bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oscillatory thresholds and foveal and macular thickness using coherence tomography
Authors: Humphreys Amy , Rubin Alan 
Published: October 2018

Background: Technology is evolving and advancing rapidly as is evident in the ophthalmic and optometric fields with the development of new equipment and software programs that assist in the examination of patients and diagnoses of ocular diseases. The new vision psychophysical software for measurements of oscillatory sensitivity (OS) is a recently developed program that can be used to assess visual ability at the fovea by establishing oscillatory thresholds (OT) and it is therefore necessary to assess the reliability and repeatability of this new software.Aim: The goal of this study was to assess the reliability and repeatability of the new vision psychophysical software for measuring OS with special focus on the macular and foveal area.Setting: This study took place at the Department of Optometry at the University of Johannesburg between 2016 and 2017.Methods: To measure OS, an ascending threshold method was used where a simple target was presented, with increasing oscillations until perception of movement occurred. Healthy participants (N = 37), with a mean age of 22.43 ± 2.57 years, were asked to indicate when the high contrast circular (2 mm) target began oscillating on a stationary black background. The target was used at nine points in the macular region to measure OT. Each macular map was measured twice per participant and only the right eyes were involved. Retinal thicknesses were also evaluated using the spectral-domain iVue 100 optical coherence tomography (OCT) from Optovue. Macular thickness and OS (along with OT) measurements were assessed using various graphical and statistical methods to establish test–retest reliability and repeatability.Results: The study focused on OS and retinal thickness measurements of the macular and foveal regions. For retinal thickness measurements, repeatability and reliability were good, data was normally distributed and agreement between test–retest measurements was high, while OS measurements had good repeatability and reliability, were not normally distributed but had good agreement between test–retest measurements. With healthy participants, no correlations between OCT and OS measurements were found (r = −0.14, p = 0.49 and r = 0.03, p = 0.89 for test and retest samples).Conclusion: The results for both procedures suggest that there is good reliability and repeatability within the macular region. Both methods can be used with confidence clinically and in future studies.
A qualitative approach to the entrepreneurial education and intentions nexus: A case of Zimbabwean polytechnic students
Authors: Ndofirepi Takawira M. , Rambe Patient 
Published: October 2018

Background: Owing to the popularity of entrepreneurship as an alternative to formal employment, entrepreneurship education has become the main instrument for equipping graduates with survivalist and innovative skills for new venture creation in their post-college life. However, despite the growing body of literature on the entrepreneurship education–entrepreneurial intention nexus, there are limited studies based on qualitative methodologies covering this relationship.Aim: This article develops an in-depth understanding of the interface between exposure to entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial intention of students.Setting: The study draws on the perceptions of 27 purposively selected national certificate level students at a Zimbabwean polytechnic.Methods: The study used an interpretive qualitative research design, with data being collected through focus group discussions.Results: Findings suggest that while passive learning and teaching methods were critical to orienting students towards the entrepreneurship field, over-dependence on theoretical content, teacher-dominated delivery, the absence of deep practical orientation and engagement with industry undermined the significance of tertiary level entrepreneurship education.Conclusion: To enrich the development of potential entrepreneurs, the implication of these findings is that educators and policymakers should address various aspects of the entrepreneurship education value chain (from content creation, delivery strategy, enhancing practical orientation of the subject, and developing lasting relations with industry long before entrepreneurship starts) that potentially affect students’ willingness to engage in future entrepreneurship.
Topological characterization of Gelfand and zero dimensinal semirings
Authors: Vielma Jorge , Marchan Luz 
Published: October 2018

Let R be a conmutative semiring with 0 and 1, and let Spec(R) be the set of all proper prime ideals of R. Spec(R) can be endowed with two topologies, the Zariski topology and the D-topology. Let Max R denote the set of all maximals prime ideals of R. We prove that the two topologies coincide on Spec(R) and on Max R if and only if R is zero dimensional and Gelfand semiring, respectively.
Why has catchment evaporation increased in the past 40 years? A data-based study in Austria
Authors: Duethmann Doris , Blöschl Günter 
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Regional evaporation has increased in many parts of the world in the last
decades, but the drivers of these increases are widely debated. Part of the
difficulty lies in the scarcity of high-quality long-term data on
evaporation. In this paper, we analyze changes in catchment evaporation
estimated from the water balances of 156 catchments in Austria over the
period 1977–2014 and attribute them to changes in atmospheric demand and
available energy, vegetation, and precipitation as possible drivers. Trend
analyses suggest that evaporation has significantly increased in 60 % of
the catchments (p≤0.05) with an average increase of
29±14 mm yr−1 decade−1 (± standard deviation) or
4.9±2.3 % decade−1. Pan evaporation based on 24 stations has, on
average, increased by 29±5 mm yr−1 decade−1 or
6.0±1.0 % decade−1. Reference evaporation over the 156 catchments
estimated by the Penman–Monteith equation has increased by
18±5 mm yr−1 decade−1 or 2.8±0.7 % decade−1. Of
these, 2.1 % are due to increased global radiation and 0.5 % due to
increased air temperature according to the Penman–Monteith equation. A
satellite-based vegetation index (NDVI) has increased by
0.02±0.01 decade−1 or 3.1±1.1 % decade−1. Estimates of
reference evaporation accounting for changes in stomata resistance due to
changes in the NDVI indicate that the increase in vegetation activity has led
to a similar increase in reference evaporation as changes in the climate
parameters. A regression between trends in evaporation and precipitation
yields a sensitivity of a 0.22±0.05 mm yr−2 increase in
evaporation to a 1 mm yr−2 increase in precipitation. A synthesis of
the data analyses suggests that 43±15 % of the observed increase in
catchment evaporation may be directly attributed to increased atmospheric
demand and available energy, 34±14 % to increased vegetation activity,
and 24±5 % to increases in precipitation.
The impact of patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) as a search strategy tool on literature search quality: a systematic review
Authors: Eriksen Mette Brandt , Frandsen Tove Faber 
Published: October 2018

Objective: This review aimed to determine if the use of the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) model as a search strategy tool affects the quality of a literature search.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Scopus, and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) catalog up until January 9, 2017. Reference lists were scrutinized, and citation searches were performed on the included studies. The primary outcome was the quality of literature searches and the secondary outcome was time spent on the literature search when the PICO model was used as a search strategy tool, compared to the use of another conceptualizing tool or unguided searching.Results: A total of 2,163 records were identified, and after removal of duplicates and initial screening, 22 full-text articles were assessed. Of these, 19 studies were excluded and 3 studies were included, data were extracted, risk of bias was assessed, and a qualitative analysis was conducted. The included studies compared PICO to the PIC truncation or links to related articles in PubMed, PICOS, and sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type (SPIDER). One study compared PICO to unguided searching. Due to differences in intervention, no quantitative analysis was performed.Conclusions: Only few studies exist that assess the effect of the PICO model vis-a-vis other available models or even vis-a-vis the use of no model. Before implications for current practice can be drawn, well-designed studies are needed to evaluate the role of the tool used to devise a search strategy. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.
Book Review: Practical Preservation and Conservation Strategies for Libraries
Authors: Reidt Sharon E. 
Published: October 2018

The rapid proliferation of electronic resources (e-resources) in library collections and the increasing use of digitization as a preservation tool has altered the preservation landscape. Despite these changes, the need for libraries to plan their preservation and conservation workflows and processes continues. Baird’s Practical Preservation and Conservation Strategies for Libraries is intended as an overview of methods that can be used by small public and academic libraries where staff, funding, and time is at a premium. The book focuses on print materials, although limited attention is paid in the final two chapters to other types of materials. The book takes a holistic approach to the preservation and conservation cycle. Evaluation and assessment of preservation needs, development of preservation workflows, basic book repairs, disaster planning, and digital preservation are the topics covered in the book’s eleven chapters.
Association of CYBA gene (-930 A/G and 242 C/T) polymorphisms with oxidative stress in breast cancer: a case-control study
Authors: Tupurani Mohini A. , Padala Chiranjeevi , Puranam Kaushik , Galimudi Rajesh K. , Kupsal Keerthi , Shyamala Nivas , Gantala Srilatha , Kummari Ramanjaneyulu , Chinta Sanjeeva K. , Hanumanth Surekha R. 
Published: October 2018

BackgroundOxidative stress (OS) is a key characteristic feature in cancer initiation and progression. Among multiple cancers, NADPH oxidase (NOX) dependent free radical production is implicated in oxidative stress. P22phox, a subunit of NADPH oxidase encoded by the CYBA gene has functional polymorphisms associated with various complex diseases. The present study was aimed to examine the importance and association of the functional polymorphisms of CYBA gene (-930 A/G and 242 C/T) with the oxidative stress in breast cancer (BC) development and progression.Materials and MethodsWe have performed a case-control study on 300 breast cancer patients and 300 healthy individuals as controls to examine the role of CYBA gene -930 A/G and 242 C/T single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using As-PCR and PCR-RFLP assays and its association with OS as measured by plasma MDA levels. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) plots were generated using Haploviewtool and Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis was applied to assess high-order interactions between the SNPs. The Insilco analysis has been performed to predict the effect of SNPs on the gene regulation using online tools.ResultsWe have found that genotype frequencies of CYBA gene -930 A/G and 242C/T polymorphism were significantly different between controls and BC patients (p < 0.05). The haplotype combination -930G/242C and -930G/242T were associated with 1.44 & 1.56 folds increased risk for breast cancer respectively. Further, the MDA levels were higher in the patients carrying -930G/242C and -930G/242T haplotype (p < 0.001). Our results have been substantiated by Insilco analysis.ConclusionResults of the present study suggest that GG genotype of -930 A/G polymorphism, -930G/242C and -930G/242T haplotypes of CYBA gene polymorphisms have shown association with higher MDA levels in breast cancer patients, signify that elevated oxidative stress might aid in increased risk for breast cancer initiation and progression.
Co-occurrence patterns of litter decomposing communities in mangroves indicate a robust community resistant to disturbances
Authors: Taketani Rodrigo G. , Moitinho Marta A. , Mauchline Tim H. , Melo Itamar S. 
Published: October 2018

BackgroundMangroves are important coastal ecosystems known for high photosynthetic productivity and the ability to support marine food chains through supply of dissolved carbon or particular organic matter. Most of the carbon found in mangroves is produced by its vegetation and is decomposed in root associated sediment. This process involves a tight interaction between microbial populations, litter chemical composition, and environmental parameters. Here, we study the complex interactions found during litter decomposition in mangroves by applying network analysis to metagenomic data.MethodsLeaves of three species of mangrove trees typically found in the southeast of Brazil (Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa,andAvicennia schaueriana) were collected in separate litter bags and left on three different mangroves for 60 days. These leaves were subsequently used for metagenome sequencing using Ion Torrent technology. Sequences were annotated in MG-RAST and used for network construction using MENAp.ResultsThe most common phyla were Proteobacteria (classes Gamma and Alphaproteobacteria) followed by Firmicutes (Clostridia and Bacilli). The most abundant protein clusters were associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and proteins. Non-metric multidimensional scaling of the metagenomic data indicated that substrate (i.e., tree species) did not significantly select for a specific community. Both networks exhibited scale-free characteristics and small world structure due to the low mean shortest path length and high average clustering coefficient. These networks also had a low number of hub nodes most of which were module hubs.DiscussionThis study demonstrates that under different environmental pressures (i.e., plant species or mangrove location) the microbial community associated with the decaying material forms a robust and stable network.
Venomous Snakebites in Canada: A National Review of Patient Epidemiology and Antivenom Usage
Authors: Curran-Sills Gwynn , Kroeker Jenna 
Published: October 2018

Introduction There are 3 pit viper species in Canada. Limited Canadian literature exists on the epidemiology of venomous snakebites and the treatment patterns with antivenom. This study described the epidemiology, the utilization of antivenom, and estimated expenditures due to forfeited antivenom for pit viper envenomations in Canada. Methods A retrospective review of the Health Canada Special Access Program records to generate descriptive statistics. Data are presented as mean±SD (range), as appropriate. Results The geographic distribution of Canadian pit viper species is presented. There were 99 envenomations reported in Canada from January 2009 to December 2015. The number of envenomations per year was 14±6 (6−21). CroFab and Antivipmyn are used in Canada to treat envenomations. The number of vials for patient treatment was 17±12 (3−66) and 16±9 (6−42) for CroFab and Antivipmyn, respectively. Antivenom stock usage for patient treatment varied across the country with provincial means reported for British Columbia (33%), Alberta (37%), Saskatchewan (27%), and Ontario (71%). The costs incurred secondary to forfeited stock where estimated as: $1,280,000 USD in British Columbia, $255,000 in Alberta, $60,000 in Saskatchewan, and $0 in Ontario. Conclusions The absolute number of annual envenomations is small and the 3 Crotalinae species are limited to relatively narrow geographic areas in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. The utilization of antivenom in the treatment of patients revealed that regions where the western and prairie rattlesnake reside forfeited a substantial amount of antivenom from 2009 to 2015. Organizations responsible for maintaining antivenom supplies on a provincial or regional level could use these data to guide antidote stocking and reduce costs.
Sink traps as the source of transmission of OXA-48–producing Serratia marcescens in an intensive care unit
Authors: Regev-Yochay Gili , Smollan Gill , Tal Ilana , Pinas Zade Nani , Haviv Yael , Nudelman Valery , Gal-Mor Ohad , Jaber Hanaa , Zimlichman Eyal , Keller Nati , Rahav Galia 
Published: October 2018

AbstractBackgroundCarbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) outbreaks are mostly attributed to patient-to-patient transmission via healthcare workers.ObjectiveWe describe successful containment of a prolonged OXA-48–producing S. marcescens outbreak after recognizing the sink traps as the source of transmission.MethodsThe Sheba Medical Center intensive care unit (ICU), contains 16 single-bed, semi-closed rooms. Active CPE surveillance includes twice-weekly rectal screening of all patients. A case was defined as a patient detected with OXA-48 CPE >72 hours after admission. A root-cause analysis was used to investigate the outbreak. All samples were inoculated on chrom-agar CRE, and carbapenemase genes were detected using commercial molecular Xpert-Carba-R. Environmental and patient S. marcescens isolates were characterized using PFGE.ResultsFrom January 2016 to May 2017, 32 OXA-48 CPE cases were detected, and 81% of these were S. marcescens. A single clone was the cause of all but the first 2 cases. The common factor in all cases was the use of relatively large amounts of tap water. The outbreak clone was detected in 2 sink outlets and 16 sink traps. In addition to routine strict infection control measures, measures taken to contain the outbreak included (1) various sink decontamination efforts, which eliminated the bacteria from the sink drains only temporarily and (2) educational intervention that engaged the ICU team and lead to high adherence to ‘sink-contamination prevention guidelines.’ No additional cases were detected for 12 months.ConclusionsDespite persistence of the outbreak clones in the environmental reservoir for 1 year, the outbreak was rapidly and successfully contained. Addressing sink traps as hidden reservoirs played a major role in the intervention.
Predilection of Low Protein C-induced Spontaneous Atherothrombosis for the Right Coronary Sinus in Apolipoprotein E deficient mice
Authors: Heestermans Marco , Ouweneel Amber B. , Hassan Jasmin , Kloosterman Meander , Reitsma Pieter H. , Gijbels Marion J. J. , van Vlijmen Bart J. M. , van Eck Miranda 
Published: October 2018

AbstractSilencing of anticoagulant protein C using RNA interference (siProc) evokes low incident but spontaneous atherothrombosis in the aortic root of apolipoprotein E–deficient (Apoe−/−) mice. The aims of the current study were (1) to analyze if plaque characteristics or circulating factors could be linked to atherothrombosis susceptibility, (2) to increase the incidence of atherothrombosis by transiently increasing blood pressure, and (3) to direct atherothrombosis to an additional predefined vascular site by applying a semi-constrictive collar around the carotid artery. siProc-driven spontaneous atherothrombosis in the aortic root of Apoe−/− mice was reproduced and occurred at an incidence of 23% (9 out of 39 mice), while the incidence of collar-induced atherothrombosis in the carotid artery was 2.6% (1 out of 39 mice). Treatment with phenylephrine, to transiently increase blood pressure, did not increase atherothrombosis in the aortic root of the Apoe−/− mice nor in the carotid arteries with collars. Plaques in the aortic root with an associated thrombus were lower in collagen and macrophage content, and mice with atherothrombosis had significantly more circulating platelets. Plasma protein C, white blood cell counts, total cholesterol, fibrinogen, serum amyloid A, and IL-6 were not different amongst siProc treated mice with or without thrombosis. Remarkably, our data revealed that thrombus formation preferably occurred on plaques in the right coronary sinus of the aortic root. In conclusion, there is a predilection of low protein C-induced spontaneous atherothrombosis in Apoe−/− mice for the right coronary sinus, a process that is associated with an increase in platelets and plaques lower in collagen and macrophage content.
Improved Parallel Magnertic Resonance Imaging reconstruction with Complex Proximal Support Vector Regression
Authors: Xu Lin , Zheng Qian , Jiang Tao 
Published: October 2018

AbstractGeneralized Auto-calibrating Partially Parallel Acquisitions (GRAPPA) has been widely used to reduce imaging time in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. GRAPPA synthesizes missing data by using a linear interpolation of neighboring measured data over all coils, thus accuracy of the interpolation weights fitting to the auto-calibrating signal data is crucial for the GRAPPA reconstruction. Conventional GRAPPA algorithms fitting the interpolation weights with a least squares solution are sensitive to interpolation window size. MKGRAPPA that estimates the interpolation weights with support vector machine reduces the sensitivity of the k-space reconstruction to interpolation window size, whereas it is computationally expensive. In this study, a robust GRAPPA reconstruction method is proposed that applies an extended proximal support vector regression (PSVR) to fit the interpolation weights with wavelet kernel mapping. Experimental results on in vivo MRI data show that the proposed PSVR-GRAPPA method visually improves overall quality compared to conventional GRAPPA methods, while it has faster reconstruction speed compared to MKGRAPPA.
First evidence for a possible invasional meltdown among invasive fish parasites
Authors: Hohenadler M. A. A. , Honka K. I. , Emde S. , Klimpel S. , Sures B. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractBiological invasions are frequently studied topics in ecological research. Unfortunately, within invasion ecology parasite-associated aspects such as parasite impacts on new environments and on local host populations are less well-studied. Round gobies migrating from the Ponto-Caspian region into the Rhine River system are heavily infested with the Ponto-Caspian acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis. As shown by experimental infestations the acanthocephalans occur as pre-adults in host-encapsulated cysts within the internal organs of the migrating gobies, but remain infective for their definitive host chub. Recently, we described the occurrence of larvae of another parasite, the invasive eel swim bladder nematode Anguillicola crassus, in these Pomphorhynchus cysts. In the present study, we could prove the infectivity of the nematode larvae for European eels for the first time. After experimental inoculation of Pomphorhynchus cysts occasionally infested with A. crassus larvae, the nematodes grow to maturity and reproduce whereas all P. laevis were unviable. We therefore postulate that the nematode larvae behave like immunological hitchhikers that follow a “Trojan horse strategy” in order to avoid the paratenic host’s immune response. Accordingly, the interaction between both invasive parasites gives first evidence that the invasional meltdown hypothesis may also apply to parasites.