bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical performance of a point‐of‐care Coccidioides antibody test in dogs
Authors: Reagan Krystle L. , McHardy Ian , Thompson George R. , Sykes Jane E.
Published: March 2021

Background

Point‐of‐care (POC) Coccidioides antibody assays may provide veterinarians with rapid and accurate diagnostic information.

Objectives

To determine the agreement of a POC lateral flow assay (LFA), sona Coccidioides (IMMY, Norman, Oklahoma) with the current diagnostic standard, the immunodiffusion assay (agar gel immunodiffusion [AGID]; Coccidioidomycosis Serology Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California).

Animals

Forty‐eight sera specimens from 48 dogs.

Methods

Sera specimens were collected from client‐owned dogs that had a clinical suspicion for coccidioidomycosis. Animals were classified as Coccidioides antibody‐positive (n = 36) based on a positive AGID or Coccidioides antibody‐negative (n = 12) based on a negative AGID. The performance of the LFA assay was determined by comparing results to AGID results.

Results

The LFA assay demonstrated agreement in 32 of 36 Coccidioides antibody‐positive specimens and 12 of 12 Coccidioides antibody‐negative specimens, resulting in a positive percentage agreement of 88.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74.7‐95.6%) and negative percentage agreement of 100% (95% CI, 75.8‐100%) as compared to AGID. A receiver operator characteristic curve was constructed, and the area under the curve was 0.944 (CI, 0.880‐1.000).

Conclusion and Clinical importance

This LFA is a rapid alternative to the traditional AGID. The LFA provides excellent predictive value for positive results. Positive agreement was lower in dogs with low AGID titers; therefore, confirmatory testing is recommended if a high index of suspicion exists.
Pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue disposal profiles of Tiamulin fumarate in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) following oral and intravenous administrations
Authors: Liu Yongtao , Cao Cuiyu , Song Yi , Zhou Shun , Yang Yibin , Xu Ning , Yang Qiuhong , Dong Jing , Ai Xiaohui
Published: March 2021

Tiamulin fumarate (TIF) is a pleuromutilin antibiotic and has high activity against animal bacterial pathogens including aquatic bacterial pathogens. However, its pharmacokinetic profiles, tissue distribution characteristics and bioavailability in aquatic animals remain unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution regularities of TIF in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) following a single oral (PO) dose of 20 mg/kg body weight (bw) and a single intravenous (IV) dose of 5 mg/kg bw at 22 ± 1°C, respectively. TIF concentrations in tilapia plasma and tissues were determined using the isotope dilution HPLC‐HESI‐MS/MS procedure, which was validated according to the guidelines defined by US Food and Drug Administration. TIF was well distributed throughout the body compartments of tilapia judged by the apparent volume of distribution (Vd) >1 L/kg (6.69 L/kg PO and 1.78 L/kg IV). TIF had a short mean residence time (MRT; 22.82 h PO and 14.61 h IV) and quick total body clearance (CLb) (0.62 L kg−1 h−1 PO and 0.60 L kg−1 h−1 IV). The total area under the curve (AUCtot) of plasma were 32.25 μg h−1 ml−1 (PO) and 8.30 μg h−1 ml (IV), respectively, and the oral absolute bioavailability (F%) of TIF was calculated to be approximately 97.1%. For tissue distribution, high concentrations of TIF were found in kidney, and the longest MRT was recorded in bile. The withdrawal time (WT) of TIF in muscle, skin, liver, kidney, gill, and bile was 3.75 (4) and 1.79 (2), 1.77 (2) and 2.06 (3), 6.41 (7) and 1.97 (2), 6.95 (7) and 3.98 (4), 4.92 (5) and 2.36 (3), and 7.06 (8) and 6.16 (7) days after PO and IV administration, respectively. The present investigations indicated that TIF was quickly absorbed, well distributed, rapidly eliminated in tilapia, and it could serve as reference data for establishing use regimen and provide useful information for the further development of TIF in aquaculture.
Maize nicotinate N‐methyltransferase interacts with the NLR protein Rp1‐D21 and modulates the hypersensitive response
Authors: Liu Mengjie , Li Ya‐Jie , Zhu Yu‐Xiu , Sun Yang , Wang Guan‐Feng
Published: March 2021

Most plant intracellular immune receptors belong to nucleotide‐binding, leucine‐rich repeat (NLR) proteins. The recognition between NLRs and their corresponding pathogen effectors often triggers a hypersensitive response (HR) at the pathogen infection sites. The nicotinate N‐methyltransferase (NANMT) is responsible for the conversion of nicotinate to trigonelline in plants. However, the role of NANMT in plant defence response is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that the maize ZmNANMT, but not its close homolog ZmCOMT, an enzyme in the lignin biosynthesis pathway, suppresses the HR mediated by the autoactive NLR protein Rp1‐D21 and its N‐terminal coiled‐coil signalling domain (CCD21). ZmNANMT, but not ZmCOMT, interacts with CCD21, and they form a complex with HCT1806 and CCoAOMT2, two key enzymes in lignin biosynthesis, which can also suppress the autoactive HR mediated by Rp1‐D21. ZmNANMT is mainly localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and either localization is important for suppressing the HR phenotype. These results lay the foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of NANMTs in plant disease resistance.
Comparison between TightRail rotating dilator sheath and GlideLight laser sheath for transvenous lead extraction
Authors: Qin Dingxin , Chokshi Moulin , Sabeh Mohamad Khaled , Maan Abhishek , Bapat Aneesh , Bode Weeranun D. , Hanley Alan , Hucker William J. , Ng Chee Yuan , Funamoto Masaki , Barrett Conor D. , Mela Theofanie
Published: March 2021

Background

There are limited data on the comparative analyses of TightRail rotating dilator sheath (Philips) and laser sheath for lead extraction.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the TightRail sheath as a primary or secondary tool for transvenous lead extraction (TLE).

Methods

Retrospective cohort analysis of 202 consecutive patients who underwent TLE using either TightRail sheath and/or GlideLight laser sheath (Philips) in our hospital. The study population was divided into three groups: Group A underwent TLE with laser sheath only (N = 157), Group B with TightRail sheath only (N = 22), and Group C with both sheaths (N = 23).

Results

During this period, 375 leads in 202 patients were extracted, including 297 leads extracted by laser sheath alone, 45 leads by TightRail sheath alone, and 33 by both TightRail sheath and laser sheaths. The most common indications included device infection (44.6%) and lead‐related complications (44.1%). The median age of leads was 8.9 years. TightRail sheath (Group B) achieved similar efficacy as a primary extraction tool compared with laser sheath (Group A), with complete procedure success rate of 93.3% (vs. 96.6%, P = .263) and clinical success rate of 100.0% (vs. 98.1%, P = .513). Among 32 leads in which Tightrail was used after laser had failed (Group C), the complete procedure success rate was 75.8%. No significant difference in procedural adverse events was observed.

Conclusion

Our single‐center experience confirms that the TightRail system is an effective first‐line and second‐line method for TLE. Further investigation is required to guide the selection of mechanical and laser sheaths in lead extraction cases.
Quantum indeterminacy
Authors: Calosi Claudio , Mariani Cristian
Published: March 2021

This paper explores quantum indeterminacy (QI), as it is operative in the failure of value‐definiteness for quantum observables. It first addresses questions about its existence, its nature, and its relations to extant quantum interpretations. Then, it provides a critical discussions of the main accounts of QI.
Bioeconomic modelling of hatchery, grow‐out and combined business of Australian black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon farming
Authors: Marín‐Riffo Maria C. , Raadsma Herman W. , Jerry Dean R. , Coman Greg J. , Khatkar Mehar S.
Published: March 2021

Penaeus monodon is the primary shrimp species farmed in Australia. Based on an extensive survey of the literature and industry information, we identified and compiled 318 different parameters related to shrimp aquaculture enterprises and production. Using these as input parameters, we performed detailed bioeconomic modelling for evaluating the economic viability of intensive culture scenarios and identified the major drivers of business profitability under Australian conditions. Three business types (hatchery, grow‐out and combined hatchery + grow‐out) were evaluated by simulating varying numbers of female broodstock and ponds in operation based on annual, six‐monthly, quarterly and monthly stocking events per year over a 10‐year period. Net present value was the main economic variable for comparison. The hatchery business was most profitable in scenario with 250 females being spawned monthly or 500 females at least quarterly, that is, >2000 females spawned per year. Feed, acquisition of broodstock and fixed labour were major costs for hatchery scenarios. For a grow‐out business, all scenarios were profitable even at the smallest scale modelled (50 ponds stocked annually). Feed, power and purchase of post‐larvae were major costs for grow‐out business. The combined business was the most profitable for a large enterprise and required at least 100 ponds stocked over the year. The three major costs in the combined business were feed, power and labour. Sensitivity analyses showed feed cost and survival parameters were critical for profitability.
Disability and the church in Africa: Institutional and individual approaches to disability and Christianity on the continent
Authors: Clausnitzer Danielle
Published: March 2021

Though African‐led engagement with persons with disabilities (PWDs) within varying African churches has been an ongoing project since the 1990s, recent developments in the study of PWDs remain notably absent from mainstream African, religious, or disabilities studies. Calling attention to the interrelation between these three important scholarly fields can help scholars and PWDs alike to conceptualize of the treatment of PWDs in Africa and, more specifically, their role in the Christian Church on the continent. Focusing on the theological and ecclesiological solutions to the ongoing oppression and segregation of African PWDs, this article therefore seeks to define the lived experiences and scholarship that sit at the intersection of these three important scholarly fields. In doing so, this article seeks to aid in the development of a better understanding of how PWDs in variable African churches are understood and how novel African scholarship aims to define or modify this understanding.
Geometric Design of the Limaçon-to-Circular Fluid Processing Machine
Authors: Phung Truong H. , Sultan Ibrahim A.
Published: March 2021

A limaçon machine is a rotary positive displacement device, in which the housing and rotor are constructed of limaçon of Pascal curves. Previous works have been published to investigate the working of these machines in two applications: gas expanders and compressors. This article presents a theoretical investigation into the potential of modifying the rotor profile of the limaçon machines to simplify the machine’s manufacturing process and to reduce production cost. The proposed modification will produce new characteristics for the housing–rotor interaction. An outcome that motivates the need to obtain new mathematical models to investigate the housing–rotor interference and describe the volumetric relationship of the new machine. This article also employs an optimization approach to design the best machine for a given set of operating conditions, i.e., expander, compressor, and pump. The outcome of this study confirms the validity of the proposed modification and its potential to produce a limaçon machine with favorable characteristics.
Geothermal Energy Use and Its Related Technology Development in Japan
Authors: Yasukawa Kasumi
Published: March 2021

Japan has national targets to intensify the geothermal power generation. The government gives several fiscal incentives for geothermal development and R&D through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Beside short-termed target by 2030, Japan has a long-term target by 2050. Therefore, the R&D also has a short-term target to develop the conventional hydrothermal systems effectively with improved technologies and a long-term target to develop supercritical geothermal resources at a depth of volcanic region. The latter covers from basic scientific investigation to highly technological innovation. In contrast, ground source heat pump (GSHP) has been promoted by the private sectors supported mainly by the Ministry of Environment (MOE). A topical research work on the ground source heat pump in Japan is suitability mapping for both closed-loop and open-loop systems based on studies of groundwater flows. The detailed situation and research activities for both geothermal power generation and ground source heat pump will be discussed in this paper.
Quantum image interest point extraction
Authors: Jiang Nan , Ji Zhuoxiao , Li Hong , Wang Jian
Published: March 2021

With the development of quantum computing, the application of it to image processing has lots of advantages compared to classical image processing. In this paper, we propose a scheme to extract the interest point in quantum images. Interest point is a kind of feature point which can help to identify the target object in the image. Our scheme is based on the idea of Luminance Contrast (LC) algorithm. The scheme computes the absolute value of gray level differences between a pixel and the others, and then adds all these differences together. The sum is defined as a saliency. After computing the saliency of every pixel, we label the pixels with the maximal saliency as the interest points. The algorithm has pretty good performance and its time complexity is much better than the classical algorithm in same conditions, which provides a new idea for the extraction of image interest point.
Landau levels for the (2 + 1) Dunkl–Klein–Gordon oscillator
Authors: Mota R. D. , Ojeda-Guillén D. , Salazar-Ramírez M. , Granados V. D.
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study the (2 + 1)-dimensional Klein–Gordon oscillator coupled to an external magnetic field, in which we change the standard partial derivatives for the Dunkl derivatives. We find the energy spectrum (Landau levels) in an algebraic way, by introducing three operators that close the su(1, 1) Lie algebra and from the theory of unitary representations. Also, we find the energy spectrum and the eigenfunctions analytically, and we show that both solutions are consistent. Finally, we demonstrate that when the magnetic field vanishes or when the parameters of the Dunkl derivatives are set to zero, our results are adequately reduced to those reported in the literature.
Object Detection Using Deep Learning Methods in Traffic Scenarios
Authors: Boukerche Azzedine , Hou Zhijun
Published: March 2021

The recent boom of autonomous driving nowadays has made object detection in traffic scenes a hot topic of research. Designed to classify and locate instances in the image, this is a basic but challenging task in the computer vision field. With its powerful feature extraction abilities, which are vital for object detection, deep learning has expanded its application areas to this field during the past several years and thus achieved breakthroughs. However, even with such powerful approaches, traffic scenarios have their own specific challenges, such as real-time detection, changeable weather, and complex lighting conditions. This survey is dedicated to summarizing research and papers on applying deep learning to the transportation environment in recent years. More than 100 research papers are covered, and different aspects such as key generic object detection frameworks, categorized object detection applications in traffic scenario, evaluation metrics, and classified datasets are included. Some open research fields are also provided. We believe that it is the first survey focusing on deep learning-based object detection in traffic scenario.
Automated Design of Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Talbi El-Ghazali
Published: March 2021

In recent years, research in applying optimization approaches in the automatic design of deep neural networks has become increasingly popular. Although various approaches have been proposed, there is a lack of a comprehensive survey and taxonomy on this hot research topic. In this article, we propose a unified way to describe the various optimization algorithms that focus on common and important search components of optimization algorithms: representation, objective function, constraints, initial solution(s), and variation operators. In addition to large-scale search space, the problem is characterized by its variable mixed design space, it is very expensive, and it has multiple blackbox objective functions. Hence, this unified methodology has been extended to advanced optimization approaches, such as surrogate-based, multi-objective, and parallel optimization.
Deep Learning for Anomaly Detection
Authors: Pang Guansong , Shen Chunhua , Cao Longbing , Hengel Anton Van Den
Published: March 2021

Anomaly detection, a.k.a. outlier detection or novelty detection, has been a lasting yet active research area in various research communities for several decades. There are still some unique problem complexities and challenges that require advanced approaches. In recent years, deep learning enabled anomaly detection, i.e.,deep anomaly detection, has emerged as a critical direction. This article surveys the research of deep anomaly detection with a comprehensive taxonomy, covering advancements in 3 high-level categories and 11 fine-grained categories of the methods. We review their key intuitions, objective functions, underlying assumptions, advantages, and disadvantages and discuss how they address the aforementioned challenges. We further discuss a set of possible future opportunities and new perspectives on addressing the challenges.
On Multi-Resource Procurement in Internet Access Markets
Authors: Shi Lianjie , Wang Xin , Ma Richard T. B.
Published: March 2021

With the increasing popularity and significance of content delivery services, especially video streaming, stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements have been placed upon Internet content providers (CPs). As a result, CPs have strong incentives to pay for resources such as premium peering bandwidth and cache capacity that ameliorate service quality. In this paper, we study an Internet access market with multiple access resources that CPs can purchase to enhance service quality. We build a detailed content delivery model, through which we characterize the traffic throughput and the resulting utilities of CPs and social welfare. We show that a market equilibrium exists for a multi-resource market, at which the optimization problems for individual utilities and social welfare coincide. Furthermore, we characterize the optimal purchasing strategies of CPs as well as how varying parameters are going to change the market equilibrium via sensitivity analysis.
A Theory of Auto-Scaling for Resource Reservation in Cloud Services
Authors: Psychas Konstantinos , Ghaderi Javad
Published: March 2021

We consider a distributed server system consisting of a large number of servers, each with limited capacity on multiple resources (CPU, memory, disk, etc.). Jobs with different rewards arrive over time and require certain amounts of resources for the duration of their service. When a job arrives, the system must decide whether to admit it or reject it, and if admitted, in which server to schedule the job. The objective is to maximize the expected total reward received by the system. This problem is motivated by control of cloud computing clusters, in which, jobs are requests for Virtual Machines or Containers that reserve resources for various services, and rewards represent service priority of requests or price paid per time unit of service by clients. We study this problem in an asymptotic regime where the number of servers and jobs' arrival rates scale by a factor L, as L becomes large. We propose a resource reservation policy that asymptotically achieves at least 1/2, and under certain monotone property on jobs' rewards and resources, at least 11/4 of the optimal expected reward. The policy automatically scales the number of VM slots for each job type as the demand changes, and decides in which servers the slots should be created in advance, without the knowledge of traffic rates. It effectively tracks a low-complexity greedy packing of existing jobs in the system while maintaining only a small number, g(L) = w(logL), of reserved VM slots for high priority jobs that pack well.
Revenue sharing on the Internet
Authors: Malik Fehmina , Hanawal Manjesh K. , Hayel Yezekael , Nair Jayakrishnan
Published: March 2021

Revenue sharing contracts between Content Providers (CPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can act as leverage for enhancing the infrastructure of the Internet. ISPs can be incentivised to make investments in network infrastructure that improve Quality of Service (QoS) for users if attractive contracts are negotiated between them and CPs. The idea here is that part of the revenue of CPs is shared with ISPs to invest in infrastructure improvement. We propose a model in which CPs (leaders) determine contracts, and an ISP (follower) reacts by strategically determining the infrastructure enhancement (effort) for each CP. Two cases are studied: (i) the ISP differentiates between the CPs and puts (potentially) a different level of efforts to improve the QoS of each CP, and (ii) the ISP does not differentiate between CPs and makes equal amount of effort for all the CPs. The last scenario can be viewed as neutral behavior by the ISP. Our analysis of optimal contracts shows that preference of CPs for the neutral and non-neutral regime depends on their monetizing power - CPs which can better monetize their demand tend to prefer non-neutral regime whereas the weaker CPs tend to prefer the neutral regime. Interestingly, ISP revenue, as well as social utility, are also found to be higher under the non-neutral regime. We then propose an intermediate regulatory regime that we call "soft-neutral", where efforts put by the ISP for all the CPs need not be equal same but the disparity is not wide. We show that the soft-neutral regime alleviates the loss in social utility in the neutral regime and the outcome further improves when CPs determine their contracts through bargaining.
A Nonlinear Implicit Fractional Equation with Caputo Derivative
Authors: Ndiaye Ameth
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study a nonlinear implicit differential equation with initial conditions. The considered problem involves the fractional Caputo derivatives under some conditions on the order. We prove an existence and uniqueness analytic result by application of Banach principle. Then, another result that deals with the existence of at least one solution is delivered and some sufficient conditions for this result are established by means of the fixed point theorem of Schaefer. At the end, we discuss two examples to illustrate the applicability of the main results.
Global Well-Posedness for Coupled System of mKdV Equations in Analytic Spaces
Authors: Zennir Khaled , Boukarou Aissa , Alkhudhayr Rehab Nasser
Published: March 2021

The main result in this paper is to prove, in Bourgain type spaces, the existence of unique local solution to system of initial value problem described by integrable equations of modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) by using linear and trilinear estimates, together with contraction mapping principle. Moreover, owing to the approximate conservation law, we prove the existence of global solution.
Multicriteria Decision-Making Method and Application in the Setting of Trapezoidal Neutrosophic Z-Numbers
Authors: Yong Rui , Ye Jun , Du Shigui
Published: March 2021

The information expression and modeling of decision-making are critical problems in the fuzzy decision theory and method. However, existing trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers (TrNNs) and neutrosophic Z-numbers (NZNs) and their multicriteria decision-making (MDM) methods reveal their insufficiencies, such as without considering the reliability measures in TrNN and continuous Z-numbers in NZN. To overcome the insufficiencies, it is necessary that one needs to propose trapezoidal neutrosophic Z-numbers (TrNZNs), their aggregation operations, and an MDM method for solving MDM problems with TrNZN information. Hence, this study first proposes a TrNZN set, some basic operations of TrNZNs, and the score and accuracy functions of TrNZN and their ranking laws. Then, the TrNZN weighted arithmetic averaging (TrNZNWAA) and TrNZN weighted geometric averaging (TrNZNWGA) operators are presented based on the operations of TrNZNs. Next, an MDM approach using the proposed aggregation operators and score and accuracy functions is established to carry out MDM problems under the environment of TrNZNs. In the end, the established MDM approach is applied to an MDM example of software selection for revealing its rationality and efficiency in the setting of TrNZNs. The main advantage of this study is that the established approach not only makes assessment information continuous and reliable but also strengthens the decision rationality and efficiency in the setting of TrNZNs.
Smart metering system data analytics platform using multicore edge computing
Authors: Olivares-Rojas Juan C. , Reyes-Archundia Enrique , Gutiérrez-Gnecchi José A. , Molina-Moreno Ismael , Téllez-Anguiano Adriana C. , Cerda-Jacobo Jaime
Published: March 2021

The smart grid revolution has only been possible, thanks to the development and proliferation of smart meters. The increasingly growing computing capabilities for Internet of Things devices have made it possible for data to be processed directly from the devices where it is produced; this has been called edge computing. Edge computing is allowing the smart grid to become increasingly intelligent to solve problems that make electricity consumption more efficient and environmentally friendly. This work presents the implementation of a smart metering system that allows data analytics using a multiprocessing architecture directly on the smart meter. The results show that the development of smart meters with data analytics capabilities at the edge is a reality today, and the use of multiprocessing permits the improvement of data processing.
Design and development of a parallelized algorithm for face recognition in mobile cloud environment
Authors: Bhatt K. N. , Naik Dessai Sanket S , Yerragudi V. S.
Published: March 2021

Face recognition is the biometric application to recognise the identity. Face recognition application holds a set of images which are called databases stored by the user at cloud database. Cloud computing environment, database can be stored in the cloud environment to achieve huge data storage area. The problem with these data storages are that because of that huge size processing on this storage takes too much of compiling time. This paper aims to develop face recognition in mobile cloud environment by exploiting data or task parallelism in existing face recognition algorithms. To design and develop parallel PCA based face recognition algorithm. The parallel PCA face recognition algorithm has been deployed in the cloud server for performing PCA by request of user. It matches the image on the cloud server and gives response back to the user in the fewer amounts of time and with reduced latency. The developed Parallel PCA face recognition algorithm has minimized the overall response time for the face recognition algorithm. The performance of the developed system is tested and analysed on real face images. To analyse the developed system, a centralized and distributed based server methods are developed and comparison is being carried out. The conclusion drawn that the distributed server improves the efficiency as well as the computing power as compared with centralized server system. The comparison of centralized and distributed based servers is carried out by observing the time taken while varying the number of images in the training dataset.
Efficacy and Safety of Long‐Term Antithrombotic Strategies in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome: A Network Meta‐analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Zhu Houyong , Xu Xiaoqun , Fang Xiaojiang , Ying Fei , Song Liuguang , Gao Beibei , Tong Guoxin , Zhou Liang , Chen Tielong , Huang Jinyu
Published: March 2021

Background

Long‐term antithrombotic strategies for patients with chronic coronary syndrome with high‐risk factors represent an important treatment dilemma in clinical practice. Our aim was to conduct a network meta‐analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long‐term antithrombotic strategies in patients with chronic coronary syndrome.

Methods and Results

Four randomized studies were included (n=75167; THEMIS [Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in Diabetes Mellitus Patients Intervention Study], COMPASS [Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies], PEGASUS‐TIMI 54 [Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Prior Heart Attack Using Ticagrelor Compared to Placebo on a Background of Aspirin–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 54], and DAPT [Dual Anti‐platelet Therapy]). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs) were calculated as the measure of effect size. The results of the network meta‐analysis showed that, compared with aspirin monotherapy, the ORs for trial‐defined major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were 0.86; (95% CI, 0.80–0.93) for ticagrelor plus aspirin, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.78–1.02) for rivaroxaban monotherapy, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.64–0.85) for rivaroxaban plus aspirin, and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60,–0.86) for thienopyridine plus aspirin. Compared with aspirin monotherapy, the ORs for trial‐defined major bleeding were 2.15 (95% CI, 1.78–2.59]) for ticagrelor plus aspirin, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.23–1.85) for rivaroxaban monotherapy, and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.37–2.05) for rivaroxaban plus aspirin. For death from any cause, the improvement effect of rivaroxaban plus aspirin was detected versus aspirin monotherapy (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65–0.90), ticagrelor plus aspirin (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66–0.95), rivaroxaban monotherapy (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69–0.97), and thienopyridine plus aspirin (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41–0.82) regimens.

Conclusions

All antithrombotic strategies combined with aspirin significantly reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and increased the risk of major bleeding compared with aspirin monotherapy. Considering the outcomes of all ischemic and bleeding events and all‐cause mortality, rivaroxaban plus aspirin appears to be the preferred long‐term antithrombotic regimen for patients with chronic coronary syndrome and high‐risk factors.
Neo-Confucian Religiousness Vis-à-Vis Neo-Orthodox Protestantism
Authors: Lo Ping-Cheung
Published: March 2021

Contemporary Neo-Confucianism, as represented by Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Tu Wei-ming, has a definite religiosity. They consciously draw a parallel between the Christian God-human relationship and Confucian Heaven-human relationship, and argue for the superiority of the latter. They characterize the Christian God as “pure transcendence”; in contrast, they embrace immanentism of the Heaven and assert the divinity of human nature. This article argues that these Confucian thinkers have a very distorted understanding of classical Christian theology. They cherry-pick some statements from the Neo-Orthodox theologians (such as God as Wholly Other), charge this God for its remoteness from us, and happily ascribe divinity to human nature. They are totally unaware that their immanentism is déjà vu to the Neo- Orthodox theological movement. The religious thoughts of Tang, Mou, and Tu, though in different degrees, resemble German liberal theology in many crucial ways, against which Barth, Brunner, and Bultmann (with the assistance of Otto and Buber) have successfully revolted. Instead of using Neo-Orthodox theologians as a foil, the future development of Neo-Confucian religiousness has much to learn from this theological movement.
Spirituality of Nourishing Life in the Book of Mengzi
Authors: Xinzhong Yao
Published: March 2021

As a moral system open to spiritual values, Confucianism demonstrates a strong commitment to the cultivation of life and believes that this cultivation can lead to the spiritual ultimate. In this sense the interconnection between religiousness and morality underlies all Confucian discourses on human qualities and is the foundation on which their moral universe is established. This article is an attempt to examine how Mengzi explores the multiple meaning of “nourishing or nurturing” (yang 飬) and makes it essentially instrumental for completing one’s journey to the oneness of humans and Heaven.
Chung-Ying Cheng: Creativity, Ontogenerative Hermeneutics, and the Yijing
Authors: Nelson Eric
Published: March 2021

The hermeneutical dimensions of Chinese philosophy from the Changes of Zhou (the Zhouyi《周易》) through its Confucian, Daoist, and contemporary developments have been a creative inspirational source and guiding intellectual thread in the thought of Chung-ying Cheng. Cheng’s extensive engagement with the Classic of Changes (the Yijing 易經), its role in the formation of the Chinese philosophical tradition and its comparative interconnections with occidental philosophies, has disclosed its deep hermeneutical orientation. The Yijing encompasses processes of empirical observation, empathetic feeling, and self-reflection in the generation of “images,” or prototypical models that are “formobjects” or “process-events,” which performatively enact a comprehensive ontological and situationally appropriate understanding of nature, society, and one self. I examine three issues in outline arising from Cheng’s works in this situation: (1) to what extent Chinese philosophy is hermeneutical with respect to (2) modern European understandings of hermeneutics, and (3) the possibility of the distinctive “onto-generative hermeneutics” that has been articulated for over forty years in the context of Chinese and Western thought in Cheng’s prolific works concerning the Yijing.
The Yijing as a Challenge for Western Metaphysical Reflection
Authors: Palmquist Stephen R.
Published: March 2021

As an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Chinese Philosophy on the Yijing and Western metaphysics, this article examines the variety of uses to which the Yijing has been put in the past and offers suggestions as to why the vast majority of Western philosophers, and even many recent Chinese philosophers, have tended to ignore it. Drawing on insights conveyed by the papers included in the special issue, as well as on various other recent research related to this topic, I argue that the Yijing has a largely untapped potential to be used by philosophers who seek to construct metaphysical arguments and systems. Everyone interested in gaining wisdom through philosophical reflection—whether their main focus is on Chinese thinkers, on Western thinkers, or on thinkers from other, more marginalized traditions—can benefit by accepting the challenge posed by this classical Chinese book of wisdom.
Confucius’ Life Experience, Idea of Happiness, and Moral Autonomy: A Study on Qiong Da Yi Shi 《窮達以時》 and other Literatures
Authors: Wang Zhongjiang
Published: March 2021

The thinking of the relationship between virtue and happiness in the excavated document Qiongdayishi 《窮達以時》 shows many links with other extant literatures. Qiongdayishi is the reflection made by Confucius and his disciplines in a life crisis. It does not consider that there is an inner correspondence between virtue and happiness, which is the same in other Confucian literature. Besides, it gives a new explanation of Qiong 窮 and Da 達, turning them to the issue of moral autonomy of human beings. It indicates that the idea of virtue and happiness of Confucianism is complex and cannot be understood in one perspective.
Bonaventure on the Soul and Its Powers
Authors: Löwe Can Laurens
Published: March 2021

This article examines Bonaventure’s account of the soul and its powers, which seeks to strike a middle path between the better-known identity and distinction views of the thirteenth century. Bonaventure contends that the powers of the soul are neither fully distinct from the soul nor completely identical to it. The article argues that Bonaventure’s view comprises four key theses. Bonaventure maintains (i) that the soul’s powers are necessary features of the soul; (ii) that they depend on the soul; (iii) that they are in the same category as the soul; (iv) but that they belong to this category “by reduction” (per reductionem). The article also considers an objection to Bonaventure’s view raised by Peter John Olivi.
Towards a History of the Decolonization of International Law. An Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Wheatley Natasha , Moyn Samuel
Published: March 2021

After an age of excitement of historians and lawyers with renewed interest in the imperial origins and settings of international law, recent scholarship has begun to turn to the history of the field’s decolonization. The Third World Approaches to International Law movement, of course, arose out of and continues to call for a decolonization of international law. But the fact is that, as of today, we know very little in historical terms about how this transition began. The historiography of the achievements, forms, and personnel – as well as the legacy and limits – of the attempted creation of a genuinely postcolonial international law remains in its infancy.
Shared Sacred Sites
Authors: Barkey Karen
Published: March 2021

This paper analyzes the conditions under which the sharing of sacred sites in Turkey is still possible despite the serious Sunnification campaign of the akp regime. I argue that ideological, cultural, and pragmatic motivations led the Turkish state to refrain from interfering in practices the ruling party deems sacrilegious and distasteful.
Protesting During a Pandemic: Narratives on Risk Taking and Motivation to Participating in the 2020 March on Washington
Authors: Cobbina Jennifer , LaCourse Ashleigh , Brooke Erika J. , Chaudhuri Soma
Published: March 2021

The study elucidates the interplay of COVID-19 and the wave of Black Lives Matter protests to assess motivation and risk taking for protest participation. We draw on protesters’ accounts to examine how police violence influenced the participants decision making to participate in the 2020 March on Washington during a pandemic that exacerbated the risks already in place from protesting the police. We found that protesters’ social position and commitment to the cause provided motivations, along with a zeal to do more especially among White protesters. For Black participants, the images in the media resonated with their own experiences of structural racism from police.
Impact of Ketamine in the Management of Painful Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-Occlusive Crisis
Authors: Froomkin Jennifer , Knoebel Randall W. , Dickerson David , Soni Hailey , Szwak Jennifer
Published: March 2021

The aim of the study is to determine if ketamine infusions in combination with opioid therapy for the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) presenting with vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) resulted in a length-of-stay difference compared to when ketamine was not utilized. This single center, retrospective, observational study performed at an academic medical center evaluated 12 adult patients with SCD-VOC who received a ketamine infusion with standard opioid therapy between 2014 and 2017. Patients were excluded if the primary diagnosis was not VOC or they did not survive to discharge. Additionally, safety and oral morphine equivalents at various time points were compared. Patients were used as their own control using the previous SCD-VOC hospitalization to evaluate the relative impact of ketamine. Wilcoxon signed-rank and rank sum were used in statistical analysis. When comparing opioid doses during the ketamine infusion, a P-value <.005 was considered statistically significant to account for multiple comparisons. The median length-of stay when ketamine was employed was similar to the previous admission with only opioid therapy (12 vs 12 days, P = .317). The median opioid dose 24 hours prior to starting ketamine was greater than during the first 24 hours of ketamine use (1278 vs 1020 mg, P = .022) and 24 hours after stopping ketamine (1278 vs 1035 mg, P = .014); however, this was not statistically significant. During 5 ketamine infusions, patients experienced side effects; however, only 1 necessitated transfer to the intensive care unit. Compared to standard opioid therapy, ketamine infusions were generally well tolerated and may be effective at reducing opioid use during SCD-VOC but did not decrease hospital length-of-stay.
Increasing Access to Online Learning for Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Fienup Daniel M.
Published: March 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were alarming reports of children missing out on online special educational activities due to a lack of access to those resources. We evaluated a simple online intervention using a concurrent multiple baseline design for three second-grade students with disabilities who unreliably accessed the remote curriculum. The dependent variable was the number of daily assignments completed. During baseline, the teacher provided students and parents with educational activities via Google Classroom, and the teacher contacted parents when a student missed educational activities. For intervention, the teacher implemented a task analysis that listed five daily assignments. Students earned preferred rewards contingent on completing all activities. Results showed that the intervention was effective in increasing engagement in online learning.
Losers’ Consent in Changing Welfare States: Output Dissatisfaction, Experienced Voice and Political Distrust
Authors: de Blok Lisanne , Kumlin Staffan
Published: March 2021

Mature welfare states must increasingly handle growing fiscal pressures and a multitude of needs with smaller resources. Meanwhile, evaluations of policy outputs are characterized as ‘the weakest link’ in welfare state support, resulting in generalized political distrust. We assess the procedural fairness argument that citizens are not only concerned with welfare state outcomes but also assess the fairness of the processes of service delivery. The fairness perspective has usually been tested in cross-sectional studies, experiments or on the ‘input side’ of democracy. By contrast, we use primary three-wave panel data on evaluations and experiences with welfare state institutions. The random-effects within-between framework allows improved causal evidence that both outputs (service quality satisfaction) and procedural fairness (experienced voice opportunities) affect political trust. Crucially, however, perceived fairness mitigates detrimental effects of poor outcomes. This is because procedural voice matters, especially for the formation of political trust among losers.
Postgraduate Employment Outcomes of Undergraduate and Graduate Public Health Students
Authors: Krasna Heather , Gershuni Olga , Sherrer Kristy , Czabanowska Katarzyna
Published: March 2021

Objectives

A key goal of schools and programs of public health is to prepare graduates for careers in the public health workforce after graduation, but are they achieving this goal? We assessed how the employment outcomes of students earning public health degrees are collected and described in the literature.

Methods

Using the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation as a framework, we conducted a 6-step scoping review: (1) formulating the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting studies, (4) charting the data, (5) collating and summarizing the results, and (6) consulting stakeholders. We included articles published from January 1, 1993, through July 4, 2020, that provided data on employment status, employment sector/industry, job function, or salary of public health graduates. We excluded articles that were not written in English and were about dual-degree (ie, doctor of medicine–master of public health) students. We found and reviewed 630 articles.

Results

We found 33 relevant articles. Most articles focused on a single school and combined multiple graduating classes, focused on subspecializations of public health, or focused on graduates’ satisfaction with their curriculum but not employment outcomes. Data were inconsistently categorized, and studies were difficult to compare.

Conclusions

Research on public health graduates’ employment outcomes is scarce and does not follow consistent protocols. New standards should be adopted to systematize the collection of data on employment outcomes of public health graduates.
Disparities in Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin Antibodies in a Large Midwestern Health Care System
Authors: Fitzpatrick Veronica , Rivelli Anne , Blair Christopher , Copeland Kenneth , Richards Jon
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Increased exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a result of having an essential job is compounded by factors such as age, race, and ethnicity. We used a cross-sectional study design to describe disparities in the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) test results by demographic characteristics and clinical roles among a cohort of health care workers employed by the largest Midwestern health care system in the United States.

Methods

We collected 16 233 SARS-CoV-2 IgG serum samples from June 8 through July 10, 2020, from a convenience sample of Illinois- and Wisconsin-based adult health care workers. The research team, in collaboration with ACL Laboratories, used a SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Study data included SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay results and demographic characteristics of workers (age, sex, race, ethnicity, clinical role, zip code). We generated crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) to describe disparities in seroprevalence distribution among demographic and social factors.

Results

Of 16 233 IgG serum samples tested, 622 (3.8%) test results were positive for SARS-CoV-2. We found significant disparities in SARS-CoV-2 positivity by age, race, ethnicity, and clinical role. Participants aged 32-82 had lower adjusted ORs (aORs) of positive IgG than participants aged 18-31 (aOR range, 0.54-0.66). Odds of positivity were higher among Black (aOR = 3.86), Asian (aOR = 1.42), and mixed-race (aOR = 1.99) workers than among White workers; among Hispanic workers (aOR = 1.80) than among non-Hispanic workers; and among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical workers (aOR = 1.86) than among nonclinical workers.

Conclusions

Public health efforts should focus on increasing COVID-19 safety messaging, testing, vaccination, and other prevention efforts for people who are young, non-White, Hispanic, and working in COVID-19–clinical units.