bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidance on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: A statement from the HOPE Asia Network
Authors: Kario Kazuomi , Hoshide Satoshi , Chia Yook‐Chin , Buranakitjaroen Peera , Siddique Saulat , Shin Jinho , Turana Yuda , Park Sungha , Tsoi Kelvin , Chen Chen‐Huan , Cheng Hao‐Min , Fujiwara Takeshi , Li Yan , Huynh Van Minh , Nagai Michiaki , Nailes Jennifer , Sison Jorge , Soenarta Arieska Ann , Sogunuru Guru Prasad , Sukonthasarn Apichard , Tay Jam Chin , Teo Boon Wee , Verma Narsingh , Wang Tzung‐Dau , Zhang Yuqing , Wang Ji‐Guang
Published: December 2020

Hypertension is an important public health issue due to its association with a number of serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. The importance of evaluating hypertension taking into account different blood pressure (BP) profiles and BP variability (BPV) is increasingly being recognized, and is particularly relevant in Asian populations given the specific features of hypertension in the region (including greater salt sensitivity and a high rate of nocturnal hypertension). Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) is the gold standard for diagnosing hypertension and assessing 24‐hour BP and provides data on several important parameters that cannot be obtained using any other form of BP measurement. In addition, ABPM parameters provide better information on cardio‐ and cerebrovascular risk than office BP. ABPM should be used in all patients with elevated BP, particularly those with unstable office or home BP, or who are suspected to have white‐coat or masked hypertension. ABPM is also an important part of hypertension diagnosis and monitoring in high‐risk patients. ABPM needs to be performed using a validated device and good practice techniques, and has a role both in hypertension diagnosis and in monitoring the response to antihypertensive therapy to ensure strict BP control throughout the 24‐hour period. Use of ABPM in clinical practice may be limited by cost and accessibility, and practical education of physicians and patients is essential. The ABPM evidence and practice points in this document are based on the Hypertension Cardiovascular Outcome Prevention and Evidence (HOPE) Asia Network expert panel consensus recommendations for ABPM in Asia.
Is ridge preservation effective in the extraction sockets of periodontally compromised teeth? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ben Amara Heithem , Kim Jung‐Ju , Kim Hae‐Young , Lee Jungwon , Song Hyun‐Young , Koo Ki‐Tae
Published: December 2020

Objective

To verify whether ridge preservation is effective in the reduction of dimensional loss and in bone formation compared to spontaneous healing in extraction sockets of periodontally compromised teeth.

Methods

Twenty‐six subjects requiring tooth extraction for stage III/IV periodontitis were randomly assigned to one of two interventions: alveolar ridge preservation using collagenated bovine bone mineral and a resorbable collagen membrane (test, RP) or spontaneous healing (control, SH). Six months later, postoperative cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed to measure the linear and volumetric changes of the sockets compared to baseline scans. Biopsies were retrieved at the implant site for histomorphometric calculations. Nonparametric tests were applied for statistical analysis.

Results

Significantly less shrinkage occurred in RP compared to SH, mainly in the crestal zone. The width loss difference between groups was 3.3 mm and 2.2 mm at 1 mm and 3 mm below the crest, respectively (p < .05). RP yielded a gain in socket height of 0.25 mm, whereas a loss of −0.39 mm was observed in SH (p < .05). The percentage of volume loss recorded in RP was also less than that recorded in SH (−26.53% vs −50.34, p < .05). Significantly less bone proportion was detected in biopsies from RP (30.1%) compared with SH (53.9%). A positive association between baseline bone loss and ridge shrinkage was found in SH but not in RP.

Conclusion

Ridge preservation in extraction sockets of periodontally compromised teeth was effective in reducing the amount of ridge resorption.
Developments and challenges in dermatology: an update from the Interactive Derma Academy (IDeA) 2019
Authors: Luger T. , Dirschka T. , Eyerich K. , Gollnick H. , Gupta G. , Lambert J. , Micali G. , Ochsendorf F. , Ständer S. , Traidl‐Hoffmann C.
Published: December 2020

The 2019 Interactive Derma Academy (IDeA) meeting was held in Lisbon, Portugal, 10–12 May, bringing together leading dermatology experts from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Over three days, the latest developments and challenges in relation to the pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation and management of dermatological conditions were presented, with a particular focus on acne, atopic dermatitis (AD) and actinic keratosis (AK). Interesting clinical case studies relating to these key topics were discussed with attendees to establish current evidence‐based best practices. Presentations reviewed current treatments, potential therapeutic approaches and key considerations in the management of acne, AK and AD, and discussed the importance of the microbiome in these conditions, as well as the provision of patient education/support. It was highlighted that active treatment is not always required for AK, depending on patient preferences and clinical circumstances. In addition to presentations, two interactive workshops on the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections/diseases (STIs/STDs) presenting to the dermatology clinic, and current and future dermocosmetics were conducted. The potential for misdiagnosis of STIs/STDs was discussed, with dermoscopy and/or reflectance confocal microscopy suggested as useful diagnostic techniques. In addition, botulinum toxin was introduced as a potential dermocosmetic, and the possibility of microbiome alteration in the treatment of dermatological conditions emphasized. Furthermore, several challenges in dermatology, including the use of lasers, the complexity of atopic dermatitis, wound care, use of biosimilars and application of non‐invasive techniques in skin cancer diagnosis were reviewed. In this supplement, we provide an overview of the presentations and discussions from the fourth successful IDeA meeting, summarizing the key insights shared by dermatologists from across the globe.
Pre‐emptive production and market competitiveness in oligopoly with private information
Authors: Amemiya Yuki , Ishihara Akifumi , Nakamura Tomoya
Published: December 2020

We investigate a firm's pre‐emptive behavior by comparing Cournot competition and Stackelberg games with one leader and multiple followers, where each firm has access to private information on stochastic demand. We show that the firm prefers pre‐emptive quantity choice (Stackelberg leader) to simultaneous quantity choice (Cournot firm) if and only if the firm is ignorant of the market size compared to the other firm. The firm's decision in terms of production timing is always detrimental to producer surplus in the industry. It is beneficial to consumer surplus in duopoly competition, but detrimental when there are many competitors in the market.
Stability of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 in various water samples
Authors: Ullrich Johanna , Christian Jürgen , Bergmann Sven Michael , Oberle Martin , Becker Anna Maria
Published: December 2020

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are the two most common species in traditional fish farming in Germany. Their aquaculture is threatened upon others by viruses that can cause a high mortality. Therefore, this work focuses on three viruses—viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3)—that endanger these species. To prevent their spread and contain further outbreaks, it is essential to know how long they can outlast in environmental waters and what affects their infectivity outside the host. Hence, the stability of the target viruses in various water matrices was examined and compared in this work. In general, all three viruses were quite stable within sterile water samples (showing mostly ≤1 log reduction after 96 hr) but were inactivated faster and to a higher extent (up to five log steps within 96 hr) in unsterile environmental water samples. The inactivation of the viruses correlated well with the increasing bacterial load of the samples, suggesting that bacteria had the greatest effect on their stability in the examined samples. In comparison, CyHV‐3 seemed to be the most sensitive and maintained its infectivity for the shortest period.
Patient, family and carer experiences of nutritional screening: a systematic review
Authors: Bullock A. F. , Greenley S. L. , Patterson M. J. , McKenzie G. A. G. , Johnson M. J.
Published: December 2020

Background

Despite recommendations for nutritional risk screening of all inpatients, outpatients and care home residents, as well as work to assess clinician's experiences and the validity of tools, little attention has been paid to the experiences of patients undergoing nutritional screening. This review aims to synthesise systematically the current evidence regarding nutritional risk screening with respect to the experiences and views of patients, their families and carers.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and British Nursing Database (inception – July 2019); with screening terms related to malnutrition, screening tools and experience. Titles, abstracts and full‐text papers were independently reviewed by two reviewers and then quality‐appraised. Qualitative papers and quantitative surveys were included. A narrative review of surveys and a thematic framework synthesis of interviews were used to identify themes.

Results

Nine studies, including five qualitative interview papers, were included. Qualitative and quantitative study results were combined using a matrix chart to allow comparison. Surveyed participants reported processes of nutritional screening as acceptable. Three key themes emerged from qualitative data: (i) experience of nutritional screening; (ii) misunderstanding of malnutrition: of causes, role of screening and poor self‐perception of risk; and (iii) barriers to and opportunities for change.

Conclusions

Although the screening process is acceptable, patients’ misunderstanding and poor knowledge regarding causes and consequences of malnutrition result in reduced risk perception and disbelief or disregard of nutritional screening results. Findings should inform policy and clinical practice, as well as highlight the known paucity of data regarding the effectiveness of screening on clinical outcomes.
Collybistin SH3‐protein isoforms are expressed in the rat brain promoting gephyrin and GABA‐A receptor clustering at GABAergic synapses
Authors: George Shanu , Bear John , Taylor Michael J. , Kanamalla Karthik , Fekete Christopher D. , Chiou Tzu‐Ting , Miralles Celia P. , Papadopoulos Theofilos , De Blas Angel L.
Published: December 2020

Collybistin (CB) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) selectively localized at GABAergic and glycinergic postsynapses. Analysis of mRNA shows that several isoforms of collybistin are expressed in the brain. Some of the isoforms have a SH3 domain (CBSH3+) and some have no SH3 domain (CBSH3−). The CBSH3+ mRNAs are predominantly expressed over CBSH3−. However, in an immunoblot study of mouse brain homogenates, only CBSH3+ protein isoforms were detected, proposing that CBSH3− protein might not be expressed in the brain. The expression or lack of expression of CBSH3− protein is an important issue because CBSH3− has a strong effect in promoting the postsynaptic clustering of gephyrin and GABA‐A receptors (GABAARs). Moreover CBSH3− is constitutively active; therefore lower expression of CBSH3− protein might play a relatively stronger functional role than the more abundant but self‐inhibited CBSH3+ isoforms, which need to be activated. We are now showing that: (a) CBSH3− protein is expressed in the brain; (b) parvalbumin positive (PV+) interneurons show higher expression of CBSH3− protein than other neurons; (c) CBSH3− is associated with GABAergic synapses in various regions of the brain and (d) knocking down CBSH3− in hippocampal neurons decreases the synaptic clustering of gephyrin and GABAARs. The results show that CBSH3− protein is expressed in the brain and that it plays a significant role in the size regulation of the GABAergic postsynapse.

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Common iliac artery dissection as a complication of common iliac artery balloon occlusion for placenta percreta: A case report
Authors: Saito Kimihito , Mariya Tasuku , Fujibe Yuya , Saito Masato , Hirokawa Naoki , Ishioka Shinichi , Saito Tsuyoshi
Published: December 2020

A 37‐year‐old pregnant woman who had undergone three previous cesarean sections was diagnosed as having placenta percreta. We decided to perform cesarean hysterectomy with bilateral common iliac artery balloon occlusion (CIABO). The duration of surgery was 2 h and 2 min and total estimated blood loss was 2600 mL. Surgery was completed without any surgical complications, but the pulse oximeter waveform of the left leg became undetectable during surgery. We immediately performed angiography after closure of laparotomy and found abnormal pooling of contrast media at the left common iliac artery in the region in which the balloon was positioned. We made a diagnosis of left common iliac artery dissection caused by CIABO. We performed emergent revascularization by intravascular stenting. We conclude that CIABO can cause common iliac artery dissection by mechanical stimulation of the inflated balloon. Careful intraoperative evaluation of limb ischemia and preparation of intravascular treatment is needed for a safe procedure.
Optimal pension plan default policies when employees are biased
Authors: Ivanov Asen
Published: December 2020

What is the optimal default contribution rate or default asset allocation in pension plans? Could active decision (i.e., not setting a default and forcing employees to make a decision) be optimal? These questions are studied in a model in which each employee is biased regarding her optimal contribution rate or asset allocation. In this model, active decision is never optimal and the optimal default is, depending on parameter values, one of three defaults. The paper explores how the parameters affect the average loss in the population at the optimal default.
How Early Life Adversity Transforms the Learning Brain
Authors: Hauser Marc D.
Published: December 2020

For educators to help children exposed to adverse life experiences, it is necessary to understand how adversity impacts different mechanisms of learning, emotion, and planning as these capacities underpin success in schools and beyond. The goal of this paper is to review essential findings on how early life adversity transforms the brain which, in turn, impacts educational outcomes. Part 1 begins by discussing the species‐specific and expectant experiences that guide typical development, and then turns to early life adversities and their relationship to both physical and mental health outcomes. Part 2 summarizes four dimensions of adversity—type, timing, term, and toxicity—and how each differentially impacts the developing brain, including individual differences in psychopathology. Part 3 discusses the relevance of these findings for educators, highlighting how behavior can be modified to build resilience and greater academic and social–emotional competency.
Mrr1 regulation of methylglyoxal catabolism and methylglyoxal‐induced fluconazole resistance in Candida lusitaniae
Authors: Biermann Amy R. , Demers Elora G. , Hogan Deborah A.
Published: December 2020

Transcription factor Mrr1, best known for its regulation of Candida azole resistance genes such as MDR1, regulates other genes that are poorly characterized. Among the other Mrr1‐regulated genes are putative methylglyoxal reductases. Methylglyoxal (MG) is a toxic metabolite that is elevated in diabetes, uremia, and sepsis, which are diseases that increase the risk for candidiasis, and MG serves as a regulatory signal in diverse organisms. Our studies in Clavispora lusitaniae, also known as Candida lusitaniae, showed that Mrr1 regulates expression of two paralogous MG reductases, MGD1 and MGD2, and that both participate in MG resistance and MG catabolism. Exogenous MG increased Mrr1‐dependent expression of MGD1 and MGD2 as well as expression of MDR1, which encodes an efflux pump that exports fluconazole. MG improved growth in the presence of fluconazole and this was largely Mrr1‐dependent with contributions from a secondary transcription factor, Cap1. Increased fluconazole resistance was also observed in mutants lacking Glo1, a Mrr1‐independent MG catabolic enzyme. Isolates from other Candida species displayed heterogeneity in MG resistance and MG stimulation of azole resistance. We propose endogenous and host‐derived MG can induce MDR1 and other Mrr1‐regulated genes causing increased drug resistance, which may contribute to some instances of fungal treatment failure.
The Internetization of International Migration
Authors: Pesando Luca Maria , Rotondi Valentina , Stranges Manuela , Kashyap Ridhi , Billari Francesco C.
Published: December 2020

The Internet has revolutionized our economies, societies, and everyday lives. Many social phenomena are no longer the same as they were in the pre‐Internet era: they have been “Internetized.” We define the Internetization of international migration, and we investigate it by exploring the links between the Internet and migration outcomes all along the migration path, from migration intentions to actual migration. Our analyses leverage a number of sources, both at the micro‐ and the macro‐level, including the Gallup World Poll, the Arab Barometer, data from the International Telecommunication Union, the Italian population register, and unique register data from a migrant reception center in Southern Italy. We also distinguish between economic migrants—those who leave their country of origin with the aim of seeking better economic opportunities elsewhere—and political migrants—those who are forced to leave their countries of origin for political or conflict‐related reasons. Our findings point to a consistently positive relationship between the diffusion of the Internet, migration intentions, and migration behaviors, supporting the idea that the Internet is not necessarily a driving force of migration per se, but rather an enabling “supportive agent.” These associations are particularly relevant for economic migrants, at least for migration intentions. Further analyses underscore the importance of the Internet in providing a key informational channel which helps to define clearer migration trajectories.
A Cumulative Impact of Psychological and Sensitization Risk Factors on Pain‐Related Outcomes
Authors: Uddin Zakir , Woznowski‐Vu Arthur , Flegg Daniel , Aternali Andrea , Wideman Timothy H.
Published: December 2020

Objective

Risk constructs based on psychological risk factors (eg, pain catastrophizing, PC) and sensitization risk factors (eg, pressure pain threshold, PPT) are important in research and clinical practice. Most research looks at individual constructs but does not consider how different constructs might interact within the same individual. An evaluation of the cumulative impact of psychological and sensitization risk factors on pain‐related outcomes may help guide us in the risk assessment of patients with pain conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cumulative impact of these psychological (PC) and sensitization (PPT) risk factors on pain‐related outcomes (activity avoidance, pain severity, and disability) considering covariates.

Methods

We included 109 participants (70.60% women; mean ± SD age 53.6 ± 12.3 years) with chronic musculoskeletal pain for data analysis, who completed all measures of this study. Participants completed a single testing session that included measures of risk factors (PC and PPT) and pain‐related outcomes (self‐reported avoidance, functional avoidance, disability, and pain severity). Subgroups were constructed by dichotomizing of PC and PPT scores, resulting in four groups: (1) low catastrophizing and low sensitivity (N = 26), (2) high catastrophizing and low sensitivity (N = 27), (3) low catastrophizing and high sensitivity (N = 25), and (4) high catastrophizing and high sensitivity (N = 31).

Results

One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant group differences (P < 0.05, η2 = 0.08 to 0.14) in all outcomes of this study (except functional avoidance), and post hoc analysis indicated the significant differences are between group 1 and 4. A cumulative impact is reflected by large effect sizes between group 1 and 4 (d = 0.8 to 1). The group 2 and 3 (one risk dimension groups: either high‐PC or high‐PPT) represent 47% of the total participants.

Conclusions

The study suggests both higher level of PC and pressure sensitivity have a cumulative impact on risk screening for pain‐related outcomes, considering gender in functional avoidance (task‐related outcome). A clinical presentation with high‐PC (one dimension of risk) is not associated with high‐PPT (another dimension of risk). This finding has important clinical and theoretical implications.
Direct Versus Indirect Federal Bond Subsidies: New Evidence on Cost of Capital
Authors: Luby Martin J. , Orr Peter , Ryffel Richard
Published: December 2020

The longstanding debate surrounding the most effective way for the U.S. federal government to subsidize state and local government capital‐raising received renewed attention in recent years due to the passage and subsequent expiration of the taxable Build America Bond (BAB) program. Recent academic studies, as well as reports from the U.S. Treasury Department, claim that the direct subsidy approach as evidenced by the BAB program provides greater bond borrowing cost benefits to state and local governments compared to traditional tax‐exempt bonds. This research investigates the extent to which such borrowing cost benefits may be overstated since it appears previous studies did not adequately account for the early call optionality of tax‐exempt bonds.
Refugees, Patriotism, and Hogarth’sThe Gate of Calais(1748)
Authors: Grandjouan Kate
Published: December 2020

The subject of this paper is a famous satirical painting of the French by the British painter William Hogarth (1697–1764). Hogarth’sThe Gate of Calaishas long proved to be an effective conduit for national sentiment. Deploying an inter‐disciplinary analysis, the paper argues that Hogarth’s satire draws on a cultural heritage that originated within French refugee communities writing to discredit politics ‘back home’. Understood from this perspective, the painting demonstrates how the cultural materials of a French ethnic minority can become woven into the meta‐narrative about Britishness and then, in turn, become generative of meaning for broader communities of transnationalized Protestants, not just for the British themselves.
Acquired capability for suicide among Belgian and Australian University students: Psychometric properties of the German capability for suicide questionnaire and a test of the interpersonal theory of suicide
Authors: Preece David , Kiekens Glenn , Boyes Mark , Mortier Philippe , Nock Matthew , Kessler Ronald , Bruffaerts Ronny , Hasking Penelope
Published: December 2020

Objective

The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) posits fearlessness of death and pain tolerance as two components of suicide capability. The German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) is the first measure of both these components, but few data are available on its psychometrics. We (a) examined the psychometric properties of the GCSQ and used it to test (b) the latent structure of suicide capability and (c) its associations with suicidal behavior.

Method

As part of the WHO World Mental Health International College Student Initiative, Belgian (N = 3715) and Australian (N = 2828) students completed the GCSQ (Dutch or English versions).

Results

The factor structure of the GCSQ was well represented by two first‐order factors (fearlessness of death, pain tolerance) and a higher‐order suicide capability factor. The fearlessness of death scale and pain tolerance scale (minus two reverse‐scored items) showed good reliability (α = 0.81– 0.90). Fearlessness of death was associated with suicidal behaviors, but the pain tolerance scale was inversely associated with suicidal behaviors.

Conclusions

Consistent with the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, fearlessness of death and pain tolerance are components of a higher‐order suicide capability construct. The GCSQ is a reliable measure of this construct, though its pain tolerance scale requires modification.
Scedosporium apiospermum and Lomentospora prolificans in lung transplant patients – A single center experience over 24 years
Authors: Vazirani Jaideep , Westall Glen P. , Snell Gregory I. , Morrissey C. Orla
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Scedosporium apiospermum and Lomentospora prolificans (Scedosporium/Lomentospora) species are emerging, multi‐resistant pathogens that cause life‐threatening illnesses among lung transplant (LTx) recipients. The current epidemiology and management in LTx are unknown.

Methods

We performed a retrospective single center audit of all sputum/bronchoscopy samples for Scedosporium/Lomentospora species in LTx patients over a 24‐year period (1995‐2019). Patients were diagnosed as colonized or with invasive fungal disease.

Results

From a cohort of 962 LTx recipients, 30 patients (3.1%) cultured Scedosporium/Lomentospora (1.2%, 1.9%, respectively). There were no isolates from 1995 to 2013, with multiple yearly isolates thereafter. Nineteen (63%) cases were classified as IFD, and 11 (37%) as colonization. The median time to first culture from transplantation was 929 days (Interquartile‐range [IQR] 263‐2960). Most patients (63%) had received antifungals prior to the first positive culture of Scedosporium/Lomentospora for other fungal infection. The most common antifungal used for treatment of Scedosporium/Lomentospora was posaconazole (n = 16; 53%). Median duration of therapy was 364 days (IQR 164‐616). Treatment was associated with improved lung function over 6 months (median FEV1 increased from 1.3L[IQR 0.9‐1.8L] to 1.8L[IQR 1.1‐2.3] P = .05). Six patients cultured Scedosporium/Lomentospora prior to transplantation, and no survival disadvantage was seen as compared to our whole LTx cohort (P = .8).

Conclusion

Our single center 24‐year experience suggests that the incidence of Scedosporium/Lomentospora is increasing. Scedosporium/Lomentospora is typically isolated several years after LTx, and requires prolonged anti‐fungal treatment that is usually associated with improved in lung function. Culture of Scedosporium/Lomentospora prior to LTx did not pose a survival disadvantage. Further surveillance is required to fully characterize implications of these organisms for LTx recipients.
Short‐term exposure to ambient air pollution in association with COVID‐19 of two clusters in South Korea
Authors: Hoang Tung , Nguyen Trung Quang , Tran Tho Thi Anh
Published: December 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the association between six air pollutants and COVID‐19 infection in two main clusters, which accounted for 83% of total confirmed cases in Korea.

Methods

We collected the data on daily confirmed cases between February 24, 2020 and September 12, 2020. Data on six air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO and SO2) and four meteorological factors (temperature, wind speed, humidity and air pressure) were obtained on seven days prior to the research period. The generalised additive model and the distributed lag nonlinear model were applied to generate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations. Pooled estimates for clusters were obtained by applying a random‐effects model.

Results

We found that NO2 concentration was positively associated with daily confirmed cases in both Seoul‐Gyeonggi and Daegu‐Gyeongbuk clusters, with RRs (95% CIs) of 1.22 (1.03–1.44) and 1.66 (1.25–2.19), respectively. However, SO2 concentration was observed to be associated with daily confirmed cases in the Seoul‐Gyeonggi cluster only (RR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.10–1.54), whereas PM2.5 and CO concentrations were observed to be associated with daily confirmed cases in the Daegu‐Gyeongbuk cluster only (RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02–1.27 and RR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.15–1.48, respectively).

Conclusions

Our data found that NO2 concentration was positively associated with daily confirmed cases in both clusters, whereas the effect of PM2.5, CO and SO2 on COVID‐19 infection in two clusters was different.
The impact of export VAT rebates on firm productivity: Evidence from China
Authors: Tang Baoqing , Gao Bo , Ma Jing
Published: December 2020

This paper studies the impact of export VAT rebates on firm productivity with Chinese firm‐product‐level data. We find that higher VAT rebates significantly raise firm productivity. The results are robust to various estimations of firm productivity. Moreover, this paper finds that the impact of export VAT rebates on firm productivity is significantly different across firms and sectors. More specifically, our results suggest that the impact is mainly driven by firms with small export intensive margins and large export extensive margins, new exporters, financially constrained firms and low‐productivity firms. Furthermore, in high‐tech sectors, the impact is significantly large with a one percentage point increase of firm rate of VAT rebates nearly raising firm productivity by 6%.
Sup-norms of eigenfunctions in the level aspect for compact arithmetic surfaces, II: newforms and subconvexity
Authors: Hu Yueke , Saha Abhishek
Published: December 2020

We improve upon the local bound in the depth aspect for sup-norms of newforms on $D^\times$, where $D$ is an indefinite quaternion division algebra over ${\mathbb {Q}}$. Our sup-norm bound implies a depth-aspect subconvexity bound for $L(1/2, f \times \theta _\chi )$, where $f$ is a (varying) newform on $D^\times$ of level $p^n$, and $\theta _\chi$ is an (essentially fixed) automorphic form on $\textrm {GL}_2$ obtained as the theta lift of a Hecke character $\chi$ on a quadratic field. For the proof, we augment the amplification method with a novel filtration argument and a recent counting result proved by the second-named author to reduce to showing strong quantitative decay of matrix coefficients of local newvectors along compact subsets, which we establish via $p$-adic stationary phase analysis. Furthermore, we prove a general upper bound in the level aspect for sup-norms of automorphic forms belonging to any family whose associated matrix coefficients have such a decay property.
Impact of liver disease on patients’ quality of life: a mixed methods systematic review protocol
Authors: Grønkjær Lea Ladegaard , Lauridsen Mette Munk
Published: December 2020

Objective:

The objective of this systematic review is to explore the impact of liver disease on patients’ quality of life in an attempt to develop effective evidence-based recommendations and strategies useful for clinical practice and health care professionals.

Introduction:

Liver diseases are common worldwide and a major cause of illness and death due to health problems and serious complications, which not only cause hospitalization and death, but also emotional distress, depression, and impaired quality of life.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider qualitative and quantitative studies on patients with liver disease of different severity and type. The qualitative component of this review will consider all studies that describe patients’ lived experience and perception of having liver disease. The quantitative component will include studies that explore the quality of life in patients with liver disease.

Methods:

CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), and Web of Science (Ovid) will be searched for articles published in Danish and English without any restriction in terms of year of publication. Articles describing both qualitative and quantitative studies will be screened for inclusion, critically appraised for methodological quality, and have data extracted using JBI instruments for mixed methods systematic reviews. A convergent integrated approach to synthesis and integration will be used.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42020173501
Absorptive capacity in the adoption of innovations in health care: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Ashoor Huda M. , McSharry Jennifer , Radhakrishnan Amruta , Wilson Rosemary , Zitzelsberger Louise , Kaan Diana , Glandon Lisa , Sears Kimberley , Medves Jennifer , Kircher Colleen , Berta Whitney B. , Tricco Andrea C. , Godfrey Christina
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To explore how absorptive capacity has been conceptualized and measured in studies of innovation adoption in health care organizations.

Introduction:

Current literature highlights the need to incorporate knowledge translation processes at the organizational and system level to enhance the adoption of new knowledge into practice. Absorptive capacity is a set of routines and processes characterized by knowledge acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and application. Absorptive capacity, a key concept in organizational learning theory, is thought to be critical to the adoption of new knowledge and innovations in organizations.

Inclusion criteria:

This scoping review will include primary studies (ie, experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, and qualitative study designs) and gray literature that broadly focus on the adoption of innovations at the organizational level in health care, and frame innovation adoption as processes that rely on organizational learning and absorptive or learning capacity.

Methods:

Data sources will include comprehensive searches of electronic databases (eg, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus), gray literature, and reference scanning of relevant studies. Study abstracts and full texts will be screened for eligibility by two reviewers, independently. Data extraction of relevant studies will also be done independently by two reviewers. All discrepancies will be addressed through further discussion or adjudicated by a third reviewer. Synthesis of the extracted data will focus on descriptive frequencies, counts, and thematic analysis and the results will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).
The Method of Rotated Solutions: A Highly Efficient Procedure for Code Verification
Authors: Horner Marc
Published: December 2020

Code verification provides mathematical evidence that the source code of a scientific computing software platform is free of bugs and that the numerical algorithms are consistent. The most stringent form of code verification requires the user to demonstrate agreement between the formal and observed orders of accuracy. The observed order is based on a determination of the discretization error, and therefore requires the existence of an analytical solution. One drawback of analytical solutions based on traditional engineering problems is that most derivatives appearing in the related governing equations (or mathematical model) are identically zero, which limits their scope during code verification. The method of rotated solutions (MRS) is introduced herein as a methodology that utilizes coordinate transformations to generate additional nonzero derivatives in the governing equations and numerical solutions. These transformations extend the utility of even the simplest one-dimensional solutions to be able to perform more thorough evaluations. This paper outlines the rotated solutions methodology and provides an example that demonstrates and confirms the usefulness of this new technique.
Elastic wave cloak and invisibility of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic mechanical metamaterials
Authors: Bao Hong-Yuan , Wang Yi-Ze , Wang Yue-Sheng
Published: December 2020

In this paper, a piezoelectric cloaking mechanism is proposed, which makes the enclosed piezomagnetic cylinder invisible to elastic shear horizontal (SH) waves. Based on the scattering cancellation technique, the piezoelectric cloaking mechanism and dynamic stress concentration factor (DSCF) is obtained by the plane wave expansion method. A nonlinear ray trajectory equation for SH waves is derived based on the nonlinear transformation. Furthermore, piezoelectric effects on both cloaking mechanism and dynamic stress concentration are analyzed. The numerical results show that the scattering cancellation can be attributed to the cloak density, and the piezoelectric property can enhance the object's invisibility. The piezoelectric cloaking design can be applied to reduce the DSCF in some frequency regions, which means that it can change the stress distribution. It means that piezoelectric scattering cancellation can enhance both the cloaking results and structural strength of the mechanical metamaterials. This study is expected to have significance for the development and design of elastic wave metamaterials.
Correlation of
Trichosporon asahii
Genotypes with Anatomical Sites and Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles: Data Analyses from 284 Isolates Collected in the Last 22 Years across 24 Medical Centers
Authors: Francisco Elaine Cristina , de Almeida Junior João N. , Queiroz-Telles Flávio , Aquino Valério Rodrigues , Mendes Ana Verena A. , de Oliveira Silva Marcio , Castro Paulo de Tarso O. e , Guimarães Thais , Ponzio Vinicius , Hahn Rosane C. , Chaves Guilherme M. , Colombo Arnaldo L.
Published: December 2020

Trichosporon asahii
is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause severe infections with high mortality rates. Azole derivatives are the best-targeted therapy for
T. asahii
invasive infections, but azole-resistant isolates have been reported.
BKC-2, a New BKC Variant Detected in MCR-9.1-Producing Enterobacter hormaechei subsp.
xiangfangensis
Authors: Martins Willames M. B. S. , Martins Evelin R. , de Andrade Letícia K. , Farzana Refath , Walsh Timothy R. , Toleman Mark A. , Nogueira Mara C. L. , Gales Ana C.
Published: December 2020

We characterized a multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Enterobacter
spp. isolate highlighting the genetic aspects of the antimicrobial resistance genes. An
Enterobacter
spp. isolate (Ec61) was recovered in 2014 from a transtracheal aspirate sample from a patient admitted to a Brazilian tertiary hospital and submitted to further microbiological and genomic characterization.
Screening and Identification of Metacaspase Inhibitors: Evaluation of Inhibition Mechanism and Trypanocidal Activity
Authors: Pérez Brian , Bouvier León A. , Cazzulo Juan José , Agüero Fernán , Salas-Sarduy Emir , Alvarez Vanina E.
Published: December 2020

A common strategy to identify new antiparasitic agents is the targeting of proteases, due to their essential contributions to parasite growth and development. Metacaspases (MCAs) are cysteine proteases present in fungi, protozoa, and plants.
Recombinant Paraprobiotics as a New Paradigm for Treating Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasites of Humans
Authors: Li Hanchen , Abraham Ambily , Gazzola David , Hu Yan , Beamer Gillian , Flanagan Kelly , Soto Ernesto , Rus Florentina , Mirza Zeynep , Draper Austin , Vakalapudi Sridhar , Stockman Cheryl , Bain Perry , Urban Joseph F. , Ostroff Gary R. , Aroian Raffi V.
Published: December 2020

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of humans, e.g., hookworms, negatively impact childhood growth, cognition, nutrition, educational attainment, income, productivity, and pregnancy. Hundreds of millions of people are targeted with mass drug administration (MDA) of donated benzimidazole anthelmintics.
Burkholderia ubonensis High-Level Tetracycline Resistance Is Due to Efflux Pump Synergy Involving a Novel TetA(64) Resistance Determinant
Authors: Somprasong Nawarat , Hall Carina M. , Webb Jessica R. , Sahl Jason W. , Wagner David M. , Keim Paul , Currie Bart J. , Schweizer Herbert P.
Published: December 2020

Burkholderia ubonensis
, a nonpathogenic soil bacterium belonging to the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex (Bcc), is highly resistant to some clinically significant antibiotics. The concern is that
B. ubonensis
may serve as a resistance reservoir for Bcc or
B. pseudomallei
complex (Bpc) organisms that are opportunistic human pathogens.
In Vitro
Antibacterial Activity and
In Vivo
Efficacy of Sulbactam-Durlobactam against Pathogenic
Burkholderia
Species
Authors: Papp-Wallace Krisztina M. , Shapiro Adam B. , Becka Scott A. , Zeiser Elise T. , LiPuma John J. , Lane Douglas J. , Panchal Rekha G. , Mueller John P. , O’Donnell John P. , Miller Alita A.
Published: December 2020

The Gram-negative bacterial genus
Burkholderia
includes several hard-to-treat human pathogens: two biothreat species,
Burkholderia mallei
(causing glanders) and
B. pseudomallei
(causing melioidosis), and the
B. cepacia
complex (BCC) and
B. gladioli
, which cause chronic lung infections in persons with cystic fibrosis. All
Burkholderia
spp. possess an Ambler class A Pen β-lactamase, which confers resistance to β-lactams.
Identification of Candida glabrata Transcriptional Regulators That Govern Stress Resistance and Virulence
Authors: Filler Elan E. , Liu Yaoping , Solis Norma V. , Wang Ling , Diaz Luis F. , Edwards John E. , Filler Scott G. , Yeaman Michael R.
Published: December 2020

The mechanisms by which
Candida glabrata
resists host defense peptides and caspofungin are incompletely understood. To identify transcriptional regulators that enable
C. glabrata
to withstand these classes of stressors, a library of 215
C. glabrata
transcriptional regulatory deletion mutants was screened for susceptibility to both protamine and caspofungin.
Nasal Tissue Extraction Is Essential for Characterization of the Murine Upper Respiratory Tract Microbiota
Authors: Schenck L. Patrick , McGrath Joshua J. C. , Lamarche Daphnée , Stämpfli Martin R. , Bowdish Dawn M. E. , Surette Michael G.
Published: December 2020

The nasal microbiota is composed of species that play a role in the colonization success of pathogens, including
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and
Staphylococcus aureus
. Murine models provide the ability to explore disease pathogenesis, but little is known about the natural murine nasal microbiota.
Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Streptococcus pneumoniae Results in Alpha-hemolysis by Oxidation of Oxy-hemoglobin to Met-hemoglobin
Authors: McDevitt Erin , Khan Faidad , Scasny Anna , Thompson Courtney D. , Eichenbaum Zehava , McDaniel Larry S. , Vidal Jorge E.
Published: December 2020

There is a misconception that alpha-hemolysis observed on blood agar plate cultures of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and other alpha-hemolytic streptococci is produced by a hemolysin or, alternatively, by lysis of erythrocytes caused by hydrogen peroxide. We noticed in the course of our investigations that wild-type
S. pneumoniae
strains and hemolysin (e.g., pneumolysin) knockout mutants produced the alpha-hemolytic halo on blood agar plates.
Study of cluster structures in nuclei through the ratio method
Authors: Capel Pierre , Johnson Ronald C. , Nunes Filomena M.
Published: December 2020

For one-neutron halo nuclei, the cross sections for elastic scattering and breakup at intermediate energy exhibit similar angular dependences. The Recoil Excitation and Breakup (REB) model of reactions elegantly explains this feature. It also leads to the idea of a new reaction observable to study the structure of loosely-bound nuclear systems: the Ratio. This observable consists of the ratio of angular distributions for different reaction channels, viz. elastic scattering and breakup, which cancels most of the dependence on the reaction mechanism; in particular it is insensitive to the choice of optical potentials that simulate the projectile-target interaction. This new observable is very sensitive to the structure of the projectile. In this article, we review a series of previous papers, which have introduced the Ratio Method and its extension to low beam energies and proton-halo nuclei.
Hunting down the X17 boson at the CERN SPS
Authors:   NA64 Collaboration, Depero E. , Andreev Yu. M. , Banerjee D. , Bernhard J. , Burtsev V. E. , Charitonidis N. , Chumakov A. G. , Cooke D. , Crivelli P. , Dermenev A. V. , Donskov S. V. , Dusaev R. R. , Enik T. , Feshchenko A. , Frolov V. N. , Gardikiotis A. , Gerassimov S. G. , Girod S. , Gninenko S. N. , Hösgen M. , Kachanov V. A. , Karneyeu A. E. , Kekelidze G. , Ketzer B. , Kirpichnikov D. V. , Kirsanov M. M. , Kolosov V. N. , Konorov I. V. , Kovalenko S. G. , Kramarenko V. A. , Kravchuk L. V. , Krasnikov N. V. , Kuleshov S. V. , Lyubovitskij V. E. , Lysan V. , Matveev V. A. , Mikhailov Yu. V. , Bueno L. Molina , Peshekhonov D. V. , Polyakov V. A. , Radics B. , Rojas R. , Rubbia A. , Samoylenko V. D. , Shchukin D. , Sieber H. , Tikhomirov V. O. , Tlisova vI. , Tlisov D. A. , Toropin A. N. , Trifonov A. Yu. , Vasilishin B. I. , Arenas G. Vasquez , Volkov P. V. , Volkov V. Yu. , Ulloa P.
Published: December 2020

Recently, the ATOMKI experiment has reported new evidence for the excess of $$e^+e^-$$

e
+

e
-

events with a mass $$\sim $$
∼
17 MeV in the nuclear transitions of $$^4$$

4

He, that they previously observed in measurements with $$^8$$

8

Be. These observations could be explained by the existence of a new vector $$X17$$

X
17

boson. So far, the search for the decay $$X17 \rightarrow e^+ e^-$$

X
17
→

e
+

e
-

with the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS gave negative results. Here, we present a new technique that could be implemented in NA64 aiming to improve the sensitivity and to cover the remaining $$X17$$

X
17

parameter space. If a signal-like event is detected, an unambiguous observation is achieved by reconstructing the invariant mass of the $$X17$$

X
17

decay with the proposed method. To reach this goal an optimization of the $$X17$$

X
17

production target, as well as an efficient and accurate reconstruction of two close decay tracks, is required. A dedicated analysis of the available experimental data making use of the trackers information is presented. This method provides independent confirmation of the NA64 published results [1], validating the tracking procedure. The detailed Monte Carlo study of the proposed setup and the background estimate show that the goal of the proposed search is feasible.
Business Confidence and Business Tourism in Japan
Authors: Ghosh Sudeshna
Published: December 2020

This study explored the asymmetric impact of business confidence index (BCI), real effective exchange rate, inflation, the value of trade index and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on inbound business tourism in Japan using the methodology of asymmetric cointegration. The paper uses the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) bounds test procedure to obtain the long-run cointegrating relationship. The estimated NARDL results show that in the long-run, the negative asymmetric impact of the BCI is stronger than the positive impact. Finally, the study confirms that for the long-run, asymmetric relation exists between tourism, BCI, real effective exchange rate, inflation, GDP and value of trade index.