bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Market efficiency and random number generators in Solvency II
Authors: Strati Francesco
Published: May 2021

Complex insurance policies are valued by Economic Scenario Generators (ESG), stochastic simulations developed via Monte Carlo techniques that span the evolution of risk factors important for insurers (financial and technical) consistent with market data. The either pseudo or quasi-random number generators used in the model turn out to be important for the precision of the valuation of Asset/Liability models. I shall compare five different random number generators in a G[Formula: see text] model in terms of market efficiency, by testing for the fulfilment of the martingale condition. The enhancement of existing methods is crucial in the field of computational insurance based on Monte Carlo techniques given that the number of simulations is perilously limited.
Quality Characteristics of Wheat Malts with Different Country of Origin and Their Effect on Beer Brewing
Authors: Byeon Yang Soo , Lim Seung-Taik , Kim Hyun-Jin , Kwak Han Sub , Kim Sang Sook
Published: May 2021

The characteristics of wheat malt, wort, and beer from two Korean wheat varieties (Keumkang and Anzunbaengi; KM and AM, respectively) were compared to those of two commercial wheat malt controls from the USA and Germany (UM and GM), to examine the feasibility of Korean wheat for brewing. The quality parameters of four wheat malts, chemical properties of wort using them, volatile compounds, sensory attributes, and consumer acceptability of four final beers (KB, AB, UB, and GB) were analysed. Additionally, the relationship of each parameter was determined through multiple factor analysis. Korean wheat malts were different from control malts in free amino nitrogen (FAN), soluble and total nitrogen, and Kolbach index. The extract (81.8–83.2%) and diastatic power (407–477 WK°) of all samples were in the brewing field’s recommended range. The FAN and yeast cell population of the wort samples were similar during fermentation except on the initial day, which showed a high FAN and yeast cell population for KM wort. Eleven volatile compounds with variable importance in projection scores above 1.0 were responsible for discrimination of the beer samples by partial least squares discriminant analysis. The four beer samples’ overall acceptance scores were not significantly different. However, their acceptance trends were different depending on consumer preference segments by agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis, implying the need for product development depending on the target consumer. Regarding sensory attributes, KB had a less fruity flavour than the other beer samples (

p
<
0.05

) and sweetness of AB tended to be higher than the others. An association plot based on multiple factor analysis of the wheat beer samples, volatile compounds, sensory properties, and overall acceptance showed that sweetness, alcohol aroma, and fruity flavour were closely associated with AB and overall acceptance, while 2,3-butanediol and turbidity were placed opposite side of there.
Research on the Impact of Expressway on the County Economy Based on a Spatial DID Model: The Case of Three Provinces of China
Authors: Xu Xueming , Liu Changping
Published: May 2021

Infrastructure construction results in transportation cost and regional economy changes. Based on the exogenous infrastructure change of a county highway opening as a natural experiment, this paper uses the spatial difference-in-differences (DID) model to analyze the impact of highway construction in three different provinces of China from 2004 to 2017. It was proved that highway connectivity had no significant or negative impact on the economy of the counties in three provinces that the highway passes through. In addition, highway connectivity was claimed to have obvious spatial spillover effects, which could promote the economic development of the whole region. For counties belonging to provinces in different regions and stages of economic development, we establish a spatial DID model that integrates time and space dimensions to study the impact of expressways on county economic development, to make up for the traditional DID model’s dependence on SUTVA assumptions, and to obtain spatial spillover effects.
Geological Characteristics of Mud Volcanoes and Diapirs in the Northern Continental Margin of the South China Sea: Implications for the Mechanisms Controlling the Genesis of Fluid Leakage Structures
Authors: Zhong Siling , Zhang Jinfeng , Luo Junsheng , Yuan Yajuan , Su Pibo
Published: May 2021

Mud volcanoes and diapirs are geological structures formed due to arch piercing or diapiric intrusion of ductile sedimentary materials into the overlying strata along high permeability channels. A detailed study on the processes controlling the formation of mud volcanoes and diapirs in the northern continental margin of the South China Sea is of vital importance to the exploration of economically viable oil and gas reservoirs and can be helpful to the exploration of natural gas hydrate in a sedimentary basin. The fluid seepage structures that occur in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary basins of the northern South China Sea show significant differences in their morphological and tectono-structural characteristics. We used high-resolution seismic profiles and instantaneous frequency profiles to understand the mechanisms that are critical with respect to the differential development of the investigated piercement structures. Differences in stress field do not directly lead to the difference in the scale of mud volcanoes or diapirs. Fractures may play an important role in the formation of mud volcanoes and diapirs. The thickness of the sediment was found to have a strong impact on the formation of fluid leakage structures that thicker sediments are more conducive to the development of mud diapirs and the thinner one is more likely to form mud volcanoes.
A Novel Approach for Solving Fuzzy Differential Equations Using Cubic Spline Method
Authors: Karpagappriya S. , Alessa Nazek , Jayaraman P. , Loganathan K.
Published: May 2021

Ambiguity in real-world problems can be modeled into fuzzy differential equations. The main objective of this work is to introduce a new class of cubic spline function approach to solve fuzzy initial value problems efficiently. Further, the convergence of this method is shown. As it is a single-step method that converges faster, the complexity of the proposed method is too low. Finally, a numerical example is illustrated in order to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, and the results are compared with the exact as well as Taylor’s method of order two.
Fibronectin 1: A Potential Biomarker for Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Bao Huijing , Huo Qianyu , Yuan Qin , Xu Chen
Published: May 2021

Object. Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers among females with high mortality rate, due to most patients diagnosed at the advanced stage of the disease. Seeking new biomarkers for ovarian cancer detection and progress indication is really important for the patients. Methods. OVCAR3 and A2780 are the two common cell lines that are used for ovarian cancer studies. The different invasion and migration abilities were observed by scratch tests and transwell experiments in our preliminary study. Gene chip was used to screen the expression gene in these two different cell lines, and then, the differentially expressed genes (at least 2-fold difference,

P

value < 0.05) were analyzed using KEGG. Result. Fibronectin 1 (FN1) was found to be the most strongly correlated with the invasion and migration abilities of the OVCAR3 cells. Real-time PCR and FN1 knockout cell line was conducted and confirmed this finding. Based on the Oncomine database analysis, comparing with normal people, ovarian cancer patients exhibited high levels of FN1 expression. Additionally, higher FN1 expression was found in patients with higher FIGO stages of cancer. Conclusion. FN1 could be a new biomarker for ovarian cancer detection and progress indicator.
Analysis of Revenue Incentive Dynamic Mechanism of Financial Supply Chain from the Perspective of the Internet of Things
Authors: Yin Yue
Published: May 2021

With the rapid development of society, all walks of life need the support of the Internet of Things, and the financial industry is no exception. This article integrates blockchain technology with supply chain finance and builds a supply chain financial alliance architecture based on blockchain technology and an underlying model of the Ethereum blockchain system suitable for supply chain finance. We innovated new supply chain finance models and operating mechanisms and proposed business scenarios for supply chain finance from the perspective of blockchain. Taking into account the actual operation of the blockchain supply chain financial platform, the principal‐agent model and the incentive theory are applied, and the supply chain financial accounts receivable model is taken as an example in the case of complete information and incomplete information. The incentive mechanism between the service provider of the chain supply chain financial platform and the core enterprise promotes the better implementation of blockchain technology and supply chain finance. Based on the existing theoretical research, this paper identifies the key influencing factors of the supply chain’s cross‐enterprise incentive mechanism. These influencing factors system includes two dimensions: transaction factors and relationship factors. Transaction factors include resource dependence, uncertainty, and cooperation experience; relationship factors include corporate reputation, trust level, and relationship commitment. Based on the nature of the incentive mechanism, information sharing and revenue sharing are extracted as the measurement dimensions of the supply chain’s cross‐enterprise incentive mechanism. On this basis, this article draws on the existing enterprise life cycle division method and constructs a hypothetical model of the influencing factors of the incentive mechanism in the incubation period, the growth period, and the maturity period. Relevant data was collected through questionnaires, and SPSS and AMOS software were used to perform statistical analysis, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation hypothesis testing on the data. The performance of each influencing factor in different stages of the enterprise’s life cycle and the importance of each influencing factor in the same life cycle stage are obtained.
Comparison of the Effects of Hugo’s Point Massage and Play on IV-Line Placement Pain in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Salawati Ghasemi Shahnaz , Beyramijam Mehdi , Yarahmadi Fatemeh , Nematifard Taban , Bahrani Seyed Shahabeddin , Khaleghverdi Masoomeh
Published: May 2021

Reduction of intravenous line placement pain is one of the most important nursing priorities in the pediatric wards. The present study was aimed at comparing the effect of Hugo’s point massage and play on the severity of IV-line placement pain in hospitalized children aged 3–6 years in the pediatric ward. 72 children were selected and assigned randomly to three groups, i.e., control, play, and Hugo point massage. In the massage group, the middle angle between the first and second bones of the palm of the opposite hand was massaged, and the playgroup encouraged bubble-making play. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not show a statistically significant difference between the mean IV-line placement pain in play, Hugo’s point, and control groups before interventions (

p
=
0.838

;

p
>
0.05

). However, the ANOVA test revealed a significant difference between the mean IV-line placement pain in play, Hugo’s point, and control groups after the interventions (

p
=
0.006

;

p
<
0.05

). The result of the post hoc Scheffe test also showed a statistically significant difference between the mean intensity of IV-line placement pain in both play therapy and Hugo’s point massage groups (

p
=
0.028

;

p
<
0.05

). Moreover, this test showed that the playgroup children felt less pain than Hugo’s point and control group children. This study showed that, in comparison with Hugo’s point massage, the play was a more effective way for reducing pain caused by IV-line placement in children, and pediatric nurses can play a significant role in reducing and managing children’s pain by using it.
Framework for State‐Aware Virtual Hardware Fuzzing
Authors: Xu Hang , Qin Ganyu , Zhu Junhu , Liu Zimian , Liu Zhiqiang
Published: May 2021

Coverage‐based greybox fuzzing has strong capabilities in discovering virtualization software vulnerabilities. Efficiency is one of the most important indicators while evaluating greybox fuzzing. However, the interference of virtual hardware state conditions on testcase evaluation severely impairs the efficiency of greybox fuzzing. In order to reduce the interference of virtual hardware state conditions and increase the efficiency of fuzzing, we propose a state‐based virtual hardware fuzzing framework, named SAVHF (State‐Aware Virtual Hardware Fuzzing). In this framework, a source‐to‐source instrumentation method based on the abstract syntax tree is proposed to detect the state condition of virtual hardware. Based on the source‐to‐source instrumentation, we afterwards propose a state‐based fuzzing strategy to adapt to the state conditions of virtual hardware. We realize the prototype system of SAVHF and use it to evaluate 17 popular virtual hardware of Qemu and find 16 bugs with 1 CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) number assigned. Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed SAVHF framework covers an average of more than 61% of virtual hardware code branches in the 18 hours testing and can improve the average code coverage by 11.04% compared with the path‐based fuzzing strategy.
[Retracted] Synthesis, Characterization, and Specific Localization of Mitochondrial‐Targeted Antioxidant Peptide SS31 Probe
Authors: He Yuan , Zhang Ruixue , Quan Zhuoya , He Beilei , Xu Yun , Chen Zejun , Ren Yuan , Liu Xu
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the targeting efficiency of FITC‐SS31 to mitochondria in both normal and H2O2‐induced oxidative damaged 661W cells, characterizing the properties of FITC‐SS31 in the biological assays. The purity and molecular weight of FITC‐SS31 were identified using HPLC and MS. MTT and LDH assays were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and cell permeability. The binding ability of FITC‐SS31 to cells was demonstrated by flow cytometry. The colocalization of FITC‐SS31 and MitoTracker both in normal and oxidative cells was analyzed by a laser confocal microscope. We detected the DEGs between SS31+H2O2 and H2O2‐alone‐treated cells by RNA seq. GO and KEGG analyses were performed to predict the functional gene of SS31. The molecular weight of FITC‐SS31 was 1142.2 with the 97.76% purity. The flow cytometry results showed that the MFI (mean fluorescence intensity) of FITC‐SS31 in normal cells in the 4 h probe treatment group was higher than that in the 2 h and the 0 h group. The MFI in the 2 h probe treatment group was much higher than that in the 4 h and 0 h groups in damaged cells. The positive rate of 10 μM FITC‐SS31 was higher than that of 1 μM and 5 μM. Fluorescein imaging analysis confirmed that FITC‐SS31 was overlapped with MitoTracker. Through the analysis, DEGs were highly expressed in “localization, organelle, antioxidant activity, binding” functions and enriched in “AMPK signaling pathway, MAPK targets/nuclear events mediated by MAP kinase pathway and PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway.” It is speculated that SS31 exerts an antioxidant effect through one of these pathways. We hypothesized that SS31 could play a more efficient role in the pathological cells in the half‐life period to avoid cell death due to oxidative damage. The functions of the DEGs in SS31+H2O2 and H2O2‐alone samples are related to the localization and antioxidant activity of SS31. DEGs are mostly enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway, which needs further studies.
Intelligent Monitoring Method of Short‐Distance Swimming Physical Function Fatigue Limit Mobile Calculation
Authors: Yin Jianxia , Huang Shimeng , Lei Lei , Yao Jing
Published: May 2021

The detection and classification of moving targets have always been a key technology in intelligent video surveillance. Current detection and classification algorithms for moving targets still face many difficulties, mainly because of the complexity of the monitoring environment and the limitations of target characteristics. Therefore, this article conducts corresponding research on moving target detection and classification in intelligent video surveillance. According to the Gaussian Mixture Background Model and Frame Difference Method, this paper proposes a moving target detection method based on GMM (Gaussians Mixture Model) and Frame Difference Method. This method first proposes a new image combination algorithm that combines GMM and frame difference method, which solves the problems of noise and voids inside the target caused by the fusion of traditional GMM and frame difference method. The moving target detection method can effectively solve the problems of incomplete moving target detection, target internal gap, and noise, and it plays a vital role in the subsequent moving target classification process. Then, the method adds image inpainting technology to compensate the moving target in space and obtain a better target shape. The innovation of this paper is that in order to solve the multiobject classification problem, a binary tree decision support vector machine based on statistical learning is constructed as a classifier for moving object classification. Improve the learning efficiency of the classifier, solve the competitive classification problem of the traditional SVM, and increase the efficiency of the mobile computing intelligent monitoring method by more than 70%.
Peptidome Analysis of Pancreatic Tissue Derived from T1DM Mice: Insights into the Pathogenesis and Clinical Treatments of T1DM
Authors: Zhang Fan , Zhou Meiyun , Li Shuangshuang , Gu Jinhua , Qian Yuanyuan , He Sisi , Hong Li , Sun Linlin , Zhang Xiaohua , Ji Weigang
Published: May 2021

Bioactive peptides attract growing concerns for their participation in multiple biological processes. Their roles in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus remain poorly understood. In this study, we used LC‐MS/MS technology to compare the peptide profiling between pancreatic tissue of T1DM mice and pancreatic tissue of matched control groups. A total of 106 peptides were differentially expressed in T1DM pancreatic tissue, including 43 upregulated and 63 downregulated peptides. Most of the precursor proteins are insulin. Further bioinformatics analysis (GO and pathway analysis) indicated that the potential functions of these differential peptides were tightly related to regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress. In conclusion, this study highlights new candidate peptides and provides a new perspective for exploring T1DM pathogenesis and clinical treatments.
Spatial‐Frequency Estimation for OFDM System with Coprime Array
Authors: Shao Gang , Wu Wen-qin , Yin Lei , Ding Chen-yang , Zhang Xiao-yuan
Published: May 2021

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is the key technique of the communication system. In this paper, coprime array is designed in OFDM system to obtain joint direction of arrival (DOA) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimates. The proposed system can achieve beamforming and adaptive signal processing, reduce the multipath fading, and attain angle diversity. Meanwhile, coprime array has the advantages of extended array aperture, increased degrees of freedom, and reduced mutual coupling effect, which is adaptable in OFDM system. Moreover, this paper proposes a low‐complexity parameter algorithm with superior performance, which first exploits propagator method (PM) as the initialization and then parallel factor (PARAFAC) method is employed for the accurate DOA and CFO estimation. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the OFDM coprime array system and the proposed low‐complexity multiparameter algorithm.
Estudo comparativo dos efeitos da hidroterapia e método Pilates sobre a capacidade funcional de pacientes portadores de fibromialgia
Authors: Kümpel Claudia , Porto Elias Ferreira , Silva Kyara Morgana Oliveira Moura , Aguiar Sonia Dias de , Lima Paula Bernardo de , Campos Gustavo Freitas , Castro Antonio Adolfo Mattos de , Quadros Abrahão Augusto Joviniano
Published: May 2021

A síndrome da fibromialgia é complexa e a hidroterapia e os exercícios contido no método Pilates podem ser uma alternativa não farmacológico no tratamento destes pacientes. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos da hidroterapia e do método Pilates sobre a redução da dor, melhora da capacidade funcional e da qualidade do sono em pacientes com fibromialgia. Método: Estudo prospectivo no qual foram avaliados 80 pacientes do sexo feminino com diagnóstico clínico de SF, distribuídas aleatoriamente em dois grupos, o Grupo I realizava tratamento por meio da hidroterapia e o grupo II por meio do método Pilates. A dor foi avaliada por meio da EVA e da algometria, a qualidade de vida dos pacientes foi avaliada (QIF), qualidade do sono por meio (IQSP), o grau de sonolência durante oito atividades rotineiras por meio da escala de Epworth todos foram realizados antes e após tratamento. Resultados: 50 pacientes com SF fizeram parte do estudo, deste 30 foram para o GI e 20 para GII, média global da idade foi 50,8±12,5. Houve redução do impacto global da doença na vida dos pacientes de ambos os grupos. Ambos os grupos melhoraram igualmente qualidade do sono. Houve melhora da dor medida por ambos os métodos (p<0,0001) e (p=0,013) grupo I e II respectivamente. Conclusão: A hidroterapia e os exercícios do método Pilates se mostraram igualmente eficazes na redução do impacto global, melhora do sono e capacidade funcional em pacientes com fibromialgia.
Association of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease–Specific Care With Clinical Characteristics and Healthcare Use
Authors: Khan Abigail M. , McGrath Lidija B. , Ramsey Katrina , Agarwal Anushree , Broberg Craig S.
Published: May 2021

Background

Many adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) are cared for by non‐ACHD specialists, if they receive care at all. Little is known about the differences between those who access care at an ACHD center and those who do not access ACHD‐specific care.

Methods and Results

The Oregon All Payer All Claims database was queried to identify subjects aged 18 to 65 years with an
International Classification of Diseases,
Ninth Revision
(
ICD‐9
) code consistent with ACHD from 2010 to 2015. ACHD center providers were identified using National Provider Identification numbers. Usage rates and percentages were calculated with person‐years in the denominator, and rate ratios and odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using negative binomial and logistic regression. Only 11.7% of identified individuals (N=10 199) were seen at the ACHD center. These individuals were younger (median 36 versus 47 years;
P
<0.0001) and had higher rates of Medicaid insurance (47.8% versus 28.4%;
P
<0.0001), heart failure (31.4% versus 15.3%;
P
<0.0001), and arrhythmia (75.5 versus 49.2%;
P
<0.0001). They had more visits of all types (outpatient: 79% per year versus 64% per year [age‐adjusted OR, 2.54; 99% CI, 2.24–2.88]; emergency department: 29% versus 22% per year [adjusted OR, 1.34; 99% CI, 1.18–1.52]; inpatient: 17% versus 12.0% per year [adjusted OR, 1.92; 99% CI, 1.67–2.20]). Rates of guideline‐indicated annual echocardiography were low (7.7% overall, 13.4% in patients at the ACHD center).

Conclusions

Patients at an ACHD center comprise a distinct and complex group with a high rate of healthcare use and a relatively higher compliance with guideline‐indicated annual follow‐up. These findings underscore the importance of building and supporting robust systems for ACHD care in the United States.
The Challenges, Advantages, and Consequences of Writing Prose in a Second Language
Authors: Orel Brigita
Published: May 2021

According to Homi Bhabha, hybridity in the context of identity where two cultures or languages collide is a third space where new views and stances can emerge. I explored the concept of this third space by writing a novel in English, which is my second language, instead of in my mother tongue, Slovenian. I investigated the effects of language switch on my choice of subject matter, my writing process, and my perception of my work and myself as a writer and as a person. I examined language-related challenges of writing in my second language, the benefits of a new insight a second language offers, and how multilingualism leads to a more fluid identity and a change in perspective.
What’s Next for the Quantified Scholar? Impact, Metrics, and (Social) Media
Authors: Crane Andrew , Glozer Sarah
Published: May 2021

Social media is fueling the increasing individualization of impact metrics. While democratizing for some, for others, the move reinforces privilege and exacerbates inequality.
Value, Price and Profit
Authors: Patnaik Prabhat
Published: May 2021

Value Price and Profit was a speech delivered by Marx at a meeting of the First International where he used ideas of his not-yet-published Capital to present what later came to be known as the “w-r-frontier”. He argued on its basis, against the position of John Stuart Mill, that workers as a whole can obtain higher real wages at the expense of the capitalists’ rate of profit. The relationship between economic and political struggles outlined in Value, Price and Profit is a novel one: the weakening of working-class capacity to intervene at the economic level is supposed to bring on the agenda greater political struggles. This novel reading of the relationship between the economic and the political also has much relevance for today’s world.
Research on psychotic disorders in rural areas: Recent advances and ongoing challenges
Authors: Peritogiannis Vaios , Samakouri Maria
Published: May 2021

Background:

Research on patients with chronic psychotic disorders in rural areas is scarce. Those patients may not receive adequate mental health care. Mental health disparities among rural and urban areas have been recognized.

Aims:

This review aims to present the most recent research on psychotic disorders in rural areas.

Method:

We conducted a search in the PubMed and Scopus databases. The search involved articles published over the last decade (2011–2020). All types of research design were included, if studies had used a controlled group of urban patients and reported on the differences among rural/urban residents with psychotic disorders. The focus of the review was on outcome and treatment.

Results:

A total of 12 studies were included in this review. Most have been conducted in China or India. Reports from Western countries are rare. Outcome studies showed that employment rates are significantly higher in rural patients, as well as rates of marriage in women. It is not clear what is the impact of those outcomes on patients’ lives. The finding of lower cost of psychotic disorders in some rural areas, should be viewed with scepticism. Studies on treatment aspects suggested that rural patients were less likely to receive antipsychotics, antipsychotic combination or clozapine. Those results were attributed to limited access to specialized treatment. When rural patients receive specialized community care they seem to have better outcomes than urban patients.

Conclusion:

There is an ongoing, but still scarce research on patients with chronic psychotic disorders in rural areas. Researchers pointed out the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on outcome and treatment, and stressed the importance of minimizing mental health disparities. These findings may have potential implications for future research; for the introduction of accessible, locally based mental health services in rural areas; and for political initiatives that would address poverty and social inequalities.
Flipping the Script: Measuring Both Performance Validity and Cognitive Ability with the Forced Choice Recognition Trial of the RCFT
Authors: Abeare Kaitlyn , Romero Kristoffer , Cutler Laura , Sirianni Christina D. , Erdodi Laszlo A.
Published: May 2021

In this study we attempted to replicate the classification accuracy of the newly introduced Forced Choice Recognition trial (FCR) of the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) in a clinical sample. We administered the RCFT FCR and the earlier Yes/No Recognition trial from the RCFT to 52 clinically referred patients as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and incentivized a separate control group of 83 university students to perform well on these measures. We then computed the classification accuracies of both measures against criterion performance validity tests (PVTs) and compared results between the two samples. At previously published validity cutoffs (≤16 & ≤17), the RCFT FCR remained specific (.84–1.00) to psychometrically defined non-credible responding. Simultaneously, the RCFT FCR was more sensitive to examinees’ natural variability in visual-perceptual and verbal memory skills than the Yes/No Recognition trial. Even after being reduced to a seven-point scale (18-24) by the validity cutoffs, both RCFT recognition scores continued to provide clinically useful information on visual memory. This is the first study to validate the RCFT FCR as a PVT in a clinical sample. Our data also support its use for measuring cognitive ability. Replication studies with more diverse samples and different criterion measures are still needed before large-scale clinical application of this scale.
The normalization of fear: Geo-cultural vs. universal emotional sensibilities as reflected in the annual Israeli Radio Hit Parade
Authors: Moshe Mira
Published: May 2021

Music plays an important socio-cultural role in constructing and/or reflecting geo-cultural and universal emotional states by giving voice to personal emotional sensibilities, such as self-searching, romantic longing, and desire, alongside collective spatial sentiments, patriotism, etc. Moreover, popular song lyrics reveal the socio-cultural values, norms, tastes, and emotional conventions of both their creators and their audience. Thus, this article focuses on decoding geo-cultural vs. universal emotional sensibilities via narrative analysis of the first place winners of the annual Israeli Hit Parades between 1963 and 2018, broadcast on the two major Israeli radio stations, Kol Yisrael and Galgalatz, every year on the eve of the Jewish New Year. This long-standing tradition offers a unique opportunity to examine ongoing changes in socio-emotional coping with fear and death, wars and terror while providing a contemporary conceptual and practical inquiry into the normalization of emotions within a culture and politics of fear.
Integrative analysis of the human brain mural cell transcriptome
Authors: Gastfriend Benjamin D , Foreman Koji L , Katt Moriah E , Palecek Sean P , Shusta Eric V
Published: May 2021

Brain mural cells, including pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, are important for vascular development, blood-brain barrier function, and neurovascular coupling, but the molecular characteristics of human brain mural cells are incompletely characterized. Single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) is increasingly being applied to assess cellular diversity in the human brain, but the scarcity of mural cells in whole brain samples has limited their molecular profiling. Here, we leverage the combined power of multiple independent human brain scRNA-seq datasets to build a transcriptomic database of human brain mural cells. We use this combined dataset to determine human-mouse species differences in mural cell transcriptomes, culture-induced dedifferentiation of human brain pericytes, and human mural cell organotypicity, with several key findings validated by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization. Together, this work improves knowledge regarding the molecular constituents of human brain mural cells, serves as a resource for hypothesis generation in understanding brain mural cell function, and will facilitate comparative evaluation of animal and in vitro models.
Evaluation of Contact-Tracing Policies against the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria: An Agent-Based Simulation
Authors: Bicher Martin , Rippinger Claire , Urach Christoph , Brunmeir Dominik , Siebert Uwe , Popper Niki
Published: May 2021

Background

Many countries have already gone through several infection waves and mostly managed to successfully stop the exponential spread of SARS-CoV-2 through bundles of restrictive measures. Still, the danger of further waves of infections is omnipresent, and it is apparent that every containment policy must be carefully evaluated and possibly replaced by a different, less restrictive policy before it can be lifted. Tracing of contacts and consequential breaking of infection chains is a promising strategy to help contain the disease, although its precise impact on the epidemic is unknown.

Objective

In this work, we aim to quantify the impact of tracing on the containment of the disease and investigate the dynamic effects involved.

Design

We developed an agent-based model that validly depicts the spread of the disease and allows for exploratory analysis of containment policies. We applied this model to quantify the impact of different approaches of contact tracing in Austria to derive general conclusions on contract tracing.

Results

The study displays that strict tracing complements other intervention strategies. For the containment of the disease, the number of secondary infections must be reduced by about 75%. Implementing the proposed tracing strategy supplements measures worth about 5%. Evaluation of the number of preventively quarantined persons shows that household quarantine is the most effective in terms of avoided cases per quarantined person.

Limitations

The results are limited by the validity of the modeling assumptions, model parameter estimates, and the quality of the parametrization data.

Conclusions

The study shows that tracing is indeed an efficient measure to keep case numbers low but comes at a high price if the disease is not well contained. Therefore, contact tracing must be executed strictly, and adherence within the population must be held up to prevent uncontrolled outbreaks of the disease.
Estimating Express Train Preference of Urban Railway Passengers Based on Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) using Smart Card Data
Authors: Hak Lee Eun , Kim Kyoungtae , Kho Seung-Young , Kim Dong-Kyu , Cho Shin-Hyung
Published: May 2021

As the share of public transport increases, the express strategy of the urban railway is regarded as one of the solutions that allow the public transportation system to operate efficiently. It is crucial to express the urban railway’s express strategy to balance a passenger load between the two types of trains, that is, local and express trains. This research aims to estimate passengers’ preference between local and express trains based on a machine learning technique. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is trained to model express train preference using smart card and train log data. The passengers are categorized into four types according to their preference for the local and express trains. The smart card data and train log data of Metro Line 9 in Seoul are combined to generate the individual trip chain alternatives for each passenger. With the dataset, the train preference is estimated by XGBoost, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) is used to interpret and analyze the importance of individual features. The overall F1 score of the model is estimated to be 0.982. The results of feature analysis show that the total travel time of the local train feature is found to substantially affect the probability of express train preference with a 1.871 SHAP value. As a result, the probability of the express train preference increases with longer total travel time, shorter in-vehicle time, shorter waiting time, and few transfers on the passenger’s route. The model shows notable performance in accuracy and provided an understanding of the estimation results.
Non-Destructive Detection of Asphalt Concrete Stripping Damage using Ground Penetrating Radar
Authors: Ma Ye , Elseifi Mostafa A. , Dhakal Nirmal , Bashar Mohammad Z. , Zhang Zhongjie
Published: May 2021

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-destructive evaluation technique, which has been applied to assess as-built pavement conditions and to evaluate damage and deterioration that develop over time. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology that uses GPR to detect moisture-related stripping damage in asphalt pavements. To achieve this objective, A Finite-Difference Time-Domain based simulation program was used to study the propagation of GPR signals in a stripped pavement. Field test data including GPR scans and visual inspection of cores of 202 pavement sections were used to study the relationship between GPR traces and asphalt concrete (AC) stripping damage. Based on this analysis, a novel GPR-based indicator, known as the accumulating in-layer peaks (AIP), was introduced to detect stripping damage in asphalt pavements. Field data and pavement cores were used to validate the proposed indicator and to evaluate its effectiveness in detecting the presence, extent, and severity of stripping in in-service pavement sections. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the presence of a void in the middle of the AC layer resulted in positive peaks in the reflected waves as indicated by the simulation of GPR signals. In addition, detected intermediate wave peaks between the surface and the interface between the AC and base layers on the GPR traces were associated with stripping damage in the AC layer. The AIP predicted accuracies for stripped and non-stripped sections were 80% and 96%, respectively, indicating its effectiveness in detecting stripping damage in flexible pavements.
Avascular Necrosis of the Talus After Subchondroplasty
Authors: Hanselman Andrew E. , Cody Elizabeth A. , Easley Mark E. , Adams Samuel B. , Parekh Selene G.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Subchondroplasty (SCP) is a relatively new procedure, developed in 2007 for the treatment of bone marrow lesions (BMLs), that has shown promising results in the knee through several different case series. The foot and ankle literature, however, is sparse, with only a few documented case reports or case series. At our institution, we have identified several patients with complications after this specific procedure. As a result, we report our case series of patients who developed talar avascular necrosis (AVN) after undergoing SCP.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent SCP for a talar BML at our facility or who were referred to our facility after undergoing SCP at an outside institution. Patients were included if they developed radiographic evidence of talar AVN after the procedure. Patient demographics, comorbidities, concomitant intraoperative procedures, complications, and subsequent interventions were reviewed.

Results:

Seven patients were identified as having radiographic evidence of talar AVN after SCP. Average time interval was 23 months postoperative from index procedure to radiographic confirmation of AVN. Two of the index procedures were performed at our institution, whereas 5 of the index procedures were performed at outside institutions and referred for further management. Three patients had documented risk factors for AVN before the SCP procedure. All 7 patients were symptomatic from the AVN.

Conclusion:

We identified 7 patients who went on to develop talar AVN after having undergone SCP.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Fundus changes of Parry-Romberg syndrome: A report of three cases and literature review
Authors: Duan Jianan , Zhang Yun , Ge Ge , Zhang Meixia
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

To report three cases of Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) with progressive hemifacial atrophy and similar fundus changes.

Methods:

Retrospective case series of three patients who presented to the ophthalmology department with blurred vision in one eye. All of them underwent three-dimensional reconstruction of head computed tomography (CT), related physical examinations, and also monthly ocular examinations of both eyes, including the slit-lamp microscope, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA). We also reviewed the current literature about the fundus change in PRS from inception to March 2020 via PubMed.

Results:

Coats-like fundus and exudative retinal detachment were found in all three eyes of three patients during the follow-up. No systematic changes were found except for hemifacial atrophy. The final diagnoses of these three patients were PRS.

Conclusion:

Only a subset of PRS patients have concomitant ocular changes, but it still should be noticed that the diagnosis of PRS should be considered if adults presented with Coats-like retinopathy and hemifacial atrophy.
Clinical outcomes of transposed brachial-basilic vein fistula: Tunneling versus elevation
Authors: Kim Choshin , Yun Woo-Sung
Published: May 2021

Background:

The Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (KDOQI) suggests a transposed brachial basilic vein fistula (TBBVF) in the patients who have good likelihood of long-term survival. To superficialize the basilic vein, a disconnected basilic vein is anterolaterally transposed inside a subcutaneous tunnel. A simple elevation in situ is an alternative technique. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of TBBVF according to the type of superficialization.

Methods:

A total of 42 patients (mean age of 66 years, male: 45%) who underwent a TBBVF from April 2014 to March 2019 at our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The method of superficialization (tunneling ( n = 18) vs elevation ( n = 24)) was determined by the surgeon’s preference. It was done as a one-stage surgery. There was not any statistically significant difference in demographic or clinical characteristics of patients between the two groups. As early outcomes, postoperative mortality and morbidity were investigated. For clinical outcomes, primary patency, primary-assisted patency, and secondary patency were analyzed for both groups.

Results:

There was a case of a 30-day mortality in the elevation group. Regarding morbidities, there was a postoperative bleeding in the tunneling group and a steal syndrome in the elevation group. The mean follow-up was 28 months (range, 0–63 months). There was no significant difference in primary patency (64.8% vs 77.5% in 1 year and 54.0% vs 54.1% at 3 year; p = 0.816), primary-assisted patency (88.9% vs 86.5% in 1 year and 88.9 vs 81.4 at 3 year; p = 0.624), or secondary patency (100% vs 86.5% in 1 year and 100% vs 86.5% at 3 year; p = 0.126) between the two groups.

Conclusions:

Clinical outcomes of TBBVF showed no significant difference between tunneling and elevation groups. Thus, TBBVF can be done with either method.
Pandemic in paradise: Tourism pauses in Bali
Authors: Subadra I Nengah , Hughes Heather
Published: May 2021

This research note provides an account of the trajectory of Balinese tourism through 2020, focusing on government actions in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the responses of local people. Interviews were conducted with informants in the tourism sector to assess the impact of the pandemic. The findings suggest that before April 2020, people were calm and thought that Balinese tourism may survive, albeit on much-reduced arrivals. After April, when tourism shut down completely, a new sense of pessimism became evident. Although domestic tourism began again in August, the sector was still in deep crisis at the end of the year. Although Balinese people expressed hope that the future may offer a more sustainable kind of tourism, all indications pointed to official support for a return to mass tourism.
Prognostic impact of resting heart rate in patients with peripheral artery disease
Authors: Patcheva Simona , Merzel Eva K , Milanovicc Aljosa , Bozicc Mojca , Jug Borut
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Resting heart rate has been increasingly identified as a marker of cardiovascular risk and has been extensively studied as a predictor of coronary artery disease progression. In peripheral artery disease, the prognostic impact of resting heart rate remains elusive.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing invasive peripheral procedures were included. Data included resting heart rate determination by averaging manual radial pulse palpation measurements taken 24 h before and after an invasive peripheral procedure.

Results

A total of 1720 patients were included (mean age 70±11 years, 38% were female, 39% had critical limb ischemia). During a median follow-up of 729 days, 364 (21.2%) patients died. Resting heart rate emerged as an independent predictor of mortality, even after adjusting for clinical characteristics, peripheral artery disease manifestation and anatomic extent, traditional risk factors, co-morbidities, and disease-modifying therapies: hazard ratio for heart rate >75 bpm was 1.010 (95% confidence interval 1.001–1.109), with each bpm increase in resting heart rate conferring a 1.1% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (95% confidence interval 0.1–10.9%, adjusted p = 0.030).

Conclusions

Resting heart rate is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease; our findings extend heart rate as a possible marker of prognosis to non-coronary atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Triple play, OTT TV, and the Chinese logic of “select commercialization”
Authors: Wang Jing , Sun Song
Published: May 2021

This article unravels the evolution of the Chinese OTT TV and triple-network convergence in the larger context of global media and communication policy. The balancing act between market innovation and content gatekeeping has led State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the regulator of the broadcast sector, to subjugate the relevant players of OTT TV and triple play to “select commercialization,” a logic that inevitably led to convoluted policy configurations. The authors pursue a market power analysis that lays bare the competing and/or collaborative relationships between multiple actors in China’s online TV value chain, that is, cable broadcasters, telecom operators, Internet companies, OTT licensees, and smart TV makers. The article ends with a proposition that the future of the Chinese online TV industry is increasingly organized as an ecosystem economy.
Social Media Use Among Young People in China: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Tang Lian , Omar Siti Zobidah , Bolong Jusang , Mohd Zawawi Julia Wirza
Published: May 2021

The widespread use of social media has promoted extensive academic research on this channel. The present study conducts a systematic analysis of extant research on social media use among young people in China. This systematic literature review aims to identify and bridge gaps in topics, theories, variables, and conceptual frameworks in studies of social media usage among young people in China. The study aims to develop a cause–effect framework that shows the causal relationships among research structures. The PRISMA method is used to review 20 articles drawn from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. From the analysis, 10 major research topics, eight theories or models, and a complete framework of causal relations emerge. It is recommended that future research on social media should include a greater diversity of types of social media, investigate a wider range of research topics, and adopt different theories or models. Researchers should also implement a more complete and detailed systematic method for reviewing literature on social media research in China.