bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of viruses in asthma
Authors: Jartti Tuomas , Bønnelykke Klaus , Elenius Varpu , Feleszko Wojciech
Published: January 2020

Respiratory viral infections are the most important triggers of asthma exacerbations. Rhinovirus (RV), the common cold virus, is clearly the most prevalent pathogen constantly circulating in the community. This virus also stands out from other viral factors due to its large diversity (about 170 genotypes), very effective replication, a tendency to create Th2-biased inflammatory environment and association with specific risk genes in people predisposed to asthma development (CDHR3). Decreased interferon responses, disrupted airway epithelial barrier, environmental exposures (including biased airway microbiome), and nutritional deficiencies (low in vitamin D and fish oil) increase risk to RV and other virus infections. It is intensively debated whether viral illnesses actually cause asthma. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading causative agent of bronchiolitis, whereas RV starts to dominate after 1 year of age. Breathing difficulty induced by either of these viruses is associated with later asthma, but the risk is higher for those who suffer from severe RV-induced wheezing. The asthma development associated with these viruses has unique mechanisms, but in general, RV is a risk factor for later atopic asthma, whereas RSV is more likely associated with later non-atopic asthma. Treatments that inhibit inflammation (corticosteroids, omalizumab) effectively decrease RV-induced wheezing and asthma exacerbations. The anti-RSV monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, decreases the risk of severe RSV illness and subsequent recurrent wheeze. A better understanding of personal and environmental risk factors and inflammatory mechanisms leading to asthma is crucial in developing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of asthma.
Robust Reoptimization of Steiner Trees
Authors: Goyal Keshav , Mömke Tobias
Published: January 2020

In reoptimization, one is given an optimal solution to a problem instance and a (locally) modified instance. The goal is to obtain a solution for the modified instance. We aim to use information obtained from the given solution in order to obtain a better solution for the new instance than we are able to compute from scratch. In this paper, we consider Steiner tree reoptimization and address the optimality requirement of the provided solution. Instead of assuming that we are provided an optimal solution, we relax the assumption to the more realistic scenario where we are given an approximate solution with an upper bound on its performance guarantee. We show that for Steiner tree reoptimization there is a clear separation between local modifications where optimality is crucial for obtaining improved approximations and those instances where approximate solutions are acceptable starting points. For some of the local modifications that have been considered in previous research, we show that for every fixed $$\varepsilon > 0$$

ε
>
0

, approximating the reoptimization problem with respect to a given $$(1+\varepsilon )$$

(
1
+
ε
)

-approximation is as hard as approximating the Steiner tree problem itself. In contrast, with a given optimal solution to the original problem it is known that one can obtain considerably improved results. Furthermore, we provide a new algorithmic technique that, with some further insights, allows us to obtain improved performance guarantees for Steiner tree reoptimization with respect to all remaining local modifications that have been considered in the literature: a required node of degree more than one becomes a Steiner node; a Steiner node becomes a required node; the cost of one edge is increased.
Arrangements of Pseudocircles: Triangles and Drawings
Authors: Felsner Stefan , Scheucher Manfred
Published: January 2020

A pseudocircle is a simple closed curve on the sphere or in the plane. The study of arrangements of pseudocircles was initiated by Grünbaum, who defined them as collections of simple closed curves that pairwise intersect in exactly two crossings. Grünbaum conjectured that the number of triangular cells $$p_3$$

p
3

in digon-free arrangements of n pairwise intersecting pseudocircles is at least $$2n-4$$

2
n
-
4

. We present examples to disprove this conjecture. With a recursive construction based on an example with 12 pseudocircles and 16 triangles we obtain a family of intersecting digon-free arrangements with $$p_3({\mathscr {A}})/n \rightarrow 16/11 = 1.\overline{45}$$

p
3

(
A
)

/
n
→
16
/
11
=
1
.

45
¯

. We expect that the lower bound $$p_3({\mathscr {A}}) \ge 4n/3$$

p
3

(
A
)

≥
4
n
/
3

is tight for infinitely many simple arrangements. It may however be true that all digon-free arrangements of n pairwise intersecting circles have at least $$2n-4$$

2
n
-
4

triangles. For pairwise intersecting arrangements with digons we have a lower bound of $$p_3 \ge 2n/3$$

p
3

≥
2
n
/
3

, and conjecture that $$p_3 \ge n-1$$

p
3

≥
n
-
1

. Concerning the maximum number of triangles in pairwise intersecting arrangements of pseudocircles, we show that $$p_3 \le \frac{4}{3}\left( {\begin{array}{c}n\\ 2\end{array}}\right) +O(n)$$

p
3

≤

4
3

n

2

+
O

(
n
)

. This is essentially best possible because there are families of pairwise intersecting arrangements of n pseudocircles with $$p_3 = \frac{4}{3}\left( {\begin{array}{c}n\\ 2\end{array}}\right) $$

p
3

=

4
3

n

2

. The paper contains many drawings of arrangements of pseudocircles and a good fraction of these drawings was produced automatically from the combinatorial data produced by our generation algorithm. In the final section we describe some aspects of the drawing algorithm.
Evolution of artificial spawning sites for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta): field studies and numerical modelling in Aurland, Norway
Authors: Hauer C. , Pulg U. , Reisinger F. , Flödl P.
Published: January 2020

The presented study investigates the evolution of artificial gravel placements for Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Aurlandselva in Western Norway. Various monitoring methods have been applied including (i) quantifying the spatial extent and dynamics of spawning sites over the monitoring period, (ii) grain size distributions as well as (iii) applying numerical hydraulic and sediment transport modelling with the aim to test the predictability of such numerical tools. The spawning sites were not clogged by fine sediments, but were reshaped due to scouring and sediment transport. The scouring resulted in a volume loss of the gravel banks between 32 and 95% in the monitoring period of 5 years. The application of hydrodynamic-numerical modelling, however, showed that the modelling methods were not sufficient to predict erosion of the gravel or the site. The study showed that the areas are sensitive especially to local scale micro-topographical roughness elements. The complex three-dimensional hydraulic processes and the coarse substrate in the non-fluvial river environment makes it impracticable for multi-dimensional modelling to predict dynamics of gravel. A novel sediment criterion was introduced to estimate the near-bottom turbulence by relating thedmof introduced gravel compared to thed90of the bed surface substrate composition.
Performance of the Hypotension Prediction Index with non-invasive arterial pressure waveforms in non-cardiac surgical patients
Authors: Maheshwari Kamal , Buddi Sai , Jian Zhongping , Settels Jos , Shimada Tetsuya , Cohen Barak , Sessler Daniel I. , Hatib Feras
Published: January 2020

An algorithm derived from machine learning uses the arterial waveform to predict intraoperative hypotension some minutes before episodes, possibly giving clinician’s time to intervene and prevent hypotension. Whether the Hypotension Prediction Index works well with noninvasive arterial pressure waveforms remains unknown. We therefore evaluated sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the Index based on non-invasive arterial waveform estimates. We used continuous hemodynamic data measured from ClearSight (formerly Nexfin) noninvasive finger blood pressure monitors in surgical patients. We re-evaluated data from a trial that included 320 adults ≥ 45 years old designated ASA physical status 3 or 4 who had moderate-to-high-risk non-cardiac surgery with general anesthesia. We calculated sensitivity and specificity for predicting hypotension, defined as mean arterial pressure ≤ 65 mmHg for at least 1 min, and characterized the relationship with receiver operating characteristics curves. We also evaluated the number of hypotensive events at various ranges of the Hypotension Prediction Index. And finally, we calculated the positive predictive value for hypotension episodes when the Prediction Index threshold was 85. The algorithm predicted hypotension 5 min in advance, with a sensitivity of 0.86 [95% confidence interval 0.82, 0.89] and specificity 0.86 [0.82, 0.89]. At 10 min, the sensitivity was 0.83 [0.79, 0.86] and the specificity was 0.83 [0.79, 0.86]. And at 15 min, the sensitivity was 0.75 [0.71, 0.80] and the specificity was 0.75 [0.71, 0.80]. The positive predictive value of the algorithm prediction at an Index threshold of 85 was 0.83 [0.79, 0.87]. A Hypotension Prediction Index of 80–89 provided a median of 6.0 [95% confidence interval 5.3, 6.7] minutes warning before mean arterial pressure decreased to < 65 mmHg. The Hypotension Prediction Index, which was developed and validated with invasive arterial waveforms, predicts intraoperative hypotension reasonably well from non-invasive estimates of the arterial waveform. Hypotension prediction, along with appropriate management, can potentially reduce intraoperative hypotension. Being able to use the non-invasive pressure waveform will widen the range of patients who might benefit.

Clinical Trial Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02872896.
Structure and Raman spectra of binary barium phosphate glasses
Authors: Hruška Branislav , Dagupati Rajesh , Chromčíková Mária , Nowicka Aleksandra , Michálková Jaroslava , Peterson Jacob A. , Liška Marek , Munoz Francisco
Published: January 2020

The structure ofxBaO·(1 − x) P2O5(x = 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, and 0.50) glasses was studied by Raman spectroscopy and thermodynamic model Shakhmatkin and Vedishcheva (SVTDM). The seven system components (defined as stable crystalline phases of the BaO–P2O5binary phase diagram) were considered in the SVTDM: BaO, P2O5, 4BaO·P2O5(B4P), 3BaO·P2O5(B3P), 2BaO·P2O5(B2P), BaO·P2O5(BP), and BaO·2 P2O5(BP2). Only the equilibrium molar abundances of BP and BP2 were non-negligible in all studied glass compositions. Therefore, in the next step, multivariate curve analysis (MCR) of the baseline—subtracted, thermally—corrected experimental Raman spectra, was performed for two components (BP2 and BP). MCR resulted in the Raman spectra (loadings) and relative abundances (scores) of each considered component. The MCR method reproduced 98.93% of the spectral data variance. Then, the decomposition of Malfait was used. The perfect fit between the MCR loadings and the partial Raman spectra of BP2 and BP, obtained by Malfait’s decomposition, was found, confirming the validity of thermodynamic model.
One-year Mediterranean diet promotes epigenetic rejuvenation with country- and sex-specific effects: a pilot study from the NU-AGE project
Authors: Gensous Noémie , Garagnani Paolo , Santoro Aurelia , Giuliani Cristina , Ostan Rita , Fabbri Cristina , Milazzo Maddalena , Gentilini Davide , di Blasio Anna Maria , Pietruszka Barbara , Madej Dawid , Bialecka-Debek Agata , Brzozowska Anna , Franceschi Claudio , Bacalini Maria Giulia
Published: January 2020

Mediterranean diet has been proposed to promote healthy aging, but its effects on aging biomarkers have been poorly investigated. We evaluated the impact of a 1-year Mediterranean-like diet in a pilot study including 120 elderly healthy subjects from the NU-AGE study (60 Italians, 60 Poles) by measuring the changes in their epigenetic age, assessed by Horvath’s clock. We observed a trend towards epigenetic rejuvenation of participants after nutritional intervention. The effect was statistically significant in the group of Polish females and in subjects who were epigenetically older at baseline. A genome-wide association study of epigenetic age changes after the intervention did not return significant (adjusted p value < 0.05) loci. However, we identified small-effect alleles (nominal p value < 10–4), mapping in genes enriched in pathways related to energy metabolism, regulation of cell cycle, and of immune functions. Together, these findings suggest that Mediterranean diet can promote epigenetic rejuvenation but with country-, sex-, and individual-specific effects, thus highlighting the need for a personalized approach to nutritional interventions.
Technologie-mediierte Einstellungsinterviews: Ein Überblick über Befunde und offene Fragen
Authors: Basch Johannes M. , Melchers Klaus G.
Published: January 2020

Dieser Beitrag der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) fasst bisherige Forschung zu technologie-mediierten Interviews zusammen und gibt darauf aufbauend Empfehlungen für weitere Forschung und die Praxis. Durch die Digitalisierung und den technologischen Fortschritt hat sich auch die Art und Weise verändert, wie Vorstellungsgespräche geführt werden. Technologie-mediierte Alternativen zu klassischen Face-to-Face-Interviews haben sich in der Personalauswahl teilweise etabliert. In unserem Artikel wollen wir einen Überblick über den bisherigen Stand der Forschung zu solchen technologie-mediierten Interviews geben. Dabei hat sich gezeigt, dass Bewerber in den meisten Formen von technologie-mediierten Interviews schlechter abschneiden und diese auch schlechter akzeptieren als FTF-Interviews. Die Gründe für diese Unterschiede sind jedoch weitestgehend ungeklärt. Zudem wird die Validität von verschiedenen Formen der Interview-Durchführung beleuchtet. Abschließend benennen wir wichtige Forschungslücken und leiten auf Basis bisheriger Ergebnisse Empfehlungen für die Praxis ab.
SEOM clinical guidelines for cervical cancer (2019)
Authors: de Juan A. , Redondo A. , Rubio M. J. , García Y. , Cueva J. , Gaba L. , Yubero A. , Alarcón J. , Maximiano C. , Oaknin A.
Published: January 2020

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, strongly linked to high-risk human papilloma virus infection. In high-income countries, the screening programs have dramatically decreased the incidence of CC; however, the lack of accessibility to them in developing countries makes CC an important cause of mortality. Clinical stage is the most relevant prognostic factor in CC. The new FIGO staging system published in 2018 is more accurate than the previous one since it takes into account the lymph node status. In early stages, the primary treatment is surgery—with some concerns recently raised regarding minimally invasive surgery because it might decrease survival—or radiotherapy, whereas concomitant chemo-radiotherapy is the conventional approach in locally advanced stages. For recurrent or metastatic CC, the combination of chemotherapy plus bevacizumab is the preferred therapy. Immunotherapy approach based on checkpoint inhibitors is evolving as the election therapy following failure to platinum therapy.
SEOM clinical guideline on hereditary colorectal cancer (2019)
Authors: Guillén-Ponce C. , Lastra E. , Lorenzo-Lorenzo I. , Martín Gómez T. , Morales Chamorro R. , Sánchez-Heras A. B. , Serrano R. , Soriano Rodríguez M. C. , Soto J. L. , Robles L.
Published: January 2020

In the last 2 decades, clinical genetics on hereditary colorectal syndromes has shifted from just a molecular characterization of the different syndromes to the estimation of the individual risk of cancer and appropriate risk reduction strategies. In the last years, new specific therapies for some subgroups of patients have emerged as very effective alternatives. At the same time, germline multigene panel testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has become the new gold standard for molecular genetics.
Solvent and Rotating Bed Reactor Extraction with One- and Two-Phase Solvents Applied to Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) for Isolating Valuable Antioxidants
Authors: Nyström Josefina , Östman Ulla-Britt , Mossing Torgny , Hed Leif , Geladi Paul
Published: January 2020

Extraction of antioxidants from bilberries using solvent extraction and the novel rotating bed reactor (RBR) both with one-phase (ethanol and water) and two-phase (ethanol and water +salt) solvents was studied. Solids, ethanol, and temperature settings in an experimental design were monitored for 1 h. The measured responses were (1) polyphenol concentration, (2) visible-near infrared spectra, and (3) HPLC measurement. The (1) responses were used for making response surfaces in time and the spectra (2) could confirm these results. The HPLC results (3) confirmed the results of 1 and 2 but were found unsuitable for online monitoring. The RBR was better than traditional extraction and 16 min sufficed. The response surfaces showed an optimal concentration of ethanol, temperatures above 50 °C gave the best results, and high loads of solid were beneficial. Two-phase extraction was less efficient. The methodology could be transferred to larger scale extraction systems to improve yield and save on reagents/energy cost.
Lapidary production in the eastern Caribbean: a typo-technological and microwear study of ornaments from the site of Pearls, Grenada
Authors: Guzzo Falci Catarina , Knaf Alice C. S. , van Gijn Annelou , Davies Gareth R. , Hofman Corinne L.
Published: January 2020

The present paper examines bodily ornaments made of semiprecious lithic materials from the site of Pearls on the island of Grenada. The site was an important node in long-distance interaction networks at play between circum-Caribbean communities during the first centuries of the Common Era. Pearls was an amethyst bead-making workshop and a gateway to South America, from where certain lapidary raw materials likely originated. The importance of the site for regional archaeology and local stakeholders cannot be overstated. However, it has undergone severe destruction and looting over the decades. Here, we present a study of a private collection of ornaments from Pearls, which combines raw material identification, typo-technological analysis and microwear analysis. We identify great diversity in lithologies and in techniques adapted to their working properties. Multiple abrasive techniques for sawing, grinding, polishing and carving are identified. Furthermore, the use of ornaments is examined for the first time. Finally, we contrast our dataset to other Antillean sites and propose management patterns for each raw material. Our approach ultimately provides new insights on ornament making at Pearls and on its role in regional networks.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
Authors: Greenshields Nicole , Mythen Monty
Published: January 2020

Purpose of Review

To provide a brief summary of the progress of enhanced recovery over the last 5 to 10 years and set out what the future might hold for such programmes.

Recent Findings

There has been significant progress in the adoption of enhanced recovery programmes across multiple surgical specialities. However there is still difficulty in sustaining a target of > 80% compliance, which has been identified through research as the optimal level to observe best patient results. With increasing interest in perioperative medicine and prehabilitation, more focus is being put into enhanced recovery programmes.

The evidence continues to support the use of enhanced recovery programmes to reduce patient mortality, morbidity and length of stay and therefore saving cost and resource. However more progress needs to be made in adoption and compliance to these programmes. In the future, advances in technology may aid programme implementation and data collection.
A genetic approach to study the relationship between maternal Vitamin D status and newborn anthropometry measurements: the Vitamin D pregnant mother (VDPM) cohort study
Authors: Aji Arif Sabta , Erwinda Erwinda , Rasyid Rosfita , Yusrawati Yusrawati , Malik Safarina G , Alathari Buthaina , Lovegrove Julie Anne , Lipoeto Nur Indrawaty , Vimaleswaran Karani Santhanakrishnan
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Adverse effects of maternal vitamin D deficiency have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and newborn anthropometry measurements using a genetic approach and examined the interaction between genetic variations in involved in vitamin D synthesis and metabolism and maternal vitamin D concentrations on newborn anthropometry.

Methods

The study was conducted in 183 pregnant Indonesian Minangkabau women. Genetic risk scores (GRSs) were created using six vitamin D–related single nucleotide polymorphisms and their association with 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and newborn anthropometry (183 infants) were investigated.

Results

There was no significant association between maternal 25(OH)D concentrations and newborn anthropometry measurements (P > 0.05, for all comparisons). After correction for multiple testing using Bonferroni correction, GRS was significantly associated with 25(OH)D in the third trimester (P = 0.004). There was no association between GRS and newborn anthropometric measurements; however, there was an interaction between GRS and 25(OH)D on head circumference (P = 0.030), where mothers of neonates with head circumference < 35 cm had significantly lower 25(OH)D if they carried ≥4 risk alleles compared to those who carried ≤3 risk alleles.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the impact of vitamin D-related GRS on 25(OH)D and provides evidence for the effect of vitamin D-related GRS on newborn anthropometry through the influence of serum 25(OH)D levels among Indonesian pregnant women. Even though our study is a prospective cohort, before the implementation of vitamin D supplementation programs in Indonesia to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, further large studies are required to confirm our findings.
“Speaking of Purchases”: How Conversational Potential Determines Consumers’ Willingness to Exert Effort for Experiential versus Material Purchases
Authors: Bastos Wilson
Published: January 2020

Consumers spend much of their incomes on two types of purchases: experiences and material objects. Recent research has successfully used this purchase type categorization to predict various types of social and psychological consumer outcomes. The present investigation extends this research to a novel domain of primary relevance to firms—that of consumer effort. Specifically, this work advances and tests the prediction that consumers are more willing to exert effort to acquire experiential versus material purchases. Further, drawing on literature on online and offline consumer interactions, it proposes that the greater conversational potential of experiences (vs. objects) explains this effect. Five studies employing mediation, moderation, and actual-choice approaches, applying different methodologies to purchases (past, future, and framed purchases) and testing different types of acquisition effort (e.g., to save money, to wait in a line to make the purchase) offer converging evidence in support of the predicted model. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Quality of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sandoval-Salinas Carolina , Saffon José P. , Corredor Héctor A.
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) guide the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction using different methodologies. Nonetheless, the quality of published CPGs is unknown.

Aim

To evaluate the quality of CPGs for diagnosis and treatment of patients with erectile dysfunction.

Methods

The Medline, Embase, and LILACS databases were searched using structured strategies. The evidence was complemented by searches on websites of scientific societies and guideline developers. The CPG quality was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument.

Main Outcome Measure

The outcome measure included the quality of CPGs in accordance with the AGREE II instrument score.

Results

17 guidelines met the selection criteria. 15 had recommendations for diagnosis, 16, had recommendations for treatment, and 1 included a follow-up. Most of the guidelines were developed in Europe (35.3%) and North America (29.4%), 2 were prepared by specialized groups (11.7%), and 1 was funded by public resources. The most common development method was the panel of experts (9 guides, 52.9%). 5 guidelines were of high quality as per the methodological rigor, as follows: Cancer Care Ontario 2016 (76.5%), European Urology Association 2018 (65.6%), American Urological Association 2018 (62.5%), American College of Physicians (62.5%), and Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine (60.4%). There was a significant relationship (P = .043) between the methodological quality of the guidelines and the funding source.

Clinical Implications

By knowing the quality of the clinical practice guidelines, users can make more objective decisions about their use, which has an impact on patient care.

Strength & Limitations

High-quality CPGs frequently used in health-care practice were identified. Solely CPGs in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were included, which generates selection bias in the results.

Conclusions

The number of CPGs for erectile dysfunction developed using international standards that meet the AGREE II quality criteria is low. Scientific societies have a strong interest in developing guidelines on this topic, whereas the participation of governmental organizations is limited.
Strategic ignorance of health risk: its causes and policy consequences
Authors: NORDSTRÖM JONAS , THUNSTRÖM LINDA , VAN ’T VELD KLAAS , SHOGREN JASON F. , EHMKE MARIAH
Published: January 2020

We examine the causes and policy implications of strategic (willful) ignorance of risk as an excuse to over-engage in risky health behavior. In an experiment on Copenhagen adults, we allow subjects to choose whether to learn the calorie content of a meal before consuming it and then measure their subsequent calorie intake. Consistent with previous studies, we find strong evidence of strategic ignorance: 46% of subjects choose to ignore calorie information, and these subjects subsequently consume more calories on average than they would have had they been informed. While previous studies have focused on self-control as the motivating factor for strategic ignorance of calorie information, we find that ignorance in our study is instead motivated by optimal expectations – subjects choose ignorance so that they can downplay the probability of their preferred meal being high-calorie. We discuss how the motivation matters to policy. Further, we find that the prevalence of strategic ignorance largely negates the effects of calorie information provision: on average, subjects who have the option to ignore calorie information consume the same number of calories as subjects who are provided no information.
Evaluating North Carolina’s policy for healthcare personnel living with HIV and hepatitis B who perform invasive procedures after 25 years of implementation
Authors: Mitchell Cedar L. , Lewis James W. , Maillard Jean-Marie , Moore Zack S. , Weber David J.
Published: January 2020

Healthcare personnel who perform invasive procedures and are living with HIV or hepatitis B have been required to self-notify the NC state health department since 1992. State coordinated review of HCP utilizes a panel of experts to evaluate transmission risk and recommend infection prevention measures. We describe how this practice balances HCP privacy and patient safety and health.
Oxygen nipple and nut (Christmas tree) adaptor contamination rates and decontamination with disinfecting wipes
Authors: Colandrea Nicole A. , Cleary Michael L. , Peaper David R. , Sullivan Linda K. , Martinello Richard A. , Murray Thomas S.
Published: January 2020

Objective:

Different manufacturers recommend different levels of disinfection for oxygen nipple and nut adaptors, also known as Christmas-tree adaptors (CTAs). We aimed to determine the bacterial contamination rates of CTAs before and after clinical use and whether disinfection wipes effectively eliminate bacteria from CTAs.

Methods:

CTAs were swabbed for bacteria directly from the shipment box or after use in a medical intensive care unit to determine levels of contamination. CTAs were also inoculated in the laboratory with a variety of bacteria and disinfected with either 0.5% hydrogen peroxide (Oxivir 1) or 0.25% tetra-ammonium chloride with 44.50% isopropyl alcohol (Super Sani-Cloth), and the effectiveness of each wipe was determined by comparing the bacterial recovery before and after disinfection.

Results:

CTAs exhibit low levels of bacterial burden before and after clinical use. Both disinfecting wipes were effective at removing bacteria from the CTAs.

Conclusions:

Low-level disinfection of CTAs is appropriate prior to redeployment in the clinical setting.
Academic self-concepts of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children
Authors: Prehn Jacob , Peacock Huw , Guerzoni Michael Andre
Published: January 2020

Abstract Self-concept is recognised as useful in facilitating understanding of the development of resilience, academic achievement and social and emotional maturity in children. This framework is valuable for studying minorities such as Indigenous children, for who a positive self-concept is a means of bolstering resilience and mitigating the inherited structural disadvantages of colonisation. This paper aims to understand the academic self-concept of Indigenous children in Australia through analysis of univariate, bivariate and multivariate data of Indigenous children aged 9.5–11 years from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children Wave's 7 K Cohort. Results show overall positive levels of Indigenous children's self-perception at school. Further, factors such as level of relative isolation, teacher perception, peer relationships, feedback from mother and contact with community leaders and Elders is positively associated with Indigenous children's schooling mathematic and reading self-concepts. Ensuring that Indigenous students are supported by community, peers and parents, immersed in their culture and are recognised and supported by their teachers can alleviate the undesirable effects that structural inequalities may have on their academic self-concept.
Europeanization and the Statehood Problem: The Cases of Croatia and Serbia
Authors: Milačić Filip
Published: January 2020

Croatia and Serbia are two countries that started their paths toward the EU with similar conditions. Nevertheless, in 2018, the end of this study’s period, the two countries are characterized by different outcomes regarding European integration. This paper puts forward one key determinant for the more successful Europeanization process of Croatia—resolved statehood problem—and claims that the unresolved statehood problem in Serbia led to higher adoption costs of EU rules. Therefore, this article seeks to improve the theorization of the relationship between Europeanization and the statehood problem.
Fundamental physics with the Square Kilometre Array
Authors: Weltman A. , Bull P. , Camera S. , Kelley K. , Padmanabhan H. , Pritchard J. , Raccanelli A. , Riemer-Sørensen S. , Shao L. , Andrianomena S. , Athanassoula E. , Bacon D. , Barkana R. , Bertone G. , Bœhm C. , Bonvin C. , Bosma A. , Brüggen M. , Burigana C. , Calore F. , Cembranos J. A. R. , Clarkson C. , Connors R. M. T. , Cruz-Dombriz Á. de la , Dunsby P. K. S. , Fonseca J. , Fornengo N. , Gaggero D. , Harrison I. , Larena J. , Ma Y.-Z. , Maartens R. , Méndez-Isla M. , Mohanty S. D. , Murray S. , Parkinson D. , Pourtsidou A. , Quinn P. J. , Regis M. , Saha P. , Sahlén M. , Sakellariadou M. , Silk J. , Trombetti T. , Vazza F. , Venumadhav T. , Vidotto F. , Villaescusa-Navarro F. , Wang Y. , Weniger C. , Wolz L. , Zhang F. , Gaensler B. M.
Published: January 2020

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a planned large radio interferometer designed to operate over a wide range of frequencies, and with an order of magnitude greater sensitivity and survey speed than any current radio telescope. The SKA will address many important topics in astronomy, ranging from planet formation to distant galaxies. However, in this work, we consider the perspective of the SKA as a facility for studying physics. We review four areas in which the SKA is expected to make major contributions to our understanding of fundamental physics: cosmic dawn and reionisation; gravity and gravitational radiation; cosmology and dark energy; and dark matter and astroparticle physics. These discussions demonstrate that the SKA will be a spectacular physics machine, which will provide many new breakthroughs and novel insights on matter, energy, and spacetime.
Social Network Structures and the Politics of Public Goods Provision: Evidence from the Philippines
Authors: CRUZ CESI , LABONNE JULIEN , QUERUBÍN PABLO
Published: January 2020

We study the relationship between social structure and political incentives for public goods provision. We argue that when politicians—rather than communities—are responsible for the provision of public goods, social fractionalization may decrease the risk of elite capture and lead to increased public goods provision and electoral competition. We test this using large-scale data on family networks from over 20 million individuals in 15,000 villages of the Philippines. We take advantage of naming conventions to assess intermarriage links between families and use community detection algorithms to identify the relevant clans in those villages. We show that there is more public goods provision and political competition in villages with more fragmented social networks, a result that is robust to controlling for a large number of village characteristics and to alternative estimation techniques.
Measuring the Influence of Political Actors on the Federal Budget
Authors: HAMMOND BEN , ROSENSTIEL LEAH
Published: January 2020

When estimating the political determinants of the federal budget, scholars face a choice between using measures of funding and measures of spending as their outcome of interest. We examine the consequences of this choice. In particular, we argue that spending outcomes may serve as a poor test of the research questions scholars seek to answer, since spending data conflate competing budgetary influences, are downstream measures of the appropriations that originated them, and induce measurement error. To test our claim, we compare the spending data used in a recent study (Berry and Fowler 2016: American Journal of Political Science 60 (3): 692–708) with an original data set of military construction appropriations. While an analysis of the spending data produces a null result, the same analysis using the appropriations data provides strong evidence that legislators use their committee positions to distribute pork. Our findings have broad implications for studies that use measures of spending in the congressional and presidency literatures.
Decreased functional connectivity of hippocampal subregions and methylation of the NR3C1 gene in Han Chinese adults who lost their only child
Authors: Qi Rongfeng , Luo Yifeng , Zhang Li , Weng Yifei , Surento Wesley , Xu Qiang , Jahanshad Neda , Li Lingjiang , Cao Zhihong , Lu Guang Ming , Thompson Paul M.
Published: January 2020

Background

Losing one's only child is a major traumatic life event that may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, the underlying mechanisms of its psychological consequences remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated subregional hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) networks based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and the deoxyribonucleic acid methylation of the human glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in adults who had lost their only child.

Methods

A total of 144 Han Chinese adults who had lost their only child (51 adults with PTSD and 93 non-PTSD adults [trauma-exposed controls]) and 50 controls without trauma exposure were included in this fMRI study (age: 40–67 years). FCs between hippocampal subdivisions (four regions in each hemisphere: cornu ammonis1 [CA1], CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus [DG]) and methylation levels of the NR3C1 gene were compared among the three groups.

Results

Trauma-exposed adults, regardless of PTSD diagnosis, had weaker positive FC between the left hippocampal CA1, left DG, and the posterior cingulate cortex, and weaker negative FC between the right CA1, right DG, and several frontal gyri, relative to healthy controls. Compared to non-PTSD adults, PTSD adults showed decreased negative FC between the right CA1 region and the right middle/inferior frontal gyri (MFG/IFG), and decreased negative FC between the right DG and the right superior frontal gyrus and left MFG. Both trauma-exposed groups showed lower methylation levels of the NR3C1 gene.

Conclusions

Adults who had lost their only child may experience disrupted hippocampal network connectivity and NR3C1 methylation status, regardless of whether they have developed PTSD.
“Were They the Ones We Were Waiting for?” The TWWA and the Performance of Solidarity
Authors: Emery Sharyn
Published: January 2020

In her 1979 touchstone address, “The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House,” Audre Lorde makes it clear that the only feminism that matters is one that includes and even centers the voices of “poor women, black and third-world women, and lesbians.” She argues that this type of representation is not a mere academic exercise, but a means of survival for women within these groups. Speaking at the Second Sex Conference in New York, Lorde also laments the lack of attention paid to the ways women can and should embrace their differences while still relying on a solidarity that she sees as foundational to creativity and liberation. Women of color have always borne the greatest share of domestic and physical labor in the United States, and thus creating this solidarity is a challenge; when workers are spread far and wide, scared of management, and just living month to month, it can be difficult to organize and unite them. In the 1970s, the Third World Women's Alliance (TWWA) took on this challenge, seeking to organize women of color economically, culturally, and politically, embodying Lorde's charge in the decade prior to her speech. One of the key methods of organizing by the TWWA was a series of original skits, many of which were performed during celebrations of International Women's Day (IWD, 8 March).
Performing the Northern Athens: Dr. Corry's Diorama of Ireland and the Belfast Riot of 1864
Authors: Granshaw Michelle
Published: January 2020

Although sectarian violence characterized life in Belfast for hundreds of years, 1864 marked a shift in how violence played out in the city. Unlike previous conflicts that occurred in open spaces and reflected long-held rural rituals, the riots of August 1864 took place in the city's rapidly developing urban streets. The violence broke out in response to celebrations around the foundation laying for a new statue of Daniel O'Connell, the late Catholic politician, in Dublin. Thousands of Belfast Catholics traveled to Dublin for the celebration. Upon their return to Belfast, ten thousand Protestant loyalists greeted them by burning an effigy of O'Connell on Boyne Bridge and staging a mock funeral and procession that attempted to enter a Catholic burial ground. The resulting violence and rioting continued for ten days on the city streets, where homes and businesses faced destruction on a scale previously unseen. Expelling residents of opposing views, rioters reinforced older ideas of “communal conflict” expressed through “disagreements over each group's place—literally and imaginatively—in the city” and strengthened notions of neighborhood geography based on religious beliefs. As historian Mark Doyle argues, the shifting patterns of violence resulted from “[t]he steady advance of working-class alienation from the state, the growing hegemony of violent extremists in working-class neighbourhoods, the sectarian alliance between Protestant workers and elites, the insecurity of the Catholics and, above all, the polarising effects of earlier outbreaks of violence.” Lasting reminders of conflict lingered as the city recovered, reminding anyone walking the streets of the city's violent past and the likely potential of future clashes.
NUMERACY IN CENTRAL NEW SPAIN DURING THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Authors: Calderón-Fernández Andrés , Dobado-González Rafael , García-Hiernaux Alfredo
Published: January 2020

This article presents new evidence and analysis on age heaping—a proxy for numeracy and therefore for human capital—in New Spain during the Enlightenment. Human capital plays an important role in economic growth and welfare. It is also one of the dimensions of inequality. Our results are at odds with many of the usual assumptions on which most Mexicanist historiography is based. Age heaping levels of males and females and ethnic groups across locations in Central New Spain are estimated and compared through ad hoc indicators with other countries. We infer that a more empirical emphasis on the institutional legacy of the viceregal period and more attention to human capital since pre-Conquest times will benefit the progress of Hispanic American economic history.
A Narrative Review of Methods for Applying User Experience in the Design and Assessment of Mental Health Smartphone Interventions
Authors: Lemon Christopher , Huckvale Kit , Carswell Kenneth , Torous John
Published: January 2020

Objectives

User experience (UX) plays a key role in uptake and usage of mental health smartphone interventions, yet remains underinvestigated. This review aimed to characterize and compare UX evaluation approaches that have been applied in this specific context, and to identify implications for research and practice.

Methods

A narrative review was conducted of UX-themed studies published in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to February 2019. Eligible studies reported on data reflecting users' interactions with a smartphone intervention for any mental health condition. Studies were categorized into “situated” versus “construct-based” methods according to whether or not an established UX construct was used to acquire and analyze data.

Results

Situated approaches used bespoke UX metrics, including quantitative measures of usage and performance, as well as grounded interview data. Construct-based approaches such as assessments of usability and acceptability were based on conceptual frameworks, with methodologically stronger versions featuring construct definitions, validated measurement tools, and an ability to compare data across studies. Constructs and measures were sometimes combined to form bespoke construct-based approaches.

Conclusions

Both situated and construct-based UX data may provide benefits during design and implementation of a mental health smartphone intervention by helping to clarify the needs of users and the impact of new features. Notable however was the omission of UX methods, such as split testing. Future research should consider these unaddressed methods, aim to improve the rigor of UX assessment, integrate their use alongside clinical outcomes, and explore UX assessment of more complex, adaptive interventions.
Immutable autobiography of smart cars leveraging blockchain technology
Authors: Ferdous MD. Sadek , Chowdhury Mohammad Jabed Morshed , Biswas Kamanashis , Chowdhury Niaz , Muthukkumarasamy Vallipuram
Published: January 2020

The popularity of smart cars is increasing around the world as they offer a wide range of services and conveniences. These smart cars are equipped with a variety of sensors generating a large amount of data, many of which are critical. Besides, there are multiple parties involved in the lifespan of a smart car, such as manufacturers, car owners, government agencies, and third-party service providers who also generate data about the vehicle. In addition to managing and sharing data among these entities in a secure and privacy-friendly way which is a great challenge itself, there exists a trust deficit about some types of data as they remain under the custody of the car owner (e.g. satellite navigation and mileage data) and can easily be manipulated. In this article, we propose a blockchain-assisted architecture enabling the owner of a smart car to create an immutable record of every data, called theautobiographyof a car, generated within its lifespan. We also explain how the trust about this record is guaranteed by theimmutabilitycharacteristic of the blockchain. Furthermore, the article describes how the proposed architecture enables a secure and privacy-preserving mechanism for sharing of smart car data among different parties.
Dementia-Related Education and Support Service Availability, Accessibility, and Use in Rural Areas: Barriers and Solutions
Authors: Bayly Melanie , Morgan Debra , Froehlich Chow Amanda , Kosteniuk Julie , Elliot Valerie
Published: January 2020

This scoping review mapped and synthesized published literature related to education and support services for individuals with dementia and their caregivers living rurally. Specifically, we investigated education and support service needs, availability and use of services, barriers to service access and use, and solutions to these barriers. Empirical, English-language articles (2,381) were identified within MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCINFO, and EMBASE. Articles were screened according to Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-stage scoping review methodology and the recommendations of Levac et al. (2010). Findings suggest limited availability of rural dementia-related support and education services, particularly respite care and day programs. Service use varied across studies, with barriers including low knowledge regarding services, practicality, and resource issues (e.g., transportation, financial), values and beliefs, stigma, and negative perceptions of services. Solutions included tailored and person-centred services, technological service provision, accessibility assistance, inter-organization collaboration, education regarding services, and having a “point of entry” to service use.
Atypical presentation of invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroup W meningococci
Authors: Stinson C. , Burman C. , Presa J. , Abalos M.
Published: January 2020

Neisseria meningitidis, a gram-negative diplococcus, is typically an asymptomatic coloniser of the oropharynx and nasopharynx. Passage of N. meningitidis into the bloodstream can cause invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a potentially life-threatening illness with rapid onset that generally presents as meningitis, septicemia or both. Serogroup W IMD has been increasing in prevalence in recent years, and observations suggest that it may present with atypical signs and symptoms. Herein, a literature search was performed to identify trends in atypical serogroup W IMD presentation in order to review those that are most prevalent. Findings indicate that the most prevalent atypical presentations of serogroup W IMD include acute gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, septic arthritis and bacteremic pneumonia or severe upper respiratory tract infection, notably epiglottitis. Atypical clinical presentation is associated with higher case fatality rates and can lead to misdiagnoses. Such risks highlight the need for clinicians to consider IMD in their differential diagnoses of patients with acute GI symptoms, septic arthritis or bacteremic pneumonia, primarily in regions where serogroup W is prevalent.