bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Study on Sleep Quality, Forgiveness, Religion, Spirituality, and General Health of Women Living in a Homeless Mission
Authors: Brewer-Smyth Kathleen , Kafonek Katherine , Koenig Harold G.
Published: November 2019

This cross-sectional pilot study evaluated associations between religion/spirituality, forgiveness, sleep, and health, which were all highly correlated for adult women living in a homeless mission. While causation cannot be determined, these findings help to provide a theoretical framework for studies with stronger designs, prospective measurements, and larger sample sizes.
The Effect of Laughter Therapy on Anxiety
Authors: Demir Doğan Melike
Published: November 2019

This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of laughter therapy on anxiety. Randomized controlled clinical trials were reviewed on Google Scholar, PubMed, and ISI Web of Sciences databases. Four randomized controlled trials consisting of 157 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Hedge's g test statistics were used to show the common effect between the laughter therapy and control groups in the meta-analysis. Laughter therapy can decrease anxiety levels (standardized mean difference = −1.144; 95% CI, −1.950 to −0.338). Laughter therapy is an effective complementary method to decrease anxiety.
What Matters to Parents Regarding Immunization of Their Children
Authors: Imahorn Noemi , Heininger Ulrich
Published: November 2019

Background:

World Health Organization announced vaccine hesitancy among the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. While the number of persons looking for information on health topics on the internet is increasing, information regarding immunization on the internet is often inaccurate and misleading. We aimed to determine the kind of information parents seek on the internet for decision-making regarding immunizations for their children.

Methods:

We investigated threads of an internet vaccine forum, where parents can get personalized advice from a vaccine expert, with regard to the types of vaccines and content of the questions. One thousand six hundred twenty consultations (4896 questions) between September 2001 and December 2018 were examined. Of these, 1386, including 4000 questions, were related to immunizations of the user’s child. Date of consultation, user gender and country of residence, age of the child; kind of vaccine(s), and topic of the question according to the following categories were analyzed: Vaccination schedule, safety, effectiveness, necessity, vaccine application, serology, exchangeability of different vaccine types and brands, maternally acquired immunity, reimbursement, and vaccine product related.

Results:

Most questions concerned infants (47.7%) and regarded measles-component (28.9%) and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis combination vaccines (25.3%). Parents were mainly interested in vaccination schedule (33.8%), safety (26.6%), and effectiveness (17.8%) of vaccines. Over time, safety-related questions decreased, and effectiveness related questions increased. Disease outbreaks or newly introduced vaccines and vaccinations temporarily raised interest. From 2011 onwards, most questions regarded measles-component vaccines.

Conclusions:

Our findings will assist health care professionals and policy makers in preparing targeted information campaigns to address questions and counteract vaccine hesitancy.
The Role of Viral Coinfection in Bronchiolitis Treated With High-Flow Nasal Cannula at Pediatric Emergency Department During 2 Consecutive Seasons
Authors: Ferro Valentina , Boccuzzi Elena , Battaglia Massimo , Rossi Francesco Paolo , Olita Carla , Giglioni Emanuele , Concato Carlo , Piccioni Livia , Perrotta Daniela , Reale Antonino , Raucci Umberto
Published: November 2019

Background:

The role of multiple respiratory viruses in bronchiolitis treated with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has not been thoroughly investigated. We evaluated the contribution of coinfection on clinical course of bronchiolitis treated with HFNC and on response to this treatment.

Methods:

We selected 120 children with bronchiolitis, younger than 12 months, admitted to Emergency Department between 2016 and 2018 and treated with HFNC. We compared single and multiple virus infections in relation to specific outcomes such as the clinical response to HFNC and the HFNC failure. The multiple virus infection was defined by the detection of 2 or more viruses in nasopharyngeal aspirates. The HFNC failure was defined as escalation to higher level of care, including Helmet-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, invasive ventilation or transfer to pediatric intensive care unit within 48 hours from the time of HFNC initiation. We also performed a comparison between HFNC failure and HFNC not-failure groups according to the number of virus and the type of virus.

Results:

The severity score post-HFNC initiation was significantly associated with coinfection [odds ratio (OR): 1.361; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.036–1.786; P = 0.027]. The likelihood of coinfection decreased by 23.1% for each increase of saturation O2 after HFNC initiation (OR: 0.769; 95% CI: 0.609–0.972; P = 0.028). Atelectasis was more likely to occur in coinfection (OR: 2.923; 95% CI: 1.049–8.148; P = 0.04). The duration of HFNC treatment increased significantly in coinfection (OR: 1.018; 95% CI: 1.006–1.029; P = 0.002). No significant differences were described between HFNC failure and the number and the type of detected viruses.

Conclusions:

The detection of multiple viruses and the type of virus did not influence the HFNC failure, although the coinfection was associated with a deterioration of severity score, a longer HFNC treatment and a major presence of atelectasis. The role of coinfection on HFNC treatment might subtend a complex interplay between multiple viruses and host susceptibility.
Immunogenicity Comparison of a Next Generation Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Animal Models and Human Infants
Authors: Xie Jinfu , Zhang Yuhua , Caro-Aguilar Ivette , Indrawati Lani , Smith William J. , Giovarelli Cecilia , Winters Michael A. , MacNair John , He Jian , Abeygunawardana Chitrananda , Musey Luwy , Kosinski Michael , Skinner Julie M.
Published: November 2019

Background:

Evaluation of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in an animal model provides an initial assessment of the performance of the vaccine prior to evaluation in humans. Cost, availability, study duration, cross-reactivity and applicability to humans are several factors which contribute to animal model selection. PCV15 is an investigational 15-valent PCV which includes capsular polysaccharides from pneumococcal serotypes (ST) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F and 33F all individually conjugated to cross-reactive material 197 (CRM197).

Methods:

Immunogenicity of PCV15 was evaluated in infant rhesus macaques (IRM), adult New Zealand white rabbits (NZWR) and CD1 mice using multiplexed pneumococcal electrochemiluminescent (Pn ECL) assay to measure serotype-specific IgG antibodies, multiplexed opsonophagocytosis assay (MOPA) to measure serotype-specific functional antibody responses and bacterial challenge in mice to evaluate protection against a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae.

Results:

PCV15 was immunogenic and induced both IgG and functional antibodies to all 15 vaccine serotypes in all animal species evaluated. PCV15 also protected mice from S. pneumoniae serotype 14 intraperitoneal challenge. Opsonophagocytosis assay (OPA) titers measured from sera of human infants vaccinated with PCV15 in a Phase 2 clinical trial showed a good correlation with that observed in IRM (r

s
=0.69, P=0.006), a medium correlation with that of rabbits (r

s
=0.49, P=0.06), and no correlation with that of mice (r

s
=0.04, P=0.89). In contrast, there was no correlation in serum IgG levels between human infants and animal models.

Conclusions:

These results demonstrate that PCV15 is immunogenic across multiple animal species, with IRM and human infants showing the best correlation for OPA responses.
Assessing Executive Nurse Leaders' Financial Literacy Level
Authors: Brydges Garry , Krepper Rebecca , Nibert Ainslie , Young Anne , Luquire Rosemary
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Financial Management Competency Self-assessment (FMCA) in executive nurse leaders (ENLs) and to determine how ENLs develop and apply financial knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Financial literacy (FL) helps in planning, implementing, and evaluating fiscal decisions, but many ENLs report weaknesses in this core competency.

METHODS

An explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to psychometrically test the FMCA and explore how ENLs with different levels of FL develop and apply financial knowledge. Eligible participants (n = 178) were recruited from a population of ENLs across the United States.

RESULTS

The test-retest reliability of the FMCA was good (mean difference, 6.80; 95% confidence interval). Correlations between domain scores (P < .01) and the overall score (Cronbach's α = .99) demonstrated the reliability and validity of the instrument. The cutoff scores were fair indicators of different levels of FL in ENLs (P < .001). Self-awareness, gaps in hospital and graduate nursing education, application of financial knowledge, and a micro versus macro view emerged as important themes in the qualitative analysis.

CONCLUSION

FMCA reliability and validity were established. FMCA cutoff scores were established to determine FL level, and the ENL lived experience described in financial knowledge development and application.
Civility Mentor
Authors: Clark Cynthia M. , Dunham Michelle
Published: November 2019

Background

Incivility and disrespect in health care weaken teamwork and collaboration, diminish communication, and can impact an individual's ability and willingness to speak up and advocate for patient care.

Problem

Evidence-based teaching strategies are needed to prepare nursing students to address incivility in academic and practice settings.

Approach

The authors describe a virtual learning experience designed to prepare students to prevent and address incivility in academic and health care environments and report preliminary assessment data from student users.

Outcomes

More than 90% of 22 000 student respondents indicated they were satisfied with the learning experience, were made aware of the consequences of incivility and its effects on patient safety, and planned to apply techniques for addressing incivility into their nursing practice

Conclusion

Civility mentor is effective in educating students about the consequences of incivility, developing skills to foster civility, communicating more assertively, and addressing incivility in academic and health care environments.
Associations between alcohol use and HIV care cascade outcomes among adults undergoing population-based HIV testing in East Africa
Authors: Puryear Sarah B. , Balzer Laura B. , Ayieko James , Kwarisiima Dalsone , Hahn Judith A. , Charlebois Edwin D. , Clark Tamara D. , Cohen Craig R. , Bukusi Elizabeth A. , Kamya Moses R. , Petersen Maya L. , Havlir Diane V. , Chamie Gabriel
Published: November 2019

Objective:

To assess the impact of alcohol use on HIV care cascade outcomes.

Design:

Cross-sectional analyses.

Methods:

We evaluated HIV care cascade outcomes and alcohol use in adults (≥15 years) during baseline (2013--2014) population-based HIV testing in 28 Kenyan and Ugandan communities. ‘Alcohol use’ included any current use and was stratified by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C) scores: nonhazardous/low (1--3 men/1--2 women), hazardous/medium (4--5 men/3--5 women), hazardous/high (6--7), hazardous/very-high (8--12). We estimated cascade outcomes and relative risks associated with each drinking level using targeted maximum likelihood estimation, adjusting for confounding and missing measures.

Results:

Among 118 923 adults, 10 268 (9%) tested HIV-positive. Of those, 10 067 (98%) completed alcohol screening: 1626 (16%) reported drinking, representing 7% of women (467/6499) and 33% of men (1 159/3568). Drinking levels were: low (48%), medium (34%), high (11%), very high (7%). Drinkers were less likely to be previously HIV diagnosed (58% [95% CI: 55--61%]) than nondrinkers [66% (95% CI: 65–67%); RR: 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83–0.92)]. If previously diagnosed, drinkers were less likely to be on ART [77% (95% CI: 73–80%)] than nondrinkers [83% (95% CI 82–84%); RR: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89–0.97)]. If on ART, there was no association between alcohol use and viral suppression; however, very-high-level users were less likely to be suppressed [RR: 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68–0.94)] versus nondrinkers. On a population level, viral suppression was 38% (95% CI: 36–41%) among drinkers and 44% (95% CI: 43–45%) among nondrinkers [RR: 0.87 (95% CI 0.82–0.94)], an association seen at all drinking levels.

Conclusion:

Alcohol use was associated with lower viral suppression; this may be because of decreased HIV diagnosis and ART use.
Thyroid Image Reporting and Data System Categorization
Authors: Uner Cigdem , Aydin Sonay , Ucan Berna
Published: November 2019

Ultrasonography (US) is the main imaging method to assess thyroid nodules. In the pediatric population, thyroid nodules are less prevalently seen than those in adults. However, approximately 25% of the nodules can be malignant. Validation of Thyroid Image Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) classification has been mostly tested in adults, and information on pediatric cases is limited. In the current study, we aim to define the diagnostic power of the TI-RADS risk stratification method in pediatric thyroid nodules.

The study population consists of 68 nodules of 64 patients (20 malignant, 48 benign). We have included patients at least 18 years and with a pathological diagnosis. The researchers evaluated the US images of the patients, if available. If US images cannot be found, US reports of the patients were evaluated to define TI-RADS points and category.

Mean age of the population is 15.15 ± 2.66 years. There were 10 (17.7%) male patients and 58 (85.3%) female patients. Median nodule size was 8 mm. Final diagnosis was benign in 48 nodules (70.6%) and malignant in 20 nodules (29.4%). There were 5 follicular carcinoma cases and 15 papillary carcinoma cases. The area under the curve estimate was 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.80–0.98), and the area under the curve value confirmed the diagnostic efficacy of TI-RADS categorization in pediatric thyroid nodules. A TI-RADS category of 4 or 5 seemed to be a good cutoff point to predict malignancy.

To conclude, TI-RADS categorization can be effectively used to assess pediatric thyroid nodules. Nodules with TI-RADS categories of 4 and 5 have the greatest risk of malignancy, and they should be evaluated pathologically.
Low Circulating Levels of GR, FKBP5, and SGK1 in Medicated Patients With Depression Are Not Altered by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Authors: Ryan Karen M. , Poelz Lena , McLoughlin Declan M.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation is frequently observed in patients with depression, with increased levels of the glucocorticoid (GC) cortisol commonly reported. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation may be a consequence of impaired feedback inhibition due to GC receptor (GR) impairments or dysfunction, termed “glucocorticoid resistance.” Here, our objective was to assess mRNA levels of GC-related markers (GR, FKBP5, serum glucocorticoid kinase 1 [SGK1]) in patients with depression versus controls and in patient samples after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We also examined the relationship between these GC-related markers and 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D24) scores to assess the utility of using them as biological markers for depression or the therapeutic response to ECT.

Methods

GR, FKBP5, and SGK1 mRNA levels were examined in whole blood samples from 88 medicated patients with depression pre-/post-ECT and 63 controls using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Exploratory subgroup correlational analyses were performed to determine the relationship between GR, FKBP5, and SGK1 and 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores.

Results

GR, FKBP5, and SGK1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in medicated patients with depression compared with controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.03, P < 0.001, respectively), but ECT did not alter their levels (all P > 0.05). There was no relationship between GR, FKBP5, or SGK1 and 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores.

Conclusions

GR, FKBP5, and SGK1 do not seem to be involved in the peripheral molecular response to ECT and do not represent useful biomarkers for predicting the therapeutic response to ECT in a real-world clinical setting.
Audio–visual crossmodal correspondences in domestic dogs (
Canis familiaris
)
Authors: Korzeniowska A. T. , Root-Gutteridge H. , Simner J. , Reby D.
Published: November 2019

Crossmodal correspondences are intuitively held relationships between non-redundant features of a stimulus, such as auditory pitch and visual illumination. While a number of correspondences have been identified in humans to date (e.g. high pitch is intuitively felt to be luminant, angular and elevated in space), their evolutionary and developmental origins remain unclear. Here, we investigated the existence of audio–visual crossmodal correspondences in domestic dogs, and specifically, the known human correspondence in which high auditory pitch is associated with elevated spatial position. In an audio–visual attention task, we found that dogs engaged more with audio–visual stimuli that were congruent with human intuitions (high auditory pitch paired with a spatially elevated visual stimulus) compared to incongruent (low pitch paired with elevated visual stimulus). This result suggests that crossmodal correspondences are not a uniquely human or primate phenomenon and they cannot easily be dismissed as merely lexical conventions (i.e. matching ‘high’ pitch with ‘high’ elevation).
On the emergence of gravitational-like forces in insect swarms
Authors: Reynolds Andy M.
Published: November 2019

Okubo (Okubo 1986
Adv. Biophys.
22
, 1–94. (
doi:10.1016/0065-227X(86)90003-1
)) was the first to propose that insect swarms are analogous to self-gravitating systems. In the intervening years, striking similarities between insect swarms and self-gravitating systems have been uncovered. Nonetheless, experimental observations of laboratory swarms provide no conclusive evidence of long-range forces acting between swarming insects. The insects appear somewhat paradoxically to be tightly bound to the swarm while at the same time weakly coupled inside it. Here, I show how resultant centrally attractive gravitational-like forces can emerge from the observed tendency of insects to continually switch between two distinct flight modes: one that consists of low-frequency manoeuvres and one that consists of higher-frequency nearly harmonic oscillations conducted in synchrony with another insect. The emergent dynamics are consistent with ‘adaptive’ gravity models of swarming and with variants of the stochastic models of Okubo and Reynolds for the trajectories of swarming insects: models that are in close accord with a plethora of observations of unperturbed and perturbed laboratory swarms. The results bring about a radical change of perspective as swarm properties can now be attributed to known biological behaviours rather than to elusive physical influences.
Solubility of dicarbohydrazide bis[3-(5-nitroimino-1,2,4-triazole)] in common pure solvents and binary solvents at different temperatures
Authors: Ren Jianrong , Chen Dong , Yu Yanwu , Li Hongzhen
Published: November 2019

The solubility of dicarbohydrazide bis[3-(5-nitroimino-1,2,4-triazole)] (DCBNT) was first measured under the different pure solvents and binary solvents by the dynamic method over the temperature range of 290–360 K at atmospheric pressure. Results in all the solvents were positively correlated with temperature, namely increased with increasing temperature. The experiment data were correlated by the Apelblat equation, the Yaws equation and the polynomial equation. The conclusion showed that these three models all agreed well with the experimental data. Simultaneously, the dissolution enthalpy, dissolution entropy and Gibbs free energy of DCBNT in different solvents were calculated from the solubility data by using the Apelblat model. The results indicate that the dissolution process of DCBNT in these solvents is driven by entropy, which provides theoretical guidance for further research on the crystallization of DCBNT.
Species-specific effects of passive warming in an Antarctic moss system
Authors: Prather Hannah M. , Casanova-Katny Angélica , Clements Andrew F. , Chmielewski Matthew W. , Balkan Mehmet A. , Shortlidge Erin E. , Rosenstiel Todd N. , Eppley Sarah M.
Published: November 2019

Polar systems are experiencing rapid climate change and the high sensitivity of these Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems make them especially vulnerable to accelerated ecological transformation. In Antarctica, warming results in a mosaic of ice-free terrestrial habitats dominated by a diverse assemblage of cryptogamic plants (i.e. mosses and lichens). Although these plants provide key habitat for a wide array of microorganisms and invertebrates, we have little understanding of the interaction between trophic levels in this terrestrial ecosystem and whether there are functional effects of plant species on higher trophic levels that may alter with warming. Here, we used open top chambers on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, to examine the effects of passive warming and moss species on the abiotic environment and ultimately on higher trophic levels. For the dominant mosses,
Polytrichastrum alpinum
and
Sanionia georgicouncinata
, we found species-specific effects on the abiotic environment, including moss canopy temperature and soil moisture. In addition, we found distinct shifts in sexual expression in
P
.
alpinum
plants under warming compared to mosses without warming, and invertebrate communities in this moss species were strongly correlated with plant reproduction. Mosses under warming had substantially larger total invertebrate communities, and some invertebrate taxa were influenced differentially by moss species. However, warmed moss plants showed lower fungal biomass than control moss plants, and fungal biomass differed between moss species. Our results indicate that continued warming may impact the reproductive output of Antarctic moss species, potentially altering terrestrial ecosystems dynamics from the bottom up. Understanding these effects requires clarifying the foundational, mechanistic role that individual plant species play in mediating complex interactions in Antarctica's terrestrial food webs.
Effect of organic matters on anammox coupled denitrification system: when nitrite was sufficient
Authors: Yang Jingyue , Li Jun , Zheng Zhaoming , Hou Liangang , Liang Dongbo , Sun Yiqi , Ma Xiaoran
Published: November 2019

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) and denitrification can work together to weaken the influence of organic matter on anaerobic ammonia oxidation bacteria (AAOB) and improve nitrogen removal performance. As the common substrate of anammox and denitrification, nitrite will also affect nitrogen removal performance when it is insufficient, which is not conducive to reflect the endurance of anammox reactor to organic matter. The UASB continuous flow experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of the concentration of glucose and sodium acetate on nitrogen removal performance of anammox reactor under the condition of sufficient nitrite. With glucose as the organic matter, when the chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration increased to 200 mg l
−1
, nitrogen removal performance of the system began to deteriorate significantly, and the anammox activity was significantly inhibited. With sodium acetate as the organic substance, the anammox activity was affected when the COD was 20 mg l
−1
. Adequate nitrite could relieve the inhibition of the coupling system by a low concentration (COD < 200 mg l
−1
) of glucose organic matter. However, it could not relieve the inhibitory effect of sodium acetate. With the increase of organic concentration, the biological density of AAOB in granular sludge gradually decreased, while the biological density of denitrifying bacteria increased gradually.
Endogenetic structure of filter bubble in social networks
Authors: Min Yong , Jiang Tingjun , Jin Cheng , Li Qu , Jin Xiaogang
Published: November 2019

The filter bubble is an intermediate structure to provoke polarization and echo chambers in social networks, and it has become one of today's most urgent issues for social media. Previous studies usually equated filter bubbles with community structures and emphasized this exogenous isolation effect, but there is a lack of full discussion of the internal organization of filter bubbles. Here, we design an experiment for analysing filter bubbles taking advantage of social bots. We deployed 128 bots to Weibo (the largest microblogging network in China), and each bot consumed a specific topic (entertainment or sci-tech) and ran for at least two months. In total, we recorded about 1.3 million messages exposed to these bots and their social networks. By analysing the text received by the bots and motifs in their social networks, we found that a filter bubble is not only a dense community of users with the same preferences but also presents an endogenetic unidirectional star-like structure. The structure could spontaneously exclude non-preferred information and cause polarization. Moreover, our work proved that the felicitous use of artificial intelligence technology could provide a useful experimental approach that combines privacy protection and controllability in studying social media.
A possible case of inverted lifestyle in a new bivalved arthropod from the Burgess Shale
Authors: Izquierdo-López Alejandro , Caron Jean-Bernard
Published: November 2019

The origin of the arthropod carapace, an enlargement of cephalic tergites, can be traced back to the Cambrian period. However, its disparity and evolution are still not fully understood. Here, we describe a new ‘bivalved’ arthropod,Fibulacaris nereidisgen. et sp. nov., based on 102 specimens from the middle Cambrian (Wuliuan Stage) Burgess Shale, Marble Canyon area in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park, Canada. The laterally compressed carapace covers most of the body. It is fused dorsally and merges anteriorly into a conspicuous postero-ventrally recurved rostrum as long as the carapace and positioned between a pair of backwards-facing pedunculate eyes. The body is homonomous, with approximately 40 weakly sclerotized segments bearing biramous legs with elongate endopods, and ends in a pair of small flap-like caudal rami.Fibulacaris nereidisis interpreted as a suspension feeder possibly swimming inverted, in a potential case of convergence with some branchiopods. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis places it within a group closely related to the extinct Hymenocarina.Fibulacaris nereidisis unique in its carapace morphology and overall widens the ecological disparity of Cambrian arthropods and suggests that the evolution of a ‘bivalved' carapace and an upside-down lifestyle may have occurred early in stem-group crustaceans.
The stabilization of equilibria in evolutionary game dynamics through mutation: mutation limits in evolutionary games
Authors: Bauer Johann , Broom Mark , Alonso Eduardo
Published: November 2019

The multi-population replicator dynamics is a dynamic approach to coevolving populations and multi-player games and is related to Cross learning. In general, not every equilibrium is a Nash equilibrium of the underlying game, and the convergence is not guaranteed. In particular, no interior equilibrium can be asymptotically stable in the multi-population replicator dynamics, e.g. resulting in cyclic orbits around a single interior Nash equilibrium. We introduce a new notion of equilibria of replicator dynamics, called mutation limits, based on a naturally arising, simple form of mutation, which is invariant under the specific choice of mutation parameters. We prove the existence of mutation limits for a large class of games, and consider a particularly interesting subclass called attracting mutation limits. Attracting mutation limits are approximated in every (mutation-)perturbed replicator dynamics, hence they offer an approximate dynamic solution to the underlying game even if the original dynamic is not convergent. Thus, mutation stabilizes the system in certain cases and makes attracting mutation limits near attainable. Hence, attracting mutation limits are relevant as a dynamic solution concept of games. We observe that they have some similarity to Q-learning in multi-agent reinforcement learning. Attracting mutation limits do not exist in all games, however, raising the question of their characterization.
Mass-based finite volume scheme for aggregation, growth and nucleation population balance equation
Authors: Singh Mehakpreet , Ismail Hamza Y. , Matsoukas Themis , Albadarin Ahmad B. , Walker Gavin
Published: November 2019

In this paper, a new mass-based numerical method is developed using the notion of Forestier-Coste & Mancini (Forestier-Coste & Mancini 2012,
SIAM J. Sci. Comput.
34
, B840–B860. (
doi:10.1137/110847998
)) for solving a one-dimensional aggregation population balance equation. The existing scheme requires a large number of grids to predict both moments and number density function accurately, making it computationally very expensive. Therefore, a mass-based finite volume is developed which leads to the accurate prediction of different integral properties of number distribution functions using fewer grids. The new mass-based and existing finite volume schemes are extended to solve simultaneous aggregation-growth and aggregation-nucleation problems. To check the accuracy and efficiency, the mass-based formulation is compared with the existing method for two kinds of benchmark kernels, namely analytically solvable and practical oriented kernels. The comparison reveals that the mass-based method computes both number distribution functions and moments more accurately and efficiently than the existing method.
Constructing networks by filtering correlation matrices: a null model approach
Authors: Kojaku Sadamori , Masuda Naoki
Published: November 2019

Network analysis has been applied to various correlation matrix data. Thresholding on the value of the pairwise correlation is probably the most straightforward and common method to create a network from a correlation matrix. However, there have been criticisms on this thresholding approach such as an inability to filter out spurious correlations, which have led to proposals of alternative methods to overcome some of the problems. We propose a method to create networks from correlation matrices based on optimization with regularization, where we lay an edge between each pair of nodes if and only if the edge is unexpected from a null model. The proposed algorithm is advantageous in that it can be combined with different types of null models. Moreover, the algorithm can select the most plausible null model from a set of candidate null models using a model selection criterion. For three economic datasets, we find that the configuration model for correlation matrices is often preferred to standard null models. For country-level product export data, the present method better predicts main products exported from countries than sample correlation matrices do.
White Matter Alterations in Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: Kelleher-Unger Isaac , Chittano Gabriella , Tajchman Zuzanna , Vilares Iris
Published: November 2019

Borderline personality disorder (BorPD) is characterized by instability and impulsivity of mood, relationships and self-image. This disease is an important area of public health policy; compared to other psychiatric disorders, individuals with BorPD experience the most severe functional impairments. Nevertheless, for the patients that do recover, this recovery is stable and only few relapse back to psychopathology. Given its high rate of remission, the rewards of effective treatment options are clear. Identification of underlying anatomical and physiological changes is crucial to refine current treatments and develop new ones. In this perspective, previous magnetic resonance imaging studies have highlighted alterations associated with BorPD phenotype. In particular, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) has identified many white matter structural alterations in individuals with this diagnosis. Although in its infancy, limiting this line of investigation is a lack of direction at the field level. Hence, the present paper aims to conduct a meta-analysis of DWI findings in individuals with a diagnosis of BorPD, testing the hypothesis that there are specific white matter alterations associated with BorPD. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of the existing literature of DWI in BorPD representing a total of 123 individuals with BorPD and 117 Controls. Our results indicated that individuals with BorPD show regions of reduced fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum and fornix. These results survived all jack-knife reshuffles and showed no publication bias. This suggest that alterations in these structures may contribute to psychopathology. Further, the present results lend support to extant psychological and biological models of BorPD.
Urinary incontinence among pregnant women in Southern Brazil: a population-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Hsu Yuan T. , Cesar Juraci A.
Published: November 2019

Background

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a frequent pathology that causes significant harm to the well-being and quality of life of pregnant women. This study aimed to measure the prevalence and to identify factors associated with the occurrence of UI during pregnancy in women living in the municipality of Rio Grande (RS), Southern Brazil, in 2016.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional population-based study that included all puerperae living in this municipality who had a child in one of the two local maternity hospitals between January 1 and December 31, 2016. The interviews were held at the hospital within 48 hours after delivery, when previously trained interviewers used a single, standardized questionnaire, seeking information on maternal demographic, behavioral and reproductive/obstetric history, as well as socioeconomic status of the household and care received during pregnancy and childbirth. The multivariate analysis followed a previously defined hierarchical model, using Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment and prevalence ratio (PR) as measure of effect.

Results

Among the 2,716 puerperae identified, 2,694 (99.2%) participated in this study. The prevalence of urinary incontinence in the gestational period was 14.7% (95%CI: 13.4%-16.1%). The lowest observed UI rate (8.3%) occurred among adolescent mothers (<20 years), while the highest occurred among those who reported frequent urinary urgency (39.2%). The probability of occurrence of UI, even after adjustment, was significantly higher among those who were older than 30 years old at current pregnancy, whose first pregnancy was before the age of 20 or after 30, who reached the end of gestation weighing 90 kg or more, who exercised regularly during pregnancy and who reported frequent urinary urgency during the gestational period.

Conclusions

Urinary incontinence showed a high prevalence in the study population. The identified risk factors can be well administered at primary health care level. The recommendation of regular physical exercise in pregnancy must be reviewed and better investigated with more robust designs because of possible facilitators for the occurrence of UI in this period.
Impact Of Electronic Health Record Interface Design On Unsafe Prescribing Of Ciclosporin, Tacrolimus and Diltiazem: A Cohort Study In English NHS Primary Care
Authors: MacKenna Brian , Bacon Seb , Walker Alex J , Curtis Helen J , Croker Richard , Goldacre Ben
Published: November 2019

Background

In England, national safety guidance recommends that ciclosporin, tacrolimus and diltiazem are prescribed by brand name due to their narrow therapeutic windows and, in the case of tacrolimus, to reduce the chance of organ transplantation rejection. Various small studies have shown that changes to electronic health records (EHR) interface can affect prescribing choices.

Objectives

Our objectives were to assess variation by EHR system in breaches of safety guidance around prescribing of ciclosporin, tacrolimus and diltiazem; and to conduct user-interface research into the causes of such breaches.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective cohort study using prescribing data in English primary care. Participants were English general practices and their respective electronic health records. The main outcome measures were (1) variation in ratio of breaching / adherent prescribing all practices (2) description of observations of EHR usage.

Results

A total of 2,575,411 prescriptions were issued in 2018 for ciclosporin, tacrolimus and diltiazem (over 60mg); of these, 316,119 prescriptions breached NHS guidance (12.3%). Breaches were most common amongst users of the EMIS EHR (in 23.2% of ciclosporin & tacrolimus prescriptions, and 22.7% of diltiazem prescriptions); but breaches were observed in all EHRs.

Conclusion

Design choices in EHR strongly influence safe prescribing of ciclosporin, tacrolimus and diltiazem; and breaches are prevalent in general practices in England. We recommend that all EHR vendors review their systems to increase safe prescribing of these medicines in line with national guidance. Almost all clinical practice is now mediated through an EHR system: further quantitative research into the effect of EHR design on clinical practice is long overdue.
Is There a Health Inequality in Gambling Related Harms? A Systematic Review
Authors: Raybould J. N , Larkin M , Tunney R. J
Published: November 2019

Objective

Here we present a systematic review of the existing research into gambling harms, in order to determine whether there are differences in the presentation of these across demographic groups such as age, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status, or gambling behaviour categories such as risk severity and play frequency.

Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Inclusion criteria were: 1) focus on gambling harms; 2) focus on harms to the gambler rather than affected others; 3) discussion of specific listed harms and not just harms in general terms. Exclusion criteria were: 1) research of non-human subjects; 2) not written in English; 3) not an empirical study; 3) not available as a full article.

Search

We conducted a systematic search using the Web of Science and Scopus databases in February 2020. Assessment of quality took place using Standard Quality Assessment Criteria.

Results

56 studies published between 1994 and 2019 met the inclusion criteria. These were categorised into thematic groups for comparison and discussion. There were replicated differences found in groups defined by age, socioeconomic status, education level, ethnicity and culture, risk severity, and gambling behaviours.

Conclusion

Harms appear to be dependent on specific social, demographic and environmental conditions that suggests there is a health inequality in gambling related harms. Further investigation is required to develop standardised measurement tools and to understand confounding variables and co-morbidities. With a robust understanding of harms distribution in the population, Primary Care Workers will be better equipped to identify those who are at risk, or who are showing signs of Gambling Disorder, and to target prevention and intervention programmes appropriately.
Sarcomeres regulate cardiomyocyte maturation through MRTF-SRF signaling
Authors: Guo Yuxuan , Jardin Blake D. , Sethi Isha , Ma Qing , Moghadaszadeh Behzad , Troiano Emily C. , Trembley Michael A. , Small Eric M. , Yuan Guo-Cheng , Beggs Alan H. , Pu William T.
Published: November 2019

Cardiomyocyte maturation is essential for robust heart contraction throughout life. The signaling networks governing cardiomyocyte maturation remain poorly defined. Our prior studies established the transcription factor SRF as a key regulator of the assembly of sarcomeres, the contractile unit of cardiomyocytes. Whether sarcomeres regulate other aspects of maturation remains unclear. Here we generated mice with cardiomyocyte specific, mosaic mutation of α-actinin-2 (Actn2), a key organizer of sarcomeres, to study its cell-autonomous role in cardiomyocyte maturation. In addition to the expected structural defects,Actn2mutation triggered dramatic transcriptional dysregulation, which strongly correlated with transcriptional changes observed in SRF-depleted cardiomyocytes.Actn2mutation increased monomeric actin, which perturbed the nuclear localization of the SRF cofactor MRTFA. Overexpression of a dominant-negative MRTFA mutant was sufficient to recapitulate the transcriptional and morphological defects inActn2andSrfmutant cardiomyocytes. Together, we demonstrate that ACTN2-based sarcomere assembly and MRTF-SRF signaling establish a positive feedback loop that promotes cardiomyocyte maturation.
Caramel Dye IV Induces Oxidative Stress Damage In Liver And Kidney From Mice
Authors: Marins Emerson , da Silva Julia Spanhol , da Rosa Pâmela Carvalho , de Oliveira Vitor Antunes , Pasinato Aline Zuanazzi , Moretto Joana Grandó , Vargas José Eduardo , Soares Felix Alexandre Antunes , Barcelos Rômulo Pillon
Published: November 2019

Caramel dye IV (C-IV) is a synthetic organic product, does not present nutritional, ergogenic, or technological factors, but leads to reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing damage to a wide range of molecules, leading to cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases development. We aimed to verify the effects of different doses of C-IV dye on the markers of oxidative stress in the liver and kidneys from male Swiss CF-1 mice, divided into 4 experimental groups: control; C-IV 0.3g/kg; C-IV 1g/kg and C-IV 3g/kg. We found that 3 g/Kg of C-IV dye promote oxidative damage in liver and kidney homogenates, evidenced by the increase of lipid peroxidation, reduction of free SH groups, and higher ROS production. As a consequence, increased superoxide dismutase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes activities were detected. These damages were confirmed through histology images. These results indicate that daily doses might induce oxidative stress damages and possible lead to chronic diseases development.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to early and persistent functional connectivity and behavioral changes in mice
Authors: Chung David Y , Oka Fumiaki , Jin Gina , Harriott Andrea , Kura Sreekanth , Aykan Sanem , Qin Tao , Edmiston William J , Lee Hang , Yaseen Mohammad A , Sakadžić Sava , Boas David A , Whalen Michael J , Ayata Cenk
Published: November 2019

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) leads to significant long-term cognitive deficits. Studies in survivors of SAH show an association between persistent cognitive deficits and alterations in resting state functional connectivity (RSFC). However, modalities commonly used to assess RSFC in humans, such as fMRI, have practical limitations in small animals. Therefore, we used non-invasive functional optical intrinsic signal imaging to determine the effect of SAH on measures of RSFC in mice at early (day 4), intermediate (1 month), and late (3 months) time points after prechiasmatic arterial blood injection. We assessed Morris water maze, open field test, Y-maze, and rotarod performance from approximately 2 weeks to 3 months after SAH induction. We found qualitative and quantitative differences in seed-based connectivity maps between sham and SAH mice. SAH reduced motor, retrosplenial and visual seed-based connectivity indices, which persisted in retrosplenial and visual cortex seeds at 3 months. Seed-to-seed connectivity analysis confirmed attenuation of correlation coefficients in SAH mice, which persisted in predominantly posterior network connections at later time points. Seed-independent global and interhemispheric indices of connectivity revealed decreased correlations following SAH for at least 1 month. SAH led to Morris water maze hidden platform and open field deficits at 2 weeks, and Y-maze deficits for at least 3 months, without altering rotarod performance. In conclusion, experimental SAH leads to early and persistent alterations both in hemodynamically-derived measures of RSFC and in cognitive performance.
DIMERBOW: exploring possible GPCR dimer interfaces
Authors: García-Recio Adrián , Navarro Gemma , Franco Rafael , Olivella Mireia , Guixà-González Ramon , Cordomí Arnau
Published: November 2019

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can form homo-, heterodimers and larger order oligomers that exert different functions than monomers. The pharmacological potential of such complexes is hampered by the limited information available on the type of complex formed and its quaternary structure. Several GPCR structures in the Protein Data Bank display crystallographic interfaces potentially compatible with physiological interactions. Here we present DIMERBOW, a database and web application aimed to visually browse the complete repertoire of potential GPCR dimers present in solved structures. The tool is suited to help finding the best possible structural template to model GPCR homomers. DIMERBOW is available at http://lmc.uab.es/dimerbow/.
First record of ‘plasticrusts’ and ‘pyroplastic’ from the European Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Ehlers Sonja M. , Ellrich Julius A.
Published: November 2019

We report the presence of ‘plasticrusts’ and ‘pyroplastic’ from coastal habitats in Giglio island, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. These novel plastic debris types have only recently been described for the first time from Madeira island (NE Atlantic Ocean) and the United Kingdom, respectively. While ‘plasticrusts’ are generated by sea waves smashing plastic debris against intertidal rocks, ‘pyroplastic’ derives from (un)deliberately burnt plastic waste. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we identified the ‘plasticrust’ material as polyethylene (PE) and the ‘pyroplastic’ material as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These polymers are widely used in everyday products and, therefore, contribute heavily to plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments worldwide. Furthermore, our field surveys suggest that ‘plasticrust’ abundance is related to wave-exposure and that the ‘pyroplastic’ derived from beverage bottles which we frequently found along the Giglio coast. Overall, our findings corroborate the notion that ‘plasticrusts’ and ‘pyroplastic’ are common debris types in marine coastal habitats.