bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Under capital’s thumb: longitudinal associations between relational social class and health
Authors: Eisenberg-Guyot Jerzy , Hajat Anjum
Published: February 2020

Background

We used a relational social-class measure based on property ownership and managerial authority to analyse the longitudinal relationships between class, self-rated health (SRH) and mental illness. To our knowledge, this is the first study using a relational social-class measure to evaluate these relationships longitudinally.

Methods

Using Panel Study of Income Dynamics data from 1984 to 2017, we first assigned respondents aged 25–64 to the not in the labour force (NILF), worker, manager, petit bourgeois (PB) or capitalist classes based on business ownership, managerial authority and employment status. Next, using Cox models, we estimated the confounder-adjusted associations between 2-year-lagged class and incidence of poor/fair SRH and serious mental illness. We also tested whether the associations varied by gender, whether they persisted after more-fully adjusting for traditional socioeconomic-status measures (education and income) and how they changed temporally.

Results

We identified large inequities in poor/fair SRH. NILFs had the greatest hazard, followed by workers, PBs, managers and capitalists. We also identified large inequities in serious mental illness; NILFs and workers had the greatest hazard, while capitalists had the lowest. Class inequities in both outcomes lessened but remained considerable after confounder and socioeconomic-status adjustment, and we found some evidence that the class–SRH relationship varied by gender, as being NILF was more harmful among men than women. Additionally, class inequities in the outcomes decreased somewhat over time.

Conclusion

We identified substantial class inequities in SRH and mental illness. Our findings demonstrate the importance of using relational social-class measures to deepen understanding of health inequities’ root causes.
Women in combat roles: themes characterising adjustment in the Israel Defense Force—a pilot study
Authors: Berezin Cohen Noa , Netzer I
Published: February 2020

Background

The Israel Defense Force is the only military organisation in the world that mandatorily conscripts women since its founding. Despite legislative changes, the percentage of women serving as combat soldiers is low, and the dropout rate is high. Women in these professions experience a complex and unique adaptation process.

Aims

To characterise the experiences of female combat soldiers adjusting to combat roles in comparison with male soldiers and non-warfighter female soldiers.

Method

A pilot study was undertaken in order to inform further research. Mental health officers in the women’s units conducted group interviews. These were composed of four stages: projection, reflection, processing and formulating solutions.

Results

The themes apparent in the interviews conform to phenomena appearing in the literature such as tokenism, disruption of gender identity and internalisation of the superiority of male values. In addition, we identified distortion of body image and increased burnout.

Discussion and conclusions

The study points to the significance of gender aspects in the mental adaptation process of women in combat positions. Issues pertaining perceptions of inequality should not be deemed to be purely sociological, but rather as a gateway facilitating adjustment. This should be taken into account in future research and in the formulation of support strategies.
PhenX: Host: Biobehavioral measures for tobacco regulatory research
Authors: Giovino Gary A , Swan Gary E , Blount Ben , O'Malley Stephanie , Brown Darigg C , Hendershot Tabitha P
Published: February 2020

A working group (WG) of experts from diverse fields related to nicotine and tobacco addiction was constituted to identify constructs and measures for the PhenX (Phenotypes and eXposures) Tobacco Regulatory Research (TRR) Host: Biobehavioral Collection with potential relevance to users of both conventional and newer tobacco products. This paper describes the methods and results the WG used to identify, select, approve and place measures in the PhenX TRR Collection. The WG recognised 13 constructs of importance to guide their categorisation of measures already in the PhenX Toolkit (‘complementary measures’) and to identify novel or improved measures of special relevance to tobacco regulatory science. In addition to the 22 complementary measures of relevance to tobacco use already in the PhenX Toolkit, the WG identified and recommended nine additional Host: Biobehavioral measures characterising the use, exposure and health outcomes of tobacco products for application to TRR. Of these, five were self-administered or interviewer-administered measures: amount, type and frequency of recent tobacco use; flavor preference in e-cigarette users (adult and youth); pregnancy status and tobacco use; pregnancy status–mother and baby health and withdrawal from tobacco use. The remaining four measures were laboratory-based: cotinine in serum, expired carbon monoxide, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol in urine and cue reactivity. Although a number of validated tools are now available in the Host: Biobehavioral Collection, several gaps were identified, including a need to develop and test the identified measures in adolescent samples and to develop or identify measures of nicotine dependence, tolerance and withdrawal associated with newer non-combusted tobacco products.
Henry Winton Pfaff
Authors: Boyd Jack , Jarrett Os , Murray Max , Wright Norman
Published: February 2020

A much‐loved small animal practitioner in Glasgow, he was a character and a real advocate for animals – it was he that brought contagious leukaemia in cats to the attention of researchers at the vet school.
Applying the matched-filter technique to the search for dark matter transients with networks of quantum sensors
Authors: Panelli Guglielmo , Roberts Benjamin M. , Derevianko Andrei
Published: February 2020

There are several networks of precision quantum sensors in existence, including networks of atomic clocks, magnetometers, and gravitational wave detectors. These networks can be re-purposed for searches of exotic physics, such as direct dark matter searches. Here we explore a detection strategy for macroscopic dark matter objects with such networks using the matched-filter technique. Such “clumpy” dark matter objects would register as transients sweeping through the network at galactic velocities. As a specific example, we consider a network of atomic clocks aboard the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. We apply the matched-filter technique to simulated GPS atomic clock data and study its utility and performance. The analysis and the developed methodology have a discovery reach up to three orders of magnitude above the previous GPS results and have a wide applicability to other networks of quantum sensors.
Justifying Kubo’s formula for gapped systems at zero temperature: A brief review and some new results
Authors: Henheik Joscha , Teufel Stefan
Published: February 2020

We first review the problem of a rigorous justification of Kubo’s formula for transport coefficients in gapped extended Hamiltonian quantum systems at zero temperature. In particular, the theoretical understanding of the quantum Hall effect rests on the validity of Kubo’s formula for such systems, a connection that we review briefly as well. We then highlight an approach to linear response theory based on non-equilibrium almost-stationary states (NEASS) and on a corresponding adiabatic theorem for such systems that was recently proposed and worked out by one of us in [51] for interacting fermionic systems on finite lattices. In the second part of our paper, we show how to lift the results of [51] to infinite systems by taking a thermodynamic limit.
Existence of global weak solution for quantum Navier–Stokes system
Authors: Yang Jianwei , Peng Gaohui , Hao Huiyun , Que Fengzhen
Published: February 2020

In this paper, the barotropic compressible quantum Navier–Stokes equations with a density-dependent viscosity in a three-dimensional torus is studied. By introducing a cold pressure to handle the convection term, we prove the global-in-time existence of weak solutions to quantum Navier–Stokes equations for large data in the sense of standard definition.
INCOME, SOCIAL SECURITY AND CHINESE FAMILIES’ “TWO-CHILD” DECISIONS: EVIDENCE FROM URBAN RESIDENTS’ FERTILITY INTENTIONS
Authors: LIU ZHANGSHENG , GONG YUANYUAN
Published: February 2020

The increase in income, the improvement of social security and the decline in the desire for fertility in urban residents have been extremely important social and economic phenomena in China over the past three decades. However, there have been few studies of China’s situations because of the use of long-term birth control. An analysis based on the framework of lifetime utility maximization for individuals indicated that income and social security have substitution effects on the number of births. This study conducts an empirical analysis with data extracted from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). The results show that an increase in income lowers the willingness for fertility, and the endowment insurance system with subsidies lowers beneficiaries’ fertility intentions. Similarly, an increase in income and the improvement of social security decrease urban residents’ “two-child” fertility intentions significantly. Thus, although the steady growth of the economy and the continuous improvement of the social security system have provided the opportunity to relax China’s population policies, the substitution effect of income and social security on fertility intentions also needs to be considered.
Energy-Efficient Scheduling Optimization for Parallel Applications on Heterogeneous Distributed Systems
Authors: Gao Nan , Xu Cheng , Peng Xin , Luo Haibo , Wu Wufei , Xie Guoqi
Published: February 2020

Designing energy-efficient scheduling algorithms on heterogeneous distributed systems is increasingly becoming the focus of research. State-of-the-art works have studied scheduling by combining dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) technology and turning off the appropriate processors to reduce dynamic and static energy consumptions. However, the methods for turning off processors are ineffective. In this study, we propose a novel method to assign priorities to processors for facilitating effective selection of turned-on processors to decrease static energy consumption. An energy-efficient scheduling algorithm based on bisection (ESAB) is proposed on this basis, and this algorithm directly turns on the most energy-efficient processors depending on the idea of bisection to reduce static energy consumption while dynamic energy consumption is decreased by using DVFS technology. Experiments are performed on fast Fourier transform, Gaussian elimination, and randomly generated parallel applications. Results show that our ESAB algorithm makes a better trade-off between reducing energy consumption and low computation time of task assignment (CTTA) than existing algorithms under different scale conditions, deadline constraints, and degrees of parallelism and heterogeneity.
A New Chaotic Jerk System with Double-Hump Nonlinearity
Authors: Biswas Debabrata
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we report a new third-order chaotic jerk system with double-hump (bimodal) nonlinearity. The bimodal nonlinearity is of basic interest in biology, physics, etc. The proposed jerk system is able to exhibit chaotic response with proper choice of parameters. Importantly, the chaotic response is also obtained from the system by tuning the nonlinearity preserving its bimodal form. We analytically obtain the symmetry, dissipativity and stability of the system and find the Hopf bifurcation condition for the emergence of oscillation. Numerical investigations are carried out and different dynamics emerging from the system are identified through the calculation of eigenvalue spectrum, two-parameter and single parameter bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponent spectrum and Kaplan–Yorke dimension. We identify that the form of the nonlinearity may bring the system to chaotic regime. Effect of variation of parameters that controls the form of the nonlinearity is studied. Finally, we design the proposed system in an electronic hardware level experiment and study its behavior in the presence of noise, fluctuations, parameter mismatch, etc. The experimental results are in good analogy with that of the analytical and numerical ones.
An approach to congestion analysis in crowd dynamics models
Authors: Li Liang , Liu Hong , Han Yanbin
Published: February 2020

This paper presents a novel approach to quantitatively analyzing pedestrian congestion in evacuation management based on the Hughes and social force models. An accurate analysis of crowds plays an important role in illustrating their dynamics. However, the majority of the existing approaches to analyzing pedestrian congestion are qualitative. Few methods focus on the quantification of the interactions between crowds and individual pedestrians. According to the proposed approach, analytic tools derived from theoretical mechanics are applied to provide a multiscale representation of such interactions. In particular, we introduce movement constraints that illustrate the macroscopic and microscopic states of crowds. Furthermore, we consider pressure propagation and changes in the position of pedestrians during the evacuation process to improve the accuracy of the analysis. The generalized force caused by the varied density of pedestrians is applied to calculate the final congestion. Numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.
Doubly nonlinear stochastic evolution equations
Authors: Scarpa Luca , Stefanelli Ulisse
Published: February 2020

Nonlinear diffusion problems featuring stochastic effects may be described by stochastic partial differential equations of the form [Formula: see text] We present an existence theory for such equations under general monotonicity assumptions on the nonlinearities. In particular, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] are allowed to be multivalued, as required by the modelization of solid–liquid phase transitions. In this regard, the equation corresponds to a nonlinear-diffusion version of the classical two-phase Stefan problem with stochastic perturbation. The existence of martingale solutions is proved via regularization and passage-to-the-limit. The identification of the limit is obtained by a lower-semicontinuity argument based on a suitably generalized Itô’s formula. Under some more restrictive assumptions on the nonlinearities, existence and uniqueness of strong solutions follows. Besides the relation above, the theory covers equations with nonlocal terms as well as systems.
Porous Hybrid Nanosheets of g-C3N4/β-Ni(OH)2 for Asymmetric Supercapacitor with Enhanced Specific Capacitance
Authors: Wang Zhenying , Li Li , Yu Yuming , Yang Chao
Published: February 2020

Porous hybrid nanosheets of g-C3N4/[Formula: see text]-Ni(OH)2(CN/[Formula: see text]-NiOH) were constructed via gas bubble method in the NiCl[Formula: see text]H2O-NH3[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2O-C2H5OH-CN system at 140∘C for 6[Formula: see text]h. The resulting CN(5.3[Formula: see text]wt.%)/[Formula: see text]-NiOH nanosheets show a porous texture and a large interface contact area, which facilitates the electrolyte ion diffusion during reversible insertion/deinsertion processes. The fabricated CN(5.3[Formula: see text]wt.%)/[Formula: see text]-NiOH hybrid-based electrode displays an enhanced specific capacitance of 887[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at a current density of 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] when compared with single phase [Formula: see text]-NiOH (480[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]). Using CN(5.3[Formula: see text]wt.%)/[Formula: see text]-NiOH porous nanosheets and activated carbon (AC) as cathode and anode, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled and the energy density achieves 28.3[Formula: see text]Wh[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text] and 10.9[Formula: see text]Wh[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text] at a power density of 798.4[Formula: see text]W[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text] and 7991.9[Formula: see text]W[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text], respectively.
Epigenetics, Development, and Psychopathology
Authors: O'Donnell Kieran J. , Meaney Michael J.
Published: February 2020

Epigenetic mechanisms govern the transcription of the genome. Research with model systems reveals that environmental conditions can directly influence epigenetic mechanisms that are associated with interindividual differences in gene expression in brain and neural function. In this review, we provide a brief overview of epigenetic mechanisms and research with relevant rodent models. We emphasize more recent translational research programs in epigenetics as well as the challenges inherent in the integration of epigenetics into developmental and clinical psychology. Our objectives are to present an update with respect to the translational relevance of epigenetics for the study of psychopathology and to consider the state of current research with respect to its potential importance for clinical research and practice in mental health.
A Functional Polymorphism in the Promoter Region of Interleukin‐12B Increases the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Liu Yabin , Li Binghui , Wang Lili , Kong Dexian
Published: February 2020

Objective. To investigate whether the polymorphisms of interleukin‐12B (IL-12B) were associated with the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and Methods. Genotypes of rs17860508 and rs3212227 were determined by polymerase chain reaction with a direct sequencing method in 329 CRC patients and 342 matched healthy control subjects. The expression of IL-12B mRNA was determined by RT‐qPCR in 50 pairs of CRC tissues and their adjacent normal tissues. Results. Compared with TTAGAG/TTAGAG genotype of rs17860508, the GC/GC and TTAGAG/GC genotypes may significantly increase the risk of CRC (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.18–2.78; OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.01–2.12, respectively). Furthermore, the mRNA levels of IL-12B were significantly higher in the CRC tissues from patients with the rs17860508 GC/GC genotype than those with the TTAGAG/GC (P = 0.009) and TTAGAG/TTAGAG (P = 0.001) genotypes. Conclusion. These data suggested that the rs17860508 GC/GC genotype might upregulate IL-12B expression at the transcriptional level and thus increase the risk of CRC.
A Solution with Ginseng Saponins and Selenium as Vaccine Diluent to Increase Th1/Th2 Immune Responses in Mice
Authors: Wang Yong , Cui Xuemei , Yuan Lijia , Maqbool Babar , Xu Wei , He Shanshan , Guan Ran , Hu Songhua
Published: February 2020

Pseudorabies is an important infectious disease of swine, and immunization using attenuated pseudorabies virus (aPrV) vaccine is a routine practice to control this disease in swine herds. This study was to evaluate a saline solution containing ginseng stem-leaf saponins (GSLS) and sodium selenite (Se) as a vaccine adjuvant for its enhancement of immune response to aPrV vaccine. The results showed that aPrV vaccine diluted with saline containing GSLS-Se (aP-GSe) induced significantly higher immune responses than that of the vaccine diluted with saline alone (aP-S). The aP-GSe promoted higher production of gB-specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a, neutralizing antibody titers, secretion of Th1-type (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12), and Th2-type (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) cytokines, and upregulated the T-bet/GATA-3 mRNA expression when compared to aP-S. In addition, cytolytic activity of NK cells, lymphocyte proliferation, and CD4+/CD8+ratio was also significantly increased by aP-GSe. More importantly, aP-GSe conferred a much higher resistance of mice to a field virulent pseudorabies virus (fPrV) challenge. As the present study was conducted in mice, further study is required to evaluate the aP-GSe to improve the vaccination against PrV in swine.
Validation of a Parkinson Disease Predictive Model in a Population-Based Study
Authors: Faust Irene M. , Racette Brad A. , Searles Nielsen Susan
Published: February 2020

Parkinson disease (PD) has a relatively long prodromal period that may permit early identification to reduce diagnostic testing for other conditions when patients are simply presenting with early PD symptoms, as well as to reduce morbidity from fall-related trauma. Earlier identification also could prove critical to the development of neuroprotective therapies. We previously developed a PD predictive model using demographic and Medicare claims data in a population-based case-control study. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) indicated good performance. We sought to further validate this PD predictive model. In a randomly selected, population-based cohort of 115,492 Medicare beneficiaries aged 66–90 and without PD in 2009, we applied the predictive model to claims data from the prior five years to estimate the probability of future PD diagnosis. During five years of follow-up, we used 2010–2014 Medicare data to determine PD and vital status and then Cox regression to investigate whether PD probability at baseline was associated with time to PD diagnosis. Within a nested case-control sample, we calculated the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity. A total of 2,326 beneficiaries developed PD. Probability of PD was associated with time to PD diagnosis (p<0.001, hazard ratio = 13.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 10.6–17.3 for the highest vs. lowest decile of probability). The AUC was 83.3% (95% CI 82.5%–84.1%). At the cut point that balanced sensitivity and specificity, sensitivity was 76.7% and specificity was 76.2%. In an independent sample of additional Medicare beneficiaries, we again applied the model and observed good performance (AUC = 82.2%, 95% CI 81.1%–83.3%). Administrative claims data can facilitate PD identification within Medicare and Medicare-aged samples.
Genetic Diversity of Imipenem-ResistantAcinetobacter baumanniiInfections at an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Alnimr Amani , Alamri Aisha , Alsultan Afnan
Published: February 2020

Introduction. Imipenem-resistantAcinetobacter baumannii(IRAB) represents a major clinical threat. Dissemination in critical care areas necessitates effective action measures including genotyping tools to study the clonality of these strains and trace their origin. The main aim of this study is to assess the genetic relatedness between IRAB isolates in our institution intensive care units (ICU) which are at a particular risk of outbreaks.Methods. Nonreplicate IRAB strains were serially collected over 3 years period (January 2016–December 2018) from patients admitted to the ICU. The isolates were phenotypically identified by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight- (MALDI-TOF-) based system (VITEK MS), and their susceptibility was tested by the phenotypic-based VITEK 2 system. Molecular fingerprinting was performed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR) followed by hierarchal clustering. The patterns were analysed by the software of BioNumerics package version 7.6.3 (Applied Maths, Belgium).Results. A total of eighty IRAB were isolated from 31 colonization and 59 infection sites in patients admitted to the ICU. Sixty-two samples were respiratory in origin (77.5%). The generated dendrogram revealed distinct patterns for majority (95%) of the strains. Meropenem maintained activity against 43.8% of the imipenem-resistantA. baumannii.Conclusion. Meropenem can be a therapeutic option for imipenem-resistantA. baumannii. The banding patterns propose that multiple IRAB strains are circulating in the intensive care units of the institution. Drivers for this diversity need to be evaluated including antimicrobial consumption.
The Management of Lamellar Macular Holes: A Review
Authors: Danielescu Ciprian , Stanca Horia Tudor , Balta Florian
Published: February 2020

This literature review aims to provide the retina specialist with answers to patient’s questions related to the management of lamellar macular holes (LMHs). Most LMHs are stable over time, but 13–21% present an anatomic decline after 18–24 months of follow-up. Nineteen point five percent of the eyes may experience a visual acuity (VA) loss of more than 5 letters after 3 years. Many surgeons choose to perform surgery when there is significant metamorphopsia or documented decline in VA over time. The typical surgery is phacovitrectomy with the epiretinal membrane and the internal limiting membrane peeling in previously phakic eyes (41.9 to 85.3% of the eyes). In the eyes that remained phakic, cataract surgery was often necessary within the first year of follow-up (19.2 to 40% of eyes). After surgery, a VA gain was recorded in 63–94% of eyes, but some eyes (between 0 and 20%) suffered some VA loss. Progression to full-thickness macular hole may occur after surgery, and thus a second surgical intervention may be needed.
MicroRNA‐200a Promotes Phagocytosis of Macrophages and Suppresses Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Targeting CD47
Authors: Zhao Yunteng , Yu Xiaoxiao , Tang Haocheng , Han Ri , Wang Xianwen , Wang Jianqi , Wang Ke , Li Gang
Published: February 2020

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) causes severe oncogenic lesions in the nasopharynx. CD47, a transmembrane integrin‐associated protein, plays a key role in the ability of tumor cells to escape phagocytosis, working as an immune checkpoint in the immune response. Besides this role, CD47 has been reported to regulate cell proliferation and migration. The present study addresses the relationship between CD47 and microRNA‐200a and examines their regulatory mechanisms in NPC. Bioinformatics analyses and dual‐luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the putative relationship between miR‐200a and CD47, and their interaction was further detected using western blotting and RT‐PCR. Further, results showed that miR‐200a affect NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating CD47. A cell phagocytosis assay showed that miR‐200a and a CD47 monoclonal antibody increased the sensitivity of NPC cells to macrophage phagocytosis by inhibiting the functions of CD47. Additionally, miR‐200a expression was suppressed and CD47 expression increased in both clinical NPC tissues and cell lines. Taken together, these results show the miR‐200a/CD47 combination as a potential therapeutic for treatment of NPC.
Virtual FFR Quantified with a Generalized Flow Model Using Windkessel Boundary Conditions
Authors: Chahour Keltoum , Aboulaich Rajae , Habbal Abderrahmane , Zemzemi Nejib , Abdelkhirane Chérif
Published: February 2020

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has proved its efficiency in improving patient diagnosis. In this paper, we consider a 2D reconstructed left coronary tree with two artificial lesions of different degrees. We use a generalized fluid model with a Carreau law and use a coupled multidomain method to implement Windkessel boundary conditions at the outlets. We introduce our methodology to quantify the virtual FFR and conduct several numerical experiments. We compare FFR results from the Navier–Stokes model versus generalized flow model and for Windkessel versus traction-free outlet boundary conditions or mixed outlet boundary conditions. We also investigate some sources of uncertainty that the FFR index might encounter during the invasive procedure, in particular, the arbitrary position of the distal sensor. The computational FFR results show that the degree of stenosis is not enough to classify a lesion, while there is a good agreement between the Navier–Stokes model and the non-Newtonian flow model adopted in classifying coronary lesions. Furthermore, we highlight that the lack of standardization while making FFR measurement might be misleading regarding the significance of stenosis.
The Dose-Response Relationship between Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus Using Publicly Available Data: A Longitudinal Study in Japan
Authors: Zhao Wei , Tong Jingjing , Liu Jie , Liu Jin , Li Jinghua , Cao Yongtong
Published: February 2020

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between baseline serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and incident diabetes mellitus and to explore their dose-response relationship in a cohort of Japanese adults. Patients and Methods. Data were drawn from the NAGALA (NAfld in the Gifu Area, Longitudinal Analysis) study between 2004 and 2015, including hierarchical information on participants ≥18 years of age without diabetes mellitus, preexisting diabetes mellitus, heavy alcohol drinking, or other liver diseases (e.g., hepatitis B/C). The final analytic sample included 15464 participants, 373 of who were diagnosed as diabetes mellitus with a maximum 13-year follow-up. The risk of incident diabetes mellitus according to baseline serum GGT was estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and a two-piecewise linear regression model was developed to find out the threshold effect. Results. Being in the highest quintile versus the lowest quintile of GGT levels was associated with an almost twofold increased risk of incident diabetes mellitus (hazard ratio 1.83 (95% CI 1.06, 3.15)), independent of age, gender, smoking status, alcohol intake, BMI, SBP, triglycerides, fatty liver, ALT, AST, and fasting plasma glucose. Further analysis revealed a positive curvilinear association between GGT and incident diabetes mellitus, with a saturation effect predicted at 24 IU/L. When serum GGT level was less than 24 IU/L, the risk of developing diabetes mellitus increased significantly with an increase in serum GGT levels (HR 1.04 (1.02, 1.07), P=0.0017). Besides, the association was more significant in nonsmoking participants than ex- or current-smokers (P for interaction = 0.0378). Conclusion. Serum GGT level was a significant predictor of subsequent risk of diabetes mellitus, which increased by 4% for every 1 IU/L increase in GGT when GGT was less than 24 IU/L.
Numerical Investigation on the Influence of In‐Plane Damage on the Out‐of‐Plane Behavior of Masonry Infill Walls
Authors: Wang Xiaomin , Zhao Weitong , Kong Jingchang , Zhao Tiejun
Published: February 2020

This study presents a finite element model to investigate the bidirectional seismic behavior of masonry infill walls. The test data are utilized to verify the numerical model. The comparison between the analytical and the experimental results indicates that the finite element model can successfully predict the failure mode, stiffness, and strength of the masonry infill wall. Based on the model, the effects of aspect ratio (height to length), slenderness ratio (height to thickness), and masonry strength on the out‐of‐plane (OOP) response of infill wall with in‐plane (IP) damage are explored. Considering the aspect ratio, slenderness ratio, and masonry strength of infill wall, the OOP behavior of infill wall with and without IP damage is studied. Finally the reduction of the stiffness and strength in the OOP direction, due to the IP damage, is discussed.
Rough-Number-Based Multiple-Criteria Group Decision-Making Method by Combining the BWM and Prospect Theory
Authors: Jia Fan , Wang Xingyuan
Published: February 2020

Multicriteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems have been a research hotspot in recent years, and prospect theory is introduced to cope with the risk and imprecision in the process of decision-making. To guarantee the effectiveness of information aggregation and extend the feasibility of prospect theory, this paper proposes a novel decision-making approach based on rough numbers and prospect theory to solve risky and uncertain MCGDM problems. Firstly by combining rough numbers and the best-worst method (BWM), we construct a linear programming model to calculate rough criteria weights, which are defined by lower limitations and upper limitations. Then for the imprecision of value function and weighting function in prospect theory, we propose a novel method with the aid of combining rough numbers and prospect theory to handle the risk in decision-making problems. Finally, a numerical example involving investment is introduced to illustrate the application and validity of the proposed method.
The Antiosteoporosis Effects of Yishen Bugu Ye Based on Its Regulation on the Differentiation of Osteoblast and Osteoclast
Authors: Li Yangyang , Zhang Yongfeng , Meng Weiqi , Li Yutong , Huang Tao , Wang Di , Hu Min
Published: February 2020

Yishen Bugu Ye (YSBGY), a traditional Chinese medicine comprising 12 types of medicinal herbs, is often prescribed in China to increase bone strength. In this study, the antiosteoporotic effects of YSBGY were investigated in C57BL/6 mice afflicted with dexamethasone‐ (Dex‐) induced osteoporosis (OP). The results showed that YSBGY reduced the interstitial edema in the liver and kidney of mice with Dex‐induced OP. It also increased the number of trabecular bone elements and chondrocytes in the femur, promoted cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone density, and modulated the OP‐related indexes in the femur and tibia of OP mice. It also increased the serum concentrations of type I collagen, osteocalcin, osteopontin, bone morphogenetic protein‐2, bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2, C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, and runt‐related transcription factor‐2 and reduced those of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase 5 and nuclear factor of activated T cells in these mice, suggesting that it improved osteoblast differentiation and suppressed osteoclast differentiation. The anti‐inflammatory effect of YSBGY was confirmed by the increase in the serum concentrations of interleukin‐ (IL‐) 33 and the decrease in concentrations of IL‐1, IL‐7, and tumor necrosis factor‐α in OP mice. Furthermore, YSBGY enhanced the serum concentrations of superoxide dismutase and catalase in these mice, indicating that it also exerted antioxidative effects. This is the first study to confirm the antiosteoporotic effects of YSBGY in mice with Dex‐induced OP, and it showed that these effects may be related to the YSBGY‐induced modulation of the osteoblast/osteoclast balance and serum concentrations of inflammatory factors. These results provide experimental evidence supporting the use of YSBGY for supporting bone formation in the clinical setting.
Isolated Bilateral Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis and Recurrent Ischemic Strokes in a Patient with Suspected Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors: Oerding Clemens , Kaden Ingmar , Wohlfarth Kai
Published: February 2020

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common type of vasculitis and may present various forms. Ischemic stroke is one of the complications and sometimes the first symptom of this disease. We want to present the case of a 58-year-old female patient with suspected GCA who suffered from recurrent ischemic strokes due to progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries. This site of manifestation is rare but indicative of GCA. The patient was first treated with corticosteroids and methotrexate later with tocilizumab. Facing progressive hemodynamic impairment, an extra-intracranial-bypass-surgery was performed. Although inflammatory activity was reduced, new strokes occurred.
Central Nervous System Tumors in Adolescents and Young Adults: An Epidemiological Study from Jordan
Authors: AlMuhaisen Ghadeer Hayel , Al-Tarawneh Bushra , Al-Hussaini Maysa
Published: February 2020

Background: The adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group lacks targeted epidemiologic studies that assess the prevalence and outcome of tumors. We aim to provide deep analysis of the epidemiology of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in AYA in Jordan. Methodology: This is a retrospective study for all CNS tumors in the AYA group patients diagnosed and managed at King Hussein Cancer Center in 2007–2016. A patient list was retrieved from the Center’s Cancer Registry, and clinicopathologic data were reviewed individually from the patients’ records. Results: A total of 370 cases of primary CNS tumors were retrieved, with a median age of 28.5 years. Males outnumbered females; 57.6 and 42.4%, respectively. Most tumors occurred in the cerebrum (62.2%, n = 230), the frontal lobe was the most commonly affected (29%). Glioma was the most common histologic category (58.9%, n = 218), with high-grade tumors, including glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma, prevailing. Embryonal tumors comprised the second most common group (16.8%, n = 62). Medulloblastoma was the prototype of embryonal tumors (91.9%; n = 57). Glioma tended to affect the older age group than embryonal tumors (p value = 0.002). On last available follow-up, 29.5% were lost to follow-up, 36% were alive, and 34.6% were deceased. The median overall survival (OS) for all tumors was 47.6 months. Embryonal tumors had a better outcome than glioma (median OS 76.3 vs. 30.3 months, respectively; p value = 0.001). Conclusions: High-grade glioma affecting the cerebrum was the most common tumor among AYA age group and was associated with a less favorable outcome compared to embryonal tumors. More research is needed to address this special age group.
Subsequent Marking under Ultrasound Guidance of Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy Areas after Receipt of Histology: A Feasibility Study of a New Technique
Authors: Park Clara , Chevalier Frauke , Möbus Volker , Hoedl Petra , Engelmann Kerstin , Falk Stephan , Leithner Doris , Kaltenbach Benjamin , Vogl Thomas J. , Müller-Schimpfle Markus
Published: February 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and the accuracy of a secondary, metachronous ultrasound (US)-guided marking of the stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (ST-VABB) area. Materials and Methods: The institutional ethics committee approved the study. The retrospective study included 98 patients. In ST-VABB of 45 women, no tissue markers were deployed at the biopsy site, even if no residual calcifications remained. After histology proved the necessity for a subsequent operation, the biopsy site was marked under US guidance using a coil marker. All interventions were technically successful. No complications occurred. Mammography was done to visualize the coil deployment. The distances from the center of the lesion and the biopsy cavity to the coil location were measured in both planes to evaluate the accuracy of the marking procedure. Results: In 24 of the 46 cases, the whole lesion was biopsied without residual elements. The mean time between ST-VABB and sonographic marking of the lesion was 9.7 days (median 6.5). The biopsy cavity could be detected in 40 (87%) cases and thus marked exactly. The mean time of US-guided marking was 12.5 min. The mean distance between the coil and the target lesion was 0.6 ± 1.5 cm in the craniocaudal (cc) view and 0.5 ± 1.5 cm in the mediolateral (ml) view for all markings. The mean delta value from the distance nipple–original lesion and from the distance nipple–coil was 0.85 ± 1.2 cm (median 0.5) in the cc view and 0.88 ± 1.2 cm (median 0.6) in the ml view for all cases. Clip migration was not observed. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the feasibility and the technical success of secondary metachronous coil marking of the biopsy site under US guidance after receipt of histology. This approach seems to be a cost-effective alternative to the standard procedure of the primary coil marking especially in all completely removed lesions. It may offer advantages for allergic patients.
Multidisciplinary Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Yang Zhe , Abdrakhimov Bulat , Wang Shuo , Xie Qin-Fen , Zheng Shu-Sen
Published: February 2020

Current strategy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) criteria dictates that patients with advanced-stage HCC are to only receive treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, they prolong overall survival just by slightly more than 6 months. In this article, we present a patient with HCC diagnosed at an advanced stage who received multidisciplinary treatment consisting of transarterial chemoembolization, hepatic resection, pulmonary resection, radiofrequency ablation, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and radiotherapy, and has survived for more than 2 years since diagnosis and counting.
Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: A New Standard of Care?
Authors: Forster Tobias , Köhler Clara Victoria Katharina , Debus Jürgen , Hörner-Rieber Juliane
Published: February 2020

Background: Breast-conserving therapy including lumpectomy and adjuvant whole breast irradiation (WBI) has become the standard therapy for early-stage breast cancer (EBC). Without WBI, the recurrence rate is significantly increased. However, when selecting patients at a low a priori risk of local recurrence only a small breast-cancer-specific mortality benefit, but no overall survival improvement, was detected for WBI. As most recurrences occur close to the lumpectomy cavity, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) delivered exclusively to a limited volume of tissue around the initial lumpectomy site, has gained increased attention and is now discussed as an alternative to WBI for selected EBC patients. Summary: Numerous techniques for APBI (interstitial brachytherapy, external beam-based APBI, intraoperative radiotherapy, MR-guided radiotherapy) allow treatment delivery in a shorter period of time, and radiation oncologists expect to further reduce side effects by using these new techniques, with improvements in cosmetics and quality of life. In this review, we aim to describe the existing evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of different APBI techniques used in modern radiotherapy. Key Messages: APBI has provided outcomes similar to WBI combined with potentially reduced toxicity. While appropriate patient selection persists to be crucial for acceptable recurrence rates, the precise definition of patients suitable for APBI remains a matter of discussion. As long-term data are often still lacking, special attention should be paid to late side effects and long-term outcomes. Decision-making on appropriate treatment techniques should take into account not only local control rates, but also the impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Impact of Modifiable Bleeding Risk Factors on Major Bleeding in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulated With Rivaroxaban
Authors: Kirchhof Paulus , Haas Sylvia , Amarenco Pierre , Hess Susanne , Lambelet Marc , van Eickels Martin , Turpie Alexander G. G. , Camm A. John ,   the XANTUS Investigators*
Published: February 2020

Background

Reducing major bleeding events is a challenge when managing anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation. This study evaluated the impact of modifiable and nonmodifiable bleeding risk factors in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving rivaroxaban and estimated the impact of risk factor modification on major bleeding events.

Methods and Results

Modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors associated with major bleeding events were identified from the XANTUS (Xarelto for Prevention of Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation) prospective registry data set (6784 rivaroxaban‐treated patients). Parameters showing univariate association with bleeding were used to construct a multivariable model identifying independent risk factors. Modeling was used to estimate attributed weights to risk factors. Heavy alcohol use (hazard ratio [
HR
]=2.37; 95%
CI
1.24–4.53); uncontrolled hypertension (
HR
after parameter‐wise shrinkage=1.79; 95%
CI
1.05–3.05); and concomitant treatment with antiplatelets, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, or paracetamol (
HR
=1.80; 95%
CI
1.24–2.61) were identified as modifiable, independent bleeding risk factors. Increasing age (
HR
=1.25 [per 5‐year increment]; 95%
CI
1.12–1.38); heart failure (
HR
=1.97; 95%
CI
1.36–2.86); and vascular disease (
HR
=1.91; 95%
CI
1.32–2.77) were identified as nonmodifiable bleeding risk factors. Overall, 128 (1.9%) patients experienced major bleeding events; of these, 11% had no identified bleeding risk factors, 50% had nonmodifiable bleeding risk factors only, and 39% had modifiable bleeding risk factors (with or without nonmodifiable risk factors). The presence of 1 modifiable bleeding risk factor doubled the risk of major bleeding.

Conclusions

Elimination of modifiable bleeding risk factors is a potentially effective strategy to reduce bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation patients receiving rivaroxaban.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
01606995.
Management of Antithrombotic Agents During Surgery or Other Kinds of Medical Procedures With Bleeding: The MARK Study
Authors: Gotoh Seiji , Yasaka Masahiro , Nakamura Asako , Kuwashiro Takahiro , Okada Yasushi
Published: February 2020

Background

Optimal management of antithrombotic agents during surgery has yet to be established. We performed a prospective multicenter observational study to determine the current status of the management of antithrombotic agents during surgery or other medical procedures with bleeding (MARK [Management of Antithrombotic Agents During Surgery or Other Kinds of Medical Procedures With Bleeding] study) in Japan.

Methods and Results

The participants were 9700 patients who received oral antithrombotic agents and underwent scheduled medical procedures with bleeding at 59 National Hospital Organization institutions in Japan. Primary outcomes were thromboembolic events, bleeding events, and death within 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after the procedures. We investigated the relationships between each outcome and patient demographics, comorbidities, type of procedure, and management of antithrombotic therapy. With respect to the periprocedural management of antithrombotic agents, 3551 patients continued oral antithrombotic agents (36.6%, continuation group) and 6149 patients discontinued them (63.4%, discontinuation group). The incidence of any thromboembolic event (1.7% versus 0.6%,
P
<0.001), major bleeding (7.6% versus 0.4%,
P
<0.001), and death (0.8% versus 0.4%,
P
<0.001) was all greater in the discontinuation group than the continuation group. In multivariate analysis, even after adjusting for confounding factors, discontinuation of anticoagulant agents was significantly associated with higher risk for both thromboembolic events (odds ratio: 4.55; 95% CI, 1.67–12.4;
P
=0.003) and major bleeding (odds ratio: 11.1; 95% CI, 2.03–60.3;
P
=0.006) in procedures with low bleeding risk. In contrast, heparin bridging therapy was significantly associated with higher risk for both thromboembolic events (odds ratio: 2.03; 95% CI, 1.28–3.22;
P
=0.003) and major bleeding (odds ratio: 1.36; 95% CI, 1.10–1.68;
P
=0.005) in procedures with high bleeding risk.

Conclusions

Discontinuation of oral antithrombotic agents and addition of low‐dose heparin bridging therapy appear to be significantly associated with adverse events in the periprocedural period.