bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A rebuttal to Akabayashi and colleagues’ criticisms of the iPSC stock project
Authors: Fujita Misao , Tabuchi Keiichi
Published: January 2019

In the October edition of theJournal of Medical Ethics, Akabayashi and colleagues state that ’to establish a heterogeneous [induced pluripotent stem cell] iPSC bank covering roughly 80% of Japan’s population…the Japanese government decided to invest JPY110 billion (US$ 1.1 billion) over 10 years in regenerative medicine research; a quarter of this was to be allocated to the iPSC stock project'. While they claim this amount of money to be an unfair distribution of state resources, we believe their assessment is based on a misunderstanding of the facts. Similarly, other criticisms by them are based on mistaken interpretations. This article is a rebuttal to the arguments that form the basis of Akabayashi and colleagues’ five criticisms by explaining their misinterpretations.
Prescription legibility: bigger might actually be better
Authors: Fallaize Rebecca , Dovey Gemma , Woolf Sarah
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Drug errors are common and can be detrimental to patients, even resulting in death. Junior doctors write most prescriptions and are therefore responsible for most errors. There is little literature about the effect of legibility of the prescriber’s handwriting on the rate of drug errors. Folklore would deem doctors’ handwriting to be poorer than average; however, studies have shown this to be incorrect. In fact, handwriting in general has been shown to be poor.

Methods

A random sample of prescriptions from inpatient drug charts were chosen to provide a wide spread of legibility, with an even spread of the use of upper-case and lower-case lettering. Two cohorts of 13 junior doctors and 13 non-medical controls were recruited and asked to transcribe each of the prescriptions. Results were analysed for evidence of a statistical difference in correct transcription rate between lower-case or upper-case letters.

Results

Non-medical participants correctly transcribed only 45% of prescriptions written in lower case. This rose to 66.5% for those written in upper case. This showed strong statistical significance, p<0.005. A statistical difference was also shown for differences in transcription by junior doctors (92.3% vs 97.8%, p=0.016).

Conclusion

Doctors must take responsibility for the quality of the prescriptions they write, to prevent avoidable drug errors. Legibility is improved by the use of capital letters. Therefore, we recommend that the use of upper cases should become routine practice when writing drug prescriptions.
Pictorial health warning labels on the waterpipe device are effective in reducing smoking satisfaction, puffing behaviour and exposure to CO: first evidence from a crossover clinical laboratory study
Authors: Maziak Wasim , Ben Taleb Ziyad , Ebrahimi Kalan Mohammad , Eissenberg Thomas , Thrasher James , Shihadeh Alan , Asfar Taghrid
Published: January 2019

Objectives

This study examined the effect of pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) on the waterpipe (WP) device on smokers’ experience, puffing behaviour, harm perception and exposure to respiratory toxicants.

Methods

Thirty WP smokers completed two 45 min ad libitum smoking sessions (WP without HWL vs WP with HWL) in a crossover design study. Exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) was measured before and after each smoking session. Puff topography was recorded throughout the smoking session, and participants completed survey questionnaires assessing subjective smoking experiences and harm perception.

Results

Significant differences were observed in eCO levels between the two study conditions, with lower levels of eCO boost recorded following smoking the WP fitted with HWL (16 ppm) compared with WP without HWL (22.7 ppm). Participants had more puffs, shorter interpuff intervals and a higher total puff volume during smoking the WP without HWL relative to WP with HWL (p values <0.05). We documented enhanced reports of satisfaction, taste and puff liking following smoking the WP without HWL compared with the WP with HWL. WP harm perception was significantly higher among participants after smoking the WP with HWL compared with WP without HWL.

Conclusion

This pilot study shows that placing HWL on the WP device is effective in reducing WP smoker’s positive experiences, puffing parameters and exposure to carbon monoxide. HWLs lead also to more appreciation of WP harmful effects, making them a promising regulatory approach for addressing the spread of WP smoking among young adults in the USA.
The interface superconductivity of Bi2Se3/Fe–Se heterostructure
Authors: Zheng L. , Li T. T. , Jin R. , Lei M. , Xu Y. J. , Yang X. S. , Zhao K. , Sun B. , Zhang Y. , Zhao Y.
Published: January 2019

Bi2Se3/Fe–Se heterostructures on Si(100) substrates have been prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. The thickness of FeSe2 film is an important factor for the properties of Bi2Se3/Fe–Se heterostructures. Our Bi2Se3/Fe–Se heterostructural samples showed ferromagnetism, which increase with increasing thickness of FeSe2 layer. However, when the FeSe2 layer is as thin as 20 nm, superconductivity could be observed through magnetization measurements, due to the existence of superconducting Fe–Se. Thus the Bi2Se3/Fe–Se heterostructure provides an approach to achieve both ferromagnetism and superconductivity simultaneously in interface, as well as to realize the interplay between a superconductor and a topological insulator.
The effect of grain structure on the corrosion resistance of 7050 aluminum alloy
Authors: Sun Lin , Chen Ming-An , Deng Yun-Lai
Published: January 2019

Multi-direction isothermal forging of 7050 aluminum alloy at 103s1strain rate and temperature of 3000C are observed. EBSD is used to characterize the grain structure, and the Vickers hardness and intergranular corrosion (IGC) properties are tested. The results of EBSD indicate that the sub-grains increase and the grain size decreases gradually as the pass of isothermal forging increases. The volume fraction of sub-grain has great effect on the corrosion resistance. The more sub-grains are included in the grain structure, the better the corrosion resistance and the mechanical properties. The grain size also influences the corrosion resistance, and the decreasing of the grain size is adverse to the corrosion resistance but is good for mechanical properties.
Thermal antioxidation behavior of a new hindered phenol with branched structure for nitrile rubber
Authors: Zhang Lin , Liu Jianhua , Fan Xiaoqiang , Cai Zhenbing , Zhu Minhao
Published: January 2019

A new hindered phenol with branched structure (chemical formula: 2-(((3,5-ditert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoyl)oxy)methyl)-2-ethylpropane-1,3-diyl bis(3,5-ditert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate)) was synthesized and characterized, and its thermo-oxidative stability as antioxidant into nitrile rubber (NBR) was assessed by the measurements of accelerated aging, with two antioxidants (AO-80 and AO-2246) as a comparison. By measuring and analyzing the oxidative induction temperature, oxidative induction time and dynamic mechanical properties of NBR with addition of 0.5 wt.% antioxidants, it is confirmed that new hindered phenol with branched structure could effectively inhibit the oxidation degradation of NBR.
Fabrication and characterization of spinel Ni0.5Cu0.5Co2O4 nanoparticles as bi-functional catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reaction
Authors: Xiao Jin , Zhang Lin , Peng Jiabin , Xue Haitong , Yuan Hongchun , Chen Lei , Xiong Chao
Published: January 2019

Developing efficient and low-cost bi-functional electrolytes for energy applications such as fuel cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries is highly desirable. Here, we have synthesized spinel Ni[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Co2O4 (NCC) nanoparticles as nonprecious bi-functional electrocatalysts by a simple hydrothermal reaction method. The phase structure and the morphology of NCC nanoparticles have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while the electrocatalytic activity of the samples has been studied in alkaline solution by using rotating disk electrode technique. The electrocatalysts have showed a comparable ORR and OER catalytic activities compared with of those of the other transition metal oxides, suggesting the feasibility of the NCC as the bi-functional electrolytes materials for ORR and OER.
Dark energy in Horndeski theories after GW170817: A review
Authors: Kase Ryotaro , Tsujikawa Shinji
Published: January 2019

The gravitational wave (GW) event GW170817 from a binary neutron star merger together with the electromagnetic counterpart showed that the speed of GWs [Formula: see text] is very close to that of light for the redshift [Formula: see text]. This places tight constraints on dark energy models constructed in the framework of modified gravitational theories. We review models of the late-time cosmic acceleration in scalar–tensor theories with second-order equations of motion (dubbed Horndeski theories) by paying particular attention to the evolution of dark energy equation of state and observables relevant to the cosmic growth history. We provide a gauge-ready formulation of scalar perturbations in full Horndeski theories and estimate observables associated with the evolution of large-scale structures, cosmic microwave background and weak lensing by employing a so-called quasi-static approximation for the modes deep inside the sound horizon. In light of the recent observational bound of [Formula: see text], we also classify surviving dark energy models into four classes depending on different structure-formation patterns and discuss how they can be observationally distinguished from each other. In particular, the nonminimally coupled theories in which the scalar field [Formula: see text] has a coupling with the Ricci scalar [Formula: see text] of the form [Formula: see text], including [Formula: see text] gravity, can be tightly constrained not only from the cosmic expansion and growth histories but also from the variation of screened gravitational couplings. The cross-correlation of integrated Sachs–Wolfe signal with galaxy distributions can be a key observable for placing bounds on the relative ratio of cubic Galileon density to total dark energy density. The dawn of GW astronomy will open up a new window to constrain nonminimally coupled theories further by the modified luminosity distance of tensor perturbations.
Generalized fractional order Chebyshev wavelets for solving nonlinear fractional delay-type equations
Authors: Saeed Amir , Saeed Umer
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we develop the generalized fractional order Chebyshev wavelets (GFCWs) from generalized fractional order of Chebyshev polynomials. The operational matrices for the presented wavelets are constructed and derived. We also proposed a technique by utilizing the GFCWs, the method of steps and quasilinearization technique for solving nonlinear fractional delay-type differential equations. According to the development, the method of step is used to transform the fractional nonlinear delay-type differential equation to a fractional nonlinear non-delay differential equation, and then apply the quasilinearization technique to discretize the obtained nonlinear equation. The GFCW method is utilized in each iteration of quasilinearization method for the improvement of solution. We perform the error analysis for the proposed technique. Procedure of implementation for the present method is also provided. Numerical simulation of some examples will be presented to demonstrate the benefits of computing with the present technique over existing methods in literature.
Filter banks from the Hadamard product of the Fibonacci sequence and a geometric sequence
Authors: Chen Fuxian , Chen Qiuhui , Li Luoqing
Published: January 2019

This note investigates a kind of filter banks related to the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence cannot be directly considered as a low-pass filter since the convergence radius of its [Formula: see text]-transform does not contain the unit disc centered at the origin. Adopting the Hadamard product of the Fibonacci sequence and a geometric sequence, a low-pass filter is designed and its corresponding filter banks are constructed.
Polymer deformation and particle tunneling from Schwarzschild black hole
Authors: Amirfakhrian Majid , Vakili Babak
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we investigate a tunneling mechanism of massless particles from the Schwarzschild black hole (S-BH) in the framework of polymer quantum mechanics. According to the corresponding invariant Liouville volume, we determine the tunneling rate from S-BH by the polymeric quantization procedure. In this regard, we show that the temperature and tunneling radiation of the black hole receive new corrections in such a way that the exact radiant spectrum is no longer precisely thermal.
Remarks about the Kaluza-Klein metric on tangent bundle
Authors: Altunbas Murat , Bilen Lokman , Gezer Aydin
Published: January 2019

The paper is concerned with the Kaluza–Klein metric on the tangent bundle over a Riemannian manifold. All kinds of Riemann curvature tensors are computed and some curvature properties are given. The compatible almost complex structure is defined on the tangent bundle, and necessary and sufficient conditions for such a structure to be integrable are described. Then, the condition is given under which the tangent bundle with these structures is almost Kähler. Finally, almost golden complex structures are defined on this setting and some results related to them are presented.
Braneworld mimetic f(R) gravity
Authors: Nozari Kourosh , Sadeghnezhad Naser
Published: January 2019

Following our recent work on braneworld mimetic gravity, in this paper, we study an extension of braneworld mimetic gravity to the case that the gravitational sector on the brane is modified in the spirit of [Formula: see text] theories. We assume the physical 5D bulk metric in the Randall–Sundrum II braneworld scenario consists of a 5D scalar field (which mimics the dark sectors on the brane) and an auxiliary 5D metric. We find the 5D Einstein’s field equations and the 5D equation of motion of the bulk scalar field in this setup. By using the Gauss–Codazzi equations, we obtain the induced Einstein’s field equations on the brane. Finally, by adopting the FRW background, we find the Friedmann equation on the brane in this [Formula: see text] mimetic braneworld setup.
Commuting graphs of generalized dihedral groups
Authors: Kakkar Vipul , Rawat Gopal Singh
Published: January 2019

For a group [Formula: see text] and a subset [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], the commuting graph of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text] is the graph whose vertex set is [Formula: see text] and any two vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if they commute in [Formula: see text]. In this paper, certain properties of the commuting graph of generalized dihedral groups have been studied.
Indiana Limestone: America's building stone
Authors: Shaffer Nelson R.
Published: January 2019

Indiana Limestone is one of the most used and versatile building stones in the USA. It is a uniform, carbonate grainstone formed during the Mississippian Subperiod of the Carbonifereous. The stone has excellent physical properties, good workability, fire resistance, durability, sustainability, reserves sufficient for hundreds of years, remarkable history, and is available in pleasing colours and textures. Indiana Limestone is used extensively for important buildings, homes, or carved as accents and sculptures, as well as other uses. At one time it was estimated that 60–80% of important US stone buildings were built with Indiana Limestone. This stone has been used for significant, even iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building and the Yankee Stadium, the Pentagon and many other government buildings, even religious structures such as the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, notable houses such as the Biltmore House in North Carolina, many Chicago landmarks, plus libraries, research centres, academic buildings and museums, across the USA. Sculptures throughout the USA and other countries are made of Indiana Limestone. The stone has good sustainability and is incorporated into the very culture of the state of Indiana and America. Indiana Limestone merits designation as a Global Heritage Stone Resource.
Understanding Faceted Search from Data Science and Human Factor Perspectives
Authors: Niu Xi , Fan Xiangyu , Zhang Tao
Published: January 2019

Faceted search has become a common feature on most search interfaces in e-commerce websites, digital libraries, government’s open information portals, and so on. Beyond the existing studies on developing algorithms for faceted search and empirical studies on facet usage, this study investigated user real-time interactions with facets over the course of a search from both data science and human factor perspectives. It adopted a Random Forest (RF) model to successfully predict facet use using search dynamic variables. In addition, the RF model provided a ranking of variables by their predictive power, which suggests that the search process follows rhythmic flow of a sequence within which facet addition is mostly influenced by its immediately preceding action. In the follow-up user study, we found that participants used facets at critical points from the beginning to end of search sessions. Participants used facets for distinctive reasons at different stages. They also used facets implicitly without applying the facets to their search. Most participants liked the faceted search, although a few participants were concerned about the choice overload introduced by facets. The results of this research can be used to understand information seekers and propose or refine a set of practical design guidelines for faceted search.
Attentive Long Short-Term Preference Modeling for Personalized Product Search
Authors: Guo Yangyang , Cheng Zhiyong , Nie Liqiang , Wang Yinglong , Ma Jun , Kankanhalli Mohan
Published: January 2019

E-commerce users may expect different products even for the same query, due to their diverse personal preferences. It is well known that there are two types of preferences: long-term ones and short-term ones. The former refers to users’ inherent purchasing bias and evolves slowly. By contrast, the latter reflects users’ purchasing inclination in a relatively short period. They both affect users’ current purchasing intentions. However, few research efforts have been dedicated to jointly model them for the personalized product search. To this end, we propose a novel Attentive Long Short-Term Preference model, dubbed as ALSTP, for personalized product search. Our model adopts the neural networks approach to learn and integrate the long- and short-term user preferences with the current query for the personalized product search. In particular, two attention networks are designed to distinguish which factors in the short-term as well as long-term user preferences are more relevant to the current query. This unique design enables our model to capture users’ current search intentions more accurately. Our work is the first to apply attention mechanisms to integrate both long- and short-term user preferences with the given query for the personalized search. Extensive experiments over four Amazon product datasets show that our model significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art product search methods in terms of different evaluation metrics.
Flood Basalts and Mass Extinctions
Authors: Clapham Matthew E. , Renne Paul R.
Published: January 2019

Flood basalts were Earth's largest volcanic episodes that, along with related intrusions, were often emplaced rapidly and coincided with environmental disruption: oceanic anoxic events, hyperthermals, and mass extinction events. Volatile emissions, both from magmatic degassing and vaporized from surrounding rock, triggered short-term cooling and longer-term warming, ocean acidification, and deoxygenation. The magnitude of biological extinction varied considerably, from small events affecting only select groups to the largest extinction of the Phanerozoic, with less-active organisms and those with less-developed respiratory physiology faring especially poorly. The disparate environmental and biological outcomes of different flood basalt events may at first order be explained by variations in the rate of volatile release modulated by longer trends in ocean carbon cycle buffering and the composition of marine ecosystems. Assessing volatile release, environmental change, and biological extinction at finer temporal resolution should be a top priority to refine ancient hyperthermals as analogs for anthropogenic climate change. ▪ Flood basalts, the largest volcanic events in Earth history, triggered dramatic environmental changes on land and in the oceans. ▪ Rapid volcanic carbon emissions led to ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation that often caused widespread animal extinctions. ▪ Animal physiology played a key role in survival during flood basalt extinctions, with reef builders such as corals being especially vulnerable. ▪ The rate and duration of volcanic carbon emission controlled the type of environmental disruption and the severity of biological extinction.
Curcumin: Recent Advances in the Development of Strategies to Improve Oral Bioavailability
Authors: Sanidad Katherine Z. , Sukamtoh Elvira , Xiao Hang , McClements David Julian , Zhang Guodong
Published: January 2019

Substantial human and preclinical studies have shown that curcumin, a dietary compound from turmeric, has a variety of health-promoting effects including but not limited to antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer actions. However, curcumin has poor bioavailability, and high doses of curcumin are usually needed to exert its health-promoting effects in vivo, limiting its applications for disease prevention. Here, we discuss the health-promoting effects of curcumin, factors limiting its bioavailability, and strategies to improve its oral bioavailability.
Realist Synthesis for Public Health: Building an Ontologically Deep Understanding of How Programs Work, For Whom, and In Which Contexts
Authors: Jagosh Justin
Published: January 2019

Realist synthesis is a literature review methodology for understanding how, for whom, and under what circumstances complex interventions function in complex environments. Using a heuristic called the context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configuration, realist synthesis produces evidence-informed theories about the interactions between intervention mechanisms and their implementation contexts. Public health interventions and their effects unfold over time and develop differently in different contexts. Much of what causes programs to function remains in a realm beyond empirical measurement. By scrutinizing the theories relevant to the interventions of interest, and by enhancing the conceptualization of complex outcomes, the realist approach deprioritizes evidence hierarchies and harnesses insights from diverse data sources to generate causal understanding. The dynamic learning process that can arise in conducting a realist synthesis may generate new ideas for program development and innovation apart from what can be achieved in reviews providing a summation and aggregation of quantified evidence.
Brain and Salivary Gland Tumors and Mobile Phone Use: Evaluating the Evidence from Various Epidemiological Study Designs
Authors: Röösli Martin , Lagorio Susanna , Schoemaker Minouk J. , Schüz Joachim , Feychting Maria
Published: January 2019

Mobile phones (MPs) are the most relevant source of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure to the brain and the salivary gland. Whether this exposure implies a cancer risk has been addressed in several case-control and few cohort studies. A meta-analysis of these studies does not show increased risks for meningioma, pituitary, and salivary gland tumors. For glioma and acoustic neuroma, the results are heterogeneous, with few case-control studies reporting substantially increased risks. However, these elevated risks are not coherent with observed incidence time trends, which are considered informative for this specific topic owing to the steep increase in MP use, the availability of virtually complete cancer registry data from many countries, and the limited number of known competing environmental risk factors. In conclusion, epidemiological studies do not suggest increased brain or salivary gland tumor risk with MP use, although some uncertainty remains regarding long latency periods (>15 years), rare brain tumor subtypes, and MP usage during childhood.
Innovations in Mixed Methods Evaluations
Authors: Palinkas Lawrence A. , Mendon Sapna J. , Hamilton Alison B.
Published: January 2019

Mixed methods research—i.e., research that draws on both qualitative and quantitative methods in varying configurations—is well suited to address the increasing complexity of public health problems and their solutions. This review focuses specifically on innovations in mixed methods evaluations of intervention, program or policy (i.e., practice) effectiveness, and implementation. The article begins with an overview of the structure, function, and process of different mixed methods designs and then provides illustrations of their use in effectiveness studies, implementation studies, and combined effectiveness–implementation hybrid studies. The article then examines four specific innovations: procedures for transforming (or “quantitizing”) qualitative data, application of rapid assessment and analysis procedures in the context of mixed methods studies, development of measures to assess implementation outcomes, and strategies for conducting both random and purposive sampling, particularly in implementation-focused evaluation research. The article concludes with an assessment of challenges to integrating qualitative and quantitative data in evaluation research.
Placental vascular abnormalities in the mouse alter umbilical artery wave reflections
Authors: Cahill Lindsay S. , Zhou Yu-Qing , Hoggarth Johnathan , Yu Lisa X. , Rahman Anum , Stortz Greg , Whitehead Clare L. , Baschat Ahmet , Kingdom John C. , Macgowan Christopher K. , Serghides Lena , Sled John G.
Published: January 2019

Current methods to detect placental vascular pathologies that monitor Doppler ultrasound changes in umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility have only moderate diagnostic utility, particularly in late gestation. In fetal mice, we recently demonstrated that reflected pressure waves propagate counter to the direction of flow in the UA and proposed the measurement of these reflections as a means to detect abnormalities in the placental circulation. In the present study, we used this approach in combination with microcomputed tomography to investigate the relationship between altered placental vascular architecture and changes in UA wave reflection metrics. Fetuses were assessed at embryonic day (E) 15.5 and E17.5 in control C57BL6/J mice and dams treated with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), a known model of fetal growth restriction. Whereas the reflection coefficient was not different between groups at E15.5, it was 27% higher at E17.5 in cART-treated mice compared with control mice. This increase in reflection coefficient corresponded to a 36% increase in the total number of vessel segments, a measure of overall architectural complexity. Interestingly, there was no difference in UA pulsatility index between groups, suggesting that the wave reflections convey information about vascular architecture that is not captured by conventional ultrasound metrics. The wave reflection parameters were found to be associated with the morphology of the fetoplacental arterial tree, with the area ratio between the UA and first branch points correlating with the reflection coefficient. This study highlights the potential for wave reflection to aid in the noninvasive clinical assessment of placental vascular pathology.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used a novel ultrasound methodology based on detecting pulse pressure waves that propagate along the umbilical artery to investigate the relationship between changes in wave reflection metrics and altered placental vascular architecture visualized by microcomputed tomography. Using pregnant mice treated with combination antiretroviral therapy, a model of fetal growth restriction, we demonstrated that reflections in the umbilical artery are sensitive to placental vascular abnormalities and associated with the geometry of the fetoplacental tree.
microRNA-146a-5p association with the cardiometabolic disease risk factor TMAO
Authors: Coffey Alisha R. , Kanke Matt , Smallwood Tangi L. , Albright Jody , Pitman Wendy , Gharaibeh Raad Z. , Hua Kunjie , Gertz Erik , Biddinger Sudha B. , Temel Ryan E. , Pomp Daniel , Sethupathy Praveen , Bennett Brian J.
Published: January 2019

Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a microbial choline metabolism byproduct that is processed in the liver and excreted into circulation, is associated with increased atherosclerotic lesion formation and cardiovascular disease risk. Genetic regulators of TMAO levels are largely unknown. In the present study, we used 288 mice from a genetically heterogeneous mouse population [Diversity Outbred (DO)] to determine hepatic microRNA associations with TMAO in the context of an atherogenic diet. We also validated findings in two additional animal models of atherosclerosis: liver-specific insulin receptor knockout mice fed a chow diet (LIRKO) and African green monkeys fed high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. Small RNA-sequencing analysis in DO mice, LIRKO mice, and African green monkeys identified only one hepatic microRNA (miR-146a-5p) that is aberrantly expressed across all three models. Moreover, miR-146a-5p levels are associated with circulating TMAO after atherogenic diet in each of these models. We also performed high-resolution genetic mapping and identified a novel quantitative trait locus on Chromosome 12 for TMAO levels. This interval includes two genes, Numb and Dlst, which are inversely correlated with both miR-146a and TMAO and are predicted targets of miR-146a. Both of these genes have been validated as direct targets of miR-146a, though in other cellular contexts. This is the first report to our knowledge of a link between miR-146 and TMAO. Our findings suggest that miR-146-5p, as well as one or more genes at the Chromosome 12 QTL (possibly Numb or Dlst), is strongly linked to TMAO levels and likely involved in the control of atherosclerosis.
Pensar a democracia no Ensaio sobre a cegueira de José Saramago
Authors: Uechi Fabrizio
Published: January 2019

Neste trabalho, levantam-se algumas questões sobre a democracia representativa a partir da leitura e análise de uma cena do Ensaio sobre a cegueira, de José Saramago, em que as personagens mulheres protagonizam uma disputa com homens, pelo direito de manifestarem suas vozes, sem a necessidade serem representadas por daqueles.
Contos, depoimentos e memórias de escritoras negras brasileiras e moçambicanas
Authors: Pereira Ianá Souza
Published: January 2019

Este artigo pretende fornecer alguns elementos para uma reflexão sobre a criação literária de escritoras negras no contexto das literaturas de língua portuguesa e baseia-se na pesquisa de meu doutorado, que teve duas fontes de dados: o depoimento e a análise de obras literárias de escritoras negras, notadamente os livros de contos As andorinhas, de Paulina Chiziane, Insubmissas lágrimas de mulheres, de Conceição Evaristo, Malungos e milongas, de Esmeralda Ribeiro, e Ninguém matou Suhura, de Lilia Momplé. Neste estudo ora apresentado, discutiremos a escrita como ação política e a resistência dessas mulheres, que agem política e ideologicamente para descolonizar a história e as mentes de leitores, movimentando o espaço literário e seu discurso hegemônico.
Right Ventricular-Arterial Coupling Ratio Derived From 3-Dimensional Echocardiography Predicts Outcomes in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Jone Pei-Ni , Schäfer Michal , Pan Zhaoxing , Ivy D. Dunbar
Published: January 2019

Background:

Right ventricular (RV) function is an important determinant of outcomes in pulmonary hypertension (PH). RV-arterial coupling ratio using stroke volume (SV) to end-systolic volume (ESV) has been shown to be an independent predictor of outcome in adults with PH. SV/ESV has not been used in pediatrics to predict outcomes. We compared SV/ESV between pediatric patients with PH, controls, and among groups based on disease severity. We correlated SV/ESV to RV strain and evaluated SV/ESV as a predictor of outcomes in pediatric PH.

Methods:

One hundred and twenty-five children with PH (8 years [3–12 years]) underwent 3-dimensional echocardiography from 2014 to 2017 and compared with 65 controls (9 years [7–13 years]). Offline analysis generated 3-dimensional end-diastolic volume, ESV, SV, and free-wall RV longitudinal strain. SV/ESV ratios were compared between patients with PH, controls, and disease severity. Correlations between SV/ESV to free-wall RV longitudinal strain were assessed using general linear mixed models. Cox proportional hazards analysis assessed the predictive ability of SV/ESV.

RESULTS:

Patients with PH had lower SV/ESV compared with controls (0.88±0.18 versus 1.24±0.23;
P
<0.0001). There were significant associations between SV/ESV to free-wall RV longitudinal strain (r=−0.53;
P
<0.001). SV/ESV emerged as a strong predictor of adverse clinical event (hazard ratio [CI], 0.52 [0.38–0.69] per 0.1 increase in SV/ESV;
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions:

SV/ESV as a volume estimate of RV-arterial coupling ratio correlates with RV strain and is a strong predictor of adverse clinical events in pediatric PH.
A Tailored, Bundle Care Intervention Strategy to Reduce Cardiac Mortality During the Hajj: A Population-Based, Before and After Study
Authors: Al Faraidy Khalid A. , Thalib Lukman , Al Shammeri Owayed , Bokhari Fayez , Hersi Ahmad , Alfaleh Hussam , Kashour Tarek
Published: January 2019

Background:

Hajj is the largest human gathering with over 2 million people. We evaluated the effect of bundle care intervention on mortality.

Methods:

A population-based, before and after study compared the effect of an intervention on mortality. The intervention included recruitment of cardiac team, introducing 24/7 catheterization service, cardiac coordination, standardized cardiac care pathways, and establishment of an effective transportation system.

Results:

Cardiac mortality accounted for about 52% of all in-hospital deaths before intervention in 2009. This decreased significantly to 43.3%, 32.5%, and 19.7% in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. In-hospital mortality of acute coronary syndromes was 4.7%, 4.6%, and 3.0%, in the years 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Mortality due to other causes remained largely unaffected. There was no significant change in the national mortality due to cardiac causes over the same period provided a reassurance that the observed improvement in in-hospital acute coronary syndrome mortality was not due to overall improvement in health care. The numbers of cardiac catheterization procedures increased 3-fold and cardiac surgical procedures increased 5-fold between 2009 and 2011.

Conclusions:

In this study, we found that an evidence-based intensive bundle care intervention substantially reduced the cardiac mortality among the pilgrims assembling for Hajj in Makkah.
Pediatric Sialendoscopy for Recurrent Salivary Gland Swelling: Workup, Findings, and Outcomes
Authors: Nation Javan , Panuganti Bharat , Manteghi Alexander , Pransky Seth
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

Recurrent salivary gland swelling of the parotid and submandibular glands results in painful swelling in the pediatric population. There is no defined algorithm for workup and treatment of these disorders, resulting in wide heterogeneity and in some cases overuse of computed tomography (CT) imaging. Sialendoscopy (SE) is an interventional option for recurrent swelling of both glands; however, its effectiveness in the pediatric population is still being determined.

Objectives:

To assess preoperative imaging utilization and benefit in the workup of recurrent pediatric sialadenitis, intraoperative SE findings, and postoperative outcomes after intervention with SE.

Methods:

Case-series with a 5-year retrospective chart review on children undergoing SE for recurrent sialadenitis.

Results:

Forty-nine SE procedures were performed on 38 parotid glands (PG) and 11 submandibular glands (SMGs) in 29 children. CT imaging findings were useful for identifying a stone or stricture and guiding surgical management in 45.5% of SMGs versus 2.6% of PGs ( P < .001). A stone was found in 45.5% of SMGs and none in PG ( P < .001). SE intervention such as balloon dilation or stone removal was performed in 54.6% of SMGs and 5.3% of PGs ( P < .001). 74% of parotid patients undergoing SE responded to 1 intervention with a cessation of recurrent gland swelling, while 26% required additional interventions. One hundred percent of SMG patients responded to first intervention. There was no improvement in the beneficial effect of SE with steroid injection ( P = .897) regardless of steroid used ( P = .082).

Conclusion:

CT findings were found to be low yield for recurrent parotid swelling, and ultrasound is a recommended first-line step for PG pathology. SE is a recommended first-line intervention for SMG and parotid sialadenitis as demonstrated by 100% and 74% response rate to initial SE, respectively.
Effect of nanofiller on the ageing of rubber seal materials under gamma irradiation
Authors: Hegazi Elham M , Eyssa HM , El-Megeed AA Abd
Published: January 2019

The effect of high gamma irradiation and nanosilica on the structure and mechanical properties of the acrylonitrile butadiene rubber seal materials was investigated in this study. Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber nanocomposites containing (25, 50 and 75 phr) unmodified and modified nanosilica were irradiated at different doses (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1 MGy). The dispersion of nanosilica-based filler in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber was investigated by scanning electron microscope. Fourier-transform infrared analysis, swelling, crosslinking, mechanical and the thermal resistance properties of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber nanocomposites were investigated. From the results, it is clear that with modified nanosilica, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber phase crosslinking is accelerated with increasing γ-doses compared to unmodified nanosilica and seems to enhance physical, mechanical and the thermal properties of the rubber. The surface of the acrylonitrile butadiene rubber nanocomposites was investigated by scanning electron microscope and found better dispersion for acrylonitrile butadiene rubber with 25 phr of modified nanosilica at 0.6 MGy. The compression set of the results indicated that 25 phr modified nanosilica has best properties under high gamma irradiation.
In-hospital outcomes after emergency or prophylactic veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a comprehensive review of the literature
Authors: Raffa Giuseppe M. , Kowalewski Mariusz , Meani Paolo , Follis Fabrizio , Martucci Gennaro , Arcadipane Antonio , Pilato Michele , Maessen Jos , Lorusso Roberto , Turrisi Marco , Gandolfo Caterina , Montalbano Giuseppe , Cannata Stefano , Coco Valeria Lo , Armaro Alessandro , Stringi Vincenzo , Romano Giuseppe , Falletta Calogero , Delnoij Thijs , Gilbers Martijn , Heuts Sam , Schreurs Rick , Jiritano Federica , Matteucci Matteo , Fina Dario
Published: January 2019

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) has been used to deal with life-threatening complications as well as back-up or active cardiovascular support during high-risk procedures in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). PubMed and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched in order to identify studies with emergency or prophylactic V-A ECMO application in association with TAVI procedures. From November 2012 to November 2017, 14 relevant studies were identified that included 5,115 TAVI patients of whom 102 (2%) required V-A ECMO (22 prophylactically, 66 as an emergency and 14 without a reported indication). The reason for emergency V-A ECMO institution was detailed in 64 patients: left ventricle free wall rupture (n = 14), haemodynamic instability (n = 12), ventricular arrhythmias (n = 7), aortic annulus rupture (n = 6), coronary obstruction (n = 6), low left ventricular output (ejection fraction <35%) (n = 5), uncontrollable bleeding (n = 5), severe aortic regurgitation (n = 4), prosthesis embolisation (n = 3), aortic dissection (n = 1) and respiratory failure (n = 1). Femoral arterial and vein cannulation was the most common access technique for V-A ECMO institution. Major bleeding (n = 7) and vascular access complications (n = 7) were reported after ECMO institution. The overall in-hospital survival was 73% (61% in the emergency vs. 100% in the prophylactic group). V-A ECMO support should be available at any centre performing TAVI and provides effective mechanical circulatory support in an emergency setting. We present an algorithm to aid decisions about prophylactic circulatory assistance with V-A ECMO and it should form part of the heart team discussion before a TAVI procedure is undertaken.
Diagnostic application of water exchange colonoscopy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Xu Xiufang , Ni Dongqiong , Lu Yuping , Huang Xuan
Published: January 2019

Background

Few well-designed studies have investigated water exchange colonoscopy (WE). We performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the clinical utility of WE based on high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare the impacts of WE, water immersion colonoscopy (WI), and gas-insufflation colonoscopy.

Methods

We searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Elsevier, CNKI, VIP, and Wan Fang Data for RCTs on WE. We analyzed the results using fixed- or random-effect models according to the presence of heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plots.

Results

Thirteen studies were eligible for this meta-analysis. The colonoscopic techniques included WE as the study group, and WI and air- or CO2-insufflation colonoscopy as control groups. WE was significantly superior to the control procedures in terms of adenoma detection rate, proportion of painless unsedated colonoscopy procedures, and cecal intubation rate according to odds ratios. WE was also significantly better in terms of maximal pain score and patient satisfaction score according to mean difference.

Conclusions

WE can remarkably improve the adenoma detection rate, proportion of painless unsedated colonoscopy procedures, patient satisfaction, and cecal intubation rate, as well as reducing the maximal pain score in patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Dynamic User Equilibrium of Mobility-on-Demand System with Linear Programming Rebalancing Strategy
Authors: Chen Rongsheng , Levin Michael W.
Published: January 2019

Mobility-on-demand (MoD) services are provided by multiple competing companies. In their competition for travelers, they need to provide minimum travel costs, or travelers will switch to competitors. This study developed a dynamic traffic assignment of MoD systems. A static traffic assignment (STA) model is first defined. When demand is asymmetric, empty rebalancing trips are required to move vehicles to traveler origins, and the optimal rebalancing flows are found by a linear program. Because of the time-dependent nature of traveler demand, the model was converted to dynamic traffic assignment (DTA). The method of successive averages, which is provably convergent for STA, was used to find dynamic user equilibrium (DUE). The simulation was conducted on two networks. The MoD system was simulated with different fleet sizes and demands. The results showed that the average total delay and travel distance decreased with the increase in fleet size whereas the average on-road travel time increased with the fleet size. The result of traffic assignment of one network with MoD system was compared with a network where all travelers use private vehicles. The results showed that the network with MoD system created more trips but less traffic congestion.
Passenger-Centric Performance Metrics for the New York City Subway
Authors: Halvorsen Anne , Wood Daniel , Stasko Timon , Jefferson Darian , Reddy Alla
Published: January 2019

Like many transit agencies, New York City Transit (NYCT) has long relied on operations-focused metrics to measure its performance. Although these metrics, such as capacity provided and terminal on-time performance, are useful internally to indicate the actions needed to improve service, they typically do not represent the customer experience. To improve its transparency and public communications, NYCT launched a new online Subway Dashboard in September 2017. Two new passenger-centric metrics were developed for the dashboard: additional platform time (APT), the extra time passengers spend waiting for a train over the scheduled time, and additional train time (ATT), the extra time they spend riding a train over the scheduled time. Unlike similar existing metrics, NYCT’s new methodology is easily transferable to other agencies, even those without exit data from an automated fare collection system. Using a representative origin–destination matrix and daily scheduled and actual train movement data, a simplified train assignment model assigns each passenger trip to a train based on scheduled and actual service. APT and ATT are calculated as the difference in travel times between these two assignments for each individual trip and can then be aggregated based on line or time period. These new customer-centric metrics received praise from transit advocates, academics, other agencies, and the press, and are now used within NYCT for communicating with customers, as well as to understand the customer impacts of operational initiatives.
Crash Risk Evaluation and Crash Severity Pattern Analysis for Different Types of Urban Junctions: Fault Tree Analysis and Association Rules Approaches
Authors: Wu Peijie , Meng Xianghai , Song Li , Zuo Wenze
Published: January 2019

Urban junctions usually present significant safety concerns, and the majority of all crashes in urban areas occur in or near junctions. Factors contributing to crash severity at junctions have been explored, but crash risk levels and crash severity patterns of different junction types have hardly been investigated. In order to fill this gap, this study analyzed the safety performance of six junction types and the factors contributing to crash severity, in order to assist city transportation authorities to implement effective countermeasures. Fault tree analysis (FTA) was applied for the risk evaluation of urban junctions and association rules (AR) algorithm was employed for the crash severity pattern analysis based on data from the U.K. STATS19 database from 2012 to 2016. Overall, four types of urban junctions with high crash risk level and over 4,000 AR contributing to crash severity are identified in the present paper. The results show that: (a) roundabouts and mini-roundabouts have the lowest fatality and casualty rates while T-junctions or staggered junctions and crossroads have the highest crash risk levels; (b) FTA may produce inaccurate outcomes because of incorrect logic gates, but AR can generate real potential relationships between crash severity and risk factors; (c) crash severity patterns are quite complex and the interdependence between risk factors is different for each junction type; (d) risk factors such as male driver, no physical crossing facilities within 50 meters, and give way or uncontrolled junction are common in high-risk junctions at night.