bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hidden attractors in a new fractional–order discrete system: Chaos, complexity, entropy, and control*
Authors: Ouannas Adel , Khennaoui Amina Aicha , Momani Shaher , Pham Viet-Thanh , El-Khazali Reyad
Published: March 2020

This paper studies the dynamics of a new fractional-order discrete system based on the Caputo-like difference operator. This is the first study to explore a three-dimensional fractional-order discrete chaotic system without equilibrium. Through phase portrait, bifurcation diagrams, and largest Lyapunov exponents, it is shown that the proposed fractional-order discrete system exhibits a range of different dynamical behaviors. Also, different tests are used to confirm the existence of chaos, such as 0–1 test and C
0 complexity. In addition, the quantification of the level of chaos in the new fractional-order discrete system is measured by the approximate entropy technique. Furthermore, based on the fractional linearization method, a one-dimensional controller to stabilize the new system is proposed. Numerical results are presented to validate the findings of the paper.
Hybrid linear amplifier-involved detection for continuous variable quantum key distribution with thermal states*
Authors: He Yu-Qian , Mao Yun , Zhong Hai , Huang Duang , Guo Ying
Published: March 2020

Continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) can be integrated with thermal states for short-distance wireless quantum communications. However, its performance is usually restricted with the practical thermal noise. We propose a method to improve the security threshold of thermal-state (TS) CVQKD by employing a heralded hybrid linear amplifier (HLA) at the receiver. We find the effect of thermal noise on the HLA-involved scheme in near-and-mid infrared band or terahertz band for direct and reverse reconciliation. Numerical simulations show that the HLA-involved scheme can compensate for the detriment of thermal noise and hence increase the security threshold of TS-CVQKD. In near-and-mid infrared band, security threshold can be extended by 2.1 dB in channel loss for direct reconciliation and 1.6 dB for reverse reconciliation, whereas in terahertz band, security threshold can be slightly enhanced for the gain parameter less than 1 due to the rise in thermal noise.
RETRACTED: Carbon impact on surface morphology and electrical properties of Cu-TiC thin film
Authors: Roy Avishek , Hembram Shilabati , Ghosh Manojit , Majumdar Abhijit
Published: March 2020

In recent years, synthesis of TiC reinforced Cu matrix composites are comprehensively utilized for industrial applications. Synthesis of Cu-TiC as a thin film can also be an intriguing challenge for such applications. In this work, Cu-TiC thin film was deposited by DC magnetron co-sputtering method and examined to investigate the role of C content on the micro-structure, electrical conductivity and surface morphology by using XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, I-V characteristics, AFM, SEM and EDX analysis. The wt% of C was varied from 14 to 67% while depositing the Cu-TiC films. All the films have resulted to be polycrystalline with Cu and TiC phases. The optical band-gap has decreased from 2.59 to 1.93 eV and the refractive index got enhanced from 2.92 to 3.38 with increase in wt% of C. The ideality factor, electrical resistance, surface roughness across the films has also decreased as wt% of C was increased in Cu-TiC films.
Obtaining ultrafine spheroidized carbides by combining warm deformation with divorced eutectoid transformation in GCr15 bearing steel
Authors: Qian Dongsheng , Wang Huiling , Pan Libo , Wang Feng , Lu Xiaohui
Published: March 2020

In this work, the ultrafine spheroidized carbides were obtained by combining warm deformation with the divorced eutectoid transformation (DET) in GCr15 bearing steel. The results show that the temperature range of DET is approximately 730 °C to 700 °C at a cooling rate of 0.05 °C s−1. It is also found that excellent spheroidized microstructure can be obtained and less deformation resistance can be generated when the deformation is carried out at 720 °C with a strain rate of 0.5 s−1. This result could be ascribed to the fact that deformation provides the driving force for transformation, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and reduced dislocation density through the coordination of warm deformation and DET. This suggests that the deformation at the initial temperature is more favorable to the spheroidization than that at the intermediate temperature of DET. In addition, it is also proved that the warm rolling forming in the actual production line can shorten the spheroidization time from at least 10 h to 2 h and obtain ultrafine spheroidized carbides with the roundness close to 1. This research may provide a novel pathway to obtain good spheroidization effect with less energy conservation.
Dry sliding wear characteristics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced Al-Si (LM6) alloy nanocomposites produced by powder metallurgy technique
Authors: T Shivaramu H , U Vignesh Nayak , K S Umashankar
Published: March 2020

The present work involved the production of Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) of Aluminium Silicon (Al-Si) alloy reinforced with Multi Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNTs) using Powder Metallurgy (PM) process. MWCNTs with concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 wt% were used. Validation of dispersion nature, existence and chemically stable of MWCNTs carried out using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDS) for fabricated composites. Sliding wear investigations were investigated in accordance with the ASTM G99-95a standard. Test variables such as sliding distance, load and speed were examined. Under a given load with sliding distance, the wear rate was found to reduce by varying disc rotation speed between 250 to 750 rpm. The rate of wear is dropped suddenly with the increment in sliding distance from 500 m to 1000 m. However, for 1500 m sliding distance, the wear rate increased linearly for all nanocomposites. The reinforcement of 0.25 wt% and 0.5 wt% of MWCNTs shown lower wear resistance and further addition of 0.75 wt% MWCNTs shown enhanced wear resistance but the addition of reinforcement of above 0.75 wt% resulted in slightly higher wear rate. The wear resistance enhanced due to the excellent properties of reinforcement particles. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used for identifying the kind of wear mechanism.
Some analyses on optimal energy-extraction efficiency in a free-electron laser
Authors: Qika Jia
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the energy-extraction efficiencies of the electron beam are studied for several cases of free-electron laser (FEL). For an initially cold electron beam, the optimal initial detuning for the maximum energy-extraction efficiency and the corresponding saturation length are given. A scheme of the ‘top up’ is proposed to enhance the efficiency: after the electron energy being modulated somewhat, a phase shift and a step-down of the phase bucket are introduced, so that all electrons are located near the upper separatrix of the bucket in the phase space. Finally, the energy-extraction efficiency can be increased by 30% compared with that of the normal undulator case. For a linear tapering undulator with an initially cold electron beam, the simple scaling laws for the maximum energy-extraction efficiency and the corresponding optical power gain are obtained. For a tapered undulator with the pre-bunched electron beam, our analysis gives that the energy-extraction efficiency reaches the maximum when the phase bucket height of the tapered undulator is equal to the amplitude of the detuning modulation. The numerical results validated this reasoning and show that the efficiency has a large increase compared with the case of the unbunched electron beam. The single stair-step undulator is investigated, the optimal step and the corresponding saturation power and saturation length are given by analysis, they agree well with the numerical simulation results.
Design of open devices based on multi-folded transformation optics
Authors: Yang Chengfu , Huang Ming , Yang Jingjing , Mao Fuchun , Li Peng
Published: March 2020

Open devices with homogeneous material parameters are proposed and designed based on multi-folded transformation optics, including open cloak device, open field concentrator and open field amplifying device. In comparison with the previous transformation devices, the proposed open devices possess open windows with compact and embedded structures, providing a flexible approach for remote control or upgrade. The open cloaking devices can hide arbitrarily shaped/sized object in the core region, making it disappeared in visually for the outside viewers, while the open field concentrator can enhance or store EM energy in the core region, and the open field amplifying device can magnify the scattering field of a small object, generating an bigger illusory image with differential material parameter and size. The effectiveness and correctness of the proposed devices are validated by the numerical results obtained based on the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics. Such scheme is believed to find potential applications in remote controlling with impressive new functions.
Bending rigidities and universality of flexural modes in 2D crystals
Authors: Croy Alexander
Published: March 2020

The existence of flexural modes with a quadratic phonon-dispersion is a distinguishing property of two-dimensional materials and has important consequences for their properties. Here, we deduce theoretically within the harmonic approximation the conditions for which orthotropic two-dimensional materials display a flexural mode. Further, we derive formulae for the calculation of the corresponding bending rigidities using the equilibrium structure and the second-order force constants as input. This completes the description of the elasticity of 2D crystals. Our findings are exemplarily validated by ab initio calculations of the phonon dispersions of four representative materials.
Intraspecific trait variation and reversals of trait strategies across key climate gradients in native Hawaiian plants and non-native invaders
Authors: Westerband Andrea C , Knight Tiffany M , Barton Kasey E
Published: March 2020

Background and Aims

Displacement of native plant species by non-native invaders may result from differences in their carbon economy, yet little is known regarding how variation in leaf traits influences native–invader dynamics across climate gradients. In Hawaii, one of the most heavily invaded biodiversity hotspots in the world, strong spatial variation in climate results from the complex topography, which underlies variation in traits that probably drives shifts in species interactions.

Methods

Using one of the most comprehensive trait data sets for Hawaii to date (91 species and four islands), we determined the extent and sources of variation (climate, species and species origin) in leaf traits, and used mixed models to examine differences between natives and non-native invasives.

Key Results

We detected significant differences in trait means, such that invasives were more resource acquisitive than natives over most of the climate gradients. However, we also detected trait convergence and a rank reversal (natives more resource acquisitive than invasives) in a sub-set of conditions. There was significant intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in leaf traits of natives and invasives, although invasives expressed significantly greater ITV than natives in water loss and photosynthesis. Species accounted for more trait variation than did climate for invasives, while the reverse was true for natives. Incorporating this climate-driven trait variation significantly improved the fit of models that compared natives and invasives. Lastly, in invasives, ITV was most strongly explained by spatial heterogeneity in moisture, whereas solar energy explains more ITV in natives.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that trait expression and ITV vary significantly between natives and invasives, and that this is mediated by climate. These findings suggest that although natives and invasives are functionally similar at the regional scale, invader success at local scales is contingent on climate.
debCAM: a bioconductor R package for fully unsupervised deconvolution of complex tissues
Authors: Chen Lulu , Wu Chiung-Ting , Wang Niya , Herrington David M , Clarke Robert , Wang Yue
Published: March 2020

We develop a fully unsupervised deconvolution method to dissect complex tissues into molecularly distinctive tissue or cell subtypes based on bulk expression profiles. We implement an R package, deconvolution by Convex Analysis of Mixtures (debCAM) that can automatically detect tissue/cell-specific markers, determine the number of constituent subtypes, calculate subtype proportions in individual samples and estimate tissue/cell-specific expression profiles. We demonstrate the performance and biomedical utility of debCAM on gene expression, methylation, proteomics and imaging data. With enhanced data preprocessing and prior knowledge incorporation, debCAM software tool will allow biologists to perform a more comprehensive and unbiased characterization of tissue remodeling in many biomedical contexts.

Availability and implementation

http://bioconductor.org/packages/debCAM.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Contemporary management of anaemia, erythropoietin resistance and cardiovascular risk in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease: a nationwide analysis
Authors: Evans Marie , Bower Hannah , Cockburn Elinor , Jacobson Stefan H , Barany Peter , Carrero Juan-Jesus
Published: March 2020

Background

Optimal management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) anaemia remains controversial and few studies have evaluated real-world management of anaemia in advanced CKD in the context of guideline recommendations.

Methods

We performed an observational study from the Swedish Renal Registry evaluating the epidemiology and treatment patterns of anaemia across Stages 3b–5 in non-dialysis (ND) and dialysis-dependent (DD) CKD patients during 2015. Logistic regression and Cox models explored the associations between anaemia treatments, inflammation, erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) and subsequent 1-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).

Results

Data from 14 415 (ND, 11 370; DD, 3045) patients were included. Anaemia occurred in 60% of ND and 93% of DD patients. DD patients used more erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs; 82% versus 24%) and iron (62% versus 21%) than ND patients. All weekly ESA doses were converted to a weight-adjusted weekly epoetin equivalent dose. The prescribed ESA doses were low to moderate [median 48.2 IU/kg/week (ND), 78.6 IU/kg/week (DD)]. Among ESA-treated patients, 6–21% had haemoglobin (Hb) >13 g/dL and 2–6% had Hb <9 g/dL. Inflammation (C-reactive protein >5 mg/L) was highly prevalent and associated with ERI and higher ESA doses. Higher (>88 IU/kg/week) versus lower (<44 IU/kg/week) ESA doses were associated with a higher risk of MACEs [{ND hazard ratio [HR] 1.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.86]; DD HR 1.60 [95% CI 1.24–2.06]}. There was no association between iron use and inflammation or MACEs.

Conclusions

Anaemia remains highly prevalent in advanced CKD. Patients with anaemia received moderate ESA doses with a relatively low prevalence of iron use. Higher doses of ESA were associated with inflammation and a higher risk of MACE.
Investigational Biomarkers for Checkpoint Inhibitor Immune-Related Adverse Event Prediction and Diagnosis
Authors: von Itzstein Mitchell S , Khan Shaheen , Gerber David E
Published: March 2020

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of multiple cancers. However, these promising therapies may also cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in a substantial proportion of patients. These autoimmune phenomena may affect almost any organ system and may occur at almost any point in therapy. In some instances, these toxicities are life-threatening and potentially permanent. Diverse clinical presentation and unpredictable timing further complicate their anticipation and diagnosis.

Content

To improve patient safety and selection for ICI use, biomarkers for irAE diagnosis and prediction are under development. Clinicians may use traditional laboratory markers such as routine chemistries, creatinine clearance, thyroid function tests, and serum cortisol/adrenocorticotrophic hormone to monitor for specific irAEs, but noted aberrations may not necessarily represent an immune-mediated etiology. Novel biomarkers have the potential to be more specific to assist in the diagnosis of irAEs. The prediction of irAEs is more challenging. Apart from a history of autoimmune disease, no other clinical parameters are routinely used to project risk. Biomarker candidates under investigation for irAE diagnosis and prediction include blood cell analysis, chemokines/cytokines, autoantibodies, and genetic predisposition, such as human leukocyte antigen haplotype. Among other emerging candidates are immune-cell subsets, T-cell repertoire, fecal microbiome, tumor genomics, and radiomic characterization.

Several conventional laboratory indexes of end-organ dysfunction are currently in routine clinical use for irAE monitoring and diagnosis. Novel biomarkers for the prediction and diagnosis of these irAEs, which primarily characterize patient immune function, represent an area of active investigation.
Metabolic recovery and compensatory shell growth of juvenile Pacific geoduck Panopea generosa following short-term exposure to acidified seawater
Authors: Gurr Samuel J , Vadopalas Brent , Roberts Steven B , Putnam Hollie M
Published: March 2020

While acute stressors can be detrimental, environmental stress conditioning can improve performance. To test the hypothesis that physiological status is altered by stress conditioning, we subjected juvenile Pacific geoduck, Panopea generosa, to repeated exposures of elevated pCO2 in a commercial hatchery setting followed by a period in ambient common garden. Respiration rate and shell length were measured for juvenile geoduck periodically throughout short-term repeated reciprocal exposure periods in ambient (~550 μatm) or elevated (~2400 μatm) pCO2 treatments and in common, ambient conditions, 5 months after exposure. Short-term exposure periods comprised an initial 10-day exposure followed by 14 days in ambient before a secondary 6-day reciprocal exposure. The initial exposure to elevated pCO2 significantly reduced respiration rate by 25% relative to ambient conditions, but no effect on shell growth was detected. Following 14 days in common garden, ambient conditions, reciprocal exposure to elevated or ambient pCO2 did not alter juvenile respiration rates, indicating ability for metabolic recovery under subsequent conditions. Shell growth was negatively affected during the reciprocal treatment in both exposure histories; however, clams exposed to the initial elevated pCO2 showed compensatory growth with 5.8% greater shell length (on average between the two secondary exposures) after 5 months in ambient conditions. Additionally, clams exposed to the secondary elevated pCO2 showed 52.4% increase in respiration rate after 5 months in ambient conditions. Early exposure to low pH appears to trigger carryover effects suggesting bioenergetic re-allocation facilitates growth compensation. Life stage-specific exposures to stress can determine when it may be especially detrimental, or advantageous, to apply stress conditioning for commercial production of this long-lived burrowing clam.
MACSNVdb: a high-quality SNV database for interspecies genetic divergence investigation among macaques
Authors: Du Lianming , Guo Tao , Liu Qin , Li Jing , Zhang Xiuyue , Xing Jinchuan , Yue Bisong , Li Jing , Fan Zhenxin
Published: March 2020

Macaques are the most widely used non-human primates in biomedical research. The genetic divergence between these animal models is responsible for their phenotypic differences in response to certain diseases. However, the macaque single nucleotide polymorphism resources mainly focused on rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), which hinders the broad research and biomedical application of other macaques. In order to overcome these limitations, we constructed a database named MACSNVdb that focuses on the interspecies genetic diversity among macaque genomes. MACSNVdb is a web-enabled database comprising ~74.51 million high-quality non-redundant single nucleotide variants (SNVs) identified among 20 macaque individuals from six species groups (muttla, fascicularis, sinica, arctoides, silenus, sylvanus). In addition to individual SNVs, MACSNVdb also allows users to browse and retrieve groups of user-defined SNVs. In particular, users can retrieve non-synonymous SNVs that may have deleterious effects on protein structure or function within macaque orthologs of human disease and drug-target genes. Besides position, alleles and flanking sequences, MACSNVdb integrated additional genomic information including SNV annotations and gene functional annotations. MACSNVdb will facilitate biomedical researchers to discover molecular mechanisms of diverse responses to diseases as well as primatologist to perform population genetic studies. We will continue updating MACSNVdb with newly available sequencing data and annotation to keep the resource up to date.

Database URL: http://big.cdu.edu.cn/macsnvdb/
What’s That You Say? Communication Breakdowns and Their Repairs in Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: Fitzpatrick Erin , Squires Bonita , Kay-Raining Bird Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

Conversational fluency is important to form meaningful connections and relationships with the people around us but is understudied in children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). Communication breakdowns reduce conversational fluency. They occur when a speaker says something that interrupts the flow of conversation requiring a request for clarification or confirmation from their listener to repair the misunderstanding. Young children who are D/HH are at risk of more frequent communication breakdowns and fewer successful repairs than children with typical hearing (The missing link in language development of deaf and hard of hearing children: Pragmatic language development. Seminars in Speech and Language, 33 (04), 297–309). About 14 children who were D/HH aged 7–12 year and 15 children with typical hearing were matched on chronological age. Comparisons of the number and duration of communication breakdowns, requests for repair, and responses to requests used by children in a 10-min conversation with an adult were completed. Results showed that while children who were D/HH demonstrated some differences, they were more similar to their typically hearing peers in communication breakdowns and repairs than previously reported in the literature.
Climate, insurance and innovation: the case of drought and innovations in drought-tolerant traits in US agriculture
Authors: Miao Ruiqing
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates the effects of crop insurance on agricultural innovation (namely, drought-tolerant traits) in the context of climate change. A conceptual framework is developed to model the market equilibrium of agricultural innovations. Hypotheses derived are then tested by using data for US agriculture. We find that the US agricultural sector responds to climate variation by increasing innovation activities, but this response is weakened by subsidised crop insurance by about 23 per cent. This indicates that crop insurance may have an unintended crowding-out effect as an option of risk management and may inhibit societies’ long-run capacity to adapt to climate change.
What Signals Do Employers Use When Hiring? Evidence from a Survey Experiment in the Apprenticeship Market
Authors: Fossati Flavia , Wilson Anna , Bonoli Giuliano
Published: March 2020

How do employers use different types of signals—that is, information believed to be associated with productivity—when hiring apprentices? We use a survey experiment in Switzerland—a country with a well-developed dual training system—to study employers’ hiring behaviour. The results reveal that whenever possible, employers resort to direct signals, i.e. information such as educational credentials and aptitude test scores, when making hiring decisions. However, in contexts of high uncertainty, notably, when candidates’ profiles convey ambiguous signals, they are more likely to use probabilistic signals, such as socio-economic status (SES) indicators, to complement their assessments. Consequently, in contexts of high uncertainty, candidates with lower SES are more likely to be discriminated against in the apprenticeship market.
Cardiovascular outcomes, bleeding risk, and achieved blood pressure in patients on long-term anticoagulation with the thrombin antagonist dabigatran or warfarin: data from the RE-LY trial
Authors: Böhm Michael , Brueckmann Martina , Eikelboom John W , Ezekowitz Michael , Fräßdorf Mandy , Hijazi Ziad , Hohnloser Stefan H , Mahfoud Felix , Schmieder Roland E , Schumacher Helmut , Wallentin Lars , Yusuf Salim
Published: March 2020

Aims

A J-shaped association of cardiovascular events to achieved systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was shown in high-risk patients. This association on oral anticoagulation is unknown. This analysis from RELY assessed the risks of death, stroke or systemic emboli, and bleeding according to mean achieved SBP and DBP in atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation.

Methods and results

RE-LY patients were followed for 2 years and recruited between 22 December 2005 until 15 December 2007. 18.113 patients were randomized in 951 centres in 54 countries and 18,107 patients with complete blood pressure (BP) data were analysed with a median follow-up of 2.0 years and a complete follow-up in 99.9%. The association between achieved mean SBP and DBP on all-cause death, stroke and systemic embolic events (SSE), major, and any bleeding were explored. On treatment, SBP >140 mmHg and <120 mmHg was associated with all-cause death compared with SBP 120–130 mmHg (reference). For SSE, risk was unchanged at SBP <110 mmHg but increased at 140–160 mmHg (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.81; 1.40–2.33) and SBP ≥160 mmHg (HR 3.35; 2.09–5.36). Major bleeding events were also increased at <110 mmHg and at 110 to <120 mmHg. Interestingly, there was no increased risk of major bleeding at SBP >130 mmHg. Similar patterns were observed for DBP with an increased risk at <70 mmHg (HR 1.55; 1.35–1.78) and >90 mmHg (HR 1.88; 1.43–2.46) for all-cause death compared to 70 to <80 mmHg (reference). Risk for any bleeding was increased at low DBP <70 mmHg (HR 1.46; 1.37–1.56) at DBP 80 to <90 mmHg (HR 1.13; 1.06–1.31) without increased risk at higher achieved DBP. Dabigatran 150 mg twice daily showed an advantage in all patients for all-cause death and SSE and there was an advantage for 110 mg dabigatran twice daily for major bleeding and any bleeding irrespective of SBP or DBP achieved. Similar results were obtained for baseline BP, time-updated BP, and BP as time-varying covariate.

Conclusion

Low achieved SBP associates with increased risk of death, SSE, and bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation. Major bleeding events did not occur at higher BP. Low BP might identify high-risk patients not only for death but also for high bleeding risks.

Clinical trial registration

 ClinicalTrials.gov—Identifier: NCT00262600.
Approaches to integrating palliative care into African health systems: a qualitative systematic review
Authors: Court Lara , Olivier Jill
Published: March 2020

Africa is characterized by a high burden of disease and health system deficits, with an overwhelming and increasing demand for palliative care (PC). Yet only one African country is currently considered to have advanced integration of palliative care into medical services and generalized PC is said to be available in only a handful of others. The integration of PC into all levels of a health system has been called for to increase access to PC and to strengthen health systems. Contextually appropriate evidence to guide integration is vital yet limited. This qualitative systematic review analyses interventions to integrate PC into African health systems to provide insight into the ‘how’ of PC integration. Forty articles were identified, describing 51 different interventions. This study found that a variety of integration models are being applied, with limited best practices being evaluated and repeated in other contexts. Interventions typically focused on integrating specialized PC services into individual or multiple health facilities, with only a few examples of PC integrated at a population level. Four identified issues could either promote integration (by being present) or block integration (by their absence). These include the provision of PC at all levels of the health system alongside curative care; the development and presence of sustainable partnerships; health systems and workers that can support integration; and lastly, placing the client, their family and community at the centre of integration. These echo the broader literature on integration of health services generally. There is currently a strong suggestion that the integration of PC contributes to health system strengthening; however, this is not well evidenced in the literature and future interventions would benefit from placing health systems strengthening at the forefront, as well as situating their work within the context of integration of health services more generally.
Lifestage differences in young UK women’s reasons for research participation
Authors: Howcutt Sarah J , Barbosa-Bouças Sofia , Brett Jo , Barnett Anna L , Smith Lesley A
Published: March 2020

Lifecourse epidemiology suggests that preconception is a valuable opportunity for health promotion with young women. Yet young women are less likely than older women to be research participants, limiting evidence about their needs and risks. Marketing data indicate that young adults are not engaged with one advertising strategy because they transition through three life stages: (i) limited independence and focus on own interests, (ii) increased independence and time with peers and (iii) establishing a home and family. The aim of this study was to explore whether these marketing lifestage categories could inform the tailoring of strategies to recruit young women. Three focus groups per lifestage category were conducted (49 women aged 16–34 years). Lifestage category (i) was represented by further education students, category (ii) by women in workplaces and (iii) by mothers. Questions explored participants’ lifestyles, identity, reasons for participation in the current study and beliefs about researchers. Three major themes were identified through framework analysis: profiling how young women spend their time; facilitators of participating in research and barriers to participating. Students and women in work valued monetary remuneration whereas mothers preferred social opportunities. Participants’ perceived identity influenced whether they felt useful to research. All groups expressed anxiety about participation. Altruism was limited to helping people known to participants. Therefore, the marketing categories did not map exactly to differences in young women’s motivations to participate but have highlighted how one recruitment strategy may not engage all. Mass media communication could, instead, increase familiarity and reduce anxiety about participation.
ESHRE PGT Consortium and SIG Embryology good practice recommendations for polar body and embryo biopsy for PGT†
Authors:   ESHRE PGT Consortium and SIG-Embryology Biopsy Working Group, Kokkali Georgia , Coticchio Giovanni , Bronet Fernando , Celebi Catherine , Cimadomo Danilo , Goossens Veerle , Liss Joanna , Nunes Sofia , Sfontouris Ioannis , Vermeulen Nathalie , Zakharova Elena , De Rycke Martine
Published: March 2020

The field of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is evolving fast, and best practice advice is essential for regulation and standardisation of diagnostic testing. The previous ESHRE guidelines on best practice for PGD, published in 2005 and 2011, are considered outdated, and the development of new papers outlining recommendations for good practice in PGT was necessary.

The current paper provides recommendations on the technical aspects of embryo biopsy and covers recommendations on the biopsy procedure, cryopreservation and laboratory issues and training, in addition to technical aspects and strengths and limitations specific for currently used techniques at different stages (polar body, cleavage stage and blastocyst biopsy). Furthermore, alternative sampling methods are briefly described.This paper is one of a series of four papers on good practice recommendations on PGT. The other papers cover the organisation of PGT, and the different technical aspects of PGT for monogenic/single-gene defects (PGT-M) and PGT for chromosomal structural rearrangements/aneuploidies (PGT-SR/PGT-A).

Together, these papers should assist everyone interested in PGT in developing the best laboratory and clinical practice possible.
Transitional Justice and Theories of Change: Towards evaluation as understanding
Authors: Gready Paul , Robins Simon
Published: March 2020

This article has two goals. First, to make explicit the theories of change currently operative within transitional justice and, second, to critically engage with both these theories, and dominant theories in international development. As such, it seeks to replace a focus on results, attribution, and linearity with a privileging of process, contribution and complexity. Developing theories of change for transitional justice is challenging, as it is characterised by diverse interventions, complex and contested contexts, and the need to balance principles and pragmatism. Normative, linear and mechanism-based claims remain dominant, while the evidence base for transitional justice is still weak. This article looks at insights from adjacent fields, some of the challenges facing the development of theories of change within transitional justice, and evidence from impact studies and evaluations. In a final section we propose an alternative, drawing on complexity theory and actor-oriented approaches, which suggest an important set of terms – systems, interaction, contingency, context, encounter, emergence, incrementalism – to inform what we term evaluation as understanding.
The Neumann Problem of Complex Hessian Quotient Equations
Authors: Chen Chuanqiang , Wei Wei
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we consider the Neumann problem of complex Hessian quotient equations $\frac{\sigma _k (\partial \bar{\partial } u)}{\sigma _l (\partial \bar{\partial } u)} = f(z)$ with $0 \leq l < k \leq n$ and establish the global $C^1$ estimates and reduce the global 2nd derivative estimate to the estimate of double normal 2nd derivatives on the boundary. In particular, we can prove the global $C^2$ estimates and the existence theorem for the Neumann problem of complex Hessian quotient equations $\frac{\sigma _n (\partial \bar{\partial } u)}{\sigma _l (\partial \bar{\partial } u)} = f(z)$ with $0 \leq l < n$ by the method of continuity.
Regulatory responses to medical machine learning
Authors: Minssen Timo , Gerke Sara , Aboy Mateo , Price Nicholson , Cohen Glenn
Published: March 2020

Companies and healthcare providers are developing and implementing new applications of medical artificial intelligence, including the artificial intelligence sub-type of medical machine learning (MML). MML is based on the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms to automatically identify patterns and act on medical data to guide clinical decisions. MML poses challenges and raises important questions, including (1) How will regulators evaluate MML-based medical devices to ensure their safety and effectiveness? and (2) What additional MML considerations should be taken into account in the international context? To address these questions, we analyze the current regulatory approaches to MML in the USA and Europe. We then examine international perspectives and broader implications, discussing considerations such as data privacy, exportation, explanation, training set bias, contextual bias, and trade secrecy.
Dose–volume histogram analysis and clinical evaluation of knowledge-based plans with manual objective constraints for pharyngeal cancer
Authors: Uehara Takuya , Monzen Hajime , Tamura Mikoto , Ishikawa Kazuki , Doi Hiroshi , Nishimura Yasumasa
Published: March 2020

The present study aimed to evaluate whether knowledge-based plans (KBP) from a single optimization could be used clinically, and to compare dose–volume histogram (DVH) parameters and plan quality between KBP with (KBPCONST) and without (KBPORIG) manual objective constraints and clinical manual optimized (CMO) plans for pharyngeal cancer. KBPs were produced from a system trained on clinical plans from 55 patients with pharyngeal cancer who had undergone intensity-modulated radiation therapy or volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). For another 15 patients, DVH parameters of KBPCONST and KBPORIG from a single optimization were compared with CMO plans with respect to the planning target volume (D98%, D50%, D2%), brainstem maximum dose (Dmax), spinal cord Dmax, parotid gland median and mean dose (Dmed and Dmean), monitor units and modulation complexity score for VMAT. The Dmax of spinal cord and brainstem and the Dmed and Dmean of ipsilateral parotid glands were unacceptably high for KBPORIG, although the KBPCONST DVH parameters met our goal for most patients. KBPCONST and CMO plans produced comparable DVH parameters. The monitor units of KBPCONST were significantly lower than those of the CMO plans (P < 0.001). Dose distribution of the KBPCONST was better than or comparable to that of the CMO plans for 13 (87%) of the 15 patients. In conclusion, KBPORIG was found to be clinically unacceptable, while KBPCONST from a single optimization was comparable or superior to CMO plans for most patients with head and neck cancer.
X-Irradiation at 0.5 Gy after the forced swim test reduces forced swimming-induced immobility in mice
Authors: Kataoka Takahiro , Shuto Hina , Yano Junki , Naoe Shota , Ishida Tsuyoshi , Nakada Tetsuya , Yamato Keiko , Hanamoto Katsumi , Nomura Takaharu , Yamaoka Kiyonori
Published: March 2020

The forced swim test (FST) is a screening model for antidepressant activity; it causes immobility and induces oxidative stress. We previously reported that radon inhalation has antidepressant-like effects in mice potentially through the activation of antioxidative functions upon radon inhalation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prior and post low-dose X-irradiation (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy) on FST-induced immobility and oxidative stress in the mouse brain, and the differences, if any, between the two. Mice received X-irradiation before or after the FST repeatedly for 5 days. In the post-FST-irradiated group, an additional FST was conducted 4 h after the last irradiation. Consequently, animals receiving prior X-irradiation (0.1 Gy) had better mobility outcomes than sham-irradiated mice; however, their levels of lipid peroxide (LPO), an oxidative stress marker, remained unchanged. However, animals that received post-FST X-irradiation (0.5 Gy) had better mobility outcomes and their LPO levels were significantly lower than those of the sham-irradiated mice. The present results indicate that 0.5 Gy X-irradiation after FST inhibits FST-induced immobility and oxidative stress in mice.
Clear cell adenocarcinoma arising from the abdominal wall after cesarean section in a patient with uterine adenomyosis
Authors: Provendier Anaïs , Angeles Martina Aida , Meyrignac Olivier , Illac Claire , Ducassou Anne , Martínez-Gómez Carlos , Gladieff Laurence , Martinez Alejandra , Ferron Gwénaël
Published: March 2020

Malignant transformation of abdominal wall endometriosis lesions developed in a cesarean section scar is a rare event. Patients with uterine adenomyosis but without endometriosis can also develop abdominal wall malignant carcinoma after a gynecologic surgery. The treatment of abdominal wall clear cell adenocarcinoma combines tumor surgical excision with free margins, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We report a case of clear cell carcinoma arising from an abdominal wall cesarean section scar in a patient without history of endometriosis.
Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales Strains Isolated from Blood Cultures in Antalya, Turkey
Authors: Su Harun Reşid , Turhan Özge , Erman Daloğlu Cemile Aylin , Öğünç Meral Dilara , Özhak Betil , Öngüt Gözde , Kuşkucu Mert Ahmet , Midilli Kenan , Mamıkoğlu Latife
Published: March 2020

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of carbapenemase and CTX-M genes among 330 blood culture isolates of Enterobacterales with reduced susceptibility to at least 1 carbapenem, between 2010 and 2015.

Methods

BD Max CRE assay and in-house PCR were used to detect carbapenemase and CTX-M genes.

Results

At least 1 carbapenemase gene was detected among 113 (74.3%) of the 152 carbapenem resistant isolates. The OXA-48 (69.7%) was the most common carbapenemase followed by VIM, NDM and IMP, whereas no tested isolates were KPC-positive. Eighty-six isolates (56.6%) had CTX-M and 65 had both OXA-48 and CTX-M. Carbapenemase production in Enterobacterales was significantly increased in years (P < .05).

Conclusion

Our study indicates that there is ongoing endemic circulation of the OXA-48 producing organism in our facility. It is noteworthy that more than half of the OXA-48 producing strains also produced CTX-M enzyme.
Estimating the masses of three neutron stars by twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations and innermost stable circular orbits: constraining equations of state
Authors: Shi Chang-Sheng , Zhang Shuang-Nan
Published: March 2020

We test the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model derived by Shi, Zhang and Li by the like-standard deviations of the twin kilohertz (kHz) quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) frequencies when the modes of the MHD waves in the MHD model are recalculated. A group of approximate equations derived from the MHD equations in the MHD model are proposed. Consequently, the dependence of the twin kHz QPO frequencies on several neutron star (NS) parameters is determined by the approximate equations. Based on the selection criterion that NS parameters corresponding to the minimum like-standard deviation are the most reasonable parameters, the masses of the three NSs in 4U 0614+09, 4U 1636–53 and 4U 1608–52 are estimated as M < 2.60 M⊙, 2.00 M⊙ < M < 2.31 M⊙ and 2.17 M⊙ < M < 2.62 M⊙, respectively. According to these NS masses, some equations of state for the nuclear matter in compact stars can be ruled out.
Exploring the nature and synchronicity of early cluster formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud – V. Multiple populations in ancient globular clusters
Authors: Gilligan Christina K , Chaboyer Brian , Cummings Jeffrey D , Mackey Dougal , Cohen Roger E , Geisler Douglas , Grocholski Aaron J , Parisi M C , Sarajedini Ata , Ventura Paolo , Villanova Sandro , Yang Soung-Chul , Wagner-Kaiser Rachel
Published: March 2020

We examine four ancient Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) globular clusters (GCs) for evidence of multiple stellar populations using the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope Programme GO-14164. NGC 1466, NGC 1841, and NGC 2257 all show evidence for a redder, secondary population along the main sequence. Reticulum does not show evidence for the presence of a redder population, but this GC has the least number of stars and Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the sample of main-sequence stars is too small to robustly infer whether a redder population exists in this cluster. The second, redder, population of the other three clusters constitutes $\sim 30-40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the total population along the main sequence. This brings the total number of ancient LMC GCs with known split or broadened main sequences to five. However, unlike for Hodge 11 and NGC 2210 (see Gilligan et al. (2019)), none of the clusters shows evidence for multiple populations in the horizontal branch. We also do not find evidence of a second population along the red giant branch.
Kinematics of main-sequence stars from the Gaia DR2 and PMA proper motions
Authors: Velichko Anna B , Fedorov P N , Akhmetov V S
Published: March 2020

We aim at analysis of kinematics of main-sequence stars from the GaiaDR2 and PMA catalogues as well as comparison of kinematic parameters derived from their proper motions. We decompose the stellar velocity field on to a set of vector spherical harmonics (VSH), and, using the relations between the decomposition coefficients and the Ogorodnikov–Milne (O–M) model parameters, calculate the latter. The method of VSH allowed to detect all systematic constituents present in the GaiaDR2 and PMA stellar velocity fields. We notice incompleteness of the O–M model, discuss the kinematic parameters derived within its framework, as well as significant decomposition coefficients that do not have analogues within this model. For separate analysis of the kinematic parameters in the Northern and Southern Galactic hemispheres, we apply the decomposition on to a set of zonal VSH (ZVSH). Modelling the stellar velocity field allowed to confirm the causes of some significant beyond-the-model harmonics. Based on stellar proper motions from the Gaia DR2 and PMA catalogues, we confirm the previous conclusion that the values of ω1 and $M^+_{23}$ O–M model parameters derived in the Northern and Southern Galactic hemispheres have opposite signs. This fact takes place due to a vertical gradient of the linear rotation velocity about the Galactic centre. We estimate influence of the vertical gradient on the value of solar velocity component Y⊙. We confirm that the beyond-the-model coefficients t211 and s310 are caused by the vertical gradient as well.
Partial Normalization of Biomarkers of Inflammation and Immune Activation Among Virally Suppressed Men With HIV Infection and High ART Adherence
Authors: Castillo-Mancilla Jose R , Brown Todd T , Palella Frank J , Macatangay Bernard J C , Breen Elizabeth C , Jacobson Lisa P , Wada Nikolas I
Published: March 2020

Background

The objective of this study was to investigate whether 100% antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence in men with HIV (MWH) is associated with normalization of concentrations of biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation compared with HIV-uninfected men.

Methods

We analyzed person-visits with available biomarker data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) among MWH receiving ART with HIV RNA <50 copies/mL and among HIV-uninfected men. Self-reported adherence was classified as 100% if no missed ART doses in the past 4 days were reported. We evaluated associations between ART adherence and concentrations of 24 serum biomarkers compared with HIV-uninfected visits using a generalized gamma model, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Person-visits (2565 from MWH reporting 100% ART adherence and 1588 from HIV-uninfected men) from a total of 1469 men were included in the analysis. Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R), IL-1β, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), and CCL14 from person-visits among MWH who reported 100% adherence were similar to HIV-uninfected person-visits. Comparatively higher concentrations of 11 biomarkers and lower concentrations of 7 biomarkers were observed in person-visits from MWH who reported 100% ART adherence, compared with HIV-uninfected person-visits.

Conclusions

Although MWH with virologic suppression who reported 100% ART adherence exhibited overall higher concentrations of biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation compared with HIV-uninfected men, some biomarker concentrations were similar in both groups. These findings suggest that optimal ART adherence could have clinical implications beyond achieving and sustaining viral suppression.