bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of clinical risk factors for histological progression of primary biliary cholangitis
Authors: Fujinaga Yukihisa , Namisaki Tadashi , Moriya Kei , Kitade Mitsuteru , Kawaratani Hideto , Shimozato Naotaka , Kaji Kosuke , Takaya Hiroaki , Sawada Yasuhiko , Seki Kenichiro , Akahane Takemi , Okura Yasushi , Sato Shinya , Saikawa Soichiro , Nakanishi Keisuke , Kubo Takuya , Furukawa Masanori , Kitagawa Koh , Ozutsumi Takahiro , Tsuji Yuki , Kaya Daisuke , Mashitani Tsuyoshi , Ishida Koji , Ogawa Hiroyuki , Takagi Hirotetsu , Noguchi Ryuichi , Mitoro Akira , Yamao Junichi , Yoshiji Hitoshi
Published: April 2019

Aim

To identify laboratory predictors of histological progression (HP) of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Methods

Sequential biopsies were carried out on 35 (11.4%) of 308 patients with PBC treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Patients were divided into high γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) (n = 18) and low GGT (n = 17) groups, based on the median value of GGT at baseline. Patients were then categorized as showing HP (progressive group, PG) or lacking HP (non‐progressive group, NPG) according to the Scheuer and Nakanuma classifications, with the latter grading liver fibrosis (fibrosis score) and bile duct loss (BDL score).

Results

According to the Scheuer definition, 12 patients had HP and 23 did not. According to the Nakanuma definition, 8 and 27 patients were in the PG and NPG groups, respectively. The fibrosis and BDL scores progressed in 13 and 8 patients, respectively, whereas 22 and 25 patients did not show HP, respectively. Fisher's exact probability test analysis revealed that the rate of HP using the Nakanuma fibrosis score was significantly higher in the high GGT group compared to the low GGT group (P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation was found between the HP of PBC and the biochemical response to UDCA therapy. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that the serum GGT level at baseline is an independent risk factor for an increased Nakanuma fibrosis score.

Conclusions

The level of serum GGT at baseline is significantly associated with liver fibrosis progression in PBC, and therefore could help to predict the HP of PBC.
Addition of tumour infiltration depth and extranodal extension improves the prognostic value of the pathological TNM classification for early‐stage oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Boeve Koos , Melchers Lieuwe J , Schuuring Ed , Roodenburg Jan L , Halmos Gyorgy B , van Dijk Boukje A , van der Vegt Bert , Witjes Max J
Published: April 2019

Aims

In the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging manual, tumour infiltration depth and extranodal extension are added to the pathological classification for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The currently available 8th TNM validation studies lack patients with conservative neck treatment, and changes in the classification especially affect patients with small tumours. The aim of this study was to determine the potential impact of the changes in the 8th edition pTNM classification on the prognosis and treatment strategy for oral squamous cell carcinoma in a well‐defined series of pT1–T2 patients with long‐term follow‐up.

Methods and results

Two hundred and eleven first primary pT1–T2 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients, with surgical resection as primary treatment, were analysed retrospectively. One hundred and seventy‐three patients underwent a neck dissection, and 38 patients had frequent clinical neck assessments. Long‐term follow‐up (median 64 months) and reassessed tumour infiltration depth were available. Classification according to the 8th edition criteria resulted in 36% total upstaging with the T classification and 16% total upstaging with the N classification. T3‐restaged patients (n = 30, 14%) had lower 5‐year disease‐specific survival rates than T2‐staged patients (81% versus 67%, P = 0.042). Postoperative (chemo)radiotherapy could have been considered in another seven (3%) patients on the basis of the 8th edition criteria.

Conclusions

Addition of tumour infiltration depth and extranodal extension in the 8th TNM classification leads to the identification of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients with a worse prognosis who might benefit from an improved postoperative treatment strategy.
I do not own a car any more: An analysis of possessions’ disposal and changes in consumers’ identities
Authors: Sandes Fabio Shimabukuro , Leandro Julio , Boaventura Patricia , da Silva Junior Adelson Ferreira
Published: April 2019

This research aims to understand the process of cars' disposal, its context, its influences and its impacts on the meanings for consumers and their identities, as well as the new behaviours of these consumers when living without their car(s). We conducted, analysed and interpreted 20 in‐depth interviews with consumers that had previously owned at least one car and had no financial reasons for disposing of their car(s), but had decided to do it, and started to live without them, adopting alternative methods of transportation. Our findings show that these consumers faced a complicated process regarding the disposal of their car(s) but, due to the changes in their circumstances, they re‐signified relevant concepts that were connected to the ownership of a car: Their perception of freedom, comfort, safety and status changed during and after the disposal of their car(s). We also noticed that there were implications in terms of changes in their attitudes and behaviour as both citizens and consumers. As a contribution to the literature, our findings indicate that the re‐signifying of concepts related to possession of the object as well as changes in attitudes and behaviours that consumers undergo in the postdisposal stage, must be included in the model proposed for evaluating consumer behaviour in product disposal.
Early childhood child care and disruptive behavior problems during adolescence: a 17‐year population‐based propensity score study
Authors: Orri Massimiliano , Tremblay Richard E. , Japel Christa , Boivin Michel , Vitaro Frank , Losier Talia , Brendgen Mara R. , Falissard Bruno , Melchior Maria , Côté Sylvana M.
Published: April 2019

Background

Child‐care services during early childhood provide opportunities for social interactions that may facilitate children's learning of acceptable social behaviors. Furthermore, they may reduce exposure to family adversity for some children. The aim of this study was to determine whether intensity of exposure to child‐care services prior to age 5 years has a beneficial effect on disruptive behavior problems during adolescence, and whether the effect is more pronounced for children from low socioeconomic families.

Methods

N = 1,588 participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were assessed 14 times from 5 months to 17 years. Intensity of child‐care exposure was measured from 5 months to 5 years of age. Main outcomes were self‐reported physical aggression and opposition from age 12 to 17 years. Family socioeconomic status (SES) was measured at 5 months. Factors explaining differences in child‐care use were controlled using propensity score weights (PSW).

Results

Children exposed to moderate‐intensity child‐care services (part‐time child‐care services before 1½ years and full time afterward) reported lower levels of physical aggression (d = −.11, p = .056) and opposition (d = −.14, p = .029) during adolescence compared to children exposed to low‐intensity child‐care services. A significant child care by SES interaction (p = .017) for physical aggression indicated that the moderate‐intensity child‐care effect was specific to children from low SES families (d = −.36, p = .002). No interaction with socioeconomic status was found for opposition.

Conclusions

Moderate‐intensity child‐care services from infancy to school entry may prevent disruptive behavior during adolescence, especially for disadvantaged children.
Investigation of coenzyme Q10 levels and predisposing factors in patients with striae gravidarum
Authors: Yüksel Mavişe , Aktun Hale , Balevi Ali , Çakıcı Çağrı , Ülfer Gözde
Published: April 2019

Background

Striae gravidarum (SG) can cause pregnant women severe psychological stress.

Objective

This study aimed to compare primigravidas with and without SG concerning fasting blood coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), age, skin type, family history, gestational weight gain, pre‐ and post‐pregnancy BMI, daily water consumption during pregnancy, gender and weight of baby, and the educational level.

Methods

The study included 79 primigravidas in the gestational week of 36 or above. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of SG. The fasting blood CoQ10 levels and other associated parameters were compared between the groups.

Results

Of the 79 primigravidas, 35 (44.3%) had SG. There was no statistically significant relationship between striae and CoQ10 (P = 0.144 and P = 0.189, respectively). Predisposing factors for striae were young pregnancy, light skin color, family history, high pre‐ and post‐pregnancy BMI, increased gestational weight gain, and increased newborn weight. There was no significant relationship between striae development and educational level or water consumption during pregnancy.

Conclusion

This is the first study to show that CoQ10 did not significantly differ between women with and without SG. Further studies with a larger case series are needed to elucidate predisposing factors for striae and involvement of CoQ10 in this condition.
Zombies and a Decaying American Ontology
Authors: Dawdy Shannon Lee
Published: April 2019

What would it mean to take zombies seriously? Cultural savants have noted the rise of the zombie in American popular culture in the twenty‐first century. And many scholars have found the zombie useful as a lumbering, empty‐headed metaphor that could signify just about anything. The zombie might look like a loved ovne, but their flesh is rotting and their individualism has tragically withered away. Before I came to zombology, I was already fascinated by an American obsession with preventing the decay of the corpse through an exceptional devotion to embalming. I argue that the intersection of the new zombie‐ism, the rapid decline of embalming, and the mass trauma of 9/11 is significant. Playing with zombies along a spectrum from fright to humor allows Americans to work through not a crisis of meaning, but a crisis of being. The cult of individualism no longer needs a perfect biological body.
Dancing like a toddler? The Green Climate Fund and REDD+ international rule‐making
Authors: Recio María Eugenia
Published: April 2019

REDD+ is a mechanism developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to reduce deforestation and associated greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. The UNFCCC has envisaged the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to play a key role in coordinating and supporting REDD+. With the GCF's foundations in place, this article reviews the GCF's role as a rule‐maker for REDD+. The analysis of GCF policies and their relationship with guidance from the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) reveals that the Fund has complemented, adjusted and further developed COP guidance with considerable autonomy. This is surprising in the light of the Fund's strong relationship with the UNFCCC, coupled with the fact that the same UNFCCC country parties are represented in the GCF's main decision‐making body. Such self‐directed regulatory activity may evince the GCF's intention to leave a long‐lasting impact in the fragmented financing landscape for REDD+ implementation.
Testing the properties of the triarchic model of psychopathy in a community sample: Self‐reported trait aggression and drug consumption associations
Authors: Fernández Dolores , Zabala M. Carmen , Ros Laura , Martínez Manuela , Martínez Alberto , Latorre José Miguel , Ricarte Jorge Javier
Published: April 2019

The triarchic model of psychopathy encompasses different conceptions of psychopathic personality characterized by three phenotypic components: boldness, disinhibition, and meanness. Psychopathy is a complex construct at both emotional and behavioral level. The aim of this study was to determine the core elements of psychopathic personality in a community sample and analyze the relation between these elements and other personality traits such as aggression, and certain specific behavioral manifestations such as substance use. The study sample comprised 1,159 participants aged between 17 and 74 years, who were administered the Triarchic Psychopathy Questionnaire, the Impulsive‐Premeditated Aggression Scale, and the Aggression Questionnaire. The results show that the constructs of meanness and disinhibition are more highly associated with different forms of both impulsive and premeditated aggression. Furthermore, men scored higher on all three components of the triarchic model compared to women. Finally, higher substance use (tobacco and drugs) was associated with higher scores in meanness, boldness, and disinhibition. These findings demonstrate the importance of assessing psychopathy in a community sample, and the detection of possible risk factors for the disorder.
HLA‐C*08:01:25, a novel HLA allele, which has arisen by a silent mutation in codon 271
Authors: Zhou Dan , Zou Hong‐Yan
Published: April 2019

HLA‐C*08:01:25 differs from HLA‐C*08:01:01 by a single‐nucleotide substitution in exon 4.
TDR INTERACTING PROTEIN 3, encoding a PHD‐finger transcription factor, regulates Ubisch bodies and pollen wall formation in rice
Authors: Yang Zhengfu , Sun Lianping , Zhang Peipei , Zhang Yingxin , Yu Ping , Liu Ling , Abbas Adil , Xiang Xiaojiao , Wu Weixun , Zhan Xiaodeng , Cao Liyong , Cheng Shihua
Published: April 2019

Male reproductive development involves a complex series of biological events and precise transcriptional regulation is essential for this biological process in flowering plants. Several transcriptional factors have been reported to regulate tapetum and pollen development, however the transcriptional mechanism underlying Ubisch bodies and pollen wall formation remains less understood. Here, we characterized and isolated a male sterility mutant of TDR INTERACTING PROTEIN 3 (TIP3) in rice. The tip3 mutant displayed smaller and pale yellow anthers without mature pollen grains, abnormal Ubisch body morphology, no pollen wall formation, as well as delayed tapetum degeneration. Map‐based cloning demonstrated that TIP3 encodes a conserved PHD‐finger protein and further study confirmed that TIP3 functioned as a transcription factor with transcriptional activation activity. TIP3 is preferentially expressed in the tapetum and microspores during anther development. Moreover, TIP3 can physically interact with TDR, which is a key component of the transcriptional cascade in regulating tapetum development and pollen wall formation. Furthermore, disruption of TIP3 changed the expression of several genes involved in tapetum development and degradation, biosynthesis and transport of lipid monomers of sporopollenin in tip3 mutant. Taken together, our results revealed an unprecedented role for TIP3 in regulating Ubisch bodies and pollen exine formation, and presents a potential tool to manipulate male fertility for hybrid rice breeding.
Alloimmunization in patients with sickle cell disease and underrecognition of accompanying delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions
Authors: Coleman Sarita , Westhoff Connie M. , Friedman David F. , Chou Stella T.
Published: April 2019

BACKGROUND

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) often require red blood cell (RBC) transfusions but alloimmunization remains a significant complication. Alloantibodies can lead to delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTRs) days to weeks after a RBC transfusion, but may be underrecognized in patients with chronic hemolysis.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This retrospective study aimed to determine the incidence and severity of DHTRs associated with new antibody detection in a cohort of 624 patients with SCD who received transfusion with C‐, E‐, and K‐matched RBCs from primarily African American donors over a 14‐year period. We identified potential DHTRs by the change in hemoglobin (Hb) and %HbS at baseline, before transfusion, and up to 30 days after the transfusion that preceded new antibody identification.

RESULTS

Laboratory evidence of a DHTR was associated with 54 of 178 evaluable antibodies at first detection (30%), among which less than half were recognized by the patient or provider at the time of the event. A DHTR was associated with 26% of Rh antibodies identified in patients receiving serologic Rh‐matched RBCs, and 38% of non‐Rh antibodies. Twenty‐one of the 54 DHTRs (39%) were associated with a Hb decline greater than 1 g/dL lower than pretransfusion values. Among these 21 severe DHTRs, Rh specificities were identified in 10 of 12 DHTRs in chronically transfused patients, while non‐Rh specificities were associated with seven of nine DHTRs in episodically transfused patients.

CONCLUSION

High clinical suspicion and monitoring for DHTRs is warranted, as they may be more common in patients with SCD than previously appreciated.
Large Eddy Simulation Study of Flow Dynamics in a Multiswirler Model Combustor at Elevated Pressure and High Temperature
Authors: Liu Weijie , Yang Qian , Xue Ranran , Wang Huiru
Published: April 2019

Large eddy simulation (LES) of nonreacting turbulent flow in a multiswirler model combustor is carried out at elevated pressure and high temperature. Flow interaction between the main stage and the pilot stage is discussed based on the time-averaged and instantaneous flowfield. Flow dynamics in the multiswirling flow are analyzed using a phase-averaged method. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to extract dominant flow features in the multiswirling flow. Numerical results show that the main stage and the pilot stage flows interact with each other generating a complex flowfield. Flow interaction can be divided into three regions: converging region, merging region, and combined region. A precessing vortex core (PVC) is successfully captured in the pilot stage. PVC rotates with a first dominant frequency of 2756 Hz inducing asymmetric azimuthal flow instabilities in the pilot stage. POD analyses for the velocity fields also show dominant high-frequency modes (mode 1 and mode 2) in the pilot stage. However, the dominant energetic flow is damped rapidly downstream of the pilot stage such that it has a little effect on the main stage flow.
Replicating Meyerhoff for inclusive excellence in STEM
Authors: Sto. Domingo Mariano R. , Sharp Starlette , Freeman Amy , Freeman Thomas , Harmon Keith , Wiggs Mitsue , Sathy Viji , Panter Abigail T. , Oseguera Leticia , Sun Shuyan , Williams Mary Elizabeth , Templeton Joseph , Folt Carol L. , Barron Eric J. , Hrabowski Freeman A. , Maton Kenneth I. , Crimmins Michael , Fisher Charles R. , Summers Michael F.
Published: April 2019

Undergraduate diversity is fostered across many contexts
Internet of Things: Energy boon or bane?
Authors: Hittinger Eric , Jaramillo Paulina
Published: April 2019

Networked digital devices may cause rising energy use, although devices save energy locally
Leveraging nature's tool kit
The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will Build the Next Technology Revolution
Susan Hockfield
Norton, 2019. 244 pp.
Authors: Woolfson Adrian
Published: April 2019

Blending biology and engineering, researchers seek to tackle our biggest existential threats
Reprogramming favors the elite
Authors: Wolff Samuel C. , Purvis Jeremy E.
Published: April 2019

Cells poised to compete with their neighbors win the race toward pluripotency
Qatar looks to the future
National Museum of Qatar
Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani, director
Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Authors: Cramer Becky
Published: April 2019

The Gulf nation's new museum celebrates the country's biodiversity, cultural heritage, and what's to come
Health for all
Authors: Berkley Seth , Fore Henrietta
Published: April 2019

Imagine a world where affordable, quality health care is available to every person, and where infectious disease and infant and maternal mortality are as rare in the poorest parts as they are in wealthier countries. The world has already come a long way toward meeting this goal. But to finish the job, we need to change our thinking.
Provenance of detrital sediments in Santa Barbara Basin, California, USA: Changes in source contributions between the Last Glacial Maximum and Holocene
Authors: Napier Tiffany J. , Hendy Ingrid L. , Fahnestock M. Florencia , Bryce Julia G.
Published: April 2019

Detrital terrestrial sediments preserved in near-shore marine basins bear distinctive geochemical identifiers that can be used to identify the on-shore sediment sources and sediment routing through time. Santa Barbara Basin (SBB), offshore of southern California, USA, contains a well-known, continuous, high-resolution Holocene flood record that can provide insights into the frequency and changes in on-shore sources across time for such events. Here SBB-adjacent stream bed sediments are characterized using mineralogical, elemental, and radiogenic strontium and neodymium isotopic compositions. Modern and Holocene SBB flood deposits and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sediments were similarly analyzed. The Southern Slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains and Topatopa Mountains account for ∼85% of SBB Holocene flood deposit sediments, as calculated from Sr-Nd isotope mixing models. During the LGM sea level low stand, the Southern Slopes contribution increased (to ≥90%), while relative sediment contribution from Santa Clara River diminished. This loss was likely compensated, however, by increased sediment flux from the Southern Slopes and the Channel Islands.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and adenocarcinoma of ovary: a novel association
Authors: Sachdeva Julie , Bansal Ramandeep , Takkar Aastha , Singh Rajveer
Published: April 2019

Paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare clinical entity with less than 40 cases described in literature until today. Paraneoplastic NMOSD in association with adenocarcinoma of ovary has not been described yet. We present a case of paraneoplastic NMOSD in association with carcinoma ovary which improved following appropriate immunomodulation with pulse intravenous methylprednisolone and azathioprine.
Development and pilot of a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool for health services administrators
Authors: Blythe Robin , Naidoo Shamesh , Abbott Cameron , Bryant Geoffrey , Dines Amanda , Graves Nicholas
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Health administration is complex and serves many masters. Value, quality, infrastructure and reimbursement are just a sample of the competing interests influencing executive decision-making. This creates a need for decision processes that are rational and holistic.

Methods

We created a multicriteria decision analysis tool to evaluate six fields of healthcare provision: return on investment, capacity, outcomes, safety, training and risk. The tool was designed for prospective use, at the beginning of each funding round for competing projects. Administrators were asked to rank their criteria in order of preference. Each field was assigned a representative weight determined from the rankings. Project data were then entered into the tool for each of the six fields. The score for each field was scaled as a proportion of the highest scoring project, then weighted by preference. We then plotted findings on a cost-effectiveness plane. The project was piloted and developed over successive uses by the hospital’s executive board.

Results

Twelve projects competing for funding at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital were scored by the tool. It created a priority ranking for each initiative based on the weights assigned to each field by the executive board. Projects were plotted on a cost-effectiveness plane with score as the x-axis and cost of implementation as the y-axis. Projects to the bottom right were considered dominant over projects above and to the left, indicating that they provided greater benefit at a lower cost. Projects below the x-axis were cost-saving and recommended provided they did not harm patients. All remaining projects above the x-axis were then recommended in order of lowest to highest cost-per-point scored.

Conclusion

This tool provides a transparent, objective method of decision analysis using accessible software. It would serve health services delivery organisations that seek to achieve value in healthcare.
Lipoprotein(a) plasma levels, bone mineral density and risk of hip fracture: a post hoc analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative, USA
Authors: Haring Bernhard , Crandall Carolyn J , Carbone Laura , Liu Simin , Li Wenjun , Johnson Karen C , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Shadyab Aladdin H , Gass Margery L , Kamensky Victor , Cauley Jane A , Wassertheil-Smoller Sylvia
Published: April 2019

Objectives

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, its roles in bone metabolism and fracture risk are unclear. We therefore investigated whether plasma Lp(a) levels were associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and incident hip fractures in a large cohort of postmenopausal women.

Design

Post hoc analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), USA.

Setting

40 clinical centres in the USA.

Participants

The current analytical cohort consisted of 9698 white, postmenopausal women enrolled in the WHI, a national prospective study investigating determinants of chronic diseases including heart disease, breast and colorectal cancers and osteoporotic fractures among postmenopausal women. Recruitment for WHI took place from 1 October 1993 to 31 December 1998.

Exposures

Plasma Lp(a) levels were measured at baseline.

Outcome measures

Incident hip fractures were ascertained annually and confirmed by medical records with follow-up through 29 August 2014. BMD at the femoral neck was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry in a subset of participants at baseline.

Statistical analyses

Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations of quartiles of plasma Lp(a) levels with hip fracture events and hip BMD T-score, respectively.

Results

During a mean follow-up of 13.8 years, 454 incident cases of hip fracture were observed. In analyses adjusting for confounding variables including age, body mass index, history of hysterectomy, smoking, physical activity, diabetes mellitus, general health status, cardiovascular disease, use of menopausal hormone therapy, use of bisphosphonates, calcitonin or selective-oestrogen receptor modulators, baseline dietary and supplemental calcium and vitamin D intake and history of fracture, no significant association of plasma Lp(a) levels with low hip BMD T-score or hip fracture risk was detected.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that plasma Lp(a) levels are not related to hip BMD T-score or hip fracture events in postmenopausal women.

Trial registration number

NCT00000611; Post-results.
Locally pluripolar sets are pluripolar
Authors: Vu Duc-Viet
Published: April 2019

We prove that every locally pluripolar set on a compact complex manifold is pluripolar. This extends similar results in the Kähler case.
The character variety of some classes of rational knots
Authors: Cavicchioli Alberto , Spaggiari Fulvia
Published: April 2019

We propose a method to determine the character variety of a class [Formula: see text] of rational knots, which includes the twist knots. The defining polynomials depend only on the variables [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. This answers for these classes of knots a question posed in [H. M. Hilden, M. T. Lozano and J. M. Montesinos–Amilibia, On the character variety of group representations of a 2-bridge link [Formula: see text] into [Formula: see text], Bol. Soc. Mat. Mexicana 37(2) (1992) 241–262], and allows us to give an easy geometrical description of the considered character variety. Our results are obtained by using special presentations of the knot groups whose relators are palindromes.
HAUSDORFF DERIVATIVE LAPLACIAN OPERATOR FOR IMAGE SHARPENING
Authors: WANG FAJIE , CHEN WEN , QIU LIN
Published: April 2019

Image sharpening based on the partial differential equations plays an important role in the fields of image processing. It is an effective technique to clear and sharpen image features, and provides a higher resolution for the subsequent processing. This paper makes the first attempt to employ the Hausdorff derivative Laplacian operator to sharpen the images. In terms of the visual quality of details, contours and edges, the original images and noisy images were sharpened by using an appropriate Hausdorff derivative order. Numerical results indicate that the Hausdorff derivative Laplacian operator outperforms the high-pass filtering, the Roberts operator and the traditional integer-order Laplacian operator. In comparison with the existing methods for the image sharpening, the proposed new methodology could be considered as a competitive alternative.
Improving ensemble docking for drug discovery by machine learning
Authors: Wong Chung F.
Published: April 2019

Ensemble docking has provided an inexpensive method to account for receptor flexibility in molecular docking. However, it is still unclear how best to use the docking scores from multiple structures to classify compounds into actives and inactives. Previous studies have also found that the performance of classification could decrease rather than increase with the number of structures included in the ensemble. Machine learning could help to alleviate these problems.
Semiquantum secure direct communication with authentication based on single-photons
Authors: Wang Ming-Ming , Liu Jun-Li , Gong Lin-Ming
Published: April 2019

Semiquantum cryptography has drawn much attention in recent years since it simplifies the implementation of quantum cryptographic protocols. In this paper, we study semiquantum secure direct communication (SQSDC). Based on single-photons, we propose a two-step SQSDC protocol with identity authentication, which can be used to prevent impersonation and the man-in-the-middle attack. Different from previous protocols based on quantum entanglement or quantum memory, our protocol removes there restrictions for simplifying its physical implementation. We prove that our two-step SQSDC protocol is completely robust. That is, any adversarial attempting to learn some information on the secure message or identity strings will inevitably induce some errors that can be detected by communicators.
Flexible aluminum//Fe/AQDS-doped PANI air battery with capacity self-restoring performance
Authors: Cao Huijun
Published: April 2019

The synergism between nitrate and triethanolamine (TEA) in the Al electrode activation was investigated in the NH4Cl electrolyte. Using the Fe(Ⅲ)/anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid disodium salt-doped polyaniline (PANI/Fe/AQDS) cathode as the air electrode, Al as counter anode, a gel electrolyte of NH4Cl, TEA and NaNO3, a flexible and ultrathin air battery was prepared. The resulting Al//polyaniline battery exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, and it has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, a discharge plateau of 1.2 V, and a discharge capacity of 50 mAh·cm-2 and a considerable self-restoring capacity. So the battery has the feasibility to use as a disposable battery. (This preprint is for 235th ECS meeting in Dallas with poster type)
PCSK9 Inhibitor Use in the Real World: Data From the National Patient‐Centered Research Network
Authors: Chamberlain Alanna M. , Gong Yan , Shaw Kathryn McAuliffe , Bian Jiang , Song Wen‐Liang , Linton MacRae F. , Fonseca Vivian , Price‐Haywood Eboni , Guhl Emily , King Jordan B. , Shah Rashmee U. , Puro Jon , Shenkman Elizabeth , Pawloski Pamala A. , Margolis Karen L. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Cooper‐DeHoff Rhonda M.
Published: April 2019

Background

PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors effectively lower LDL (low‐density lipoprotein) cholesterol and have been shown to reduce cardiovascular outcomes in high‐risk patients. We used real‐world electronic health record data to characterize use of PCSK9 inhibitors, in addition to standard therapies, according to cardiovascular risk status.

Methods and Results

Data were obtained from 18 health systems with data marts within the National Patient‐Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) using a common data model. Participating sites identified >17.5 million adults, of whom 3.6 million met study criteria. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: (1) dyslipidemia, (2) untreated LDL ≥130 mg/dL, and (3) coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease. Demographics, comorbidities, estimated 10‐year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, and lipid‐lowering pharmacotherapies were summarized for each group. Participants’ average age was 62 years, 50% were female, and 11% were black. LDL cholesterol ranged from 85 to 151 mg/dL. Among patients in groups 1 and 3, 54% received standard lipid‐lowering therapies and a PCSK9 inhibitor was prescribed in <1%. PCSK9 inhibitor prescribing was greatest for patients with coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease and, although prescribing increased during the study period, overall PCSK9 inhibitor prescribing was low.

Conclusions

We successfully used electronic health record data from 18 PCORnet data marts to identify >3.6 million patients meeting criteria for 3 patient groups. Approximately half of patients had been prescribed lipid‐lowering medication, but <1% were prescribed PCSK9 inhibitors. PCSK9 inhibitor prescribing increased over time for patients with coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease but not for those with dyslipidemia.
Biomarker of Collagen Turnover (C‐Terminal Telopeptide) and Prognosis in Patients With Non‐ST‐Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Zelniker Thomas A. , Jarolim Petr , Scirica Benjamin M. , Braunwald Eugene , Park Jeong‐Gun , Das Saumya , Sabatine Marc S. , Morrow David A.
Published: April 2019

Background

Small studies have suggested an association between markers of collagen turnover and adverse outcomes in heart failure (
HF
). We examined C‐terminal telopeptide (beta‐
CT
x) and the risk of cardiovascular death or new or worsening
HF
in non–
ST
‐elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Methods and Results

We measured baseline serum beta‐
CT
x,
NT
‐pro
BNP
(N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide), hsTnT (high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T) and hs
CRP
(high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein) (Roche Diagnostics) in a nested biomarker analysis (n=4094) from a study of patients with non–
ST
‐elevation acute coronary syndrome. The relationship between quartiles of beta‐
CT
x and cardiovascular death or
HF
over a median follow‐up time of 12 months was analyzed using adjusted Cox models. Higher beta‐
CT
x levels identified a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular death/
HF
(Q4 10.9% versus Q1 3.8%, Logrank
P
<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, beta‐
CT
x in the top quartile (Q4) was associated with cardiovascular death/
HF
(Q4 versus Q1: adjusted hazard ratio 2.22 [1.50–3.27]) and its components (Q4 versus Q1: cardiovascular death: adjusted hazard ratio 2.48 [1.46–4.21];
HF
: adjusted hazard ratio 2.04 [1.26–3.30]). In an adjusted multimarker model including
NT
‐pro
BNP
, hsTnT, and hs
CRP
, beta‐
CT
x remained independently associated with cardiovascular death/
HF
(Q4 versus Q1: adjusted hazard ratio 1.98 [1.34–2.93]) and its components. Beta‐
CT
x correlated weakly with
NT
‐pro
BNP
(
r
=0.17,
P
<0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction (
r
=−0.05,
P
=0.008) and did not correlate with hsTnT (
r
=0.02,
P
=0.20), or hs
CRP
(
r
=−0.03,
P
=0.09).

Conclusions

Levels of beta‐
CT
x, a biomarker of collagen turnover, were associated with cardiovascular death and
HF
in patients with non–
ST
‐elevation acute coronary syndrome. This biomarker, which correlated only weakly or not significantly with traditional biomarkers of cardiovascular death and
HF
, may provide complementary pathobiological insight and risk stratification in these patients.
Intergenerational Exchanges in East Asia: A New Look at Financial Transfers
Authors: Tsai Ming-Chang , Wang Ying-Ting
Published: April 2019

Adult children’s financial support for parents, which has been considered a primary representation of filial values in East Asian society, is not sufficient to understand contemporary familial reciprocation. To fully understand the detailed structure of intergenerational exchange in this region, this study proposes a new two-way typology to look at how parents both give and take with adult children. Using the 2006 East Asian Social Survey, the authors found a high frequency of financial exchange between generations, especially upward transfer, in South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Japan is a case more distant from the Confucian ideal type of family due to high prevalence of independence between parents and children regarding financial exchange. Cross-country differences are much remarked. The limited effects produced by gender and sibling orders in financial transfer show the decreasing influence of patriarchalism in East Asia.
Was Pinker on the Right Track? The Speed of Recent Decline of Violence and Gender Inequality
Authors: Nahkur Oliver , Taagepera Rein
Published: April 2019

Interpersonal violence decreased and gender equality increased from 1991 to 2012 in nearly all of the 26 countries studied. After confirming the direction of change, as asserted by Pinker, we further specify how fast this change is. The lower violence becomes in a country, the harder it is to reduce it even more, and similarly for gender inequality. Apply the model of exponential approach to a limit. The world average Societal Index of Interpersonal Destructiveness (SIID, S) decreases over time as S=13.3 (e-0.0132(t-2001.5)-1), and Welzel’s gender equality (G) increases as G=1-0.378 e-0.0144(t-2001.5). The two are tightly related as G=1-0.120(S+12.6)0.466 (R2=.79 for logarithms). Sweden leads the world by many decades while Russia and Philippines lag the most.
The Psychology of State-Sponsored Disinformation Campaigns and Implications for Public Diplomacy
Authors: Nisbet Erik C. , Kamenchuk Olga
Published: April 2019

Policy discourse about disinformation focuses heavily on the technological dimensions of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns. Unfortunately, this myopic focus on technology has led to insufficient attention being paid to the underlying human factors driving the success of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns. Academic research on disinformation strongly suggests that belief in false or misleading information is driven more by individual emotional and cognitive responses — amplified by macro social, political and cultural trends — than specific information technologies. Thus, attention given to countering the distribution and promulgation of disinformation through specific technological platforms, at the expense of understanding the human factors at play, hampers the ability of public diplomacy efforts countering it. This article addresses this lacuna by reviewing the underlying psychology of three common types of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns and identifying lessons for designing effective public diplomacy counter-strategies in the future.
The China Model of Public Diplomacy and its Future
Authors: Zhao Kejin
Published: April 2019

Since 2012, China’s top leadership has argued that China’s public diplomacy should integrate with the ‘New Model of Major-Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics’. Among this series of initiatives, China formulates a public diplomacy model that is different from those of other countries. China’s model of public diplomacy falls under the unified leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), but coordinates various public diplomacy players culturally rather than institutionally. The current trends of China’s public diplomacy include to evolve from listening to telling, and to be more confident, positive and active. Based on empirical studies, this article concludes that China’s public diplomacy since 2012 has created a unique model that emphasises cultural and other informal norms under the CPC’s leadership. Moreover, public diplomacy will be regarded as a necessary wisdom to understand how China has integrated with the world harmoniously.
A Promising Liaison? Social History and Anthropology in South-Eastern Europe. Opportunities and Pitfalls
Authors: Brunnbauer Ulf
Published: April 2019

This article argues that historical anthropology provides approaches for the exploration of previously neglected problems of the history of Southeastern Europe. Historical anthropology is not seen as a fixed set of methodologies and theories but rather as a perspective which directs attention to the questions of how societies have worked in the past and “ordinary” people made sense of their lives. Furthermore, historical anthropology tends to be comparative. In the past, Southeastern European historians concentrated on political history and ethnographers on the “traditional” culture of their nation, with little interaction between the two disciplines. After the fall of the communist system in 1989/1991, however, historians and ethnologists borrowed approaches from each other. The potential of historical anthropology is shown in particular with respect to the study of the social fabric of socialism—a topic until now shunned by historians while anthropologists have provided exemplary studies on this issue. The article ends with a discussion of the limits oPf historical anthropology and warns not to leave the state and economic structures out of historical analysis.
Understanding Economic and Social Developments in the Periphery: Bulgarian National Income 1892–1924
Authors: Ivanov Martin
Published: April 2019

This article aims at a reconstruction of reliable estimates of Bulgarian GNP growth. The main methodological point of reference is a work published in the 1940s by a contemporary Bulgarian economist, Asen Chakalov. Given the sophistication of Chakalov’s estimates and the desirability of chaining new data onto his estimate for 1924, the article’s methodology consists in the first instance in replicating his figure for 1924 on the basis of original sources and then using these same sources to create a series of properly documented estimates for the years between 1892 and 1924. To provide a meaningful comparison over the long run between 1892 and 1945, we must allow for price changes, population change, and the impact of territorial redistribution in the course of the Balkan Wars and World War I. The results are striking. For 1924 a reassuring match with Chakalov’s estimate is achieved. The new GNP series indicates that the Bulgarian economy did not achieve staggering results during the period in review—an average of 0.93% on a yearly basis. True, there were sub-periods in which the GNP was growing a bit faster (2.76% between 1899 and 1905, and 2.16% during 1905-1911); however, this is both a misleading (due to the low base of the crisis of 1899) and an unsustainable conclusion. Inserting the population factor into the picture makes the situation even more dismal. In per capita terms Bulgaria achieved a negative growth rate of –0.32% annually. The economy fell behind the population increase, which turned out to be a serious obstacle for switching over to a higher gear.
Historical Studies of Elite Groups in the Age of Computer Science: The Case of Post-Feudal Hungary
Authors: Karády Victor
Published: April 2019

This essay addresses the issue of social stratification, which is the basic organizing factor of life in human communities, since it defines one’s position in any societal environment as well as the fabric or the internal structure of societal togetherness. It deals with one essential aspect of social stratification, namely that of elite formation, taking as a relevant example the case study of Hungary. It is argued that new computer technologies make possible large-scale surveys of elite formation, opening up new vistas for the interpretation of major process of social change that took place in Central European societies. The first part of the essay provides a historical overview of processes of elite formation in modern Hungary. The second part presents an ambitious program of research on the evolution of Hungarian elites from the 1867 “Compromise” with Austria to the beginning of the Communist regime (1948). This unprecedented vast survey was initiated in 2005 and will be completed in 2009. The main target concerns educated elites, but the project also deals with other elite clusters, on a selective basis. The method employed is prosopographical, covering some 200,000 individual biographies. The essay provides a comprehensive description of the technical side of the survey and of the socio-historical scope of the problems it highlights.
Visual and Verbal Ascribing of Meanings to the Term “Holy” in the German Magazines Stern and Spiegel
Authors: Stander-Dulisch Judith
Published: April 2019

The case study focuses on how the semantic field sacred is linguistically and visually taken up in the German weekly print magazines Stern and Spiegel. Both magazines are defined by the use of visual material. Therefore, the analysis is based on theoretical concepts of image linguistics, which deal with the effect and functions of the connection of language and image in mass media.
Environmental Covariate Representation of Seasonal U.S. Tornado Frequency
Authors: Gensini Vittorio A. , Bravo de Guenni Lelys
Published: April 2019

The significant tornado parameter is a widely used meteorological composite index that combines several variables known to favor tornadic supercell thunderstorms. This research examines the spatial relationship between U.S. tornado frequency and the significant tornado parameter (the predictor covariate) across four seasons in order to establish a spatial–statistical model that explains significant amounts of variance in tornado occurrence (the predictand). U.S. tornadoes are highly dependent on the significant tornado parameter in a climatological sense. The strength of this dependence is seasonal, with greatest dependence found during December–February and least dependence during June–August. Additionally, the strength of this dependence has not changed significantly through the 39-yr study period (1979–2017). Results herein represent an important step forward for the creation of a predictive spatial–statistical model to aid in tornado prediction at seasonal time scales.
A Qualitative Analysis of How Mothers’ Social Networks Are Established and Used to Make Infant Care Decisions
Authors: Moon Rachel Y. , Mathews Anita , Oden Rosalind , Carlin Rebecca
Published: April 2019

Background. Mothers often look to family members and friends (ie, their social network) for advice and support regarding infant care decisions. However, little is known about the process by which mothers’ social networks are established and how mothers use these networks to make decisions regarding infant care. We thus conducted a qualitative analysis to explore how mothers choose individuals for their social networks, and how they use these for decision-making. Methods. Focus groups or individual interviews were conducted with 28 mothers. We asked probing questions about whom mothers turned to for advice and support, and how they made infant care decisions. Data were coded and analyzed iteratively for emerging themes. Results. Themes that emerged were changes in social networks once children are born, reasons for being in the mother’s social network, importance of the pediatrician as a trusted source, and process of making infant care decisions. After an infant is born, mothers gravitate toward friends with children; trustworthiness of those whom mothers turn to is based on their perceived experience and knowledge. Pediatricians are valued for their professional and personal experience with children. Mothers use consensus and/or instinct to make infant care decisions, but continually seek reassurance that these decisions are correct. Conclusion. Mothers’ social networks are important sources of infant care information. Because mothers rely on consensus and continued reassurance when making decisions, health care professionals have many opportunities to influence decision-making. Consistent health care messaging can enhance mothers’ perceptions that there is consensus of opinion from trusted sources.