bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining how respectful engagement affects task performance and affective organizational commitment
Authors: Basit Ameer A.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance research on the newly developed construct of respectful engagement (RE) (Carmeli et al., 2015), which focuses on positive interrelating behaviors characterized by respect in the organizational context. Further, this study aims to examine whether RE was associated with task performance and affective organizational commitment, and whether employee job engagement mediated these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the self-reported measures and online survey method, data were collected from 185 employees working in one of the world’s largest hosiery firms located in the eastern part of Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling and multiple regressions were used to test the proposed conceptual model.

Findings

RE had significant positive effects on task performance and affective commitment. The effect of RE on affective commitment was stronger than it was on task performance. Moreover, job engagement significantly mediated the effects of RE on task performance and affective commitment.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides empirical evidence that RE enhances job engagement of employees by improving their levels of effort, enthusiasm and pride and concentration in work roles. Consequently, the enhanced level of job engagement leads employees to demonstrate better task performance and increased affective commitment with the organization.

Practical implications

Managers can institutionalize RE by applying strategies suggested by (Dutton, 2003) that focus on conveying presence, being genuine, communicating affirmation, effective listening and supportive communication. Training programs around these strategies can help managers to achieve this goal. Furthermore, in their day-to-day performance discussions, managers should follow the above strategies that could open further avenues for RE at the workplace. Managers can also allocate some weight to employees’ RE as part of their performance appraisals. The use of rewards would encourage employees to adopt RE as a norm desired by the organization.

Originality/value

This study extends research on the new developed construct of RE by focusing on task performance and affective commitment as its key outcomes. Furthermore, this study is the first to introduce job engagement as mediator in the relationship of RE with task performance and affective commitment. Another important aspect of this study is that its model has been tested on the data collected from Pakistan, which is an underrepresented geographical region in the management literature.
Standing and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Authors: Rooney Jane M.
Published: March 2019

On 7 June 2018, the UK Supreme Court held that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) did not have standing under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (NIA) and Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) to challenge the legality of abortion law in Northern Ireland. This case note argues that while a literal reading of the NIA exposes its inconsistencies, a purposive reading of both the NIA and HRA indicates that the NIHRC should have had standing. The note seeks to highlight the unique democratic function of the NIHRC in a consociational setting in protecting rights that are not represented along ethno‐national lines. It also considers the negative ramifications that the judgment will have on women who have been victims of the legislative regime and seek to challenge the compatibility of Northern Irish abortion law with the HRA in the future.
Trends in endpoint selection and result interpretation in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer clinical trials published between 2000 and 2012: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Fernández‐López Cristina , Calleja‐Hernández Miguel Ángel , Balbino Jaime Espín , Cabeza‐Barrera José , Expósito‐Hernández José
Published: March 2019

Background

The objective of this review was to investigate trends in clinical trial design, specifically, the primary outcomes used, interpretation of results, and the magnitude of the benefits described in phase III controlled clinical trials in the first‐line treatment of patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Seventy‐six trials published between 2000 and 2012 were selected from a total of 122 identified in a structured search.

Results

Overall survival (OS) was evaluated as the primary study endpoint in 50 (65.8%) trials, followed by progression‐free survival (PFS) in 15 (19.7%), and other variables, such as toxicity, quality of life (QoL), and response rate in 11 (14.5%). Ten (66.7%) out of 15 clinical trials using PFS as the primary endpoint were published between 2010 and 2012. Median overall survival (mOS) was 9.90 months (interquartile range: 3.5) with an increase of 0.384 months per year of publication (P < 0.001). A statistically significant improvement in mOS was obtained in only 13 (18.8%) trials. A total of 41 (53.9%) studies concluded that the result was positive. Of these, only 16 (39.1%) showed a statistically significant benefit in OS. QoL was assessed in 46 trials (60.5%) and of these, 10 (21.7%) reported significant improvements.

Conclusions

These findings raise important questions about how clinical benefits are measured in clinical trials in advanced NSCLC. Appropriate clinically relevant outcome variables should be established and validated, and post‐marketing studies should be requested by regulatory authorities to ensure meaningful clinical benefits in OS and QoL.
Evaluation of anticoagulation and nonsurgical major bleeding in recipients of continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices
Authors: Veasey Tara M. , Floroff Catherine K. , Strout Sara E. , McElray Krista L. , Brisco‐Bacik Meredith A. , Cook Jennifer L. , Toole John M. , Craig Michael L. , Van Bakel Adrian B. , Meadows Holly B. , Uber Walter E.
Published: March 2019

Continuous‐flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement has become a standard of care in advanced heart failure treatment. Bleeding is the most frequently reported adverse event after LVAD implantation and may be increased by antithrombotic agents used for prevention of pump thrombosis. This retrospective cohort included 85 adult patients implanted with a Heartmate II LVAD. Major bleeding was defined as occurring >7 days after implant and included intracranial hemorrhage, events requiring 2 units of packed red blood cells within a 24‐h period, and death from bleeding. Primary outcome was intensity of anticoagulation between patients with or without at least one incidence of nonsurgical major bleeding. Major bleeding occurred in 35 (41%) patients with 0.48 events per patient year and a median (IQR) time to first bleed of 134.5 (39.3, 368.5) days. The median (IQR) INR at time of bleed was 1.7 (1.4, 2.5). Median INR during follow‐up did not differ between groups and patients with major bleeding were not more likely to have a supra‐therapeutic INR. Patients who bled were more likely to have received LVAD for destination therapy, to have lower weight, worse renal function, and lower hemoglobin at baseline. Duration of LVAD support and survival were similar between groups with no difference in occurrence of thrombosis. Incidence of nonsurgical major bleeding was not significantly associated with degree of anticoagulation. Certain baseline characteristics may be more important than anticoagulation intensity to identify patients at risk for bleeding after LVAD implant. Modification of anticoagulation alone is not a sufficient management strategy and early intervention may be required to mitigate bleeding impact.
Osteopontin and phospho‐SMAD2/3 are associated with calcification of vessels in D‐CAA, an hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Authors: Grand Moursel Laure , van der Graaf Linda M. , Bulk Marjolein , van Roon‐Mom Willeke M.C. , van der Weerd Louise
Published: March 2019

In severe forms of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) pathology, vascular calcification has been observed in the cerebral cortex, both in vivo on MRI and CT, and post‐mortem using histopathology. However, the pathomechanisms leading to calcification of CAA‐laden arteries are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between calcification of cortical arterioles and several potential modulators of vascular calcification using immunohistochemistry in a unique collection of brain material of patients with a hereditary form of CAA, namely hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis‐Dutch type (HCHWA‐D or D‐CAA).

We show a topographical association of osteopontin (OPN) and TGFβ signaling factor phospho‐SMAD2/3 (pSMAD2/3) in calcified CAA vessel walls. OPN and pSMAD2/3 gradually accumulate in vessels prior to calcification. Moreover, we found that the vascular accumulation of Collagen 1 (Col1), OPN and pSMAD2/3 immunomarkers correlated with the CAA severity. This was independently of the vessel size, including capillaries in the most severe cases. We propose that calcification of CAA vessels in the observed HCHWA‐D cases may be induced by extracellular OPN trapped in the fibrotic Col1 vessel wall, independently of the presence of vascular amyloid.
The evolution of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Development of mid‐ventricular obstruction and apical aneurysm 11 years after initial diagnosis
Authors: Singam Narayana Sarma V. , Stoddard Marcus F.
Published: March 2019

Asian hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) is a rare variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) that is more prevalent in the Asian population. There is significant overlap between AHCM, mid‐cavitary obstruction, and apical aneurysms. Although more benign compared to HCM, the course of AHCM is not clearly defined. We present an interesting case of an African American male with known AHCM who develops symptomatic mid‐cavitary obstruction and apical aneurysm 11 years after initial diagnosis.
Productive and biochemical responses of durum wheat to UV filtration
Authors: Grifoni Daniele , Napoli Marco , Sabatini Francesco , Orlandini Simone , Mancini Marco , Zipoli Gaetano , Dalla Marta Anna
Published: March 2019

A UV exclusion experiment was conducted on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. var. Claudio) grown in pots. Plants were grown under three different radiative treatments in greenhouses covered with plastic filters: Teflon, transparent to the entire region of natural UV‐visible sunlight (TEF); polyester, transparent above 312 nm (MYL, excluding UVB) and Lee, transparent above 400 nm (LEE, excluding both UVA and UVB). Analyses have been carried out to determine the concentration of photosynthetic pigments in leaves, UV‐absorbing compounds, nitrogen and carbon in leaves, culms and spikes and proteins and gluten in grains. In particular, plants grown under UV exclusion showed a reduction in protein and dry gluten content (consequently without variation in the ratio dry gluten/protein), but at the same time, a significant increase of gluten index, which is a parameter to define the quality of gluten, was observed. The results highlighted the influence played by UV radiation on some biochemical parameters, mainly UV‐absorbing compounds, leaf nitrogen and grain protein characteristics of durum wheat cultivated under Mediterranean conditions. In particular, natural level of UV in the Mediterranean improves the characteristics of durum wheat flour important for pasta production (high dry gluten level), while the UV exclusion could improve characteristics of flour important for bread production (high gluten index).
Understanding the Role of Puberty in Structural and Functional Development of the Adolescent Brain
Authors: Goddings Anne‐Lise , Beltz Adriene , Peper Jiska S. , Crone Eveline A. , Braams Barbara R.
Published: March 2019

Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of structural and functional brain development in adolescence. However, understanding the role of puberty in this process has received much less attention. This review examines this relationship by summarizing recent research studies where the role of puberty was investigated in relation to brain structure, connectivity, and task‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The studies together suggest that puberty may contribute to adolescent neural reorganization and maturational advancement, and sex differences also emerge in puberty. The current body of work shows some mixed results regarding impact and exact direction of pubertal influence. We discuss several limitations of current studies and propose future directions on how to move the field forward.
Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science
Authors: Worthman Carol M. , Dockray Samantha , Marceau Kristine
Published: March 2019

In recent decades, theoretical and methodological advances have operated synergistically to advance understanding of puberty and prompt increasingly comprehensive models that engage with the temporal, psychosocial, and biological dimensions of this maturational milepost. This integrative overview discusses these theoretical and methodological advances and their implications for research and intervention to promote human development in the context of changing maturational schedules and massive ongoing social transformations.
The non‐directed living kidney donor: Why donate to strangers?
Authors: Balliet Wendy , Kazley Abby S. , Johnson Emily , Holland‐Carter Lauren , Maurer Stacey , Correll Jennifer , Marlow Nicole , Chavin Kenneth , Baliga Prabhakar
Published: March 2019

Background

Kidney transplantation improves survival and quality of life for patients with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, there is a shortage of donated organs, resulting in long wait times and the potential for death before a donor is found. Non‐directed (also called altruistic) living kidney donation is a growing type of donation; however, few studies have examined the values and motivation of individuals evaluated to be a non‐directed donor.

Objectives

This qualitative study explores the motivations and values of individuals evaluated for non‐directed donation.

Design

Focus groups were conducted with individuals who had been evaluated for non‐directed living kidney donation. Grounded theory method guided the data analysis.

Participants

Participants (N = 11) were individuals who completed the evaluation for a non‐directed living kidney donation.

Findings

Qualitative analyses revealed eight major themes participants considered in making their decision to donate to a non‐related person: (i) motivation to donate; (ii) minimise perceived risk; (iii) ideal selected recipient; (iv) change in lifestyle; (v) source of donation knowledge; (vi) history of altruistic acts; (vii) donation chain and (viii) others’ response.

Conclusions

Results suggest that non‐directed living kidney donors think deeply about their decision and have a resolve to help others that is aligned with their values. As organ availability remains at a critical shortage, unwillingness to consider non‐directed living donors (NDD) due to beliefs of ill motivations appears unsupported. Future directions call for the need of standard practice of care in kidney donation evaluations across transplant centers.
The effect of culture on home‐ownership
Authors: Marcén Miriam , Morales Marina
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we analyze the role of culture in determining whether, or not, an individual is a homeowner. We use data on first‐generation immigrants who arrived in the United States under 6 years old. Following the epidemiological approach, any dissimilarity in the proportion of homeowners by country of origin may be interpreted as a consequence of cultural differences. Our estimates indicate that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between the cultural proxy and the immigrants’ choice of home‐ownership. Additionally, we present evidence of different mechanisms of transmission of culture, which reinforces our results on the cultural effect.
The future of information under the CBD, Nagoya Protocol, Plant Treaty, and PIP Framework
Authors: Lawson Charles , Humphries Fran , Rourke Michelle
Published: March 2019

The United Nations’ Convention of Biological Diversity (and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the World Health Organisation of the United Nations’ (WHO) Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework all set out schemes for access and benefit sharing (ABS) some biological materials. This article addresses the apparent conflict between the general obligations in these agreements to disclose and exchange information and dealing with information as a resource derivative within the ABS transaction. This latter dealing is a closed domain for information under the ABS schemes where information is a resource derivative that is a part of the ABS transaction. Treating information as a resource derivative within the ABS transaction is likely to impose unnecessary and inefficient burdens on ABS transactions. After reviewing the recent developments, the article postulates a risk framework for valuing information as a part of the ABS transaction, or alternatively, a charge, tax, or levy to externalize the costs so that information remains available to be disclosed and exchanged promoting more and better science and research.
Trends in prelicensing negotiations of standard‐essential patents
Authors: Gupta Indranath , Devaiah Vishwas H. , Jain Dipesh A. , Shrivastava Vishal
Published: March 2019

Prelicensing negotiations play a crucial role in determining the fate of the terms that govern licensing of standard‐essential patents (SEPs). There have been a number of judgments from all around the globe that suggest the best practices that parties, that is, the SEP holder and the technology implementer should follow to safeguard their respective positions. To begin with, the Huawei framework and later on a number of decisions in Germany did reflect on the framework under which an SEP holder may ask for an injunction in matters relating to infringement of essential patents. Similarly, these cases also suggest the expectations bestowed upon an implementer to ensure early completion of a negotiation process. Under similar circumstances, the Indian courts do offer overall guidance to the stakeholders. In the context of prelicensing negotiations and existing best practices, this article delves into the transition from the 
Huawei to the post‐
Huawei framework, investigates the unresolved issues, and further reflects upon the existing situation in India.
Recovering 18th‐century erotica
Authors: Parker Kate
Published: March 2019

This article considers the often productive overlap between feminist scholarship of recovery in 18th‐century literature and the ongoing work of erotic studies. Considering how revisionist feminist scholarship has revitalized a field often (wrongly) considered to be male‐dominated, this study aims to highlight some of the most exciting recent crossover work in gender and sexuality studies.
Regulating public procurement in Brazil, India, and China: Toward the regulatory‐developmental state
Authors: Križić Ivo
Published: March 2019

Since the 1990s, emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China have adopted transparency‐enhancing public procurement regulations in line with international norms. Yet they have hesitated to join the World Trade Organization's legally binding Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Based on the Special Issue framework, this article scrutinizes the underlying domestic and international determinants, and how they influence emerging countries’ positions in two overlapping international procurement regimes. In particular, reform‐oriented state actors, societal pressure, and lesson‐drawing from international templates have induced a strengthening of domestic procurement institutions and turned emerging countries into “promoters” of the international transparency regime. Conversely, the rising powers have remained, to varying degrees, reluctant “spoilers” of the GPA‐based market access regime in order to keep policy space and use procurement for domestic development objectives. The article suggests that this regulatory‐developmental layering of rule‐based governance and interventionist ambitions characterizes the variegated regulatory state in emerging countries.
The inertia operator on the motivic Hall algebra
Authors: Behrend Kai , Ronagh Pooya
Published: March 2019

We study the action of the inertia operator on the motivic Hall algebra and prove that it is diagonalizable. This leads to a filtration of the Hall algebra, whose associated graded algebra is commutative. In particular, the degree 1 subspace forms a Lie algebra, which we call the Lie algebra ofvirtually indecomposableelements, following Joyce. We prove that the integral of virtually indecomposable elements admits an Euler characteristic specialization. In order to take advantage of the fact that our inertia groups are unit groups in algebras, we introduce the notion ofalgebroid.
The oceanic sink for anthropogenic CO
2
from 1994 to 2007
Authors: Gruber Nicolas , Clement Dominic , Carter Brendan R. , Feely Richard A. , van Heuven Steven , Hoppema Mario , Ishii Masao , Key Robert M. , Kozyr Alex , Lauvset Siv K. , Lo Monaco Claire , Mathis Jeremy T. , Murata Akihiko , Olsen Are , Perez Fiz F. , Sabine Christopher L. , Tanhua Toste , Wanninkhof Rik
Published: March 2019

The state of ocean CO
2
uptake

The ocean is an important sink for anthropogenic CO
2
and has absorbed roughly 30% of our emissions between the beginning of the industrial revolution and the mid-1990s. This effect is an important moderator of climate change, but can we count on it to remain as strong in the future? Gruber
et al.
calculated the ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO
2
for the interval from 1994 to 2007, which continued as expected. They also observed clear regional deviations from this pattern, suggesting that there is no guarantee that uptake will remain as robust with time.

Science
, this issue p.
1193
Herbivores as drivers of negative density dependence in tropical forest saplings
Authors: Forrister Dale L. , Endara María-José , Younkin Gordon C. , Coley Phyllis D. , Kursar Thomas A.
Published: March 2019

Herbivores shape tropical forests

In tropical forests, high local tree diversity is driven by negative density dependence, a process whereby plant performance is inhibited by closely related neighbors. Negative density dependence could be caused by competition for resources among neighbors or result from shared herbivores and pathogens. Using data from forest plots in Panama, Forrister
et al.
compared the contributions of these mechanisms. They found no effect of competition, but strong effects of plant chemistry and shared herbivores on coexisting
Inga
tree species.

Science
, this issue p.
1213
Science and health for all children with cancer
Authors: Lam Catherine G. , Howard Scott C. , Bouffet Eric , Pritchard-Jones Kathy
Published: March 2019

Each year ~429,000 children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years are expected to develop cancer. Five-year survival rates exceed 80% for the 45,000 children with cancer in high-income countries (HICs) but are less than 30% for the 384,000 children in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Improved survival rates in HICs have been achieved through multidisciplinary care and research, with treatment regimens using mostly generic medicines and optimized risk stratification. Children’s outcomes in LMICs can be improved through global collaborative partnerships that help local leaders adapt effective treatments to local resources and clinical needs, as well as address common problems such as delayed diagnosis and treatment abandonment. Together, these approaches may bring within reach the global survival target recently set by the World Health Organization: 60% survival for all children with cancer by 2030.
Kinetics of Early Innate Immune Activation during HIV-1 Infection of Humanized Mice
Authors: Skelton Jessica Katy , Ortega-Prieto Ana Maria , Kaye Steve , Jimenez-Guardeño Jose Manuel , Turner Jane , Malim Michael H. , Towers Greg J. , Dorner Marcus
Published: March 2019

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is restricted to humans and some nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzee and gorilla). Alternative model systems based on simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of macaques are available but do not recapitulate all aspects of HIV-1 infection and disease. Humanized mice, which contain a human immune system, can be used to study HIV-1, but only limited information on early events and immune responses is available to date. Here, we describe very early immune responses to HIV-1 and demonstrate a suppression of cell-intrinsic innate immunity. Furthermore, we show that HIV-1 infection interacts differently with innate immune responses in blood and lymphoid organs.
Intestinal dysbiosis augments liver disease progression via NLRP3 in a murine model of primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Liao Lijun , Schneider Kai Markus , Galvez Eric J C , Frissen Mick , Marschall Hanns-Ulrich , Su Huan , Hatting Maximilian , Wahlström Annika , Haybaeck Johannes , Puchas Philip , Mohs Antje , Peng Jin , Bergheim Ina , Nier Anika , Hennings Julia , Reißing Johanna , Zimmermann Henning W , Longerich Thomas , Strowig Till , Liedtke Christian , Cubero Francisco J , Trautwein Christian
Published: March 2019

Objective

There is a striking association between human cholestatic liver disease (CLD) and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the functional implications for intestinal microbiota and inflammasome-mediated innate immune response in CLD remain elusive. Here we investigated the functional role of gut–liver crosstalk for CLD in the murine Mdr2 knockout(Mdr2−/−)model resembling human primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Design

MaleMdr2−/−,Mdr2−/−crossed with hepatocyte-specific deletion of caspase-8 (Mdr2−/−/Casp8∆hepa) and wild-type (WT) control mice were housed for 8 or 52 weeks, respectively, to characterise the impact of Mdr2 deletion on liver and gut including bile acid and microbiota profiling. To block caspase activation, a pan-caspase inhibitor (IDN-7314) was administered. Finally, the functional role ofMdr2−/−-associated intestinal dysbiosis was studied by microbiota transfer experiments.

Results

Mdr2−/−mice displayed an unfavourable intestinal microbiota signature and pronounced NLRP3 inflammasome activation within the gut–liver axis. Intestinal dysbiosis inMdr2−/−mice prompted intestinal barrier dysfunction and increased bacterial translocation amplifying the hepatic NLRP3-mediated innate immune response. Transfer ofMdr2−/−microbiota into healthy WT control mice induced significant liver injury in recipient mice, highlighting the causal role of intestinal dysbiosis for disease progression. Strikingly, IDN-7314 dampened inflammasome activation, ameliorated liver injury, reversed serum bile acid profile and cholestasis-associated microbiota signature.

Conclusions

MDR2-associated cholestasis triggers intestinal dysbiosis. In turn, translocation of endotoxin into the portal vein and subsequent NLRP3 inflammasome activation contribute to higher liver injury. This process does not essentially depend on caspase-8 in hepatocytes, but can be blocked by IDN-7314.
The biobank consent debate: why ‘meta-consent’ is still the solution!
Authors: Ploug Thomas , Holm Soren
Published: March 2019

In a recent article in theJournal of Medical Ethics,Neil Manson sets out to show that the meta-consent model of informed consent is not the solution to perennial debate on the ethics of biobank participation. In this response, we shall argue that (i) Manson’s considerations on the costs of a meta-consent model are incomplete and therefore misleading; (ii) his view that a model of broad consent passes a threshold of moral acceptability rests on an analogy that misconstrues how biobank research is actually conducted and (iii) a model of meta-consent is more in tune with the nature of biobank research and enables autonomous choice.
Incubation period and risk factors support sexual transmission of bacterial vaginosis in women who have sex with women
Authors: Muzny Christina Ann , Lensing Shelly Y , Aaron Kristal J , Schwebke Jane R
Published: March 2019

Objective

The epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) favours sexual transmission of BV-associated bacteria. We examined incubation period and risk factors for incident BV (iBV) in a prospective study of women who have sex with women (WSW).

Methods

Using daily self-collected vaginal swabs, WSW with normal vaginal microbiota (no Amsel criteria and a Nugent score of 0–3) were followed for 90 days or until iBV (Nugent score 7–10 on at least 2–3 consecutive days). Daily diaries of sexual activity and menses were completed. Time to iBV was estimated. Accounting for differing lengths of follow-up and age, rates of sexual activities (per 100 person-days (pd)) were compared according to iBV status. The relationship between menses and iBV was also investigated.

Results

Of the 36 WSW, the mean age was 30 years (SD 8) and 92% were African American. The probability of iBV at 30 and 60 days was 20% (SD 7%) and 36% (SD 8%), respectively; 14 (39%) developed iBV by 90 days. In WSW with iBV versus those without iBV, the relative rate of any sexual activity prior to iBV was 40% higher (20.4 vs 14.6 per 100 pd; p=0.010), sex with a woman was 38% higher (14.3 vs 10.3 per 100 pd; p=0.038), digital-vaginal sex was 57% higher (14.3 vs 9.1 per 100 pd; p=0.005) and digital-anal sex was 5.6 times higher (2.9 vs 0.5 per 100 pd; p<0.001). iBV was more likely for those WSW with menses in the prior 2 days as compared with those without recent menses (HR 3.4; p=0.029). Sexual activity occurred in 93% WSW at a median of 4 days (95% CI 2 to 6) prior to iBV.

Conclusion

iBV was common and associated with sexual activity in this cohort of predominantly African American WSW. An incubation period of 4 days is consistent with other bacterial STIs.
The effect of amino-alcohol-based corrosion inhibitors on concrete durability
Authors: Sun Congtao , Chen Mingshi , Zheng Haibing , Zhang Peng , Li Yantao , Hou Baorong
Published: March 2019

Laboratory investigation was carried out to assess the effect of amino-alcohol-based corrosion inhibitors on concrete durability, and the inhibition mechanism in concrete was analyzed. Both admixed type and surface-applied type corrosion inhibitors were studied by chloride penetration test, saturation test, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the anti-penetrability, compactness, and hydration of concrete were improved after the two types of corrosion inhibitors were applied. The use of corrosion inhibitors mitigated the penetration of chloride ions and water into concrete, which effectively delayed corrosion of the reinforcing bar. The surface-applied corrosion inhibitor showed better efficiency in the concrete specimens compared to the admixed type. Moreover, there was a better synergy between the two agents and the best performance when the two agents were applied to the concrete simultaneously.
Nanocellulose-Based Hybrid Hydrogels as Flexible Cathodes of Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Jingze , Lai Jiamei , Huang Xingyuan , Liu Hesheng
Published: March 2019

Cellulose nanofibers, detached from natural plants, are very promising for applications in the energy storage devices. The swelling of cellulose nanofibers provides abundant paths in the hybrid hydrogels for ion diffusion towards the active material. There is an optimal composition of 50[Formula: see text]wt.% for cellulose nanofibers in the hybrid hydrogels due to the balance between ion diffusion and electron transport, that is, facilitated by conductive graphite nanoplatelets. The aqueous Zn-ion batteries, assembled from the optimized hybrid hydrogels, have a high-specific capacity of 149.4[Formula: see text]mAh/g and energy density of 113.2[Formula: see text]mWh/g, respectively. Moreover, high flexibility of the aqueous Zn-ion batteries is guaranteed by the hybrid hydrogels. There is only a little decay in the electrochemical performance under mechanical bending.
Synthesis of Porous NiMo Sulfide Microspheres for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Supercapacitor
Authors: Yang Wen , Xia Bin , Lu Jiacheng , Yang Peizhi , Chen Xiaobo
Published: March 2019

Novel hierarchical porous NiMoS4 microspheres with high electrochemical performance was successfully prepared using a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The dual application of porous NiMoS4 microspheres in energy harvesting and storage (i.e., dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and supercapacitors (SCs), respectively) is explored. In contrast to NiS2 nanosheets, MoS2 nanosheets and Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the NiMoS4 microspheres CE demonstrated the lowest charge transfer resistance and highest electrocatalytic activity for the I[Formula: see text]/I− redox couple reaction. The NiMoS4-based DSSC showed a higher power conversion efficiency (8.9%) even than that of Pt-based DSSC (8.7%) under simulated standard global AM 1.5[Formula: see text]G sunlight (100[Formula: see text]mW[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]). As an electroactive material for SCs, the assembled NiMoS4//AC asymmetric supercapacitor showed excellent specific capacitance (118.7[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 1[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text][Formula: see text], high energy density of 42.2[Formula: see text]Wh[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text] (with a power density of 799.2[Formula: see text]W[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text], and superior cycling durability with a specific capacitance retention of 79.5% after 9000 cycles at 3[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text].
Rumor Blocking through Online Link Deletion on Social Networks
Authors: Yan Ruidong , Li Yi , Wu Weili , Li Deying , Wang Yongcai
Published: March 2019

In recent years, social networks have become important platforms for people to disseminate information. However, we need to take effective measures such as blocking a set of links to control the negative rumors spreading over the network. In this article, we propose a
Rumor Spread Minimization
(RSM) problem, i.e., we remove an edge set from network such that the rumor spread is minimized. We first prove the objective function of RSM problem is not submodular. Then, we propose both submodular lower-bound and upper-bound of the objective function. Next, we develop a heuristic algorithm to approximate the objective function. Furthermore, we reformulate our objective function as the DS function (the Difference of Submodular functions). Finally, we conduct experiments on real-world datasets to evaluate our proposed method. The experiment results show that the upper and lower bounds are very close, which indicates the good quality of them. And, the proposed method outperforms the comparison methods.
Taxonomy and Evaluation for Microblog Popularity Prediction
Authors: Gao Xiaofeng , Cao Zhenhao , Li Sha , Yao Bin , Chen Guihai , Tang Shaojie
Published: March 2019

As social networks become a major source of information, predicting the outcome of information diffusion has appeared intriguing to both researchers and practitioners. By organizing and categorizing the joint efforts of numerous studies on popularity prediction, this article presents a hierarchical taxonomy and helps to establish a systematic overview of popularity prediction methods for microblog. Specifically, we uncover three lines of thoughts: the feature-based approach, time-series modelling, and the collaborative filtering approach and analyse them, respectively. Furthermore, we also categorize prediction methods based on their underlying rationale: whether they attempt to model the motivation of users or monitor the early responses. Finally, we put these prediction methods to test by performing experiments on real-life data collected from popular social networks Twitter and Weibo. We compare the methods in terms of accuracy, efficiency, timeliness, robustness, and bias.

As far as we are concerned, there is no precedented survey aimed at microblog popularity prediction at the time of submission. By establishing a taxonomy and evaluation for the first time, we hope to provide an in-depth review of state-of-the-art prediction methods and point out directions for further research. Our evaluations show that time-series modelling has the advantage of high accuracy and the ability to improve over time. The feature-based methods using only temporal features performs nearly as well as using all possible features, producing average results. This suggests that temporal features do have strong predictive power and that power is better exploited with time-series models. On the other hand, this implies that we know little about the future popularity of an item before it is posted, which may be the focus of further research.
Lock–Unlock
Authors: Guerraoui Rachid , Guiroux Hugo , Lachaize Renaud , Quéma Vivien , Trigonakis Vasileios
Published: March 2019

A plethora of optimized mutex lock algorithms have been designed over the past 25 years to mitigate performance bottlenecks related to critical sections and locks. Unfortunately, there is currently no broad study of the behavior of these optimized lock algorithms on realistic applications that consider different performance metrics, such as energy efficiency and tail latency. In this article, we perform a thorough and practical analysis of synchronization, with the goal of providing software developers with enough information to design fast, scalable, and energy-efficient synchronization in their systems. First, we perform a performance study of 28 state-of-the-art mutex lock algorithms, on 40 applications, on four different multicore machines. We consider not only throughput (traditionally the main performance metric) but also energy efficiency and tail latency, which are becoming increasingly important. Second, we present an in-depth analysis in which we summarize our findings for all the studied applications. In particular, we describe nine different lock-related performance bottlenecks, and we propose six guidelines helping software developers with their choice of a lock algorithm according to the different lock properties and the application characteristics.

From our detailed analysis, we make several observations regarding locking algorithms and application behaviors, several of which have not been previously discovered: (i) applications stress not only the lock–unlock interface but also the full locking API (e.g., trylocks, condition variables); (ii) the memory footprint of a lock can directly affect the application performance; (iii) for many applications, the interaction between locks and scheduling is an important application performance factor; (vi) lock tail latencies may or may not affect application tail latency; (v) no single lock is systematically the best; (vi) choosing the best lock is difficult; and (vii) energy efficiency and throughput go hand in hand in the context of lock algorithms. These findings highlight that locking involves more considerations than the simple lock/unlock interface and call for further research on designing low-memory footprint adaptive locks that fully and efficiently support the full lock interface, and consider all performance metrics.
DWE-Med
Authors: Jha Kishlay , Xun Guangxu , Gopalakrishnan Vishrawas , Zhang Aidong
Published: March 2019

Recent advances in unsupervised language processing methods have created an opportunity to exploit massive text corpora for developing high-quality vector space representation (also known as word embeddings) of words. Towards this direction, practitioners have developed and applied several data driven embedding models with quite good rate of success. However, a drawback of these models lies in their premise of static context; wherein, the meaning of a word is assumed to remain the same over the period of time. This is limiting because it is known that the semantic meaning of a concept evolves over time. While such semantic drifts are routinely observed in almost all the domains; their effect is acute in domain such as biomedicine, where the semantic meaning of a concept changes relatively fast. To address this, in this study, we aim to learn temporally aware vector representation of medical concepts from the timestamped text data, and in doing so provide a systematic approach to formalize the problem. More specifically, a dynamic word embedding based model that jointly learns the temporal characteristics of medical concepts and performs across time-alignment is proposed. Apart from capturing the evolutionary characteristics in an optimal manner, the model also factors in the implicit medical properties useful for a variety of bio-medical applications. Empirical studies conducted on two important bio-medical use cases validates the effectiveness of the proposed approach and suggests that the model not only learns quality embeddings but also facilitates intuitive trajectory visualizations.
LiveCap
Authors: Habermann Marc , Xu Weipeng , Zollhöfer Michael , Pons-Moll Gerard , Theobalt Christian
Published: March 2019

We present the first real-time human performance capture approach that reconstructs dense, space-time coherent deforming geometry of entire humans in general everyday clothing from just a single RGB video. We propose a novel two-stage analysis-by-synthesis optimization whose formulation and implementation are designed for high performance. In the first stage, a skinned template model is jointly fitted to background subtracted input video, 2D and 3D skeleton joint positions found using a deep neural network, and a set of sparse facial landmark detections. In the second stage, dense non-rigid 3D deformations of skin and even loose apparel are captured based on a novel real-time capable algorithm for non-rigid tracking using dense photometric and silhouette constraints. Our novel energy formulation leverages automatically identified material regions on the template to model the differing non-rigid deformation behavior of skin and apparel. The two resulting non-linear optimization problems per frame are solved with specially tailored data-parallel Gauss-Newton solvers. To achieve real-time performance of over 25Hz, we design a pipelined parallel architecture using the CPU and two commodity GPUs. Our method is the first real-time monocular approach for full-body performance capture. Our method yields comparable accuracy with off-line performance capture techniques while being orders of magnitude faster.
The Book Review Column
Authors: Green Frederic
Published: March 2019

In this column we review two books, both mathematical, the second containing more of an emphasis on applications:
SIGACT News Complexity Theory Column 100
Authors: Hemaspaandra Lane A.
Published: March 2019

This is column number 100, and Bill Gasarch has very kindly made it an event! In particular, this issue's column is the third of Bill Gasarch's series of polls on the eld's thoughts on P vs. NP (and other central issues in complexity). The rst two polls in the series appeared as SIGACT News Complexity Theory Columns 36 and 74.

Warmest thanks to Bill Gasarch for having undertaken the huge task of creating the poll, gathering the responses, analyzing them, and writing this article on what the poll reveals, and to Clyde Kruskal who was Bill's magical elf on proofreading, polishing, and even knocking on doors to ask people what they think of P versus NP. (Psst: Bill and Clyde's 2019 book, "problems with a Point: Exploring Math and Computer Science" (https://www.worldscienti c.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/11261), sounds absolutely fascinating!)
Task-specific differences in respiration-related activation of deep and superficial pelvic floor muscles
Authors: Aljuraifani Rafeef , Stafford Ryan E. , Hall Leanne M. , van den Hoorn Wolbert , Hodges Paul W.
Published: March 2019

The female pelvic floor muscles (PFM) are arranged in distinct superficial and deep layers that function to support the pelvic/abdominal organs and maintain continence, but with some potential differences in function. Although general recordings of PFM activity show amplitude modulation in conjunction with fluctuation in intra-abdominal pressure such as that associated with respiration, it is unclear whether the activities of the two PFM layers modulate in a similar manner. This study aimed to investigate the activation of the deep and superficial PFM during a range of respiratory tasks in different postures. Twelve women without pelvic floor dysfunction participated. A custom-built surface electromyography (EMG) electrode was used to record the activation of the superficial and deep PFM during quiet breathing, breathing with increased dead space, coughing, and maximal and submaximal inspiratory and expiratory efforts. As breathing demand increased, the deep PFM layer EMG had greater coherence with respiratory airflow at the frequency of respiration than the superficial PFM ( P = 0.038). During cough, the superficial PFM activated earlier than the deep PFM in the sitting position ( P = 0.043). In contrast, during maximal and submaximal inspiratory and expiratory efforts, the superficial PFM EMG was greater than that for the deep PFM ( P = 0.011). These data show that both layers of PFM are activated during both inspiration and expiration, but with a bias to greater activation in expiratory tasks/phases. Activation of the deep and superficial PFM layers differed in most of the respiratory tasks, but there was no consistent bias to one muscle layer.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although pelvic floor muscles are generally considered as a single entity, deep and superficial layers have different anatomies and biomechanics. Here we show task-specific differences in recruitment between layers during respiratory tasks in women. The deep layer was more tightly modulated with respiration than the superficial layer, but activation of the superficial layer was greater during maximal/submaximal occluded respiratory efforts and earlier during cough. These data highlight tightly coordinated recruitment of discrete pelvic floor muscles for respiration.
Prediction of Compressive Strength of Stabilized Earth Block Masonry
Authors: Sajanthan Kunasegaram , Balagasan Balasingam , Sathiparan Navaratnarajah
Published: March 2019

The present study investigates the compressive strength of cement‐stabilized earth block masonry prisms with a number of masonry units and joint layer mortar combinations. The compressive strength of masonry was determined to be performed by uniaxial tests on 144 masonry prisms. The simple relationship has been identified for obtaining the compressive strength of stabilized earth block masonry from their corresponding block and mortar compressive strength. The predicted compressive strength of masonry prisms using the proposed expression is compared with 14 empirical equations and experimental data of past research available in the published literature. The compressive strength predicted by the expression proposed in the present study was found to be in good agreement with corresponding experimental data compared with other empirical equations available in the published literature.