bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The 3G Multigenerational Cohort of Nova Scotian women and their mothers and offspring
Authors: Brown Mary M. , Woolcott Christy G. , Dodds Linda , Ashley‐Martin Jillian , Allen Victoria M. , Fahey John , Kuhle Stefan
Published: January 2020

Background

The negative impact of exposures such as maternal obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and hypertension in pregnancy on the health of the next generation has been well studied. Evidence from animal studies suggests that the effects of in utero exposures may persist into the second generation, but the epidemiological literature on the influence of pregnancy‐related exposures across three generations in humans is sparse.

Objectives

This cohort was established to investigate associations between antenatal and perinatal exposures and health outcomes in women and their offspring.

Population

The cohort includes women who were born and subsequently had their own pregnancies in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia from 1980 onward.

Design

Intergenerational linkage of data in the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database was used to establish a population‐based dynamic retrospective cohort.

Methods

The cohort has prospectively collected information on sociodemographics, maternal health and health behaviours, pregnancy health and complications, and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes for two generations of women and their offspring.

Preliminary results

As of October 2018, the 3G cohort included 14 978 grandmothers (born 1939‐1986), 16 766 mothers or cohort women (born 1981‐2003), and 28 638 children (born 1996‐2018). The cohort women were generally younger than Nova Scotian women born after 1980, and as a result, characteristics associated with pregnancy at a younger age were more frequently seen in the cohort women; sampling weights will be created to account for this design effect. The cohort will be updated annually to capture future deliveries to women who are already in the cohort and women who become eligible for inclusion when they deliver their first child.

Conclusions

The 3G Multigenerational Cohort is a population‐based cohort of women and their mothers and offspring, spanning a time period of 38 years, and provides the opportunity to study inter‐ and transgenerational associations across the maternal line.
Comparative systematic review of the psychometric properties of measures of illness perceptions in family members of individuals diagnosed with a chronic physical illness
Authors: Fletcher Chloe , Flight Ingrid , Gunn Kate , Patterson Pandora , Wilson Carlene
Published: January 2020

Although illness perceptions have significant implications for psychological morbidity in those diagnosed with a physical illness, the strength of this relationship in their family members remains understudied. The validity of findings is dependent on the quality of the instruments used; therefore, it is essential that psychometrically robust measures of illness perceptions are available. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify, assess and compare the psychometric properties of instruments designed to measure illness perceptions in family members of individuals with chronic physical illnesses. A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO databases, and supplemented with forward and backward searches. Studies were included in the review if they described the development, adaptation or psychometric evaluation of an instrument designed to measure illness perceptions in family members of an individual with a chronic physical illness. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. The psychometric quality of instruments was evaluated using published quality assessment criteria. Eleven articles describing nine different instruments were included in the review. Almost all instruments were designed for parents of a child with a chronic illness. There was wide variation in the quality of methods used to develop, adapt or evaluate the instruments, and missing information restricted the evaluation of psychometric properties. Further validation is needed for all instruments before meaningful conclusions can be drawn. Findings indicate that measurement of illness perceptions in children or siblings of an individual with a chronic physical illness has been largely ignored. Future research addressing this gap would be an important addition to the current body of work examining illness perceptions in family members.
Dose‐response relationship of active commuting to work: Results of the GISMO study
Authors: Schmied Christian , Loidl Martin , Rossi Valentina , Fernandez La Puente de Battre Maria Dolores , Reich Bernhard , Niebauer Josef , Niederseer David
Published: January 2020

The positive health benefits of regular exercise, particularly regarding cardiovascular risk and diseases, are well recognized and scientifically evident. However, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors that are still insufficiently addressed. Leisure‐time active commuting like walking and biking is an ideal way to improve exercise behavior in the general population. The purpose of this substudy of the GISMO study was to assess dose‐response relations in all commuters and the three subgroups of commuters (physically active by bicycle and/or walking, physically active by using public transportation (PT), and the controls using their own vehicles). As such, a positive dose‐response relationship could be confirmed in all physically active commuters compared to the control group. Whether the commuters cycled, walked, or traveled by PT —the more the physical exercise they performed (measured in metabolic equivalent [MET]‐hours), the larger their gain in physical fitness (measured in gained or “Delta” Watt during a maximal exercise test), and their physical fitness at the end of the study was P = .016 and P = .003, respectively. Health‐related quality of life correlated in two out of eight subdomains of the SF‐36 questionnaire with MET‐hours achieved during the study period (General Health and Physical Functioning). No clearly significant dose‐response could be observed regarding HDL(high‐density lipoprotein)‐cholesterol or body composition. Our results indicate a dose‐response pattern of healthy commuting in exercise capacity and health‐related quality of life to increase doses of physically active commuting.
Global domination by crazy ants: phylogenomics reveals biogeographical history and invasive species relationships in the genus Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Williams Jason L. , Zhang Yuanmeng Miles , Lloyd Michael W. , LaPolla John S. , Schultz Ted R. , Lucky Andrea
Published: January 2020

Nylanderia (Emery) is one of the world's most diverse ant genera, with 123 described species worldwide and hundreds more undescribed. Fifteen globetrotting or invasive species have widespread distributions and are often encountered outside their native ranges. A molecular approach to understanding the evolutionary history and to revision of Nylanderia taxonomy is needed because historical efforts based on morphology have proven insufficient to define major lineages and delimit species boundaries, especially where adventive species are concerned. To address these problems, we generated the first genus‐wide genomic dataset of Nylanderia using ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to resolve the phylogeny of major lineages, determine the age and origin of the genus, and describe global biogeographical patterns. Sampling from seven biogeographical regions revealed a Southeast Asian origin of Nylanderia in the mid‐Eocene and four distinct biogeographical clades in the Nearctic, the Neotropics, the Afrotropics/Malagasy region, and Australasia. The Nearctic and Neotropical clades are distantly related, indicating two separate dispersal events to the Americas between the late Oligocene and early Miocene. We also addressed the problem of misidentification that has characterized species‐level taxonomy in Nylanderia as a result of limited morphological variation in the worker caste by evaluating the integrity of species boundaries in six of the most widespread Nylanderia species. We sampled across ranges of species in the N. bourbonica complex (N. bourbonica (Forel) + N. vaga (Forel)), the N. fulva complex (N. fulva (Mayr) + N. pubens (Forel)), and the N. guatemalensis complex (N. guatemalensis (Forel) + N. steinheili (Forel)) to clarify their phylogenetic placement. Deep splits within these complexes suggest that some species names – specifically N. bourbonica and N. guatemalensis – each are applied to multiple cryptic species. In exhaustively sampling Nylanderia diversity in the West Indies, a ‘hot spot’ for invasive taxa, we found five adventive species among 22 in the region; many remain morphologically indistinguishable from one another, despite being distantly related. We stress that overcoming the taxonomic impediment through the use of molecular phylogeny and revisionary study is essential for conservation and invasive species management.
The complex Ginzburg Landau equation in kerr and parabolic law media
Authors: Ates Esma
Published: January 2020

This paper study the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation with two different forms of nonlinearity. The Jacobi elliptic ansatz method is used to obtain the optical soliton solutions of this equation in the kerr and parabolic law media. Bright and dark optical soliton solutions are acquired as well as Jacobi elliptic function solutions. The existence criteria of these solutions are also indicated.
AMPA receptor structure and auxiliary subunits
Authors: Kamalova Aichurok , Nakagawa Terunaga
Published: January 2020

Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain is largely mediated by AMPA‐type ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs), which are activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. In synapses, the function of AMPARs is tuned by their auxiliary subunits, a diverse set of membrane proteins associated with the core pore‐forming subunits of the AMPARs. Each auxiliary subunit provides distinct functional modulation of AMPARs, ranging from regulation of trafficking to shaping ion channel gating kinetics. Understanding the molecular mechanism of the function of these complexes is key to decoding synaptic modulation and their global roles in cognitive activities, such as learning and memory. Here, we review the structural and molecular complexity of AMPAR–auxiliary subunit complexes, as well as their functional diversity in different brain regions. We suggest that the recent structural information provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic functions of AMPAR–auxiliary subunit complexes.

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Drift-Off Study in Drilling Vessels Comparing Numerical Model and Full-Scale Field Measurements
Authors: Tannuri Eduardo A. , de Mello Pedro C. , Dotta Raul , Oshiro Anderson T. , Diederichs Gustavo R. , Cruz Daniel F. , Ferreira Marcos D. , Nunes Luiz Manoel P. , Maeda Katsuya
Published: January 2020

In drilling vessels, the dynamic positioning (DP) system has a great importance for the operation, since it ensures the station-keeping ability for the drilling operation. However, an emergency situation involves ungoverned drift due to problems associated with the DP system failures, such as thrusters, generators, powerbus, or control system. During this situation, the vessel drift is subjected to the influence of environmental conditions and the drift can lead to collisions with floating obstacles or submerged systems, wellhead emergency disconnection, damage to equipment and potentially causing major environmental disasters. It is then necessary to define a safety region for the drilling ship operation and to determine the limiting operation offset that the drilling vessel can disconnect from the wellhead without damage to any equipment. This offset limit is obtained through a riser analysis and drift-off study, important inputs for the Well Specific Operating Guidelines (WSOG). A validated time-domain simulator is required and able to predict the vessel drift trajectory after the DP failure under several environmental conditions. The aim of this work is to present a large set of model and full-scale drift tests and the validation of a time-domain numerical simulator (Dynasim), based on the main parameters of the drift tests: drift distance, heading variation, and trajectory. The comparisons between the numerical simulation results with full- and model-scale data demonstrated the accuracy of the numerical model, confirming that the simulator is a reliable tool to predict the motion of a drilling vessel after a blackout.
Vowel acoustic characteristics of Southern American English variation in Louisiana
Authors: Chung Hyunju
Published: January 2020

This study examined acoustic characteristics of vowels produced by speakers from Louisiana, one of the states in the Southern English dialect region. First, how Louisiana vowels differ from or are similar to the reported patterns of Southern dialect were examined. Then, within-dialect differences across regions in Louisiana were examined. Thirty-four female adult monolingual speakers of American English from Louisiana, ranging in age from 18 to 23, produced English monosyllabic words containing 11 vowels /i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, ʌ, u, ʊ, o, ɔ, ɑ/. The first two formant frequencies at the midpoint of the vowel nucleus, direction, and amount of formant changes across three different time points (20, 50, and 80%), and vowel duration were compared to previously reported data on Southern vowels. Overall, Louisiana vowels showed patterns consistent with previously reported characteristics of Southern vowels that reflect ongoing changes in the Southern dialect (no evidence of acoustic reversal of tense-lax pairs, more specifically no peripheralization of front vowels). Some dialect-specific patterns were also observed (a relatively lesser degree of formant changes and slightly shorter vowel duration). These patterns were consistent across different regions within Louisiana.
Differences in nasalance and nasality perception between Texas South and Midland dialects
Authors: Bae Youkyung , Lee Sue Ann S. , Velik Karl , Liu Yilan , Beck Cailynn , Fox Robert Allen
Published: January 2020

While previous research has primarily concerned the dialectal influence on speakers' production of oral-nasal balance, quantitatively represented by nasalance, information on cross-dialectal variation in nasality perception is limited. This study investigated the effects of speakers'/listeners' dialectal background on oral-nasal balance characteristics estimated by nasalance, as well as nasality perception measured by direct magnitude estimation with modulus. Represented by two geographically distinct regions, Texas South and Midland dialects were of special interest given that the two dialects lie at opposite ends of normal nasalance variation [Awan, Bressmann, Poburka, Roy, Sharp, and Watts. (2015). J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 58, 69–77]. Mean nasalance of various speech stimuli and direct magnitude estimation ratings on synthesized vowel stimuli with varying degrees of simulated nasalization were obtained from 62 participants (31 Texas South, 31 Midland). The results revealed that the two dialectal groups significantly differed in nasalance scores and nasality ratings, with Texas South exhibiting higher nasalance for standardized passage readings and assigning higher nasality ratings on the synthetic auditory stimuli than Midland. These findings indicate that, in addition to production variations of oral-nasal balance characteristics, perceptual variations of nasality exist at a dialectal level.
The rise of Canadian raising of /au/ in New Orleans English
Authors: Carmichael Katie
Published: January 2020

New Orleans English (NOE) has always stood out amongst Southern Englishes, since NOE speakers do not participate in the Southern vowel shift, and instead display features more commonly associated with New York City English. While these traditional features of NOE are on the decline, this study establishes the adoption of a new feature in the dialect that is similarly distinctive within the Gulf South: the pre-voiceless raising of the nucleus of /au/. Based on statistical analyses and consideration of the social context in post-Katrina New Orleans, this paper argues that this feature is a change in progress which appears to pre-date the demographic shifts following Hurricane Katrina, and which arose independently rather than due to contact with /au/-raising speakers. The social and phonetic findings in this paper converge to support arguments for the naturalness of raising in pre-voiceless environments, and for the likelihood of this feature being more widely adopted within the region. Moreover, the presence of Canadian raising of /au/ in NOE represents an additional way that the local dialect continues to diverge from patterns in the vowel systems found in nearby Southern dialects, and retain its uniqueness within the American South.
What Is the Value of Pursuing Optimal Athletic Performance?
Authors: Torres Cesar R.
Published: January 2020

If only indirectly and by comparison with other, supposedly more consequential, social undertakings, sport and athletic commitment continue to be denounced as trivial in contemporary society. Against the backdrop of this abiding trivialization, this paper explores the value found in committing to athletic excellence or, using the terminology of the 2019 National Academy of Kinesiology’s annual conference, in pursuing optimal athletic performance. The author introduces and explains 6 kinds of value found in this commitment and pursuit. While these values can be conceptualized independently, they need not be thought of as mutually exclusive. Not only are the values comparably significant, but they might also overlap and combine in various forms and to different degrees. In some cases, they might develop concurrently. Before introducing the values, the author briefly conceptualizes both optimal performance and sport, because sound analysis depends on conceptual clarity.
Enhancement of service life of polymer electrolyte fuel cells through application of nanodispersed ionomer
Authors: Ahn Chi-Yeong , Ahn Juhee , Kang Sun Young , Kim Ok-Hee , Lee Dong Woog , Lee Ji Hyun , Shim Jae Goo , Lee Chang Hyun , Cho Yong-Hun , Sung Yung-Eun
Published: January 2020

We demonstrate the use of a supercritical fluid treatment for creating ionomer nanodispersions for fuel cell cathodes.
One-step regression and classification with cross-point resistive memory arrays
Authors: Sun Zhong , Pedretti Giacomo , Bricalli Alessandro , Ielmini Daniele
Published: January 2020

Machine learning algorithms such as linear regression are trained in one step with cross-point resistive memory arrays.
The physiological effects of noninvasive brain stimulation fundamentally differ across the human cortex
Authors: Castrillon Gabriel , Sollmann Nico , Kurcyus Katarzyna , Razi Adeel , Krieg Sandro M. , Riedl Valentin
Published: January 2020

Signaling pathways along the human cortex shape the effect of noninvasive brain stimulation.
Nano- and microplastics affect the composition of freshwater benthic communities in the long term
Authors: Redondo-Hasselerharm P. E. , Gort G. , Peeters E. T. H. M. , Koelmans A. A.
Published: January 2020

Nano- and microplastics in freshwater sediments affect the composition of invertebrate communities after 15 months of exposure.
A curious formulation robot enables the discovery of a novel protocell behavior
Authors: Grizou Jonathan , Points Laurie J. , Sharma Abhishek , Cronin Leroy
Published: January 2020

A bespoke robotic system driven by a curiosity algorithm discovers emergent behaviors of oil-in-water protocell formulations.
Molecular mechanism of SHP2 activation by PD-1 stimulation
Authors: Marasco M. , Berteotti A. , Weyershaeuser J. , Thorausch N. , Sikorska J. , Krausze J. , Brandt H. J. , Kirkpatrick J. , Rios P. , Schamel W. W. , Köhn M. , Carlomagno T.
Published: January 2020

One is not enough: Two PD-1 pTyr motifs bind to SHP2 simultaneously, inducing a conformational change and phosphatase activation.
A scalable photonic computer solving the subset sum problem
Authors: Xu Xiao-Yun , Huang Xuan-Lun , Li Zhan-Ming , Gao Jun , Jiao Zhi-Qiang , Wang Yao , Ren Ruo-Jing , Zhang H. P. , Jin Xian-Min
Published: January 2020

A scalable non–Von Neumann photonic computer for NP-complete problems steps towards “photonic supremacy” in time consumption.
After Brexit, a long road to mend ties with Europe
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: January 2020

U.K. scientists want to join EU research program, but Europe may balk.
Game over
A Game of Birds and Wolves
Simon Parkin
Little, Brown, 2020. 336 pp.
Authors: Pettyjohn Stacie L.
Published: January 2020

A high-stakes game of battleship helped turn the tide in World War II's Battle of the Atlantic
Envision a future, make it so
Authors: Parikh Sudip
Published: January 2020

In February, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of
Science
) and the scientific community will come together in Seattle, Washington, for the 2020 AAAS annual meeting under the theme of
Envisioning Tomorrow's Earth.
This convergence of a vast geographically dispersed community comes at a time of great opportunity and challenge.
Case Report of Increased Exposure to Antiretrovirals following Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Israel Sarah , Elinav Hila , Elazary Ram , Porat Daniel , Gibori Roni , Dahan Arik , Azran Carmil , Horwitz Ehud
Published: January 2020

Bariatric surgery is increasingly performed in morbidly obese HIV patients. Limited data exist regarding antiretroviral drug exposure after bariatric surgery. We report a case of a morbidly obese HIV patient who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Abacavir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir therapeutic drug monitoring was performed at several time points pre- and postsurgery. Significantly increased levels were measured, particularly for abacavir, whose levels increased ∼12-fold. Several mechanistic explanations for these findings are discussed.
EnvZ/OmpR Two-Component Signaling: An Archetype System That Can Function Noncanonically
Authors: Kenney Linda J. , Anand Ganesh S.
Published: January 2020

Two-component regulatory systems represent the major paradigm for signal transduction in prokaryotes. The simplest systems are composed of a sensor kinase and a response regulator. The sensor is often a membrane protein that senses a change in environmental conditions and is autophosphorylated by ATP on a histidine residue. The phosphoryl group is transferred onto an aspartate of the response regulator, which activates the regulator and alters its output, usually resulting in a change in gene expression. In this review, we present a historical view of the archetype EnvZ/OmpR two-component signaling system, and then we provide a new view of signaling based on our recent experiments. EnvZ responds to cytoplasmic signals that arise from changes in the extracellular milieu, and OmpR acts canonically (requiring phosphorylation) to regulate the porin genes and noncanonically (without phosphorylation) to activate the acid stress response. Herein, we describe how insights gleaned from stimulus recognition and response in EnvZ are relevant to nearly all sensor kinases and response regulators.
Novel Virus Outbreak! The Hospital Laboratory Response: A Micro-Comic Strip
Authors: McAdam Alexander J.
Published: January 2020

Hospitals and other health-care facilities must respond quickly to rapidly changing information during outbreaks of novel viruses.…
A Novel Immunogen Selectively Eliciting CD8
+
T Cells but Not CD4
+
T Cells Targeting Immunodeficiency Virus Antigens
Authors: Ishii Hiroshi , Terahara Kazutaka , Nomura Takushi , Takeda Akiko , Okazaki Midori , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Tokusumi Tsuyoshi , Shu Tsugumine , Matano Tetsuro
Published: January 2020

Induction of effective CD8
+
T-cell responses is an important HIV vaccine strategy. Several promising vaccine delivery tools have been developed, and immunogen optimization is now crucial for effective T-cell induction. Conventional immunogens have been designed to induce virus-specific CD4
+
T cells as well as CD8
+
T cells, but induction of virus-specific CD4
+
T cells that are preferential targets for HIV infection could enhance acute HIV proliferation. Here, we designed a novel immunogen to induce HIV-specific CD8
+
T cells without HIV-specific CD4
+
T-cell induction but with non-HIV antigen-specific CD4
+
T-cell help. Our analysis in a macaque AIDS model showed that our immunogen can efficiently elicit effective CD8
+
T but not CD4
+
T cells targeting viral antigens, resulting in no enhancement of acute viral replication after virus exposure. This immunogen design, also applicable for other currently developed immunogens, could be a promising method for selective induction of effective anti-HIV CD8
+
T-cell responses.
Constraints on the coevolution of oxic and sulfidic ocean iron sinks from Archean–Paleoproterozoic iron isotope records
Authors: Heard Andy W. , Dauphas Nicolas
Published: January 2020

The drivers of Fe isotope variations of Archean–Paleoproterozoic pyrite have been debated since discovery of δ56Fe values (per mil shifts in 56Fe/54Fe ratios versus iron isotopic reference material [IRMM-014]) as low as −3.5‰ in pyrites predating the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) at ca. 2330 Ma. These values were taken as evidence that extensive removal of high-δ56Fe Fe3+ oxides during partial oxidation of upwelled Fe2+-rich waters occurred in the early oceans. However, low pyrite δ56Fe can also reflect kinetic isotopic shifts during pyrite formation. Compiled δ56Fe records of oxic (iron formation) and sulfidic (pyrite) sinks of Fe negatively covary before the GOE, contrary to expectations that Fe2+ oxidation would drive the δ56Fe values of these sinks on parallel trends as oxidation progressed. Positive covariation of pyrite δ56Fe with the dispersion of sedimentary sulfide δ34S fractionation through time suggests that sulfur availability during pyritization at least partially drove trends in negative δ56Fe fractionation before the GOE. The δ56Fe records of pyrite and iron formation suggest that oxic and sulfidic Fe sinks grew in concert before and during the GOE.
Towards systematic evaluation of epidemic responses during humanitarian crises: a scoping review of existing public health evaluation frameworks
Authors: Warsame Abdihamid , Blanchet Karl , Checchi Francesco
Published: January 2020

Epidemics continue to pose a significant public health threat to populations in low and middle-income countries. However, little is known about the appropriateness and performance of response interventions in such settings. We undertook a rapid scoping review of public health evaluation frameworks for emergency settings in order to judge their suitability for assessing epidemic response. Our search identified a large variety of frameworks. However, very few are suitable for framing the response to an epidemic, or its evaluation. We propose a generic epidemic framework that draws on elements of existing frameworks. We believe that this framework may potentially be of use in closing the gap between increasing global epidemic risk and the ability to respond effectively.
Do mobile device apps designed to support medication adherence demonstrate efficacy? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials, with meta-analysis
Authors: Armitage Laura Catherine , Kassavou Aikaterini , Sutton Stephen
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To estimate the efficacy of app-based interventions designed to support medication adherence and investigate which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used by the apps are associated with efficacy.

Design

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), with meta-analysis.

Setting

Medline/PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase and Web of Science were searched from 1990 to November 2018 for RCTs conducted in any healthcare setting.

Participants

Studies of participants of any age taking prescribed medication for any health condition and for any duration.

Intervention

An app-based intervention delivered through a smartphone, tablet computer or personal digital assistant to help, support or advise about medication adherence.

Comparator

One of (1) usual care, (2) a control app which did not use any BCTs to improve medication adherence or (3) a non-app-based comparator.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was the pooled effect size of changes in medication adherence. The secondary outcome was the association between BCTs used by the apps and the effect size.

Results

The initial search identified 13 259 citations. After title and abstract screening, full-text articles of 83 studies were screened for eligibility. Nine RCTs with 1159 recruited participants were included. The mean age of participants was >50 years in all but one study. Health conditions of target populations included cardiovascular disease, depression, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis and multimorbidity. The meta-analysis indicated that patients who use mobile apps to support them in taking medications are more likely to self-report adherence to medications (OR 2.120, 95% CI 1.635 to 2.747, n=988) than those in the comparator groups. Meta-regression of the BCTs did not reveal any significant associations with effect size.

Conclusions

App-based medication adherence interventions may have a positive effect on patient adherence. Larger scale studies are required to further evaluate this effect, including long-term sustainability, and intervention and participant characteristics that are associated with efficacy and app usage.

Prospero registration number

PROSPERO Protocol Registration Number: CRD42017080150.
Uptake of best practice recommendations in the management of patients with diabetes and periodontitis: a cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals in primary care
Authors: Bissett Susan M , Rapley Tim , Preshaw Philip M , Presseau Justin
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To investigate the practices of healthcare professionals in relation to best practice recommendations for the multidisciplinary management of people with diabetes and periodontitis, focusing on two clinical behaviours: informing patients about the links between diabetes and periodontitis, and suggesting patients with poorly controlled diabetes go for a dental check-up.

Design

Cross-sectional design utilising online questionnaires to assess self-reported performance and constructs from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Normalisation Process Theory.

Setting

Primary care medical practices (n=37) in North East, North Cumbria and South West of England Clinical Research Networks.

Participants

96 general practitioners (GPs), 48 nurses and 21 healthcare assistants (HCAs).

Results

Participants reported little to no informing patients about the links between diabetes and periodontitis or suggesting that they go for a dental check-up. Regarding future intent, both GPs (7.60±3.38) and nurses (7.94±3.69) scored significantly higher than HCAs (4.29±5.07) for SCT proximal goals (intention) in relation to informing patients about the links (p<0.01); and nurses (8.56±3.12) scored significantly higher than HCAs (5.14±5.04) for suggesting patients go for a dental check-up (p<0.001). All professional groups agreed on the potential value of both behaviours, and nurses scored significantly higher than GPs for legitimation (conforms to perception of job role) in relation to informing (nurses 4.16±0.71; GPs 3.77±0.76) and suggesting (nurses 4.13±0.66; GPs 3.75±0.83) (both p<0.01). The covariate background information (OR=2.81; p=0.03) was statistically significant for informing patients about the links.

Conclusions

Despite evidence-informed best practice recommendations, healthcare professionals currently report low levels of informing patients with diabetes about the links between diabetes and periodontitis and suggesting patients go for a dental check-up. However, healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, value these behaviours and consider them appropriate to their role. While knowledge of the evidence is important, future guidelines should consider different strategies to enable implementation of the delivery of healthcare interventions.
Residential status and health in middle and late life: a population-based study with new data from Spain
Authors: Requena Miguel , Reher David
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To address how different residential situations impact the likelihood of death among mature adults and elderly persons.

Design

Population-based study with administrative data linked to census data.

Setting

Spain.

Participants

Spanish population alive on 1 January 2012, observed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012. A 10% random sample of the Spanish population, including 2 054 427 person years and 28 736 deaths, is used.

Main outcome measure

Registered deaths in the 2012 Spanish vital statistics.

Methods

Using a new data set based on linked administrative registers, we estimate unadjusted and adjusted mortality rates by coresidential situation. Differential mortality is measured by rate ratios (RR) estimated with Poisson regression. Cause of death data are used to explore the mechanisms involved in excess mortality by residential status.

Results

Compared with men 45–54 living with partners, the risk of death is much higher for those without partners living with others (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7 to 2.4) or for those living alone (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.4). After 84, excess mortality among men living with others persists (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.5), but disappears for those living alone (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.1). Both among women 45–64 living with others but without partner (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.3) and among those living alone (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.1) the pattern is similar to men. At higher ages, however, excess mortality for women living alone decreases (RR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.2), though it persists for women living with others (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7 to 2.0).

Conclusions

These findings indicate direct effects of living arrangements on mortality and health-related selection effects influencing residential choices. These effects may be partially affected by age and prevailing societal and cultural contexts.
Late onset of new conduction disturbances requiring permanent pacemaker implantation following TAVI
Authors: Kooistra Nynke H M , van Mourik Martijn S , Rodríguez-Olivares Ramón , Maass Alexander H , Nijenhuis Vincent J , van der Werf Rik , ten Berg Jurrien M , Kraaijeveld Adriaan O , Baan Jr Jan , Voskuil Michiel , Vis M Marije , Stella Pieter R
Published: January 2020

Background

The timing of onset and associated predictors of late new conduction disturbances (CDs) leading to permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are still unknown, however, essential for an early and safe discharge. This study aimed to investigate the timing of onset and associated predictors of late onset CDs in patients requiring PPI (LCP) following TAVI.

Methods and results

We performed retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from five large volume centres in Europe. Post-TAVI electrocardiograms and telemetry data were evaluated in patients with a PPI post-TAVI to identify the onset of new advanced CDs. Early onset CDs were defined as within 48 hours after procedure, and late onset CDs as after 48 hours. A total of 2804 patients were included for analysis. The PPI rate was 12%, of which 18% was due to late onset CDs (>48 hours). Independent predictors for LCP were pre-existing non-specific intraventricular conduction delay, pre-existing right bundle branch block, self-expandable valves and predilation. At least one of these risk factors was present in 98% of patients with LCP. Patients with a balloon-expandable valve without predilation did not develop CDs requiring PPI after 48 hours.

Conclusions

Safe early discharge might be feasible in patients without CDs in the first 48 hours after TAVI if no risk factors for LCP are present.
Estimating critical habitat based on year-round movements of the endangered Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) and their unisexual dependents
Authors: Van Drunen S.G. , Linton J.E. , Bogart J.P. , McCarter J. , Fotherby H. , Sandilands A. , Norris D.R.
Published: January 2020

Habitat protection is a key component of endangered species conservation, but critical habitat designations are often based on limited data or habitat use during only a portion of a species’ life cycle. Protected habitat around breeding pools for the endangered Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Green, 1827)) and their unisexual dependents (Ambystoma laterale – (2) jeffersonianum) is based upon limited movement data from primarily spring and summer seasons. Furthermore, despite their treatment as distinct species under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, differences in habitat use have not been directly compared in areas where they co-occur. We used radiotelemetry to track A. jeffersonianum (JJ) and A. laterale – jeffersonianum (LJJ and LJJJ) during fall migrations to overwintering sites. We used these data and summarized available movement data from past studies that tracked movements in other periods of the annual cycle to estimate year-round critical habitat. Ambystoma jeffersonianum travelled significantly longer distances to overwintering locations than unisexuals. Individuals were more likely to overwinter next to a similar genomotype individual than not. Critical habitat encompassing the entire annual cycle of A. jeffersonianum extends up to 400–450 m from breeding ponds indicating existing regulatory habitat protections in Canada do not currently protect sufficient habitat.
Predictions for the neutrino parameters in the minimal model extended by linear combination of U(1)$$_{L_e-L_\mu }$$, U(1)$$_{L_\mu -L_\tau }$$ and U(1)$$_{B-L}$$ gauge symmetries
Authors: Asai Kento
Published: January 2020

We study the minimal extensions of the Standard Model by a linear combination of U(1)$$_{L_e-L_\mu }$$Le-Lμ, U(1)$$_{L_\mu -L_\tau }$$Lμ-Lτ and U(1)$$_{B-L}$$B-L gauge symmetries, where three right-handed neutrinos and one U(1)-breaking SU(2)$$_L$$L singlet or doublet scalar are introduced. Because of the dependence on the lepton flavor, the structures of both Dirac and Majorana mass matrices of neutrinos are restricted. In particular, the two-zero minor and texture structures in the mass matrix for the active neutrinos are interesting. Analyzing these structures, we obtain uniquely all the neutrino parameters, namely the Dirac CP phase $$\delta $$δ, the Majorana CP phases $$\alpha _{2,3}$$α2,3 and the mass eigenvalues of the light neutrinos $$m_i$$mi as functions of the neutrino mixing angles $$\theta _{12}$$θ12, $$\theta _{23}$$θ23, and $$\theta _{13}$$θ13, and the squared mass differences $$\Delta m^2_{21}$$Δm212 and $$\Delta m^2_{31}$$Δm312. In 7 minimal models which are consistent with the recent neutrino oscillation data, we also obtain the predictions for the sum of the neutrino masses $$\Sigma _i m_i$$Σimi and the effective Majorana neutrino mass $$\langle m_{\beta \beta }\rangle $$⟨mββ⟩ and compare them with the current experimental limits. In addition, we also discuss the implication of our results for leptogenesis.
A Linear Time Solution for N-Queens Problem Using Generalized Networks of Evolutionary Polarized Processors
Authors: Arroyo Montoro Fernando , Gómez-Canaval Sandra , Jiménez Vega Karina , Ortega de la Puente Alfonso
Published: January 2020

In this paper we consider a new variant of Networks of Polarized Evolutionary Processors (NPEP) named Generalized Networks of Evolutionary Polarized Processors (GNPEP) and propose them as solvers of combinatorial optimization problems. Unlike the NPEP model, GNPEP uses its numerical evaluation over the processed data from a quantitative perspective, hence this model might be more suitable to solve specific hard problems in a more efficient and economic way. In particular, we propose a GNPEP network to solve a well-known NP-hard problem, namely the [Formula: see text]-queens. We prove that this GNPEP algorithm requires a linear time in the size of a given instance. This result suggests that the GNPEP model is more suitable to address problems related to combinatorial optimization in which integer restrictions have a relevant role.
Parikh q-Matrices and q-Ambiguous Words
Authors: Bera Somnath , Ceterchi Rodica , Mahalingam Kalpana , Subramanian K. G.
Published: January 2020

The Parikh matrix mapping plays an important role in the study of words through numerical properties. The Parikh [Formula: see text]-matrix mapping, introduced by Egecioglu and Ibarra (2004) as an extension of the Parikh matrix mapping, maps words to matrices with polynomial entries in [Formula: see text] A word [Formula: see text] over an ordered alphabet [Formula: see text] is said to be [Formula: see text]-ambiguous if there exists another word [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] such that both the words have same Parikh [Formula: see text]-matrix. Here we derive several properties of [Formula: see text]-ambiguous words, in particular, for a binary alphabet.
Deterministic Lindenmayer Systems with Dynamic Control of Parallelism
Authors: Bordihn Henning , Vaszil György
Published: January 2020

M-rate 0L systems are interactionless Lindenmayer systems together with a function assigning to every string a set of multisets of productions that may be applied simultaneously to the string. Some questions that have been left open in the forerunner papers are examined, and the computational power of deterministic M-rate 0L systems is investigated, where also tabled and extended variants are taken into consideration.
On Compensation Loops in Genomic Duplications
Authors: Sempere José M.
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we investigate the compensation loops, a DNA rearrangement in chromosomes due to unequal crossing over. We study the effect of compensation loops over the gene duplication, and we formalize it as a restricted case of gene duplication in general. We study this biological process under the point of view of formal languages, and we provide some results about the languages defined in this way.
Computational fluid dynamics and experimental study of turbulent natural convection with surface thermal radiation in a cubic enclosure
Authors: Navarro J. M. A. , Hinojosa J. F. , Hernández-López I.
Published: January 2020

This paper reports a computational fluid dynamics and experimental study to analyze the effect of surface thermal radiation on the turbulent natural convection in a closed cubic cavity. Experimental and numerical results are compared for low and high wall emissivities. Experimental temperature profiles were obtained at six different depths and heights consisting of 14 thermocouples each. Several turbulence models were evaluated against experimental data. It was found that renormalized [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] and standard [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] turbulence models present the best agreement with the experimental data for emissivities of walls of 0.98 and 0.03, respectively. Thus, the numerical results of temperature fields and flow patterns were obtained with these models. From the results, it was found that the effect of thermal radiation on experimental heat transfer coefficients is significantly, increased between 48.7% ([Formula: see text]) and 50.16% ([Formula: see text]), when the emissivity of the walls increases from 0.03 to 0.98. Therefore, the radiative exchange should not be neglected in heat transfer calculations in cubic enclosures, even if the temperature difference between heated wall and cold wall is relatively small (between 15 and 30[Formula: see text]K).
URBANIZATION AND MIGRANT WORKERS’ CITIZENSHIP: THE CASE OF VIETNAM
Authors: VO HUONG
Published: January 2020

Similar to the hukou system in China, the household registration system ([Formula: see text]) in Vietnam which represents the citizenship of its people has become a part of the Vietnamese society in the past 60 years. After the economic reform in 1986, the force of [Formula: see text] system has begun to wane; however, it still plays an essential role in everyday life of Vietnamese. Utilizing the new Household Registration Study (HRS) survey conducted by the World Bank in 2015, this paper employs Instrumental Variables (IV) to estimate the effect of citizenship (household registration status) on migrant workers in urban Vietnam. The main findings detect a pattern of discrimination against temporary residents in term of labor wages, which is different from the result of OLS estimation in the World Bank report.
Degrees of freedom and Hamiltonian formalism for f(T) gravity
Authors: Guzmán María José , Ferraro Rafael
Published: January 2020

The existence of an extra degree of freedom (d.o.f.) in [Formula: see text] gravity has been recently proved by means of the Dirac formalism for constrained Hamiltonian systems. We will show a toy model displaying the essential feature of [Formula: see text] gravity, which is the pseudo-invariance of [Formula: see text] under a local symmetry, to understand the nature of the extra d.o.f.
Auto-stabilized electron
Authors: Karim Munawar
Published: January 2020

We include effects of self-gravitation in the self-interaction of single electrons with the electromagnetic field. When the effect of gravitation is included there is an inevitable cut-off of the [Formula: see text]-vector - the upper limit is finite. The inward pressure of the self-gravitating field balances the outward pressure of self-interaction. Both pressures are generated by self-interactions of the electron with two fields - the vacuum electromagnetic field and the self-induced gravitational field. Specifically we demonstrate that gravitational effects must be included to stabilize the electron. We use the Einstein equation to perform an exact calculation of the bare mass and electron radius. We find a close-form solution. We find the electron radius [Formula: see text]m, where [Formula: see text] is the Planck length educed from first principles. We find that the electromagnetic and gravitational fields merge at [Formula: see text] GeV in terms of the Planck mass [Formula: see text]. The unified field depends on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] alone, independent of [Formula: see text]; the unified field is continuous. Renormalisation is accomplished by requiring continuity of the interior and exterior metrics at [Formula: see text].
Classical ultrarelativistic bremsstrahlung in higher dimensions
Authors: Spirin Pavel
Published: January 2020

We consider the classical bremsstrahlung of an ultrarelativistic point-like particle on potential, generated by the free infinite Nambu-Goto object ([Formula: see text]-brane). For simplicity, the interaction is supposed to take place via the bulk scalar field. Scalar interaction can model both the vector field and the trace part of linearized gravity. The particle does not intersect the Nambu-Goto object and moves in transverse directions, thus in the ultrarelativistic limit we can regard its trajectory as straight and make use of the perturbation theory. We derive the radiation amplitudes and compute the emitted energy during the collision. The validity of classical consideration is discussed. The results are analyzed in the context of co-dimensionality of the brane embedding.