bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using fractional GM(1,1) model to predict the life of complex equipment
Authors: Wu Lifeng 
Published: May 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to improve performance for predicting the life spans of complex equipment systems.

Design/methodology/approach
– The gray system model with fractional order accumulation (FGM(1,1)) is used to predict the life spans of complex equipment systems using small samples.

Findings
– FGM(1,1) yielded a lower mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for an in-sample and a much lower MAPE for an out-of-sample forecast, which means that FGM(1,1) can predict memory processes.

Practical implications
– FGM(1,1) can predict the life spans of other complex equipment.

Originality/value
– FGM(1,1) yielded a lower MAPE for an in-sample and a much lower MAPE for out-of-sample forecasts, which means that FGM(1,1) can predict memory processes.
Antibiotic use during pregnancy and asthma in preschool children: the influence of confounding
Authors: Mulder B. , Pouwels K. B. , Schuiling‐Veninga C. C. M. , Bos H. J. , de Vries T. W. , Jick S. S. , Hak E. 
Published: May 2016

SummaryBackgroundA recent study suggested that early‐life intestinal microbiota may play an important role in the development of childhood asthma, indicating that antibiotics taken during early life or in late pregnancy may be associated with childhood asthma.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the association between prenatal antibiotic use and asthma in preschool children using data from the prescription database IADB.nl. To assess the influence of potential confounding, we conducted both a case–sibling and a case–control study and compared the results.MethodsWe conducted a case–sibling study in which 1228 children with asthma were compared to 1228 siblings without asthma, using data from the prescription database IADB.nl. In addition, a case–control study was conducted. Asthma in preschool children was defined as ≥ 3 prescriptions for anti‐asthma medication within a year before the fifth birthday. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs).ResultsIn both the case–sibling and case–control analysis, the use of antibiotics in the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of asthma in preschool children (aOR 1.37; 95% CI 1.02–1.83 and aOR 1.40; 95% CI 1.15–1.47). Time‐trend analyses showed that results were not influenced by a time trend in antibiotic exposure. A significant association between exposure to antibiotics in any trimester of pregnancy and the development of asthma in preschool children was observed in the case–control analysis only (aOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.34–1.59).ConclusionAntibiotic use in the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with a small increased risk of asthma in preschool children. This association was robust to time‐invariant confounding or exposure time trends, further supporting the important role for early‐life intestinal microbiota in the development of childhood asthma.
Comparison of centring ability and transportation between four nickel titanium instrumentation techniques by micro‐computed tomography
Authors: Saberi N. , Patel S. , Mannocci F. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAimTo compare the centring ability and transportation of ProTaper Next (PTN), ProTaper Universal (PTU), Race 123 and RevoS using micro‐computed tomography (μCT).MethodologySixty mesial root canals of thirty mandibular molars were divided virtually into coronal, middle and apical thirds, and two reproducible reference points were marked on the external surface of the roots creating 360 measurement points. Samples were randomly allocated to four NiTi instrumentation techniques. Group 1: PTU up to F2 (n = 16), group 2: PTN up to X2 (n = 18), group 3: Race 123 up to T2 (n = 12) and group 4: RevoS up to SU (n = 14). To reproduce a clinical situation, samples were prepared on a phantom head using a surgical operating microscope. Samples were scanned pre‐ and postoperatively using μCT to compare and calculate the transportation and centring ratio. The data were analysed using parametric statistics.ResultsIn the coronal and middle third of the root canals, there were significant differences in centring between PTN and PTU (coronal P < 0.001), PTN and RevoS (coronal P < 0.001), Race and PTU (coronal P < 0.01), Race and RevoS (coronal P < 0.01), PTN and RevoS (middle P < 0.01) and Race and RevoS (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant differences in centring between PTN root canal preparations and other instruments in the apical third (PTN and PTU P < 0.01, PTN and Race P < 0.001, PTN and RevoS P < 0.001). In terms of transportation, in the coronal third, there was a significant difference between PTN and PTU (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the other instruments. In the middle third, significant differences were observed between PTN and PTU (P < 0.05), PTN and RevoS (P < 0.05), Race and PTU (P < 0.05) and Race and RevoS (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between other systems. There was no significant difference in terms of transportation between the four systems in the apical third.ConclusionsProTaper Next prepared more centred root canal shapes when compared with Race, PTU and RevoS. In the coronal and middle third of the root canals, the differences in centring between PTN and PTU/RevoS were significant. PTN root canal preparations were more centred than those achieved with all other instruments in the apical third.
Entry and Technological Performance in New Technology Domains: Technological Opportunities, Technology Competition and Technological Relatedness
Authors: Leten Bart , Belderbos Rene , Looy Bart Van 
Published: May 2016

AbstractEntry and success in new technology domains (NTDs) is essential for firms' long‐term performance. We argue that firms' choices to enter NTDs and their subsequent performance in these domains are not only governed by firm‐level factors but also by environmental characteristics. Entry is encouraged by the richness of opportunities for technology development, while technology competition by incumbent firms discourages entry and render entries that do take place less successful. Firms are expected to be positioned heterogeneously to recognize and capitalize on technological opportunities, depending on the presence of a related technology base. We find qualified support for these conjectures in a longitudinal analysis of entry and technological performance in NTDs by 176 R&D intensive firms. While opportunity rich technology environments attract entries by firms even if these NTDs are distal from firms' existing technologies, firms require related technological expertise in order to exploit technological opportunities post‐entry.
Prehospital Imaging‐Based Triage of Head Trauma with a Mobile Stroke Unit: First Evidence and Literature Review
Authors: Schwindling L. , Ragoschke‐Schumm A. , Kettner M. , Helwig S. , Manitz M. , Roumia S. , Lesmeister M. , Grunwald I. Q. , Fassbender K. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDAn ambulance equipped with a computed tomography (CT) scanner, point‐of‐care laboratory, and telemedicine capabilities (Mobile Stroke Unit [MSU]) has been shown to enable delivery of thrombolysis to stroke patients at the emergency site, thereby significantly decreasing time to treatment. However, the MSU frequently assesses patients with cerebral disorders other than stroke. For some of these disorders, prehospital CT scanning may also be beneficial.METHODSOur institution manages a program investigating prehospital stroke treatment of patients with neurological emergencies. We assessed a patient with head trauma for whom prehospital CT scanning and laboratory tests allowed cause‐based triage to the most appropriate hospital. We examined implications of this case for clinical practice in light of a literature review.RESULTSThe MSU was dispatched to assess a 74‐year‐old woman with suspected head trauma or stroke, found lying on the floor with a left frontal laceration. Her Glasgow Coma Scale score was 13, apart from drowsiness she exhibited no neurologic deficit. A CT scan ruled out intracranial hemorrhage and skull fracture. On the basis of these prehospital diagnostic findings, the patient was taken to the nearest primary care hospital rather than to a trauma center with neurosurgery facilities.CONCLUSIONPatients with neurologic disorders other than stroke, such as traumatic brain injury, may also benefit from prehospital CT studies. This case report and the results of our analysis of the literature support the potential benefit of prehospital imaging in correctly triaging patients with suspected traumatic brain injury to the appropriate target hospital.
Translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) from tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana is necessary for successful infection by a potyvirus
Authors: Bruckner Fernanda Prieto , Xavier André Da Silva , Cascardo Renan De Souza , Otoni Wagner Campos , Zerbini Francisco Murilo , Alfenas‐Zerbini Poliane 
Published: May 2016

SummaryTranslationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) is a ubiquitously distributed protein in eukaryotes, involved in the regulation of several processes, including cell cycle progression, cell growth, stress protection, apoptosis and maintenance of genomic integrity. Its expression is induced during the early stages of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) infection by the potyvirus Pepper yellow mosaic virus (PepYMV, a close relative of Potato virus Y). Tomato TCTP is a protein of 168 amino acids, which contains all the conserved domains of the TCTP family. To study the effects of TCTP silencing in PepYMV infection, Nicotiana benthamiana plants were silenced by virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) and transgenic tomato plants silenced for TCTP were obtained. In the early stages of infection, both tomato and N. benthamiana silenced plants accumulated less virus than control plants. Transgenic tomato plants showed a drastic reduction in symptoms and no viral accumulation at 14 days post‐inoculation. Subcellular localization of TCTP was determined in healthy and systemically infected N. benthamiana leaves. TCTP was observed in both the nuclei and cytoplasm of non‐infected cells, but only in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Our results indicate that TCTP is a growth regulator necessary for successful PepYMV infection and that its localization is altered by the virus, probably to favour the establishment of virus infection. A network with putative interactions that may occur between TCTP and Arabidopsis thaliana proteins was built. This network brings together experimental data of interactions that occur in other eukaryotes and helps us to discuss the possibilities of TCTP involvement in viral infection.
Molecular speciation and tissue compartmentation of zinc in durum wheat grains with contrasting nutritional status
Authors: Persson Daniel Pergament , de Bang Thomas C. , Pedas Pai R. , Kutman Umit Baris , Cakmak Ismail , Andersen Birgit , Finnie Christine , Schjoerring Jan K. , Husted Søren 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Low concentration of zinc (Zn) in the endosperm of cereals is a major factor contributing to Zn deficiency in human populations. We have investigated how combined Zn and nitrogen (N) fertilization affects the speciation and localization of Zn in durum wheat (Triticum durum).

Zn‐binding proteins were analysed with liquid chromatography ICP‐MS and Orbitrap MS2, respectively. Laser ablation ICP‐MS with simultaneous Zn, sulphur (S) and phosphorus (P) detection was used for bioimaging of Zn and its potential ligands.

Increasing the Zn and N supply had a major impact on the Zn concentration in the endosperm, reaching concentrations higher than current breeding targets. The S concentration also increased, but S was only partly co‐localized with Zn. The mutual Zn and S enrichment was reflected in substantially more Zn bound to small cysteine‐rich proteins (apparent size 10–30 kDa), whereas the response of larger proteins (apparent size > 50 kDa) was only modest. Most of the Zn‐responsive proteins were associated with redox‐ and stress‐related processes.

This study offers a methodological platform to deepen the understanding of processes behind endosperm Zn enrichment. Novel information is provided on how the localization and speciation of Zn is modified during Zn biofortification of grains.
Refrigeration and cryopreservation of platelets differentially affect platelet metabolism and function: a comparison with conventional platelet storage conditions
Authors: Johnson Lacey , Tan Shereen , Wood Ben , Davis April , Marks Denese C. 
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUNDAlternatives to room temperature storage of platelets (PLTs) may be beneficial to extend the limited shelf life and support transfusion logistics in rural and military areas. The aim of this study was to assess the morphologic, metabolic, and functional aspects of PLTs stored at room temperature or in refrigerated conditions or cryopreserved.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA three‐arm pool‐and‐split study was carried out using buffy coat–derived PLTs stored in 30% plasma/70% SSP+. The three matched treatment arms were room temperature stored (20‐24°C), cold‐stored (2‐6°C), and cryopreserved (−80°C with dimethyl sulfoxide). Liquid‐stored PLTs were tested over a 21‐day period, while cryopreserved PLTs were examined immediately after thawing and after 6 and 24 hours of storage at room temperature.RESULTSCold‐stored and cryopreserved PLTs underwent a significant shape change, although the cryopreserved PLTs appeared to recover from this during subsequent storage. Glycolytic metabolism was reduced in cold‐stored PLTs, but accelerated in cryopreserved PLTs, while oxidative phosphorylation was negatively affected by both storage conditions. PLT aggregation was potentiated by cold storage and diminished by cryopreservation in comparison to room temperature–stored PLTs. Cold storage and cryopreservation resulted in faster clot formation (R‐time; thromboelastography), which was associated with an increase in microparticles.CONCLUSIONCold storage and cryopreservation of PLTs led to morphologic and metabolic changes. However, storage under these conditions appears to maintain or even enhance certain aspects of in vitro PLT function.
Interindividual registration and dose mapping for voxelwise population analysis of rectal toxicity in prostate cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Dréan Gaël , Acosta Oscar , Lafond Caroline , Simon Antoine , de Crevoisier Renaud , Haigron Pascal 
Published: May 2016

Purpose:Recent studies revealed a trend toward voxelwise population analysis in order to understand the local dose/toxicity relationships in prostate cancer radiotherapy. Such approaches require, however, an accurate interindividual mapping of the anatomies and 3D dose distributions toward a common coordinate system. This step is challenging due to the high interindividual variability. In this paper, the authors propose a method designed for interindividual nonrigid registration of the rectum and dose mapping for population analysis.Methods:The method is based on the computation of a normalized structural description of the rectum using a Laplacian‐based model. This description takes advantage of the tubular structure of the rectum and its centerline to be embedded in a nonrigid registration‐based scheme. The performances of the method were evaluated on 30 individuals treated for prostate cancer in a leave‐one‐out cross validation.Results:Performance was measured using classical metrics (Dice score and Hausdorff distance), along with new metrics devised to better assess dose mapping in relation with structural deformation (dose‐organ overlap). Considering these scores, the proposed method outperforms intensity‐based and distance maps‐based registration methods.Conclusions:The proposed method allows for accurately mapping interindividual 3D dose distributions toward a single anatomical template, opening the way for further voxelwise statistical analysis.
Characterization of scintillator‐based detectors for few‐ten‐keV high‐spatial‐resolution x‐ray imaging
Authors: Larsson Jakob C. , Lundström Ulf , Hertz Hans M. 
Published: May 2016

Purpose:High‐spatial‐resolution x‐ray imaging in the few‐ten‐keV range is becoming increasingly important in several applications, such as small‐animal imaging and phase‐contrast imaging. The detector properties critically influence the quality of such imaging. Here the authors present a quantitative comparison of scintillator‐based detectors for this energy range and at high spatial frequencies.Methods:The authors determine the modulation transfer function, noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency for Gadox, needle CsI, and structured CsI scintillators of different thicknesses and at different photon energies. An extended analysis of the NPS allows for direct measurements of the scintillator effective absorption efficiency and effective light yield as well as providing an alternative method to assess the underlying factors behind the detector properties.Results:There is a substantial difference in performance between the scintillators depending on the imaging task but in general, the CsI based scintillators perform better than the Gadox scintillators. At low energies (16 keV), a thin needle CsI scintillator has the best performance at all frequencies. At higher energies (28–38 keV), the thicker needle CsI scintillators and the structured CsI scintillator all have very good performance. The needle CsI scintillators have higher absorption efficiencies but the structured CsI scintillator has higher resolution.Conclusions:The choice of scintillator is greatly dependent on the imaging task. The presented comparison and methodology will assist the imaging scientist in optimizing their high‐resolution few‐ten‐keV imaging system for best performance.
Optimizing Wellness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Goldstein Roger S , Brooks Dina , Ford Gordon T 
Published: May 2016

Optimizing wellness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an emerging theme, in response to the substantial burden of COPD among Canadians. Population surveillance, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as from international initiatives, such as the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study, has revealed the prevalence and regional disparities of a condition in which mortality, morbidity and health care resource use often reflect what was happening in the population more than 20 years previously. As COPD emerges to be an important women’s health issue, it raises questions as to how female mortality from COPD can rise at double the rate of breast cancer, why the COPD patient population is still predominantly male and whether women experience breathlessness differently than men.There is increasing awareness of the frequency and importance of assessing secondary impairments, such as muscle atrophy, an important prognostic indicator. The availability of pulmonary rehabilitation, despite its beneficial effects on exercise and quality of life, remains far behind the demand for services, a care gap unlikely to be filled by institutionally based programs. New models of chronic disease management require the health care system to proactively meet the needs of individuals with chronic conditions, rather than reacting to them through the acute care system. Such approaches occur best in partnership between health authorities and local municipalities. The present supplement includes several examples of this partnership, especially in Alberta and Saskatchewan. An increasing body of evidence supports the importance of exercise training, combined with selfmanagement, as a cornerstone of chronic disease management.
Asthma Worsenings: Approaches to Prevention and Management from the Asthma Worsenings Working Group
Authors: Balter Meyer , Ernst Pierre , Watson Wade , Kim Harold , Cicutto Lisa , Beauchesne Marie-France , Cave Andrew J , Kaplan Alan , Hogg Donna , McIvor Andrew , Smiley Tom , Rouleau Michel , FitzGerald J Mark 
Published: May 2016

Most asthma patients prescribed maintenance asthma therapies still experience periods of asthma worsenings characterized by daytime or night-time symptoms, or an increased need for rescue medication. In fact, these episodes are highly prevalent even in patients with well-controlled disease. Published literature suggests that asthma worsenings likely represent a window of opportunity during which patients could intervene early to prevent exacerbations or further deterioration of asthma symptoms. However, current evidence suggests that most patients fail to respond or to self-manage appropriately during these periods.To address the issue of asthma worsenings, an interdisciplinary committee of respirologists, allergists, family physicians, pharmacists and certified asthma educators from across Canada developed a practical definition of asthma worsenings and provided approaches to the prevention and management of these episodes based on current literature. To date, combination inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta-agonist therapy, particularly single inhaler maintenance and reliever therapy, appears to be an effective strategy for preventing asthma worsenings and exacerbations. Addressing the potential barriers to appropriate patient self-management of asthma worsenings, such as failure to adequately identify and respond to worsenings, low expectations for controlling asthma, low health literacy and poor patient-health care professional communication, are also critical to the successful prevention and management of these episodes. Finally, an interdisciplinary team approach involving patients and their families, certified asthma educators, primary care physicians, pharmacists and specialists is likely to have the greatest impact on the identification, prevention and management of asthma worsenings.
Montelukast as Add-On Therapy to Inhaled Corticosteroids in the Management of Asthma (the SAS trial)
Authors: Fitzgerald J Mark , Foucart Sylvain , Coyle Stephen , Sampalis John , Haine Denis , Psaradellis Eliofotisti , McIvor R Andrew 
Published: May 2016

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of montelukast as add-on therapy for asthmatic patients who remain uncontrolled with low, moderate or high doses of inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy.DESIGN: An eight-week, multicentre, open-label, observational study.RESULTS: Of 320 patients enrolled, 288 (90.0%) completed the study. Of patients who had uncontrolled asthma symptoms (Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines Update, 2003) but were controlled according to the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ score of less than 1.5), 93.9% maintained asthma control at week 8. Of patients with uncontrolled asthma at baseline for both definitions, 63.5% achieved asthma control by week 8. The mean ± SD ACQ score decreased from 1.13±0.28 to 0.57±0.50 (P<0.001) for controlled patients at baseline and from 2.38±0.73 to 1.03±0.80 (P<0.001) for patients who were uncontrolled at baseline, each representing a clinically significant improvement.CONCLUSION: Montelukast add-on therapy is an effective alternative to inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy.