bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors that Influence the Communication of Adverse Findings in Obstetrics: A Survey of Current Sonographer Practices in Australia
Authors: Thomas Samantha , O’Loughlin Kate , Clarke Jillian
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To identify factors influencing sonographers’ practices in communicating adverse obstetric findings and to understand their views on the need for standardized national policies and guidelines.

Methods:

Qualified and trainee sonographers who currently perform obstetric sonography were invited to complete a survey through the Australasian Sonographers Association. Closed-ended questions sought information on the demographic profile of the participants and their experiences on a range of issues related to workplace practices and policies. Open-ended questions allowed respondents to elaborate on workplace interactions and their views on the communication roles of sonologists (radiologists and obstetricians) and sonographers.

Results:

The practice setting, the background of the sonologist, the type of adverse finding, and the trimester in which a patient is scanned have an impact on the level of difficulty for sonographers in obstetric communication. These findings highlight a lack of uniformity of sonographer and sonologist communication with patients due to limited training, lack of formalized departmental policies, inadequate support, and communication practices by radiologists. As a result, respondents strongly supported the development of a standardized national policy.

Conclusion:

In the current environment of patient-centered care, sonographers are in a challenging position as they do not have policies supporting them as independent health care professionals, autonomously deciding on the best approach to communicate findings with their patients. This may lead to anxiety and stress if they lack control over the interaction. More support from sonologists in a radiology setting is needed. These findings should encourage professional bodies to address these issues by working collaboratively and to recognize the importance of the sonographers’ role and their unique position with pregnant patients.
Profiling the urinary microbiome in men with calcium-based kidney stones
Authors: Xie Jing , Huang Jian-sheng , Huang Xiang-jiang , Peng Jun-ming , Yu Zhou , Yuan Ye-qing , Xiao Ke-feng , Guo Ji-nan
Published: February 2020

Background

The dogma that urine is sterile in healthy individuals has been overturned by recent studies applying molecular-based methods. Mounting evidences indicate that dysbiosis of the urinary microbiota is associated with several urological diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the urinary microbiome of male patients with calcium-based kidney stones and compare it with those of healthy individuals.

Results

The diversity of the urinary microbiota in kidney stone patients was significantly lower than that of healthy controls based on the Shannon and Simpson index (P < 0.001 for both indices). The urinary microbiota structure also significantly differed between kidney stone patients and healthy controls (ANOSIM, R = 0.11, P < 0.001). Differential representation of inflammation associated bacteria (e.g., Acinetobacter) and several enriched functional pathways were identified in the urine of kidney stones patients. Meanwhile, we found the species diversity, overall composition of microbiota and predicted functional pathways were similar between bladder urine and renal pelvis urine in kidney stone patients.

Conclusions

A marked dysbiosis of urinary microbiota in male patients with calcium-based kidney stones was observed, which may be helpful to interpret the association between bacteria and calcium-based kidney stones.
“Who will stand up for us?” the social determinants of health of women tea plantation workers in India
Authors: Rajbangshi Preety R. , Nambiar Devaki
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The tea estate sector of India is one of the oldest and largest formal private employers. Workers are dependent on plantation estates for a range of basic services under the 1951 Plantation Labour Act and have been subject to human rights violations. Ad hoc reports related to poor health outcomes exist, yet their determinants have not been systematically studied. This study in Assam, situated in Northeast India, sought to understand the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) of women plantation workers with an aim to offer directions for policy action.

Methods

As part of a larger qualitative study, 16 FGDs were carried out with women workers in three plantations of Jorhat district covering permanent and non-permanent workers. Informed consent procedures were carried out with all participants individually. Data were analyzed thematically using Ritchie and Spencer’s framework based on an adapted conceptual framework drawing from existing global conceptual models and frameworks related to the SDH.

Results

Determinants at structural, intermediary and individual levels were associated with health. Poverty and poor labour conditions, compounded by the low social position of women in their communities, precluded their ability to improve their economic situation. The poor quality of housing and sanitation, inadequate food and rations, all hampered daily living. Health services were found wanting and social networks were strained even as women were a critical support to each other. These factors impinged on use of health services, diet and nutrition as well as psychosocial stress at the individual level.

Conclusion

Years of subjugation of workers have led to their deep distrust in the system of which they are part. Acting on SDH will take time, deeper understanding of their relative and/or synergistic contribution, and require the building of stakeholdership. Notwithstanding this, to have heard from women workers themselves has been an important step in visibilizing and building accountability for action on the health and SDH of women in plantation estates.
“Promote locally led initiatives to fight female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)” lessons from anti-FGM/C advocates in rural Kenya
Authors: Mwendwa Purity , Mutea Naomi , Kaimuri Mary Joy , De Brún Aoife , Kroll Thilo
Published: February 2020

Background

Female Genital Mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a tradition rooted in culture and involves the partial or total removal or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. In Kenya, initiatives to abandon the practice have included ‘alternative’ ritualistic programmes (ARPs) combined with intensive community sensitisation about FGM/C to achieve attitudinal and behavioural changes. While there are indications of the effectiveness of these interventions, FGM/C continues to be practiced within certain groups in Kenya. This study explored the views of anti-FGM/C advocates on the barriers and facilitators to tackling FGM/C within the Meru community in Kenya.

Methods

Data were obtained using 4 Focus Groups (FGs) with 30 anti-FGM/C advocates from Tigania East and West in Meru county. Thematic framework analysis guided the analysis based on four main questions: 1) How has the cultural meaning of FGM/C evolved over time? 2) What are the perceptions in relation to the effectiveness of anti-FGM/C interventions? 3) How effective are interventions and campaigns to end FGM/C in Meru county? 4) What actions are perceived as the most likely to bring about change?

Results

There has been a substantial shift in the culture of FGM/C and the number of families carrying out the practice in Meru county has decreased in recent years. Participants noted five actions likely to bring about change; 1) reviving and supporting ARPs, 2) encouraging fathers’ involvement in the upbringing of their daughters,3) inclusion of the topic of FGM/C in the current education curriculum and public fora, 4) strengthening the community policing strategy -Nyumba Kumi, 5) and setting up community centers for orphans.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the significance of locally led initiatives to fight FGM/C. It also became clear that change would have to start at the family level with parents, particularly fathers, taking on a more active role in the lives of their daughters. Providing education about FGM/C to communities, particularly young men coupled with keeping girls in school appeared to be some of the most effective ways of fighting FGM/C. At the community level, the church became particularly crucial in challenging the practice of FGM/C.
Relationship between perfectionism and attitudes toward doping in young athletes: the mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation
Authors: Wang Kun , Xu Lei , Zhang Jimeng , Wang Dong , Sun Kaihong
Published: February 2020

Background

Recent studies suggest that autonomous and controlled motivation may mediate the relationship between perfectionism and attitudes toward doping. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and attitudes toward doping in young athletes. The potential mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation was examined.

Methods

Two hundred and forty-three Chinese athletes were surveyed using questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to evaluate the potential mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation between perfectionism and attitudes toward doping.

Results

The results showed that perfectionistic strivings was negatively associated with attitudes toward doping, whereas perfectionistic concerns positively predicted attitudes toward doping. Autonomous motivation was negatively associated with attitudes toward doping, whereas controlled motivation positively predicted attitudes toward doping. The mediation analyses showed that the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and attitudes toward doping was partially mediated by autonomous motivation. The relationship between perfectionistic concerns and attitudes toward doping was partially mediated by controlled motivation.

Conclusions

The findings suggested that fostering perfectionistic strivings and autonomous motivation and reducing perfectionistic concerns and controlled motivation may be considered for inclusion in athletes’ anti-doping education.
FKBP9 promotes the malignant behavior of glioblastoma cells and confers resistance to endoplasmic reticulum stress inducers
Authors: Xu Huizhe , Liu Peng , Yan Yumei , Fang Kun , Liang Dapeng , Hou Xiukun , Zhang Xiaohong , Wu Songyan , Ma Jianmei , Wang Ruoyu , Li Tao , Piao Haozhe , Meng Songshu
Published: February 2020

Background

FK506-binding protein 9 (FKBP9) is amplified in high-grade gliomas (HGGs). However, the roles and mechanism(s) of FKBP9 in glioma are unknown.

Methods

The expression of FKBP9 in clinical glioma tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The correlation between FKBP9 expression levels and the clinical prognosis of glioma patients was examined by bioinformatic analysis. Glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines stably depleted of FKBP9 were established using lentiviruses expressing shRNAs against FKBP9. The effects of FKBP9 on GBM cells were determined by cell-based analyses, including anchorage-independent growth, spheroid formation, transwell invasion assay, confocal microscopy, immunoblot (IB) and coimmunoprecipitation assays. In vivo tumor growth was determined in both chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and mouse xenograft models.

Results

High FKBP9 expression correlated with poor prognosis in glioma patients. Knockdown of FKBP9 markedly suppressed the malignant phenotype of GBM cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, FKBP9 expression induced the activation of p38MAPK signaling via ASK1. Furthermore, ASK1-p38 signaling contributed to the FKBP9-mediated effects on GBM cell clonogenic growth. In addition, depletion of FKBP9 activated the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway, which played a role in the FKBP9-mediated oncogenic effects. Importantly, FKBP9 expression conferred GBM cell resistance to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducers that caused FKBP9 ubiquitination and degradation.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest an oncogenic role for FKBP9 in GBM and reveal FKBP9 as a novel mediator in the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway.
Update on the EFFECTS study of fluoxetine for stroke recovery: a randomised controlled trial in Sweden
Authors:   For the EFFECTS Trial Collaboration, Lundström Erik , Isaksson Eva , Näsman Per , Wester Per , Mårtensson Björn , Norrving Bo , Wallén Håkan , Borg Jörgen , Dennis Martin , Mead Gillian , Hankey Graeme J. , Hackett Maree L. , Sunnerhagen Katharina S.
Published: February 2020

Studies have suggested that fluoxetine might improve neurological recovery after stroke, but the results remain inconclusive. The EFFECTS (Efficacy oF Fluoxetine – a randomisEd Controlled Trial in Stroke) reached its recruitment target of 1500 patients in June 2019. The purpose of this article is to present all amendments to the protocol and describe how we formed the EFFECTS trial collaboration in Sweden.

Methods

In this investigator-led, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, we enrolled non-depressed stroke patients aged 18 years or older between 2 and 15 days after stroke onset. The patients had a clinical diagnosis of stroke (ischaemic or intracerebral haemorrhage) with persisting focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomised to fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo capsules once daily for 6 months.

Results

Seven amendments were made and included clarification of drug interaction between fluoxetine and metoprolol and the use of metoprolol for severe heart failure as an exclusion criterion, inclusion of data from central Swedish registries and the Swedish Stroke Register, changes in informed consent from patients, and clarification of design of some sub-studies.

EFFECTS recruited 1500 patients at 35 centres in Sweden between 20 October 2014 and 28 June 2019. We plan to unblind the data in January 2020 and report the primary outcome in May 2020.

Conclusion

EFFECTS will provide data on the safety and efficacy of 6 months of treatment with fluoxetine after stroke in a Swedish health system setting. The data from EFFECTS will also contribute to an individual patient data meta-analysis.

Trial registration

EudraCT 2011-006130-16. Registered on 8 August 2014.

ISRCTN, ISRCTN13020412. Registered on 19 December 2014.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02683213. Retrospectively registered on 2 February 2016.
Benchmarking hybrid assemblies of Giardia and prediction of widespread intra-isolate structural variation
Authors: Pollo Stephen M. J. , Reiling Sarah J. , Wit Janneke , Workentine Matthew L. , Guy Rebecca A. , Batoff G. William , Yee Janet , Dixon Brent R. , Wasmuth James D.
Published: February 2020

Background

Currently available short read genome assemblies of the tetraploid protozoan parasiteGiardia intestinalisare highly fragmented, highlighting the need for improved genome assemblies at a reasonable cost. Long nanopore reads are well suited to resolve repetitive genomic regions resulting in better quality assemblies of eukaryotic genomes. Subsequent addition of highly accurate short reads to long-read assemblies further improves assembly quality. Using this hybrid approach, we assembled genomes for threeGiardiaisolates, two with published assemblies and one novel, to evaluate the improvement in genome quality gained from long reads. We then used the long reads to predict structural variants to examine this previously unexplored source of genetic variation inGiardia.

Methods

With MinION reads for each isolate, we assembled genomes using several assemblers specializing in long reads. Assembly metrics, gene finding, and whole genome alignments to the reference genomes enabled direct comparison to evaluate the performance of the nanopore reads. Further improvements from adding Illumina reads to the long-read assemblies were evaluated using gene finding. Structural variants were predicted from alignments of the long reads to the best hybrid genome for each isolate and enrichment of key genes was analyzed using random genome sampling and calculation of percentiles to find thresholds of significance.

Results

Our hybrid assembly method generated reference quality genomes for each isolate. Consistent with previous findings based on SNPs, examination of heterozygosity using the structural variants found thatGiardiaBGS was considerably more heterozygous than the other isolates that are from Assemblage A. Further, each isolate was shown to contain structural variant regions enriched for variant-specific surface proteins, a key class of virulence factor inGiardia.

Conclusions

The ability to generate reference quality genomes from a single MinION run and a multiplexed MiSeq run enables future large-scale comparative genomic studies within the genusGiardia. Further, prediction of structural variants from long reads allows for more in-depth analyses of major sources of genetic variation within and betweenGiardiaisolates that could have effects on both pathogenicity and host range.
On the distribution of Low Hamming Weight products
Authors: Li Jianghua , Li Qiao
Published: February 2020

Jeffrey Hoffstein et al. (Discrete Appl. Math. 130:37–49, 2003) introduced the Low Hamming Weight products (LHWP) $X=x_{1}x_{2}x_{3}$X=x1x2x3 as random exponent of elements in a group or a ring to improve the operational efficiency, where each $x_{i}$xi has Hamming Weight $\operatorname{Ham}(x_{i})$Ham(xi) in its binary representation. The random power or multiple be used in many cryptographic constructions, such as Diffie–Hellman key exchange, elliptic curve ElGamal variants, and NTRU public-key cryptosystem. But their randomness is just a conjecture, which lacks of the security proof. The main purpose of this paper is using the analytic method and the properties of the character sums to prove the distribution of the Hamming weight products, which is related to their pseudorandomness and unpredictability. It is important to research the application of LHWP in cryptographic constructions. Our theory shows that the LHWP are exponentially close to the uniform distribution, namely, an attack on algorithm (Hoffstein et al. in Discrete Appl. Math. 130:37–49, 2003) needs polynomial time to reach exponentially close probabilities of success.
Finite-time synchronization criterion of graph theory perspective fractional-order coupled discontinuous neural networks
Authors: Pratap A. , Raja R. , Cao Jinde , Alzabut J. , Huang Chuangxia
Published: February 2020

In this research work, the finite-time synchronization and adaptive finite-time synchronization criterion of graph theory perspective fractional-order coupled discontinuous neural networks (FCDNNs) are investigated under two different control strategies. By utilizing differential inclusion theory, Filippov framework, suitable Lyapunov functional, and graph theory approach, several sufficient criteria based on discontinuous state feedback control protocol and discontinuous adaptive feedback control protocol are established for ensuring the finite-time synchronization and adaptive finite-time synchronization of FCDNNs. Finally, two numerical cases illustrate the efficiency of the proposed finite-time synchronization results.
Dynamics of localized waves and interaction solutions for the $(3+1)$-dimensional B-type Kadomtsev–Petviashvili–Boussinesq equation
Authors: Liu Wenhao , Zhang Yufeng
Published: February 2020

In this work, we investigate the $(3+1)$(3+1)-dimensional B-type Kadomtsev–Petviashvili–Boussinesq equation, which can be used to describe the processes of interaction of exponentially localized structures. The breathers, lumps, and rogue waves of this equation are studied in detail via the Hirota bilinear method. More specifically, the general breathers, line breathers, and many kinds of interaction solutions are constructed by selecting the appropriate parameters. Based on the long wave limit method, some lumps, rogue waves, and their interaction solutions are derived. The dynamical characteristics of these solutions are vividly demonstrated through some graphical analyzes in the different planes.
Finite-time $H_{\infty }$ bounded control of networked control systems with mixed delays and stochastic nonlinearities
Authors: Hou Ling , Chen Dongyan , He Chan
Published: February 2020

In this study, we investigate the stochastic finite-time $H_{\infty }$H∞ bounded control problem for a class of networked control systems (NCSs) subject to mixed delays, stochastic nonlinearities, and randomly missing measurement. The mixed delays consist of discrete time-varying and distributed delays. The stochastic nonlinearities satisfy statistical means. The missing measurement is modeled by a Bernoulli-distributed random variable. By applying stochastic analysis method we present sufficient conditions guaranteeing the stochastic finite-time boundedness of a closed-loop system with desired $H_{\infty }$H∞ performance level within a finite time interval. Moreover, dynamic output feedback controller can be obtained in terms of a set of matrix inequalities, which can be easily solved by using the cone complementarity linearization method (CCLM). Finally, we provide two numerical examples to illustrate the validity of the proposed design technique.
Identifying smartphone users based on how they interact with their phones
Authors: Alqarni Mohammed A. , Chauhdary Sajjad Hussain , Malik Maryam Naseer , Ehatisham-ul-Haq Muhammad , Azam Muhammad Awais
Published: February 2020

The continuous advancement in the Internet of Things technology allows people to connect anywhere at any time, thus showing great potential in technology like smart devices (including smartphones and wearable devices). However, there is a possible risk of unauthorized access to these devices and technologies. Unfortunately, frequently used authentication schemes for protecting smart devices (such as passwords, PINs, and pattern locks) are vulnerable to many attacks. USB tokens and hardware keys have a risk of being lost. Biometric verification schemes are insecure as well as they are susceptible to spoofing attacks. Maturity in sensor chips and machine learning algorithms provides a better solution for authentication problems based on behavioral biometrics, which aims to identify the behavioral traits that a user possesses, such as hand movements and waving patterns. Therefore, this research study aims to provide a solution for passive and continuous authentication of smartphone users by analyzing their activity patterns when interacting with their phones. The motivation is to learn the physical interactions of a smartphone owner for distinguishing him/her from other users to avoid any unauthorized access to the device. Extensive experiments were conducted to test the performance of the proposed scheme using random forests, support vector machine, and Bayes net. The best average recognition accuracy of 74.97% is achieved with the random forests classifier, which shows the significance of recognizing smartphone users based on their interaction with the phones.
Sex differences in the association between marital status and the risk of cardiovascular, cancer, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 7,881,040 individuals
Authors: Wang Yafeng , Jiao Yurui , Nie Jing , O’Neil Adrienne , Huang Wentao , Zhang Lei , Han Jiafei , Liu Hao , Zhu Yikun , Yu Chuanhua , Woodward Mark
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To ascertain whether sex differences exist in the relationship between marital status and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer and all-cause mortality in the general population and to explore the potential effect of age, location, the duration of follow-up and publication years on these outcomes.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE from inception through to April 2018 and review of references to obtain sex-specific relative risks and their 95% confidence intervals. These were used to derive the women-to-men ratio of RRs (RRR) and 95% CI for each study. RRs and RRRs for each outcome were then pooled using random effects inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-one studies with 7,891,623 individuals and 1,888,752 deaths were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with married individuals, being unmarried was significantly associated with all-cause, cancer, CVD and coronary heart disease mortalities for both sexes. However, the association with CVD and all-cause mortality was stronger in men. Being divorced/separated was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in men and a stronger risk of cancer and CVD mortality. The pooled ratio for women versus men showed 31 and 9% greater risk of stroke mortality and all-cause mortality associated with never married in men than in women.

Conclusions

Being unmarried conferred higher risk of stroke and all-cause mortality for men than women. Moreover, divorced/separated men had higher risk of cancer mortality and CVD mortality. Further studies are warranted to clarify the biological, behavioral, and/or social mechanisms involved in sex differences by these associations.
A DGA domain names detection modeling method based on integrating an attention mechanism and deep neural network
Authors: Ren Fangli , Jiang Zhengwei , Wang Xuren , Liu Jian
Published: February 2020

Command and control (C2) servers are used by attackers to operate communications. To perform attacks, attackers usually employee the Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA), with which to confirm rendezvous points to their C2 servers by generating various network locations. The detection of DGA domain names is one of the important technologies for command and control communication detection. Considering the randomness of the DGA domain names, recent research in DGA detection applyed machine learning methods based on features extracting and deep learning architectures to classify domain names. However, these methods are insufficient to handle wordlist-based DGA threats, which generate domain names by randomly concatenating dictionary words according to a special set of rules. In this paper, we proposed a a deep learning framework ATT-CNN-BiLSTM for identifying and detecting DGA domains to alleviate the threat. Firstly, the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) neural network layer was used to extract the features of the domain sequences information; secondly, the attention layer was used to allocate the corresponding weight of the extracted deep information from the domain names. Finally, the different weights of features in domain names were put into the output layer to complete the tasks of detection and classification. Our extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, both on regular DGA domains and DGA that hard to detect such as wordlist-based and part-wordlist-based ones. To be precise,we got a F1 score of 98.79% for the detection and macro average precision and recall of 83% for the classification task of DGA domain names.
Endogenous Monitoring in a Partnership Game
Authors: Sanktjohanser Anna
Published: February 2020

I consider a repeated game in which, due to imperfect monitoring, no collusion can be sustained. I add a self-interested monitor who commits to obtain private signals of firms’ actions and sends a public message. The monitor makes an offer specifying the precision of the signals obtained and the amount to be paid in return. First, with a low monitoring cost, collusive equilibria exist. Second, collusive equilibria are monitor-preferred. Third, in monitor-preferred equilibria, firms’ payoffs are decreasing in the discount factor. My model helps explain cartel agreements between self-interested parties and firms in legal industries in the United States and Europe. (JEL C73, D43, D82, L12)
Rural Roads and Local Economic Development
Authors: Asher Sam , Novosad Paul
Published: February 2020

Nearly one billion people worldwide live in rural areas without access to national paved road networks. We estimate the impacts of India’s $40 billion national rural road construction program using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design and comprehensive household and firm census microdata. Four years after road construction, the main effect of new feeder roads is to facilitate the movement of workers out of agriculture. However, there are no major changes in agricultural outcomes, income, or assets. Employment in village firms expands only slightly. Even with better market connections, remote areas may continue to lack economic opportunities. (JEL J43, O13, O18, R23, R42)
Maternal Depression, Women’s Empowerment, and Parental Investment: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Baranov Victoria , Bhalotra Sonia , Biroli Pietro , Maselko Joanna
Published: February 2020

We evaluate the medium-term impacts of treating maternal depression on women’s mental health, financial empowerment, and parenting decisions. We leverage variation induced by a cluster-randomized controlled trial that provided psychotherapy to 903 prenatally depressed mothers in rural Pakistan. It was one of the world’s largest psych otherapy interventions, and it dramatically reduced postpartum depression. Seven years after psychotherapy concluded, we returned to the study site to find that impacts on women’s mental health had persisted, with a 17 percent reduction in depression rates. The intervention also improved women’s financial empowerment and increased both time- and money-intensive parental investments by between 0.2 and 0.3 standard deviations. (JEL G51, I12, J16, O15)
The Welfare Effects of Social Media
Authors: Allcott Hunt , Braghieri Luca , Eichmeyer Sarah , Gentzkow Matthew
Published: February 2020

The rise of social media has provoked both optimism about potential societal benefits and concern about harms such as addiction, depression, and political polarization. In a randomized experiment, we find that deactivating Facebook for the four weeks before the 2018 US midterm election (i) reduced online activity, while increasing offline activities such as watching TV alone and socializing with family and friends; (ii) reduced both factual news knowledge and political polarization; (iii) increased subjective well-being; and post-experiment Facebook use. Deactivation reduced post-experiment valuations of Facebook, suggesting that traditional metrics may overstate consumer surplus. (JEL D12, D72, D90, I31, L82, L86, Z13)
Can diagnostic imaging help improve elder abuse detection?
Authors: Rohringer Taryn J , Rosen Tony E , Lee Mihan R , Sagar Pallavi , Murphy Kieran J
Published: February 2020

Elder abuse is an underdetected, under-reported issue with severe consequences. Its detection presents unique challenges based on characteristics of this vulnerable population, including cognitive impairment, age-related deconditioning, and an increased number of co-morbidities, all of which predispose to increase vulnerability to injury. While radiologists play a critical role in detection of child abuse, this role is currently not paralleled in detection of elder abuse. We conducted a thorough review of the literature using MEDLINE to describe the current knowledge on injury patterns and injury findings seen in elder abuse, as well as barriers to and recommendations for an increased role of diagnostic imaging in elder abuse detection. Barriers limiting the role of radiologists include lack of training and paucity of rigorous systematic research delineating distinctive imaging findings for physical elder abuse. We outline the current ways in which imaging can help raise clinical suspicion for elder abuse, including inconsistencies between purported mechanism of injury and imaging findings, injury location, multiple injuries at differing stages of healing, and particular patterns of injury likely to be intentionally inflicted. We additionally outline the mechanism by which medical education and clinical workflow may be modified to increase the role for imaging and radiologist participation in detecting abuse in older adult patients, and identify potential future directions for further systematic research.
ADAPTATION OF THE DOMESTIC ECONOMY TO DYNAMIC CHANGE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY AND FORMATION OF NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS: BUILDING HYPER COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISES IN THE TERRITORIES OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Besedin Aleksandr
Published: February 2020

Issues related to the construction of hypercompetitive enterprises are considered, taking into account current trends in the formation of territories of innovative development. The connection of increasing the efficiency of this kind of enterprise with a stabilizing effect on the economy of the region is shown. Hypercompetitive enterprises are horizontal bio-cyber corporations with the greatest adaptive ability and continuous leading innovative activity in the conditions of fierce competition
Economic evaluation plan of a RCT of hydroxyapatite-coated uncemented hemiarthroplasty versus cemented hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of displaced intracapsular hip fractures
Authors: Png May Ee , Fernandez Miguel A. , Achten Juul , Parsons Nicholas , McGibbon Alwin , Gould Jenny , Griffin Xavier , Costa Matthew L.
Published: February 2020

Aim

This paper describes the methods applied to assess the cost-effectiveness of cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty among hip fracture patients in the World Hip Trauma Evaluation Five (WHiTE5) trial.

Methods

A within-trial cost-utility analysis (CUA) will be conducted at four months postinjury from a health system (National Health Service and personal social services) perspective. Resource use pertaining to healthcare utilization (i.e. inpatient care, physiotherapy, social care, and home adaptations), and utility measures (quality-adjusted life years) will be collected at one and four months (primary outcome endpoint) postinjury; only treatment of complications will be captured at 12 months. Sensitivity analysis will be conducted to assess the robustness of the results.

Conclusion

The planned analysis strategy described here records our intent to conduct a within-trial CUA alongside the WHiTE5 trial.
Contesting the politics of negative emotions in educational policymaking: a ban on asylum seekers’ school visits in Finland
Authors: Pyy Iida , Leiviskä Anniina , Mansikka Jan-Erik
Published: February 2020

In this article, we analyse a recent case of educational policymaking in the city of Oulu in Finland. The case concerns a ban on asylum seekers’ visits to local schools and day-care centres. Our primary aim is to study the role that negative political emotions play in the decision making process of our case. We primarily utilise Martha Nussbaum’s work on political emotions as our analytical framework. We propose that our case exemplifies a type of backlash politics, where policymaking is motivated by negative emotions and based on ethnic or racial group stigmatisation, with the result of abandoning collectively established democratic values and guidelines. Our case also illustrates how, by creating a culture of fear, the type of policymaking exemplified by our case can significantly diminish the possibilities of democratic institutions, such as the comprehensive school, to reinforce social cohesion and reduce social inequalities in society. Accordingly, we suggest that negative political emotions might have problematic consequences for democratic values and decision making processes. Finally, we propose an alternative course of action for addressing asylum seekers’ visits to Finnish schools: we particularly emphasise the importance of following established democratic procedures in political decision making and also argue for the reinforcement of positive political emotions as a long-term educational objective.
Wavefront preserving and high efficiency diamond grating beam splitter for x-ray free electron laser
Authors: Li Kenan , Liu Yanwei , Seaberg Matthew , Chollet Matthieu , Weiss Thomas M. , Sakdinawat Anne
Published: February 2020

X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) provide femtosecond high-power x-ray beams with high spatial coherence, resulting in numerous influential discoveries. Diffractive optics allow for the easy manipulation and measurement of an x-ray beam’s wavefront and enable the realization of complex designed properties and specifications. For example, phase gratings can be used as x-ray beam splitters to enable beam sharing by multiple end stations or in-situ beam monitoring, including spectrum and wavefront measurements. Wavefront preservation and high efficiency and survivability under high power are requirements for such beam splitters. Diamond is the most suitable choice for phase grating fabrication, due to its high thermal conductivity that enables it to survive high average power XFEL beams. We have fabricated a large area (2×2 mm2) high aspect ratio (13:1) diamond grating on a diamond plate. Testing was performed at 9.5 keV and resulted in a high splitting efficiency (30%). Tunable efficiency was obtained via tilting the grating with respect to the x-ray beam. Wavefront fidelity of the split beams were measured to less than λ/100 using a Talbot wavefront sensor.
Vortex preserving statistical optical beams
Authors: Xu Zhiheng , Li Xiaofei , Liu Xin , Ponomarenko Sergey A. , Cai Yangjian , Liang Chunhao
Published: February 2020

We establish a general form of the cross-spectral density of statistical sources that generate vortex preserving partially coherent beams on propagation through any linear ABCD optical system. We illustrate our results by introducing a class of partially coherent vortex beams with a closed form cross-spectral density at the source and demonstrating the beam vortex structure preservation on free space propagation and imaging by a thin lens. We also show the capacity of such vortex preserving beams of any state of spatial coherence to trap nanoparticles with the refractive index smaller than that of a surrounding medium.
Cross-coupling effect induced beam shifts for polarized vortex beam at two-dimensional anisotropic monolayer graphene surface
Authors: Chen Ze , Zhang Hu , Zhang Xiaoguang , Li Hui , Zhang Wenbo , Xi Lixia
Published: February 2020

We investigated beam shifts for an arbitrarily polarized vortex beam reflected and transmitted at two-dimensional (2D) anisotropic monolayer graphene surface. And generalized expressions are theoretically derived for calculating beam shifts of vortex beam. Then, we presented the beam shifts associated with the self-isotropic (SI) effect, self-anisotropic (SA) effect and cross-coupling (XC) effect originated from self-isotropic interaction, self-anisotropic interaction and cross-coupling interaction between isotropic and anisotropic of two-dimensional media, respectively. More importantly, novel optical phenomena resulting from the XC effect are flexibly shown by manipulation OAM. We believe that our results can be extensively extended to 2D anisotropic Dirac semimetals and Weyl semimetals, and expect the results to be significant and contribute to the understanding of the spin and orbit Hall effect of the light.
Single-shot absolute 3D shape measurement with deep-learning-based color fringe projection profilometry
Authors: Qian Jiaming , Feng Shijie , Li Yixuan , Tao Tianyang , Han Jing , Chen Qian , Zuo Chao
Published: February 2020

Recovering the high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) surface of an object from a single frame image has been the ultimate goal long pursued in fringe projection profilometry (FPP). The color fringe projection method is one of the technologies with the most potential towards such a goal due to its three-channel multiplexing properties. However, the associated color imbalance, crosstalk problems, and compromised coding strategy remain major obstacles to overcome. Inspired by recent successes of deep learning for FPP, we propose a single-shot absolute 3D shape measurement with deep-learning-based color FPP. Through “learning” on extensive data sets, the properly trained neural network can “predict” the high-resolution, motion-artifact-free, crosstalk-free absolute phase directly from one single color fringe image. Compared with the traditional approach, our method allows for more accurate phase retrieval and more robust phase unwrapping. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach can provide high-accuracy single-frame absolute 3D shape measurement for complicated objects.
Double-heterodyne probing for an ultra-stable laser based on spectral hole burning in a rare-earth-doped crystal
Authors: Galland N. , Lučić N. , Zhang S. , Alvarez-Martinez H. , Le Targat R. , Ferrier A. , Goldner P. , Fang B. , Seidelin S. , Le Coq Y.
Published: February 2020

We present an experimental technique for realizing a specific absorption spectral pattern in a rare-earth-doped crystal at cryogenic temperatures. This pattern is subsequently probed on two spectral channels simultaneously, thereby producing an error signal allowing frequency locking of a laser on the said spectral pattern. Appropriate combination of the two channels leads to a substantial reduction in detection noise, paving the way to realizing an ultra-stable laser for which the detection noise can be made arbitrarily low when using multiple channels. We use this technique to realize a laser with a frequency instability of

1.7
×
1

0

−

15

at 1 s, not limited by the detection noise but by environmental perturbation of the crystal. This is comparable with the lowest instability demonstrated at 1 s to date for rare-earth-doped crystal stabilized lasers.
Chromato-axial memory effect through a forward-scattering slab
Authors: Zhu Longdi , Boutet de Monvel Jacques , Berto Pascal , Brasselet Sophie , Gigan Sylvain , Guillon Marc
Published: February 2020

Light propagation through scattering samples involves long optical path lengths typically resulting in short spectral correlation widths. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically a chromato-axial memory effect through volumetric forward-scattering slabs of thickness lying in the range between the scattering mean free path and the transport mean free path: a spectral shift of the impinging collimated beam results in an axial homothetic dilation of the speckle pattern over large spectral widths. The center of the homothety is shown to lie at a virtual plane located at

1

/

(
3
n
)

of the slab thickness

L

, before the output surface. These results provide new tools to blindly control wavefields through scattering samples.
Compact and high-performance vortex mode sorter for multi-dimensional multiplexed fiber communication systems
Authors: Wen Yuanhui , Chremmos Ioannis , Chen Yujie , Zhu Guoxuan , Zhang Junwei , Zhu Jiangbo , Zhang Yanfeng , Liu Jie , Yu Siyuan
Published: February 2020

With the amplitude, time, wavelength/frequency, phase, and polarization/spin parameter dimensions of the light wave/photon almost fully utilized in both classical and quantum photonic information systems, orbital angular momentum (OAM) carried by optical vortex modes is regarded as a new modal parameter dimension for further boosting the capacity and performance of the systems. To exploit the OAM mode space for such systems, stringent performance requirements on a pair of OAM mode multiplexer and demultiplexer (also known as mode sorters) must be met. In this work, we implement a newly discovered optical spiral transformation to achieve a low-cross-talk, wide-optical-bandwidth, polarization-insensitive, compact, and robust OAM mode sorter that realizes the desired bidirectional conversion between seven co-axial OAM modes carried by a ring-core fiber and seven linearly displaced Gaussian-like modes in parallel single-mode fiber channels. We further apply the device to successfully demonstrate high-spectral-efficiency and high-capacity data transmission in a 50-km OAM fiber communication link for the first time, in which a multi-dimensional multiplexing scheme multiplexes eight orbital-spin vortex mode channels with each mode channel simultaneously carrying 10 wavelength-division multiplexing channels, demonstrating the promising potential of both the OAM mode sorter and the multi-dimensional multiplexed OAM fiber systems enabled by the device. Our results pave the way for future OAM-based multi-dimensional communication systems.
Dynamic Expression of Interleukin-33 and ST2 in the Mouse Reproductive Tract Is Influenced by Superovulation
Authors: Begum Salma , Perlman Barry E. , Valero-Pacheco Nuriban , O’Besso Valerie , Wu Tracy , Morelli Sara S. , Beaulieu Aimee M. , Douglas Nataki C.
Published: February 2020

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is an IL-1 family cytokine with pleiotropic effects on diverse cell types. Dysregulated IL-33 signaling has been implicated in pregnancy-related disorders, including preeclampsia and recurrent pregnancy loss, and in ovarian function in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization. To date, expression of IL-33 and its receptor subunit, ST2, in the female reproductive tract remains poorly characterized. We identify IL-33-expressing oocytes surrounded by ST2-expressing granulosa cells at all stages of follicular development, in addition to IL-33+ and ST2+ non-endothelial cells in the ovarian stroma and theca layer in ovaries from adult mice. These expression patterns are similar in estrus- and diestrus-stage adults and in pubescent mice, suggesting a role for IL-33 signaling in ovarian function throughout development and in the estrous cycle. In the uterus, we find expression of IL-33 and ST2 in glandular and luminal epithelia during estrus and at the initiation of pregnancy. Uterine IL-33 expression was modulated by the estrous cycle and was reduced in pubescent females. Last, superovulation increases transcripts for IL-33 and the soluble form of ST2 (sST2) in ovaries, and for IL-33 in uteri. Collectively, our findings lay the foundation for studies identifying cell type-specific requirements for IL-33/ST2 signaling in the establishment and maintenance of mouse pregnancy.
US alt-right media and the creation of the counter-collective memory
Authors: Wasilewski Krzysztof
Published: February 2020

The media play an important role in shaping the collective memory of their users. Popular movies, TV shows or commemorative newspaper texts influence the ways in which people remember and forget. Many scholars have attempted to describe this connection; however, little attention has so far been paid to alternative media. This article aims to analyse the features of the collective memory constructed by the media associated with the so-called alt-right (alternative right) movement in the United States. I argue that far-right media produce an ethnically exclusive collective memory, which consequently aims to counter the mainstream collective memory. The findings of this study come from the critical analysis of how the New York Times and Breitbart News engaged in a nationwide discussion on the Confederacy’s legacy that ensued in August 2017 after the decision to remove the Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville, VA and the mass protests that soon followed.
The Impact of Fires in Amazon Rainforest on Public Health
Authors: Alencar Adrielle Silva , Nascimento Lívia Barbosa Taveira do , Garcia Matheus de Lima , Parente Thayanne Moreira de Alencar de Sá , Rolim Welinagyla Correia , Nobre Camila Bezerra
Published: February 2020

Brazil's public health situation is harmed in regions such as amazon rainforest in the face of natural disasters. Recently, the fires in Amazon region contributed to the growth of organic and psychosocial diseases index and to the increase of medical attendance numbers, generating high repercussions and concerns in this scenario.Keywords: Public health; wildfires; natural disasters; respiratory tract disease; mental health.