bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Race/Ethnicity, Perceived Skin Color, and the Likelihood of Adult Arrest
Authors: Finkeldey Jessica G. , Demuth Stephen
Published: February 2019

Research has long-documented racial/ethnic disparities in criminal justice outcomes. However, despite race/ethnicity being a multidimensional social construct, prior research largely relies on self-identification measures, thereby disregarding research on skin tone stratification within-racial/ethnic groups. The current study extends beyond this by examining the relationship between race/ethnicity and arrest employing both self-identified race/ethnicity and perceived skin color. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we explore the main and intersecting effects of self-identified race/ethnicity and perceived skin color on experiencing an arrest in adulthood between- and within-self-identified Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians. We use structural disadvantage as a framework for exploring how social structural factors as well as antisocial behavior mediate the relationship between race/ethnicity/color and arrest. Results suggest that focusing on the racial/ethnic disparities alone masks differences in arrest by color and that the effect of color varies by race/ethnicity. Results also suggest that measures indicative of disadvantage, but not offending, partially explain these associations.
Association between the location of tuberosity cysts and rotator cuff tears: A comparative study using radiograph and MRI
Authors: Gwark Ji-Yong , Park Tae-Soo , Park Hyung Bin
Published: February 2019

Background:

The association between tuberosity cysts and rotator cuff tears (RCTs) and the nature of the major contributing factors to tuberosity cyst formation continue to be controversial. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the strength of associations of RCT and various factors involved in the chronicity of RCT with tuberosity cysts, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographs.

Methods:

We reviewed consecutive patients with various disease entities between August 2004 and July 2013. After excluding unsuitable patients, this study involved 1007 shoulders of 906 consecutive patients. Each tuberosity cyst was categorized as an anterior greater tuberosity (GT), posterior GT, lesser tuberosity, and bare-area cyst. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between the tuberosity cysts and various factors were evaluated by logistic regression analyses; p-value was set below 0.05.

Results:

Anterior GT cysts and posterior GT cysts on MRI or anterior GT cysts on radiographs were significantly associated with supraspinatus tendon (SST) tears ( p ≤ 0.019) and infraspinatus tendon (IST) tears ( p ≤ 0.004). Among the shoulder pathologies, RCTs only significantly associated with cyst formation (OR 4.23, 95% CI 3.17–5.65; p < 0.001). The retraction grade of Patte was significantly associated with anterior GT cyst (OR 3.65, 95% CI 2.42–5.48; p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Detecting an anterior GT cyst in a radiograph, even a low prevalence, in a patient with symptomatic shoulder indicates a need to consider RCT, especially of the SST, IST, and a high possibility of a retracted tear.
Long-term outcome after Lambrinudi arthrodesis: How they’re doing after three decades
Authors: So Lok Wah Noah , Kuong Evelyn E , To Kai-Tsun Michael , Leong John Chi Yan , Chow Wang
Published: February 2019

Objective:

The aim of the study is to investigate the long-term outcome of patients who received Lambrinudi arthrodesis for severe equinovarus deformities.

Methods:

This is a single-center, retrospective study of patients who received Lambrinudi triple arthrodesis of the foot. Both clinical and radiological information were analyzed.

Results:

We were able to review 10 patients suffering from severe equinus deformities mostly as a result of or in association with poliomyelitis (8 of 10) who received Lambrinudi arthrodesis. The majority (7 of 10) of our patients had fair to good outcome at an average follow-up of 37 years. Specifically, six of eight polio patients had fair to good outcome. Of the X-rays available for assessment, the majority of patients showed radiological signs of adjacent joint arthritis; however, the presence of such did not invariably lead to poor clinical outcome.

Conclusion:

Lambrinudi arthrodesis is a treatment option with favorable long-term outcome for patients with severe, fixed equinus deformities.
Proximal Hamstring Repair: A Biomechanical Analysis of Variable Suture Anchor Constructs
Authors: Gerhardt Michael B. , Assenmacher Benjamin S. , Chahla Jorge
Published: February 2019

Background:

Despite an abundance of literature regarding construct strength for a myriad of anchors and anchor configurations in the shoulder, there remains a paucity of biomechanical studies detailing the efficacy of these implants for proximal hamstring repair.

Purpose:

To biomechanically evaluate the ultimate failure load and failure mechanism of knotless and knotted anchor configurations for hamstring repair.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 17 cadaveric specimens divided into 3 groups composed of intact hamstring tendons as well as 2 different anchor configurations (all-knotted and all-knotless) underwent first cyclic loading and subsequent maximal loading to failure. This protocol entailed a 10-N preload, followed by 100 cycles incrementally applied from 20 to 200 N at a frequency of 0.5 Hz, and ultimately followed by a load to failure with a loading rate of 33 mm/s. The ultimate failure load and mechanism of failure were recorded for each specimen, as was the maximal displacement of each bone-tendon interface subsequent to maximal loading. Analysis of variance was employed to calculate differences in the maximal load to failure as well as the maximal displacement between the 3 study groups. Holm-Sidak post hoc analysis was applied when necessary.

Results:

The all-knotless suture anchor construct failed at the highest maximal load of the 3 groups (767.18 ± 93.50 N), including that for the intact tendon group (750.58 ± 172.22 N). There was no statistically significant difference between the all-knotless and intact tendon groups; however, there was a statistically significant difference in load to failure when the all-knotless construct was compared with the all-knotted technique (549.56 ± 20.74 N) ( P = .024). The most common mode of failure in both repair groups was at the suture-tendon interface, whereas the intact tendon group most frequently failed via avulsion of the tendon from its insertion site.

Conclusion:

Under biomechanical laboratory testing conditions, proximal hamstring repair using all-knotless suture anchors outperformed the all-knotted suture anchor configuration with regard to elongation during cyclic loading and maximal load to failure. Failure in the all-knotted repair group was at the suture-tendon interface in most cases, whereas the all-knotless construct failed most frequently at the musculotendinous junction.

Clinical Relevance:

No biomechanical studies have clearly identified the optimal anchor configuration to avert proximal hamstring repair failure. Delineating this ideal suture anchor construct and its strength compared with an intact hamstring tendon may alter the current standards for postoperative rehabilitation, which remain extremely conservative and onerous for these patients.
Remembering the Teacherly Moments of the HIV and AIDS Texts
Authors: Dube Musa W.
Published: February 2019

Exploring the implications of teaching in the HIV and AIDS death zone of the early 2000s, this article underlines how the context generated a teaching crisis and demanded multiple responses. HIV and AIDS called into question established scientific knowledge, methods, and theories, highlighting their inadequacy. University classroom boundaries had to be extended to include the community outside the academic halls, thereby necessitating curriculum transformation concerning the content, justification, and methods of teaching. While HIV and AIDS generated silence and death, responsive teaching methods had to create a space of breaking the silence, healing, and working out a theology of resurrection.
Missions from Korea 2019: Support Raising
Authors: Moon Steve Sang-Cheol
Published: February 2019

At the end of 2018, a total of 21,378 Korean missionaries were serving in 146 countries under 154 mission agencies. The yearly increase was 158 missionaries, and the annual growth rate was 0.74 percent. The increase this year was due largely to the addition of older missionaries, who joined after retiring from their secular occupation. Fewer young people are joining, largely because of the hard realities of raising support. Faith missions have traditionally been quite casual about fund-raising, but many are now suggesting that support raising receive more attention as a significant form of ministry.
The Innate Alarm System and Subliminal Threat Presentation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Neuroimaging of the Midbrain and Cerebellum
Authors: Terpou Braeden A. , Densmore Maria , Thome Janine , Frewen Paul , McKinnon Margaret C. , Lanius Ruth A.
Published: February 2019

Background

The innate alarm system, a network of interconnected midbrain, other brainstem, and thalamic structures, serves to rapidly detect stimuli in the environment prior to the onset of conscious awareness. This system is sensitive to threatening stimuli and has evolved to process these stimuli subliminally for hastened responding. Despite the conscious unawareness, the presentation of subliminal threat stimuli generates increased activation of limbic structures, including the amygdala and insula, as well as emotionally evaluative structures, including the cerebellum and orbitofrontal cortex. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased startle response and decreased extinction learning to conditioned threat. The role of the innate alarm system in the clinical presentation of PTSD, however, remains poorly understood.

Methods

Here, we compare midbrain, brainstem, and cerebellar activation in persons with PTSD (n = 26) and matched controls (n = 20) during subliminal threat presentation. Subjects were presented with masked trauma-related and neutral stimuli below conscious threshold. Contrasts of subliminal brain activation for the presentation of neutral stimuli were subtracted from trauma-related brain activation. Group differences in activation, as well as correlations between clinical scores and PTSD activation, were examined. Imaging data were preprocessed utilizing the spatially unbiased infratentorial template toolbox within SPM12.

Results

Analyses revealed increased midbrain activation in PTSD as compared to controls in the superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, and midbrain reticular formation during subliminal threat as compared to neutral stimulus presentation. Controls showed increased activation in the right cerebellar lobule V during subliminal threat presentation as compared to PTSD. Finally, a negative correlation emerged between PTSD patient scores on the Multiscale Dissociation Inventory for the Depersonalization/Derealization subscale and activation in the right lobule V of the cerebellum during the presentation of subliminal threat as compared to neutral stimuli.

Conclusion

We interpret these findings as evidence of innate alarm system overactivation in PTSD and of the prominent role of the cerebellum in the undermodulation of emotion observed in PTSD.
Medial Cuneiform Opening-Wedge Osteotomy for the Treatment of Hallux Valgus
Authors: Ahuero Jason S. , Kirchner John S. , Ryan Paul M.
Published: February 2019

Background:

While proximal first metatarsal osteotomy combined with distal soft tissue realignment is accepted as standard treatment of moderate to severe hallux valgus with metatarsus primus varus, none of the described proximal metatarsal osteotomies address the hyper-obliquity of the first metatarsocuneiform joint. An opening-wedge osteotomy of the medial cuneiform can potentially correct the 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) in addition to normalizing the hyper-obliquity of the first tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review the early radiographic and clinical results of the use of a medial cuneiform opening-wedge osteotomy fixed with a low-profile wedge plate combined with distal soft tissue realignment for the treatment of hallux valgus.

Methods:

Fourteen feet (13 patients; 2 male and 11 female, average age 56 years, range 22-75) with hallux valgus underwent an opening-wedge osteotomy of the medial cuneiform fixed with a low-profile nonlocking wedge plate combined with distal soft tissue realignment. The mean preoperative hallux valgus angle (HVA) was 32 degrees and the IMA was 16 degrees. HVA, 1-2 IMA, proximal first metatarsal inclination (PFMI), and presence of osteoarthritis of the first TMT joint were assessed on preoperative and final postoperative radiographs. Final postoperative radiographs were also evaluated for radiographic union and hardware failure at an average of 7 months (range, 3-19 months) postoperatively.

Results:

A mean intraoperative correction of 19 degrees and 7 degrees was achieved for the HVA and IMA, respectively. The mean HVA was 22 degrees and the mean IMA was 11 degrees at the time of final follow-up. At final follow-up, a recurrence of the deformity was observed in 12/14 feet. There were 2 nonunions—one plate failure and one screw failure. No first TMT joint instability or arthritis was observed. All patients were ambulatory without assistive device in either fashionable or comfortable shoe wear.

Conclusion:

Medial cuneiform opening-wedge osteotomy resulted in unreliable correction of HVA and IMA at short-term follow-up with a high rate of early recurrence of hallux valgus deformity and a complication rate similar to that of the Lapidus procedure. This procedure cannot be recommended for addressing hallux valgus in the setting of increased obliquity of the first TMT joint.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
A Comparison of Wound Complications With Surgical Treatment of Achilles Tendon Conditions Using 2 Surgical Approaches
Authors: Hippensteel K. J. , Johnson Jeffrey , McCormick Jeremy , Klein Sandra
Published: February 2019

Background:

Wound complications are a concern with the open treatment of Achilles tendon conditions. The location of the incision may impact the risk of wound complications because of its relationship to the blood supply to the skin. There is no consensus as to the safest incision location. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the rates of sural nerve injury and wound complications including superficial or deep infections and wound dehiscence between posterior midline and posteromedial surgical incision locations.

Methods:

125 patients with Achilles tendon rupture or Achilles tendinopathy were treated with open surgery through a longitudinal posterior midline or posteromedial incision. An L-shaped incision was used in the posteromedial group for cases of insertional repair. Postoperative complications including sural nerve injuries, superficial wound complications, superficial infections, deep wound infections, return to the operating room, and need for soft tissue coverage were recorded and rates were compared between the groups.

Results:

No significant differences were detected between the posteromedial and posterior incision groups in rates of sural nerve injuries, superficial infection, or deep wound infection. The posterior incision group had significantly fewer wound complications. The wound complications in the posteromedial group primarily occurred when an L-shaped incision was used for insertional repair. No patients in either group required debridement or soft tissue/flap coverage.

Conclusion:

The posterior incision location had significantly fewer wound complications. The use of an L-shaped incision was likely responsible for the wound complications in this group rather than the location of the incision. The use of a medial incision was not found to decrease the rate of sural nerve injury.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Restricting spatial lives? The gendered implications of conservation in Cambodia’s protected wetlands
Authors: Perry Nicola , Gillespie Josephine
Published: February 2019

Environmental conservation through the creation of protected areas is recognised as a key tactic in the fight against degrading ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the implications of protected area regimes on both places and people is an important part of the protection agenda. In this context and in this paper, we build on the work of feminist legal geographers and feminist political ecologists to enhance our understanding of the constitution of localised socio-legal-environmental interactions in and around protected areas. Our approach looks to developments in feminist and legal geographic thought to examine the interactions between identities, law and the environment in a Ramsar protected wetland on the Tonle Sap, Cambodia. We bring together legal geography perspectives regarding the spatiality of law with insights from feminist political ecology examining gendered roles and exclusions. We found that conservation areas interact in complex ways with local pre-existing norms prescribing female weakness and vulnerability which, ultimately, restrict women’s spatial lives.
Matrix-fluid decoupling-based joint PP-PS-wave seismic inversion for fluid identification
Authors: Du Bing-Yi , Yang Wu-Yang , Zhang Jing , Yong Xue-Shan , Gao Jian-Hu , Li Hai-Shan
Published: February 2019

Seismic fluid identification is the main goal of current prestack seismic inversion. Various kinds of fluid indicators are used for fluid detection in industry today. However, the existing methods cannot always provide reliable fluid prediction owing to the insensitivity to fluid response and the lack of converted wave constraints. The equivalent fluid bulk modulus is an effective fluid factor based on matrix-fluid decoupling, which can provide persuasive evidence for fluid detection. Combining poroelasticity theory and matrix-fluid decoupling theory, we have deduced a new PS-wave linear amplitude versus offset approximation equation that provides estimations of equivalent fluid bulk modulus, rigidity, porosity, and density. Then, the joint inversion of PP- and PS-waves based on matrix-fluid decoupling was executed in a Bayesian framework with constraints from rock physics and well-log data obtaining elastic parameter estimation of high precision directly. We tested the new method on a synthetic example and field multicomponent data, and the results indicated that the estimated fluid factor matched with well-data interpretation and geology information because of adding converted wave information and avoiding indirect inversion error. This demonstrated that the new method can enhance the quality of fluid detection and provide reliable geophysical evidence for reservoir characterization.
Empirical modeling of the saturated shear modulus in oil sands
Authors: Javanbakhti Ahmad , Lines Larry , Gray David
Published: February 2019

Seismic reservoir characterization and monitoring require the knowledge of seismic wave velocities and their dependencies on reservoir properties and production-induced changes. In heavy-oil saturated rocks at cold temperatures, due to the nonzero shear rigidity of the fluid, the saturated shear modulus is higher than the dry shear modulus and, consequently, the observed P- and S-wave velocities are higher than Gassmann’s predicted velocities. Appropriate modeling of the saturated shear modulus can greatly enhance the accuracy of quantitative interpretation of spatial fluid saturation and temperature distribution within a reservoir undergoing thermal production. Using a well-log data set of an Athabasca heavy-oil play and measured oil viscosities from core samples, we estimate fluid viscosity, shear modulus, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity logs by training a neural network (NNT) with available well logs. We also estimate the dry shear modulus of heavy-oil saturated rocks using an NNT approach after modeling the pressure variations within the reservoir. Our empirical model uses the apparent shear modulus of the oil, its saturation, porosity, and dry shear modulus to estimate the saturated shear modulus of the rock. We calibrate the model to ultrasonic lab measurements. Available literature data support the validity of the model and show the improved performance compared to the Ciz and Shapiro model. The range of applicability of the model is defined mathematically, and the behavior of the model with respect to the input parameters is examined through sensitivity analyses.
Imperialist competitive algorithm optimization method for nonlinear amplitude variation with angle inversion
Authors: Mollajan Amir , Memarian Hossein , Quintal Beatriz
Published: February 2019

Amplitude variation with angle (AVA) inversion is one of the most effective techniques in hydrocarbon exploration and estimating subsurface petrophysical properties. The inversion problem as a nonlinear, multiparameter, and multimodal optimization problem is conventionally solved through linearized optimization methods, but with the cost of smoothing important geologic interfaces. In addition, the results obtained by these methods are more possible to be trapped in a local minimum, while global-optimization methods can produce more accurate results and preserve the interfaces of geologic structures. A Bayesian framework is used to formulate the AVA inversion problem, which incorporates a novel prior constraint included by two regularization functions, one for sparsity of the coefficients as well as recovering discontinuities and another one for enhancing the lateral continuity. The imperialist competitive algorithm as an efficient evolutionary algorithm is then used to optimize the resulted objective function, to invert the P-and S-wave velocities as well as the density. We compare our algorithm with a commonly used Bayesian linearized inversion method by applying both methods on synthetic data and real seismic data from Gulf of Mexico. Our results reveal the practicability and stability of the presented method for the AVA inversion problem.
Joint deblending and data reconstruction with focal transformation
Authors: Cao Junhai , Verschuur Eric , Gu Hanming , Li Lie
Published: February 2019

Blended or simultaneous source shooting is becoming more widely used in seismic exploration and monitoring, which can provide significant uplift in terms of acquisition quality and economic efficiency. Effective deblending techniques are essential to make use of existing processing and imaging methodologies. When dealing with coarse and/or irregularly sampled blended data, the aliasing noise of incomplete data will affect the deblending process and the crosstalk in the blended data will also have a negative influence on the process of data reconstruction. Thus, we have developed a joint deblending and data-reconstruction method using the double-focal transformation to eliminate blending noise and aliasing noise in the coarse, blended data. Numerically blended synthetic and field-data examples demonstrate the validity of its application for deblending and data reconstruction. We also investigate the effect of random noise on the recovery process, and it shows that the algorithm would obtain optimum results after applying a denoising process before deblending and data reconstruction.
Reviews
Authors: Green Bill , Treitel Sven
Published: February 2019

Energy: A Human History, by Richard Rhodes, ISBN 978-1-501-10535-7, 2018, Simon & Schuster, 480 p. Geophysical Data Analysis: Discrete Inverse Theory, by William Menke, ISBN 978-0-128-13555-6, 2018, Academic Press, 352 p.
Produção de Conhecimento em Ciência, Tecnologia & Inovação: uma avaliação dos Doutores formados pela Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia
Authors: Chaym Carlos Dias , Barroso Wilsiany Damasceno Amorim , Melo José Maria Gonçalves Nunes de , Benayon Phryné Azulay , Moreira Aldemir Freire
Published: February 2019

O presente artigo teve como objetivo analisar a produção do conhecimento dos doutores formados pela Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia (RENORBIO). A pesquisa ocorreu por meio da análise dos curricula dos 506 doutores formados desde a primeira turma até 2018, disponíveis na Plataforma Lattes. O percurso metodológico consistiu em coleta documental, seguida de análise de conteúdo realizada com auxílio de questões norteadoras que permitiram extrair informações sobre atividade laboral exercida antes e depois do doutoramento, quantitativo de artigos aceitos ou publicados (em eventos e periódicos científicos), quantitativo de patentes geradas e projetos de pesquisa. Os resultados indicaram que há um expressivo número de produções científicas por parte dos doutores sob estudo, o que fortalece o papel da região Nordeste na produção de conhecimento de alto nível. Este estudo, portanto, encontra sua relevância e justificativa na medida em que analisa a produção do conhecimento em uma área estratégica para o país.
Aplicação de Ferramentas Lean no setor de Logística: um estudo de caso
Authors: Santos Pedro Vieira Souza , Araújo Maurílio Arruda de
Published: February 2019

A logística, além de responsável por atender às necessidades de clientes e empresas, também acrescenta valor ao produto, pois os clientes valorizam o fato de um produto estar disponível no momento preciso e, também, no local adequado. Entende-se então, que para gerenciar a cadeia de suprimentos de forma lean, com menos desperdícios, é fundamental possuir uma logística lean. Nesse contexto, este artigo teve como objetivo analisar melhorias no nível de serviço logístico de uma empresa a partir da aplicação das ferramentas lean. Diante disso, qualifica-se esse estudo de caso como pesquisa-ação, em que o pesquisador faz uso da observação e da intervenção no objeto em análise, contribuindo diretamente em forma de ações para a resolução dos problemas. Nesse sentido, o trabalho demonstrou de forma clara que, para otimizar indicadores no setor de logística, a filosofia lean é viável de ser implantada, quando, por meio da identificação dos problemas mais recorrentes na distribuição da empresa em estudo, foi possível aplicar algumas ferramentas como o Kaizen e planos de ação, os quais revelaram uma significativa melhora nos indicadores locais.
Refletindo sobre a Objetividade: uma experiência didática sobre o Positivismo de Comte
Authors: Oliveira Leonel Gois Lima , Azevedo Carlos Eduardo Franco , Gonzalez Rafael Kuramoto , Abdalla Márcio Moutinho
Published: February 2019

O positivismo surgiu como uma das primeiras correntes de pensamento sistematizada reconhecida como uma epistemologia em ciências sociais. Buscou-se sistematizar uma forma de estudo da epistemologia positivista, propiciando um melhor aproveitamento didático-pedagógico dos estudantes. O estudo empírico realizou-se a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, relatando uma experiência didática, na forma de oficina, a qual serviu como caso a ser estudado, pois, neste ambiente, pode-se interagir com doutorandos do curso de Administração. Por meio deste relato, debateu-se acerca dos principais conceitos da epistemologia positivista e forneceram-se insumos didático-pedagógicos àqueles que desejam explorar encontros sobre esta temática nos níveis de graduação ou pós-graduação.
Evaluation of the scholastic performance of students in 12 programs from a private university in the south-west geopolitical zone in Nigeria
Authors: Ogundokun Roseline O. , Adebiyi Marion O. , Abikoye Oluwakemi C. , Oladele Tinuke O. , Lukman Adewale F. , Adeniyi Abidemi E. , Adegun Adekanmi A. , Gbadamosi Babatunde , Akande Noah O.
Published: February 2019

Cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is a system for calculation of GPA scores and is one way to determine a student's academic performance in a university setting. In Nigeria, an employer evaluates a student's academic performance using their CGPA score. For this study, data were collected from a student database of a private school in the south-west geopolitical zone in Nigeria. Regression analysis, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance (F-test) were employed to determine the study year that students perform better based on CGPA. According to the results, it was observed that students perform much better in year three (300 Level) and year four (400 Level) compared to other levels. In conclusion, we strongly recommend the private university to introduce program that will improve the academic performance of students from year one (100 level).
Projection layers improve deep learning models of regulatory DNA function
Authors: Hawkins-Hooker Alex , Kenlay Henry , Reid John E.
Published: February 2019

With the increasing application of deep learning methods to the modelling of regulatory DNA sequences has come an interest in exploring what types of architecture are best suited to the domain. Networks designed to predict many functional characteristics of noncoding DNA in a multitask framework have to recognise a large number of motifs and as a result benefit from large numbers of convolutional filters in the first layer. The use of large first layers in turn motivates an exploration of strategies for addressing the sparsity of output and possibility for overfitting that result. To this end we propose the use of a dimensionality-reducing linear projection layer after the initial motif-recognising convolutions. In experiments with a reduced version of the DeepSEA dataset we find that inserting this layer in combination with dropout into convolutional and convolutional-recurrent architectures can improve predictive performance across a range of first layer sizes. We further validate our approach by incorporating the projection layer into a new convolutional-recurrent architecture which achieves state of the art performance on the full DeepSEA dataset. Analysis of the learned projection weights shows that the inclusion of this layer simplifies the network’s internal representation of the occurrence of motifs, notably by projecting features representing forward and reverse-complement motifs to similar positions in the lower dimensional feature space output by the layer.
Recent advances in gene function prediction using context-specific coexpression networks in plants
Authors: Gupta Chirag , Pereira Andy
Published: February 2019

Predicting gene functions from genome sequence alone has been difficult, and the functions of a large fraction of plant genes remain unknown. However, leveraging the vast amount of currently available gene expression data has the potential to facilitate our understanding of plant gene functions, especially in determining complex traits. Gene coexpression networks—created by integrating multiple expression datasets—connect genes with similar patterns of expression across multiple conditions. Dense gene communities in such networks, commonly referred to as modules, often indicate that the member genes are functionally related. As such, these modules serve as tools for generating new testable hypotheses, including the prediction of gene function and importance. Recently, we have seen a paradigm shift from the traditional “global” to more defined, context-specific coexpression networks. Such coexpression networks imply genetic correlations in specific biological contexts such as during development or in response to a stress. In this short review, we highlight a few recent studies that attempt to fill the large gaps in our knowledge about cellular functions of plant genes using context-specific coexpression networks.
Antimicrobial resistance surveillance among gram-negative bacterial isolates from patients in hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan
Authors: Elbadawi Hana Salaheldin , Elhag Kamal Mustafa , Mahgoub Elsheikh , Altayb Hisham N. , Abdel Hamid Muzamil Mahdi
Published: February 2019

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among gram-negative bacilli is a global health problem. Surveillance of AMR is required to advise on empirical antimicrobial therapy. This study aimed at evaluating the frequency and the AMR patterns of gram-negative isolates from patients treated in eight hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Methods: A cross-sectional laboratory-based study was conducted over a 6 months period at the Microbiology Department, Soba University Hospital- Khartoum State, Sudan. All gram-negative isolates from blood, urine, wound, and sputum during the period of study were included. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were carried out for all isolates.

Results: A total of 734 Gram-negative bacilli were isolated. Klebsiella pneumoniae (249 isolates, 34%) was the most frequently encountered one, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (153 isolates, 21%), E.coli (123 isolates, 17%), Acinetobacter baumannii (75 isolates, 10%), Burkholderia cepacia (42 isolates, 6%), Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris (28 isolates, each, (4%) Enterobacter colecaes (28 isolates, 4%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (21 isolates, 2.8%), and other gram-negative bacilli (15 isolates, 2.2%) The analysis of the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns showed that 134 (22.3%) isolates were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics, including cephalosporins, β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor, quinolones, aminoglycosides and carbapenems.

Conclusion: This high level of resistance among gram-negative bacilli in Khartoum state hospitals is alarming. The local health authorities should be prompted to step up infection control programs and introduce the concept of antimicrobial stewardship in Khartoum State hospitals.
The effect of individual and mixed rewards on diabetes management: A feasibility randomized controlled trial
Authors: Miranda J. Jaime , Lazo-Porras María , Bernabe-Ortiz Antonio , Pesantes M. Amalia , Diez-Canseco Francisco , Cornejo Socorro del Pilar , Trujillo Antonio J.
Published: February 2019

Background:Incentives play a role in introducing health-related benefits, but no interventions using mixed incentives, i.e. a combination of individual and group incentives, have been tested in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We evaluated the feasibility of implementing individual- and mixed-incentives, with and without a supportive partner, on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) control and weight loss among patients with T2DM.

Methods:This is a feasibility, sex-stratified, single-blinded, randomized controlled study in individuals with T2DM. All participants received diabetes education and tailored goal setting for weight and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Participants were randomly assigned into three arms: individual incentives (Arm 1), mixed incentives-altruism (Arm 2), and mixed incentives-cooperation (Arm 3). Participants were accompanied by a diabetes educator every other week to monitor targets, and the intervention period lasted 3 months. The primary outcome was the change in HbA1c at 3 months from baseline. Weight and change body mass index (BMI) were considered as secondary outcomes.

Results:Out of 783 patients screened, a total of 54 participants, 18 per study arm, were enrolled and 44 (82%) completed the 3-month follow-up. Mean baseline HbA1c values were 8.5%, 7.9% and 8.2% in Arm 1, Arm 2, and Arm 3, respectively. At 3 months, participants in all three study arms showed reductions in HbA1c ranging from -0.9% in Arm 2 to -1.4% in Arm 1. Weight and BMI also showed reductions.

Conclusions:Individual and mixed cash incentives show important reductions in HbA1c, weight and BMI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after 3 months.  Recruitment and uptake of the intervention were successfully accomplished demonstrating feasibility to conduct larger effectiveness studies to test individual and mixed economic incentives for diabetes management.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT02891382
No effect of tranexamic acid on platelet function and thrombin generation (ETAPlaT) in postpartum haemorrhage: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Dallaku Kastriot , Shakur-Still Haleema , Beaumont Danielle , Roberts Ian , Huque Sumaya , Delius Maria , Holdenrieder Stefan , Gliozheni Orion , Mansmann Ulrich
Published: February 2019

Background:Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. The WOMAN trial showed that tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces death due to bleeding in women with PPH. To determine whether TXA has pro-thrombotic effects in women with PPH, we measured endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), coagulation factors V, VIII, von Willebrand (vW), fibrinogen, D-Dimers and platelet function.

Methods: We conducted a sub-study within the WOMAN trial, an international randomized, parallel-group, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. Women with primary PPH were randomly allocated to receive 1 gram of tranexamic acid or matching placebo. Baseline blood samples were collected just prior to the first dose and a follow up sample was collected 30±15 minutes afterwards. We compared before and after changes in coagulation parameters between treatment groups using repeated measurement ANOVA. Change in ETP was the primary outcome. We did an intention-to-treat analysis using ANCOVA with adjustment for baseline and the time interval between the blood samples.

Findings:A total of 187 patients were randomized to receive TXA (n=93) or matching placebo (n=94). Six patients were excluded due to incomplete data. The reduction in ETP from baseline to follow up was 43.2 nM*min (95%CI, -16.6 to 103.1) in the TXA group and 4.6 nM*min (95%CI, -51.4 to 60.6) in the placebo group. The difference was not statistically significant (95%CI, -42.9 to 120). There were no significant effects of TXA treatment on any other parameters (ADPtest, TRAPtest, coagulation factors activity, fibrinogen levels, D-Dimer level).

Conclusion:We found no evidence that tranexamic acid treatment for PPH has substantial pro-coagulant effects. However, larger studies are needed to confirm or refute more modest effects.

Trial registration:ISRCTN76912190(initially registered 10/12/2008, WOMAN-ETAPlat included on 28/10/2013) andNCT00872469(initially registered 31/03/2009, WOMAN-ETAPlat included on 28/10/2013).
Prospects for the Development of a Systemic Global Economic Crisis
Authors: Басовская Елена , Basovskaya Elena , Басовский Леонид , Basovskiy Leonid
Published: February 2019

The work is devoted to forecasting the prospects for the development of a systemic economic crisis of the world economy. Forecasting is carried out on the base of N. Kondratyev econometric models of cycles in the world economy and the economies of the largest countries of the modern world. The results obtained allow us to establish that the beginning of Kondratiev’s upward halfwaves relates to the years 1999–2001. The expected duration of the period of the modern Kondratyev cycle is 50–54 years. The results of the study of the dynamics of the world economy, the results of studies of the economic dynamics of developed countries shows that the start of the upward half-waves of the Kondratieff cycle is expected in 1999–2001 goals. It can be associated with the transition to dominance of the fifth technological order, the emergence of the sixth way of life and the beginning of the death of the fourth technological way. The completion of the downward wave of this Kondratiev cycle and the systemic global economic crisis associated with the transition to the dominance of the sixth technological order should expected in 2049–2055. Since the likelihood of economic crises with business cycles, financial and investment cycles begins to increase with the transition to the downward half-wave of the Kondratyev cycle, from 2024–2027 one can expect a deepening of periodic crisis phenomena in the global economy.
Cluster Initiatives: Russian Realities and International Experience
Authors: Пелихов Николай , Pelihov Nikolay , Родионова А. , Rodionova A.
Published: February 2019

The current dynamics of changes in the conditions of state support of cluster initiatives in Russian Federation is analyzed. It is noted that support for the processes of formation and development of clusters in our country is based mainly on political initiatives, but not on the identification of the composition laws of these complex system formations. On the example of international experience the necessity of strengthening the role of science and education institutions in the state-stimulated cluster initiatives, as well as the importance of the formation of advanced training programs for cluster managers and relevant network analytical institutional structures.
Digitalization of Business Processes of Industries As a Factor in Increasing the Return of Human Capital
Authors: Ширинкина Елена , Shirinkina Elena
Published: February 2019

The article analyzes the indicators of the development of the digital economy, identifies qualitative changes in the management of enterprises in the digitalization paradigm. The relevance of this study is due to the fact that these processes have been the focus of theoretical and practical research for several decades. This study allows to review the role of human resources in the activities of the enterprise. The author notes that in the paradigm of digitalization of business processes of industries, the idea of the existence of intangible assets, as a special form of the manifestation of human capital, comes to the fore. The key points and conclusions can be used by enterprises to form a strategy for managing human capital in the direction of increasing the level of digitalization.
In-between-carer: towards a new type of elder care worker? The example of Polish migrant care workers in Germany
Authors: Kniejska Patrycja
Published: February 2019

In Germany, there are currently over 2,860,000 people in need of care. Many are cared for by caregivers from abroad, especially from Poland. The aim of this study is to determine how commuting Polish migrants understand elder care and whether their caregiving has a more professional or non-professional character. Twenty-six formal, structured interviews with Polish caregivers were conducted. The data analysis shows two tendencies in caregiving by these caregivers. Some practised overprotective caregiving and others compensatory caregiving. As a consequence, a new type of care is emerging in between family and professional care.
Underpricing care: a case study of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme
Authors: Cortis Natasha , Macdonald Fiona , Davidson Bob , Bentham Eleanor
Published: February 2019

Using a case study of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, this article examines the role of prices in individualised funding schemes. It argues that prices were set too low to cover the full costs of disability support, placing pressure on relationship-building and other tasks required for high-quality care. We argue that the use of prices as mechanisms for cost containment in individualised funding schemes is predicated on the undervaluation of care. Our analysis can inform discussion among scholars, activists, policymakers and others about the design and impact of individualised funding, and the challenge of fully valuing care under market-based approaches.
Justice for victims of sexual abuse and harassment: lessons for Westminster?
Authors: Bates Lis
Published: February 2019

This policy paper is a comment piece on recent sexual harassment and abuse scandals in the British Parliament, which also references new UK research on justice and gender-based violence. The author draws on six years working for the British Parliament as a clerk (parliamentary civil servant) to reflect on why the parliamentary culture and management has long ignored sexual harassment, abuse and bullying, often moving victims on rather than challenging (alleged) perpetrators. The paper presents current research being conducted by the universities of Bristol, Cardiff and UWE and national charity Women’s Aid, which is asking ‘What does justice mean to victims of gender-based violence?’ Using emerging findings from interviews with over 250 victims/survivors of gender-based abuse, the paper draws lessons for how the House of Commons authorities should respond to sexual harassment and abuse within Parliament. Vital in any victim-centred response are some key principles. Victims/survivors must: be listened to and taken seriously, be empowered to make their own choices about what happens next, be given a range of options including formal sanctions as well as less formal routes, potentially including specialist ‘transformational mediation’ and, most crucially, all be given access to specialist advocates trained in sexual harassment and abuse.
The inclusion of men in domestic violence shelters: an everlasting debate
Authors: Côté Isabelle , Damant Dominique , Lapierre Simon
Published: February 2019

Despite the fact that the inclusion of men constitutes a polarising issue that has created tensions and divisions throughout the history of domestic violence shelters, very little has been written on this issue. This paper specifically addresses this gap in the literature. Drawing upon the results of a doctoral thesis conducted with 48 advocates, the authors argue that the participants’ perspectives on the inclusion of men as workers or administrators in domestic violence shelters can be analysed from an axiological viewpoint. More specifically, the rationale underlying the participant’s position to support or to oppose men’s inclusion in shelters can be linked to core values underpinning shelters’ practices. This leads to three observations: 1) The inclusion of men clashes with a set of core values that guide the practices of participants who do consider the presence of men problematic; 2) Men are considered a positive addition in the shelters of participants who promote male inclusion, based on a different interpretation of similar values; 3) Men as ‘positive role model’, a crosscutting argument among those who promote their inclusion, is not related to any core values underlying shelters’ practices and raises two issues, which will be discussed in the paper.
Using restorative justice approaches to police domestic violence and abuse
Authors: Westmarland Nicole , McGlynn Clare , Humphreys Clarissa
Published: February 2019

The use of restorative justice in cases of domestic abuse is highly controversial. While little is known about how restorative approaches are used by the police, recent research shows they are used on a widespread basis to respond to domestic abuse throughout England and Wales (Westmarland et al, 2018). This study delves deeper, to look at 62 cases within one police force. Qualitative police data extracted from force systems were analysed to discover in what type of domestic abuse incidents restorative approaches are used, and what type of approaches are used. We argue that while the language of restorative justice was used, the spirit of restorative justice was often missing. In some cases, the police seem to be using the language of restorative justice to respond to cases they do not think would benefit from further criminal justice intervention (a ‘new NFA’ (No Further Action)). We conclude that further differentiation between different forms of domestic abuse and different forms of restorative approach is needed to enable a more informed conversation. Further, it is essential that the domestic abuse sector work more closely with restorative justice communities in order to more safely and more appropriately consider the challenges and opportunities that restorative approaches may offer.