bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age at period cessation and trajectories of cardiovascular risk factors across mid and later life
Authors: O'Keeffe Linda Marie , Kuh Diana , Fraser Abigail , Howe Laura D , Lawlor Debbie , Hardy Rebecca 
Published: February 2020

ObjectiveTo examine the association between age at period cessation and trajectories of anthropometry, blood pressure, lipids and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from midlife to age 69 years.MethodsWe used data from the UK Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development to examine the association between age at period cessation and trajectories of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) from 36 to 69 years and trajectories of triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and HbA1c from 53 to 69 years.ResultsWe found no evidence that age at period cessation was associated with trajectories of log triglyceride, LDL-C and HDL-C from 53 to 69 years and trajectories of SBP or DBP from 36 to 69 years, regardless of whether period cessation occurred naturally or due to hysterectomy. While we found some evidence of associations of age at period cessation with log BMI, log WC and log HbA1c, patterns were not consistent and differences were small at age 69 years, with confidence intervals that spanned the null value.ConclusionHow and when women experience period cessation is unlikely to adversely affect conventional cardiovascular risk factors across mid and later life. Women and clinicians concerned about the impact of type and timing of period cessation on conventional cardiovascular intermediates from midlife should be reassured that the impact over the long term is small.
Deprivation matters: understanding associations between neighbourhood deprivation, unhealthy food outlets, unhealthy dietary behaviours and child body size using structural equation modelling
Authors: Egli Victoria , Hobbs Matthew , Carlson Jordan , Donnellan Niamh , Mackay Lisa , Exeter Daniel , Villanueva Karen , Zinn Caryn , Smith Melody 
Published: February 2020

Background
Children residing in neighbourhoods of high deprivation are more likely to have poorer health, including excess body size. While the availability of unhealthy food outlets are increasingly considered important for excess child body size, less is known about how neighbourhood deprivation, unhealthy food outlets and unhealthy dietary behaviours are interlinked.

Methods
This study involves children aged 8–13 years (n=1029) and resided in Auckland, New Zealand. Unhealthy dietary behaviours (frequency of consumption of unhealthy snacks and drinks) and food purchasing behaviour on the route to and from school were self-reported. Height and waist circumference were measured to calculate waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). Geographic Information Systems mapped neighbourhood deprivation and unhealthy food outlets within individual, child-specific neighbourhood buffer boundaries (800 m around the home and school). Associations between neighbourhood deprivation (calculated using the New Zealand Index of Deprivation 2013), unhealthy food outlets, unhealthy dietary behaviours and WtHR were investigated using structural equation modelling in Mplus V.8.0. Age, sex and ethnicity were included as covariates, and clustering was accounted for at the school level.

Results
Structural equation models showed that unhealthy food outlets were unrelated to unhealthy dietary behaviours (estimate 0.029, p=0.416) and excess body size (estimate −0.038, p=0.400). However, greater neighbourhood deprivation and poorer dietary behaviours (estimate −0.134, p=0.001) were associated with greater WtHR (estimate 0.169, p<0.001).

Conclusion
Excess child body size is associated with neighbourhood deprivation and unhealthy dietary behaviours but not unhealthy outlet density or location of these outlets near home and school.
Patient outcomes associated with post-tuberculosis lung damage in Malawi: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Meghji Jamilah , Lesosky Maia , Joekes Elizabeth , Banda Peter , Rylance Jamie , Gordon Stephen , Jacob Joseph , Zonderland Harmien , MacPherson Peter , Corbett Elizabeth L , Mortimer Kevin , Squire Stephen Bertel 
Published: February 2020

BackgroundPost-tuberculosis lung damage (PTLD) is a recognised consequence of pulmonary TB (pTB). However, little is known about its prevalence, patterns and associated outcomes, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and HIV-positive adults.MethodsAdult (≥15 years) survivors of a first episode of pTB in Blantyre, Malawi, completed the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, 6-minute walk test, spirometry and high-resolution CT (HRCT) chest imaging at TB treatment completion. Symptom, spirometry, health seeking, TB-retreatment and mortality data were collected prospectively to 1 year. Risk factors for persistent symptoms, pulmonary function decline and respiratory-related health-seeking were identified through multivariable regression modelling.ResultsBetween February 2016 and April 2017, 405 participants were recruited. Median age was 35 years (IQR: 28 to 41), 77.3% (313/405) had had microbiologically proven pTB, and 60.3% (244/403) were HIV-positive. At pTB treatment completion, 60.7% (246/405) reported respiratory symptoms, 34.2% (125/365) had abnormal spirometry, 44.2% (170/385) had bronchiectasis ≥1 lobe and 9.4% (36/385) had ≥1 destroyed lobe on HRCT imaging. At 1 year, 30.7% (113/368) reported respiratory symptoms, 19.3% (59/305) and 14.1% (43/305) of patients had experienced declines in FEV1or FVC of ≥100 mL, 16.3% (62/380) had reported ≥1 acute respiratory event and 12.2% (45/368) had symptoms affecting their ability to work.ConclusionsPTLD is a common and under-recognised consequence of pTB that is disabling for patients and associated with adverse outcomes beyond pTB treatment completion. Increased efforts to prevent PTLD and guidelines for management of established disease are urgently needed. Low-cost clinical interventions to improve patient outcomes must be evaluated.
Savings in sensorimotor adaptation without an explicit strategy
Authors: Yin Cong , Wei Kunlin 
Published: February 2020

The hallmark of long-term retention of sensorimotor adaptation is a faster relearning when similar perturbations are encountered again. However, what processes underlie this saving effect is in debate. Though motor adaptation is traditionally viewed as a type of procedural learning, its savings has been recently shown to be solely based on a quick recall of explicit adaptation strategy. Here, we showed that adaptation to a novel error-invariant perturbation without an explicit strategy could enable subsequent savings. We further showed that adaptation to gradual perturbations could enable savings, which was supported by enhanced implicit learning. Our study provides supporting evidence that long-term retention of motor adaptation is possible without forming or recalling a cognitive strategy, and the interplay between implicit and explicit learning critically depends on the specifics of learning protocol and available sensory feedback. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Savings in motor learning sometimes refers to faster learning when one encounters the same perturbation again. Previous studies assert that forming a cognitive strategy for countering perturbations is necessary for savings. We used novel experimental techniques to prevent the formation of a cognitive strategy during initial adaptation and found that savings still existed during relearning. Our findings suggest that savings in sensorimotor adaptation do not exclusively depend on forming and recalling an explicit strategy.
Trabajo Informal y el Sistema de Pensiones en Chile
Authors: Perticará Marcela , Tejada Mauricio 
Published: February 2020

El sistema de pensiones en Chile para funcionar adecuadamente requiere en esencia dos elementos básicos: (1) que las Administradores de Fondos de Pensiones (AFPs) obtengan con sus inversiones una rentabilidad “adecuada” para los fondos acumulados que administran y (2) que los trabajadores generen un flujo continuo de recursos hacia sus cuentas individuales. Respecto del primero, no existe evidencia que los retornos promedio generados hayan sido considerablemente bajos ni existen una varianza sustancial entre los retornos promedio que las distintas AFPs obtienen. Por tanto, introducir mayor competencia al sistema no generaría ganancias sustanciales para los trabajadores en términos de rentabilidades, aunque si lo haría en términos de comisiones pagadas a las AFPs más bajas (y con ello potencialmente mayores flujos de fondos hacia las cuentas de ahorro individuales). Continuar leyendo...
El precario equilibrio de la regla de balance estructural
Authors: González M. Pablo 
Published: February 2020

Asediada por la crisis económica, la regla de balance estructural no está soportando en buen pie los embates para los que fue creada. Es modificada sin que discutamos cuál es su nivel óptimo, ni cómo variarla en caso de que sea necesario. El establecimiento de una regla de balance estructural en 2001 dotó a la política fiscal chilena de independencia respecto al ciclo económico, y se constituyó en un instrumento que limita la discrecionalidad del ministro de Hacienda en la determinación del nivel de gasto público. Continuar leyendo...
Vitamin D Pathway and Other Related Polymorphisms and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial
Authors: Torkko Kathleen , Till Cathee , Tangen Catherine M. , Goodman Phyllis J. , Song Xiaoling , Schenk Jeannette M. , Lucia M. Scott , Peters Ulrike , van Bokhoven Adrie , Thompson Ian M. , Neuhouser Marian L. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Vitamin D may influence prostate cancer risk, but evidence is inconsistent. We conducted a nested case–control study in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT). Cases (n = 1,128) and controls (n = 1,205) were frequency matched on age, first-degree relative with prostate cancer, and PCPT treatment arm (finasteride/placebo); African-Americans were oversampled and case/control status was biopsy confirmed. We selected 21 SNPs in vitamin D–related genes (VDR, GC, C10orf88, CYP2R1, CYP24A1, CYP27B1, DHCR7, and NADSYN1) to test genotype and genotype–treatment interactions in relation to prostate cancer. We also tested mean serum 25(OH)D differences by minor allele distributions and tested for serum 25(OH)D–genotype interactions in relation to prostate cancer risk. Log-additive genetic models (Bonferroni-corrected within genes) adjusted for age, body mass index, PSA, and family history of prostate cancer revealed a significant interaction between treatment arm and GC/rs222016 (finasteride OR = 1.37, placebo OR = 0.85; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05), GC/rs222014 (finasteride OR = 1.36, placebo OR = 0.85; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05), and CYP27B1/rs703842 (finasteride OR = 0.76, placebo OR = 1.10; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05) among Caucasians, and C10orf88/rs6599638 (finasteride OR = 4.68, placebo OR = 1.39; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05) among African-Americans. VDR/rs1544410 and CYP27B1/rs703842 had significant treatment interactions for high-grade disease among Caucasians (finasteride OR = 0.81, placebo OR = 1.40; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05 and finasteride OR = 0.70, placebo OR = 1.28; Pinteraction &lt; 0.05, respectively). Vitamin D–related SNPs influenced serum 25(OH)D, but gene-serum 25(OH)D effect modification for prostate cancer was marginally observed only for CYP24A1/rs2248359. In conclusion, evidence that vitamin D–related genes or gene-serum 25(OH)D associations influence prostate cancer risk is modest. We found some evidence for gene–finasteride interaction effects for prostate cancer in Caucasians and African-Americans. Results suggest only minimal associations of vitamin D with total or high-grade prostate cancer.
Building walls around open wells prevent Asiatic Lion Panthera leo persica (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) mortality in the Gir Lion Landscape, Gujarat, India
Authors: Kagathara Tithi , Bharucha Erach 
Published: February 2020

The Asiatic Lion population has increased in the last three decades, which now occupies a large regional spread with six or more identified satellite populations in eight districts of Gujarat. An overlap of lion habitat with human-dominated landscape elements leads to an increase in lion-human interactions in these growing satellite populations. A high rate of lion mortality has been observed in the periphery of Gir in the last decade due to falls into open dug wells. These wells have been excavated for irrigation in the agricultural landscape of Gir. About 145 wild animals including lions have died due to accidental falls into open wells in past 10 years. It has been observed that construction of parapet walls around wells in some of the peripheral areas of Gir Sanctuary have prevented this accidental mortality at very low cost. To assess the efficiency of these measures we did a survey of 20 random villages in the Gir Lion Landscape to collect data on the types of wells that cause this uncalled-for mortality. The paper explores the reasons for the lions falling into wells in the agricultural areas outside the Gir Sanctuary. The survey has shown that the corridors used by lions and in the satellite population areas are high risk sites where more parapet walls should be built on a priority basis. From the year 2007 to 2018 more than 48,000 parapet walls have already been randomly built in the periphery of the Gir Sanctuary. Out of 130 identified wells, 90 were protected with parapet wall or iron net while, 32 were without parapet wall and rest eight were with unfinished parapet wall. Providing a scheme for building more parapet walls around prioritized open wells would be an effective step towards Asiatic Lion conservation in the Gir Lion Landscape. Our survey indicates that there has been no mortality of lions in those wells where parapet walls have been built.
Low Systolic Blood Pressure and Mortality in Elderly Patients After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Mouhat Basile , Putot Alain , Hanon Olivier , Eicher Jean Christophe , Chagué Frédéric , Beer Jean‐Claude , Maza Maud , Zeller Marianne , Cottin Yves ,   Observatoire des Infarctus de Côte d'Or Survey
Published: February 2020

Background
Optimal blood pressure in elderly patients after acute myocardial infarction is still a matter of debate. In a prospective observational study, we aimed to identify optimal systolic blood pressure during the 48 first hours after admission for acute myocardial infarction and its prognostic value for cardiovascular mortality.

Methods and Results

From the Observatoire des Infarctus de Côte d'Or survey, all consecutive patients aged >75 years admitted for an acute myocardial infarction in a coronary care unit from 2012 to 2015 and discharged alive were included (n=814). Exclusion criteria were in‐hospital death, cardiogenic shock, and end‐stage renal disease. Average
systolic blood pressure
(
aSBP
) values over the first 48 hours after admission were recorded, and the population was dichotomized into 2 groups: low aSBP group (<125 mm Hg) and control group (
aSBP
≥125 mm Hg). When compared with patients without cardiovascular death at 1‐year follow‐up, patients who died from a cardiovascular cause had higher rate of cardiovascular risks factors, including age, diabetes mellitus, comorbidities, and cardiovascular history. They had higher rates of low body mass index (<21 kg/m
2
) and more elevated Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score. Patients with
aSBP
<125 mm Hg had a 2‐fold risk of 1‐year cardiovascular death (47 [12.0%] versus 28 [6.6%];
P
=0.008). By multivariable logistic regression analysis, low
aSBP
(odds ratio [95%
CI
], 1.91 [1.07–3.41]) remained a strong and independent predictor of 1‐year cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusions

In our large population‐based study in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction, low
aSBP
was an independent and powerful predictor of 1‐year cardiovascular mortality. Early
aSBP
measurement could help to improve risk stratification. Moreover, our results may suggest an optimal blood pressure target in elderly patients.
Perturbation Solution for Four-Stream Infrared Radiative Transfer
Authors: Li Jiangnan , Barker Howard W. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
A four-stream solution of the longwave radiative transfer is proposed. It is based on the exact perturbation method utilizing the absorption approximation equation as the zero-order solution. Scattering is handled by the first-order perturbation equation. The two- and four-stream approximations are compared both offline and using data from CALIPSO’s dual-wavelength lidar.
Seasonal and Annual Changes of the Regional Tropical Belt in GPS-RO Measurements and Reanalysis Datasets
Authors: Luan Lan , Staten Paul W. , Ao Chi O. , Fu Qiang 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe width of the tropical belt has been analyzed with a variety of metrics, often based on zonal-mean data from reanalyses. However, constraining the global and regional tropical width requires both a global spatial-resolving observational dataset and an appropriate metric to take advantage of such data. The tropical tropopause break is arguably such a metric. This study aims to evaluate the performance of different reanalyses and metrics with a focus on depicting regional tropical belt width. We choose four distinct tropopause-break metrics derived from global positioning system radio occultation (GPS-RO) satellite data and four modern reanalyses (ERA-Interim, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and CFSR). We show that reanalyses generally reproduce the regional tropical tropopause break to within 10° of that in GPS-RO data—but that the tropical width is somewhat sensitive (within 4°) to how data are averaged zonally, moderately sensitive (within 10°) to the dataset resolution, and more sensitive (20° over the Northern Hemisphere Atlantic Ocean during June–August) to the choice of metric. Reanalyses capture the poleward displacement of the tropical tropopause break over land and equatorward displacement over ocean during summertime, and the reverse during the wintertime. Reanalysis-based tropopause breaks are also generally well correlated with those from GPS-RO, although CFSR reproduces 14-yr trends much more closely than others (including ERA-Interim). However, it is hard to say which dataset is the best match of GPS-RO. We further find that the tropical tropopause break is representative of the subtropical jet latitude and the Northern Hemisphere edge of the Hadley circulation in terms of year-to-year variations.
Impacts of the Indian Ocean Dipole on Sea Level and Gyre Circulation of the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean
Authors: Duan Jing , Li Yuanlong , Zhang Lei , Wang Fan 
Published: February 2020

AbstractInterannual variabilities of sea level and upper-ocean gyre circulation of the western tropical Pacific Ocean (WTPO) have been predominantly attributed to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The results of the present study put forward important modulation effects by the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) mode. The observed sea level in the WTPO shows significant instantaneous and lagged correlations (around −0.60 and 0.40, respectively) with the IOD mode index (DMI). A composite of 14 “independent” IOD events for 1958–2017 shows negative sea level anomalies (SLAs) of 4–7 cm in the WTPO during positive IOD events and positive SLAs of 6–8 cm in the following year that are opposite in sign to the El Niño effect. The IOD impacts are reproduced by large-ensemble simulations of a climate model that generate respectively 430 and 519 positive and negative independent IOD events. A positive IOD induces westerly winds over the western and central tropical Pacific and causes negative SLAs through Ekman upwelling, and it facilitates the establishment of a La Niña condition in the following year that involves enhanced Pacific trade winds and causes positive SLAs in the WTPO. Ocean model experiments confirm that the IOD affects the WTPO sea level mainly through modulating the tropical Pacific winds. Variability of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) induced by IOD winds has a relatively weak effect on the WTPO. The IOD’s impacts on the major upper-ocean currents are also considerable, causing anomalies of 1–4 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) in the South Equatorial Current (SEC) and North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) volume transports.
Automated Classification of Regional Meteorological Events in a Coastal Area Using In Situ Measurements
Authors: Sokolov Anton , Dmitriev Egor , Gengembre Cyril , Delbarre Hervé 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe problem is considered of atmospheric meteorological events’ classification, such as sea breezes, fogs, and high winds, in coastal areas. In situ wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, radiance, and turbulence meteorological measurements are used as predictors. Local atmospheric events of 2013–14 were analyzed and classified manually using data of the measurement campaign in the coastal area of the English Channel in Dunkirk, France. The results of that categorization allowed the training of a few supervised classification algorithms using the data of an ultrasonic anemometer as predictors. The comparison was carried out for the K-nearest-neighbors classifier, support vector machine, and two Bayesian classifiers—quadratic discriminant analysis and Parzen–Rozenblatt window. The analysis showed that the K-nearest-neighbors and quadratic discriminant analysis classifiers reveal the best classification accuracy (up to 80% correctly classified meteorological events). The latter classifier has higher calculation speed and is less sensitive to unbalanced data and the overtraining problem. The most informative atmospheric parameters for events recognition were revealed for each algorithm. The results obtained showed that supervised classification algorithms contribute to automation of processing and analyzing of local meteorological measurements.