bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Train Moving Load‐Induced Vertical Superimposed Stress at Ballasted Railway Tracks
Authors: Wang Heng , Zeng Ling-Ling , Bian Xia , Hong Zhen-Shun
Published: February 2020

Ballasted railway track is an important factor that forms railway transportation over the world, which may face severe damage during operation due to the deterioration of the track ballast geometry. A practical method of evaluating train moving load‐induced vertical superimposed stress in substructure by incorporating the effects of ballast characteristics and multilayered substructure is presented. The proposed method is validated by comparing with the field measurements compiled from the literature with the calculated value. It is found that the prediction accuracy of the proposed method is within ±10%, in comparison with field measurements. Meanwhile, it should be emphasized that the predicted value by traditional methods was 1.4–5.0 times field measurements. Also, key factors affecting the predicted accuracy are identified through parameter analysis by using the proposed and the traditional methods.
Cycle-Consistent Adversarial GAN: The Integration of Adversarial Attack and Defense
Authors: Jiang Lingyun , Qiao Kai , Qin Ruoxi , Wang Linyuan , Yu Wanting , Chen Jian , Bu Haibing , Yan Bin
Published: February 2020

In image classification of deep learning, adversarial examples where input is intended to add small magnitude perturbations may mislead deep neural networks (DNNs) to incorrect results, which means DNNs are vulnerable to them. Different attack and defense strategies have been proposed to better research the mechanism of deep learning. However, those researches in these networks are only for one aspect, either an attack or a defense. There is in the improvement of offensive and defensive performance, and it is difficult to promote each other in the same framework. In this paper, we propose Cycle-Consistent Adversarial GAN (CycleAdvGAN) to generate adversarial examples, which can learn and approximate the distribution of the original instances and adversarial examples, especially promoting attackers and defenders to confront each other and improve their ability. For CycleAdvGAN, once the GeneratorA and D are trained, GA can generate adversarial perturbations efﬁciently for any instance, improving the performance of the existing attack methods, and GD can generate recovery adversarial examples to clean instances, defending against existing attack methods. We apply CycleAdvGAN under semiwhite-box and black-box settings on two public datasets MNIST and CIFAR10. Using the extensive experiments, we show that our method has achieved the state-of-the-art adversarial attack method and also has efficiently improved the defense ability, which made the integration of adversarial attack and defense come true. In addition, it has improved the attack effect only trained on the adversarial dataset generated by any kind of adversarial attack.
Foraging Ecology and Diurnal Activity Patterns of Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) in Yetefet Woyenat Forest, East Gojjam, Ethiopia
Authors: Bireda Melaku , Yihune Mesele
Published: February 2020

The foraging ecology and diurnal activity patterns of the klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) were studied in Yetefet Woyenat Forest from September 2017 to August 2018 during the dry and wet seasons. Data were collected by visual observation using focal and scan sampling methods. The result indicated that klipspringers were observed feeding on grasses, herbs, trees, and shrubs, but were primarily browsers during both wet and dry seasons. Carissa edulis was the most consumed plant species in the study area, followed by Rosa abyssinica and Maytenus arbutifolia. Despite moderate ambient temperatures, klipspringers were mostly active during early morning and late afternoon, feeding 45.56% of the daylight hours during the dry season and 43.75% during the wet season. Klipspringers were facing threats due to human activities in the study area. Thus, appropriate conservation measures should be taken to reduce disturbance of their ecology.
Compelling Evidence of Oscillatory Behaviour of Hadronic Multiplicities in the Shifted Gompertz Distribution
Authors: Aggarwal R. , Kaur M.
Published: February 2020

Study of charged particle multiplicity distribution in high-energy interactions of particles helps in revealing the dynamics of particle production and the underlying statistical patterns, by which these distributions follow. Several distributions derived from statistics have been employed to understand its behaviour. In one of our earlier papers, we introduced the shifted Gompertz distribution to investigate this variable and showed that the multiplicity distributions in a variety of processes at different energies can be very well described by this distribution. The fact that the shifted Gompertz distribution, which has been extensively used in diffusion theory, social networking and forecasting, has been used for the first time in high-energy physics collisions remains interesting. In this paper, we investigate the phenomenon of oscillatory behaviour of the counting statistics observed in the high-energy experimental data, resulting from different types of recurrence relations defining the probability distributions. We search for such oscillations in the multiplicity distributions well described by the shifted Gompertz distribution and look for retrieval of additional valuable information from these distributions.
Exploration of Wild Edible Plants Used as Food by Gaddis-A Tribal Community of the Western Himalaya
Authors: Thakur Arti , Singh Somvir , Puri Sunil
Published: February 2020

A survey of wild edible plants of Gaddi tribes of Himachal Pradesh was carried out in Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh located in Western Himalayas. The inhabitants subsisted primarily on pastoralism and agriculture and have traditional knowledge on wild edible plants. A total of 49 edible plants belonging to 24 families were recorded in the study area. These were commonly used as vegetables, fruits, spices, and chutney. Nearly half of the species belong to Polygonaceae and Rosaceae families. Herbs, shrubs, climbers, and trees form the habit of these plants. The highest proportion of edible species were herbs (29) followed by trees (10), shrubs (8), climber (1), and Morchella esculenta (fungi) (1).
Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Alleviates Cerebral Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury by Increasing GSK‐3β Phosphorylation Level via Adenosine A1 Receptor
Authors: Geng Wujun , Cai Libin , Han Kunyuan , Li Ding , Mo Yunchang , Dai Qinxue , Tang Hongli , Zhang Minyuan , Akuetteh Percy David Papa , Balelang Meita Felicia , Wang Junlu
Published: February 2020

Objective. To observe the effect of adenosine A1 receptor in the hippocampus of mice on GSK‐3β phosphorylation level and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of electroacupuncture pretreatment by activating Α1 receptor mediating cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury. Method. The model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established and grouped into electroacupuncture pretreatment group (EA group), MCAO group, and sham‐operated group (Sham group). The neurobehavioral manifestation, the volume of cerebral infarction, and its related protein changes in mice in each group were observed. Then, adenosine Α1 receptor antagonist and agonist were injected intraperitoneally to observe the effects of A1 receptor on the phosphorylation level of GSK‐3β, neurobehavioral changes, and infarction volume. Results. (1) Compared with the MCAO group (24 hours after reperfusion), the infarct size in the EA group decreased significantly, and the Garcia neurological score and phosphorylation level of GSK‐3β are increased. (2) Compared with the EA group, the infarct size in the A1 receptor antagonist 8‐cyclopentyl‐1,3‐dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) group increased significantly, and the Garcia neurological score and phosphorylation level of GSK‐3β are decreased. (3) Compared with the MCAO group, the infarct size in the A1 receptor agonist 2‐Chloro‐N6‐cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA) group decreased significantly, and the Garcia neurological score and phosphorylation level of GSK‐3β are increased. There was no significant difference between the EA group and CCPA group. Conclusions. Electroacupuncture pretreatment can increase GSK‐3β phosphorylation level via activating A1 receptor, to protect neurons in ischemia‐reperfusion injury.
Perioperative Nursing of Patients with Reoperation of Recurrent Parathyroid Carcinoma Invading the Upper Digestive or Respiratory Tract
Authors: Yin Lingxue , Feng Shui , Shi Zengxia
Published: February 2020

Objective. The aim of this study was to summarize the perioperative nursing care of patients with recurrent parathyroid carcinoma. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 10 patients with recurrent parathyroid carcinoma was performed. The clinical data, diagnosis, treatment process, and nursing process (including clinical nursing intervention of various complications) were analyzed. The nursing experience and methods were discussed, summarized, and analyzed. Results. A total of 10 patients were reviewed (male : female 7 : 3; aged 48.6 ± 14.60 years). The mean interval between the initial operation and reoperation was 2.23 ± 1.65 years. The mean number of operations was 4.00 ± 1.41. Invasion of the trachea or esophagus was evident in 7 patients, larynx in 6 patients, recurrent laryngeal nerve in 1 patient, and cyclic cartilage in 2 patients. Serum calcium range was 3.20–4.68 mmol/L, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) range was 860–2830 pg/ml at admission. 6 patients underwent prophylactic tracheostomy, 2 patients underwent partial laryngectomy, and 2 patients underwent total laryngectomy. 1 patient experienced temporary water‐electrolyte disorder and hypoproteinemia. The median serum calcium was 2.28 mmol/L (1.66–3.18 mmol/L) and median PTH level was 82.60 pg/ml (63.70–900.00 pg/ml) postoperatively. Serum PTH and calcium were still higher than the upper limit of normal in 2 patients after surgery. 2 of the other 8 patients relapsed within 8–11 months, and 6 patients remained normal for 11–40 months. Conclusion. For patients with reoperation of recurrent parathyroid carcinoma, high‐quality, reasonable, and careful perioperative nursing ensured a successful operation and optimized outcome.
A Unified Approach for the Identification of Wiener, Hammerstein, and Wiener–Hammerstein Models by Using WH-EA and Multistep Signals
Authors: Zambrano J. , Sanchis J. , Herrero J. M. , Martínez M.
Published: February 2020

Wiener, Hammerstein, and Wiener–Hammerstein structures are useful for modelling dynamic systems that exhibit a static type nonlinearity. Many methods to identify these systems can be found in the literature; however, choosing a method requires prior knowledge about the location of the static nonlinearity. In addition, existing methods are rigid and exclusive for a single structure. This paper presents a unified approach for the identification of Wiener, Hammerstein, and Wiener–Hammerstein models. This approach is based on the use of multistep excitation signals and WH-EA (an evolutionary algorithm for Wiener–Hammerstein system identification). The use of multistep signals will take advantage of certain properties of the algorithm, allowing it to be used as it is to identify the three types of structures without the need for the user to know a priori the process structure. In addition, since not all processes can be excited with Gaussian signals, the best linear approximation (BLA) will not be required. Performance of the proposed method is analysed using three numerical simulation examples and a real thermal process. Results show that the proposed approach is useful for identifying Wiener, Hammerstein, and Wiener–Hammerstein models, without requiring prior information on the type of structure to be identified.
Coupled System of Nonlinear Fractional Langevin Equations with Multipoint and Nonlocal Integral Boundary Conditions
Authors: Salem Ahmed , Alzahrani Faris , Alnegga Mohammad
Published: February 2020

This research paper is about the existence and uniqueness of the coupled system of nonlinear fractional Langevin equations with multipoint and nonlocal integral boundary conditions. The Caputo fractional derivative is used to formulate the fractional differential equations, and the fractional integrals mentioned in the boundary conditions are due to Atangana–Baleanu and Katugampola. The existence of solution has been proven by two main fixed-point theorems: O’Regan’s fixed-point theorem and Krasnoselskii’s fixed-point theorem. By applying Banach’s fixed-point theorem, we proved the uniqueness result for the concerned problem. This research paper highlights the examples related with theorems that have already been proven.
Nutritional Status of School Going Adolescent Girls in Awash Town, Afar Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Kahssay Molla , Mohamed Lidia , Gebre Abel
Published: February 2020

Background. Adolescence is an essential stage in the human life cycle, a transition period between childhood and adulthood that is characterized by rapid growth spurt in which nutritional requirement is high. Adolescents are risk groups for malnutrition, but they are not part of a target in many intervention strategies. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing nutritional status of adolescent girls and its associated factors.Methods. Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed among randomly selected 348 school going adolescent girls. Data were entered into Epi Info and transported to SPSS version 20 for further analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predicators of nutritional status of adolescent girls atpvalue <0.05 and 95% confidence level.Results. This study revealed that 22.9% and 8.82% of school adolescent girls were stunted and thin, respectively. Being at early adolescent age (14-15 years) [AOR = 1.4, 95% CI (1.04–4.28)], ownership of phone [AOR = 3.3, 95% CI (1.55–7.02)], and dietary diversity score of <4 food groups [AOR = 2.2, 95% CI (1.4–4.54)] were some of the potential predictors of stunting. Similarly, dietary diversity score of <4 food groups [AOR = 1.8, 95% CI (1.14–4.38)] and low food consumption [AOR = 3, 95% CI (1.15–7.90)] were some of the potential predictors of thinness.Conclusion and Recommendation. The prevalence of both stunting and thinness is a public health problem in the study area. Early adolescent age (10–14 years), ownership of phone, and dietary diversity score of <4 food groups were independent predictors of stunting. Dietary diversity score of <4 food groups and eating less than usual were independent predictors of thinness. An integrated nutritional intervention and health related services that meet the needs of adolescent girls in the school community have to be established and strengthened. Since adolescent age is period of growth and development in which growth spurt and nutritional requirement are high, adolescents should be provided with enough meals and diversified foods.
Machine Learning Analysis of Image Data Based on Detailed MR Image Reports for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Prognosis
Authors: Cui Chunyan , Wang Shunxin , Zhou Jian , Dong Annan , Xie Fei , Li Haojiang , Liu Lizhi
Published: February 2020

We aimed to assess the use of automatic machine learning (AutoML) algorithm based on magnetic resonance (MR) image data to assign prediction scores to patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We also aimed to develop a 4‐group classification system for NPC, superior to the current clinical staging system. Between January 2010 and January 2013, 792 patients with recent diagnosis of NPC, who had MR image data, were enrolled in the study. The AutoML algorithm was used and all statistical analyses were based on the 10‐fold test. Primary endpoints included the probabilities of overall survival (OS), distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS), and local‐region relapse‐free survival (LRFS), and their sum was recorded as the final voting score, representative of progression‐free survival (PFS) for each patient. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve generated from the MR image data‐based model compared with the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) system‐based model was 0.796 (P = 0.008) for OS, 0.752 (P = 0.053) for DMFS, and 0.721 (P = 0.025) for LRFS. The Kaplan‐Meier (KM) test values for II/I, III/II, IV/III groups in our new machine learning‐based scoring system were 0.011, 0.010, and <0.001, respectively, whereas those for II/I, III/II, IV/III groups in the TNM/American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system were 0.118, 0.121, and <0.001, respectively. Significant differences were observed in the new machine learning‐based scoring system analysis of each curve (P < 0.05), whereas the P values of curves obtained from the TNM/AJCC system, between II/I and III/II, were 0.118 and 0.121, respectively, without a significant difference. In conclusion, the AutoML algorithm demonstrated better prognostic performance than the TNM/AJCC system for NPC. The algorithm showed a good potential for clinical application and may aid in improving counseling and facilitate the personalized management of patients with NPC. The clinical application of our new scoring and staging system may significantly improve precision medicine.
Interrelation between Sarcopenia and the Number of Motor Neurons in Patients with Parkinsonian Syndromes
Authors: Krenovsky Jan-Peter , Bötzel Kai , Ceballos-Baumann Andres , Fietzek Urban M. , Schoser Benedikt , Maetzler Walter , Ferrari Uta , Drey Michael
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Pathogenesis in a subgroup of sarcopenic patients seems to be based on a reduced number of motor neurons. This study aimed at investigating the overlap between sarcopenia and neurodegeneration, as reflected by a low number of motor neurons in patients with Parkinsonian syndromes (PS). Methods: The motor unit number index (MUNIX) of the hypothenar muscle was used to assess the number and size (MUSIX) of motor units (MUs) in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (iPD, n = 53), patients with atypical Parkinsonian syndrome (aPS, n = 21), and a control group (n = 30). Mean age of participants was 70.3 years and 54.1% were female. Skeletal muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis, hand-grip strength and gait speed were measured. Based on these assessments, sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Results: Sarcopenia criteria were met by 10 patients with PS (13.5%). The study group had significantly lower MUNIX values than the control group (109 [SD ±39.1] vs. 129 [SD ±45.1]; p = 0.020) even after adjustment for age and sex. Three of the 5 sarcopenic iPD patients (75%) had pathological low MUNIX values (<80). Discussion/Conclusion: Sarcopenia is a frequent comorbidity in PS. The pathologically low MUNIX values found in 75% of our sarcopenic iPD patients provides further support for the existence of a neurodegenerative overlap syndrome with a reduced number of MUs potentially leading to sarcopenia. This finding warrants further evaluation.
Glycosylated Hemoglobin as a Surrogate for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Cardiovascular Outcome Trials Comparing New Antidiabetic Drugs to Placebo
Authors: Ambrosi Pierre , Daumas Aurélie , Villani Patrick , Giorgi Roch
Published: February 2020

Background and Objectives: The value of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as a surrogate marker for the prevention of cardiovascular outcomes on antidiabetic drugs is debated. The 2008 FDA guidance led to multiple large clinical trials to evaluate the effect of new antidiabetic drugs versus placebo on major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between MACE and HbA1c decrease between antidiabetic drug and placebo across the spectrum of cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOT). Methods: In this systematic review, we included randomized controlled trials that compared an antidiabetic drug to placebo in addition to current standard of care with the primary intention of demonstrating cardiovascular safety. We investigated the relationship between MACE decrease on antidiabetic drug and HbA1c reduction on antidiabetic drug using the coefficient correlation. We also studied the effects of potential confounders on MACE decrease. Results: Fourteen eligible trials including 128,149 patients were included, 12,114 of whom experienced MACE. Mean achieved HbA1c absolute reductions on antidiabetic treatment versus placebo varied from 0.29 to 1%. The decrease of MACE on antidiabetic drug was significantly correlated with mean HbA1c reduction (r = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.67–0.96, p < 0.001) and weight loss (r = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.46–0.94, p < 0.001). In a bivariate model including weight loss, only HbA1c reduction remained significantly correlated with the decrease of MACE on antidiabetic drug (p = 0.019). Conclusion: Across CVOT, the decrease in MACE incidence on various antidiabetic drugs is significantly correlated with HbA1c reduction. This meta-analysis supports HbA1c as an appropriate surrogate endpoint for cardiovascular events. Our analysis supports that changes in HbA1c should be taken into account while interpreting effects of new antidiabetic drugs on cardiovascular outcomes.
Validation of a Revised Knowledge Assessment Tool for Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD-KID2)
Authors: Vernon-Roberts Angharad , Otley Anthony , Frampton Chris , Gearry Richard B. , Day Andrew S.
Published: February 2020

Introduction: For children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), acquired knowledge of their condition and treatment is integral to their adherence and self-management. Assessing their knowledge is vital to identify deficits that may affect disease management. IBD-KID2 is a knowledge assessment tool written for children aged 8 years and over with IBD. Objectives: In order to examine validity and reliability, a study was carried out using IBD-KID2 in a paediatric IBD population and a number of comparator groups with established levels of IBD knowledge. Methods: IBD-KID2 was administered to 4 participant groups in Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand: children with IBD (n = 22), children without IBD (n = 20), medical staff (n = 15), and administration staff (n = 15). Between-group differences were tested using ANOVA and pairwise comparisons made with the IBD group. Repeat assessments by the IBD group determined test-retest reliability (n = 21). Results: The mean age (range) of the paediatric groups were: IBD 13.3 years (8–18), without IBD 11.9 years (8–15). Group mean scores (SD) were: IBD 8.5 (±2.3), without IBD 3.7 (±2.2), medical staff 13.5 (±1.3), administration staff 6.3 (±2.5). Group means were all significantly different to the IBD group. Test-retest mean at baseline (8.4, CI ±2.4) and repeat (9.0, CI ±2.4) were not significant. Intraclass correlationcoefficient was 0.82. Internal reliability was 0.85, and item-total statistics showed no improvement by specific item removal. Conclusions: IBD-KID2 could distinguish between groups with different knowledge levels. Repeat assessment shows comparable scores on retest and good reproducibility. IBD-KID2 is a valid and reliable tool for use in the paediatric IBD population.
Finerenone Reduces Intrinsic Arterial Stiffness in Munich Wistar Frömter Rats, a Genetic Model of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Gil-Ortega Marta , Vega-Martín Elena , Martín-Ramos Miriam , González-Blázquez Raquel , Pulido-Olmo Helena , Ruiz-Hurtado Gema , Schulz Angela , Ruilope Luis M. , Kolkhof Peter , Somoza Beatriz , Kreutz Reinhold , Fernández-Alfonso Maria S.
Published: February 2020

Background: Development of albuminuria and arterial stiffness in Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) rats, a model of chronic kidney disease, is related to alterations in extracellular matrix, increased oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. Finerenone (FIN), a novel, nonsteroidal, potent, and selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, improves endothelial dysfunction through enhancing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and decreasing superoxide anion levels due to an upregulation in vascular and renal superoxide dismutase activity. We hypothesize that FIN reduces arterial stiffness in this model associated to the reduction in albuminuria and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9 activity. Methods: Twelve-week-old MWF rats with established albuminuria and age-matched normoalbuminuric Wistar (W) rats were treated with FIN (10 mg/kg/day, once-daily oral gavage) or with vehicle (control, C) for 4 weeks. Results: Arterial stiffness was significantly higher in mesenteric arteries (MA) of MWF-C as compared to W-C. FIN treatment significantly lowered β-index, a measure of intrinsic stiffness independent of geometry, in MWF (βMWF-FIN = 7.7 ± 0.4 vs. βMWF-C = 9.2 ± 0.5, p < 0.05) positively correlating with urinary albumin excretion. Elastin fenestrae area in the internal elastic lamina of MA from MWF-FIN was significantly larger (+377%, p < 0.05). FIN increased plasma pro-MMP-2 and decreased plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities, correlating with reductions in β-index. MA from MWF-FIN exhibited higher NO bioavailability and reduced superoxide anion levels compared to MWF-C. Conclusion: FIN treatment reduces intrinsic arterial stiffness in MA from MWF rats associated with changes in elastin organization, normalization of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities, and reduction of oxidative stress. Moreover, reduction of arterial stiffness correlates with reduction in albuminuria.
Automated Identification and Extraction of Exercise Treadmill Test Results
Authors: Zheng Chengyi , Sun Benjamin C. , Wu Yi‐Lin , Lee Ming‐Sum , Shen Ernest , Redberg Rita F. , Ferencik Maros , Natsui Shaw , Kawatkar Aniket A. , Musigdilok Visanee V. , Sharp Adam L.
Published: February 2020

Background

Noninvasive cardiac tests, including exercise treadmill tests (ETTs), are commonly utilized in the evaluation of patients in the emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome. However, there are ongoing debates on their clinical utility and cost‐effectiveness. It is important to be able to use ETT results for research, but manual review is prohibitively time‐consuming for large studies. We developed and validated an automated method to interpret ETT results from electronic health records. To demonstrate the algorithm's utility, we tested the associations between ETT results with 30‐day patient outcomes in a large population.

Methods and Results

A retrospective analysis of adult emergency department encounters resulting in an ETT within 30 days was performed. A set of randomly selected reports were double‐blind reviewed by 2 physicians to validate a natural language processing algorithm designed to categorize ETT results into normal, ischemic, nondiagnostic, and equivocal categories. Natural language processing then searched and categorized results of 5214 ETT reports. The natural language processing algorithm achieved 96.4% sensitivity and 94.8% specificity in identifying normal versus all other categories. The rates of 30‐day death or acute myocardial infarction varied (
P
<0.001) by categories for normal (0.08%), ischemic (1.9%), nondiagnostic (0.77%), and equivocal (0.58%) groups achieving good discrimination (C‐statistic, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.7–0.92).

Conclusions

Natural language processing is an accurate and efficient strategy to facilitate large‐scale outcome studies of noninvasive cardiac tests. We found that most patients are at low risk and have normal ETT results, while those with abnormal, nondiagnostic, or equivocal results have slightly higher risks and warrant future investigation.
Time Trends in Survival Following First Hemorrhagic or Ischemic Stroke Between 1991 and 2015 in the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Waziry Reem , Heshmatollah Alis , Bos Daniel , Chibnik Lori B. , Ikram M. Arfan , Hofman Albert , Ikram M. Kamran
Published: February 2020

Background and Purpose—

The introduction of stroke units and the implementation of evidence-based interventions have been a breakthrough in the management of patients with stroke over the past decade. Survival following stroke is an important indicator in monitoring stroke burden. Recent data on survival by stroke subtype in the general population is scarce. We assessed (1) recent temporal time trends in survival; (2) age-standardized death rates; (3) survival probabilities at 6 months, 1, 2, and 3 years following first hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke.

Methods—

Within the population-based Rotterdam Study between 1991 and 2015, we assessed time trends in survival among 162 with first-ever hemorrhagic and 988 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke across 3 time periods (1991–1998; 1999–2007; 2008–2015) using time-varying Cox regression model and calculated age-standardized death rates according to the European 2010 census population.

Results—

In the hemorrhagic stroke group, a total of 144 deaths occurred during 386 person-years. Following a hemorrhagic stroke, we observed similar mortality rates over the years with 30 per 100 person-years in 2015 compared with 25/100 person-years in 1991. Similarly, compared with the earliest study period (1991–1998), mortality rates remained unchanged in the latest study period (2008–2015; hazard ratio, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.61–1.57];
P
=0.93). In the ischemic stroke group, a total of 711 deaths occurred during 4897 person-years. We observed a decline in mortality rates in 2015 (11 per 100 person-years) compared with 1991 (29/100 person-years). This translated to favorable trends in the latest study period 2008 to 2015 (hazard ratio, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.56–0.90];
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

Survival following ischemic stroke has improved over the past decade, while no change was observed in survival following hemorrhagic stroke.
Liodessus lacunaviridis sp. n. from the high Andes of Colombia (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini)
Authors: Balke M. , Ospina-Torres R. , Suarez-Megna Y. , Hendrich L.
Published: February 2020

We here describe Liodessus lacunaviridis sp. n. (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Bidessini), collected from small mossy puddles at the edge of the Laguna Verde, Boyaca, Colombia. Within Liodessus Guignot, 1939 the new species is well characted by its darker coloration, more elongate oval habitus, and the shape of the median lobe in ventral view, which is more evenly narrowing than in the other Andean species known so far. In addition to external morphology, we used mitochondrial cox1 sequence data to support the generic assignment and delineate the new species. Altogether 32 species of the genus are now known from the Americas, 12 of them from the Andean region.
Eἶδος, ἰδέα, παράδειγμα: osservazioni sulla natura del Santo in Eutifrone 6d–10e
Authors: Maffi Emanuele
Published: February 2020

Plato’s Euthyphro has been interpreted in two ways. The first one, given by Vlastos, is the so-called “developmentalism” according to which in the Euthyphro (and in the early dialogues) we cannot find any ‘theory of Forms’, which belongs only to Plato’s middle dialogues, but nothing more than a search for definitions. The second one, supported by Allen, claims instead that in the Euthyphro we can find the early (or Socratic) theory of Forms, a theory that has some common items as well as some differences with the later (or Platonic) theory of Forms. Through the detailed analysis of the refutation of Euthyphro second definition of holiness I argue that the ontological status of Holiness and its causal role is already the status and the role played by the Forms in Plato’s middle works. So a metaphysical meaning can be assigned to εἶδος, ἰδέα, παράδειγμα already in the Euthyphro.
Refutation, Democracy and Epistemocracy in Plato’s Charmides
Authors: Adams Don
Published: February 2020

Socrates’ refutational method in the Charmides is deliberately designed to allow non-experts to test proposals, even if those proposals are put forward by experts. As such, it cannot produce definitive refutations, but it can produce refutations that are worth taking seriously. This is important to Socrates because he thinks that non-experts have not only a right, but a duty to examine self-professed experts before entrusting themselves or their loved ones to them. So if the rulers in a polis are a cognitive elite—as Critias seems to suggest with his Delphic analysis of temperance—it will be equally important to Socrates for commoners to put their rulers to the test before entrusting matters of state to them. If it is a democratic principle that the legitimacy of political authority depends upon the consent of the governed, then we can say that Socrates defends a democratic principle.
Narrative Order and the Cosmo-Political Representations of the Characters in the Timaeus
Authors: Restrepo Daniel A.
Published: February 2020

In this essay, I argue that the ordering of the speeches in Plato’s Timaeus indicates two things. First, each speech represents one of the three genera or principles Timaeus discusses. Socrates’ summary represents the forms, Critias’ Atlantis story embodies Becoming, and Timaeus’ cosmology serves as χώρα. Second, Timaeus responds to the other speakers in the order in which they were presented before beginning again with χώρα. Once Timaeus introduces χώρα, one of his tasks is laying the groundwork for Critias’ war story. My reading would prioritize the moral and political underpinnings of Timaeus’ cosmology over the more scientific or metaphysical interpretations of the text.
Liberal Quakerism in America in the Long Nineteenth Century, 1790–1920
Authors: Hamm Thomas D.
Published: February 2020

Thomas D. Hamm (Earlham College) argues that a self-conscious, liberal Quakerism emerged in North America between 1790 and 1920. It had three characteristics. The first was a commitment to liberty of conscience. The second was pronounced doubts about orthodox beliefs, such as the divinity of Christ. Finally, liberal Friends saw themselves as holding beliefs fully consistent with early Quakerism. Stirrings appeared as early as the 1790s. Hicksite Friends in the 1820s, although perceiving themselves as traditionalists, manifested all of these characteristics. When other Hicksites took such stances in even more radical directions after 1830, however, bitter divisions ensued. Orthodox Friends were slower to develop liberal thought. It emerged after 1870, as higher education became central to the Gurneyite branch of Orthodox Quakerism, and as some Gurneyites responded to influences in the larger society, and to the changes introduced by the advent of revivalism, by embracing modernist Protestantism.
Synopsis of world Discleroderma Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae)
Authors: AZEVEDO CELSO O. , VARGAS JUAN M. R. , COLOMBO WESLEY D.
Published: February 2020

We provide a synopsis of the genus Discleroderma, which is known only from females. The genus is easily recognized by having tubercles on metasomal tergites III-V. In this synopsis we recognized D. gundari Terayama, D. indiensis Lanes & Azevedo, D. tuberculatum Magretti, and D. yemenensis Lanes & Azevedo as valid species. Additionally we discovered four more species D. concursum sp. nov., D. dolium sp. nov., D. plymouthoides sp. nov., and D. guamensis sp. nov., which are described and illustrated. We also provide an emended diagnosis and a key to the world species of this genus.
Observed Evolution of the Tropical Atmospheric Water Cycle with Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Höjgård-Olsen Erik , Brogniez Hélène , Chepfer Hélène
Published: February 2020

Better understanding of how moisture, clouds, and precipitation covary under climate warming lacks a comprehensive observational view. This paper analyzes the tropical atmospheric water cycle’s evolution with sea surface temperature (SST), using for the first time, the synergistic dataset of instantaneous observations of the relative humidity profile from the Megha-Tropiques satellite, clouds from the CALIPSO satellite, and near-surface precipitation from the CloudSat satellite, and quantifies their rates of change with SST warming. The dataset is partitioned into three vertical velocity regimes, with cloudy grid boxes categorized by phase (ice or liquid), opacity (opaque or thin), and the presence of near-surface precipitation. Opaque cloud cover is always larger in the presence of near-surface precipitation (high ice clouds especially). Low liquid water clouds in the descending regime dominate for SSTs < 299.25 K, where the free troposphere is dry (~20%), and opaque liquid water cloud cover decreases with SST warming (−8% K−1) and thin liquid water cloud cover stays constant (~20%). High ice clouds dominate the ascending regime in which, for 299.25 < SST < 301.75 K, humidity increases with SST in the lower free troposphere and peaks around 302 K. Over the warm SST range (>301.75 K), in the ascending regime, opaque high ice cloud cover decreases with SST (−13% K−1), while thin ice cloud cover increases (+6% K−1). Over the warm SST range, total cloudiness decreases with warming in all regimes. This paper characterizes fundamental relationships between aspects of the tropical atmospheric water cycle and SST.
The Partitioning of Meridional Heat Transport from the Last Glacial Maximum to CO2 Quadrupling in Coupled Climate Models
Authors: Donohoe Aaron , Armour Kyle C. , Roe Gerard H. , Battisti David S. , Hahn Lily
Published: February 2020

Meridional heat transport (MHT) is analyzed in ensembles of coupled climate models simulating climate states ranging from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to quadrupled CO2. MHT is partitioned here into atmospheric (AHT) and implied oceanic (OHT) heat transports. In turn, AHT is partitioned into dry and moist energy transport by the meridional overturning circulation (MOC), transient eddy energy transport (TE), and stationary eddy energy transport (SE) using only monthly averaged model output that is typically archived. In all climate models examined, the maximum total MHT (AHT + OHT) is nearly climate-state invariant, except for a modest (4%, 0.3 PW) enhancement of MHT in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) during the LGM. However, the partitioning of MHT depends markedly on the climate state, and the changes in partitioning differ considerably among different climate models. In response to CO2 quadrupling, poleward implied OHT decreases, while AHT increases by a nearly compensating amount. The increase in annual-mean AHT is a smooth function of latitude but is due to a spatially inhomogeneous blend of changes in SE and TE that vary by season. During the LGM, the increase in wintertime SE transport in the NH midlatitudes exceeds the decrease in TE resulting in enhanced total AHT. Total AHT changes in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) are not significant. These results suggest that the net top-of-atmosphere radiative constraints on total MHT are relatively invariant to climate forcing due to nearly compensating changes in absorbed solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation. However, the partitioning of MHT depends on detailed regional and seasonal factors.
Formation of Recirculating Cores in Convectively Breaking Internal Solitary Waves of Depression Shoaling over Gentle Slopes in the South China Sea
Authors: Rivera-Rosario Gustavo , Diamessis Peter J. , Lien Ren-Chieh , Lamb Kevin G. , Thomsen Greg N.
Published: February 2020

The formation of a recirculating subsurface core in an internal solitary wave (ISW) of depression, shoaling over realistic bathymetry, is explored through fully nonlinear and nonhydrostatic two-dimensional simulations. The computational approach is based on a high-resolution/accuracy deformed spectral multidomain penalty-method flow solver, which employs the recorded bathymetry, background current, and stratification profile in the South China Sea. The flow solver is initialized using a solution of the fully nonlinear Dubreil–Jacotin–Long equation. During shoaling, convective breaking precedes core formation as the rear steepens and the trough decelerates, allowing heavier fluid to plunge forward, forming a trapped core. This core-formation mechanism is attributed to a stretching of a near-surface background vorticity layer. Since the sign of the vorticity is opposite to that generated by the propagating wave, only subsurface recirculating cores can form. The onset of convective breaking is visualized, and the sensitivity of the core properties to changes in the initial wave, near-surface background shear, and bottom slope is quantified. The magnitude of the near-surface vorticity determines the size of the convective-breaking region, and the rapid increase of local bathymetric slope accelerates core formation. If the amplitude of the initial wave is increased, the subsequent convective-breaking region increases in size. The simulations are guided by field data and capture the development of the recirculating subsurface core. The analyzed parameter space constitutes a baseline for future three-dimensional simulations focused on characterizing the turbulent flow engulfed within the convectively unstable ISW.
Forecasting Class I Railroad Fuel Consumption by Train Type
Authors: Tolliver Denver , Lu Pan
Published: February 2020

Fuel efficiency is an important consideration in evaluating public-sector investments in multimodal corridors. Two approaches are typically used in corridor studies to forecast railroad diesel fuel consumption: (1) system-average efficiency factors, and (2) detailed analytical estimates derived from train performance calculators. The former method is easy to apply but may not be reflective of the actual mix of trains used. The second method is data- and time-intensive and can only be effectively implemented with specialized software that is not publicly available. An intermediate method is introduced in this paper which allows distinctions among the types of trains that might be utilized in a corridor (e.g., unit, way, and through). A model is estimated from publicly available data that has excellent statistical properties and quantifies the absolute and relative fuel efficiencies of train options. The analysis demonstrates that using system-average fuel consumption factors may significantly understate railroad fuel economy when traffic moves in unit trains instead of mixed train service. The new method offers greater accuracy than system-average comparisons yet is much less data-intensive than train performance calculators or analytical methods.
How Can Problems Be Turned Into Something Good? The Role of Entrepreneurial Learning and Error Mastery Orientation
Authors: Funken Rebecca , Gielnik Michael M. , Foo Maw-Der
Published: February 2020

How can problems be turned into something good? We develop and test a theoretical model suggesting that error mastery orientation influences whether problems have positive or negative outcomes. We argue that problems increase or decrease entrepreneurial learning and venture progress depending on error mastery orientation. We tested our theoretical model using a longitudinal design with one baseline measurement and 11 weekly measurements. Analyses were based on 1,016 lagged observations from 168 individuals, who engaged in venture creation as part of entrepreneurship training courses. The results suggest that error mastery orientation functions like a switch, turning problems into something good.
Condyloma accuminatum of the male urethra: A case report
Authors: Meliti Abdelrazak , Hawari Abdulrahman , Al-Maghrabi Haneen , Mokhtar Ghadeer
Published: February 2020

Condyloma acuminatum is an anogenital lesion caused by the human papillomavirus infection. It is a common, sexually transmitted disease. It usually affects the external genitalia, while urethral and bladder involvement is uncommon. Human papillomavirus types are classified into three categories depending on their oncogenic potential: low risk (type 6, 11, 42, 43, 44, 59, 66, 68, and 70), intermediate-risk (type 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39, 40, 49, 51, 52, 53, 57, 58, 63, and 64) and high risk (type 16, 18, 45, and 56). High-risk and intermediate-risk human papillomavirus DNA types, together with other co-factors still to be defined, account for over 90% of anogenital pre-malignant and malignant tumours. Herein, we report a unique case of condyloma acuminatum positive for human papillomavirus -6 involving the penile urethra, presents as the primary and only site of the disease in a diabetic type-2 patient.
A deep adversarial variational autoencoder model for dimensionality reduction in single-cell RNA sequencing analysis
Authors: Lin Eugene , Mukherjee Sudipto , Kannan Sreeram
Published: February 2020

Background

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is an emerging technology that can assess the function of an individual cell and cell-to-cell variability at the single cell level in an unbiased manner. Dimensionality reduction is an essential first step in downstream analysis of the scRNA-seq data. However, the scRNA-seq data are challenging for traditional methods due to their high dimensional measurements as well as an abundance of dropout events (that is, zero expression measurements).

Results

To overcome these difficulties, we propose DR-A (Dimensionality Reduction with Adversarial variational autoencoder), a data-driven approach to fulfill the task of dimensionality reduction. DR-A leverages a novel adversarial variational autoencoder-based framework, a variant of generative adversarial networks. DR-A is well-suited for unsupervised learning tasks for the scRNA-seq data, where labels for cell types are costly and often impossible to acquire. Compared with existing methods, DR-A is able to provide a more accurate low dimensional representation of the scRNA-seq data. We illustrate this by utilizing DR-A for clustering of scRNA-seq data.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that DR-A significantly enhances clustering performance over state-of-the-art methods.
Comparative analysis of ChIP-exo peak-callers: impact of data quality, read duplication and binding subtypes
Authors: Sharma Vasudha , Majumdar Sharmistha
Published: February 2020

Background

ChIP (Chromatin immunoprecipitation)-exo has emerged as an important and versatile improvement over conventional ChIP-seq as it reduces the level of noise, maps the transcription factor (TF) binding location in a very precise manner, upto single base-pair resolution, and enables binding mode prediction. Availability of numerous peak-callers for analyzing ChIP-exo reads has motivated the need to assess their performance and report which tool executes reasonably well for the task.

Results

This study has focussed on comparing peak-callers that report direct binding events with those that report indirect binding events. The effect of strandedness of reads and duplication of data on the performance of peak-callers has been investigated. The number of peaks reported by each peak-caller is compared followed by a comparison of the annotated motifs present in the reported peaks. The significance of peaks is assessed based on the presence of a motif in top peaks. Indirect binding tools have been compared on the basis of their ability to identify annotated motifs and predict mode of protein-DNA interaction.

Conclusion

By studying the output of the peak-callers investigated in this study, it is concluded that the tools that use self-learning algorithms, i.e. the tools that estimate all the essential parameters from the aligned reads, perform better than the algorithms which require formation of peak-pairs. The latest tools that account for indirect binding of TFs appear to be an upgrade over the available tools, as they are able to reveal valuable information about the mode of binding in addition to direct binding. Furthermore, the quality of ChIP-exo reads have important consequences on the output of data analysis.