bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wealth and Obesity Among US Adults Entering Midlife
Authors: Wolfe Joseph D. , Baker Elizabeth H. , Scarinci Isabel C.
Published: October 2019

Objective

This study examines the relationship between wealth and obesity among adults entering midlife and whether this relationship varies by sex, race, and measure of wealth.

Methods

The data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY‐79). Population‐averaged models were used to examine the associations between multiple measures of wealth and obesity among 6,979 respondents while controlling for education, occupation, income, and relevant sociodemographic variables.

Results

The analysis found a robust association between wealth and midlife obesity as well as heterogeneity in the wealth‐obesity association across sex, race, and measure of wealth. With the exception of black men, net worth generally had a significant and inverse relationship with obesity. The net worth–obesity association was largest among women and was driven primarily by home value, in addition to savings and debt for black women. Although home value was significant for white men, the components of wealth were generally unrelated to obesity among men.

Conclusions

The association between wealth and obesity was generally robust but also complex, depending on sex, race, and measure of wealth. Research that does not consider multiple components of wealth may overlook the importance of economic resources in shaping obesity rates in the US population.
The politics of petroleum pricing in Ghana: Institutions, power dynamics, and social networks
Authors: Akosa Franklin , Paiman Ahmad
Published: October 2019

The study, drawing on the political settlement approach, examines how powers, institutions, networks, and interests influence the pricing of petroleum products in Ghana. Qualitative research approach was for the study, and purposive sampling was used to interview 24 respondents. The findings suggest the existence of power struggles among the key actors in the pricing of fuel. The findings revealed that the National Petroleum Authority, bulk distribution oil companies, oil marketing companies, International Monetary Fund, and energy policy think tanks influence result into policy. Actors influence fuel prices through taxes, policy guidelines, exchange rate, and legal actions. The study recommends that capacity of the key players should be built by the Government of Ghana so as to ensure healthy competition and stability in the pricing of petroleum products in Ghana. Political interference in the pricing of fuel should be limited so that the key players can operate successfully in the petroleum downstream.
Synthesis of bio‐based poly (cyclotriphosphazene‐resveratrol) microspheres acting as both flame retardant and reinforcing agent to epoxy resin
Authors: Yang Danqi , Dong Luming , Hou Xudong , Zheng Weikang , Xiao Jian , Xu Jianzhong , Ma Haiyun
Published: October 2019

A highly cross‐linked poly (cyclotriphosphazene‐resveratrol) microsphere (PRV) was synthesized by using hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and bio‐based resveratrol (REV) as raw materials, and the obtained PRV microspheres were applied to improve the flame retardancy and mechanical property of epoxy resin (EP). The TGA results showed that the PRV microsphere is an excellent charring agent and the char yield is as high as 62% at 800°C. The incorporation of PRV makes the initial degradation earlier yet significantly increases the char residue of EP composites. Moreover, the introduction of PRV microspheres into EP greatly promoted the flame retardancy performance. Under 3% of addition of PRV microspheres, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) were decreased by 58.3% and 29.6%, respectively, the limited oxygen index (LOI) value was increased to 29.7% from 25.3% of pure EP. In addition, because of the uniform distribution in EP matrix and the enhancing effect of PRV microspheres, the mechanical properties including tensile modulus of EP composites were strengthened. PRV microspheres in this paper provide a possibility to synthesize a dual functional filler, which acts as both flame retardant and strengthening agent.
Preparation and characterization of strong cation exchange terpolymer resin as effective adsorbent for removal of disperse dyes
Authors: Bayramoglu Gulay , Kunduzcu Gul , Arica Mehmet Yakup
Published: October 2019

In this study, (hydroxypropylmethacrylate‐co‐ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate‐co‐glycidylmetharylate) terpolymer resin functionalized with sulfonic acid groups was prepared and used as cation exchange resin for removal of two different disperse dyes (i.e., Direct Red R [DR‐R] and Disperse Violet 28 [DV‐28]) from aqueous solution. The properties of the adsorbent were determined using Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller methods. The maximum adsorption capacity of the resin for the DR‐R and DV‐28 was found to be 86.1 and 179.6 mg/g, respectively. Desorption study was realized to evaluate the reusability of the resin and the percent desorption from the resin for DR‐R and DV‐28 dyes was found to be approximately 89.4% and 91.7%, respectively. The experimental data were evaluated using different kinetics and isotherm models. These results show that the experimental data could be designated with the second‐order kinetic model and both Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models. Finally, the presented resin was able to remove large amounts of organic pollutants in a short process time with a low amount of adsorbent. Thus, it was shown that the prepared resin has high potential for use as an effective and sustainable adsorbent for the treatment of industrial wastewater. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:192–201, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Constructing the core–shell structured island domain in polymer blends to achieve high dielectric constant and low loss
Authors: Yang Jing‐hui , Zhang Ting‐ting , Zhang Yong‐sheng , Zhang Nan , Huang Ting , Wang Yong
Published: October 2019

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and barium titanate (BaTiO3) (BT) were simultaneously introduced into the immiscible blend poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate)/thermoplastic urethane (EVA/TPU), and the EVA/TPU/CNT/BT quaternary polymer composite blends with core–shell structured island TPU domain were successfully prepared, in which CNTs in the TPU domain act as the core and the BT spheres at the interface of the TPU and EVA act as the shell. A core–shell structured island can lead to the formation of micro‐capacitors and further accumulate electron storage owing to the incorporation of CNTs and BT; on the other hand, a BT shell can be assembled along the TPU spheres, reducing the possibility of formation of a conductive CNT network, resulting in suppressed dielectric loss. Therefore, CNTs and BT were tailor‐made into blend composites with a core–shell structured domain, which can achieve an increased dielectric constant by 176% and decreased low dielectric loss by 80% compared with the blend composites with only CNTs in the TPU domain. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
The Long Ashton Legacy: Characterising United Kingdom West Country cider apples using a genotyping by targeted sequencing approach
Authors: Harper Helen , Winfield Mark O. , Copas Liz , Przewieslik‐Allen Sacha A. , Barker Gary L. A. , Burridge Amanda , Hughes Bob R. , Davies Les , Edwards Keith J.
Published: October 2019

Societal Impact Statement

The English West Country is the home of cider making, providing the region with jobs and industry, as well as cultural reference points such as Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie. Many important cider apple varieties were developed at Long Ashton Research Station (LARS), near Bristol, UK, including 29 varieties known collectively as ‘The Girls’. After its closure, some of the knowledge and expertise acquired at Long Ashton was lost, including the pedigree of ‘The Girls’. We sampled LARS’ derived trees and, using a novel genotyping technique, rediscovered the pedigree of ‘The Girls’, ensuring that this important cider apple collection will be available for future generations.

Summary

Our research had two objectives: (a) record the influence of Long Ashton Research Station on the introduction of new cider apple cultivars to the UK; (b) rediscover the parentage of the cider apple cultivars known collectively as ‘The Girls’.

For rapid, cost effective and accurate genotyping, we used the recently developed, medium density, single nucleotide polymorphism‐based genotyping procedure, SEQSNP®, to characterize the cultivars.

We generated a medium density (1,500 markers), whole genome genotype for 245 apple cultivars that allowed us to determine the relationship between cultivars and, in so doing, rediscover the parentage of ‘The Girls’.

We show that SNP genotyping is an efficient tool for the analysis of genetic diversity in cider apples and apples in general, and that the cider apple breeding programme carried out at Long Ashton Research Station made, and continues to make, a unique contribution to UK cider production.
CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes Using Atomic Layer Deposited Al2O3 and ZnO Interlayers
Authors: Yun Hwang-Sik , Noh Kyeongchan , Kim Jigeon , Noh Sung Hoon , Kim Gi-Hwan , Lee Woongkyu , Na Hyon Bin , Yoon Tae-Sik , Jang Jaeyoung , Kim Younghoon , Cho Seong-Yong
Published: October 2019

Most CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (PQD‐LEDs) are fabricated with an inverted device structure where hole transport/injection layers are vacuum‐deposited on top of ITO/ZnO (as an electron transport layer (ETL))/PQDs. Standard device architecture of PQD‐LEDs enables a solution‐process of device fabrication; however, the spin‐coating of ZnO ETL dissolved in polar solvent results in decreasing photoluminescence (PL) of PQDs because of PQD destabilization in polar medium. Herein, CsPbBr3 PQD‐LEDs are fabricated by depositing Al2O3 and ZnO via atomic layer deposition (ALD) to avoid damages originating from the polar solvent during ZnO ETL spin‐coating. Low temperature ALD is adopted to prevent the coarsening of the CsPbBr3 PQDs. A thicker Al2O3 interlayer can prevent PL quenching, but an excessively thick interlayer hinders electron transport due to the insulating nature of Al2O3. ZnO is sequentially deposited on Al2O3 interlayer via ALD, and therefore Al2O3/ZnO bilayer structure is used because of its better electron transporting ability and higher power efficiency in PQD‐LED devices compared with Al2O3‐only devices.
Supplying Slot Machines to the Poor
Authors: Bubonya Melisa , Byrne David P.
Published: October 2019

As gambling becomes increasingly accessible worldwide, governments face an important policy question: how should they exploit the industry's growth to raise tax revenue while protecting individuals from the detrimental effects of gambling? Using data on slot machines from the largest per capita gambling market in the world, Australia, we estimate a structural oligopoly model to (i) quantify firms' incentives to make gambling accessible among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and (ii) evaluate the effect of government policy (tax levies, supply caps, and venue smoking bans) on the distribution of slot machine supply, tax revenue, and problem gambling prevalence.
Representing natural and artificial in‐channel large wood in numerical hydraulic and hydrological models
Authors: Addy Stephen , Wilkinson Mark E.
Published: October 2019

The influence of naturally occurring in‐channel large wood (LW) on the hydraulics, hydrology and geomorphology of rivers is well documented. To inform management and better understand naturally occurring or artificially placed LW, hydraulic and hydrological models are applied to predict the possible benefits and drawbacks for habitat, sediment management and flood risk mitigation. However, knowledge and guidance on appropriate representation in models, needed to underpin realistic predictions, is lacking. This could lead to unrealistic expectations of the effectiveness of LW for different river management goals. To date, seven types of LW representation in hydraulic and hydrological models have been applied, the range partly reflecting the variety of LW, model types, scales and purposes. The most common approach is by altering channel roughness to represent flow resistance. Although qualitatively the effects of LW have been captured using models, to date quantitative validation, as well as transferable knowledge to help a priori parameterization of LW representations, remain limited. Therefore, additional empirical investigations and robust model validation are required to inform defensible LW representations for specific purposes and scales in numerical models coupled with better accounting of input uncertainty to improve confidence in predictions. Future studies should also consider a greater range of artificial and natural LW features, settings, larger spatial scales and better account for temporal variability of flow, morphology and LW configuration.

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Methods

Science of Water > Methods

Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
Black holes and conformal Regge bootstrap
Authors: Karlsson Robin , Kulaxizi Manuela , Parnachev Andrei , Tadić Petar
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Highly energetic particles traveling in the background of an asymptotically AdS black hole experience a Shapiro time delay and an angle deflection. These quantities are related to the Regge limit of a heavy-heavy-light-light four-point function of scalar operators in the dual CFT. The Schwarzschild radius of the black hole in AdS units is proportional to the ratio of the conformal dimension of the heavy operator and the central charge. This ratio serves as a useful expansion parameter; its power counts the number of stress tensors in the multi-stress tensor operators which contribute to the four-point function. In the cross-channel the four-point function is determined by the OPE coefficients and anomalous dimensions of the heavy-light double-trace operators. We explain how this data can be obtained and explicitly compute the first and second order terms in the expansion of the anomalous dimensions. We observe perfect agreement with known results in the lightcone limit, which were obtained by computing perturbative corrections to the energy eigenstates in AdS spacetimes.
Coulomb branch quantization and abelianized monopole bubbling
Authors: Dedushenko Mykola , Fan Yale , Pufu Silviu S. , Yacoby Ran
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We develop an approach to the study of Coulomb branch operators in 3D

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 gauge theories and the associated quantization structure of their Coulomb branches. This structure is encoded in a one-dimensional TQFT subsector of the full 3D theory, which we describe by combining several techniques and ideas. The answer takes the form of an associative and noncommutative star product algebra on the Coulomb branch. For “good” and “ugly” theories (according to the Gaiotto-Witten classification), we also exhibit a trace map on this algebra, which allows for the computation of correlation functions and, in particular, guarantees that the star product satisfies a truncation condition. This work extends previous work on abelian theories to the non-abelian case by quantifying the monopole bubbling that describes screening of GNO boundary conditions. In our approach, monopole bubbling is determined from the algebraic consistency of the OPE. This also yields a physical proof of the Bullimore-Dimofte-Gaiotto abelianization description of the Coulomb branch.
Monopoles, strings, and necklaces in SO(10) and E6
Authors: Lazarides George , Shafi Qaisar
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We employ a variety of symmetry breaking patterns in SO(10) and E
6 Grand Unified Theories to demonstrate the appearance of topological defects including magnetic monopoles, strings, and necklaces. We show that independent of the symmetry breaking pattern, a topologically stable superheavy monopole carrying a single unit of Dirac charge as well as color magnetic charge is always present. Lighter intermediate mass topologically stable monopoles carrying two or three quanta of Dirac charge can appear in SO(10) and E
6 models respectively. These lighter monopoles as well as topologically stable intermediate scale strings can survive an inflationary epoch. We also show the ap­ pearance of a novel necklace configuration in SO(10) broken to the Standard Model via SU(4)
c
× SU(2)
L
× SU(2)
R
. It consists of SU(4)
c
and SU(2)
R
monopoles connected by flux tubes. Necklaces consisting of monopoles and antimonopoles joined together by flux tubes are also identified. Even in the absence of topologically stable strings, a monopole-string system can temporarily appear. This system decays by emitting gravity waves and we provide an example in which the spectrum of these waves is strongly peaked around 10−4 Hz with Ωqw
h
2 ≃10−12. This spectrum should be within the detection capability of LISA.
Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism Following Major Emergency Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Balachandran Rogini , Jensen Kristian Kiim , Burcharth Jakob , Ekeloef Sarah , Schack Anders Emil , Gögenur Ismail
Published: October 2019

Background

In a retrospective cohort study, we looked at the incidence and risk factors of developing in‐hospital venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major emergency abdominal surgery and the risk factors for developing a venous thrombosis.

Methods

Data were extracted through medical records from all patients undergoing major emergency abdominal surgery at a Danish University Hospital from 2010 until 2016. The primary outcome was the incidence of venous thrombosis developed in the time from surgery until discharge from hospital. The secondary outcomes were 30‐day mortality and postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic analyses were used for confounder control.

Results

In total, 1179 patients who underwent major emergency abdominal surgery during 2010–2016 were included. Thirteen patients developed a postoperative venous thromboembolism (1.1%) while hospitalized. Eight patients developed a pulmonary embolism all verified by CT scan and five patients developed a deep venous thrombosis verified by ultrasound scan. Patients diagnosed with a VTE were significantly longer in hospital with a length of stay of 34 versus 14 days, P < 0.001, and they suffered significantly more surgical complications (69.2% vs. 30.4%, P = 0.007). Thirty‐day mortality was equal in patients with and without a venous thrombosis. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for gender, ASA group, BMI, type of surgery, dalteparin dose and treatment with anticoagulants, we found that a dalteparin dose ≥5000 IU was associated with the risk of postoperative surgical complications (odds ratio 1.55, 95% CI 1.11–2.16, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

In this study, we found a low incidence of venous thrombosis among patients undergoing major emergency abdominal surgery, comparable to the incidence after elective surgery.
Vimentin expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) associated with liver metastases predicts poor progression-free survival in patients with advanced lung cancer
Authors: Wang Ying , Liu Yanxia , Zhang Lina , Tong Li , Gao Yuan , Hu Fanbin , Lin Peter Ping , Li Baolan , Zhang Tongmei
Published: October 2019

Objective

To investigate the presence of vimentin expression in CTCs and its clinical relevance in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Methods

Peripheral blood was obtained from 61 treatment-naive patients with advanced lung cancer. Subtraction enrichment and immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH) platform was applied to identify, enumerate and characterize CTCs based on cell size, aneuploidy of chromosome 8 (Chr8) and vimentin expression. Quantification and analysis of CTCs were performed on patients before chemotherapy administration and after two cycles of therapy.

Results

Before treatment, CTCs were detected in 60 (98.4%) patients, small cell CTCs (≤ 5 µm of WBCs) accounted for 52.8% of the absolute CTCs number, while 12 (19.7%) of the included patients had detectable vimentin-positive CTCs (vim+ CTCs). Liver metastases were reported in 7 (11.5%) patients and were significantly correlated to the presence of Vim+ CTCs (p = 0.002), with a high positivity rate of 71.4% (5/7). Vim+ CTCs were mostly in small cell size and Chr8 aneuploidy (77.0% and 82.05%, respectively). Baseline small cell CTCs ≥ 2/6 ml, triploid CTCs ≥ 2/6 ml, Vim+ CTCs ≥ 1/6 ml were found to significantly correlate with poor progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.017, p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively). After adjusting for clinically significant factors, baseline Vim+ CTCs ≥ 1/6 ml was the only independent predictor of poor PFS [hazard ratio (HR):2.756, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.239–6.131; p = 0.013].

Conclusions

This study demonstrates an important morphologic, karyotypic and phenotypic CTCs heterogeneity in advanced lung cancer patients. The majority of Vim+ CTCs are in small size and Chr8 aneuploidy. Baseline presence of Vim+ CTCs is correlated with liver metastases and may help predict poor PFS.
Investment and operational decisions for start-up companies: a game theory and Markov decision process approach
Authors: Archibald Thomas W. , Possani Edgar
Published: October 2019

This paper analyses the contract between an entrepreneur and an investor, using a non-zero sum game in which the entrepreneur is interested in company survival and the investor in maximizing expected net present value. Theoretical results are given and the model’s usefulness is exemplified using simulations. We have observed that both the entrepreneur and the investor are better off under a contract which involves repayments and a share of the start-up company. We also have observed that the entrepreneur will choose riskier actions as the repayments become harder to meet up to a level where the company is no longer able to survive.
A Dual-Grid Hybrid RANS/LES Model for Under-Resolved Near-Wall Regions and its Application to Heated and Separating Flows
Authors: Nguyen Philipp T. L. , Uribe Juan C. , Afgan Imran , Laurence Dominique R.
Published: October 2019

A hybrid RANS/LES model for high Reynolds number wall-bounded flows is presented, in which individual Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are computed in parallel on two fully overlapping grids. The instantaneous, fluctuating subgrid-scale stresses are blended with a statistical eddy viscosity model in regions where the LES grid is too coarse. In the present case, the hybrid model acts as a near-wall correction to the LES, while it retains the fluctuating nature of the flow field. The dual computation enables the LES to be run on isotropic grids with very low wall-normal and wall-parallel resolution, while the auxiliary RANS simulation is conducted on a wall-refined high-aspect ratio grid. Running distinct, progressively corrected simulations allows a clearer separation of the mean and instantaneous flow fields, compliant with the fundamentally dissimilar nature of RANS and LES. Even with the wall-nearest grid point lying far in the logarithmic layer, velocity and temperature predictions of a heated plane channel flow are corrected. For a periodic hill flow, the dual-grid system improves the boundary layer separation and velocity field prediction both for a constant-spaced and a wall-refined LES grid.
Quantitative trait loci identification and genetic diversity analysis of panicle structure and grain shape in rice
Authors: Xu Xin , Zhang Mengchen , Xu Qun , Feng Yue , Yuan Xiaoping , Yu Hanyong , Wang Yiping , Wei Xinghua , Yang Yaolong
Published: October 2019

Panicle structure and grain shape are important components of rice architecture that directly contribute to rice yield and are regulated by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). In this study, a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from a cross between japonica “Maybelle” and indica “Baiyeqiu” was used to determine genetic effects on panicle structure and grain shape. All detected traits exhibited a continuous, transgressive distribution in the DH population. QTL analysis showed that a total of 24 QTLs related to panicle structure and grain shape were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12, and three epistatic interaction QTLs were detected. Some genes related to panicle structure and grain shape were predicted in the major QTLs, and variations existed between the parents in all genes. Only OsIDS1, GS5, and SRS3 had nonsynonymous mutations that led to protein changes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of GS5 and OsFOR1 significantly differed between the two parents. In addition, genetic diversity analysis showed that the H3-35–H3-37, H6-18–H6-19, and H7-12–H7-14 intervals might be selected in the breeding program.
An evaluation of machine-learning for predicting phenotype: studies in yeast, rice, and wheat
Authors: Grinberg Nastasiya F. , Orhobor Oghenejokpeme I. , King Ross D.
Published: October 2019

In phenotype prediction the physical characteristics of an organism are predicted from knowledge of its genotype and environment. Such studies, often called genome-wide association studies, are of the highest societal importance, as they are of central importance to medicine, crop-breeding, etc. We investigated three phenotype prediction problems: one simple and clean (yeast), and the other two complex and real-world (rice and wheat). We compared standard machine learning methods; elastic net, ridge regression, lasso regression, random forest, gradient boosting machines (GBM), and support vector machines (SVM), with two state-of-the-art classical statistical genetics methods; genomic BLUP and a two-step sequential method based on linear regression. Additionally, using the clean yeast data, we investigated how performance varied with the complexity of the biological mechanism, the amount of observational noise, the number of examples, the amount of missing data, and the use of different data representations. We found that for almost all the phenotypes considered, standard machine learning methods outperformed the methods from classical statistical genetics. On the yeast problem, the most successful method was GBM, followed by lasso regression, and the two statistical genetics methods; with greater mechanistic complexity GBM was best, while in simpler cases lasso was superior. In the wheat and rice studies the best two methods were SVM and BLUP. The most robust method in the presence of noise, missing data, etc. was random forests. The classical statistical genetics method of genomic BLUP was found to perform well on problems where there was population structure. This suggests that standard machine learning methods need to be refined to include population structure information when this is present. We conclude that the application of machine learning methods to phenotype prediction problems holds great promise, but that determining which methods is likely to perform well on any given problem is elusive and non-trivial.
A new version of the Riccati transfer matrix method for multibody systems consisting of chain and branch bodies
Authors: Rui Xue , Bestle Dieter , Wang Guoping , Zhang Jiangshu , Rui Xiaoting , He Bin
Published: October 2019

Computational speed and stability are two important aspects in the dynamics analysis of large-scale complex multibody systems. In order to improve both in the context of the multibody system transfer matrix method, a new version of the Riccati transfer matrix method is presented. Based on the new version of the general transfer matrix method for multibody system simulation, recursive formulae are developed which not only retain all advantages of the transfer matrix method, but also reduce the truncation error. As a result, the computational speed, accuracy and efficiency are improved. Numerical computation results obtained by the proposed method and an ordinary multibody system formulation show good agreement. The successful computation for a spatial branch system with more than 100000 degrees of freedom validates that the proposed method is also working for huge systems.
Experiences of breast cancer in Arab countries. A thematic synthesis
Authors: Fearon D. , Hughes S. , Brearley S. G.
Published: October 2019

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally. Its negative effects on a woman’s quality of life are related to the individual and socio-cultural factors. This review aimed to identify and synthesise the reported experiences and quality of life of women with breast cancer in Arab countries.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region were searched for articles published from start to March 2019 using PRISMA guidelines. These searches were complimented by citation tracking and  hand searching of relevant journals. A thematic synthesis was carried out on the ‘findings/results’ sections from the identified papers.

Results

Of 5228 records identified, 19 were included in the review which represented 401 women from 11 Arab countries. All used qualitative methods of data collection to produce rich descriptions of experiences. Thematic synthesis of the extracted data identified three major themes, Perceptions and reactions, Coping or enduring and Changing roles.

Conclusions

This review provides a rich description of the reported quality of life and experiences of women with breast cancer in Arab countries. These are influenced by the women’s and society’s views of cancer, the women’s role in society and family, religious faith and the healthcare context and access to treatment choices and information.
Delving into the Historical Ca ii K Archive from the Kodaikanal Observatory: The Potential of the Most Recent Digitized Series
Authors: Chatzistergos Theodosios , Ermolli Ilaria , Solanki Sami K. , Krivova Natalie A. , Banerjee Dipankar , Jha Bibhuti K. , Chatterjee Subhamoy
Published: October 2019

Full-disc Ca ii K photographic observations of the Sun carry direct information as regards the evolution of solar-plage regions for more than a century and are therefore a unique dataset for solar-activity studies. For a long time Ca ii K observations were barely explored, but recent digitizations of multiple archives have allowed their extensive analysis. However, various studies have reported diverse results partly due to the insufficient quality of the digitized data. Furthermore, inhomogeneities have been identified within the individual archives, which, at least partly, could be due to the digitization. As a result, some of the archives, e.g. that from the Kodaikanal observatory, were re-digitized. The results obtained by different authors who analyzed the data from the new digitization of the Kodaikanal archive differ from each other and from those derived from the old digitization. Since the data were processed and analyzed using different techniques, it is not clear, however, whether the differences are due to the digitization or the processing of the data. To understand the reasons for such discrepancies, we analyze here the data from the two most recent digitizations of this archive. We use the same techniques to consistently process the images from both archives and to derive the plage areas from them. Some issues have been identified in both digitizations, implying that they are intrinsic characteristics of the data. Moreover, errors in timing of the observations plague both digitizations. Overall, the most recent 16-bit digitization offers an improvement over the earlier 8-bit one. It also includes considerably more data and should be preferred.
The effect of short online pedagogical training on university teachers’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations
Authors: Vilppu Henna , Södervik Ilona , Postareff Liisa , Murtonen Mari
Published: October 2019

The aim of the study was to explore whether short online pedagogy courses can have an effect on university teachers’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations. Before and after participating in a short online pedagogical training programme, a total of 66 participants wrote their interpretations of two short video clips, which depicted a content-focused teacher and a learning-focused teacher, respectively. The training was successful in changing participants’ interpretations from a knowledge-transmission view to a learning-facilitation view of teaching. This result indicates that even short online training programmes have the potential to affect participants’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations, especially when participants are not very experienced in teaching. Therefore, pedagogical training should be offered already at the early stages of teaching careers.
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor arising from the ascending aorta mimicking a thymoma
Authors: Yun Ju Sik , Song Sang Yun , Na Kook Joo , Kim Seok , Choi Yoo Duk
Published: October 2019

An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor originating from the aorta is extremely rare. Here, we report a case involving a 41-year-old female patient with an aortic inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. Although preoperative imaging showed a mediastinal mass indicative of invasive thymoma, surgical findings revealed that this mass originated from the aorta. The patient underwent partial resection of the aorta, including the mass with patch angioplasty. Based on the postoperative histological findings, the patient was diagnosed with an aortic inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and is currently under outpatient follow-up.
Neoadjuvant therapy in urothelial cancer
Authors: Brönimann Stephan , D’Andrea David , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Gust Kilian M.
Published: October 2019

Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer before radical cystectomy (RC). Despite level 1 evidence demonstrating an overall survival benefit for patients undergoing RC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), acceptance rates are still low. In high-risk upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC), cumulative evidence suggests that NAC for locally advanced UTUC can improve oncological outcome. Ongoing phase 3 trials will finally prove the benefit or futility of NAC in this tumor entity. Since urothelial cancer (UC) is a heterogeneous disease, predictive biomarkers are needed to select specific patient populations and potentially increase response rates to NAC. Novel targeting therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, have been approved for metastatic UC. In combination with predictive biomarkers, these might have the potential to change systemic therapy for UC from a “one-fits-all” principle to a more individualized approach.
Anodic Alumina Photonic Crystals as Refractive Index Sensors for Controlling the Composition of Liquid Mixtures
Authors: Ashurov Matin , Gorelik Vladimir , Napolskii Kirill , Klimonsky Sergey
Published: October 2019

Photonic crystals based on anodic aluminum oxide films are examined as refractive index sensors for controlling the composition of water-alcohol liquid mixtures. The position of the reflectance maximum corresponding to the first photonic stop band is used as the analytical signal. Impregnation of a photonic crystal with water-ethanol and water-glycerol mixtures results in a redshift of the reflectance maximum. A fairly high refractive index sensitivity, sufficient to determine the composition of water-ethanol and water-glycerol mixtures with an accuracy of about 1 wt.%, is observed. The detailed dependencies of the analytical signal on the composition of mixtures are experimentally investigated and compared with numerical calculations. Prospects and limitations of the refractive index sensors based on anodic alumina photonic crystals are discussed.
Direct Patterning of Carbon Nanotube via Stamp Contact Printing Process for Stretchable and Sensitive Sensing Devices
Authors: Liang Binghao , Zhang Zian , Chen Wenjun , Lu Dongwei , Yang Leilei , Yang Rongliang , Zhu Hai , Tang Zikang , Gui Xuchun
Published: October 2019

Flexible and wearable sensing devices have broad application prospects in bio-monitoring such as pulse measurement, motion detection and voice recognition. In recent years, many significant improvements had been made to enhance the sensor’s performance including sensitivity, flexibility and repeatability. However, it is still extremely complicated and difficult to prepare a patterned sensor directly on a flexible substrate. Herein, inspired by typography, a low-cost, environmentally friendly stamping method for the mass production of transparent conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) film is proposed. In this dry transfer strategy, a porous CNT block was used as both the seal and the ink; and Ecoflex film was served as an object substrate. Well-designed CNT patterns can be easily fabricated on the polymer substrate by engraving the target pattern on the CNT seal before the stamping process. Moreover, the CNT film can be directly used to fabricate ultrathin (300 μm) strain sensor. This strain sensor possesses high sensitivity with a gauge factor (GF) up to 9960 at 85% strain, high stretchability (> 200%) and repeatability (> 5000 cycles). It has been used to measure pulse signals and detect joint motion, suggesting promising application prospects in flexible and wearable electronic devices.
Literature Review: Strategies for Addressing Language Barriers During Humanitarian Relief Operations
Authors: Rossi Carlo , Grenier Sylvain , Vaillancourt Régis
Published: October 2019

Humanitarian relief operations (HUMRO) represent a nexus between military diplomacy and global health engagement, and may play an increasing role in military operations in the near future. Language barriers between providers and the individuals being assisted are a significant constraint on HUMRO. A literature review was conducted to identify recommendations to address patient-provider language discordance in the international HUMRO context. This was supplemented by a North Atlantic Treaty Organization and US Department of Defense doctrinal review to identify existing best practices for addressing language barriers. Four general themes were identified: (1) print-based aids, (2) information technology, (3) bilingual responders, and (4) the effective use of medical interpreters in the HUMRO setting. Each strategy is reviewed. Informed by expert opinion, we provide concrete leadership and training recommendations for how HUMRO providers might more effectively communicate with patients in a deployed language-discordant context.
Approaches to Kurdish Autonomy in the Middle East
Authors: Gunes Cengiz
Published: October 2019

This article focuses on the approaches and challenges to Kurdish autonomy in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Accommodation of Kurdish rights via autonomy arrangements has a long history as an idea but negotiating actual autonomy agreements was often a fruitless task. However, the weakening of state power in Iraq since 1991 and in Syria since 2011 has created opportunities for Kurdish movements in these states to develop and consolidate their autonomous administrations. Consequently, in recent years, the debate on Kurdish autonomy in the Middle East has taken center stage in the regional political discourse. This article first discusses the literature on approaches to autonomy to set out the main models and assess their strengths and weaknesses. It then provides accounts of the models of autonomy that are either practiced or proposed by Kurdish actors or entities in Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. The final section assesses the ability and suitability of the proposed or practiced models for the accommodation of Kurdish rights and demands and develops insights into how the current difficulties preventing the accommodation of Kurdish rights in the Middle East may be overcome.
Born this way? A review of neurobiological and environmental evidence for the etiology of psychopathy
Authors: Frazier Annabelle , Ferreira Patricia A. , Gonzales Joseph E.
Published: October 2019

Across a significant body of research, psychopathy has often been conceptualized as a biologically based malady. In this research, genetic and neurobiological differences have been conceptualized to underlie psychopathy, while affected individuals’ life experiences only influence expressed psychopathic features and their severity. Psychopathy research has largely ignored developmental evidence demonstrating significant influences of environment on both biological and behavioral processes, resulting in several prominent criticisms (Edens & Vincent, 2008; Loeber, Byrd, & Farrington, 2015). The current review was conducted with two main aims: (a) to collect and consider etiological evidence from the extant body of research on genetic and neurobiological factors in psychopathy; and (b) to evaluate findings from genetic, neurotransmitter, brain structure, and brain function studies in the context of relevant evidence from developmental research. Examples from research on adversity and traumatic stress, a common correlate of psychopathy, were used to highlight current research gaps and future directions to aid in the integration of developmental and neurobiological research agendas. While some promising evidence exists regarding possible underlying neurobiological processes of psychopathic traits, this evidence is insufficient to suggest a largely biological etiology for the disorder. Further, information from developmental and epigenetic research may suggest complex, multidimensional trajectories for individuals experiencing psychopathy. Based on these observations, the authors make several recommendations for future research, as well as for current clinical application and practice.
Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Evaluations of Partisan Fairness in District-Based Democracies
Authors: KATZ JONATHAN N. , KING GARY , ROSENBLATT ELIZABETH
Published: October 2019

We clarify the theoretical foundations of partisan fairness standards for district-based democratic electoral systems, including essential assumptions and definitions not previously recognized, formalized, or in some cases even discussed. We also offer extensive empirical evidence for assumptions with observable implications. We cover partisan symmetry, the most commonly accepted fairness standard, and other perspectives. Throughout, we follow a fundamental principle of statistical inference too often ignored in this literature—defining the quantity of interest separately so its measures can be proven wrong, evaluated, and improved. This enables us to prove which of the many newly proposed fairness measures are statistically appropriate and which are biased, limited, or not measures of the theoretical quantity they seek to estimate at all. Because real-world redistricting and gerrymandering involve complicated politics with numerous participants and conflicting goals, measures biased for partisan fairness sometimes still provide useful descriptions of other aspects of electoral systems.
A NOTE ON NORMALISED HEAT DIFFUSION FOR GRAPHS
Authors: NICA BOGDAN
Published: October 2019

We show that, on graphs which have precisely three distinct Laplacian eigenvalues, heat diffusion enjoys a monotonic behaviour.
THE DISTRIBUTIONAL -HESSIAN IN FRACTIONAL SOBOLEV SPACES
Authors: TU QIANG , CHEN WENYI , QIU XUETING
Published: October 2019

We introduce the notion of a distributional $k$-Hessian ($k=2,\ldots ,n$) associated with fractional Sobolev functions on $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}$, a smooth bounded open subset in $\mathbb{R}^{n}$. We show that the distributional $k$-Hessian is weakly continuous on the fractional Sobolev space $W^{2-2/k,k}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$ and that the weak continuity result is optimal, that is, the distributional $k$-Hessian is well defined in $W^{s,p}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$ if and only if $W^{s,p}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})\subseteq W^{2-2/k,k}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$.
VICE'S SECRET: PRODICUS AND THE CHOICE OF HERACLES
Authors: Sider David
Published: October 2019

In a well-known parable, told by Xenophon but credited by him to the sophist Prodicus, the young Heracles setting out on the road meets two women whose appearance turns out to be in accord with their characters and names, which are soon proclaimed by each to be Virtue and Vice. The former comports herself as a proper Greek woman should, ‘becoming to look at and freeborn by nature, her body (σῶμα) adorned with purity, her eyes with shame, her stature with moderation (τὸ δὲ σχῆμα σωφροσύνῃ), dressed in white’ (transl. Mayhew). Vice, on the other hand, is self-absorbed and slutty: ‘well nourished to the point of fleshiness and softness, made up to appear whiter and redder than she was in fact’, τὸ δὲ σχῆμα ὥστε δοκεῖν ὀρθοτέραν τῆς φύσεως εἶναι, ‘with wide-open eyes, dressed to show off her ripeness, often checking herself out and seeing whether anyone was looking at her, often even looking at her own shadow’.
SOPHOCLES IN AFGHANISTAN
Authors: Olson S. Douglas
Published: October 2019

In 1977, French excavations at Aï Khanoum in north-east Afghanistan—a foundation of Antiochus I Sotēr and subsequently one of the major cities of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom—of a building dating to shortly before the destruction of the place in 145 b.c.e. uncovered inter alia the remains of a papyrus and a parchment document. The papyrus text, dated by Cavallo on the basis of its letterforms to the mid third century b.c.e., preserved a fragment of a philosophical dialogue seemingly to be associated with the Peripatetic school. The second document consisted of two separate portions of a piece of parchment roughly assigned on the basis of its letterforms to the second half of the third or the first half of the second century b.c.e.; as also in the case of the papyrus, the letters survived not on the parchment itself but impressed upon the hardened dirt that surrounded it. Only column II of the original editors’ ‘Texte 2a’ (the more substantial of the two parchment fragments) contains a significant amount of text, which appears in neither TrGF nor PCG. I present it here without regard to standard editorial niceties, which are rendered impossible by the desperate state of the original document, now almost certainly lost, and the nature of the original publication.
Modelling occurrence probability of the Endangered green peafowl Pavo muticus in mainland South-east Asia: applications for landscape conservation and management
Authors: Sukumal Niti , Dowell Simon D. , Savini Tommaso
Published: October 2019

The green peafowl Pavo muticus is a highly threatened galliform species that was historically distributed widely across South-east Asia. Evidence shows a recent population decline and range contraction for this species, linked with habitat degradation and over-exploitation. This study aimed to determine the current known distribution across mainland South-east Asia and investigate potential habitat that could host remaining viable populations and contribute to the long-term survival of the species. We used locations from historical and recent records and habitat variables from a geographical information system database to model the probability of occurrence and classify key localities according to their relative importance for the species. Our results showed that the green peafowl probably occurs in less than 16% of its historical range across mainland South-east Asia and that remaining locations are fragmented. Four confirmed and two potential stronghold populations were identified for the species, based on the localities with high capacity to contribute to its long-term survival in large contiguous patches. These were in central Myanmar, western and northern Thailand, eastern Cambodia/south-central Viet Nam and northern Cambodia/southern Lao. Threats vary amongst countries, with continued habitat loss and degradation in many areas and hunting particularly acute in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Lao. Most of the remaining populations are in protected areas but the protection level varies widely. We propose conservation actions for each stronghold population, in accordance with the nature of the threats and protection level in each area, to prevent the local extinction of this species.