bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modélisation des rizières irriguées et intégration dans hydrotel : application au bassin versant de la rivière Cau au Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Xuan Tuan , Kokutse Nomessi , Duchesne Sophie , Toumbou Babacar , Villeneuve Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2018

La gestion de l’eau pour l’irrigation des rizières fait appel à des processus complexes. Le modèle Hydrotel est un outil qui permet de simuler les processus hydrologiques à l’échelle des bassins versants. Toutefois, ce modèle ne permet pas de prendre en compte le comportement hydrologique particulier des rizières. La présente étude vise à développer un sous-modèle qui, intégré dans Hydrotel, permettra de prendre en compte le comportement hydrologique des rizières et leur irrigation. Le modèle Hydrotel, avec et sans le sous-modèle développé spécifiquement pour les rizières, a été appliqué sur la partie amont du bassin versant de la rivière Cau au Vietnam. Cette application a démontré que la prise en compte des rizières et la simulation de leur fonctionnement hydrologique, avec le sous-modèle développé, permettent d’améliorer la qualité des simulations hydrologiques sur ce bassin versant. Hydrotel ainsi modifié pourra donc être utilisé, notamment, pour étudier l’impact des rizières sur les ressources en eau de bassins versants où la superficie des rizières est importante.
Modèle de gestion d’un réservoir pour l’alimentation en eau des rizières dans un contexte de gestion intégrée des ressources en eau : cas du lac-réservoir Nui Coc au Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Xuan Tuan , Villeneuve Jean-Pierre , Kokutse Nomessi , Duchesne Sophie
Published: December 2018

Depuis plusieurs années, le Vietnam est reconnu en Asie comme un des plus gros exportateurs de riz au monde. Ce résultat a été rendu possible grâce à différents programmes du gouvernement vietnamien. Un de ces programmes a permis d’investir dans des ouvrages hydrauliques d’irrigation pour développer la production du riz. Aujourd’hui, plusieurs ouvrages hydrauliques sont construits sur le bassin versant de la rivière Cau et sont exploités à plusieurs fins. Ils servent, entre autres, les besoins en eau industrielle et domestique, à la production hydroélectrique, à l’irrigation des rizières et à la protection contre les crues. Il est donc nécessaire de définir des règles de gestion et d’opération de ces ouvrages pour satisfaire à tous les besoins en eau, et ce, particulièrement dans le cadre d’une gestion intégrée des ressources en eau à l’échelle du bassin versant. L’objectif du travail présenté dans cet article est de modéliser l’évolution des volumes d’eau d’un réservoir et de proposer une méthode pour gérer un réservoir utilisé à plusieurs fins, dont l’irrigation des rizières. Un cas particulier est présenté pour le lac-réservoir Nui Coc, au Vietnam. Dans le cadre d’un projet de gestion intégrée des ressources en eau du bassin versant de la rivière Cau, sur lequel le lac-réservoir Nui Coc est situé, le modèle Hydrotel a été utilisé pour les simulations hydrologiques. Or ce modèle ne possédait pas de sous-modèle de gestion de réservoir adapté à l’irrigation des rizières ni à la prise en compte de divers types de besoins en eau. Il a donc fallu développer un sous-modèle comprenant deux modules et l’adapter à la problématique d’irrigation des rizières à partir du lac Nui Coc. Ce sous-modèle ainsi développé a permis de reproduire, avec le modèle Hydrotel ainsi modifié, la variation historique du volume d’eau dans le lac Nui Coc puis d’évaluer les possibilités d’expansion des rizières.
PRILAGOĐAVANJE OBRAZOVANJA IZ OBLASTI MARKETINGA U REPUBLICI SRBIJI USLOVIMA DIGITALNE EKONOMIJE
Authors: Grubor Aleksandar , Đokić Nenad , Milićević Nikola
Published: December 2018

Poslovanje kompanija u uslovima digitalne ekonomije jedna je od jasno identifikovanih karakteristika savremene poslovne prakse. U tom smislu, nastaje i očekivanje da bi navedeno stanje trebalo da utiče i na strukturiranje odgovarajućih kurikuluma obrazovnih institucija i kada je marketing u pitanju. Predmet ovoga rada jeste upravo zastupljenost digitalnog marketinga u kurikulumima odgovarajućih visokoškolskih ustanova u Republici Srbiji. Pored toga, u radu će biti prezentovana relevantna svetska iskustva. Posebna pažnja biće posvećena sagledavanju alternativnih načina edukacije iz oblasti digitalnog marketinga iz aspekta domaćih uslova. Na posletku, biće prezentovana potencijalna relevantnost inkorporacije takvih sadržaja u kurikulume visokoškolskih ustanova za studente, kompanije i društvo.
DIGITAL ECONOMY OF PERMSKII KRAI’S AGRO-INDUSTRY IN SOFWARE SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT BODIES, PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES
Authors: Kazarinova Natalia , Piankova Natalia
Published: December 2018

The paper is concerned with an integrated approach to the Agro-industry informatization of the region. Implementation of design solution is based on the modernization of Agro-Industry traditional productive sectors through the digitization of management, economic, financial and logistical operations as well as applying the new approaches to analytics and forecasting for providing management decision making. Project-based approach and digital economy of Agro-Industry of Perm Krai guarantee the development of data bank of science-intensive projects in Agro-Industry that is based on the interaction between government institutions, professional and scientific communities. Much attention is given to the implementation of access mechanism to the data stores, integrated and adapted software applications of Agro-Industry, information consulting, information and communication environment provided for the participants of social and economic areas in Agro-Industry of the region.
IZVORI FINANSIRANJA KAO OGRANIČAVAJUĆI FAKTOR RAZVOJA MALIH I SREDNJIH PREDUZEĆA U REPUBLICI SRPSKOJ
Authors: Spremo Tihomir
Published: December 2018

Naziv ovog rada, neminovno povlači pitanje: zašto iztraživati uticaj izvora finansiranja na razvoj malih i srednjih preduzeća neke zemlje? Jednostavan odgovor je da je tema „važna", jer i u najrazvijenijim zemljama danas, jedan od stalnih problema sa kojima se susreću mala i srednja preduzeća (MSP) je otežan pristup kapitalu, pri čemu o tome postoje prilično usaglašeni stavovi u naučnim i stručnim krugovima. Predmet istraživanja usmjeren je na utvrđivanje suštinskih problema sa kojim se susreću MSP prilikom obezbjeđivanja adekvatnih finansijskih sredstava iz postojećih izvora i uticaj izvora kapitala na razvoj sektora MSP u Republici Srpskoj. Napraviti razliku između teorijske osnove finansiranja MSP i onoga sa čim se u praksi susreću ta preduzeća nastojeći iznaći izvore finansiranja koje oni zapravo najčešće koriste. Cilj rada je da se na osnovu rezultata istraživanja analiziraju ključni aspekti problematike finansiranja MSP u Republici Srpskoj i predlože moguća rešenja, da se ispita i pokuša dovesti u vezu koliko nedostatak adekvatnih izvora kapitala utiče na razvoj MSP-a sa implikacijama na privredu u Republici Srpskoj. Istraživanje je pokazalo da u Republici Srpskoj nisu dovoljno razvijeni izvori finansiranja za MSP. Da nedovoljna i ograničena finansijska sredstva ne mogu zadovoljiti potrebe MSP za kapitalom, što usporava njihov razvoj. Takvo problematično finansiranje i neadekvatna finansijska podrška malim preduzećima predstavlja prepreku bržem razvoju ekonomije Republike Srpske. MSP i dalje zavise od banaka u eksternom finansiranju, uprkos programima čiji je cilj da se poveća dostupnost vlasničkog kapitala.
A STRUCTURED SKILLS TRAINING UNDER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN “CREDIT MANAGEMENT” APPLIED UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS
Authors: Yang Yun , Wang Yuhan
Published: December 2018

Global uncertainty and heavy competition requires companies to remain effective in investments and sensible in people development. Employers consistently place high value on graduates that have demonstrated relevant skills and knowledge. For acquiring such relevant capabilities, and avoiding "undifferentiated" Students in Applied Undergraduate Education, a skills training program geared towards professional ideals should be designed. A qualitative study using curriculum mapping was conducted, as well as interviewing teaching staff members, employers, enterprise staffs, and students. This paper outlines a structured skills training framework which links learning objectives to desired business results. As one of "soft science"-"Credit management", this professional skills training should be composed of three parts: theoretical training based on practice, job training (or post practice), and professional extension ability practice. At the same time, applicable tools were used in specific practical courses. Employment status showed that the structured skills training improved the students' professional skill, reduced the cost of companies in training, and enhanced students’ competitiveness in the labor market.
УЛОГА ИНСТИТУЦИЈА СРЕДЊЕГ И ВИСОКОГ ОБРАЗОВАЊА У РАЗВОЈУ РАЧУНОВОДСТВЕНЕ ПРОФЕСИЈЕ
Authors: Шњегота Душко , Милошевић Шњегота Бранка
Published: December 2018

Рачуноводство несумњиво представља један од темеља квалитетног процеса одлучивања и управљања различитим пословним и другим системима. Експанзија пословних активности на међународном и глобалном плану, упоредо са развојем робног и финансијског тржишта, утицала је на снажне промјене у традиционалним системима рачуноводства и финансијског извјештавања и потребу константног прилагођавања националног регулаторног оквира и рачуноводствене праксе у земљама широм свијета. Једно од кључних обиљежја процеса напуштања традиционалних и преласка на рачуноводствена правила и принципе који су данас опшеприхваћени на глобалном плану представља одлука о увођењу у примјену Међународних рачуноводствених стандарда, односно Међународних стандарда финансијског извјештавања. Овакав искорак у Републици Српској направљен је још почетком вијека, када је отворен и трајни процес континуиране едукације свих заинтересованих за професионално обављање послова у области рачуноводства. У овом раду се, на основу анализе регулаторног оквира, наставних и студијских програма и других релевантних докумената и информација, сагледавају неке од квалитативних карактеристика образовног процеса у средњим стручним школама и на јавним високошколским установама у Републици Српској у областима које су, директно или индиректно, повезане са стицањем знања и вјештина неопходних будућим професионалним рачуновођама. Проведена истраживања заснивају се на претпоставци да квалитет рачуноводствене професије, поред осталог, у великој мјери зависи и од квалитета образовног процеса који се одвија у поменутим институцијама. Циљ истраживања је да се идентификују основне карактеристике узрочно-посљедичне везе између образовног процеса и квалитета рачуноводствене професије и дају препоруке за могућа унапређења.
ИНДИКАТОРИ КВАЛИТЕТА ПОСЛОВАЊА ДОМАЋИХ БАНАКА
Authors: Плакаловић Ново , Мекињић Бошко
Published: December 2018

У овом чланку показујемо како клијенти банка могу стећи довољно добру слику о квалитету појединачних банака. Показујемо да се директним увидом у јавно публиковане финансијске извјештаје банака, коришћењем финансијских рацио бројева могу могу формирати доста поуздани рангови квалитета појединачних банака. То се допуњава подацима из извјештаја екстерних ревизора. Озбиљна финансијска анализа историјских података као и континуелно текуће пажљиво праћење доступних извора информација може клијенту, са великом дозом сигурности, указати на потенцијалне проблеме у банци те га на вријеме упозорити да би банка могла бити у догледном времену суочена са озбиљним проблемима. Закључујемо да нису увијек довољни само подаци из извјештаја банака и ревизорски извјештаји већ је пожељно пратити и све друге доступне информације. Коју банку ће клијенти изабрати и по којем критерију је индивидуалан избор јер зависи од клијентове пословне позиције, способности за анализу и могућности да се довољно информише. Закључујемо да је проблем асиметрије информација присутан не само у односу кредитора и корисника кредита већ и у односу између повјериоца и његове банке.
УЛОГА ВИСОКОГ ОБРАЗОВАЊА КАО ФАКТОРА ПРИВРЕДНОГ И ДРУШТВЕНОГ РАЗВОЈА
Authors: Живковић Александар , Лутовац Милош
Published: December 2018

Привредни развој и напредак сваког друштва зависе од образовања становништва. Сходно томе, неопходно је посветити посебну пажњу сектору образовања, његовом повезивању са тржиштем рада и дефинисању стратегије. Свет је данас суочен са кризом у многим областима друштвеног живота и рада људи, па и у области васпитања и образовања. Основно питање земаља у развоју је како ухватити корак са развијеним земљама у светској прерасподели знања, вештина и способности, односно укључити се у савремене светске токове. Образовање као важан чиниоц развоја и напретка, у било којој земљи, па и у Србији плени пажњу најшире јавности, сручњака и посебно научника, који га посматрају са различитих страна. Оно је у последње две деценије доживело драстичне промене које су последица крупних догађаја на светској образовној, економској и политичкој сцени. За Србију, у процесу транзиције, ово питање је веома актуелно да би постигла напредак, приближавање, односно усклађивање образовног, научно-истраживачког и развојног система са ужим и ширим окружењем. Универзитети су значајни за промовисање друштвеног, културног и економског развоја нација и треба да предузму улогу у променама и привредном развоју Србије. Истовремено, додатно се намеће и питање савремених образовних парадигми које су примерене турбулентном окружењу, веома брзим променама и методама рада, што држимо да је допунски истраживачки изазов и покретачки мотив за покушај давања властитог доприноса истраживаном.
PROBABILISTIC EVALUATION MODEL OF INFORMATION EXPOSURE ON THE INTERNET
Authors: Glotina Irina
Published: December 2018

The article deals with the influence of information on the Internet. The growth and importance of resources of a new type – social networks, forums, blogs – as a means to discuss different events, problems, distribution of opinions, influencing actions of network users, have an increasing influence on the existence of modern man. A specific feature of Internet resources is the principle of attracting users to familiarize with the content and its multiple replication. While questions of credibility, reliability, objectivity of information are not taken into account. The use of information flows by hackers suggests the possibility of providing informational-psychological influence on emotional and sensitive, rational-volitional and intellectual spheres of the subconscious and psyche receptors, resulting in the formation of their predictable views, opinions, behaviour that directly or indirectly contribute to the objectives of an attacker. All this testifies to the topicality of the problems of assessing the influence of information on users of Internet resources. The article highlights the main factors complicating the analysis in the field of information effects: the rapid development of information technologies and means of communicating informational messages to the recipients; the inability to predict the patterns of behaviour of subjects of impact; inability to give an accurate estimate of what the message reached the recipient, and to assess the impact of informational influence. The author justifies a probabilistic approach to assessing the impact of Internet resources on users' opinions. The results of mathematical calculations are graphically illustrated and confirmed by the statistical information obtained with the help of modern web analytic systems: GfK Group, Rambler Top 100, Brand Analytics, Yandex Statistics. The results obtained by the author during the survey of the Internet users revealed resources that have a large audience and high frequency of attendance and are more potential threats to information security. Probabilistic assessment allows to identify the main areas where the buildup of forces and means of ensuring protection from the negative effects of information.
OCJENA USPJEŠNOSTI POSLOVANJA OSIGURAVAJUĆIH DRUŠTAVA
Authors: Lukić Milena
Published: December 2018

Uspješnost poslovanja preduzeća utvrđuje se pokazateljima uspješnosti poslovanja. U ocjeni uspješnosti poslovanja preduzeća koriste se pokazatelji uspješnosti poslovanja iz grupe ekonomičnosti, rentabilnosti, produktivnosti itd. Prednost korišćenja pokazatelja u odnosu na apsolutne veličine iz finansijskih izvještaja je njihova nezavisnost od veličine preduzeća.S obzirom da se u postupku ocjene uspješnosti poslovanja preduzeća ocjenjuju na bazi grupe pokazatelja, može se reći da je ocjena uspješnosti poslovanja višedimezionalan proces. Zbog toga je u radu razmatrana mogućnost primjene višekriterijumskih metoda za ocjenu uspješnosti poslovanja osiguravajućih društava. Korišćena je TOPSIS metoda na primjeru osiguravajućih društava, ali se isto tako moglo učiniti i u bilo kojoj drugoj privrednoj grani.Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da se korišćenjem parcijalnih pokazatelja uspješnosti poslovanja i višekriterijumskih metoda može izvršiti ocjena uspješnosti poslovanja i rangiranje osiguravajućih društava prema ukupnoj uspješnosti poslovanja.
Consumo alimentar de idosos residentes na zona rural do município de Caxias do Sul, RS
Authors: Marchesi Gabriela Schmitt , Conde Simara Rufatto
Published: December 2018

Introdução: O Brasil apresenta um grande índice de envelhecimento populacional, característica que envolve grandes desafios, sendo um deles o processo de alimentação. Idosos que residem na zona rural possuem maior oferta de alimentos in natura, fato que ocorre pelo cultivo dos mesmos em suas residências. Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil alimentar da população idosa residente na zona rural do Município de Caxias do Sul. Métodos: Estudo transversal cuja amostra se deu por conveniência, composta por 16 idosos de ambos os gêneros que participaram do projeto Conviver. Foi avaliado o estado mental dos participantes através do Mini Exame do Estado Mental e a ingestão alimentar por meio do recordatório alimentar de 24 horas com relato de três dias. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente através do Teste t de Student e do Teste de Mann-Whitney através do software SPSS versão 22. Resultados: O consumo de processados e ultraprocessados pelos idosos representou 30,28% do valor energético total. Os idosos apresentaram consumo acima do estabelecido pela DRI para carboidratos e abaixo para lipídios, cálcio, fibras, vitaminas A, B6 e B12. A ingestão de proteína, sódio, ferro e vitamina C estavam dentro das recomendações. Conclusão: Os idosos participantes do estudo apresentam uma alimentação rica em carboidratos, porém com deficiências de micronutrientes.
Book review of: Computer Age Statistical Inference: Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science by Bradley Efron and Trevor Hastie
Authors: Dobrota Marina
Published: December 2018

Book review of: Computer Age Statistical Inference: Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science by Bradley Efron and Trevor Hastie, Cambridge University Press, 2016, Series: Institute of Mathematical Statistics Monographs (5), 495pp., ISBN13: 9781107149892, ISBN10: 1107149894, Online ISBN: 9781316576533, DOI:10.1017/CBO9781316576533
Climatic niche shift and possible future spread of the invasive South African Orchid Disa bracteata in Australia and adjacent areas
Authors: Konowalik Kamil , Kolanowska Marta
Published: December 2018

Orchids are generally regarded as plants with an insignificant invasive potential and so far only one species has proved to be harmful for native flora. However, previous studies on Epipactis helleborine and Arundina graminifolia indicate that the ecological aspects of range extension in their non-native geographical range are not the same for all species of orchids. Disa bracteata in its native range, South Africa, is categorized as of little concern in terms of conservation whereas in Australia it is naturalized and considered to be an environmental weed. The aim of this research was to determine the ecological preferences enabling the spread of Disa bracteata in Western and South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania and to evaluate the effect of future climate change on its potential range. The ecological niche modeling approach indicates that most of the accessible areas are already occupied by this species but future expansion will continue based on four climate change scenarios (rcp26, rcp45, rcp60, rcp85). Further expansion is predicted especially in eastern Australia and eastern Tasmania. Moreover, there are some unpopulated but suitable habitats in New Zealand, which according to climate change scenarios will become even more suitable in the future. The most striking result of this study is the significant difference between the environmental conditions recorded in the areas which D. bracteata naturally inhabits and invasive sites—that indicates a possible niche shift. In Australia the studied species continues to populate a new niche or exploit habitats that are only moderately represented in South Africa.
Optimal control of irrupting pest populations in a climate-driven ecosystem
Authors: Holland E Penelope , Binny Rachelle N. , James Alex
Published: December 2018

Irruptions of small consumer populations, driven by pulsed resources, can lead to adverse effects including the decline of indigenous species or increased disease spread. Broad-scale pest management to combat such effects benefits from forecasting of irruptions and an assessment of the optimal control conditions for minimising consumer abundance. We use a climate-based consumer-resource model to predict irruptions of a pest species (Mus musculus) population in response to masting (episodic synchronous seed production) and extend this model to account for broad-scale pest control of mice using toxic bait. The extended model is used to forecast the magnitude and frequency of pest irruptions under low, moderate and high control levels, and for different timings of control operations. In particular, we assess the optimal control timing required to minimise the frequency with which pests reach ‘plague’ levels, whilst avoiding excessive toxin use. Model predictions suggest the optimal timing for mouse control in beech forest, with respect to minimising plague time, is mid-September. Of the control regimes considered, a seedfall driven biannual-biennial regime gave the greatest reduction in plague time and plague years for low and moderate control levels. Although inspired by a model validated using house mouse populations in New Zealand forests, our modelling approach is easily adapted for application to other climate-driven systems where broad-scale control is conducted on irrupting pest populations.
The Dynamic Linkage among the Size, Growth and Profitability of Listed Companies in the ASEAN-4 Countries
Authors: Suntraruk Phassawan , Bukkavesa Kanix , Kulvanich Nat
Published: December 2018

The purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic relationship among the size, growth, and profitability of listed companies. The study sample comprised listed companies in the ASEAN-4 countries—Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand—over the period 1972-2014. The K-medoids algorithm was employed in a cluster analysis, and the generalized method of moments (GMM) was applied to examine the dynamic relationship. The empirical results reveal that smaller companies tend to have higher growth than larger companies. Moreover, the results indicate that persistence of growth and persistence of profitability do not exist. There is also evidence that profitability affects companies’ growth, but companies’ growth does not affect profitability.

To cite this document: Phassawan Suntraruk, Kanix Bukkavesa, Nat Kulvanich, "The Dynamic Linkage among the Size, Growth and Profitability of Listed Companies in the ASEAN-4 Countries", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.4, pp. 293-310, 2018.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18579
The Brand Authenticity Scale: Development and Validation
Authors: Tran Van-Dat , Keng Ching-Jui
Published: December 2018

The purpose of this study is to develop a brand authenticity scale by reviewing the relevant literature to identify the factors important for brand authenticity, then developing and testing the discriminant and convergent validity of measurement scales for dimensions of brand authenticity. The research method adopted includes in-depth interview and focus group interview. The procedure for scale development was: item generation, scale purification, and scale validation. This research uses qualitative and empirical methods to identify the six key dimensions of brand authenticity and develop a brand authenticity scale. As a result, a six-dimensional scale containing seventeen items was developed representing distinctive dimensions of brand authenticity: virtue, connection, realism, aesthetics, control, and originality. This research contributes to the branding literature by identifying the dimensions of brand authenticity through the development of a brand authenticity scale. Moreover, the six dimensions represent the most comprehensive understanding of brand authenticity. The brand authenticity scale can be used with confidence to examine relationships with other important constructs of interest in the future.

To cite this document: Van-Dat Tran, Ching-Jui Keng, "The Brand Authenticity Scale: Development and Validation", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.4, pp. 277-291, 2018.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18581
Impact of Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Level on Progression to Rheumatoid Arthritis in Clinically Tested Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody–Positive Patients Without Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ford Julia A. , Liu Xinyi , Marshall Allison A. , Zaccardelli Alessandra , Prado Maria G. , Wiyarand Charlene , Lu Bing , Karlson Elizabeth W. , Schur Peter H. , Deane Kevin D. , Sparks Jeffrey A.
Published: December 2018

Objective

To investigate the risk of progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who were cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody positive without RA at initial presentation.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of CCP+ individuals seen at a US tertiary care system between 2009 and 2018 who were without RA or other systemic rheumatic disease by medical record review at the time of CCP antibody positivity. Progression to classifiable RA was determined through medical record review. We investigated the risk of progression to RA overall and stratified by CCP antibody level (low: >1 to 2× the upper limit of normal [ULN]; medium: >2 to 3× ULN; high: >3× ULN). Multivariable Cox regression estimated the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for RA by CCP antibody level.

Results

We identified 340 CCP+ patients who were without RA or other rheumatic disease at baseline. During 1,047 person‐years of follow‐up, 73 patients (21.5%) developed RA. The risk of progression to RA increased with CCP antibody level, with 46.0% (95% CI 34.7–55.3) of patients with high‐level CCP antibodies progressing to RA by 5 years. Compared to low CCP antibody level, medium (HR 3.00 [95% CI 1.32–6.81]) and high (HR 4.83 [95% CI 2.51–9.31]) CCP antibody levels were strongly associated with progression to RA, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, family history of RA, and rheumatoid factor level.

Conclusion

Among CCP+ patients without RA, the risk for progression to RA increased substantially with increasing CCP antibody level. This study provides further support for close monitoring for development of RA among CCP+ patients and identifying strategies to mitigate this risk.
Weak Interlayer Interaction in 2D Anisotropic GeSe2
Authors: Yang Yusi , Wang Xia , Liu Shun‐Chang , Li Zongbao , Sun Zhaoyang , Hu Chunguang , Xue Ding‐Jiang , Zhang Gengmin , Hu Jin‐Song
Published: December 2018

Germanium diselenide (GeSe2) has recently emerged as a new member of in‐plane anisotropic 2D materials, notable for its wide bandgap of 2.74 eV, excellent air stability, and high performance in polarization‐sensitive photodetection. However, the interlayer interaction in GeSe2 has never been reported, which usually plays an important role in layer‐number‐dependent physical properties. Here, the interlayer coupling in GeSe2 is systematically investigated from theory to experiment. Unexpectedly, all of density functional theory (DFT) calculations about layer‐dependent band structures, cleavage energy, binding energy, translation energy, and interlayer differential charge density demonstrate the much weaker interlayer interaction in GeSe2 when compared with black phosphorus (BP). Furthermore, both thickness‐dependent and temperature‐dependent Raman spectra of GeSe2 flakes, which exhibit no detectable changes of Raman peaks with the increase in thickness and a small first‐order temperature coefficient of −0.0095 cm−1 K−1, respectively, experimentally confirm the weakly coupled layers in GeSe2. The results establish GeSe2 as an unusual member of in‐plane anisotropic 2D materials with weak interlayer interaction.
Patients with SATB2‐associated syndrome exhibiting multiple odontomas
Authors: Kikuiri Takashi , Mishima Hiroyuki , Imura Hideto , Suzuki Satoshi , Matsuzawa Yusuke , Nakamura Takashi , Fukumoto Satoshi , Yoshimura Yoshitaka , Watanabe Satoshi , Kinoshita Akira , Yamada Takahiro , Shindoh Masanobu , Sugita Yoshihiko , Maeda Hatsuhiko , Yawaka Yasutaka , Mikoya Tadashi , Natsume Nagato , Yoshiura Koh‐ichiro
Published: December 2018

Special AT‐rich sequence‐binding protein 2 (SATB2)‐associated syndrome (SAS) is characterized by alterations of SATB2. Its clinical features include intellectual disability and craniofacial abnormalities, such as cleft palate, dysmorphic features, and dental abnormalities. Here, we describe three previously undiagnosed, unrelated patients with SAS who exhibited dental abnormalities, including multiple odontomas. Although isolated odontomas are common, multiple odontomas are rare. Individuals in families 1 and 3 underwent whole‐exome sequencing. Patient 2 and parents underwent targeted amplicon sequencing. On the basis of the hg19/GRCh37 reference and the RefSeq mRNA NM_001172517, respective heterozygous mutations were found and validated in Patients 1, 2, and 3: a splice‐site mutation (chr2:g.200137396C > T, c.1741‐1G > A), a nonsense mutation (chr2:g.200213750G > A, c.847C > T, p.R283*), and a frame‐shift mutations (chr2:g.200188589_200188590del, c.1478_1479del, p.Q493Rfs*19). All mutations occurred de novo. The mutations in Patients 1 and 3 were novel; the mutation in Patient 2 has been described previously. Tooth mesenchymal cells derived from Patient 2 showed diminished SATB2 expression. Multiple odontomas were evident in the patients in this report; however, this has not been recognized previously as a SAS‐associated phenotype. We propose that multiple odontomas be considered as an occasional manifestation of SAS.
Selective Functionalization of Graphene at Defect‐Activated Sites by Arylazocarboxylic tert‐Butyl Esters
Authors: Halbig Christian E. , Lasch Roman , Krüll Jasmin , Pirzer Anna S. , Wang Zhenping , Kirchhof Jan N. , Bolotin Kirill I. , Heinrich Markus R. , Eigler Siegfried
Published: December 2018

The development of versatile functionalization concepts for graphene is currently in the focus of research. Upon oxo‐functionalization of graphite, the full surface of graphene becomes accessible for C−C bond formation to introduce out‐of‐plane functionality. Herein, we present the arylation of graphene with arylazocarboxylic tert‐butyl esters, which generates aryl radicals after activation with an acid. Surprisingly, the degree of functionalization is related to the concentration of lattice vacancy defects in the graphene material. Consequently, graphene materials that are free from lattice defects are not reactive. The reaction can be applied to graphene dispersed in solvents and leads to bitopic functionalization as well as monotopic functionalization when the graphene is deposited on surfaces. As the arylazocarboxylic tert‐butyl ester moiety can be attached to various molecules, the presented method paves the way to functional graphene derivatives, with the density of defects determining the degree of functionalization.
Kräfte in Form bringen
Authors: Kleiser Michael , Jusufagic Hinko , Pölcz Roman , König Dieter , Musil Christian
Published: December 2018

Im Zuge des Neubauabschnitts der Nord/Weinviertler Autobahn A5 nördlich von Wien wurde eine Überführungsbrücke als sichtbare Streckenmarke durch den österreichischen Autobahnbetreiber ASFINAG errichtet. Die Gestaltung zielt auf eine Entfaltung der Tragwirkung in der Form ab, um nach außen einen höchstmöglichen Ausdruck der Authentizität und Dynamik zu erreichen. Beim Entwurf sind dabei Erkenntnisse aus der Gestaltpsycholgie eingeflossen, die die Verbildlichung der Vorgänge des Tragens und Lastens als entsprechendes Wahrnehmungserlebnis ausweist. Mit dieser Brücke soll beispielhaft gezeigt werden, dass trotz der immensen Richtlinien‐ und Normenflut im heutigen zeit‐ und kostengetriebenen Fließbandingenieurzeitalter Anwendungen möglich sind, die die grundsätzliche statisch‐konstruktive Aufgabe mit einer gestaltgebenden Tätigkeit verbindet. In diesem Artikel wird der Prozess von der Idee über den Entwurf bis zur Umsetzung erläutert.
Evaluating the collection, comparability and findings of six global surgery indicators
Authors: Holmer H , Bekele A , Hagander L , Harrison E M , Kamali P , Ng-Kamstra J S , Khan M A , Knowlton L , Leather A J M , Marks I H , Meara J G , Shrime M G , Smith M , Søreide K , Weiser T G , Davies J
Published: December 2018

Background

In 2015, six indicators were proposed to evaluate global progress towards access to safe, affordable and timely surgical and anaesthesia care. Although some have been adopted as core global health indicators, none has been evaluated systematically. The aims of this study were to assess the availability, comparability and utility of the indicators, and to present available data and updated estimates.

Methods

Nationally representative data were compiled for all World Health Organization (WHO) member states from 2010 to 2016 through contacts with official bodies and review of the published and grey literature, and available databases. Availability, comparability and utility were assessed for each indicator: access to timely essential surgery, specialist surgical workforce density, surgical volume, perioperative mortality, and protection against impoverishing and catastrophic expenditure. Where feasible, imputation models were developed to generate global estimates.

Results

Of all WHO member states, 19 had data on the proportion of the population within 2h of a surgical facility, 154 had data on workforce density, 72 reported number of procedures, and nine had perioperative mortality data, but none could report data on catastrophic or impoverishing expenditure. Comparability and utility were variable, and largely dependent on different definitions used. There were sufficient data to estimate that worldwide, in 2015, there were 2 038 947 (i.q.r. 1 884 916–2 281 776) surgeons, obstetricians and anaesthetists, and 266·1 (95 per cent c.i. 220·1 to 344·4) million operations performed.

Conclusion

Surgical and anaesthesia indicators are increasingly being adopted by the global health community, but data availability remains low. Comparability and utility for all indicators require further resolution.
Sanhuang Xiexin decoction promotes good functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Song Juexian , Chen Xin , Lyu Yi , Zhuang Wei , Zhang Jing , Gao Li , Tong Xiaolin
Published: December 2018

Objectives

To explore the efficiency and safety of Sanhuang Xiexin decoction in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after endovascular intervention examination.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, 121 AIS patients admitted in our hospital were enrolled from January 2012 to December 2015. They were randomly divided into two groups, 61 patients received Sanhuang Xiexin decoction + basic treatment (SX group) and 60 patients received basic treatment (control group). The prescription of Sanhuang Xiexin decoction was taken in the SX group, with one dose (100 ml), twice a day for 7 days orally. For all patients, blood samples were drawn on the first morning and sixth morning after endovascular intervention examination under fasting state for Fib (fibrinogen), PAgT (platelet aggregation test), CRP (C‐reactive protein), and TMAO (trimethylamine oxide) tested. Estimate the changes in plasma Fib, PAgT, CRP, and TMAO levels and the syndrome of fire‐heat scores.

Results

The plasma Fib, PAgT, CRP, and TMAO levels in the SX group were significantly lower than those in the control group (PFib < 0.01, PPAgT < 0.01, PCRP = 0.02, PTMAO < 0.01). The syndrome of fire‐heat scores in the SX group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.01). The incidences of ischemic cerebrovascular events within 3 and 6 months after endovascular intervention treatment in the SX group were lower than those in the control group (P3 month = 0.04, P6month = 0.03).

Conclusions

The prescription of Sanhuang Xiexin is efficient and safe in the treatment of AIS patients after endovascular intervention examination through reducing the inflammatory factors.
Positive affective priming decreases the middle late positive potential response to negative images
Authors: Hill Lauren D. , Starratt Valerie G. , Fernandez Mercedes , Tartar Jaime L.
Published: December 2018

Introduction

This study aims to expand on previous literature showing that incidental emotion state priming in a specific domain leads to a higher probability that the primed emotion domain will be activated during a subsequent task.

Methods

To that end, we investigated the influence of happy, fearful, and neutral incidental emotion state priming on subsequent responses to emotionally negative and neutral pictures, measured by the event‐related potential (ERP) late positive potential (LPP). New to our study, we examined the influence of affective priming on the LPP response (analyzed separately at early and middle latency ranges) to emotional pictures in both the foveal and extrafoveal presentation locations.

Results

Following both fearful and neutral incidental state priming, both the early and middle LPP latency ranges overwhelmingly differentiated between negative and neutral pictures. Following happy incidental state priming, however, the LPP response failed to differentiate between negative and neutral pictures by the middle LPP latency range (800–1,000 ms). These results suggest that incidental happy states can have a protective effect when viewing aversive stimuli. Additionally, the LPP showed greater sensitivity to negative stimuli when presented extrafoveally compared to foveally.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest that incidental affective state and stimulus location influence emotional processing differentially for emotionally negative and emotionally neutral stimuli.
Clinical features of lenvatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in real‐world conditions: Multicenter analysis
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Kumada Takashi , Kariyama Kazuya , Takaguchi Koichi , Atsukawa Masanori , Itobayashi Ei , Tsuji Kunihiko , Tajiri Kazuto , Hirooka Masashi , Shimada Noritomo , Shibata Hiroshi , Ishikawa Toru , Ochi Hironori , Tada Toshifumi , Toyoda Hidenori , Nouso Kazuhiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Itokawa Norio , Imai Michitaka , Joko Kouji , Hiasa Yoichi , Michitaka Kojiro ,   the Real‐life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group, HCC 48 Group (hepatocellular carcinoma experts from 48 clinics in Japan)
Published: December 2018

Background/Aim

Presently, there are no therapeutic options for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u‐HCC) patients who are intolerant to sorafenib or regorafenib failure. There have been no reports with detailed clinical findings of lenvatinib (LEN), a newly developed first‐line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), obtained in real‐world practice. We aimed to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of LEN.

Materials/Methods

From March to August 2018, 105 u‐HCC patients were treated with LEN. Following exclusion of those who started with a reduced LEN dose and/or had a short observation period (<2 weeks), 77 patients (72.0 ± 8.9 years, 59 males, 8 mg/12 mg = 49/28, Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan 6th [LCSGJ]‐TNM stage II/III/IVa/IVb = 8/28/4/37, and American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control 8th [AJCC/UICC]‐TNM stage IB:II:IIIA:IIIB:IVA:IVB = 2:27:6:5:9:28) were divided into two groups (TKI naïve [n = 33] and TKI experienced [n = 44], including 11 with regorafenib history). Therapeutic response was evaluated using mRECIST. Clinical data were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

There were significant differences in age (74.6 ± 11.2 vs 70.0 ± 5.9 years, P = 0.040), LCSGJ‐TNM (II:III:IVa:IVb = 8:12:1:12 vs 0:16:3:25, P = 0.006), and AJCC/UICC‐TNM (IB:II:IIIA:IIIB:IVA:IVB = 2:17:1:1:4:8 vs 0:10:5:4:5:20, P = 0.028), while hepatic reserve function, adverse event (AE) profiles, and progression‐free survival (89.7%/80.4% vs 90.5%/80.1%, P = 0.499) and overall survival (96.7%/96.7% vs 100%/92.3%, P = 0.769) after 4 and 12 weeks were not significantly different between the TKI‐naïve and TKI‐experienced groups. Overall response rate and disease control rate at 4 weeks (n = 52) were 38.5% and 80.8%, respectively, and 32.4% and 70.3%, respectively, at 12 weeks (n = 37). A significant decline in log10 AFP from the baseline to 4 weeks after introducing LEN was observed in patients with PR and SD (2.047 ± 1.148 vs 1.796 ± 1.179, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Regardless of past TKI therapy, therapeutic response and AEs after introducing LEN were similar. LEN may be an important treatment for the present unmet need regarding TKI treatment against u‐HCC.
The prognostic significance of PFS24 in follicular lymphoma following firstline immunotherapy: A combined analysis of 3 CALGB trials
Authors: Lansigan Frederick , Barak Ian , Pitcher Brandelyn , Jung Sin‐Ho , Cheson Bruce D. , Czuczman Myron , Martin Peter , Hsi Eric , Schöder Heiko , Smith Scott , Bartlett Nancy L. , Leonard John P. , Blum Kristie A.
Published: December 2018

Follicular lymphoma (FL) patients treated with firstline R‐CHOP who experience progression of disease (POD) within 2 years have a shorter survival than those who do not have POD within 2 years. Whether this observation holds for patients treated initially with biologic immunotherapy alone is unknown. We performed a retrospective analysis of 174 patients pooled from three frontline rituximab (R)‐based nonchemotherapy doublet trials: R‐galiximab (Anti‐CD80, CALGB 50402), R‐epratuzumab (Anti‐CD22, CALGB 50701), and R‐lenalidomide (CALGB 50803) to determine outcomes of early progressors and risk factors for early POD, defined as progression within 24 months from study entry. Twenty‐eight percent (48/174) of patients had early POD. After adjusting for the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI), patients with early POD from study entry had a worse OS compared with patients who did not progress within 2 years (HR = 4.33 (95% CI 1.50‐12.5), P = 0.007). For early POD, the 2‐year survival was 80% vs 99% for nonearly POD, and the 5‐year survival was 74% vs 90%, respectively. These findings suggest that the adverse survival of patients with early POD may be independent of initial treatment modality.
The prognostic value of immunoscore in patients with colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sun Guorui , Dong Xiaoyuan , Tang Xiaolong , Qu Hui , Zhang Hao , Zhao Ensheng
Published: December 2018

The tumor immune infiltrate, as recently evaluated with the immunoscore methodology, has been reported to be related to colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Nevertheless, results varied from different studies. A meta‐analysis was conducted to solve this problem. We collected data from included studies to evaluate the prognostic role of immunoscore in CRC patients on overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS). MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries were searched through 30 June 2018. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was pooled using a random‐effects model for OS and a fixed‐effects model for DFS. Finally, eight studies (involving 4689 CRC cases) were identified as eligible publications. The results of the meta‐analysis showed that low immunoscore was significantly correlated with poor OS (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.43‐2.13) and DFS (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.64‐2.03). The findings from most subgroup analyses were consistent with those from the overall analysis. The immunoscore could be a useful prognostic marker in patients with CRC. It is necessary to evaluate immunological markers in international multicenter studies.
Building hierarchical structures for 3D scenes based on normalized cut
Authors: Zhao Xi , Su Zhenqiang , Yang Xinyu
Published: December 2018

The growing number of 3D scene data available online brings in new challenges for scene retrieval, understanding, and synthesis. Traditional shape processing methods have difficulty to manage 3D scenes because such methods ignore the contextual information, that is, the spatial relationship between the objects or groups of objects, which plays a significant role in describing scenes. Therefore, a context‐aware representation is needed to deal with such a problem. In this paper, we propose a method to build scene hierarchies based on contextual information. Given a 3D scene, we first use the interaction bisector surface to measure the affinity between different objects/elements of the scene and then apply the normalized cut method to build a hierarchical structure for the whole scene. The resulting hierarchical structure contains not only the relationship between the individual objects but also the relationship between object groups, which provides much richer information of the scene compared with a flat structure that only describes the contacts or affinity between the individual objects. We test our method using several public databases and show that the resulting structure is more consistent with the ground truth. We also show that our method can be used for point cloud segmentation and outperforms previous methods.
RXXPEG motif of MERIT40 is required to maintain spindle structure and function through its interaction with Tankyrase1
Authors: Zheng Duo , Xie Wangqing , Li Li , Jiang Wenqi , Zou Yongdong , Chiang Chengyao , Shao Genze , Yan Kaowen
Published: December 2018

Deubiquitinase BRISC complex plays important role in the maintenance of spindle structure and function; however, the underlying mechanism remains largely undefined. Here we demonstrated that MERIT40, a core component of BRISC complex, directly interacts with the RXXPEG motif in the ARC‐V domain of Tankyrase1(TNKS1). Mutation of the RXXPEG motif in the MERIT40 (R28A) disrupted its interaction with TNKS1. Consistent with these data, R28A mutant cells displayed multiple mitotic defects including aberrant spindle assembly and chromosome misalignment. These results support a critical role of RXXPEG motif of MERIT40 in BRISC‐mediated regulation of TNKS1 function during spindle assembly.