bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Covariance Matrix Estimation under Total Positivity for Portfolio Selection
Authors: Agrawal Raj , Roy Uma , Uhler Caroline 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Selecting the optimal Markowitz portfolio depends on estimating the covariance matrix of the returns of N assets from T periods of historical data. Problematically, N is typically of the same order as T, which makes the sample covariance matrix estimator perform poorly, both empirically and theoretically. While various other general-purpose covariance matrix estimators have been introduced in the financial economics and statistics literature for dealing with the high dimensionality of this problem, we here propose an estimator that exploits the fact that assets are typically positively dependent. This is achieved by imposing that the joint distribution of returns be multivariate totally positive of order 2 (MTP2). This constraint on the covariance matrix not only enforces positive dependence among the assets but also regularizes the covariance matrix, leading to desirable statistical properties such as sparsity. Based on stock market data spanning 30 years, we show that estimating the covariance matrix under MTP2 outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods including shrinkage estimators and factor models.
Yoga for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bao Ting , Zhi Iris , Baser Raymond , Hooper Madeline , Chen Connie , Piulson Lauren , Li Qing S , Galantino Mary Lou , Blinder Victoria , Robson Mark , Seidman Andrew , Panageas Katherine S , Mao Jun J 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Background
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, debilitating side effect that worsens quality of life and increases the risk of falls in cancer survivors. Evidence of yoga’s safety and efficacy in treating CIPN is lacking.

Methods
In a randomized controlled study, we assigned breast and gynecological cancer survivors with persistent moderate-to-severe CIPN pain, numbness, or tingling with a score of 4 or greater (0-10 numeric rating scale [NRS]) for at least 3 months after chemotherapy to 8 weeks of usual care or yoga focused on breathwork and musculoskeletal conditioning. Primary endpoint was treatment arm differences for NRS, and secondary endpoints were Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity subscale (FACT/GOG-Ntx), and Functional Reach Test after week 8. We tested treatment arm differences for each outcome measure using linear mixed models with treatment-by-time interactions. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results
We randomly assigned 41 participants into yoga (n = 21) or usual care (n = 20). At week 8, mean NRS pain decreased by 1.95 points (95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.20 to -0.70) in yoga vs 0.65 (95% CI = -1.81 to 0.51) in usual care (P = .14). FACT/GOG-Ntx improved by 4.25 (95% CI = 2.29 to 6.20) in yoga vs 1.36 (95% CI = -0.47 to 3.19) in usual care (P = .035). Functional reach, an objective functional measure predicting the risk of falls, improved by 7.14 cm (95% CI = 3.68 to 10.59) in yoga and decreased by 1.65 cm (95% CI = -5.00 to 1.72) in usual care (P = .001). Four grade 1 adverse events were observed in the yoga arm.

Conclusion
Among breast and gynecological cancer survivors with moderate-to-severe CIPN, yoga was safe and showed promising efficacy in improving CIPN symptoms.
Keeping with the Times, Revisiting the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration
Authors: Dunna Gracious Timothy 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
From the original 1985 version to its amended 2006 version, and from the year-2006 to the present, critical remarks on the Model Law have never taken a pause. It is a constant subject of evaluation and evolution that reflects in the interpretations of national courts of various jurisdictions, which often reveal challenging flaws in the outworking of the Model Law. This article delves into such lurking challenges that leave a pervasive effect on Model Law’s outworking and are yet not very conspicuous.
An Event Study Analysis of the Impacts of the European Interchange Fee Regulation*
Authors: Veljan Alen , Roaidi Ali 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
One of the key success factors of the regulatory involvement by the European Commission (EC) in card payment markets across Europe is the reduction of merchant service charges for retailers and final prices for goods and services for consumers. In light of the EC’s scheduled review of the impacts of the policy intervention, this paper evaluates the usability of the event study analysis to determine the impacts of the interchange fee regulation. Findings show that 1 April 2009 is the single, statistically significant date in relation to the regulation. Contrary to common rationale, positive excess returns are recorded for issuers (9 percent-pts), pure issuers (9 percent-pts), and merchants (4.8 percent-pts), primarily driven by previous uncertainty of investors around a potential ban on interchange fees. As a consequence, total market capitalization for the retail industry increased by 11.2 billion Euro. This results in a partial pass-through rate of 46 percent from acquirers to merchants. The event study is deemed a suitable methodology to complement existing research techniques in this field. To determine ultimate pass-through to consumers, further investigation on the prevalent manifestation of issuer–acquirers needs to be conducted.
Low Yield of Hepatitis C Infection in an Outreach Screening Program in Harris County, Texas
Authors: Kim Hyun-seok , Guerrero Rosalia , Reader Shane W , Daheri Maria , Balakrishnan Maya , Troisi Catherine L , El-Serag Hashem B , Thrift Aaron P 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
A community outreach hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection screening program provided low yield of detecting HCV-infected patients, linking them to our hepatology clinic for treatment. Our data underscore that most of the yield was related to addiction centers and birth cohort; these groups should be targeted by future interventions.
Emergent Resistance to Dolutegravir Among INSTI-Naïve Patients on First-line or Second-line Antiretroviral Therapy: A Review of Published Cases
Authors: Cevik Muge , Orkin Chloe , Sax Paul E 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
None of the licensing studies of dolutegravir (DTG) reported any treatment-emergent resistance among DTG-treated individuals, though virological failure in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced, integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)–naïve individuals has been reported in clinical practice. While the spectrum of dolutegravir-selected mutations and their effects on clinical outcome have been described, the clinical characteristics of these rare but important virological failure cases are often overlooked. In this perspective piece, we focus on key clinical aspects of emergent resistance to DTG among treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced INSTI-naïve patients, with an aim to inform clinical decision-making. Poor adherence and HIV disease factors contribute to emergent drug resistance, even in regimens with high resistance barriers. Patients with severe immunosuppression or poor adherence are under-represented in licensing studies, and these patients may be at higher risk of treatment failure with DTG resistance, which requires close clinical and laboratory follow-up.
Adaptive targeted infectious disease testing
Authors: Kasy Maximilian , Teytelboym Alexander 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
We show how to efficiently use costly testing resources in an epidemic, when testing outcomes can be used to make quarantine decisions. If the costs of false quarantine and false release exceed the cost of testing, the optimal myopic testing policy targets individuals with an intermediate likelihood of being infected. A high cost of false release means that testing is optimal for individuals with a low probability of infection, and a high cost of false quarantine means that testing is optimal for individuals with a high probability of infection. If individuals arrive over time, the policy-maker faces a dynamic trade-off: using tests for individuals for whom testing yields the maximum immediate benefit vs spreading out testing capacity across the population to learn prevalence rates thereby benefiting later individuals. We describe a simple policy that is nearly optimal from a dynamic perspective. We briefly discuss practical aspects of implementing our proposed policy, including imperfect testing technology, appropriate choice of prior, and non-stationarity of the prevalence rate.
Predicting survival and longevity of sows using purebred and crossbred data1
Authors: Iversen Maja W , Nordbø Øyvind , Gjerlaug-Enger Eli , Grindflek Eli , Meuwissen Theodorus H E 
Published: June 2020

AbstractSurvival and longevity are very important traits in pig breeding. From an economic standpoint, it is favorable to keep the sows for another parity instead of replacing them and, from the animal’s perspective, better welfare is achieved if they do not experience health problems. It is challenging to record longevity in purebred (PB) nucleus herds because animals are more likely to be replaced based on breeding value and high replacement rates rather than inability to produce. Crossbred (CB) sows are, however, submitted to lower replacement rates and are more likely to be kept in the farm longer if they can produce large and robust litters. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of CB phenotypes could improve prediction accuracy of longevity for PBs. In addition, a new definition of survival was investigated. The analyzed data included phenotypes from two PB dam lines and their F1 cross. Three traits were evaluated: 1) whether or not the sow got inseminated for a second litter within 85 d of first farrowing (Longevity 1–2), 2) how many litters the sow can produce within 570 d of first farrowing [Longevity 1–5 (LGY15)], and 3) a repeatability trait that indicates whether or not the sow survived until the next parity (Survival). Traits were evaluated both as the same across breeds and as different between breeds. Results indicated that longevity is not the same trait in PB and CB animals (low genetic correlation). In addition, there were differences between the two PB lines in terms of which trait definition gave the greatest prediction accuracy. The repeatability trait (Survival) gave the greatest prediction accuracy for breed B, but LGY15 gave the greatest prediction accuracy for breed A. Prediction accuracy for CBs was generally poor. The Survival trait is recorded earlier in life than LGY15 and seemed to give a greater prediction accuracy for young animals than LGY15 (until own phenotype was available). Thus, for selection of young animals for breeding, Survival would be the preferred trait definition. In addition, results indicated that lots of data were needed to get accurate estimates of breeding values and that, if CB performance is the breeding goal, CB phenotypes should be used in the genetic evaluation.
Single-cell RNA-seq Analysis Reveals That Prenatal Arsenic Exposure Results in Long-term, Adverse Effects on Immune Gene Expression in Response to Influenza A Infection
Authors: Hsu Kevin S , Goodale Britton C , Ely Kenneth H , Hampton Thomas H , Stanton Bruce A , Enelow Richard I 
Published: June 2020

AbstractArsenic exposure via drinking water is a serious environmental health concern. Epidemiological studies suggest a strong association between prenatal arsenic exposure and subsequent childhood respiratory infections, as well as morbidity from respiratory diseases in adulthood, long after systemic clearance of arsenic. We investigated the impact of exclusive prenatal arsenic exposure on the inflammatory immune response and respiratory health after an adult influenza A virus (IAV) lung infection. C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 100 ppb sodium arsenite in utero, and subsequently infected with IAV (H1N1) after maturation to adulthood. Assessment of lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at various time points post-IAV infection reveals greater lung damage and inflammation in arsenic-exposed mice versus control mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of immune cells harvested from IAV-infected lungs suggests that the enhanced inflammatory response is mediated by dysregulation of innate immune function of monocyte-derived macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and alveolar macrophages. Our results suggest that prenatal arsenic exposure results in lasting effects on the adult host innate immune response to IAV infection, long after exposure to arsenic, leading to greater immunopathology. This study provides the first direct evidence that exclusive prenatal exposure to arsenic in drinking water causes predisposition to a hyperinflammatory response to IAV infection in adult mice, which is associated with significant lung damage.
The Relationship Between Internal and External Dose: Some General Results Based on a Generic Compartmental Model
Authors: Slob Wout , Zeilmaker Marco J , Hoogenveen Rudolf T 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Statements on how the internal-to-external-dose (IED) relationship looks like are often based on qualitative toxicokinetic arguments. For example, the recently proposed kinetically derived maximum dose (KMD) states that the IED relationship must have an inflection point, due to saturation of underlying processes like metabolism or absorption. However, such statements lack a solid quantitative foundation. Therefore, we derived expressions for the IED relationship for a number of scenarios based on a generic compartmental model involving saturation. The scenarios included repeated or single dose, and saturable metabolism or saturable absorption. For some of these scenarios, an explicit expression for the IED relationship can be derived, for others only implicit expressions can be established, which need to be evaluated numerically. The results show that saturable processes will lead to an IED relationship that is nonlinear over the whole dose range, ie, it can be approximated by a linear relationship at the lower end, whereas the approximation will become gradually poorer with increasing doses. The finding that saturation does not lead to an inflection point in the IED relationship, as assumed in the KMD, implies that the KMD is not a valid approach for selecting the top dose in toxicological studies. An additional use of our results is that the derived explicit expressions of the IED relationship can be fitted to IED data, and, possibly, for extrapolation outside the observed dose range.
Parvovirus Infection in a Child Presenting with Erythema Multiforme and Vasculitis after a Yellow Jacket Bee Sting
Authors: Can Ceren , Yazicioglu Mehtap , Gokalp Selman , Ozkayin Nese 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Parvovirus B19 has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Erythema multiforme and vasculitis are rarely reported with parvovirus B19 infections. Reactions to insect stings can range from local swelling to life-threatening systemic reactions. There have been rare reports of unusual reactions, such as vasculitis, occurring in a temporal relationship with insect stings. We report an 8-year-old patient having Parvovirus B-19-related erythema multiforme and vasculitis after a yellow jacket bee sting.
Maternal and Neonatal Complications of Fetal Macrosomia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Beta J. , Khan N. , Khalil A. , Fiolna M. , Ramadan G. , Akolekar R. 
Published: June 2020

(Abstracted from Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2019;54:308–318)
Pregnancy involving fetal macrosomia (defined as birth weight >4000 g) has been associated with significant adverse outcomes to both mother and child. However, accurate estimates of these risks in the literature are limited, and guidelines are lacking from professional bodies.
Long-term Risk of Reoperation After Synthetic Mesh Midurethral Sling Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Berger Alexander A. , Tan-Kim Jasmine , Menefee Shawn A. 
Published: June 2020

(Abstracted from Obstet Gynecol 2019;134:1047–1055)
One in 3 women is affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in their lifetimes. The criterion standard for treating SUI is considered to be the midurethral sling.
Endometrial Microbiota in Infertile Women With and Without Chronic Endometritis as Diagnosed Using a Quantitative and Reference Range-Based Method
Authors: Liu Yingyu , Yee-Ling Ko Elaine , Ka-Wing Wong Karen , Chen Xiaoyan , Cheung Wing-Ching , Sze-Man Law Tracy , Pui-Wah Chung Jacqueline , Kwok-Wing Tsui Stephen , Li Tin-Chiu , Siu-Chung Chim Stephen 
Published: June 2020

(Abstracted from Fertil Steril 2019;112:707–717)
Chronic endometriosis (CE), a state of chronic inflammation in the endometrial lining, has been associated with reproductive failure and is diagnosed based on the presence of CD138+ plasma cells. There is wide variance in CE among infertile women (ranging from 2.8% to 57%) and a lack of consensus on the diagnostic criteria.
Fracture characteristics predict suboptimal alignment in preschool femoral shaft fractures treated with spica casting: a retrospective chart review
Authors: Misaghi Amir , Mahmoud Mahmoud A. H. , Arkader Alexandre , Baldwin Keith D. 
Published: June 2020

Background:
The authors aimed to identify the incidence of suboptimal alignment in preschool-aged children with diaphyseal femoral fractures treated with closed reduction and spica casting. We also sought to identify possible risk factors leading to suboptimal final alignment and the number of children initially treated by spica casting who needed revision surgery.

Methods:
This study retrospectively reviewed 132 cases of pediatric (age 3 to 6 yr) femoral shaft fractures treated with closed reduction and spica casting between January 2005 and October 2016. We evaluated whether age, weight, sex, mechanism of injury, fracture pattern, location, shortening, and angulation led to either acceptable or suboptimal fracture alignment at final radiographic follow-up.

Results:
Eighty-five patients (64.4%) healed in acceptable alignment, and 47 (35.6%) healed in unacceptable alignment. Higher energy injury patterns (transverse and comminuted) were more likely to result in suboptimal alignment at healing than lower energy patterns (oblique and spiral) (P=0.049). Proximal fractures trended towards more unfavorable results than other sites (P=0.068). Three independent risk factors for suboptimal alignment were identified including higher energy injury, initial coronal angulation greater than 8 degrees, and proximal fracture location. We determined a 99% chance of unacceptable alignment with three risk factors. We had a 9.8% (13 of 132 patients) return to operating room rate including 11patients for loss of reduction and two for cast soiling.

Conclusions:
Certain preschool-aged children with femoral fractures are at higher risk for suboptimal alignment after spica cast treatment. In higher risk cases, it may be reasonable to consider operative intervention and early mobilization instead of closed reduction and spica casting.

Level of Evidence:
Level IV.
Characterizing the role of intersecting stigmas and sustained inequities in driving HIV syndemics across low-to-middle-income settings
Authors: Viswasam Nikita , Schwartz Sheree , Baral Stefan 
Published: June 2020

Purpose of review
In 2020, key populations around the world still have disproportionate risks for HIV acquisition and experiencing HIV-related syndemics. This review presents current data around HIV-related syndemics among key populations globally, and on the role of intersecting stigmas in producing these syndemics in low-to-middle-income settings.

Recent findings
Sex workers, sexual and gender minorities, prisoners, and people who use drugs experience high burdens of tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, and violence linked to heightened HIV-related risks or acquisition. Adverse sexual, reproductive, and mental health outcomes are also common and similarly amplify HIV acquisition and transmission risks, highlighting the need for psychosocial and reproductive health services for key populations.

Summary
Achieving the promise of biomedical interventions to support HIV care and prevention requires action towards addressing syndemics of HIV, and the stigmas that reproduce them, among those most marginalized globally.
Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: an overview
Authors: Pérez-López Faustino R. , Pilz Stefan , Chedraui Peter 
Published: June 2020

Purpose of review
Examine recent evidence of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses regarding the effect of maternal vitamin D status and supplementation over obstetrical and offspring outcomes.

Recent findings
Maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin [25(OH)D] progressively declines during pregnancy because of fetal physiological demands and adjustments. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy in women with low vitamin D status may improve fetal growth and reduce the risks for small-for-gestational-age, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes. Mothers with sufficient vitamin D levels have offsprings with less enamel defects and less attention deficit and hyperactive disorders and autism. All pregnant women should be supplemented with 600 IU/day of vitamin D3. We discuss evidence indicating that higher vitamin D doses (1000–4000 IU/day) may be convenient to achieve better maternal and infant outcomes. Low maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy may be associated in infants with a higher risk for lower bone mineral content, enamel defects and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

Summary
Recent evidence from vitamin D intervention studies and meta-analyses of a large number of studies support vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy to improve maternal, fetal and, immediate and later offspring health.