bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Informality, innovation, and aggregate productivity growth
Authors: Schipper Tyler C.
Published: November 2019

This paper investigates how the costs of innovation in the formal sector temper or magnify the impacts of traditional policy levers such as taxation on sectoral choice. I embed a decision whether to operate formally or informally into a richer, general equilibrium model. Formal firms are subject to taxation, but they can improve their productivity through process innovation. Informal firms can potentially avoid taxation, and their productivity is determined by productivity growth in the formal sector. I find that changing tax rates from 50% to 60% decreases formal‐sector participation by 20.9%; however, this percentage falls by 10% when the cost of innovation is lower in the formal sector. The model also illustrates how changes in tax policy affect total factor productivity growth by limiting both the number of formal‐sector firms and the intensity of innovation. These results indicate a potential mechanism to induce firms to operate formally or mitigate harmful impacts of necessary tax changes.
Framing Contests and Policy Conflicts over Gas Pipelines
Authors: Yordy Jill , You Jongeun , Park Kyudong , Weible Christopher M. , Heikkila Tanya
Published: November 2019

This paper compares and contrasts high‐conflict policy debates over the siting of three natural gas pipeline projects at different decision stages of the siting process. This paper draws on over 600 newspaper articles spanning 3 years, analyzed through Discourse Network Analysis. Drawing from the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Policy Conflict framework, this paper finds that actor framing of opposing policy beliefs involves more indirect than direct confrontations, with statements in the media waxing and waning over time. Opponents of the pipelines more often explicitly argue against pipelines, while also using a broad range of conceptual arguments, whereas proponents more often couch their arguments around the economic benefits of pipelines and use fewer conceptual frames overall. We also find evidence that opposing coalitions use similar framing across different decision contexts. This paper concludes with a commentary on the status and contributions of this paper to the study of policy conflicts and next steps in advancing similar research agendas.
Electrochemical gold precipitation to explain extensive vertical and lateral mineralization in the world‐class Poderosa‐Pataz district, Peru
Authors: Gaboury Damien , Oré Sanchez Carlos
Published: November 2019

The world‐class Poderosa‐Pataz district is famous for its gold endowment in vertically and laterally extensive quartz‐sulphide veins. Precipitating mechanisms are investigated to determine why gold is so laterally and vertically distributed. Micro‐XRF and LA‐ICP‐MS element mapping of pyrites surrounding gold grains reveals systematic enrichment of As around or near visible gold accumulations. These As‐enriched zones define discordant rims and corridors overprinting pyrites. LA‐ICP‐MS spot analyses performed within and outside the As enrichment zones indicate that As is enriched on average by two orders of magnitude in association with gold. Secondary pyrite transformation by hydrothermal fluids with elevated As‐Au induced a change in the semiconducting properties of pyrite grains, resulting in the precipitation of visible gold particles at the interfaces of As‐enriched zones. The electrochemical precipitation mechanism acted as a filter to extract gold in solution regardless of variations in pressure and temperature, hence explaining the vertically and laterally extensive gold mineralization.
Progress towards an appropriate pathogen reduction technology for whole blood in Africa
Authors: Amar El Dusouqui Soraya , Lanteri Marion C. , Schwabe Rudolf , Grzesiczek Anja , North Anne , Mufti Nina , Sekongo Yassongui Mamadou , Pitman John , Tayou Tagny Claude
Published: November 2019

Background

Interest in an effective pathogen reduction technology (PRT) for whole blood (WB) tailored to address specific needs of limited‐resource settings is growing. The Swiss Red Cross Humanitarian Foundation (SRCHF) supports a clinical programme to promote PRT for WB in resource‐limited settings where rates of WB use and transfusion‐transmitted infections are high.

Pathogen reduction technology for whole blood

Cerus Corporation (INTERCEPT® Blood System) and Terumo BCT (Mirasol®) are investing in clinical trials for red‐blood‐cell (RBC) and WB PRT. The SRCHF selected the INTERCEPT WB PRT for its clinical programme in Africa based on data related to the INTERCEPT system's pathogen reduction effectiveness and the company's goal of producing a processing kit requiring minimal electricity.

Adapting the INTERCEPT RBC PRT for WB

The INTERCEPT PRT for RBC and WB uses amustaline (0·2 mm) to irreversibly cross‐link nucleic acids and glutathione (GSH) (20 mm for RBC and 2 mm for WB) to quench unreacted amustaline. Laboratory and clinical trial results for the RBC PRT form the basis for the WB PRT. Preliminary studies have demonstrated preservation of RBC quality in amustaline/GSH‐treated WB. A Phase 1 safety trial in Côte d'Ivoire and development of a WB processing kit requiring limited electricity are described.

Discussion

Assessing the clinical safety of a WB PRT under local conditions is a positive step in the development of a suitable WB PRT for low‐resource settings.
Diagnostic of graphene on Ge(100)/Si(100) in a 200 mm wafer Si technology environment by spectroscopic ellipsometry/reflectometry
Authors: Fursenko Oksana , Lukosius Mindaugas , Bauer Joachim , Villringer Claus , Lux Helge , Bärwolf Florian , Lisker Marco , Mai Andreas
Published: November 2019

Comprehensive diagnostics is a prerequisite for the application of graphene in semiconductor technologies. Here, the authors present long-term investigations of graphene on 200-mm Ge(100)/Si(100) wafers under clean room environmental conditions. Diagnostic of graphene was performed by a fast and nondestructive metrology method based on the combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometry (SE/R), realized within a wafer optical metrology tool. A robust procedure for unambiguous thickness monitoring of a multilayer film stack, including graphene, interface layer GeOx underneath graphene, and surface roughness is developed and applied for process control. The authors found a relationship between the quality of graphene and the growth of GeOx beneath graphene. Enhanced oxidation of Ge beneath graphene was registered as a long-term process. SE/R measurements were validated and complemented using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. This comparative study shows a high potential for optical metrology of graphene deposited on Ge/Si structures, due to its great sensitivity, repeatability, and flexibility, realized in a nondestructive way.
Life partners
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: November 2019

Nancy Moran's passion for insects and their indwelling microbes helped the field of symbiosis come into its own.
Highly ductile amorphous oxide at room temperature and high strain rate
Authors: Frankberg Erkka J. , Kalikka Janne , García Ferré Francisco , Joly-Pottuz Lucile , Salminen Turkka , Hintikka Jouko , Hokka Mikko , Koneti Siddardha , Douillard Thierry , Le Saint Bérangère , Kreiml Patrice , Cordill Megan J. , Epicier Thierry , Stauffer Douglas , Vanazzi Matteo , Roiban Lucian , Akola Jaakko , Di Fonzo Fabio , Levänen Erkki , Masenelli-Varlot Karine
Published: November 2019

A glass that won't break

Oxide glasses are important for applications ranging from smartphone screens to window panes. One familiar feature of glass is that it fractures and shatters when rapidly deformed, limiting the number of potential uses. However, Frankberg
et al.
found that they could deform thin films of glassy alumina (Al
2
O
3
) with high strain rates at room temperature (see the Perspective by Wondraczek). This surprising observation is supported by simulations of the material that show that dense and flawless glassy alumina samples can deform this way. The discovery provides important insight into designing new glasses that might be more fracture resistant.

Science
, this issue p.
864
; see also p.
804
Intermediate bosonic metallic state in the superconductor-insulator transition
Authors: Yang Chao , Liu Yi , Wang Yang , Feng Liu , He Qianmei , Sun Jian , Tang Yue , Wu Chunchun , Xiong Jie , Zhang Wanli , Lin Xi , Yao Hong , Liu Haiwen , Fernandes Gustavo , Xu Jimmy , Valles James M. , Wang Jian , Li Yanrong
Published: November 2019

A patterned look into a mysterious phase

A thin superconducting film can become insulating by, for example, exposure to a sufficiently large magnetic field. In between the superconducting and insulating regimes, an intermediate metallic state has been observed whose nature remains unresolved. To study the superconductor–metal insulator transition, C. Yang
et al.
patterned a film of the high-temperature superconductor yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) into a network of triangular superconducting islands connected by bridges (see the Perspective by Phillips). The reactive ion-etching process used for patterning reduced the quality of the film in a controlled manner. By increasing the etching time, the film's transport properties could be tuned from superconducting, through metallic, to insulating. The metallic phase exhibited a bosonic character.

Science
, this issue p.
1505
; see also p.
1450
Thermally condensing photons into a coherently split state of light
Authors: Kurtscheid Christian , Dung David , Busley Erik , Vewinger Frank , Rosch Achim , Weitz Martin
Published: November 2019

Irreversible splitting of light

Prisms and dielectric beam splitters tend to be unitary and reversible optical elements, with the quantum properties of the photons largely irrelevant. Kurtscheid
et al.
introduce a method of irreversibly, but coherently, populating a split state with photons by thermalizing the photons into a low-energy ground state by repeated absorption-emission interaction with a fluorescent dye within a double-dimple optical cavity. Generation of such a coherent split state could be used as a precursor step to the quasi-continuous creation of many-body entangled states of light, which could be useful in applications in quantum communication, computing, and simulation.

Science
, this issue p.
894
China's key role in scaling low-carbon energy technologies
Authors: Helveston John , Nahm Jonas
Published: November 2019

Meeting the Paris goals will require collaboration with China
Comment on “Eocene Fagaceae from Patagonia and Gondwanan legacy in Asian rainforests”
Authors: Denk Thomas , Hill Robert S. , Simeone Marco C. , Cannon Chuck , Dettmann Mary E. , Manos Paul S.
Published: November 2019

Wilf
et al
. (Research Articles, 7 June 2019, eaaw5139) claim that
Castanopsis
evolved in the Southern Hemisphere from where it spread to its modern distribution in Southeast Asia. However, extensive paleobotanical records of Antarctica and Australia lack evidence of any Fagaceae, and molecular patterns indicate shared biogeographic histories of
Castanopsis
,
Castanea
,
Lithocarpus
, and
Quercus
subgenus
Cerris
, making the southern route unlikely.
Reuniting biogeochemistry with ecology and evolution
Authors: Marcé Rafael , Obrador Biel
Published: November 2019

Mining of biological and geochemical data pinpoints a key trait of freshwater plants
Broadly Inhibiting Antineuraminidase Monoclonal Antibodies Induced by Trivalent Influenza Vaccine and H7N9 Infection in Humans
Authors: Rijal Pramila , Wang Bei Bei , Tan Tiong Kit , Schimanski Lisa , Janesch Philipp , Dong Tao , McCauley John W. , Daniels Rodney S. , Townsend Alain R. , Huang Kuan-Ying A.
Published: November 2019

Antibodies to the influenza virus NA can provide protection against influenza disease. Analysis of human antibodies to NA lags behind that of antibodies to HA. We show that human monoclonal antibodies against NA induced by vaccination and infection can be very broadly reactive, with the ability to inhibit a wide spectrum of N1 NAs on viruses isolated between 1918 and 2018. This suggests that antibodies to NA may be a useful therapy and that the efficacy of influenza vaccines could be enhanced by ensuring the appropriate content of NA antigen.
Core outcomes in neonatology: development of a core outcome set for neonatal research
Authors: Webbe James William Harrison , Duffy James M N , Afonso Elsa , Al-Muzaffar Iyad , Brunton Ginny , Greenough Anne , Hall Nigel J , Knight Marian , Latour Jos M , Lee-Davey Caroline , Marlow Neil , Noakes Laura , Nycyk Julie , Richard-Löndt Angela , Wills-Eve Ben , Modi Neena , Gale Chris
Published: November 2019

Background

Neonatal research evaluates many different outcomes using multiple measures. This can prevent synthesis of trial results in meta-analyses, and selected outcomes may not be relevant to former patients, parents and health professionals.

Objective

To define a core outcome set (COS) for research involving infants receiving neonatal care in a high-income setting.

Design

Outcomes reported in neonatal trials and qualitative studies were systematically reviewed. Stakeholders were recruited for a three-round international Delphi survey. A consensus meeting was held to confirm the final COS, based on the survey results.

Participants

Four hundred and fourteen former patients, parents, healthcare professionals and researchers took part in the eDelphi survey; 173 completed all three rounds. Sixteen stakeholders participated in the consensus meeting.

Results

The literature reviews identified 104 outcomes; these were included in round 1. Participants proposed 10 additional outcomes; 114 outcomes were scored in rounds 2 and 3. Round 1 scores showed different stakeholder groups prioritised contrasting outcomes. Twelve outcomes were included in the final COS: survival, sepsis, necrotising enterocolitis, brain injury on imaging, general gross motor ability, general cognitive ability, quality of life, adverse events, visual impairment/blindness, hearing impairment/deafness, retinopathy of prematurity and chronic lung disease/bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Conclusions and relevance

A COS for clinical trials and other research studies involving infants receiving neonatal care in a high-income setting has been identified. This COS for neonatology will help standardise outcome selection in clinical trials and ensure these are relevant to those most affected by neonatal care.
Relationship between ocular risk factors for glaucoma and optic disc rim in normal eyes
Authors: Iwase Aiko , Sawaguchi Shoichi , Tanaka Kenji , Tsutsumi Tae , Araie Makoto
Published: November 2019

Aim

To study relationships between reported risk factors for glaucoma and neuroretinal rim area in normal eyes.

Methods

The Kumejima study participants, 3762 of the 4632 eligible Kumejima residents 40 years and older, underwent a detailed ocular examination including sequential disc stereo photography. In a randomly chosen eye of a subject whose both eyes met the inclusion criteria, fundus photographs of 2474 ophthalmologically normal eyes of the 2474 subjects were analysed by computer-assisted planimetry to measure the disc, rim and β-peripapillary atrophy (PPA) areas. The rim was divided into the superior and inferior halves by a line connecting the fovea and disc centre.

Results

The disc, superior and inferior halves rim and β-PPA areas averaged 2.53±0.50 (SD), 0.82±0.15, 0.84±0.16 and 0.45±0.66 mm2. After adjustment for other systemic and ocular factors including age, disc and β-PPA areas, disc–fovea distance (p=0.013, 0.016) correlated positively and intraocular pressure (IOP) (p=0.004, 0.006) and axial length (AL) (p<0.000, 0.004) negatively with the superior and inferior halves rim area, respectively; central corneal thickness (CCT) (p=0.008) and mean blood pressure (mBP) (p=0.020) correlated positively and male gender (p=0.012) negatively only with the superior half rims.

Conclusions

Besides previously reported risk factors for glaucoma such as age or IOP, thinner CCT, lower mBP and male gender were newly found to significantly correlate with smaller rim area only in the superior half disc, and a greater disc–fovea distance with greater superior and inferior half rim areas in normal adult eyes.
Does surgery reduce knee osteoarthritis, meniscal injury and subsequent complications compared with non-surgery after ACL rupture with at least 10 years follow-up? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lien-Iversen Teodor , Morgan Daniel Barklin , Jensen Carsten , Risberg May Arna , Engebretsen Lars , Viberg Bjarke
Published: November 2019

Objective

We compared long-term follow-up from surgical versus non-surgical treatment of ACL rupture regarding radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA), secondary surgery, laxity and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library databases.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Studies directly comparing the minimally invasive surgical (arthroscopy or miniarthrotomy) and non-surgical treatment of ACL rupture with at least 10 years of follow-up in adult patients were included.

Results

Five studies met the eligibility criteria. A meta-analysis revealed a higher risk of radiographic knee OA and a lower risk of secondary meniscal surgery for patients in the surgical group. The risk of graft rupture/secondary ACL revision and secondary ACL reconstruction was equal in the surgical and non-surgical groups. Knee laxity was lower among patients in the surgical group in four studies. No difference was found in the PROMs (ie, International Knee Documentation Committee, Tegner, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome, and Lysholm scores).

Conclusion

The risk of radiographic knee OA was higher, but the risk of secondary meniscal injury was lower 10 years after surgical treatment of ACL rupture. The risk of graft rupture/secondary ACL revision or secondary reconstruction was unrelated to treatment type. The degree of knee laxity was reduced after surgical treatment in comparison with non-surgical treatment, while PROMs were similar. However, due to the methodological challenges highlighted in this systematic review, these findings must be interpreted with caution.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019119468
The missing voices of Indigenous Australians in the social, cultural and historical experiences of tuberculosis: a systematic and integrative review
Authors: Devlin Sue , MacLaren David , Massey Peter D , Widders Richard , Judd Jenni A
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Disparities in tuberculosis (TB) rates exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in many countries, including Australia. The social determinants of health are central to health inequities including disparities in TB rates. There are limitations in the dominant biomedical and epidemiological approaches to representing, understanding and addressing the unequal burden of TB for Indigenous peoples represented in the literature. This paper applies a social determinants of health approach and examines the structural, programmatic and historical causes of inequities for TB in Indigenous Australia.

Methods

Aboriginal Australians’ families in northern New South Wales who are affected by TB initiated this investigation. A systematic search of published literature was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Informit ATSIhealth databases, the Australian Indigenous Health, InfoNet and Google. Ninety-five records published between 1885 and 2019 were categorised and graphed over time, inductively coded and thematically analysed.

Results

Indigenous Australians’ voices are scarce in the TB literature and absent in the development of TB policies and programmes. Epidemiological reports are descriptive and technical and avoid analysis of social processes involved in the perpetuation of TB. For Indigenous Australians, TB is more than a biomedical diagnosis and treatment; it is a consequence of European invasion and a contributor to dispossession and the ongoing fight for justice. The introduction and spread of TB has resulted in the stealing of lives, family, community and cultures for Indigenous Australians. Racist policies and practices predominate in the experiences of individuals and families as consequences of, and resulting in, ongoing structural and systematic exclusion.

Conclusion

Development of TB policies and programmes requires reconfiguration. Space must be given for Indigenous Australians to lead, be partners and to have ownership of decisions about how to eliminate TB. Shared knowledge between Indigenous Australians, policy makers and service managers of the social practices and structures that generate TB disparity for Indigenous Australians is essential.

A social determinant of health approach will shift the focus to the social structures that cause TB. Collaboration with Indigenous partners in research is critical, and use of methods that amplify Indigenous peoples' voices and reconfigure power relations in favour of Indigenous Australians in the process is required.
How to manage IBD in the ‘elderly’
Authors: Segal Jonathan P , Htet Hein Myat Thu , Limdi Jimmy , Hayee Bu'Hussain
Published: November 2019

As the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) rises and the global population ages, the number of older people living with these conditions will inevitably increase. The challenges posed by comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, the unintended consequences of long-term treatment and the real but often underestimated mismatch between chronological and biological ages underpin management. Significantly, there may be differences in disease characteristics, presentation and management of an older patient with IBD, together with other unique challenges. Importantly, clinical trials often exclude older patients, so treatment decisions are frequently pragmatic, extrapolated from a number of sources of evidence and perhaps primarily dictated by concerns around adverse effects. This review aimed to discuss the epidemiology, clinical features and considerations with management in older patients with IBD.
What does ‘quality’ add? Towards an ethics of healthcare improvement
Authors: Cribb Alan , Entwistle Vikki , Mitchell Polly
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we argue that there are important ethical questions about healthcare improvement which are underexplored. We start by drawing on two existing literatures: first, the prevailing, primarily governance-oriented, application of ethics to healthcare ‘quality improvement’ (QI), and second, the application of QI to healthcare ethics. We show that these are insufficient for ethical analysis of healthcare improvement. In pursuit of a broader agenda for an ethics of healthcare improvement, we note that QI and ethics can, in some respects, be treated as closely related concerns and not simply as externally related agendas. To support our argument, we explore the gap between ‘quality’ and ‘ethics’ discourses and ask about the possible differences between ‘good quality healthcare’ and ‘good healthcare’. We suggest that the word ‘quality’ both adds to and subtracts from the idea of ‘good healthcare’, and in particular that the technicist inflection of quality discourses needs to be set in the context of broader conceptualisations of healthcare improvement. We introduce the distinction between quality as a measurable property and quality as an evaluative judgement, suggesting that a core, but neglected, question for an ethics of healthcare improvement is striking the balance between these two conceptions of quality.
Jennifer Anne Mumford
Authors:   Old friends and colleagues of Dr Mumford
Published: November 2019

Her work at the Animal Health Trust's Equine Virology Unit still has an impact on the health of horses today.
Axial capacity of bored piles in very stiff intermediate soils
Authors: Doan L.V. , Lehane B.M.
Published: November 2019

There is a major shortage of good-quality load test data for bored piles in stiff to hard intermediate soils such as silts and clayey sands. This paper presents the results and interpretation of an instrumented pile test in a very stiff overconsolidated fine-grained deposit. It is shown that, unlike typical fine-grained soils, dilation at the shaft of the pile makes an important contribution to the unit shaft friction. The relationship between shaft friction and the cone penetration test (CPT) end resistance is observed to differ appreciably from established empirical correlations for bored piles in less stiff, fine-grained soils. This is inferred to be largely because of the similarity between the drained and undrained CPT resistances in this soil type as well as the influence of dilation. Existing empirical methods to assess end bearing of bored piles are also seen to provide inconsistent estimations in this soil type.
Parton distributions with theory uncertainties: general formalism and first phenomenological studies
Authors: Abdul Khalek Rabah , Ball Richard D. , Carrazza Stefano , Forte Stefano , Giani Tommaso , Kassabov Zahari , Pearson Rosalyn L. , Nocera Emanuele R. , Rojo Juan , Rottoli Luca , Ubiali Maria , Voisey Cameron , Wilson Michael
Published: November 2019

We formulate a general approach to the inclusion of theoretical uncertainties, specifically those related to the missing higher order uncertainty (MHOU), in the determination of parton distribution functions (PDFs). We demonstrate how, under quite generic assumptions, theory uncertainties can be included as an extra contribution to the covariance matrix when determining PDFs from data. We then review, clarify, and systematize the use of renormalization and factorization scale variations as a means to estimate MHOUs consistently in deep inelastic and hadronic processes. We define a set of prescriptions for constructing a theory covariance matrix using scale variations, which can be used in global fits of data from a wide range of different processes, based on choosing a set of independent scale variations suitably correlated within and across processes. We set up an algebraic framework for the choice and validation of an optimal prescription by comparing the estimate of MHOU encoded in the next-to-leading order (NLO) theory covariance matrix to the observed shifts between NLO and NNLO predictions. We perform a NLO PDF determination which includes the MHOU, assess the impact of the inclusion of MHOUs on the PDF central values and uncertainties, and validate the results by comparison to the known shift between NLO and NNLO PDFs. We finally study the impact of the inclusion of MHOUs in a global PDF determination on LHC cross-sections, and provide guidelines for their use in precision phenomenology. In addition, we also compare the results based on the theory covariance matrix formalism to those obtained by performing PDF determinations based on different scale choices.
Hawking emission of charged particles from an electrically charged spherical black hole with scalar hair
Authors: Chowdhury Avijit
Published: November 2019

A static spherically symmetric black hole usually turns out to be either a Schwarzschild black hole or a Reissner-Nordström black hole. This result was summarised by Ruffini and Wheeler as the so-called no hair conjecture which states that for a spherically symmetric black hole only the information about mass (M) and electric charge (e) of the black hole is available for an external observer. In this work, we calculate the emission rate of charged particles from an asymptotically flat charged spherically symmetric black hole endowed with a scalar hair using a semi-classical tunneling formalism. We observe that the total entropy of the black hole contains an energy-dependent part due to the scalar charge. The upper bound on the charge-mass ratio of the emitted particles is also observed to decrease with the scalar charge as well.
MEASURING INEQUALITY, POVERTY, GROWTH AND WELFARE VIA THE USE OF ASSET INDEXES: THE CASE OF ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA
Authors: DEUTSCH JOSEPH , SILBER JACQUES , XU YONGSHENG , WAN GUANGHUA
Published: November 2019

This paper examines the evolution of inequality, poverty and welfare in the South Caucasian Asian states, using an aggregate index based on consumer durables available to the households. Instead of using principal components analysis to aggregate asset indicators into an overall asset index, we propose an ordinal approach to using data on assets, when estimating the wealth of a household (or individual). Using three different approaches (the concept of order of acquisition of durable goods, item response theory and correspondence analysis), we first derive the order of importance of the different assets. Then, we compute indices introduced recently to measure inequality, poverty and achievement, when only ordinal variables are available. Our empirical analysis, based on data collected by the Caucasus Barometer and covering the three states in South Caucasus shows that there exists such an order, that it does not really depend on the statistical approach adopted and that it was very similar in 2009 and 2013. Our results show that among the three countries analyzed, Armenia had the lowest degree of inequality in asset ownership and Georgia the highest. Whatever the approach or index used, ordinal inequality, increased in Armenia and Azerbaijan between 2009 and 2013, but slightly decreased during that period in Georgia. It also appears that poverty decreased in all three countries during this period. There was also important growth, when measuring the latter via the welfare index recently introduced by Apouey et al. ( 2019 ), assuming their parameter [Formula: see text].
Retrieving Relevant Passages Using N-grams for Open-Domain Question Answering
Authors: Faiz Rim , Othman Nouha
Published: November 2019

Question Answering is most likely one of the toughest tasks in the field of Natural Language Processing. It aims at directly returning accurate and short answers to questions asked by users in human language over a huge collection of documents or database. Recently, the continuously exponential rise of digital information has imposed the need for more direct access to relevant answers. Thus, question answering has been the subject of a widespread attention and has been extensively explored over the last few years. Retrieving passages remains a crucial but also a challenging task in question answering. Although there has been an abundance of work on this task, this latter still implies non-trivial endeavor. In this paper, we propose an ad-hoc passage retrieval approach for Question Answering using n-grams. This approach relies on a new measure of similarity between a passage and a question for the extraction and ranking of the different passages based on n-gram overlapping. More concretely, our measure is based on the dependency degree of n-gram words of the question in the passage. We validate our approach by the development of the “SysPex” system that automatically returns the most relevant passages to a given question.
An Efficient Perpetual Learning Algorithm
Authors: Qin Haiou , Zhang Du , Sun Xibin , Tang Jiahua , Peng Jun
Published: November 2019

One of the emerging research opportunities in machine learning is to develop computing systems that learn many tasks continuously and improve the performance of learned tasks incrementally over time. In real world, learners have to adapt to labeled and unlabeled samples from various tasks which arrive randomly. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm called Efficient Perpetual Learning Algorithm (EPLA) which is suitable for learning multiple tasks in both offline and online settings. The algorithm, which is an extension of ELLA,4 is part of what we call perpetual learning that can learn new tasks or refine knowledge of learned tasks for improved performance with newly arrived labeled samples in an incremental fashion. Several salient features exist for EPLA. The learning episodes are triggered via either extrinsic or intrinsic stimuli. Agent systems based on the proposed algorithm can be engaged in an open-ended and alternating sequence of learning episodes and working episodes. Unlabeled samples can be used to self-train the learner in small data setting. Compared with ELLA, EPLA shows almost equivalent performance without memorizing any labeled samples learned previously.
Rail knotoids
Authors: Kodokostas Dimitrios , Lambropoulou Sofia
Published: November 2019

We work on the notions of rail arcs and rail isotopy in [Formula: see text], and we introduce the notions of rail knotoid diagrams and their equivalence. Our main result is that two rail arcs in [Formula: see text] are rail isotopic if and only if their knotoid diagram projections to the plane of two lines which we call rails, are equivalent. We also make a connection between the rail isotopy in [Formula: see text] and the knot theory of the handlebody of genus [Formula: see text].
On projective intersection graph of ideals of commutative rings
Authors: Ramanathan V.
Published: November 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with identity and [Formula: see text] the set of all nontrivial proper ideals of [Formula: see text]. The intersection graph of ideals of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is a simple undirected graph with vertex set as the set [Formula: see text], and, for any two distinct vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study some connections between commutative ring theory and graph theory by investigating topological properties of intersection graph of ideals. In particular, it is shown that for any nonlocal Artinian ring [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is a projective graph if and only if [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a local principal ideal ring with maximal ideal [Formula: see text] of nilpotency three and [Formula: see text] is a field. Furthermore, it is shown that for an Artinian ring [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text] where each [Formula: see text] is a local principal ideal ring with maximal ideal [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text]
Cohomology groups invariant under continuous orbit equivalence
Authors: Jiang Yongle
Published: November 2019

By the work of Brodzki–Niblo–Nowak–Wright and Monod, topological amenability of a continuous group action can be characterized using uniformly finite homology groups or bounded cohomology groups associated to this action. We show that (certain variations of) these groups are invariants for topologically free actions under continuous orbit equivalence.
Regulation of Cell Fate Decisions in Early Mammalian Embryos
Authors: Alberio Ramiro
Published: November 2019

Early embryogenesis is characterized by the segregation of cell lineages that fulfill critical roles in the establishment of pregnancy and development of the fetus. The formation of the blastocyst marks the emergence of extraembryonic precursors, needed for implantation, and of pluripotent cells, which differentiate toward the major lineages of the adult organism. The coordinated emergence of these cell types shows that these processes are broadly conserved in mammals. However, developmental heterochrony and changes in gene regulatory networks highlight unique evolutionary adaptations that may explain the diversity in placentation and in the mechanisms controlling pluripotency in mammals. The incorporation of new technologies, including single-cell omics, imaging, and gene editing, is instrumental for comparative embryology. Broadening the knowledge of mammalian embryology will provide new insights into the mechanisms driving evolution and development. This knowledge can be readily translated into biomedical and biotechnological applications in humans and livestock, respectively.
IP3 Receptor Plasticity Underlying Diverse Functions
Authors: Hamada Kozo , Mikoshiba Katsuhiko
Published: November 2019

In the body, extracellular stimuli produce inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), an intracellular chemical signal that binds to the IP3 receptor (IP3R) to release calcium ions (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum. In the past 40 years, the wide-ranging functions mediated by IP3R and its genetic defects causing a variety of disorders have been unveiled. Recent cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography have resolved IP3R structures and begun to integrate with concurrent functional studies, which can explicate IP3-dependent opening of Ca2+-conducting gates placed ∼90 Å away from IP3-binding sites and its regulation by Ca2+. This review highlights recent research progress on the IP3R structure and function. We also propose how protein plasticity within IP3R, which involves allosteric gating and assembly transformations accompanied by rapid and chronic structural changes, would enable it to regulate diverse functions at cellular microdomains in pathophysiological states.
Pharmacological blockage of ICAM-1 improves angiotensin II-induced cardiac remodeling by inhibiting adhesion of LFA-1+monocytes
Authors: Lin Qiu-Yue , Lang Ping-Ping , Zhang Yun-Long , Yang Xiao-Lei , Xia Yun-Long , Bai Jie , Li Hui-Hua
Published: November 2019

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a member of an immunoglobulin-like superfamily of adhesion molecules that mediate leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium and are involved in several cardiovascular diseases, including ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerosis. However, the role of ICAM-1 in angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced cardiac remodeling in mice remains unclear. Wild-type mice were administered an IgG control or ICAM-1 neutralizing antibody (1 and 2 mg/mouse, respectively) and ANG II (1,000 ng·kg−1·min−1) for up to 14 days. Cardiac contractile function and structure were detected by echocardiography. Hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation were assessed by histological examination. The infiltration of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1+) monocytes/macrophages was assessed by immunostaining. The mRNA expression of genes was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Protein levels were tested by immunoblotting. We found that ICAM-1 expression in ANG II-infused hearts and ICAM-1 levels in serum from human patients with heart failure were significantly increased. Moreover, ANG II infusion markedly enhanced ANG II-induced hypertension, caused cardiac contractile dysfunction, and promoted cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and LFA-1+macrophage infiltration. Conversely, blockage of ICAM-1 with a neutralizing antibody dose-dependently attenuated these effects. Moreover, our in vitro data further demonstrated that blocking ICAM-1 inhibited ANG II-induced LFA-1+macrophage adhesion to endothelial cells and migration. In conclusion, these results provide novel evidence that blocking ICAM-1 exerts a protective effect in ANG II-induced cardiac remodeling at least in part through the modulation of adhesion and infiltration of LFA-1+macrophages in the heart. Inhibition of ICAM-1 may represent a new therapeutic approach for hypertrophic heart diseases.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium is a critical step in cardiovascular diseases. ICAM-1 is a member of immunoglobulin-like superfamily of adhesion molecules that binds LFA-1 to mediate leukocytes adhesion and migration. However, the significance of ICAM-1 in ANG II-induced cardiac remodeling remains unclear. This study reveals that blocking of ICAM-1 prevents ANG II-induced cardiac remodeling via modulating adhesion and migration of LFA-1+monocytes, may serve as a novel therapeutic target for hypertensive cardiac diseases.
Influence of Overnight Orthokeratology Lens Treatment Zone Decentration on Myopia Progression
Authors: Wang Anken , Yang Chenhao
Published: November 2019

Purpose. To investigate the effect of OK lens treatment zone decentration on myopia control. Methods. We retrospectively selected 30 OK lens wearers who met the following conditions in our hospital from more than 1300 cases: wearing lens in both eyes and only one eye was off-center while the other one was centric for more than 12 months. During the period of follow-up, the UCVA of each eye was better than 0.1 of logMAR and there were no obvious tropia, Kappa angle, and complications such as glare and diplopia. Result. Among 30 cases, 15 are males and 15 are females, with an average age of 9.3 ± 1.51Y. There were no significant differences in equivalent spherical lens, astigmatism, e value, flat K, steep K, astigmatism, lens diameter, and toric between the two groups (p>0.05). The average distance of decentration was 0.73 ± 0.25 mm. Axis growth per year in was 0.20 ± 0.24 mm the OK-lens-decentered group and 0.29 ± 0.20 mm in the OK-lens-centric group, which shows significant difference between them (p<0.05). According to the direction of decentration, 30 decentered eyes were divided into temporal group (20 eyes) and other direction group (10 eyes). The efficiency of myopia control (the growth of AL per year in OK-lens-decentered eye/the growth of AL per year in the contralateral OK-lens-centric eye) was 0.69 ± 0.50 in the temporal decentration group and 0.75 ± 0.52 in the other direction group, showing no significant difference between them (p>0.05). There was no significant correlation between the efficiency of myopia control and the degree of decentration among temporal decentration group (p>0.05). Conclusion. This self-control study without much interference factors shows that the decentration of OK lens can delay the development of myopia more effectively than being centric when uncorrected visual acuity was acceptable without obvious corneal complications, glare, or ghosting.
Mineral Filling Pattern in Complex Fracture System of Carbonate Reservoirs: Implications from Geochemical Modeling of Water-Rock Interaction
Authors: Feng Jianwei , Zhang Xu , Luo Peng , Li Xizhe , Du He
Published: November 2019

Much research has been conducted on physical and numerical modeling that focus on stress state and structural controls on subsurface geofluid flow, yet very few attempts have been made to discover and quantify the mineral precipitation/dissolution kinetics in complex fracture system such as Tarim Basin of China. We conducted a geochemical simulation study using the outcrop fracture networks in Ordovician carbonate rocks in Tabei Outcrop Area of Tarim Basin. Structural analysis, filling analysis within the fracture networks and surrounding rocks were used to constrain the generation and geochemical evolution of the geofluids. Using an advanced reactive transport simulation platform TOUGHREACT, a pertinent thermodynamic system was applied to establish the geological model of the fracture-surrounding rock, where the corresponding calcium carbonate (CaCO3) solution was configured to replace the deep saturated hydrothermal fluids. Different types of mineral parameters were considered with material balance and phase equilibrium calculation to perform numerical simulation of multi-field, e.g., pressure field, temperature field, seepage field and chemical field under formation conditions. The simulation results were consistent with field observations. The major findings of this simulation study include: (1) Along with fluid injection, local dissolution occurred within the fractures and matrix, but with the gradual saturation of calcium ions and the increasing pH value, considerable calcite precipitation occurred. (2) The dissolution/precipitation in different fractures was mainly affected by their structure and physical properties, resulting in changes in fluid flow rate, temperature, pressure and ion concentration over time. (3) In the same group, the degree of mineral filling of small-aperture fractures, low-angle fractures and shallow fractures was significantly higher than other types of fractures. (4) The better the connectivity between reticular fractures and the higher the linear density of fractures, the lower the mineral filling degree. (5) Dissolution phenomenon strengthened within large-aperture conjugated fractures gradually along the flow direction. The proposed methodologies in this study can be applied to model effective fracture filling of other deep reservoirs.
Emergency Department Capacity Planning: A Recurrent Neural Network and Simulation Approach
Authors: Nas Serkan , Koyuncu Melik
Published: November 2019

Emergency departments (EDs) play a vital role in the whole healthcare system as they are the first point of care in hospitals for urgent and critically ill patients. Therefore, effective management of hospital’s ED is crucial in improving the quality of the healthcare service. The effectiveness depends on how efficiently the hospital resources are used, particularly under budget constraints. Simulation modeling is one of the best methods to optimize resources and needs inputs such as patients’ arrival time, patient’s length of stay (LOS), and the route of patients in the ED. This study develops a simulation model to determine the optimum number of beds in an ED by minimizing the patients’ LOS. The hospital data are analyzed, and patients’ LOS and the route of patients in the ED are determined. To determine patients’ arrival times, the features associated with patients’ arrivals at ED are identified. Mean arrival rate is used as a feature in addition to climatic and temporal variables. The exhaustive feature-selection method has been used to determine the best subset of the features, and the mean arrival rate is determined as one of the most significant features. This study is executed using the one-year ED arrival data together with five-year (43.824 study hours) ED arrival data to improve the accuracy of predictions. Furthermore, ten different machine learning (ML) algorithms are used utilizing the same best subset of these features. After a tenfold cross-validation experiment, based on mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), the stateful long short-term memory (LSTM) model performed better than other models with an accuracy of 47%, followed by the decision tree and random forest methods. Using the simulation method, the LOS has been minimized by 7% and the number of beds at the ED has been optimized.