bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Median-Based Machine-Learning Approach for Predicting Random Sampling Bernoulli Distribution Parameter
Authors: Pham Hoang , Pham David H.
Published: December 2018

In real-life applications, we often do not have population data but we can collect several samples from a large sample size of data. In this paper, we propose a median-based machine-learning approach and algorithm to predict the parameter of the Bernoulli distribution. We illustrate the proposed median approach by generating various sample datasets from Bernoulli population distribution to validate the accuracy of the proposed approach. We also analyze the effectiveness of the median methods using machine-learning techniques including correction method and logistic regression. Our results show that the median-based measure outperforms the mean measure in the applications of machine learning using sampling distribution approaches.
Plan3D
Authors: Hepp Benjamin , Nießner Matthias , Hilliges Otmar
Published: December 2018

We introduce a new method that efficiently computes a set of viewpoints and trajectories for high-quality 3D reconstructions in outdoor environments. Our goal is to automatically explore an unknown area and obtain a complete 3D scan of a region of interest (e.g., a large building). Images from a commodity RGB camera, mounted on an autonomously navigated quadcopter, are fed into a multi-view stereo reconstruction pipeline that produces high-quality results but is computationally expensive. In this setting, the scanning result is constrained by the restricted flight time of quadcopters. To this end, we introduce a novel optimization strategy that respects these constraints by maximizing the information gain from sparsely sampled viewpoints while limiting the total travel distance of the quadcopter. At the core of our method lies a hierarchical volumetric representation that allows the algorithm to distinguish between unknown, free, and occupied space. Furthermore, our information gain-based formulation leverages this representation to handle occlusions in an efficient manner. In addition to the surface geometry, we utilize free-space information to avoid obstacles and determine collision-free flight paths. Our tool can be used to specify the region of interest and to plan trajectories. We demonstrate our method by obtaining a number of compelling 3D reconstructions, and we provide a thorough quantitative evaluation showing improvement over previous state-of-the-art and regular patterns.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Frailty Screening Methods in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Nixon Andrew C. , Bampouras Theodoros M. , Pendleton Neil , Mitra Sandip , Dhaygude Ajay P.
Published: December 2018

Background/Aims: Frail patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased hospitalisation and mortality rate. However, many popular frailty screening methods have not been validated in patients with CKD. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of several frailty screening methods in patients with CKD G4–5 and those established on haemodialysis (G5D). Methods: Ninety participants with CKD G4–5D were recruited from Nephrology Outpatient Clinics and 2 Haemodialysis Units between December 2016 and December 2017. Frailty was diagnosed using the Fried Frailty Phenotype. The following frailty screening tests were evaluated: Clinical Frailty Scale, PRISMA-7, CKD Frailty Index, CKD FI-LAB, walking speed, hand grip strength and Short Physical Performance Battery. Results: The mean age of participants was 69 years (SD ±13). One-third of participants were dialysis-dependent. Nineteen (21%) patients were categorised as frail, 42 (47%) as pre-frail and 29 (32%) as robust. Overall, walking speed was the most discriminative measure (AUC 0.97 [95% CI 0.93–1.00], sensitivity 0.84 [95% CI 0.62–0.94], specificity 0.96 [95% CI 0.88–0.99]). The Clinical Frailty Scale had the best performance of the non-physical assessment frailty screening methods (AUC 0.90 [95% CI 0.84–0.97], sensitivity 0.79 [95% CI 0.57–0.91], specificity 0.87 [95% CI 0.78–0.93]). Conclusions: Walking speed can be used to accurately screen for frailty in CKD populations. If it is not practical to perform a physical assessment to screen for frailty, the Clinical Frailty Scale is a useful alternative.
Integrated Analysis of the Endoscopic, Pathological and Molecular Characteristics of Colorectal Tumorigenesis
Authors: Suzuki Hiromu , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Yamano Hiro-o , Nakase Hiroshi , Sugai Tamotsu
Published: December 2018

Background: Colorectal cancers (CRCs) develop through the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. In addition to the well-characterized adenoma-carcinoma sequence, the serrated neoplasia pathway is now recognized as an alternative pathway for CRC development. Summary: Through analysis of the colonoscopic, pathological, and molecular features of colorectal tumors, we identified a novel microsurface structure characteristic of serrated lesions. The Type II-Open (Type II-O) pit pattern is highly specific to sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSA/Ps), and Type-II-O-positive tumors frequently exhibit v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) mutation and 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ (CpG) island hypermethylation. By screening DNA methylation associated with the development of serrated lesions, we detected methylation of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC)-related modular calcium binding 1 (SMOC1) in traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs). Epigenetic silencing of SMOC1 is prevalent among TSAs but it is rarely observed in SSA/Ps, which suggests SMOC1 could be a useful diagnostic marker of serrated lesions. We also searched for epigenetic alterations associated with the growth pattern of colorectal tumors and found that methylation of neurotensin receptor 1 is associated with lateral and non-invasive tumor growth. Key Message: Through the summarized studies, we have been able to identify novel morphological and molecular features that could contribute to a better understanding of colorectal tumors and to improved clinical diagnosis.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Like Symptoms in Ulcerative Colitis Patients in Clinical Remission: Association with Residual Colonic Inflammation
Authors: Ishihara Shunji , Kawashima Kousaku , Fukuba Nobuhiko , Tada Yasumasa , Kotani Satoshi , Mishima Yoshiyuki , Oshima Naoki , Kinoshita Yoshikazu
Published: December 2018

Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in clinical remission often experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms. The prevalence rate of UC patients meeting the definition of IBS, such as shown by the Rome criteria, is significantly higher in those without ongoing clinical activity as compared to healthy controls. Several studies have investigated residual low-grade inflammation found in colonic mucosa of quiescent UC patients and its association with development of IBS-like symptoms. In these patients, residual colonic inflammation was evaluated using endoscopy and histology findings, as well as fecal calprotectin level and shown to not be simply associated with the presence of IBS-like symptoms in UC patients in clinical remission. However, these results are limited by the low number of related investigations conducted. Additional appropriately designed studies are necessary to confirm the relationship of low-grade colonic inflammation with IBS-like symptoms associated with UC.
Better Being Single? Omics Improves Kidney Organoids
Authors: Freedman Benjamin S.
Published: December 2018

Context: Human kidney organoids are complex structures resembling nephron arrays, which can be derived in a variety of ways. Whether all of these differentiation protocols produce qualitatively similar organoid cell types is not yet clear. Subject of Review: A comparative analysis of 2 organoid differentiation protocols is recently reported in Cell Stem Cell [Wu et al.: Cell Stem Cell 2018;pii:S1934-5909(18)30491-0], using single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) as an analytical tool. This demonstrates that the 2 protocols have much in common, and that neither produces kidney cells in a pure or comprehensive manner. Ureteric lineages appear to be absent, and organoids are contaminated with non-kidney cell types, including neurons and muscle cells. Based on the scRNA-seq datasets, a new differentiation protocol is devised to reduce non-kidney cell types, without adversely affecting organoid epithelial cells. Second Opinion: Together with published analyses of a third differentiation protocol, these findings suggest more commonalities than differences between kidney organoid platforms, and identify critical strategies for functional improvement of these cellular structures.
Correcting duplicate publications: follow up study of MEDLINE tagged duplications
Authors: Malički Mario , Utrobičić Ana , Marušić Ana
Published: December 2018

Introduction: As MEDLINE indexers tag similar articles as duplicates even when journals have not addressed the duplication(s), we sought to determine the reasons behind the tagged duplications, and if the journals had undertaken or had planned to undertake any actions to address them. Materials and methods: On 16 January 2013, we extracted all tagged duplicate publications (DPs), analysed published notices, and then contacted MEDLINE and editors regarding cases unaddressed by notices. For non-respondents, we compared full text of the articles. We followed up the study for the next 5 years to see if any changes occurred. Results: We found 1011 indexed DPs, which represented 555 possible DP cases (in MEDLINE, both the original and the duplicate are assigned a DP tag). Six cases were excluded as we could not obtain their full text. Additional 190 (35%) cases were incorrectly tagged as DPs. Of 359 actual cases of DPs, 200 (54%) were due to publishers’ actions (e.g. identical publications in the same journal), and 159 (46%) due to authors’ actions (e.g. article submission to more than one journal). Of the 359 cases, 185 (52%) were addressed by notices, but only 25 (7%) retracted. Following our notifications, MEDLINE corrected 138 (73%) incorrectly tagged cases, and editors retracted 8 articles. Conclusions: Despite clear policies on how to handle DPs, just half (54%) of the DPs in MEDLINE were addressed by journals and only 9% retracted. Publishers, editors, and indexers need to develop and implement standards for better correction of duplicate published records.
Lives and Afterlives of the Lithophylacii Britannici ichnographia (1699), the First Illustrated Field Guide to English Fossils
Authors: Roos Anna Marie , Rose Edwin D.
Published: December 2018

The Lithophylacii Britannicii ichnographia [British figured stones] (1699) by Edward Lhwyd, the second keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, was the first illustrated field guide to English fossils. We analyse this book’s physical creation – the collection of specimens, their engravings and their use and reuse in eighteenth-century editions and collections that were in the transition to binomial taxonomy. With particular concentration on the Lithophylacii’s illustrations of fossils, this paper will first analyse how the specimens were collected. We will then examine the use of these specimens and subsequent editions of Lhwyd’s book, with a focus upon how the relationship between them was drawn on by collectors such as Sir Hans Sloane and Daniel Solander from 1680 to 1760. Finally, we will demonstrate how Ashmolean Keeper William Huddesford repurposed the illustrations for Lhwyd’s book for his eighteenth-century edition of the field guide, incorporating new classificatory schemes. Our analysis will give insight into how a late seventeenth-century book of natural philosophy was used and repurposed by natural historians and collectors before and during the development of Linnaean taxonomy.
A Treatise on Mirrors Attributed to Matteo Zaccolini
Authors: Bell Janis
Published: December 2018

A short discourse on concave mirrors, Apparenze diverse del Specchio Concavo, among the papers of Cassiano dal Pozzo at Montpellier, is here attributed to Matteo Zaccolini, a Theatine perspective painter in Rome with a reputation for his mastery of optics. A transcription and translation of the treatise are also included.
Lavoisier and Music
Authors: Antonelli Francesca
Published: December 2018

Notes sur la Musique are a set of notes devoted by the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) to music theory and in particular to the rules for correct composition. Given its subject matter, Notes constitutes a unicum in Lavoisier’s corpus that has been little studied and never published. This essay will present the initial results of an in-depth analysis of this manuscript, followed by a transcription of the text. It will be argued that a large part of the Notes were derived from the writings of Alexandre Théophile Vandermonde (1735–1796), a mathematician who collaborated with Lavoisier on his scientific experiments, but who also developed his own system of harmony. After a brief examination of Vandermonde’s contributions to music theory, various passages from Lavoisier’s Notes will be evaluated in order to show the link between the two scientists’ perspectives on music. Some of Vandermonde’s unpublished papers will also be taken into consideration. On the basis of this analysis, hypotheses will be advanced regarding the circumstances that could have led Lavoisier to take an interest in music theory. Overall, this paper will shed light on a little-known side of Lavoisier’s cultural interests and activities and provide elements that could contribute to a better understanding of his Notes sur la Musique.
Urgently Needed: Climate Lawyers
Authors: Faure Michael , Liu Jing
Published: December 2018

We argue that climate law has specific features—including scientific complexity, a strongly transboundary nature, and long-term effects—that make it more challenging to study than other more traditional domains of environmental law. As a consequence, an interdisciplinary perspective may be needed even more for climate law than for the traditional study of environmental law. Climate law is to some extent underestimated by scientists, who should realize that for effective mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to climate change, an optimal design and enforcement through climate law is necessary. Climate law can be expected to become more important with the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and for that reason climate lawyers should receive a more prominent position in the international policy arena of climate change.
The Contested Core of Climate Law
Authors: Zahar Alexander
Published: December 2018

Benoit Mayer’s new book The International Law on Climate Change is founded on the premise that the principle against transboundary harm is the core principle of climate law. Here, I show that premise to be mistaken. The principle against transboundary harm does not apply to the problem of climate change because climate change is not a transboundary problem. Even if the principle were applicable to climate change, it has been displaced by the climate change treaty regime. Because climate change is in fact a “commons” problem, the core principle of climate law is, or should be, that greenhouse gas emissions must be charged to the polluter (the polluter pays principle).
The Place of Customary Norms in Climate Law: A Reply to Zahar
Authors: Mayer Benoit
Published: December 2018

In his essay on the thesis of my book, Alexander Zahar objects to my characterization of customary international law as one of the sources of the international law on climate change and, in particular, to my conclusion about the relevance of the no-harm principle. I disagree. In the first part of his essay, Zahar’s analysis of the no-harm principle is limited to arguments by analogy, but a valid international legal argument can be based on deduction from axiomatic premises of the international legal order. In the second part of his essay, Zahar claims that the UNFCCC regime excludes the application of the no-harm principle when, in reality, the UNFCCC regime really seeks to facilitate the implementation of general international law.
A Savage Magnificence: Ottomanizing Fashion and the Politics of Display in Early Modern East-Central Europe
Authors: Jasienski Adam
Published: December 2018

This article examines the impact of Ottoman fashions on the clothing worn by men in early modern Poland and Hungary, and argues that fashion was an optimal tool for advertising political allegiance. Ottoman garments were coveted by the nobilities in East-Central Europe, and often displayed in portraiture, because they were imbued with associations of anti-absolutism and autonomy, even if the Ottomans themselves were reviled as invasive infidels. However, the legibility of the political statement these fashions made was limited to their local contexts—when viewed by foreigners they were perceived as exotic and Otherly. Various factors enabled the popularization and subsequent politicization of Ottomanizing styles, including the Polish and Hungarian nobilities’ self-fashioning as Eastern, and  the widespread availability of Ottoman and Iranian commodities through import, as war booty, and through local imitation. This essay hopes to expand our understanding of the range of early modern responses to the Ottoman East, while challenging the notion of Europe as a uniform entity to which it was opposed.
From Mecca to Mashhad: The Narrative of an Illustrated Shiʿi Pilgrimage Scroll from the Qajar Period
Authors: Marzolph Ulrich
Published: December 2018

Hajj certificates are stylized legal documents testifying to the fact that a certain individual has participated in the pilgrimage to Mecca and has executed the required rituals. While most previous studies of hajj certificates and related phenomena are concerned with specimens that are either very old or particularly attractive in terms of their execution, fairly recent items, and particularly printed ones, have not received much attention. Moreover, hajj certificates have so far mostly been studied as a Sunni or general Muslim phenomenon, and items with a specific Shiʿi agenda have largely been neglected. The present essay discusses in detail an illustrated Shiʿi pilgrimage scroll from the Qajar period that is currently preserved in a private collection in Hawai‘i. Preceded by the Niebuhr scroll, an illustrated manuscript copy dating from the middle of the eighteenth century, and followed by modern printed posters, the lithographed Qajar-period scroll presents a distinct Shiʿi perspective in that the pilgrim’s ultimate goal is the sanctuary of the Eighth Shiʿi Imam, ʿAli ibn Musa al-Rida (d. 818), in Mashhad.
Hakky-Bey and His Journal Le Miroir de l’Art Musulman, or, Mirʾāt-ı ṣanāyiʿ-i islāmiye (1898)
Authors: ﻿Türker Deni̇z﻿
Published: December 2018

A bilingual periodical published in 1898, titled Le Miroir de l’Art Musulman for its French audience and Mirʾāt-ı ṣanāyiʿ-i islāmiye for the Ottoman one, introduced its readership to the world of Islamic art in two idiosyncratic issues. A certain Hakky-Bey, the sole author behind these issues and a well-regarded antiques dealer in Paris, intended to introduce his vast collection to readers through meticulously arranged lithographs of his objects. In other words, he told the story of Islamic art through exemplary items from his collection. In parsing the contents of the journal, this article attempts to construct Hakky-Bey’s biography and reveal the sociopolitical and cultural routes, as well as the cosmopolitan networks, that shaped the unexpected trajectory of his career. As an independent Ottoman scholar, Hakky-Bey played a crucial role in the emerging field of Islamic art at the end of the nineteenth century, for which scholarship has given undue credit to European “Islamophiles.”
The Scrutinizing Gaze in the Aesthetics of Islamic Visual Cultures: Sight, Insight, and Desire
Authors: Neci̇poğlu Gülru
Published: December 2018

The subjectivity of the gaze and its engagement with human experience had the capacity to incorporate the body, affect, sensation, and memory, thereby raising the status of the visual arts and architecture into potential sites of knowledge. This essay engages with the subject of the gaze and aesthetic experience by exploring the wonderment of the eye, the embodiment of vision through emotional states and desire, the disembodiment of the eye in introspective vision, and the cognitive capacity of sight to produce insight. Addressing these diverse yet interrelated themes, it considers the modalities of the gaze in new genres of Safavid and Ottoman texts on the arts and architecture, starting with their origin in medieval paradigms of visual perception and artistic creation. These more specialized sixteenth–seventeenth-century Persian and Turkish sources include treatises on the visual arts, album prefaces, biographies of architects, and biographical anthologies of calligraphers and painter-decorators.
A Restricted Gaze: The Ornament of the Main Caliphal Palace of Samarra
Authors: Saba Matthew D.
Published: December 2018

This essay examines the architectural ornament of Samarra’s Main Caliphal Palace, also known as the Dar al-Khilafa, in light of the context in which it was seen. First, it offers a partial reconstruction of the architectural ornament in one section of the palace, its Audience Hall Complex, based on unpublished documentation from the archive of Ernst Herzfeld, who excavated the site in 1912–13. In the second part, Herzfeld’s findings are interpreted in light of the function of the space as the locus of official audiences at the Abbasid Court. The analysis suggests that in certain portions of Samarra’s Main Caliphal Palace ornament was carefully planned in conjunction with its architectural frame and can even be seen to further the ideological aims of the palace’s patrons. By encouraging the viewer to glance but remaining partly to completely hidden from sight from most palace guests, the decorations of the Audience Hall Complex reinforce the sense of hierarchy and restricted access that informed the way Abbasid caliphs were presented to the public.
Experientia and Auctoritas: ʿAbd Al-Latif Al-Baghdadi’s Kitāb Al-Ifāda Wa’l-Iʿtibār and the Birth of the Critical Gaze
Authors: Shalem Avinoam
Published: December 2018

This short study looks into the mind of the Ayyubid intellectual Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi, also known as al-Labbad, who was born in Baghdad in 1162 and died there in 1231–32 at the age of 69. The focus of this article is his famous book Kitāb al-Ifāda wa’l-iʿtibār fi’l-umūr al-mushāhada wa’l-ḥawadith al-muʿāyana bi-arḍ Miṣr (The Book of Instruction and Admonition on the Things Seen [mushāhada] and Events Recorded [muʿāyana] in the Land of Egypt), which, as I argue, is al-Baghdadi’s clear manifestation of his “change of mind” in the fields of scholarship and methods of learning. It seems that a turning point in al-Baghdadi’s academic career occurred during the time he spent in Egypt and, perhaps even and more importantly, in front of the antiquities of Pharaonic Egypt. His descriptions of the pyramids, Sphinx, and huge sculptures of ancient Egypt demonstrate al-Baghdadi’s progressive method of looking at and interpreting nature and thus of rewriting history.
The Patronage of the Vizier Mirza Salman
Authors: Soudavar Abolala
Published: December 2018

While previously published manuscripts hinted at Mirza Salman's interest in such works, two recently discovered manuscripts better show the full extent of the vizier's patronage. They reveal how his early association with Sultan Ibrahim Mirza had already induced him to emulate his prince in commissioning illustrated manuscripts, albeit on a more modest scale—and how he quickly decided to step into the shoes of Ibrahim Mirza and act as a true mirza, as soon as he established his supremacy in the chaotic political arena following Shah Ismaʿil II’s death. He thus commissioned artists from the late prince's library-atelier to prepare a series of manuscripts, the most important of which was a copy of the Būstān in which every illustration reflected a significant episode in the vizier's rapid rise to power. In so doing, he found a suitable accomplice in the person of the artist Muhammadi, who could dazzle him not only with his paintings but with his witty selection of texts and creative imagination for producing multilayered illustrations.
Shah Abuʾl-Maʿali , Mir Sayyid ʿAli, and the Sayyids of Tirmiz: Three Portraits Challenge Akbari Historiography
Authors: Parodi Laura E.
Published: December 2018

This essay closely examines three early Mughal portraits—the Portrait of Shah Abuʾl-Maʿali, Portrait of Mir Musavvir, and an alleged self-portrait of Mir Sayyid ʿAli—as well as a seal impression from an early sixteenth-century copy of Jamal al-Din Husayni Shirazi’s Rawżat al-Aḥbāb. The resulting scenario challenges certain scholarly assumptions that are based on a blind acceptance of the narrative contained in official Mughal sources. The analysis serves to substantiate and articulate evidence on the role of Central Asian elites (more specifically, religious elites) in the early Mughal period. It also contributes to the socio-historical contextualization of Mughal paintings on the basis of the inscriptions contained in them and stimulates further discussion on the origins of Mughal portraiture.
Two Rare Early Abbasid Paint-Decorated Ceramic Bowls from el-Khirba/Nes Ziyyona, Israel
Authors: Taxel Itamar , Lester Ayala , ʿAd Uzi
Published: December 2018

This article discusses two near-complete ceramic vessels—a deep, cup-shaped bowl and a shallow bowl/plate—found in recent excavations carried out at the rural site of el-Khirba/Nes Ziyyona in central Israel, in an early Abbasid context dated to the ninth century. The vessels bear unusual painted decorations on their exterior and interior. The decoration of the first bowl consists of alternating pairs of large black and white palm trees and large birds. The second bowl/plate is decorated with eight stylized trees emerging from a central circle, with small circles between them; these motifs were drawn in black over a white-painted surface. These bowls are associated with a local fine ware ceramic group, known as Fine Byzantine (or Fine Islamic) Ware, which originated in the Jerusalem region. However, their decorations reflect stylistic traditions familiar across the Early Islamic Near East and beyond, including from statuary works, illustrated manuscripts, and other ceramics. Altogether, it can be suggested that rural elites in Early Islamic Palestine used luxury ceramics decorated with pan-Islamic patterns as a way of identifying themselves with cosmopolitan, pan-Islamic society.
International Investment Protection in Deep Seabed Mining Beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Dingwall Joanna
Published: December 2018

The deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction comprises almost three-quarters of the entire surface area of our oceans. It boasts an array of mineral resources, including valuable metals and rare earth elements. Acting under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority is responsible for regulating this area and granting mining contracts to allow investors to explore for and exploit deep seabed minerals. As yet, deep seabed mining activities have been confined to the exploratory stage. However, recently, there has been a marked growth in deep seabed investment by private corporate actors. As technology advances and commercial appetite increases, extraction of deep seabed minerals may soon commence. In this context, this article seeks to address crucial legal issues facing pioneers of deep seabed mining. What is the extent of investment protection within the existing regime? And are there dispute resolution options to enforce such protection?
How Many *-s Suffixes in Old Chinese? (古漢語有多少個 -s 後綴?)
Authors: Jacques (向柏霖) Guillaume
Published: December 2018

This paper presents potential cognates of the qusheng derivations in more conservative languages of the Trans-Himalayan family, in particular Rgyalrongic and Kiranti. It is suggested in particular that the valency-increasing uses of the qusheng could be related to the applicative -t suffix and that its valency-decreasing uses may be a trace of the reflexive -si suffix.

本文將去聲構擬為*-s或*-t，並提出去聲別義可能與漢藏語系存古語言中的不同後綴同源，去聲的使動和應動的用法可能對應基蘭梯語的應動-t後綴，而被動和反被動的功能則可能是反身後綴-si的痕跡。(This article is in English.)
Combination, Loss and Transformation of Sounds in Chongming Dialect
Authors: Zhang Huiying
Published: December 2018

This paper notes some sound change phenomena of combination, loss and transformation, such as “哪樣” ɦna242 ɦiã313 becoming “哪樣” ɦnã242, “弗曉得” fəʔ5 ɕiɔ424 teʔ5 becoming “弗得” fəʔ5teʔ5, etc.
New record of Hergovitsia Bucsek from Cambodia (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), with description of a new species
Authors: BAYARSAIKHAN ULZIIJARGAL , BUCSEK KAROL , BAE YANG-SEOP
Published: December 2018

The genus Hergovitsia Bucsek (2012) is reported for the first time in Cambodia, for the new species, Hergovitsia longivirga n. sp. A diagnostic comparison is made with Hergovitsia magnifica Bucsek, 2012. Illustrations of adults and genitalia of the new and all known species are provided, with a key to the genus Hergovitsia on the basis of the external morphology and male genitalia.
Clinical interpretation of prostate-specific antigen values: Type of applied cut-off value exceeds methods bias as the major source of variation
Authors: Klinkenberg Lieke JJ , Lentjes Eef GWM , Boer Arjen-Kars
Published: December 2018

Background

Prostate-specific antigen is the biochemical gold standard for the (early) detection and monitoring of prostate cancer. Interpretation of prostate-specific antigen is both dependent on the method and cut-off. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of method-specific differences and cut-off values in a national external quality assessment scheme (EQAS).

Methods

The Dutch EQAS for prostate-specific antigen comprised an annual distribution of 12 control materials. The results of two distributions were combined with the corresponding cut-off value. Differences between methods were quantified by simple linear regression based on the all laboratory trimmed mean. To assess the clinical consequence of method-specific differences and cut-off values, a clinical data-set of 1040 patients with an initial prostate-specific antigen measurement and concomitant conclusive prostate biopsy was retrospectively collected. Sensitivity and specificity for prostate cancer were calculated for all EQAS participants individually.

Results

In the Netherlands, seven different prostate-specific antigen methods are used. Interestingly, 67% of these laboratories apply age-specific cut-off values. Methods showed a maximal relative difference of 26%, which were not reflected in the cut-off values. The largest differences were caused by the type of cut-off, for example in the Roche group the cut-off value differed maximal 217%. Clinically, a fixed prostate-specific antigen cut-off has a higher sensitivity than an age-specific cut-off (mean 89% range 86–93% versus 79% range 63–95%, respectively).

Conclusions

This study shows that the differences in cut-off values exceed the method-specific differences. These results emphasize the need for (inter)national harmonization/standardization programmes including cut-off values to allow for laboratory-independent clinical decision-making.
Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate
Authors: Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: December 2018

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are available online to subscribers. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433.
Mediation, Peacekeeping, and the Severity of Civil War
Authors: Beardsley Kyle , Cunningham David E. , White Peter B.
Published: December 2018

One of the proposed benefits of third-party involvement that has been offered to justify its use is that it helps reduce the severity of conflict. Existing work finding that peacekeeping operations reduce battle-related fatalities considers peacekeeping in isolation from other forms of third-party diplomatic involvement, such as mediation. We argue that mediation has its own effect on patterns of violence. Moreover, we argue that peacekeeping and mediation can have an interactive effect, in which each enhance the violence-reducing potential of the other. Using monthly data on battle-related deaths in African intrastate conflicts, we find that mediation is associated with reduced bloodshed. We also find, consistent with existing work, that a greater number of peacekeepers leads to a reduction in violence. In addition, we find that mediation and peacekeeping efforts reinforce one another, although each type of involvement is able to reduce battlefield fatalities independently.
In vitro removal of anti-infective agents by a novel cytokine adsorbent system
Authors: König Christina , Röhr Anka C , Frey Otto R , Brinkmann Alexander , Roberts Jason A , Wichmann Dominic , Braune Stephan , Kluge Stefan , Nierhaus Axel
Published: December 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to describe the in vitro adsorption of anti-infective drugs onto an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber.

Methods:

Various anti-infective drugs (β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, azole antimycotics) were prepared in normal saline 0.9% and human albumin 5%, and pumped through a cytokine cartridge (CytoSorb®; CytoSorbents Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA) at a flow rate of 1.2 L/h for 1.5 h. In addition, meropenem and ciprofloxacin were dissolved in reconstituted blood and run through a CytoSorb cartridge, which was integrated into a continuous renal replacement therapy circuit with a flow rate of 2 L/h for 18 h. Samples from the solution, pre- and post-filter, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and fluorescence polarisation immunoassay.

Results:

Observed mean clearance of the drugs in normal saline was 1.22 ± 0.07 L/h. In human albumin, clearance was 1.29 ± 0.08 L/h. In reconstituted blood, clearance of meropenem decreased from 5.4 to 1.4 L/h and for ciprofloxacin from 6.3 to 4.3 L/h within the first 1.5 h because of early drug adsorption. Continuous renal replacement therapy clearance measured without CytoSorb was stable at 2 and 1.7 L/h, respectively. Approximately 400 mg of meropenem and 300 mg of ciprofloxacin had been adsorbed by CytoSorb, suggesting that these amounts are the maximum adsorptive capacity for these drugs.

Conclusion:

In these settings, all tested drugs were adsorbed by the cartridge in relevant amounts. The identified maximum adsorptive capacity and the rapid decline in concentration during the first 1.5 h of CytoSorb use suggest that the administration of an additional dose within the first hours of CytoSorb treatment may be reasonable. In addition, early therapeutic drug monitoring should be considered.
That West meant to be declining
Authors: Bauman Zygmunt , Kania Aleksandra
Published: December 2018

This conversation between Zygmunt Bauman and Aleksandra Kania picks up on the themes of crisis, interregnum and the decline of the West. Decline of the West is first of all decline of western civilization. This easily leads to panic about the end of the world; what it really indicates is the limits and constraints of a world system based on nation-states. Spengler and Elias are introduced as interlocutors, in order to open these issues, and those of capitalism, socialism and caesarism. Trump here appears as a wilfully decisionist leader. Populism plays its part, but illiberalism now overpowers neoliberalism. Bauman and Kania engage in this text as interlocutors; this is a record of their own dialogue, and a reminder of its possibilities.
‘The present state and statistical observation of mental patients under home custody’, by Kure Shūzō and Kashida Gorō (1918)
Authors: Hashimoto Akira
Published: December 2018

This text, dealing with the private confinement of the mentally ill at home, or shitaku kanchi, has often been referred to as a ‘classic text’ in the history of Japanese psychiatry. Shitaku kanchi was one of the most prevalent methods of treating mental disorders in early twentieth-century Japan. Under the guidance of Kure Shūzō (1865–1932), Kure’s assistants at Tokyo University inspected a total of 364 rooms of shitaku kanchi across Japan between 1910 and 1916. This text was published as their final report in 1918. The text also refers to traditional healing practices for mental illnesses found throughout the country. Its abundant descriptions aroused the interest of experts of various disciplines.
‘I’d like to report a suspicious looking tree’: Public concern, public attention and the nature of reporting about ash dieback in the United Kingdom
Authors: Fellenor John , Barnett Julie , Potter Clive , Urquhart Julie , Mumford J. D. , Quine C. P. , Raum Susanne
Published: December 2018

‘Public concern’, a ubiquitous notion used in descriptive and explanatory modes by policy makers, academics and the media, is often presented as axiomatic. However, the variability with which it is deployed in different contexts, for example, as justification for policy attention or having equivalence with what is considered ‘newsworthy’, belies this status. This article presents an empirical analysis of emails and phone calls from the UK public to UK government agencies, reporting suspected cases of ash dieback disease – a tree health issue which attracted intense media and policy attention in the United Kingdom in 2012. We challenge the view that public attentiveness is necessarily indicative of public concern, or that media attention can be taken as its proxy. Examination of concern at macro and micro levels reveals heterogeneous processes with multiple dimensions. Understanding the nature of public concern is crucial in enabling more effective policy development and operational responses to risk-related issues.
A Critique of O’Byrne’s Understanding of Ethnography and the Politics of Public Health Research
Authors: Brisson Julien
Published: December 2018

Patrick O’Byrne criticizes the use of ethnography in public health research focused on cultural groups. His main argument is that ethnography disciplines marginalized populations that do not respect the imperative of health. In this article, I argue that O’Byrne has an erroneous understanding of ethnography and the politics of scientific research. My main argument is that a methodology itself cannot discipline individuals. I argue that if data are used as a basis to develop problematic public health policies, the issue is the policies themselves and not the methodology used to collect the data. While O’Byrne discourages researchers from conducting health research like ethnography focused on cultural groups, I argue the exact opposite. This has to do with justice and equity for marginalized communities and the obligation to tailor health services for their specific needs, which may not be the same as those of the general population.
Marital Satisfaction and Sexting Behavior Among Individuals in Relationships
Authors: Jeanfreau Michelle M. , Wright Lindsay , Noguchi Kenji
Published: December 2018

We sought to understand that individuals who sext in their marital relationships by looking at sexting behaviors in relation to both relationship status and marital satisfaction. Three hundred twenty-seven individuals completed the sexting behavior scales and the Kansas marital satisfaction scale. Results indicate that about 91% of the population report sending or receiving sext text messages. Although they still partake, this study also found that married individuals have a more negative view of sexting compared to other relationship statuses, except for younger females who despite their negative views of sexting, reported high marital satisfaction. Finally, sexting within the marital relationship does not seem to increase marital satisfaction.
Comprehensive analysis of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T in younger acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients: A single-center experience
Authors: Frikha Rim , Rebai Tarek , Lobna Ben Mahmoud , Frikha Fakher , Mdhaffar Moez , Frikha Imen , Elloumi Moez , Bouayed Nouha
Published: December 2018

Context

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms, mainly the C677T, have been implicated as risk factors for several cancers as the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In addition, a potential effect of such variant on the efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) has been reported.

Objective

In this study, we evaluated the impact of the C677T variant of MTHFR on MTX-related toxicity in ALL patients from Tunisia; to provide new insights for a personalized therapy based on the human genotype.

Materials and methods

Genotyping was carried out with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) on blood samples from a total of 35 younger patients; suffering from ALL.

Results

In the ALL patients, the MTHFR 677CT genotype confers a greater risk of toxicity with 1.3 times as relative risk mainly the hepatic toxicity when compared with MTHFR 677CC.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that C677T polymorphism of MTHFR seems to be a good marker for MTX-related toxicity in ALL.
Impairments in cognitive empathy and alexithymia occur independently of executive functioning in college students with autism
Authors: Ziermans Tim , de Bruijn Ymke , Dijkhuis Renee , Staal Wouter , Swaab Hanna
Published: December 2018

Reduced empathy and alexithymic traits are common across the autism spectrum, but it is unknown whether this is also true for intellectually advanced adults with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this study was to examine whether college students with autism spectrum disorder experience difficulties with empathy and alexithymia, and whether this is associated with their cognitive levels of executive functioning. In total, 53 college students with autism spectrum disorder were compared to a gender-matched group of 29 neurotypical students on cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy and alexithymia. In addition, cognitive performance on executive functioning was measured with computerized and paper-and-pencil tasks. The autism spectrum disorder group scored significantly lower on cognitive empathy and higher on cognitive alexithymia (both d = 0.65). The difference on cognitive empathy also remained significant after controlling for levels of cognitive alexithymia. There were no group differences on affective empathy and alexithymia. No significant relations between executive functioning and cognitive alexithymia or cognitive empathy were detected. Together, these findings suggest that intellectually advanced individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience serious impairments in the cognitive processing of social–emotional information. However, these impairments cannot be attributed to individual levels of cognitive executive functioning.
Physician Attitudes Toward Living Kidney Donation
Authors: Trachtman Howard , Parent Brendan , Kirshenbaum Ari , Caplan Arthur
Published: December 2018

Background:

Compared to dialysis, living kidney donation has a greater chance of restoring health and is associated with better outcomes than deceased kidney donation. Although physicians advocate for this treatment, it is uncertain how they would act as potential living kidney donors or recipients.

Methods:

We surveyed 104 physicians, pediatric, and internal medicine nephrologists, to ascertain their attitudes toward living donation.

Results:

Among surveyed nephrologists, there was nearly universal support for living kidney donation as a viable medical option, and nearly all of them would support a healthy and medically cleared patient who wishes to participate. Although support was still strong, nephrologists were significantly less likely to support their friends and relatives participating in living kidney donation, and their support declined further for friends and relatives donating to nonrelatives.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest the need to more deeply examine physician-perceived risks involved in serving as a living kidney donor. Based on differences in surveyed nephrologist attitudes regarding donation to and from loved ones versus nonrelatives, we suggest that physicians should give careful consideration to how they describe the risks of living donation to potential donors.
The Power of Inclusion: Theorizing “Abjectivity” and Agency Under DACA
Authors: Ellis Basia D. , Gonzales Roberto G. , Rendón García Sarah A.
Published: December 2018

Critical migration scholars argue that undocumented 1.5-generation immigrants occupy distinct forms of “abject” statuses, as legally excluded yet physically included members of society. Implemented in June 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program promised to alleviate the situation of many undocumented young persons in the United States by providing them with temporary work authorization, social security numbers, and protection from deportation. Using critical psychological theory, we examine how DACA altered the condition of “abjectivity” characterizing DACA recipients’ lives, revealing how partially inclusive immigration policies can (re)create liminal subjectivities and give rise to new modes of agency and belonging.
Gatekeeper Improves Voluntary Contractility in Patients With Fecal Incontinence
Authors: Grossi Ugo , De Simone Veronica , Parello Angelo , Litta Francesco , Donisi Lorenza , Di Tanna Gian Luca , Goglia Marta , Ratto Carlo
Published: December 2018

Background. Gatekeeper (GK) has shown to be safe and effective in patients with fecal incontinence (FI). We aimed to understand its mechanism of action by comparing pre- and post-implant change in the external anal sphincter (EAS) contractility. Methods. Study of EAS contractility was conducted in 16 FI females (median age = 69 years) before and after implant of 6 GK prostheses. Muscle tension ( Tm), expressed in millinewtons per centimeter squared, mN(cm2)−1, was calculated using the equation Tm = P(ri)(tm)−1, where P is the average maximum squeeze pressure and ri and tm the inner radius and thickness of the EAS, respectively. The effect of a predefined set of covariates on Tm was tested by restricted maximum likelihood models. Results. Compared with baseline, despite unchanged tm (2.7 [2.5-2.8] vs 2.5 [2.2-2.8] mm; P = .31 mm), a significant increase in P (median = 45.8 [26.5-75.8] vs 60.4 [43.1-88.1] mm Hg; P = .017), and ri (12.4 [11.5-13.4] vs 18.7 [17.3-19.6] mm; P < .001) resulted in an increase in Tm (233.2 [123.8-303.2] vs 490.8 [286.9-562.4] mN(cm2)−1; P < .001) at 12 months after GK implant. Twelve-month follow-up improvements were also observed on Cleveland Clinic FI score (8-point median decrease; P = .0001), St Marks FI score (10-point median decrease; P < .0001), and American Medical Systems score (39-point median decrease; P < .0001). Restricted maximum likelihood models showed that years of onset of FI was negatively associated with change in Tm ( P = .048). Conclusions. GK-related EAS compression positively influences muscle contractility by increasing ri, with consequent increase in Tm (length-tension relationship). Further studies are needed to confirm the long-term effectiveness of GK.