bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Japan: A community sample questionnaire study
Authors: Kita Yosuke , Ashizawa Fumiko , Inagaki Masumi
Published: October 2019

Aim

Prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders have been calculated by questionnaire surveys scored by a single rater, which introduces inherent rater biases. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence and comorbidity rates of four neurodevelopmental disorders based on both parent and teacher rating scales.

Methods

We performed a community sample survey recruiting 3852 children aged 6 to 9 years. Parents and teachers evaluated clinical conditions in children using questionnaire‐style scales. These scales with cut‐off values were used to estimate the prevalence and comorbidity rates of attention deficit hyperactive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disorder (or developmental dyslexia), and developmental coordination disorder.

Results

The prevalence estimates were separately confirmed according to the raters. Some estimates were higher than those in previous studies conducted in other countries. We also found a large disagreement between the parent and teacher rating scores. Moreover, the degree of agreement between two raters varied depending on the severity of the child's clinical condition.

Conclusion

These estimates are the first findings based on evaluating children by two different raters. The prevalence and comorbidity estimates are informative for researchers and clinicians of pediatric neurology. The disagreements between two different raters raise questions about previous estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Acquisition of Quality Information in a Supply Chain with Voluntary vs. Mandatory Disclosure
Authors: Cao Huan , Guan Xu , Fan Tijun , Zhou Li
Published: October 2019

Quality information acquisition and disclosure have significant ramifications for supply chain members. This study investigates the interaction between a manufacturer’s product quality information acquisition and different product quality information disclosure systems in a supply chain wherein the manufacturer can privately acquire the precise quality information of its product by affordable means initially. We consider two different quality information disclosure systems for the quality information acquisition: voluntary disclosure (i.e., the manufacturer determines whether to disclose the quality information that he has acquired), and mandatory disclosure (i.e., the manufacturer is mandated to disclose the quality information that he has acquired). We examine the effects of voluntary disclosure and mandatory disclosure on the equilibrium strategies and payoffs of the manufacturer and the retailer and on the consumer surplus. It is shown that mandatory disclosure significantly reduces the manufacturer’s incentive to acquire the precise product quality information and leads to a reduction in the product quality information that the retailer and the consumers can receive. Interestingly, although the manufacturer is ex ante better off, the retailer’s ex ante payoff and the expected consumer surplus become lower under mandatory disclosure, as opposed to voluntary disclosure of product quality information.
Export promotion and intra‐industry reallocations
Authors: Sørensen Allan
Published: October 2019

Publicly funded/subsidized export promotion agencies reducing informational barriers to export and thus firm‐level fixed/sunk costs of exporting are present in most countries. This paper develops a two‐country one‐sector heterogeneous firms model with origin‐specific publicly funded export promotion agencies and shows how the public good nature of export‐relevant information and the ability to engage in global public affairs may rationalize the existence of such agencies. A novel finding of the model is that gains from export promotion are shared with the trade partner via intra‐industry reallocations.
Correction: ‘A New Randomized Response Model’
Authors: Kumar Grover Lovleen , Kaur Amanpreet
Published: October 2019

We point out a minor mistake in published in 2006, ‘A new randomized response model’, which as been cited by various researchers, though no one has pointed out the mistake.
A Full Bayesian Implementation of A Generalized Partial Credit Model with an Application to an International Disability Survey
Authors: Sahu Sujit K. , Bass Mark R. , Sabariego Carla , Cieza Alarcos , Fellinghauer Carolina S. , Chatterji Somnath
Published: October 2019

Generalized partial credit models (GPCMs) are ubiquitous in many applications in the health and medical sciences that use item response theory. Such polytomous item response models have a great many uses ranging from assessing and predicting an individual's latent trait to ordering the items to test the effectiveness of the test instrumentation. By implementing these models in a full Bayesian framework, computed through the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods implemented in the efficient STAN software package, the paper exploits the full inferential capability of GPCMs. The GPCMs include explanatory covariate effects which allow simultaneous estimation of regression and item parameters. The Bayesian methods for ranking the items by using the Fisher information criterion are implemented by using Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. This allows us to propagate fully and to ascertain uncertainty in the inferences by calculating the posterior predictive distribution of the item-specific Fisher information criterion in a novel manner that has not been exploited in the literature before. Lastly, we propose a new Monte Carlo method for predicting the latent trait score of a new individual by approximating the relevant Bayesian predictive distribution. Data from a model disability survey carried out in Sri Lanka by the World Health Organization and the World Bank are used to illustrate the methods. The approaches proposed are shown to provide simultaneous model-based inference for all aspects of disability which can be explained by environmental and socio-economic factors.
Care providers' troubled conscience related to an implementation of a time management system in residential care for older people—a participatory action research study
Authors: Ericson Lidman Eva , Strandberg Gunilla
Published: October 2019

Background

Care providers in residential care for older people often refer to time shortage, a problem that may generate troubled conscience.

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe a PAR process to assist care providers in municipal residential care for older people to constructively deal with their troubled conscience related to an implemented time management system.

Method

This intervention study was carried out with 14 care providers and their manager in residential care for older people with the support of participatory action research (PAR). The recorded PAR sessions were transcribed and compiled with inspiration from content analysis.

Ethical considerations

The participants were given oral and written information and gave their written informed consent.

Findings

The PAR process was found to empower the participants to form their own structure of the practical professional planning, adapted to the residents needs and to their daily work. In this process, participants used their troubled conscience as a driving force and as an asset.

Conclusion

Instead of launching change without any deeper information, it is important to carefully prepare, involve and inform those who are going to execute the change. Meeting places should be arranged wherein care providers have the opportunity to share and reflect on challenging situations that can generate troubled conscience, especially when comprehensive changes in their work are going to be implemented.
Semiparametric multiparameter regression survival modeling
Authors: Burke Kevin , Eriksson Frank , Pipper C. B.
Published: October 2019

We consider a log‐linear model for survival data, where both the location and scale parameters depend on covariates, and the baseline hazard function is completely unspecified. This model provides the flexibility needed to capture many interesting features of survival data at a relatively low cost in model complexity. Estimation procedures are developed, and asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are derived using empirical process theory. Finally, a resampling procedure is developed to estimate the limiting variances of the estimators. The finite sample properties of the estimators are investigated by way of a simulation study, and a practical application to lung cancer data is illustrated.
Concordance‐based estimation approaches for the optimal sufficient dimension reduction score
Authors: Wang Shao‐Hsuan , Chiang Chin‐Tsang
Published: October 2019

To characterize the dependence of a response on covariates of interest, a monotonic structure is linked to a multivariate polynomial transformation of the central subspace (CS) directions with unknown structural degree and dimension. Under a very general semiparametric model formulation, such a sufficient dimension reduction (SDR) score is shown to enjoy the existence, optimality, and uniqueness up to scale and location in the defined concordance probability function. In light of these properties and its single‐index representation, two types of concordance‐based generalized Bayesian information criteria are constructed to estimate the optimal SDR score and the maximum concordance index. The estimation criteria are further carried out by effective computational procedures. Generally speaking, the outer product of gradients estimation in the first approach has an advantage in computational efficiency and the parameterization system in the second approach greatly reduces the number of parameters in estimation. Different from most existing SDR approaches, only one CS direction is required to be continuous in the proposals. Moreover, the consistency of structural degree and dimension estimators and the asymptotic normality of the optimal SDR score and maximum concordance index estimators are established under some suitable conditions. The performance and practicality of our methodology are also investigated through simulations and empirical illustrations.
Combined multiple testing of multivariate survival times by censored empirical likelihood
Authors: Parkinson Judith H.
Published: October 2019

In each study testing the survival experience of one or more populations, one must not only choose an appropriate class of tests, but further an appropriate weight function. As the optimal choice depends on the true shape of the hazard ratio, one is often not capable of getting the best results with respect to a specific dataset. For the univariate case several methods were proposed to conquer this problem. However, most of the interesting datasets contain multivariate observations nowadays. In this work we propose a multivariate version of a method based on multiple constrained censored empirical likelihood where the constraints are formulated as linear functionals of the cumulative hazard functions. By considering the conditional hazards, we take the correlation between the components into account with the goal of obtaining a test that exhibits a high power irrespective of the shape of the hazard ratio under the alternative hypothesis.
Genomic evidence suggests Mesapamea remmi is an imaginary species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Sihvonen Pasi , Lee Kyung Min , Lundsten Karl‐Erik , Mutanen Marko
Published: October 2019

Taxonomic status of the noctuid moth Mesapamea remmi Rezbanyai‐Reser (Lepidoptera) has remained controversial since its description in 1985. Based on morphology, it has been considered a valid species or a hybrid between Mesapamea secalis (Linnaeus) and Mesapamea didyma (Esper). We studied this case of uncertain identity by using traditional Sanger sequencing techniques (COI and seven nuclear genes) as well as double digest restriction‐site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing, which resulted in analyses including 9402 loci and 1 512 976 bp across the genome. Our analyses showed that genomic data do not support the hybrid hypothesis and that M. remmi is not separated genetically from M. secalis; both are clearly distinct from M. didyma. Reproductive organs of M. remmi males are unique and diagnosable, whereas females are teratological in the sense that ductus seminalis is missing and corpus bursae is malformed, the latter being connected directly to the ovipore. These data support the view that M. remmi is not a valid species and we consider M. remmi Rezbanyai‐Reser, 1985 to be a junior synonym of M. secalis (Linnaeus, 1758). We demonstrate that genomic approaches provide an efficient way to address various difficult and long‐standing taxonomic issues, in this case oversplitting of species.
FinDonor 10 000 study: a cohort to identify iron depletion and factors affecting it in Finnish blood donors
Authors: Lobier Muriel , Niittymäki Pia , Nikiforow Nina , Palokangas Elina , Larjo Antti , Mattila Pirkko , Castrén Johanna , Partanen Jukka , Arvas Mikko
Published: October 2019

Background and Objectives

There is increasing evidence that frequent blood donation depletes the iron stores of some blood donors. The FinDonor 10 000 study was set up to study iron status and factors affecting iron stores in Finnish blood donors. In Finland, iron supplementation for at‐risk groups has been in place since the 1980s.

Material and Methods

A total of 2584 blood donors (N = 8003 samples) were recruited into the study alongside standard donation at three donation sites in the capital region of Finland between 5/2015 and 12/2017. All participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their health and lifestyle. Blood samples were collected from the sample pouch of whole blood collection set, kept in cool temperature and processed centrally. Whole blood count, CRP, ferritin and sTFR were measured from the samples, and DNA was isolated for GWAS studies.

Results

Participant demographics, albeit in general similar to the general blood donor population in Finland, indicated some bias towards older and more frequent donors. Participation in the study increased median donation frequency of the donors. Analysis of the effect of time lag from the sampling to the analysis and the time of day when sample was drawn revealed small but significant time‐dependent changes.

Conclusion

The FinDonor cohort now provides us with tools to identify potential donor groups at increased risk of iron deficiency and factors explaining this risk. The increase in donation frequency during the study suggests that scientific projects can be used to increase the commitment of blood donors.
Numerical modeling method for UV imprint process simulation using thermoviscoelastic constitutive equations
Authors: Onishi Yuki , Yamashita Ryunosuke , Amaya Kenji , Hirai Yoshihiko
Published: October 2019

A novel numerical modeling method for UV imprint process simulation using thermoviscoelastic constitutive equations is proposed. The purpose of the process simulation is to predict transfer errors caused by UV shrinkage when a soft mold such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used. The proposed method introduces an imaginary physical quantity, “virtual temperature,” as a measure of UV reaction progress and then replaces the UV curing/shrinkage phenomenon with the thermoviscoelastic cooling solidification/contraction phenomenon. A series of rheometry experiments are conducted for a general UV resin to identify the material properties of the UV resin as a thermoviscoelastic material. For the purpose of verification, the proposed method with the identified material properties is applied to the simulation of the rheometry experiments. Moreover, for the sake of validation, it is also applied to an actual UV imprinting process for a micromirror array molding with a PDMS mold. These analysis results prove the effectiveness of the present method in predicting transfer errors caused by UV shrinkage.
Calcium isotope evidence for environmental variability before and across the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction
Authors: Linzmeier Benjamin J. , Jacobson Andrew D. , Sageman Bradley B. , Hurtgen Matthew T. , Ankney Meagan E. , Petersen Sierra V. , Tobin Thomas S. , Kitch Gabriella D. , Wang Jiuyuan
Published: October 2019

Carbon dioxide release during Deccan Traps volcanism and the Chicxulub impact likely contributed to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction; however, the intensity and duration of CO2 input differed between the two events. Large and rapid addition of CO2 to seawater causes transient decreases in pH, [CO32–], and carbonate mineral saturation states. Compensating mechanisms, such as dissolution of seafloor sediment, reduced biomineralization, and silicate weathering, mitigate these effects by increasing the same parameters. The calcium isotope ratios (δ44/40Ca) of seawater and marine carbonates are hypothesized to respond to these perturbations through weathering/carbonate deposition flux imbalances and/or changes in fractionation between carbonate minerals and seawater. We used a high-precision thermal ionization mass spectrometry method to measure δ44/40Ca values of aragonitic bivalve and gastropod mollusk shells from the K-Pg interval of the López de Bertodano Formation on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Well-preserved shells spanning the late Maastrichtian (ca. 67 Ma) to early Danian (ca. 65.5 Ma) have δ44/40Ca values ranging from −1.89‰ to −1.57‰ (seawater [sw]). Shifts in δ44/40Ca inversely correlate with sedimentological indicators of saturation state. A negative excursion begins before and continues across the K-Pg boundary. According to a simple mass-balance model, neither input/output flux imbalances nor change in the globally integrated bulk carbonate fractionation factor can produce variations in seawater δ44/40Ca sufficient to explain the measured trends. The data are consistent with a dynamic molluscan Ca isotope fractionation factor sensitive to the carbonate geochemistry of seawater. The K-Pg extinction appears to have occurred during a period of carbonate saturation state variability caused by Deccan volcanism.
Fossil subduction recorded by quartz from the coesite stability field
Authors: Alvaro M. , Mazzucchelli M.L. , Angel R.J. , Murri M. , Campomenosi N. , Scambelluri M. , Nestola F. , Korsakov A. , Tomilenko A.A. , Marone F. , Morana M.
Published: October 2019

Metamorphic rocks are the records of plate tectonic processes whose reconstruction relies on correct estimates of the pressures and temperatures (P-T) experienced by these rocks through time. Unlike chemical geothermobarometry, elastic geobarometry does not rely on chemical equilibrium between minerals, so it has the potential to provide information on overstepping of reaction boundaries and to identify other examples of non-equilibrium behavior in rocks. Here we introduce a method that exploits the anisotropy in elastic properties of minerals to determine the unique P and T of entrapment from a single inclusion in a mineral host. We apply it to preserved quartz inclusions in garnet from eclogite xenoliths hosted in Yakutian kimberlites (Russia). Our results demonstrate that quartz trapped in garnet can be preserved when the rock reaches the stability field of coesite (the high-pressure and high-temperature polymorph of quartz) at 3 GPa and 850 °C. This supports a metamorphic origin for these xenoliths and sheds light on the mechanisms of craton accretion from a subducted crustal protolith. Furthermore, we show that interpreting P and T conditions reached by a rock from the simple phase identification of key inclusion minerals can be misleading.
Focused fluid seepage related to variations in accretionary wedge structure, Hikurangi margin, New Zealand
Authors: Watson Sally J. , Mountjoy Joshu J. , Barnes Philip M. , Crutchley Gareth J. , Lamarche Geoffroy , Higgs Ben , Hillman Jess , Orpin Alan R. , Micallef Aaron , Neil Helen , Mitchell John , Pallentin Arne , Kane Tim , Woelz Susi , Bowden David , Rowden Ashley A. , Pecher Ingo A.
Published: October 2019

Hydrogeological processes influence the morphology, mechanical behavior, and evolution of subduction margins. Fluid supply, release, migration, and drainage control fluid pressure and collectively govern the stress state, which varies between accretionary and nonaccretionary systems. We compiled over a decade of published and unpublished acoustic data sets and seafloor observations to analyze the distribution of focused fluid expulsion along the Hikurangi margin, New Zealand. The spatial coverage and quality of our data are exceptional for subduction margins globally. We found that focused fluid seepage is widespread and varies south to north with changes in subduction setting, including: wedge morphology, convergence rate, seafloor roughness, and sediment thickness on the incoming Pacific plate. Overall, focused seepage manifests most commonly above the deforming backstop, is common on thrust ridges, and is largely absent from the frontal wedge despite ubiquitous hydrate occurrences. Focused seepage distribution may reflect spatial differences in shallow permeability architecture, while diffusive fluid flow and seepage at scales below detection limits are also likely. From the spatial coincidence of fluids with major thrust faults that disrupt gas hydrate stability, we surmise that focused seepage distribution may also reflect deeper drainage of the forearc, with implications for pore-pressure regime, fault mechanics, and critical wedge stability and morphology. Because a range of subduction styles is represented by 800 km of along-strike variability, our results may have implications for understanding subduction fluid flow and seepage globally.
Inherited terrane properties explain enigmatic post-collisional Himalayan-Tibetan evolution
Authors: Kelly Sean , Beaumont Christopher , Butler Jared P.
Published: October 2019

Observations highlight the complex tectonic, magmatic, and geodynamic phases of the Cenozoic post-collisional evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen and show that these phases migrate erratically among terranes accreted to Asia prior to the Indian collision. This behavior contrasts sharply with the expected evolution of large, hot orogens formed by collision of lithospheres with laterally uniform properties. Motivated by this problem, we use two-dimensional numerical geodynamical model experiments to show that the enigmatic behavior of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogeny can result from crust-mantle decoupling, transport of crust relative to the mantle lithosphere, and diverse styles of lithospheric mantle delamination, which emerge self-consistently as phases in the evolution of the system. These model styles are explained by contrasting inherited mantle lithosphere properties of the Asian upper-plate accreted terranes. Deformation and lithospheric delamination preferentially localize in terranes with the most dense and weak mantle lithosphere, first in the Qiangtang and then in the Lhasa mantle lithospheres. The model results are shown to be consistent with 11 observed complexities in the evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. The broad implication is that all large orogens containing previously accreted terranes are expected to have an idiosyncratic evolution determined by the properties of these terranes, and will be shown to deviate from predictions of uniform lithosphere models.
Reef-flat and back-reef development in the Great Barrier Reef caused by rapid sea-level fall during the Last Glacial Maximum (30–17 ka)
Authors: Fujita Kazuhiko , Yagioka Noriko , Nakada Choko , Kan Hironobu , Miyairi Yosuke , Yokoyama Yusuke , Webster Jody M.
Published: October 2019

Reef growth patterns and the development of associated environments have been extensively studied from reef deposits from Holocene and previous interglacial highstands. However, reefs that grew during glacial lowstands are comparatively poorly understood. Here we show the formation of reef-flat and back-reef environments following rapid sea-level fall (15–20 mm yr−1 and 20–40 m in magnitude) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) on the present shelf edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Sedimentological and foraminiferal analyses of unconsolidated reef sediments recovered in cores 111–140 m below sea level at Hydrographers Passage during Integrated Ocean Drilling Project (IODP) Expedition 325 reveal the occurrence of a benthic foraminiferal assemblage dominated by the genera Calcarina and Baculogypsina, which is common in modern reef-flat and back-reef environments in the Great Barrier Reef and elsewhere. This assemblage is associated with higher foraminiferal proportions in reef sediments and higher proportions of well-preserved Baculogypsina tests in the same intervals, which also characterize reef-flat environments. Radiocarbon (14C–accelerator mass spectrometry) ages of reef-flat dwelling foraminifers (n = 22), which indicate the time when these foraminifers were alive, are consistent with the timing of the two-step sea-level fall into the LGM as defined by the previously published well-dated coralgal record. This foraminiferal evidence suggests the development of geomorphically mature fringing reefs with shallow back-reef lagoons during the LGM. Our results also imply that back-reef sediment accumulation rates during the LGM lowstand were comparable to those during the Holocene highstand.
Is the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide Snapshot nutritionally adequate?
Authors: Barr Susan I.
Published: October 2019

This analysis assessed the nutrient content of foods depicted in Canada’s Food Guide Snapshot. Nutrient contents per 2000 kcal were initially assessed by comparison to Daily Values (DVs). For essential nutrients provided in amounts <DVs, the probability of inadequacy was determined. DVs were met for “nutrients to limit”, dietary fibre, and most essential nutrients. However, the probability of calcium and vitamin D inadequacy for reference individuals in most age/sex groups exceeded 50% and ranged up to >90%.

Novelty Canadians who consume foods as depicted in the Food Guide Snapshot are likely to fall below dietary requirements for calcium and vitamin D.
Evaluating the impact of new congestion charging scheme using smartphone-based data: a spatial change detection study
Authors: Shariat Mohaymany Afshin , Shahri Matin
Published: October 2019

Traffic congestion in urban areas is a challenging issue in transportation planning. Policy options have been proposed to evaluate the impacts of interventional action through change detection or before–after studies. In this research, low-cost traffic image data collected by smartphone-based application have been employed and the impact of new congestion charging scheme (CCS) upon congestion within congestion charging zone (CCZ) as well as the entire network in Tehran, the capital of Iran has been investigated. Applying statistical tests indicated the significance of change in congestion within CCZ by applying the new CCS. Differential Moran’s I as spatial autocorrelation index specified the spatial patterns of congestion between the critical time of changing the scheme on weekdays (17:00–19:00) and weekend (6:00–13:00) after implementing the new CCS. The approach in this paper can be used with a low-cost appropriate instrument to monitor the probable change in traffic congestion by introducing any new scheme or sudden change.
Field trial of a three-state quantum key distribution scheme in the Florence metropolitan area
Authors: Bacco Davide , Vagniluca Ilaria , Da Lio Beatrice , Biagi Nicola , Della Frera Adriano , Calonico Davide , Toninelli Costanza , Cataliotti Francesco S. , Bellini Marco , Oxenløwe Leif K. , Zavatta Alessandro
Published: October 2019

In-field demonstrations in real-world scenarios boost the development of a rising technology towards its integration in existing infrastructures. Although quantum key distribution (QKD) devices are already adopted outside the laboratories, current field implementations still suffer from high costs and low performances, preventing this emerging technology from a large-scale deployment in telecommunication networks. Here we present a simple, practical and efficient QKD scheme with finite-key analysis, performed over a 21 dB-losses fiber link installed in the metropolitan area of Florence (Italy). Coexistence of quantum and weak classical communication is also demonstrated by transmitting an optical synchronization signal through the same fiber link.
Reservoir modelling notional CO
2
injection into the Precipice Sandstone and Evergreen Formation in the Surat Basin, Australia
Authors: La Croix Andrew D. , Harfoush Ahmed , Rodger Iain , Gonzalez Sebastian , Undershultz Jim R. , Hayes Phil , Garnett Andrew
Published: October 2019

The Lower Jurassic Precipice Sandstone and Evergreen Formation are an important prospective reservoir–seal pair for CO
2
storage in the Surat Basin, Australia. However, there is little seismic and well data to constrain reservoir modelling in the best notional injection area. To test the likely storage performance, three contrasting sector-scale static reservoir models were built to capture the range of geological uncertainty in facies distribution and reservoir properties. These considered sectors of the Surat Basin with different palaeogeographical arrangements. The models were focused on capturing detail at the interface between the top of the Precipice Sandstone (Blocky Sandstone Reservoir: BSR) and the overlying basal portions of the Evergreen Formation (Transition Zone: TZ), a critical area for understanding CO
2
injection. Object modelling was used for the BSR and lower TZ. Stochastic modelling was implemented for the upper TZ and the Ultimate Seal because these zones were less sensitive to facies distributions. Porosity was modelled stochastically, and permeability calculated using porosity–permeability transformation functions. Dynamic simulation showed the TZ has the capacity to arrest CO
2
flow out of the BSR given appropriate CO
2
injection conditions. This study shows a method of capturing uncertainty in geological heterogeneity when data are sparse or absent. The promising initial modelling results of CO
2
injection into the Surat Basin suggests that it presents a real option for carbon storage at a climate mitigation scale. Further investigation should focus on assessing other major risks associated with carbon storage such as fault seals, reactive fluid transport and the impact of legacy wells.

This article is part of the Energy Geoscience Series available at
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/energy-geoscience-series
Determiners and Bare Nouns
Authors: Dayal Veneeta , Sağ Yağmur
Published: October 2019

Determiners and bare nouns raise questions about the interface between morphosyntax and semantics. On the syntactic side, the primary issue is whether bare nouns have a null determiner making all noun phrases structurally uniform. On the semantic side, the primary issue involves determining and deriving the range of permissible readings. Of primary significance are the availability of definite and indefinite readings for bare nouns and how such readings relate to the presence or absence of lexical exponents of (in)definiteness in a language. Further refinements include the special scope properties of kind terms versus regular indefinites, differences between singular and plural kind terms, number distinctions within the noun phrase, and the role of incorporation. We present the theoretical and typological advances that have been made in addressing these issues and identify which considerations are purely syntactic or purely semantic in nature and which considerations have implications for the interface.
New Approaches to Target Inflammation in Heart Failure: Harnessing Insights from Studies of Immune Cell Diversity
Authors: Rhee Aaron J. , Lavine Kory J.
Published: October 2019

Despite mounting evidence implicating inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, attempts at clinical translation have shown mixed results. Recent preclinical studies have reenergized this field and provided new insights into how to favorably modulate cardiac macrophage function in the context of acute myocardial injury and chronic disease. In this review, we discuss the origins and roles of cardiac macrophage populations in the steady-state and diseased heart, focusing on the human heart and mouse models of ischemia, hypertensive heart disease, and aortic stenosis. Specific attention is given to delineating the roles of tissue-resident and recruited monocyte-derived macrophage subsets. We also highlight emerging concepts of monocyte plasticity and heterogeneity among monocyte-derived macrophages, describe possible mechanisms by which infiltrating monocytes acquire unique macrophage fates, and discuss the putative impact of these populations on cardiac remodeling. Finally, we discuss strategies to target inflammatory macrophage populations.
Role of gut microbiota in liver disease
Authors: Albhaisi Somaya A. M. , Bajaj Jasmohan S. , Sanyal Arun J.
Published: October 2019

The gut microbiome is the natural intestinal inhabitant that has been recognized recently as a major player in the maintenance of human health and the pathophysiology of many diseases. Those commensals produce metabolites that have various effects on host biological functions. Therefore, alterations in the normal composition or diversity of microbiome have been implicated in various diseases, including liver cirrhosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Moreover, accumulating evidence suggests that progression of dysbiosis can be associated with worsening of liver disease. Here, we review the possible roles for gut microbiota in the development, progression, and complication of liver disease.
Kidney dysfunction induced by a sucrose-rich diet in rat involves mitochondria ROS generation, cardiolipin changes, and the decline of autophagy protein markers
Authors: Ruiz-Ramírez Angélica , Barrios-Maya Miguel , Quezada-Pablo Hector , López-Acosta Ocarol , El-Hafidi Mohammed
Published: October 2019

The mechanistic link between obesity and renal failure has been proposed to involve mitochondria reactive oxygen species generation and lipotoxicity. These pathological conditions make mitochondria of particular interest in the regulation of cell function and death by both apoptosis and autophagy. Therefore, this work was undertaken to investigate mitochondria function, autophagy, and apoptosis protein markers in the kidney from a rat model of intra-abdominal obesity and renal damage induced by a high-sucrose diet. Mitochondria from sucrose-fed (SF) kidneys in the presence of pyruvate-malate generated H2O2at a higher rate than from control (79.81 ± 4.98 vs. 65.84 ± 1.95 pmol·min−1·mg protein−1). With succinate, the release of H2O2was significantly higher compared with pyruvate-malate, and it remained higher in SF than in control mitochondria (146.4 ± 8.8 vs. 106.1 ± 5.9 pmol·min−1·mg protein−1). However, cytochrome c release from SF kidney mitochondria was lower than from control. In addition, cardiolipin, a mitochondria-specific phospholipid, was found increased in SF mitochondria due to the enhanced amount of both cardiolipin synthase and tafazzin. Cardiolipin was also found enriched with saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are less susceptible to peroxidative stress involved in cytochrome c release. Furthermore, beclin-1 and light chain 3-B, as autophagy protein markers, and caspase-9, as apoptosis protein marker, were found decreased in SF kidneys. These results suggest that the decline of autophagy protein markers and the lack of apoptosis process could be a pathological mechanism of cell dysfunction leading to the progression of renal disease in SF rats.
Membrane trafficking pathways regulating the epithelial Na+channel
Authors: Ware Adam W. , Rasulov Sahib R. , Cheung Tanya T. , Lott J. Shaun , McDonald Fiona J
Published: October 2019

Renal Na+reabsorption, facilitated by the epithelial Na+channel (ENaC), is subject to multiple forms of control to ensure optimal body blood volume and pressure through altering both the ENaC population and activity at the cell surface. Here, the focus is on regulating the number of ENaCs present in the apical membrane domain through pathways of ENaC synthesis and targeting to the apical membrane as well as ENaC removal, recycling, and degradation. Finally, the mechanisms by which ENaC trafficking pathways are regulated are summarized.
Impact of angiotensin II-mediated stimulation of sodium transporters in the nephron assessed by computational modeling
Authors: Edwards Aurélie , McDonough Alicia A.
Published: October 2019

Angiotensin II (ANG II) raises blood pressure partly by stimulating tubular Na+ reabsorption. The effects of ANG II on tubular Na+ transporters (i.e., channels, pumps, cotransporters, and exchangers) vary between short-term and long-term exposure. To better understand the physiological impact, we used a computational model of transport along the rat nephron to predict the effects of short- and long-term ANG II-induced transporter activation on Na+ and K+ reabsorption/secretion, and to compare measured and calculated excretion rates. Three days of ANG II infusion at 200 ng·kg−1·min−1 is nonpressor, yet stimulates transporter accumulation. The increase in abundance of Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) or activated Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter-2 (NKCC2-P) predicted significant reductions in urinary Na+ excretion, yet there was no observed change in urine Na+. The lack of antinatriuresis, despite Na+ transporter accumulation, was supported by Li+ and creatinine clearance measurements, leading to the conclusion that 3-day nonpressor ANG II increases transporter abundance without proportional activation. Fourteen days of ANG II infusion at 400 ng·kg−1·min−1 raises blood pressure and increases Na+ transporter abundance along the distal nephron; proximal tubule and medullary loop transporters are decreased and urine Na+ and volume output are increased, evidence for pressure natriuresis. Simulations indicate that decreases in NHE3 and NKCC2-P contribute significantly to reducing Na+ reabsorption along the nephron and to pressure natriuresis. Our results also suggest that differential regulation of medullary (decrease) and cortical (increase) NKCC2-P is important to preserve K+ while minimizing Na+ retention during ANG II infusion. Lastly, our model indicates that accumulation of active Na+-Cl− cotransporter counteracts epithelial Na+ channel-induced urinary K+ loss.
Axial differences in endocytosis along the kidney proximal tubule
Authors: Polesel Marcello , Hall Andrew M.
Published: October 2019

The proximal tubule (PT) reabsorbs filtered proteins via receptor-mediated endocytosis to prevent energetically inefficient wasting in the urine. Recent intravital imaging studies have suggested that protein reabsorption occurs in early (S1) segments, which have a very high capacity. In contrast, uptake of fluid phase substrates also occurs in distal (S2) segments. In this article, we will review these findings and their implications for understanding integrated proximal tubular function, patterns of damage caused by endocytosed toxins, and the origins of proteinuria. We will also discuss whether compensatory downstream increases in protein uptake might occur in disease states, and the environmental factors that could drive these changes.
A Novel Optimized Nonlinear Grey Bernoulli Model for Forecasting China’s GDP
Authors: Wu Wen-Ze , Zhang Tao , Zheng Chengli
Published: October 2019

The nonlinear grey Bernoulli model, abbreviated as NGBM(1,1), has been successfully applied to control, prediction, and decision‐making fields, especially in the prediction of nonlinear small sample time series. However, there are still some problems in improving the prediction accuracy of NGBM(1,1). In this paper, we propose a novel optimized nonlinear grey Bernoulli model for forecasting Chinaʼs GDP. In the new model, the structure and parameters of NGBM(1,1) are optimized simultaneously. Especially, the latest item of first‐order accumulative generating operator (1‐AGO) sequence is taken as the initial condition, then background value is reconstructed by optimizing weights of neighbor values in 1‐AGO sequence, which is based on minimizing the sum of absolute percentage errors, and finally, we establish the new model based on the rolling mechanism. Prediction accuracy of the proposed model is investigated through some simulations and a real example application, and the proposed model is applied to forecast the annual GDP in China from 2019 to 2023.
Based on Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis Identification of Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients from Different Regions
Authors: Teng Linxin , Wang Kaiyuan , Liu Yu , Ma Yanxia , Chen Weiping , Bi Lei
Published: October 2019

Accumulating statistics have shown that liver cancer causes the second highest mortality rate of cancer-related deaths worldwide, of which 80% is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Given the underlying molecular mechanism of HCC pathology is not fully understood yet, identification of reliable predictive biomarkers is more applicable to improve patients’ outcomes. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the grouped data from 1557 samples in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) came from different populations, and the mean tumor purity of tumor tissues was 0.765 through the estimate package in R software. After integrating the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we finally got 266 genes. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established based on these DEGs, which contained 240 nodes and 1747 edges. FOXM1 was the core gene in module 1 and highly associated with FOXM1 transcription factor network pathway, while FTCD was the core gene in module 2 and was enriched in the metabolism of amino acids and derivatives. The expression levels of hub genes were in line with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Meanwhile, there were certain correlations among the top ten genes in the up- and downregulated DEGs. Finally, Kaplan–Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for the top five genes in PPI. Apart from CDKN3, the others were closely concerned with overall survival. In this study, we detected the potential biomarkers and their involved biological processes, which would provide a new train of thought for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Effects of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy on Levels of Angiopoetin-2 and Other Selected Circulating Signaling Molecules in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Authors: Hohendorff Jerzy , Drozdz Anna , Borys Sebastian , Ludwig-Slomczynska Agnieszka H. , Kiec-Wilk Beata , Stepien Ewa L. , Malecki Maciej T.
Published: October 2019

Background and Aims. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are linked to amputations and premature deaths. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used for DFUs. The mechanism of NPWT’s action may be associated with its influence on circulating molecules. We assessed NPWT’s effect on the plasma levels of angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), a key regulator of angiogenesis, and its microvesicular receptors (Tie2) as well as the microvesicles (MVs) themselves in DFU patients. Materials and Methods. We included 69 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and neuropathic, noninfected DFUs—49 were treated with NPWT and 20 were treated with standard therapy (ST). Assigning patients to the NPWT group was not random but based on DFU characteristics, especially wound area. Ang2 was measured by ELISA in the entire group, while in a subgroup of 19 individuals on NPWT and 10 on ST, flow cytometry was used to measure Tie2+ and the corresponding isotype control (Iso+) and annexin V (AnnV+) as well as total MVs. Measurements were performed at the beginning and after 8±1 days of therapy. Results. Treatment groups were similar for basic characteristics but differed by their median DFU areas (10.3 (4.2-18.9) vs. 1.3 (0.9-3.4) cm2, p=0.0001). At day 0, no difference was observed in Ang2 levels, total MVs, MV Tie+, and MV AnnV+ between the groups. Ang2 decreased after 8 days in the NPWT group, unlike in the ST group (3.54 (2.40-5.40) vs. 3.32 (2.33-4.61), p=0.02, and 3.19±1.11 vs. 3.19±1.29 ng/mL, p=0.98, respectively). No other parameters were identified that may have been influenced by the NPWT treatment. Conclusion. NPWT in T2DM patients with neuropathic, noninfected DFU seems to lead to reduction of the Ang2 level. Influencing the level of Ang2 may constitute one of NPWT-related mechanisms to accelerate wound healing.
Silk Sericin Semi-interpenetrating Network Hydrogels Based on PEG-Diacrylate for Wound Healing Treatment
Authors: Punyamoonwongsa Patchara , Klayya Supattra , Sajomsang Warayuth , Kunyanee Chanikarn , Aueviriyavit Sasitorn
Published: October 2019

Silk sericin (SS) from the Bombyx mori silk cocoons has received much attention from biomedical scientists due to its outstanding properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, UV-resistant, and ability to release moisturizing factors. Unmodified SS does not self-assemble strongly enough to be used as a hydrogel wound dressing. Therefore, there is a need for suitable stabilization techniques to interlink the SS peptide chains or strengthen their structural cohesion. Here, we reported a method to form a silk semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) structure through reacting with the short-chain poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) in the presence of a redox pair. Various hydrogels were prepared in aqueous media at the final SS/PEGDA weight percentages of 8/92, 15/85, and 20/80. Results indicated that all semi-IPN samples underwent a sol-gel transition within 70 min. The equilibrium water content (EWC) for all samples was found to be in the range of 70-80%, depending on the PEGDA content. Both the gelation time and the sol fraction decreased with the increased PEGDA content. This was due to the tightened network structure formed within the hydrogel matrices. Among all hydrogel samples, the 15/85 (SS/PEGDA) hydrogel displayed the maximum compressive strength (0.66 MPa) and strain (7.15%), higher than those of pure PEGDA. This implied a well-balanced molecular interaction within the SS/PEGDA/water systems. Based on the direct and indirect MTS assay, the 15/85 hydrogel showed excellent in vitro biocompatibility towards human dermal fibroblasts, representing a promising material for biomedical wound dressing in the future. A formation of a semi-IPN structure has thus proved to be one of the best strategies to extend a practical limit of using SS hydrogels for wound healing treatment or other biomedical hydrogel matrices in the future.
Evaluation of Gastric Emptying Time of a Rice-Based Meal Using Serial Sonography
Authors: Cho Eun-Ah , Kim Mi Sung , Cha Yun Byeong , Lee Mi-Suk , Song Taejong
Published: October 2019

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the gastric emptying time of a rice-based meal by serial ultrasonography of the stomach. After baseline ultrasonographic assessment of ten fasted healthy volunteers, volunteers ingested standardized 420 g, 536 kcal rice-based meal (bibimbap), and serial evaluations were performed every hour until the stomach became empty. At baseline, all the participants had an empty stomach. The average time of complete gastric emptying of the rice-based meal was 5.8 ± 0.8 h (95% confidence interval (CI), 5.0 h to 6.5 h). Since the first postintake cross-sectional area (CSA) measurement, a decrease was observed, and CSA was maintained until postprandial 3–4 h (P>0.05). It declined rapidly 4 h after meal intake (P=0.031), reaching the nadir at approximately 6 h after meal intake. The gastric CSA and hunger score showed a positive correlation (correlation r = 0.616, P<0). The rice-based meal is emptied after 5.8 ± 0.8 h on average in healthy volunteers. Based on our results, 6.5 h (upper limit of CI) of fasting after the ingestion of a rice-based meal would be a safe preoperative fasting time, and this is in accordance with the current guidelines for preoperative fasting.