bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Geochemical and chemometric analysis of soils from a data scarce river catchment in West Africa
Authors: Bam Edward K P , Akumah Asiwome M , Bansah Samuel 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Metal levels beyond stipulated thresholds are a considerable concern for environmental pollution regulators and public health administrators around the globe. Data is, however, lacking in most regions especially developing countries for practical policy decision making and management. In this study, we obtain 49 high-resolution soil cores from three vertical profiles in the Densu River Basin of Ghana and measured the concentrations of major and trace metals (Ca, K, Fe, Ti, Cr, Cu, V, Ni, and Zn). The aim was to examine and provide data on metal levels to serve as baseline information on mobilization studies for waste management. Geochemical methods for estimation of metal enrichment and accumulation were employed to determine enrichment and pollution, sources, and mobilization of the metals. Hierichical cluster and principal components analyses were used to examine metal associations and the effects soil physicochemical properties on the metals. The results show spatial variations in metal concentrations within and between individual soil profiles and are attributed to variability in soil formation processes and the locations where samples were collected, respectively. Moderate to high enrichment factors (EF) and geo-accumulation (Igeo) indices were observed for Vanadium (V) and Chromium (Cr) in all soil profiles indicating some level of anthropogenic interference leading to pollution possibly from vehicular and agricultural inputs. The Pourbaix diagrams, however, show that the Cr and V abundances may be natural. Our analysis also show that most of the metals investigated are of natural (i.e., geologic) origin but further investigations are recommended. The combination of field observations and established methods such as geochemical and statistical analyses have aided in extracting beneficial information from the small sample size.
Museumizing Slavery: Living History in Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
Authors: Dubey Madhu 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis essay examines Colson Whitehead’s novel in relation to the museumizing of slavery that has gained momentum since the 1990s, focusing in particular on the Living History exhibition practice in which the Underground Railroad has played a vital part. Taking as my point of departure Whitehead’s signature move of building narrative worlds based on the logic of literalizing metaphor, I argue that his literal rendering of the Underground Railroad casts the novel as a grotesque tour of the US racial history. Structured as a train ride that transports readers to different historical sites, the novel at once stages and travesties the Living History practice of materializing the past in all its concrete particularity. I argue that Whitehead’s literalizing move also deviates from earlier literary efforts to stage a visceral, affective confrontation with the history of slavery. Responding to the heightened visibility rather than the absence of slavery from public memory, the novel casts into bold relief the historical frameworks (of American freedom stories and up-from-slavery narratives of racial advancement), pedagogical aims (of racial reconciliation and pluralist inclusion), and aesthetic strategies (of affective identification and cathartic confrontation) at play in current commemorations and exhibitions of slavery.
Supero-Septum Pedicle Mammaplasty: A New Modification for Reduction Mammaplasty
Authors: Hesamirostami Mohammadhossein , Sarparast Leila , Bateni Hamed , Kazemi Ashtiani Abbas 
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Background
Many techniques have been introduced for reduction mammaplasty and are utilized in diverse frequencies by different surgeons according to patient needs. Each technique is evaluated based on the aesthetic result, longevity, complication rate, and preservation of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) sensation.

Objectives
The authors sought to introduce the new modified technique of supero-septum pedicle mammaplasty (SSPM) that utilizes both the septum and superior pedicle and is suitable for macromastia and gigantomastia cases.

Methods
Between 2015 and 2018, 60 women who underwent SSPM were evaluated in a prospective study after undergoing superior pedicle deepithelialization and resection of the inferior, lateral, and medial segments. In the lateral pillar, a tongue of tissue was preserved for fixation to the medial pectoral fascia through a window created in the superior pedicle at the third intercostal space. Finally, septum pedicle was sutured to the fascia and muscle at the upper border of the sixth rib somewhat medially. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 13 months.

Results
The mean nipple-to-sternal notch (N-SN) distance was 33.05 cm, and the mean NAC elevation was 10.92 cm. Breast reductions varied from 270 to 2800 g per breast. Complications included wound dehiscence (5%), wound infection (2.5%), and partial NAC necrosis (2.5%). At 6 months postoperation, the NAC sensation was significantly better compared with preoperative values (P &lt; 0.005).

Conclusions
SSPM is a relatively safe method of reduction mammaplasty, even for very large breasts, that leads to good aesthetic form along with preserving circulation and sensation of the NAC.

Level of Evidence: 4
The specialization–generalization continuum in oil-bee pollination systems: a case study of six Brazilian species of Tigridieae (Iridaceae)
Authors: Oleques Suiane Santos , Radaeski Jefferson Nunes , Bauerman Soraia , Chauveau Olivier , de Souza-Chies Tatiana Teixeira 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSeveral South American species of Iridaceae, especially those of Tigridieae, produce floral oils as rewards to oil-bee pollinators. The present study aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the reproductive biology, pollination ecology and level of specialization of the interactions of species encompassed in Tigridieae. Data on breeding and pollination systems were acquired from six species native to Southern Brazil. The visitation frequency and pollen load of pollen- and oil-collecting bees were also investigated. The results strongly suggest that the studied species are distributed along a specialization–generalization continuum. Three oil-producing taxa, Cypella herbertii, Cypella pusilla and Cypella amplimaculata, were pollinated effectively by oil-bees, whereas in the other two studied species, Kelissa brasiliensis and Herbertia pulchella, the oil-bees appeared to function as oil thieves, owing to failure to contact the plant reproductive parts during oil-foraging behaviour. New insights into aspects of the specialization–generalization continuum of pollination systems, differences in pollinator behaviour during oil and pollen foraging, and reproductive outputs of the studied species are provided. Taken together, our results provide a significant contribution towards a better understanding of reproductive biology and plant–pollinator interactions between Iridaceae and oil-collecting bees.
Altered Gut Microbiota and Host Metabolite Profiles in Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Wang Zheng , Usyk Mykhaylo , Sollecito Christopher C , Qiu Yunping , Williams-Nguyen Jessica , Hua Simin , Gradissimo Ana , Wang Tao , Xue Xiaonan , Kurland Irwin J , Ley Klaus , Landay Alan L , Anastos Kathryn , Knight Rob , Kaplan Robert C , Burk Robert D , Qi Qibin 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundAlterations in gut microbiota (GMB) and host metabolites have been noted in individuals with HIV. However, it remains unclear whether alterations in GMB and related functional groups contribute to disrupted host metabolite profiles in these individuals.MethodsThis study included 185 women (128 with longstanding HIV infection, 88% under antiretroviral therapy; and 57 women without HIV from the same geographic location with comparable characteristics). Stool samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA V4 region sequencing, and GMB function was inferred by PICRUSt. Plasma metabolomic profiling was performed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, and 133 metabolites (amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, and lipids) were analyzed.ResultsFour predominant bacterial genera were identified as associated with HIV infection, with higher abundances of Ruminococcus and Oscillospira and lower abundances of Bifidobacterium and Collinsella in women with HIV than in those without. Women with HIV showed a distinct plasma metabolite profile, which featured elevated glycerophospholipid levels compared with those without HIV. Functional analyses also indicated that GMB lipid metabolism was enriched in women with HIV. Ruminococcus and Oscillospira were among the top bacterial genera contributing to the GMB glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway and showed positive correlations with host plasma glycerophospholipid levels. One bacterial functional capacity in the acetate and propionate biosynthesis pathway was identified to be mainly contributed by Bifidobacterium; this functional capacity was lower in women with HIV than in women without HIV.ConclusionsOur integrative analyses identified altered GMB with related functional capacities that might be associated with disrupted plasma metabolite profiles in women with HIV.
Direct-acting antiviral therapy improves kidney survival in hepatitis C virus-associated cryoglobulinaemia: the RENALCRYOGLOBULINEMIC study
Authors: Pérez de José Ana , Carbayo Javier , Pocurull Anna , Bada-Bosch Teresa , Cases Corona Clara Maria , Shabaka Amir , Ramos Terrada Natàlia , Martinez Valenzuela Laura , Huerta Ana , Fernandez Lorente Loreto , Malek-Marín Tamara Gelen , Goicoechea Marian 
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Background
Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have shown high rates of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the influence of DAAs on the course of kidney involvement in HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinaemia (HCV-MC) has been little studied. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of antiviral treatment on kidney prognosis and evolution in patients diagnosed with HCV-MC.

Methods
The RENALCRYOGLOBULINEMIC study is an observational multicentre cohort study of 139 patients with HCV-MC from 14 Spanish centres. Clinical and laboratory parameters were measured before and after antiviral treatment. Primary endpoints were kidney survival and mortality after HCV-MC diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were clinical, immunological and virological responses after antiviral treatment.

Results
Patients were divided into three groups based on the treatment received: treatment with DAAs (n = 100) treatment with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) (n = 24) and no treatment (n = 15). Patients were followed up for a median duration of 138 months (interquartile range 70–251. DAA treatment reduced overall mortality {hazard ratio [HR] 0.12 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04–0.40]; P &lt; 0.001} and improved kidney survival [HR 0.10 ( 95% CI 0.04–0.33); P &lt; 0.001].

Conclusions
Results from the RENALCRYOGLOBULINEMIC study indicated that DAA treatment in patients with HCV-MC improves kidney survival and reduces mortality.
An Adaptively Secure Functional Encryption for Randomized Functions
Authors: Liu Muhua , Zhang Ping 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Functional encryption (FE) can provide a fine-grained access control on the encrypted message. Therefore, it has been applied widely in security business. The previous works about functional encryptions most focused on the deterministic functions. The randomized algorithm has wide application, such as securely encryption algorithms against chosen ciphertext attack, privacy-aware auditing. Based on this, FE for randomized functions was proposed. The existing constructions are provided in a weaker selective security model, where the adversary is forced to output the challenge message before the start of experiment. This security is not enough in some scenes. In this work, we present a novel construction for FE, which supports the randomized functionalities. We use the technology of key encapsulated mechanism to achieve adaptive security under the simulated environment, where the adversary is allowed to adaptively choose the challenge message at any point in time. Our construction is built based on indistinguishability obfuscation, non-interactive witness indistinguishable proofs and perfectly binding commitment scheme.
SIFT-Based Visual Tracking using Optical Flow and Belief Propagation Algorithm
Authors: Biswas Biswajit , Kr Ghosh Swarup , Hore Moumita , Ghosh Anupam 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Perceptible visual tracking acts as an important module for distinct perception tasks of autonomous robots. Better features help in easier decision-making process. The evaluation of tracking objects, dynamic positions and their visual information in results are quite difficult tasks. Until now, most real-time visual tracking algorithms suffer from poor robustness and low occurrence as they deal with complex real-world data. In this paper, we have proposed more robust and faster visual tracking framework using scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) and the optical flow in belief propagation (BF) algorithm for efficient processing in real scenarios. Here, a new feature-based optical flow along with BF algorithm is utilized to compute the affine matrix of a regional center on SIFT key points in frames. Experimental results depict that the proposed approach is more efficient and more robust in comparison with the state-of-the-art tracking algorithms with more complex scenarios.
Case report: recurrent biventricular Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a middle-aged man with fatal outcome after full recovery
Authors: Luo Elton Lian Chen , Kardos Attila 
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Background
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) usually manifests as transient apical ballooning of the left ventricle and may mimic acute coronary syndrome. Concomitant right ventricle involvement may occur in about a third of the cases. Recurrence had been observed in up to 10% of TC with variable ventricular involvement. Despite this knowledge, there had been no report of a patient with multiple biventricular TC in the literature to date. In this study, we describe a rare case of a patient who presented twice with biventricular TC.

Case summary
A 52-year-old man with a previous episode of biventricular TC 5 months ago presented to our hospital with a 1 day history of shortness of breath and wheeze. He was treated initially for infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive airway disease. He was eventually intubated following a trial of non-invasive ventilation. He became hypotensive post-intubation and required intensive care support. An inpatient echocardiogram revealed biventricular apical ballooning. Invasive coronary angiogram showed no coronary artery disease. A repeat echocardiogram 14 days post-admission demonstrated full recovery of both ventricles. These findings were consistent with a second biventricular TC. Two months later, he was found deceased in the community seemingly from an unrelated cause.

Discussion
This case describes a middle-aged gentleman who suffered recurrent biventricular TC with no consistent triggers and an unrelated fatal sequel. None of these features were typical, and to our best knowledge had not been reported before. We hypothesize that his recurrent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and various substance misuse might have predisposed him to this unusual presentation.
Health literacy of commercial industry managers: an exploratory qualitative study in Germany
Authors: Pfaff H , Fiedler S 
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Background
Managers have been neglected in health literacy research. There still is little known about the health literacy status and needs of commercial industry managers. This study reduces the existing knowledge gap by presenting findings of an exploratory qualitative study.

Methods
We conducted 23 separate semi-structured interviews of managers from all management levels (low, middle and top) and experts in the field of health management and/or personnel management. The qualitative interviews were analysed according to Mayring’s content analytic approach using MAXQDA.

Results
The findings indicate that managers do have considerable information levels about existing health topics and relevant problems but have difficulties of discernment as to which sources of information can be activated or accessed in a timely fashion due to work and information overload. Even those who devise strategies often fail in implementing health-literate behavior. Experts and managers had fairly consistent views on the importance of health literacy among managers. Most agreed that mental health was neglected and that company conditions were important in influencing the ability to act in a way that promoted health literacy. The findings also show that strengthening of managerial self-perception, self-regulation and self-control, raising awareness and ability to take personal responsibility for one’s own health, developing skills in handling large amounts of information and fostering open and trusting communication are all essential.

Conclusions
The findings provide specific points which are important for promoting health literacy among managers. The study underscores the need to incorporate and integrate different perspectives in the implementation of health literacy interventions. To develop health-promoting companies, further research has to provide guides to action for managers and investigate ways in which health literacy can be promoted among managers on all hierarchical levels.

Key messages
Industry managers in this study agreed that their mental health has been neglected and company conditions were important in influencing the ability to act in a way that promoted health literacy. This study reduces the knowledge gap about the health literacy of managers. Further research should focus on promoting mental health and providing guides to action for managers and companies.
Evidence of metamaterial physics at the geophysics scale: the METAFORET experiment
Authors: Lott Martin , Roux Philippe , Garambois Stéphane , Guéguen Philippe , Colombi Andrea 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
The METAFORET experiment was designed to demonstrate that complex wave physics phenomena classically observed at the meso- and micro-scales in acoustics and in optics also apply at the geophysics scale. In particular, the experiment shows that a dense forest of trees can behave as a locally resonant metamaterial for seismic surface waves. The dense arrangement of trees anchored into the ground creates anomalous dispersion curves for surface waves, which highlight a large frequency band-gap around one resonant frequency of the trees, at ∼45 Hz. This demonstration is carried out through the deployment of a dense seismic array of ∼1000 autonomous geophones providing seismic recordings under vibrating source excitation at the transition between an open field and a forest. Additional geophysical equipment was deployed (e.g. ground-penetrating radar, velocimeters on trees) to provide essential complementary measurements. Insights and interpretations on the observed seismic wavefield, including the attenuation length, the intensity ratio between the field and the forest and the surface wave polarization, are validated with 2D numerical simulations of trees over a layered halfspace.
The crowded space of local accountability for maternal, newborn and child health: a case study of the South African health system
Authors: Mukinda Fidele Kanyimbu , Van Belle Sara , George Asha , Schneider Helen 
Published: November 2019

AbstractGlobal and national accountability for maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is increasingly invoked as central to addressing preventable mortality and morbidity. Strategies of accountability for MNCH include policy and budget tracking, maternal and perinatal death surveillance, performance targets and various forms of social accountability. However, little is known about how the growing number of accountability strategies for MNCH is received by frontline actors, and how they are integrated into the overall functioning of local health systems. We conducted a case study of mechanisms of local accountability for MNCH in South Africa, involving a document review of national policies, programme reports, and other literature directly or indirectly related to MNCH, and in-depth research in one district. The latter included observations of accountability practices (e.g. through routine meetings) and in-depth interviews with 37 purposely selected health managers and frontline health workers involved in MNCH. Data collection and analysis were guided by a framework that defined accountability as answerability and action (both individual and collective), addressing performance, financial and public accountability, and involving both formal and informal processes. Nineteen individual accountability mechanisms were identified, 10 directly and 9 indirectly related to MNCH, most of which addressed performance accountability. Frontline managers and providers at local level are targeted by a web of multiple, formal accountability mechanisms, which are sometimes synergistic but often duplicative, together giving rise to local contexts of ‘accountability overloads’. These result in a tendency towards bureaucratic compliance, demotivation, reduced efficiency and effectiveness, and limited space for innovation. The functioning of formal accountability mechanisms is shaped by local cultures and relationships, creating an accountability ecosystem involving multiple actors and roles. There is a need to streamline formal accountability mechanisms and consider the kinds of actions that build positive cultures of local accountability.
Leveraging scientific uncertainty in fisheries management for estimating among-assessment variation in overfishing limits
Authors: Privitera-Johnson Kristin M , Punt André E 
Published: November 2019

AbstractFisheries management systems can utilize probability-based harvest control rules to incorporate scientific uncertainty and manager risk tolerance when setting catch limits. A precautionary buffer that scales with scientific uncertainty is used to calculate the acceptable biological catch from the overfishing limit (OFL) for US West Coast groundfish and coastal pelagic species. A previous analysis formed the basis for estimating scientific uncertainty as the among-assessment variation in estimates of historical spawning biomass time-series. This “historical biomass” approach may underestimate scientific uncertainty, because the OFL is a function of estimated exploitable biomass and fishing mortality. We developed a new approach that bases the calculation of scientific uncertainty on projected spawning biomass (SSB) and OFLs, accounting for uncertainty in recruitment and among-assessment variation. OFL projections yielded a higher estimate of uncertainty than SSB (0.502 vs. 0.413 for 25-year projections and 0.562 vs. 0.384 for a 1-year projection, assuming a deterministic stock-recruitment relationship). Assuming a stochastic stock-recruitment relationship produced smaller estimates of uncertainty (0.436, 25-year OFL projections; 0.452, 1-year OFL projections; 0.360, 25-year SSB projections; 0.318, 1-year SSB projections). The projection-based approach presented herein is applicable across stocks and regions that conduct assessments with sufficient and consistent outputs for calculating an OFL.