bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proximity Labeling To Map Host-Pathogen Interactions at the Membrane of a Bacterium-Containing Vacuole in Chlamydia trachomatis-Infected Human Cells
Authors: Olson Macy G. , Widner Ray E. , Jorgenson Lisa M. , Lawrence Alyssa , Lagundzin Dragana , Woods Nicholas T. , Ouellette Scot P. , Rucks Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2019

Many intracellular bacteria, including the obligate intracellular pathogen
Chlamydia trachomatis
, grow within a membrane-bound bacterium-containing vacuole (BCV). Secreted cytosolic effectors modulate host activity, but an understanding of the host-pathogen interactions that occur at the BCV membrane is limited by the difficulty in purifying membrane fractions from infected host cells.
Porcine RING Finger Protein 114 Inhibits Classical Swine Fever Virus Replication via K27-Linked Polyubiquitination of Viral NS4B
Authors: Zhang Yuexiu , Zhang Huawei , Zheng Guang-Lai , Yang Qian , Yu Shaoxiong , Wang Jinghan , Li Su , Li Lian-Feng , Qiu Hua-Ji
Published: August 2019

Porcine RING finger protein 114 (pRNF114) is a member of the RING domain E3 ligases. In this study, it was shown that pRNF114 is a potential anti-CSFV factor and the anti-CSFV effect of pRNF114 depends on its E3 ligase activity. Notably, pRNF114 targets and catalyzes the K27-linked polyubiquitination of the NS4B protein and then promotes proteasome-dependent degradation of NS4B, inhibiting the replication of CSFV. To our knowledge, pRNF114 is the first E3 ligase to be identified as being involved in anti-CSFV activity, and targeting NS4B could be a crucial route for antiviral development.
Feasibility of automated insulin delivery guided by continuous glucose monitoring in preterm infants
Authors: Beardsall Kathryn , Thomson Lynn , Elleri Daniela , Dunger David B , Hovorka Roman
Published: August 2019

Objective

Closed-loop systems have been used to optimise insulin delivery in children with diabetes, but they have not been tested in neonatal intensive care. Extremely preterm infants are prone to hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia; both of which have been associated with adverse outcomes. Insulin sensitivity is notoriously variable in these babies and glucose control is time-consuming, with management requiring frequent changes of dextrose-containing fluids and careful monitoring of insulin treatment. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of closed-loop management of glucose control in these infants.

Design and setting

Single-centre feasibility study with a randomised parallel design in a neonatal intensive care unit. Eligibility criteria included birth weight <1200 g and <48 hours of age. All infants had subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring for the first week of life, with those in the intervention group receiving closed-loop insulin delivery in a prespecified window, between 48 and 72 hours of age during which time the primary outcome was percentage of time in target (sensor glucose 4–8 mmol/L).

Results

The mean (SD) gestational age and birth weight of intervention and control study arms were 27.0 (2.4) weeks, 962 (164) g and 27.5 (2.8) weeks, 823 (282) g, respectively, and were not significantly different. The time in target was dramatically increased from median (IQR) 26% (6-64) with paper guidance to 91% (78-99) during closed loop (p<0.001). There were no serious adverse events and no difference in total insulin infused.

Conclusions

Closed-loop glucose control based on subcutaneous glucose measurements appears feasible as a potential method of optimising glucose control in extremely preterm infants.
Boerhaave’s syndrome in an ultra-distance runner
Authors: Pasternak Andrew , Ellero JoAnn , Maxwell Stephen , Cheung Victoria
Published: August 2019

A runner competing in a 100 mile trail race presented with severe lower chest pain and right upper abdominal pain. His pain started immediately after he took an over the counter non steroidal anti-inflammatory pill a few hundred metres after leaving the aid station. When he took the pill, he immediately had to vomit and spit out the pill. On arriving back at the aid station, he was noted to have severe left-sided chest pain that worsened with reclining. He also had profound dyspnoea. Initial vital signs were unremarkable. The runner was immediately transported to an emergency room and eventually found to have an oesophageal rupture. After surgical intervention and a lengthy recovery, the runner is back to participating in sport.
Similar risk of ACL graft revision for alpine skiers, football and handball players: the graft revision rate is influenced by age and graft choice
Authors: Ekeland Arne , Engebretsen Lars , Fenstad Anne Marie , Heir Stig
Published: August 2019

Objectives

The risk of graft revision following ACL reconstruction may depend on the sport type the individuals are engaged in. The purpose of this study was to report the ACL graft revision rate in alpine skiers, football and handball players.

Materials and methods

Primary ACL reconstructions and graft revision data from 2004 to December 2016 were obtained from the Norwegian Cruciate Ligament Registry. The graft survival rates were calculated for individuals in each of the three sport types, for bone patellar tendon bone (BPTB) and hamstring tendons (HT) grafts separately, and related to age at primary operation and sex.

Results

A total of 711 grafts in 14 201 primary ACL reconstructions were revised (5.0%) after median 6 years, 3.8% in alpine skiers, 5.0% in soccer and 6.1% in handball players (p<0.001). Adjusted Cox regression showed similar ACL graft survival rates in the three groups. The HR for graft revision was 5 times higher for individuals aged ≤18 years than for those aged ≥35 years (p<0.001). The corresponding HR for graft type was 1.8 times higher for HT than for BPTB grafts (p<0.001), but 2.8 times higher for individuals aged ≤18 years (p<0.001). The 12 years survival of BPTB grafts was 96% compared with 93% for HT grafts (p <0.001).

Conclusion

The revision rate for ACL grafts was similar among alpine skiers, football and handball players, and the results support the use of BPTB grafts in young athletes with closed growth zones in the knee.

Study design

Cohort study; level of evidence, 2.
Better evidence: prospective cohort study assessing the utility of an evidence-based clinical resource at the University of Rwanda
Authors: Valtis Yannis K , Rosenberg Julie D , Wachter Keri , Kisenge Rodrick , Mashili Fredirick , Chande Mallya Rehema , Walker Timothy David , Kabakambira J Damascene , Egide Abahuje , Ntacyabukura Blaise , Weintraub Rebecca
Published: August 2019

Objective

Evidence-based clinical resources (EBCRs) have the potential to improve diagnostic and therapeutic accuracy. The majority of US teaching medical institutions have incorporated them into clinical training. Many EBCRs are subscription based, and their cost is prohibitive for most clinicians and trainees in low-income and middle-income countries. We sought to determine the utility of EBCRs in an East African medical school.

Setting

The University of Rwanda (UR), a medical school located in East Africa.

Participants

Medical students and faculty members at UR.

Interventions

We offered medical students and faculty at UR free access to UpToDate, a leading EBCR and conducted a cohort study to assess its uptake and usage. Students completed two surveys on their study habits and gave us permission to access their activity on UpToDate and their grades.

Results

Of the 980 medical students invited to enrol over 2 years, 547 did (56%). Of eligible final year students, 88% enrolled. At baseline, 92% of students reported ownership of an internet-capable device, and the majority indicated using free online resources frequently for medical education. Enrolled final year students viewed, on average, 1.24 topics per day and continued to use UpToDate frequently after graduation from medical school. Graduating class exam performance was better after introduction of UpToDate than in previous years.

Conclusions

Removal of the cost barrier was sufficient to generate high uptake of a leading EBCR by senior medical students and habituate them to continued usage after graduation.
Motivation, challenges and realities of volunteer community cardiac arrest response: a qualitative study of ‘lay’ community first responders
Authors: Barry Tomás , Guerin Suzanne , Bury Gerard
Published: August 2019

Objectives

To explore the reasons why lay community first responders (CFRs) volunteer to participate in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest response and the realities of their experience in providing this service to the community.

Design

A qualitative study, using in-depth semistructured interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was undertaken and credibility checks conducted.

Setting

Nine geographically varied lay CFR schemes throughout Ireland.

Participants

Twelve experienced CFRs.

Results

CFRs were motivated to participate based on a variety of factors. These included altruistic, social and pre-existing emergency care interest. A proportion of CFRs may volunteer because of experience of cardiac arrest or illness in a relative. Sophisticated structures and complex care appear to underpin CFR involvement in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Strategic and organisational issues, multifaceted cardiac arrest care and the psychosocial impact of participation were considered.

Conclusions

Health systems that facilitate CFR out-of-hospital cardiac arrest response should consider a variety of relevant issues. These issues include the suitability of those that volunteer, complexities of resuscitation/end-of-life care, responder psychological welfare as well as CFRs’ core role of providing early basic life support and defibrillation in the community.
Role of lipids in the thermal plasticity of basidial fungusFavolaschia manipularis
Authors: Senik Svetlana V. , Psurtseva Nadezhda V. , Shavarda Alexey L. , Kotlova Ekaterina R.
Published: August 2019

In this study, we examined the lipid composition of two strains of the tropical basidiomycete Favolaschia manipularis (Berk.) Teng, which differ in their adaptive potential to high (35 °C) and low (5 °C) temperatures. The results suggest that adaptation to extreme temperatures involves a change in the molecular composition of sterols, in addition to other well-known mechanisms of regulating membrane thickness and fluidity, such as changes in the lipid unsaturation and in the proportion of bilayer- and non-bilayer-forming lipids. It was demonstrated for the first time that adaptation to high temperature stress in fungi is accompanied by the accumulation of 9(11)-dehydroergosterol and ergosterol peroxide. Furthermore, increased thermal plasticity correlates with high storage lipid (triglycerides) content, accumulation of phosphatidic acid in the membrane, and an equal proportion of bilayer and non-bilayer lipids in the membrane.
EventAction
Authors: Du Fan , Plaisant Catherine , Spring Neil , Crowley Kenyon , Shneiderman Ben
Published: August 2019

People use recommender systems to improve their decisions; for example, item recommender systems help them find films to watch or books to buy. Despite the ubiquity of item recommender systems, they can be improved by giving users greater transparency and control. This article develops and assesses interactive strategies for transparency and control, as applied to event sequence recommender systems, which provide guidance in critical life choices such as medical treatments, careers decisions, and educational course selections. This article’s main contribution is the use of both record attributes and temporal event information as features to identify similar records and provide appropriate recommendations. While traditional item recommendations are based on choices by people with similar attributes, such as those who looked at this product or watched this movie, our event sequence recommendation approach allows users to select records that share similar attribute values and start with a similar event sequence. Then users see how different choices of actions and the orders and times between them might lead to users’ desired outcomes. This paper applies a visual analytics approach to present and explain recommendations of event sequences. It presents a workflow for event sequence recommendation that is implemented in EventAction and reports on three case studies in two domains to illustrate the use of generating event sequence recommendations based on personal histories. It also offers design guidelines for the construction of user interfaces for event sequence recommendation and discusses ethical issues in dealing with personal histories. A demo video of EventAction is available at https://hcil.umd.edu/eventaction.
Human-Interaction-aware Adaptive Functional Safety Processing for Multi-Functional Automotive Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Xie Guoqi , Bai Yang , Wu Wei , Li Yanwen , Li Renfa , Li Keqin
Published: August 2019

The functional safety research for automotive cyber-physical systems (ACPS) has been studied in recent years; however, these studies merely consider the change in the exposure of the functional safety classification and assume that the driver’s controllability in the functional safety classification is always fixed and uncontrollable. In fact, the driver’s controllability is variable during the runtime phase, such that the execution process of safety-critical automotive functions is a human-interaction-aware process between the driver and ACPS. To adapt to the changes in the driver’s controllability, this article studies the human-interaction-aware adaptive functional safety processing for multi-functional ACPS in two main phases. In the design phase, where the driver’s controllability is fixed at the highest level (i.e., C3), we obtain the approximate optimal priority sequence of safety-critical functions without exhausting all sequences by proposing the refined exploration method. In the runtime phase, where the driver’s controllability level is variable (i.e., C0, C1, C2, or C3), we propose the human-interaction-aware task remapping method to autonomously respond to the change of the driver’s controllability. Examples and experiments confirm that the proposed adaptive functional safety processing can reduce overall task redundancy of safety-critical automotive functions while meeting their functional safety requirements, shorten the overall response time of safety-critical automotive functions, and increase the slack time for non-safety-critical automotive functions.
Faster Approximation Schemes for the Two-Dimensional Knapsack Problem
Authors: Heydrich Sandy , Wiese Andreas
Published: August 2019

For geometric optimization problems we often understand the computational complexity on a rough scale, but not very well on a finer scale. One example is the two-dimensional knapsack problem for squares. There is a polynomial time (1+ε)-approximation algorithm for it (i.e., a PTAS) but the running time of this algorithm is triple exponential in 1/ε, i.e., Ω (
n
2
2
1/ε
). A double or triple exponential dependence on 1/ε is inherent in how this and other algorithms for other geometric problems work. In this article, we present an efficient PTAS (EPTAS) for knapsack for squares, i.e., a (1+ε)-approximation algorithm with a running time of
O
ε
(1)⋅
n

O
(1)

. In particular, the exponent of
n
in the running time does not depend on ε at all! Since there can be no fully polynomial time approximation scheme (FPTAS) for the problem (unless P = NP), this is the best kind of approximation scheme we can hope for. To achieve this improvement, we introduce two new key ideas: We present a fast method to guess the Ω (2
2
1/ε
) relatively large squares of a suitable near-optimal packing instead of using brute-force enumeration. Secondly, we introduce an
indirect guessing
framework to define sizes of cells for the remaining squares. In the previous PTAS, each of these steps needs a running time of Ω (
n
2
2
1/ε
) and we improve both to
O
ε
(1)⋅
n

O
(1)

.

We complete our result by giving an algorithm for two-dimensional knapsack for rectangles under (1+ε)-resource augmentation. We improve the previous double-exponential PTAS to an EPTAS and compute even a solution with optimal weight, while the previous PTAS computes only an approximation.
BuildSense
Authors: Cardell-Oliver Rachel , Sarkar Chayan
Published: August 2019

Buildings can achieve energy-efficiency by using solar passive design, energy-efficient structures and materials, or by optimizing their operational energy use. In each of these areas, efficiency can be improved if the physical properties of the building along with its dynamic behavior can be captured using low-cost embedded sensor devices. This opens up a new challenge of installing and maintaining the sensor devices for different types of buildings. In this article, we propose BuildSense, a sensing framework for fine-grained, long-term monitoring of buildings using a mix of physical and virtual sensors. It not only reduces the deployment and management cost of sensors but can also guarantee accurate and fault-tolerant data coverage for long-term use. We evaluate BuildSense using sensor measurements from two rammed-earth houses that were custom-designed for a challenging hot-arid climate so almost no artificial heating or cooling is required. We demonstrate that BuildSense can significantly reduce the cost of permanent physical sensors while still achieving fit-for-purpose accuracy, fault-tolerance, and stability. Overall, we were able to reduce the cost of a building sensor network by 60% to 80% by replacing physical sensors with virtual ones while still maintaining accuracy of ≤1.0°C and fault-tolerance of two or more predictors per virtual sensor.
Energy-Efficient ECG Signal Compression for User Data Input in Cyber-Physical Systems by Leveraging Empirical Mode Decomposition
Authors: Huang Hui , Hu Shiyan , Sun Ye
Published: August 2019

Human physiological data are naturalistic and objective user data inputs for a great number of cyber-physical systems (CPS). Electrocardiogram (ECG) as a widely used physiological golden indicator for certain human state and disease diagnosis is often used as user data input for various CPS such as medical CPS and human–machine interaction. Wireless transmission and wearable technology enable long-term continuous ECG data acquisition for human–CPS interaction; however, these emerging technologies bring challenges of storing and wireless transmitting huge amounts of ECG data, leading to energy efficiency issue of wearable sensors. ECG signal compression technique provides a promising solution for these challenges by decreasing ECG data size. In this study, we develop the first scheme of leveraging empirical mode decomposition (EMD) on ECG signals for sparse feature modeling and compression and further propose a new ECG signal compression framework based on EMD constructed feature dictionary. The proposed method features in compressing ECG signals using a very limited number of feature bases with low computation cost, which significantly improves the compression performance and energy efficiency. Our method is validated with the ECG data from MIT-BIH arrhythmia database and compared with existing methods. The results show that our method achieves the compression ratio (CR) of up to 164 with the root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.48% and the average CR of 88.08 with the RMSE of 5.66%, which is more than twice of the average CR of the state-of-the-art methods with similar recovering error rate of around 5%. For diagnostic distortion perspective, our method achieves high QRS detection performance with the sensitivity (SE) of 99.8% and the specificity (SP) of 99.6%, which shows that our ECG compression method can preserve almost all the QRS features and have no impact on the diagnosis process. In addition, the energy consumption of our method is only 30% of that of other methods when compared under the same recovering error rate.
A Crowdsensing-based Cyber-physical System for Drone Surveillance Using Random Finite Set Theory
Authors: Yang Chaoqun , Feng Li , Shi Zhiguo , Lu Rongxing , Choo Kim-Kwang Raymond
Published: August 2019

Given the popularity of drones for leisure, commercial, and government (e.g., military) usage, there is increasing focus on drone regulation. For example, how can the city council or some government agency detect and track drones more efficiently and effectively, say, in a city, to ensure that the drones are not engaged in unauthorized activities? Therefore, in this article, we propose a crowdsensing-based cyber-physical system for drone surveillance. The proposed system, CSDrone, utilizes surveillance data captured and sent from citizens’ mobile devices (e.g., Android and iOS devices, as well as other image or video capturing devices) to facilitate jointly drone detection and tracking. Our system uses random finite set (RFS) theory and RFS-based Bayesian filter. We also evaluate CSDrone’s effectiveness in drone detection and tracking. The findings demonstrate that in comparison to existing drone surveillance systems, CSDrone has a lower cost, and is more flexible and scalable.
Role of B1 and B2 lymphocytes in placental ischemia-induced hypertension
Authors: Laule Connor F. , Odean Evan J. , Wing Cameron R. , Root Kate M. , Towner Kendra J. , Hamm Cassandra M. , Gilbert Jeffrey S. , Fleming Sherry D. , Regal Jean F.
Published: August 2019

Preeclampsia is a prevalent pregnancy complication characterized by new-onset maternal hypertension and inflammation, with placental ischemia as the initiating event. Studies of others have provided evidence for the importance of lymphocytes in placental ischemia-induced hypertension; however, the contributions of B1 versus B2 lymphocytes are unknown. We hypothesized that peritoneal B1 lymphocytes are important for placental ischemia-induced hypertension. As an initial test of this hypothesis, the effect of anti-CD20 depletion on both B-cell populations was determined in a reduced utero-placental perfusion pressure (RUPP) model of preeclampsia. Anti-murine CD20 monoclonal antibody (5 mg/kg, Clone 5D2) or corresponding mu IgG2a isotype control was administered intraperitoneally to timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats on gestation day (GD)10 and 13. RUPP or sham control surgeries were performed on GD14, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured on GD19 from a carotid catheter. As anticipated, RUPP surgery increased MAP and heart rate and decreased mean fetal and placental weight. However, anti-CD20 treatment did not affect these responses. On GD19, B-cell populations were enumerated in the blood, peritoneal cavity, spleen, and placenta with flow cytometry. B1 and B2 cells were not significantly increased following RUPP. Anti-CD20 depleted B1 and B2 cells in peritoneum and circulation but depleted only B2 lymphocytes in spleen and placenta, with no effect on circulating or peritoneal IgM. Overall, these data do not exclude a role for antibodies produced by B cells before depletion but indicate the presence of B lymphocytes in the last trimester of pregnancy is not critical for placental ischemia-induced hypertension.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The adaptive and innate immune systems are implicated in hypertension, including the pregnancy-specific hypertensive condition preeclampsia. However, the mechanism of immune system dysfunction leading to pregnancy-induced hypertension is unresolved. In contrast to previous reports, this study reveals that the presence of classic B2 lymphocytes and peritoneal and circulating B1 lymphocytes is not required for development of hypertension following third trimester placental ischemia in a rat model of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Placental growth factor levels in quadriceps muscle are reduced by a Western diet in association with advanced glycation end products
Authors: Silva Asitha T. , Rouf Farzana , Semola Oluwayemisi A. , Payton Mark E. , Lovern Pamela C.
Published: August 2019

In peripheral artery disease (PAD), atherosclerotic occlusion chronically impairs limb blood flow. Arteriogenesis (collateral artery remodeling) is a vital adaptive response to PAD that protects tissue from ischemia. People with type II diabetes have a high risk of developing PAD and would benefit from arteriogenesis. However, arteriogenesis is suppressed in people with diabetes by a multifaceted mechanism which remains incompletely defined. Upregulation of placental growth factor (PLGF) is a key early step in arteriogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesized that metabolic dysfunction would impair PLGF expression in skeletal muscle. We tested this hypothesis in C57BL/6J and ApoE−/−mice of both sexes fed a Western diet (WD) for 24 wk. We first assessed baseline levels of PLGF, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A), and VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1) protein in hindlimb skeletal muscle. Only PLGF was consistently decreased by the WD. We next investigated the effect of 24 wk of the WD on the response of PLGF, VEGF-A, VEGFR1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) to the physiological stimulus of vascular occlusion. Hindlimb ischemia was induced in mice by gradual femoral artery occlusion using an ameroid constrictor. Growth factor levels were measured 3–28 days postsurgery. In C57BL/6J mice, the WD decreased and delayed upregulation of PLGF and abolished upregulation of VEGF-A and VEGFR1 but had no effect on MCP-1. In ApoE−/−mice fed either diet, all factors tested failed to respond to occlusion. Metabolic phenotyping of mice and in vitro studies suggest that an advanced glycation end product/TNFα-mediated mechanism could contribute to the effects observed in vivo.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we tested the effect of a Western diet on expression of the arteriogenic growth factor placental growth factor (PLGF) in mouse skeletal muscle. We provide the first demonstration that a Western diet interferes with both baseline expression and hindlimb ischemia-induced upregulation of PLGF. We further identify a potential role for advanced glycation end product/TNFα signaling as a negative regulator of PLGF. These studies provide insight into one possible mechanism by which type II diabetes may limit collateral growth.
Gene therapy research for kidney diseases
Authors: Davis Lori , Park Frank
Published: August 2019

A resurgence in the development of newer gene therapy systems has led to recent successes in the treatment of B cell cancers, retinal degeneration and neuromuscular atrophy. Gene therapy offers the ability to treat the patient at the root cause of their malady by restoring normal gene function and arresting the pathological progression of their genetic disease. The current standard of care for most genetic diseases is based upon the symptomatic treatment with polypharmacy while minimizing any potential adverse effects attributed to the off-target and drug-drug interactions on the target or other organs. In the kidney, however, the development of gene therapy modifications to specific renal cells has lagged far behind those in other organ systems. Some positive strides in the past few years provide continued enthusiasm to invest the time and effort in the development of new gene therapy vectors for medical intervention to treat kidney diseases. This mini-review will systematically describe the pros and cons of the most commonly tested gene therapy vector systems derived from adenovirus, retrovirus, and adeno-associated virus and provide insight about their potential utility as a therapy for various types of genetic diseases in the kidney.
Signos do consumo em suas publicizações
Authors: Perez Clotilde , Trindade Eneus
Published: August 2019

SIGNOS DO CONSUMO EM SUAS PUBLICIZAÇÕES: NOVOS CONSUMOS, PERCEPÇÕES E ESTRATÉGIASCOMUNICACIONAIS NAS REDES
A Method for Projecting Features from Observed Sets of Phonological Classes
Authors: Mayer Connor , Daland Robert
Published: August 2019

Given a set of phonological features, we can enumerate a set of phonological classes. Here we consider the inverse of this problem: given a set of phonological classes, can we derive a feature system? We show that this is indeed possible, using a collection of algorithms that assign features to a set of input classes and differ in terms of what types of features are permissible. This work bears on theories of both language-specific and universal features, provides testable predictions of the featurizations available to learners, and serves as a useful component in computational models of feature learning.
“Darius Son of Ahasuerus, King of the Persians”: Textuality and Chronology in Jacob of Edessa’s Book of Daniel
Authors: Marsh Bradley J.
Published: August 2019

This article explores the textual witness of Jacob of Edessa’s revision of Daniel. Jacob’s is an aggregate and mixed text, one that combined both Syriac and Greek biblical traditions. Yet perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Jacob’s Daniel is his conscious effort to include not only “Theodotion” but also Old Greek traditions. This article focuses on his witness to the latter, which is demonstrated at both the micro- and macrotextual levels. Special attention is also paid to the chronological presentation of the Daniel cycle Jacob’s version transmits, particularly the unique location of ch. 9. It is argued that Jacob adopted this chapter order from a lost OG manuscript whose text had previously been altered, perhaps under the influence of Porphyry.
Improving Surface Current Resolution Using Direction Finding Algorithms for Multiantenna High-Frequency Radars
Authors: Kirincich Anthony , Emery Brian , Washburn Libe , Flament Pierre
Published: August 2019

While land-based high-frequency (HF) radars are the only instruments capable of resolving both the temporal and spatial variability of surface currents in the coastal ocean, recent high-resolution views suggest that the coastal ocean is more complex than presently deployed radar systems are able to reveal. This work uses a hybrid system, having elements of both phased arrays and direction finding radars, to improve the azimuthal resolution of HF radars. Data from two radars deployed along the U.S. East Coast and configured as 8-antenna grid arrays were used to evaluate potential direction finding and signal, or emitter, detection methods. Direction finding methods such as maximum likelihood estimation generally performed better than the well-known multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method given identical emitter detection methods. However, accurately estimating the number of emitters present in HF radar observations is a challenge. As MUSIC’s direction-of-arrival (DOA) function permits simple empirical tests that dramatically aid the detection process, MUSIC was found to be the superior method in this study. The 8-antenna arrays were able to provide more accurate estimates of MUSIC’s noise subspace than typical 3-antenna systems, eliminating the need for a series of empirical parameters to control MUSIC’s performance. Code developed for this research has been made available in an online repository.
Economic Effects of Tariff Liberalization of Prospective India-GCC FTA: A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Ismail Saba , Ahmed Shahid
Published: August 2019

The trade relations between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been intensified during the last two decades. The GCC has emerged as one of the largest trading partner of India. This article attempts to investigate the result of tariff liberalization on welfare, output, employment and the potential trade flows between India and the GCC region using the GTAP-model. The study reveals that tariff liberalization has positive effects on India and GCC countries, with no or nominal negative effect on the rest of the world. Overall results show that India’s trade relation with GCC countries is increasing continuously, but still there is a lot of untapped potential to bring the welfare gains for both trading partners. Finally, the study concludes that the proposed economic integration in terms of FTA between India and GCC will be mutually beneficial and welfare enhancing, and a case of a win–win situation.

JEL Codes: F1, F13, F14, F17
Research on practice teaching mode for undergraduate in the age of emerging engineering education
Authors: Jia Yuchen , Xiao Ke , Ren Lisheng , Huo Limin
Published: August 2019

Engineering course is an important branch of university education. With the development of society and the integration of disciplines, some changes have taken place in the connotation of engineering, that is emerging engineering. The educational concept of emerging engineering and the internationally recognized educational certification of Engineering specialty both require higher practical ability. This paper analyses the graduation requirements of engineering education certification. Hierarchical teaching method is put forward and its effect is analyzed. It describes the concrete methods of expanding experiments by using the platform of massive open online courses, and verifies the validity of massive open online courses + simulation. It expounds the extracurricular practice scheme of “Maker Space + Competition” and demonstrates its superiority.
The Effect of Jazz Improvisation Instruction on Measures of Executive Function in Middle School Band Students
Authors: Norgaard Martin , Stambaugh Laura A. , McCranie Heston
Published: August 2019

Research investigating links between academic achievement and active music instruction has not previously differentiated between different types of instruction. In the current study, 155 seventh- and eighth-grade middle school band students were divided into two groups. Both groups received 2 months of instruction in jazz phrasing, scales, and vocabulary, but only the experimental group was taught to improvise. All instruction was part of the warm-up routine in regular band classes. All students were tested before and after instruction on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (cognitive flexibility) and the classic Stroop task (inhibitory control). At posttest, eighth-grade students in the experimental group scored significantly better on cognitive flexibility with a smaller percentage of perseverative errors, whereas the treatment had no effect on seventh-grade students on this outcome. Seventh graders, but not eighth graders, in the experimental group increased their posttest scores for inhibitory control, though this result was only marginally significant. In relation to previous research, the current results strongly suggest that far-transfer effects of active music participation depend on the nature of the instruction. Results of prior and future studies should therefore be interpreted in light of the type of music-making engaged by participants.
Design and fabrication of wearable male-type radio button-shaped vibrotactile actuators
Authors: Lee Hyewon , Jeong So Won , Hyobin Im , Roh Jung-Sim
Published: August 2019

Vibrotactile actuators have been studied in a variety of wearables that require actuation feedback because of their accurate and rapid feedback. To provide robust and reliable feedback to users, wearable vibration actuators must be seamlessly integrated into smart clothing to deliver vibrotactile stimulation of the appropriate intensity. In order to solve the vibration attenuation problem due to clothing fabric, and seamlessly integrate the actuator, wearable male-type radio button-shaped vibrotactile actuators (WMVAs) were designed and fabricated. The WMVAs were designed with a structure in which a linear resonant actuator was housed in a stud, and vibration was passed through the fabric and transferred to the skin through the cap. Three WMVAs were fabricated, one with a cap of standard size and thickness, the second with a thicker cap than the standard, and the third with a wider cap than the standard. In order to investigate the vibration transmission performance of the WMVA, vibration perception experiments were performed on various body parts of the subjects. As a result, the vibration perception of the WMVA was statistically significant in all tested body parts. Using the WMVA, the mean value of vibration perception was 2.743, while that without a cap and stud was 2.062. The mean value of the vibration perception of the actuator with a cap 2.78 times thicker is 2.736, compared with the standard actuator value of 2.512. The average value of vibration perception of an actuator with a 2.78 times larger cap than the standard size is 2.743.
Independence and Caregiver Preferences Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Slovenia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Galof Katarina , Žnidaršič Anja , Balantič Zvone
Published: August 2019

Although Slovenia is becoming an aging society, very little is known about the abilities and needs of home-dwelling older people or their preferences regarding assistance. The aim of the study was to explore the need for assistance in daily activities among older Slovenian people living at home. Older adults aged between 65 and 97 years (N = 358) participated in the cross-sectional survey study. A questionnaire that assessed independence in daily activities and assistance in the home environment was developed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a nonparametric test (Wilcoxon signed rank test), and the chi-square test. The results showed that older Slovenians were more independent in activities of daily living (ADLs) than instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Independence was the highest for using the toilet, feeding, and mobility transfers, and the lowest for bathing. With IADLs, assistance was most often required with shopping and housework; this assistance was usually provided by family members. The provider of assistance was generally compatible with older people’s preferences concerning assistance at home. We found no differences in care preferences between urban and rural settings. Assistance in the home environment was predominantly provided by unpaid helpers, which reflects recent developments in health and social services that put an emphasis on a person’s social network. Due to demographic changes and the decrease in the number of adult children, reliance on close relatives might soon become a challenge. These findings can help policy makers understand older people’s choices and preferences better when planning long-term care.
Opening the Blackbox of Treatment Interference: Tracing Treatment Diffusion through Network Analysis
Authors: An Weihua , VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: August 2019

Causal inference under treatment interference is a challenging but important problem. Past studies usually make strong assumptions on the structure of treatment interference in order to estimate causal treatment effects while accounting for the effect of treatment interference. In this article, we view treatment diffusion as a concrete form of treatment interference that is prevalent in social settings and also as an outcome of central interest. Specifically, we analyze data from a smoking prevention intervention conducted with 4,094 students in six middle schools in China. We measure treatment interference by tracing how the distributed intervention brochures are shared by students, which provides information to construct the so-called treatment diffusion networks. Besides providing descriptive analyses, we use exponential random graph models to model the treatment diffusion networks in order to reveal covariates and network processes that significantly correlate with treatment diffusion. We show that the findings provide an empirical basis to evaluate previous assumptions on the structure of treatment interference, are informative for imputing treatment diffusion data that is crucial for making causal inference under treatment interference, and shed light on how to improve designs of future interventions that aim to optimize treatment diffusion.
Comparative Incidences and Biological Outcomes for Thymoma in Various Rat Strains in National Toxicology Program Studies
Authors: Moore Rebecca R. , Nagai Hiroaki , Miller Rodney A. , Hardisty Jerry F. , Allison Neil , Shockley Keith R. , Malarkey David E.
Published: August 2019

Thymomas from 277 Fischer 344/N (F344/N), 10 Sprague Dawley (HSD:Sprague Dawley SD) (SD), 129 Wistar Han [Crl:WI(Han)] (WH), and 4 Wistar Outbred (WO) rats were reviewed from long-term studies in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) database. The incidence of thymomas in F344/N rats was slightly higher in males than in females, while the incidences in SD and WH rats were higher in females than in males. Only male WO rats were used in NTP studies. Of the 277 thymomas in F344/N rats, 235 (84.8%) were benign and 42 (15.2%) malignant, 14 of which exhibited metastasis. Of the 10 thymomas in SD rats, 5 (50%) were benign and 5 (50%) were malignant, one of which exhibited metastasis. Of the 129 thymomas in WH rats, 126 (98%) were benign and 3 (2%) were malignant, 1 with metastasis. Of the 4 thymomas in WO rats, 3 (75%) were benign and 1 (25%) was malignant, with no metastases. Malignant thymomas in F344/N and WH rats showed a propensity to be the cause of death and to result in early mortality, whereas the benign thymomas were associated less often with decreased survival. No occurrences of this neoplasm were reported to be related to exposure to any test articles.
Rethinking Sportland: A New Research Agenda for the Sport for Development and Peace Sector
Authors: Giulianotti Richard , Coalter Fred , Collison Holly , Darnell Simon C.
Published: August 2019

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has grown into a huge global field of sport-related activity and intervention and is a heavily researched subject in the social scientific study of sport. In this article, we advance the case for a new research agenda in SDP, in part to contribute more fully to sustainable development through substantial societal change. We argue that SDP research should engage with wider literatures and theories, notably on political economy and development; take full account of structural changes within the development sphere; and examine new areas of intervention within SDP per se. To develop our analysis, our discussion is organized into six main parts. We begin by introducing the concept of “Sportland” to reimagine SDP as a strongly institutionalized field of development activity with its own stakeholder networks. Second, we outline the key aspects of prior SDP/Sportland research on which we seek to build. Third, we examine key changes in the political economy and geopolitics of development, which serve to point Sportland scholars toward engaging with fresh literatures in these fields. Fourth, we explore the implications of these changes to retheorize development. Fifth, we detail new ways ahead for Sportland with regard to policy, practice, and research, with particular reference to the position of different organizational stakeholders within SDP. Finally, we consider specific areas of future intervention and inquiry within Sportland that require the attention of researchers. Our analysis is underpinned by many research studies and projects in Sportland which we have undertaken separately or collectively over at least the last decade.
Experimental Animal Use in Turkey: A Comparison with Other Countries
Authors: Sinmez Cagri Caglar , Yasar Askin
Published: August 2019

The legal structure that governs animal use in Turkey is in line with that of the European Union (EU). In 2004, legislation on the use of animals for experimental and other scientific purposes was established in Turkey for the first time. The present study aimed to compare the data on experimental animal use in Turkey (during the period 2008–2017) with similar reports from selected countries (the United States, Australia, Canada and the EU). In Turkey, a total of 2,104,828 animals were used for experimental and other scientific purposes during 2008–2017. Of the animals used, 758,887 were fish (36%), 433,417 rats (21%), 302,512 birds other than quail (14%) and 285,531 mice (13%). According to a breakdown by purpose for use, in Turkey during 2009–2017, out of a total number of 1,955,307 animals used, 56% were for fundamental biological studies, with a high proportion used for research on animal disease. Compared with the other countries, fewer animals were used in Turkey although the national trend seems to indicate that the number is fluctuating. Further studies are required to uncover the reasons behind this reduced animal use in Turkey, as compared to other countries.
Psychometric properties of the Community Integration Questionnaire: a systematic review of five populations
Authors: Turcotte Samuel , Beaudoin Maude , Vallée Catherine , Vincent Claude , Routhier François
Published: August 2019

Objectives:

This systematic review documents the content and the quality of the psychometric evidence concerning the utilization of the Community Integration Questionnaire for individuals living with a disability other than a traumatic brain injury.

Data sources:

Medline, Embase, CINAHL, OTseeker and PsycINFO (searched from inception to June 2019).

Review methods:

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used for conducting and reporting this review. Studies that investigated at least one psychometric property of the Community Integration Questionnaire for individuals living with a disability other than traumatic brain injury were included. Data extraction and critical methodological appraisal of the articles (MacDermid checklist, COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist) were independently performed and validated by the first two authors.

Results:

Ten studies representing 3000 individuals met the inclusion criteria. Five populations were documented. There are positive and trustable data regarding internal consistency for adults living with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or burns and in mixed samples ( α = 0.71–0.84). Construct validity is fairly documented for adults living with multiple sclerosis or aphasia and in mixed samples. Test–retest reliably is acceptable for adults living with multiple sclerosis (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.91–0.97) as well as responsiveness (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.81). Other psychometric properties could not be demonstrated sufficiently solid.

Conclusion:

Many psychometric properties of the Community Integration Questionnaire are still poorly evaluated for adults living with a disability other than a traumatic brain injury. However, promising data have been documented in each population included in this review.
Calibrated fMRI for dynamic mapping of CMRO2 responses using MR-based measurements of whole-brain venous oxygen saturation
Authors: Englund Erin K , Fernández-Seara Maria A , Rodríguez-Soto Ana E , Lee Hyunyeol , Rodgers Zachary B , Vidorreta Marta , Detre John A , Wehrli Felix W
Published: August 2019

Functional MRI (fMRI) can identify active foci in response to stimuli through BOLD signal fluctuations, which represent a complex interplay between blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) changes. Calibrated fMRI can disentangle the underlying contributions, allowing quantification of the CMRO2 response. Here, whole-brain venous oxygen saturation ( Y v) was computed alongside ASL-measured CBF and BOLD-weighted data to derive the calibration constant, M, using the proposed Y v-based calibration. Data were collected from 10 subjects at 3T with a three-part interleaved sequence comprising background-suppressed 3D-pCASL, 2D BOLD-weighted, and single-slice dual-echo GRE (to measure Y v via susceptometry-based oximetry) acquisitions while subjects breathed normocapnic/normoxic, hyperoxic, and hypercapnic gases, and during a motor task. M was computed via Y v-based calibration from both hypercapnia and hyperoxia stimulus data, and results were compared to conventional hypercapnia or hyperoxia calibration methods. Mean M in gray matter did not significantly differ between calibration methods, ranging from 8.5 ± 2.8% (conventional hyperoxia calibration) to 11.7 ± 4.5% (Yv-based calibration in response to hyperoxia), with hypercapnia-based M values between ( p = 0.56). Relative CMRO2 changes from finger tapping were computed from each M map. CMRO2 increased by ∼20% in the motor cortex, and good agreement was observed between the conventional and proposed calibration methods.