bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of Impulsivity in Healthy People, Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, and Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Linhartová Pavla , Širůček Jan , Ejova Anastasia , Barteček Richard , Theiner Pavel , Kašpárek Tomáš
Published: January 2019

Objective: Impulsivity, observed in patients with various psychiatric disorders, is a heterogeneous construct with different behavioral manifestations. Through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study tests hypotheses about relationships between dimensions of impulsivity measured using personality questionnaires and behavioral tests. Method: The study included 200 healthy people, 40 patients with borderline personality disorder, and 26 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who underwent a comprehensive impulsivity test battery including the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, a Go-NoGo task, a stop-signal task, and a delay discounting task. Results: A CFA model comprising three self-reported and three behavioral latent variables reached a good fit. Both patient groups scored higher in the self-reported dimensions and impulsive choice; only the ADHD patients displayed impaired waiting and stopping impulsivity. Conclusions: Using the developed CFA model, it is possible to describe relations between impulsivity dimensions and show different impulsivity patterns in patient populations.
American preservice elementary teachers’ self-reported learning outcomes from participating in Korean percussion lessons in a music-methods course
Authors: Kang Sangmi , Yoo Hyesoo
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine American preservice classroom teachers’ self-reported learning outcomes after partaking in a weekly Korean percussion ensemble in an elementary music-methods course. The preservice classroom teachers rehearsed a Korean percussion ensemble piece ( Samulnori) as their course routine for half of the semester. Participants’ open-ended essays and semi-structured interviews were analyzed to determine their learning outcomes. Based on Abril’s (2006) three world music learning outcome categories (musical, cultural, and other) as initial codes, the emergent coding process was adopted. Through the data analysis, four themes emerged that illustrated preservice classroom teachers’ learning outcomes: (a) Cultural Awareness: Difference, (b) Music Fundamentals: Overlap with Traditional Course Content, (c) Bonding Experience: Community, and (d) Teacher Education: A Well-Rounded Teacher. Based on the results, possible implications for teaching culturally diverse musics to preservice classroom teachers in music-methods courses were discussed.
Expected residual service life of reinforced concrete structures from current strength considerations
Authors: Dhawan Sushil Kumar , Bindal Abhinav , Bhalla Suresh , Bhattacharjee Bishwajit
Published: January 2019

Concrete is primarily used in the form of reinforced concrete for construction of buildings, bridges and other important structures. Due to normal usage and environmental effects, the structure would gradually deteriorate. The actual residual life needs to be worked at a given time vis-à-vis the design life of the structure, commensurate with the fulfilment of essential requirements of structural integrity and safety and from strength as well as serviceability considerations. Requirements for residual life assessment would depend upon the current parameters, such as the residual cross-sectional area of concrete as well as steel, Young’s modulus of elasticity and the in situ material strength of the constituent materials, namely, concrete and steel. This article aims to develop a rigorous methodology for expected remaining service life of a reinforced concrete structure from wind/seismic considerations, based on the present condition of the structure encompassing the residual material strength and the residual reinforcement/sectional areas. The methodology development section is followed by an illustrative example and a parametric study involving a 10-storeyed reinforced concrete building frame under wind and earthquake loads. Influences of various parameters such as concrete strength and residual rebar area on the expected remaining service life are studied in detail. The proposed methodology provides a simple but rational estimation of the residual service life for reinforced concrete structures.
Analysis on near-field vibroacoustic characteristics of the underwater cylindrical shells with WNFS
Authors: Li Bingru , Zhuo Fu , Wan Zhanhong , Ge Huiliang
Published: January 2019

The surface vibration velocities and near-field pressure of the underwater cylindrical shell, which are excited by external force, were calculated using wave propagation method. In fact, the main goal is to explore the measures to suppress vibration of structure and near-field radiation noise. The wave number frequency spectrum method that combined the vibration wave number with the frequency domain method can be applied for the analysis of wave propagation in shell structures; based on the method and calculated results, the wave propagation spatial characteristics of vibration and near-field acoustic radiation of the underwater cylindrical shell were also analyzed. It is shown that there are three waves in cylindrical shell: flexural wave, shear wave, and extended wave; the first two belong to transversal wave, while the last belongs to longitudinal wave, and the wave propagation directions and velocities are all obtained. Near-field radiation sound waves are more complex than in surface acoustic field. In isotropic solid medium, wave numbers of the same type of waves at one frequency are the same. In order to reduce the vibration and noise, the dampers should be installed in the direction of wave propagation, and the types of dampers are determined by the wave propagation velocities. This work will give some guidelines for vibration and noise reduction of this kind of shells.
The evolution of ‘culture’: Juggling a concept
Authors: Palecek Martin
Published: January 2019

Although the concept of culture was severely criticized in the second half of the twentieth century, its explanatory use has not been abandoned. Evolutionary psychologists and cognitive scientists have more recently used the concept in models and theories of culture. This use renews the hope that the concept of culture can be explanatorily useful within the social sciences, especially since the new definition of culture connects with both the idea of evolution and with the other natural sciences. In this paper, I analyze the models of cultural evolution developed by Cultural Evolutionary Science (CES), more specifically gene-culture coevolution theoretical models and dual-inheritance theories. I argue that even if CES scholars mostly claim that for them, culture is equal to information, some of these models have aspirations to bring back cultures as discrete units that resemble the social anthropological models of culture that have been already abandoned. I discuss evolutionists’ and social anthropologists’ objections to these models. I claim that despite the popularity of cultural evolutionist theories, social scientists (cultural anthropologists and historians, for example) should remain skeptical about the possibility that this approach can assume an explanatory role for a concept of culture.
A Bayesian approach of analysing semi-continuous longitudinal data with monotone missingness
Authors: Biswas Jayabrata , Das Kiranmoy
Published: January 2019

There is a rich literature on the analysis of longitudinal data with missing values. However, the analysis becomes complex for semi-continuous (zero-inflated) longitudinal response with missingness. In this article, we propose a partially varying coefficients regression model for analysing such data. We use a two-part model, where in the first part we propose a latent dynamic model for accounting a ‘zero’ or a ‘non-zero’ response, and in the second part we use another dynamic model for estimating the mean trajectories of non-zero responses. Two dynamic models are linked through subject-specific random effects. The missing covariates are imputed repeatedly based on their respective posterior predictive distributions and the missing responses are imputed using the working model under different identifying restrictions. We analyse data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for aged individuals and develop a dynamic model for predicting out-of-pocket medical expenditures (OOPME) containing excess zeros. The operating characteristics of the proposed model are investigated through extensive simulation studies.
Republican Auctoritas: Harrington’s dual theory of political legitimacy
Authors: Trojan Cody
Published: January 2019

Neo-republicans position James Harrington (1611–1677) as a seminal figure in a tradition that asks what set of institutions grant the individual freedom from domination. This article argues that the signal emphasis on freedom diverts us from the broader question of legitimacy motivating Harrington’s republicanism. Harrington contends that the liberty property confers is a necessary but insufficient condition for de jure government. The popular liberty that a broad distribution of wealth secures must be supplemented by a Roman concept of authority in order for the regime to become legitimate. Republican legitimacy requires the marriage of popular power and aristocratic virtue; it demands both the wide distribution of property and the integration of authority as auctoritas into the political constitution. The elucidation of Harrington’s dual theory of legitimacy makes it possible to reassess the distance separating a republicanism that follows Harrington from a liberalism that follows Hobbes.
Rapid and non-invasive surface crack detection for pressed-panel products based on online image processing
Authors: Jung Hwee Kwon , Park Gyuhae
Published: January 2019

Crack detection during the manufacturing process of pressed-panel products is an important aspect of quality management. Traditional approaches for crack detection of those products are subjective and expensive because they are usually performed by experienced human inspectors. Therefore, the development and implementation of an automated and accurate inspection system is required for the manufacturing process. In this article, a crack detection technique based on image processing is proposed that utilizes the images of panel products captured by a regular camera system. First, the binary panel object image is extracted from various backgrounds after considering the color factor. Edge lines are then generated from a binary image using a percolation process. Finally, crack detection and localization is performed with a unique edge-line evaluation. In order to demonstrate the capability of the proposed technique, lab-scale experiments were carried out with a thin aluminum plate. In addition, a test was performed with the panel images acquired at an actual press line. Experimental results show that the proposed technique could effectively detect panel cracks at an improved rate and speed. The experimental results also demonstrate that the proposed technique could be an extension of structural health monitoring frameworks into a new manufacturing application.
Making Research Evaluation More Transparent: Aligning Research Philosophy, Institutional Values, and Reporting
Authors: Dougherty Michael R. , Slevc L. Robert , Grand James A.
Published: January 2019

There is a growing interest in changing the culture of psychology to improve the quality of our science. At the root of this interest is concern over the reproducibility of key findings. A variety of large-scale replication attempts have revealed that several previously published effects cannot be reproduced, whereas other analyses indicate that the published literature is rife with underpowered studies and publication bias. These revelations suggest that it is time to change how psychological science is carried out and increase the transparency of reporting. We argue that change will be slow until institutions adopt new procedures for evaluating scholarly activity. We consider three actions that individuals and departments can take to facilitate change throughout psychological science: the development of individualized research-philosophy statements, the creation of an annotated curriculum vitae to improve the transparency of scholarly reporting, and the use of a formal evaluative system that explicitly captures behaviors that support reproducibility. Our recommendations build on proposals for open science by enabling researchers to have a voice in articulating (and contextualizing) how they would like their work to be evaluated and by providing a mechanism for more detailed and transparent reporting of scholarly activities.
A stochastic process for modeling failures of a system having a non-monotonic hazard rate function
Authors: Varn Lucianne , Chukova Stefanka , Arnold Richard
Published: January 2019

Reliability literature on modeling failures of repairable systems mostly deals with systems having monotonically increasing hazard/failure rates. When the hazard rate of a system is non-monotonic, models developed for monotonically increasing failure rates cannot be effectively applied without making assumptions on the types of repair performed following system failures. For instance, for systems having bathtub-shaped hazard rates, it is assumed that during the initial, decreasing hazard rate phase, all repairs are minimal. These assumptions on the type of general repair can be restrictive. In order to relax these assumptions, it has been suggested that general repairs in the initially decreasing phase can be modeled as “aging” the system. This approach however does not preserve the order of effectiveness of the types of general repair as defined in the literature. In this article, we develop a set of models to address these shortcomings. We propose a new stochastic process to model consecutive failures of repairable systems having non-monotonic, specifically bathtub-shaped, hazard rates, where the types of general repair are not restricted and the order of the effectiveness of the types of repair is preserved. The proposed models guarantee that a repaired system is at least as reliable as one that has not failed (or equivalently one that has been minimally repaired). To illustrate the models, we present multiple examples and simulate the failure-repair process and estimate the quantities of interest.
Television buyers in the digital era: A comparative study of the UK and Spain
Authors: Navarro Celina , Prado Emili
Published: January 2019

European television channels harbour a significant amount of imported programmes within their schedules. This presence, with its social and cultural impact, is directly affected by the established practices of the television industry which conditions the type and origin of the foreign programmes that are being acquired by linear broadcasters. This research article aims to analyse the criteria used by local television buyers when acquiring international programmes and understand the reasons behind transnational television flows. The findings of the interviews with the television buyers of the main free-to-air television corporations of the United Kingdom and Spain reveal that there is a high level of standardization across the two countries in the decision making process and this homogenizes the range of programme viewers are exposed to. However, a differentiation between public and commercial channels has to be made since public broadcasters consider social and cultural aspects to a higher degree.
Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women with rheumatoid arthritis during tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor treatment: Exploratory research
Authors: Isojima Sakiko , Miura Yoko , Saito Mayu , Yajima Nobuyuki , Miwa Yusuke , Kasama Tsuyoshi
Published: January 2019

Background

We evaluated serum anti-Müllerian hormone in women with rheumatoid arthritis newly introduced to tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor treatment for 54 weeks to investigate the treatment’s effect on ovarian reserve.

Methods

A total of 12 premenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis aged 20–50 years were recruited at our division, who had been newly treated with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (infliximab or etanercept) from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2014. Serial serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels and disease activity scores (DAS28-CRP) were examined at defined periods: start of treatment and 14, 30, and 54 weeks after start of treatment.

Results

DAS28-CRP scores in 12 women were significantly decreased from a mean of 4.6 (±SD: 0.4) to 2.3 (±0.4) after 54 weeks of treatment ( p < 0.001). Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels and its z scores did not change significantly.

Conclusion

Treatment with a tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor did not affect serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels in 12 women with rheumatoid arthritis during 54-week treatment.
Long-range persistence in sea surface temperature off the coast of central California
Authors: Breaker Laurence C
Published: January 2019

We estimate long-range persistence in ocean surface temperature off the coast of central California, a region where similar observations have not been made. The database consists of 20-year records of daily sea surface temperature from three locations: Pacific Grove and Granite Canyon along the coast, and Southeast Farallon Island located 40 km off the coast and slightly further north. Long-range persistence is important for a number of reasons: on the negative side, it can have serious detrimental effects for statistical inference and on the positive side, it provides access to the ocean’s memory which can lead to a greater understanding of the processes involved and thus to better prediction. Long-range persistence also provides important insights into the relationship between the scaling that is obtained and the time scales employed. The first step in the analysis was to remove the annual cycle from the data at each location because of its detrimental effect on estimating long-range persistence. Then detrended fluctuation analysis was used to calculate long-range persistence where a single scaling exponent is obtained that relates the magnitudes of the fluctuations in the data to the time scales involved. Similar scaling exponents were obtained for Granite Canyon and Pacific Grove with values of 1.04 and 1.05, respectively. At Southeast Farallon Island, a value of 1.16 was obtained. The increase in the scaling exponent at Southeast Farallon Island is consistent with observations made elsewhere and model results, which indicate that as coastal influence decreases further offshore, the scaling exponents for sea surface temperature tend to increase. Because Southeast Farallon Island is exposed to subarctic waters offshore, whereas Pacific Grove and Granite Canyon are exposed to warmer waters from the California Undercurrent along the coast, these exposures to different water masses may contribute to the observed change in scaling behavior.
Spatial and seasonal variations in atmospheric aerosols over Nigeria: Assessment of influence of intertropical discontinuity movement
Authors: Ayanlade Ayansina , Atai Godwin , Jegede Margaret Olusolape
Published: January 2019

This study examines the influence of intertropical discontinuity movement on seasonality and distribution of atmospheric aerosols over Nigeria, using remote sensing approach. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra aerosol optical depth, wind speed and precipitation/intertropical discontinuity (ITD) dataset were used. Geospatial interpolation model was used to analyse the aerosol seasonal distribution. Correlations analysis was used to evaluate the degree of influence of wind and ITD on the monthly distribution of aerosol. The results show significant variations in monthly mean distributions of aerosol, but the variation is much more extraordinary during Harmattan season than Wet and Dry seasons, with 0.29 ⩽ aerosol optical depth ⩾ 0.46. In other ecological zones, the highest mean aerosol optical depth values were observed in the months of December, January and February with 0.30 ⩽ aerosol optical depth ⩾ 0.60, with highest value in Sahel ecological zone. Generally, the results further show a strong relationship between aerosol optical depth distribution and migration of ITD with correlation r2 ⩾ 0.60 @ p = 0.05 mostly during Dry and Harmattan seasons but relatively low correlation r2 ⩽ 0.40 @ p = 0.05 during Wet season. The major findings of this study are that seasonal shifts in the location of the ITD considerably affect not only rainfall distribution, resulting in the Wet and Dry seasons in the study area, but also have significant impacts on atmospheric aerosol distributions. Although not all aerosols presented in this study are dust originated from Sahara desert, since biomass-burning activities frequently occur in the study area, the study concludes that satellite-based aerosol optical depth datasets continue to be advantageous to understand atmospheric aerosols distribution in a region where there is fewer ground aerosols data.
Film Hanaan (2011): Korea and Uzbekistan seen from a margin
Authors: Sim Ji Eun
Published: January 2019

Hanaan, an Uzbek and Korean co-production, is the debut film of a young Central Asian Korean director, Ruslan Pak, who wrote the script and directed its production. Pak is a fourth-generation descendant of Korean diaspora forcibly relocated by Stalin in 1937 to populate the Soviet Central Asian republics. In Hanaan, Pak portrays how the post-Soviet generation of Korean diaspora is coping with life in post-Soviet Uzbekistan that has built ethnic-based national identity since Independence. As the film shows, it is not easy for the protagonist Stas and his Korean friends to find their places in their imposed homeland. It is therefore not so surprising that they face many conflicts and challenges that reveal not only social problems in Uzbekistan, including drug issues and ethnic minority problems, but also difficulties in self-identification. Searching for an identity “at a margin” and “as a marginalized” is one of the central themes of this film. In this case which follows Stas’s (as well as the director’s) desperate journey to Hanaan or “the Land of Promise,” I will explore the present situation of the Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan and engage with the messages that the director attempts to convey through this film.
Epigenetic therapy combinations in acute myeloid leukemia: what are the options?
Authors: Bewersdorf Jan Philipp , Shallis Rory , Stahl Maximilian , Zeidan Amer M.
Published: January 2019

Epigenetics refers to the regulation of gene expression mainly by changes in DNA methylation and modifications of histone proteins without altering the actual DNA sequence. While epigenetic modifications are essential for normal cell differentiation, several driver mutations in leukemic pathogenesis have been identified in genes that affect epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Several therapeutic options to target epigenetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been successfully tested in preclinical studies and various drugs have already been approved for use in clinical practice. Among these already approved therapeutics are hypomethylating agents (azacitidine and decitabine) and isocitrate dehydrogenase inhibitors (ivosidenib, enasidenib). Other agents such as bromodomain-containing epigenetic reader proteins and histone methylation (e.g. DOT1L) inhibitors are currently in advanced clinical testing. As several epigenetic therapies have only limited efficacy when used as single agents, combination therapies that target AML pathogenesis at different levels and exploit synergistic mechanisms are also in clinical trials. Combinations of either epigenetic therapies with conventional chemotherapy, different forms of epigenetic therapies, or epigenetic therapies with immunotherapy are showing promising early results. In this review we summarize the underlying pathophysiology and rationale for epigenetically-based combination therapies, review current preclinical and clinical data and discuss the future directions of epigenetic therapy combinations in AML.
Lycopene supplementation decreases oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy: An open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Xu Xiaoyan , Zheng Yu , Ye Hanyang , Jin Lingwei
Published: January 2019

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of lycopene on the antioxidant status and the level of homocysteine (HCY) in dialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy. A total of 60 hemodialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group. Patients in the treatment group (n = 30) received oral lycopene and intravenous iron, while patients in the control group (n = 30) only received intravenous iron therapy. At the initiation of the study, oxidant indexes and HCY concentration were tested. After 8 weeks, all of the laboratory variables were repeatedly evaluated. At the initiation of the study, no significant differences were found in the level of oxidant stress and the level of HCY between two groups. After 8 weeks, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) decreased, while the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and homocystinuria (HCY) increased in both the groups. Besides, the levels of SOD and GSH-px were higher and the level of MDA was lower in the treatment group than in the control group ( P < 0.05, respectively). The level of HCY in the treatment group was relatively low, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In conclusion, we found that 8-week lycopene supplementation attenuated oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy.
Predictors of In-Hospital Ambulatory Status Following Low-Energy Hip Fracture Surgery
Authors: Villa Jordan C. , Koressel Joseph , van der List Jelle P. , Cohn Matthew , Wellman David S. , Lorich Dean G. , Lane Joseph M.
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

Twenty-five percent to seventy-five percent of independent patients do not walk independently after hip fracture (HF), and many patients experience functional loss. Early rehabilitation of functional status is associated with better long-term outcomes; however, predictors of early ambulation after HF have not been well described.

Purposes:

To assess the impact of perioperative and patient-specific variables on in-hospital ambulatory status following low-energy HF surgery.

Methods:

This is a retrospective analysis of 463 geriatric patients who required HF surgery at a metropolitan level-1 trauma center. The outcomes were time to transfer (out of bed to chair) and time to walk.

Results:

Three hundred ninety-two (84.7%) patients were able to transfer after surgery with a median time of 43.8 hours (quartile range: 24.7-53.69 hours), while 244 (52.7%) patients were able to walk with a median time of 50.86 hours (quartile range: 40.72-74.56 hours). Preinjury ambulators with aids (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.70, confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.99), age >80 years (HR: 0.66, CI: 0.52-0.84), peptic ulcer disease (HR: 0.57, CI: 0.57-0.82), depression (HR: 0.66, CI: 0.49- 0.89), time to surgery >24 hours (HR: 0.77, CI: 0.61-0.98), and surgery on Friday (HR: 0.73, CI: 0.56-0.95) were associated with delayed time to transfer. Delayed time to walk was observed in patients over 80 years old (HR: 0.74, CI: 0.56-0.98), females (HR: 0.67, CI: 0.48-0.94), peptic ulcer disease (HR: 0.23, CI: 0.84-0.66), and depression (HR: 0.51, CI: 0.33-0.77).

Conclusions:

Operative predictors of delayed time to transfer were surgery on Friday and time to surgery >24 hours after admission. Depression is associated with delayed time to transfer and time to walk. These data suggest that is important to perform surgeries within 24 hours of admission identify deficiencies in care during the weekends, and create rehabilitation programs specific for patient with depression. Improving functional rehabilitation after surgery may facilitate faster patient discharge, decrease inpatient care costs, and better long-term functional outcomes.
Late HIV Diagnosis but Earlier Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation in Northwest Spain: Impact of Current Treatment Guidelines
Authors: Cid-Silva Purificación , Margusino-Framiñán Luis , Balboa-Barreiro Vanesa , Pernas-Souto Berta , Mena-De-Cea Álvaro , Martín-Herranz Isabel , Castro-Iglesias Ángeles , Poveda Eva
Published: January 2019

Background:

Current HIV treatment guidelines recommend antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation for all HIV-infected individuals regardless of CD4 count. This study evaluates the immunological and virological status and the clinical characteristics of patients who have started ART in the last 8 years in the Northwest of Spain.

Methods:

All HIV-infected patients who have started ART between January 2009 and December 2016 at a reference hospital in the Northwest of Spain were included in this retrospective observational study. Epidemiological, clinical, and immunovirological features and antiretroviral drugs used for initiation were recorded. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 19 software. Categorical and continuous variables were compared by the specific statistical tests, and a logistic regression model was used to identify time associated with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categories change.

Results:

A high proportion of HIV-infected patients (66.7%) had initiated ART with CD4 counts <350 cells/mm3 in the last 8 years. From these, most of them (68.3%) had <350 CD4 counts at first contact with HIV specialist medical team, 12.2% had no indications for ART initiation in the last clinic visit before ART initiation according to the national guidelines at that moment, 11.0% were lost to follow-up because of lack of compliance with scheduled visits and 8.5% of patients refused treatment. A logistic regression model showed that a delay of one month since the first contact with HIV specialist medical team to ART initiation involves a risk of worsening in the CDC clinical category (odds ratio: 1.02 [95% confidence interval: 1.012-1.029]; P < .001). A trend towards an earlier start of ART was observed during 2015 and 2016, likely influenced by the last treatment guidelines recommendations.

Conclusion:

High proportion of HIV-infected patients (66.7%) had initiated ART with CD4 counts <350 cells/mm3 in the last 8 years. The main reasons for this problem were analyzed and an important rate of late diagnosis was identified. However, a trend towards an earlier start of ART was observed during 2015 and 2016, likely influenced by the last treatment guidelines recommendations. These findings highlight the need to promote and facilitate HIV testing to reduce the late diagnosis as well as counseling on HIV prevention, treatment, and linkage care.
Visualizing Feminized International Migration Flows in the 1990s
Authors: Leal Diego F. , Malhotra Ragini Saira , Misra Joya
Published: January 2019

The authors estimate migration flows of women in the 1990s at a global scale and provide a description of these migratory movements. The authors produce these data combining the 2011 World Bank Global Migrant Stock Database and state-of-the-art techniques to estimate migratory flows from stock data. The authors examine these flows in light of the global demand for care workers in the 1990s, showing that migration flows of women in that decade map onto the global care chains discussed in the qualitative literature. The data show that feminized migration flows in the period under analysis have a strong regional component. Yet the data also show that some of the largest feminized migratory corridors are in fact cross-regional.
Superior silybin bioavailability of silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex in oily-medium soft-gel capsules versus conventional silymarin tablets in healthy volunteers*
Authors: Méndez-Sánchez Nahum , Dibildox-Martinez Miguel , Sosa-Noguera Jahir , Sánchez-Medal Ramón , Flores-Murrieta Francisco J.
Published: January 2019

Background

Fibrosis is a response to chronic liver disease that results in excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins and formation of scar tissue. Fibrosis represents a clinical challenge of worldwide significance. Several studies have demonstrated that many natural products and herbal medicines have activity against liver fibrosis, and extracts of milk thistle such as silymarin and silybin are the natural compounds most commonly prescribed for liver diseases. Therefore, we sought to assess and compare the pharmacokinetic properties and bioavailability of silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex in oily-medium soft-gel capsules and conventional silymarin tablets in healthy Mexican volunteers.

Methods

We enrolled 23 healthy volunteers to participate in a prospective, balanced, blind, single-dose, two-way crossover study with a one-week washout period. Fasting participants received either 45 mg silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex or 70 mg silymarin to assess which formulation provided better bioavailability of silybin. Plasma was obtained and analysed for silybin concentration using a validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained by non-compartmental analysis and values were compared by analysis of variance for a crossover design. Ratios of maximum plasma drug concentration and area under the curve (AUC) were obtained and 90% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results

The 23 healthy subjects (11 women, 12 men) who participated in the study were aged 22–31 years old (average: 28), average weight 64.8 kg, height 1.65 m and body mass index 23.5 kg/m2. Plasma levels of silybin were higher after the administration of silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex capsules compared with that after conventional silymarin tablets (P <  0.0001).

Conclusions

The silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex in oily-medium soft-gel capsules seems to provide superior bioavailability. However, clinical studies must be performed to demonstrate its clinical relevance in the treatment of liver diseases.

Trial registration

NCT03440164; registered on November 11, 2016.
Optimal Management of Neutropenic Fever in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Zimmer Andrea J. , Freifeld Alison G.
Published: January 2019

Febrile neutropenia remains an important complication of treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy. It is often the first and sometimes the only sign or symptom of infection in this vulnerable patient population. Urgent and appropriate evaluation and treatment are imperative because delay in initiating appropriate antibiotic therapy may be life threatening. Selection of antibiotics should be based on the patient's symptoms, previous culture data, and institutional antibiograms. Ongoing therapy should be guided by culture and clinical data. Antimicrobial resistance is of great concern, particularly in this population, so careful attention to antibiotic selection and duration is needed.
Loss of the deglutamylase CCP5 perturbs multiple steps of spermatogenesis and leads to male infertility
Authors: Giordano Tiziana , Gadadhar Sudarshan , Bodakuntla Satish , Straub Jonas , Leboucher Sophie , Martinez Guillaume , Chemlali Walid , Bosc Christophe , Andrieux Annie , Bieche Ivan , Arnoult Christophe , Geimer Stefan , Janke Carsten
Published: January 2019

Sperm cells are highly specialized mammalian cells, and their biogenesis requires unique intracellular structures. Perturbation of spermatogenesis often leads to male infertility. Here, we assess the role of a post-translational modification of tubulin, glutamylation, in spermatogenesis. We show that mice lacking the tubulin deglutamylase CCP5 (also known as AGBL5) do not form functional sperm. In these mice, spermatids accumulate polyglutamylated tubulin, accompanied by the occurrence of disorganized microtubule arrays, in particular in the sperm manchette. Spermatids further fail to re-arrange their intracellular space and accumulate organelles and cytosol, while nuclei condense normally. Strikingly, spermatids lacking CCP5 show supernumerary centrioles, suggesting that glutamylation could control centriole duplication. We show that most of these observed defects are also present in mice in which CCP5 is deleted only in the male germ line, strongly suggesting that they are germ-cell autonomous. Our findings reveal that polyglutamylation is, beyond its known importance for sperm flagella, an essential regulator of several microtubule-based functions during spermatogenesis. This makes enzymes involved in glutamylation prime candidates for being genes involved in male sterility.
Amino Amide Organocatalysts for Asymmetric Michael Addition of β-Keto Esters with β-Nitroolefins
Authors: Owolabi Isiaka Alade , Chennapuram Madhu , Seki Chigusa , Okuyama Yuko , Kwon Eunsang , Uwai Koji , Tokiwa Michio , Takeshita Mitsuhiro , Nakano Hiroto
Published: January 2019

Asymmetric Michael addition of β-keto esters with trans-β-nitroolefins using chiral amino amide organocatalyst was tried and afforded synthetically useful chiral Michael adducts in both excellent chemical yields (up to 99%) and stereoselectivities (up to dr. 99:1, up to 98% ee).
EEG correlation at a distance: A re-analysis of two studies using a machine learning approach
Authors: Bilucaglia Marco , Pederzoli Luciano , Giroldini William , Prati Elena , Tressoldi Patrizio
Published: January 2019

Background: In this paper, data from two studies relative to the relationship between the electroencephalogram (EEG) activities of two isolated and physically separated subjects were re-analyzed using machine-learning algorithms.

The first dataset comprises the data of 25 pairs of participants where one member of each pair was stimulated with a visual and an auditory 500 Hz signals of 1 second duration.

The second dataset consisted of the data of 20 pairs of participants where one member of each pair received visual and auditory stimulation lasting 1 second duration with on-off modulation at 10, 12, and 14 Hz.

Methods and Results: Applying a ‘linear discriminant classifier’ to the first dataset, it was possible to correctly classify 50.74% of the EEG activity of non-stimulated participants, correlated to the remote sensorial stimulation of the distant partner.

In the second dataset, the percentage of correctly classified EEG activity in the non-stimulated partners was 51.17%, 50.45% and 51.91%, respectively, for the 10, 12, and 14 Hz stimulations, with respect the condition of no stimulation in the distant partner.

Conclusions: The analysis of EEG activity using machine-learning algorithms has produced advances in the study of the connection between the EEG activities of the stimulated partner and the isolated distant partner, opening new insight into the possibility to devise practical application for non-conventional “mental telecommunications” between physically and sensorially separated participants.
The Intricacies of the Postmodern Convention – Thomas Ruggles Pynchon in Polish Translation
Authors: Barciński Łukasz
Published: January 2019

The article presents the prominent figure of the contemporary American writer, Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, a leading representative of the postmodern literary convention. The study contains a brief introduction of his works, with a special focus on the canonical novel for the postmodern convention i.e. Gravity’s Rainbow. The study will also apply McHale’s concept of ‘ontological dominant,’ which aptly describes the shift from epistemological issues to existential ones occurring from modernist to postmodernist literature. Subsequently, the article discusses the main aspects of Pynchon’s literary works and e.g. the presumed mode of reading i.e. ‘creative paranoia,’ encyclopaedicity and the interpretatively inconclusive binarities. Then, two fragments from Gravity’s Rainbow in Polish translation are analyzed in terms of the preservation of the source text sense productive potential according to Venuti’s theory of ‘foreignization.’ Finally, the study offers conclusions related to the reasons as to why there seem to be considerable deficiencies in the Polish rendition of Pynchon’s novels, attributing this fact to the lack of an equivalent literary convention in the Polish literary environment.
Mīrābāī—a Saint or a Rebel?
Authors: Melnikova Nora
Published: January 2019

There have been many attempts to narrate the life of Mīrābāī, the 16th-century Rajasthani princess and sant poetess. The extent of the texts centred around her life ranges from a few verses in Nābhādās’s Bhaktamāl from the beginning of the 17thcentury to the 20th/21st-century monographs. It substantially increases with time, especially in the past century, as well as does the quantity of information these texts provide to their readers. This paper compares the life writings by/about Mīrā from the two centuries after Mīrā’s alleged death with recent biographical material on Mīrā’s life and tries to classify the specific tendencies in interpreting her life in the recent publications as well as to identify the reasons behind them.
GOLD PROVENANCE AND CHARACTERIZATION USING MICRO X-RAY FLUORESCENCE (µXRF): PRELIMINARY RESULTS/ PROVENIÊNCIA E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE OURO COM MICRO FLUORESCÊNCIA DE RAIOS X (μXRF): RESULTADOS PRELIMINARES
Authors: Canto William Murussi , Gama Filho Hamilton Santos , José dos Anjos Marcelino , Tavares Jr. Armando Dias , Geraldes Mauro César
Published: January 2019

This work presents some preliminary results that allows to characterize gold samples using Micro X-Ray Fluorescence/µXRF. The first aim of this work is to apply a noninvasive technique, preserving the sample integrity, in order to identify the composition of gold samples and to recognize their possible geographical provenance. Samples have been obtained in geographically distinct gold-digging sites, in three Brazilian and one Colombian areas. These samples were processed only by fusion into a furnace at 1,200 ºC. The proportion of Au, Ag and Cu were measured in gold samples. The results of this work, allowed to characterize and to identify quite well the pure gold provenance, using µXRF instrumentation and related techniques. Further work is in progress to determine the behavior of mixed gold samples from different provenances. Besides that, measurements with different sample preparation will be made, in order to compare the results obtained in this work with those obtained by LA-ICP-MS techniques. ResumoEste trabalho apresenta resultados preliminares que permitem caracterizar amostras de ouro utilizando a Micro Fluorescência de Raios-X/ µXRF. O primeiro objetivo deste trabalho é aplicar uma técnica não invasiva, preservando a integridade da amostra, para identificar a composição de amostras de ouro e reconhecer a sua possível proveniência geográfica. As amostras foram obtidas em locais de exploração de ouro geograficamente distintos, em três áreas brasileiras e uma colombiana. Estas amostras foram sugeitas a fusão a 1.200 ºC, num forno. A proporção de Au, Ag e Cu foi medida em amostras de ouro. Os resultados deste trabalho permitiram caracterizar e claramente identificar a proveniência de ouro puro, utilizando resultados de µXRF. Estão em andamento outros trabalhos para determinar o comportamento da mistura de amostras de ouro de diferentes procedências. Além disso, serão efetuadas medições com diferentes preparações de amostras, a fim de comparar os resultados obtidos neste trabalho com os que estão sendo aquiridos com técnicas de LA-ICP-MS.
THE FATE OF INVESTMENT DISPUTE RESOLUTION AFTER THE ACHMEA DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE
Authors: Hess Burkhard
Published: January 2019

This article explores the contents and consequences of the Achmea judgment recently given by the European Court of Justice (6 March 2018, case C-284/16). In its first part, the article analyses the judgment from a European point of view. It notes that Achmea is primarily concerned with the autonomy of the EU legal order in international dispute resolution and only secondarily with investment arbitration. The judgment seamlessly ties in with the Court’s Opinion 2/13 on the Accession of the EU to the European Convention of Human Rights. In its second part, the article assesses the consequences of the judgment for current and future investment dispute resolution. It argues that (i) investment arbitration is over for intra-EU Bilateral Investment Treaties and (ii) most likely also for intra-EU disputes under the Energy Charter Treaty; (iii) the European Commission must be careful not to jeopardise the supremacy of the ECJ in interpreting the EU law when concluding future international dispute resolution agreements; (iv) the same holds true regarding dispute resolution under the UK Withdrawal Agreement when negotiating the Brexit.
CONSIDERAÇÕES A RESPEITO DA FUNDAMENTALIDADE DO DIREITO AO PROCESSO JUSTO EM PERSPECTIVA CÍVEL NA REALIDADE BRASILEIRA: UMA INVESTIGAÇÃO A PARTIR DA CLÁUSULA DE ABERTURA DO SISTEMA DE DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS PROCESSUAIS
Authors: Reichelt Luis Alberto
Published: January 2019

O presente artigo enfrenta a justificação da fundamentalidade do direito ao processo justo no âmbito cível na realidade brasileira a partir da cláusula de abertura do sistema de direitos fundamentais de natureza processual
DEL PRECEDENTE JUDICIAL A LOS PRECEDENTES OBLIGATORIOS: ¿VENTAJA O AMENAZA PARA LOS TRIBUNALES INFERIORES?
Authors: Martín Nuria Belloso
Published: January 2019

Las teorías de la argumentación jurídica, la globalización en el ámbito jurídico y el afianzamiento de las jurisdicciones constitucionales han impulsado en nuestros días la progresiva centralidad de la jurisprudencia, gracias al rol protagónico reconocido a la función judicial. La jurisprudencia, los precedentes judiciales y la doctrina legal son conceptos que aunque estén ellos conceptos estrechamente relacionados, no significan lo mismo ni conllevan el mismo grado de vinculación para el juzgador. Si a esto añadimos la confusión que se produce por el hecho de utilizar en el sistema continental conceptos a los que damos el significado que tiene en el sistema anglosajón, la situación de confusión se incrementa. En este trabajo prestaremos especial atención a la doctrina del precedente judicial. Se analizará la aproximación del civil law al common law, la distinción entre precedente, jurisprudencia y doctrina legal. Se examinará la doctrina de los precedentes en diversos contextos tales como en el Tribunal Constitucional español, en México y en Brasil, prestando especial atención a la universalidad de los precedentes y a los precedentes obligatorios, lo que lleva a cuestionarse  si no se estará invadiendo la independencia del juzgador.
A CAPACIDADE INSTITUCIONAL DO CONSELHO ADMINISTRATIVO DE RECURSOS FISCAIS - CARF PARA A DETERMINAÇÃO DE STANDARDS COMO SOLUÇÃO PARA QUESTÕES TÉCNICAS – UM POSSÍVEL PARADIGMA: A FIXAÇÃO DE UM PRAZO MÍNIMO PARA RESGATE DAS CONTRIBUIÇÕES DO EMPREGADOR EM PREVIDÊNCIA COMPLEMENTAR APORTADOS JUNTO ÀS ENTIDADES ABERTAS / THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF TAX APPEALS - ACTA TO DETERMINE STANDARDS AS A SOLUTION FOR TECHNICAL ISSUES - A POSSIBLE PARADIGM: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MINIMUM TERM FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PENSION FUND
Authors: Gomes Julio Cesar Vieira
Published: January 2019

O presente artigo examina a incidência de contribuições previdenciárias sobre a previdência complementar privada. Reconhece que a desvinculação da remuneração pelo artigo 202, §2º da Constituição Federal conferiu imunidade tributária ao benefício, orientando assim a solução hermenêutica para o conflito aparente entre as normas no artigo 28, §9° alínea p da Lei n° 8.212, de 24/07/91.
O PLANEJAMENTO TRIBUTÁRIO COMO INSTRUMENTO DE COMPETITIVIDADE EMPRESARIAL / TAX PLANNING AS AN INSTRUMENT OF BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: De Paula Débora Giotti
Published: January 2019

Busca-se estudar o fenômeno do planejamento tributário, principal aliado dos empresários do século XXI. Tem como objetivo geral demonstrar como um planejamento tributário feito em conformidade com a lei pode ser um instrumento eficaz de competitividade empresarial, na medida em que gera economia tributária ao empresário. Por tratar-se de um artigo científico buscará utilizará como metodologia o levantamento bibliográfico e a análise de dados qualitativos.