bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hypertension attenuates the prognostic value of coronary artery calcification scoring in low-risk patients
Authors: Maclean Edd , Sehmi Joban , Kanaganayagam Gajen , Nicol Edward David 
Published: October 2020

ObjectivesIn outpatients with suspected ischaemic symptoms, we investigated the impact of risk factor profile on the prognostic value of coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) and CT coronary angiography (CTCA).Methods772 consecutive patients underwent CACS and CTCA; 52 patients (6.7%) with significant coronary artery lesions underwent revascularisation within 60 days and were excluded. 720 remaining patients were followed up for 38.1±17.4 months.ResultsLate presentation (after 60 days) major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were recorded in 27 patients (3.8%). Hypertension was strongly associated with adverse outcomes (unadjusted HR 6.5 (2.9 to 14), p<0.001), and hypertensive patients had double the prevalence of non-calcified plaque versus normotensive individuals (30.2% vs 14.3%, p<0.001). Adjusting for confounders, severe stenosis at CTCA was predictive of MACE for normotensive and hypertensive patients (HR 9.6 (2.8 to 43.1), p<0.001, and HR 6.2 (2.4 to 16.1), p<0.001, respectively). CACS alone was not predictive of MACE throughout the cohort (HR 1.001 (0.9997 to 1.001), p=0.36) and when adjusting for confounders, a cut-off of CACS>400 predicted MACE in normotensive individuals (HR 10.6 (2.41 to 49.3), p<0.001) but not in hypertensive individuals (HR 1.3 (0.5 to 3.6), p=0.56). Zero calcium score did not mitigate the risk of MACE (HR 0.84 (0.39 to 1.8), p=0.65) and 13/27 patients (48.1%) who suffered MACE had a 0 calcium score; all had hypertension.ConclusionsIn low-risk patients with stable cardiovascular symptoms, CTCA provides important additive prognostic information over CACS, and CACS (including CACS>400) underestimated cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension. This may relate to the increased prevalence of non-calcified plaque in these individuals.
Contemporary differences between bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve in chronic aortic regurgitation
Authors: Yang Li-Tan , Benfari Giovanni , Eleid Mackram , Scott Christopher G , Nkomo Vuyisile T , Pellikka Patricia A , Anavekar Nandan S , Enriquez-Sarano Maurice , Michelena Hector I 
Published: October 2020

ObjectiveTo comprehensively explore contemporary differences between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) patients with chronic haemodynamically significant aortic regurgitation (AR).MethodsConsecutive patients with chronic ≥moderate-severe AR from a tertiary referral centre (2006–2017) were included. All-cause mortality, surgical indications and aortic valve surgery (AVS) were analysed.ResultsOf 798 patients (296 BAV-AR, age 46±14 years; 502 TAV-AR, age 67±14 years, p<0.0001) followed for 5.5 (IQR: 2.9–9.2) years, 403 underwent AVS (repair in 96) and 154 died during follow-up. The 8-year AVS incidence was 60%±3% versus 53%±3% for BAV-AR and TAV-AR, respectively (p=0.014). The unadjusted (real-life) 8-year total survival was 93%±7% versus 71%±2% for BAV-AR and TAV-AR, respectively (p<0.0001), and became statistically insignificant after sole adjustment for age (p=0.14). The within-group relative risk of death in BAV-AR patients demonstrated a large age-dependent increase (two fold at 50–55 years, up to 10-fold at 70 years). The presence of baseline symptoms was significantly associated with death for both BAV-AR (p=0.039) and TAV-AR (p<0.0001), but the strength of the association decreased with age adjustment for BAV-AR (age-adjusted HR 2.43 (0.92–6.39), p=0.07) and not for TAV-AR (age-adjusted HR, 2.3 (1.6–3.3), p<0.0001). As compared with general population, TAV-AR exhibited baseline excess risk which further increased at left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <60% and left ventricular end-systolic dimension index (LVESDi) >20 mm/m2; similar thresholds were observed for BAV-AR patients.ConclusionBAV-AR patients were two decades younger than TAV-AR and underwent AVS more frequently, resulting in a considerable real-life survival advantage for BAV-AR that was determined primarily by age and not valve anatomy. Pragmatically, regardless of valve anatomy, patients with haemodynamically significant AR and age >50–55 years require a low-threshold for surgical referral to prevent symptom development where LVEF <60% and LVESDi >20 mm/m2 seem appropriate referral thresholds.
Work team identification associated with less stress and burnout among front-line emergency department staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sangal Rohit B , Wrzesniewski Amy , DiBenigno Julia , Reid Eleanor , Ulrich Andrew , Liebhardt Beth , Bray Alexandra , Yang Elisabeth , Eun Eunice , Venkatesh Arjun K , King Marissa 
Published: October 2020

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed front-line healthcare workers to unprecedented risks and stressors threatening both physical and mental health. Prior work in the military has found that team identification, or the sense that one was a part of a team, can help reduce stress and prevent burnout during prolonged stress.MethodsWe conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys embedded within emergency department workflow to understand whether team identification was associated with reduced reports of stress and burnout among front-line workers.ResultsDuring the 10-week study which spanned the first wave of COVID-19, 327 of 431 (76%) front-line healthcare workers responded to at least one round of the survey. Higher team identification was associated with significantly less work stress (B=−0.60, 95% CI −0.84 to to -0.40, p<0.001) and burnout (B=−12.87, 95% CI −17.73 to -8.02, p<0.001) in cross-sectional analyses. Further evidence of the protective effect of team identification for work stress (B=−0.36, 95% CI −0.76 to 0.05, p=0.09) and burnout (B=−13.25, 95% CI −17.77 to -8.73, p<0.001) was also found in prospective longitudinal evidence.ConclusionThis work suggests work team identification is a key buffering factor against feelings of stress and burnout. Efforts to promote team identification may offer a promising way for leaders to support front-line healthcare workers’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results can inform ongoing COVID-19 operational and quality improvement initiatives.
Small strain shear modulus and damping ratio of two unsaturated lateritic sandy clays
Authors: Ng C.W.W. , Bentil O.T. , Zhou C. 
Published: October 2020

In this study, resonant column tests carried out to investigate the influence of suction on the shear modulus and damping ratio of two compacted lateritic sandy clays from Ghana (GL) and Nigeria (NL) are reported. Each type of soil was tested under two confining pressures and at three suctions. The microstructure of the soils was also studied through a scanning electron microscope. It was found that the effects of suction on maximum shear modulus (G0) are about 10% larger for GL than NL, mainly due to the existence of smaller aggregates in GL. Moreover, an increase in suction from 0 to 300 kPa for both soils resulted in a lower elastic threshold shear strain, different from the behaviour of other soils reported in the literature. The uniqueness of lateritic soils is likely attributable to their high sesquioxide content and much larger aggregates, which shrink upon an increase in suction. Drying of specimens from 0 to 300 kPa resulted in an increase of about 22% and 100% in initial damping ratio (D0) for GL and NL, respectively. The difference in D0 for GL and NL is attributed to larger aggregation of NL because of its higher iron sesquioxide content, leading to more cladding.
Vitamin D3 potentiates the nephroprotective effects of metformin in a rat model of metabolic syndrome: role of AMPK/SIRT1 activation and DPP-4 inhibition
Authors: Wahba Nehal S. , Ghareib Salah A. , Abdel-Ghany Rasha H. , Abdel-Aal Mohamed , Alsemeh Amira E. 
Published: October 2020

The current study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of metformin and vitamin D3-induced nephroprotection in a metabolic syndrome (MetS) rat model, evaluating the capacity of vitamin D3 to potentiate metformin action. MetS was induced by 10% fructose in drinking water and 3% salt in the diet. After 6 weeks, serum lipid profile and uric acid were measured, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed, and kidney function was investigated. In conjunction with the same concentrations of fructose and salt feeding, MetS rats with significant weight gain, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, and dysglycemia were treated orally with metformin (200 mg/kg), vitamin D3 (10 µg/kg), or both daily for 6 weeks. At the end of the study period, anthropometrical parameters were recorded, OGTT was reperformed, urine and blood samples were collected, and tissue samples were harvested at sacrifice. MetS rats showed dramatically declined renal function, enhanced intrarenal oxidative stress and inflammation, and extravagant renal histopathological damage with interstitial fibrosis. Metformin and vitamin D3 significantly reversed all the aforementioned deleterious effects in MetS rats. The study has verified the nephroprotective effects of metformin and vitamin D3 in MetS, accentuating the critical role of AMP-activated protein kinase/sirtuin-1 activation and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition. Given the synergistic effects of the combination, vitamin D3 is worth being investigated as an additional therapeutic agent for preventing MetS-induced nephropathy.
Memory effects and self-excited oscillations in deterministic epidemic models with intrinsic time delays
Authors: De Luca R. , Romeo F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe simplest delay differential equation describing the dynamics of non-lethal infectious diseases in a fixed-size population is extended to include the incubation period, as an additional delay parameter. It is observed that these types of deterministic models consist of one delay differential equation, whereas standard SIR and SEIR models consist of two and three ordinary differential equations, respectively. The extended model presents interesting peculiarities as, for example, initial oscillatory patterns in the curve counting the infectious individuals. A comparison of the doubly delayed differential equation with the standard SEIR model is made. It is argued that self-sustained oscillations, which are intrinsic properties of models with time delay, have to be taken into account in designing optimal epidemic containment strategies.
Supervised Retinal Vessel Segmentation Based Average Filter and Iterative Self Organizing Data Analysis Technique
Authors: Erwin  , Damayanti Heranti Reza 
Published: October 2020

Retinal fundus is the inner surface of the eye associated with the lens. The identification of disease needs some parts of retinal fundus, such as blood vessel. Blood vessels are part of circulation system which functions to supply blood to retina area. This research proposed a method for segmentation of blood vessel in retinal image with Average Filter and Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis (ISODATA) Technique. The first step with the input image changed to Gamma Correction, increasing contrast with Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE), the filtering process with Average Filter. The segmentation is used for ISODATA. Region of Interest was applied to take the center of a vessel object and remove the background. In the final stage, the process of noise reduction and removal of small pixel values with Median Filter and Closing Morphology. Datasets used in this research were DRIVE and STARE. The average result was obtained for STARE dataset with an accuracy of 94.41%, Sensitivity of 55.57%, Specification of 98.31%, F1 Score of 64.81% while for the DRIVE dataset with accuracy of 94.78%, Sensitivity of 43.46%, Specification of 99.81%, and F1 Score of 59.39%.
Do Algorithmic Traders Improve Liquidity When Information Asymmetry is High?
Authors: Jain Archana , Jain Chinmay , Khanapure Revansiddha Basavaraj 
Published: October 2020

Hendershott et al. (2011, Does Algorithmic Trading Improve Liquidity? Journal of Finance 66, 1–33) show that algorithmic traders improve liquidity in equity markets. An equally important and unanswered question is whether they improve liquidity when information asymmetry is high. We use days surrounding earnings announcement as a period of high information asymmetry. First, we follow Hendershott et al. (2011, Does Algorithmic Trading Improve Liquidity? Journal of Finance 66, 1–33) to use introduction of NYSE autoquote as a natural experiment. We find that increased algorithmic trading (AT) as a result of NYSE autoquote does not improve liquidity around earnings announcements. Next, we use trade-to-order volume % and cancel rate as a proxy for algorithmic trading and find that abnormal spreads surrounding the days of earnings announcement are significantly higher for stocks with higher AT. Our findings indicate that algorithmic traders reduces their role of liquidity provision in markets when information asymmetry is high. These findings shed further light on the role of liquidity provision by algorithmic traders in the financial markets.
Observations of the Lyman-α Universe
Authors: Ouchi Masami , Ono Yoshiaki , Shibuya Takatoshi 
Published: October 2020

Hydrogen Lyman-α (Lyα) emission has been one of the major observational probes for the high-redshift Universe since the first discoveries of high- z Lyα-emitting galaxies in the late 1990s. Due to the strong Lyα emission originated by resonant scattering and recombination of the most abundant element, Lyα observations witness not only Hii regions of star formation and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) but also diffuse Hi gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and the intergalactic medium (IGM). Here, we review Lyα sources and present theoretical interpretations reached to date. We conclude the following: ▪  A typical Lyα emitter (LAE) at z ≳ 2 with a L* Lyα luminosity is a high- z counterpart of a local dwarf galaxy, a compact metal-poor star-forming galaxy (SFG) with an approximate stellar (dark matter halo) mass and star-formation rate of 108−9M⊙ (1010−11M⊙) and 1–10 M⊙ year−1, respectively. ▪  High- z SFGs ubiquitously have a diffuse Lyα-emitting halo in the CGM extending to the halo virial radius and beyond. ▪  Remaining neutral hydrogen at the epoch of cosmic reionization makes a strong dimming of Lyα emission for galaxies at z > 6 that suggests the late reionization history. The next-generation large-telescope projects will combine Lyα emission data with Hi Lyα absorptions and 21-cm radio data that map out the majority of hydrogen (Hi+Hii) gas, uncovering the exchanges of ( a) matter by outflow and inflow and ( b) radiation, relevant to cosmic reionization, between galaxies and the CGM/IGM.
Multiscale Analysis of Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in the Failing Heart
Authors: Perestrelo Ana Rubina , Silva Ana Catarina , Oliver-De La Cruz Jorge , Martino Fabiana , Horváth Vladimír , Caluori Guido , Polanský Ondřej , Vinarský Vladimír , Azzato Giulia , de Marco Giuseppe , Žampachová Víta , Skládal Petr , Pagliari Stefania , Rainer Alberto , Pinto-do-Ó Perpétua , Caravella Alessio , Koci Kamila , Nascimento Diana S. , Forte Giancarlo 
Published: October 2020

Rationale:
Cardiac ECM (extracellular matrix) comprises a dynamic molecular network providing structural support to heart tissue function. Understanding the impact of ECM remodeling on cardiac cells during heart failure (HF) is essential to prevent adverse ventricular remodeling and restore organ functionality in affected patients.

Objectives:
We aimed to (1) identify consistent modifications to cardiac ECM structure and mechanics that contribute to HF and (2) determine the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods and Results:
We first performed decellularization of human and murine ECM (decellularized ECM) and then analyzed the pathological changes occurring in decellularized ECM during HF by atomic force microscopy, 2-photon microscopy, high-resolution 3-dimensional image analysis, and computational fluid dynamics simulation. We then performed molecular and functional assays in patient-derived cardiac fibroblasts based on YAP (yes-associated protein)-transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) mechanosensing activity and collagen contraction assays. The analysis of HF decellularized ECM resulting from ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy, as well as from mouse infarcted tissue, identified a common pattern of modifications in their 3-dimensional topography. As compared with healthy heart, HF ECM exhibited aligned, flat, and compact fiber bundles, with reduced elasticity and organizational complexity. At the molecular level, RNA sequencing of HF cardiac fibroblasts highlighted the overrepresentation of dysregulated genes involved in ECM organization, or being connected to TGFβ1 (transforming growth factor β1), interleukin-1, TNF-α, and BDNF signaling pathways. Functional tests performed on HF cardiac fibroblasts pointed at mechanosensor YAP as a key player in ECM remodeling in the diseased heart via transcriptional activation of focal adhesion assembly. Finally, in vitro experiments clarified pathological cardiac ECM prevents cell homing, thus providing further hints to identify a possible window of action for cell therapy in cardiac diseases.

Conclusions:
Our multiparametric approach has highlighted repercussions of ECM remodeling on cell homing, cardiac fibroblast activation, and focal adhesion protein expression via hyperactivated YAP signaling during HF.
Nocturnal Arrhythmias and Heart‐Rate Swings in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Treated With Beta Blockers
Authors: Lombardi Carolina , Faini Andrea , Mariani Davide , Gironi Federica , Castiglioni Paolo , Parati Gianfranco 
Published: October 2020

Background
The higher cardiovascular variability and the increased prevalence of arrhythmias in patients with obstructive sleep apneas may contribute to their higher rate of fatal events during sleep. In this regard, the use of beta blockers (BB) is debated because they may induce bradyarrhythmias and alter the pattern of heart rate changes induced by apneas. Thus, the aim of our study is to quantify peri‐apneic heart‐rate swings and prevalence of nocturnal bradyarrhythmias in BB‐treated and BB‐naïve patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods and Results

Our real‐life, retrospective, cohort study analyzed data from patients with obstructive sleep apnea after a basal cardiorespiratory polysomnography. Among 228 eligible participants, we enrolled 78 BB‐treated and 88 BB‐naïve patients excluding those treated with antiarrhythmic drugs or pacemakers, or with uninterpretable ECG traces during polysomnography. In each patient, type and frequency of arrhythmias were identified and peri‐apneic changes of RR intervals were evaluated for each apnea. BB‐treated patients were older and with more comorbidities than BB‐naïve patients, but had similar obstructive sleep apnea severity, similar frequency of arrhythmic episodes, and similar prevalence of bradyarrhythmias. Apnea‐induced heart‐rate swings, unadjusted for age, showed lower RR interval changes in BB‐treated (133.5±63.8 ms) than BB‐naïve patients (171.3±87.7 ms,
P
=0.01), lower RR interval increases during apneas (58.5±28.5 versus 74.6±40.2 ms,
P
=0.01), and lower RR interval decreases after apneas (75.0±42.4 versus 96.7±55.5 ms,
P
<0.05).

Conclusions
BB appear to be safe in patients with obstructive sleep apnea because they are not associated with worse episodes of nocturnal bradyarrhythmias and even seem protective in terms of apnea‐induced changes of heart rate.
Ambiguus Tiles: Origami Rhombic Pyramid Tiles for Creating Dual-View Tile Mosaics
Authors: Kim Hyunjung , Kim Myeongseong , Lee Yujin 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
This statement presents a novel expressive medium that the authors call Ambiguus tiles, which construct dual-view tile mosaics. While similar to wall and surface mosaics made with conventional tiles, Ambiguus tiles can be assembled and rearranged to create dual-view tile mosaics in any size and form. Fact vs. Fiction, a letter sculpture composed of 115 Ambiguus tiles, is presented here as an example of the creative possibilities for using Ambiguus tiles as a ready-to-use design material. As seen in Fact vs. Fiction, Ambiguus tiles are particularly effective in communicating social messages.
‘Caste’ and ‘Descent’: A Curious Case of an International Legal Interpretation
Authors: M Bhimraj 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The reconceptualisation of caste discrimination as racial discrimination through the term ‘descent’ in Article 1 of icerd enabled the international community to take cognisance of caste discrimination, which it had ignored for a long time. However, the government of India, opposing such reconceptualisation, maintains that ‘descent’ in icerd refers only to race and not caste, contrary to the position of UN human rights bodies. Hence, whether ‘descent’ includes ‘caste’ is an important hermeneutical question addressed in this article. Based on the distinction between interpretation and application of a treaty, this article argues that India has accepted the application of icerd to caste discrimination through its conduct and it cannot deny it now according to the principle of estoppel. This article then demonstrates the dynamic interpretation of ‘descent’, justifying it through the consensus analysis methodology of the ECtHR. Moreover, it is found that ‘descent’ was associated with ‘caste’ in British India.
Islamic Communities in Post-Yugoslav Countries
Authors: Larise Dunja 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Between 1880 and 1912 Austrian Empire issued several legal Acts regarding the terms by which the Muslims of the newly adjunct territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina were to settle their religious and community-related affairs within the framework of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These Acts laid fundaments for the establishment of the first autonomous Islamic religious institutions in the Austrian Empire. The present article argues that institutions established during that time remained the most conspicuous legacy of the Austrian juristic regulation of Islamic affairs, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but in all successor states of the former Yugoslavia as well as in present time Austria itself.
The Politics of Congregational Prayer
Authors: Ahmed Imran 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Religious authorities in many Muslim-majority countries have argued that the suspension of communal prayers during an epidemic does not contravene Islamic law. In Pakistan, such measures have proven difficult to enforce, in part because many religious leaders in the country have opposed the closure of places of worship and the limits placed on public religious gatherings. The question is why? This paper suggests that the distrust of the state in matters of religion in Pakistan can be traced back to the colonial era, and that the political developments following independence have amplified frustration and mistrust between political and religious authorities in the country. Significant sources of contention in matters of religion and state remain unresolved under the prime ministership of Imran Khan. At the same time, the pandemic has thrust earlier conflicts into the spotlight and exposed contests over opinion, expertise, and authority in matters of religion and public health.
Thysanoptera host-plant associations, with an account of species living on Tamarix, and a new species of Lissothrips (Phlaeothripidae)
Authors: MINAEI KAMBIZ , MOUND LAURENCE 
Published: October 2020

Eight unrelated Thysanoptera species are known to be associated with the arid zone plant genus Tamarix [Tamaricaceae]. One new species, Lissothrips hemingi sp.n., is described from Iran based on specimens collected on branches of Tamarix. Liothrips jazykovi Moulton, described from specimens taken on Tamarix, is considered a new synonym of Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall), a widespread species on the foliage of this plant.