bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shared socioeconomic pathways for climate change research in Finland: co-developing extended SSP narratives for agriculture
Authors: Lehtonen Heikki S. , Aakkula Jyrki , Fronzek Stefan , Helin Janne , Hildén Mikael , Huttunen Suvi , Kaljonen Minna , Niemi Jyrki , Palosuo Taru , Pirttioja Nina , Rikkonen Pasi , Varho Vilja , Carter Timothy R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractShared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), developed at global scale, comprise narrative descriptions and quantifications of future world developments that are intended for climate change scenario analysis. However, their extension to national and regional scales can be challenging. Here, we present SSP narratives co-developed with stakeholders for the agriculture and food sector in Finland. These are derived from intensive discussions at a workshop attended by approximately 39 participants offering a range of sectoral perspectives. Using general background descriptions of the SSPs for Europe, facilitated discussions were held in parallel for each of four SSPs reflecting very different contexts for the development of the sector up to 2050 and beyond. Discussions focused on five themes from the perspectives of consumers, producers and policy-makers, included a joint final session and allowed for post-workshop feedback. Results reflect careful sector-based, national-level interpretations of the global SSPs from which we have constructed consensus narratives. Our results also show important critical remarks and minority viewpoints. Interesting features of the Finnish narratives compared to the global SSP narratives include greater emphasis on environmental quality; significant land abandonment in SSPs with reduced livestock production and increased plant-based diets; continued need for some farm subsidies across all SSPs and opportunities for diversifying domestic production under scenarios of restricted trade. Our results can contribute to the development of more detailed national long-term scenarios for food and agriculture that are both relevant for local stakeholders and researchers as well as being consistent with global scenarios being applied internationally.
Deep Learning in Mining Biological Data
Authors: Mahmud Mufti , Kaiser M. Shamim , McGinnity T. Martin , Hussain Amir 
Published: January 2021

AbstractRecent technological advancements in data acquisition tools allowed life scientists to acquire multimodal data from different biological application domains. Categorized in three broad types (i.e. images, signals, and sequences), these data are huge in amount and complex in nature. Mining such enormous amount of data for pattern recognition is a big challenge and requires sophisticated data-intensive machine learning techniques. Artificial neural network-based learning systems are well known for their pattern recognition capabilities, and lately their deep architectures—known as deep learning (DL)—have been successfully applied to solve many complex pattern recognition problems. To investigate how DL—especially its different architectures—has contributed and been utilized in the mining of biological data pertaining to those three types, a meta-analysis has been performed and the resulting resources have been critically analysed. Focusing on the use of DL to analyse patterns in data from diverse biological domains, this work investigates different DL architectures’ applications to these data. This is followed by an exploration of available open access data sources pertaining to the three data types along with popular open-source DL tools applicable to these data. Also, comparative investigations of these tools from qualitative, quantitative, and benchmarking perspectives are provided. Finally, some open research challenges in using DL to mine biological data are outlined and a number of possible future perspectives are put forward.
Estimating the moments of a random forcing field of 2D fluid from image sequences using energy minimisation method
Authors: Pandey Vishal Kumar , Singh Jyotsna , Parthasarathy Harish 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we consider a version of energy minimisation technique applied to images of a 2D fluid flow. The two Navier–Stokes equations describe the static flow of a 2D fluid in terms of velocity field, (u, v), pressure field, p and forcing field, f. Apart from these two Navier–Stokes equations, we have the incompressibility condition to evaluate the three parameters. While implementing this system, random noise (usually non-Gaussian) creeps into the random force field $$\underline{f}(x,y)$$

f
̲

(
x
,
y
)

. We denote this random field by $$\delta \underline{f}(x,y)$$

δ

f
̲

(
x
,
y
)

having zero mean and non-trivial second and third moments. We assume that these two moments are known except for some unknown parameters $$\underline{\theta }$$

θ
̲

(like mean, variance, co-variance, skewness, etc.) which we wish to estimate. In the proposed technique, we first calculate the approximate shift in the average fluid energy defined as a quadratic function of the velocity field. The energy method then requires that $$\underline{\theta }$$

θ
̲

should be such that this average increases in the energy due to the random forcing component be minimised. We should, however, note that the standard statistical approach to force field estimation is to calculate the velocity field as a function of the force field and then adopt the statistical moment matching technique. Such an approach assumes spatial ergodicity of the velocity field. This approach to force field estimation is more accurate from the statistical moment matching view point but works only if velocity measurements are made. The former technique of energy minimisation does not require any velocity measurements. Both of these techniques are discussed in this paper and MATLAB simulations presented.
Fully Automated Integrated Segmentation of Carotid Artery Ultrasound Images Using DBSCAN and Affinity Propagation
Authors: Latha S. , Samiappan Dhanalakshmi , Muthu P. , Kumar R. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Purpose
B-mode ultrasound images are used in identifying the presence of fat deposit if any in carotid artery. The intima media, lumen, bifurcation boundary is detected by the echogenic characteristics embedded in the carotid artery.

Methods
A fully automatic self-learning based segmentation is proposed by extracting the edges by a modified affinity propagation, which are given as inputs to the Density Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) for super pixel segmentation. The segmented results are analyzed with Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) snake model and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) clustering based segmentation using various performance measures.

Results
The proposed parameter free, fully automatic segmentation method combining Affinity propagation and DBSCAN are evaluated for a database of 361 images and gives reinforced results in the longitudinal B-mode ultrasound images. The proposed approach gives an improved accuracy of 12% increase when compared with the manual segmentation and 15% compared with segmentation by affinity propagation and DBSCAN when performed individually. The average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is 110 ± 44 µm.

Conclusion
Extracted edge points are used for clustering in a fully automated carotid artery segmentation approach.
Botulinum Toxin-Associated Prolonged Remission of Idiopathic Cervical Dystonia
Authors: Saranza Gerard , Chen Kai-Hsiang Stanley , Ganos Christos , Kalia Lorraine V. , Chen Robert , Lang Anthony E. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract:
Prolonged remission of dystonia occurs rarely; however, well-documented cases are lacking. We report the clinical characteristics and course of four patients with botulinum toxin (BoNT)-associated prolonged remission of idiopathic cervical dystonia. Mean age at onset was 40 years. All had a relatively short duration of symptoms (mean 10.3 months), and with remission occurring after ≤ 3 treatments with BoNT. At last examination, the remission duration was 2–5 years. In the two cases that subsequently relapsed after 4–5 years, there was an altered phenomenology and worsened severity than at the onset. Recognizing this rare phenomenon has valuable clinical implications.
Building a framework for inclusion in health services research: Development of and pre-implementation faculty and staff attitudes toward the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan at Mayo Clinic
Authors: Enders Felicity T. , Golembiewski Elizabeth H. , Pacheco-Spann Laura M. , Allyse Megan , Mielke Michelle M. , Balls-Berry Joyce E. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObjective:To mitigate the impact of racism, sexism, and other systemic biases, it is essential for organizations to develop strategies to address their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) climates. The objective of this formative evaluation was to assess Mayo Clinic Department of Health Sciences Research (HSR) faculty and staff perceptions toward a proposed departmental DEI plan and to explore findings by diversity and professional subgroups.Materials and methods:Key plan components include recruitment and support for diverse individuals; training for all HSR employees and leaders; and a review system to capture diversity and inclusion feedback for leaders. Additional activities include building inclusion “nudges” into existing performance reviews. To assess pre-implementation beliefs about specific plan components, we polled attendees at a departmental staff meeting in July 2020.Results:Overall, respondents (n= 162) commonly endorsed a blinded promotion review process and DEI training for all staff and leaders as most important. In contrast, respondents expressed less support for plan activities related to “nudges.” However, attitudes among certain diversity or professional groups toward specific plan activities diverged from their non-diversity group counterparts. Qualitative feedback indicated awareness of the need to address DEI issues.Discussion:Overall, HSR faculty and staff respondents conveyed support for the plan. However, some specific plan activities were perceived differently by members of certain diversity or professional subgroups.Conclusion:These findings present a DEI framework on which other institutions can build and point to future directions for how DEI activities may be differentially perceived by impacted faculty and staff.
Surname regions and dialectal variation in the Asturian linguistic space
Authors: Sousa Xulio , Ginzo-Villamayor María José 
Published: January 2021

AbstractStudies on the correlations between spatial distribution of linguistic varieties and genetic structure of populations began by dealing with geographic spaces and extensive linguistic families. In the last two decades, researchers with this type of interdisciplinary approach have also begun to study more reduced linguistic and population domains. This paper examines geolinguistic and onomastic information in a linguistic and administrative space of a limited extension of the Principality of Asturias. The information on the surnames of this region, taken from the inhabitants’ register, is used to identify surname regions and check correlations with dialect areas described in this space. The results obtained in this research show many similarities in the distribution of surname regions with dialect areas recognized by traditional dialectology studies. The conclusions of the study present the results obtained together with some of the explanatory proposals on the historical constitution of the linguistic diversity of this area.
The Legacy of Gurus: The Impact of Armin Diel and Joel Payne on Winery Ratings in Germany
Authors: Frick Bernd 
Published: January 2021

AbstractChanges in winery ratings in leading wine guides, that is, improvements as well as deteriorations, are typically attributed to corresponding changes in the quality of the wines produced by the respective winery. What remains unexplored in this context is changes in editorship and/or changes in the composition of the wine tasting teams working for the respective guide. Using data from two particularly prestigious German wine guides (Gault Millau and Vinum), this paper shows that these latter changes have a rather small, yet statistically significant impact on changes in winery ratings. Thus, consumers are well-advised to consider these changes before making their purchasing decision. (JEL Classifications: L21, M30, Q13)
When Groups Fall Apart: Identifying Transnational Polarization During the Arab Uprisings
Authors: Kubinec Robert , Owen John 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIt is very difficult to know how international social linkages affect domestic ideological polarization because we can never observe polarization occurring both with and without international connections. To estimate this missing counterfactual, we employ a new statistical method based on Bayesian item-response theory that permits us to disaggregate polarization after the Arab Uprisings into domestic and transnational components. We collected a dataset of Twitter accounts in Egypt and Tunisia during the critical year of 2013, when the Egyptian military overthrew the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. We find that the coup increased retweets among Egyptian ideological allies by 50% each day following the coup and decreased cross-ideological retweets by 25%. Tunisian Twitter communities also showed stronger intragroup retweeting although at lower levels than in Egypt. Counter-intuitively, our model shows that the additional polarization in Tunisia after the coup appears to have dampened further polarization among Islamists in Egypt.
Prevalence of COVID-19 IgG Antibodies in a Cohort of Municipal First Responders
Authors: McGuire Sarayna S. , Klassen Aaron B. , Heywood John , Sztajnkrycer Matthew D. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackground:Although first responders (FRs) represent a high-risk group for exposure, little information is available regarding their risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The purpose of the current study was to determine the serological prevalence of past COVID-19 infection in a cohort of municipal law enforcement (LE) and firefighters (FFs).Methods:Descriptive analysis of a de-identified data reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin G (IgG), or COR2G, serology results for municipal FRs. As part of the serology process, FRs were surveyed for COVID-19-like symptoms since February 2020 and asked to report any prior COVID-19 nasal swab testing. Descriptive statistics and two-sided Chi Square tests with Yates correction were used to compare groups.Results:Of 318 FRs, 225 (80.2%) underwent serology testing (LE: 163/207 [78.7%]; FF: 92/111 [82.9%]). The prevalence of positive serology for all FRs tested was 3/255 (1.2%). Two LE (1.2%) and one FF (1.1%) had positive serology (P = 1.0). Two hundred and twenty-four FRs responded to a survey regarding prior symptoms and testing. Fifty-eight (25.9%) FRs (44 LE; 14 FFs) reported the presence of COVID-19-like symptoms. Of these, only nine (15.5%) received reverse transcriptase – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing; none were positive. Two of the three FRs with positive serology reported no COVID-19-like symptoms and none of these responders had received prior nasal RT-PCR swabs. The overall community positive RT-PCR rate was 0.36%, representing a three-fold higher rate of positive seroprevalence amongst FRs compared with the general population (P = .07).Conclusions:Amongst a cohort of municipal FRs with low community COVID-19 prevalence, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-19 IgG Ab was three-fold greater than the general community. Two-thirds of positive FRs reported a lack of symptoms. Only 15.5% of FRs with COVID-19-like symptoms received RT-PCR testing. In addition to workplace control measures, increased testing availability to FRs is critical in limiting infection spread and ensuring response capability.
Validity of the National Health Security Preparedness Index as a Predictor of Excess COVID-19 Mortality
Authors: Keim Mark E. , Lovallo Alex P. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractObjective:This study compared 2019 values for the National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI) with 2020 rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality as reported by the 50 US states and Puerto Rico during the first six months of the US pandemic (March 1 - August 31, 2020).Methods:Data regarding provisional death counts and estimates of excess deaths for COVID-19 according to state and territory were downloaded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics website. Reporting included the six-month-long period of March 1 - August 31, 2020. Excess mortality rates were calculated as the number of excess deaths per 100,000 persons in each state population using 2019 US Census Bureau data. Mean values for state and territorial NHSPI domain indices were compared to state and territorial rates of COVID-19-related excess mortality using multiple linear regression, including analysis of variance. Correlations between the 51 state and territorial NHSPI values and corresponding COVID-19 excess mortality rates were calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.Results:These calculations revealed a high degree of variance (adjusted r square = 0.02 and 0.25) and poor correlation (P = .16 and .08) among values for the overall NHSPI as compared to low and high estimates of excess COVID-19 mortality rates for 50 US states and Puerto Rico.There was also a high degree of variance (adjusted r square = 0.001 and 0.03) and poor correlation (P values ranging from .09 to .94) for values for the six individual domains of the NHSPI as compared to low and high estimates of excess COVID-19 mortality rates for 50 US states and Puerto Rico.Conclusion:The NHSPI does not appear to be a valid predictor of excess COVID-19 mortality rates for 50 US states and Puerto Rico during the first six months of the pandemic.
California Court Denies Wrongful Birth Claim
Authors: C.L.  
Published: January 2021

On July 3, 1996, in Jones v. United States(No. 93-20137, 1996 U.S. Dist. WL 382937 (N.D. Cal. July 3,1996)), the United States District Court for the Northern District of California held that plaintiffs in a wrongful birth action cannot recover costs or damages associated with the birth and upbringing of their daughter absent evidence of causation and proof to satisfy liability requirements. Plaintiffs scientific evidence regarding the alleged interaction between antibiotics and oral contraceptives did not satisfy the Daubertstandard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,509 US. 579, 597 (1993) (remanded, Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, lnc.,43 F.3d 1311, 1315 (9th Cir.), cert. denied,116 S. Ct. 189 (1995))) for admissibility developed by the Supreme Court. In addition, the plaintiffs failed to meet their burden of persuasion on duty of care and causation.On January 16, 1992, Karyn Jones went to a U.S. Army gynecologist, Dr. James Murphy, to obtain a prescription for birth control pills.
Minnesota Court Upholds Statute on Unlicensed Medical Practice
Authors: H.T.B.  
Published: January 2021

The Court of Appeals of Minnesota, in State v. Saunders (No. C9-95-907, 1996 Mnn. App. LEXIS 60 (Jan. 16, 1996)), held that the statutory offense of practicing medicine without a license was not unconstitutionally vague as applied to a claim involving a farmer who offered a home remedy to cure cancer. The court held that, although Minnesota Statute § 147.081 subd. 3(3) (1994) contains general language and undefined terms, the statute contains sufficient particularity to show ordinary persons what conduct is prohibited, and thereby passes the void-for-vagueness test. The court stated that, according to the statute, while a person holding a license to practice medicine is permitted to engage in a broad range of conduct, those without that license are proscribed from engaging in that same range of conduct.The defendant, Mr. Saunders, a dairy farmer, claimed that he could cure ill people by injecting an ill person's blood into a cow and then feeding that person the cow's colostrum.
Maximizing the Value of Electronic Prescription Monitoring Programs
Authors: Brushwood David B. 
Published: January 2021

Diversion of controlled substances from medical to nonmedical purposes is a significant public health problem. However, there is great fear that regulatory efforts to curb this activity could have a chilling effect on appropriate and necessary pain management.To track the extent to which there is inappropriate prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances, seventeen states have adopted prescription monitoring programs. Although earlier programs relied on ink-on-paper multiple copy or serialized prescriptions, the recent trend has been the development of electronic-based programs that can link to computerized pharmacy systems. Although these programs have not been thoroughly analyzed for their safety or efficacy, there is growing enthusiasm for them. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) backs the development of state-based electronic prescription monitoring programs and a bill is pending in Congress that would create a national program.
Supreme Court Limits Scope of ERISA Preemption
Authors: J.R.H.  
Published: January 2021

On April 26, 1995, the United States Supreme Court limited the reach of the preemption provision of ERISA in New York State Conference of Blue Cross & Blue Shield Plans v. Tavelers Insurance Co. (115 S. Ct. 1671 (1995)). In Travelers, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of a New York statute requiring hospitals to collect surcharges from patients covered by commercial insurers and requiring health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to pay a surcharge to the state's general fund that varies depending on the number of Medicaid-eligible HMO members enrolled. Neither patients insured by Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans nor the plans themselves are similarly charged under the statute. Several commercial insurers and HMOs claimed the surcharges should be preempted under ERISA because they are levied on patients whose insurance or HMO membership premiums are purchased by an ERISA plan.The ERISA preemption clause means that federal regulation, or lack thereof, supersedes state regulation that is related to employee pension and benefit plans. This preemption clause prevents states from changing health care and benefit law for a significant portion of state residents.