bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal Trends Analysis of the Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes of Women With Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS): ACS Israeli Survey Registry 2000‐2016
Authors: Porter Avital , Paradkar Anika , Goldenberg Ilan , Shlomo Nir , Cohen Tal , Kornowski Ran , Eisen Alon
Published: December 2019

Background

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death among women. Despite improvements in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (
ACS
), women with an
ACS
remain at higher risk.

Methods and Results

We performed a time‐dependent analysis of the management and outcomes of women admitted with
ACS
who enrolled in the prospective biennial
ACS
Israeli Surveys between 2000 and 2016. Surveys were divided into 3 time periods (2000‐2004, 2006‐2010, and 2013‐2016). Outcomes included 30‐day major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, stent thrombosis, urgent revascularization) and 1‐year mortality. Overall, 3518 women were admitted with an
ACS
. Their mean age (70±12 years) was similar among the time periods. Over the time course of the study, more women were admitted with non–
ST
‐elevation
ACS
(51.9%, 59.6%, and 66.1%, respectively;
P
<0.001), and statins and percutaneous coronary intervention were increasingly utilized (66%, 91%, 93%, and 42%, 60%, and 68%, respectively;
P
<0.001 for each). Among women with
ST
‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction, more primary percutaneous coronary interventions were performed (48.5%, 84.7%, and 95.3%, respectively;
P
<0.001). The rate of 30‐day major adverse cardiac events has significantly decreased over the years (24.6%, 18.6%, and 13.5%, respectively;
P
<0.001). However, 1‐year mortality rates declined only from 2000 to 2004 (16.9%, 12.8%, and 12.3%;
P
=0.007 for the overall difference), and this change was not significant after propensity matching or multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Over more than a decade, 30‐day major adverse cardiac events have decreased among women with
ACS
. Advances in pharmacological treatments and an early invasive approach may have accounted for this improvement. However, the lack of further reduction in 1‐year mortality rates among women suggests that more measures should be provided in this high‐risk population.
EKMEK İSRAFINI ÖNLEME NİYETİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ
Authors: ARSLAN Neslihan , AYDIN Hatice
Published: December 2019

İnsanların çoğu ihtiyaç fazlası olan gıdaları değerlendirememekte ve gıdanın
önemli bir bölümünü atmaktadır. Ekmeğin aşırı tüketimi gıda israf konusunu
önemli kılmaktadır. Öneminden dolayı bu çalışmada ekmek israf etmeme niyetinde etkisi
olduğu düşünülen faktörleri değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Anket yönteminin
uygulandığı çalışmada Bandırma’da yaşayan 235 kişiye ulaşılarak artan ekmeği
değerlendirme alışkanlıkları ölçülmeye ve israfı önlemede etkisi olan faktörler
belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Sonuçlara göre farkındalık ve alışveriş alışkanlığı
dışındaki ahlaki norm, geri dönüşüm alışkanlıkları ve bilgi düzeyi israf etmeme
niyetini (önleme) etkilemektedir.
Augustine on Loving Too Much
Authors: Stróżyński Mateusz
Published: December 2019

The article analyzes the friendship narratives contained in Books Two, Three and Four of Augustine’s Confessions, treating them not as biographical accounts, but as illustrations of Augustine’s philosophical ideas, namely, the fall of the soul and the role played in it by love. All those narratives seem to describe a homoerotic dimension of friendship. It is argued that making such homoerotic friendship, and not heterosexual love between man and woman, an allegory of the fall of the soul enables Augustine to show better the mechanism of the fall, namely, its excessive intensity and the fact that it perverts a naturally good relationship of the soul with the whole of creation.
The International Health Regulations (2005)
Authors: Kamradt-Scott Adam
Published: December 2019

The World Health Organization (WHO) is obligated to pursue the control and eradication of infectious disease. This mandate was enshrined in the 1946 constitutive treaty and has been repeatedly reinforced by World Health Assembly resolutions, programmes, and campaigns. In 1951 a purpose-built instrument – the International Sanitary Regulations – was adopted to strengthen the international organization’s means for preventing the international spread of disease while minimising disruption to international traffic and trade. The Regulations – which are now known as ‘the International Health Regulations’ (IHR) – were substantively revised in 2005 and are integral to the WHO’s mission. Importantly, however, as custodian of the revised IHR the WHO has periodically failed to take full advantage of the treaty’s provisions or use it as intended. This article discusses the importance of the IHR, the WHO’s obligations with respect to ensuring the correct functioning of the 2005 treaty, and outlines some measures that will enable the WHO to main stream the treaty and ensure fuller utilization.
Financing the World Health Organization
Authors: Daugirdas Kristina , Burci Gian Luca
Published: December 2019

When it comes to financing the work of international organizations, voluntary contributions from both state and non-state actors are growing in size and importance. The World Health Organization (WHO) is an extreme case: voluntary contributions – mostly earmarked for particular purposes – comprise more than 80 percent of its funds. Moreover, non-state actors supply almost half of WHO’s funds, with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ranking as the second-highest contributor after the United States. A number of public-health and international relations scholars have expressed alarm over these trends, arguing that heavy reliance on voluntary contributions is inconsistent with genuine multilateralism. Relying on interviews with current and former WHO officials, our study explores the causes and consequences of these trends, and recent efforts by member states and the WHO secretariat to reconcile growing reliance on voluntary contributions with multilateral governance. We describe the headway WHO has made in mitigating the risks associated with heavy reliance on voluntary contributions – as well as the challenges that persist. Most importantly, we argue that multilateralism is not categorically incompatible with reliance on voluntary contributions from both state and non-state actors. Collective multilateral decision-making is not a binary feature, either present or absent. Even if the final decision to provide voluntary contributions is up to individual donors, international institutions have opportunities to regulate such contributions both in terms of substance and process. The more heavily regulated voluntary contributions are, the more embedded they become in collective decisions, and the less tension there is between multilateralism and reliance on voluntary contributions.
Refining United Nations Security Council Targeted Sanctions
Authors: Jayakody Nadeshda
Published: December 2019

The United Nations Security Council’s targeted sanctions seek to protect global peace and security. The majority of these sanctions are imposed on individuals deemed to be a terror threat and include measures such as asset freezes and travel bans. These measures can impede, inter alia, the right to private life and freedom of movement of targeted individuals. While it is accepted that certain rights can be restricted for the protection of public security, restrictions must be proportional under international human rights law. Given that UN sanctions regimes have come under scrutiny in recent years for their lack of procedural safeguards and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental rights, this article argues that proportionality based reasoning should be included in sanctions committees’ substantive decision-making processes. Other procedural safeguards should also be incorporated by UN sanctions committees. This would help ensure that sanctions are more measured and minimise impairment of human rights.
Disinformation in Elections
Authors: Bader Max
Published: December 2019

In recent years there has been increasing attention to the potentially disruptive influence of disinformation on elections. The most common forms of disinformation in elections include the dissemination of ‘fake news’ in order to discredit opponents or to influence the voting process, the falsification or manipulation of polling data, and the use of fake election monitoring and observation. This article presents an overview of the phenomenon of disinformation in elections in both democratic and undemocratic environments, and discusses measures to reduce its scope and negative impact.
Disinformation in International Relations: How Important Is It?
Authors: Gerrits André W.M.
Published: December 2019

This article explores the relevance of disinformation in international relations. It discusses the nature of information manipulation, ways to counter disinformation, and possibilities for international organizations, including the osce, to initiate confidence-building measures. The article suggests that although disinformation becomes an increasingly salient aspect of global politics, its security impact should not be overstated. As in domestic politics, international disinformation parasites on existing divisions and concerns, which it exploits rather than creates. This should not be trivialized. Disinformation is disruptive and it further deteriorates the overall international context. But as yet it is not a significant security challenge, and it does not change the international balance of power.
“Foreign Terrorist Fighters”: A Human Rights Approach?
Authors: Duffy Helen
Published: December 2019

This article reflects on the proliferation of responses to the so-called phenomenon of “foreign terrorist fighters,” and the profound human rights challenges they give rise to. It considers national, regional and international developments, many spurred by an activist Security Council, through which expanded powers have been assumed and rights restricted by reference to the need to respond to ftf threats. A series of uncomfortable relationships emerge from this analysis. They include for example tensions: between the evolving and still relatively superficial understanding of the nature and source of uncertain threats and contributing factors on the one hand, and the onerous and far-reaching nature of responses directed against them on the other; between the expansive use of coercive measures including criminal law, and basic constraining principles of criminal law upon which its legitimacy and power depends, such as individual culpability, harm principle and remoteness; or between the original purposes of most ftf measures and their impact in practice, on the operation of humanitarian law, on humanitarian workers and human rights defenders, and on the rule of law. Exceptional ftf measures continue to spread their reach and creep into other areas of security and organised crime. The article highlights the need to consider the short and long term impact, on the full range of rights of many, of the array of administrative, criminal and other measures being passed into law and implemented in practice across the globe in the name of responding to the ill-defined phenomenon of “ftfs”.
Exploring the UN and OPCW Partnership in Syrian Chemical Weapons Disarmament
Authors: Makdisi Karim , Pison Hindawi Coralie
Published: December 2019

After reviewing recent literature on international organizations’ autonomy and cooperation, this article explores the unprecedented partnership between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons—implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention—and the UN Secretariat during the 2013–2014 chemical weapons disarmament in Syria. The article explores how this collaboration, embodied on the ground through the creation of a Joint Mission, evolved from hesitant, bureaucratic rivalry to an increasingly intense relationship in the aftermath of a large-scale attack near Damascus in August 2013. The research is based on wide-ranging interviews with senior OPCW and UN staff, and relevant state officials. The article shows how international shocks, high-level support from key Member States, and leadership at the Secretariat level produced requisite intra- and interorganizational consensus to mitigate turf wars. Relative autonomy of mission staff and bureaucratic flexibility further allowed skilled boundary spanners to build trust and increase the mission’s leeway, allowing it to navigate complex political challenges.
Secularization and the Jōruri Plays
Authors: Kawata Koh
Published: December 2019

This paper aims to show, primarily through analysis of seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century jōruri 浄瑠璃 plays, the radical changes in the vision of salvation shared among ordinary people, focusing especially on Jōruri monogatari 浄瑠璃物語, Sonezaki shinjū 曽根崎心中 and Kinpira jōruri 金平浄瑠璃, and highlights how such changes are related to contemporary social processes of secularization. José Casanova famously claimed that the classical concept of secularization as the decline of religious belief is not adequate for the task of understanding general historical processes. Nevertheless, an equivalent to this process of religious decline is an important phenomenon in early modern Japan. In this secularization process, Japanese people of the early modern period sought more secular visions of salvation. Strong, persistent attention to kokoro 心 (mind or spirit), regarded as the means of realizing secular values such as wealth or happiness, was an expression of these concerns. Analyzing jōruri plays reveals how the increasing power of the centralized state, defeating religious powers one by one, became the key to changing people’s visions of salvation and thus, of secularization processes.
Practicing Belonging?
Authors: Fujiwara Satoko
Published: December 2019

This article suggests a way for scholars of Japanese religion to contribute to the international discussion on “nones” or the “non-religious,” who have been characterized as “believing without belonging,” “belonging without believing,” “believing in belonging,” etc. by integrating three different discursive arenas: one on multiple secularities as a context-conscious reexamination of functional differentiation; one on Japanese modernization centered on the idea of ie (household)-mura (village community); and one on a recent Japanese obsession with tsunagari (relationships, connection) and shōnin (recognition). The article argues that Japanese non-religiousness in the 2010s is an updated, self-conscious version of “religion as human relationships,” which can be paraphrased as “practicing belonging.” Moreover, while the current “religion as human relationships” practiced among young people tends to be confined to the intimate sphere, its traditional version regulated the public sphere as well. It was this public sphere of “religion as human relationships” that came to appear secular, as opposed to World Religions as matters of personal choice, in the process of modernization, which included the adoption of the Western concepts of “religion” and “secular.” The article also suggests that a “relationships turn” has been taking place not only in nonreligious rituals and festivals but also in spiritual culture and institutionalized religion.
Religion, Medicine and the Notion of Charity in Early Jesuit Missionary Pursuits in Buddhist Japan
Authors: Triplett Katja
Published: December 2019

Searching for conceptual distinctions between religion and medicine is a promising avenue from which to reconstruct trajectories towards the appropriation of hegemonic Western concepts of secularism in Japan, such as the Meiji-period separation of religious and medical practice. Buddhism and medicine had already established a complex relationship for centuries when the Jesuits arrived in Japan. Mahāyāna Buddhist tenets, such as the practice of medicine as a “field of merit” (fukuden 福田), served lay Buddhists as well as monastics as a means to increase social capital through charitable projects. The article seeks to explore whether the Jesuits’ distinction between religion and medicine, and by extension the notion of charity, had any significant impact on Japanese religious and medical culture. In making a distinction between religion and medicine, the Jesuits drew a particular boundary in a way that could be interpreted as a precursor of secularity. The analysis of late medieval and early modern sources in European languages and in Japanese supports the conclusion that the form of secularity emerging in the Edo period resulted from an increase in the popularization of Neo-Confucian concepts and not the influx of the Catholic notion of caritas in the Iberian phase.
Sūrat al-Nisāʾ and the Centrality of Justice
Authors: Farrin Raymond K.
Published: December 2019

A structural analysis of Sūrat al-Nisāʾ shows that it is composed according to a symmetrical plan, featuring a return at the end to themes of the beginning (such as the fair treatment of women). In its form, identified as A– B – C – B’ – A’, the sūra compares to other long Medinan sūras. The overall structure is an expansion of the A – B – A’ form common to Meccan sūras. By identifying the large yet likewise symmetrical plan of this sūra, the article – besides bringing to light an example of coherence – highlights continuity in the composition of the Qurʾān. It also brings the middle passage of Sūra 4 into focus. Here, reference is made to an incident involving a Jew accused of theft, and individual accountability is stressed. The Prophet’s ruling in this particular case, putting into practice the just principles enunciated in the “Constitution of Medina,” provides an instance of leadership by example. Finally, the article calls attention to a general development in the Medinan sūras, wherein the figure of Muḥammad, rather than that of an earlier Biblical prophet, for example, becomes central.
The Methodology of Tafsīr al-mubṣir li-nūr al-Qurʾan: The Only Complete Exegesis Written by a Woman (Nāʾila Hāshim Ṣabrī)
Authors: Hameed Afaf A.
Published: December 2019

The importance of this study stems from the lack of a complete Qurʾanic commentary written by a woman, whether in the past or in contemporary times, despite the many important contributions made by women in the fields of education and writing. Women have contributed widely since the first century a.h., and the first of these was our Mother ʿĀʾisha, may Allāh be pleased with her. Despite many contemporary female contributions to Qurʾanic studies, there has been no full exegesis of the Holy Qurʾan written by a woman, with the exception of al-Mubṣir li-nūr al-Qurʾān, by Nāʾila Hāshim Ṣabrī. This paper aims to explore her work by studying her work of exegesis, focussing particularly on its methodology and its academic and social value. This paper highlights that her Qurʾanic exegesis can be categorised as representing the daʿwa social reformist approach, characterised as easy and simple to follow, and focused on the rulings of Islamic jurisprudence and providing explanations for linguistic aspects and vocabulary. It contains no Judeo-Christian narrations (Isrāʾīlīyāt) nor any invented stories that have been wrongly ascribed to the Prophet, may Allāh exalt his name.
Arabic Language Methods and their Effects on the Scholars’ Differences in Understanding the Qur’an and Hadith Texts
Authors: Shah Faisal Ahmad
Published: December 2019

This article explains the importance of the Arabic language and its methods to understand the texts of the Qur’an and hadith. Arabic language scholars have set methods that should be followed in order to produce an accurate understanding of Qur’an and hadith texts. The mastery of the rules of the Arabic language is very important because any negligence will lead to deviation from the true meaning of the Qur’an and hadith. Through a direct analysis of the works of selected scholars, this article discusses scholars’ differences of understanding towards Qur’an and hadith texts according to their Arabic language proficiency.
A ‘New Chapter’ in Australia–Timor Bilateral Relations? Assessing the Politics of the Timor Sea Maritime Boundary Treaty
Authors: Strating Rebecca
Published: December 2019

The signing of the 2018 Maritime Boundary treaty was described by Australia’s then Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as opening ‘a new chapter’ in diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste. This contribution examines the importance of the treaty to bilateral relations. It provides a brief history of the Timor Sea disputes, explains Timor-Leste’s policy aims, and analyses Australia's foreign policy shift on the boundary delimitation issue. While there are positive signs in resolving the boundary dispute, uncertainty over the development of the Greater Sunrise gas field may impact bilateral relations in the future.
Australia’s Journey to Ratification of the ICESCR and ICCPR
Authors: Devereux Annemarie
Published: December 2019

This article explores Australia’s journey to ratification of the ICESCR and ICCPR. From a somewhat languorous consideration of the Covenants following their adoption by the General Assembly in 1966, the Australian federal government moved to enthusiastically support signature and ratification after the election of the Whitlam government. However, tensions over federal-State demarcations and the potential use of the external affairs power stymied progress. It was not until the Fraser government period that each Covenant was ratified. Exploring this history reveals the depth of divisions concerning respective roles of the Commonwealth and the States in the human rights arena and highlights the role of ‘lighter’ interpretations of obligations in facilitating consensus.
Mining on Celestial Bodies: The Equitable Distribution of Benefits Doctrine and Distributive Justice
Authors: Saunders Melanie K
Published: December 2019

The United States and Luxembourg have recently legislated to permit the acquisition of private property rights over celestial resources mined by private actors. Considering these developments, this note will consider an element of the Common Heritage of Mankind under international space law: the equitable sharing of benefits doctrine. It proposes a formulation of the doctrine that entails material and equitable distribution of economic benefits derived from space mining among all States, ensuring that space is utilised in a manner delivering a tangible collective benefit. It suggests that this doctrine presently lacks the preconditions to amount to an international legal principle erga omnes, and therefore considers how it may develop into a binding juridical standard through analysing an existing model of equitable sharing in an analogous context: the deep seabed. Accordingly, this note conceptualises an international legal framework that delivers an effective mechanism for the redistribution of wealth obtained from mining celestial resources, and that will enhance the compliance of States and private actors with principles of equitable sharing.
First fossil oribatid mite from Lebanese amber (Acariformes, Oribatida, Neoliodidae)

Authors: ARILLO ANTONIO , SUBÍAS LUIS S. , DA ROCHA GINO CHAVES , AZAR DANY
Published: December 2019

We describe herein Neoliodes andreneli sp. nov., an oribatid mite belonging to the family Neoliodidae, from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Lebanon. The new taxa is characterized, illustrated, and its systematic position is discussed. Neoliodes andreneli sp. nov. constitutes the first mite to be described from the Lebanese amber, and the earliest oribatid mite in amber.
New notocupedin beetle in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae)

Authors: TIHELKA ERIK , HUANG DIYING , CAI CHENYANG
Published: December 2019

The archostematan family Ommatidae Sharp & Muir, 1912 represent one of the oldest beetle lineages, originating probably in the Permian or early Triassic (Tan et al., 2012; Cai & Huang, 2017; Zhang et al., 2018). Fossil ommatids have been known since the Triassic and, along with other members of the suborder Archostemata, are reminiscent of the earliest and most basal Permian beetles, with which they share a dorsoventrally compressed body, distinctly raised elytral veins, and characteristic rows of window punctures on the elytra (Crowson, 1962). As such, archaic ommatid beetles have sometimes been referred to as ‘living fossils’ (Jarzembowski et al., 2018). Only six extant ommatid species with a highly disjunct distribution are known (Hörnschemeyer & Beutel, 2016), but the family was much more diverse in the Mesozoic.
Decapod crustaceans from the continental shelf of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil
Authors: MENDONÇA LUANA M.C. , GUIMARÃES CARMEN R.P. , SANTOS RAFAEL C. , ALVES DOUGLAS F.R. , BARROS-ALVES SAMARA P. , SILVA SONJA L.R. , HIROSE GUSTAVO L.
Published: December 2019

We evaluated the taxonomic composition of decapod crustaceans from the continental shelf of the Brazilian state of Sergipe. The specimens were collected during two field campaigns that covered the entire shelf length, at depths of 5–30 m. In the first campaign (“Petro-UFS”), four samplings took place between 1999−2000. In the second one (“Penaeid”), monthly samplings were carried out in 2013−2014, and covered an area at and between two important estuaries. Overall, we examined 74,387 decapod crustacean specimens. These specimens belonged to 27 families and 78 species, of which 26 species are newly recorded from Sergipe. Considering these results and previous records, Sergipe now has 121 species of marine decapod crustaceans, which represents only ~20% of the species recorded in the northern and northeastern Brazil. This gap indicates that the crustacean richness of Sergipe is probably underestimated and likely to increase with further samplings, especially on artificial rocky shores, rhodoliths and algae banks, small coralline formations, and other unexplored estuarine habitats.
The Dark Side of Customer Participation: When Customer Participation in Service Co-Development Leads to Role Stress
Authors: Blut Markus , Heirati Nima , Schoefer Klaus
Published: December 2019

While numerous studies have examined the benefits of customer participation (CP), understanding of the dark side of involving customers in service firms’ processes is limited. This study proposes that the changing role of customers who actively participate in service co-development can cause role stress and negative feelings, which may, in turn, reduce customer satisfaction and the perceived value of participation. We develop and test a comprehensive role theory–based framework for CP-role stress. Using a video-based experiment, behavioral lab experiment, and field study, we find that greater CP leads to heightened role stress including role conflict, role overload, and role ambiguity. These adverse effects occur contingent on customers’ prior participation experience and firm-provided support. Furthermore, role stress effects vary across service co-development types depending on (a) the scope of the task (i.e., open task, closed task) and (b) the beneficiary of participation (i.e., customer, general market). Specifically, adverse effects are stronger for open than for closed tasks, and they also tend to be stronger when the beneficiary is the general market rather than the individual customer. These findings emphasize the need for more cross-context theorizing in CP research. Managers should consider these adverse effects and implement measures that reduce role stress.
Adolescents’ perspectives on the psychological effects of natural disasters in China and Nepal
Authors: Newnham Elizabeth A , Gao Xue , Tearne Jessica , Guragain Bhushan , Jiao Feng , Ghimire Lajina , Chan Emily YY , Leaning Jennifer
Published: December 2019

Adolescents are disproportionately represented in nations vulnerable to humanitarian crises. The mental health effects of exposure to trauma are significant, but evidence concerning the experience of disaster-affected adolescents in Asia is limited. The current study aimed to investigate expressions of psychological distress and behavioral effects of exposure to natural disasters among adolescents in China and Nepal. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents, caregivers, teachers and experts in disaster-affected districts of Yunnan Province, China (n = 79), and Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (n = 62). Open coding and thematic content analysis were employed to examine themes within the data. Indicators of distress were categorized in four domains that reflected expressions of anxiety and stress, mood difficulties, somatic complaints, and behavioral changes for adolescent disaster survivors. Differential reports of psychological concerns by gender were evident in Nepal but not China. Post-traumatic growth and strengthened connections between adolescents and their families were described in both settings. The findings complement similar reports from disaster-affected populations globally that have highlighted cross-cultural elements manifest in adolescents’ descriptions of distress. Sustainable mental health services that are sensitive to adolescents’ experiences of trauma and their unique capabilities will be a necessary component of long-term rehabilitation following disasters.
Comparative study of wild-type and rd10 mice reveals transient intrinsic optical signal response before phosphodiesterase activation in retinal photoreceptors
Authors: Lu Yiming , Kim Tae-Hoon , Yao Xincheng
Published: December 2019

Transient intrinsic optical signal (IOS) has been observed in stimulus-evoked retinal photoreceptors. This study is to compare IOS changes in wild-type and retinal degeneration 10 (rd10) mouse retinas, to evaluate the effect of cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase on photoreceptor-IOS. Time-lapse near-infrared light microscopy was employed to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of the IOS responses in freshly isolated retinas activated by visible light stimulation. Comparative IOS recordings were conducted at postnatal days 14 (P14) and P16. At P14, intrinsic optical signal magnitudes and spatiotemporal dynamics in wild-type and rd10 retinas were similar, indicating that the phosphodiesterase deficiency in rd10 did not affect the formation of photoreceptor-IOS. At P16, IOS magnitude in rd10 significantly decreased compared to that in wild-type, suggesting the IOS sensitivity to the photoreceptor degeneration in rd10. Our experimental results and theoretical analysis indicate that early disc-based stages of the phototransduction cascade before the activation of phosphodiesterase may contribute to the formation of the photoreceptor-IOS responses; and the IOS can be a sensitive biomarker for objective assessment of retinal function.

Impact statement

Comparative study of wild-type and rd10 mice was implemented to reveal that transient intrinsic optical signal (IOS) was initiated before the phosphodiesterase activation in stimulus-activated photoreceptors and the IOS magnitude was sensitive to photoreceptor degeneration. The photoreceptor-IOS promises a noninvasive biomarker for objective assessment of age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and other eye diseases that can produce photoreceptor dysfunctions.
A machine-learning-based hardware-Trojan detection approach for chips in the Internet of Things
Authors: Dong Chen , Chen Jinghui , Guo Wenzhong , Zou Jian
Published: December 2019

With the development of the Internet of Things, smart devices are widely used. Hardware security is one key issue in the security of the Internet of Things. As the core component of the hardware, the integrated circuit must be taken seriously with its security. The pre-silicon detection methods do not require gold chips, are not affected by process noise, and are suitable for the safe detection of a very large-scale integration. Therefore, more and more researchers are paying attention to the pre-silicon detection method. In this study, we propose a machine-learning-based hardware-Trojan detection method at the gate level. First, we put forward new Trojan-net features. After that, we use the scoring mechanism of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting to set up a new effective feature set of 49 out of 56 features. Finally, the hardware-Trojan classifier was trained and detected based on the new feature set by the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain 89.84% average Recall, 86.75% average F-measure, and 99.83% average Accuracy, which is the best detection result among existing machine-learning-based hardware-Trojan detection methods.
Association of prevalence of active transport to work and incidence of myocardial infarction: A nationwide ecological study
Authors: Munyombwe Theresa , Lovelace Robin , Green Mark , Norman Paul , Walpole Sarah , Hall Marlous , Timmis Adam , Batin Phil , Brownlee Alistair , Brownlee Jonathan , Oliver Ged , Gale Chris P
Published: December 2019

Background

There is a paucity of population-based geospatial data about the association between active transport and myocardial infarction. We investigated the association between active transport to work and incidence of myocardial infarction.

Design

This ecological study of 325 local authorities in England included 43,077,039 employed individuals aged 25–74 years (UK Census, 2011), and 117,521 individuals with myocardial infarction (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project, 2011–2013).

Methods

Bayesian negative binomial regression models were used to investigate the association of active transport to work and incidence of myocardial infarction adjusting for local levels of deprivation, obesity, smoking, diabetes and physical activity.

Results

In 2011, the prevalence of active transportation to work for people in employment in England aged 25–74 years was 11.4% (4,531,182 active transporters; 8.6% walking and 2.8% cycling). Active transport in 2011 was associated with a reduced incidence of myocardial infarction in 2012 amongst men cycling to work (incidence rate ratio (95% credible interval) 0.983 (0.967–0.999); and women walking to work (0.983 (0.967–0.999)) after full adjustments. However, the prevalence of active transport for men and women was not significantly associated with the combined incidence of myocardial infarction between 2011–2013 after adjusting for physical activity, smoking and diabetes.

Conclusions

In England, the prevalence of active transportation was associated with a reduced incidence of myocardial infarction for women walking and men cycling to work in corresponding local geographic areas. The overall association of active transport with myocardial infarction was, however, explained by local area levels of smoking, diabetes and physical activity.
Impaired intrinsic functional connectivity between the thalamus and visual cortex in migraine without aura
Authors: Wei Heng-Le , Zhou Xin , Chen Yu-Chen , Yu Yu-Sheng , Guo Xi , Zhou Gang-Ping , Zhou Qing-Qing , Qu Li-Jie , Yin Xindao , Li Junrong , Zhang Hong
Published: December 2019

Background

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has confirmed disrupted visual network connectivity in migraine without aura (MwoA). The thalamus plays a pivotal role in a number of pain conditions, including migraine. However, the significance of altered thalamo-visual functional connectivity (FC) in migraine remains unknown. The goal of this study was to explore thalamo-visual FC integrity in patients with MwoA and investigate its clinical significance.

Methods

Resting-state fMRI data were acquired from 33 patients with MwoA and 22 well-matched healthy controls. After identifying the visual network by independent component analysis, we compared neural activation in the visual network and thalamo-visual FC and assessed whether these changes were linked to clinical characteristics. We used voxel-based morphometry to determine whether functional differences were dependent on structural differences.

Results

The visual network exhibited significant differences in regions (bilateral cunei, right lingual gyrus and left calcarine sulcus) by inter-group comparison. The patients with MwoA showed significantly increased FC between the left thalami and bilateral cunei and between the right thalamus and the contralateral calcarine sulcus and right cuneus. Furthermore, the neural activation of the left calcarine sulcus was positively correlated with visual analogue scale scores (r = 0.319, p = 0.043), and enhanced FC between the left thalamus and right cuneus in migraine patients was negatively correlated with Generalized Anxiety Disorder scores (r = − 0.617, p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Our data suggest that migraine distress is exacerbated by aberrant feedback projections to the visual network, playing a crucial role in migraine physiological mechanisms. The current study provides further insights into the complex scenario of migraine mechanisms.
Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars Dynamics and Enhanced Radio-Frequency Elastomechanical Susceptibility in PNIPAm Hydrogel-KF-doped Barium Titanate Nanoparticle Composites
Authors: Walker Ezekiel , Akishige Yukikuni , Cai Tong , Roberts James , Shepherd Nigel , Wu Shijie , Wang Zhiming , Neogi Arup
Published: December 2019

Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) dynamics and electromagnetic radio-frequency (RF) actuation of the volumetric phase change are investigated in a hybrid polymer composite consisting of hydrogel suspended with high-k nanoparticles. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogels were combined with 10% KF-doped barium titanate (Ba0.9 K0.1 TiO2.9F0.1, KBT) nanoparticles with highly anisotropic dielectric properties using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to form a nanoparticle-hydrogel composite. Whereas the addition of PVA to the synthesis maintains a strong volumetric phase transition with polarization and relaxation features similar to standard bulk PNIPAm, the addition of KBT nanoparticles results in reduced volumetric phase transition and MWS polarization due to charge screening of intramolecular interactions. The added nanoparticles and modified synthesis process enhanced the dielectric permittivity of bulk PNIPAm, increased RF conductivity up to 7×, and decreased the specific heat while still maintaining a discontinuous volumetric phase transition. An RF antenna emitting at 544 kHz was only able to actuate a phase change in the composites with modified synthesis versus bulk PNIPAm. Measured heating rates were 3× greater than that of un-modified PNIPAm.
Quantitative proteome analysis of Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines using SILAC
Authors: Kotowski Ulana , Erović Boban M. , Schnöll Julia , Stanek Victoria , Janik Stefan , Steurer Martin , Mitulović Goran
Published: December 2019

Background

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin with growing incidence. To better understand the biology of this malignant disease, immortalized cell lines are used in research for in vitro experiments. However, a comprehensive quantitative proteome analysis of these cell lines has not been performed so far.

Methods

Stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) was applied to six MCC cell lines (BroLi, MKL-1, MKL-2, PeTa, WaGa, and MCC13). Following tryptic digest of labelled proteins, peptides were analysed by mass spectrometry. Proteome patterns of MCC cell lines were compared to the proteome profile of an immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT).

Results

In total, 142 proteins were upregulated and 43 proteins were downregulated. Altered proteins included mitoferrin-1, histone H2A type 1-H, protein-arginine deiminase type-6, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1, protein SLX4IP and clathrin light chain B. Furthermore, several proteins of the histone family and their variants were highly abundant in MCC cell lines.

Conclusions

The results of this study present a new protein map of MCC and provide deeper insights in the biology of MCC. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008181.
A 2-year-old with a hepatic abscess secondary to an ascending retrocecal appendicitis: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Taylor Gregory M. , Saffer Ethan R. , McDowell Eric L. , Warpinski Matthew A.
Published: December 2019

Background

Diagnosing appendicitis within the pediatric population can be challenging, whether it be a neonate with irritability or a toddler with flank pain. Symptoms may mimic a viral illness, constipation, urinary tract infection, or intussusception, all of which are more common in this age group when compared with appendicitis. While a ruptured appendicitis can result in an intra-abdominal abscess, peritonitis, and/or shock, the development of a pyogenic hepatic abscess is extremely rare.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 2-year-old male who initially presented to the emergency department (ED) with fever and non-specific abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). He returned to the ED days later with rigors, worsening abdominal pain, and was diagnosed with a pyogenic hepatic abscess secondary to an ascending retrocecal appendicitis. In our patient, he did not just have a UTI with cultures growing Escherichia coli, but a hepatic abscess that was polymicrobial. He was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics and a 10 French pigtail catheter was placed. The patient was ultimately discharged on day 8 with continued antibiotics. After his antibiotic course, he underwent an elective laparoscopy appendectomy and is currently doing well post-operatively.

Conclusion

Our case report illustrates the significance in identifying atypical features of appendicitis, broadening the differential of non-specific abdominal pain in pediatric patients, and depending on the clinical situation, ruling out other potential intra-abdominal infections even in the presence of a true urinary tract infection.
Host plant adaptation in the polyphagous whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, is associated with transcriptional plasticity and altered sensitivity to insecticides
Authors: Pym Adam , Singh Kumar Saurabh , Nordgren Åsa , Davies T. G. Emyr , Zimmer Christoph T. , Elias Jan , Slater Russell , Bass Chris
Published: December 2019

Background

The glasshouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorum, is a damaging crop pest and an invasive generalist capable of feeding on a broad range of host plants. As such this species has evolved mechanisms to circumvent the wide spectrum of anti-herbivore allelochemicals produced by its host range.T. vaporariorumhas also demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve resistance to many of the synthetic insecticides used for control.

Results

To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that underpin the polyphagy ofT. vaporariorumand its resistance to natural and synthetic xenobiotics, we sequenced and assembled a reference genome for this species. Curation of genes putatively involved in the detoxification of natural and synthetic xenobiotics revealed a marked reduction in specific gene families between this species and another generalist whitefly,Bemisia tabaci. Transcriptome profiling ofT. vaporariorumupon transfer to a range of different host plants revealed profound differences in the transcriptional response to more or less challenging hosts. Large scale changes in gene expression (> 20% of genes) were observed during adaptation to challenging hosts with a range of genes involved in gene regulation, signalling, and detoxification differentially expressed. Remarkably, these changes in gene expression were associated with significant shifts in the tolerance of host-adaptedT. vaporariorumlines to natural and synthetic insecticides.

Conclusions

Our findings provide further insights into the ability of polyphagous insects to extensively reprogram gene expression during host adaptation and illustrate the potential implications of this on their sensitivity to synthetic insecticides.
The Medicago truncatula nodule identity gene MtNOOT1 is required for coordinated apical-basal development of the root
Authors: Shen Defeng , Kulikova Olga , Guhl Kerstin , Franssen Henk , Kohlen Wouter , Bisseling Ton , Geurts René
Published: December 2019

Background

Legumes can utilize atmospheric nitrogen by hosting nitrogen-fixing bacteria in special lateral root organs, called nodules. Legume nodules have a unique ontology, despite similarities in the gene networks controlling nodule and lateral root development. It has been shown that Medicago truncatula NODULE ROOT1 (MtNOOT1) is required for the maintenance of nodule identity, preventing the conversion to lateral root development. MtNOOT1 and its orthologs in other plant species -collectively called the NOOT-BOP-COCH-LIKE (NBCL) family- specify boundary formation in various aerial organs. However, MtNOOT1 is not only expressed in nodules and aerial organs, but also in developing roots, where its function remains elusive.

Results

We show that Mtnoot1 mutant seedlings display accelerated root elongation due to an enlarged root apical meristem. Also, Mtnoot1 mutant roots are thinner than wild-type and are delayed in xylem cell differentiation. We provide molecular evidence that the affected spatial development of Mtnoot1 mutant roots correlates with delayed induction of genes involved in xylem cell differentiation. This coincides with a basipetal shift of the root zone that is susceptible to rhizobium-secreted symbiotic signal molecules.

Conclusions

Our data show that MtNOOT1 regulates the size of the root apical meristem and vascular differentiation. Our data demonstrate that MtNOOT1 not only functions as a homeotic gene in nodule development but also coordinates the spatial development of the root.
How heterogeneous are MSM from Brazilian cities? An analysis of sexual behavior and perceived risk and a description of trends in awareness and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis
Authors: Torres Thiago S. , Marins Luana M. S. , Veloso Valdilea G. , Grinsztejn Beatriz , Luz Paula M.
Published: December 2019

Background

Brazil has the largest population of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Latin America, with a disproportional prevalence of infection among gays, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Of relevance to prevention and treatment efforts, Brazilian MSM from different regions may differ in behaviors and risk perception related to HIV.

Methods

We report on MSM living in 29 different cities: 26 Brazilian state capitals, the Federal District and two large cities in São Paulo state assessed in three web-based surveys (2016–2018) advertised on Grindr, Hornet and Facebook. Using logistic regression models, we assessed the association of risk behavior with HIV perceived risk as well as factors associated with high-risk behavior.

Results

A total of 16,667 MSM completed the survey. Overall, MSM from the North and Northeast were younger, more black/mixed-black, of lower income and lower education compared to MSM from the South, Southeast and Central-west. Though 17% had never tested for HIV (with higher percentages in the North and Northeast), condomless receptive anal sex (previous 6 months) and high-risk behavior as per HIV Incidence Risk scale for MSM were observed for 41 and 64%, respectively. Sexual behavior and HIV perceived risk had low variability by city and high-risk behavior was strongly associated with high HIV perceived risk. Younger age, being gay/homosexual, having a steady partner, binge drinking, report of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and ever testing for HIV were associated with increased odds of high-risk behavior. Awareness and willingness to use PrEP increased from 2016 to 2018 in most cities.

Conclusions

Overall, MSM socio-demographic characteristics were heterogeneous among Brazilian cities, but similarities were noted among the cities from the same administrative region with a marked exception of the Federal District not following the patterns for the Central-West. Combination HIV prevention is most needed among young men who self-identify as gay/homosexual, report binge drinking or prior STI.