bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional profiling of long noncoding RNAs and their target transcripts in ovarian cortical tissues from women with normal menstrual cycles and primary ovarian insufficiency
Authors: Yao Guidong , He Jiahuan , Kong Yue , Zhai Jun , Xu Yijiang , Yang Guang , Kong Deqi , Dong Fangli , Shi Senlin , Yang Qingling , Sun Yingpu
Published: May 2019

Previous studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) show a highly tissue‐ and disease‐specific expression pattern and that they regulate the expression of neighboring genes. Because lncRNAs have been shown to be secreted into the general circulation, they may be used as diagnostic tools for some diseases. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a disease in which women have menstrual cessation before the age of 40, accompanied by elevated follicle stimulating hormone and decreased estrogen levels. In this study, ovarian cortical tissues from five women with normal menstrual cycles and from five POI patients were used for next‐generation RNA sequencing. We found 20 differentially expressed lncRNAs with 12 upregulated and eight downregulated lncRNAs in cortical tissues of POI ovaries, compared with normal controls (fold change ≥ 2 and false discovery rate[FDR] ≤ 0.05). We also found 52 differentially expressed messenger RNA transcripts, with 33 upregulated and 19 downregulated ones (foldchange ≥ 2 and FDR ≤ 0.05). Functional annotation showed that these differentially expressed transcripts were associated with follicular development and granulosa cell function. Thirteen differentially expressed lncRNAs and their targeted neighboring transcripts were coregulated in ovarian cortical tissues, including lnc‐ADAMTS1–1:1/ADAMTS1, lnc‐PHLDA3–3:2/CSRP1, lnc‐COL1A1–5:1/COL1A1, lnc‐SAMD14–5:3/COL1A1, and lnc‐GULP1–2:1/COL3A1. Furthermore, serum levels of these lncRNAs in POI patients were significantly different from those in normal patients (
p < 0.05), and expression differences were consistent with those in ovarian cortical tissues. This study showed that key lncRNAs were differentially expressed in both ovarian cortical tissues and serum samples between women with normal menstrual cycles and POI patients. Further studies on the regulation of ovarian lncRNAs during follicular development are critical in understanding the etiologies of POI. Analyses of lncRNA expression in serum samples might provide a basis for early diagnosis and treatment of POI.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 is acutely induced by CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β to produce prostaglandin E2 and F2α following gonadotropin stimulation in Leydig cells
Authors: Yazawa Takashi , Imamichi Yoshitaka , Yuhki Koh‐ichi , Uwada Junsuke , Mikami Daisuke , Shimada Masayuki , Miyamoto Kaoru , Kitano Takeshi , Takahashi Satoru , Sekiguchi Toshio , Suzuki Nobuo , Rafiqul Islam Khan Md. , Ushikubi Fumitaka , Umezawa Akihiro , Taniguchi Takanobu
Published: May 2019

Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2) is an inducible rate‐limiting enzyme for prostanoid production. Because COX‐2 represents one of the inducible genes in mouse mesenchymal stem cells upon differentiation into Leydig cells, we investigated COX‐2 expression and production of prostaglandin (PG) in Leydig cells. Although COX‐2 was undetectable in mouse testis, it was transiently induced in Leydig cells by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. Consistent with the finding that Leydig cells expressed aldo‐keto reductase 1B7 (PGF synthase) and PGE synthase 2, induction of COX‐2 by hCG caused a marked increase in testicular PGF
2α and PGE
2 levels. Using mouse Leydig cell tumor‐derived MA‐10 cells as a model, it was indicated by reporter assays and electron mobility shift assays that transcription of the COX‐2 gene was activated by CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β (C/EBPβ) with cAMP‐stimulation. C/EBPβ expression was induced by cAMP‐stimulation, whereas expression of C/EBP homolog protein (CHOP) was robustly downregulated. Transfection of CHOP expression plasmid inhibited cAMP‐induced COX‐2 promoter activity. In addition, CHOP reduced constitutive COX‐2 expression in other mouse Leydig cell tumor‐derived TM3 cells. These results indicate that COX‐2 is induced in Leydig cells by activation of C/EBPβ via reduction of CHOP expression upon gonadotropin‐stimulation to produce PGF
2α and PGE
2.
Communicate the value of study abroad for community college students
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: May 2019

LOS ANGELES — The benefits of higher education extend beyond what is learned in the classroom. The opportunity to study abroad during their time in college can be a memorable experience for students, one that broadens their horizons. Community colleges might not be the institutions that come to most people's minds when thinking about rich study abroad experiences, but in fact, community colleges often offer students many options for an international experience.
Effects of GABA and Leptin Receptor‐Expressing Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding, Locomotion, and Thermogenesis
Authors: de Vrind Véronne A.J. , Rozeboom Annemieke , Wolterink‐Donselaar Inge G. , Luijendijk‐Berg Mieneke C.M. , Adan Roger A.H.
Published: May 2019

Objective

The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is known for its role in feeding, and it also regulates other aspects of energy homeostasis. How genetically defined LH neuronal subpopulations mediate LH effects on energy homeostasis remains poorly understood. The behavioral effects of chemogenetically activating LH gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the more selective population of LH GABA neurons that coexpress the leptin receptor (LepR) were compared.

Methods

LepR‐cre and VGAT‐cre mice were injected with AAV5‐hSyn‐DIO‐hM3DGq‐mCherry in the LH. The behavioral effects of LH GABA or LH LepR neuronal activation on feeding, locomotion, thermogenesis, and body weight were assessed.

Results

The activation of LH GABA neurons increased body temperature (P ≤ 0.008) and decreased body weight (P ≤ 0.01) despite decreased locomotor activity (P = 0.03) and transiently increased chow intake (P ≤ 0.009). Also, similar to other studies, this study found that activation of LH GABA neurons induced gnawing on both food and nonfood (P = 0.001) items. Activation of LH LepR neurons decreased body weight (P ≤ 0.01) and chow intake when presented on the cage floor (P ≤ 0.04) but not when presented in the cage top and increased locomotor activity (P = 0.002) and body temperature (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

LH LepR neurons are a subset of LH GABA neurons, and LH LepR activation more specifically regulates energy homeostasis to promote a negative energy balance.
Determinants of satisfactory patient communication and shared decision making in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Nejati Babak , Lin Chien‐Chin , Aaronson Neil K. , Cheng Andy S.K. , Browall Maria , Lin Chung‐Ying , Broström Anders , Pakpour Amir H.
Published: May 2019

Objective

To identify determinants of shared decision making in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) to facilitate the design of a program to maximize the effects of shared decision making.

Methods

This prospective longitudinal study recruited 276 adult patients (52% male, mean age 62.86 y, SD 15.45). Each patient completed the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), Multidimensional Trust in Health Care Systems Scale (MTHCSS), Patient Communication Pattern Scale (PCPS), and 9‐Item Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire (SDM‐Q‐9) at baseline and the SDM‐Q‐9 again 6 months later. One family member of the patient completed the Family Decision‐Making Self‐Efficacy (FDMSE) at baseline. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to investigate the associations between eHealth literacy (eHEALS), trust in the health care system (MTHCSS), self‐efficacy in family decision making (FDMSE), patient communication pattern (PCPS), and shared decision making (SDM‐Q‐9).

Results

SEM showed satisfactory fit (comparative fit index = 0.988) and significant correlations between the following: eHealth literacy and trust in the health care system (β = 0.723, P < 0.001); eHealth literacy and patient communication pattern (β = 0.242, P < 0.001); trust in the health care system and patient communication pattern (β = 0.397, P < 0.001); self‐efficacy in family decision making and patient communication pattern (β = 0.264, P < 0.001); eHealth literacy and shared decision making (β = 0.267, P < 0.001); and patient communication pattern and shared decision making (β = 0.349, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Patient communication and eHealth literacy were found to be important determinants of shared decision making. These factors should be taken into consideration when developing strategies to enhance the level of shared decision making.
Electrospinning Synthesis of Porous NiCoO2 Nanofibers as High‐Performance Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Jinkai , Xie Sanmu , Li Li , Li Zhihui , Asiri Abdullah M. , Marwani Hadi M. , Han Xiaogang , Wang Hongkang
Published: May 2019

Nanostructured ternary/mixed transition metal oxides have attracted considerable attentions because of their high‐capacity and high‐rate capability in the electrochemical energy storage applications, but facile large‐scale fabrication with desired nanostructures still remains a great challenge. To overcome this, a facile synthesis of porous NiCoO2 nanofibers composed of interconnected nanoparticles via an electrospinning–annealing strategy is reported herein. When examined as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries, the as‐prepared porous NiCoO2 nanofibers demonstrate superior lithium storage properties, delivering a high discharge capacity of 945 mA h g−1 after 140 cycles at 100 mA g−1 and a high rate capacity of 523 mA h g−1 at 2000 mA g−1. This excellent electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the novel hierarchical nanoparticle‐nanofiber assembly structure, which can not only buffer the volumetric changes upon lithiation/delithiation processes but also provide enlarged surface sites for lithium storage and facilitate the charge/electrolyte diffusion. Notably, a facile synthetic strategy for fabrication of ternary/mixed metal oxides with 1D nanostructures, which is promising for energy‐related applications, is provided.
The economic impacts of blackbird (Icteridae) damage to sunflower in the USA
Authors: Ernst Karina , Elser Julie , Linz George , Kandel Hans , Holderieath Jason , DeGroot Samantha , Shwiff Steven , Shwiff Stephanie
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

Blackbird (Icteridae) damage to ripening sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has been a persistent economic issue in the USA for the last five decades. To quantify losses, we surveyed blackbird damage from 2001 to 2013 (excluding 2004) to physiologically mature sunflower in eight states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas, and Vermont.

RESULTS

We pooled data gathered during the most recent 5 years (2009 to 2013) of the survey and found losses averaged $US2.5 million and $US11.3 million for confectionery and oilseed hybrids, respectively. Three states, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, had sufficient acreage and bird damage to warrant economic analyses using a regional economic model. The average annual total (direct plus indirect) economic impact of bird damage to sunflower production for North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska was $US18.7 million, $US7.3 million, and $US2.6 million, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a better understanding of the broader economic implications of bird damage to sunflower by estimating the macroeconomic impacts of lost sunflower production in the region. Additionally, the findings of this study may be used to inform decisions regarding bird management policy by providing policymakers with information to determine the downstream value of bird management and the possible benefits of improved methods that further mitigate losses. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Fluconazole Using Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples From Preterm and Term Infants
Authors: Gerhart Jacqueline G. , Watt Kevin M. , Edginton Andrea , Wade Kelly C. , Salerno Sara N. , Benjamin Daniel K. , Smith P. Brian , Hornik Christoph P. , Cohen‐Wolkowiez Michael , Duara Shahnaz , Ross Ashley , Shattuck Karen , Stewart Dan L. , Neu Natalie , Gonzalez Daniel ,   the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act—Pediatric Trials Network Steering Committee
Published: May 2019

Fluconazole is used to treat hematogenous Candida meningoencephalitis in preterm and term infants. To characterize plasma and central nervous system exposure, an adult fluconazole physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was scaled to infants, accounting for age dependencies in glomerular filtration and metabolism. The model was optimized using 760 plasma samples from 166 infants (median postmenstrual age (range) 28 weeks (24–50)) and 27 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 22 infants (postmenstrual age 28 weeks (24–33)). Simulations evaluated achievement of the surrogate efficacy target of area under the unbound concentration‐time curve ≥ 400 mg • hour/L over the dosing interval in plasma and CSF using dosing guidelines. Average fold error of predicted concentrations was 0.73 and 1.14 for plasma and CSF, respectively. Target attainment in plasma and CSF was reached faster after incorporating a loading dose of 25 mg/kg. PBPK modeling can be useful in exploring CNS kinetics of drugs in children.
SnS2 Hollow Spheres: Template‐Free Synthesis and Growth Mechanism
Authors: Wang Lina , Li Qi , Wang Zhe , Qi Haimei , Zuo Tiantian , He Xuexia , Hu Peng
Published: May 2019

Recent advances in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have led to a variety of promising technologies for nanoelectronics, photonics, sensing, energy storage, and optoelectronics. Among these dichalcogenides, tin sulfide (SnS2) has received great attention due to its high optical absorption coefficient, high theoretical capacitance, high natural abundance of precursor chemicals, and minimal impact of these on the environment (green chemistry). It is crucial to obtain materials with varied morphologies because the chemical and physical properties are dependent on the morphology. The controlled synthesis of SnS2 with a specific morphology, a hollow sphere, is of significant interest. Herein, a facile, template‐free, one‐step solvothermal method to prepare SnS2 spheres with a hollow structure is demonstrated. The size of the SnS2 hollow spheres is uniform, at 2 μm in diameter, and the walls of the sphere are only 300 nm thick. The hollow structure forms due to the different specific surface energies of the SnS2 sheets and the fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. Furthermore, the possible growth mechanism of these SnS2 hollow spheres is proposed, which may be applied to other 2D TMD systems.
High Lithium‐Ion Storage Performance of Ti3SiC2 MAX by Oxygen Doping
Authors: Luan Sunrui , Zhou Junshuang , Xi Yaokai , Han Minze , Wang Dong , Gao Jiajia , Hou Li , Gao Faming
Published: May 2019

In this work, Ti3SiC2, layered ternary transition metal carbide called MAX phase, was invoked as the anode material for lithium‐ion batteries. Oxygen‐doped Ti3SiC2, named O‐Ti3SiC2, was produced by calcination in air. The initial reversible capacity was ∼70 mAh g−1 at 10 C, which increased to ∼180 mAh g−1 after 3000 cycles. The capacity was four times higher than original Ti3SiC2, showing a suitable electrochemical performance.
Optoelectronic Properties of Layered Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Hailegnaw Bekele , Paek Sanghyun , Cho Kyung Taek , Lee Yonghui , Ongül Fathi , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja , Scharber Markus Clark
Published: May 2019

Herein, the optoelectronic properties of interface‐engineered perovskite 2D|3D‐heterojunction structure solar cells are reported. The reciprocity theorem is applied to determine the maximum open‐circuit voltage (Voc) the device can deliver under solar illumination. A Voc of 1.295 V is found, analyzing the measured external quantum efficiency and assuming only radiative recombination. For comparison, the experimental open‐circuit voltage found for the studied 2D|3D heterojunctions is 1.15 V. The contribution of nonradiative recombination is explored by measuring the electroluminescence quantum yield. A quantum yield of 0.4% is found at current densities equivalent to 1 sun illumination. This translates into a Voc loss of ≈140 mV, which is in very good agreement with the experimental findings. In addition, the fundamental correlation between luminescence intensity and the chemical potential predicted by the generalized Planck law is confirmed for the photoluminescence measured at different light intensities when the device is operated under open‐circuit conditions and for the electroluminescence when operated under a forward bias. The investigations in this study suggest that further efficiency improvements can be achieved by reducing the nonradiative recombination in the studied solar cell. At the same time, a high‐performance near IR light emitting diode can be realized.
The Role of Diammonium Cation on the Structural and Optoelectronic Properties in 3D Cesium–Formamidinium Mixed‐Cation Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Xiuwen , Xie Yue-Min , Ma Yuhui , Li Menglin , Ma Chunqing , Lee Chun-Sing , Tsang Sai-Wing
Published: May 2019

Incorporating diammonium cations, which electrostatically connect the adjacent inorganic slabs ([PbI6]4−), into 3D perovskite is recently proposed to develop high‐performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, due to limited studies, the effects of these organic cations on the perovskite structural and optoelectronic properties are yet to be understood. Herein, a diammonium cation, propane‐1,3‐diammonium (PDA), is first proposed to modulate the cesium–formamidinium (Cs–FA)‐mixed cation perovskite. By increasing the PDA content, the efficiency of the Cs0.15FA0.85 − xPDAxPbI3 PSC first increases and then drastically decreases. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.10% obtained by Cs0.15FA0.83PDA0.02PbI3 is superior to that of the Cs0.15FA0.85PbI3 (16.82%). Through systematic investigations, it is revealed that the PDA content–dependent efficiency is attributed to a competition between the enhanced defect passivation and emerged excitonic effect with an increased PDA content. Moreover, the encapsulated Cs0.15FA0.83PDA0.02PbI3 device exhibits almost 1.5 times increased stability than the Cs0.15FA0.85PbI3 counterpart, with 83% of its initial efficiency retained after 500 h exposure, under continuous light soaking at 60 °C in ambient air. This study provides a practical strategy to enhance the device stability without sacrificing the efficiency and deepens our understanding on effects of diammonium cation incorporated in 3D perovskite.
An intelligent approach for examining and detecting target data fragments in suspected large storage drives
Authors: Bharadwaj Nitesh K. , Singh Upasna
Published: May 2019

The ever increasing capacity of storage devices is becoming a formidable obstruction to the digital forensic community due to its substantial investigation time and preservation space requirements. However, the investigation process becomes more complicated, whenever the fragmented or partially overwritten drives need forensic consideration. It is becoming extremely necessary to unfold novel methods the examination of storage drives involving a bulk volume of data. In this paper, the differential evolution (DE) technique is utilized with an unsupervised mean‐shift clustering approach in the field of digital forensics for intelligently locating the traces of target file in suspected storage drives or raw images. The proposed methodology leverages the drives' geometrical information in DE for obtaining random sector samples followed by fitness value and sector hash computation. The clustering algorithm evaluates the obtained intelligence and assists in estimating the regions of forensic significance in the drive, instead of considering the entire drive contents. As an outcome, a proof‐of‐concept Python based command line tool has been developed and released to support the study and further enhancement. The experiments and case studies demonstrated using the drives of different capacities demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed method.
Comprehensive approach to evaluation of mechanical properties of waste aggregate concrete reinforced by steel fiber
Authors: Domski Jacek , Katzer Jacek
Published: May 2019

Waste aggregate concretes are playing a more and more important role in construction industry. Over the last decade, their application has evolved from very basic pavements and elements with limited mechanical characteristics to full scale structures and large pre‐cast beams and slabs. In some cases, steel fiber was used as the only reinforcement of such elements. The application of steel fiber was based on the assumption that the influence of dispersed reinforcement would be the same as it was in ordinary concrete. Therefore, both technologies of preparation of such concrete and volumes of added fiber were the same as in ordinary concrete. In authors’ opinion, concrete based on waste aggregate creates much more complex environment for fiber reinforcement than traditional cement matrix. Recognizing the need of comprehensive approach to this problem, authors conducted a thorough research program. Concrete based on waste red ceramic aggregate was modified by different volumes of varied engineered steel fiber. Conducted tests covered full mechanical characteristics. Strength classes according to fib model code were assigned to tested fiber concretes. The best mixes were pointed out.
High temperature effect on the mechanical behavior of steel fiber reinforced self‐compacting concrete containing ground pumice powder
Authors: Karatas Mehmet , Dener Murat , Benli Ahmet , Mohabbi Mehrzad
Published: May 2019

This study reports the results of high temperature effects on the properties of steel fiber reinforced self‐compacting concrete (SFRSCC) fabricated by replacing cement with ground pumice powder (GPP) as mineral additive at different substitution rates. The mixtures had the same amounts of steel fiber and the binding material with constant water to binder (w/b) ratio of 0.37. In this context, five SFRSCC series were prepared by replacing Portland cement (PC) with 5, 10, 15, and 20% of GPP including the control mix. Sixty cube samples with a dimension of 150 × 150 × 150 mm were fabricated and exposed to curing aged 3, 7, 28, and 90 days to conduct compressive strength tests and a total of 100 × 100 × 350 mm 18 beam samples cured at 28 days were fabricated to perform the flexural strength tests. Durability tests were performed on the 18 cube samples of 100 × 100 × 100 mm subjected to water curing at 28 days. In addition, the relation between the compressive strength and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) of SFRSCC samples was compared aged 1, 3, 14, and 28 days. Samples of SFRSCC were subjected to the temperatures of 200, 400, 600, and 800°C after being cured at 28 days then cooled to room temperature before conducting tests. The results revealed that the compressive strength of all SFRSCC mixes enhanced at 200°C by 5.34 and 3.55% for control and GPP10 mixes respectively. The strength loss of mixes incorporating GPP is about 60% at 800°C.
Ammelinium Sulfate Monohydrate and Ammelinium Sulfate Cyanuric Acid – Synthesis and Structural Characterization
Authors: Kessler Fabian K. , Schnick Wolfgang
Published: May 2019

Two ionic carbon nitride type compounds containing the ammelinium cation, ammelinium sulfate cyanuric acid (6C3N5H6O+·3SO42–·1⅔C3N3H3O3·H2O) (1) and ammelinium sulfate monohydrate (2C3N5H6O+·SO42–·H2O) (2) were synthesized through hydrolysis of melam (C6N11H9) in diluted sulfuric acid. 1 crystallizes in hexagonal space group P63 (no. 173) with lattice parameters of a = 14.642(3), c = 13.113(4), and Z = 2. The structure is comprised of protonated ammelinium ions and neutral cyanuric acid molecules, which form a layered structure, as well as sulfate ions that span through these layers. 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with lattice parameters of a = 7.404(3), b = 9.673(4), c = 10.040(4), α = 91.098(15), β = 109.884(10), γ = 92.567(13), and Z = 2. As for 1, the ammelinium rings form layers with the sulfate ions located in between. In both structures, no extended hydrogen bond networks between the respective triazine‐based molecules are formed. Instead, single molecules or small building blocks occur isolated and interact primarily with sulfate anions. Compound 1, which was obtained phase pure, was further investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, solid‐state NMR spectroscopy and powder X‐ray diffractometry.
Linking Farms to Markets: Reducing Transaction Costs and Enhancing Bargaining Power
Authors: Pingali Prabhu , Aiyar Anaka , Abraham Mathew , Rahman Andaleeb
Published: May 2019

Market access determines the income of agricultural households and incentivizes the cultivation of diverse crops. Markets in India are mostly unorganized with limited infrastructure limiting their ability to cater to quality requirements and specifications demanded by urban consumers. Therefore, parallel to traditional markets, direct linkages with farms and alternative markets based on electronic sales platforms, new commodity futures and warehousing systems are needed. In this chapter, we discuss the scope of small farms to effectively link to value chains and new marketing platforms. We show that reducing transaction costs, developing and improving market infrastructure and limiting the influence of intermediaries are critical. Also, having producer organizations rectify scale disadvantages will enable better participation of smallholders in different marketing arrangements.
Inflation as an information bottleneck: a strategy for identifying universality classes and making robust predictions
Authors: Dias Mafalda , Frazer Jonathan , Westphal Alexander
Published: May 2019

Abstract

In this work we propose a statistical approach to handling sources of theoretical uncertainty in string theory models of inflation. By viewing a model of inflation as a probabilistic graph, we show that there is an inevitable information bottleneck between the ultraviolet input of the theory and observables, as a simple consequence of the data processing theorem. This information bottleneck can result in strong hierarchies in the sensitivity of observables to the parameters of the underlying model and hence universal predictions with respect to at least some microphysical considerations. We also find other intriguing behaviour, such as sharp transitions in the predictions when certain hyperparameters cross a critical value. We develop a robust numerical approach to studying these behaviours by adapting methods often seen in the context of machine learning. We first test our approach by applying it to well known examples of universality, sharp transitions, and concentration phenomena in random matrix theory. We then apply the method to inflation with axion monodromy. We find universality with respect to a number of model parameters and that consistency with observational constraints implies that with very high probability certain perturbative corrections are non-negligible.
Two-loop doubly massive four-point amplitude involving a half-BPS and Konishi operator
Authors: Ahmed Taushif , Dhani Prasanna K.
Published: May 2019

Abstract

The two-loop four-point amplitude of two massless SU(N) colored scalars and two color singlet operators with different virtuality described by a half-BPS and Konishi operators is calculated analytically in maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. We verify the ultraviolet behaviour of the unprotected composite operator and exponentiation of the infrared divergences with correct universal values of the anomalous dimensions in the modified dimensional reduction scheme. The amplitude is found to contain lower transcendental weight terms in addition to the highest ones and the latter has no similarity with similar amplitudes in QCD.
A proposed amendment to the current guidelines for mild traumatic brain injury: reducing computerized tomographies while maintaining safety
Authors: Vedin Tomas , Karlsson Mathias , Edelhamre Marcus , Clausen Linus , Svensson Sebastian , Bergenheim Mikael , Larsson Per-Anders
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Head trauma is a common complaint in emergency departments. Identifying patients with serious injuries can be difficult and generates many computerized tomographies. Reducing the number of computerized tomographies decreases both cost and radiation exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the current Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee guidelines could be revised in such a way that would enable hospitals to perform fewer computerized tomographies while maintaining the ability to identify all patients requiring neurological intervention.

Methods

A retrospective study of the medical records of adult patients suffering a traumatic brain injury was performed. A total of 1671 patients over a period of 365 days were included, and 25 parameters were extracted. Multitrauma patients managed with ATLS™ were excluded. The Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee guidelines were amended with the previously derived “low-risk proposal” and applied retrospectively to the cohort.

Results

Incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was 5.6% (93/1671). Application of the current Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee guidelines would have resulted in 860 computerized tomographies and would have missed 11 intracranial hemorrhages. The proposed amendment with the low-risk proposal would have resulted in 748 CT scans and would have missed 19 intracranial hemorrhages (a relative reduction of 13%). None of the missed intracranial hemorrhages required neurological intervention.

Conclusion

For patients with mild and moderate traumatic brain injuries, application of the Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee guidelines amended with the low-risk proposal may result in a significant reduction of computerized tomographies without missing any patients in need of neurological intervention.
Experiences of Having a Parent with Serious Mental Illness: An Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Literature
Authors: Källquist Anna , Salzmann-Erikson Martin
Published: May 2019

Objectives

Previous research found that burdens are put on relatives to patients with serious mental illness. A majority of the studies have described the situation of being a husband/wife or parent of someone who is mentally ill. However, little is known about the perspective of childhood experiences and the effect on adult life from having a parent with mental illness. Hence, the purpose of this review was to investigate experiences of having a parent with serious mental illness.

Methods

We used a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis. Five relevant databases were chosen: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. We found 4302 studies in our initial search. Fourteen met the inclusion criteria and the quality assessment.

Results

The findings are presented in four themes: (1) Growing up in a dysfunctional home environment; (2) The child’s feelings and thoughts; (3) The need of support; and (4) The lingering effects in adult life.

Conclusions

We found that experiences of growing up in a dysfunctional home can result in relational issues later in life and that the need for support can persist into adult life. This has implications for clinical practice when encountering these patients.
Developmental trajectories of gambling severity after cognitive-behavioral therapy
Authors: Jiménez-Murcia Susana , Granero Roser , Fernández-Aranda Fernando , Aymamí Neus , Gómez-Peña Mónica , Mestre-Bach Gemma , Steward Trevor , del Pino-Gutiérrez Amparo , Mena-Moreno Teresa , Vintró-Alcaraz Cristina , Agüera Zaida , Sánchez-González Jéssica , Moragas Laura , Codina Ester , Menchón José M.
Published: May 2019

Aims:

To estimate trajectories of the gambling disorder (GD) severity for 12 months following a manualized cognitive-behavior-therapy (CBT) program, and to identify the main variables associated with each trajectory.

Methods:

Latent Class Growth Analysis examined the longitudinal changes ofn= 603 treatment-seeking patients with GD.

Results:

Five separate empirical trajectories were identified: T1 (n= 383, 63.5%) was characterized by the most highest baseline gambling severity levels and positive progress to recovery during the follow-up period; T2 (n= 154, 25.5%) featured participants with high baseline gambling severity and good progress to recovery; T3 (n= 30, 5.0%) was made up of patients with high gambling baseline severity and slow progress to recovery; T4 (n= 13, 2.2%) and T5 (n= 23, 3.8%) contained participants with high baseline gambling severity and moderate (T4) and poor (T5) progress in GD severity during the follow-up. Psychopathological state and personality traits discriminated between trajectories. Poor compliance with the therapy guidelines and the presence of relapses also differed between the trajectories.

Conclusions:

Our findings show that patients seeking treatment for GD are heterogeneous and that trends in progress following treatment can be identified considering sociodemographic features, psychopathological state and personality traits. These results could be useful in developing more efficient interventions for GD patients.
People with severe problematic personality traits and offending histories: What influences occupational participation?
Authors: Connell C , McKay Elizabeth A , Furtado Vivek , Singh Swaran P
Published: May 2019

Background:

Occupational participation is important for personality disordered offenders (PDOs) because it is integral to health and desistance from offending. What influences occupational participation is unknown for PDOs in the community, limiting effective intervention to affect change. In England and Wales, the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway aims to improve outcomes for people considered highly likely to have a severe personality disorder and who present a high risk of reoffending, who are determined to be PDOs on the basis of a structured assessment. This study identified the influencers of occupational participation for the population who receive this service.

Method:

In this critical realist, qualitative study, narrative interviews were conducted with 18 PDOs supervised by probation in England. Transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to establish influencers of occupational participation.

Results:

Four themes describe influencers of occupational participation: function of occupations; influence of the past; external forces; and learning and adaptation. The latter theme reflected understandings of occupational adaptation described by the Model of Human Occupation.

Conclusions:

An intervention to increase prosocial occupational participation should be developed and evaluated for PDOs in the community, taking account of occupational participation over the life course.
Integrating Culture-Based Antibiotic Resistance Profiles with Whole-Genome Sequencing Data for 11,087 Clinical Isolates
Authors: Galata Valentina , Laczny Cédric C. , Backes Christina , Hemmrich-Stanisak Georg , Schmolke Susanne , Franke Andre , Meese Eckart , Herrmann Mathias , von Müller Lutz , Plum Achim , Müller Rolf , Stähler Cord , Posch Andreas E. , Keller Andreas
Published: May 2019

Emerging antibiotic resistance is a major global health threat. The analysis of nucleic acid sequences linked to susceptibility phenotypes facilitates the study of genetic antibiotic resistance determinants to inform molecular diagnostics and drug development. We collected genetic data (11,087 newly-sequenced whole genomes) and culture-based resistance profiles (10,991 out of the 11,087 isolates comprehensively tested against 22 antibiotics in total) of clinical isolates including 18 main species spanning a time period of 30 years. Species and drug specific resistance patterns were observed including increased resistance rates for Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems and for Escherichia coli to fluoroquinolones. Species-level pan-genomes were constructed to reflect the genetic repertoire of the respective species, including conserved essential genes and known resistance factors. Integrating phenotypes and genotypes through species-level pan-genomes allowed to infer gene–drug resistance associations using statistical testing. The isolate collection and the analysis results have been integrated into GEAR-base, a resource available for academic research use free of charge at https://gear-base.com.
Ordering Power under the Party: A Relational Approach to Law and
Politics in China
Authors: WANG Juan , LIU Sida
Published: May 2019

Existing scholarship of China’s legal institutions has primarily focused
on individual institutions, such as the court, the police, or the legal
profession. This article proposes a relational approach to the study of
political-legal institutions in China. To understand the order and exercise of
power by various political-legal institutions, the relational approach
emphasizes the spatial positions of actors or institutions (the police, courts,
lawyers, etc.) within the broader political-legal system and their mutual
interactions. We suggest that the changing ideas of the Chinese leadership about
the role of law as an instrument of governance have shaped the relations between
various legal and political institutions. The interactions of these
political-legal institutions (e.g. the “iron triangle” of the
police, the court and the procuracy) further reveal the dynamics of power
relations at work.
Register to donate while you wait: Assessing public opinions of the acceptability of utilizing the emergency department waiting room for organ and tissue donor registration
Authors: Ellis Brittany , Hartwick Michael , Perry Jeffrey J.
Published: May 2019

Objective

Our objectives were to identify barriers to the organ donation registration process in Ontario; and to determine the acceptability of using the emergency department (ED) waiting room to provide knowledge and offer opportunities for organ and tissue donor registration.

Methods

We conducted a paper based in-person survey over nine days in March and April 2017. The survey instrument was created in English using existing literature and expert opinion, pilot tested and then translated into French. Data was collected from patients and visitors in an urban academic Canadian tertiary care ED waiting room. All adults in the waiting room were approached to participate during study periods. We excluded patients who were too ill and required immediate treatment.

Results

The number of attempted surveys was 324; 67 individuals (20.7%) declined participation. A total of 257 surveys were distributed and five were returned blank. This gave us a response rate of 77.8% with 252 completed surveys. The median age group was 51–60 years old with 55.9% female. Forty-six percent reported their religion as Christian and 34.1% did not declare a religious affiliation. 44.1% were already registered donors. Most participants agreed or were neutral that the ED waiting room was an acceptable place to provide information on donation, and for registration as an organ and tissue donor (83.3% and 82.1%, respectively).

Conclusions

Individuals waiting in the ED are generally supportive of using the waiting room for distributing information regarding organ and tissue donation, and to allow donor registration.
Engaging patients throughout the health system: A landscape analysis of cold-call policies and recommendations for future policy change
Authors: McHugh Kelly R. , Swamy Geeta K. , Hernandez Adrian F.
Published: May 2019

Healthcare institutions may often prohibit “cold-calling” or direct contact with a potential research participant when the person initiating contact is unknown to the patient. This policy aims to maintain patient privacy, but may have unintended consequences as a result of physician gatekeeping. In this review, we discuss recruitment policies at the top academic institutions. We propose an ethical framework for evaluating cold-call policies based on three principles of research ethics. In order to maximize engagement of potential research participants, while maintaining patient privacy and autonomy, we then propose several alternative solutions to restrictive cold-call policies, including opt-in or opt-out platforms, a team-based approach, electronic solutions, and best practices for recruitment. As healthcare has evolved with more collaborative, patient-centered, data-driven care, the engagement of potential research participants should similarly evolve.
Shock–turbulence interactions at high turbulence intensities
Authors: Chen Chang Hsin , Donzis Diego A.
Published: May 2019

Shock–turbulence interactions are investigated using well-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS) and analysis at a range of Reynolds, mean and turbulent Mach numbers ($R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$, $M$ and $M_{t}$, respectively). The simulations are shock and turbulence resolving with $R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ up to 65, $M_{t}$ up to 0.54 and $M$ up to 1.4. The focus is on the effect of strong turbulence on the jumps of mean thermodynamic variables across the shock, the shock structure and the amplification of turbulence as it moves through the shock. Theoretical results under the so-called quasi-equilibrium (QE) assumption provide explicit laws for a number of statistics of interests which are in agreement with the new DNS data presented here as well as all the data available in the literature. While in previous studies turbulence was found to weaken jumps, it is shown here that stronger jumps are also observed depending on the regime of the interaction. Statistics of the dilatation at the shock are also investigated and found to be well represented by QE for weak turbulence but saturate at high turbulence intensities with a Reynolds number dependence also captured by the analysis. Finally, amplification factors are found to present a universal behaviour with two limiting asymptotic regimes governed by $(M-1)$ and $K=M_{t}/R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}^{1/2}(M-1)$, for weak and strong turbulence, respectively. Effect of anisotropy in the incoming flow is also assessed by utilizing two different forcing mechanisms to generate turbulence.
Effects of vortex-induced velocity on the development of a synthetic jet issuing into a turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Berk Tim , Ganapathisubramani Bharathram
Published: May 2019

A synthetic jet issuing into a cross-flow influences the local velocity of the cross-flow. At the jet exit the jet is oriented in the wall-normal direction while the cross-flow is oriented in the streamwise direction, leading to a momentum transfer between the jet and the cross-flow. Streamwise momentum transferred from the cross-flow to the jet accelerates the pulses created by the jet. This momentum transfer continuous up to some point downstream where these pulses have the same velocity as the surrounding flow and are no longer blocking the cross-flow. The momentum transfer from the cross-flow to the jet leads to a momentum deficit in the cross-flow far downstream of the viscous near field of the jet. In the literature this momentum-flux deficit is often attributed to viscous blockage or to up-wash of low-momentum fluid. The present paper proposes and quantifies a third source of momentum deficit: a velocity induced opposite to the cross-flow by the vortical structures created by the synthetic jet. These vortical structures are reconstructed from measured data and their induced velocity is calculated using the Biot–Savart law. The three-dimensional three-component induced velocity fields show great similarity to the measured velocity fields, suggesting that this induced velocity is the main contributor to the velocity field around the synthetic jet and viscous effects have only a small influence. The momentum-flux deficit induced by the vortical structures is compared to the measured momentum-flux deficit, showing that the main part of this deficit is caused by the induced velocity. Variations with Strouhal number (frequency of the jet) and velocity ratio (velocity of the jet) are observed and discussed. An inviscid-flow model is developed, which represents the downstream evolution of the jet in cross-flow. Using the measured data as an input, this model is able to predict the deformation, (wall-normal) evolution and qualitative velocity field of the jet. The present study presents evidence that the velocity induced by the vortical structures forming a synthetic jet plays an important role in the development of and the velocity field around the jet.
Experimental observation of frequency lock-in of roughness-induced instabilities in a laminar boundary layer
Authors: Puckert Dominik K. , Rist Ulrich
Published: May 2019

The interaction of disturbance modes behind an isolated cylindrical roughness element in a laminar boundary layer is investigated by means of hot-film anemometry and particle image velocimetry in a low-turbulence laminar water channel. Both sinuous and varicose disturbance modes are found in the wake of a roughness with unit aspect ratio (diameter/height $=$ 1). Interestingly, the frequency of the varicose mode synchronizes with the first harmonic of the sinuous mode when the critical Reynolds number from three-dimensional global linear stability theory is exceeded. The coupled motion of sinuous and varicose modes is explained by frequency lock-in. This mechanism is of great importance in many aspects of nature, but has not yet received sufficient attention in the field of boundary-layer theory. A Fourier mode decomposition provides detailed analyses of sinuous and varicose modes. The observation is confirmed by a second experiment with the same aspect ratio at a different position in the laminar boundary layer. When the aspect ratio is increased, the flow is fully governed by the varicose mode. Thus, no frequency lock-in can be observed in this case. The significance of this work is to explain how sinuous and varicose modes can co-exist behind a roughness and to propose a mechanism which is well established in physics but not encountered often in boundary-layer theory.
Fiscal deficits and executive planning horizons
Authors: Seiferling Mike
Published: May 2019

Executive control of government is generally not a long-term job. In such cases, relatively short executive tenure should be expected to play an important role in determining the degree to which policymakers internalize the future costs associated with their current fiscal behavior. The effects of policymaker's expected planning horizons on macroeconomic outcomes, however, have been difficult to model outside of a fixed term limit context due to the unobserved likelihood of remaining in office, along with potential endogeneity problems where re-election campaigns can be enhanced with generous, deficit-financed expenditures in election years. From a globally representative sample of 79 countries over a 32-year period (1980–2012), this paper provides empirical evidence suggesting that incumbent governments who know that will not be in office in the following period with a probability of one, are found to generate significantly higher deficits in a linear discounting model, and are found to produce the least responsible fiscal outcomes where the likelihood of re-election is around fifty percent in quadratic discounting models.