bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Backwards Design and Program Level Approaches to Coach Development in Higher Education
Authors: Martin Eric M. , Moorcroft Scott J. , Johnson Tyler G.
Published: September 2019

Because there is no single governing sport body in the United States devoted to coaching education, coaching requirements can vary greatly state-to-state and between organizations within the same state. Therefore, it often is up to club programs or universities to devise individual curriculum for coaching education. For those responsible for coaching education, utilizing backwards design can ensure programs meet the learning and professional development needs of coaches. In backwards design, identifying coaches’ needs and creating program-level learning outcomes occurs prior to specific content selection. Additionally, backwards design encourages instructors to select assessments and learning activities that align with the program-level learning outcomes. In this article, a group of faculty describe their experience utilizing backwards design in creating a college/university certificate program focused on sport coaching. Specifically, a description of the following is included: (a) the process used to create program-level learning outcomes, (b) how to emphasize the program-level learning outcomes throughout the program’s coursework, and (c) a specific example from one course in the curriculum. Finally, we provide lessons learned throughout the process and recommendations for program development in hopes that coach developers can utilize this process in designing their own curricula.
Learning From Practice: The Value of a Personal Learning Coach for High-Performance Coaches
Authors: Rodrigue François , Trudel Pierre , Boyd Jennifer
Published: September 2019

Multiple actors and roles are now recognized and promoted to support the development of coaches. Personal coaching is an emerging industry in many professional fields yet remains insignificant in sport coaching. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the value of a 12-month collaborative action research in which a high-performance rugby coach, with the support of a personal learning coach, aimed to learn from her coaching practice. This research was operationalized using an appreciative inquiry framework. Personal coaching was conducted according to the principles of narrative-collaborative coaching. Data collection included interviews, video observation, audio recordings of coaching conversations, notes from phone calls, and email exchanges. Results showed that this partnership created a safe and challenging learning space where different coaching topics were addressed, such as reflective practice, leadership, and mental preparation. A deductive analysis of the debriefing interview was completed using the value creation framework developed by Wenger and colleagues. This analysis indicated that the high-performance coach’s relationship with the personal learning coach enabled the development of five types of value: immediate, potential, applied, realised, and transformative. Therefore, it is suggested that narrative-collaborative coaching can complement existing formal and non-formal learning activities.
Negotiating Gender in the English Football Workplace: Composite Vignettes of Women Head Coaches’ Experiences
Authors: Clarkson Beth G. , Cox Elwyn , Thelwell Richard C.
Published: September 2019

Historically, men have dominated the English football workplace; as a result, the number of women in coaching positions has been limited. The aim of the present study was to explore the lived experiences of women head coaches to identify the extent that gender influences the English football workplace. Semi-structured interviews (N = 12) were conducted with women head coaches operating at the (a) youth recreational, (b) talent development, and (c) elite levels of the English football pyramid. An inductive thematic analysis was performed which informed the development of composite vignettes, a form of creative nonfiction. Three vignettes were developed comprising women head coaches’ stories at each pyramid level. Findings from the thematic analysis identified themes of gender stereotyping, proving yourself, and confidence at the youth recreational level; work-life conflicts, limited career mobility, and marginalization at the talent development level; and tokenism, undercurrents of sexism, and apprehensions of future directives at the elite level. The vignette stories demonstrate that gender negatively influences coaches’ interactions and confidence early in their career in youth recreational football; gender bias is embedded within discriminatory organizational practices which limit career mobility for coaches working in talent development; and gender is used to hold elite level women coaches to higher scrutiny levels than male colleagues. Recommendations (e.g., [in]formal mentoring, male advocacy, recruitment transparency) are made to practitioners for a targeted occupational-focused approach regarding support, retention, and career progression of women head coaches in football.
Comprehensive Genome Analysis of Carbapenem-Resistant Strains of
Raoultella
Species, an Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Bacterium in Hospitals
Authors: Yu Xiao , Zheng Beiwen , Zhang Jing , Xu Hao , Xiao Tingting , Zhou Yanzi , Zhang Shuntian , Zhu Yunying , Wang Yuan , Xiao Yonghong
Published: September 2019

We report the characterization of six carbapenem-resistant
Raoultella
spp. (CRRS) in our hospital and a genomic analysis of 58 publicly available isolates. CRRS isolates are sporadically identified around the world, and different transposons carrying carbapenemases were the resistant mechanisms. Mobile genetic elements play an important role in acquiring antibiotic resistance genes from the hospital.
An Alkane Sulfonate Monooxygenase Is Required for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by
Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens
(syn. Bradyrhizobium japonicum) USDA110
T
Authors: Speck Justin J. , James Euan K. , Sugawara Masayuki , Sadowsky Michael J. , Gyaneshwar Prasad
Published: September 2019

Rhizobia form symbiotic associations with legumes that lead to the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules. Sulfur-containing molecules play a crucial role in nitrogen fixation; thus, the rhizobia inside nodules require large amounts of sulfur. Rhizobia can assimilate both inorganic (sulfate) and organic (sulfonates) sources of sulfur. However, very little is known about rhizobial sulfur metabolism during symbiosis. In this report, we show that sulfonate utilization by
Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens
is important for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in both soybean and cowpea. The symbiotic defect is probably due to increased sensitivity to oxidative stress from sulfur deficiency in the mutant strain defective for sulfonate utilization. The results of this study can be extended to other rhizobium-legume symbioses, as sulfonate utilization genes are widespread in these bacteria.
Can children predict psychological recovery after injury?
Authors: Alisic Eva , Mangelsdorf Shaminka N , Schilpzand Elizabeth J , Barrett Anna , Landolt Markus A , Mehl Matthias R
Published: September 2019

While children’s voice is core to paediatric care, their own assessment of future psychological needs is underexplored. We conducted a prospective observational study among children hospitalised for injury in Melbourne, Australia. Their expectations of psychological recovery at baseline (in hospital) were significant and substantial predictors of their quality of life and post-traumatic stress 6 weeks later, suggesting potential diagnostic value.
Combined deep penetrating nevi of the conjunctiva are relatively common lesions characterised by BRAFV600E mutation and activation of the beta catenin pathway: a clinicopathological analysis of 34 lesions
Authors: Šekoranja Daja , Vergot Katarina , Hawlina Gregor , Pižem Jože
Published: September 2019

Background

Deep penetrating nevus (DPN) is not a widely recognised lesion on the conjunctiva and only a few cases consistent with combined DPN have been reported.

Methods

A review of all excised and histopathologically diagnosed conjunctival melanocytic lesions between 2003 and 2018 was performed in order to identify melanocytic nevi morphologically consistent with DPN.

Results

Thirty-four DPN were identified among 361 histopathologically examined conjunctival nevi (9.4%), including 33 (97%) combined with a common nevus and 1 (3%) pure DPN. The patients’ age ranged from 7 to 51 years (median, 22 years). Clinically, 21 of 29 (72%) lesions with available data were darkly pigmented, and an increase in size and/or pigmentation was noted in 13 of 18 (72%) lesions with known history. All 24 lesions in which an immunohistochemical analysis was possible were diffusely positive for BRAFV600E (in DPN and common nevus components) and showed a diffuse nuclear positivity for beta catenin and cyclin D1 in the DPN component. None of the 21 lesions with available follow-up data recurred during a follow-up period from 0.3 to 16.3 years (median, 7.5 years).

Conclusions

DPN of the conjunctiva is a relatively common lesion and usually presents as a combined nevus. Genetically, DPN of the conjunctiva are characterised by a combination of BRAFV600E mutation and activation of the beta catenin pathway. Recognition of DPN of the conjunctiva is important in order not to overdiagnose it as a melanoma, and to explain its potential atypical clinical features. DPN of the conjunctiva seems to be a benign lesion.
Profile of retinal nerve fibre layer symmetry in a multiethnic Asian population: the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study
Authors: Tao Yijin , Tham Yih Chung , Chee Miao Li , Majithia Shivani , Thakur Sahil , Soh Zhi-Da , Cheung Carol Yim-Lui , Sabanayagam Charumathi , Wong Tien Yin , Cheng Ching-Yu
Published: September 2019

Background

To examine the normative profile and determinants of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) symmetry in a non-glaucoma, multiethnic Asian population.

Methods

Chinese, Malay and Indian adults aged ≥40 years were recruited from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study. Participants underwent standardised systemic and ocular examinations. RNFL thickness was obtained using a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Cirrus HD-OCT). RNFL symmetry (in %) was calculated based on Pearson correlation coefficient between the RNFL thickness profiles of the right and left eyes. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between ocular and systemic factors with RNFL symmetry.

Results

4211 participants (1227 Chinese, 1245 Malays, 1739 Indians) were included. The mean RNFL symmetry was 86.7%±8.5% in Chinese, 84.7%±10.2% in Malays and 84.0%±10.7% in Indians. The fifth percentile limit of RNFL symmetry was 71.2% in Chinese, 65.0% in Malays and 62.0% in Indians. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, intereye absolute differences in intraocular pressure (IOP), axial length and disc area, Malays (β=−0.9; p=0.03) and Indians (β=−1.76; p<0.001) were found to have lower RNFL symmetry compared with Chinese. Older age, greater intereye differences in IOP, axial length and disc area were significantly associated with lower RNFL symmetry (all p≤0.003).

Conclusions

In non-glaucoma individuals, intereye RNFL profile is less symmetric in Malays and Indians than that in Chinese. This also suggests that current commercial optical coherence tomography’s deployment of a single, universal RNFL symmetry cut-off for glaucoma detection is flawed, and ethnic-specific cut-off is warranted.
Whole body MRI is effective for identifying metastatic disease in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Cook Rob , Davidson Peter , Martin Rosie
Published: September 2019

The study

Taylor S, Mallett S, Beare S et al. Diagnostic accuracy of whole-body MRI versus standard imaging pathways for metastatic disease in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer: the prospective Streamline C trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019;4:529-37.

This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme (project number 10/68/01).

To read the full NIHR Signal, go to https://discover.dc.nihr.ac.uk/content/signal-000797/identifying-metastatic-disease-in-colorectal-cancer-with-whole-body-mri
Development and assessment of the inter-rater and intra-rater reproducibility of a self-administration version of the ALSFRS-R
Authors: Bakker Leonhard A , Schröder Carin D , Tan Harold H G , Vugts Simone M A G , van Eijk Ruben P A , van Es Michael A , Visser-Meily Johanna M A , van den Berg Leonard H
Published: September 2019

Objective

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) is widely applied to assess disease severity and progression in patients with motor neuron disease (MND). The objective of the study is to assess the inter-rater and intra-rater reproducibility, i.e., the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and agreement, of a self-administration version of the ALSFRS-R for use in apps, online platforms, clinical care and trials.

Methods

The self-administration version of the ALSFRS-R was developed based on both patient and expert feedback. To assess the inter-rater reproducibility, 59 patients with MND filled out the ALSFRS-R online and were subsequently assessed on the ALSFRS-R by three raters. To assess the intra-rater reproducibility, patients were invited on two occasions to complete the ALSFRS-R online. Reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients, agreement was assessed with Bland-Altman plots and paired samplest-tests, and internal consistency was examined with Cronbach’s coefficient alpha.

Results

The self-administration version of the ALSFRS-R demonstrated excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability. The assessment of inter-rater agreement demonstrated small systematic differences between patients and raters and acceptable limits of agreement. The assessment of intra-rater agreement demonstrated no systematic changes between time points; limits of agreement were 4.3 points for the total score and ranged from 1.6 to 2.4 points for the domain scores. Coefficient alpha values were acceptable.

Discussion

The self-administration version of the ALSFRS-R demonstrates high reproducibility and can be used in apps and online portals for both individual comparisons, facilitating the management of clinical care and group comparisons in clinical trials.
Evaluation of the radiosurgical treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: a retrospective single-center analysis of three decades
Authors: Hirschmann Dorian , Goebl Philipp , Witte Frederic H , Gatterbauer Brigitte , Wang Wei-Te , Dodier Philippe , Bavinzski Gerhard , Ertl Adolf , Marik Wolfgang , Mallouhi Ammar , Roetzer Thomas , Dorfer Christian , Eisner Wilhelm , Gruber Andreas , Kitz Klaus , Frischer Josa M
Published: September 2019

Background

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is still controversially discussed.

Objective

To present long-term follow-up data on patients after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for cerebral AVMs.

Methods

Overall, 516 patients received radiosurgery for cerebral AVMs between 1992 and 2018 at our department, of whom 265 received radiosurgery alone and 207 were treated with a combined endovascular-radiosurgical approach. Moreover, 45 patients were treated with a volume-staged approach. Two eras were analyzed, the pre-modern era between 1992 and 2002 and the modern era thereafter.

Results

In GKRS-only treated patients, median time to nidus occlusion was 3.8 years. Spetzler–Ponce (SP) class was a significant predictor for time to obliteration in the whole sample. Median time to obliteration for the combined treatment group was 6.5 years. Patients in the pre-modern era had a significantly higher obliteration rate than those treated in the modern era. Overall, the calculated yearly hemorrhage risk in the observation period after first GKRS was 1.3%. Permanent post-radiosurgical complications occurred in 4.9% of cases but did not differ between the treatment groups or treatment eras. The obliteration rate was significantly lower and the hemorrhage rate was higher in volume-staged treated patients than in conventionally treated patients.

Conclusion

GKRS is an effective treatment option for SP class A and B cerebral AVMs. After combined endovascular-radiosurgical treatment, the outcome of selected SP class C AVMs aligns with that of SP class B lesions. Both the combined therapy and radiosurgery alone constitute sound methods for treatment of cerebral AVMs.
Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in a lung cancer screening cohort
Authors: Ruparel Mamta , Quaife Samantha L , Dickson Jennifer L , Horst Carolyn , Burke Stephen , Taylor Magali , Ahmed Asia , Shaw Penny , Soo May-Jan , Nair Arjun , Devaraj Anand , O'Dowd Emma Louise , Bhowmik Angshu , Navani Neal , Sennett Karen , Duffy Stephen W , Baldwin David R , Sofat Reecha , Patel Riyaz S , Hingorani Aroon , Janes Sam M
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Lung cancer screening (LCS) by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) offers an opportunity to impact both lung cancer and coronary heart disease mortality through detection of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Here, we explore the value of CAC and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment in LCS participants in the Lung Screen Uptake Trial (LSUT).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, current and ex-smokers aged 60–75 were invited to a ‘lung health check’. Data collection included a CVD risk assessment enabling estimation of 10 year CVD risk using the QRISK2 score. Participants meeting the required lung cancer risk underwent an ungated, non-contrast LDCT. Descriptive data, bivariate associations and a multivariate analysis of predictors of statin use are presented.

Results

Of 1005 individuals enrolled, 680 were included in the final analysis. 421 (61.9%) had CAC present and in 49 (7.2%), this was heavy. 668 (98%) of participants had a QRISK2≥10% and QRISK2 was positively associated with increasing CAC grade (OR 4.29 (CI 0.93 to 19.88) for QRISK2=10%–20% and 12.29 (CI 2.68 to 56.1) for QRISK2≥20% respectively). Of those who qualified for statin primary prevention (QRISK2≥10%), 56.8% did not report a history of statin use. In the multivariate analysis statin use was associated with age, body mass index and history of hypertension and diabetes.

Conclusions

LCS offers an important opportunity for instituting CVD risk assessment in all LCS participants irrespective of the presence of LDCT-detected CAC. Further studies are needed to determine whether CAC could enhance uptake and adherence to primary preventative strategies.
Airway obstruction in young adults born extremely preterm or extremely low birth weight in the postsurfactant era
Authors: Doyle Lex William , Irving Louis , Haikerwal Anjali , Lee Katherine , Ranganathan Sarath , Cheong Jeanie
Published: September 2019

Background

It is unknown if adults born <28 weeks or <1000 g since surfactant has been available are reaching their full airway growth potential.

Objective

To compare expiratory airflow at 25 years and from 8 to 25 years of participants born <28 weeks or <1000 g with controls, and within the preterm group to compare those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia with those who did not.

Methods

All survivors born <28 weeks or <1000 g in 1991–1992 in Victoria, Australia, were eligible. Controls were born contemporaneously, weighing >2499 g. At 8, 18 and 25 years, expiratory airflows were measured and the results converted to z-scores. Outcomes were compared between groups at age 25 years, and trajectories (change in z-scores per year) from childhood were contrasted between groups.

Results

Expiratory airflows were measured at 25 years on 164 of 297 (55%) preterm survivors and 130 of 260 (50%) controls. Preterm participants had substantially reduced airflow compared with controls at age 25 years (eg, zFEV1; mean difference −0.97, 95% CI −1.23 to –0.71; p<0.001). Preterm participants had lower airflow trajectories than controls between 8 and 18 years, but not between 18 and 25 years. Within the preterm group, those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia had worse airflows and trajectories than those who did not.

Conclusions

Young adults born <28 weeks or <1000 g in the surfactant era, particularly those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia, have substantially reduced airway function compared with controls. Some are destined to develop COPD in later adult life.
Canopy effects on abundance and leaf traits of a spring ephemeral: Erythronium americanum
Authors: Greco Danielle A. , Schamp Brandon S. , Mercer Kirstin A.
Published: September 2019

Spring ephemerals take advantage of the high light levels available in the spring by completing the aboveground portion of their lifecycle before the canopy develops and while few other understory plant species are growing. The spring is marked by high resource availability, yet spring ephemerals are variably abundant throughout forests. Research indicates that canopy conditions can influence the growth of spring ephemerals; consequently, we tested whether the variation in canopy conditions predicted variation in the abundance of Erythronium americanum Ker Gawl. across 50 forest plots. We also tested whether the specific leaf area (SLA) of E. americanum in plots was predicted by variation in plot-level canopy conditions, reflecting E. americanum‘s ability to adapt to different canopy conditions. The abundance of E. americanum was significantly lower in the plots with greater hard canopy closure (i.e., permanent cover: tree architecture + evergreen leaf cover), and significantly higher under canopies that reached full development earlier. Canopies with greater hard canopy cover at the start of the growing season were associated with significantly higher SLA, quantifying local adaptation by E. americanum to variable canopy conditions. Erythronium americanum takes advantage of the high light levels available in the spring. It is unclear at this time why higher abundance of E. americanum is associated with canopies that close earlier.
β-Sitosterol mitigates the development of high-fructose diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in growing male Sprague–Dawley rats
Authors: Gumede Nontobeko M. , Lembede Busisani W. , Nkomozepi Pilani , Brooksbank Richard L. , Erlwanger Kennedy H. , Chivandi Eliton
Published: September 2019

Fructose contributes to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). β-Sitosterol (Bst), a naturally occurring phytosterol, has antihyperlipidaemic and hepatoprotective properties. This study interrogated the potential protective effect of β-sitosterol against NAFLD in growing rats fed a high-fructose diet, modelling children fed obesogenic diets. Forty-four 21 day old male rat pups were randomly allocated to and administered the following treatments for 12 weeks: group I, standard rat chow (SRC) + plain drinking water (PW) + plain gelatine cube (PC); group II, SRC + 20% w/v fructose solution (FS) as drinking fluid + PC; group III, SRC + FS + 100 mg/kg fenofibrate in a gelatine cube; group IV, SRC + FS + 20 mg/kg β-sitosterol gelatine cube (Bst); group V, SRC + PW + Bst. Terminally, the livers were dissected out, weighed, total liver lipid content determined, and histological analyses done. Harvested plasma was used to determine the surrogate biomarkers of liver function. The high-fructose diet caused increased (p < 0.05) hepatic lipid (total) accretion (>10% liver mass), micro- and macrovesicular hepatic steatosis, and hepatic inflammation. β-Sitosterol and fenofibrate prevented the high-fructose diet-induced macrovesicular steatosis and prevented the progression of NAFLD to steatohepatitis. β-Sitosterol can prospectively be used to mitigate diet-induced NAFLD.
Doubly charged scalar at the High-Luminosity and High-Energy LHC
Authors: de Melo Tessio B. , Queiroz Farinaldo S. , Villamizar Yoxara
Published: September 2019

Doubly charged scalars are common figures in several beyond the Standard Model studies, especially those related to neutrino masses. In this work, we estimate the High-Luminosity (HL-LHC) and High-Energy LHC (HE-LHC) sensitivity to doubly charged scalars assuming that they decay promptly and exclusively into charged leptons. Our study focuses on the fit to the same-sign dilepton mass spectra and it is based on proton–proton collisions at 13 TeV, 14 TeV and 27 TeV with integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] fb[Formula: see text], 3 ab[Formula: see text] and 15 ab[Formula: see text]. We find that HL-LHC may probe doubly charged scalars masses up to 2.3 TeV, whereas HE-LHC can impressively probe masses up to 3 TeV, conclusively constituting a complementary and important probe to signs of doubly charged scalars in lepton flavor violation decays and lepton–lepton colliders.
Coherence analysis of a family of weighted star-composed networks
Authors: Dai Meifeng , Ju Tingting , Hou Yongbo , Chang Jianwei , Sun Yu , Su Weiyi
Published: September 2019

Recently, the study of many kinds of weighted networks has received the attention of researchers in the scientific community. In this paper, first, a class of weighted star-composed networks with a weight factor is introduced. We focus on the network consistency in linear dynamical system for a class of weighted star-composed networks. The network consistency can be characterized as network coherence by using the sum of reciprocals of all nonzero Laplacian eigenvalues, which can be obtained by using the relationship of Laplacian eigenvalues at two successive generations. Remarkably, the Laplacian matrix of the class of weighted star-composed networks can be represented by the Kronecker product, then the properties of the Kronecker product can be used to obtain conveniently the corresponding characteristic roots. In the process of finding the sum of reciprocals of all nonzero Laplacian eigenvalues, the key step is to obtain the relationship of Laplacian eigenvalues at two successive generations. Finally, we obtain the main results of the first- and second-order network coherences. The obtained results show that if the weight factor is 1 then the obtained results in this paper coincide with the previous results on binary networks, otherwise the scalings of the first-order network coherence are related to the node number of attaching copy graph, the weight factor and generation number. Surprisingly, the scalings of the first-order network coherence are independent of the node number of initial graph. Consequently, it will open up new perspectives for future research.
Polymorphic transformations and thermal expansion of some modifications in Ag1.5Cu0.5Se and Ag0.4Cu1.6Se
Authors: Aliyev Y. I. , Asadov Y. G. , Dashdemirov A. O. , Aliyeva R. D. , Naghiyev T. G. , Jabarov S. H.
Published: September 2019

The Ag[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Se and Ag[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Se compounds have been synthesized and grown as single crystals. High-temperature X-ray diffraction method was used to study polymorphic transformations. It is shown that the Ag[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Se crystals of high-temperature FCC modification are decomposed into Ag2Se and AgCuSe when the temperature decreases below T = 488 K and Ag[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Se is decomposed into Cu2Se and AgCuSe when the temperature decreases below T = 540 K. Transformations in both compounds are reversible. Crystalline parameters are obtained and the temperature dependence of the lattice parameters for each phase is built.
Polariton Bose–Einstein condensate with spatially periodic interaction
Authors: Chen Lei , Xu Xingran , Kang Shuai , Liang Zhaoxin
Published: September 2019

Recently, there are several experiments demonstrating the possibility to tune the interaction constants using biexcitonic Feshbach resonance in resonantly created polariton condensate and single quantum well. Motivated by these experiments, we theoretically study the stationary state of a polariton condensate whose interatomic scattering length is periodically modulated with optical Feshbach resonance, which represents a novel kind of non-equilibrium superfluidity. In more detail, the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the spin degree of freedom induced by different loss rates of the linear polarizations are investigated based on driven-dissipative Gross–Pitaevskii equations coupled to the rate equation of a reservoir.
SRDT: A Novel Robust RGB-D Tracker Based on Siamese Region Proposal Network and Depth Information
Authors: Sun Zhen , Wu Junfei , Wang Lu , Li Qingdang
Published: September 2019

Visual tracking is still a challenging fundamental task in the field of computer vision, especially in complex scenes such as long-term occlusion, nonrigid deformation and fast movement. In this paper, we presented an RGB-D tracker based on the Siamese Region Proposal Network and Depth Information. First, Siamese Network with shared parameters was constructed to perform feature extraction on the target patch and search area. Second, Region Proposal Network was constructed to estimate the target position in the RGB channels. At the same time, the depth information in the RGB-D video was used to determine the target occlusion state and fine-tune the target position. Finally, the tracker used depth information to achieve occlusion recovery when the target was fully occluded. The experimental result shows that the method has better performance in tracking accuracy and tracking speed on the large-scale Princeton RGB-D Tracking Benchmark (PTB) dataset.
Cenozoic exhumation of the Neoproterozoic Sanfang batholith in South China
Authors: Qiu Liang , Yan Dan-Ping , Tang Shuang-Li , Chen Feng , Gong Ling-Xiao , Zhang Yi-Xi
Published: September 2019

The 1500-km-long Jiangnan tectonic belt in China is well known for large outcrops of Proterozoic basement rocks, although the exhumation history of the exposed basement is poorly constrained. The thermochronology of the Sanfang batholith in the southernmost section of this belt was used to constrain the timing and mechanism of exhumation using apatite fission track analysis of granite samples collected along three transects. The results show that the ages of single apatite grains are much younger than the Neoproterozoic crystallization age of the Sanfang batholith. The apparent age v. elevation diagram shows two-stage cooling during the Paleogene and Miocene. The cooling stages are coincident with unconformities between the Paleogene and underlying strata, and between the Neogene and the Paleogene, with movement on high-angle normal faults. A compilation of apatite fission track data from this and previous studies suggests that the batholith was exhumed in the Cenozoic and the timing of rapid cooling is progressively younger to the east as a result of slab rollback leading to Cenozoic back-arc extension. The exhumation of the Sanfang batholith therefore indicates that Cenozoic erosion and extensional tectonics played a key part in exhuming the basement rocks and forming the present architecture of the Jiangnan tectonic belt.
Fixed-point Elimination in the Intuitionistic Propositional Calculus
Authors: Ghilardi Silvio , Gouveia Maria João , Santocanale Luigi
Published: September 2019

It follows from known results in the literature that least and greatest fixed-points of monotone polynomials on Heyting algebras—that is, the algebraic models of the Intuitionistic Propositional Calculus—always exist, even when these algebras are not complete as lattices. The reason is that these extremal fixed-points are definable by formulas of the
IPC
. Consequently, the μ-calculus based on intuitionistic logic is trivial, every μ-formula being equivalent to a fixed-point free formula. In the first part of this article, we give an axiomatization of least and greatest fixed-points of formulas, and an algorithm to compute a fixed-point free formula equivalent to a given μ-formula. The axiomatization of the greatest fixed-point is simple. The axiomatization of the least fixed-point is more complex, in particular every monotone formula converges to its least fixed-point by Kleene’s iteration in a finite number of steps, but there is no uniform upper bound on the number of iterations. The axiomatization yields a decision procedure for the μ-calculus based on propositional intuitionistic logic. The second part of the article deals with closure ordinals of monotone polynomials on Heyting algebras and of intuitionistic monotone formulas; these are the least numbers of iterations needed for a polynomial/formula to converge to its least fixed-point. Mirroring the elimination procedure, we show how to compute upper bounds for closure ordinals of arbitrary intuitionistic formulas. For some classes of formulas, we provide tighter upper bounds that, in some cases, we prove exact.
Gut microbiota regulates cardiac ischemic tolerance and aortic stiffness in obesity
Authors: Battson Micah L. , Lee Dustin M. , Li Puma Lance C. , Ecton Kayl E. , Thomas Keely N. , Febvre Hallie P. , Chicco Adam J. , Weir Tiffany L. , Gentile Christopher L.
Published: September 2019

The gut microbiota has emerged as an important regulator of host physiology, with recent data suggesting a role in modulating cardiovascular health. The present study determined if gut microbial signatures could transfer cardiovascular risk phenotypes between lean and obese mice using cecal microbiota transplantation (CMT). Pooled cecal contents collected from obese leptin-deficient (Ob) mice or C57Bl/6j control (Con) mice were transplanted by oral gavage into cohorts of recipient Ob and Con mice maintained on identical low-fat diets for 8 wk ( n = 9–11/group). Cardiovascular pathology was assessed as the degree of arterial stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity) and myocardial infarct size following a 45/120 min ex vivo global cardiac ischemia-reperfusion protocol. Gut microbiota was characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing, along with measures of intestinal barrier function and cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) composition. Following CMT, the gut microbiota of recipient mice was altered to resemble that of the donors. Ob CMT to Con mice increased arterial stiffness, left ventricular (LV) mass, and myocardial infarct size, which were associated with greater gut permeability and reduced cecal SCFA concentrations. Conversely, Con CMT to Ob mice increased cecal SCFA, reduced LV mass, and attenuated myocardial infarct size, with no effects on gut permeability or arterial stiffness. Collectively, these data demonstrate that obesity-related changes in the gut microbiota, independent of dietary manipulation, regulate hallmark measures of cardiovascular pathology in mice and highlight the potential of microbiota-targeted therapeutics for reducing cardiovascular pathology and risk in obesity.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY These data are the first to demonstrate that cecal microbiota transplantation (CMT) can alter cardiovascular pathology in lean and obese mice independent from alterations in dietary intake. Myocardial infarct size was reduced in obese mice receiving lean CMT and worsened in lean mice receiving obese CMT. Lean mice receiving obese CMT also displayed increased aortic stiffness. These changes were accompanied by alterations in short-chain fatty acids and gut permeability.
Extended-Interval Gentamicin Dosing for Pulmonic Tularemia
Authors: Dietrich Tyson , Garcia Katelynn , Strain Joe , Ashurst John
Published: September 2019

Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative coccobacillus that is rarely encountered in clinical practice. Patients can present with cutaneous, pulmonary, cardiac, mucous membrane, or gastrointestinal involvement. A clinician should have a heightened suspicion in endemic areas or when outbreaks appear. Diagnosis is achieved through serological testing or polymerase chain reaction assays. Although historically the treatment of choice was streptomycin, gentamicin is now preferred due to its availability and relatively safer side effect profile with extended-interval dosing. Limited published evidence exists on the effectiveness of extended-interval gentamicin for tularemia. This case series describes four patients with pulmonic tularemia successfully treated with extended-interval dosing of gentamicin without treatment failure or relapse.
A Novel Butylated Caffeic Acid Derivative Protects HaCaT Keratinocytes from Squalene Peroxidation-Induced Stress
Authors: Zhou Dan , Weng Xinchu
Published: September 2019

Squalene is a major sebum lipid which is easily peroxidized by ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation, generating products that can stress keratinocytes. Prevention of squalene photooxidation with antioxidants could potentially help defend skin from environmental stress. Previously, we have systematically characterized butylated caffeic acid (BCA) as a more lipophilic alternative of caffeic acid (CA). The current study aimed to test the hypothesis that the lipophilic property of BCA makes it a good candidate as a skin antioxidant. The UVA-induced peroxidation of squalene and the antioxidative activity of CA and BCA were measured for peroxide value and further characterized with ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry analysis. Both CA and BCA showed strong antioxidant capacity during squalene peroxidation under direct UVA challenge. In HaCaT keratinocyte culture, BCA’s and CA’s impact on the damage induced by peroxidized squalene (P-SQ) was investigated through quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1) cytokines. Both BCA and CA decreased P-SQ-induced IL-1β secretion in HaCaT cells. However, only BCA could reduce P-SQ-induced ROS generation as well as expression of inflammatory cytokines in the IL-1 family. This advantage in biological efficacy could have been attributed to BCA’s superior intracellular bioavailability due to its higher lipophilicity compared with CA, as indicated by higher intracellular concentration of BCA. Based on this observation, we propose using BCA as a functional antioxidant to prevent sebum lipid from peroxidation and its detrimental effect to skin.
Readmissions after Pancreatic Surgery in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: Does Hospital Variation Exist for Quality Measurement?
Authors: Wang Ching-Yu , Brown Joshua
Published: September 2019

Background: The appropriateness of using readmission rate after pancreatic surgery among pancreatic cancer patients as a quality metric to evaluate hospital performance has been widely discussed in the literature. Objectives: The present study reported readmission rate using Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), examined the reasons and risk factors for readmissions, and evaluated the appropriateness of using it as a quality metric. Method: We analyzed 3,619 patient discharge records in 2014. The outcome of interest was all-cause 30-day readmission. Reasons for readmission were grouped into clinical associated categories. Hierarchical regression model was used for examining the relationship between risk factors and readmission. Results: The 30-day readmission rate was 20.95%. The most common reason for readmission was surgery-related complication. In descriptive analyses, age, certain comorbidities, number of chronic conditions, mortality risk, severity of illness, living at large metropolitan area, resident of the state where patients received initial care, postoperative complication, length of stay, discharge location, and receiving care at the hospitals in large metropolitan area were predictive of readmission. In multivariable analysis, age, depression, peripheral vascular disorder, mortality risk, and discharge location were independently associated with readmission. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.41 for hierarchical regression model. Conclusions: Readmission after pancreatic surgery remains an important issue. Our study found the majority of variation in readmissions is accounted for by patient factors whereas there was little between hospital variation. This finding does not support the use of readmission rate after pancreatic surgery as a quality metric.
Meta Analysis: Management Control System, Strategy, Company Performance
Authors: Pujiati Desi , Misdiyono Misdiyono , Sri Margianti Eko
Published: September 2019

This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of management control systems on the strategy and its impact on business unit performance. Management control system uses lever's control approach consisting of belief system, boundary system, diagnostic control system and interactive control system. The influence and impact of the management control system resulted from previous research studies. This research used meta-analysis method. Meta-analysis is the study of a number of research results in similar problems. The unit of analysis in the study are written documents about the research of management control system in the form of journal articles and research reports taken purposively based on their compatibility with the research theme. Data analysis used is quantitative data analysis with percentage and qualitative data analysis for descriptive analysis result data on 25 research related to management control system. Findings of meta-analysis results based on research objectives, research variables used, population / sample of research, data collection techniques and analysis tools show that management control system lever's of control approach can contribute to the achievement of strategy and impact on business unit performance improvement.
Assessment of fog and rain induced-attenuation on terrestrial FSO links
Authors: Ajewole M. O.
Published: September 2019

Launching into the next generation of wireless communication network (5G network) requires secure high data rate, high speed and huge bandwidth links. With the tremendous increase in broadband users, the existing communication systems such as radio frequency (RF) and microwave links cannot meet up with the challenges due to their link interference and low bandwidth. A current technology that promises such requirements and more is Free Space Optical (FSO) communication. The FSO basically involves the transmission of signal-modulated optical radiation from a transmitter to a receiver through the atmosphere or outer space. It is designed to complement the traditional fibre optical communication links. However, location-variant atmospheric channel degrades the quality and performance of an FSO system under severe atmospheric conditions. This paper attempts to assess both fog- and rain-induced attenuation on the performance of FSO link in a terrestrial terrain using measured visibility and rain rate data at Akure, Nigeria. 5-year (2012-2016) archived visibility data and measured rain rate data of 1-minute integration time obtained from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Akure respectively, were used to compute the fog- and rain-induced specific attenuations using Kruse and Carboneur models. The performance of the FSO system was analyzed through link margin by using the parameters of a commercial optical transceiver, Terescope 5000. Findings from this work will be useful for FSO system design in the area.
Tracking Your Mind's Eye during Recollection: Decoding the Long-Term Recall of Short Audiovisual Clips
Authors: Larzabal Christelle , Bacon-Macé Nadège , Muratot Sophie , Thorpe Simon J.
Published: September 2019

Unlike familiarity, recollection involves the ability to reconstruct mentally previous events that results in a strong sense of reliving. According to the reinstatement hypothesis, this specific feature emerges from the reactivation of cortical patterns involved during information exposure. Over time, the retrieval of specific details becomes more difficult, and memories become increasingly supported by familiarity judgments. The multiple trace theory (MTT) explains the gradual loss of episodic details by a transformation in the memory representation, a view that is not shared by the standard consolidation model. In this study, we tested the MTT in light of the reinstatement hypothesis. The temporal dynamics of mental imagery from long-term memory were investigated and tracked over the passage of time. Participant EEG activity was recorded during the recall of short audiovisual clips that had been watched 3 weeks, 1 day, or a few hours beforehand. The recall of the audiovisual clips was assessed using a Remember/Know/New procedure, and snapshots of clips were used as recall cues. The decoding matrices obtained from the multivariate pattern analyses revealed sustained patterns that occurred at long latencies (>500 msec poststimulus onset) that faded away over the retention intervals and that emerged from the same neural processes. Overall, our data provide further evidence toward the MTT and give new insights into the exploration of our “mind's eye.”
Distinct Neural Mechanisms Meet Challenges in Dynamic Visual Attention due to Either Load or Object Spacing
Authors: Mäki-Marttunen Veronica , Hagen Thomas , Laeng Bruno , Espeseth Thomas
Published: September 2019

When engaged in dynamic visuospatial tasks, the brain copes with perceptual and cognitive processing challenges. During multiple-object tracking (MOT), the number of objects to be tracked (i.e., load) imposes attentional demands, but so does spatial interference from irrelevant objects (i.e., close encounters). Presently, it is not clear whether the effect of load on accuracy solely depends on the number of close encounters. If so, the same cognitive and physiological mechanisms deal with increasing load by preparing for and dealing with spatial interference. However, this has never been directly tested. Such knowledge is important to understand the neurophysiology of dynamic visual attention and resolve conflicting views within visual cognition concerning sources of capacity limitations. We varied the processing challenge in MOT task in two ways: the number of targets and the minimum spatial proximity between targets and distractors. In a first experiment, we measured task-induced pupil dilations and saccades during MOT. In a separate cohort, we measured fMRI activity. In both cohorts, increased load and close encounters (i.e., close spatial proximity) led to reduced accuracy in an additive manner. Load was associated with pupil dilations, whereas close encounters were not. Activity in dorsal attentional areas and frequency of saccades were proportionally larger both with higher levels of load and close encounters. Close encounters recruited additionally ventral attentional areas that may reflect orienting mechanisms. The activity in two brainstem nuclei, ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra and locus coeruleus, showed clearly dissociated patterns. Our results constitute convergent evidence indicating that different mechanisms underlie processing challenges due to load and object spacing.