bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Newspaper coverage of human‐pig chimera research: A qualitative study on select media coverage of scientific breakthrough
Authors: Hagan‐Brown Abena , Favaretto Maddalena , Borry Pascal
Published: July 2017

Background

A recently published article in the journal Cell by scientists from the Salk Institute highlighted the successful integration of stem cells from humans in pig embryos. This marks the first step toward the goal of growing human organs in animals for transplantation. There has, to date, been no research performed on the presentation of this breakthrough in the media. We thus assessed early newspaper coverage of the chimera study, looking into the descriptions as well as the benefits and concerns raised by the study mentioned by newspaper sources.

Methods

We looked at newspaper coverage of the human‐pig chimera study in the two weeks after the publication of the article describing the breakthrough in Cell. This time period spanned from January 26 to February 9, 2017. We used the LexisNexis Academic database and identified articles using the search string “hybrid OR chimera AND pig OR human OR embryo.” The relevant articles were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two researchers openly coded the articles independently using themes that emerged from the raw texts.

Results

Our search yielded 31 unique articles, after extensive screening for relevance and duplicates. Through our analysis, we were able to identify several themes in a majority of the texts. Almost every article gave descriptive information about the chimera experiment with details about the study findings. All of the articles mentioned the benefits of the study, citing both immediate‐ and long‐term goals, which included creating transplantable human organs, disease and drug development, and personalized medicine, among others. Some of the articles highlighted some ethical, social, and health concerns that the study and its future implications pose. Many of the articles also offered reassurances over the concerns brought up by the experiment.

Conclusions

Our results appeared to align with similar research performed on the media representation of sensitive scientific news coverage. We also explored the inconsistency between the tone of the titles and the articles that followed. However, it is still too early to speculate what impact the media will play in the public perception of this particular research.
Dogs on livestock farms: A cross‐sectional study investigating potential roles in zoonotic pathogen transmission
Authors: Moran N. E. , Ferketich A. K. , Wittum T. E. , Stull J. W.
Published: July 2017

Dogs are often present on livestock farms, where they serve important management and companion roles, yet may be involved in zoonotic pathogen transmission. Numerous factors can potentially alter the risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens, such as the dog's access to livestock, close dog–human contact and an increasing immunocompromised human population. The objective of this study was to quantify and qualify dog ownership among livestock owners, their dog husbandry and biosecurity practices, the dogs’ access to livestock and potential risks for zoonotic pathogen transmission. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to 2,000 presumed Ohio livestock owners. Data were collected on demographics, dog husbandry practices, attitudes surrounding zoonotic diseases and attachment to and preventive veterinary care for the dogs. There were 446 responders who met the study inclusion criteria as an Ohio livestock farm owner, with 297 (67%) also owning dogs. Approximately 52% of dog‐owning households included at least one individual at higher disease risk (i.e., <5 years, ≥65 years, diagnosed with an immunocompromising condition). Most respondents had little/no concern for disease transmission from livestock to dogs (90%), from dogs to livestock (87%) and from dogs to people (94%). Dogs were allowed access to livestock by 70% of respondents and nearly all (96%; 198) indicated at least one higher risk dog–livestock management practice. In addition, many reported never leashing or fencing their dog (61%) and rarely to never picking up dog faeces (76%). Households with higher risk members reported similar husbandry, biosecurity and concern levels as households without those members (all p > .05). Numerous opportunities for zoonotic pathogen transmission and low level of zoonotic disease concern suggest a need for improved education and outreach for the livestock dog‐owning community, particularly for higher risk households.
Rapid onset pressor response to exercise in young women with a family history of hypertension
Authors: Matthews Evan L. , Greaney Jody L. , Wenner Megan M.
Published: July 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Alterations in blood pressure control at exercise onset are apparent in older adults with established cardiovascular disease. It is currently not known whether these alterations are evident in young adults with a family history of hypertension.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We demonstrate that young women with a family history of hypertension display a larger change in blood pressure within the first 10 s of isometric exercise. These data suggest altered blood pressure control in young women with a family history of hypertension.

Hypertensive adults demonstrate atypical increases in blood pressure (BP) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) at the immediate onset of static muscle contraction. However, it is unknown whether these abnormal responses occur in young, otherwise healthy adults at risk for developing future disease, such as those with a family history of hypertension (+FH). We tested the hypothesis that +FH young women have exaggerated increases in BP and MSNA at the onset of static muscle contraction compared with those without a family history of hypertension (−FH). We retrospectively examined beat‐by‐beat BP and MSNA during the initial 30 s of isometric handgrip exercise (30% of maximal voluntary contraction) in 16 +FH (22 ± 2 years old, 22 ± 3 kg m−2) and 16 −FH (22 ± 3 years old, 22 ± 3 kg m−2) women. Resting mean arterial pressure (+FH 80 ± 11 mmHg versus −FH 84 ± 13 mmHg), MSNA burst frequency (+FH 7 ± 3 bursts min−1 versus −FH 9 ± 5 bursts min−1) and burst incidence [+FH 12 ± 4 bursts (100 heart beats)−1 versus −FH 12 ± 8 bursts (100 heart beats)−1] were similar between groups (all P > 0.05). Within the first 10 s of exercise, changes in mean arterial pressure (+FH Δ8 ± 6 mmHg versus −FH Δ3 ± 2 mmHg, P < 0.05) and heart rate (+FH Δ8 ± 5 beats min−1 versus −FH Δ4 ± 4 beats min−1, P < 0.05) were greater in +FH women. Absolute MSNA burst frequency during the first 30 s of exercise was not different between groups (−FH 7 ± 5 bursts min−1 versus +FH 9 ± 3 bursts min−1). Cardiovascular and sympathetic responses during the cold pressor test were not different between groups. These data demonstrate that young women at risk for developing cardiovascular disease exhibit greater changes in BP at the onset of static muscle contraction.
Efficacy of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge for inactivating airborne pathogens
Authors: Romero-Mangado Jaione , Dey Avishek , Diaz-Cartagena Diana C. , Solis-Marcano Nadja E. , López-Nieves Marjorie , Santiago-García Vilynette , Nordlund Dennis , Krishnamurthy Satheesh , Meyyappan M. , Koehne Jessica E. , Gandhiraman Ram P.
Published: July 2017

Atmospheric pressure plasmas have gained attention in recent years for several environmental applications. This technology could potentially be used to deactivate airborne microorganisms, surface-bound microorganisms, and biofilms. In this work, the authors explore the efficacy of the atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to inactivate airborne Staphylococcus epidermidis and Aspergillus niger that are opportunistic pathogens associated with nosocomial infections. This technology uses air as the source of gas and does not require any process gas such as helium, argon, nitrogen, or hydrogen. The effect of DBD was studied on aerosolized S. epidermidis and aerosolized A. niger spores via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphology observed on the SEM micrographs showed deformations in the cellular structure of both microorganisms. Cell structure damage upon interaction with the DBD suggests leakage of vital cellular materials, which is a key mechanism for microbial inactivation. The chemical structure of the cell surface of S. epidermidis was also analyzed by near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy before and after DBD exposure. Results from surface analysis revealed that reactive oxygen species from the DBD discharge contributed to alterations on the chemistry of the cell membrane/cell wall of S. epidermidis.
Energy partitioning and its influence on surface scatter coefficients within fluorinated inductively coupled plasmas
Authors: Hanna Angela R. , Cuddy Michael F. , Fisher Ellen R.
Published: July 2017

Energy partitioning for molecules formed from fluorinated plasma systems has been measured using laser-induced fluorescence, optical emission, and broadband absorption spectroscopies. For the two radicals discussed here, SiF in tetrafluorosilane plasmas, and CF in CxFy-type fluorocarbon plasmas, high electronic excited state vibrational temperatures, TV, suggest that vibrational modes are preferentially excited over other degrees of freedom. In CxFy plasma systems, rotational temperatures, TR, for the radicals equilibrate to the plasma gas temperature and remain independent of changing plasma parameters. TR for ground state CF2 molecules are elevated in comparison to the excited state radical. Translational temperatures (TT) and TR for SiF increase concomitantly with increasing vibrational temperatures, suggesting that a vibrational-translational energy exchange mechanism is the preferred pathway for vibrational relaxation in these molecules and rotational degrees of freedom are more easily thermalized compared to vibrational modes. Using the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces technique, surface scattering coefficients measured for each radical show a strong correlation with the associated TV, with little dependence upon TR or TT. Ultimately, this work provides fundamental, molecular-level understanding of fluorinated plasma systems and helps to reveal the complex interactions between the distribution of energy within the plasma and its influence at a surface.
Effects of phosphorus and alkyl substituents on C–H, C–C, and C–O bond rupture within carboxylic acids on Ru(0001)
Authors: Chang SiWei A. , Vermani Vivek , Flaherty David W.
Published: July 2017

Quantitative analysis of temperature programmed reaction (TPR) spectra of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid decomposition on Ru(0001) and phosphorus (P)-modified Ru(0001) surfaces show that both the length of carboxylic acids alkyl substituents (i.e., R=H, CH3, CH2CH3, and CH2CH2CH3) and the presence of P atoms alter the intrinsic activation energy for bond rupture. Inversion analysis of TPR spectra reveal that the intrinsic activation energy barriers on Ru(0001) for C–H bond cleavage in formate is 94 kJ mol−1, while C–C bond cleavage (decarboxylation) barriers for acetate, propionate, and butyrate are 67, 49, and 55 kJ mol−1, respectively. The activation energies to decarboxylate all four of these species correlate linearly with differences between the homolytic dissociation energies of the relevant bonds (e.g., H-COOH, CH3-COOH, CH3CH2-COOH, and CH3CH2CH2-COOH), which suggests that longer alkyl substituents (e.g., propyl and butyl) stabilize bond rupture transition states by donating electron density to the R–COOH bond via inductive effects. Simultaneously, longer alkyl chains also promote self-stabilizing lateral interactions between carboxylates via van der Waals forces that increase the barriers for R–COOH bond rupture slightly (by ∼1–5 kJ mol−1) at high surface coverages. The addition of P atoms to Ru(0001) increases the intrinsic activation energies for the rupture of all bonds (i.e., C–O, C–H, and C–C bonds), specifically, by 5–50 kJ mol−1 for C–H and C–C bonds. P atoms change the Ru(0001) surface likely via an electronic effect by decreasing the extent of electron back donation from Ru atoms to the antibonding orbitals of the carboxylate intermediate. These results provide useful information for transition metal phosphide catalyst design and carboxylic acid alkyl substituent selection to tailor selectivity toward C–O, C–H, and C–C bond rupture.
Congenital microcephaly in Quebec: baseline prevalence, risk factors and outcomes in a large cohort of neonates
Authors: Auger Nathalie , Quach Caroline , Healy-Profitós Jessica , Lowe Anne-Marie , Arbour Laura
Published: July 2017

Objective

We assessed baseline prevalence, risk factors and outcomes of microcephaly in a large population of neonates.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

All hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Participants

794 microcephalic and 1 944 010 non-microcephalic infants born between 1989 and 2012.

Main outcome measures

Baseline prevalence of microcephaly and occurrence of other congenital anomalies. We estimated the association of (1) pregnancy risk factors including TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, other), exposure to teratogens, diabetes and maternal congenital anomalies with risk of microcephaly, and (2) microcephaly with risk of infant mortality and severe morbidity, adjusted for maternal characteristics.

Results

The overall prevalence of microcephaly was 4.1 per 10 000, ranging between 3.0 and 5.3 per 10 000 over time. Only 37% of microcephalic infants presented with other congenital anomalies. Maternal infection during pregnancy was the strongest risk factor, with 32 times the risk of microcephaly (prevalence ratio 32.38; 95% CI 22.42 to 46.75) compared with no infection. Exposure to teratogens was the next most important risk factor, with three times greater risk (prevalence ratio 3.10; 95% CI 2.37 to 4.07). Microcephaly was associated with 20 times the risk of infant mortality compared with no microcephaly (prevalence ratio 20.52; 95% CI 15.57 to 27.04) and significantly greater infant morbidity.

Conclusions

In Canada, infectious exposure during pregnancy is a strong risk factor for microcephaly, and affected infants are at higher risk of poor birth outcomes. Better monitoring of microcephaly is needed in the event that Zika or other novel viruses affect future risk.
Risk of death among users of Proton Pump Inhibitors: a longitudinal observational cohort study of United States veterans
Authors: Xie Yan , Bowe Benjamin , Li Tingting , Xian Hong , Yan Yan , Al-Aly Ziyad
Published: July 2017

Objective

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used, and their use is associated with increased risk of adverse events. However, whether PPI use is associated with excess risk of death is unknown. We aimed to examine the association between PPI use and risk of all-cause mortality.

Design

Longitudinal observational cohort study.

Setting

US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Participants

Primary cohort of new users of PPI or histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2 blockers) (n=349 312); additional cohorts included PPI versus no PPI (n=3 288 092) and PPI versus no PPI and no H2 blockers (n=2 887 030).

Main outcome measures

Risk of death.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 5.71 years (IQR 5.11–6.37), PPI use was associated with increased risk of death compared with H2 blockers use (HR 1.25, CI 1.23 to 1.28). Risk of death associated with PPI use was higher in analyses adjusted for high-dimensional propensity score (HR 1.16, CI 1.13 to 1.18), in two-stage residual inclusion estimation (HR 1.21, CI 1.16 to 1.26) and in 1:1 time-dependent propensity score-matched cohort (HR 1.34, CI 1.29 to 1.39). The risk of death was increased when considering PPI use versus no PPI (HR 1.15, CI 1.14 to 1.15), and PPI use versus no PPI and no H2 blockers (HR 1.23, CI 1.22 to 1.24). Risk of death associated with PPI use was increased among participants without gastrointestinal conditions: PPI versus H2 blockers (HR 1.24, CI 1.21 to 1.27), PPI use versus no PPI (HR 1.19, CI 1.18 to 1.20) and PPI use versus no PPI and no H2 blockers (HR 1.22, CI 1.21 to 1.23). Among new PPI users, there was a graded association between the duration of exposure and the risk of death.

Conclusions

The results suggest excess risk of death among PPI users; risk is also increased among those without gastrointestinal conditions and with prolonged duration of use. Limiting PPI use and duration to instances where it is medically indicated may be warranted.
Health and death literacy and cultural diversity: insights from hospital-employed interpreters
Authors: Hayes Barbara , Fabri Anne Marie , Coperchini Maria , Parkar Rafatullah , Austin-Crowe Zoe
Published: July 2017

Objectives

001225The aim of this qualitative study is to better understand, through the experiences and insights of hospital interpreters, how people from culturally and linguistic diverse (CALD) communities might respond to advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life discussions.

Methods

Hospital interpreters from five Melbourne metropolitan health services were recruited for in-depth semi-structured interviews that explored the question, ‘What can be learnt from hospital interpreters about cultural issues related to ACP and end-of-life decision-making?’ Thirty-nine interpreters, representing 22 language groups, were interviewed. Analysis of the transcribed interviews used qualitative description.

Results

Thematic analysis identified three major themes: (1) moral difference; (2) health and death literacy; and (3) diversity within culture.

Conclusion

A value-based approach to ACP is recommended as a way to capture the person’s individual values and beliefs. Health and death literacy have been identified as areas that may be over-estimated; areas that can be addressed and improved, if recognised. Health and death literacy is a particular area that needs to be assessed and addressed as a pre-requisite to ACP discussions.
Calcium intake and risk of colorectal cancer according to expression status of calcium-sensing receptor (CASR)
Authors: Yang Wanshui , Liu Li , Masugi Yohei , Qian Zhi Rong , Nishihara Reiko , Keum NaNa , Wu Kana , Smith-Warner Stephanie , Ma Yanan , Nowak Jonathan A , Momen-Heravi Fatemeh , Zhang Libin , Bowden Michaela , Morikawa Teppei , Silva Annacarolina da , Wang Molin , Chan Andrew T , Fuchs Charles S , Meyerhardt Jeffrey A , Ng Kimmie , Giovannucci Edward , Ogino Shuji , Zhang Xuehong
Published: July 2017

Objective

Although evidence suggests an inverse association between calcium intake and the risk of colorectal cancer, the mechanisms remain unclear. The calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) is expressed abundantly in normal colonic epithelium and may influence carcinogenesis. We hypothesized that calcium intake might be associated with lower risk of CASR-positive, but not CASR-negative, colorectal cancer.

Design

We assessed tumour CASR protein expression using immunohistochemistry in 779 incident colon and rectal cancer cases that developed among 136 249 individuals in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Duplication method Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess associations of calcium intake with incidence of colorectal adenocarcinoma subtypes by CASR status.

Results

Total calcium intake was inversely associated with the risk of developing colorectal cancer (ptrend=0.01, comparing ≥1200 vs <600 mg/day: multivariable HR=0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.95). For the same comparison, higher total calcium intake was associated with a lower risk of CASR-positive tumours (ptrend=0.003, multivariable HR=0.67, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.86) but not with CASR-negative tumours (ptrend=0.67, multivariable HR=1.15, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.78; pheterogeneity=0.06 between the CASR subtypes). The stronger inverse associations of calcium intake with CASR-positive but not CASR-negative tumours generally appeared consistent regardless of sex, tumour location and source of calcium.

Conclusions

Our molecular pathological epidemiology data suggest a causal relationship between higher calcium intake and lower colorectal cancer risk, and a potential role of CASR in mediating antineoplastic effect of calcium.
Identifying large indels in targeted next generation sequencing assays for myeloid neoplasms: a cautionary tale of theZRSR1pseudogene
Authors: Ng Isaac KS , Ng Christopher , Low Jia Jin , Chiu Lily , Seah Elaine , Ng Chin Hin , Chng Wee-Joo , Yan Benedict , Ban Kenneth H K
Published: July 2017

Targeted next generation sequencing platforms have been increasingly utilised for identification of novel mutations in myeloid neoplasms, such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), and hold great promise for use in routine clinical diagnostics. In this study, we evaluated the utility of an open source variant caller in detecting large indels in a targeted sequencing of AML samples. While we found that this bioinformatics pipeline has the potential to accurately capture large indels (>20 bp) in patient samples, we highlighted the pitfall of a confoundingZRSR1pseudogene that led to an erroneousZRSR2variant call. We further discuss possible clinical implications of theZRSR1pseudogene in myeloid neoplasms based on its molecular features. Knowledge of the confoundingZRSR1pseudogene inZRSR2sequencing assays could be particularly important in AML diagnostics because the detection ofZRSR2in AML patients is highly specific for an s-AML diagnosis.
Permeability function for oil sands tailings undergoing volume change during drying
Authors: Zhang Feixia , Wilson G. Ward , Fredlund D.G.
Published: July 2017

The coefficient of permeability function is an important unsaturated soil property required when modeling seepage and contaminant transport phenomena. Inaccuracies in the estimation of the permeability function can lead to significant errors in numerical modeling results. Changes in void ratio and degree of saturation are factors that influence the permeability function. Presently available methodologies for estimating the unsaturated permeability function make the assumption that there is no volume change as soil suction is changed. As a result, volume changes are interpreted as changes in degree of saturation. The commonly used estimation techniques for the permeability function are reasonable for soils such as sands that experience little volume change as soil suction is changed. On the other hand, inaccurate results are generated when soils undergo volume change as is the case with oil sands tailings. Revisions to previous methodologies are proposed to render the estimation of the permeability function more suitable for simulating the drying process associated with soils that undergo high volume changes. The revised methodology independently analyzes the effect of volume changes (i.e., changes in void ratio) and degree of saturation changes (i.e., changes in S-SWCC (degree of saturation - soil-water characteristic curve)). Laboratory data on thickened oil sands tailings are presented and interpreted within the context of the proposed methodology.
Microsatellite analysis of population structure inEucalyptus globulus
Authors: Costa Joana , Vaillancourt René E. , Steane Dorothy A. , Jones Rebecca C. , Marques Cristina
Published: July 2017

Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus Labill. (Tasmanian Blue Gum), native to southeast Australia, is a benchmark species for the pulp and paper industry. We genotyped 397 trees from 16 populations of E. globulus representing the native diversity in Australia using 24 microsatellite loci. Eight genetically distinct groups were detected, consistent with genetic groupings detected in previous quantitative and molecular studies. A sample of 29 Portuguese individuals was added to help clarify the origin of the Portuguese landrace. The results suggest a southern and eastern Tasmania origin for the Portuguese landrace. This genetic framework will enable researchers to investigate the provenance of individuals of unknown pedigree and assess the levels of representation of E. globulus natural variation in the Portuguese landrace.
Supersymmetric black holes and Freudenthal duality
Authors: Marrani Alessio , Mandal Taniya , Tripathy Prasanta K.
Published: July 2017

We study the effect of Freudenthal duality on supersymmetric extremal black hole attractors in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] ungauged supergravity. Freudenthal duality acts on the dyonic black hole charges as an anti-involution which keeps the black hole entropy and the critical points of the effective black hole potential invariant. We analyze its effect on the recently discovered distinct, mutually exclusive phases of axionic supersymmetric black holes, related to the existence of nontrivial involutory constant matrices. In particular, we consider a supersymmetric [Formula: see text] black hole and we explicitly Freudenthal-map it to a supersymmetric [Formula: see text] black hole. We thus show that the charge representation space of a supersymmetric [Formula: see text] black hole also contains mutually exclusive domains.
Algorithm for determination of sample size using Linex loss function
Authors: Huang Wensheng
Published: July 2017

The sample size based on the Linex loss function and Blinex loss function is studied in this paper, and the analytical solution of the optimal sample size is deduced on the assumption that the Linex loss function and the normal distribution exist. For the Blinex loss function, an accurate algorithm was presented to obtain the optimal sample size. Furthermore, the optimal sample size is obtained, respectively, by taking Poisson distribution and normal distribution as examples. Due to the wide application of Blinex function in reality, the algorithm presented in this paper has immediate applications.
EFFECT OF ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION ON STRUCTURAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF TiO2 GROWN BY ANODIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR PHOTOELECTROCATALYTIC APPLICATION
Authors: AL-JAWAD SELMA M. H. , MOHAMMAD MOHAMMAD R. , IMRAN NATHEER JAMAL
Published: July 2017

In this work, TiO2 nanotube thin films were prepared by using the anodization technique. Different electrolytes solutions were used to specify the optimum condition. Annealing in air at different temperatures of (400, 500, and 600)[Formula: see text]C at constant time of 1[Formula: see text]h was achieved for all films. The structure (XRD, SEM, EDX, and AFM), and optical (UV–Visible spectroscopy, PL spectroscopy, and Spectral Response) properties of nanotube TiO2 films were investigated and analyzed for different electrolyte solutions. XRD analysis of all deposited films has confirmed the formation of polycrystalline-tetragonal phase (anatase, and rutile) with increase in crystalline size and, annealing temperatures. SEM measurements of TiO2 films show nanotube shapes with outer diameter of (80–130) nm. EDX analysis confirmed the stoichiometry ratio between Ti and O to be 1:2 to produce TiO2 film. PL measurement results show two peaks: one located at UV-region pointing to energy band gap (Eg) for TiO2 nano films; the second one is located at visible region pointing to impurities on films. Spectral response measurements show photocurrent peaks centered at UV-region (355[Formula: see text]nm). Then, TiO2 films were deposited with different electrolyte solution for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) application. The higher response to UV-light was received by using TiO2 film grown by anodization technique with (HNO[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]HF) electrolyte solution.
Fraïssé’s conjecture in Π11-comprehension
Authors: Montalbán Antonio
Published: July 2017

We prove Fraïssé’s conjecture within the system of [Formula: see text]-comprehension. Furthermore, we prove that Fraïssé’s conjecture follows from the [Formula: see text]-bqo-ness of 3 over the system of Arithmetic Transfinite Recursion, and that the [Formula: see text]-bqo-ness of 3 is a [Formula: see text]-statement strictly weaker than [Formula: see text]-comprehension.
The Missing Public Interest in Land: Auctions of Public Land in Taipei City
Authors: LIN TZU-CHIN , CHENG YUN-TING
Published: July 2017

One of the fundamental services a modern government shall furnish is affordable housing. The ratio of the housing price to household income in Taipei has in recent years reached an astonishing figure of 15. Taipei has long suffered from a lack of readily available sites for residential development. In addition to monetary and fiscal policies, a supply-oriented and location-specific measure is therefore called for. In this vein, the supply of public land in the market has become a promising policy alternative. In spite of that, public land is an asset that belongs to all citizens. Therefore, sales of public land shall meet three conditions so as not to violate the requirement of the public interest. First of all, the price of land sold to private developers shall reflect the reasonable price that the parcel expects to fetch in the market. Secondly, the land sold to the developers shall be quickly developed in accordance with its highest and best use, and not instead remain idle. Finally, no excessive profits shall be obtained from the land by the developers when the land is later developed and houses are sold. Our empirical evidence on auctions of public land in Taipei between 2006 and 2014 provides some disappointing findings. On average, public land is worth 1.37 times more than its auctioned price. In addition, nearly 90% of undeveloped public land has been idle for more than three years after being auctioned. Besides, the effective rates of land value tax and land value increment tax are on average 0.155% and 1.01%, respectively. We therefore conclude that the auctioning of public land in Taipei has operated against the public interest. We suggest that the government in future consider both fiscal and physical measures to improve the uses of public land. However, taxation shall remain the cornerstone of the policy package.
Asymptotic periodicity in a diffusive West Nile virus model in a heterogeneous environment
Authors: Tarboush Abdelrazig K. , Ge Jing , Lin Zhigui
Published: July 2017

This paper is concerned with a diffusive West Nile virus model (WNv) in a heterogeneous environment. The basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] for spatially homogeneous model is first introduced. We then define a threshold parameter [Formula: see text] for the corresponding diffusive WNv model in a heterogeneous environment. It is shown that if [Formula: see text], the model admits at least one nontrivial T-periodic solution, whereas if [Formula: see text], the model has no nontrivial T-periodic solution. By means of monotone iterative schemes, the true solution can be obtained and the asymptotic behavior of periodic solutions is presented. The paper is closed with some numerical simulations to illustrate our theoretical results.
Location-Based Distance Measures for Geosocial Similarity
Authors: Kanza Yaron , Kravi Elad , Safra Eliyahu , Sagiv Yehoshua
Published: July 2017

This article investigates the problem of geosocial similarity among users of online social networks, based on the locations of their activities (e.g., posting messages or photographs). Finding pairs of geosocially similar users or detecting that two sets of locations (of activities) belong to the same user has important applications in privacy protection, recommendation systems, urban planning, and public health, among others. It is explained and shown empirically that common distance measures between sets of locations are inadequate for determining geosocial similarity. Two novel distance measures between sets of locations are introduced. One is the mutually nearest distance that is based on computing a matching between two sets. The second measure uses a quad-tree index. It is highly scalable but incurs the overhead of creating and maintaining the index. Algorithms with optimization techniques are developed for computing the two distance measures and also for finding the
k
-most-similar users of a given one. Extensive experiments, using geotagged messages from Twitter, show that the new distance measures are both more accurate and more efficient than existing ones.
Nucleus Decompositions for Identifying Hierarchy of Dense Subgraphs
Authors: Sariyüce Ahmet Erdem , Seshadhri C. , Pinar Ali , Çatalyürek Ümit V.
Published: July 2017

Finding dense substructures in a graph is a fundamental graph mining operation, with applications in bioinformatics, social networks, and visualization to name a few. Yet most standard formulations of this problem (like clique, quasi-clique, densest at-least-
k
subgraph) are NP-hard. Furthermore, the goal is rarely to find the “true optimum” but to identify many (if not all) dense substructures, understand their distribution in the graph, and ideally determine relationships among them. Current dense subgraph finding algorithms usually optimize some objective and only find a few such subgraphs without providing any structural relations.

We define the
nucleus decomposition
of a graph, which represents the graph as a
forest of nuclei
. Each nucleus is a subgraph where smaller cliques are present in many larger cliques. The forest of nuclei is a hierarchy by containment, where the edge density increases as we proceed towards leaf nuclei. Sibling nuclei can have limited intersections, which enables discovering overlapping dense subgraphs. With the right parameters, the nucleus decomposition generalizes the classic notions of
k
-core and
k
-truss decompositions.

We present practical algorithms for nucleus decompositions and empirically evaluate their behavior in a variety of real graphs. The tree of nuclei consistently gives a global, hierarchical snapshot of dense substructures and outputs dense subgraphs of comparable quality with the state-of-the-art solutions that are dense and have non-trivial sizes. Our algorithms can process real-world graphs with tens of millions of edges in less than an hour. We demonstrate how proposed algorithms can be utilized on a citation network. Our analysis showed that dense units identified by our algorithms correspond to coherent articles on a specific area. Our experiments also show that we can identify dense structures that are lost within larger structures by other methods and find further finer grain structure within dense groups.
Learning through debate during problem-based learning: an active learning strategy
Authors: Mumtaz Sadaf , Latif Rabia
Published: July 2017

We explored medical student’s views and perceptions of a series of debates conducted during problem-based learning (PBL) practiced as a part of the Spiral curriculum at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. A series of debates were employed during PBL sessions for second-year female medical students, over the period 2014–2016. Each cohort of students was randomly split into 10 small PBL groups and exposed to weekly PBL activity. Within each group, the students were divided into a proposition half and an opposition half. Students were given 1 wk for debate preparation. The students’ responses were recorded on a formulated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, and results are presented as percentages. The usefulness of debate in alleviating potential difficulties in communicating with patients was agreed to by 69% ( n = 126) of participants. That these sessions evoked critical thinking among students was reported by 78% ( n = 142). This series of debates helped 61% ( n = 111) of students to learn effectively about controversial issues. Seventy-one percent ( n = 130) considered that debate promoted argument generation and interpretation skills. Enhanced ability to analyze and research evidence was reported by 59% ( n = 108) of students. One hundred and thirteen students (62%) agreed that debate helped them to improve clinical decision-making, and 75% of students agreed that debates encouraged tolerance toward diverse viewpoints/convincing strategies. The majority of our medical students found debating enhanced analytic decision-making, communication, and critical thinking skills.
Cold-water immersion following sprint interval training does not alter endurance signaling pathways or training adaptations in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Broatch James R. , Petersen Aaron , Bishop David J.
Published: July 2017

We investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms by which postexercise cold-water immersion (CWI) may alter key markers of mitochondrial biogenesis following both a single session and 6 wk of sprint interval training (SIT). Nineteen men performed a single SIT session, followed by one of two 15-min recovery conditions: cold-water immersion (10°C) or a passive room temperature control (23°C). Sixteen of these participants also completed 6 wk of SIT, each session followed immediately by their designated recovery condition. Four muscle biopsies were obtained in total, three during the single SIT session (preexercise, postrecovery, and 3 h postrecovery) and one 48 h after the last SIT session. After a single SIT session, phosphorylated (p-)AMPK, p-p38 MAPK, p-p53, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α ( PGC-1α) mRNA were all increased ( P < 0.05). Postexercise CWI had no effect on these responses. Consistent with the lack of a response after a single session, regular postexercise CWI had no effect on PGC-1α or p53 protein content. Six weeks of SIT increased peak aerobic power, maximal oxygen consumption, maximal uncoupled respiration (complexes I and II), and 2-km time trial performance ( P < 0.05). However, regular CWI had no effect on changes in these markers, consistent with the lack of response in the markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. Although these observations suggest that CWI is not detrimental to endurance adaptations following 6 wk of SIT, they question whether postexercise CWI is an effective strategy to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and improvements in endurance performance.
Contrasting speed-accuracy tradeoffs for eye and hand movements reveal the optimal nature of saccade kinematics
Authors: Gopal Atul , Jana Sumitash , Murthy Aditya
Published: July 2017

In contrast to hand movements, the existence of a neural representation of saccade kinematics is unclear. Saccade kinematics is typically thought to be specified by motor error/desired displacement and generated by brain stem circuits that are not penetrable to voluntary control. We studied the influence of instructed hand movement velocity on the kinematics of saccades executed without explicit instructions. When the hand movement was slow the saccade velocity decreased, independent of saccade amplitude. We leveraged this modulation of saccade velocity to study the optimality of saccades (in terms of velocity and endpoint accuracy) in relation to the well-known speed-accuracy tradeoff that governs voluntary movements (Fitts’ law). In contrast to hand movements that obeyed Fitts' law, normometric saccades exhibited the greatest endpoint accuracy and lower reaction times, relative to saccades accompanying slow and fast hand movements. In the slow condition, where saccade endpoint accuracy suffered, we observed that targets were more likely to be foveated by two saccades resulting in step-saccades. Interestingly, the endpoint accuracy was higher in two-saccade trials, compared with one-saccade trials in both the slow and fast conditions. This indicates that step-saccades are a part of the kinematic plan for optimal control of endpoint accuracy. Taken together, these findings suggest normometric saccades are already optimized to maximize endpoint accuracy and the modulation of saccade velocity by hand velocity is likely to reflect the sharing of kinematic plans between the two effectors.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The optimality of saccade kinematics has been suggested by modeling studies but experimental evidence is lacking. However, we observed that, when subjects voluntarily modulated their hand velocity, the velocity of saccades accompanying these hand movements was also modulated, suggesting a shared kinematic plan for eye and hand movements. We leveraged this modulation to show that saccades had less endpoint accuracy when their velocity decreased, illustrating that normometric saccades have optimal speed and accuracy.
Adsorption Equilibrium for Heavy Metal Divalent Ions (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+) into Zirconium-Based Ferromagnetic Sorbent
Authors: Lee Agnes Yung Weng , Lim Soh Fong , Chua S. N. David , Sanaullah Khairuddin , Baini Rubiyah , Abdullah Mohammad Omar
Published: July 2017

Zirconium-based ferromagnetic sorbent was fabricated by coprecipitation of Fe2+/Fe3+ salts in a zirconium solution and explored as a potential sorbent for removing the Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ from aqueous solution. The sorbent could easily be separated from aqueous solution under the influence of external magnetic field due to the ferromagnetism property. A trimodal distribution was obtained for the sorbent with average particle size of 22.74 μm. The –OH functional groups played an important role for efficient removal of divalent ions. The surface of the sorbent was rough with abundant protuberance while the existence of divalent ions on the sorbent surface after the sorption process was demonstrated. Decontamination of the heavy metal ions was studied as a function of initial metal ions concentration and solution pH. Uptake of the heavy metal ions showed a pH-dependent profile with maximum sorption at around pH 5. The presence of the ferromagnetic sorbent in solution at different initial pH has shown a buffering effect. Equilibrium isotherms were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm models. Adequacy of fit for the isotherm models based on evaluation of R2 and ARE has revealed that heavy metal ions decontamination was fitted well with the Freundlich model.
A Two-Dimensional Deflection Sensor Based on Force Sensing Resistors
Authors: Guo Chuangqiang , Wu Chunya , Wang Bin , Liu Hong
Published: July 2017

A flexible deflection sensor for elastic shaft with the capability of measuring the amplitude and direction of bending is introduced in this paper. A thin force sensing resistors (FSR) film is taken as its basic material, which is sandwiched by an elastomer layer and a printed circuit board (PCB) with detecting electrode grids. Two fix rings are used to fix the three thin components perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the flexible shaft. When the shaft bends under forces, the fix rings will generate a normal pressure on FSR, which will cause the change of the resistance. Therefore, the amplitude of bending can be got based on the value of resistance. The electrode grid on the PCB is divided into four detection areas used to estimate the distribution of normal pressure on the FSR; thus the bending direction of shaft can also be obtained. Test results of a prototype (140 mm in length) show that the amplitude of deflection can reach 30 mm and the sensitivities of sensor are 40.37, 32.8, 37.77, and 39.47 mV/mm in the four directions, respectively. The proposed flexible deflection sensor can be applied in continuum robots or other applications, which require rapid measurement of bending amplitude and direction.
Inertial Sensor-Based Motion Analysis of Lower Limbs for Rehabilitation Treatments
Authors: Sun Tongyang , Li Hua , Liu Quanquan , Duan Lihong , Li Meng , Wang Chunbao , Liu Qihong , Li Weiguang , Shang Wanfeng , Wu Zhengzhi , Wang Yulong
Published: July 2017

The hemiplegic rehabilitation state diagnosing performed by therapists can be biased due to their subjective experience, which may deteriorate the rehabilitation effect. In order to improve this situation, a quantitative evaluation is proposed. Though many motion analysis systems are available, they are too complicated for practical application by therapists. In this paper, a method for detecting the motion of human lower limbs including all degrees of freedom (DOFs) via the inertial sensors is proposed, which permits analyzing the patient’s motion ability. This method is applicable to arbitrary walking directions and tracks of persons under study, and its results are unbiased, as compared to therapist qualitative estimations. Using the simplified mathematical model of a human body, the rotation angles for each lower limb joint are calculated from the input signals acquired by the inertial sensors. Finally, the rotation angle versus joint displacement curves are constructed, and the estimated values of joint motion angle and motion ability are obtained. The experimental verification of the proposed motion detection and analysis method was performed, which proved that it can efficiently detect the differences between motion behaviors of disabled and healthy persons and provide a reliable quantitative evaluation of the rehabilitation state.
Implementation and Evaluation of an Intervention for Children in Afghanistan at Risk for Substance Use or Actively Using Psychoactive Substances
Authors: Momand Abdul Subor , Mattfeld Elizabeth , Morales Brian , Ul Haq Manzoor , Browne Thom , O’Grady Kevin E. , Jones Hendrée E.
Published: July 2017

The present study examined the impact of a novel intervention for children at risk for substance use or actively using substances that was provided to 783 children between 4 and 18 years of age in Afghanistan. They received the Child Intervention for Living Drug-free (CHILD) protocol while in outpatient or residential treatment. CHILD included age-appropriate literacy and numeracy, drug education, basic living safety, and communication and trauma coping skills. A battery of measures examined multiple child health domains at treatment’s start and end and 12 weeks later. For younger children, there were no significant Gender or Gender X Time effects (all p’s > .16 and .35, resp.). The time main effect was significant for all outcomes (all p’s < .00192, the prespecified per-comparison error rate). Post hoc testing showed significant improvements from residential treatment entry to completion for all scales. For older children, a time main effect was significant for (all p’s < .00192, the prespecified per-comparison error rate) all but one outcome. Community follow-up means were significantly lower than residential treatment entry means. CHILD had a positive impact on children, and treatment impact endured from posttreatment to follow-up assessment.
Agent-Based Modelling and Simulation to Assess the Impact of Parking Reservation System
Authors: Ni Xun-You , Sun Daniel (Jian)
Published: July 2017

With the increasing popularity of smart phones, Parking Reservation System (PRS) becomes practical to reduce the travel time in cruising for vacant spaces. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of PRS explicitly. This paper was started with analyzing the processes of cruising for vacant spaces and making parking reservation decisions. The vehicles were divided into two categories: the intelligent vehicles and the regular ones. Only the intelligent vehicles have the ability to make a parking reservation beforehand, while the regular ones have to cruise for vacant spaces. All involved components were treated as different agents, including vehicles, parking lots, network, and management center. Based on this, agent-based simulation was introduced to evaluate the performances of the scenarios with different penetration rates. The simulation results indicate the average travel time increases with the improvement of the penetration rates for the regular vehicles. The assessment method presented in this study would assist in promoting the performances of PRS in urban areas.