bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of intelligent healthcare system based on ambulatory blood pressure measuring device
Authors: Eun Sung-Jong , Kim JungYoon
Published: July 2020

Currently, the market size of blood pressure monitors both in domestic and overseas is gradually increasing due to the increase in hypertension patients resulting from aging population. In addition, the necessity of developing systems and devices for the healthcare of hypertension patients is also increasing. Moreover, the determination of health normality in respect to the management of hypertension patients is possible, but it is essentially important to incorporate preventive healthcare. Thus, further studies on deep learning-based prediction technology using previous data are needed. This paper proposes the development of an intelligent healthcare management system that can help to manage the health of hypertensive patients. The system includes a wrist-worn ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device that can analyze the normality of measured blood pressures. The performance evaluation results of the proposed system verified the reliability of data acquisition as compared with the existing equipment as well as the efficiency of the intelligent healthcare system.
The proteorhodopsins of the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina: ultrastructure and localization by immunofluorescence light microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy
Authors: Rhiel Erhard , Westermann Martin , Steiniger Frank , Hoischen Christian
Published: July 2020

At least 7 proteorhodopsin sequences of Oxyrrhis marina were recently proven in bands obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and MS analyses revealed that the bands consisted almost of pure, native proteorhodopsins (Rhiel et al. 2020). The proteorhodopsin fractions, i.e., bands B2, B3, and B4 were subjected to transmission electron microscopy. Negative staining revealed that band B2 consisted most likely of monomeric/oligomeric proteorhodopsins with particle dimensions of about 6 nm. Negative staining, freeze-fracture, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy revealed that bands B3 and B4 consisted of vesicular, sheet-like, and cup-shaped structures which all seemed to be composed of protein. Frequently, ring-like protein aggregates were registered at higher magnifications. They measured about 4 nm in diameter with a tiny hole of 1.5 nm in the middle. The bands B2, B3, and B4 were pooled and used to raise an antiserum. Immunoelectron microscopy resulted in intense labeling of the isolated structures. Immunofluorescence light microscopy of formaldehyde-fixed Oxyrrhis cells resulted in intense labeling of the cell periphery. Some cell internal structures became labeled, too. Immunoelectron microscopy of freeze-fractured cells revealed that most likely the membranes of the amphiesmal vesicles were labeled at the cell periphery, while the cell internal label seemed to originate from the food vacuoles.
Comparison of models of diffusion in Wilms’ tumours and normal contralateral renal tissue
Authors: Rogers Harriet J. , Verhagen Martijn V. , Clark Chris A. , Hales Patrick W.
Published: July 2020

Objective

ADC (Apparent Diffusion Coefficient) derived from Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) has shown promise as a non-invasive quantitative imaging biomarker in Wilms’ tumours. However, many non-Gaussian models could be applied to DWI. This study aimed to compare the suitability of four diffusion models (mono exponential, IVIM [Intravoxel Incoherent Motion], stretched exponential, and kurtosis) in Wilms’ tumours and the unaffected contralateral kidneys.

Materials and methods

DWI data were retrospectively reviewed (110 Wilms’ tumours and 75 normal kidney datasets). The goodness of fit for each model was measured voxel-wise using Akaike Information Criteria (AIC). Mean AIC was calculated for each tumour volume (or contralateral normal kidney tissue). One-way ANOVAs with Greenhouse–Geisser correction and post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction evaluated significant differences between AIC values; the lowest AIC indicating the optimum model.

Results

IVIM and stretched exponential provided the best fits to the Wilms’ tumour DWI data. IVIM provided the best fit for the normal kidney data. Mono exponential was the least appropriate fitting method for both Wilms’ tumour and normal kidney data.

Discussion

The diffusion weighted signal in Wilms’ tumours and normal kidney tissue does not exhibit a mono-exponential decay and is better described by non-Gaussian models of diffusion.
Evaluation of objective visual quality in dry eye disease and corneal nerve changes
Authors: Ma Jiahui , Wei Shanshan , Jiang Xiaodan , Chou Yilin , Wang Yuexin , Hao Ran , Yang Jiarui , Li Xuemin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To explore objective visual quality in dry eye diseases (DED) and the correlation between corneal nerves and objective visual quality.

Methods

Ninety-eight eyes of 49 patients with DED were included. Each patient was evaluated with the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), eyelid margin signs and meibomian gland assessments; corneal staining; tear film breakup time (TBUT); tear meniscus height (TMH); in vivo confocal microscopic (IVCM); objective visual quality including the objective scatter index (OSI), mean objective scattering index (mOSI), modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff value and Strehl ratio.

Results

A significant correlation was found between the OSDI and mOSI (r = 0.422, p = 0.005), MTF cutoff value (r = − 0.355, p = 0.020), and Strehl ratio (r = − 0.446, p = 0.003). The OSI was significantly correlated with TBUTf (r = − 0.213, p = 0.042). The mOSI, MTF cutoff value, Strehl ratio were correlated with eyelid margin signs and meibomian assessments. Additionally, there was a statistically significant correlation between corneal nerve length and the mOSI (r = − 0.239, p = 0.037), OSI (r = − 0.294, p = 0.028), MTF cutoff value(r = 0.282, p = 0.012), and Strehl ratio (r = 0.299, p = 0.008).

Conclusions

Our study explored that objective visual quality was correlated with clinical symptoms and signs in DED patients. Furthermore, for the first time, our study explored the relationship between corneal nerves and objective visual quality and discovered that longer and wider corneal nerves were associated with better objective visual quality, which suggested that nerve changes may be a factor that related to poor visual quality in DED patients.
Performance of longitudinal item response theory models in shortened or partial assessments
Authors: Arrington Leticia , Ueckert Sebastian , Ahamadi Malidi , Macha Sreeraj , Karlsson Mats O.
Published: July 2020

This work evaluates the performance of longitudinal item response (IR) theory models in shortened assessments using an existing model for part II and III of the MDS-UPDRS score. Based on the item information content, the assessment was reduced by removal of items in multiple increments and the models’ ability to recover the item characteristics of the remaining items at each level was evaluated. This evaluation was done for both simulated and real data. The metric of comparison in both cases was the item information function. For real data, the impact of shortening on the estimated disease progression and drug effect was also studied. In the simulated data setting, the item characteristics did not differ between the full and the shortened assessments down to the lowest level of information remaining; indicating a considerable independence between items. In contrast when reducing the assessment in a real data setting, a substantial change in item information was observed for some of the items. Disease progression and drug effect estimates also decreased in the reduced assessments. These changes indicate a shift in the measured construct of the shortened assessment and warrant caution when comparing results from a partial assessment with results from the full assessment.
Catalysis by Imaging: From Meso- to Nano-scale
Authors: Suchorski Yuri , Rupprechter Günther
Published: July 2020

In-situ imaging of catalytic reactions has provided insights into reaction front propagation, pattern formation and other spatio-temporal effects for decades. Most recently, analysis of the local image intensity opened a way towards evaluation of local reaction kinetics. Herein, our recent studies of catalytic CO oxidation on Pt(hkl) and Rh(hkl) via the kinetics by imaging approach, both on the meso- and nano-scale, are reviewed. Polycrystalline Pt and Rh foils and nanotips were used as µm- and nm-sized surface structure libraries as model systems for reactions in the 10–5–10–6 mbar pressure range. Isobaric light-off and isothermal kinetic transitions were visualized in-situ at µm-resolution by photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), and at nm-resolution by field emission microscopy (FEM) and field ion microscopy (FIM). The local reaction kinetics of individual Pt(hkl) and Rh(hkl) domains and nanofacets of Pt and Rh nanotips were deduced from the local image intensity analysis. This revealed the structure-sensitivity of CO oxidation, both in the light-off and in the kinetic bistability: for different low-index Pt surfaces, differences of up to 60 K in the critical light-off temperatures and remarkable differences in the bistability ranges of differently oriented stepped Rh surfaces were observed. To prove the spatial coherence of light-off on nanotips, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) as a spatial correlation analysis was applied to the FIM video-data. The influence of particular configurations of steps and kinks on kinetic transitions were analysed by using the average nearest neighbour number as a common descriptor. Perspectives of nanosized surface structure libraries for future model studies are discussed.
Automatic associations and the affective valuation of exercise: disentangling the type-1 process of the affective–reflective theory of physical inactivity and exercise
Authors: Schinkoeth Michaela , Brand Ralf
Published: July 2020

The decision to exercise is not only bound to rational considerations but also automatic affective processes. The affective–reflective theory of physical inactivity and exercise (ART) proposes a theoretical framework for explaining how the automatic affective process (type‑1 process) will influence exercise behavior, i.e., through the automatic activation of exercise-related associations and a subsequent affective valuation of exercise. This study aimed to empirically test this assumption of the ART with data from 69 study participants. A single-measurement study, including within-subject experimental variation, was conducted. Automatic associations with exercise were first measured with a single-target implicit association test. The somato-affective core of the participants’ automatic valuation of exercise-related pictures was then assessed via heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, and the affective valence of the valuation was tested with a facial expression (FE; smile and frown) task. Exercise behavior was assessed via self-report. Multiple regression (path) analysis revealed that automatic associations predicted HRV reactivity (β = −0.24,p = .044); the signs of the correlation between automatic associations and the smile FE score was in the expected direction but remained nonsignificant (β = −0.21,p = .078). HRV reactivity predicted self-reported exercise behavior (β = −0.28,p = .013) (the same pattern of results was achieved for the frown FE score). The HRV-related results illustrate the potential role of automatic negative affective reactions to the thought of exercise as a restraining force in exercise motivation. For better empirical distinction between the two ART type‑1 process components, automatic associations and the affective valuation should perhaps be measured separately in the future. The results support the notion that automatic and affective processes should be regarded as essential aspects of the motivation to exercise.
Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness and Self-Distancing on Chocolate Intake After a Negative State Affect
Authors: Hussain Misba , Egan Helen , Keyte Rebecca , Mantzios Michail
Published: July 2020

Foods high in fat and sugar can often act as emotional regulators during negative emotional states, and regularly engaging in such behaviour can contribute towards weight gain. The present study investigated whether using mindful construal diaries (MCD) adapted with the element of self-distancing could improve state mindfulness, attenuate negative affect, and reduce chocolate intake. One hundred twenty participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, self-immersed, self-distanced, and control, and after evoking a negative state affect through a film excerpt, participants were served chocolate. The findings suggested there were no significant differences in improving state mindfulness or state negative affect across the three conditions. However, participants in the control condition did consume significantly more chocolate than those in the self-immersed and self-distanced conditions. Whilst there were no significant differences in chocolate intake between the two experimental conditions, those in the self-distanced condition did consume the least amount of chocolate. The concept of self-distancing may be beneficial in improving emotional eating behaviours further in mindful and attentive eating interventions. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Metadiscursive Activities in Oral Discourse Production in L2 French: A Study on Learner Profiles
Authors: Koch Christian , Thörle Britta
Published: July 2020

This study explores the use of discourse markers (DMs) in metadiscursive activities such as word searches, repairs or metalinguistic evaluations that occur during spontaneous oral production. The analysis is based on a corpus of telephone conversations between advanced learners and native speakers of French and draws on functional as well as on interactional work on DM. In a first step, three selected learner profiles provide insight, by means of sequence analysis, into how individual learners make use of their particular DM inventory for their utterance planning, carrying out repairs and expressing attitudes toward their oral production. In a second step, the study compares native and non-native speaker’s DM inventories in order to detect general tendencies in the learners’ DM use that differ from the native speakers’ use of DMs. The comparison of the profiles shows that, even if there is relatively little agreement among the learners regarding the concrete lexical forms of the DMs, similarities can be discerned regarding the interlinguistic characteristics (e.g. individual preferences and overuse in the form of “lexical teddy bears” such asoui,alorsorvoilà, underuse of typical French reformulation markers likeenfin, and weak routine in the lexicalisation of metadiscursive comments).
Projected Change in Temperature and Precipitation Over Africa from CMIP6
Authors: Almazroui Mansour , Saeed Fahad , Saeed Sajjad , Nazrul Islam M. , Ismail Muhammad , Klutse Nana Ama Browne , Siddiqui Muhammad Haroon
Published: July 2020

We analyze data of 27 global climate models from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), and examine projected changes in temperature and precipitation over the African continent during the twenty-first century. The temperature and precipitation changes are computed for two future time slices, 2030–2059 (near term) and 2070–2099 (long term), relative to the present climate (1981–2010), for the entire African continent and its eight subregions. The CMIP6 multi-model ensemble projected a continuous and significant increase in the mean annual temperature over all of Africa and its eight subregions during the twenty-first century. The mean annual temperature over Africa for the near (long)-term period is projected to increase by 1.2 °C (1.4 °C), 1.5 °C (2.3 °C), and 1.8 °C (4.4 °C) under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) for weak, moderate, and strong forcing, referenced as SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. The future warming is not uniform over Africa and varies regionally. By the end of the twenty-first century, the largest rise in mean annual temperature (5.6 °C) is projected over the Sahara, while the smallest rise (3.5 °C) is over Central East Africa, under the strong forcing SSP5-8.5 scenario. The projected boreal winter and summer temperature patterns for the twenty-first century show spatial distributions similar to the annual patterns. Uncertainty associated with projected temperature over Africa and its eight subregions increases with time and reaches a maximum by the end of the twenty-first century. On the other hand, the precipitation projections over Africa during the twenty-first century show large spatial variability and seasonal dependency. The northern and southern parts of Africa show a reduction in precipitation, while the central parts of Africa show an increase, in future climates under the three reference scenarios. For the near (long)-term periods, the area-averaged precipitation over Africa is projected to increase by 6.2 (4.8)%, 6.8 (8.5)%, and 9.5 (15.2)% under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. The median warming simulated by the CMIP6 model ensemble remains higher than the CMIP5 ensemble over most of Africa, reaching as high as 2.5 °C over some regions, while precipitation shows a mixed spatial pattern.
Permission to Rebel: A Critical Evaluation of Alcohol Consumption and Party Tourism
Authors: Carlisle Sheena , Ritchie Caroline
Published: July 2020

There is increasing societal worry about the long and short-term medical implications of binge drinking. There is also societal and fiscal concern about the impact that the rowdy carnivalesque behaviours engendered by the heavy drinking expected during a party tourism holiday has upon both the tourist and the local community. Therefore, a multi-disciplinary analysis of extant literature relating to the party tourism phenomenon and the consumption of excess alcohol which identifies gaps in current knowledge is timely. Reviewed from a British tourist perspective, the party tourism enclave primarily hosts friendship and rites of passage groups, and stag and hen parties where a high alcohol consumption is an expected, if not compulsory, holiday behaviour. The authors go beyond sole recognition of excessive alcohol consumption in beach destinations using thematic analysis to assess the role of the communal enclave space, the power of place and representations of drinking to excess via media and holiday discourses. This is measured in the context of culturally (un)acceptable behaviours within different drinking groups according to demographics, peer group pressures, purpose of holiday and personal incentive to drink. This links to roles of social media, levels of risk tourists are willing to take, memories of holiday drinking experiences, the role the hospitality and tourism industry in promoting alcohol consumption and levels of governance and policing within the party tourism destination. Recommendations are made for future empirical research to inform policy and practice within party and nightlife destinations.
Amplifying the Voice of the Patient in Clinical Research: Development of Toolkits for Use in Designing and Conducting Patient-Centered Clinical Studies
Authors:   TransCelerate Biopharma Toolkits Core Team, Elmer Mary , Florek Cathy , Gabryelski Lori , Greene Alison , Inglis Anne Marie , Johnson Karen L. , Keiper Tanja , Ludlam Sean , Sharpe T. J. , Shay Kathyjo , Somers Fabian , Sutherland Catherine , Teufel Michele , Yates Stephen
Published: July 2020

Incorporating patient perspectives into clinical studies is recognized as important to the development of high-quality, safe, and effective fit-for-patient medicines. However, no widely accepted methodology to help design more patient-centered studies has been established systematically. TransCelerate Biopharma Inc., a non-profit organization promoting collaboration across biopharmaceutical companies, organized a Patient Experience (PE) Initiative to create tools to intentionally include the patient perspective into the design and implementation of clinical studies. The resulting tools include the Patient Protocol Engagement Toolkit (P-PET), to engage patients early in protocol development, and the Study Participant Feedback Questionnaire (SPFQ), to assess patient experiences during clinical studies. To develop these toolkits, TransCelerate conducted a literature review and identified aspects of clinical studies that patients find either valuable or burdensome, or that affect participation, adherence, and engagement in a clinical study. The concepts identified were refined through elicitation of feedback from patient advisors, clinical study site advisors, and subject matter experts from member companies (MCs) of TransCelerate. This feedback was considered in identifying gaps, defining scientific methodology to understand how to evaluate patients’ needs, and developing and refining the P-PET and the SPFQ. As part of the development process, descriptions/drafts of the tools were shared with patients, clinical site advisory groups, MCs, and the US Food and Drug Administration, and then revised. MCs simulated use of the tools, and feedback was incorporated into the final versions of the P-PET and SPFQ prior to public release. The P-PET and SPFQ are available free on the TransCelerate website.
Investigating the association between sleep quality and diffusion‐derived structural integrity of white matter in early adolescence
Authors: Jamieson Daniel , Broadhouse Kathryn M. , McLoughlin Larisa T. , Schwenn Paul , Parker Marcella J. , Lagopoulos Jim , Hermens Daniel F.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Poor sleep quality has been linked to reduced neural connectivity through decreased white matter (WM) structural integrity. WM tract development has been shown to continue throughout adolescence with studies reporting positive correlations between diffusion‐derived estimates of structural integrity and reduced sleep quality in adult samples. Few studies have investigated this relationship exclusively within a sample of young adolescents.

Methods

N = 51 participants aged 12 years (M = 151.5 months, SD = 4 months) completed a self‐report questionnaire which included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and underwent Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) as part of their baseline assessment in the Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study (LABS) being undertaken in Queensland, Australia. Fractional anisotropy (FA) were extracted using Tract‐Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to investigate associations between sleep quality and WM integrity across the brain.

Results

Significant correlations were found between the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the PSQI total sleep quality and sleep latency scores. There was also a significant difference in sleep duration between male and female participants.

Conclusion

These findings provide an important insight of the impact that sleep may have on early adolescent WM development. Ongoing longitudinal assessment of sleep on WM development across adolescence is likely to provide further important information about how WM maturation relates to variations in sleep quality as circadian rhythm changes occur during middle and late adolescence.
Selective Functional Hyperconnectivity in the Middle Temporal Gyrus Subregions in Lifelong Premature Ejaculation
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Tang Dongdong , Cai Huanhuan , Zhang Biao , Yang Ying , Zhang Cun , Zhao Wenming , Zhu Jiajia , Zhang Xiansheng , Yu Yongqiang
Published: July 2020

Background

Lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE) has been linked to altered brain function and structure. Although the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) is consistently more affected in LPE, its functional and structural changes have yet to be determined at the subregional level.

Aim

To explore the functional and structural changes of MTG in LPE at the subregional level based on a combined analysis of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging data.

Methods

25 patients with LPE and 21 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. The MTG was parcellated into the anterior part of the MTG (aMTG), middle part of the MTG, posterior part of the MTG, and sulcus part of the MTG. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and gray matter volume (GMV) of each MTG subregion were calculated and compared between the 2 groups.

Outcomes

The functional and structural changes of MTG at the subregional level were assessed in patients with LPE and controls, as well as the correlation of them with premature ejaculation diagnostic tool and Beck Depression Inventory.

Results

Despite similar rsFC patterns of each MTG subregion in both groups, quantitative comparison analyses revealed that patients with LPE showed increased rsFC between the left aMTG and the right cuneus (0.34 ± 0.12 vs 0.17 ± 0.17), between the right aMTG and the right parahippocampal gyrus (0.36 ± 0.16 vs 0.15 ± 0.10), and between the right middle MTG and the left MTG (0.40 ± 0.14 vs 0.18 ± 0.15) relative to controls (P < .05, cluster-level family-wise error corrected). Moreover, validation analyses revealed that these results remained significant after adjusting for depression. However, there were no significant group differences in GMV in all the MTG subregions (P > .05, Bonferroni corrected). In addition, no significant correlations between rsFC and GMV of the MTG subregions and the clinical variables were found in patients with LPE (P > .05, Bonferroni corrected).

Clinical Implications

Functional hyperconnectivity in the MTG subregions may facilitate a more sophisticated understanding of the neuropathological mechanism underlying LPE.

Strengths and Limitations

There are no previous studies examining functional and structural changes in LPE at the MTG subregional level. The main limitation is the small sample size.

Conclusions

We present evidence that individuals with LPE have a selective functional hyperconnectivity yet preserved structural integrity in the MTG subregions, which may facilitate a more sophisticated understanding of the neuropathological mechanism underlying LPE by highlighting the critical role of the MTG in this disorder.
Weak States at Global Climate Negotiations
Authors: Genovese Federica
Published: July 2020

This Element provides an explanation for the power of weak states in international politics, focusing on the case of international climate negotiations at the United Nations. The author points to the pitfalls of assuming that weak countries elicit power from their coordinated salience for climate issues. Contrastingly, it is argued that weak states' influence at global climate negotiations depends on the moral authority provided by strong states. The author maintains that weak states' authority is contingent on international vulnerability, which intersects broader domestic discussions of global justice, and pushes the leaders of strong countries to concede power to weak countries. New empirical evidence is shown in support of the theory.
Effects of Guanidinoacetic acid supplements on laying performance, egg quality, liver nitric oxide and energy metabolism in laying hens at the late stage of production
Authors: Salah Ayman S. , Ahmed-Farid Omar A. , El-Tarabany Mahmoud S.
Published: July 2020

The objective was to elucidate the effects of dietary supplementation with guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on performance, egg quality and the liver antioxidant activity of laying hens. A total of 128, 72-week-old ISA Brown laying hens were randomly divided into four equal groups (32 birds), and each subgroup had eight replicates (four birds/cage). The control group (GAA0) fed the basal diet with no supplements, while the other experimental groups fed the basal diets supplemented with 0.5 (GAA1), 1.0 (GAA2) and 1.5 (GAA3) g of GAA/kg diet. The experiment lasted for 6 weeks. The addition of GAA at a rate of 1.5 g kg−1 significantly increased the hen-day egg production and egg mass as compared to the control group (P = 0.016 and 0.003, respectively). Although the egg weight was not affected (P = 0.521) by the dietary supplements, the shell ratio, shell thickness, yolk index and Haugh units increased linearly with the increase in the dietary supplements of the GAA (P = 0.036, 0.001, 0.012 and 0.004, respectively). The liver MDA levels decreased linearly with the increment in the dietary levels of the GAA (P = 0.012). Birds in the GAA2 and GAA3 showed a significantly higher liver nitric oxide level (52.50 and 54.21 mg/g, respectively) when compared with GAA0 and GAA1 groups (P = 0.029). Compared to the GAA0 group, all GAA-supplemented groups showed significantly higher liver ATP levels (P = 0.047). In conclusion, the dietary GA supplements at doses of 1.0 or 1.5 g kg−1 may improve the laying performance, antioxidant activity and the status of cellular energy metabolism in laying hens.
Determinants of hypertension in Nepal using odds ratios and prevalence ratios: an analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey 2016
Authors: Das Gupta Rajat , Talukder Animesh , Haider Shams Shabab , Al Kibria Gulam Muhammed
Published: July 2020

This cross-sectional study investigated the factors associated with hypertension among Nepalese adults aged 18 years or above using data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were obtained using log-binomial regression and logistic regression, respectively. Initially, unadjusted PRs and ORs were obtained. The variables that yielded a significance level below 0.2 in unadjusted analyses were included in the multivariable analysis. The overall prevalence of hypertension among the 13,393 participants (58% male and 61.2% urban) was 21.1% (n = 2827). In the adjusted analysis, those aged 30–49 years (adjusted PR [APR]: 3.1, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.6, 3.7; adjusted OR [AOR]: 3.6, 95% CI: 2.9, 4.5), 50–69 years (APR: 5.3, 95% CI: 4.4, 6.6; AOR: 8.2, 95% CI: 6.4, 10.4) and ≥70 years (APR: 7.3, 95% CI: 5.8, 9.2; AOR: 13.6, 95% CI: 10.1, 18.3) were more likely to be hypertensive than younger participants aged 18–29 years. Males (APR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4; AOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.7), overweight/obese participants (APR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.7, 2.0; AOR: 2.4, 95% CI: 2.2, 2.8) and those in the richest wealth quintile (APR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.5; AOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.9) had higher prevalences and odds of hypertension than their female, normal weight/underweight and poorest wealth quintile counterparts, respectively. Those residing in Province 4 (APR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.5; AOR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.8) and Province 5 (APR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.4; AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7) were more likely to be hypertensive than those residing in Province 1. The point estimate was inflated more in magnitude by ORs than by PRs, but the direction of association remained the same. Public health programmes in Nepal aimed at preventing hypertension should raise awareness among the elderly, males, individuals in the richest wealth quintile and the residents of Provinces 4 and 5.
Event-related brain-oscillatory and ex-Gaussian markers of remission and persistence of ADHD
Authors: Vainieri Isabella , Michelini Giorgia , Adamo Nicoletta , Cheung Celeste H. M. , Asherson Philip , Kuntsi Jonna
Published: July 2020

Background

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often persists into adolescence and adulthood, but the processes underlying persistence and remission remain poorly understood. We previously found that reaction time variability and event-related potentials of preparation-vigilance processes were impaired in ADHD persisters and represented markers of remission, as ADHD remitters were indistinguishable from controls but differed from persisters. Here, we aimed to further clarify the nature of the cognitive-neurophysiological impairments in ADHD and of markers of remission by examining the finer-grained ex-Gaussian reaction-time distribution and electroencephalographic (EEG) brain-oscillatory measures in ADHD persisters, remitters and controls.

Methods

A total of 110 adolescents and young adults with childhood ADHD (87 persisters, 23 remitters) and 169 age-matched controls were compared on ex-Gaussian (mu, sigma, tau) indices and time-frequency EEG measures of power and phase consistency from a reaction-time task with slow-unrewarded baseline and fast-incentive conditions (‘Fast task’).

Results

Compared to controls, ADHD persisters showed significantly greater mu, sigma, tau, and lower theta power and phase consistency across conditions. Relative to ADHD persisters, remitters showed significantly lower tau and theta power and phase consistency across conditions, as well as lower mu in the fast-incentive condition, with no difference in the baseline condition. Remitters did not significantly differ from controls on any measure.

Conclusions

We found widespread impairments in ADHD persisters in reaction-time distribution and brain-oscillatory measures. Event-related theta power, theta phase consistency and tau across conditions, as well as mu in the more engaging fast-incentive condition, emerged as novel markers of ADHD remission, potentially representing compensatory mechanisms in individuals with remitted ADHD.
Caracalla and the divine: emperor worship and representation in the visual language of Roman Asia Minor
Authors: Calomino Dario
Published: July 2020

This paper discusses the visual language adopted in the cities of Asia Minor to represent the emperor Caracalla in the years 214–216, which he spent travelling between the Anatolian region, Egypt and the Near East. The focus of this study is the imagery designed to express his relation with the divine through the overlapping representations of the emperor as a devotee and peer of the gods, and as a divine being. The first part of the study compares Rome to Asia Minor to show divergences as well as possible links between provincial and metropolitan media, discussing local and imperial responses to the emperor governing from the Roman East. The second part focuses on the imagery introduced in Asia Minor to represent the worship of the living Roman emperor and his cult-image in particular, providing insights into the creation of extraordinary visual patterns that remained unique to the reign of Caracalla.
TÜRKMEN-KARAHÖYÜK 1: a new Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription from Great King Hartapu, son of Mursili, conqueror of Phrygia
Authors: Goedegebuure Petra , van den Hout Theo , Osborne James , Massa Michele , Bachhuber Christoph , Şahin Fatma
Published: July 2020

In this article, the authors present a first edition of the recently found inscription TÜRKMEN-KARAHÖYÜK 1, propose an eighth-century dating and explore some of the consequences of this date for the group of inscriptions mentioning Hartapu, son of Mursili.
A landscape-oriented approach to urbanisation and early state formation on the Konya and Karaman plains, Turkey
Authors: Massa Michele , Bachhuber Christoph , Şahin Fatma , Erpehlivan Hüseyin , Osborne James , Lauricella Anthony J.
Published: July 2020

This paper synthesises the data and results of the Konya Regional Archaeological Survey Project (2016–2020) in order to address the earliest evidence for cities and states on the Konya and Karaman plains, central Turkey. A nested and integrative approach is developed that draws on a wide range of spatially extensive datasets to outline meaningful trends in settlement, water management and regional defensive systems during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The significance of the regional centre of Türkmen-Karahöyük for a reconstruction of early state polities between the 13th and eighth centuries BCE is addressed. In light of this regional analysis, it is tentatively suggested that, during the Late Bronze Age, Türkmen-Karahöyük was the location of the city of Tarḫuntašša, briefly the Hittite capital during the reign of Muwatalli II. More assuredly, based on the analysis of the newly discovered Middle Iron Age TÜRKMEN-KARAHÖYÜK 1 inscription, it is proposed that Türkmen-Karahöyük was the seat of a kingdom during the eighth century BCE that likely encompassed the Konya and Karaman plains.
Crowd-assessing quality in uncertain data linking datasets
Authors: Faria Daniel , Ferrara Alfio , Jiménez-ruiz Ernesto , Montanelli Stefano , Pesquita Catia
Published: July 2020

The quality of a dataset used for evaluating data linking methods, techniques, and tools depends on the availability of a set of mappings, called reference alignment, that is known to be correct. In particular, it is crucial that mappings effectively represent relations between pairs of entities that are indeed similar due to the fact that they denote the same object. Since the reliability of mappings is decisive in order to perform a fair evaluation of automatic linking methods and tools, we call this property of mappings as mapping fairness. In this article, we propose a crowd-based approach, called Crowd Quality (CQ), for assessing the quality of data linking datasets by measuring the fairness of the mappings in the reference alignment. Moreover, we present a real experiment, where we evaluate two state-of-the-art data linking tools before and after the refinement of the reference alignment based on the CQ approach, in order to present the benefits deriving from the crowd assessment of mapping fairness.
The descriptive epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 during the epidemic period in Lu'an, China: achieving limited community transmission using proactive response strategies
Authors: Qin Wei , Sun Jie , Xu Pengpeng , Gong Tianqi , Li Xiude , Liu Lei , Hu Jieying , Wang Yao , Xie Shaoyu , Li Kaichun , Chang Hongwei , Lyu Yong
Published: July 2020

Hubei province in China has had the most confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and has reported sustained transmission of the disease. Although Lu'an city is adjacent to Hubei province, its community transmission was blocked at the early stage, and the impact of the epidemic was limited. Therefore, we summarised the overall characteristics of the entire epidemic course in Lu'an to help cities with a few imported cases better contain the epidemic. A total of 69 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 11 asymptomatic carriers were identified in Lu'an during the epidemic from 12 January to 21 February 2020. Fifty-two (65.0%) cases were male, and the median age was 40 years. On admission, 56.5% of cases had a fever as the initial symptom, and pneumonia was present in 89.9% of cases. The mean serial interval and the mean duration of hospitalisation were 6.5 days (95% CI: 4.8–8.2) and 18.2 days (95% CI: 16.8–19.5), respectively. A total of 16 clusters involving 60 cases (17 first-generation cases and 43 secondary cases) were reported during the epidemic. We observed that only 18.9% (7/37) index cases resulted in community transmission during the epidemic in Lu'an, indicating that the scale of the epidemic was limited to a low level in Lu'an city. An asymptomatic carrier caused the largest cluster, involving 13 cases. Spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic carriers represents an enormous challenge for countries responding to the pandemic.
High-resolution spatial distribution ofpCO2in the coastal Southern Ocean in late spring
Authors: Caetano Ludmila S. , Pollery Ricardo C.G. , Kerr Rodrigo , Magrani Fábio , Ayres Neto Arthur , Vieira Rosemary , Marotta Humberto
Published: July 2020

We present a high-resolution spatial study of ocean surface carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2), temperature and salinity coupled with a seismic survey performed in subpolar waters with a variable presence of glaciers along the coastal margins of Admiralty Bay and the Bransfield Strait, northern Antarctic Peninsula, during the late spring season. Three zones were identified in this bay. The shallow and relatively fresh SHALLOW GLACIER THAW zone in the inner portion of the bay had high freshwater inputs from active glacial meltwater channels, representing higherpCO2levels (median ~438 μatm) than the shallow and relatively salty SHALLOW zone without glaciers along the margins and dominated by macroalgae communities at the bottom, which showed relatively lowpCO2levels (median ~371 μatm). The deep and relatively salty CENTRE zone was highly influenced by seawater intrusions from the Bransfield Strait, representing intermediatepCO2levels (median ~397 μatm). The net sea-air CO2fluxes in late spring obtained from the high-resolution surface survey in Admiralty Bay indicate a condition of near neutral air-sea CO2flux, with a median (25–75% interquartile range) value of -0.07 mmol m-2day-1(ranging from -12.21 to +4.33 mmol m-2day-1), contrasting with the slight source to the atmosphere estimated from measurements only in the CENTRE zone. This finding suggests that temperature-sensitive metabolic and physical-chemical processes may cause significant variability in the ocean surface distribution of CO2over short shoreline distances in the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
Glasgow's new town hall: imperialism, nationalism and civic pride, 1877–1889
Authors: Groten Miel
Published: July 2020

Nineteenth-century Glasgow was widely imagined and presented as the proud ‘Second City of the Empire’. This article investigates the implications of this identification with the empire by analysing Glasgow's great town hall, built 1883–89, as the main manifestation of the city's civic pride. It shows how the building's architectural style, sculpture and inauguration ceremonies created a specific image of ‘imperial’ Glasgow which emphasized loyalty to Union and empire. Instead of undermining each other, the layered political allegiances of civic pride, nationalism, unionism and imperialism were mutually reinforcing, shaping the town hall still in use today.
Linguistic knowledge-based vocabularies for Neural Machine Translation
Authors: Casas Noe , Costa-jussà Marta R. , Fonollosa José A. R. , Alonso Juan A. , Fanlo Ramón
Published: July 2020

Neural Networks applied to Machine Translation need a finite vocabulary to express textual information as a sequence of discrete tokens. The currently dominant subword vocabularies exploit statistically-discovered common parts of words to achieve the flexibility of character-based vocabularies without delegating the whole learning of word formation to the neural network. However, they trade this for the inability to apply word-level token associations, which limits their use in semantically-rich areas and prevents some transfer learning approaches e.g. cross-lingual pretrained embeddings, and reduces their interpretability. In this work, we propose new hybrid linguistically-grounded vocabulary definition strategies that keep both the advantages of subword vocabularies and the word-level associations, enabling neural networks to profit from the derived benefits. We test the proposed approaches in both morphologically rich and poor languages, showing that, for the former, the quality in the translation of out-of-domain texts is improved with respect to a strong subword baseline.
Food purchasing behaviour of shoppers from different South African socio-economic communities: results from grocery receipts, intercept surveys and in-supermarkets audits
Authors: Odunitan-Wayas Feyisayo A , Okop Kufre J , Dover Robert VH , Alaba Olufunke A , Micklesfield Lisa K , Puoane Thandi , Levitt Naomi S , Battersby Jane , Meltzer Shelly T , Lambert Estelle V
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To identify factors associated with food purchasing decisions and expenditure of South African supermarket shoppers across income levels.

Design:

Intercept surveys were conducted, grocery receipts collated and expenditure coded into categories, with each category calculated as percentage of the total expenditure. In-supermarket food quality audit and shelf space measurements of foods such as fruits and vegetables (F&V) (healthy foods), snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) (unhealthy foods) were also assessed. Shoppers and supermarkets were classified by high-, middle- and low-income socio-economic areas (SEA) of residential area and location, respectively. Shoppers were also classified as “out-shoppers” (persons shopping outside their residential SEA) and “in-shoppers” (persons shopping in their residential SEA). Data were analysed using descriptive analysis and ANOVA.

Setting:

Supermarkets located in different SEA in urban Cape Town.

Participants:

Three hundred ninety-five shoppers from eleven purposively selected supermarkets.

Results:

Shelf space ratio of total healthy foods v. unhealthy foods in all the supermarkets was low, with supermarkets located in high SEA having the lowest ratio but better quality of fresh F&V. The share expenditure on SSB and snacks was higher than F&V in all SEA. Food secure shoppers spent more on food, but food items purchased frequently did not differ from the food insecure shoppers. Socio-economic status and food security were associated with greater expenditure on food items in supermarkets but not with overall healthier food purchases.

Conclusion:

Urban supermarket shoppers in South Africa spent substantially more on unhealthy food items, which were also allocated greater shelf space, compared with healthier foods.
Food security moderates relationship between perceived food environment and diet quality among adults in communities with low access to healthy food retail
Authors: Gupta Nisha R , Freedman Darcy A
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To examine the relationship between food security status, diet quality measured using Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) scores, demographics and the following factors: perceptions of healthy food availability, healthy eating identity and perceived control of healthy eating.

Design:

A cross-sectional study in 2016–2017 using three 24-h dietary recalls and one psychosocial survey.

Setting:

Two urban communities in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, USA, with low access to healthy food retailers.

Participants:

Primary food shoppers living in the targeted geographic areas (N450).

Results:

Our results indicated that high school graduates had lower HEI-2010 scores compared with participants who had some college education or more (β= –2·77,P= 0·02). Participants receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits had lower HEI-2010 scores (β= –2·69,P= 0·03). Healthy eating identity was associated with higher HEI-2010 scores (β= 1·85,P= 0·004). Food security status moderated the relationship between perception of healthy food availability and HEI-2010 scores. Among participants with very low food security (VLFS), greater perceptions of healthy food availability were associated with higher HEI-2010 scores (β= 3·25,P= 0·03), compared with food secure participants. Only 14 % of VLFS participants used a personal vehicle as transportation to their primary food shopping store.

Conclusions:

Findings offer targets for future intervention development and evaluation to promote community nutrition. These targets include strategies to improve the value of SNAP benefits, promote access to quality education, increase transportation options to healthy food retailers and develop nutrition programming to promote healthy eating identity.
Endogenous IL-2 in Cancer Cells: Immunocytochemical Detection and Biological Significance
Authors: Whiteside T L , Reichert Torsten E
Published: July 2020

We have described previously the presence of IL2R on human carcinoma (CA) cell lines (squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, gastric carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma) and tumors in situ (1,2,). These carcinomas expressed IL2Rβ and γ (intermediate affinity IL2R) and I-labeled IL2 was found to bind to these receptors. Scatchard analyses showed that 13,500 IL2Rβ/cell and about 300 IL2Rα were present on the surface of PCI-1, a SCCHN cell line. The mRNA and proteins for IL2Rβ and γ were consistently detectable in tumor cell lines and fresh tumor tissues. Binding of recombinant IL2 to IL2R resulted in a partial but significant inhibition of tumor cell growth, decreased expression of class I MHC antigens and ICAM-1 on tumor cells and their increased sensitivity to growth-modulating cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α or TGFβ. These effects were IL2-dose dependent, and were optimal at doses >10nM. Anti-IL2Rβ Abs reversed IL2-induced growth inhibition, an indication that exogenous IL2 delivered a negative growth signal to CAs via the β chain of IL2R.