bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wide Grain 7 increases grain width by enhancing H3K4me3 enrichment in the OsMADS1 promoter in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Huang Yong , Bai Xufeng , Cheng Niannian , Xiao Jinghua , Li Xianghua , Xing Yongzhong
Published: December 2019

Grain size is a major determinant of grain weight, a key component of grain yield of rice. Here, we identified the grain size gene WIDE GRAIN 7 (WG7) from a T‐DNA insertion mutant. The grain size of WG7 knockout mutants and WG7 overexpression lines indicated that WG7 is a positive regulator of grain size. WG7 encodes a cysteine‐tryptophan (CW) domain‐containing transcriptional activator. EMSAs and ChIP‐qPCR assay confirmed that WG7 directly bound to the promoter of OsMADS1, a grain size gene, and thereby significantly activated its expression. Point mutations showed that the cis‐element CATTTC motif in the promoter was the binding site of WG7. Compared with the wild‐type, deletion mutants of the cis‐element motif exhibited lower expression of OsMADS1 and produced narrower grains, implicating the requirement of this motif for WG7 function. ChIP‐qPCR assays showed that WG7 enhanced histone H3K4me3 enrichment in the promoter of OsMADS1. WG7 underwent directional selection due to the poor fertility of the non‐functional mutant. These findings demonstrated that WG7 upregulated OsMADS1 expression by directly binding to its promoter, enhanced histone H3K4me3 enrichment in the promoter and ultimately increased grain width. This study will enrich the knowledge concerning the regulatory network of grain size formation in rice.
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: December 2019

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 7, Number 7 Guilherme Tucher, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), BrazilJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKLisa Marie Portugal, American College of Education, USALorna T. Enerva, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, PhilippinesMeral Seker, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, TurkeyRichard Penny, University of Washington Bothell, USAThomas K. F. Chiu, The University of Hong Kong, Hong KongVjacheslav Ivanovich Babich, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Ukraine Robert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://jets.redfame.com
Early weaning induces short‐ and long‐term effects on pancreatic islets in Wistar rats of both sexes
Authors: Pietrobon Carla Bruna , Miranda Rosiane Aparecida , Bertasso Iala Milene , Mathias Paulo Cezar de Freitas , Bonfleur Maria Lúcia , Balbo Sandra Lucinei , Reis Marise Auxiliadora de Barros , Latorraca Márcia Queiroz , Arantes Vanessa Cristina , de Oliveira Elaine , Lisboa Patrícia Cristina , de Moura Egberto Gaspar
Published: December 2019

Key points

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age as an important strategy to reduce child morbidity and mortality.

Studies have associated early weaning with the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

In our model, we demonstrated that early weaning leads to increased insulin secretion in adolescent males and reduced insulin secretion in adult offspring.

Early weaned males exhibit insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.

Early weaning did not change insulin signalling in the muscle of female offspring.

Taking into account that insulin resistance is one of the primary factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, this work demonstrates the importance of breastfeeding in the fight against this disease.

Early weaning (EW) leads to short‐ and long‐term obesity and diabetes. This phenotype is also observed in experimental models, in which early‐weaned males exhibit abnormal insulinaemia in adulthood. However, studies regarding the effect of EW on pancreatic islets are rare. We investigated the mechanisms by which glycaemic homeostasis is altered in EW models through evaluations of insulin secretion and its signalling pathway in offspring. Lactating Wistar rats and their pups were divided into the following groups: non‐pharmacological EW (NPEW): mothers were wrapped with an adhesive bandage on the last 3 days of lactation; pharmacological EW (PEW): mothers received bromocriptine to inhibit prolactin (1 mg/kg body mass/day) on the last 3 days of lactation; and control (C): pups underwent standard weaning at PN21. Offspring of both sexes were euthanized at PN45 and PN180. At PN45, EW males showed higher insulin secretion (vs. C). At PN170, PEW males exhibited hyperglycaemia in an oral glucose tolerance test (vs. C and NPEW). At PN180, EW male offspring were heavier; however, both sexes showed higher visceral fat. Insulin secretion was lower in EW offspring of both sexes. Males from both EW groups had lower glucokinase in islets, but unexpectedly, PEW males showed higher GLUT2, than did C. EW males exhibited lower insulin signalling in muscle. EW females exhibited no changes in these parameters compared with C. We demonstrated distinct alterations in the insulin secretion of EW rats at different ages. Despite the sex dimorphism in insulin secretion in adolescence, both sexes showed impaired insulin secretion in adulthood due to EW.
Design and Proof of Principle of a Novel Drip Chamber
Authors: de Ridder Else F. , Hoeboer Max D. B. , van Dam Anne F. D. M. , van den Bosch Job
Published: December 2019

More than a million times every year, an ambulance is deployed in the Netherlands. Of these instances, 87% of the patients will be administered intravenous (IV) fluids. In the current situation, the IV bag always needs to be held above the patient to function properly. This action requires an extra pair of hands, which is very inefficient and can result in the loss of precious time that could otherwise be directed at the patient. Besides needing an extra pair of hands, there is also a chance of air bubbles entering the patient through the drip feed. The novel drip chamber design proposed in this paper aims to solve these problems, as it enables the IV bag to be placed in any orientation and in any manner relative to the patient with a negligible number of air bubbles entering the drip feed. This novel drip chamber was tested in an experimental setting in different orientations and at different flowrates. From the test results, it can be concluded that at a clinical relevant flowrate, a negligible number of air bubbles were present within the IV system. Because of the ease of use of the novel drip chamber and the fact that it is fool-proof, cost-efficient, and shows promising test results, future research on several aspects could make this product a promising addition to health care.
Establishment of Exergy Consumption Evaluation System and Analysis of Energy Efficiency for Crude Oil Pipeline Transportation System
Authors: Qinglin Cheng , Yanxin Ma , Jinwei Yang , Chenlin Pan , Yifan Gan , Yang Liu
Published: December 2019

In order to establish a comprehensive exergy consumption evaluation system for crude oil pipeline transportation system, this paper proposed the definition and calculation method of unavoidable exergy loss based on the exergy analysis method and basic process of pipeline transportation. Then combined with the exergy flow classification, the exergy consumption index set was established and selected with correlation coefficient method. Furthermore, the exergy consumption evaluation index system was established including four hierarchies of object, intensity, efficiency and target using analytic hierarchy process and the weight of each part was calculated. Finally by means of all the exergy consumption indexes, the status of using energy was analyzed and evaluated. The analysis results showed that optimizing the transportation amount and temperature, energy efficiency could be improved. The evaluation system of exergy consumption established in this paper could improve operation efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Numerical and Experimental Research of Oil Replacement Rule in Station Processing Facilities of Product Pipeline
Authors: Lin Qi , Lou Chen , Xiang Yifan , Yang Jinwei
Published: December 2019

In order to study the impact of blind pipes in the oil contamination of product oil stations, the paper first gave the summary, definition and classification for typical blind pipe, then use the commercial CFD software CFX to make numerical simulation and conduct related experiment. The oil replacement process achieved from numerical simulation was compared with the experiment. The results showed a high degree of agreement. Then the oil replacement rules of straight blind pipe, bend blind pipe and L-shaped blind pipe were carried on by CFX numerical simulation. The results showed that L-shaped blind pipe had the greatest influence on the oil quality and longest replaced time, followed by bend blind pipe, and straight blind pipe was the least. We do the numerical simulation to obtain oil replacement rate, contaminated oil concentration and rules of oil replacement under different blind pipe length, oil velocity, and the structure of blind pipes. The research can provide a basis for construction, process modification and equipment layout of product oil stations, and improve the operation efficiency and economic benefit of product pipeline.
CFD Analysis of Melting Process in Pipelines for Wax Removal by Hot Water
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Jiang Hui , Lu Zhenyu , Meng Fanbin , Zhao Haiqian , Liu Yang
Published: December 2019

This paper focuses on the numerical study of the melting process of the wax when using the “stuffy pipeline” operation to remove the wax. Transient two dimensional heat transfer analysis was performed by using the enthalpy-porosity and Volume of Fluid (VOF) methods in ANSYS FLUENT. This study aimed at revealing the phase change heat transfer characteristics of wax melting process. The effects of water temperature, the thickness of the wax layer and wax layer composition on the melting process were investigated. The results show that when the “stuffy pipeline” operation is adopted, the operation time should be controlled wisely, the effect of wax removal does not increase over time. Moreover, the thickness of the wax layer is smaller, and the effect of wax removal is greatly reduced. The composition of wax layer has a significant influence on the melting process. When the wax is distributed in a single or double layer, the liquid contours of wax varies greatly.
A Method for Anti-Erosion of Water Hydraulic Valve Plug Based on Variable Stiffness and Energy Mitigating Mechanism
Authors: Sun Feng , Xu He , Jiao Liye , Zhao Zitong , Cheng Min
Published: December 2019

Researches on erosion resistance of valves from the perspective of variable stiffness and energy mitigating are rarely to be seen so far. The ballistic protection for body armor usually requires both high strength and high energy mitigation. Based on the above characteristics of the body armor, ballistic protection for body armor is analogous to the valve plug erosion resistance. In this work, we introduce a new energy mitigating body armor inspired valve plug (EMAVP) to improve its anti-erosion performance. The EMAVP has a gradient hierarchical structure in hardness, variable stiffness materials and structures. The authors analyze the variety of stiffness and energy mitigating of the EMAVP. The fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method is used to simulate the erosion performance, the EMAVP and normal valve plug specimens were tested in the comprehensive experimental system of water hydraulic valve and jet erosion facility. Results show that the EMAVP is superior to normal valve plug, with higher energy mitigating and better anti-erosion performance.
Prediction of Particle Resuspension and Particle Accumulation in Hydraulic Reservoirs Using Three-Phase CFD Simulations
Authors: Muttenthaler Lukas , Manhartsgruber Bernhard
Published: December 2019

The reduction of hydraulic oil contamination in gaseous (air), liquid (water) and solid (particles) form is highly relevant for hydraulic systems. It minimizes machine downtime, avoids technical failures, and reduces wear of mechanical components and fluid degradation. Particle and water separation are achieved by hydraulic filters. The separation of air bubbles must be undertaken by the reservoir, furthermore the reservoir can support the separation of (free) water and particles.

In this paper, stationary results over a wide range of oil flow rates were determined using Eulerian CFD codes. Thus, codes are extended with Lagrangian particle tracking, to determine the size-dependent particle resuspension rate and particle accumulation areas. The results of the particle model were compared and adjusted to experiments, using mineral oil and aluminum oxide test dust. Particle accumulation areas are identified by local deposition distributions for each particle size. An overall distribution was identified by weighting distributions for each particle diameter.
The use of seal scarers as a protective mitigation measure can induce hearing impairment in harbour porpoises
Authors: Schaffeld Tobias , Ruser Andreas , Woelfing Benno , Baltzer Johannes , Kristensen Jakob H. , Larsson Josefin , Schnitzler Joseph G. , Siebert Ursula
Published: December 2019

Acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) are used to deter seals from aquacultures but exposure of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) occurs as a side-effect. At construction sites, by contrast, ADDs are used to deter harbour porpoises from the zone in which pile driving noise can induce temporary threshold shifts (TTSs). ADDs emit such high pressure levels that there is concern that ADDs themselves may induce a TTS. A harbour porpoise in human care was exposed to an artificial ADD signal with a peak frequency of 14 kHz. A significant TTS was found, measured by auditory evoked potentials, with an onset of 142 dB re 1 μPa2s at 20 kHz and 147 dB re 1 μPa2s at 28 kHz. The authors therefore strongly recommend to gradually increase and down regulate source levels of ADDs to the desired deterrence range. However, further research is needed to develop a reliable relationship between received levels and deterrence.
The prediction of nonlinear resistance and distortion for a miniature loudspeaker with vented cavities
Authors: Sun Chengpu , An Fengyan , Liu Bilong , Wu Sibing
Published: December 2019

The nonlinear resistance and its influence on the total harmonic distortion of a miniature loudspeaker with vented cavities are investigated. A method for the prediction of nonlinear resistance is described. In the model, the nonlinear resistance caused by the magnetic gap and the orifices in the back cover of the miniature loudspeaker is taken into account. The nonlinear acoustic resistance is estimated through the electric analogy method, and then it is transformed into the equivalent nonlinear resistance of the vibrating diaphragm. The estimated nonlinear resistance is verified through the Klippel Analyzer measurement. The influence of the nonlinear resistance, mechanical stiffness and force factor on the total harmonic distortion is calculated and compared with the measurements.
Athletes’ Social Identities: Their Influence on Precompetitive Group-Based Emotions
Authors: Campo Mickaël , Mackie Diane , Champely Stéphane , Lacassagne Marie-Françoise , Pellet Julien , Louvet Benoit
Published: December 2019

This research studied the influence of multiple social identities on the emotions that athletes felt toward their teammates/partners and opponents. Athletes (N = 714) from individual and team-based sports reported their identification both as athletes of the sport and as athletes of their club before reporting their precompetitive emotions. The results showed that these multiple social identities influenced precompetitive emotions toward different targets, with higher levels of sport identification associated with increased positive and decreased negative emotions toward opponents and higher levels of club identification associated with increased positive and decreased negative emotions toward teammates/partners, although increased club identification was also associated with more positive emotions toward opponents. These findings extend intergroup emotions theory by showing its suitability and applicability to face-to-face task-oriented teams in sport. Particularly, they highlight the importance of investigating the simultaneous level of multiple social identities, rather than only a dichotomic self-categorization, on group-based emotions experienced toward multiple targets.
Blazing a New Trail: The Role of Communication Technology in Women’s Mountain Biking
Authors: McCormack Karen
Published: December 2019

Women’s experiences in largely male sporting worlds often include marginalization and patronizing attitudes that can make participants unwelcome. Yet some women describe positive, liberating experiences in these sports. How do these women negotiate a largely male sport? What strategies do they employ to craft supportive communities? Based on interviews with 60 mountain bikers and email correspondence with an additional 98 bikers, along with results from a global survey of over 2,300 bikers, this paper examines women’s strategies for creating communities in which they can fully participate. The research uncovers the important role of communication technologies. While media practices can promote the celebration of risk-taking and aggression, they also provide a platform for talking back and building an alternative, supportive community.
High-latitude warming initiated the onset of the last deglaciation in the tropics
Authors: Jackson Margaret S. , Kelly Meredith A. , Russell James M. , Doughty Alice M. , Howley Jennifer A. , Chipman Jonathan W. , Cavagnaro David , Nakileza Bob , Zimmerman Susan R. H.
Published: December 2019

Tropical glaciers retreated before deglacial greenhouse gas rise due to a lowered meridional thermal gradient.
Which way to the dawn of speech?: Reanalyzing half a century of debates and data in light of speech science
Authors: Boë Louis-Jean , Sawallis Thomas R. , Fagot Joël , Badin Pierre , Barbier Guillaume , Captier Guillaume , Ménard Lucie , Heim Jean-Louis , Schwartz Jean-Luc
Published: December 2019

Fresh analysis of primate calls shows that speech dawned in monkeys some 100 times earlier than the appearance of modern humans.
Identification of the hyaluronic acid pathway as a therapeutic target for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Authors: DeSimone Alec M. , Leszyk John , Wagner Kathryn R. , Emerson Charles P.
Published: December 2019

Inhibition of HA synthesis blocks DUX4-induced pathologies.
NS1 DNA vaccination protects against Zika infection through T cell–mediated immunity in immunocompetent mice
Authors: Grubor-Bauk B. , Wijesundara D. K. , Masavuli M. , Abbink P. , Peterson R. L. , Prow N. A. , Larocca R. A. , Mekonnen Z. A. , Shrestha A. , Eyre N. S. , Beard M. R. , Gummow J. , Carr J. , Robertson S. A. , Hayball J. D. , Barouch D. H. , Gowans E. J.
Published: December 2019

A novel T cell–based ZIKV vaccine, encoding NS1 protein, confers protection against systemic infection.
Gastrointestinal transcription factors drive lineage-specific developmental programs in organ specification and cancer
Authors: Francis Roshane , Guo Haiyang , Streutker Catherine , Ahmed Musaddeque , Yung Theodora , Dirks Peter B. , He Housheng Hansen , Kim Tae-Hee
Published: December 2019

Gastrointestinal transcription factors drive lineage-specific programs in organ specification and cancer.
Science quality and the value of inventions
Authors: Poege Felix , Harhoff Dietmar , Gaessler Fabian , Baruffaldi Stefano
Published: December 2019

Common quality measures for scientific work predict the commercial value of patents directly or indirectly derived from them.
A gut reaction to exercise
Authors: Curtis Annie
Published: December 2019

Alterations in gut microbiome composition and function predict those who respond favorably to exercise in metabolic control.
Bypassing Phase Variation of Lipooligosaccharide (LOS): Using Heptose 1 Glycan Mutants To Establish Widespread Efficacy of Gonococcal Anti-LOS Monoclonal Antibody 2C7
Authors: Chakraborti Srinjoy , Gulati Sunita , Zheng Bo , Beurskens Frank J. , Schuurman Janine , Rice Peter A. , Ram Sanjay
Published: December 2019

The sialylatable lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT; Gal-GlcNAc-Gal-Glc) moiety from heptose I (HepI) of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaeundergoes positive selection during human infection. Lactose (Gal-Glc) from HepII, although phase variable, is commonly expressed in humans; loss of HepII lactose compromises gonococcal fitness in mice.
Heparanase-Regulated Syndecan-1 Shedding Facilitates Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Egress
Authors: Hadigal Satvik , Koganti Raghuram , Yadavalli Tejabhiram , Agelidis Alex , Suryawanshi Rahul , Shukla Deepak
Published: December 2019

HSV-1 is a common cause of recurrent viral infections in humans. The virus can cause a range of mucosal pathologies. Efficient viral egress from infected cells is an important step for HSV-1 transmission and virus-associated pathologies. Host mechanisms that contribute to HSV-1 egress from infected cells are poorly understood. Syndecan-1 is a common heparan sulfate proteoglycan expressed by many natural target cells. Despite its known connection with heparanase, a recently identified mediator of HSV-1 release, syndecan-1 has not been previously investigated in HSV-1 release. In this study, we demonstrate that the shedding of syndecan-1 by MMP-3 and MMP-7 supports viral egress. We show that the mechanism behind the activation of these MMPs is mediated by heparanase, which is upregulated upon HSV-1 infection. Our study elucidates a new connection between HSV-1 egress, heparanase, and matrix metallopeptidases; identifies new molecular markers of infection; and provides potential new targets for therapeutic interventions.
Segmentation and termination of the surface rupture zone produced by the 1932 Ms 7.6 Changma earthquake: New insights into the slip partitioning of the eastern Altyn Tagh fault system
Authors: Du Jiaxin , Fu Bihong , Guo Qiang , Shi Pilong , Xue Guoliang , Xu Huan
Published: December 2019

The 1932 Ms 7.6 earthquake struck the active Changma fault in the NE Tibetan Plateau, and produced a distinct surface rupture along the fault zone. However, the segmentation and termination of the surface rupture zone are still unclear. In this paper, the active tectonic analyses of multiple satellite images complemented by field investigations present the 120-km-long surface rupture zone, which can be divided into five discrete first-order segments, ranging from 14.4 to 39.56 km in length, linked by step-overs. Our results also indicate that the 1932 rupture zone could jump across step-overs 0.3–4.5 km long and 2.2–5.4 km wide in map view, but was terminated by a 6.3-km-wide restraining step-over at the eastern end. The left-lateral slip rates along the mid-eastern and easternmost segments of the Changma fault are 3.43 ± 0.5 mm/yr and 4.49 ± 0.5 mm/yr since 7–9 ka, respectively. The proposed tectonic models suggest that the slip rates on the Changma fault are similar to the slip rate on the eastern segment of the Altyn Tagh fault system near the junction point with the Changma fault. These results imply that the Changma fault plays a leading role in the slip partitioning of the easternmost segment of the Altyn Tagh fault system.
Opioid-induced hypoadrenalism resulting in fasting hypoglycaemia
Authors: Tabet Eddy J , Clarke Antonia Jean , Twigg Stephen M
Published: December 2019

An 18-year-old woman with a history of hollow visceral myopathy presented with a small-bowel obstruction. High-dose opioid analgesia was required subsequently during hospital admission. She suffered two episodes of documented fasting hypoglycaemia, despite adjustment of parenteral carbohydrate administration. Investigations for non-insulin-mediated hypoglycaemia revealed a low morning cortisol of 109 nmol/L and an inappropriately low Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level of 2.2 pmol/L. A diagnosis of secondary adrenal insufficiency was confirmed on repeat cortisol and ACTH testing. The 250 µg short Synacthen test cortisol response was normal, suggestive of acute rather than chronic ACTH deficiency. This pattern was consistent after further opioid exposure. Adrenal recovery occurred shortly after opioid cessation. Opioid-induced hypoadrenalism is likely an under-recognised clinical entity with potentially serious adverse patient outcomes. There are reported cases involving commonly prescribed opioids including fentanyl and tramadol. However, we believe this is the first reported clinical case of acute transient opioid-induced secondary hypoadrenalism associated with fasting hypoglycaemia.
The burden of misclassification of antepartum stillbirth in Nepal
Authors: Gurung Rejina , Litorp Helena , Berkelhamer Sara , Zhou Hong , Tinkari Bhim Singh , Paudel Prajwal , Malla Honey , Sharma Srijana , KC Ashish
Published: December 2019

Background

Globally, every year 1.1 million antepartum stillbirths occur with 98% of these deaths taking place in countries where the health system is poor. In this paper we examine the burden of misclassification of antepartum stillbirth in hospitals of Nepal and factors associated with misclassification.

Method

A prospective observational study was conducted in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 6 months. If fetal heart sounds (FHS) were detected at admission and during the intrapartum period, the antepartum stillbirth (fetal death ≥22 weeks prior labour) recorded in patient’s case note was recategorised as misclassified antepartum stillbirth. We further compared sociodemographic, obstetric and neonatal characteristics of misclassified and correctly classified antepartum stillbirths using bivariate and multivariate analysis.

Result

A total of 41 061 women were enrolled in the study and 39 562 of the participants’ FHS were taken at admission. Of the total participants whose FHS were taken at admission, 94.8% had normal FHS, 4.7% had abnormal FHS and 0.6% had no FHS at admission. Of the total 119 recorded antepartum stillbirths, 29 (24.4%) had FHS at admission and during labour and therefore categorised as misclassified antepartum stillbirths. Multivariate analysis performed to adjust the risk of association revealed that complications during pregnancy resulted in a threefold risk of misclassification (adjusted OR-3.35, 95% CI 1.95 to 5.76).

Conclusion

Almost 25% of the recorded antepartum stillbirths were misclassified. Improving quality of data is crucial to improving accountability and quality of care. As the interventions to reduce antepartum stillbirth differ, accurate measurement of antepartum stillbirth is critical.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN30829654.
Association between antenatal blood pressure and 5-year postpartum retinal arteriolar structural and functional changes
Authors: Sim Ralene , Aris Izzuddin , Chong Yap-Seng , Wong Tien Yin , Li Ling-jun
Published: December 2019

Objective

Studies have shown that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are associated with both postpartum retinal microvascular changes and cardiovascular (CV) risks. However, the underlying mechanism of HDP transitioning to microvascular and macrovascular changes remains unknown, due to the interaction between microvasculature and CV risks. In this study, we examined whether associations between antenatal systolic blood pressure (SBP) and postpartum retinal arteriolar changes are independent of postpartum CV risks.

Methods

We included 276 Singaporean mothers attending both baseline index pregnancy (2009–2010) and 5-year postpartum follow-up visits (2014–2015). We measured SBP at baseline. At follow-up, we assessed retinal microvascular structure and function with retinal photography and dynamic vessel analyser, together with CV risks using a validated 2008 Framingham Risk Score (FRS). We performed a traditional four-step mediation analysis using linear regression by adjusting for a series of baseline characteristics: age, ethnicity, college degree, prepregnancy body mass index and gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis at baseline.

Results

We found that each 10 mm Hg increase in baseline SBP was associated with reduced arteriolar calibre (−1.3 µm; 95% CI −3.0 to 0.2) and fractal dimension (−0.4 degrees of freedom (df); −1.0 to 0.2), and significantly with increased arteriolar constriction (0.5%; 0.001 to 1.0) at 5-year postpartum. Even though baseline SBP was associated with postpartum FRS, the latter was not associated with any retinal arteriolar measures. Therefore, no further mediation analysis was required.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that elevated SBP during pregnancy was associated with suboptimal retinal arteriolar structure and function independent of postpartum CV risks.
Statin use and the Risk of Renal Cell Carcinoma: National Cohort Study
Authors: Chou Yu-Ching , Lin Chih-Hung , Wong Chih-Shung , Chou Wan-Yun , Chang Jin-Yin , Sun Chien-An
Published: December 2019

Statins are a therapeutic drug with reducing plasma cholesterol levels and have been linked with potential antitumor effects. However, epidemiological studies on statin use and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk have been inconsistent. This cohort study aimed to examine this association in an Asian population. We identified patients who filled initial prescriptions for statins in the inpatient and ambulatory care order files from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2005 as the statin users cohort (n=14,067). The comparison cohort comprised of patients who had not taken any statin in the previous years prior to January 1, 1998 or had used statins for less than 28 cumulative defined daily doses between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2005 (n=56 268). The outcome of interest was pathologically verified RCC occurred between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2013. The Fine-Gray competing risk model was fitted to estimate HRs accompanying 95% CI. Patients with the use of statins had a significantly lower risk of RCC as compared with the non-users cohort, yielding an adjusted HR of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.87). Moreover, we found a significant inverse association between cumulative statin use and the risk of RCC. Further, the inverse association between statin use and risk of RCC was evident in both sexes. This population-based cohort study provides longitudinal evidence that the use of statins was associated with a reduced risk of RCC.
Drug repurposing in neurological diseases: an integrated approach to reduce trial and error
Authors: Clout Alexander E , Della Pasqua Oscar , Hanna Michael G , Orlu Mine , Pitceathly Robert D S
Published: December 2019

Identifying effective disease-modifying therapies for neurological diseases remains an important challenge in drug discovery and development. Drug repurposing attempts to determine new indications for pre-existing compounds and represents a major opportunity to address this clinically unmet need. It is potentially more cost-effective and time-efficient than de novo drug development and has yielded notable successes in neurological disorders. However, across all medical disciplines, only 30% of repurposed drugs, and 10% of novel candidate molecules, gain market approval. One potentially significant contributor towards this limited success rate is an incomplete knowledge of the exposure–response relationships for the compounds of interest, and how these relate to the new indication, prior to commencing a new trial. We provide an overview of the current approach to early-stage drug repurposing and consider the issues contributing to inconclusive, or possibly falsely negative, Phase II and III trial outcomes in neurological diseases by highlighting examples that illustrate the limitations of empirical evidence generation without a strong scientific basis for the dose rationale. We conclude with a framework suggesting a translational, iterative approach, that integrates pharmacological, pharmaceutical and clinical expertise, towards preclinical and early clinical drug development. This ensures appropriate dosing regimen, route of administration and/or formulation are selected for the new indication before their evaluation in prospective clinical trials.
Optimizing the parton shower model in PYTHIA with pp collision data at √s = 13 TeV
Authors: Kundu Suman Kumar , Sarkar Tanmay , Maity Manas
Published: December 2019

Production of quarks and gluons in hadron collisions tests Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) over a wide range of energy. Models of QCD are implemented in event generators to simulate hadron collisions and evolution of quarks and gluons into jets of hadrons. pythia8 uses the parton shower model for simulating particle collisions and is optimized using experimental observations. Recent measurements of event shape variables and jet cross-sections in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV at the Large Hadron Collider have been used to optimize the parton shower model as used in PYTHIA8.
Free-Boolean independence with amalgamation
Authors: Liu Weihua , Zhong Ping
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we develop the notion of free-Boolean independence in an amalgamated setting. We construct free-Boolean cumulants and show that the vanishing of mixed free-Boolean cumulants is equivalent to our free-Boolean independence with amalgamation. We also provide a characterization of free-Boolean independence by conditions in terms of mixed moments. In addition, we study free-Boolean independence over a [Formula: see text]-algebra and prove a positivity property. A central limit law for our free-Boolean independence with amalgamation is also studied.
A Research Review and Taxonomy Development for Decision Support and Business Analytics Using Semantic Text Mining
Authors: Ko Andrea , Gillani Saira
Published: December 2019

By 2018, business analytics (BA), believed by global CIOs to be of strategic importance, had for years been their top priority. It is also a focus of academic research, as shown by a large number of papers, books, and research reports. On the other hand, the BA domain suffers from several incorrect, imprecise, and incomplete notions. New areas and concepts emerge quickly; making it difficult to ascertain their structure. BA-related taxonomies play a crucial role in analyzing, classifying, and understanding related objects. However, according to the literature on taxonomy development in information systems (IS), in most cases the process is ad hoc. BA taxonomies and frameworks are available in the literature; however, some are excessively general frameworks with a high-level conceptual focus, while others are application or domain-specific. Our paper aims to present a novel semi-automatic method for taxonomy development and maintenance in the field of BA using content analysis and text mining. The contribution of our research is threefold: (1) the taxonomy development method, (2) the draft taxonomy for BA, and (3) identifying the latest research areas and trends in BA.
Wavelet thresholding estimation of density derivatives from a negatively associated size-biased sample
Authors: Xu Junlian
Published: December 2019

This paper considers wavelet estimation for density derivatives based on negatively associated and size-biased data. We provide upper bounds of nonlinear wavelet estimator on [Formula: see text] risk. It turns out that the convergence rate of the nonlinear estimator is better than that of the linear one.
Managerial Miscalibration and Its Effects on the Auditability of Accounting Estimates: Evidence from Pension Accounting
Authors: Menzefricke Ulrich , Smieliauskas Wally
Published: December 2019

In this archival study, we report three main findings related to how well pension accounting estimates of practice meet the stated objectives of professional accounting standards. Our evidence on estimated returns in pension accounting used in reporting on defined benefit pension plans in the financial statements indicates the following. First, the financial note disclosures of ranges of estimated returns are miscalibrated and provide low credibility of including either the actual or expected returns. Second, the estimated returns are unreliable estimates of the firms’ actual 10-year averages. Finally, the estimated returns can have significant risk of material misstatement arising from the uncertainty in the estimation process over the short run. The combination of these findings indicates that the estimated returns and related note disclosures on the ranges of the returns used in estimation processes may not be auditable, and may not meet the stated financial reporting objectives of professional accounting standards.
Consistent Sampling of Churn Under Periodic Non-Stationary Arrivals in Distributed Systems
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Xiao Di , Li Xiaoyong , Cline Daren B. H. , Loguinov Dmitri
Published: December 2019

Characterizing user churn has become an important research area of networks and distributed systems, both in theoretical analysis and system design. A realistic churn model, often measured using periodic observation, should replicate two key properties of deployed systems -- (1) the arrival process and (2) the lifetime distribution of participating agents. Because users can be sampled only by sending packets to them and eliciting responses, there is an inherent tradeoff between overhead (i.e., bandwidth needed to perform the measurement) and accuracy of obtained results. Furthermore, all observations are censored, i.e., rounded up or down to a multiple of Δ, where Δ is the minimum delay between repeat visits to the same user. Assuming a stationary arrival process, previous work shows that consistent (i.e., asymptotically accurate) estimation of the lifetime distribution is possible; however, the problem remains open for non-stationary cases. Questions include what distributions these methods sample when the assumptions on the arrival process are violated, under what conditions consistency is possible with existing techniques, and what avenues exist for improving their accuracy and overhead. To investigate these issues, we first use random-measure theory to develop a novel churn model that allows rather general non-stationary scenarios and even synchronized joins (e.g., flash crowds). We not only dispose with common assumptions, such as existence of arrival rate and ergodicity, but also show that this model can produce all metrics of interest (e.g., sampled lifetime distributions, bandwidth overhead) using simple expressions. We apply these results to study the accuracy of prior techniques and discover that they are biased unless user lifetimes are exponential or the arrival measure is stationary. To overcome these limitations, we then create a new lifetime-sampling technique that remains asymptotically robust under all periodic arrival measures and provide a methodology for undoing the bias in the sampled arrival rate created by missed users. We demonstrate that the proposed approach exhibits accuracy advantages and 1-2 orders of magnitude less bandwidth consumption compared to the alternatives. We finish by implementing the proposed framework and applying it to experimental data from massive crawls of Gnutella.
Empirical Evaluation of Approximation Algorithms for Generalized Graph Coloring and Uniform Quasi-wideness
Authors: Nadara Wojciech , Pilipczuk Marcin , Rabinovich Roman , Reidl Felix , Siebertz Sebastian
Published: December 2019

The notions of
bounded expansion
and
nowhere denseness
not only offer robust and general definitions of uniform sparseness of graphs, they also describe the tractability boundary for several important algorithmic questions. In this article, we study two structural properties of these graph classes that are of particular importance in this context: the property of having bounded
generalized coloring numbers
and the property of being
uniformly quasi-wide
. We provide experimental evaluations of several algorithms that approximate these parameters on real-world graphs. On the theoretical side, we provide a new algorithm for uniform quasi-wideness with polynomial size guarantees in graph classes of bounded expansion and show a lower bound indicating that the guarantees of this algorithm are close to optimal in graph classes with fixed excluded minor.
ReVibe
Authors: Rabbi Mashfiqui , Li Katherine , Yan H. Yanna , Hall Kelly , Klasnja Predrag , Murphy Susan
Published: December 2019

Besides passive sensing, ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) are one of the primary methods to collect in-the-moment data in ubiquitous computing and mobile health. While EMAs have the advantage of low recall bias, a disadvantage is that they frequently interrupt the user and thus long-term adherence is generally poor. In this paper, we propose a less-disruptive self-reporting method, "assisted recall," in which in the evening individuals are asked to answer questions concerning a moment from earlier in the day assisted by contextual information such as location, physical activity, and ambient sounds collected around the moment to be recalled. Such contextual information is automatically collected from phone sensor data, so that self-reporting does not require devices other than a smartphone. We hypothesized that providing assistance based on such automatically collected contextual information would increase recall accuracy (i.e., if recall responses for a moment match the EMA responses at the same moment) as compared to no assistance, and we hypothesized that the overall completion rate of evening recalls (assisted or not) would be higher than for in-the-moment EMAs. We conducted a two-week study (N=54) where participants completed recalls and EMAs each day. We found that providing assistance via contextual information increased recall accuracy by 5.6% (p = 0.032) and the overall recall completion rate was on average 27.8% (p < 0.001) higher than that of EMAs.
Data-Driven Battery-Lifetime-Aware Scheduling for Electric Bus Fleets
Authors: Li Songyuan , He Shibo , Wang Shuai , He Tian , Chen Jiming
Published: December 2019

Electric vehicles (EVs) have experienced a sensational growth in the past few years, due to the potential of mitigating global warming and energy scarcity problems. However, the high manufacturing cost of battery packs and limited battery lifetime hinder EVs from further development. Especially, electric bus, as one of the most important means of public transportation, suffers from long daily operation time and peak-hour passenger overload, which aggravate its battery degradation. To address this issue, we propose a novel data-driven battery-lifetime-aware electric bus scheduling system. Leveraging practical bus GPS and transaction datasets, we conduct a detailed analysis of passenger behaviors and design a reliable prediction model for passenger arrival rate at each station. By taking passenger waiting queue at each bus station analogous to data buffer in network systems, we apply Lyapunov optimization and obtain an electric bus scheduling strategy with reliable performance guarantee on both battery degradation rate and passengers' service quality. To verify the effectiveness of the system, we evaluate our design on a 12-month electric bus operation datasets from the city of Shenzhen. The experimental results show that, compared with two baseline methods, our system reduces the battery degradation rate by 14.3% and 21.7% under the same passenger arrival rate, while preserving good passenger service quality.
CityGuard
Authors: Wang Qianru , Zhang Junbo , Guo Bin , Hao Zexia , Zhou Yifang , Sun Junkai , Yu Zhiwen , Zheng Yu
Published: December 2019

Forecasting the fire risk is of great importance to fire prevention deployments in a city, which can reduce loss even deaths caused by fires. However, it is very challenging because fires are influenced by many complex factors, including spatial correlations, temporal dependencies, even the mixture of these two and external factors. Firstly, the fire risk of a region is influenced by temporal effect of internal factors (e.g., the historical fire risk records) and temporal effect of external factors (e.g., weather). Secondly, a region's fire risk is not only influenced by its inherent geospatial attributes (e.g., POIs) but also dependent on other regions in spatial. To address these challenges, we propose a machine learning approach to forecast the fire risk, entitled NeuroFire. NeuroFire can represent internal and external temporal effect then combine the temporal representation and spatial dependencies by a spatial-temporal loss function. Experimental evaluations on real-world datasets show that our NeuroFire outperforms 9 baselines, demonstrating the performance of our approach by several visualizations. Moreover, we implement a citywide fire forecasting system named CityGuard to display the analysis and forecasting results, which can assist the fire rescue department in deploying fire prevention.
Towards the Design of a Ring Sensor-based mHealth System to Achieve Optimal Motor Function in Stroke Survivors
Authors: Kim Yoojung , Jung Hee-Tae , Park Joonwoo , Kim Yangsoo , Ramasarma Nathan , Bonato Paolo , Choe Eun Kyoung , Lee Sunghoon Ivan
Published: December 2019

Maximizing the motor practice in stroke survivors' living environments may significantly improve the functional recovery of their stroke-affected upper-limb. A wearable system that can continuously monitor upper-limb performance has been considered as an effective clinical solution for its potential to provide patient-centered, data-driven feedback to improve the motor dosage. Towards that end, we investigate a system leveraging a pair of finger-worn, ring-type accelerometers capable of monitoring both gross-arm and fine-hand movements that are clinically relevant to the performance of daily activities. In this work, we conduct a mixed-methods study to (1) quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of finger-worn accelerometers in measuring clinically relevant information regarding stroke survivors' upper-limb performance, and (2) qualitatively investigate design requirements for the self-monitoring system, based on data collected from 25 stroke survivors and seven occupational therapists. Our quantitative findings demonstrate strong face and convergent validity of the finger-worn accelerometers, and its responsiveness to changes in motor behavior. Our qualitative findings provide a detailed account of the current rehabilitation process while highlighting several challenges that therapists and stroke survivors face. This study offers promising directions for the design of a self-monitoring system that can encourage the affected limb use during stroke survivors' daily living.