to quantify associations of each factor with growth velocity in seven of eight MAL-ED sites; cumulative effects on attained size at 24 months were estimated for mean, low (10th percentile) and high (90th percentile) exposure levels. Additionally, the six most prevalent enteropathogens were evaluated for their effects on growth.

Results

Diarrhoea did not have a statistically significant effect on growth. Children with high enteropathogen exposure were estimated to be 1.21±0.33 cm (p<0.001; 0.39 length for age (LAZ)) shorter and 0.08±0.15 kg (p=0.60; 0.08 weight-for-age (WAZ)) lighter at 24 months, on average, than children with low exposure.Campylobacterand enteroaggregativeEscherichia colidetections were associated with deficits of 0.83±0.33 and 0.85±0.31 cm in length (p=0.011 and 0.001) and 0.22±0.15 and 0.09±0.14 kg in weight (p=0.14 and 0.52), respectively. Children with low energy intakes and protein density were estimated to be 1.39±0.33 cm (p<0.001; 0.42 LAZ) shorter and 0.81±0.15 kg (p<0.001; 0.65 WAZ) lighter at 24 months than those with high intakes.

Conclusions

Reducing enteropathogen burden and improving energy and protein density of complementary foods could reduce stunting.
Vertical and horizontal equity of funding for malaria control: a global multisource funding analysis for 2006–2010
Authors: Barrenho Eliana , Miraldo Marisa , Shaikh Mujaheed , Atun Rifat
Published: December 2017

Background

International and domestic funding for malaria is critically important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its equitable distribution is key in ensuring that the available, scarce, resources are deployed efficiently for improved progress and a sustained response that enables eradication.

Methods

We used concentration curves and concentration indices to assess inequalities in malaria funding by different donors across countries, measuring both horizontal and vertical equity. Horizontal equity assesses whether funding is distributed in proportion to health needs, whereas vertical equity examines whether unequal economic needs are addressed by appropriately unequal funding. We computed the Health Inequity Index and the Kakwani Index to assess the former and the latter, respectively. We used data from the World Bank, Global Fund, Unicef, President’s Malaria Initiative and the Malaria Atlas Project to assess the distribution of funding against need for 94 countries. National gross domestic product per capita was used as a proxy for economic need and‘population-at-risk’for health need.

Findings

The level and direction of inequity varies across funding sources. Unicef and the President’s Malaria Initiative were the most horizontally inequitable (pro-poor). Inequity as shown by the Health Inequity Index for Unicef decreased from −0.40 (P<0.05) in 2006 to −0.25 (P<0.10) in 2008, and increased again to −0.58 (P<0.01) in 2009. For President’s Malaria Initiative, it increased from −0.19 (P>0.10) in 2006 to −0.38 (P<0.05) in 2008, and decreased to −0.36 (P<0.10) in 2010. Domestic funding was inequitable (pro-rich) with inequity increasing from 0.28 (P<0.01) in 2006 to 0.39 (P<0.01) in 2009, and then decreasing to 0.22 (P<0.10) in 2010. Funding from the World Bank and the Global Fund was distributed proportionally according to need. In terms of vertical inequity, all sources were progressive: Unicef and the President’s Malaria Initiative were the most progressive with the Kakwani Indices ranging from −0.97 (P<0.01) to −1.29 (P<0.01), and −0.90 (P<0.01) to −1.10 (P<0.01), respectively.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that external funding of malaria treatment tends to be allocated to countries with higher health and economic need but not in proportion to their relative health need and income when compared to other countries. While malaria eradication might require funders to disproportionally allocate funding that goes beyond (financial and health) need, our analysis highlights that funders might potentially be targeting in excess certain countries. Regular assessments of need and greater coordination among donors are necessary for equitable resource allocation, to improve and sustain progress with malaria control and elimination.
Gender-specific interactions between education and income in relation to obesity: a cross-sectional analysis of the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V)
Authors: Chung Woojin , Lim Seung-ji , Lee Sunmi , Kim Roeul , Kim Jaeyeun
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To identify gender-specific associations between education and income in relation to obesity in developed countries by considering both the interaction-effect terms of the independent variables and their main-effect terms.

Design

A cross-sectional study. Education and income levels were chosen as socioeconomic status indicators. Sociodemographics, lifestyles and medical conditions were used as covariates in multivariable logistic regression models. Adjusted ORs and predicted probabilities of being obese were computed and adjusted for a complex survey design.

Setting

Data were obtained from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012).

Participants

The sample included 7337 male and 9908 female participants aged ≥19 years.

Outcome measure

Obesity was defined as body mass index of ≥25, according to a guideline for Asians.

Results

In models with no interaction-effect terms of independent variables, education was significantly associated with obesity in both men and women, but income was significant only in women. However, in models with the interaction-effect terms, education was significant only in women, but income was significant only in men. The interaction effect between income and education was significant in men but not in women. Participants having the highest predicted probability of being obese over educational and income levels differed between the two types of models, and between men and women. A prediction using the models with the interaction-effect terms demonstrated that for all men, the highest level of formal education was associated with an increase in their probability of being obese by as much as 26%.

Conclusions

The well-known, negative association between socioeconomic status and obesity in developed countries may not be valid when interaction effects are included. Ignoring these effects and their gender differences may result in the targeting of wrong populations for reducing obesity prevalence and its resultant socioeconomic gradients.
Association of occasional smoking with total mortality in the population-based Tromsø study, 2001–2015
Authors: Løchen Maja-Lisa , Gram Inger Torhild , Mannsverk Jan , Mathiesen Ellisiv B , Njølstad Inger , Schirmer Henrik , Wilsgaard Tom , Jacobsen Bjarne K
Published: December 2017

Objectives

There is a shift in the smoking population from daily smokers to light or occasional smokers. The knowledge about possible adverse health effects of this new smoking pattern is limited. We investigated smoking habits with focus on occasional smoking in relation to total mortality in a follow-up study of a Norwegian general population.

Setting

A population study in Tromsø, Norway.

Methods

We collected smoking habits and relevant risk factors in 4020 women and 3033 men aged 30–89 years in the Tromsø Study in 2001. The subjects were followed up regarding total mortality through June 2015.

Results

Among the participants, there were 7% occasional smokers. Occasional smokers were younger, more educated and used alcohol more frequently than other participants. A total of 766 women and 882 men died during the follow-up. After the adjustment for confounders, we found that occasional smoking significantly increased mortality by 38% (95% CI 8% to 76%) compared with never smokers. We report a dose–response relationship in the hazards of smoking (daily, occasional, former and never smoking).

Conclusions

Occasional smoking is not a safe smoking alternative. There is a need for information to the general public and health workers about the health hazards of occasional smoking. More work should be done to motivate this often well-educated group to quit smoking completely.
Symptomatic partial and transitional atrioventricular septal defect repaired in infancy
Authors: Krupickova Sylvia , Morgan Gareth J , Cheang Mun Hong , Rigby Michael L , Franklin Rodney C , Battista Andrea , Spanaki Ariana , Bonello Beatrice , Ghez Olivier , Anderson David , Tsang Victor , Michielon Guido , Marek Jan , Fraisse Alain
Published: December 2017

Objectives

Infants with symptomatic partial and transitional atrioventricular septal defect undergoing early surgical repair are thought to be at greater risk. However, the outcome and risk profile of this cohort of patients are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of symptomatic infants undergoing early repair and to identify risk factors which may predict mortality and reoperation.

Methods

This multicentre study recruited 51 patients (24 female) in three tertiary centres between 2000 and 2015. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) partial and transitional atrioventricular septal defect, (2) heart failure unresponsive to treatment, (3) biventricular repair during the first year of life.

Results

Median age at definitive surgery was 179 (range 0–357) days. Sixteen patients (31%) had unfavourable anatomy of the left atrioventricular valve: dysplastic (n=7), double orifice (n=3), severely deficient valve leaflets (n=1), hypoplastic left atrioventricular orifice and/or mural leaflet (n=3), short/poorly defined chords (n=2). There were three inhospital deaths (5.9%) after primary repair. Eleven patients (22%) were reoperated at a median interval of 40 days (4 days to 5.1 years) for severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation and/or stenosis. One patient required mechanical replacement of the left atrioventricular valve. After median follow-up of 3.8 years (0.1–11.4 years), all patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I. In multivariable analysis, unfavourable anatomy of the left atrioventricular valve was the only risk factor associated with left atrioventricular valve reoperation.

Conclusions

Although surgical repair is successful in the majority of the cases, patients with partial and transitional atrioventricular septal defect undergoing surgical repair during infancy experience significant morbidity and mortality. The reoperation rate is high with unfavourable left atrioventricular valve anatomy.
Elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels in chronic fatigue syndrome associate with cardiac dysfunction: a case control study
Authors: Tomas Cara , Finkelmeyer Andreas , Hodgson Tim , MacLachlan Laura , MacGowan Guy A , Blamire Andrew M , Newton Julia L
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To explore levels of the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and how these associate with the cardiac abnormalities recently identified in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Methods

Cardiac magnetic resonance examinations were performed using 3T Philips Intera Achieva scanner (Best, Netherlands) in CFS (Fukuda) participants and sedentary controls matched group wise for age and sex. BNP was also measured by using an enzyme immunoassay in plasma from 42 patients with CFS and 10 controls.

Results

BNP levels were significantly higher in the CFS cohort compared with the matched controls (P=0.013). When we compared cardiac volumes (end-diastolic and end-systolic) between those with high BNP levels (BNP >400 pg/mL) and low BNP (<400 pg/mL), there were significantly lower cardiac volumes in those with the higher BNP levels in both end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (P=0.05). There were no relationships between fatigue severity, length of disease and BNP levels (P=0.2) suggesting that our findings are unlikely to be related to deconditioning.

Conclusion

This study confirms an association between reduced cardiac volumes and BNP in CFS. Lack of relationship between length of disease suggests that findings are not secondary to deconditioning. Further studies are needed to explore the utility of BNP to act as a stratification paradigm in CFS that directs targeted treatments.

Trail registration number

Registered with NIHR Portfolio CLRN ID 97805.
Interplay of ICP and IXP over the Internet with power-law features
Authors: Fan Zhongyan , Tang Wallace Kit-Sang
Published: December 2017

The Internet is the largest artificial network consisting of billions of IP devices, managed by tens of thousands of autonomous systems (ASes). Due to its importance, the Internet has received much attention and its topological features, mainly in AS-level, have been widely explored from the complex network perspective. However, most of the previous studies assume a homogeneous model in which nodes are indistinguishable in nature. It may be good for a general study of topological structure, but unfortunately it fails to reflect the functionality. The Internet ecology is in fact heterogeneous and highly complex. It consists of various elements such as Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), Internet Content Providers (ICPs), and normal Autonomous System (ASes), realizing different roles in the Internet. In this paper, we propose level-structured network models for investigating how ICP performs under the AS-topology with power-law features and how IXP enhances its performance from a complex network perspective. Based on real data, our results reveal that the power-law nature of the Internet facilitates content delivery not only in efficiency but also in path redundancy. Moreover, the proposed multi-level framework is able to clearly illustrate the significant benefits gained by ICP from IXP peerings.
A rigorous derivation of the stationary compressible Reynolds equation via the Navier–Stokes equations
Authors: Ciuperca I. S. , Feireisl E. , Jai M. , Petrov A.
Published: December 2017

We provide a rigorous derivation of the compressible Reynolds system as a singular limit of the compressible (barotropic) Navier–Stokes system on a thin domain. In particular, the existence of solutions to the Navier–Stokes system with non-homogeneous boundary conditions is shown that may be of independent interest. Our approach is based on new a priori bounds available for the pressure law of hard sphere type. Finally, uniqueness for the limit problem is established in the one-dimensional case.
Level 3 Assets and Credit Risk
Authors: Bao May Xiaoyan , Liu Yixin
Published: December 2017

We examine the impact of Level 3 assets held by nonfinancial companies on credit risk. Specifically, we investigate how the pricing uncertainty of Level 3 assets is reflected in credit ratings, corporate bond yield spreads, and incidences of bond covenants. We find that higher holdings of Level 3 assets are associated with lower credit ratings, higher yield spreads, especially for Level 3 assets sample, and incidences of bondholder-friendly covenants in the bond issues. Our findings are robust to the treatment of sample selection bias and the influence of macroeconomic factors. In addition, our direct test on the relation between the holdings of Level 3 assets and a firm’s distance-to-default shows that higher holdings of Level 3 assets reduce a firm’s distance-to-default. Overall, our findings support the view that Level 3 assets are perceived as increasing credit risk in the bond market.
Inhomogeneous viscous fluid cosmological model of the universe with effective equation of state and scalar field
Authors: Khadekar G. S. , Talole Rupali
Published: December 2017

A generalized dynamical equation for the scale factor of the universe is proposed to describe the cosmological evolution by considering the bulk viscosity [Formula: see text] and time dependent parameter [Formula: see text] as linear combination of two terms of the form [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] i.e. one is constant and other is proportional to the scalar expansion [Formula: see text] In this framework, we obtained the analytical solution of the field equations for the scale factor [Formula: see text] scalar field potential [Formula: see text] with effective equation of state (EoS) of the form [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text]. The final results are compared with previously known results for the model with scalar field.
A General Approach to Synthesize Metal Nanostructures by Using Cucurbit[7]uril
Authors: Song Sun Gu , Premkumar Thathan , Song Changsik
Published: December 2017

Various metal (iron, copper, zinc, platinum)-based nanostructures were synthesized by a simple, green, and one-pot reaction of respective metal precursor and a cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) in an aqueous alkaline mixture at room temperature. The metal nanostructures (MNS) were obtained without adding any additional traditional reducing or protecting agents and/or external energy sources. Further, we could be able to tune the size and shape of the MNS just by varying the experimental conditions such as reaction concentration. Depending on the metal salts and reaction conditions, we could be able to produce different sizes and shapes of nanostructures. For example, the diameter of the CuO and iron nanoparticles (NP) was observed as [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm (even [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm) which suggests the inclusion mechanism. However, the particle size of zinc and platinum was over 2[Formula: see text]nm which suggests the capping mechanism for the well-dispersed nanoparticles. It is worth mentioning that the CB7 acts as both reducing and protecting agent for the preparation of various MNS at ambient conditions. This one-pot and green approach for the preparation of MNS in aqueous solution has various advantages due to its mild synthesis condition and no toxic materials were used or produced, which is an important aspect for the exploration of biomedical applications and environmental influence of several metal nanoparticles that are presently prepared in organic solvents.
Boundary First Flattening
Authors: Sawhney Rohan , Crane Keenan
Published: December 2017

A
conformal flattening
maps a curved surface to the plane without distorting angles—such maps have become a fundamental building block for problems in geometry processing, numerical simulation, and computational design. Yet existing methods provide little direct control over the shape of the flattened domain, or else demand expensive nonlinear optimization.
Boundary first flattening (BFF)
is a linear method for conformal parameterization that is faster than traditional linear methods, yet provides control and quality comparable to sophisticated nonlinear schemes. The key insight is that the boundary data for many conformal mapping problems can be efficiently constructed via the
Cherrier formula
together with a pair of
Poincaré-Steklov operators
; once the boundary is known, the map can be easily extended over the rest of the domain. Since computation demands only a single factorization of the real Laplace matrix, the amortized cost is about 50× less than any previously published technique for boundary-controlled conformal flattening. As a result, BFF opens the door to real-time editing or fast optimization of high-resolution maps, with direct control over boundary length or angle. We show how this method can be used to construct maps with sharp corners, cone singularities, minimal area distortion, and uniformization over the unit disk; we also demonstrate for the first time how a surface can be conformally flattened directly onto any given target shape.
String constraints with concatenation and transducers solved efficiently
Authors: Holík Lukáš , Janků Petr , Lin Anthony W. , Rümmer Philipp , Vojnar Tomáš
Published: December 2017

String analysis is the problem of reasoning about how strings are manipulated by a program. It has numerous applications including automatic detection of cross-site scripting, and automatic test-case generation. A popular string analysis technique includes symbolic executions, which at their core use constraint solvers over the string domain, a.k.a. string solvers. Such solvers typically reason about constraints expressed in theories over strings with the concatenation operator as an atomic constraint. In recent years, researchers started to recognise the importance of incorporating the replace-all operator (i.e. replace all occurrences of a string by another string) and, more generally, finite-state transductions in the theories of strings with concatenation. Such string operations are typically crucial for reasoning about XSS vulnerabilities in web applications, especially for modelling sanitisation functions and implicit browser transductions (e.g. innerHTML). Although this results in an undecidable theory in general, it was recently shown that the straight-line fragment of the theory is decidable, and is sufficiently expressive in practice. In this paper, we provide the first string solver that can reason about constraints involving both concatenation and finite-state transductions. Moreover, it has a completeness and termination guarantee for several important fragments (e.g. straight-line fragment). The main challenge addressed in the paper is the prohibitive worst-case complexity of the theory (double-exponential time), which is exponentially harder than the case without finite-state transductions. To this end, we propose a method that exploits succinct alternating finite-state automata as concise symbolic representations of string constraints. In contrast to previous approaches using nondeterministic automata, alternation offers not only exponential savings in space when representing Boolean combinations of transducers, but also a possibility of succinct representation of otherwise costly combinations of transducers and concatenation. Reasoning about the emptiness of the AFA language requires a state-space exploration in an exponential-sized graph, for which we use model checking algorithms (e.g. IC3). We have implemented our algorithm and demonstrated its efficacy on benchmarks that are derived from cross-site scripting analysis and other examples in the literature.
Higher-order constrained horn clauses for verification
Authors: Cathcart Burn Toby , Ong C.-H. Luke , Ramsay Steven J.
Published: December 2017

Motivated by applications in automated verification of higher-order functional programs, we develop a notion of constrained Horn clauses in higher-order logic and a decision problem concerning their satisfiability. We show that, although satisfiable systems of higher-order clauses do not generally have least models, there is a notion of canonical model obtained through a reduction to a problem concerning a kind of monotone logic program. Following work in higher-order program verification, we develop a refinement type system in order to reason about and automate the search for models. This provides a sound but incomplete method for solving the decision problem. Finally, we show that there is a sense in which we can use refinement types to express properties of terms whilst staying within the higher-order constrained Horn clause framework.
Relatively complete refinement type system for verification of higher-order non-deterministic programs
Authors: Unno Hiroshi , Satake Yuki , Terauchi Tachio
Published: December 2017

This paper considers verification of
non-deterministic
higher-order functional programs. Our contribution is a novel type system in which the types are used to express and verify (conditional) safety, termination, non-safety, and non-termination properties in the presence of ∀-∃ branching behavior due to non-determinism. For instance, the judgement ⊢
e
:{
u
:
int
| φ(
u
) }
∀∀
says that every evaluation of
e
either diverges or reduces to some integer
u
satisfying φ(
u
), whereas ⊢
e
:{
u
:
int
| ψ(
u
) }
∃∀
says that there exists an evaluation of
e
that either diverges or reduces to some integer
u
satisfying ψ(
u
). Note that the former is a safety property whereas the latter is a counterexample to a (conditional) termination property. Following the recent work on type-based verification methods for deterministic higher-order functional programs, we formalize the idea on the foundation of
dependent refinement types
, thereby allowing the type system to express and verify rich properties involving program values, branching behaviors, and the combination thereof.

Our type system is able to seamlessly combine deductions of both universal and existential facts within a unified framework, paving the way for an exciting opportunity for new type-based verification methods that combine both universal and existential reasoning. For example, our system can prove the existence of a path violating some safety property from a proof of termination that uses a well-foundedness termination argument. We prove that our type system is sound and relatively complete, and further, thanks to having both modes of non-determinism, we show that our types are closed under complement.
Unifying analytic and statically-typed quasiquotes
Authors: Parreaux Lionel , Voizard Antoine , Shaikhha Amir , Koch Christoph E.
Published: December 2017

Metaprograms are programs that manipulate (generate, analyze and evaluate) other programs. These tasks are greatly facilitated by quasiquotation, a technique to construct and deconstruct program fragments using quoted code templates expressed in the syntax of the manipulated language. We argue that two main flavors of quasiquotes have existed so far: Lisp-style quasiquotes, which can both construct and deconstruct programs but may produce code that contains type mismatches and unbound variables; and MetaML-style quasiquotes, which rely on static typing to prevent these errors, but can only construct programs. In this paper, we show how to combine the advantages of both flavors into a unified framework: we allow the construction, deconstruction and evaluation of program fragments while ensuring that generated programs are well-typed and well-scoped, a combination unseen in previous work. We formalize our approach as λ
{}
, a multi-stage calculus with code pattern matching and rewriting, and prove its type safety. We also present its realization in Squid, a metaprogramming framework for Scala, leveraging Scala’s expressive type system. To demonstrate the usefulness of our approach, we introduce
speculative rewrite rules
, a novel code transformation technique that makes decisive use of these capabilities, and we outline how it simplifies the design of some crucial query compiler optimizations.
Transactions in relaxed memory architectures
Authors: Dongol Brijesh , Jagadeesan Radha , Riely James
Published: December 2017

The integration of transactions into hardware relaxed memory architectures is a topic of current research both in industry and academia. In this paper, we provide a general architectural framework for the introduction of transactions into models of relaxed memory in hardware, including the SC, TSO, ARMv8 and PPC models. Our framework incorporates flexible and expressive forms of transaction aborts and execution that have hitherto been in the realm of software transactional memory. In contrast to software transactional memory, we account for the characteristics of relaxed memory as a restricted form of distributed system, without a notion of global time. We prove abstraction theorems to demonstrate that the programmer API matches the intuitions and expectations about transactions.