bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A nurse plant benefits from facilitative interactions through mycorrhizae
Authors: Sortibrán L. , Verdú M. , Valiente‐Banuet A.
Published: December 2018

Plant facilitation promotes coexistence by maintaining differences in the regeneration niche because some nurse species recruit under arid conditions, whereas facilitated species recruit under more mesic conditions. In one Mexican community, 95% of species recruit through facilitation; Mimosa luisana being a keystone nurse for many of them. M. luisana individuals manifest greater fitness when growing in association with their facilitated plants than when growing in isolation. This observation suggests that nurses also benefit from their facilitated plants, a benefit thought to be mediated by mycorrhizal fungi.

Under field conditions, we experimentally tested whether mycorrhizal fungi mediate the increased fitness that M. luisana experiences when growing in association with its facilitated plants. We applied fungicide to the soil for nurse plants growing alone and growing in association with their facilitated plants in order to reduce the mycorrhizal colonisation of roots. We then assessed the quantity and quality of seed production of M. luisana in four treatments (isolated‐control, isolated‐fungicide, associated‐control and associated‐fungicide).

Fungicide application reduced the percentage root length colonised by mycorrhizae and reduced fitness of M. luisana when growing in association with their facilitated plants but not when growing in isolation. This reduction was reflected in the total number of seeds, number of seeds per pod, seed mass and seed viability.

These results suggest that nurses benefit from the presence of their facilitated plants through links established by mycorrhizae, indicating that both plants and belowground mutualistic communities are all part of one system, coexisting by means of intrinsically linked interactions.
Rethinking the Porter Hypothesis: The Underappreciated Importance of Value Appropriation and Pollution Intensity
Authors: Petroni Giorgio , Bigliardi Barbara , Galati Francesco
Published: December 2018

The impact of environmental regulation on the competitiveness of firms and industries remains a hot topic. Since the formulation of the Porter hypothesis, scholars from different research areas have tried to confirm or deny it. However, despite a vast literature engaging this debate, it remains unclear whether and under what conditions the hypothesis could be considered valid. We believe that this is due to the need to consider some additional factors. The aim of this review is to propose additional and significant themes, namely value appropriation and pollution intensity, to be considered when examining the impact of environmental regulation on the innovation and profitability of firms. Results show that the validity of the Porter hypothesis cannot be proved in any condition, but at the same time, there are additional factors that have a relevant influence on that construct, which can lead to a validation or rejection of the hypothesis.
RNASeqDesign: A Framework for Ribonucleic Acid Sequencing Genomewide Power Calculation and Study Design Issues
Authors: Lin Chien-Wei , Liao Serena G. , Liu Peng , Lee Mei-Ling Ting , Park Yong Seok , Tseng George C.
Published: December 2018

Massively parallel sequencing (also known as next generation sequencing (NGS)) technology has emerged as a powerful tool in characterizing genomic profiles. Among many NGS applications, ribonucleic acid sequencing (‘RNA-Seq’) has gradually become a standard tool for global transcriptomic monitoring. Although the cost of NGS experiments has dropped constantly, the high sequencing cost and bioinformatic complexity are still obstacles for many biomedical projects. Unlike earlier fluorescence-based technologies such as microarrays, modelling of NGS data should consider discrete count data. In addition to sample size, sequencing depth also directly relates to the experimental cost. Consequently, given a total budget and prespecified unit experimental cost, the study design issue in RNA-Seq is conceptually a more complex multi-dimensional constrained optimization problem rather than a one-dimensional sample size calculation in a traditional hypothesis setting. We propose a statistical framework, namely ‘RNASeqDesign’, to utilize pilot data for power calculation and study design of RNA-Seq experiments. The approach is based on mixture model fitting of the p-value distribution from pilot data and a parametric bootstrap procedure based on approximated Wald test statistics to infer the genomewide power for optimal sample size and sequencing depth. We further illustrate five practical study design tasks for practitioners. We perform simulations and three real applications to evaluate the performance and to compare with existing methods.
The epidemiology of HCV infection in patients with advanced CKD/ESRD: A global perspective
Authors: Fabrizi Fabrizio , Messa Piergiorgio
Published: December 2018

Liver disease in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is most commonly due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and contributes to increased rates of mortality. Among the pre‐dialysis population, the estimated prevalence of anti‐HCV positivity is based on few, limited‐size studies. In hemodialysis patients however, HCV remains very prevalent despite large declines in seropositivity rates in dialysis facilities in developed countries after preventive measures were adopted in the 1990s. Recent surveys indicate that the HCV seropositivity prevalence ranges from 1.4%‐28.3%, and 4.7%‐41.9%, among maintenance dialysis patients in developed and developing countries respectively. Although the full extent of dialysis unit‐associated HCV transmission is unknown, outbreaks continue to occur, regardless of health system infrastucture. According to US Centers for Disease Control data, over 50% of health care‐associated HCVoutbreaks reported from 2008 to 2015 occurred within dialysis facilities. Strict adherence to infection control procedures and routine serologic screening plays a pivotal role in preventing transmission of HCV within hemodialysis units, even in the setting of low HCV prevalence. With the advent of directly acting antivirals, cure of HCV‐infected patients on maintenance hemodialysis will help reduce transmission within units and further lower the frequency of HCV infection.
Fingerprint of tropical climate variability and sea level in sediments of the Cariaco Basin during the last glacial period
Authors: Deplazes Gaudenz , Meckler Anna Nele , Peterson Larry C. , Hamann Yvonne , Aeschlimann Beat , Günther Detlef , Martínez‐García Alfredo , Haug Gerald H.
Published: December 2018

High‐resolution palaeorecords of climate are critical to improving current understanding of climate variability, its sensitivity and impact on the environment in the past and in the future. Sediments from the Cariaco Basin off the coast of Venezuela have proven to be sensitive recorders of tropical palaeoclimate variability down to an annual scale. However, the fingerprint of climate and sea level in the sediments of the last glacial period is still not completely understood. In this study, lamination analysis of sediments from the Cariaco Basin is extended to the last glacial period. Detailed sedimentological and geochemical analysis (laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry) reveals couplets of light‐coloured, terrigenous‐rich and dark‐coloured, biogenic opal‐rich laminae, which are interpreted to reflect the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. In addition, a previously undescribed, nearly pure terrigenous lamina type is observed, which is referred to hereafter as a ‘C‐layer’. The C‐layers in the sedimentary sequence are interpreted as flood layers that originate from local rivers. The occurrence of these C‐layers is investigated for two core locations in the Cariaco Basin over the last 110 kyr by continuous X‐ray fluorescence scanning. Dansgaard–Oeschger oscillations are most clearly traced by proxies reflecting productivity and marine organic matter content of the sediment. In contrast, the abundance of terrigenous material differs at times between the two sites. On an interglacial to glacial timescale, the ability to record events causing C‐layers is likely to be influenced by changes in sea level and source proximity. On a millennial scale, both sediment cores contain more C‐layers during warmer interstadials compared with colder stadials during Marine Isotope Stage 3. This finding implies that interstadials were not only wetter than stadials, but probably also characterized by increased rainfall variability, leading to an enhanced frequency of flooding events in the hinterland of the Cariaco Basin.
Do Employees’ Sickness Absences React to a Change in Costs for Firms? Evidence from a Natural Experiment*
Authors: Böheim René , Leoni Thomas
Published: December 2018

We analyse the impact of a social security reform that changed the costs incurred by firms due to sickness absences. The reform abolished a compulsory insurance for firms, which insured them against the wages paid to sick blue‐collar workers. During the first year after its introduction, we estimate that the reform resulted in about 6.3 percent fewer sickness absences, and in about 8.6 percent fewer absence days. We do not find evidence for changes in hiring or firing, and we find only limited workforce composition changes. We do not find spillover effects on the absences of white‐collar workers. Robustness checks confirm these results.
The Emperor Has New Clothes: How Outsider Sociology Can Shift the Discipline
Authors: Strong Myron T.
Published: December 2018

The article explores the ways that sociology fails to address the needs of community college sociologists and marginalizes them as outsiders. It argues that the structure of the discipline, both training and focus, is the major barrier to becoming inclusive. Based on this, it explores ways in which sociology can be inclusive of community college sociologists and how they can address their needs. Ironically, as a result of this position, community college sociologists may be in the best position to challenge the structure of the discipline and create social change.
Selective Attention and the Information Environment: Citizens’ Perceptions of Political Problems in the 2015 Swiss Federal Election Campaign
Authors: Wüest Bruno
Published: December 2018

In the course of election campaigns, voters pay only selectively attention to particular aspects of political problems. Such selective attention is necessary because the costs of becoming competent on many political problems are great. Normatively, however, such selective attention is not desirable because it lowers the chance that voters will reach well‐balanced and competent decisions. This contribution establishes the aspects of the four most salient problems from the 2015 Swiss federal election campaign: immigration, welfare, the economy and European integration. It further reveals that selective attention is higher among those who are interested in politics and who learn problem‐specific information on salient problems, and lower among those who are well‐educated, who engage in personal discussions, who use traditional media, and who learn problem‐specific information on less salient problems. Finally, it concludes that selective attention should be avoided in order to strengthen the citizens’ level of information on political problems.
The Rise of Cultural Issues as an Opportunity for the Right? Insights from the 2015 Swiss Election
Authors: Kurella Anna‐Sophie , Rosset Jan
Published: December 2018

This article presents an explanation for the success of the right in the 2015 Swiss parliamentary election based on the spatial model of voting. Since there is no party combining economically left with culturally authoritarian policy stances, voters with that preference combination face a difficult electoral choice. We show that they are more likely to abstain, and that those voters who turn out are more likely to cast votes for the right who represents them on cultural issues. We argue that this behavior is due to the fact that voters with this culturally conservative and economically left preferences attach more weight to cultural issues when making an electoral choice. On the aggregate, both findings imply an underrepresentation of economically left interests in the election result, and lead to a disproportional vote share for the right.
HLA‐B*40:400, a novel HLA‐B*40 variant, identified in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lin P. Y.
Published: December 2018

One nucleotide substitution at residue 314 of HLA‐B*40:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐B*40:400.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐B*40:243 allele
Authors: Zheng Jie Wei , Xie Jun Hua , Sun Ying , Xiang Dong
Published: December 2018

The HLA‐B*40:243 allele differs from B*40:11:01 by three nucleotide substitutions at positions 361, 368 and 369.
The impact of blood type on transfusion after major emergency abdominal surgery
Authors: Schack Anders , Oreskov Jakob Ohm , Ekeloef Sarah , Brodersen Thorsten , Ostrowski Sisse Rye , Gögenur Ismail , Burcharth Jakob
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

ABO dependent variation in von Willebrand factor (vWF) and factor VIII have an impact on hemostasis. Several contradictory studies have investigated the influence of ABO blood type in surgical hemorrhage. Emergency surgery is associated with an increased risk of perioperative hemorrhage leading to inferior clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate if patients with blood type O received more transfusions with blood components compared with non‐O patients after major emergency abdominal surgery.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This retrospective observational study combined perioperative data including hemoglobin with transfusion data in patients undergoing emergency surgery at a university hospital between January 2010 and October 2016. The primary outcome was postoperative transfusion stratified into early transfusion, within 24 hours after surgery, and late transfusion from 24 hours to 7 days (POD7) after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 869 patients were included, 363 patients with blood type O (42.0%) and 501 (58.0%) with blood type non‐O. We found no difference in the need for transfusion with 42 (11.6%) patients with blood type O and 66 (13.2%) patients with blood type non‐O receiving early transfusion and 39 (13.4%) and 48 (11.9%) of O and non‐O patients, respectively, receiving late transfusion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed an adjusted OR of 0.915 (95% CI 0.569–1.471) for early transfusion and an adjusted OR of 1.307 (95% CI 0.788–2.169) for late transfusion in patients with blood type O. Likewise, no difference was seen with respect to the change in hemoglobin levels before and after surgery as well as transfused volume.

CONCLUSION

We did not find an association between transfusion or perioperative changes in hemoglobin with respect to blood type ABO.
Use of multiple indicators to assess the pollution condition of urban streams: a case study of Bloemspruit, Free State Province, South Africa
Authors: Belle Gladys , Fossey Annabel , Esterhuizen Leana
Published: December 2018

The Bloemspruit in the Free State, South Africa, is being polluted by increasing anthropogenic activities alongside the stream. Water quality, macro‐invertebrate diversity and macro‐invertebrate habitats were studied to determine the extent of pollution. Pollution condition was quantified by calculating several indicators. The study revealed that Bloemspruit is highly polluted for the majority of the sampling sites. Two sites had fair water quality, while the water quality at the other sites was either marginal or poor. SASS 5 scores revealed that most macro‐invertebrate families present were pollution tolerant, indicating the poor state of the water. According to the modified IHAS (mIHAS) scores, macro‐invertebrate habitats at two sites were fair, seven adequate/fair and two poor. The relatively low values of the IHI scores confirm that the majority of the sites were affected by human activities. One site was classified as being largely modified because of the degrading effect of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) nearby.
Mitigating wind noise with a spherical microphone array
Authors: Zhao Sipei , Dabin Matthew , Cheng Eva , Qiu Xiaojun , Burnett Ian , Liu Jacob Chia-chun
Published: December 2018

This paper utilizes a rigid spherical microphone array to reduce wind noise. In the experiments conducted, a loudspeaker is used to reproduce the desired sound signal and an axial fan is employed to generate wind noise in an anechoic chamber. The sound signal and wind noise are measured separately with the spherical microphone array and analyzed in the spherical harmonic domain. The wind noise is found to be irregularly distributed in the spherical harmonic domain, distinct from the sound signal which is concentrated in the first few spherical harmonic modes. This difference is utilized to reduce wind noise without degrading the desired sound pressure level (SPL) by use of a low pass filter method in the spherical harmonic domain. Experimental results with both single-tonal and multi-tonal sound signals demonstrate that the proposed method can reduce wind noise by more than 10 dB in the frequency range below 500 Hz. The SPL of the desired sound signal can be extracted from wind noise with an error within 1.0 dB, even when the sound level is 8 dB lower than wind noise.
AcrR and Rex Control Mannitol and Sorbitol Utilization through Their Cross-Regulation of Aldehyde-Alcohol Dehydrogenase (AdhE) in Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Yang Xiaopan , Teng Kunling , Su Rina , Li Lili , Zhang Tong , Fan Keqiang , Zhang Jie , Zhong Jin
Published: December 2018

The function and regulation of AdhE in the important probiotic genus
Lactobacillus
are rarely reported. Here we demonstrated that AdhE is responsible for sorbitol and mannitol utilization and is cross-regulated by two transcriptional regulators in
L. plantarum
NF92, which had not been reported previously. This is important for
L. plantarum
to compete and survive in some harsh environments in which sorbitol or mannitol could be used as carbon source. A novel transcriptional regulator AcrR was identified to be important to promote the expression of
adhE
, which was unknown before. The cross-regulation of
adhE
by AcrR and Rex is important to balance the level of NADH in the cell during sorbitol or mannitol utilization.
Autophagy Promotes Replication of Influenza A Virus
In Vitro
Authors: Wang Ruifang , Zhu Yinxing , Zhao Jiachang , Ren Chenwei , Li Peng , Chen Huanchun , Jin Meilin , Zhou Hongbo
Published: December 2018

Autophagy impacts the replication cycle of many viruses. However, the role of the autophagy machinery in IAV replication remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the detailed mechanisms utilized by IAV to promote its replication. We demonstrated that IAV NP- and M2-mediated autophagy promotes IAV replication by regulating the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway and HSP90AA1 expression. The interaction of PB2 and HSP90AA1 results in the increase of viral RNA synthesis first; subsequently the binding of NP to LC3 favors vRNP export, and later the interaction of M2 and LC3 leads to an increase in the production of infectious viral particles, thus accelerating viral progeny production. These findings improve our understanding of IAV pathogenicity in host cells.
ORBIT: a New Paradigm for Genetic Engineering of Mycobacterial Chromosomes
Authors: Murphy Kenan C. , Nelson Samantha J. , Nambi Subhalaxmi , Papavinasasundaram Kadamba , Baer Christina E. , Sassetti Christopher M.
Published: December 2018

We sought to develop a system that could increase the usefulness of oligonucleotide-mediated recombineering of bacterial chromosomes by expanding the types of modifications generated by an oligonucleotide (i.e., insertions and deletions) and by making recombinant formation a selectable event. This paper describes such a system for use in
M. smegmatis
and
M. tuberculosis
. By incorporating a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) version of the phage Bxb1
attP
site into the oligonucleotide and coelectroporating it with a nonreplicative plasmid that carries an
attB
site and a drug selection marker, we show both formation of a chromosomal
attP
site and integration of the plasmid in a single transformation. No target-specific dsDNA substrates are required. This system will allow investigators studying mycobacterial diseases, including tuberculosis, to easily generate multiple mutants for analysis of virulence factors, identification of new drug targets, and development of new vaccines.
Antimicrobial Chemicals Associate with Microbial Function and Antibiotic Resistance Indoors
Authors: Fahimipour Ashkaan K. , Ben Maamar Sarah , McFarland Alexander G. , Blaustein Ryan A. , Chen Jing , Glawe Adam J. , Kline Jeff , Green Jessica L. , Halden Rolf U. , Van Den Wymelenberg Kevin , Huttenhower Curtis , Hartmann Erica M.
Published: December 2018

The ubiquitous use of antimicrobial chemicals may have undesired consequences, particularly on microbes in buildings. This study shows that the taxonomy and function of microbes in indoor dust are strongly associated with antimicrobial chemicals—more so than any other feature of the buildings. Moreover, we identified links between antimicrobial chemical concentrations in dust and culturable bacteria that are cross-resistant to three clinically relevant antibiotics. These findings suggest that humans may be influencing the microbial species and genes that are found indoors through the addition and removal of particular antimicrobial chemicals.
Personalized evidence based medicine: predictive approaches to heterogeneous treatment effects
Authors: Kent David M , Steyerberg Ewout , van Klaveren David
Published: December 2018

The use of evidence from clinical trials to support decisions for individual patients is a form of “reference class forecasting”: implicit predictions for an individual are made on the basis of outcomes in a reference class of “similar” patients treated with alternative therapies. Evidence based medicine has generally emphasized the broad reference class of patients qualifying for a trial. Yet patients in a trial (and in clinical practice) differ from one another in many ways that can affect the outcome of interest and the potential for benefit. The central goal of personalized medicine, in its various forms, is to narrow the reference class to yield more patient specific effect estimates to support more individualized clinical decision making. This article will review fundamental conceptual problems with the prediction of outcome risk and heterogeneity of treatment effect (HTE), as well as the limitations of conventional (one-variable-at-a-time) subgroup analysis. It will also discuss several regression based approaches to “predictive” heterogeneity of treatment effect analysis, including analyses based on “risk modeling” (such as stratifying trial populations by their risk of the primary outcome or their risk of serious treatment-related harms) and analysis based on “effect modeling” (which incorporates modifiers of relative effect). It will illustrate these approaches with clinical examples and discuss their respective strengths and vulnerabilities.
Identifying cut-off scores for job demands and job control in nursing professionals: a cross-sectional survey in Germany
Authors: Zeike Sabrina , Ansmann Lena , Lindert Lara , Samel Christina , Kowalski Christoph , Pfaff Holger
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Nurses are generally found to be vulnerable to burnout, but nurses working in cancer care are even more so, since this profession is characterised by continuous confrontation with suffering and death. This study was designed to identify cut-off scores for job strain, that is, low job control and high job demands, for a sample of nurses working in breast cancer care. The main goal was to find cut-off scores, which predict the risk of nurses of developing a mental disorder from high job strain.

Design

The design was a cross-sectional survey study.

Setting

The study is based on an employee survey in breast cancer centres in Germany.

Participants

688 nurses received a questionnaire; 329 nurses from 33 hospitals participated in the survey (return rate: 50.2%).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Dependent variable: psychological well-being, measured by the WHO-5 Well-being Index; independent variables: job control and job demands, measured by the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ).

Results

Multivariable analysis indicates that low job control and high job demands are prognostic factors for low well-being. In a receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis, the cut-off scores, which demonstrated a maximum Youden index, were 34.5 for job control and 31.4 for job demands. The combination of both scales from a logistic regression analysis resulted in an area under the curve of 0.778. Sensitivity and specificity are 70.3% and 74.2%, respectively. The total of correct classification was 63.3%.

Conclusion

The determined cut-off scores indicate that there is a risk of becoming psychologically ill from a high workload when an individual reaches a score of ≤34.5 for job control and ≥31.4 for job demands. The described method of establishing risk-based cut-off scores is promising for nursing practice and for the field of occupational health. Transferability and generalisability of the cut-off scores should be further analysed.
Integrated decision-making model for community-based rehabilitation service utilisation among persons with severe mental illness in China: protocol for a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study
Authors: Wang Ruoxi , Tang Shangfeng , Shaw Ian , Feng Zhanchun , Chen Zhuo , Luo Yuxiong , Song Hongxun , Wu Tailai , Fu Qian , Fu Hang , Huang Yueying , Chen Xiaoyu , Feng Da
Published: December 2018

Introduction

A common problem low-income and middle-income countries face is the scarcity of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) resources and low service utilisation among persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Despite this problem, the factors and pathways followed influencing one’s decision on service utilisation in China have not been fully comprehended. This study aims to develop a theory-based model that systematically describes the integrated decision-making process of mental health CBR utilisation among persons with SMI in China.

Methods/Design

This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study involves three main stages and is expected to last 3 years, from January 2018 to December 2020. In stage 1, the Social Exchange Theory is deployed as an analytical framework to comprehensively capture factors associated with tendency to use CBR services in China using semistructured interview methodology involving patients with SMI, their primary caregivers and CBR service providers. In stage 2, interpretive structural modelling will be applied to analyse the relationships between factors in different dimensions, at different levels and with different levels of impact. Stage 3 involves a multiregion survey among at least 300 family decision-makers (either the patient or their caregivers) in six communities in three cities to statistically validate the initial model derived in stage 2 using a further structural equation modelling.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (No 2017S319). All interviewees will be provided with written information about the study, and a signed consent will be retrieved prior to the interview. Rules on confidentiality and anonymity of data will be strictly followed. The findings of this study will be disseminated via international and domestic peer-reviewed journals, reports, conference presentations and symposium discussions. Reports will be submitted to the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Individual cognitive stimulation therapy for people with intellectual disability and dementia: protocol of a feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ali Afia , Brown Emma , Spector Aimee , Aguirre Elisa , Hassiotis Angela
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a psychosocial intervention for dementia. Group CST is effective in reducing cognitive decline and improving quality of life in patients with dementia. There is some evidence that individual CST (iCST) may be beneficial in reducing cognitive decline. People with intellectual disability (ID) have an increased risk of dementia. However, there are no published studies of CST in people with ID and dementia. This protocol describes the feasibility and acceptability of a randomised controlled trial of iCST delivered by carers to people with ID and dementia, compared with treatment as usual (TAU). The results of this study will inform the design of a future definitive randomised controlled trial.

Methods and analysis

The iCST intervention has been adapted for this trial. Forty dyads (individuals with ID and their carer) will be randomised to either iCST or TAU. The manualised intervention comprises 40 iCST sessions delivered by a carer for 30 min, twice a week, over 20 weeks. The primary outcome will be process measures assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and trial procedures. The secondary outcome will be changes in the scores of outcome measures (cognition, functional ability and quality of life in individuals with ID, and caregiver burden, competence in managing dementia, and anxiety and depression in carers). Data will be collected at baseline, 11 weeks and at 21 weeks. A process evaluation will examine adherence to iCST and will include qualitative interviews with participants to identify aspects of the intervention that were or were not successful.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has received ethical approval. The results of the study will be presented at conferences and submitted to a peer reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN18312288; Pre-results.
Effect of adjusting the challenge–skill balance for occupational therapy: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Yoshida Ippei , Hirao Kazuki , Kobayashi Ryuji
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Occupational therapy (OT) is defined as the promotion of client health and well-being through a client-centred practice. However, there is a tendency to rely on the therapist’s experiences and values, and there is a difference between the client’s and therapist’s perceptions regarding the current activity that the client is engaged in. In previous studies that have applied ‘flow’, activities supported by OT in elderly people were analysed, indicating a difference in recognition. Therefore, we thought that more effective OT could be implemented by adjusting the challenge–skill (ACS) balance, and we invented a novel process termed as ACS balance for OT. The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of ACS-OT on clients in the recovery rehabilitation unit and to prepare a protocol for randomised controlled trial (RCT) implementation.

Method and analysis

This single-blind RCT will recruit 80 clients aged 50–99 years admitted to the recovery rehabilitation unit who meet eligibility criteria. Clients will be randomly allocated to receive ACS-OT or standard OT. Both interventions will be performed during the clients’ residence at the unit. The primary outcome measure will be subjective quality of life and will be measured at entry into (pre) and at discharge from (post) the unit and at 3 months afterwards (follow-up). Outcomes will be analysed using a linear mixed model fitted with a maximum likelihood estimation.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol has been approved by the ethics review committee of the Tokyo Metropolitan University (No.17020). Results of this trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

UMIN-CTR number, UMIN000029505; Pre-results.
Short-term effect of a chronic pain self-management intervention delivered by an easily accessible primary healthcare service: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Nøst Torunn Hatlen , Steinsbekk Aslak , Bratås Ola , Grønning Kjersti
Published: December 2018

Objectives

To investigate the effects on persons with chronic pain after 3 months of a group-based chronic pain self-management course compared with a drop-in, low-impact outdoor physical group activity on patient activation and a range of secondary outcomes.

Design

An open, pragmatic, parallel group randomised controlled trial. Analyses were performed using a two-level linear mixed model.

Setting

An easily accessible healthcare service provided by Norwegian public primary healthcare.

Participants

A total of 121 participants with self-reported chronic pain for 3 months or more were randomised with 60 participants placed in the intervention group and 61 placed in the control group (mean age 53 years, 88% women, 63% pain for 10 years or more).

Interventions

The intervention group was offered a group-based chronic pain self-management course with 2.5-hour weekly sessions for a period of 6 weeks. The sessions consisted of education, movement exercises and emphasised group discussions. The control group was offered a low-impact outdoor group physical activity in 1-hour weekly sessions that consisted of walking and simple strength exercises for a period of 6 weeks.

Main outcomes

The primary outcome was patient activation assessed using the Patient Activation Measure. Secondary outcomes measured included assessments of pain, anxiety and depression, pain self-efficacy, sense of coherence, health-related quality of life, well-being and the 30 s chair to stand test.

Results

There was no effect after 3 months of the group-based chronic pain self-management course compared with the control group for the primary outcome, patient activation (estimated mean difference: −0.5, 95% CI –4.8 to 3.7, p=0.802).

Conclusions

There was no support for the self-management course having a better effect after 3 months than a low-impact outdoor physical activity offered the control group.

Trial registration number

NCT02531282; Results.
Evidence synthesis, practice guidelines and real-world prescriptions of new generation antidepressants in the treatment of depression: a protocol for cumulative network meta-analyses and meta-epidemiological study
Authors: Luo Yan , Chaimani Anna , Kataoka Yuki , Ostinelli Edoardo Giuseppe , Ogawa Yusuke , Cipriani Andrea , Salanti Georgia , Furukawa Toshi A
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Depressive disorders are the most common, burdensome and costly mental disorders. Their treatments have developed through the past decades and we now have more than a dozen new generation antidepressants, while a series of guidelines have been published to provide recommendations over the years. However, there still may exist important gaps in this evidence synthesis and implementation process. Systematic reviews may not have been conducted in the most unbiased, informative and timely manners; guidelines may not have reflected the most up-to-date evidence; clinicians may not have changed their clinical decision-makings in accordance with the relevant evidence. The aim of this study is to examine the gaps between the ideally synthesised evidence, guideline recommendations and real-world clinical practices in the prescription of new generation antidepressants for major depression through the past three decades.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct cumulative network meta-analyses (cNMAs) based on the comprehensive systematic review which has identified published and unpublished head-to-head randomised controlled trials comparing the following antidepressants in the acute phase treatment of major depression: agomelatine, amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, clomipramine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, levomilnacipran, milnacipran, mirtazapine, nefazodone, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline, trazodone, venlafaxine, vilazodone and vortioxetine. The primary outcomes will be the proportions of patients who responded (efficacy) and who withdrew from treatment for any reasons (acceptability). We will conduct a random effects cNMA to synthesise evidence and obtain a comprehensive ranking of all new generation antidepressants based on their surface under the cumulative ranking curves. We will identify series of international clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of major depression of adults and summarise their recommendations. We will estimate real-world prescription patterns of antidepressants in the nationally representative samples in USA in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We will compare and evaluate the gaps between the rankings according to cNMAs conducted at 5-year intervals between 1990 and 2015, recommendations in guidelines published in the ensuing 5 years and actual practices thereafter.

Ethics and dissemination

This review does not require ethical approval. We will disseminate our findings through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences.

Trial registration number

UMIN000031898.
Creation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Guideline for neonatal intestinal surgery patients: a knowledge synthesis and consensus generation approach and protocol study
Authors: Gibb Ashleigh C N , Crosby Megan A , McDiarmid Caraline , Urban Denisa , Lam Jennifer Y K , Wales Paul W , Brockel Megan , Raval Mehul , Offringa Martin , Skarsgard Erik D , Wester Tomas , Wong Kenneth , de Beer David , Nelson Gregg , Brindle Mary E
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines integrate evidence-based practices into multimodal care pathways designed to optimise patient recovery following surgery. The objective of this project is to create an ERAS protocol for neonatal abdominal surgery. The protocol will identify and attempt to bridge the gaps between current practices and best evidence. Our study is the first paediatric ERAS protocol endorsed by the International ERAS Society.

Methods

A research team consisting of international clinical and family stakeholders as well as methodological experts have iteratively defined the scope of the protocol in addition to individual topic areas. A modified Delphi method was used to reach consensus. The second phase will include a series of knowledge syntheses involving a rapid review coupled with expert opinion. Potential protocol elements supported by synthesised evidence will be identified. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system will be used to determine strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. The third phase will involve creation of the protocol using a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. Group consensus will be used to rate each element in relation to the quality of evidence supporting the recommendation and the appropriateness for guideline inclusion. This protocol will form the basis of a future implementation study.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been registered with the ERAS Society. Human ethics approval (REB 18–0579) is in place to engage patient families within protocol development. This research is to be published in peer-reviewed journals and will form the care standard for neonatal intestinal surgery.
Assessment of workplace bullying: reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R)
Authors: Makarem Nisrine N , Tavitian-Elmadjian Lucy R , Brome Dayana , Hamadeh Ghassan N , Einarsen Ståle
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Interest in workplace bullying has been steadily growing since the 1990s, focusing on understanding its driving factors, prevalence rates in different occupations and countries, its consequences, as well as the characteristics of the typical bully and victim. Currently, the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) is the most frequently used questionnaire to assess workplace bullying. Studies in the Arab world are scarce and to date the NAQ-R has not been validated in Arabic, the official or co-official language in around 25 countries in the Middle East and Asia. The aim of this study was therefore to develop an Arabic version of NAQ-R.

Materials and methods

447 participants aged 18–70 years were recruited through convenient sampling. Exclusion criteria were illiteracy and employment for less than 6 months. Participants were recruited from shops, banks, travel agencies and restaurants in an area in central Beirut around a tertiary care medical centre.

A two-stage process was employed to translate the original version of NAQ-R to Arabic. This translated version along with validated Arabic versions of the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory II were distributed to participants.

Results

A 14-item two-factor NAQ-R, with subscales of person-related and work-related bullying, was supported. Reliability coefficients for total and subscale scores of the NAQ-R ranged from 0.63 to 0.90. The Arabic NAQ-R had good concurrent validity as indicated by significant correlations with depression and satisfaction with life (p< 0.05).

Conclusion

NAQ-R was translated to Arabic and adapted. The results revealed acceptable levels of reliability and construct validity. As for the underlying factor structure, it needs to be further supported.
Mobile phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: a population-based ecological study
Authors: Karipidis Ken , Elwood Mark , Benke Geza , Sanagou Masoumeh , Tjong Lydiawati , Croft Rodney J
Published: December 2018

Objective

Some studies have reported increasing trends in certain brain tumours and a possible link with mobile phone use has been suggested. We examined the incidence time trends of brain tumour in Australia for three distinct time periods to ascertain the influence of improved diagnostic technologies and increase in mobile phone use on the incidence of brain tumours.

Design

In a population-based ecological study, we examined trends of brain tumour over the periods 1982–1992, 1993–2002 and 2003–2013. We further compared the observed incidence during the period of substantial mobile phone use (2003–2013) with predicted (modelled) incidence for the same period by applying various relative risks, latency periods and mobile phone use scenarios.

Setting

National Australian incidence registration data on primary cancers of the brain diagnosed between 1982 and 2013.

Population

16 825 eligible brain cancer cases aged 20–59 from all of Australia (10 083 males and 6742 females).

Main outcome measures

Annual percentage change (APC) in brain tumour incidence based on Poisson regression analysis.

Results

The overall brain tumour rates remained stable during all three periods. There was an increase in glioblastoma during 1993–2002 (APC 2.3, 95% CI 0.8 to 3.7) which was likely due to advances in the use of MRI during that period. There were no increases in any brain tumour types, including glioma (−0.6, –1.4 to 0.2) and glioblastoma (0.8, –0.4 to 2.0), during the period of substantial mobile phone use from 2003 to 2013. During that period, there was also no increase in glioma of the temporal lobe (0.5, –1.3 to 2.3), which is the location most exposed when using a mobile phone. Predicted incidence rates were higher than the observed rates for latency periods up to 15 years.

Conclusions

In Australia, there has been no increase in any brain tumour histological type or glioma location that can be attributed to mobile phones.
An Optimized Approach to Pipelined Architecture for Fast 2D Normalized Cross-Correlation
Authors: Chaudhari R. E. , Dhok S. B.
Published: December 2018

An optimized hardware architecture for fast normalized cross-correlation (NCC) is essential in real-time high-speed applications. Typical applications of NCC are in object localization, as one of the best motion estimators and as a similarity measure in the field of image processing. However, high computational cost is a significant drawback of NCC. To reduce computation time and hardware resource usages, this paper presents a feed-forward single-path architecture with parallel computation of numerator and denominator components of NCC. The cross-correlation of two signals is implemented in the frequency domain using pipelined architecture of 2D FFT with polyphase sequential subband decomposition technique. The FFT can be determined for any even length of signal when compared to the traditional method involving a power of two-signal length. The proposed pipelined architecture of NCC is more efficient in terms of computational complexity and memory requirement. This proposed architecture is implemented in Verilog HDL with fixed-point data type which helps to devise simple and efficient architecture, which gives excellent SQNR of more than 90 dB with 22-bit output word length. It can operate at the maximum clock frequency of 220.4[Formula: see text]MHz, takes a total NCC time of 4.36[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s and has a latency of 996 cycles, giving a throughput of 220 Msamples/s for a block size of [Formula: see text] pixels using Virtex-7 FPGA. This pipelined architecture not only offers an attractive solution for different sizes of image block, but also improves the speed of the system.
A Group-Based Buffer Management for SSD
Authors: Liu Yan , Xu Jilong , Xie Guoqi , Zhang Zaimei , Li Keqin
Published: December 2018

Random writes limit the application of SSDs significantly because of their poor latency and high garbage collection overhead. Traditional page-based and block-based buffer management algorithms cannot achieve both high buffer hit ratio and good destage sequentiality at the same time. In this paper, we propose a hybrid scheme called the group-based buffer management (GBBM). To improve buffer hit ratio and decrease write/erase counts, GBBM divides buffer space into Page Region and Group Region. The frequently accessed data pages are placed at the Page Region, while infrequently accessed random written data are grouped in the Group Region. GBBM has been evaluated extensively through simulations. The write counts of GBBM show an average decrease of 12.7% compared with page-level buffer scheme. Compared with hybrid buffer management such as CBM, GBBM decreases the average write/erase count by 14.3%/12.1%. The write hit ratio of GBBM shows a 4.5% improvement as compared with PAB. The proposed GBBM can significantly reduce the number of write operations while maintaining a relatively high buffer hit ratio.
A High-Precision Bandgap Voltage Reference with Automatic Curvature-Compensation Technique
Authors: Zhou Ze-kun , Yu Hongming , Shi Yue , Wang Zhuo , Zhang Bo
Published: December 2018

A high-precision bandgap voltage reference (BGR) with a novel curvature-compensation scheme is proposed in this paper. The temperature coefficient (TC) can be automatically optimized with a built-in adaptive curvature-compensation technique, which is realized in a digitization control way. An exponential curvature-compensation method is first adopted to reduce the TC in a certain degree, especially in low temperature range. Then, the temperature drift of BGR in higher temperature range can be further minimized by dynamic zero-temperature-coefficient point tracking (ZTCPT) with temperature changes. With the help of proposed adaptive signal processing, the output voltage of BGR can approximately maintain zero TC in a wider temperature range. Verification results of the BGR proposed in this paper, which is implemented in 0.35-[Formula: see text]m BiCMOS process, illustrate that the TC of 1.4[Formula: see text]ppm/∘C is realized under the power supply voltage of 3[Formula: see text]V and the power supply rejection of the proposed circuit is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB without any filter capacitor.