bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A closer look at ability emotional intelligence (EI): What are its component parts, and how do they relate to each other?
Authors: Elfenbein Hillary Anger , MacCann Carolyn
Published: July 2017

In this review, we focus on two key questions about the nature of emotional intelligence (EI). First, we consider what the different parts of EI might be, suggesting a taxonomy that builds on the well‐known hierarchical four‐branch model to include six narrow abilities (emotion perception, emotion expression, emotion attention regulation, emotion understanding, emotion regulation of self, and emotion regulation of others). Second, we review evidence for the interrelations between these six narrow abilities. The interrelationships of the EI narrow abilities are a key criterion for viewing EI as a kind of intelligence, rather than a typical way of behaving. Our review concludes that the six narrow abilities comprising EI are all positively interrelated—the component parts of EI converge to form a whole. In addition, the level of interrelationships shows that emotion expression and emotion perception are clearly separate, with weaker evidence for the separation between emotion regulation of self versus emotion regulation of others. Using the older research tradition of emotion recognition (which predates EI), we present a detailed overview of the relationship between emotion perception and other narrow abilities of EI. We conclude that the narrow facets of EI converge with each other, providing one form of evidence to support the validity of EI as a type of intelligence.
Consumer spaces as political spaces: A critical review of social, environmental, and psychogeographical research
Authors: McDonald Matthew , Bridger Alexander John , Wearing Stephen , Ponting Jess
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this review is to critique the social and environmental psychology literature on spaces and places with a focus on consumer culture and neoliberalism. By drawing on social theory and the Continental philosophical literature, the review argues that an alternative approach to knowledge production is required. To this end, recommendations are provided for what a psychogeographical approach in social and environmental psychology could look like. It argues that such work could be of benefit to academic and local communities by exposing the social costs and consequences associated with consumer culture and neoliberalism.
Effects of Incentives for Renewable Energy in Colombia
Authors: Lopez Lezama Jesus Maria , Villada Fernando , Muñoz Galeano Nicolas
Published: July 2017

Renewable energy is becoming very important as a way to mitigate climate change and promote job creation. Colombia is not excluded from this reality, being a country with huge renewable resources and the challenge to give employment to thousands or rebels, signing the peace process. This paper studies the potential effects of the new regulation to promote the development of renewable energy technologies in Colombia. Two incentives are analyzed: tax deductions on the investment and accelerated depreciation on assets. The work also establishes a methodology to include the effects of tax incentives in the calculation of the Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE). The results show up to 20% reduction in the LCOE; unfortunately, the regulation restricts small or new business to apply for all incentives. For this reason, two complementary mechanisms (granting five years as grace period for loan repayment and lower discount rate as subsidy from the government) are proposed in order to allow small business ventures such as forest biomass projects apply to incentives. As a result, 30% reduction in the LCOE is obtained for photovoltaics (PV) and 15% for forest biomass; being the last one a great opportunity in Colombia because of the huge amount of biomass resources and its potential to create new job opportunities.

 
Recovering spectral images from compressive measurements using designed coded apertures and Matrix Completion Theory
Authors: Gelvez Tatiana , Rueda Hoover , Arguello Henry
Published: July 2017

Spectral imaging aims to capture and process a 3-dimensional spectral image with a large amount of spectral information for each spatial location. Compressive spectral imaging techniques (CSI) increases the sensing speed and reduces the amount of collected data compared to traditional spectral imaging methods. The coded aperture snapshot spectral imager (CASSI) is an optical architecture to sense a spectral image in a single 2D coded projection by applying CSI. Typically, the 3D scene is recovered by solving an L1-based optimization problem that assumes the scene is sparse in some known orthonormal basis. In contrast, the matrix completion technique (MC) allows to recover the scene without such prior knowledge. The MC reconstruction algorithms rely on a low-rank structure of the scene. Moreover, the CASSI system uses coded aperture patterns that determine the quality of the estimated scene. Therefore, this paper proposes the design of an optimal coded aperture set for the MC methodology. The designed set is attained by maximizing the distance between the translucent elements in the coded aperture. Visualization of the recovered spectral signals and simulations over different databases show average improvement when the designed coded set is used between 1-3 dBs compared to the complementary coded aperture set, and between 3-9 dBs compared to the conventional random coded aperture set.
Haemophilus parainfluenzae Strain ATCC 33392 Forms BiofilmsIn Vitroand during Experimental Otitis Media Infections
Authors: Pang Bing , Swords W. Edward
Published: July 2017

Haemophilus parainfluenzaeis a nutritionally fastidious, Gram-negative bacterium with an oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal carriage niche that is associated with a range of opportunistic infections, including infectious endocarditis and otitis media (OM). These infections are often chronic/recurrent in nature and typically involve bacterial persistence within biofilm communities that are highly resistant to host clearance. This study addresses the primary hypothesis thatH. parainfluenzaeforms biofilm communities that are important determinants of persistencein vivo. The results fromin vitrobiofilm studies confirmed thatH. parainfluenzaeformed biofilm communities within which the polymeric matrix was mainly composed of extracellular DNA and proteins. Using a chinchilla OM infection model, we demonstrated thatH. parainfluenzaeformed surface-associated biofilm communities containing bacterial and host components that included neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) structures and that the bacteria mainly persisted in these biofilm communities. We also used this model to examine the possible interaction betweenH. parainfluenzaeand its close relativeHaemophilus influenzae, which is also commonly carried within the same host environments and can cause OM. The results showed that coinfection withH. influenzaepromoted clearance ofH. parainfluenzaefrom biofilm communities during OM infection. The underlying mechanisms for bacterial persistence and biofilm formation byH. parainfluenzaeand knowledge about the survival defects ofH. parainfluenzaeduring coinfection withH. influenzaeare topics for future work.
Cyclic Di-GMP and VpsR Induce the Expression of Type II Secretion in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Sloup Rudolph E. , Konal Ashley E. , Severin Geoffrey B. , Korir Michelle L. , Bagdasarian Mira M. , Bagdasarian Michael , Waters Christopher M.
Published: July 2017

Vibrio cholerae
is a human pathogen that alternates between growth in environmental reservoirs and infection of human hosts, causing severe diarrhea. The second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) mediates this transition by controlling a wide range of functions, such as biofilms, virulence, and motility. Here, we report that c-di-GMP induces expression of the extracellular protein secretion (
eps
) gene cluster, which encodes the type II secretion system (T2SS) in
V. cholerae
. Analysis of the
eps
genes confirmed the presence of two promoters located upstream of
epsC
, the first gene in the operon, one of which is induced by c-di-GMP. This induction is directly mediated by the c-di-GMP-binding transcriptional activator VpsR. Increased expression of the
eps
operon did not impact secretion of extracellular toxin or biofilm formation but did increase expression of the pseudopilin protein EpsG on the cell surface.

IMPORTANCE
Type II secretion systems (T2SSs) are the primary molecular machines by which Gram-negative bacteria secrete proteins and protein complexes that are folded and assembled in the periplasm. The substrates of T2SSs include extracellular factors, such as proteases and toxins. Here, we show that the widely conserved second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) upregulates expression of the
eps
genes encoding the T2SS in the pathogen
V. cholerae
via the c-di-GMP-dependent transcription factor VpsR.
Structural and Functional Analysis of the Escherichia coli Acid-Sensing Histidine Kinase EvgS
Authors: Sen Hrishiraj , Aggarwal Nikhil , Ishionwu Chibueze , Hussain Nosheen , Parmar Chandni , Jamshad Mohammed , Bavro Vassiliy N. , Lund Peter A.
Published: July 2017

The EvgS/EvgA two-component system of
Escherichia coli
is activated in response to low pH and alkali metals and regulates many genes, including those for the glutamate-dependent acid resistance system and a number of efflux pumps. EvgS, the sensor kinase, is one of five unconventional histidine kinases (HKs) in
E. coli
and has a large periplasmic domain and a cytoplasmic PAS domain in addition to phospho-acceptor, HK and dimerization, internal receiver, and phosphotransfer domains. Mutations that constitutively activate the protein at pH 7 map to the PAS domain. Here, we built a homology model of the periplasmic region of EvgS, based on the structure of the equivalent region of the BvgS homologue, to guide mutagenesis of potential key residues in this region. We show that histidine 226 is required for induction and that it is structurally colocated with a proline residue (P522) at the top of the predicted transmembrane helix that is expected to play a key role in passing information to the cytoplasmic domains. We also show that the constitutive mutations in the PAS domain can be further activated by low external pH. Expression of the cytoplasmic part of the protein alone also gives constitutive activation, which is lost if the constitutive PAS mutations are present. These findings are consistent with a model in which EvgS senses both external and internal pH and is activated by a shift from a tight inactive to a weak active dimer, and we present an analysis of the purified cytoplasmic portion of EvgS that supports this.

IMPORTANCE
One of the ways bacteria sense their environment is through two-component systems, which have one membrane-bound protein to do the sensing and another inside the cell to turn genes on or off in response to what the membrane-bound protein has detected. The membrane-bound protein must thus be able to detect the stress and signal this detection event to the protein inside the cell. To understand this process, we studied a protein that helps
E. coli
to survive exposure to low pH, which it must do before taking up residence in the gastrointestinal tract. We describe a predicted structure for the main sensing part of the protein and identify some key residues within it that are involved in the sensing and signaling processes. We propose a mechanism for how the protein may become activated and present some evidence to support our proposal.
Contribution of the Chromosomal
ccdAB
Operon to Bacterial Drug Tolerance
Authors: Gupta Kritika , Tripathi Arti , Sahu Alishan , Varadarajan Raghavan
Published: July 2017

One of the first identified and best-studied toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems in
Escherichia coli
is the F-plasmid-based CcdAB system. This system is involved in plasmid maintenance through postsegregational killing. More recently,
ccdAB
homologs have been found on the chromosome, including in pathogenic strains of
E. coli
and other bacteria. However, the functional role of chromosomal
ccdAB
genes, if any, has remained unclear. We show that both the native
ccd
operon of the
E. coli
O157 strain (
ccd
O157
) and the
ccd
operon from the F plasmid (
ccd
F
), when inserted on the
E. coli
chromosome, lead to protection from cell death under multiple antibiotic stress conditions through formation of persisters, with the O157 operon showing higher protection. While the plasmid-encoded CcdB toxin is a potent gyrase inhibitor and leads to bacterial cell death even under fully repressed conditions, the chromosomally encoded toxin leads to growth inhibition, except at high expression levels, where some cell death is seen. This was further confirmed by transiently activating the chromosomal
ccd
operon through overexpression of an active-site inactive mutant of F-plasmid-encoded CcdB. Both the
ccd
F
and
ccd
O157
operons may share common mechanisms for activation under stress conditions, eventually leading to multidrug-tolerant persister cells. This study clearly demonstrates an important role for chromosomal
ccd
systems in bacterial persistence.

IMPORTANCE
A large number of free-living and pathogenic bacteria are known to harbor multiple toxin-antitoxin systems, on plasmids as well as on chromosomes. The F-plasmid CcdAB system has been extensively studied and is known to be involved in plasmid maintenance. However, little is known about the function of its chromosomal counterpart, found in several pathogenic
E. coli
strains. We show that the native chromosomal
ccd
operon of the
E. coli
O157 strain is involved in drug tolerance and confers protection from cell death under multiple antibiotic stress conditions. This has implications for generation of potential therapeutics that target these TA systems and has clinical significance because the presence of persisters in an antibiotic-treated population can lead to resuscitation of chronic infection and may contribute to failure of antibiotic treatment.
Evaluation of seven recombinant VCA-IgA ELISA kits for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China: a case–control trial
Authors: Gao Rui , Wang Lin , Liu Qing , Zhang Li-Fang , Ye Yan-Fang , Xie Shang-Hang , Du Jin-Lin , Chen Sui-Hong , Guo Jie , Yang Meng-Jie , Lin Chu-yang , Cao Su-Mei
Published: July 2017

Objective

Seven recombinant viral capsid antigen-IgA (VCA-IgA) ELISA kits are widely used in China, but their diagnostic effects have not been evaluated. In this study, we evaluated whether the diagnostic effects of these kits are similar to those of the standard kit (EUROIMMUN, Lübeck, Germany).

Methods

A diagnostic case–control trial was conducted with 200 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and 200 controls from NPC-endemic areas in southern China. The areas under the curve (AUCs), the sensitivities and the specificities of testing kits were compared with those of the standard kit. The test–retest reliability of each kit was determined by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Their diagnostic accuracy in combination with Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1-IgA (EBNA1-IgA) was also evaluated in logistic models.

Results

Three testing kits—BB, HA and KSB—showed diagnostic accuracy equal to that of the standard kit, with good performance in the AUCs (0.926–0.945), and no significant differences in sensitivity were found between early-stage and advanced-stage NPCs. ICCs exceeded 0.8. Three logistic regression models were built, and the AUCs of these models (0.961–0.977) were better than those of the individual VCA-IgA kits. All new models had diagnostic accuracy equal to that of the standard kit. New cut-off values of these three kits and their corresponding combinations for researchers to replicate and use in NPC early detection and screening in the future were provided.

Conclusions

Three recombinant VCA-IgA kits—BB,HA and KSB—had diagnostic effects equal to those of the standard kit, and, in combination with EBNA1-IgA in logistic regression models, can be used in future screening for NPC.
Multimorbidity and patterns of chronic conditions in a primary care population in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Déruaz-Luyet Anouk , N'Goran A Alexandra , Senn Nicolas , Bodenmann Patrick , Pasquier Jérôme , Widmer Daniel , Tandjung Ryan , Rosemann Thomas , Frey Peter , Streit Sven , Zeller Andreas , Haller Dagmar M , Excoffier Sophie , Burnand Bernard , Herzig Lilli
Published: July 2017

Objective

To characterise in details a random sample of multimorbid patients in Switzerland and to evaluate the clustering of chronic conditions in that sample.

Methods

100 general practitioners (GPs) each enrolled 10 randomly selected multimorbid patients aged ≥18 years old and suffering from at least three chronic conditions. The prevalence of 75 separate chronic conditions from the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2) was evaluated in these patients. Clusters of chronic conditions were studied in parallel.

Results

The final database included 888 patients. Mean (SD) patient age was 73.0 (12.0) years old. They suffered from 5.5 (2.2) chronic conditions and were prescribed 7.7 (3.5) drugs; 25.7% suffered from depression. Psychological conditions were more prevalent among younger individuals (≤66 years old). Cluster analysis of chronic conditions with a prevalence ≥5% in the sample revealed four main groups of conditions: (1) cardiovascular risk factors and conditions, (2) general age-related and metabolic conditions, (3) tobacco and alcohol dependencies, and (4) pain, musculoskeletal and psychological conditions.

Conclusion

Given the emerging epidemic of multimorbidity in industrialised countries, accurately depicting the multiple expressions of multimorbidity in family practices’ patients is a high priority. Indeed, even in a setting where patients have direct access to medical specialists, GPs nevertheless retain a key role as coordinators and often as the sole medical reference for multimorbid patients.
A cross-sectional study estimating the burden of illness related to genital warts in South Korea
Authors: Lee Taek Sang , Kothari-Talwar Smita , Singhal Puneet K , Yee Karen , Kulkarni Amit , Lara Nuria , Roset Montserrat , Giuliano Anna R , Garland Suzanne M , Ju Woong
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Estimate the prevalence of genital warts (GW) and GW-related healthcare resource use and costs among male and female patients seeking treatment in South Korea.

Design

To estimate GW prevalence, physicians in five major South Korean regions recorded daily logs of patients (n=71 655) seeking care between July 26 and September 27, 2011. Overall prevalence estimates (and 95% CIs) were weighted by the estimated number of physicians in each specialty and the estimated proportion of total patients visiting each specialist type. Healthcare resource use was compared among different specialties. Corresponding p values were calculated using Mann-Whitney U tests.

Setting

The database covers 5098 clinics and hospitals for five major regions in South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.

Participants

Primary care physicians (general practice/family medicine), obstetricians/gynaecologists, urologists and dermatologists with 2–30 years’ experience.

Results

The estimated overall GW prevalence was 0.7% (95% CI 0.7% to 0.8%). Among women, GW prevalence was 0.6% (95% CI 0.6% to 0.7%); among men prevalence was 1.0% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.0%), peaking among patients aged 18–24 years. Median costs for GW diagnosis and treatment for male patients were US$58.2 (South Korean Won (KRW) ₩66 857) and US$66.3 (KRW₩76 113) for female patients.

Conclusions

The estimated overall GW prevalence in South Korea was 0.7% and was higher for male patients. The overall median costs associated with a GW episode were higher for female patients than for male patients.
Impact of daylight saving time on road traffic collision risk: a systematic review
Authors: Carey Rachel N , Sarma Kiran M
Published: July 2017

Background

Bills have been put forward in the UK and Republic of Ireland proposing a move to Central European Time (CET). Proponents argue that such a change will have benefits for road safety, with daylight being shifted from the morning, when collision risk is lower, to the evening, when risk is higher. Studies examining the impact of daylight saving time (DST) on road traffic collision risk can help inform the debate on the potential road safety benefits of a move to CET. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the impact of DST on collision risk.

Methods

Major electronic databases were searched, with no restrictions as to date of publication (the last search was performed in January 2017). Access to unpublished reports was requested through an international expert group. Studies that provided a quantitative analysis of the effect of DST on road safety-related outcomes were included. The primary outcomes of interest were road traffic collisions, injuries and fatalities.

Findings

Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Seventeen examined the short-term impact of transitions around DST and 12 examined long-term effects. Findings from the short-term studies were inconsistent. The long-term findings suggested a positive effect of DST. However, this cannot be attributed solely to DST, as a range of road collision risk factors vary over time.

Interpretation

The evidence from this review cannot support or refute the assertion that a permanent shift in light from morning to evening will have a road safety benefit.
Key priority areas for patient safety improvement strategy in Libya: a protocol for a modified Delphi study
Authors: Elmontsri Mustafa , Banarsee Ricky , Majeed Azeem
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Patient safety is a global public health problem. Estimates and size of the problem of patient safety in low-income and developing countries are scarce. A systems approach is needed for ensuring that patients are protected from harm while receiving care. The primary objective of this study will be to use a consensus-based approach to identify the key priority areas for patient safety improvement in Libya as a developing country.

Design

A modified Delphi study.

Methods and analysis

A three-phase modified Delphi study will be conducted using an anonymous web-based questionnaires. 15 international experts in the field of patient safety will be recruited to prioritise areas of patient safety that are vital to developing countries such as Libya. The participants will be given the opportunity to rank a list of elements on five criteria. The participants will also be asked to list five barriers that they believe hinder the implementation of patient safety systems. Descriptive statistics will be used to evaluate consensus agreement, including percentage agreement and coefficient of variation. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance will be used to evaluate consensus across all participants.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been granted from Imperial College Research Ethics Committee (ICREC: 16IC3598). The findings of the study will be published in a PhD thesis. A manuscript will also be prepared for publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal describing the Delphi process and the findings of the study.
The determinants and outcomes of good provider communication: a cross-sectional study in seven African countries
Authors: Larson Elysia , Leslie Hannah H , Kruk Margaret E
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To determine the extent of provider communication, predictors of good communication and the association between provider communication and patient outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, in seven sub-Saharan African countries.

Design

Cross-sectional, multicountry study.

Setting

Data from recent Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys from seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. SPA surveys include assessment of facility inputs and processes as well as interviews with caretakers of sick children. These data included 3898 facilities and 4627 providers.

Participants

16 352 caregivers visiting the facility for their sick children.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We developed an index of four recommended provider communication items for a sick child assessment based on WHO guidelines. We assessed potential predictors of provider communication and considered whether better provider communication was associated with intent to return to the facility for care.

Results

The average score of the composite indicator of provider communication was low, at 35% (SD 26.9). Fifty-four per cent of caregivers reported that they were told the child’s diagnosis, and only 10% reported that they were counselled on feeding for the child. Caregivers’ educational attainment and provider preservice education and training in integrated management of childhood illness were associated with better communication. Private facilities and facilities with better infrastructure received higher communication scores. Caretakers reporting better communication were significantly more likely to state intent to return to the facility (relative risk: 1.19, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.22).

Conclusions

There are major deficiencies in communication during sick child visits. These are associated with lower provider education as well as less well-equipped facilities. Poor communication, in turn, is linked to lower satisfaction and intention to return to facility among caregivers of sick children. Countries should test strategies for enhancing quality of communication in their efforts to improve health outcomes and patient experience.
A cohort study on physician documentation and the accuracy of administrative data coding to improve passive surveillance of transient ischaemic attacks
Authors: Yu Amy Y X , Quan Hude , McRae Andrew D , Wagner Gabrielle O , Hill Michael D , Coutts Shelagh B
Published: July 2017

Background

Administrative health data are valuable in health research and disease surveillance, but have low to moderate sensitivity in identifying transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) in the emergency department (ED). We aimed to identify the predictors of coding accuracy for TIA.

Methods

The study population was obtained from two ongoing studies on the diagnosis of TIA, minor stroke and stroke mimic. ED charts were manually reviewed by a stroke neurologist to obtain the clinical diagnosis, patient characteristics and content of physician documentation. Administrative data codes were compared with the chart-adjudicated diagnosis to determine cases of misclassification by administrative data. Univariable regression was used to evaluate candidate predictors of disagreement, and the significant variables were tested in a multivariable model to obtain an adjusted estimate of effect.

Results

Among 417 patients (39.1% TIA, 37.2% minor stroke and 23.7% stroke mimics), there were 122 cases of disagreement between adjudications and administrative data codes for the diagnosis of TIA. The majority of disagreement (n=103/122, 84.4%) arose from adjudicated TIA cases that were misclassified as non-TIA in administrative data coding. There were 78 (18.7%) charts with documented uncertain diagnosis, and 73 (17.5%) charts had no definite diagnosis. The relative risk of disagreement between chart adjudication and administrative data coding when the final diagnosis was uncertain or absent was 1.82(1.36, 2.44) and the risk difference was 18.5%. Multivariable logistic regression analyses confirmed this association using different case definition algorithms.

Conclusions

In suspected patients with TIA and minor stroke presenting to the ED, physician documentation was the dominant factor in coding accuracy, supporting the concept that physicians are active participants in administrative data coding. Strategies to improve chart documentation are predicted to have a positive effect on coding accuracy.
Linked symptom monitoring and depression treatment programmes for specialist cancer services: protocol for a mixed-methods implementation study
Authors: Wanat Marta , Walker Jane , Burke Katy , Sevdalis Nick , Richardson Alison , Mulick Amy , Frost Chris , Sharpe Michael
Published: July 2017

Introduction

There is growing awareness that cancer services need to address patients’ well-being as well as treating their cancer. We developed systematic approaches to (1) monitoring patients’ symptoms including depression using a ‘Symptom Monitoring Service’ and (2) providing treatment for those with major depression using a programme called ‘Depression Care for People with Cancer’. Used together, these two programmes were found to be highly effective and cost-effective in clinical trials. The overall aims of this project are to: (1) study the process of introducing these programmes into routine clinical care in a large cancer service, (2) identify the challenges associated with implementation and how these are overcome, (3) determine their effectiveness in a routine non-research setting and (4) describe patients’ and clinicians’ experience of the programmes.

Methods and analysis

This is a mixed-methods longitudinal implementation study. We will study the process of implementation in three phases (April 2016–December 2018): ‘Pre-implementation’ (setting up of the new programmes), ‘Early Implementation’ (implementation of the programmes in a small number of clinics) and ‘Implementation and Maintenance’ (implementation in the majority of clinics). We will use the following methods of data collection: (1) contemporaneous logs of the implementation process, (2) interviews with healthcare professionals and managers, (3) interviews with patients and (4) routinely collected clinical data.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been reviewed by a joint committee of Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust Research and Development Department and the University of Oxford’s Clinical Trials and Research Governance Department and judged to be service evaluation, not requiring ethics committee approval. The findings of this study will guide the scaling up implementation of the programmes across the UK and will enable us to construct an implementation toolkit. We will disseminate our findings in publications and at relevant national and international conferences.
Rural to urban migration is associated with increased prevalence of childhood wheeze in a Latin-American city
Authors: Rodriguez Alejandro , Vaca Maritza G , Chico Martha E , Rodrigues Laura C , Barreto Mauricio L , Cooper Philip J
Published: July 2017

Introduction

The urbanisation process has been associated with increases in asthma prevalence in urban and rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, although rural to urban migration and migration between cities are considered important determinants of this process, few studies have evaluated the effects of internal migration on asthma in urban populations of LMICs. The present study evaluated the effects of internal migration on the prevalence of wheeze in an urban area of Latin America.

Methods

We did a cross-sectional analysis of 2510 schoolchildren living in the city of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Logistic regression was used to analyse associations between childhood wheeze and different aspects of migration among schoolchildren.

Results

31% of schoolchildren were migrants. Rural to urban migrants had a higher prevalence of wheeze, (adj.OR=2.01,95% CI1.30 to 3.01, p=0.001) compared with non-migrants. Age of migration and time since migration were associated with wheeze only for rural to urban migrants but not for urban to urban migrants. Children who had migrated after 3 years of age had a greater risk of wheeze (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.97, p=0.001) than non-migrants while migrants with less than 5 years living in the new residence had a higher prevalence of wheeze than non-migrants (<3 years: OR=2.34, 95% CI 1.26 to 4.33, p<0.007 and 3–5 years: OR=3.03, 95% CI 1.49 to 6.15, p<0.002).

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence that rural to urban migration is associated with an increase in the prevalence of wheeze among schoolchildren living in a Latin-American city. Age of migration and time since migration were important determinants of wheeze only among migrants from rural areas. A better understanding of the social and environmental effects of internal migration could improve our understanding of the causes of the increase in asthma and differences in prevalence between urban and rural populations.
Octahedral Co(III) salen complexes: the role of peripheral ligand electronics on axial ligand release upon reduction
Authors: Zhang Chen , Sutherland Mathew , Herasymchuk Khrystyna , Clarke Ryan M. , Thompson John R. , Chiang Linus , Walsby Charles J. , Storr Tim
Published: July 2017

A series of octahedral CoIIIsalen complexes (where salen represents a N2O2bis-Schiff-base bis-phenolate framework) were prepared with axial imidazole ligating groups. When using 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm) axial ligands, the CoIII/CoIIreduction potential could be altered by 220 mV via variation of the electron-donating ability of the para-ring substituents (R = H (1), OMe (2), tBu (3), Br (4), NO2(5), and CF3(6)). In addition, the irreversibility of the reduction process suggested substantial geometrical changes and axial ligand exchange upon reduction to the more labile CoIIoxidation state. Installing an imidazole-coumarin conjugate as the axial ligands resulted in fluorescence quenching when bound to the CoIIIcentre (R = H (7), OMe (8), and CF3(9)). The redox properties and fluorescence increase upon ligand release for 7–9 were studied under reducing conditions and in the presence of excess competing ligand (1-MeIm). It was determined that the Lewis acidity of the CoIIIcentre was the dominant factor in controlling axial ligand exchange for this series of complexes.
A laboratory-calibrated model of coho salmon growth with utility for ecological analyses
Authors: Manhard Christopher V. , Som Nicholas A. , Perry Russell W. , Plumb John M.
Published: July 2017

We conducted a meta-analysis of laboratory- and hatchery-based growth data to estimate broadly applicable parameters of mass- and temperature-dependent growth of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Following studies of other salmonid species, we incorporated the Ratkowsky growth model into an allometric model and fit this model to growth observations from eight studies spanning ten different populations. To account for changes in growth patterns with food availability, we reparameterized the Ratkowsky model to scale several of its parameters relative to ration. The resulting model was robust across a wide range of ration allocations and experimental conditions, accounting for 99% of the variation in final body mass. We fit this model to growth data from coho salmon inhabiting tributaries and constructed ponds in the Klamath Basin by estimating habitat-specific indices of food availability. The model produced evidence that constructed ponds provided higher food availability than natural tributaries. Because of their simplicity (only mass and temperature are required as inputs) and robustness, ration-varying Ratkowsky models have utility as an ecological tool for capturing growth in freshwater fish populations.
On MHD 3D upper convected Maxwell fluid flow with thermophoretic effect using nonlinear radiative heat flux
Authors: Bilal M. , Sagheer M. , Hussain S.
Published: July 2017

In this study, three-dimensional upper-convected Maxwell fluid flow over a stretching surface in the presence of viscous dissipation and Joule heating is considered to examine the effects of thermophoresis and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) on heat and mass transfer. Energy equation is formulated under the assumption of nonlinear radiative heat flux. Ordinary differential equations are deduced from the governing partial differential equations with the help of similarity transformation. These equations are then solved numerically using the shooting method, through the fourth-order Runge–Kutta integration procedure. To strengthen the reliability of our results, the MATLAB built-in function bvp4c is also used. Effects of some prominent physical parameters, such as Eckert number, Prandtl number, thermophoretic parameter, and magnetic parameter on the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles are discussed graphically and numerically. It is found that concentration profile decreases for the higher values of thermophoretic parameter and Schmidt number. The heat flux rate is observed to enhance for increasing values of thermal radiation and Prandtl number.
The effect of substitution of chromosome 5S1 of Aegilops longissima for its wheat homoeologues on spike morphology and on several quantitative traits
Authors: Millet E. , Avivi Y. , Zaccai M. , Feldman M.
Published: July 2017

Each pair of homoeologous group 5 chromosomes of common wheat (Triticum aestivum) cv. Chinese Spring was replaced by the homoeologous pair 5S1 of Aegilops longissima. The resulting substitution lines were selected by the isozyme markers SKDH or TPI-2 as well as by the presence of 21 bivalents at meiosis. In lines lacking 5B, the alien chromosome could not compensate for the missing Ph1 allele, as was evident by multivalent formation at meiosis and by reduced fertility. In the absence of 5A, chromosome 5S1 not only failed to compensate for the occurrence of spike speltoidy but enhanced its expression. Chromosome 5S1 had a moderate dosage effect on reducing plant height and promoting earliness. When added to the genome of common wheat, this chromosome induced a considerable increase in grain weight, but it could not compensate for the absence of a pair of any of its homoeologues. Other yield components were negatively affected in both addition and substitution lines, as well as in other aneuploids. Grain protein percentage of the different lines was negatively related to their yield per spike. This rendered difficult the evaluation of genes for grain protein percentage. The implication of the obtained results on the use of alien genes for wheat improvement is discussed.Key words: substitution lines, wheat, Triticum aestivum, Aegilops longissima, alien chromosomes, quantitative traits.
Flow cytometric determination of DNA content in isolated nuclei of cereals
Authors: Hülgenhof E. , Weidhase R. A. , Schlegel R. , Tewes A.
Published: July 2017

Isolated nuclei from cereal plants were used for quantitative determination of DNA per nucleus by flow cytometry. The technique is based on enhanced fluorescence of ethidium bromide and olivomycin when they bind to DNA. Nuclei were isolated from protoplasts derived from leaves of seedlings. The diploid Hordeum vulgare cv. Trumpf was used as an internal standard. Analysis of nuclei from several cultivars of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum), Triticum durum var. hordeiforme, T. durum var. alexandrinum, Triticum araraticum, Triticum timopheevi, Triticum monococcum, Aegilops speltoides, Secale cereale, and one hexaploid and one octoploid triticale revealed significant intra- and inter-specific differences in DNA values per 2C nucleus. The advantages of the procedure are discussed along with its utilization for quantitative DNA measurement in Gramineae.Key words: nuclear isolation, flow cytometry, DNA content, cereals.
Identification of a gene for resistance to wheatgrass powdery mildew fungus in the common wheat cultivar Chinese Spring
Authors: Tosa Y. , Tokunaga H. , Ogura H.
Published: July 2017

A gene for resistance to Erysiphe graminis was detected in Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, strain Salmon, T. compactum cv. No. 44, and T. spelta var. duhamelianum, using a hybrid culture derived from E. graminis f. sp. agropyri × E. graminis f. sp. tritici. The gene was located on the short arm of chromosome 6B and designated Pm11. Pm11 was considered to be involved in the resistance of wheat to the wheatgrass powdery mildew fungus.Key words: wheat, resistance, powdery mildew, Erysiphe graminis.
Study of event mixing for Bose–Einstein correlations in reactions with ππ X final states around 1 GeV
Authors: He Q. H.
Published: July 2017

We present a new event mixing cut condition, named energy sum (ES) cut, aiming to investigate two-pion Bose–Einstein correlations (BEC) in reaction with only two identical pions among three final state particles. Unlike the previous proposed pion energy cut, which rejects original events with either pion’s energy beyond a given level, this cut does not eliminate any original events and hence improves the statistics of both original events and mixed events. It selects mixed events in terms of a weight proportional to the two-pion energy sum distribution of original events. Numerical tests using the [Formula: see text] events are carried out to verify the validity of the energy sum cut. Simulation results show this cut is able to reproduce the relative momentum distribution of the original events in the absence of BEC effects. Its ability to observe BEC effects and to extract correct BEC parameters is verified using event sample in the presence of BEC effects. It is found that the BEC effects can be obviously observed as an enhancement in the correlation function and the BEC parameters extracted by this event mixing cut are in good agreement with input values.
Velocity renormalization in graphene: The role of trigonal warping and electron–phonon coupling effects
Authors: Kandemir B. S. , Gökçek N.
Published: July 2017

We investigate the combined effects of trigonal warping and electron–phonon interactions on the renormalization of the Fermi velocity in graphene. We present an analytical solution to the associated Fröhlich Hamiltonian describing the interaction of doubly degenerate-optical phonon modes of graphene with electrons in the presence of trigonal warp within the framework of Lee–Low–Pines theory. On the basis of our model, it is analytically shown that in addition to its renormalization, Fermi velocity exhibits strong anisotropy due to the trigonal warping. It is also found that in the regime where the trigonal warp starts, distortion of energy bands emerges due to electron–phonon coupling, and the bands exhibit strong anisotropy.
Bifurcations of 2-Periodic Nonautonomous Stunted Tent Systems
Authors: Silva L. , Rocha J. Leonel , Silva M. T.
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we will consider a family of 2-periodic nonautonomous dynamical systems, generated by the alternate iteration of two stunted tent maps and study its bifurcation skeleton. We will describe the bifurcation phenomena along and around the bones accomplished with the combinatorial data furnished by the respective symbolic dynamics.
On Discontinuous Piecewise Linear Models for Memristor Oscillators
Authors: Amador Andrés , Freire Emilio , Ponce Enrique , Ros Javier
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we provide for the first time rigorous mathematical results regarding the rich dynamics of piecewise linear memristor oscillators. In particular, for each nonlinear oscillator given in [Itoh & Chua, 2008], we show the existence of an infinite family of invariant manifolds and that the dynamics on such manifolds can be modeled without resorting to discontinuous models. Our approach provides topologically equivalent continuous models with one dimension less but with one extra parameter associated to the initial conditions. It is possible to justify the periodic behavior exhibited by three-dimensional memristor oscillators, by taking advantage of known results for planar continuous piecewise linear systems.

The analysis developed not only confirms the numerical results contained in previous works [Messias et al., 2010; Scarabello & Messias, 2014] but also goes much further by showing the existence of closed surfaces in the state space which are foliated by periodic orbits. The important role of initial conditions that justify the infinite number of periodic orbits exhibited by these models, is stressed. The possibility of unsuspected bistable regimes under specific configurations of parameters is also emphasized.
Cellular Automaton Belousov–Zhabotinsky Model for Binary Full Adder
Authors: Dourvas Nikolaos I. , Sirakoulis Georgios Ch. , Adamatzky Andrew
Published: July 2017

The continuous increment in the performance of classical computers has been driven to its limit. New ways are studied to avoid this oncoming bottleneck and many answers can be found. An example is the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction which includes some fundamental and essential characteristics that attract chemists, biologists, and computer scientists. Interaction of excitation wave-fronts in BZ system, can be interpreted in terms of logical gates and applied in the design of unconventional hardware components. Logic gates and other more complicated components have been already proposed using different topologies and particular characteristics. In this study, the inherent parallelism and simplicity of Cellular Automata (CAs) modeling is combined with an Oregonator model of light-sensitive version of BZ reaction. The resulting parallel and computationally-inexpensive model has the ability to simulate a topology that can be considered as a one-bit full adder digital component towards the design of an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
Dynamics of Nonautonomous Ordinary Differential Equations with Quasi-Periodic Coefficients
Authors: Zhang Xu
Published: July 2017

We investigate the dynamics of two types of nonautonomous ordinary differential equations with quasi-periodic time-varying coefficients and nonlinear terms. The vector fields for the nonautonomous systems are written as [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the spacial part and [Formula: see text] is the time-varying part, and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are real parameters. The first type has a polynomial as the nonlinear term, another type has a continuous periodic function as the nonlinear term. The polynomials and periodic functions have simple zeros. Several examples with numerical experiments are given. It is found by numerical calculation that there might exist only one attractor for the systems with polynomials as nonlinear terms and [Formula: see text], and there might exist infinitely many attractors for systems with periodic functions as nonlinear terms and [Formula: see text]. For [Formula: see text] sufficiently small, the parameter regions for [Formula: see text] are roughly divided into three parts: the spacial region ([Formula: see text]), the balance region ([Formula: see text]), and the time-varying region ([Formula: see text]); (i) for [Formula: see text], the orbits approach some planes depending on the zeros of the polynomials or the periodic functions; (ii) for [Formula: see text], there exist attractors with the number no less than the number of zeros of the polynomials or the periodic functions, implying the existence of infinitely many attractors for systems with periodic functions as nonlinear terms; (iii) for [Formula: see text], the orbits wind around some region depending on the choice of the initial position. The shape of the attractors might be strange or regular for different parameters, and we obtain the existence of ball-like (regular) attractors, two-wings (strange) attractors, and other attractors with different shapes. The Lyapunov exponents are negative. These results reveal an intrinsic relationship between the existence of attractors (or strange dynamics) and the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for nonautonomous systems with quasi-periodic coefficients. These results will be very useful in the understanding of the dynamics of general nonautonomous systems, nonautonomous control theory and other related fields.