2,321 research outputs found
A questionnaire elicitation of surgeons' belief about learning within a surgical trial
PMID: 23145113 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] PMCID: PMC3493499 Free PMC ArticlePeer reviewedPublisher PD
Metabolic Biomarkers for Monitoring in Situ Anaerobic Hydrocarbon Degradation
During the past 15 years researchers have made great strides in understanding the metabolism of hydrocarbons by anaerobic bacteria. Organisms capable of utilizing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been isolated and described. In addition, the mechanisms of degradation for these compounds have been elucidated. This basic research has led to the development of methods for detecting in situ biodegradation of petroleum-related pollutants in anoxic groundwater. Knowledge of the metabolic pathways used by anaerobic bacteria to break down hydrocarbons has allowed us to identify unique intermediate compounds that can be used as biomarkers for in situ activity. One of these unique intermediates is 2-methylbenzylsuccinate, the product of fumarate addition to o-xylene by the enzyme responsible for toluene utilization. We have carried out laboratory studies to show that this compound can be used as a reliable indicator of anaerobic toluene degradation. Field studies confirmed that the biomarker is detectable in field samples and its distribution corresponds to areas where active biodegradation is predicted. For naphthalene, three biomarkers were identified [2-naphthoic acid (2-NA), tetrahydro-2-NA, and hexahydro-2-NA] that can be used in the field to identify areas of active in situ degradation
Effects of Starch on Oral Health: Systematic Review to Inform WHO Guideline.
A systematic review was conducted to update evidence on the effect of total dietary starch and of replacing rapidly digestible starches (RDSs) with slowly digestible starches (SDSs) on oral health outcomes to inform updating of World Health Organization guidance on carbohydrate intake. Data sources included MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, LILACS, and Wanfang. Eligible studies were comparative and reported any intervention with a different starch content of diets or foods and data on oral health outcomes relating to dental caries, periodontal disease, or oral cancer. Studies that reported total dietary starch intake or change in starch intake were included or where comparisons or exposure included diets and foods that compared RDSs and/or SDSs. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) statement, and evidence was assessed with the GRADE Working Group guidelines. From 6,080 papers identified, 33 (28 studies) were included in the RDS versus SDS comparison: 15 (14 studies) assessed the relationship between SDS and/or RDS and dental caries; 16 (12 studies) considered oral cancer; and 2 studied periodontal disease. For total starch, 23 papers (22 studies) were included: 22 assessed the effects on dental caries, and 1 considered oral cancer. GRADE assessment indicated low-quality evidence, suggesting no association between total starch intake and caries risk but that RDS intake may significantly increase caries risk. Very low-quality evidence suggested no association between total starch and oral cancer risk, and low-quality evidence suggested that SDS decreases oral cancer risk. Data on RDS and oral cancer risk were inconclusive. Very low-quality data relating to periodontitis suggested a protective effect of whole grain starches (SDS). The best available evidence suggests that only RDS adversely affects oral health.World Health Organization
(WHO) and Newcastle University
Quantifying Robotic Swarm Coverage
In the field of swarm robotics, the design and implementation of spatial
density control laws has received much attention, with less emphasis being
placed on performance evaluation. This work fills that gap by introducing an
error metric that provides a quantitative measure of coverage for use with any
control scheme. The proposed error metric is continuously sensitive to changes
in the swarm distribution, unlike commonly used discretization methods. We
analyze the theoretical and computational properties of the error metric and
propose two benchmarks to which error metric values can be compared. The first
uses the realizable extrema of the error metric to compute the relative error
of an observed swarm distribution. We also show that the error metric extrema
can be used to help choose the swarm size and effective radius of each robot
required to achieve a desired level of coverage. The second benchmark compares
the observed distribution of error metric values to the probability density
function of the error metric when robot positions are randomly sampled from the
target distribution. We demonstrate the utility of this benchmark in assessing
the performance of stochastic control algorithms. We prove that the error
metric obeys a central limit theorem, develop a streamlined method for
performing computations, and place the standard statistical tests used here on
a firm theoretical footing. We provide rigorous theoretical development,
computational methodologies, numerical examples, and MATLAB code for both
benchmarks.Comment: To appear in Springer series Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering
(LNEE). This book contribution is an extension of our ICINCO 2018 conference
paper arXiv:1806.02488. 27 pages, 8 figures, 2 table
Investigating the missing data mechanism in quality of life outcomes: a comparison of approaches
Background: Missing data is classified as missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at
random (MAR) or missing not at random (MNAR). Knowing the mechanism is useful in identifying
the most appropriate analysis. The first aim was to compare different methods for identifying this
missing data mechanism to determine if they gave consistent conclusions. Secondly, to investigate
whether the reminder-response data can be utilised to help identify the missing data mechanism.
Methods: Five clinical trial datasets that employed a reminder system at follow-up were used.
Some quality of life questionnaires were initially missing, but later recovered through reminders.
Four methods of determining the missing data mechanism were applied. Two response data
scenarios were considered. Firstly, immediate data only; secondly, all observed responses
(including reminder-response).
Results: In three of five trials the hypothesis tests found evidence against the MCAR assumption.
Logistic regression suggested MAR, but was able to use the reminder-collected data to highlight
potential MNAR data in two trials.
Conclusion: The four methods were consistent in determining the missingness mechanism. One
hypothesis test was preferred as it is applicable with intermittent missingness. Some inconsistencies between the two data scenarios were found. Ignoring the reminder data could potentially give a distorted view of the missingness mechanism. Utilising reminder data allowed the possibility of MNAR to be considered.The Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorate.
Research Training Fellowship (CZF/1/31
Directional emission of light from a nano-optical Yagi-Uda antenna
The plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles can enhance and direct light
from optical emitters in much the same way that radio frequency (RF) antennas
enhance and direct the emission from electrical circuits. In the RF regime, a
typical antenna design for high directivity is the Yagi-Uda antenna, which
basically consists of a one-dimensional array of antenna elements driven by a
single feed element. Here, we present the experimental demonstration of
directional light emission from a nano-optical Yagi-Uda antenna composed of an
array of appropriately tuned gold nanorods. Our results indicate that
nano-optical antenna arrays are a simple but efficient tool for the spatial
control of light emission.Comment: 4 pages, including 4 figure
The effectiveness of early lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma (EAGLE) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
A systematic review of the use of an expertise-based randomised controlled trial design
Acknowledgements JAC held a Medical Research Council UK methodology (G1002292) fellowship, which supported this research. The Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences (University of Aberdeen), is core-funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. Views express are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
SUSY Stops at a Bump
We discuss collider signatures of the "natural supersymmetry" scenario with
baryon-number violating R-parity violation. We argue that this is one of the
few remaining viable incarnations of weak scale supersymmetry consistent with
full electroweak naturalness. We show that this intriguing and challenging
scenario contains distinctive LHC signals, resonances of hard jets in
conjunction with relatively soft leptons and missing energy, which are easily
overlooked by existing LHC searches. We propose novel strategies for
distinguishing these signals above background, and estimate their potential
reach at the 8 TeV LHC. We show that other multi-lepton signals of this
scenario can be seen by currently existing searches with increased statistics,
but these opportunities are more spectrum-dependent.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. V2: spectrum discussion corrected,
most of the changes are in Sec. 2. Benchmarks, analysis and conclusions
unchanged. References adde
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