bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Differences in Malignant Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Incidence of Heart Failure
Authors: Lewis Alana A. , Ayers Colby R. , Selvin Elizabeth , Neeland Ian , Ballantyne Christie M. , Nambi Vijay , Pandey Ambarish , Powell-Wiley Tiffany M. , Drazner Mark H. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Berry Jarett D. , Seliger Stephen L. , DeFilippi Christopher R. , de Lemos James A.
Published: January 2020

Background:

A malignant subphenotype of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been described, in which minimal elevations in cardiac biomarkers identify individuals with LVH at high risk for developing heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that a higher prevalence of malignant LVH among blacks may contribute to racial disparities in HF risk.

Methods:

Participants (n=15 710) without prevalent cardiovascular disease were pooled from 3 population-based cohort studies, the ARIC Study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities), the DHS (Dallas Heart Study), and the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). Participants were classified into 3 groups: those without ECG-LVH, those with ECG-LVH and normal biomarkers (hs-cTnT (high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T) <6 ng/L and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) <100 pg/mL), and those with ECG-LVH and abnormal levels of either biomarker (malignant LVH). The outcome was incident HF.

Results:

Over the 10-year follow-up period, HF occurred in 512 (3.3%) participants, with 5.2% in black men, 3.8% in white men, 3.2% in black women, and 2.2% in white women. The prevalence of malignant LVH was 3-fold higher among black men and women versus white men and women. Compared with participants without LVH, the adjusted hazard ratio for HF was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.1–3.5) in those with malignant LVH and 0.9 (95% CI, 0.6–1.5) in those with LVH and normal biomarkers, with similar findings in each race/sex subgroup. Mediation analyses indicated that 33% of excess hazard for HF among black men and 11% of the excess hazard among black women was explained by the higher prevalence of malignant LVH in blacks. Of black men who developed HF, 30.8% had malignant LVH at baseline, with a corresponding population attributable fraction of 0.21. The proportion of HF cases occurring among those with malignant LVH, and the corresponding population attributable fraction, were intermediate and similar among black women and white men and lowest among white women.

Conclusions:

A higher prevalence of malignant LVH may in part explain the higher risk of HF among blacks versus whites. Strategies to prevent development or attenuate risk associated with malignant LVH should be investigated as a strategy to lower HF risk and mitigate racial disparities.
Tracking the Effects of Top–Down Attention on Word Discrimination Using Frequency-tagged Neuromagnetic Responses
Authors: Niesen Maxime , Vander Ghinst Marc , Bourguignon Mathieu , Wens Vincent , Bertels Julie , Goldman Serge , Choufani Georges , Hassid Sergio , De Tiège Xavier
Published: January 2020

Discrimination of words from nonspeech sounds is essential in communication. Still, how selective attention can influence this early step of speech processing remains elusive. To answer that question, brain activity was recorded with magnetoencephalography in 12 healthy adults while they listened to two sequences of auditory stimuli presented at 2.17 Hz, consisting of successions of one randomized word (tagging frequency = 0.54 Hz) and three acoustically matched nonverbal stimuli. Participants were instructed to focus their attention on the occurrence of a predefined word in the verbal attention condition and on a nonverbal stimulus in the nonverbal attention condition. Steady-state neuromagnetic responses were identified with spectral analysis at sensor and source levels. Significant sensor responses peaked at 0.54 and 2.17 Hz in both conditions. Sources at 0.54 Hz were reconstructed in supratemporal auditory cortex, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left middle temporal gyrus, and left inferior frontal gyrus. Sources at 2.17 Hz were reconstructed in supratemporal auditory cortex and STG. Crucially, source strength in the left STG at 0.54 Hz was significantly higher in verbal attention than in nonverbal attention condition. This study demonstrates speech-sensitive responses at primary auditory and speech-related neocortical areas. Critically, it highlights that, during word discrimination, top–down attention modulates activity within the left STG. This area therefore appears to play a crucial role in selective verbal attentional processes for this early step of speech processing.
Neural Control of Emotional Actions in Response to Affective Vocalizations
Authors: Koch Saskia B. J. , Galli Alessandra , Volman Inge , Kaldewaij Reinoud , Toni Ivan , Roelofs Karin
Published: January 2020

Social–emotional cues, such as affective vocalizations and emotional faces, automatically elicit emotional action tendencies. Adaptive social–emotional behavior depends on the ability to control these automatic action tendencies. It remains unknown whether neural control over automatic action tendencies is supramodal or relies on parallel modality-specific neural circuits. Here, we address this largely unexplored issue in humans. We consider neural circuits supporting emotional action control in response to affective vocalizations, using an approach–avoidance task known to reliably index control over emotional action tendencies elicited by emotional faces. We isolate supramodal neural contributions to emotional action control through a conjunction analysis of control-related neural activity evoked by auditory and visual affective stimuli, the latter from a previously published data set obtained in an independent sample. We show that the anterior pFC (aPFC) supports control of automatic action tendencies in a supramodal manner, that is, triggered by either emotional faces or affective vocalizations. When affective vocalizations are heard and emotional control is required, the aPFC supports control through negative functional connectivity with the posterior insula. When emotional faces are seen and emotional control is required, control relies on the same aPFC territory downregulating the amygdala. The findings provide evidence for a novel mechanism of emotional action control with a hybrid hierarchical architecture, relying on a supramodal node (aPFC) implementing an abstract goal by modulating modality-specific nodes (posterior insula, amygdala) involved in signaling motivational significance of either affective vocalizations or faces.
Effects of Experience on Spatial Frequency Tuning in the Visual System: Behavioral, Visuocortical, and Alpha-band Responses
Authors: Friedl Wendel M. , Keil Andreas
Published: January 2020

Using electrophysiology and a classic fear conditioning paradigm, this work examined adaptive visuocortical changes in spatial frequency tuning in a sample of 50 undergraduate students. High-density EEG was recorded while participants viewed 400 total trials of individually presented Gabor patches of 10 different spatial frequencies. Patches were flickered to produce sweep steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) at a temporal frequency of 13.33 Hz, with stimulus contrast ramping up from 0% to 41% Michelson over the course of each 2800-msec trial. During the final 200 trials, a selected range of Gabor stimuli (either the lowest or highest spatial frequencies, manipulated between participants) were paired with an aversive 90-dB white noise auditory stimulus. Changes in spatial frequency tuning from before to after conditioning for paired and unpaired gratings were evaluated at the behavioral and electrophysiological level. Specifically, ssVEP amplitude changes were evaluated for lateral inhibition and generalization trends, whereas change in alpha band (8–12 Hz) activity was tested for a generalization trend across spatial frequencies, using permutation-controlled F contrasts. Overall time courses of the sweep ssVEP amplitude envelope and alpha-band power were orthogonal, and ssVEPs proved insensitive to spatial frequency conditioning. Alpha reduction (blocking) was most pronounced when viewing fear-conditioned spatial frequencies, with blocking decreasing along the gradient of spatial frequencies preceding conditioned frequencies, indicating generalization across spatial frequencies. Results suggest that alpha power reduction—conceptually linked to engagement of attention and alertness/arousal mechanisms—to fear-conditioned stimuli operates independently of low-level spatial frequency processing (indexed by ssVEPs) in primary visual cortex.
Beat-based and Memory-based Temporal Expectations in Rhythm: Similar Perceptual Effects, Different Underlying Mechanisms
Authors: Bouwer Fleur L. , Honing Henkjan , Slagter Heleen A.
Published: January 2020

Predicting the timing of incoming information allows the brain to optimize information processing in dynamic environments. Behaviorally, temporal expectations have been shown to facilitate processing of events at expected time points, such as sounds that coincide with the beat in musical rhythm. Yet, temporal expectations can develop based on different forms of structure in the environment, not just the regularity afforded by a musical beat. Little is still known about how different types of temporal expectations are neurally implemented and affect performance. Here, we orthogonally manipulated the periodicity and predictability of rhythmic sequences to examine the mechanisms underlying beat-based and memory-based temporal expectations, respectively. Behaviorally and using EEG, we looked at the effects of beat-based and memory-based expectations on auditory processing when rhythms were task-relevant or task-irrelevant. At expected time points, both beat-based and memory-based expectations facilitated target detection and led to attenuation of P1 and N1 responses, even when expectations were task-irrelevant (unattended). For beat-based expectations, we additionally found reduced target detection and enhanced N1 responses for events at unexpected time points (e.g., off-beat), regardless of the presence of memory-based expectations or task relevance. This latter finding supports the notion that periodicity selectively induces rhythmic fluctuations in neural excitability and furthermore indicates that, although beat-based and memory-based expectations may similarly affect auditory processing of expected events, their underlying neural mechanisms may be different.
Local, Cross-cultural, and Global: Japoniste Ceramics in Limoges
Authors: Coman Sonia
Published: January 2020

Ever since its inception Japonisme presented a creative tension between local traditions and cross-cultural practices. Adding to this formative relationship was the simultaneous development of Japonisme across Europe, the United States, and Japan itself. This paper focuses on one place of intersection – Limoges – and one medium – ceramics – to identify the local (Limoges’s rich ceramic history), the cross-cultural (French and Japanese influences), and the global (similar practices in other regions). A constellation of producers and collectors inextricably connected Limoges, a centuries-old hub of French ceramics, with the increasingly global realm of japoniste ceramics. How did the Limoges tradition blend with a Paris-based Japonisme in Limoges-produced japoniste ceramics? And what was the international reception of these ceramics? Cross-regional and cross-temporal emulation was a driving force bridging Japonisme with the latest experiments in the arts, from early abstractionism to revisions of hierarchies of genre and medium.
“The Magic-Making Misṭar Rinālḍs” and the Development of Urdu Prose Fiction
Authors: Naim C.M.
Published: January 2020

In histories of the Urdu novel, the name of G.W.M. Reynolds (1814-1879) is either not mentioned at all or only in passing reference to his possible influence on Sharar, Urdu’s first writer of historical romances. But the actual role that this ill-reputed contemporary of Dickens played in the development of Urdu prose fiction was far greater. By 1918, twenty-four of his massive works were available in Urdu, some in more than one translation, and all reprinted more than once. Among his translators were a number of significant poets and fiction writers of the time. Arguably, between 1890s and 1920, Reynolds was not only the most widely read author in Urdu but also the most admired. He influenced not only writers of historical romances, but also inspired what can be best described as the earliest original crime tales in Urdu.
Tradition and Islamic Philosophy: Some Recent Urdu Publications on Mullā Ṣadrā
Authors: Rizvi Sajjad
Published: January 2020

The reception of Mullā Ṣadrā in South Asia began soon after his death through the dissemination and commentary culture on his Sharḥ al-Hidāyah that was adopted into the Dars-e Niz̤āmī pedagogy in the eighteenth century. However, the modern reception of his thought in Urdu has been somewhat removed from that initial scholastic engagement. I examine four modalities of this reception: translation of his major work the Asfār; analytic engagement by a philosophy doctorate; triumphalism in the literary sphere; and responses to the intellectual challenge of the West by a Shiʿi seminary student. I attempt to show that these varied receptions are indicative of trends and developments in the modern intellectual history of Pakistan.
Cleisostoma hainanense, a new species (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) from Hainan, China: evidence from morphological and DNA analyses

Authors: HUANG MING-ZHONG , LIU DING-KUN , YIN JUN-MEI , YANG GUANG-SUI
Published: January 2020

A new species, Cleisostoma hainanense (Orchidaceae: Epidedroideae: Aeridinae) from Hainan, China, is described and illustrated. Detailed morphological comparisons indicate that C. hainanense is similar to C. paniculatum, but differs in tauren-shaped mid-lobe with truncated tip, conical spur with inconspicuous septum and arch-shaped back wall callus. The molecular study based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and four plastid (atpI-atpH, matK, psbA-trnH, rbcL) regions support that the new species is sister to C. paniculatum.
Wieseria bicepes sp. nov. (Nematoda: Oxystominidae) from the South China Sea
Authors: JIA SUSU , HUANG YONG
Published: January 2020

One unrecorded species of free-living marine nematodes from the South China Sea is described as Wieseria bicepes sp. nov. The present species is characterized by three circles of anterior sensilla nearly equal in length; four cephalic setae just behind the outer labial setae; oblong amphideal fovea with double contours and a handle-like protrusion at the base; tail tip bifurcate; spicules slightly curved with proximally cephalated and distally tapered; gubernaculum absent. The species is easily distinguished from the congeneric species by tail with a bifurcate tip and cephalic setae closely adjacent to labial setae.
The Chinese species of the genus Phlaeopterus Motschulsky, 1853 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini)
Authors: SHAVRIN ALEXEY V.
Published: January 2020

New combinations in the genus Phlaeopterus Motschulsky, 1853 for three Chinese species, originally described in Lesteva Latreille, 1797, are proposed: P. rufimarginatus (Rougemont, 2000) comb.n., P. ruzickai (Shavrin, 2015) comb.n., and P. septemmaculatus (Rougemont, 2000) comb.n. Phlaeopterus hromadkai Shavrin sp.n. from China (Gansu: Dalijia Shan) is described and illustrated. A list of species and a key to the Palaearctic species of Phlaeopterus are provided. The distributions of all Chinese species are mapped.
Wstęp
Authors: Šatava Leoš , Mętrak Maciej Jerzy
Published: January 2020

IntroductionIntroduction to the 14th issue of “Adeptus” written by members of the Editorial Team/Editorial Board. WstępWstęp do 14 numeru „Adeptusa” przygotowany przez członków Redakcji i Rady Naukowej.
Coming nearer and nearer: A cognitive grammar account of the third person plural impersonal
Authors: Data-Bukowska Ewa
Published: January 2020

Coming nearer and nearer: A cognitive grammar account of the third person plural impersonalThe present paper analyses different readings of the 3pl impersonal pronoun (3pl IMP) from the Cognitive Grammar (CG) perspective. While the well-known taxonomy established for 3pl impersonals in European languages by Siewierska & Papastathi (2011) highlights contextual features of different readings of the pronoun, CG is able to focus on what has been neglected in this approach and offers a more adequate analysis of the 3pl IMP as an important means of portraying the agent. In the article the impersonal agent is presented as unspecified and, as such, defocused to various degrees. Evidence is provided for a set of four prototypical readings of the pronoun – the corporate, the vague, the specific and the universal – constituting reference points within a continuum and differentiated as to the agent portrayal. Establishing such portrayals is seen as a phenomenon rooted in the cognitively basic mechanism of distancing, which in the case of the 3pl IMPs means approaching the perceived object by the conceptualizer, as in the schema underlying the difference between a count noun and a mass noun. The mechanism is illustrated by language data taken from English and Swedish. Podchodząc coraz bliżej. Odczytania zaimka 3 os. l. mn. w funkcji bezosobowej w ujęciu gramatyki kognitywnejNiniejszy artykuł analizuje różne odczytania zaimka 3 os. l. mn. (np. pol. oni, ang. they), wykorzystywanego w funkcji bezosobowej, z punktu widzenia gramatyki kognitywnej w ujęciu R. W. Langackera. Podczas gdy taksonomia opracowana dla tego typu zaimków w językach europejskich przez Siewierską i Papastathi (2011) eksponuje cechy kontekstowe decydujące o różnych interpretacjach treści zaimka, gramatyka kognitywna uzupełnia te ujęcia i proponuje jego opis jako środka zróżnicowanego przedstawiania agensa w wypowiedzeniach. Omówione zostają cztery prototypowe odczytania zaimka - korporacyjne, niejasne, specyficzne i uniwersalne, stanowiące punkty odniesienia w kontinuum, które umożliwia określoną interpretację treści analizowanej jednostki językowej. Ustanowienie takich wzorcowych „portretów” opiera się na podstawowym mechanizmie poznawczym, którym jest przybliżanie się konceptualizatora do obiektu konceptualizacji, co w przypadku zaimka 3 os. l. mn. oznacza płynne przejście od obiektu postrzeganego jako dyskretny do obiektu konceptualizowanego jako homogeniczna substancja. Mechanizm ilustrują dane językowe zaczerpnięte z języka angielskiego i języka szwedzkiego.
New prepositional analytic constructions in contemporary Polish
Authors: Jabłońska Monika
Published: January 2020

New prepositional analytic constructions in contemporary PolishThis paper presents pairs of structures in which one structure is a correct synthetic phrase and the other is a corresponding analytic structure that is incorrect according to contemporary dictionaries. The latter are nevertheless used because speakers notice subtle differences between the synthetic and analytic forms. As a result, one structure cannot be replaced with the other in all contexts. The process of replacing synthetic structures with analytic ones is evidence of the intensifying tendency towards analyzation in Polish. This process has been observed in all periods of the history of the Polish language. Nowe przyimkowe konstrukcje analityczne we współczesnej polszczyźnieTematem artykułu są pary konstrukcji, z których pierwsza jest syntetyczna, druga – analityczna. Wszystkie opisywane formy analityczne są niezgodne z normą, a mimo to wielu użytkowników wybiera je zamiast połączeń syntetycznych. Funkcjonowanie w języku dwóch niemal identycznych struktur syntetycznej i analitycznej może być spowodowane subtelną różnicą znaczeniową między nimi. Proces ten jest dowodem działania tendencji analitycznej w polszczyźnie, obserwowanej we wszystkich okresach rozwoju języka polskiego.
A contrastive analysis of feminitives in Bulgarian, Polish and Russian
Authors: Sosnowski Wojciech Paweł , Satoła-Staśkowiak Joanna
Published: January 2020

A contrastive analysis of feminitives in Bulgarian, Polish and RussianThe subject of this article is the contemporary usage of feminitives (specifically the names of occupations and functions), which traditionally are most often derived from masculine names. The article presents a contrastive analysis of feminitive usage in three Slavic languages: Bulgarian, Polish and Russian. The article examines the problem of linguistic asymmetry in the creation of feminine names in the three languages and presents the views of renowned linguists on the issue. Konfrontacja językowa feminatywów w języku bułgarskim, polskim i rosyjskimW niniejszym artykule przedmiotem badania stały się współczesne feminatywa (w szczególności nazwy zawodów i funkcji), najczęściej tradycyjnie tworzone od nazw męskich i ich konfrontacja w trzech językach słowiańskich: bułgarskim, polskim i rosyjskim. Autorzy omawiają w artykule problem asymetrii językowej w tworzeniu nazw żeńskich w trzech językach słowiańskich oraz przytaczają poglądy na ten problem wybitnych językoznawców.
The representation of the “emotive-I” of Christina Rossetti’s identity in her children’s poetry
Authors: Pikalova Anna
Published: January 2020

The representation of the “emotive-I” of Christina Rossetti’s identity in her children’s poetryThis article concerns the construction of the “emotive-I” of the identity of Christina Rossetti, who wrote children’s poetry. It is revealed that the construction of the “emotive-I” includes the following components: cognitive (knowledge, beliefs, motives, and ideas), affective (emotional and evaluative attitudes towards knowledge and beliefs, and towards oneself and children), and behavioural (the corresponding reaction that stimulates an intentional emotional influence on the object of the texts and is represented in the author’s poetic speech). On the basis of these components it is possible to distinguish the types of the “emotive-I” of C. Rossetti’s identity. The different types of the “emotive-I” include “lyricist”, “optimist”, “prankster”, “humourist”, “dreamer”, “fantasizer”, “cardiocentric”, “pessimist”, and “ingenuous”. The actualization of these types covers a wide range of linguistic means and stylistic techniques in the author’s poetic texts for children. The peculiarities of the poetic speech provoke the desired emotions in the readers, influencing the formation of children’s emotional sphere. Reprezentacja „emocjonalnego ja” tożsamości Christiny Rossetti w jej poezji dziecięcejTen artykuł jest analizą struktury „emocjonalnego ja” tożsamości Christiny Rossetti, autorki poezji dziecięcej. Stwierdza się, że konstrukcja „emocjonalnego ja” obejmuje elementy: poznawcze (wiedza, przekonania, motywy i idee), afektywne (emocjonalne i oceniające postawy wobec wiedzy i przekonań oraz wobec siebie i dzieci) oraz behawioralne (odpowiednia reakcja, która stymuluje celowy emocjonalny wpływ na przedmiot tekstów i jest reprezentowana w poetyckiej mowie autora). Na podstawie wyżej wymienionych elementów możliwy staje się opis różnych typów „emocjonalnego ja” tożsamości C. Rossetti. Różne typy „emocjonalnego ja” obejmują między innymi „autora tekstów”, „optymistę”, „dowcipnisia”, „humorystę”, „marzyciela”, „pesymistę” i „pomysłowy”. Wariacje tożsamości związane są ze stosowaniem szerokiego zakresu środków językowych i technik stylistycznych. Osobliwości poetyckiej mowy wywołują pożądane emocje u czytelników, wpływając na kształtowanie się sfery emocjonalnej dzieci.
Assessment of Probabilistic Wind Forecasts at 100 m Above Ground Level Using Doppler Lidar and Weather Radar Wind Profiles
Authors: Hämäläinen Karoliina , Saltikoff Elena , Hyvärinen Otto , Vakkari Ville , Niemelä Sami
Published: January 2020

Modern society is very dependent on electricity. In the energy sector, the amount of renewable energy is growing, especially wind energy. To keep the electricity network in balance we need to know how much, when, and where electricity is produced. To support this goal, the need for proper wind forecasts has grown. Compared to traditional deterministic forecasts, ensemble models can better provide the range of variability and uncertainty. However, probabilistic forecasts are often either under- or overdispersive and biased, thus not covering the true and full distribution of probabilities. Hence, statistical postprocessing is needed to increase the value of forecasts. However, traditional closer-to-surface wind observations do not support the verification of wind higher above the surface that is more relevant for wind energy production. Thus, the goal of this study was to test whether new types of observations like radar and lidar winds could be used for verification and statistical calibration of 100-m winds. According to our results, the calibration improved the forecast skill compared to a raw ensemble. The results are better for low and moderate winds, but for higher wind speeds more training data would be needed, either from a larger number of stations or using a longer training period.
Cross-border labour markets and the role of trade unions in representing migrant workers’ interests
Authors: Thomas Adrien
Published: January 2020

New patterns of labour migration are reshaping labour markets and raising new challenges for labour market actors, especially trade unions. This article critically discusses unionization strategies targeting migrant workers and the political and organizational dilemmas involved, taking as an example the case of Luxembourg, a founding member of the European Union with a highly internationalized labour market. Relying on qualitative research and survey results, this article sets out the strategies adopted by trade unions to unionize migrant workers, before discussing the dilemmas and tensions related to the diversification of trade union policies and organizational structures in response to labour migration. It provides valuable insights into two broader issues: the socio-political and organizational dynamics involved in trade unions’ inclusion of migrant workers and the potential role of trade unions in building transnational links and cohesion in border regions.
Inferior Meatus Augmentation Procedure (IMAP) to Treat Empty Nose Syndrome: A Pilot Study
Authors: Thamboo Andrew , Dholakia Sachi S. , Borchard Nicole A. , Patel Vishal S. , Tangbumrungtham Navarat , Velasquez Nathalia , Huang Zhenxiao , Zarabanda David , Nakayama Tsuguhisa , Nayak Jayakar V.
Published: January 2020

Our understanding of empty nose syndrome (ENS) continues to evolve. Prior studies evaluating airway augmentation to treat ENS did not use validated disease‐specific questionnaires, making the true impact of these surgeries unclear. We present a case series of 10 patients with ENS (11 procedures) who underwent the inferior meatus augmentation procedure (IMAP) between September 2014 and May 2017. Subjective outcomes of IMAP included comparisons of preoperative and postoperative assessments (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months) using the Empty Nose Syndrome 6‐item Questionnaire (ENS6Q), Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ‐9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item Scale (GAD‐7), and Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test–22 (SNOT‐22). The decrement in ENS6Q scores observed maintained statistical significance at 6 months (P ≤. 001). Similar results were achieved with PHQ‐9, GAD‐7, and SNOT‐22 (P ≤. 01, P ≤. 01, P ≤. 001, respectively). IMAP can dramatically improve the quality of life of ENS patients regarding both ENS‐specific symptoms and psychological well‐being.
Influence of Gender and Racial Diversity on the Otolaryngology Residency Match
Authors: Fairmont Isabel , Farrell Nyssa , Johnson Andrew P. , Cabrera‐Muffly Cristina
Published: January 2020

Objective

(1) Understand attitudes of otolaryngology residency applicants regarding gender and racial diversity within programs. (2) Examine how program diversity affects applicant decisions during the residency match. (3) Compare the importance of racial and ethnic program diversity among applicants.

Study Design

Web‐based survey distributed in February and March 2019.

Setting

Tertiary care university setting.

Subjects and Methods

An anonymous web‐based survey was distributed to 418 applicants in the 2019 otolaryngology match. Respondents were queried about the importance of program diversity and its effects on the match process. Ratings were based on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being extremely important or significant effect).

Results

The response rate was 35%; 53% of responders were male; and 59% were white, 25% Asian, 6% black, and 6% Hispanic/Latino. Applicants rated the importance of having female faculty and residents as 4.1 (SD = 1.1) and 4.2 (SD = 1.1), respectively. Applicants rated the importance of having diverse faculty and residents as 3.9 (SD = 1.1) and 4 (SD = 1.2). Overall, 7.6% of applicants canceled interviews due to a lack of female residents and 5.5% due to a lack of female faculty; furthermore, 5.5% of applicants canceled interviews due to a lack of diverse residents and 4.9% due to a lack of diverse faculty. Female and nonwhite applicants prioritized females and diversity within programs more so than male and white applicants.

Conclusions

Although residency applicants felt that program diversity was important, this did not significantly affect decision making during the match process, likely due to the competitive nature of the match. Women and nonwhite applicants prioritized program diversity more than white male applicants.
Experimental studies on thermosyphon using low global warming potential refrigerant HFE7000 and nanorefrigerant HFE7000/Al2O3
Authors: Anand R S , Jawahar C P , Brusly Solomon A , Benson Varghese , Alan K Ashie , Vignesh Nair K P , Alan V Abraham
Published: January 2020

Thermosyphon is used in numerous applications such as permafrost, cooling building and structures, Alaska pipeline, electronic cooling, and other applications. Improving the performance of thermosyphon is essential for technology advancement. Therefore, experimentation is conducted to improve the efficiency of thermosyphon with the natural refrigerant hydrofluoroether (HFE) and Al2O3/HFE7000 nanorefrigerant. The Al2O3 nanoparticle is chosen based on its economic feasibility and better thermo-physical properties with the refrigerants. Firstly, the preparation of Al2O3/HFE7000 nanorefrigerant is carried out specifically at different volume concentrations of the nanoparticle to check the long-term stability. Secondly, the heat transfer characteristics of the thermosyphon charged Al2O3/HFE7000 nanorefrigerant of 0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.075% volume concentration and pure HFE7000 is investigated experimentally. The nanorefrigerant charged thermosyphon experimented for different inclinations and different volume concentrations as the working fluid. It was observed that the two-phase closed thermosyphon charged with Al2O3/HFE7000 nanorefrigerant enhanced its evaporator heat transfer performance also decreased the thermal resistance of 57.5% compared with the pure HFE7000 and was at its peak for 0.05% volume concentration. The heat transfer of nanorefrigerant Al2O3/HFE7000 0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.075% volume concentration is increases 41.61%, 88.414%, and 74.362% than HFE7000. In conclusion, the results of the experiments suggest that the use of Al2O3/HFE7000 nanofluid produce a significant thermal enhancement in thermosyphon. This research also discloses the effect of dimensionless parameters such as the Bond number of the boiling phenomenon, Prandtl and condensation number of conduction phenomenon, and Ohensorge number of buoyancy phenomenon in thermosyphon with Al2O3/HFE7000 nanorefrigerant. It is identified that the volume concentration of 0.05% Al2O3/HFE7000 has a considerable effect on nondimensional parameters.
A conceptual method to assess ship-helicopter dynamic interface
Authors: Shukla Shrish , Singh Sidh N , Sinha Sawan S , Vijayakumar R
Published: January 2020

The combined operation of a ship and a helicopter is ubiquitous in every naval organization. The operation of a ship in combination with the landing and take-off operations of a helicopter results in a very complex flow phenomenon. This is due to the presence of ship airwakes, strong velocity gradients and widely varying turbulence length scales. An accurate assessment of the resultant flow phenomena is an outstanding challenge for naval architects as well as researchers. A conceptual method to gain insight into the combined ship-helo flow phenomena over a helodeck is presented. The prime objective of this work is to develop an economical design tool employing both experimental as well as computational techniques to simulate the ship-helicopter coupled environment regime at early design stages reasonably well so as to ease the burden of expensive and risky sea trials. For this purpose, a simplified dynamic interface (SDI) model is proposed to investigate the coupled effects of ship airwake and helicopter rotor downwash. The paper reports a parametric analysis to study the coupled ship-helo airwake behaviour and its impact on helicopter fuselage over the ship helodeck for different ship speed regimes by the proposed SDI model. Further, an attempt has been made to set up preliminary design criteria to grade the ship-helicopter interface for ensuring minimum standards of safe helo operations. Finally, we discuss the impact of the coupled flow dynamics in terms of induced fuselage drag, cross-flow characteristics, rotor plane wake and velocity gradients existing over the helodeck region and evaluate the proposed design criteria.
Hematological malignancies in connective tissue diseases
Authors: Noureldine H A , Nour-Eldine W , Hodroj M H , Noureldine M H A , Taher A , Uthman I
Published: January 2020

Chronic inflammation has profound tumor-promoting effects. Inflammatory cells are the key players in immunosurveillance against tumors, and immunosuppression is known to increase the risk of tumors. Autoimmune diseases, which manifest as loss of self-tolerance and chronic immune dysregulation, provide a perfect environment for tumor development. Aside from managing the direct inflammatory consequences of autoimmune pathogenesis, cancer risk profiles should be considered as a part of a patient's treatment. In this review, we describe the various associations of malignancies with autoimmune diseases, specifically systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and Sjögren's syndrome, as well as discuss the mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of both disorders.
Objects of Crime: Bodies, Embodiment and Forensic Pathology
Authors: Jones Imogen
Published: January 2020

When a death takes place in suspicious circumstances, the body transitions from being somebody to an object which is of legal as well as social value. A key investigatory process is that of the forensic autopsy, carried out by a Home Office Registered Forensic Pathologist (HORFP). This article draws upon empirical data from research involving HORFPs to examine their identity and the meaning they assign to the deceased body. I argue that HORFP’s understanding of the value of the deceased body constantly shifts due to the multifaceted nature of their role. I explain this by drawing upon a legal embodiment framework. The HORFPs have to balance a legal context which demands objective ‘facts’ and formal labels with emotionally difficult cases and the impact of their work on the bereaved. I challenge the dichotomy between dualism and embodiment, arguing that there is not an oppositional choice between ‘science’ and recognition of the symbolic value of the corpse, but rather that these views can coexist while serving different functions that are central to a HORFP’s role.
Transatlantic enforcement of Dutch collective settlement judgments: the case of Canada
Authors: Van Zelst Bastiaan , Good Mathew P.
Published: January 2020

This article aims to discuss the enforcement of foreign collective action and settlement judgments in Canada. More specifically, it investigates the enforceability of the decision by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal declaring binding a class settlement in the Ageas case.

The development of the Netherlands into a prime venue for (cross-border) collective settlements – including with respect to claimants and defendants residing across the Atlantic – renders a discussion of the enforceability of court decisions pertaining to the collective settlement of disputes of interest from a Dutch, EU and extra-EU perspective.
Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 Suppresses Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis of Glioma Cells Via Downregulating MiR-92b
Authors: Liu Dongdong , Zou Zheng , Li Gen , Pan Pengyu , Liang Guobiao
Published: January 2020

Background:

The mechanisms underlying the proliferation and apoptosis of glioma cells remain unelucidated. A recent study has revealed that microRNA-92b (miR-92b) inhibits apoptosis of glioma cells via downregulating DKK3. Notably, long noncoding RNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) is predicted to have a possible interaction with miR-92b.

Objective:

This study aimed to identify whether NEAT1 affects glioma cell proliferation and apoptosis via regulating miR-92b.

Methods:

The expression of NEAT1 was compared between glioma tissues and adjacent tissues as well as between glioma cells and normal astrocytes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Glioma cell proliferation was determined by using the 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and glioma cell apoptosis was determined by using the flow cytometry.

Results:

The expression of NEAT1 was low in glioma tissues and cells compared to the normal ones. Overexpression of NEAT1 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of glioma cell lines (U-87 MG and U251). The interaction between NEAT1 and miR-92b was confirmed using RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down assay, and luciferase reporter assay. Importantly, the tumor suppressor function of overexpressing NEAT1 was achieved by downregulating miR-92b and subsequently upregulating DKK3.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicated that NEAT1 acts as a tumor suppressor in glioma cells, which provides a novel target in overcoming glioma growth.
Forced vibration analysis of nonlinear systems using efficient path-following method
Authors: Mousavi Seyed Mojtaba , Sadr Mohammad Homayoune , Jelveh Meisam
Published: January 2020

In this article, nonlinear forced response of dynamical systems is studied using numerical continuation methods. Several methods are available to calculate nonlinear normal modes. Along with the existing analytical methods, recently, numerical methods, especially the pseudo-arclength continuation method, have attracted many researchers. The pseudo-arclength continuation method is a very powerful method which is capable of handling strongly nonlinear systems. However, as mentioned in recently published article reviews, the computational cost of the method has limited its application. In this research, an updating formula is embedded in the pseudo-arclength continuation algorithm to reduce the computational cost. This modified method is called the efficient path-following method. The assumptions and basis of the efficient path-following method algorithm are same as those presented in other references, but none of them have exploited the updating formula of the efficient path-following method to study the forced response of nonlinear dynamical systems. To investigate the capabilities of the method, forced response of a single-degree-of-freedom Duffing system is computed. It is seen that the efficient path-following method has decreased the computational time significantly up to 70%. The results are in very good conformance with those obtained in other references, which shows the accuracy of this method. To study the ability of the efficient path-following method to handle the multi-degree-of-freedom system, a four-degree-of-freedom nonlinear system is considered, and stable and unstable branches of the solution are computed. It is observed that as the nonlinearity of the system gets stronger, the updating formula becomes more effective.
Amphetamine–Dextroamphetamine and Pregnancy: Neonatal Outcomes After Prenatal Prescription Mixed Amphetamine Exposure
Authors: Rose Sherrill J. , Hathcock Matthew A. , White Wendy M. , Borowski Kristi , Rivera-Chiauzzi Enid Y.
Published: January 2020

Objective: A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate whether birthweight was less among infants of women taking amphetamine–dextroamphetamine during pregnancy at our academic institution. Method: We identified mother–infant pairs with documented exposure to amphetamine–dextroamphetamine in pregnancy from 2005 through 2015. Patients were matched 2:1 with unexposed controls. Charts were reviewed for known causes of intrauterine growth restriction. Analysis of birthweight used generalized estimating equation blocking on matching. Medical histories were analyzed with χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test. Results: We identified 53 exposed mother–infant pairs. The difference in mean birthweight of infants exposed to amphetamine–dextroamphetamine versus those not exposed was 26.9 g, which is not significant (95% confidence interval [CI] = [−141, 195 g]; p = .75). A significant difference was noted for exposed versus unexposed mothers for comorbid psychiatric illness and history of substance abuse ( p < .001). Conclusion: With a limited sample size, our study suggests no significant difference in birthweight.
Damage detection of bridges monitored within one cluster based on the residual between the cumulative distribution functions of strain monitoring data
Authors: Zhang Shaoyi , Liu Yang
Published: January 2020

With the structural health monitoring technique, several medium- and small-span bridges possessing the same or similar structural characteristics located in a local road network are simultaneously monitored within one cluster. Nevertheless, insufficient research has been performed on detecting the damage of all the bridges monitored within one cluster under time-varying environmental temperatures. To address this issue, a method is proposed to assess the damage in all the bridges within one cluster utilizing the residual between the cumulative distribution functions of strain monitoring data. First, an algorithm for reconstructing the strain monitoring dataset is introduced, effectively improving the computational efficiency at removing as much measured noise from a large amount of monitoring data as possible. Second, a cluster analysis algorithm considering the similarity among the strain monitoring data at different measured points is proposed to classify the strain monitoring data for all the bridges monitored within one cluster. Different classes of strain monitoring data are established by identifying similar probability distribution patterns. Third, for each class, a damage detection index is proposed based on the residual between the cumulative distribution functions of strain monitoring data. All the bridges monitored within one cluster are acted upon by similar environmental temperatures during the same monitoring period; hence, the effects of the environmental temperature on the proposed index are mitigated indirectly during the same monitoring period. Thus, the proposed index is implemented to effectively detect the damage in all the bridges belonging to each class. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a numerical simulation and with strain monitoring data obtained from actual bridges.
A multi-user multi-operator computing pricing method for Internet of things based on bi-level optimization
Authors: Jiang Wei , Wang Huiqiang , Li Bingyang , Lv Haibin , Meng Qingchuan
Published: January 2020

The Internet of mobile things is a promising paradigm that generates, stores, and processes amount of real-time data to render rich services for mobile users. Along with the increase of mobile devices in the field of Internet of things, more and more intelligent applications, such as face recognition and virtual reality, have emerged. These applications typically consume large amounts of computing and energy resources. However, due to the physical size limitations of Internet of things terminals, their computing capacity and power are limited, where users’ needs for application processing delay and power consumption cannot be met. Therefore, the concept of edge cloud computing has been proposed, which enhances the computing capacity of Internet of things terminals by offloading user tasks to edge servers for computation. When there are multiple operators, it is important to understand how users choose an operator to perform computation and how operators can reasonably price the computing capacity to meet their own interests. Therefore, we study the computation pricing and user decision-making problems of Internet of things under multi-user and multi-operator scenarios. The problem is divided into three phases and modeled as a two-level optimization problem. While an operator’s goal is to minimize the loss of his interests, the user’s goal is to minimize the computation cost (energy consumption and price). First, since the lower-level user decision-making problem is an integer linear programming problem, we transform it into an equivalent continuous linear programming problem by relaxation. Second, we transform the bi-level optimization problem into an equivalent single-level optimization problem by substituting the lower problem’s Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions into an upper problem. Finally, we use a spatial branch and bound algorithm to solve the problem. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively maintain the benefits of both operators and users in the field of Internet of things.
Safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of ruptured tiny cerebral aneurysms compared with ruptured larger aneurysms
Authors: Wang Ji-Wei , Li Cong-Hui , Tian Yang-Yang , Li Xin-Yu , Liu Jian-Feng , Li Hui , Gao Bu-Lang
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To investigate the effect and safety of endovascular embolization of tiny aneurysms (≤3 mm) within 72 h of subarachnoid hemorrhage compared with larger ones.

Materials and methods

Patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with endovascular embolization within 72 h were retrospectively enrolled and divided into group A ( n = 33) with ruptured tiny aneurysms (≤3 mm) and group B ( n = 244) with ruptured larger aneurysms (>3 mm). The clinical and angiographic data before and after embolization were analyzed.

Results

Most tiny aneurysms were located at the posterior communicating artery (36.4%) followed by anterior communicating artery (18.2%). The stent-assisted coiling technique was used mostly in group A with 18 stents deployed (51.5%), but only 24 (9.8%) patients had stent-assisted coiling in group B, with the stent-assisted coiling technique more significantly ( P < 0.001) frequently used in group A. No significant ( P > 0.05) difference existed in the total, subtotal and incomplete occlusion of aneurysms in two groups. The procedure-related complication rate was not significantly ( P > 0.05) different between groups A (24.2%) and B (17.0%). At discharge, no significant ( P > 0.05) difference existed in the neurological abnormality between the two groups. Follow-up was performed in 64.5% (20/31) in group A and 75.6% (177/234) in group B. No significant ( P > 0.05) difference existed in the aneurysm recurrence rate, deaths, and prognosis.

Conclusion

Early embolization of tiny cerebral aneurysms within 72 h of subarachnoid hemorrhage is safe and effective compared with ruptured large aneurysms treated in the same manner.