bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Single-Dose Primaquine With Artemisinin Combination Therapy on Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes and Transmission: An Individual Patient Meta-Analysis
Authors: Stepniewska Kasia , Humphreys Georgina S , Gonçalves Bronner P , Craig Elaine , Gosling Roly , Guerin Philippe J , Price Ric N , Barnes Karen I , Raman Jaishree , Smit Menno R , D’Alessandro Umberto , Stone Will J R , Bjorkman Anders , Samuels Aaron M , Arroyo-Arroyo Maria I , Bastiaens Guido J H , Brown Joelle M , Dicko Alassane , El-Sayed Badria B , Elzaki Salah-Eldin G , Eziefula Alice C , Kariuki Simon , Kwambai Titus K , Maestre Amanda E , Martensson Andreas , Mosha Dominic , Mwaiswelo Richard O , Ngasala Billy E , Okebe Joseph , Roh Michelle E , Sawa Patrick , Tiono Alfred B , Chen Ingrid , Drakeley Chris J , Bousema Teun
Published: August 2020

Background

Since the World Health Organization recommended single low-dose (0.25 mg/kg) primaquine (PQ) in combination with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in areas of low transmission or artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, several single-site studies have been conducted to assess efficacy.

Methods

An individual patient meta-analysis to assess gametocytocidal and transmission-blocking efficacy of PQ in combination with different ACTs was conducted. Random effects logistic regression was used to quantify PQ effect on (1) gametocyte carriage in the first 2 weeks post treatment; and (2) the probability of infecting at least 1 mosquito or of a mosquito becoming infected.

Results

In 2574 participants from 14 studies, PQ reduced PCR-determined gametocyte carriage on days 7 and 14, most apparently in patients presenting with gametocytemia on day 0 (odds ratio [OR], 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], .17–.28 and OR, 0.12; 95% CI, .08–.16, respectively). Rate of decline in gametocyte carriage was faster when PQ was combined with artemether-lumefantrine (AL) compared to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) (P = .010 for day 7). Addition of 0.25 mg/kg PQ was associated with near complete prevention of transmission to mosquitoes.

Conclusions

Transmission blocking is achieved with 0.25 mg/kg PQ. Gametocyte persistence and infectivity are lower when PQ is combined with AL compared to DP.
Childhood detention during COVID-19 in Italy: building momentum for a comprehensive child protection agenda
Authors: Logar Silvia , Leese Maggie
Published: August 2020

Childhood detention represents an integral part of the public health response to the COVID-19 emergency. Prison conditions in Italy put detained minors at grave risk of contracting sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. To date (29 April 2020), the Italian penitentiary system is housing 161 minors (147 males), most of them in pre-trial custody, as well as 50 children <3 y of age residing with their mothers in detention. Furthermore, the government reported 5265 unaccompanied minor migrants, mainly from Gambia and Egypt. The fundamental approach to be followed in childhood detention during COVID-19 is prevention of the introduction of infectious agents into detention facilities, limiting the spread within the prison and reducing the possibility of spread from the prison to the outside community. This appears challenging in countries like Italy with intense SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The current COVID-19 pandemic shows the need to provide a comprehensive childhood protection agenda, as the provision of healthcare for people in prisons and other places of detention is a state responsibility.
Dispute by Design? Legalization, Backlash, and the Drafting of Investment Agreements
Authors: Berge Tarald Laudal
Published: August 2020

The investment treaty regime is currently going through extensive reform. Driven by a raft of investor–state dispute settlement cases, states are asking: How should we draft future investment agreements? This article presents the first empirical analysis of what drives risk in investment agreements. Drawing on states’ own reform narratives, and on unique data on the content of over two thousand investment agreements, I analyze how legalization in investment agreements is associated with the risk of attracting investor–state dispute settlement claims. I find that the only legalization dimension that robustly predicts investor–state dispute settlement claims in investment agreements is substantive obligation, and that this risk is not significantly affected by introducing more flexibility or precision. These findings have important implications for states engaged in reform of their international investment policies. Most prominently, they suggest that states should focus more on what substantive clauses they include in their investment agreements, rather than on how these clauses are written.
Predicting Human Operator’s Decisions Based on Prospect Theory
Authors: de Souza Paulo E U , Chanel Caroline P C , Mailliez Melody , Dehais Frédéric
Published: August 2020

The aim of this work is to predict human operator’s (HO) decisions in a specific operational context, such as a cooperative human-robot mission, by approximating his/her utility function based on prospect theory (PT). To this aim, a within-subject experiment was designed in which the HO has to decide with limited time and incomplete information. This experiment also involved a framing effect paradigm, a typical cognitive bias causing people to react differently depending on the context. Such an experiment allowed to acquire data concerning the HO’s decisions in two different mission scenarios: search and rescue and Mars rock sampling. The framing was manipulated (e.g. positive vs. negative) and the probability of the outcomes causing people to react differently depending on the context. Statistical results observed for this experiment supported the hypothesis that the way the problem was presented (positively or negatively framed) and the emotional commitment affected the HO’s decisions. Thus, based on the collected data, the present work is willed to propose: (i) a formal approximation of the HO’s utility function founded on the prospect theory and (ii) a model used to predict the HO’s decisions based on the economics approach of multi-dimensional consumption bundle and PT. The obtained results, in terms of utility function fit and prediction accuracy, are promising and show that similar modeling and prediction method should be taken into account when an intelligent cybernetic system drives human–robot interaction. The advantage of predicting the HO’s decision, in this operational context, is to anticipate his/her decision, given the way a question is framed to the HO. Such a predictor lays the foundation for the development of a decision-making system capable of choosing how to present the information to the operator while expecting to align his/her decision with the given operational guideline.
Management of posaconazole-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism
Authors: Davis Matthew R , Nguyen Minh-Vu H , Gintjee Thomas J , Odermatt Alex , Young Brian Y , Thompson George R
Published: August 2020

Background

Posaconazole-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism (PIPH) has been associated with elevated posaconazole serum concentrations. Clinicians are faced with the difficult task of managing patients with PIPH while maintaining the efficacy of antifungal therapy. Commonly, modifications to posaconazole therapy are utilized in managing PIPH, including dosage reduction of posaconazole or switch to an alternative antifungal.

Objectives

To characterize the management of patients diagnosed with PIPH and their response to various therapeutic interventions.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 20 consecutive adult patients diagnosed with PIPH. Patient data collected included blood pressure, electrolytes, endocrine laboratory values and posaconazole serum concentrations collected before and after therapeutic intervention.

Results

Of 20 patients included, 17 patients (85%) underwent therapeutic modification, with posaconazole dose reduction (n = 11) as the most common change. Other modifications included discontinuation (n = 3), switch to an alternative antifungal (n = 2) and addition of spironolactone (n = 1). Clinical improvement (decrease in systolic blood pressure and increase in serum potassium) was observed in 9 of 17 patients (52.9%). An average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 7.1 mmHg and increase in serum potassium of 0.22 mmol/L was observed following therapeutic modification.

Conclusions

We report our experience with PIPH management, for which there is no universally effective strategy. We utilized a stepwise approach for management, starting with posaconazole dose reduction and repeat assessment of clinical and laboratory parameters. If resolution of PIPH is not achieved, an alternative triazole antifungal or the addition of an aldosterone antagonist are additional potential interventions. It is possible for PIPH to persist after therapeutic modification despite these interventions. Thus, early diagnosis and continuous monitoring is warranted.
Can a Broad Molecular Screen Based on Circulating Tumor DNA Aid in Early Cancer Detection?
Authors: Fiala Clare , Diamandis Eleftherios P
Published: August 2020

Early detection of cancer has been a major research focus for almost a century. Current methods for early cancer detection suffer from suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, especially when used for population screening. For most major cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer, population screening is still controversial or is not recommended by expert bodies. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an exciting new cancer biomarker with potential applicability to all cancer types. Recent investigations have shown that genetic alterations or epigenetic modifications in ctDNA could be used for cancer detection with a liquid biopsy (i.e., a tube of blood). Tests based on ctDNA have attracted considerable attention for various applications, such as patient management, prognosis, early diagnosis, and population screening. Recently, new biotechnology companies were founded, with the goal of revolutionizing early cancer detection by using ctDNA. We previously examined this technology, as published by various academic laboratories and of one leading company, Grail, and drew attention to potential obstacles. After 3 years of intense development, this technology seems to have made some progress. Here, we will analyze the latest clinical data presented by Grail in October 2019, during the inaugural American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2019 Breakthrough Conference. Despite considerable technical improvements, it seems that the sensitivity and specificity of the Grail test as a pan-cancer screening tool are still too low for clinical use. The prospects that this test could be further improved are also discussed.
Delirium in Burn Patients: Developing a Mobile Application for Assessment and Diagnosis
Authors: Mohseni Moallem Kolaei Najibeh , Ayatollahi Haleh , Elyasi Forouzan
Published: August 2020

Delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome which is highly prevalent among hospitalized burn patients. Among screening tools, the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) is a reliable tool. This study aimed to develop a mobile-based application for assessing and diagnosing delirium in burn patients by using ICDSC. This research consisted of three phases. Initially, a questionnaire was designed and users’ requirements were identified. The participants were 10 psychiatrists and 51 nurses. Then, a mobile application was designed based on the results derived from the first phase of the study and the usability of the application was evaluated by using a standard questionnaire. Finally, the rate of agreement between the nurses’ and physiatrists’ diagnoses made by using or not using the application was calculated. The application included educational content about delirium for nurses, patient data, and some functions. The results of the usability evaluation showed that the application was at a “good” level from the users’ perspectives and the rate of agreement between the nurses’ and physiatrists’ diagnoses made by using the application was higher than not using it. The application designed in the current study can help us to improve the knowledge of nurses, in particular younger nurses regarding delirium. Moreover, making diagnosis based on the results of a delirium assessment tool is more accurate than relying on nursing experience. Finally, timely diagnosis of delirium can help us to improve patient management and quality of care, reduce the duration of hospitalization, and decrease the mortality rate and costs.
The Preference for Moderation Scale
Authors: Drolet Aimee , Luce Mary Frances , Jiang Li , Rossi Benjamin C , Hastie Reid
Published: August 2020

We propose that individual differences in the value placed on the principle of moderation exist and influence many aspects of consumer decision-making. The idea that moderation is an important guiding norm of human behavior is prevalent throughout history and an explicit theme in many philosophies, religions, and cultures. Yet, moderation has not been studied as an individual-level determinant of consumer behavior. We develop a scale that measures the degree to which individuals have a Preference for Moderation (PFM). The PFM scale predicts consequential behavior in many decision contexts. We first report on scale development, including the generation and selection of items. We then report analyses showing that PFM is distinct from several popular individual-difference variables. Related to cultural background, PFM reliably predicts the use of compromise (study 1) and balancing (vs. highlighting) strategies (study 2), as well as various decision-making behaviors, including reliance on the representativeness heuristic (study 3), self-reported financial habits and outcomes (studies 4–5), real-world online-reviewing behavior (study 6), and split-ticket voting behavior in the 2018 US midterm elections (study 7).
On learning context-aware rules to link RDF datasets
Authors: Cimmino Andrea , Corchuelo Rafael
Published: August 2020

Integrating RDF datasets has become a relevant problem for both researchers and practitioners. In the literature, there are many genetic proposals that learn rules that allow to link the resources that refer to the same real-world entities, which is paramount to integrating the datasets. Unfortunately, they are context-unaware because they focus on the resources and their attributes but forget about their neighbours. This implies that they fall short in cases in which different resources have similar attributes but refer to different real-world entities or cases in which they have dissimilar attributes but refer to the same real-world entities. In this article, we present a proposal that learns context-aware rules that take into account both the attributes of the resources and their neighbours. We have conducted an extensive experimentation that proves that it outperforms the most advanced genetic proposal. Our conclusions were checked using statistically sound methods.
Male size and alternative mating tactics in white-tailed deer and mule deer
Authors: Airst Jason I , Lingle Susan
Published: August 2020

Within populations, individual males adopt different courtship tactics due to differences in their competitive ability, which may vary depending on the animal’s age and size. To test the hypothesis that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) males vary their courtship behavior based on their size, we conducted focal observations of 144 mule deer and 85 white-tailed males that varied in size, at a large grassland site in southern Alberta. The smallest mule deer males devoted more time to feeding, were less likely to engage in late-stage courtship than larger males and were less likely to move among female groups. Other males, including small white-tailed males, appeared to use a roving strategy to search for estrous females in different groups, which is consistent with recent research on male movements. Both medium and large males increased the time they spent in one-male groups, and specifically isolated pairs, as courtship advanced, presumably to reduce competition with other males. However, this trend was most pronounced for medium mule deer males, and for all size classes of white-tailed deer. In contrast, large mule deer males spent a similar proportion of time tending females in all group types. Our results identified potential size-dependent tactics for mule deer males. In contrast, white-tailed males of all sizes appeared to rely on a tactic of finding and tending estrous females in isolation from other males.
Fluorine in the solar neighbourhood: modelling the Galactic thick and thin discs
Authors: Grisoni V , Romano D , Spitoni E , Matteucci F , Ryde N , Jönsson H
Published: August 2020

We investigate the evolution of the abundance of fluorine in the Milky Way thick and thin discs by means of detailed chemical evolution models compared with recent observational data. The chemical evolution models adopted here have already been shown to fit the observed abundance patterns of CNO and α-elements as well as the metallicity distribution functions for the Galactic thick and thin disc stars. We apply them here to the study of the origin and evolution of fluorine, which is still a matter of debate. First, we study the importance of the various sites proposed for the production of fluorine. Then, we apply the reference models to follow the evolution of the two different Galactic components. We conclude that rotating massive stars are important producers of F and they can set a plateau in F abundance below [Fe/H] = −0.5 dex, though its existence for [Fe/H]<−1 has yet to be confirmed by extensive observations of halo stars. In order to reproduce the F abundance increase in the discs at late times, instead, a contribution from lower mass stars – single asymptotic giant branch stars and/or novae – is required. The dichotomy between the thick and thin discs is more evident in the [F/O] versus [O/H] plot than in the [F/Fe] versus [Fe/H] one, and we confirm that the thick disc has evolved much faster than the thin disc, in agreement with findings from the abundance patterns of other chemical elements.
The dwarf planet Makemake as seen by X-Shooter
Authors: Alvarez-Candal Alvaro , Souza-Feliciano Ana Carolina , Martins-Filho Walter , Pinilla-Alonso Noemí , Ortiz José Luis
Published: August 2020

Makemake is one of the brightest known trans-Neptunian objects, as such, it has been widely observed. Nevertheless, its visibility to near-infrared spectrum has not been completely observed in medium-resolving power, aimed at studying in detail the absorption features of CH4 ice. In this paper, we present the spectrum of Makemake observed with X-Shooter at the Very Large Telescope (Chile). We analyse the detected features, measuring their location and depth. Furthermore, we compare Makemake’s spectrum with that of Eris, obtained with the same instrument and similar setup, to conclude that the bands of the CH4 ice in both objects show similar shifts.
The completed SDSS-IV extended baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey: pairwise-inverse probability and angular correction for fibre collisions in clustering measurements
Authors: Mohammad Faizan G , Percival Will J , Seo Hee-Jong , Chapman Michael J , Bianchi D , Ross Ashley J , Zhao Cheng , Lang Dustin , Bautista Julian , Brinkmann Jonathan , Brownstein Joel R , Burtin Etienne , Chuang Chia-Hsun , Dawson Kyle S , de la Torre Sylvain , de Mattia Arnaud , Eftekharzadeh Sarah , Fromenteau Sebastien , Gil-Marín Héctor , Hou Jiamin , Mueller Eva-Maria , Neveux Richard , Paviot Romain , Raichoor Anand , Rossi Graziano , Schneider Donald P , Tamone Amélie , Tinker Jeremy L , Tojeiro Rita , Vargas Magaña Mariana , Zhao Gong-Bo
Published: August 2020

The completed extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) catalogues contain redshifts of 344 080 quasars at 0.8 < z < 2.2, 174 816 luminous red galaxies between 0.6 < z < 1.0, and 173 736 emission-line galaxies over 0.6 < z < 1.1 in order to constrain the expansion history of the Universe and the growth rate of structure through clustering measurements. Mechanical limitations of the fibre-fed spectrograph on the Sloan telescope prevent two fibres being placed closer than 62 arcsec in a single pass of the instrument. These ‘fibre collisions’ strongly correlate with the intrinsic clustering of targets and can bias measurements of the two-point correlation function resulting in a systematic error on the inferred values of the cosmological parameters. We combine the new techniques of pairwise-inverse probability and the angular upweighting (PIP+ANG) to correct the clustering measurements for the effect of fibre collisions. Using mock catalogues, we show that our corrections provide unbiased measurements, within data precision, of both the projected $\rm {\mathit{ w}_p}\left(\mathit{ r}_p\right)$ and the redshift-space multipole ξ(ℓ = 0, 2, 4)(s) correlation functions down to $0.1\, h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$, regardless of the tracer type. We apply the corrections to the eBOSS DR16 catalogues. We find that, on scales $s\gtrsim 20\, h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$ for ξℓ, as used to make baryon acoustic oscillation and large-scale redshift-space distortion measurements, approximate methods such as nearest-neighbour upweighting are sufficiently accurate given the statistical errors of the data. Using the PIP method, for the first time for a spectroscopic program of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we are able to successfully access the one-halo term in the clustering measurements down to $\sim 0.1\, h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$ scales. Our results will therefore allow studies that use the small-scale clustering to strengthen the constraints on both cosmological parameters and the halo occupation distribution models.
Nested sampling cross-checks using order statistics
Authors: Fowlie Andrew , Handley Will , Su Liangliang
Published: August 2020

Nested sampling (NS) is an invaluable tool in data analysis in modern astrophysics, cosmology, gravitational wave astronomy, and particle physics. We identify a previously unused property of NS related to order statistics: the insertion indexes of new live points into the existing live points should be uniformly distributed. This observation enabled us to create a novel cross-check of single NS runs. The tests can detect when an NS run failed to sample new live points from the constrained prior and plateaus in the likelihood function, which break an assumption of NS and thus leads to unreliable results. We applied our cross-check to NS runs on toy functions with known analytic results in 2–50 dimensions, showing that our approach can detect problematic runs on a variety of likelihoods, settings, and dimensions. As an example of a realistic application, we cross-checked NS runs performed in the context of cosmological model selection. Since the cross-check is simple, we recommend that it become a mandatory test for every applicable NS run.
Abell 30 - A binary central star among the born-again planetary nebulae
Authors: Jacoby George H , Hillwig Todd C , Jones David
Published: August 2020

Eight planetary nebulae have been identified as ‘born-again’, a class of object typified by knotty secondary ejecta having low masses (${\sim}10^{-4}$ M⊙) with nearly no hydrogen. Abell 30, the archetype of the class, also belongs to a small subset of planetary nebulae that exhibit extreme abundance discrepancy factors (where Abell 30 is the most extreme), a phenomenon strongly linked to binary star interactions. We report the presence of light curve brightness variations having a period of 1.060 d that are highly suggestive of a binary central star in Abell 30. If confirmed, this detection supports the proposed link between binary central stars and extreme abundance discrepancies.
Spacer acquisition by Type III CRISPR–Cas system during bacteriophage infection of Thermus thermophilus
Authors: Artamonova Daria , Karneyeva Karyna , Medvedeva Sofia , Klimuk Evgeny , Kolesnik Matvey , Yasinskaya Anna , Samolygo Aleksei , Severinov Konstantin
Published: August 2020

Type III CRISPR–Cas systems provide immunity to foreign DNA by targeting its transcripts. Target recognition activates RNases and DNases that may either destroy foreign DNA directly or elicit collateral damage inducing death of infected cells. While some Type III systems encode a reverse transcriptase to acquire spacers from foreign transcripts, most contain conventional spacer acquisition machinery found in DNA-targeting systems. We studied Type III spacer acquisition in phage-infected Thermus thermophilus, a bacterium that lacks either a standalone reverse transcriptase or its fusion to spacer integrase Cas1. Cells with spacers targeting a subset of phage transcripts survived the infection, indicating that Type III immunity does not operate through altruistic suicide. In the absence of selection spacers were acquired from both strands of phage DNA, indicating that no mechanism ensuring acquisition of RNA-targeting spacers exists. Spacers that protect the host from the phage demonstrate a very strong strand bias due to positive selection during infection. Phages that escaped Type III interference accumulated deletions of integral number of codons in an essential gene and much longer deletions in a non-essential gene. This and the fact that Type III immunity can be provided by plasmid-borne mini-arrays open ways for genomic manipulation of Thermus phages.
Hippocampal avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy without memantine in preserving neurocognitive function for brain metastases: a phase II blinded randomized trial
Authors: Yang Wen-Chi , Chen Ya-Fang , Yang Chi-Cheng , Wu Pei-Fang , Chan Hsing-Min , Chen Jenny Ling-Yu , Chen Guann-Yiing , Cheng Jason Chia-Hsien , Kuo Sung-Hsin , Hsu Feng-Ming
Published: August 2020

Background

Hippocampal avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) shows potential for neurocognitive preservation. This study aimed to evaluate whether HA-WBRT or conformal WBRT (C-WBRT) is better for preserving neurocognitive function.

Methods

This single-blinded randomized phase II trial enrolled patients with brain metastases and randomly assigned them to receive HA-WBRT or C-WBRT. Primary endpoint is decline of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised (HVLT-R) delayed recall at 4 months after treatment. Neurocognitive function tests were analyzed with a mixed effect model. Brain progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

From March 2015 to December 2018, seventy patients were randomized to yield a total cohort of 65 evaluable patients (33 in the HA-WBRT arm and 32 in the C-WBRT arm) with a median follow-up of 12.4 months. No differences in baseline neurocognitive function existed between the 2 arms. The mean change of HVLT-R delayed recall at 4 months was −8.8% in the HA-WBRT arm and +3.8% in the C-WBRT arm (P = 0.31). At 6 months, patients receiving HA-WBRT showed favorable perpetuation of HVLT-R total recall (mean difference = 2.60, P = 0.079) and significantly better preservation of the HVLT-R recognition-discrimination index (mean difference = 1.78, P = 0.019) and memory score (mean difference = 4.38, P = 0.020) compared with patients undergoing C-WBRT. There were no differences in Trail Making Test Part A or Part B or the Controlled Oral Word Association test between the 2 arms at any time point. There were no differences in brain PFS or OS between arms as well.

Conclusion

Patients receiving HA-WBRT without memantine showed better preservation in memory at 6-month follow-up, but not in verbal fluency or executive function.
Virological Failure and Acquired Genotypic Resistance Associated With Contemporary Antiretroviral Treatment Regimens
Authors: Rhee Soo-Yon , Clutter Dana , Hare C Bradley , Tchakoute Christophe T , Sainani Kristin , Fessel W Jeffrey , Hurley Leo , Slome Sally , Pinsky Benjamin A , Silverberg Michael J , Shafer Robert W
Published: August 2020

Background

There are few descriptions of virologic failure (VF) and acquired drug resistance (HIVDR) in large cohorts initiating contemporary antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

We studied all persons with HIV (PWH) in a California clinic population initiating ART between 2010 and 2017. VF was defined as not attaining virologic suppression, discontinuing ART, or virologic rebound prompting change in ART.

Results

During the study, 2315 PWH began ART. Six companion drugs were used in 93.3% of regimens: efavirenz, elvitegravir/c, dolutegravir, darunavir/r, rilpivirine, and raltegravir. During a median follow-up of 36 months, 214 (9.2%) PWH experienced VF (2.8 per 100 person-years) and 62 (2.7%) experienced HIVDR (0.8 per 100 person-years). In multivariable analyses, younger age, lower CD4 count, higher virus load, and atazanavir/r were associated with increased VF risk; lower CD4 count, higher virus load, and nevirapine were associated with increased HIVDR risk. Compared with efavirenz, dolutegravir, raltegravir, and darunavir were associated with reduced HIVDR risk. Risks of VF and HIVDR were not significantly associated with ART initiation year. Of the 62 PWH with HIVDR, 42 received an non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI), 15 an integrase-strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), and 5 a protease inhibitor (PI). Among those with HIVDR on an NNRTI or first-generation INSTI, 59% acquired dual class resistance and 29% developed tenofovir resistance; those receiving a PI or dolutegravir developed just M184V.

Conclusions

Despite the frequent use of contemporary ART regimens, VF and HIVDR continue to occur. Further efforts are required to improve long-term ART virological responses to prevent the consequences of ongoing HIV-1 replication including virus transmission and HIVDR.
An Expedited Transition to the Back Wall Suturing for Side-to-Side In Situ Microvascular Anastomosis: A Technique Update
Authors: Ravina Kristine , Fredrickson Vance L , Donoho Daniel A , Cavaleri Jonathon M , Strickland Ben A , Lam Jordan , Russin Jonathan J
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

The side-to-side in situ microvascular anastomosis is an important tool in the cerebrovascular neurosurgeon's armamentarium. The execution of the side-to-side anastomosis, however, can be limited by the inability to acquire sufficient visualization and approximation of the recipient and donor vessels.

OBJECTIVE

To expedite the transition to the back wall suturing of the donor and recipient vessels during side-to-side in situ microvascular anastomosis.

METHODS

Incorporation of the first suture throw from the outside to the inside of the vessel lumen with the initial stay suture at the proximal apex of the arteriotomy is described. The apical knot is tied between one limb of the resultant loop and the free end of the suture. The remainder of side-to-side anastomosis can then be completed in a standard fashion starting from the inside of the lumen.

RESULTS

This modification allows for an expedited transition to the back wall suturing of the 2 arterial segments and avoids difficulties associated with taking the first bite from behind the knot at the proximal apex of the arteriotomy or the transfer of the needle between the approximated vessels. This updated technique is illustrated with a case example, illustration, and video.

CONCLUSION

This technical modification for the side-to-side anastomosis helps optimize microsurgical efficiency by limiting needle, suture, and vessel handling after the initial suture placement, which has classically been a challenge of this bypass.
The Decision Process of Contracting in Supply Chain Management
Authors: Roehrich Jens K. , Tyler Beverly B. , Kalra Jas , Squire Brian
Published: August 2020

Contracts are a formal mode of governing interorganizational relationships. They specify the terms and conditions of the agreement between two parties, interpret and adapt the relevant legal and industrial norms, serve as framing devices, and establish the rules and norms underpinning the relationship. The objective of this chapter is to synthesize the extant literature on interorganizational contracting to guide future research and practice. This chapter focuses on the three phases of contracting: (1) designing the contracting portfolio; (2) negotiating initial contracts; and (3) managing the relationship using contracts. The chapter explores the key decisions in each phase and the criteria involved in making these decisions. In doing so, it draws on existing research and theoretical frameworks that have contributed to the development of the contracting literature. The chapter also identifies some important and interesting directions for future contracting research and offers suggestions regarding how selected theoretical lenses might guide these endeavors. The principal conclusion is that while the existing research has primarily focused on the structural issues guiding contracting design, a more processual, social, and behavioral focus is required in future developments of the contracting literature.
Turks, Warriors, and Conquerors: Narratives of Hindu–Muslim Encounters between the Fourteenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Authors: Talbot Cynthia
Published: August 2020

This chapter examines Indian narratives about non-Muslim kings who were conquered by Muslims, in search of any distinctive features that could be characterized as a Hindu response to Muslim might. The main focus is on two North Indian rulers who were later considered Rajput heroes: Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer, defeated by Muhammad of Ghur in 1192, and Hammir Chauhan of Ranthambhor, defeated by Ala al-Din Khalji of Delhi in 1301. Stories about Prithviraj and Hammir, and also Kakatiya Prataparudra from South India, often stress the bravery of local warriors, betrayal by a trusted ally, and the hero’s hubris. Since these themes are also found in martial narratives that do not involve Muslim enemies, it appears that the religious affiliation of the foe was not as important as the fact that he was an outsider of some sort.
Mughal India: Economy, Resources, and Governance
Authors: Guha Sumit
Published: August 2020

The Mughal emperors were legendary for their wealth. Foreigners marveled at it. Leading economic historians like Irfan Habib have attributed it to their government’s capacity to exact almost the entire economic surplus from the countryside, thus suppressing all possibility of the emergence of capitalism. This chapter argues that this vision of Mughal omnipotence and the consequent absence of an independent market economy is flawed by an overreliance on imperial sources. Using ideas from the new political economy of information, it shows how regional and local elites collaborated with corrupt officials to subvert Mughal power and extract a large share of the gains from a new boom in international trade. But they had no incentive to publicize this. It is therefore only from Maratha sources—from estimates developed by the only serious challengers to the Mughal Empire, that we can glimpse the dimensions of this parallel economy.
Warriors and Zamindars in Mughal Punjab
Authors: Dhavan Purnima
Published: August 2020

This chapter will build on recent insights into the social history of peasant-soldiers in the Mughal province of Punjab to examine why Punjab became a center for military entrepreneurship by the mid-eighteenth century. Although Sikhs and Afghans were the most visible and enduring of these new warrior groups in Punjab, the presence of other clusters suggests that relationships forged in rural revenue collection, access to kinship networks, and the vast demand for military talent throughout the Mughal period created a nexus of opportunities for military entrepreneurs in eighteenth-century Punjab. This chapter will show why factors such as the embrace of new martial skills or ideologies cannot explain by themselves, the efflorescence of warrior groups that emerged in eighteenth-century Punjab. The dramatic changes wrought on rural Punjabi society by an expanding economy in the seventeenth century, along with the emerging cross-caste and cross-regional alliances that nourished political collaborations between groups, fostered new forms of military entrepreneurship.
Commercial Linkages with Central Asia and Iran
Authors: Levi Scott C.
Published: August 2020

While it may seem counterintuitive, the increase in Mughal India’s maritime trade contributed to a tightening of overland commercial connections with its Asian neighbors. The primary agents in this process were “Multanis,” members of any number of heavily capitalized, caste-based family firms centered in the northwest Indian region of Multan. The Multani firms had earlier developed an integrated commercial system that extended across the Punjab, Sind, and much of northern India. In the middle of the sixteenth century, Multanis first appear in historical sources as having established their own communities in Central Asia and Iran. By the middle of the seventeenth century, at any given point in time, a rotating population of some 35,000 Indian merchants orchestrated a network of communities that extended across dozens, if not hundreds, of cities and villages in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Iran, stretching up the Caucasus and into Russia.
The Role of the Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 (eEF2) Pathway in Neuronal Function
Authors: Taha Elham , Rosenblum Kobi
Published: August 2020

In the brain, mRNA translation regulation plays a major role during different processes, including development, learning and memory, and synaptic plasticity. While the initiation phase of translation is considered to be the rate-limiting step, regulation of the elongation phase via the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) pathway is also pivotal for memory and synaptic plasticity consolidation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning memory and synaptic plasticity formation is invaluable for understanding basic mechanisms underlying cognitive function and the identification of effective targets for cognitive disorders. This chapter discusses the molecular function of the eEF2/eEF2K pathway in memory consolidation, synaptic plasticity, and neurological diseases. In addition, it describes possible new genetic tools that would be useful in determining the neuronal function of eEF2K in health and disease conditions.
The Punk Worlds of Liverpool and Manchester, 1975–1980
Authors: Crossley Nick
Published: August 2020

Accounts of the origins of UK punk invariably focus upon bands and events in London, particularly the early exploits of the Sex Pistols. However, punk did not remain concentrated in the capital for long. Bigger towns and cities across the UK quickly spawned their own local punk “worlds.” This chapter maps two of these worlds: Liverpool and Manchester. It is divided between a historical reconstruction, which tracks the movement of punk from London to Manchester and Liverpool, discussing early developments, protagonists, and institutions in the two northern cities, and a brief dissection, drawing upon the techniques of social network analysis (SNA), of the networks constitutive in some part of these two seminal UK punk worlds. In addition, the chapter offers a brief discussion of “music worlds,” a concept coined by the author in an effort to make sociological sense of punk and similar hives of musical activity.
Punk as Folk: Continuities and Tensions in the UK and Beyond
Authors: Dale Pete
Published: August 2020

Numerous claims have been made by a wide range of commentators that punk is somehow “a folk music” of some kind. Doubtless there are several continuities. Indeed, both tend to encourage amateur music-making, both often have affiliations with the Left, and both emerge at least partly from a collective/anti-competitive approach to music-making. However, there are also significant tensions between punk and folk as ideas/ideals and as applied in practice. Most obviously, punk makes claims to a “year zero” creativity (despite inevitably offering re-presentation of at least some existing elements in every instance), whereas folk music is supposed to carry forward a tradition (which, thankfully, is more recognized in recent decades as a subject-to-change “living tradition” than was the case in folk’s more purist periods). Politically, meanwhile, postwar folk has tended more toward a socialist and/or Marxist orientation, both in the US and UK, whereas punk has at least rhetorically claimed to be in favor of “anarchy” (in the UK, in particular). Collective creativity and competitive tendencies also differ between the two (perceived) genre areas. Although the folk scene’s “floor singer” tradition offers a dispersal of expressive opportunity comparable in some ways to the “anyone can do it” idea that gets associated with punk, the creative expectation of the individual within the group differs between the two. Punk has some similarities to folk, then, but there are tensions, too, and these are well worth examining if one is serious about testing out the common claim, in both folk and punk, that “anyone can do it.”
Danger, Anger, and Noise: The Women Punks of the Late 1970s and Their Music
Authors: Reddington Helen
Published: August 2020

This chapter will give an overview of the dangerous environment for young women in the British punk subculture in the late 1970s, followed by a discussion of the feelings of anger this sense of danger prompted in them, contributed to by a feeling of lack of control over those who appeared to have invincible power over their lives. Finally, the ways in which this anger translated into the punk songs they played will be discussed. Using contemporary music press and radical press reviews and features, extracts from published diaries of the time, and the author’s own interviews with women active in punk bands, the chapter highlights and explores the unexpectedness and originality of the noise that these women made, and its reception by male journalists at the time.
Writing Technology/Inventing Music: Similarities and Differences of Research-Based Creativity and Innovation in Patented Inventions and Copyrighted Works
Authors: Durand Joël-François
Published: August 2020

Based on the author’s research for the development of a phonograph tonearm and his lifelong experience as composer, this chapter explores the similarities and differences that exist between the invention of technological products protected by patents or trade secrets and the composition of musical pieces registered as copyrighted works. In both instances, the process of invention generates from the start a number of questions that need appropriate answers. While this approach seems evident in the process of technology, artistic research follows similar models. Differences reside at a deeper level, where the types of consciousness involved are of different natures and invoke the question of human individuality and freedom, and their interaction with the community.
Performance and Evaluation of Political Executives
Authors: Helms Ludger
Published: August 2020

While not being a classic subject of executive politics research, there has been a wealth of scholarly activities more recently that have moved issues of performance, and evaluation, centre-stage. Understood as an independent variable, the performance of political executives has come to be acknowledged as a key factor shaping the political fate of both the government of the day (including more particular issues, such as the electoral costs of governing) and the regime more generally. Research on performance as a dependent variable has focused on such different aspects as the nature and timing of public policies that governments make, political communication, and the personality of different office-holders in the executive branch. As the agenda is expanding quickly, the growing realization of the various meanings of ‘performance’ and a new comparative ambition committed to reaching beyond a particular type of political regimes look set to become important catalysts for future innovations in the field.
Measuring Presidential and Prime Ministerial Power
Authors: Doyle David
Published: August 2020

The power of the executive is central to any understanding of politics. For those working in the tradition of comparative politics, the successful measurement of executive power is necessary to test our theories and push the discipline forward. Yet no clear consensus exists as to exactly how we should measure executive power. The purpose of this chapter is to provide some synthesis to the large amount of work that measures either presidential or prime ministerial power. After discussing the importance of executive power and considering the conceptual clarity of such measures, the chapter surveys existing measures of executive power from presidents to prime ministers. It highlights the divergence between measures of executive power in presidential systems in comparison to measures of executive power in parliamentary systems. Part of this divergence stems from the different sources of executive power for presidents, where power is rooted in constitutions, compared with prime ministers, where power is largely relational. There is also disagreement about the nature of power within regime types however. The chapter concludes by considering the future research agenda.
The Presidentialization of Political Executives
Authors: Elgie Robert , Passarelli Gianluca
Published: August 2020

This chapter aims to disentagle the ‘presidentialization’ and ‘prime ministerialization’ concepts and to clarify them. The first section begins by noting when the terms first came into common academic usage. It will also discuss the relationship between the concept of prime ministerialization and the more familiar concept of prime ministerial government as it has been used in the work on the core executive. The chapter will then focus on the most important research questions at stake in this area, noting the methods that are traditionally used to study this topic. The second section reviews the existing literature on presidentialization and prime ministerialization. The focus will be on the presidentialization of electoral or party politics only in so far as it affects the nature of executive politics. Finally, the chapter will try to set the research agenda for the future study of the presidentialization by focusing of what aspects have not been sufficiently or adequately investigated, or where there is still a lack of knowledge.
Empathy, Honesty, and Integrity in the Therapist
Authors: Cornelius-White Jeffrey H. D. , Proctor Gillian
Published: August 2020

Empathy, honesty, and integrity are essential concepts to ensure the quality of the therapy relationship and the client’s trust in the therapist. This chapter situates these concepts in relation to the necessary and sufficient conditions for therapy proposed by Carl Rogers in the late 1950s, and particularly in relation to the therapist attitudes of empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. In person-centered therapy (PCT), empathy is a moral, not instrumental, practice that nondirectively protects the self-determination of the client. It exemplifies power with others, avoiding power over others, and facilitating power from within, by providing a conduit for non-possessive love, the active ingredient in PCT. Honesty in PCT involves the sincerity of the therapist’s unconditional empathy and the transparence to be a full person in relation to a client. Integrity refers not only to the disciplined moral practice of empathy, but an extensional, fully functioning maturation.