bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of patient-reported outcomes during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Nishimura Koichi , Nakamura Saya , Kusunose Masaaki , Nakayasu Kazuhito , Sanda Ryo , Hasegawa Yoshinori , Oga Toru
Published: October 2018

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate which patient-reported outcome measure was the best during the recovery phase from severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

The Exacerbations of Chronic Pulmonary Disease Tool (EXACT), the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Dyspnoea-12 (D-12) and the Hyland Scale (global scale) were recorded every week for the first month and at 2 and 3 months in 33 hospitalised subjects with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).

Results

On the day of admission (day 1), the internal consistency of the EXACT total score was high (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient=0.89). The EXACT total, CAT, SGRQ total and Hyland Scale scores obtained on day 1 appeared to be normally distributed. Neither floor nor ceiling effects were observed for the EXACT total and SGRQ total scores. The EXACT total score improved from 50.5±12.4 to 32.5±14.3, and the CAT score also improved from 24.4±8.5 to 13.5±8.4 during the first 2 weeks, and the effect sizes (ES) of the EXACT total and CAT score were −1.40 and −1.36, respectively. The SGRQ, Hyland Scale and D-12 were less responsive, with ES of −0.59, 0.96 and −0.90, respectively.

Discussion

The EXACT total and CAT scores are shown to be more responsive measures during the recovery phase from severe exacerbation. Considering the conceptual framework, it is recommended that the EXACT total score may be the best measure during the recovery phase from AECOPD. The reasons for the outstanding responsiveness of the CAT are still unknown.
Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a 10-year single-centre retrospective study
Authors: Yamazoe Masatoshi , Tomioka Hiromi
Published: October 2018

Introduction

In 2016, an international working group proposed a revised definition and new diagnostic criteria for the acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF). Based on these criteria, AE-IPF was diagnosed regardless of the presence or absence of a known trigger and categorised as triggered (T-AE) or idiopathic (I-AE) AE-IPF. However, the clinical characteristics of the newly defined AE-IPF and clinical differences between T-AE and I-AE are unresolved.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 64 patients with AE-IPF (I-AE (42), T-AE (22)) admitted to our hospital over a 10- year period.

Results

I-AE and T-AE cases did not show differences in in-hospital and long-term outcomes (in-hospital mortality: I-AE 52.4%, T-AE 59.1%, p=0.61; long-term mortality: p=0.68). In the I-AE group, significantly more patients received corticosteroid therapy before an AE (I-AE 35.7%, T-AE 4.5%; p=0.01). Significantly more patients in the T-AE group had lung cancer (I-AE 7.1%, T-AE 59.1%, p<0.001). I-AE occurred more frequently in winter while T-AE did not show seasonality. The white blood cell (WBC) count and haemoglobin (Hb) level were independent predictors of in-hospital deaths in I-AE (WBC: OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.09 to 4.95, p=0.01; Hb: OR 0.26, 95%  CI 0.04 to 0.78, p=0.01) but not T-AE.

Discussion

With the introduction of new criteria for AE-IPF, a retrospective study over a 10-year period showed a lack of prognostic difference between I-AE and T-AE. The WBC count and Hb level predicted in-hospital outcome in I-AE cases.
International multicentre validation of the arteriovenous malformation-related intracerebral haemorrhage (AVICH) score
Authors: Neidert Marian C. , Lawton Michael T. , Kim Louis J. , Nerva John D. , Kurisu Kaoru , Ikawa Fusao , Konczalla Juergen , Dinc Nazife , Seifert Volker , Habdank-Kolaczkowski Julian , Hatano Taketo , Hayase Makoto , Podlesek Dino , Schackert Gabriele , Wanet Thomas , Gläsker Sven , Griessenauer Christoph J. , Ogilvy Christopher S. , Kneist Andreas , Sure Ulrich , Seifert Burkhardt , Regli Luca , Bozinov Oliver , Burkhardt Jan-Karl
Published: October 2018

Objective

The recently published arteriovenous malformation-related intracerebral haemorrhage (AVICH) score showed better outcome prediction for patients with arteriovenous malformation (AVM)-related intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) than other AVM or ICH scores. Here we present the results of a multicentre, external validation of the AVICH score.

Methods

All participating centres (n=11) provided anonymous data on 325 patients to form the Spetzler-Martin (SM) grade, the supplemented SM (sSM) grade, the ICH score and the AVICH score. Modified Rankin score (mRS) at last follow-up (mean 25.6 months) was dichotomized into favourable (mRS 0-2, n=210) and unfavourable (mRS 3-6;n=115). Univariate and AUROC analyses were performed to validate the AVICH score.

Results

Except nidus structure and AVM size, all single parameters forming the SM, sSM, ICH and AVICH score and the scores itself were significantly different between both outcome groups in the univariate analysis. The AVICH score was confirmed to be the highest predictive outcome score with an AUROC of 0.765 compared with 0.705 for the ICH score and 0.682 for the sSM grade.

Conclusion

The multicentre-validated AVICH score predicts clinical outcome superior to pre-existing scores. We suggest the routine use of this score for future clinical outcome prediction and in clinical research.

Trial registration number

NCT02920645.
Mass casualty events: what to do as the dust settles?
Authors: Russo Rachel M , Galante Joseph M , Holcomb John B , Dorlac Warren , Brocker Jason , King David R , Knudson M Margaret , Scalea Thomas M , Cheatham Michael L , Fang Raymond
Published: October 2018

Care during mass casualty events (MCE) has improved during the last 15 years. Military and civilian collaboration has led to partnerships which augment the response to MCE. Much has been written about strategies to deliver care during an MCE, but there is little about how to transition back to normal operations after an event. A panel discussion entitled The Day(s) After: Lessons Learned from Trauma Team Management in the Aftermath of an Unexpected Mass Casualty Event at the 76th Annual American Association for the Surgery of Trauma meeting on September 13, 2017 brought together a cadre of military and civilian surgeons with experience in MCEs. The events described were the First Battle of Mogadishu (1993), the Second Battle of Fallujah (2004), the Bagram Detention Center Rocket Attack (2014), the Boston Marathon Bombing (2013), the Asiana Flight 214 Plane Crash (2013), the Baltimore Riots (2015), and the Orlando Pulse Night Club Shooting (2016). This article focuses on the lessons learned from military and civilian surgeons in the days after MCEs.
Geometric shape, water availability and under ice volume of Alberta lakes
Authors: Islam Zahidul , Seneka Michael
Published: October 2018

Water availability information can be vital to the execution of informed management decisions. Since only a small fraction of Alberta lakes have surveyed bathymetry data, accurate estimation of lake water availability is often challenging. In this study, we analyzed available bathymetry data from 77 lakes, distributed over six major river basins and five natural regions of Alberta, and developed dimensionless relationships between volume and depth. We compared these relationships with the analytical relationship between volume and depth for five idealized lake shapes, viz. as cylindrical, pseudo-parabolic, parabolic, conic, and inverse-parabolic. Our study shows that considering the volume-depth relationship, 48% of Alberta lakes fall under parabolic shape, 29% fall under conic shape, and the rest (23%) fall under either pseudo-parabolic, inverse-parabolic, or cylindrical shape. We also developed four different models to estimate maximum lake volume (a proxy of lake water availability) and 5% under ice volume (a proxy for winter allocation limit of lake water) assuming an ice thickness of 80 cm. These models have been developed in such a way that allows the user to apply the models based on data availability and can be used in absence of site-specific data (e.g., bathymetry) to estimate volume, and subsequently water availability in lakes. Finally, we propose a formulation of percent volume reduction due to small water withdrawal, which requires only maximum depth of a lake to estimate a potential volume reduction limit for a water withdrawal.
Using Convolution and Deep Learning in Gomoku Game Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Yan Peizhi , Feng Yi
Published: October 2018

Gomoku is an ancient board game. The traditional approach to solving the Gomoku game is to apply tree search on a Gomoku game tree. Although the rules of Gomoku are straightforward, the game tree complexity is enormous. Unlike many other board games such as chess and Shogun, the Gomoku board state is more intuitive. That is to say, analyzing the visual patterns on a Gomoku game board is fundamental to play this game. In this paper, we designed a deep convolutional neural network model to help the machine learn from the training data (collected from human players). Based on this original neural network model, we made some changes and get two variant neural networks. We compared the performance of the original neural network with its variants in our experiments. Our original neural network model got 69% accuracy on the training data and 38% accuracy on the testing data. Because the decision made by the neural network is intuitive, we also designed a hard-coded convolution-based Gomoku evaluation function to assist the neural network in making decisions. This hybrid Gomoku artificial intelligence (AI) further improved the performance of a pure neural network-based Gomoku AI.
The effect of radio frequency on the optical bistability in Pr3+: Y2SiO5 crystal
Authors: Doostkam Rasool , Abad Elham Sadati Nosrat , Ebrahimi Zohravi Lida , Mahmoudi Mohammad
Published: October 2018

We investigated theoretically the effect of an additional radio-frequency (rf) laser on the optical bistability (OB) behavior of the Pr[Formula: see text]: Y2SiO5 crystal. It is demonstrated that the rf field induces the OB behavior to the output of the system. It is shown that such OB behavior can be controlled by the intensity of either rf or coupling field.
Study of a New Digital Text Watermarking Algorithm
Authors: Han Xiaofeng , Li Yan , Liu Guodong
Published: October 2018

As information technology develops rapidly and smart devices become popular, the traditional publishing industry is changing form. It has become very common for newspapers, books, magazines and pictures to transmit on the network. Because the network is easy to copy and spread text resources, the lawful interests of owners are liable to violate. In order to solve this problem, copyright protection technology represented by the text watermark has been invented. In this paper, a novel digital text watermarking algorithm utilizing word processing software is researched, which can ignore some faults in the documents to some extent. By means of this new algorithm, users can keep the copyright information in the reserved words of files and properly use the documents. The embedded watermark can be extracted and the copyright can be verified.
A concise introduction to quantum field theory
Authors: Asorey M.
Published: October 2018

We review the basic principles of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) in a brief but comprehensive introduction to the foundations of QFT. The principles of QFT are introduced in canonical and covariant formalisms. The problem of ultraviolet (UV) divergences and its renormalization is analyzed in the canonical formalism. As an application, we review the roots of Casimir effect. For simplicity, we focus on the scalar field theory but the generalization for fermion fields is straightforward. However, the quantization of gauge fields require extra techniques which are beyond the scope of this paper. The special cases of free field theories and conformal invariant theories in lower space-time dimensions illustrate the relevance of the foundations of the theory. Finally, a short introduction to functional integrals and perturbation theory in the Euclidean formalism is included in the last section.
The Jacquet–Langlands correspondence for overconvergent Hilbert modular forms
Authors: Birkbeck Christopher
Published: October 2018

We use results by Chenevier to interpolate the classical Jacquet–Langlands correspondence for Hilbert modular forms, which gives us an extension of Chenevier’s results to totally real fields. From this we obtain an isomorphism between eigenvarieties attached to Hilbert modular forms and those attached to modular forms on a totally definite quaternion algebra over a totally real field of even degree.
Near-Optimum Online Ad Allocation for Targeted Advertising
Authors: Naor Joseph (Seffi) , Wajc David
Published: October 2018

Motivated by Internet targeted advertising, we address several ad allocation problems. Prior work has established that these problems admit no randomized online algorithm better than (1 - 1/
e
)-competitive (see Karp et al. (1990) and Mehta et al. (2007)), yet simple heuristics have been observed to perform much better in practice. We explain this phenomenon by studying a generalization of the bounded-degree inputs considered by Buchbinder et al. (2007), graphs which we call (
k
,
d
)-
bounded
. In such graphs the maximal degree on the online side is at most
d
and the minimal degree on the offline side is at least
k
. We prove that, for such graphs, these problems’ natural greedy algorithms attain a competitive ratio of 1 -
d
-1/
k
+
d
-1, tending to
1
as
d
/
k
tends to zero. We prove this bound is tight for these algorithms.

Next, we develop deterministic primal-dual algorithms for the above problems, achieving a competitive ratio of 1−(1 - 1/
d
)

k

> 1 - &1/
e

k
/
d

, or
exponentially
better loss as a function of
k
/
/d
, and strictly better than 1 - 1/e whenever
k
≥
d
. We complement our lower bounds with matching upper bounds for the vertex-weighted problem. Finally, we use our deterministic algorithms to prove by dual-fitting that simple randomized algorithms achieve the same bounds in expectation. Our algorithms and analysis differ from previous ad allocation algorithms, which largely scale bids based on the spent fraction of their bidder’s budget, whereas we scale bids according to the number of times the bidder could have spent as much as her current bid. Our algorithms differ from previous online primal-dual algorithms in that they do not maintain dual feasibility but only a primal-to-dual ratio and only attain dual feasibility upon termination. We believe our techniques could find applications to other well-behaved online packing problems.
Learning (by) osmosis: an approach to teaching osmolarity and tonicity
Authors: Vujovic Predrag , Chirillo Michael , Silverthorn Dee U.
Published: October 2018

Understanding osmolarity and tonicity is one of the more challenging endeavors undertaken by students of the natural sciences. We asked students who completed a course in animal physiology to submit an essay explaining what they found most perplexing about this subject, and what in-class activities proved most useful to them. Students had difficulty distinguishing osmolarity from tonicity and determining tonicity based on the solution’s composition. The most useful activities were questions requiring simultaneous consideration of both osmolarity and tonicity. Problems that require calculating osmotic concentration and the volumes of body fluid compartments after administration or loss of various solutions emphasize the significance of osmolarity and tonicity in the context of systemic homeostasis and clinical medicine. We hope that our approach to teaching osmolarity and tonicity will prove useful to physiology lecturers who are looking for new ways of introducing this complicated topic to their health professions students.
Hippocampal replays under the scrutiny of reinforcement learning models
Authors: Cazé Romain , Khamassi Mehdi , Aubin Lise , Girard Benoît
Published: October 2018

Multiple in vivo studies have shown that place cells from the hippocampus replay previously experienced trajectories. These replays are commonly considered to mainly reflect memory consolidation processes. Some data, however, have highlighted a functional link between replays and reinforcement learning (RL). This theory, extensively used in machine learning, has introduced efficient algorithms and can explain various behavioral and physiological measures from different brain regions. RL algorithms could constitute a mechanistic description of replays and explain how replays can reduce the number of iterations required to explore the environment during learning. We review the main findings concerning the different hippocampal replay types and the possible associated RL models (either model-based, model-free, or hybrid model types). We conclude by tying these frameworks together. We illustrate the link between data and RL through a series of model simulations. This review, at the frontier between informatics and biology, paves the way for future work on replays.
Higher order, multifeatural object encoding by the oculomotor system
Authors: Kehoe Devin H. , Aybulut Selvi , Fallah Mazyar
Published: October 2018

Previous behavioral and physiological research has demonstrated that as the behavioral relevance of potential saccade goals increases, they elicit more competition during target selection processing as evidenced by increased saccade curvature and neural activity. However, these effects have only been demonstrated for lower order feature singletons, and it remains unclear whether more complicated featural differences between higher order objects also elicit vector modulation. Therefore, we measured human saccades curvature elicited by distractors bilaterally flanking a target during a visual search saccade task and systematically varied subsets of features shared between the two distractors and the target, referred to as objective similarity (OS). Our results demonstrate that saccades deviated away from the distractor highest in OS to the target and that there was a linear relationship between the magnitude of saccade deviation and the number of feature differences between the most similar distractor and the target. Furthermore, an analysis of curvature over the time course of the saccade demonstrated that curvature only occurred in the first 20–30 ms of the movement. Given the multifeatural complexity of the novel stimuli, these results suggest that saccadic target selection processing involves dynamically reweighting vector representations for movement planning to several possible targets based on their behavioral relevance.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate that small featural differences between unfamiliar, higher order object representations modulate vector weights during saccadic target selection processing. Such effects have previously only been demonstrated for familiar, simple feature singletons (e.g., color) in which features characterize entire objects. The complexity and novelty of our stimuli suggest that the oculomotor system dynamically receives visual/cognitive information processed in the higher order representational networks of the cortical visual processing hierarchy and integrates this information for saccadic movement planning.
Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of β-Hydroxysulfides of 1,3-Dioxepane Series
Authors: Pavelyev Roman S. , Vafina Rusalia M. , Balakin Konstantin V. , Gnezdilov Oleg I. , Dobrynin Aleksey B. , Lodochnikova Olga A. , Musin Rashid Z. , Chmutova Galina A. , Lisovskaya Svetlana A. , Nikitina Liliya E.
Published: October 2018

Synthesis of β-hydroxysulfides of 1,3-dioxepane series and their further functionalization were performed. Chiral β-hydroxysulfides were separated into enantiomers using enzymatic acylation by lipase PS. Study of antifungal activity of the obtained compounds showed that some enantiomerically pure 6-arylthio-1,3-dioxepan-5-ols represent promising antifungal drug candidates.
Research of PWR Pressurizer Insurge Characteristics on Three-Dimensional Transient Modeling
Authors: Liu Jianquan , Zhang Jiguo , Shi Jingda , Li Dong
Published: October 2018

In order to study the evolution process and hydraulic characteristics of pressurizer insurge in CPR1000 pressurized water reactor (PWR), the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of three-dimensional unsteady heat transfer was used to capture the temperature and velocity fluctuation intensity of the mixing of the hot and cold. The results show that Realizable k–ε Turbulence Model combined with VOF multiphase heat transfer model can effectively predict the development trend of pressurizer insurge process. The small diameter pressurizer surge line of CPR1000 enhances the intensity of velocity fluctuation. From the essence of flow and heat transfer, it is concluded that buoyancy force can increase the degree of fluctuation and make an accelerated effect on the influx cold fluid. The electric heater inside the pressurizer should be arranged as far as possible in z<-0.45m and z>0.45m; it is beneficial to improve its harsh operating environment. This research can provide reference for the structural design of pressurizer and the layout optimization of the electric heater.
ADI-MRTD Algorithm for Periodic Structures Analysis
Authors: Dong Xiaohua , Chen Yiwang , Zhang Pin , Teng Yichao , Zhuansun Xiaobo
Published: October 2018

In this paper, a novel algorithm based on the alternating direction implicit (ADI) multiresolution time-domain (MRTD) method for periodic structure simulation is proposed. By applying the multiresolution analysis in accordance with wavelet theory, the spatial sampling rate of the conventional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) is significantly reduced by the MRTD method. The ADI method is then used to remove the Courant-Friedrich-Levy (CFL) limit that the MRTD method experiences. The periodic boundary condition (PBC) is directly implemented in the time domain using a constant transverse wave-number (CTW) wave. Numerical results are presented to confirm the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.
Lhermitte-Duclos Disease in a Six-Year Old Child: A Rare Presentation
Authors: Ezgu Mehmet Can , Ozer Mehmet Ilker , Dogan Adem , Deveci Guzin , Kural Cahit , Izci Yusuf
Published: October 2018

Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD) is a rare, slow-growing, benign lesion of the cerebellum. It is often seen in the second and fourth decades. This disease is extremely rare in childhood. A 6-year-old girl presented with loss of balance. A mass lesion in the right cerebellum was detected by magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent surgical removal of the lesion, and the histological diagnosis was dysplastic gangliocytoma (LDD). The patient was discharged without complication, and her balance improved in the follow-up period. In this report, we present this rare occurrence in childhood and discuss the clinical course and management. LDD is very rare in early childhood and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of posterior fossa lesions.
Competitive Testing of the WHO 2010 versus the WHO 2017 Grading of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Data from a Large International Cohort Study
Authors: Rindi Guido , Klersy Catherine , Albarello Luca , Baudin Eric , Bianchi Antonio , Buchler Markus W. , Caplin Martyn , Couvelard Anne , Cros Jérôme , de Herder Wouter W. , Delle Fave Gianfranco , Doglioni Claudio , Federspiel Birgitte , Fischer Lars , Fusai Giuseppe , Gavazzi Francesca , Hansen Carsten P. , Inzani Frediano , Jann Henning , Komminoth Paul , Knigge Ulrich P. , Landoni Luca , La Rosa Stefano  , Lawlor Rita T. , Luong Tu V. , Marinoni Ilaria , Panzuto F. , Pape Ulrich-Frank , Partelli Stefano , Perren Aurel , Rinzivillo Maria , Rubini Corrado , Ruszniewski Philippe , Scarpa Aldo , Schmitt Anja , Schinzari Giovanni , Scoazec Jean-Yves , Sessa Fausto , Solcia Enrico , Spaggiari Paola , Toumpanakis Christos , Vanoli Alessandro , Wiedenmann Bertram , Zamboni Giuseppe , Zandee Wouter T. , Zerbi Alessandro , Falconi Massimo
Published: October 2018

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Joint Cancer Committee (AJCC) modified the grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms from a three-tier (WHO-AJCC 2010) to a four-tier system by introducing the novel category of NET G3 (WHO-AJCC 2017). Objectives: This study aims at validating the WHO-AJCC 2017 and identifying the most effective grading system. Method: A total of 2,102 patients were enrolled; entry criteria were: (i) patient underwent surgery; (ii) at least 2 years of follow-up; (iii) observation time up to 2015. Data from 34 variables were collected; grading was assessed and compared for efficacy by statistical means including Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression analysis, Harrell’s C statistics, and Royston’s explained variation in univariable and multivariable analyses. Results: In descriptive analysis, the two grading systems demonstrated statistically significant differences for the major category sex but not for age groups. In Cox regression analysis, both grading systems showed statistically significant differences between grades for OS and EFS; however, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two G3 classes of WHO-AJCC 2017. In multivariable analysis for the two models fitted to compare efficacy, the two grading systems performed equally well with substantially similar optimal discrimination and well-explained variation for both OS and EFS. The WHO-AJCC 2017 grading system retained statistically significant difference between the two G3 classes for OS but not for EFS. Conclusions: The WHO-AJCC 2017 grading system is at least equally performing as the WHO-AJCC 2010 but allows the successful identification of the most aggressive PanNET subgroup. Grading is confirmed as probably the most powerful tool for predicting patient survival.
Interference With Endothelial PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor)-γ Causes Accelerated Cerebral Vascular Dysfunction in Response to Endogenous Renin-Angiotensin System Activation
Authors: Nair Anand R. , Agbor Larry N. , Mukohda Masashi , Liu Xuebo , Hu Chunyan , Wu Jing , Sigmund Curt D.
Published: October 2018

Low-salt diet is beneficial in salt-sensitive hypertension but may provoke cardiovascular risk in patients with heart failure, diabetes mellitus, or other cardiovascular abnormalities because of endogenous renin-angiotensin system activation. PPAR (peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor)-γ is a transcription factor which promotes an antioxidant pathway in the endothelium. We studied transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative mutation in PPAR-γ selectively in the endothelium (E-V290M) to test the hypothesis that endothelial PPAR-γ plays a protective role in response to low salt–mediated renin-angiotensin system activation. Plasma renin and Ang II (angiotensin II) were significantly and equally increased in all mice fed low salt for 6 weeks. Vasorelaxation to acetylcholine was not affected in basilar artery from E-V290M at baseline but was significantly and selectively impaired in E-V290M after low salt. Unlike basilar artery, low salt was not sufficient to induce vascular dysfunction in carotid artery or aorta. Endothelial dysfunction in the basilar artery from E-V290M mice fed low salt was attenuated by scavengers of superoxide, inhibitors of NADPH oxidase, or blockade of the Ang II AT1 (angiotensin type-1) receptor. Simultaneous AT1 and AT2 receptor blockade revealed that the restoration of endothelial function after AT1 receptor blockade was not a consequence of AT2 receptor activation. We conclude that interference with PPAR-γ in the endothelium produces endothelial dysfunction in the cerebral circulation in response to low salt–mediated activation of the endogenous renin-angiotensin system, mediated at least in part, through AT1 receptor activation and perturbed redox homeostasis. Moreover, our data suggest that the cerebral circulation may be particularly sensitive to inhibition of PPAR-γ activity and renin-angiotensin system activation.
Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescence Is Attributable to a Combination of Elevated Cardiac Output and Total Peripheral Resistance
Authors: Park Chloe , Fraser Abigail , Howe Laura D. , Jones Siana , Davey Smith George , Lawlor Debbie A. , Chaturvedi Nish , Hughes Alun D.
Published: October 2018

Unlike in older people, it has been suggested that elevated blood pressure (BP) in young people is because of high cardiac output accompanied by normal total peripheral resistance (TPR)—a hyperkinetic/hyperdynamic circulation. We investigated this in a large, United Kingdom-based birth cohort of adolescents. The study was conducted on 2091 17-year-old participants in the ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children)—a prospective population-based birth cohort study. BP measurement and echocardiography were performed, and heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), and TPR were calculated. Data are means (SD). Higher quintiles of systolic BP were associated with higher SV, higher HR, and higher TPR. The proportional contribution made by SV, HR, and TPR to mean arterial pressure differed little by systolic BP quintile (SV [32%–34%], HR [25%–29%], and TPR [39%–41%]). Higher BP is attributable to a combination of higher cardiac output (ie, SV×HR) and higher TPR in a population-based sample of adolescents. There is no evidence of a disproportionate contribution from elevated cardiac output at higher BP levels.
Multichannel Works for Nonstationary Audiences
Authors: Moeller John D.
Published: October 2018

There is interest in our era in the topic of sound spatialization, as evidenced by the writings, compositions, and facilities dedicated to the practice. One frequently expressed goal is to elevate space in importance as a compositional parameter. There are many approaches that make this possible, one of which is to create multichannel compositions for listeners who move physically through the presentation space. This article is an examination of such works. This article will discuss several elements in relation to navigable sonic creations using a variety of case studies, including my 96-channel piece for mobile audiences, First Vision.
Ein “Ocean von Gelehrsamkeit”
Authors: Weiß Alexander
Published: October 2018

The State Library Berlin and the University Library Heidelberg hold a number of letters which Adolf von Harnack received from the Scottish classicist Sir William Mitchell Ramsay. The correspondence between these two outstanding scholars is of great importance for the history of the disciplines concerned, Classics and History of the Early Church, as well as for the biographies of the two correspondents. In this article Ramsay’s letters are edited with introduction and commentary.
Seeing the Empire Through Lists and Charts: French Colonial Records in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Houllemare Marie
Published: October 2018

By looking at list-making and comparative assessments of trade, this article on central administrative practices of record management aims at discussing the mobilization of archives in French colonial supervision in the eighteenth century. A Bureau des Colonies was created in the French Secretariat of the Marine in 1710: from the very outset, its main mission was to deal with the colonial records, mostly correspondence, through which the colonies were administered. Archives had been collected and classified in the Bureau des archives from 1699 onwards. But this implied an effort in the organization of papers: throughout the eighteenth century, the imperial administration created several other documentary tools that produced a simplified and ideal vision of the empire and of its place in the global order. Looking at the kinds of papers produced by the colonial administration and where these records were kept provides insight into how the central authorities understood the colonial empire. The paperwork shaped the way administrators understood empire, through operations carried out by the clerks on the records. Records were collected from all the colonies and actors, with a growing sense of being a unique agency possessing relevant records that were reduced to similar storage units by agents without field experience. In fact, archives became crucial in strengthening the empire as a political unity, under a centralized metropolitan direction, mainly after the Seven Years’ War.
The Adagia as an Institutio Principis
Authors: Gordeziani Lika
Published: October 2018

One of the most important topics in the complex didactic work of Erasmus, Adagia, is the question of good government. In this collection of proverbs, Erasmus uses ancient wisdom to establish some crucial principles of political education. He discusses different cases of good and bad rulers and proposes some instructions for his readers. It is not enough to properly instruct a prince; the society he governs must first be instructed. Thus, the Adages serve not only as an institutio principis, but also as a sort of institutio populi.
The Forest in the Metropolis: Elk Island (Losinyi Ostrov) National Park and the Disappointments of the Russian National Park Movement
Authors: Roe Alan
Published: October 2018

A 116 square-kilometer section of forest in the northwest part of Moscow, Elk Island National Park (Losynyi ostrov) became Russia’s first in 1983. Russian environmentalists became enamored with national parks through increased interaction with Western colleagues, Russian environmentalists, including the supporters of Elk Island National Park, asserted that the USSR’s lack of national parks demonstrated that Russian environmental protection efforts lagged behind the West. This strategy was successful in pushing the government to establish national parks, including Elk Island. However, Russian environmentalists have had much less success in convincing government officials to support, protect, and develop national parks, even as they frequently asserted that its failure to do so cast Russia in a bad light before the international community. Because of its highly visible location in Moscow, Elk Island’s struggles have been a particularly painful reminder for Russian environmentalists of the Russian Federation’s seeming disinterest in national parks.
Emotions and Play-acting in the Cold War: How Leonid Brezhnev Won and Lost the West’s Trust
Authors: Schattenberg Susanne
Published: October 2018

This article seeks to prove that not only do emotions matter in foreign politics, but they are strong catalysts for political action. In Brezhnev’s case, it was fear of a third world war that made him strive for endurable peace. To gain the trust of the West, he tried to act like a Western statesman in order to be perceived as “familiar” and recognized as “one of us”. The article is structured along four key emotions: fear, trust, stress and mistrust, which are debated as concepts and as decisive states for Brezhnev’s foreign policy. I argue that Brezhnev won the trust of his supporters by showing he was different, but lost it when he became addicted to sleeping pills and had to retreat after 1974.
The Paradoxical Role of the Shanson in Putin’s Russia
Authors: Gordiienko Anastasiia
Published: October 2018

This study analyzes the colorful phenomenon of the Russian shanson in the context of contemporary Russian culture and politics. It targets shanson’s complex symbiotic relationship with Putin’s regime and its paradoxical place within Russian culture and politics today.

The musical genre has undergone a veritable sea change over time, evolving from a subcultural form mocking official powers to a “normalized” cultural product that now bears the Kremlin’s stamp of approval. Faced with the new post-Soviet economic reality, the underworld song underwent changes that transformed it into a commercially successful genre currently acknowledged, and even deployed, by the Russian authorities. While such shifts often mark a subculture’s lifecycle, what is particularly striking in this case is the shanson’s continued bond with the underworld. Such a paradox, I contend, may be illuminated, if only in part, by the specific nature of Putin’s cultivated public persona and particular features of the Putin regime.
A Critical Essay on the Exercise of Critique
Authors: Larsen Steen Nepper
Published: October 2018

Ontology and epistemology will never be reconciled, this article argues. There is widespread opinion among scientists and laymen alike that we are standing at the threshold of a fusion and reconciliation of ontology (being, what the world is) and epistemology (acknowledgement theory, how the world is). But my thesis is that this will never happen – and my argument can be read as a credo for non-identity. The tensions between being and thinking are here to stay, and this philosophical ‘position’ has a wide range of implications for politics, education, Bildung and thinking. Strongly rooted in Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno’s philosophy, it is claimed that he was right in emphasizing that the non-identical must be honored, defended and emancipated. The vivid dream is that conceptual work opens and ‘dignifies’ the non-identical, while the non-identical ‘longs for’ conceptual assistance so it can come to exist among us.
Comparative morphological, anatomical, micromorphological, and palynological studies on the genera Opopanax and Crenosciadium (Apiaceae)
Authors: ÇETIN ÖZLEM , ÇELIK MUSTAFA
Published: October 2018

In the present study, morphological, micromorphological, palynological and anatomical characteristics of the genera Opopanax and Crenosciadium are reviewed and compared. The genus Opopanax is distributed in southern Europe, the Mediterranean region and Western Asia, and it is represented by three species in Turkey. Crenosciadium is a poorly known monotypic genus from Turkey, recently treated as synonym in Opopanax. Expanded descriptions, phenology, geographic distributions, and images of habitus of Opopanax and Crenosciadium are given. The differences between the two genera are discussed. The pollen morphology of Opopanax and Crenosciadium is studied by SEM and LM. The palynological results confirmed the stenopalynous characteristic of the family Apiaceae, and revealed that the pollen grains of both genera are perprolate in shape. Also fruit surface ornamentation of both genera is typically striate, and epidermal cells are polygonal or elongated in one direction. Cross-sections of mature fruits are examined and a detailed anatomical description is presented. Mericarp shape and width are very useful characters for discrimination between Opopanax and Crenosciadium; mericarp ribs are also very significant characteristics to discriminate both genera. Our findings, together with previous molecular data, clearly indicate that Crenosciadium differs considerably from Opopanax, and therefore it should be accepted at genus rank.
The polyphasic approach revealed new species of Chloroidium (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta)
Authors: DARIENKO TATYANA , LUKEŠOVÁ ALENA , PRÖSCHOLD THOMAS
Published: October 2018

Chlorella-like coccoid green algae are widely distributed in many types of habitats such as freshwater, terrestrial and marine. One group of terrestrial microalgae belonging to the Trebouxiophyceae forms the monophyletic lineage of the Watanabea clade. This clade exclusively comprises of ellipsoid and spherical coccoid green algae, which traditionally have been assigned as different species of Chlorella. Within this clade, seven out of ten genera are described mainly based on phylogenetic analyses of SSU and rbcL sequences. Most of the genera are represented by only one or two species that are rarely found in natural samples. In contrast, the genus Chloroidium is widely distributed across different habitats. We investigated 34 new isolates, which were originally assigned as Chloroidium or Chlorella, using an integrative approach. The phylogenetic analyses of SSU and ITS rDNA sequences revealed nine lineages, eight of which were highly supported in all of our bootstrap and Bayesian analyses. The ITS-2/CBC approach clearly demonstrated that these nine lineages represent individual species. The haplotype network analyses revealed that three out of them were widely distributed and showed no preference for any habitat.                The comprehensive study of SSU and rbcL datasets also revealed that no clear synapomorphy could be found to support the assigned genus Parachloroidium. As a result of our findings, we proposed that both species belonging to Parachloroidium be transferred to Chloroidium. In addition, we re-established two species originally described by Chodat as new members of Chloroidium (C. lichenum, C. viscosum). Two of the nine lineages (C. antarcticum, C. arboriculum) were newly described in this study.
The Dance of the Mechanisms: How Observed Information Influences the Validity of Missingness Assumptions
Authors: Schouten Rianne Margaretha , Vink Gerko
Published: October 2018

Missing data in scientific research go hand in hand with assumptions about the nature of the missingness. When dealing with missing values, a set of beliefs has to be formulated about the extent to which the observed data may also hold for the missing parts of the data. It is vital that the validity of these missingness assumptions is verified, tested, and that assumptions are adjusted when necessary. In this article, we demonstrate how observed data structures could a priori indicate whether it is likely that our beliefs about the missingness can be trusted. To this end, we simulate complete data and generate missing values according several types of MCAR, MAR, and MNAR mechanisms. We demonstrate that in scenarios where the data correlations are either low or very substantial, strictly different mechanisms yield equivalent statistical inferences. In addition, we show that the choice of quantity of scientific interest together with the distribution of the nonresponse govern the validity of the missingness assumptions.
Crime Prevention and the Coproduction of Security: Outcomes of Citizen Participation at the Neighborhood Level in Neoliberal Chile
Authors: Trebilcock Maria Paz , Luneke Alejandra
Published: October 2018

A study of the implications of the coproduction-of-security policy implemented by Chile’s postdictatorship governments shows that the appeal for citizen participation in security provision has resulted in individual practices of home defense and protection rather than the development of the associative programs promoted by the state. This has come about in a context of extreme fear of crime and mistrust of the institutions in charge of security. The fact that the discourse of security coproduction is interwoven with the individuation and privatization that characterize Chilean society calls for a review of the agenda of citizen participation in security issues.

Un estudio de las implicaciones de la política de coproducción de seguridad implementada por los gobiernos postdictadura de Chile muestra que el llamado a la participación ciudadana en provisión de seguridad ha resultado en prácticas individuales de defensa y protección del hogar más que en el desarrollo de programas asociativos promovidos por el estado. Esto ha ocurrido en un contexto de miedo extremo al crimen y desconfianza de las instituciones a cargo de la seguridad. El hecho de que el discurso de la coproducción de seguridad esté entrelazado con la individuación y la privatización que caracteriza a la sociedad chilena requiere una revisión de la agenda de participación ciudadana en temas de seguridad.
Who Cares? Motivations for Unregulated Child Care Use
Authors: Breitkreuz Rhonda , Colen Kerryn
Published: October 2018

This article explores the motivations for unregulated child care use within Canada. Using focus group data from 109 mothers, we analyze unregulated child care use within a policy context in which regulated child care is only available for 20% of preschool children. The key drivers for unregulated care were framed by participants as benefits: trust in a known caregiver with similar values, offered in a home-like environment. Importantly, one driver that was not seen as beneficial was the lack of affordable and accessible, regulated child care. Sometimes used as a last resort amid regulated child care shortages, unregulated care became the driver of how mothers organized their time. Within the constraints of a limited regulatory child care environment, we argue that Mathieu’s (2016) concept of demotherization is beyond the grasp of the majority of Canadian mothers.
Intergenerational Family Solidarity as a Migration Compass
Authors: Dryjanska Laura , Zlotnick Cheryl
Published: October 2018

Incorporating contemporary theories of Aliyah (Jewish migration to Israel) by English speakers and family intergenerational solidarity, this article compares the perspective of older women who immigrated to Israel accompanied by their families with representatives of organizational stakeholders: paid professionals as well as volunteers. The textual corpus of 14 episodic interviews conducted in two Israeli cities has been analyzed using the method of descending hierarchical clustering. The resulting four clusters focus on information, family, friends, and language-related challenges, in the opposition of public sphere (Clusters 1 and 4) versus private sphere (Clusters 2 and 3). The privileged condition of family solidarity contributes to the migrants’ abilities to overcome the difficulties, buffering them from migration-related stress. The findings are discussed in the light of a theoretical compass model of intergenerational Aliyah.
Frequency at the syntax–discourse interface: A bidirectional study on fronting options in L1/L2 German and L1/L2 English
Authors: Hopp Holger , Bail Joseph , Jackson Carrie N.
Published: October 2018

The present study investigates whether second language (L2) speakers are sensitive to the information-structural constraints and frequency distributions at the syntax–discourse interface in the L2. L1-German–L2-English and L1-English–L2-German speakers completed a speeded naturalness judgment task. For sentences presented in broad or narrow-focus contexts, they judged the naturalness of fronted locative (LP) and temporal (TP) adverbial phrases and fronted objects in both English and German. English and German differ in the frequency with which they employ these constructions. With high-frequency fronted-LP and TP sentences, both the L2 English and L2 German speakers exhibited equivalent judgments as their L1 counterparts, in spite of differences in the perceived naturalness and relative frequency of these constructions in English vs. German. Like L1 speakers, L2 English and L2 German speakers also judged the less-frequent fronted objects as more natural in narrow-focus than broad-focus contexts, showing successful acquisition at the syntax–discourse interface. However, they judged fronted object sentences as more natural overall than their respective L1 counterparts in both English and German. Together, these findings suggest that convergence at the L2 syntax–discourse interface is possible per se, but that lower construction frequency in the input entails persistent overgeneralization of non-canonical options in the L2.