bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new innovative method to measure the demographic representation of scientists via Google Scholar
Authors: Jozaghi Ehsan
Published: October 2019

Many countries around the globe have seen increases in the enrollment of female and visible minorities in postsecondary education. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate whether recent demographic changes at the postsecondary institution have translated to employment opportunities in scientific fields for women and previously underrepresented groups. Instead of relying on algorithm indices, surveys, or anonymous census data, this study is the first research to utilize an innovative approach to report the demographic representation of top-ranking scientists from around the world. The recently developed Google Scholar profile platform, university ranking system, and the search engine are the main methods that allowed this study to identify and categorize the top scientists from countries in which English is one of the official languages, or where English is used as the language of instruction in higher education. Overall, findings reveal that at top-ranking universities in which the majority of the population is Caucasian, women and minorities are severely underrepresented in all areas of science, capturing 7.3% and 6.4% of the total citations, respectively. Each country’s highest concentration of scientists in each field, based on citation and percentage of researchers, is highlighted. There are recommendations offered to help make scientific advancement more favorable to underrepresented groups, and also to encourage institutions of higher education to adapt and build new capacities.
Impact of Various Weights in the Intraoperative Skull-Skeletal Traction on Correction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Authors: Kato So , Lewis Stephen J. , Sharma Ohm , Chua Sooyong , Rabin Doron , Al-Jahwari Ahmed , Bacon Sarah , Gray Randolph J. , Keshen Sam , Magana Sofia , Zeller Reinhard D.
Published: October 2019

Study Design:

A retrospective study.

Objectives:

Intraoperative skull-skeletal traction (ISST) facilitates the surgical scoliosis correction, but it is also associated with neurological risk. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of various traction weights on neurophysiological change and curve correction in surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods:

A retrospective review of a consecutive series of posterior spinal fusions for AIS patients undergoing corrections with the use of ISST by 2 surgeons in one institution was performed. Intraoperative prone, post-traction radiographs were performed on all cases. The cases were divided into 2 groups, high and low traction weights, based on whether the weight used was ≥35% or <35% of body weight. The frequency of neurophysiological changes and the curve correction were compared between the 2 groups.

Results:

The intraoperative correction magnitudes by ISST were significantly larger in the high ISST group than in the low ISST group (35° vs 26°, P < .001). Changes in motor-evoked potential (MEP) were more frequently observed in the high ISST group (47% vs 26%, P = .049). A multivariate analysis showed that high ISST was associated with 3 times higher risk of MEP change (95% confidence interval = 1.1-8.0, P = .03) and higher final postoperative correction rates (68% vs 60%, P = .001).

Conclusions:

The high ISST for AIS was associated with increased intraoperative and ultimate curve corrections, and potentially facilitated better final correction. However, the high weight group was associated with an increased frequency of intraoperative MEP changes.
Is there an optimal timing of administration of single-dose intravenous tranexamic acid in bilateral total knee arthroplasty? A comparison between preoperative and intraoperative dose
Authors: Balachandar Gopalan , Abuzakuk Tarek
Published: October 2019

Purpose:

There is no consensus on the optimum timing of administration of tranexamic acid (TA) in bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We aimed to determine whether the timing of administration of single-dose intravenous TA (either given preoperatively or intraoperatively) has a significant effect on blood loss reduction.

Methods:

We compared two cohorts of patients with end-stage arthritis of knees who underwent bilateral TKA and were given single-dose intravenous TA (1 g or 15 mg/kg) at different times during surgery. The retrospective cohort group consisting of 40 patients (preoperative (PO) group) received TA before the skin incision. The prospective cohort consisting of 40 patients (intraoperative (IO) group) received TA 10 min before deflating the tourniquet on the first knee. Primary outcome measures were mean hemoglobin difference, A (between PO and day 1 postoperative hemoglobin), mean hemoglobin difference, B (between PO and lowest postoperative hemoglobin), and rate of allogeneic blood transfusion. Secondary measure was drain blood loss.

Results:

Both cohorts were well matched with respect to age, gender, duration of surgery, and length of hospital stay. The hemoglobin drop in the IO group was significantly lesser than the PO group on the first postoperative day (2 vs. 2.9 g/dL, p < 0.001). Although statistically insignificant, the patients in the IO group received less allogenic transfusion of packed cell units than in the PO group (11/40, 27.5% vs. 14/40, 35% ). Mean hemoglobin difference, B, and secondary drain loss were comparable in both groups.

Conclusion:

Single-dose intravenous TA given before the start of surgery is as effective as a dose given during arthroplasty of the first knee in reducing blood loss in bilateral TKA.
Return to Sports After Surgical Treatment of Osteochondral Defects of the Talus: A Systematic Review of 2347 Cases
Authors: Steman Jason A.H. , Dahmen Jari , Lambers Kaj T.A. , Kerkhoffs Gino M.M.J.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Osteochondral defects (OCDs) of the talus are found subsequent to ankle sprains and ankle fractures. With many surgical treatment strategies available, there is no clear evidence on return-to-sport (RTS) times and rates.

Purpose:

To summarize RTS times and rates for talar OCDs treated by different surgical techniques.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The literature from January 1996 to November 2018 was screened, and identified studies were divided into 7 different surgical treatment groups. The RTS rate, with and without associated levels of activity, and the mean time to RTS were calculated per study. When methodologically possible, a simplified pooling method was used to combine studies within 1 treatment group. Study bias was assessed using the MINORS (Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies) scoring system.

Results:

A total of 61 studies including 2347 talar OCDs were included. The methodological quality of the studies was poor. There were 10 retrospective case series (RCSs) that investigated bone marrow stimulation in 339 patients, with a pooled mean rate of RTS at any level of 88% (95% CI, 84%-91%); 2 RCSs investigating internal fixation in 47 patients found a pooled RTS rate of 97% (95% CI, 85%-99%), 5 RCSs in which autograft transplantation was performed in 194 patients found a pooled RTS rate of 90% (95% CI, 86%-94%), and 3 prospective case series on autologous chondrocyte implantation in 39 patients found a pooled RTS rate of 87% (95% CI, 73%-94%). The rate of return to preinjury level of sports was 79% (95% CI, 70%-85%) for 120 patients after bone marrow stimulation, 72% (95% CI, 60%-83%) for 67 patients after autograft transplantation, and 69% (95% CI, 54%-81%) for 39 patients after autologous chondrocyte implantation. The mean time to RTS ranged from 13 to 26 weeks, although no pooling was possible for this outcome measure.

Conclusion:

Different surgical treatment options for talar OCDs allow for adequate RTS times and rates. RTS rates decreased when considering patients’ return to preinjury levels versus return at any level.
Enabling At-Homeness for Older People With Life-Limiting Conditions: A Participant Observation Study From Nursing Homes
Authors: Saarnio Lotta , Boström Anne-Marie , Hedman Ragnhild , Gustavsson Petter , Öhlén Joakim
Published: October 2019

At-homeness, as an aspect of well-being, can be experienced despite living with life-limiting conditions and needs for a palliative approach to care. In nursing homes, older residents with life-limiting conditions face losses and changes which could influence their experience of at-homeness. The aim of this study was to explore how nursing staff enable at-homeness for residents with life-limiting conditions. Interpretive description was employed as the design using data from participant observations and formal and informal interviews related to nursing care situations. The strategies found to be used to enable at-homeness comprising nursing staff presenting themselves as reliable, respecting the resident’s integrity, being responsive to the resident’s needs, collaborating with the resident in decision-making, and through nurturing comforting relationships. The result on how to enable at-homeness could be used as strategies for a person-centered palliative approach in the care for residents in nursing homes.
A Meta-Analysis of the Association between Income Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility
Authors: Amaral Ernesto F. L. , Yen Shih-Keng , Wang-Goodman Sharron Xuanren
Published: October 2019

We provide an overview of associations between income inequality and intergenerational mobility in the United States, Canada, and eight European countries. We analyze whether this correlation is observed across and within countries over time. We investigate Great Gatsby curves and perform metaregression analyses based on several papers on this topic. Results suggest that countries with high levels of inequality tend to have lower levels of mobility. Intergenerational income elasticities have stronger associations with the Gini coefficient compared to associations with the top 1 percent income share. Once models are controlled for methodological variables, country indicators, and paper indicators, correlations of mobility with the Gini coefficient lose significance but not with the top 1 percent income share. This result is an indication that recent increases in inequality at the top of the distribution might be negatively affecting mobility on a greater magnitude compared to variations across the income distribution.
Majzlanite, K2Na(ZnNa)Ca(SO4)4, a new anhydrous sulfate mineral with complex cation substitutions from Tolbachik volcano
Authors: Siidra Oleg I. , Nazarchuk Evgeny V. , Zaitsev Anatoly N. , Shilovskikh Vladimir V.
Published: October 2019

A new mineral majzlanite, ideally K2Na(ZnNa)Ca(SO4)4, was found in high-temperature exhalative mineral assemblages in the Yadovitaya fumarole, Second scoria cone of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption (1975–1976), Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Majzlanite is associated closely with langbeinite and K-bearing thénardite. Majzlanite is grey with a bluish tint, has a white streak and vitreous lustre. The mineral is soluble in warm water. Majzlanite is monoclinic,C2/c,a= 16.007(2),b= 9.5239(11),c= 9.1182(10) Å, β = 94.828(7)°,V= 1385.2(3) Å3andZ= 16. The eight strongest lines of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d, Å (I, %)(hkl)]: 3.3721(40)($\bar{3}$12), 3.1473(56)($\bar{4}$02), 3.1062(65)($\bar{2}$22), 2.9495(50)($\bar{1}$31), 2.8736(100)($\bar{1}$13), 2.8350(70)(421), 2.8031(45)(511) and 2.6162(41)($\bar{5}$12). The following structural formula was obtained: K2Na(Zn0.88Na0.60Cu0.36Mg0.16)(Ca0.76Na0.24)(S0.98Al0.015Si0.005O4)4. The chemical composition determined by electron-microprobe analysis is (wt.%): Na2O 9.73, K2O 15.27, ZnO 11.20, CaO 7.03, CuO 4.26, MgO 1.07, Al2O30.47, SO351.34, SiO20.12, total 100.49. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 16 O apfu is K1.99Na1.93Zn0.84Ca0.77Cu0.33Mg0.16(S3.94Al0.06Si0.01)O16and the simplified formula is K2Na(Zn,Na,Cu,Mg)Σ2(Ca,Na)(SO4)4. No natural or synthetic compounds directly chemically and/or structurally related to majzlanite are known to date. The topology of the heteropolyhedral framework in majzlanite is complex. An interesting feature of the structure of majzlanite is an edge-sharing of ZnO6octahedra with SO4tetrahedra.
Serum Flt3 ligand is a biomarker of progenitor cell mass and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Milne Paul , Wilhelm-Benartzi Charlotte , Grunwald Michael R. , Bigley Venetia , Dillon Richard , Freeman Sylvie D. , Gallagher Kathleen , Publicover Amy , Pagan Sarah , Marr Helen , Jones Gail L. , Dickinson Anne M. , Grech Angela , Burnett Alan K. , Russell Nigel H. , Levis Mark , Knapper Steven , Collin Matthew
Published: October 2019

Key Points

Flt3L is a biomarker of progenitor cell mass in AML. Measurement of Flt3L during induction chemotherapy and follow-up provides prognostic information.
Transcriptome analysis offers a comprehensive illustration of the genetic background of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Shiba Norio , Yoshida Kenichi , Hara Yusuke , Yamato Genki , Shiraishi Yuichi , Matsuo Hidemasa , Okuno Yusuke , Chiba Kenichi , Tanaka Hiroko , Kaburagi Taeko , Takeuchi Masanobu , Ohki Kentaro , Sanada Masashi , Okubo Jun , Tomizawa Daisuke , Taki Tomohiko , Shimada Akira , Sotomatsu Manabu , Horibe Keizo , Taga Takashi , Adachi Souichi , Tawa Akio , Miyano Satoru , Ogawa Seishi , Hayashi Yasuhide
Published: October 2019

Key Points

Using RNA-seq in pediatric AML patients, 5 gene rearrangements were newly identified, including NPM1 and RUNX1 gene rearrangements. RNA-seq unmasked the complexity of gene alterations in pediatric AML by identifying disease-causing alterations in nearly all patients.
Induction of activated T follicular helper cells is critical for anti-FVIII inhibitor development in hemophilia A mice
Authors: Jing Weiqing , Chen Juan , Cai Yuanhua , Chen Yingyu , Schroeder Jocelyn A. , Johnson Bryon D. , Cui Weiguo , Shi Qizhen
Published: October 2019

Key Points

Anti-FVIII inhibitory antibody development is TFH-cell dependent. FVIII restimulation can specifically induce FVIII-primed TFH-cell proliferation.
Gluteus medius muscle function in people with and without low back pain: a systematic review
Authors: Sadler Sean , Cassidy Samuel , Peterson Benjamin , Spink Martin , Chuter Vivienne
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Globally, low back pain (LBP) is one of the greatest causes of disability. In people with LBP, dysfunction of muscles such as the gluteus medius have been demonstrated to increase spinal loading and reduce spinal stability. Differences in gluteus medius function have been reported in those with LBP compared to those without, although this has only been reported in individual studies. The aim of this systematic review was to determine if adults with a history, or current LBP, demonstrate differences in measures of gluteus medius function when compared to adults without LBP.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO, PubMED, Pro Quest Database, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception until December 2018 for published journal articles and conference abstracts. No language restrictions were applied. Only case-control studies with participants 18 years and over were included. Participants could have had any type and duration of LBP. Studies could have assessed gluteus medius function with any quantifiable clinical assessment or measurement tool, with the participant non-weight bearing or weight bearing, and during static or dynamic activity. Quality appraisal and data extraction were independently performed by two authors.

Results

The 24 included articles involved 1088 participants with LBP and 998 without LBP. The gluteus medius muscle in participants with LBP tended to demonstrate reduced strength and more trigger points compared to the gluteus medius muscle of those without LBP. The level of activity, fatigability, time to activate, time to peak activation, cross sectional area, and muscle thickness showed unclear results. Meta-analysis was not performed due to the heterogeneity of included studies.

Conclusion

Clinically, the findings from this systematic review should be considered when assessing and managing patients with LBP. Future studies that clearly define the type and duration of LBP, and prospectively assess gluteus medius muscle function in those with and without LBP are needed.

Trial registration

PROSPERO (CRD42017076773).
Intra-articular tranexamic acid as an adjunct to intravenous tranexamic acid for simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Tsukada Sachiyuki , Kurosaka Kenji , Nishino Masahiro , Maeda Tetsuyuki , Yonekawa Yoshiharu , Hirasawa Naoyuki
Published: October 2019

Background

Intra-articular tranexamic acid (TXA) as an adjunct to intravenous TXA was reported to decrease perioperative blood loss during unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, there have been no randomized controlled trials comparing intravenous versus combined intravenous and intra-articular TXA administration in patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA.

Methods

We randomly assigned 77 patients with 154 involved knees undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA to the intravenous TXA group (intra-articular placebo for each knee) or combined TXA group (1000 mg of intra-articular TXA for each knee) with 1:1 treatment allocation. In both groups, 1000 mg of TXA was given intravenously twice, just before surgery and 6 h after the initial administration. Other perioperative medications, surgical procedures, and blood management strategies were the same for all patients. The primary outcome was perioperative blood loss calculated from blood volume and change in hemoglobin from preoperative to postoperative day 3.

Results

Intention-to-treat analysis showed no statistically significant differences in perioperative blood loss until postoperative day 3 (1067 ± 403 mL in the intravenous TXA group vs. 997 ± 345 mL in the combined TXA group [95% CI, − 240 to 100 mL], P = 0.42). No patients required allogenic blood transfusion. The incidence of thrombotic events did not differ between groups (12% in the intravenous TXA group vs. 9% in the combined TXA group; P = 0.73).

Conclusions

The addition of intra-articular TXA did not reduce perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA compared with placebo.

Trial registration

University Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000026137. Registered 14 February 2017.
Age-dependent emergence of neurophysiological and behavioral abnormalities in progranulin-deficient mice
Authors: Nagy Dávid , Martens Lauren Herl , Leventhal Liza , Chen Angela , Kelley Craig , Stoiljkovic Milan , Hajós Mihály
Published: October 2019

Background

Loss-of-function mutations in the progranulin gene cause frontotemporal dementia, a genetic, heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. Progranulin deficiency leads to extensive neuronal loss in the frontal and temporal lobes, altered synaptic connectivity, and behavioral alterations.

Methods

The chronological emergence of neurophysiological and behavioral phenotypes of Grn heterozygous and homozygous mice in the dorsomedial thalamic—medial prefrontal cortical pathway were evaluated by in vivo electrophysiology and reward-seeking/processing behavior, tested between ages 3 and 12.5 months.

Results

Electrophysiological recordings identified a clear age-dependent deficit in the thalamocortical circuit. Both heterozygous and homozygous mice exhibited impaired input-output relationships and paired-pulse depression, but evoked response latencies were only prolonged in heterozygotes. Furthermore, we demonstrate firstly an abnormal reward-seeking/processing behavior in the homozygous mice which correlates with previously reported neuroinflammation.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that murine progranulin deficiency causes age-dependent neurophysiological and behavioral abnormalities thereby indicating their validity in modeling aspects of human frontotemporal dementia.
Precocious puberty and Chiari I malformation with syrinx: a case report of an unusual presentation of Costello syndrome
Authors: Schwartz Naomi S. , Regelmann Molly O.
Published: October 2019

Background

Costello syndrome (CS) is a rare RASopathy causing developmental delays, short stature and classically, delayed puberty. We present a patient with CS and central precocious puberty (CPP).

Case presentation

A female patient with CS presented at 6 years 10 months of age with breast development. CPP was biochemically confirmed at 7 years 1 month of age, no additional pituitary dysfunction was noted and puberty progressed at follow-up. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a Chiari I malformation with a syrinx, requiring surgical decompression. The patient was successfully treated with histrelin.

Conclusions

Although recent publications do not recommend routine brain MRI in girls with isolated CPP over 6 years of age, in those with CS actionable MRI findings are more likely and imaging should be performed. It is unclear whether the cerebral malformation in the patient contributed to CPP or was an incidental syndromic finding.
A semi-supervised machine learning framework for microRNA classification
Authors: Sheikh Hassani Mohsen , Green James R.
Published: October 2019

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of short, non-coding RNAs that have been linked to critical cellular activities, most notably regulation of gene expression. The identification of miRNA is a cross-disciplinary approach that requires both computational identification methods and wet-lab validation experiments, making it a resource-intensive procedure. While numerous machine learning methods have been developed to increase classification accuracy and thus reduce validation costs, most methods use supervised learning and thus require large labeled training data sets, often not feasible for less-sequenced species. On the other hand, there is now an abundance of unlabeled RNA sequence data due to the emergence of high-throughput wet-lab experimental procedures, such as next-generation sequencing.

Results

This paper explores the application of semi-supervised machine learning for miRNA classification in order to maximize the utility of both labeled and unlabeled data. We here present the novel combination of two semi-supervised approaches: active learning and multi-view co-training. Results across six diverse species show that this multi-stage semi-supervised approach is able to improve classification performance using very small numbers of labeled instances, effectively leveraging the available unlabeled data.

Conclusions

The proposed semi-supervised miRNA classification pipeline holds the potential to identify novel miRNA with high recall and precision while requiring very small numbers of previously known miRNA. Such a method could be highly beneficial when studying miRNA in newly sequenced genomes of niche species with few known examples of miRNA.
HMNPPID—human malignant neoplasm protein–protein interaction database
Authors: Li Qingqing , Yang Zhihao , Zhao Zhehuan , Luo Ling , Li Zhiheng , Wang Lei , Zhang Yin , Lin Hongfei , Wang Jian , Zhang Yijia
Published: October 2019

Background

Protein–protein interaction (PPI) information extraction from biomedical literature helps unveil the molecular mechanisms of biological processes. Especially, the PPIs associated with human malignant neoplasms can unveil the biology behind these neoplasms. However, such PPI database is not currently available.

Results

In this work, a database of protein–protein interactions associated with 171 kinds of human malignant neoplasms named HMNPPID is constructed. In addition, a visualization program, named VisualPPI, is provided to facilitate the analysis of the PPI network for a specific neoplasm.

Conclusions

HMNPPID can hopefully become an important resource for the research on PPIs of human malignant neoplasms since it provides readily available data for healthcare professionals. Thus, they do not need to dig into a large amount of biomedical literatures any more, which may accelerate the researches on the PPIs of malignant neoplasms.
Prediction of microbial communities for urban metagenomics using neural network approach
Authors: Zhou Guangyu , Jiang Jyun-Yu , Ju Chelsea J.-T. , Wang Wei
Published: October 2019

Background

Microbes are greatly associated with human health and disease, especially in densely populated cities. It is essential to understand the microbial ecosystem in an urban environment for cities to monitor the transmission of infectious diseases and detect potentially urgent threats. To achieve this goal, the DNA sample collection and analysis have been conducted at subway stations in major cities. However, city-scale sampling with the fine-grained geo-spatial resolution is expensive and laborious. In this paper, we introduce , a neural network based approach to infer microbial communities at unsampled locations given information reflecting different factors, including subway line networks, sampling material types, and microbial composition patterns.

Results

We evaluate the effectiveness of based on the public metagenomics dataset collected from multiple locations in the New York and Boston subway systems. The experimental results suggest that consistently performs better than other five conventional classifiers under different taxonomic ranks. At genus level, can achieve F1 scores of 0.63 and 0.72 on the New York and the Boston datasets, respectively.

Conclusions

By exploiting heterogeneous features, captures the hidden interactions between microbial compositions and the urban environment, which enables precise predictions of microbial communities at unmeasured locations.
Surface-offset gathers from elastic reverse time migration and velocity analysis
Authors: Zhao Yang , Liu Tao , Jia Xueyi , Liu Hongwei , Xue Zhiguang , Zhang Houzhu (James) , Zhu Hejun , Liang Hong
Published: October 2019

Angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIGs) from elastic reverse time migration (ERTM) are valuable tools for seismic elastic velocity estimation. Traditional ADCIGs are based on the concept of common-offset domains, but common-shot domain implementations are often favored for computational cost considerations. Surface-offset gathers (SOGs) built from common-offset migration may serve as an alternative to the common-shot ADCIGs. We have developed a theoretical kinematic framework between these two domains, and we determined that the common SOG gives an alternative measurement of kinematic correctness in the presence of incorrect velocity. Specifically, we exploit analytical expressions for the image misposition between these two domains, with respect to the traveltime perturbation caused by velocity errors. Four formulations of the PP and PS residual moveout functions are derived and provide insightful information of the velocity error, angle, and PS velocity ratio contained in ERTM gathers. The analytical solutions are validated with homogeneous examples with a series of varied parameters. We found that the SOGs may perform in the way of simplicity and linearity as an alternative to the common-shot migration. To make a full comparison with ADCIGs, we have developed a cost-effective workflow of ERTM SOGs. A fast vector P- and S-wave decomposition can be obtained via spatial gradients at selected time steps. A selected ERTM imaging condition is then modified in which the migration is done by offset groups between each source and receiver pair for each P- and S-wave decomposition. Two synthetic (marine and land) examples are used to demonstrate the feasibility of our methods.
Isostatic constraint for 2D nonlinear gravity inversion on rifted margins
Authors: Bastos B. Marcela S. , Oliveira Jr. Vanderlei C.
Published: October 2019

We have developed a nonlinear gravity inversion for simultaneously estimating the basement and Moho geometries, as well as the depth of the reference Moho along a profile crossing a passive rifted margin. To obtain stable solutions, we impose smoothness on basement and Moho, force them to be close to previously estimated depths along the profile and also impose local isostatic equilibrium. Different from previous methods, we evaluate the information of local isostatic equilibrium by imposing smoothness on the lithostatic stress exerted at depth. Our method delimits regions that deviate and those that can be considered in local isostatic equilibrium by varying the weight of the isostatic constraint along the profile. It also allows controlling the degree of equilibrium along the profile, so that the interpreter can obtain a set of candidate models that fit the observed data and exhibit different degrees of isostatic equilibrium. Our method also differs from earlier studies because it attempts to use isostasy for exploring (but not necessarily reducing) the inherent ambiguity of gravity methods. Tests with synthetic data illustrate the effect of our isostatic constraint on the estimated basement and Moho reliefs, especially at regions with pronounced crustal thinning, which are typical of passive volcanic margins. Results obtained by inverting satellite data over the Pelotas Basin, a passive volcanic margin in southern Brazil, agree with previous interpretations obtained independently by combining gravity, magnetic, and seismic data available to the petroleum industry. These results indicate that combined with a priori information, simple isostatic assumptions can be very useful for interpreting gravity data on passive rifted margins.
An adapted eigenvalue-based filter for ocean ambient noise processing
Authors: Wu Guoli , Dong Hefeng , Ke Ganpan , Song Junqiang
Published: October 2019

Accurate approximations of Green’s functions retrieved from the correlations of ambient noise require a homogeneous distribution of random and uncorrelated noise sources. In the real world, the existence of highly coherent, strong directional noise generated by ships, earthquakes, and other human activities can result in biases in the ambient-noise crosscorrelations (NCCs). We have developed an adapted eigenvalue-based filter to attenuate the interference of strong directional sources. The filter is based on the statistical model of the sample covariance matrix and can separate different components of the data covariance matrix in the eigenvalue spectrum. To improve the effectiveness and make it adaptable for different data sets, a weight is introduced to the filter. Then, the NCCs can be calculated directly from the filtered data covariance matrix. This approach is applied to a 1.02 h data set of ambient noise recorded by a permanent reservoir monitoring receiver array installed on the seabed. The power spectral density indicates that the noise recordings were contaminated by strong directional noise over nearly half of the whole observation period. Beamforming and crosscorrelation results indicate that the interference still exists even after applying traditional temporal and spectral normalization techniques, whereas the adapted eigenvalue-based filter can significantly attenuate it and help to obtain improved crosscorrelations. The approach makes it possible to retrieve reliable approximations of Green’s functions over a much shorter recording time.
Measurement of the shear slowness of slow formations from monopole logging-while-drilling sonic logs
Authors: Su Yuanda , Fang Xinding , Tang Xiaoming
Published: October 2019

Acoustic logging-while-drilling (LWD) is used to measure formation velocity/slowness during drilling. In a fast formation, in which the S-wave velocity is higher than the borehole-fluid velocity, monopole logging can be used to obtain P- and S-wave velocities by measuring the corresponding refracted waves. In a slow formation, in which the S-wave velocity is less than the borehole-fluid velocity, because the fully refracted S-wave is missing, quadrupole logging has been developed and used for S-wave slowness measurement. A recent study based on numerical modeling implies that monopole LWD can generate a detectable transmitted S-wave in a slow formation. This nondispersive transmitted S-wave propagates at the formation S-wave velocity and thus can be used for measuring the S-wave slowness of a slow formation. We evaluate a field example to demonstrate the applicability of monopole LWD in determining the S-wave slowness of slow formations. We compare the S-wave slowness extracted from a monopole LWD data set acquired in a slow formation and the result derived from the quadrupole data recorded in the same logging run. The results indicated that the S-wave slowness can be reliably determined from monopole LWD sonic data in fairly slow formations. However, we found that the monopole approach is not applicable to very slow formations because the transmitted S-wave becomes too weak to detect when the formation S-wave slowness is much higher than the borehole-fluid slowness.
Perturbation of maternal PIASy abundance disrupts zygotic genome activation and embryonic development via SUMOylation pathway
Authors: Higuchi Chika , Yamamoto Mari , Shin Seung-Wook , Miyamoto Kei , Matsumoto Kazuya
Published: October 2019

During the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), mRNAs and proteins stored in oocytes are degraded, and zygotic genes are activated. We have previously shown that the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS)-mediated degradation of maternal proteins plays a role in the onset of zygotic transcription. However, it is still unclear which maternal proteins should be degraded for zygotic genome activation and ensuring subsequent embryonic development. In this study, we screen for these maternal factors that are degraded via the UPS. We thus identified a maternal protein PIASy (Protein inhibitor of activated STAT y), which is an E3 SUMO ligase. The overexpression of PIASy in fertilized embryos causes developmental arrest at the 2-cell stage due to severe abnormal chromosome segregation and impaired zygotic transcription. We find that this developmental role of PIASy is related to its SUMOylation activity. Moreover, PIASy overexpression leads to increased trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me3) in 2-cell nuclei and enhanced translocation of H3K9me3 methyltransferase to the pronucleus. Hence, PIASy is a maternal factor that is degraded after fertilization and may be important for the proper induction of zygotic genome activation and embryonic development.
Coronary artery fistulas detected with coronary CT angiography: a pictorial review of 73 cases
Authors: Li Ning , Zhao Peng , Wu Dawei , Liang Changhu
Published: October 2019

Coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) are abnormal connections of the coronary arteries that bypass the myocardial capillary bed and terminate into chambers of the heart or major blood vessels. CAFs are rare, and most of them are congenital. Because CAFs can be asymptomatic and detected incidentally, the true incidence is difficult to evaluate. CAFs usually have various and complicated image features, and the clinical symptoms mainly depend on the size, origin and drainage site of the fistulas. Thus, accurate imaging assessment of these characteristics is crucial for therapeutic planning and post-operative evaluation. Due to the high temporal and spatial resolution, coronary CT angiography has recently become more widely used in cardiovascular disease diagnosis, and more asymptomatic CAFs are accidentally found. Furthermore, with multiplanar reconstruction images, some complicated and subtle structures can be displayed more accurately. In this article, we reviewed the imaging features of CAFs on coronary CT angiography, mainly focusing on the pre- and post-operative anatomy displaying of these abnormalities.
Live-cell imaging of single mRNA dynamics using split superfolder green fluorescent proteins with minimal background
Authors: Park Sung Young , Moon Hyungseok C. , Park Hye Yoon
Published: October 2019

The MS2 system, with an MS2 binding site (MBS) and an MS2 coat protein fused to a fluorescent protein (MCP–FP), has been widely used to fluorescently label mRNA in live cells. However, one of its limitations is the constant background fluorescence signal generated from free MCP–FPs. To overcome this obstacle, we used a superfolder GFP (sfGFP) split into two or three nonfluorescent fragments that reassemble and emit fluorescence only when bound to the target mRNA. Using the high-affinity interactions of bacteriophage coat proteins with their corresponding RNA binding motifs, we showed that the nonfluorescent sfGFP fragments were successfully brought close to each other to reconstitute a complete sfGFP. Furthermore, real-time mRNA dynamics inside the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm were observed by using the split sfGFPs with the MS2–PP7 hybrid system. Our results demonstrate that the split sfGFP systems are useful tools for background-free imaging of mRNA with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Case Report: A castration-resistant terminal prostate cancer patient’s survival prolonged after practicing Falun Gong
Authors: Dong Yu-Hong , Wu Shawn , Corson Ann , Hsu Kai-Hsiung
Published: October 2019

Background: Most metastatic prostate cancer patients receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as the mainstay of treatment. Unfortunately, patients ultimately progress to castration resistance.

Clinical finding and diagnosis: We describe a man in his eighties who developed stage IV, M1b prostate cancer, and multiple (≥5) bone metastases who required the aid of a walker to ambulate. Without treatment, his treating physician predicted he would survive 6 months.

Interventions and outcomes: The patient initially responded well to treatment with ADT, but during the 80-89th week of treatment he developed castration resistance. ADT was then discontinued. He subsequently began practicing Falun Gong (FLG) as an alternative form of care. Within one year of constant practice, he became able to walk independently, his bone metastases disappeared, and he also enjoyed better psychosocial functioning. His treating physician assessed that his prostate malignancy was “clinically, under control” and “his overall functional status is excellent.” The patient survived a total of 263 weeks (61.4 months) post diagnosis, including 174 weeks (40.6 months) after developing castration resistance.

Conclusion: This castration-resistant terminal prostate cancer patient gained significant clinical benefits after practicing Falun Gong.
Self-Confidence and Unraveling in Matching Markets
Authors: Dargnies Marie-Pierre , Hakimov Rustamdjan , Kübler Dorothea
Published: October 2019

We document experimentally how biased self-assessments affect the outcome of labor markets. In the experiments, we exogenously manipulate the self-confidence of participants in the role of workers regarding their relative performance by employing hard and easy real-effort tasks. Participants in the role of firms can make offers before information about the workers’ performance has been revealed. Such early offers by firms are more often accepted by workers when the real-effort task is hard than when it is easy. We show that the treatment effect works through a shift in beliefs; that is, under-confident agents are more likely to accept early offers than overconfident agents. The experiment identifies a behavioral determinant of unraveling, namely biased self-assessments. The treatment with the hard task entails more unraveling and thereby leads to lower efficiency and less stability, and it shifts payoffs from high- to low-quality firms.

This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
A Mechanism Design Approach to Vendor Managed Inventory
Authors: Kadiyala Bharadwaj , Özer Özalp , Bensoussan Alain
Published: October 2019

This paper studies an inventory management problem faced by an upstream supplier that is in a collaborative agreement, such as vendor-managed inventory (VMI), with a retailer. A VMI partnership provides the supplier an opportunity to manage inventory for the supply chain in exchange for point-of-sales (POS)- and inventory-level information from the retailer. However, retailers typically possess superior local market information and as has been the case in recent years, are able to capture and analyze customer purchasing behavior beyond the traditional POS data. Such analyses provide the retailer access to market signals that are otherwise hard to capture using POS information. We show and quantify the implication of the financial obligations of each party in VMI that renders communication of such important market signals as noncredible. To help institute a sound VMI collaboration, we propose learn and screen—a dynamic inventory mechanism—for the supplier to effectively manage inventory and information in the supply chain. The proposed mechanism combines the ability of the supplier to learn about market conditions from POS data (over multiple selling periods) and dynamically determine when to screen the retailer and acquire his private demand information. Inventory decisions in the proposed mechanism serve a strategic purpose in addition to their classic role of satisfying customer demand. We show that our proposed dynamic mechanism significantly improves the supplier’s expected profit and increases the efficiency of the overall supply chain operations under a VMI agreement. In addition, we determine the market conditions in which a strategic approach to VMI results in significant profit improvements for both firms, particularly when the retailer has high market power (i.e., when the supplier highly depends on the retailer) and when the supplier has relatively less knowledge about the end customer/market compared with the retailer.

This paper was accepted by Gad Allon, operations management.
Frenemies in Platform Markets: Heterogeneous Profit Foci as Drivers of Compatibility Decisions
Authors: Adner Ron , Chen Jianqing , Zhu Feng
Published: October 2019

We study compatibility decisions of two competing platform owners that generate profits through both hardware sales and royalties from content sales. We consider a game-theoretic model in which two platforms offer different standalone utilities to users. We find that incentives to establish one-way compatibility—the platform owner with smaller standalone value grants access to its proprietary content application to users of the competing platform—can arise from the difference in their profit foci. As the difference in the standalone utilities increases, royalties from content sales become less important to the platform owner with greater standalone value, but more important to the other platform owner. One-way compatibility can thus increase asymmetry between the platform owners’ profit foci and, given a sufficiently large difference in the standalone utilities, yields greater profits for both platform owners. We further show that social welfare is greater under one-way compatibility than under incompatibility. We also investigate how factors such as exclusive content and hardware-only adopters affect compatibility incentives.

This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems.
Deem uma Chance à Ideologia – Notas Sobre o Poder Negligenciado nas Relações Internacionais | Give Ideology a Chance – Notes on that Neglected Power in International Relations
Authors: Borges Renato T.
Published: October 2019

As notas que se seguem visam colaborar com as discussões a respeito do conceito de ideologia e do seu papel na formulação de política externa referentes aos estudos da área de Relações Internacionais. O artigo, uma breve introdução sem qualquer objetivo de esgotamento do tema, aponta as relações existentes entre o conceito abordado e o do nacionalismo, assim como afirma a impossibilidade das tentativas de separação das questões ideológicas do exercício do estadista e das ações do Estado no cenário internacional. As considerações finais ressaltam a importância do estudo da ideologia para a área e reservam um comentário do autor acerca do contexto atual da política (externa) brasileira.Palavras-chave: Ideologia; Nacionalismo; Política Externa.ABSTRACT The notes below are an effort to contribute to the discussions in the area of International Relations concerning the concept of ideology and its role in foreign policy-making. This brief introduction does not exhaust the object, but it intends to be a starting point for new studies on the nexus between ideology and nationalism, or even the indivisibility of the former as a variable in the exercise of statesmanship as well as in the behavior of a state in the international system. The final thoughts underline the importance of the study of ideology in IR and expose some comments about the actual context of Brazilian (foreign) policy.Keywords: Ideology; Nationalism; Foreign Policy.Recebido em 17 jan. 2019 | Aceito em 03 set. 2019
HIV Apheresis Tags (HIVAT) Aided Elimination of Viremia
Authors: Malecki Marek , Saetre Bianka
Published: October 2019

Abstract: HIV viremia is the essential element for progression of an initial HIV infection into AIDS and death. The currently approved management relies primarily on chemotherapy repressing the HIV replication in the infected CD4+ cells, although with severe systemic adverse effects. The problem is that it does not physically eliminate viruses, which then not only keep infecting healthy cells of these patients, but also promote infectivions of other people.
Prominent themes in drama therapy effectiveness research
Authors: Armstrong Calli Renee , Frydman Jason S. , Wood Shea
Published: October 2019

A strong evidence base is critical for deepening our understanding of how drama therapy works, how practice might be improved and how to best support the growth of the profession. Building on a previous investigation, the authors reviewed available peer-reviewed, English language, empirical
drama therapy research from 1945–2018 to answer the question: what are the prominent themes in drama therapy effectiveness research? Within an effectiveness context, the following themes emerged from this analysis: emotional and behavioural symptoms, social skills and social interactions,
self-confidence and self-esteem, sense of self and identity, self-expression, well-being, emotional regulation, empathy, academic performance, language and linguistic performance, stigma, bodily awareness, empowerment and spontaneity. Emergent trends in the literature are discussed and a summation
of findings is presented. In reference to the findings, the authors advance a rationale for increasing drama therapy quantitative research with validated and reliable measures.
The point of no return: A drama therapy group intervention for parents of children with ADHD
Authors: Sela Tal , Livni Tamar , Feniger-Schaal Rinat
Published: October 2019

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children and youth affecting both the child and his/her main caretakers. This article describes a case study of an established model, Parental-Insightfulness-Drama-Therapy (PIDT), that was adapted and used with parents
of children with ADHD. The PIDT model is a short-term group intervention that uses the power of drama to enhance parents’ ability to see things from the child’s point of view and gain a better relationship with their child. The opportunity to explore the parents’ relationship
with the child from a playful stance allowed the group participants to have a significant and diverse experience that does not ignore the objective complexity of what they deal with, and at the same time invites them to experience parenting itself as a creative and vivid act.