bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Levofloxacin based non‐rifampicin anti‐tuberculous therapy: An effective alternative in renal transplant recipients in resource limited setting
Authors: Gupta Krishan Lal , Bagai Sahil , Kumar Harsha , Nayak Saurabh , Muthu Valliappan , Kumar Vivek , Rathi Manish , Kohli Harbir S , Sharma Ashish , Ramachandran Raja 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIntroductionRifampicin is one of the most effective components of anti‐tuberculous therapy (ATT). Since rifampicin is a hepatic enzyme (CYP3A4) inducer, in a post‐renal transplant recipient, the dose of calcineurin inhibitors needs to be up‐regulated and frequently monitored. In resource‐limited (low‐ and lower‐middle‐income countries) setting this is not always feasible. Therefore, we evaluated a non‐rifampicin‐based ATT using levofloxacin in kidney transplant recipients.MethodsWe retrospectively studied the medical records of renal transplant recipients diagnosed with tuberculosis in our institute between 2014 and 2017. After a brief discussion with patients regarding the nature and course of ATT, those who opted for a non‐rifampicin based therapy due to financial constraints were included in the study and followed for a minimum of 6 months period after the completion of ATT.ResultsOut of the 550 renal transplant recipients, 67 (12.2%) developed tuberculosis after a median period of 24 (1‐228) months following transplantation, of them, 64 patients opted for non‐rifampicin‐based ATT. The mean age was 37.6 years. Only 25% were given anti‐thymocyte globulin based induction, while the majority (56; 87.5%) of them were on tacrolimus‐based triple‐drug maintenance therapy. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis was noted in 33% of cases, while 12 (18.7%) had disseminated disease. The median duration of treatment was 12 months and the cure rate of 93.7% (n = 60) was achieved at the end of therapy.ConclusionLevofloxacin based ATT appears to be a safe and effective alternative of rifampicin in kidney transplant recipients who cannot afford heightened tacrolimus dosage.
Resprouting grasses are associated with less frequent fire than seeders
Authors: Simpson Kimberley J. , Jardine Emma C. , Archibald Sally , Forrestel Elisabeth J. , Lehmann Caroline E. R. , Thomas Gavin H. , Osborne Colin P. 
Published: November 2020

Summary

Plant populations persist under recurrent fire via resprouting from surviving tissues (resprouters) or seedling recruitment (seeders). Woody species are inherently slow maturing, meaning that seeders are confined to infrequent fire regimes. However, for grasses, which mature faster, the relationships between persistence strategy and fire regime remain unknown.

Globally, we analysed associations between fire regimes experienced by hundreds of grass species and their persistence strategy, within a phylogenetic context. We also tested whether persistence strategies are associated with morphological and physiological traits.

Resprouters were associated with less frequent fire than seeders. Whilst modal fire frequencies were similar (fire return interval of 4–6 yr), seeders were restricted to regions with more frequent fire than resprouters, suggesting that greater competition with long‐lived resprouters restricts seeder recruitment and survival when fire is rare. Resprouting was associated with lower leaf N, higher C:N ratios and the presence of belowground buds, but was unrelated to photosynthetic pathway.

Differences between the life histories of grasses and woody species led to a contrasting prevalence of seeders and resprouters in relation to fire frequency. Rapid sexual maturation in grasses means that seeder distributions, relative to fire regime, are determined by competitive ability and recruitment, rather than time to reproductive maturity.
Experimental philosophy and the method of cases
Authors: Horvath Joachim , Koch Steffen 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIn this paper, we first briefly survey the main responses to the challenge that experimental philosophy poses to the method of cases, given the common assumption that the latter is crucially based on intuitive judgments about cases. Second, we discuss two of the most popular responses in more detail: the expertise defense and the mischaracterization objection. Our take on the expertise defense is that the available empirical data do not support the claim that professional philosophers enjoy relevant expertise in their intuitive judgments about cases. In contrast, the mischaracterization objection seems considerably more promising than its largely negative reception has suggested. We argue that the burden of proof is thus on philosophers who still hold that the method of cases crucially relies on intuitive judgments about cases. Finally, we discuss whether conceptual engineering provides an alternative to the method of cases in light of the challenge from experimental philosophy. We argue that this is not clearly the case, because conceptual engineering also requires descriptive information about the concepts it aims to improve. However, its primarily normative perspective on our concepts makes it largely orthogonal to the challenge from experimental philosophy, and it can also benefit from the empirical methods of the latter.
Recurrence of severe maternal morbidity: A population‐based cohort analysis of California women
Authors: Bane Shalmali , Wall‐Wieler Elizabeth , Lyndon Audrey , Carmichael Suzan L. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundSevere maternal morbidity (SMM) has increased in the United States by 45% in the last decade. While the recurrence of several adverse pregnancy outcomes from one pregnancy to the next has been established, the recurrence risk of SMM is unknown.ObjectiveTo determine whether women who have SMM in a first pregnancy are at increased risk of SMM in their second pregnancy, compared to women who did not have SMM in their first pregnancy.MethodsThis is a population‐based study using linked vital statistics and hospital discharge records from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in California from 1997 to 2012. The study population had their first two singleton births (live births or stillbirths) in California between 1997 and 2012 (n = 1 180 357). The primary exposure was SMM during the hospitalisation at first birth, and the primary outcome was SMM during the hospitalisation at second birth. Prevalence and risk ratios of SMM at second birth were computed for women who did and did not have SMM at first birth, as well as for certain specific indicators of SMM.ResultsOf the 1 180 357 women included in this analysis, 9088 (77 per 10 000 births) experienced SMM at first birth. Among these women, the prevalence of SMM at second birth was 470 per 10 000 births, compared to 68 per 10 000 births among women without SMM at first birth. This corresponded to an unadjusted risk ratio of 6.87 (95% CI 6.23, 7.57), which did not differ substantially when adjusted for factors known to be associated with SMM (6.42, 95% CI 5.86, 7.13).ConclusionWomen experiencing SMM in their first pregnancy were at an approximately sixfold increased risk of experiencing SMM in their second pregnancy.
Evaluation of periodontal health in breast cancer patients undergoing tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors drugs therapy: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ustaoğlu Gülbahar , Göller Bulut Duygu , Üyetürk Ümmügül , Uysal Özge 
Published: November 2020

AbstractAimTo study the dental and periodontal status of women with breast cancer (BCa) having tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) treatment in comparison with control healthy women.MethodsFifty‐one women on tamoxifen therapy, 52 women on AIs therapy and 52 systemically healthy controls were included in the study. The total number of teeth, the number of teeth indicated for extraction, the number of decayed teeth, and the duration of medication were recorded. Periodontal status was evaluated with gingival index (GI); plaque index (PI); bleeding on probing (BOP); probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL).ResultsThe lowest number of teeth and decayed teeth was found in AIs users (P < .001 and P = .003 respectively). The highest CAL value was seen in AIs users (P = .042) whereas no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of PI, GI, and PD (P = .102, P = .233, and P = .306, respectively). Lower PI was observed in patients using AIs for less than 2 years (P = .048).ConclusionsWhile tamoxifen did not affect the dental and periodontal condition, AIs medication adversely affected the dental and periodontal condition by more tooth loss and higher CAL.
Outcomes and complications of hospitalised patients with HIV‐TB co‐infection
Authors: Agudelo Carlos Andrés , Álvarez María Fernanda , Hidrón Alicia , Villa Juan Pablo , Echeverri‐Toro Lina María , Ocampo Adriana , Porras Glenys Patricia , Trompa Iván Mauricio , Restrepo Laura , Eusse Alejandro , Restrepo Carlos Andrés 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundTuberculosis is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation in patients with HIV. Despite this, hospital outcomes of patients with this co‐infection have rarely been described since antiretroviral therapy became widely available.MethodsProspective cohort study of HIV‐infected adult patients hospitalised with TB in six referral hospitals in Medellin, Colombia, from August 2014 to July 2015.ResultsAmong 128 HIV‐infected patients hospitalised with tuberculosis, the mean age was 38.4 years; 79.7% were men. HIV was diagnosed on admission in 28.9% of patients. The median CD4 + T‐cell count was 125 (±158 SD) cells/µL. Only 47.3% of patients with a known diagnosis of HIV upon admission were on antiretroviral therapy, and only 11.1% had a tuberculin skin test in the previous year. Drug toxicity due to tuberculosis medications occurred in 11.7% of patients. Mean length of stay was 23.2 days, and 10.7% of patients were readmitted. Mortality was 5.5%.ConclusionsHospital mortality attributable to tuberculosis in patients with HIV is low in reference hospitals in Colombia. Cases of tuberculosis in HIV‐infected patients occur mainly in patients with advanced HIV, or not on antiretroviral therapy, despite a known diagnosis of HIV. Only one of every 10 patients in this cohort had active screening for latent tuberculosis, possibly reflecting missed treatment opportunities.
An integral insight into pollen wall development: involvement of physical processes in exine ontogeny inCalycanthus floridusL., with an experimental approach
Authors: Gabarayeva Nina I. , Grigorjeva Valentina V. 
Published: November 2020

SummaryWe aimed to understand the underlying mechanisms of development in the sporopollenin‐containing part of the pollen wall, the exine, one of the most complex cell walls in plants. Our hypothesis is that distinct physical processes, phase separation and micellar self‐assembly, underpinexine development by taking the molecular building blocks, determined and synthesised by the genome, through several phase transitions. To test this hypothesis, we traced each stage of microspore development inCalycanthus floriduswith transmission electron microscopy and then generatedin vitroexperimental simulations corresponding to every developmental stage. The sequence of structures observed within the periplasmic space around developing microspores starts with spherical units, which are rearranged into columns to then form rod‐like units (the young columellae) and, finally, white line centred endexine lamellae. Phase separation precedes each developmental stage. The set of experimental simulations, obtained as self‐assembled micellar mesophases formed at the interface between lipid and water compartments, was the same: spherical micelles; columns of spherical micelles; cylindrical micelles; and laminate micelles, separated by gaps, resembling white‐lined lamellae. Thus, patterns simulating structures observed at the main stages of exine development inC. floriduswere obtained fromin vitroexperiments, and hence purely physicochemical processes can construct exine‐like patterns. This highlights the important part played by physical processes that are not under direct genomic control and share influence on the emerging ultrastructure with the genome during exine development. These findings suggest that a new approach to ontogenetic studies, including a consideration of physical factors, is required for a better understanding of developmental processes.
Circulating melanin‐containing cells and neutrophils with phagocytized melanin granules in a horse with disseminated melanoma
Authors: Conrado Francisco O. , Iapoce Nicholas , Batista‐Linhares Mainity , Lopez Sharleen , Matthews Morgan H. , McKinney Caroline A. , Rothacker Caitlin 
Published: November 2020

AbstractAn 18‐year‐old, grey, Thoroughbred Cross gelding was referred to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University following a 3‐week history of low‐grade fever of unknown origin, distal limb swelling, and weight loss. Clinical examination identified a few black, round, smooth nodules along the ventral aspect of the proximal tail. Transabdominal ultrasound showed a markedly enlarged heterogenous spleen, hyperechoic liver nodules, and evidence of peritonitis with fibrin deposition. A mature neutrophilia was noted on complete blood count with variable numbers of phagocytized granules within neutrophils. The granules did not stain with Perl's Prussian blue, and were intensely positive when stained with Fontana‐Mason, consistent with melanin. On necropsy, the spleen occupied approximately one‐third of the abdominal cavity and was diffusely firm with abundant black pigment on cut section. The medullary space of the 18th thoracic vertebra was also diffusely blackened. The splenic, mediastinal, and tracheobronchial lymph nodes were five times the normal size and diffusely pigmented. The final anatomic diagnosis was disseminated malignant melanoma with extensive splenic involvement and hemolymphatic and vascular neoplastic dissemination. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first full report to identify circulating neutrophils containing phagocytized melanin granules, which confirmed an antemortem diagnosis of disseminated melanoma.
Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation With Vector-Strain Transformation for High Aspect Ratio Wings
Authors: Otsuka Keisuke , Wang Yinan , Makihara Kanjuro 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
High aspect ratio wings are potential candidates for use in atmospheric satellites and civil aircraft as they exhibit a low induced drag, which can reduce the fuel consumption. Owing to their slender and light weight configuration, such wings undergo highly flexible aeroelastic static and dynamic deformations that cannot be analyzed using conventional linear analysis methods. An aeroelastic analysis framework based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) can be used to analyze the static and dynamic deformations of high aspect ratio wings. However, owing to the highly nonlinear elastic force, the statically deformed wing shape during steady flight cannot be efficiently obtained via static analyses. Therefore, an ANCF with a vector-strain transformation (ANCF-VST) was proposed in this work. Considering the slender geometry of high aspect ratio wings, the nodal vectors of an ANCF beam element were transformed to the strains. In this manner, a constant stiffness matrix and reduced degrees-of-freedom could be generated while capturing the highly flexible deformations accurately. The ANCF-VST exhibited superior convergence performance and accuracy compared to those of analytical approaches and other nonlinear beam formulations. Moreover, an aeroelastic analysis flow coupling the ANCF-VST and an aerodynamic model based on the unsteady vortex lattice method was proposed to perform the static and dynamic analyses successively. The proposed and existing aeroelastic frameworks exhibited a good agreement in the analyses, which demonstrated the feasibility of employing the proposed framework to analyze high aspect ratio wings.
A Novel Error Compensation Method for Multistage Machining Processes Based on Differential Motion Vector Sets of Multiple Contour Points
Authors: Zhu Mengrui , Ge Guangyan , Feng Xiaobing , Du Zhengchun , Yang Jianguo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Modeling the variation propagation based on the stream of variation (SoV) methodology for multistage machining processes (MMPs) has been investigated intensively in the past two decades; however, little research is conducted on the variation reduction and the existing work fails to be applied to irregular features caused by the machining-induced variation varying with the positions of the contour points on the machined surface. This paper proposes a novel error compensation method for MMPs by modifying the tool path to reduce variation for general features. The method based on differential motion vector (DMV) sets of multiple contour points is presented to represent the deviation of the irregular feature. Then, the conventional stream of variation (SoV) model is further extended to more accurately describe variation propagation for irregular features considering the actual datum-induced variations and the varying machining-induced variations, especially the deformation errors for the low stiffness workpiece. Based on the extended SoV model and error equivalence mechanism, the datum error and fixture error are transformed to the equivalent tool path error. Then, the original tool path is modified through shifting the machine zero points of machine tools with no need for changing the original G code and workpiece setup. A real cutting experiment validates the effectiveness of the proposed error compensation method for MMPs with an average precision improvement of over 60%. The application of the extended SoV model significantly contributes to compensating more complex error sources for MMPs, such as the clamp force, the internal residual stress, etc.
Nano Cellulose Fibers and Graphene Oxide Coating on Polyolefin Separator With Uniform Li+ Transportation Channels for Long-Life and High-Safety Li Metal Battery
Authors: Dai Dongmei , Chen Yixuan , Chen Boran , Qiu Jinxu , Li Bao , Wang Bao 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The lithium anode could greatly increase the energy density of the cell, but inevitable lithium dendrites hinder its application. A powerful coating layer can effectively suppress the growth of dendrite by promoting a fast and uniform Li+ flux. Here, a polyolefin separator coated with a layer of nano cellulose fiber (NCF) and graphene oxide (GO) is designed to restrain the growth of Li-dendrite and accommodate thermal shrinkage resistance. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the NCF/GO coating with a mass ratio of 3:5 showed the highest value of ionic conductivity. The Li/separator/Li symmetrical battery with NCF/GO coated separator can work for 65 h during continuous charging before the voltage dropping down to zero, which is about 40% longer than the battery with bare polyolefin separator. In addition, the NCF/GO coating layer can also increase the retention capacity ratio of a cell by more than 10% in the 100 charge/discharge cycles. In this paper, the as-prepared NCF/GO coating separator provides a reference for designing a long-life and safety battery with Li-anode by effectively inhibiting the lithium dendrite.
Tendon Actuated Continuous Structures in Planar Parallel Robots: A Kinematic Analysis
Authors: Lilge Sven , Nuelle Kathrin , Boettcher Georg , Spindeldreier Svenja , Burgner-Kahrs Jessica 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The use of continuous and flexible structures instead of rigid links and discrete joints is a growing field of robotics research. Recent work focuses on the inclusion of continuous segments in parallel robots to benefit from their structural advantages, such as a high dexterity and compliance. While some applications and designs of these novel parallel continuum robots have been presented, the field remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, an exact quantification of the kinematic advantages and disadvantages when using continuous structures in parallel robots is yet to be performed. In this paper, planar parallel robot designs using tendon actuated continuum robots instead of rigid links and discrete joints are proposed. Using the well-known 3-RRR manipulator as a reference design, two parallel continuum robots are derived. Inverse and differential kinematics of these designs are modeled using constant curvature assumptions, which can be adapted for other actuation mechanisms than tendons. Their kinematic performances are compared to the conventional parallel robot counterpart. On the basis of this comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of using continuous structures in parallel robots are quantified and analyzed. Results show that parallel continuum robots can be kinematic equivalent and exhibit similar kinematic performances in comparison to conventional parallel robots depending on the chosen design.
Enhancing the use of stakeholder analysis for policy implementation research: towards a novel framing and operationalised measures
Authors: Balane Marysol Astrea , Palafox Benjamin , Palileo-Villanueva Lia M , McKee Martin , Balabanova Dina 
Published: November 2020

BackgroundPolicy is shaped and influenced by a diverse set of stakeholders at the global, national and local levels. While stakeholder analysis is a recognised practical tool to assess the positions and engagement of actors relevant to policy, few empirical studies provide details of how complex concepts such as power, interest and position are operationalised and assessed in these types of analyses. This study aims to address this gap by reviewing conceptual approaches underlying stakeholder analyses and by developing a framework that can be applied to policy implementation in low-and-middle income countries.MethodsThe framework was developed through a three-step process: a scoping review, peer review by health policy experts and the conduct of an analysis using key informant interviews and a consensus building exercise. Four characteristics were selected for inclusion: levels of knowledge, interest, power and position of stakeholders related to the policy.ResultThe framework development process highlighted the need to revisit how we assess the power of actors, a key issue in stakeholder analyses, and differentiate an actor’s potential power, based on resources, and whether they exercise it, based on the actions they take for or against a policy. Exploration of the intersections between characteristics of actors and their level of knowledge can determine interest, which in turn can affect stakeholder position on a policy, showing the importance of analysing these characteristics together. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches in implementation must also be incorporated in the analysis of policy actors, as there are differences in the type of knowledge, interest and sources of power among national, local and frontline stakeholders.ConclusionThe developed framework contributes to health policy research by offering a practical tool for analysing the characteristics of policy actors and tackling the intricacies of assessing complex concepts embedded in the conduct of stakeholder analyses.