bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vacuum ultraviolet photodynamics of the methyl peroxy radical studied by double imaging photoelectron photoion coincidences
Authors: Tang Xiaofeng , Gu Xuejun , Lin Xiaoxiao , Zhang Weijun , Garcia Gustavo A. , Fittschen Christa , Loison Jean-Christophe , Voronova Krisztina , Sztáray Bálint , Nahon Laurent
Published: March 2020

The vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of the methyl peroxy radical, CH3O2, and unimolecular dissociation of internal energy selected CH3O2+ cations were investigated in the 9.7–12.0 eV energy range by synchrotron-based double imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence. A microwave discharge flow tube was employed to produce CH3O2 via the reaction of methyl radicals (CH3) with oxygen gas. After identifying and separating the different sources of CH3+ from photoionization of CH3 or dissociative photoionization of CH3O2, the high resolution slow photoelectron spectrum (SPES) of CH3O2 was obtained, exhibiting two broad bands superimposed with a complex vibrational structure. The first band of the SPES is attributed to the X3A″ and a1A′ overlapped electronic states of CH3O2+ and the second is assigned to the b1A′ electronic state with the help of theoretical calculations. The adiabatic ionization energy of CH3O2 is derived as 10.215 ± 0.015 eV, in good agreement with high-accuracy theoretical data from the literature. The vertical ionization energy of the b1A′ electronic state is measured to be 11.5 eV and this state fully dissociates into CH3+ and O2 fragments. The 0 K adiabatic appearance energy (AE0K) of the CH3+ fragment ion is determined to be 11.15 ± 0.02 eV.
Atomic and molecular adsorption on single platinum atom at the graphene edge: A density functional theory study
Authors: Wella Sasfan Arman , Hamamoto Yuji , Iskandar Ferry , Suprijadi  , Morikawa Yoshitada , Hamada Ikutaro
Published: March 2020

We present a density functional theory study of atomic and molecular adsorption on a single Pt atom deposited at the edges of graphene. We investigate geometric and electronic structures of atoms (H, C, N, and O) and molecules (O2, CO, OH, NO, H2O, and OOH) on a variety of Pt deposited graphene edges and compare the adsorption states with those on a Pt(111) surface and on a Pt single atom. Furthermore, using the calculated adsorption energy and simple kinetic models, the catalytic activities of a Pt single-atom catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction and CO oxidation are discussed.
Providing gender-affirming hormone therapy through primary care: service users
Authors: Ker Alex , Fraser Gloria , Lyons Antonia , Stephenson Cathy , Fleming Theresa
Published: March 2020

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTIONPrimary health care providers are playing an increasingly important role in providing gender-affirming health care for gender diverse people. This article explores the experiences of a primary care-based pilot clinic providing gender-affirming hormone therapy in Wellington, New Zealand.
AIMTo evaluate service users’ and health professionals’ experiences of a pilot clinic at Mauri Ora (Victoria University of Wellington’s Student Health and Counselling Service) that provided gender-affirming hormones through primary care.
METHODSIn-depth interviews were conducted with four (out of six) service users and four health professionals about their perspectives on the clinic. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
RESULTSThree themes were identified in service users’ interviews, who discussed receiving affirming care due to the clinic’s accessibility, relationship-centred care and timeliness. Three themes were identified in the health professionals’ interviews, who described how the clinic involves partnership, affirms users’ gender and agency, and is adaptable to other primary care settings. Both service users and health professionals discussed concerns about the lack of adequate funding for primary care services and the tensions between addressing mental health needs and accessing timely care.
DISCUSSIONThe experiences of service users and health professionals confirm the value of providing gender-affirming hormone therapy in primary care. Models based in primary care are likely to increase accessibility, depathologise gender diversity and reduce wait times.
Testing the malleability of teachers’ judgments of second language speech
Authors: Taylor Reid Kym , Grantham O’Brien Mary , Trofimovich Pavel , Bajt Allison
Published: March 2020

This study examined whether a negative social bias can influence how teachers evaluate second language (L2)
speech. Twenty-eight teachers of L2 German from Western Canada – 14 native speakers (NSs) and 14 proficient non-native speakers
(NNSs) – rated recordings of 24 adult L2 learners of German across five speech dimensions (accentedness, comprehensibility,
vowel/consonant accuracy, intonation, flow) using 1,000-point scales. Immediately before rating, half of NS and NNS teachers heard
critical comments about undergraduate German students’ language skills, while the other half heard no biasing comments. Under
negative bias, while the NNS teachers provided favorable evaluations across all five measures, NS teachers followed suit for only
intonation and flow, downgrading L2 speakers’ accentedness, comprehensibility, and vowel/consonant accuracy. Findings call into
question the relative stability of L2 speech ratings and highlight the importance of social context and teacher status as native
versus non-native speakers of the target language in assessments of L2 speaking performance.
Trib1 regulates T cell differentiation during chronic infection by restraining the effector program
Authors: Rome Kelly S. , Stein Sarah J. , Kurachi Makoto , Petrovic Jelena , Schwartz Gregory W. , Mack Ethan A. , Uljon Sacha , Wu Winona W. , DeHart Anne G. , McClory Susan E. , Xu Lanwei , Gimotty Phyllis A. , Blacklow Stephen C. , Faryabi Robert B. , Wherry E. John , Jordan Martha S. , Pear Warren S.
Published: March 2020

In chronic infections, the immune response fails to control virus, leading to persistent antigen stimulation and the progressive development of T cell exhaustion. T cell effector differentiation is poorly understood in the context of exhaustion, but targeting effector programs may provide new strategies for reinvigorating T cell function. We identified Tribbles pseudokinase 1 (Trib1) as a central regulator of antiviral T cell immunity, where loss of Trib1 led to a sustained enrichment of effector-like KLRG1+ T cells, enhanced function, and improved viral control. Single-cell profiling revealed that Trib1 restrains a population of KLRG1+ effector CD8 T cells that is transcriptionally distinct from exhausted cells. Mechanistically, we identified an interaction between Trib1 and the T cell receptor (TCR) signaling activator, MALT1, which disrupted MALT1 signaling complexes. These data identify Trib1 as a negative regulator of TCR signaling and downstream function, and reveal a link between Trib1 and effector versus exhausted T cell differentiation that can be targeted to improve antiviral immunity.
Drugging the microbiome
Authors: Nagler Cathryn R.
Published: March 2020

Microbiome-modulating therapeutics have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Here, I discuss the challenges and opportunities inherent in creating new microbiome-based drugs.
Consistency of Bayesian inference with Gaussian process priors in an elliptic inverse problem
Authors: Giordano Matteo , Nickl Richard
Published: March 2020

ForOa bounded domain inRdand a given smooth functiong:O→R, we consider the statistical nonlinear inverse problem of recovering the conductivityf> 0 in the divergence form equation∇⋅(f∇u)=gonO,u=0on∂O,fromNdiscrete noisy point evaluations of the solutionu=ufonO. We study the statistical performance of Bayesian nonparametric procedures based on a flexible class of Gaussian (or hierarchical Gaussian) process priors, whose implementation is feasible by MCMC methods. We show that, as the numberNof measurements increases, the resulting posterior distributions concentrate around the true parameter generating the data, and derive a convergence rateN−λ,λ> 0, for the reconstruction error of the associated posterior means, inL2(O)-distance.
Smartphones and Newton’s first law in escalators and roller coasters
Authors: Pendrill Ann-Marie
Published: March 2020

Your body is not a point particle. The nature and direction of the forces counteracting gravity influence your experience of uniform rectilinear motion—as does your own orientation in relation to the force of gravity. Sensors in smartphones or other devices can capture these forces, and help establish a connection between the personal experience of motion and the textbook description of forces acting on inanimate objects. This work focuses on authentic examples of uniform or nearly uniform rectilinear motion in escalators and roller coasters. Multiple complementary representations of the motion are presented, including photos, graphs of accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer data, mathematical expressions, free-body diagrams and video analysis, including screenshots. The paper aims to inspire teachers to use a larger repertoire with more variation in the examples illustrating uniform rectilinear motion. Analysing these relatively simple motions lays a good foundation for the interpretation of data from more complicated motions.
Chasing the evidence: the influence of data segmentation on estimates of dynamic cerebral autoregulation
Authors: Panerai Ronney B , Intharakham Kannakorn , Haunton Victoria , Minhas Jatinder S , Llwyd Osian , Lam Manda , Salinet Angela S M , Nogueira Ricardo C , Katsogridakis Emmanuel , Maggio Paola , Robinson Thompson G
Published: March 2020

Objective: Transfer function analysis (TFA) of dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) requires smoothing of spectral estimates using segmentation of the data (SD). Systematic studies are required to elucidate the potential influence of SD on dCA parameters. Approach: Healthy subjects (HS, n = 237) and acute ischaemic stroke patients (AIS, n = 98) were included. Cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV, transcranial Doppler ultrasound) was recorded supine at rest with continuous arterial blood pressure (BP, Finometer) for a minimum of 5 min. TFA was performed with durations SD = 100, 50 or 25 s and 50% superposition to derive estimates of coherence, gain and phase for the BP–CBFV relationship. The autoregulation index (ARI) was estimated from the CBFV step response. Intrasubject reproducibility was expressed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Main results: In HS, the ARI, coherence, gain, and phase (low frequency) were influenced by SD, but in AIS, phase (very low frequency) and ARI were not affected. ICC was excellent (>0.75) for all parameters, for both HS and AIS. For SD = 100 s, ARI was different between HS and AIS (mean ± sdev: 5.70 ± 1.61 vs 5.1 ± 2.0; p < 0.01) and the significance of this difference was maintained for SD = 50 s and 25 s. Using SD = 100 s as reference, the rate of misclassification, based on a threshold of ARI ⩽ 4, was 6.3% for SD = 50 s and 8.1% for SD = 25 s in HS, with corresponding values of 11.7% and 8.2% in AIS patients, respectively. Significance: Further studies are warranted with SD values lower than the recommended standard of SD = 100 s, to explore possibilities of improving the reproducibility, sensitivity and prognostic value of TFA parameters used as metrics of dCA.
Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on metallic substrate*
Authors: Zhao Minglong , Tang Xiansheng , Huo Wenxue , Han Lili , Deng Zhen , Jiang Yang , Wang Wenxin , Chen Hong , Du Chunhua , Jia Haiqiang
Published: March 2020

We have successfully prepared GaN based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on metallic substrates transferred from silicon substrates by electroplating technique. GaN HEMTs on Cu substrates are demonstrated to basically have the same good electric characteristics as the chips on Si substrates. Furthermore, the better heat dissipation of HEMTs on Cu substrates compared to HEMTs on Si substrates is clearly observed by thermoreflectance imaging, showing the promising potential for very high-power and high-temperature operation. This work shows the outstanding ability of HEMT chips on Cu substrates for solving the self-heating effect with the advantages of process simplicity, high yield, and low production requirement.
Effect of C60 nanoparticles on elasticity of small unilamellar vesicles composed of DPPC bilayers*
Authors: Wei Tanlin , Zhang Lei , Zhang Yong
Published: March 2020

The interaction between C60 nanoparticles and biomembranes has been of great interest in researches over the past decades due to their novel applications as well as potential cytotoxicity. In this work, we study the deformation of the small unilamellar vesicles composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid bilayers infiltrated with C60 nanoparticles of different molecular concentrations through coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. By employing the Helfrich spontaneous curvature model, the bending modulus and the spontaneous curvature of the vesicles with C60 nanoparticles of different concentrations are obtained according to the simulation data. The results show that the bending modulus and the spontaneous curvature of pure DPPC vesicle membranes are approximately 1.6 × 10−19 J and 1.4 nm−1, respectively. Both of them increase linearly approximately as the C60 concentration increases from 0 to 16.3%. The density profiles of vesicles, the order of lipid packing and the diffusion characteristics of DPPC and C60 are also investigated.
Influence of external load on friction coefficient of Fe–polytetrafluoroethylene*
Authors: Hao Xiu-Hong , Pan Deng , Zhang Ze-Yang , Wang Shu-Qiang , Gao Yu-Jin , Gu Da-Peng
Published: March 2020

A coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation model was developed in this study to investigate the friction process occurring between Fe and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). We investigated the effect of an external load on the friction coefficient of Fe–PTFE using the molecular dynamics simulations and experimental methods. The simulation results show that the friction coefficient decreases with the external load increasing, which is in a good agreement with the experimental results. The high external load could result in a larger contact area between the Fe and PTFE layers, severer springback as a consequence of the deformed PTFE molecules, and faster motion of the PTFE molecules, thereby affecting the friction force and normal force during friction and consequently varying the friction coefficient.
Magnetocaloric effect and critical behavior of the Mn-rich itinerant material Mn3GaC with enhanced ferromagnetic interaction*
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Peng Jie , Xue Mianqi , Wang Bosen
Published: March 2020

We revisit the reversible magnetocaloric effect of itinerant ferromagnet Mn3GaC near the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition by adopting the experimental and theoretical methods and critical behavior of Mn-rich Mn3GaC with an enhanced FM interaction. Landau theory model cannot account for temperature dependent magnetic entropy change which is estimated from thermal magnetic methods only considering magnetoelastic coupling and the electron–electron interaction, apart from molecular mean-field model. Critical behavior is studied by adopting the modified Arrott plot, Kouvel–Fisher plot, and critical isotherm analysis. With these critical exponents, experimental data below and above T
c collapse into two universal branches, fulfilling the single scaling equation m = f
±(h), where m and h are renormalized magnetization and field. Critical exponents are confirmed by Widom scaling law and just between mean-field model and three-dimensional Heisenberg model, as the evidence for the existence of long-range ferromagnetic interaction. With increasing the Mn content, T
c increases monotonously and critical exponents increases accordingly. The exchange distance changes from J(r) ∼ r
–4.68 for x = 0 to J(r) ∼ r
–4.71 for x = 0.08, respectively, which suggests the competition of the Mn–Mn direct interaction and the itinerant Mn–C–Mn hybridization. The possible mechanism is proposed.
Exploring ferromagnetic half-metallic nature of Cs2NpBr6 via spin polarized density functional theory*
Authors: Azmat Ali Malak , Murtaza G , Laref A
Published: March 2020

By employing the spin resolved density functional theory, half-metallic character is investigated in Cs2NpBr6 having a K2PtCl6-type structure. The results precisely predict the half-metallic behavior of Cs2NpBr6. In spin-down state it presents an indirect band gap, while in spin-up channel it turns metallic. The structure optimization confirms the half-metallic nature in ferromagnetic configuration. The calculated magnetic moment is 3 μ
B toward which the main contributor is the Np atom. Furthermore, all the computed results are compared with the available experimental and theoretical values. According to the present analysis, we recommend Cs2NpBr6 for spintronic applications.
Thermodynamics and weak cosmic censorship conjecture of charged AdS black hole in the Rastall gravity with pressure*
Authors: Hu Xin-Yun , He Ke-Jian , Li Zhong-Hua , Li Guo-Ping
Published: March 2020

Treating the cosmological constant as a dynamical variable, we investigate the thermodynamics and weak cosmic censorship conjecture (WCCC) of a charged AdS black hole (BH) in the Rastall gravity. We determine the energy momentum relation of charged fermion at the horizon of the BH using the Dirac equation. Based on this relation, it is shown that the first law of thermodynamics still holds as a fermion is absorbed by the BH. However, the entropy of both the extremal and near-extremal BH decreases in the irreversible process, which means that the second law of thermodynamics is violated. Furthermore, we verify the validity of the WCCC by the minimum values of the metric function h(r) at its final state. For the extremal charged AdS BH in the Rastall gravity, we find that the WCCC is always valid since the BH is extreme. While for the case of near-extremal BH, we find that the WCCC could be violable in the extended phase space (EPS), depending on the value of the parameters of the BH and their variations.
Margolus–Levitin speed limit across quantum to classical regimes based on trace distance*
Authors: Wu Shao-Xiong , Yu Chang-Shui
Published: March 2020

The classical version of Mandelstam–Tamm speed limit based on the Wigner function in phase space was reported by Shanahan et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett.
120 070401 (2018)]. We present the Margolus–Levitin speed limit across the quantum-to-classical transition in phase space based on the trace distance. The Margolus–Levitin speed limit is set by the Schatten L
1 norm of the generator of time-dependent evolution for both the quantum and classical domains. As an example, the time-dependent harmonic oscillator is considered to illustrate the result.
Electron beam irradiation on novel coronavirus (COVID-19): A Monte–Carlo simulation*
Authors: Feng Guobao , Liu Lu , Cui Wanzhao , Wang Fang
Published: March 2020

The novel coronavirus pneumonia triggered by COVID-19 is now raging the whole world. As a rapid and reliable killing COVID-19 method in industry, electron beam irradiation can interact with virus molecules and destroy their activity. With the unexpected appearance and quickly spreading of the virus, it is urgently necessary to figure out the mechanism of electron beam irradiation on COVID-19. In this study, we establish a virus structure and molecule model based on the detected gene sequence of Wuhan patient, and calculate irradiated electron interaction with virus atoms via a Monte Carlo simulation that track each elastic and inelastic collision of all electrons. The characteristics of irradiation damage on COVID-19, atoms’ ionizations and electron energy losses are calculated and analyzed with regions. We simulate the different situations of incident electron energy for evaluating the influence of incident energy on virus damage. It is found that under the major protecting of an envelope protein layer, the inner RNA suffers the minimal damage. The damage for a ∼100-nm-diameter virus molecule is not always enhanced by irradiation energy monotonicity, for COVID-19, the irradiation electron energy of the strongest energy loss damage is 2 keV.
Study on laser irradiation temperature field of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites
Authors: Ding Hua , Guo Yicheng , Wang Zongcheng
Published: March 2020

Based on Abaqus software, the temperature profiles during laser heating CFRP materials in different fiber directions was investigated in this research. The 3D temperature distribution and temperature history of laminates with different ply directions were analyzed and compared through the homogenous model. It is found that the focusing characteristics of laser causes a large temperature gradient. Meanwhile, the temperature field of CFRP laminate extends toward the direction of fibers because of the large axial thermal conductivity of carbon fibers. The thermal conduction in the thickness direction is poor, so the lower layer will not reach the melting temperature. In order to verify the validity of the model, a real-time temperature field measurement device consisting of thermal imager and thermocouples was built. The results show that the model can effectively simulate the temperature field of composite materials irradiated by laser.
Oxygen reduction and hydrogen oxidation reactions on Ru-Fe electrocatalyst synthesized by a microwave-assisted synthesis
Authors: Su-Gallegos J , Magallón-Cacho L , Borja-Arco E , García-Valdés J , Sebastian P J
Published: March 2020

In this work, the oxygen reduction reaction in the absence or presence of 2.0 mol l−1methanol and the hydrogen oxidation reaction are studied on RuFe electrocatalyst synthesized by a microwave thermal heating method in water as reaction medium. The electrocatalysts were morphologically and structurally typified by scanning electron microscopy and by x-ray diffraction, respectively. Three crystalline phases were found: Ru, Fe2O3and Fe(OH)3·(H2O)x(Bernalite). Functional tests were performed by convective (rotating disk electrode) and non-convective (linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry) electrochemical techniques in 0.5 mol l−1H2SO4. Both RuFe electrocatalysts show interesting electrochemical activities since they can carry out both the oxygen reduction reaction and the hydrogen oxidation reaction.
Identifying drug–target interactions based on graph convolutional network and deep neural network
Authors: Zhao Tianyi , Hu Yang , Valsdottir Linda R , Zang Tianyi , Peng Jiajie
Published: March 2020

Identification of new drug–target interactions (DTIs) is an important but a time-consuming and costly step in drug discovery. In recent years, to mitigate these drawbacks, researchers have sought to identify DTIs using computational approaches. However, most existing methods construct drug networks and target networks separately, and then predict novel DTIs based on known associations between the drugs and targets without accounting for associations between drug–protein pairs (DPPs). To incorporate the associations between DPPs into DTI modeling, we built a DPP network based on multiple drugs and proteins in which DPPs are the nodes and the associations between DPPs are the edges of the network. We then propose a novel learning-based framework, ‘graph convolutional network (GCN)-DTI’, for DTI identification. The model first uses a graph convolutional network to learn the features for each DPP. Second, using the feature representation as an input, it uses a deep neural network to predict the final label. The results of our analysis show that the proposed framework outperforms some state-of-the-art approaches by a large margin.
Urinary Calculi
Authors: Nicholas Henry O
Published: March 2020

Analytic data on a second series of urinary calculi collected from patients in southeast Texas are given. Eight hundred calculi were collected in 3 years. Approximately the same chemical distribution was found with the exception that the percentage of uric acid calculi doubled.
Validation of a noninvasive technique to quantify stress in northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
Authors: Mohlman Jessica L , Navara Kristen J , Sheriff Michael J , Terhune Theron M , Martin James A
Published: March 2020

Examination of the endocrine system through non-invasive fecal sampling may improve population management more than using demographic indicators alone. By addressing the physiological mechanisms that are influencing fitness, management actions can be proactively developed to alleviate stressors. Proactive determination of vulnerable populations is critical for species of concern, such as the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), which have suffered decades of population decline. We validated an assay to noninvasively measure the adrenocortical response of captive reared bobwhite through fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM). All individuals received three sequential 48-hour treatments in which samples were collected every 4 hours, including a reference period, an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge and a biological stressor (exposure to a hunting dog). Reference FCM values had a mean concentration of 16.75 pg/mg (95% CrI: 13.68, 19.91) with adrenocortical activity increasing by 73% for the duration of the ACTH challenge (29.00 pg/mg; CrI: 25.01, 33.78). FCM concentrations remained similar to that of the reference levels during the biological stressor (16.56 pg/mg; CrI: 13.33, 19.92). Our study validates the use of feces to detect changes in FCM levels in our subject species but also demonstrates the complexity of FCM and the importance of both physiological and biological validation prior to field implementation.
Temporal Trends in Surgical Resection Rates and Biologic Prescribing in Crohn’s Disease: A Population-based Cohort Study
Authors: Jenkinson P W , Plevris N , Siakavellas S , Lyons M , Arnott I D , Wilson D , Watson A J M , Jones G-R , Lees C W
Published: March 2020

Background

The use of biologic therapy for Crohn’s disease [CD] continues to evolve, however, the effect of this on the requirement for surgery remains unclear. We assessed changes in biologic prescription and surgery over time in a population-based cohort.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of all 1753 patients diagnosed with CD in Lothian, Scotland, between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2017, reviewing the electronic health record of each patient to identify all CD-related surgery and biologic prescription. Cumulative probability and hazard ratios for surgery and biologic prescription from diagnosis were calculated and compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis stratified by year of diagnosis into cohorts.

Results

The 5-year cumulative risk of surgery was 20.4% in cohort 1 [2000–2004],18.3% in cohort 2 [2005–2008], 14.7% in cohort 3 [2009–2013], and 13.0% in cohort 4 [2014–2017] p <0.001. The 5-year cumulative risk of biologic prescription was 5.7% in cohort 1, 12.2% in cohort 2, 22.0% in cohort 3, and 44.9% in cohort 4 p <0.001.

Conclusions

The increased and earlier use of biologic therapy in CD patients corresponded with a decreasing requirement for surgery over time within our cohort. This could mean that adopting a top-down or accelerated step-up treatment strategy may be effective at reducing the requirement for surgery in newly diagnosed CD.
The populist challenge to the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Petrov Jan
Published: March 2020

This article analyzes the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) from the perspective of the recent extraordinary wave of populism in Europe. It argues that populism poses a serious and distinctive challenge to the ECtHR since supranational judicial review is at odds with the populist ideology. What makes the populist challenge distinctive is the combination of the ideological basis of populism, its wide appeal and capacity to reach ordinary people, and populists’ tendency to remove limitations on their power. With respect to the last point, the article introduces a categorization of anti-court techniques and takes stock of the ECtHR’s institutional setting. It concludes that although the situation is not perfect—the budget and judicial selection are especially problematic—the ECtHR is rather well insulated from eventual attacks targeting its structural features or the judicial personnel. However, including the ECtHR in the “narrative of blame,” populism is very strong in another anti-court strategy—achieving gradual erosion of a court through delegitimization. That is particularly threatening for the ECtHR due to its vulnerability to legitimacy challenges manifested in the past decade. As a result, the populist challenge will likely require careful management of the ECtHR’s social legitimacy.
In vitro activity of sulbactam/durlobactam against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii collected in China
Authors: Yang Qiwen , Xu Yingchun , Jia Peiyao , Zhu Ying , Zhang Jingjia , Zhang Ge , Deng Jun , Hackel Meredith , Bradford Patricia A , Reinhart Harald
Published: March 2020

Background

Durlobactam is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of class A, C and D β-lactamases. Sulbactam is a generic β-lactam most commonly used as a β-lactamase inhibitor in combination with ampicillin; however, it has a unique property in that it has selective intrinsic activity against Acinetobacter baumannii. Currently, there is widespread resistance caused by multiple β-lactamases including class A carbapenemases and class C and class D enzymes. The addition of durlobactam to sulbactam restores in vitro activity against MDR A. baumannii that possess multiple β-lactamases.

Objectives

Previously, susceptibility data for sulbactam/durlobactam were limited to isolates from patients in Western countries. This study was undertaken to determine the activity of sulbactam/durlobactam against A. baumannii isolated from patients in mainland China.

Methods

Nine hundred and eighty-two recent A. baumannii clinical isolates were collected from 22 sites across mainland China during 2016–18. The isolates were collected from lower respiratory tract, intra-abdominal, urinary tract and skin and skin structure infections. The in vitro activities of sulbactam/durlobactam and comparators were determined by broth microdilution.

Results

The addition of durlobactam restored the activity of sulbactam against the majority of the strains tested. The MIC90 of sulbactam/durlobactam was 2 mg/L for all A. baumannii, compared with 64 mg/L for sulbactam alone. The MIC90 of sulbactam/durlobactam of 2 mg/L remained unchanged for 831 carbapenem-resistant isolates. Colistin was the only comparator with comparable activity (MIC90 = 1 mg/L).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the potential utility of sulbactam/durlobactam for the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii in China.
The new International Classification of Diseases 11th edition: a comparative analysis with ICD-10 and ICD-10-CM
Authors: Fung Kin Wah , Xu , Julia , Bodenreider Olivier
Published: March 2020

Objective

To study the newly adopted International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11) and compare it to the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) and International Classification of Diseases 10th revision-Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM).

Materials and Methods

: Data files and maps were downloaded from the World Health Organization (WHO) website and through the application programming interfaces. A round trip method based on the WHO maps was used to identify equivalent codes between ICD-10 and ICD-11, which were validated by limited manual review. ICD-11 terms were mapped to ICD-10-CM through normalized lexical mapping. ICD-10-CM codes in 6 disease areas were also manually recoded in ICD-11.

Results

Excluding the chapters for traditional medicine, functioning assessment, and extension codes for postcoordination, ICD-11 has 14 622 leaf codes (codes that can be used in coding) compared to ICD-10 and ICD-10-CM, which has 10 607 and 71 932 leaf codes, respectively. We identified 4037 pairs of ICD-10 and ICD-11 codes that were equivalent (estimated accuracy of 96%) by our round trip method. Lexical matching between ICD-11 and ICD-10-CM identified 4059 pairs of possibly equivalent codes. Manual recoding showed that 60% of a sample of 388 ICD-10-CM codes could be fully represented in ICD-11 by precoordinated codes or postcoordination.

Conclusion

In ICD-11, there is a moderate increase in the number of codes over ICD-10. With postcoordination, it is possible to fully represent the meaning of a high proportion of ICD-10-CM codes, especially with the addition of a limited number of extension codes.
Assessment of the Nursing Quality Indicators for Reporting and Evaluation (NQuIRE) database using a data quality index
Authors: Naik Shanoja , Voong Stephanie , Bamford Megan , Smith Kyle , Joyce Angela , Grinspun Doris
Published: March 2020

A comprehensive data quality assessment is necessary to expand a nursing database that is designed for evaluating the impact of implementing Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) developed by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). This case report presents a method to standardize data quality assessments of the Nursing Quality Indicators for Reporting and Evaluation (NQuIRE) database by developing a data quality framework (DQF) and assessing key dimensions of the framework using a data quality index (DQI). The data quality index is a single key performance metric for assessing the quality of the database. The aims of sharing this case report are 2-fold: (1) to promote best practices for assessing data quality by developing and implementing a data quality framework and (2) to demonstrate an unprecedented method of assessing the data quality of a nursing database.
Seeking Asylum in the Digital Era: Social-Media and Mobile-Device Vetting in Asylum Procedures in Five European countries
Authors: Bolhuis Maarten P , van Wijk Joris
Published: March 2020

The increasing use of social media and mobile devices by asylum seekers offers new vetting opportunities for immigration authorities, to verify the identity or to assess national-security or 1F-exclusion aspects. Based on interviews with practitioners in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, the first experiences with both of these new methods seem to be mixed, while formal evaluations of the results seem to be lacking. We argue that the increasing reliance on these methods, in combination with the further advancement of technology, raises important questions about possible infringements on the right to private life, as well as the risk of function creep and social sorting. It can be questioned to what extent the use of these new vetting tools and methods is proportional to the results they produce and to what extent fundamental human rights, including privacy, are sufficiently safeguarded.
First-order swap structures semantics for some logics of formal inconsistency
Authors: Coniglio Marcelo E , Figallo-Orellano Aldo , Golzio Ana C
Published: March 2020

The logics of formal inconsistency (LFIs, for short) are paraconsistent logics (i.e. logics containing contradictory but non-trivial theories) having a consistency connective which allows to recover the ex falso quodlibet principle in a controlled way. The aim of this paper is considering a novel semantical approach to first-order LFIs based on Tarskian structures defined over swap structures, a special class of multialgebras. The proposed semantical framework generalizes previous approaches to quantified LFIs presented in the literature. The case of QmbC, the simpler quantified LFI expanding classical logic, will be analyzed in detail. An axiomatic extension of QmbC called $\textbf{QLFI1}_\circ $ is also studied, which is equivalent to the quantified version of da Costa and D’Ottaviano 3-valued logic J3. The semantical structures for this logic turn out to be Tarkian structures based on twist structures. The expansion of QmbC and $\textbf{QLFI1}_\circ $ with a standard equality predicate is also considered.
Subhalo sinking and off-centre massive black holes in dwarf galaxies
Authors: Boldrini Pierre , Mohayaee Roya , Silk Joseph
Published: March 2020

Using fully GPU N-body simulations, we demonstrate for the first time that subhaloes sink and transfer energy via dynamical friction into the centres of dwarf galaxies. This dynamical heating kicks any central massive black hole out to tens of parsecs, especially at early epochs (z = 1.5–3). This mechanism helps explain the observed off-centre black holes (BHs) in dwarf galaxies and also predicts that off-centre BHs are more common in higher mass dwarf galaxies since dynamical friction becomes significantly weaker and BHs take more time to sink back towards the centres of their host galaxies. One consequence of off-centre BHs during early epochs of dwarf galaxies is to quench any BH feedback.
Cervical Vertebral Artery to Facial Branch External Carotid Artery Bypass: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Hendricks Benjamin K , Spetzler Robert F
Published: March 2020

Posterior circulation ischemia often presents with dizziness, ataxia, visual disturbances, or motor-sensory deficits. The vertebral artery stenosis most frequently involves the V1 segment proximal to the foraminal segment. This patient demonstrated critical stenosis of the left V1 segment of the vertebral artery related to atherosclerotic disease. A left cervical dissection was performed, and the cervical transverse foramen was opened to permit exposure of the vertebral artery in the V2 segment. The vertebral artery was proximally occluded and transected. An endarterectomy was performed, and an end-to-end anastomosis of the facial branch of the external carotid artery to the distal segment of the transected vertebral artery was completed. Indocyanine green angiography was used to confirm patency of the anastomosis. The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. Institutional review board approval was deemed unnecessary. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Moyamoya Disease Superficial Temporal Artery-to-Middle Cerebral Artery Onlay: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Hendricks Benjamin K , Spetzler Robert F
Published: March 2020

The most frequently performed low-flow bypass procedure is the superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass. If available, a suitable M2 or M3 cortical branch is anastomosed to the donor vessel. This patient had severe moyamoya disease with an ipsilateral perfusion deficit and transient ischemic attacks. Given the need for revascularization, an STA-to-MCA bypass was performed. There was no suitable recipient M3 branch for direct anastomosis, and therefore an indirect bypass was performed by onlaying the STA onto the cortical surface and suturing the adventitia of the STA to the arachnoid of the underlying cortex. The dural leaflets were then inverted to potentiate further revascularization of the underlying cortex. The patient remained at their neurological baseline and demonstrated an enhanced perfusion of the ipsilateral MCA territory on follow-up evaluation. The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. Institutional review board approval was deemed unnecessary. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Policy and Political Learning: The Development of Medical Marijuana Policies in the States
Authors: Mallinson Daniel J , Hannah A Lee
Published: March 2020

Policy diffusion studies often infer that learning occurs, but statistical analyses cannot demonstrate it definitively. The spread of medical marijuana offers the opportunity to take a closer look at whether policy and political learning occur during diffusion. An increasing number of states have adopted medical marijuana policies in defiance of federal prohibition and in the space created by federal inactivity. Furthermore, early adopting states have adapted their programs to account for changes in the industry and to coincide with recreational marijuana programs. This article sheds light on how the laws have evolved over time due to policy learning, political learning, and local adaptation. Specifically, we review how states have incorporated best practices from others (policy learning) and how the laws have been repackaged in more politically conservative states (political learning). Finally, we show how states adapt to medical marijuana laws by using precedents from the regulation of other industries.
Association between disease progression and depression onset in persons with radiographic knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Rathbun Alan M , Shardell Michelle D , Ryan Alice S , Yau Michelle S , Gallo Joseph J , Schuler Megan S , Stuart Elizabeth A , Hochberg Marc C
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Osteoarthritis (OA) disease progression may lead to deteriorating psychosocial function, but it is unclear what aspects of disease severity are related to the onset of depression. This study assessed which components of OA disease progression cumulatively contribute to depression onset in persons with radiographic knee OA.

Methods

Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (n = 1651) with radiographic disease (Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2) in one or both knees and below the screening threshold for probable depression [Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale <16] at baseline were included. Disease severity was measured from baseline to the third annual follow-up visit using joint space width, 20-meter gait speed, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale, each categorized into quintiles. Depression onset (CES-D ≥ 16) was assessed annually at four follow-up visits. Marginal structural models that account for time-dependent confounding and attrition evaluated the association between each time-varying disease severity measure and depression onset.

Results

Each disease severity measure exhibited a non-linear relationship concerning the probability of depression onset, with the higher quintiles generally being associated with a larger risk. The highest quintile (relative to the lowest) of joint space width and gait speed were both significantly associated with depression onset. By contrast, none of the higher pain quintiles compared with the lowest were significantly associated with the onset of depression.

Conclusion

Faster disease progression as measured by either worsening structural severity or decreasing physical performance corresponds to an increased risk of depression among individuals with radiographic knee OA.
Inter-provincial differences of technical innovation efficiency among farmer professional cooperatives in China
Authors: Zhou Ping , Yang Lichao , Hu Pingbo , Cheng Yang , Zhou Shenghan
Published: March 2020

The technical innovation efficiency of farmer professional cooperatives has a far-reaching impact on the economic transformation and development in rural China, but it has been rarely studied. Addressing this gap, this article builds an index evaluating system for the technical innovation efficiency of provinces through a three-stage data envelopment analysis model that measures the relative efficiency of the technical innovation of cooperatives in China’s thirty-one provinces. The results show that the Eastern and Central provinces in China are more efficient than the Western provinces in terms of the technical innovation efficiency of farmer professional cooperatives. However, due to the lack of sustainable innovative capability of these cooperatives, investment redundancy is common in technical innovation. Besides, the impact of the external technology environment on the technical innovation of provincial farmer professional cooperatives is significant, and the scale of the rural market greatly incentivizes the cooperative technical innovation. Some policy suggestions are accordingly proposed.
Mapping of the Oat Crown Rust Resistance GenePc39Relative to Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers
Authors: Zhao Jun , Kebede Aida Z. , Bekele Wubishet A. , Menzies Jim G. , Chong James , Mitchell Fetch Jennifer W. , Tinker Nicholas A. , Beattie Aaron D. , Peng Yuan-Ying , McCartney Curt A.
Published: March 2020

Crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae Eriks. (Pca), is among the most important oat diseases resulting in significant yield losses in many growing regions. A gene-for-gene interaction is well established in this pathosystem and has been exploited by oat breeders to control crown rust. Pc39 is a seedling crown rust resistance gene that has been widely deployed in North American oat breeding. DNA markers are desired to accurately predict the specific Pc genes present in breeding germplasm. The objectives of the study were as follows: (i) to map Pc39 in two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations (AC Assiniboia/MN841801 and AC Medallion/MN841801) and (ii) to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for postulation of Pc39 in oat germplasm. Pc39 was mapped to a linkage group consisting of 16 SNP markers, which placed the gene on linkage group Mrg11 (chromosome 1C) of the oat consensus map. Pc39 cosegregated with SNP marker GMI_ES01_c12570_390 in the AC Assiniboia/MN841801 RIL population and was flanked by the SNP markers avgbs_126086.1.41 and GMI_ES15_c276_702, with genetic distances of 1.7 and 0.3 cM, respectively. In the AC Medallion/MN841801 RIL population, similar results were obtained but the genetic distances of the flanking markers were 0.4 and 0.4 cM, respectively. Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR assays were successfully designed for Pc39-linked SNP loci. Two SNP loci defined a haplotype that accurately predicted Pc39 status in a diverse panel of oat germplasm and will be useful for marker-assisted selection in oat breeding.
Surgical Management of Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis Associated With Spinal Stenosis
Authors: Bai Hao , Li Yaobin , Liu Chenxin , Zhao Yan , Zhao Xiong , Lei Wei , Feng Yafei , Wu Zixiang
Published: March 2020

Study Design.

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Objectives.

To compare the benefits of long and short fusion treatments, and to identify factors potentially aiding surgeons’ decision making about the surgical management of degenerative lumbar scoliosis associated with spinal stenosis (DLSS).

Summary of Background Data.

The comparative effectiveness of long and short segment fusion for the treatment of DLSS remains controversial.

Methods.

Fifty-three patients with symptomatic DLSS managed by posterior-only fusion surgery were enrolled in this study. Twenty patients underwent short fusion (fewer than two segments), and 33 patients had more than three segments fused. The radiological outcomes were assessed by radiography. Health-related quality of life data, including visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, were collected at all preoperative and follow-up visits.

Results.

The short and long fusion groups showed significant differences in the change in the Cobb angle (4.2° vs. 11.2°), lumbar lordosis (3.9° vs. 11.5°), and pelvic incidence minus the lumbar lordosis angle (PI – LL; 3.2° vs. 11.2°). Both the short and long fusion achieved significant changes in low back pain and leg pain. Patients with PI –LLs > 10° had more relief of low back pain after long fusion (VAS 4.0 ± 2.0) than after short fusion (VAS 2.6 ± 1.7). Patients with PI – LLs > 10° showed significantly improved walking ability after long fusion (ODI 1.0 ± 0.8). The improvement in standing ability after short fusion was greater when PI – LL ≤ 10°(ODI 0.9 ± 0.6).

Conclusion.

Long segment fusion can relieve low back pain better and improve walking ability when PI-LL is mismatched, whereas short segment fusion is more advantageous in improving standing ability in cases of more balanced sagittal spinopelvic alignment.

Level of Evidence: 3