bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acceptability and perceived feasibility of strategies to increase public transport use for physical activity gain – A mixed methods study
Authors: Sharman Melanie J. , Lyth Anna , Jose Kim A. , Ragaini Bruna Silva , Blizzard Leigh , Johnston Fay H. , Peterson Corey , Palmer Andrew J. , Cleland Verity J.
Published: September 2019

Issue addressed

Public transport (PT) users typically accumulate more physical activity (PA) than motor vehicle users. This mixed methods study aimed to determine acceptability and perceived effectiveness of strategies to increase bus use for PA gain in a regional Australian setting.

Methods

In a 2017 online survey, Tasmanian adults (n = 1091) rated the likelihood of increasing their bus use according to ten hypothetical strategies (fare‐, incentives‐, information‐ or infrastructure‐based). Three focus groups and five interviews (n = 31) included infrequent bus users from the survey to determine reasons for strategy preferences and potential impact on PA.

Results

The top three strategies in the survey, with supporting rationale from qualitative data, were: provision of real‐time bus information (“…because I can better plan…”); bus‐only lanes (“…it just speeds the whole thing up…”) and employee incentives/rewards for example bus fare credits (“…it really comes down to money…”). Full‐time students favoured cost‐saving strategies most and residents in outer suburbs favoured infrastructure‐based strategies most. Qualitative data indicated that potential for enhanced certainty, efficiency or cost‐savings drove strategy preferences and some strategies may lead to PA gain (eg through the location of Park and Ride facilities).

Conclusions

Real‐time information, bus‐only lanes and employee incentives/rewards appear most promising for increasing bus use in this population, but tailoring strategies may be required. Discrete PT enhancement strategies may result in PA gain.

So what?

Increasing PA through transport behaviour has been underexplored. The potential for PA gain through greater PT use and discrete PT use enhancement strategies is an important public health consideration.
Effect of soil water‐repellent layer depth on post‐wildfire hydrological processes
Authors: Chen Jingjing , McGuire Kevin J. , Stewart Ryan D.
Published: September 2019

Soil water repellency induced by wildfires can alter hydraulic properties and hydrologic processes; however, the persistence and vertical position (i.e., depth) of water‐repellent layers can vary between systems and fires, with limited understanding of how those variations affect infiltration processes. This study occurred in two forested locations in the south‐central Appalachian Mountains that experienced wildfires in late 2016: Mount Pleasant Wildfire Refuge, Virginia, and Chimney Rock State Park, North Carolina. In each location, sites were selected to represent unburned conditions and low to moderate burn intensities. At each site, we measured the soil water repellency at the surface (ash layer or O horizon) and ~2 cm below the surface (A horizon) using the water drop penetration time method (n= 10–14). Soil water content was also measured over the upper 10 cm of the soil (n= 10), and infiltration tests were conducted using a tension infiltrometer (n= 6–8). The results showed that soil repellency was highest in the surface layer at the Mount Pleasant location and was highest in the subsurface layer at the Chimney Rock location. Soil water content was lower in unburned soil than in burned soil, especially for measurements taken immediately postfire, with soil water content negatively correlated with water repellency. Water repellency in the surface layer significantly reduced relative infiltration rates (estimated as differences between initial and steady‐state rates), whereas subsurface water repellency did not affect relative infiltration. As a result, water repellency persisted longer in sites with surface as opposed to subsurface water repellency. Finally, differences between burned and unburned sites showed that although the wildfires increased the occurrence of water repellency, they did not alter the underlying relationship between relative infiltration and water repellency of the surface soil.
Exploring technology design among mobile entrepreneurs in Kampala: An open space workshop
Authors: Paxling Linda
Published: September 2019

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are located at the center of international development and considered vital for the progress of the current sustainable development goals. ICTs are embedded in cultural structures and social norms, which provide both possibilities and challenges to the people working with technologies such as mobile phones. Drawing upon theories and methodologies of feminist and postcolonial technosciences, my research objective is an exploration of how young entrepreneurs in Uganda affect and are affected by technology design. This article is based on conversations from an Open space workshop that took place at a tech hub in Kampala in 2012. The theme of the workshop was “The mobile futures of Uganda: sharing visions and challenges for today and tomorrow.” The workshop discussions showcase how norms and values are embedded in technology design and how colonial relationships still linger and affect contemporary design and technology practices. Together with my empirical material, I perform technoscientific stories that discuss challenges in entrepreneurship, working in software development and user design practices. I argue that studying the social and political dimensions of technology design is crucial for forming more inclusive and heterogeneous ICT practices.
Measurement error in discrete health facility choice models: An example from urban Senegal
Authors: Cronin Christopher J. , Guilkey David K. , Speizer Ilene S.
Published: September 2019

We use individual‐level health facility choice data from urban Senegal to estimate consumer preferences for facility characteristics related to maternal health services. We find that consumers consider a large number of quality‐related facility characteristics, as well as travel costs, when making their health facility choice. In contrast to the typical assumption in the literature, our findings indicate that individuals frequently bypass the facility nearest their home. In light of this, we show that the mismeasured data used commonly in the literature produces biased preference estimates; most notably, the literature likely overestimates consumer distaste for travel.
Assessment of simulated osteoporosis in alveolar bone using optical coherence tomography
Authors: Del‐Valle Matheus , Lins Emery , Ana Patricia
Published: September 2019

Steoporosis is a skeletal disorder that compromises bone resistance and its diagnosis is usually performed using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Thus, the search for efficient diagnostic methods that do not involve the emission of ionizing radiation is necessary. This study proposed to use the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to evaluate osteoporosis in alveolar bone. Osteoporosis lesions is simulated in vitro in porcine bones, and imaging is performed by OCT and micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). A developed algorithm is proposed to calculate the optical attenuation coefficient (
μ
t), mean optical attenuation coefficient (), integrated reflectivity (ΔR) and bone density (
BD). The , ΔR and
BD parameters shows a good correlation to micro‐CT parameters (bone volume/tissue volume and total porosity). The
μ
t and methods are negatively impacted by non‐uniform intensities distribution in osteoporosis images. In conclusion,
BD and ΔR analysis demonstrates to be potential techniques for diagnosis and monitoring of osteoporosis using OCT.
In vivo longitudinal imaging of RNA interference‐induced endocrine therapy resistance in breast cancer
Authors: Biswal Nrusingh C. , Fu Xiaoyong , Jagtap Jaidip M. , Shea Martin J. , Kumar Vijetha , Lords Tamika , Roy Ronita , Schiff Rachel , Joshi Amit
Published: September 2019

Endocrine therapy resistance in breast cancer is a major obstacle in the treatment of patients with estrogen receptor‐positive (ER+) tumors. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of longitudinal, noninvasive and semiquantitative in vivo molecular imaging of resistance to three endocrine therapies by using an inducible fluorescence‐labeled short hairpin RNA (shRNA) system in orthotopic mice xenograft tumors. We employed a dual fluorescent doxycycline (Dox)‐regulated lentiviral inducer system to transfect ER+ MCF7L breast cancer cells, with green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression as a marker of transfection and red fluorescent protein (RFP) expression as a surrogate marker of Dox‐induced tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) knockdown. Xenografted MCF7L tumor‐bearing nude mice were randomized to therapies comprising estrogen deprivation, tamoxifen or an ER degrader (fulvestrant) and an estrogen‐treated control group. Longitudinal imaging was performed by a home‐built multispectral imaging system based on a cooled image intensified charge coupled device camera. The GFP signal, which corresponds to number of viable tumor cells, exhibited excellent correlation to caliper‐measured tumor size (P << .05). RFP expression was substantially higher in mice exhibiting therapy resistance and strongly and significantly (P < 1e‐7) correlated with the tumor size progression for the mice with shRNA‐induced PTEN knockdown. PTEN loss was strongly correlated with resistance to estrogen deprivation, tamoxifen and fulvestrant therapies.
Water in Ras Superfamily Evolution
Authors: Marcus Kendra , Mattos Carla
Published: September 2019

The Ras GTPase superfamily of proteins coordinates a diverse set of cellular outcomes, including cell morphology, vesicle transport, and cell proliferation. Primary amino acid sequence analysis has identified Specificity determinant positions (SDPs) that drive diversified functions specific to the Ras, Rho, Rab, and Arf subfamilies (Rojas et al. 2012, J Cell Biol 196:189–201). The inclusion of water molecules in structural and functional adaptation is likely to be a major response to the selection pressures that drive evolution, yet hydration patterns are not included in phylogenetic analysis. This article shows that conserved crystallographic water molecules coevolved with SDP residues in the differentiation of proteins within the Ras superfamily of small GTPases. The patterns of water conservation between protein subfamilies parallel those of sequence‐based evolutionary trees. Thus, hydration patterns have the potential to help elucidate functional significance in the evolution of amino acid residues observed in phylogenetic analysis of homologous proteins. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CD56−CD16+ NK cells from HIV-infected individuals negatively regulate IFN-γ production by autologous CD8+ T cells
Authors: Ma Meichen , Yin Xiaowan , Zhao Xue , Guo Chenxi , Zhu Xiaoyu , Liu Tingting , Yang Mei , Zhang Zining , Fu Yajing , Liu Jing , Xu Junjie , Ding Haibo , Han Xiaoxu , Chu Zhenxing , Shang Hong , Jiang Yongjun
Published: September 2019

The percentage of human CD56−CD16+ NK cells increases during chronic infection with human HIV; however, the biologic role of CD56−CD16+ NK cells in HIV infection is unclear. Our results demonstrate that the percentage of CD56−CD16+ NK cells producing IL-10 and TGF-β was higher than CD56dimCD16+ NK cells. CD56−CD16+ NK cells could inhibit IFN-γ production by autologous CD8+ T cells, and this inhibition could be partially reversed by anti-IL-10, anti-TGF-β, or anti-PD-L1 mAbs. CD56−CD16+ NK cells are potential targets for the development of novel immune therapies against HIV infection.
Chikungunya virus modulates the miRNA expression patterns in human synovial fibroblasts
Authors: Agrawal Meghna , Pandey Neha , Rastogi Meghana , Dogra Smriti , Singh Sunit K.
Published: September 2019

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus transmitted by mosquitoes. CHIKV infection leads to polyarthritis and polyarthralgia among patients. The synovial fibroblasts are the primary target for CHIKV. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are the small endogenous noncoding RNAs which posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of genes by binding to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) through their 3′‐untranslated regions. The miRNAs are the key regulators for various pathological processes including viral infection, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. This study was designed to dissect out the roles of miRNAs during CHIKV (Ross Strain E1: A226V) infection in primary human synovial fibroblasts. The miRNA microarray profiling was performed on the primary human synovial fibroblasts infected by CHIKV. The gene target prediction analysis, enrichment, and network analysis were performed by various bioinformatics analyses. The subset of 26 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) were identified through microarray profiling and were further screened for gene predictions, Gene Ontology, pathway enrichment, and miRNA‐mRNA network using various bioinformatics tools. The bioinformatics analysis indicates the role of DEMs by suppressing the immune response which may contribute to CHIKV persistence in human primary synovial fibroblasts. Our study provides the plausible roles of DEMs, miRNAs, and mRNA interactions and pathways involved in the molecular pathogenesis of CHIKV.
Coniferization of the mixed‐wood boreal forests under warm climate
Authors: Remy Cécile C. , Senici Dominic , Chen Han Y. H. , Bergeron Yves , Lavoie Martin , Paradis Laure , Ali Adam A.
Published: September 2019

Mixed‐wood boreal forests are characterized by a heterogeneous landscape dominated by coniferous or deciduous species depending on stand moisture and fire activity. Our study highlights the long‐term drivers of these differences between landscapes across mixed‐wood boreal forests to improve simulated vegetation dynamics under predicted climate changes. We investigate the effects of main climate trends and wildfire activities on the vegetation dynamics of two areas characterized by different stand moisture regimes during the last 9000 years. We performed paleofire and pollen analyses in the mixed‐wood boreal forest of north‐western Ontario, derived from lacustrine sediment deposits, to reconstruct historical vegetation dynamics, which encompassed both the Holocene climatic optimum (ca. 8000–4000 a bp) and the Neoglacial period (ca. 4000 a bp). The past warm and dry period (Holocene climatic optimum) promoted higher fire activity that resulted in an increase in coniferous species abundance in the xeric area. The predicted warmer climate and an increase in drought events should lead to a coniferization of the xeric areas affected by high fire activity while the mesic areas may retain a higher broadleaf abundance, as these areas are not prone to an increase in fire activity. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tourism resilience in the context of integrated destination and disaster management (DM2)
Authors: Filimonau Viachaslau , De Coteau Delysia
Published: September 2019

The disaster management principles should be integrated into the destination management plans to enhance resilience of tourist destinations to natural disasters. The success of such integration depends on the extent of tourism stakeholder collaboration, but this topic remains understudied, especially in the Caribbean. This paper evaluates tourism resilience in Grenada. It finds that local tourism stakeholders are well aware of the potential damage natural disasters can inflict on the destination but fail to develop effective measures to build destination‐wide and organizational resilience. The paper proposes an action framework to aid tourism stakeholders in Grenada to more effectively plan for disasters.
Experimental probes of silver metal nanoparticle formation kinetics: Comparing indirect versus more direct methods
Authors: Sandoe Haley E. , Watzky Murielle A. , Diaz Steven A.
Published: September 2019

The kinetics of noble metal nanoparticle formation in bottom‐up syntheses are important for controlling and optimizing these methods. Hence, experimental probes that are easily accessible to most laboratories are also of interest. We collected kinetic curves for the formation of silver nanoparticles in a modified Turkevich method with citrate acting as the reducing and stabilizing agent by (i) measuring the change in silver nanoparticle surface plasmon resonance by UV‐visible spectroscopy, a somewhat indirect method, and then also by (ii) measuring the change in silver ion concentration by ion‐selective electrode potentiometry and/or atomic absorption spectroscopy, two more direct methods. The resulting sigmoidal kinetic curves were curvefitted with the Finke‐Watzky two‐step kinetic model of slow, continuous nucleation and fast autocatalytic growth to extract average rate constants. We found that the kinetic curves obtained by following the change in silver ion concentration were apparent mirror images of those constructed by following the change in nanoparticle surface plasmon resonance, and that their respective curvefits displayed the same sigmoidal characteristics. The resultant values of the rate constants for nucleation and growth overlapped within experimental error between the methods and showed similar trends over the range of citrate concentrations studied. The use of multiple probes in this work to follow the kinetics of nanoparticle formation helps fill a need for the comparison and evaluation of different methods available to scientists, particularly those considered easily accessible.
Effects of Pulsed 810 nm Al‐Ga‐As Diode Laser on Wound Healing Under Immunosuppression: A Molecular Insight
Authors: Keshri Gaurav K. , Yadav Anju , Verma Saurabh , Kumar Bhuvnesh , Gupta Asheesh
Published: September 2019

Background and Objectives

Dysregulated inflammation is one of the major contributing factors for the prevalence of non‐healing chronic wound in immunosuppressed subjects. Photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a potential non‐thermal, light‐based therapeutic healing intervention for the treatment of impaired wounds.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

The present study delineates the underlying molecular mechanisms of PBM 810 nm laser‐induced full‐thickness cutaneous wound repair in immunosuppressed rats at continuous and pulsed wave‐mode with power‐density of 40 mW/cm
2, fluence 22.6 J/cm
2 for 10 minutes daily for 7 post‐wounding days. Molecular markers were assessed using biochemical, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay quantification, enzyme kinetics and immunoblots analyses pertaining to inflammation, oxidative stress, cell survival, calcium signaling, and proliferation cascades.

Results

Results distinctly revealed that pulsed 810 nm (10 Hz) PBM potentially influenced the cell survival and proliferation signaling pathway by significantly upregulated phospho‐protein kinase B(phospho‐Akt), phospho‐extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), transient receptor potential vanilloid‐3 (TRPV3), Ca2+, calmodulin, transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), TGF‐βR3, and Na
+/K
+‐ATPase pump levels. PBM treatment resulted in reduction of exaggerated inflammatory responses evident by significantly repressed levels of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2), and substance‐P receptor (SPR), as well as inhibited apoptotic cell death by decreasing p53, cytochrome C, and caspase 3 levels (P < 0.05), which, in turn, effectively augment the wound repair in immunosuppressed rats. PBM treatment also lowered 4‐hydroxynoneal (HNE) adduct level and NADP/NADPH ratio and upregulated the GRP78 expression, which might culminate into reduced oxidative stress and maintained the redox homeostasis.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings would be helpful in better understanding of the molecular aspects involved in pulsed 810 nm laser‐mediated dermal wound healing in immunosuppressed rats through regulation of cell survival and proliferation via Ca2+‐calmodulin, Akt, ERK, and redox signaling. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of Ultrasonic Treatment on Hydrophilicity and Thermal Stability of Silk
Authors: Wang Wuchao , Rather Luqman Jameel , Gong Kang , Zhou Qi , Zhang Tonghua , Li Qing
Published: September 2019

Silk is an important natural protein polymer with unique biological and chemical properties. Ultrasonic technology is recently considered as an efficient energy supply for silk wet processing as well as for polymer modification. This study investigates changes in silk hydrophilicity and thermal properties with ultrasonic treatment at different frequencies and for different time durations. Hydrophilicity reflected by moisture absorption and wicking performance of the fabric is measured and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Thermal properties are investigated by differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis, and derivative thermogravimetric analysis. It is found an improvement in both hydrophilicity and thermal stability of silk after ultrasonic treatment, especially under a lowered frequency and/or under a prolonged treatment time. This is attributed to the realignment of the macro‐molecules as a result of intensive heat and pressure generated from acoustic cavitation during ultrasonic treatment.
Comparative analysis of the composition and function of fecal‐gut bacteria in captive juvenile Crocodylus siamensis between healthy and anorexic individuals
Authors: Lin Mao , Zeng Chenxi , Li Zhongqin , Ma Ying , Jia Xueqing
Published: September 2019

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater, endangered crocodile with high economic value in the farming industry. Gut microflora plays an essential role in host physiological activity, and it contributes significantly to both the health and diseased states of animals. However, thus far, no study has focused on the correlation between diseases and intestinal bacterial communities in crocodilians. Here, we first compared the composition and function of gut microbial communities in captive juvenile C. siamensis suffering from anorexia and healthy crocodile controls using deep amplicon sequencing. The gut microbial diversity of anorexic crocodiles was much lower than the healthy individuals. Obvious changes in gut microbial composition were observed between sick and healthy crocodiles, except for Cetobacterium somerae of phylum Fusobacteria. In particular, the abundance of Bacteroides luti, Clostridium disporicum, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and Odoribacter sp. in the gut flora of healthy crocodiles was distinctly higher than the diseased group. Conversely, the species Edwardsiella tarda was overrepresented in the gut of anorexic crocodiles compared to the healthy group. Furthermore, in anorexic crocodiles, the predicted microbial functions that were related to amino acid metabolism, biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, nucleotide metabolism, replication and repair, and translation were significantly reduced, while signal transduction was significantly enriched. These findings of the present study provide a reference to enrich the field of gut microorganism studies in crocodilians and suggest that alterations in the composition and function of gut bacteria in C. siamensis juveniles may be associated with anorexia in crocodiles.
Neuronal vulnerability in Parkinson disease: Should the focus be on axons and synaptic terminals?
Authors: Wong Yvette C. , Luk Kelvin , Purtell Kerry , Burke Nanni Samuel , Stoessl A. Jon , Trudeau Louis‐Eric , Yue Zhenyu , Krainc Dimitri , Oertel Wolfgang , Obeso Jose A. , Volpicelli‐Daley Laura A.
Published: September 2019

While current effective therapies are available for the symptomatic control of PD, treatments to halt the progressive neurodegeneration still do not exist. Loss of dopamine neurons in the SNc and dopamine terminals in the striatum drive the motor features of PD. Multiple lines of research point to several pathways which may contribute to dopaminergic neurodegeneration. These pathways include extensive axonal arborization, mitochondrial dysfunction, dopamine's biochemical properties, abnormal protein accumulation of α‐synuclein, defective autophagy and lysosomal degradation, and synaptic impairment. Thus, understanding the essential features and mechanisms of dopaminergic neuronal vulnerability is a major scientific challenge and highlights an outstanding need for fostering effective therapies against neurodegeneration in PD. This article, which arose from the Movement Disorders 2018 Conference, discusses and reviews the possible mechanisms underlying neuronal vulnerability and potential therapeutic approaches in PD. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Hermite‐Hadamard type inequalities for generalized Riemann‐Liouville fractional integrals of h‐convex functions
Authors: Dragomir Silvestru Sever
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we establish some Hermite‐Hadamard type inequalities for the Generalized Riemann‐Liouville fractional integrals
and
, where g is a strictly increasing function on
having a continuous derivative on
and under the assumption that the composite function f∘g−1 is h ‐convex on
. Some applications for Hadamard fractional integrals and s‐Godunova‐Levin type convex functions are also provided.
Everything you wanted to know about phase and reference frequency in one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Sheberstov Kirill F. , Sistaré Guardiola Eduard , Jeannerat Damien
Published: September 2019

The fundamental concept of phase discussed in this tutorial aimed at providing students with an explanation of the delays and processing parameters they may find in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulse programs. We consider the phase of radio‐frequency pulses, receiver, and magnetization and how all these parameters are related to phases and offsets of signals in spectra. The impact of the off‐resonance effect on the phase of the magnetization is discussed before presenting an overview of how adjustment of the time reference of the free induction decay avoids first‐order correction of the phase of spectra. The main objective of this tutorial is to show how the relative phase of a pulse and the receiver can be used to change the reference frequency along direct and indirect dimensions of NMR experiments. Unusual of phase incrementation with non‐90° angles will be illustrated on one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectra.
Using variable‐rate selective excitation (VERSE) radiofrequency pulses to reduce power deposition in pulsed arterial spin labeling sequence at 7 Tesla
Authors: Serrai Hacene , Buch Sagar , Oran Omer , Menon Ravi S.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an established noninvasive MRI technique used for cerebral blood flow measurement, which generally suffers from a low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). The use of ultra‐high fields to enhance sensitivity inevitably results in an increase in TR because of specific absorption rate (SAR) constraints, causing inadequate sampling of hemodynamic response in functional MRI, and adversely affecting concurrent measurement such as blood oxygen level dependent. To address this problem, variable‐rate selective excitation (VERSE) radiofrequency (RF) pulses were used.

Methods

The conventional (sinc) selective RF pulses of the Q2TIPS block in the PICORE pulsed ASL (PASL) sequence used for blood saturation were replaced by their equivalent VERSE RF waveforms. Nine healthy volunteers were scanned using the conventional and VERSE PASL sequences on a head‐only 7T scanner operating in parallel transmit mode.

Results

VERSE PASL sequence provides perfusion images similar to the conventional version, with comparable perfusion SNR (conventional, 3.33 ± 0.48; VERSE, 3.26 ± 0.55) and temporal SNR (conventional, 1.02 ± 0.20; VERSE, 1.05 ± 0.12) for TR = 3.5 seconds and 70 measurements. With shorter acquisition time (TR = 2.5 seconds), VERSE PASL sequence still provides similar results to those acquired using the conventional PASL sequence with longer TR = 3.5 seconds.

Conclusion

The use of VERSE RF pulses in the Q2TIPS block of a PASL sequence allowed for the reduction of RF power deposition and, consequently, an increase in the temporal resolution and/or perfusion SNR.
Ultrafast magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging using SPICE with learned subspaces
Authors: Lam Fan , Li Yudu , Guo Rong , Clifford Bryan , Liang Zhi‐Pei
Published: September 2019

Purpose

To develop a subspace learning method for the recently proposed subspace‐based MRSI approach known as SPICE, and achieve ultrafast 1H‐MRSI of the brain.

Theory and Methods

A novel strategy is formulated to learn a low‐dimensional subspace representation of MR spectra from specially acquired training data and use the learned subspace for general MRSI experiments. Specifically, the subspace learning problem is formulated as learning “empirical” distributions of molecule‐specific spectral parameters (e.g., concentrations, lineshapes, and frequency shifts) by integrating physics‐based model and the training data. The learned spectral parameters and quantum mechanical simulation basis can then be combined to construct acquisition‐specific subspace for spatiospectral encoding and processing. High‐resolution MRSI acquisitions combining ultrashort‐TE/short‐TR excitation, sparse sampling, and the elimination of water suppression have been performed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed method.

Results

The accuracy of the learned subspace and the capability of the proposed method in producing high‐resolution 3D 1H metabolite maps and high‐quality spatially resolved spectra (with a nominal resolution of ∼2.4 × 2.4 × 3 mm3 in 5 minutes) were demonstrated using phantom and in vivo studies. By eliminating water suppression, we are also able to extract valuable information from the water signals for data processing ( map, frequency drift, and coil sensitivity) as well as for mapping tissue susceptibility and relaxation parameters.

Conclusions

The proposed method enables ultrafast 1H‐MRSI of the brain using a learned subspace, eliminating the need of acquiring subject‐dependent navigator data (known as ) in the original SPICE technique. It represents a new way to perform MRSI experiments and an important step toward practical applications of high‐resolution MRSI.
Base‐Assisted Conversion of Protonated D‐Fructose to 5‐HMF: Searching for Gas‐Phase Green Models
Authors: Troiani Anna , de Petris Giulia , Pepi Federico , Garzoli Stefania , Salvitti Chiara , Rosi Marzio , Ricci Andreina
Published: September 2019

A gas‐phase investigation of the D‐fructose dehydration reaction in the presence of base has been performed by the joint application of mass spectrometric techniques and theoretical calculations. Protonated addition products of D‐fructose and base were generated in the gas phase by electrospray ionization using several bases of different proton affinity. The intermediates, products and decomposition channels were investigated by ion trap mass spectrometry. Electronic structure calculations allowed the identification of the ionic intermediates and products of a selected system containing NH3, helping to rationalize the observed reaction pathways. The obtained results show that the final product, the protonated 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furaldheyde [5‐HMF]H+, is better formed using selected bases and only if these remain clustered until the end of the dehydration process.
Alternate day fasting combined with a low‐carbohydrate diet for weight loss, weight maintenance, and metabolic disease risk reduction
Authors: Kalam Faiza , Gabel Kelsey , Cienfuegos Sofia , Wiseman Eric , Ezpeleta Mark , Steward Malik , Pavlou Vasiliki , Varady Krista A.
Published: September 2019

Objective

Alternate day fasting (ADF) is a popular weight loss regimen. Whether carbohydrate restriction can enhance the weight loss achieved with ADF remains unclear. Accordingly, this study examined the effect of ADF combined with a low‐carbohydrate diet on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors.

Methods

Adults with obesity (n = 31) participated in ADF (600 kcal “fast day” alternated with an ad libitum “feast day”) with a low‐carbohydrate background diet (30% carbohydrates, 35% protein, and 35% fat). The 6‐month trial consisted of a 3‐month weight loss period followed by a 3‐month weight maintenance period.

Results

Body weight decreased (−5.5 ± 0.5%; P < .001) during the weight loss period (month 0‐3) but remained stable (P = .57) during the weight maintenance period (month 4‐6). Net weight loss by month 6 was −6.3 ± 1.0%. Fat mass was reduced (P < .01) by month 6, while lean mass and visceral fat mass remained unchanged. Total cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels decreased (P < .05) by −6 ± 2% and − 8 ± 3%, respectively, by month 6. Systolic blood pressure was also reduced (P = .03) by −7 ± 3 mm Hg. Fasting insulin decreased (P = .03) by −24 ± 8% by month 6 relative to baseline. High‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR), and haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) remained unchanged.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that ADF combined with a low‐carbohydrate diet is effective for weight loss, weight maintenance, and improving certain metabolic disease risk factors such as LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting insulin. While these preliminary findings are promising, they still require confirmation by a randomized control trial.
Exponential Integration of the Linear Assignment Flow
Authors: Zeilmann Alexander , Savarino Fabrizio , Petra Stefania , Schnörr Christoph
Published: September 2019

We introduce the linear assignment flow as an approximation of the full nonlinear assignment flow, which is a method for contextual data labeling on arbitrary graphs. The linear assignment flow is a dynamical system evolving on the tangent space of a statistical manifold. It is numerically determined using exponential integrators and Krylov subspace approximation, for which we provide error estimates. The approximation property of the linear assignment flow is illustrated by a numerical experiment. This work is supplemented by two papers on variational modeling and unsupervised labeling [1].
Effectiveness of two‐drug therapy versus monotherapy as initial regimen in hypertension: A propensity score‐matched cohort study in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Marinier Karine , Macouillard Pauline , de Champvallins Martine , Deltour Nicolas , Poulter Neil , Mancia Giuseppe
Published: September 2019

Purpose

To compare the effectiveness on blood pressure (BP) of initial two‐drug therapy versus monotherapy in hypertensive patients.

Methods

Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, linked with Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics, we identified a cohort of adults with uncontrolled hypertension, initiating one or two antihypertensive drug classes between 2006 and 2014. New users of two drugs and monotherapy were matched 1:2 by propensity score. Main exposure was “as‐treated,” ie, until first regimen change. Primary and secondary endpoints were systolic and diastolic BP control and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), respectively. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Of 54 523 eligible patients, 3256 (6.0%) were initiated to a two‐drug combination. Of these, 2807 were matched to 5614 monotherapy users. Mean exposure duration was 12.7 months, with 76.5% patients changing their initial regimen. Two‐drug therapy was associated with a clinically significant BP control increase in all hypertensive patients (HR = 1.17 [95%CI: 1.09‐1.26]), more so in patients with grade 2‐3 hypertension (HR = 1.28 [1.17‐1.41]). An increase of 27% in BP control (HR = 1.27 [1.08‐1.49]) was observed in patients initiating an ACEi+CCB combination compared with initiators of either single class. No significant association was found between two‐drug therapy and MACE. Several sensitivity analyses confirmed the main findings.

Conclusions

Few patients initiated therapy with two drugs, reflecting UK guidelines' recommendation to start with monotherapy. This study supports the greater effectiveness of two‐drug therapy as the initial regimen for BP control.
Identification of potential drug name confusion errors in the Sentinel System
Authors: Cocoros Noelle M. , Haynes Kevin , Her Qoua , Cosgrove Austin , Dee Elizabeth , Lin Nancy D. , Tu Chi‐Ming , Ding Yulan , Nguyen Michael , Toh Sengwee
Published: September 2019

Purpose

In July 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a drug safety communication regarding errors in prescribing and dispensing of the antidepressant Brintellix (vortioxetine) and the antiplatelet Brilinta (ticagrelor) that arose due to proprietary drug name confusion. Brintellix is indicated for major depressive disorder; Brilinta is indicated to reduce cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome or history of myocardial infarction. Brintellix was renamed to Trintellix in May 2016. Using Brilinta and Brintellix as a proof‐of‐concept feasibility use case, we assessed whether drug name confusion errors between the pair could be identified in electronic health care data via the combination of a claims‐based algorithm and limited manual claims data review.

Methods

Using data from the Sentinel System, we defined potential errors as Brintellix users without an on‐ or off‐label indication for Brintellix, without a dispensing for a drug with the same indications as Brintellix, and with an on‐ or off‐label indication for Brilinta between −365 and +30 days after index Brintellix dispensing; the reverse was done for Brilinta. We manually reviewed claims profiles of potential cases.

Results

We identified 27 (0.1%) potential errors among 21 208 Brintellix users; 16 appeared to be likely errors based on claims profile review. Fifty‐one (0.3%) of the 16 779 Brilinta users were identified as potential errors, and four appeared to be likely errors.

Conclusions

A claims‐based algorithm combined with manual review of claims profiles could identify potential drug name confusion errors, and narrow down likely errors that warrant further investigation.
Auxin promotion of seedling growth via ARF5 is dependent on the brassinosteroid‐regulated transcription factors BES1 and BEH4
Authors: Galstyan Anahit , Nemhauser Jennifer L.
Published: September 2019

Seedlings must continually calibrate their growth in response to the environment. Auxin and brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant hormones that work together to control growth responses during photomorphogenesis. We used our previous analysis of promoter architecture in an auxin and BR target gene to guide our investigation into the broader molecular bases and biological relevance of transcriptional co‐regulation by these hormones. We found that the auxin‐regulated transcription factor Auxin Responsive Factor 5 (ARF5) and the brassinosteroid‐regulated transcription factor BRI1‐EMS‐Suppressor 1/Brassinazole Resistant 2 (BES1) co‐regulated a subset of growth‐promoting genes via conserved bipartite cis‐regulatory elements. Moreover, ARF5 binding to DNA could be enriched by increasing BES1 levels. The evolutionary loss of bipartite elements in promoters results in loss of hormone responsiveness. We also identified another member of the BES1/BZR1 family called BEH4 that acts partially redundantly with BES1 to regulate seedling growth. Double mutant analysis showed that BEH4 and not BZR1 were required alongside BES1 for normal auxin response during early seedling development. We propose that an ARF5‐BES1/BEH4 transcriptional module acts to promote growth via modulation of a diverse set of growth‐associated genes.
Peer‐to‐peer connections: Perceptions of a social support app designed for young adults with cancer
Authors: Lazard Allison J. , Saffer Adam J. , Horrell Lindsey , Benedict Catherine , Love Brad
Published: September 2019

Objective

Social support is a critical, yet frequently unmet, need among young adults (YAs) with cancer. YAs desire age‐appropriate resources to connect with peers. Peer‐to‐peer mobile apps are promising interventions to provide social support. Peer‐to‐peer apps will be more effective if development incorporates users' input for whether app designs (look and function) afford meaningful connections.

Methods

We interviewed 22 YAs to assess perceptions of a peer‐to‐peer app at a YA cancer convention in April 2017.

Results

Participants were an average age of 29, mostly female (77%), white (73%), and well educated (68% with 4‐year college degree or higher). Most participants expressed interested in using an app to connect with YAs, but preferences varied by prevalence or rarity of one's cancer diagnosis. YAs shared trade‐offs for profile anonymity versus profiles with more personal information, requests for filter options to connect for varying support needs, and desires for tailored messaging and chat room features (eg, topic‐specific and search capabilities).

Conclusion

Findings demonstrate the promise of apps to fulfill YA cancer survivors' unmet peer support needs and provide guidance for app optimization.

Clinical implications

Peer‐to‐peer support apps should be designed so users can control their identity and customize features for meaningful connections.
An interval probability‐based FMEA model for risk assessment: A real‐world case
Authors: Ouyang Linhan , Zheng Wei , Zhu Yige , Zhou Xiaojian
Published: September 2019

Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is an effective quality tool to eliminate the risks and enhance the stability and safety in the fields of manufacturing and service industry. Nevertheless, the conventional FMEA has been criticized for its drawbacks in the evaluation process of risk factors or the determination of risk priority number (RPN), which may lead to inaccurate evaluation results. Therefore, in this paper, we develop a novel FMEA method based on rough set and interval probability theories. The rough set theory is adopted to manipulate the subjectivity and uncertainty of experts' assessment and convert the evaluation values of risk factors into interval numbers. Meanwhile, the interval exponential RPN (ERPN) is used to replace the traditional RPN due to its superior properties, eg, solving the problems of duplicate numbers and discontinuity of RPN values. Furthermore, an interval probability comparison method is proposed to rank the risk priority of each failure mode for avoiding the information loss in the calculation process of RPN. Finally, a real case study is presented, and the comparison analysis among different FMEA methods is conducted to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed FMEA method.
Drivers and barriers for implementation and improvement of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Authors: Narimissa Omid , Kangarani‐Farahani Ali , Molla‐Alizadeh‐Zavardehi Saber
Published: September 2019

Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) is a strategic concern for organizations to achieve a sustainable future. Various organizations seek to implement SSCM to achieve their competitive advantage. One of the important implementation activities is the identification of drivers and barriers of strategy implementation, which has been a focus area for scholars. The purpose of this paper is to identify key drivers and barriers to creating and improving sustainability in the Iranian oil and gas supply chain. However, a distinct focus on the oil industry has been the subject of limited previous attention. This study is planned to recognize and prioritize the drivers and barriers for implementation of SSCM in Iranian oil context. These drivers and barriers are presented in a form of a conceptual framework. A comprehensive literary review using metasynthesis is used to identify a number of drivers and barriers that identifies 112 drivers and 41 barriers and then evaluates using the Delphi three‐round study. The evaluation process involves 30 supply chain management experts from oil companies, and the analysis showed the important drivers and barriers for consideration in SSCM implementation. The proposed drivers and barriers enable the oil supply chain manager to identify appropriate strategies for deploying and improving SSCM implementation in the company. This study would expand the scope of SSCM research in the context of oil. In addition, the identification of drivers and barriers would be useful for industrial decision makers, policy planners, and strategic managers to recognize a set of related hurdles for effective SSCM implementation.
Drawing Inspiration From American Indian Student Success Frameworks: The Role of Family
Authors: Nguyen Thai‐Huy , Gutierrez Rose Ann E. , Kahnekakʌ:lé: Aregano Patrisha
Published: September 2019

This chapter provides background on Tribal Colleges and Universities, an exploration of three frameworks that capture the important role of “family” in the success of American Indian students, and recommendations for helping institutions think differently about their structures and processes.
Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions: The Importance of External Coalition‐Building for Supporting Internal Collaboration
Authors: Alcantar Cynthia M. , Nguyen Bach Mai Dolly , Maramba Dina C.
Published: September 2019

This chapter highlights opportunities for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions to develop and utilize external partnerships to inform the development of internal collaboration between academic and student affairs to better serve targeted student populations.
A calculation method of generation probability of indoor activity sound in daily life
Authors: Tanaka Motoshi
Published: September 2019

To develop a detection system of abnormality (such as accidents) in daily life for persons living alone, a stochastic modeling of indoor daily activity sound is investigated with clustering spectral flux and Mel‐Frequency Cepstrum Coefficients extracted from the sound for 12 h as feature vectors. Then, the generation probability of the sound is calculated. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Global adaptation governance: An emerging but contested domain
Authors: Persson Åsa
Published: September 2019

Adaptation to climate change has steadily risen on global policy agendas and entered a new era with the 2015 Paris Agreement, which established a global goal on adaptation. While this goal responds to calls to strengthen global governance of adaptation, it has not yet been operationalized. Further, few studies take stock of current global adaptation governance to inform the implementation of the goal. Against this background this review asks: To what extent is there global governance of climate change adaptation? Can it be characterized as a strong domain of global governance? In what ways is it contested? Global adaptation governance is defined here as occurring when state and non‐state actors in the global (including transnational) sphere authoritatively and intentionally shape the actions of constituents towards climate change adaptation as a public goal. Although empirical evidence is scant, it is proposed here that global adaptation governance is indeed emerging. Yet, its further strengthening appears contested. First, measurement of progress towards adaptation as a public goal at the global level is severely challenged by the ambiguity of adaptation and the lack of distinct metrics. Second, the lack of a clear global‐level problem‐framing, or recognition of adaptation as a global public good, has meant limited legitimacy of global governance initiatives. A consequence of contestation is that governance forms and functions used so far have not been authoritative in how they seek to shape actions. The review concludes by identifying research needs for advancing science and policy on adaptation.

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance