bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in Brazil: clinical presentation, genetic findings and outcomes of a case series in adults and children treated with eculizumab
Authors: Palma Lilian Monteiro Pereira , Eick Renato George , Dantas Gustavo Coelho , Tino Michele Káren dos Santos , de Holanda Maria Izabel ,   the Brazilian Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Study Group (aHUS Brazil)
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and kidney injury caused by a dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway.

Methods
We conducted a multicenter nonregistry study aimed at collecting clinical, laboratory and genetic information of patients with aHUS in Brazil. Demographic data, genetic findings, treatments and outcomes are presented.

Results
Thirty-four patients were included, 62% were female and 67% were Caucasian. Half of the patients had the first manifestation of aHUS before the age of 18 years (pediatric group). Among the 17 patients who had the first manifestation after the age of 18 years (adult group), 6 were kidney transplant patients. Overall, 22 patients (65%) received plasma exchange/plasma infusion (PE/PI) and 31 patients (91%) received eculizumab. Eculizumab was started later in the adult group compared with the pediatric group. Two patients stopped dialysis after PE/PI and 19 patients stopped dialysis after eculizumab despite a late start. A pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant was found in 24.3% of patients. A coexisting condition or trigger was present in 59% of patients (infections, pregnancy, hypertension, autoimmune disease and transplant), especially in the adult group. There was a 30% relapse rate after stopping eculizumab, irrespective of genetic status.

Conclusion
This is the largest case series of aHUS in Brazil involving a wide range of patients for which eculizumab was the main treatment. Although eculizumab was started later than advised in the guidelines, most patients were able to stop dialysis at variable intervals. Discontinuation of eculizumab was associated with a 30% relapse of aHUS.
A comparison of animal color measurements using a commercially available digital color sensor and photograph analysis
Authors: Potash Alex D , Greene Daniel U , Foursa Gabrielle A , Mathis Verity L , Conner L Mike , McCleery Robert A 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
An animal’s pelage, feather, or skin color can serve a variety of functions, so it is important to have multiple standardized methods for measuring color. One of the most common and reliable methods for measuring animal coloration is the use of standardized digital photographs of animals. New technology in the form of a commercially available handheld digital color sensor could provide an alternative to photography-based animal color measurements. To determine whether a digital color sensor could be used to measure animal coloration, we tested the ability of a digital color sensor to measure coloration of mammalian, avian, and lepidopteran museums specimens. We compared results from the sensor to measurements taken using traditional photography methods. Our study yielded significant differences between photography-based and digital color sensor measurements of brightness (light to dark) and colors along the green to red spectrum. There was no difference between photographs and the digital color sensor measurements for colors along the blue to yellow spectrum. The average difference in recorded color (ΔE) by the 2 methods was above the threshold at which humans can perceive a difference. There were significant correlations between the sensor and photographs for all measurements indicating that the sensor is an effective animal coloration measuring tool. However, the sensor’s small aperture and narrow light spectrum range designed for human-vision limit its value for ecological research. We discuss the conditions in which a digital color sensor can be an effective tool for measuring animal coloration in both laboratory settings and in the field.
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with coronary artery calcification among asymptomatic adults
Authors: Huynh Quan , Marwick Thomas H , Venkataraman Prasanna , Knibbs Luke D , Johnston Fay H , Negishi Kazuaki 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Aims
We investigated the effects of exposure to very low levels of particulate matter &lt;2.5 µm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on coronary calcium score (CCS) in asymptomatic adults who are free of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods and results
This study included 606 asymptomatic adults (49% men, aged 56±7 years) recruited from communities in three states of Australia during 2017–2018. CCS was measured using coronary computed tomography scan at recruitment. Annual PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were estimated on the year before recruitment using statistical exposure models and assigned to each participant’s residential address. Medical history, physical measurements, biochemistry, and sociodemographic and socioeconomic status were also recorded. Median concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 were 6.9 µg/m3 [interquartile range (IQR) 6.0–7.7)] and 3.1 ppb [IQR 2.2–4.5], respectively. Of the 606 participants, 16% had high CCS (≥100) and 4% had very high CCS (≥400). Exposure to higher PM2.5 (per µg/m3) was significantly associated with greater odds of having high CCS (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02–1.43) and very high CCS (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.05–2.29). Similar associations were observed for NO2 and high CCS (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.27) and very high CCS (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07–1.51). These findings were robust to adjustment for sociodemographic factors, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, renal function, education, and socio-economic status.

Conclusions
Ambient air pollution even at low concentration was associated with degree of coronary artery calcification among asymptomatic low cardiovascular risk adults, independent of other risk factors. These findings suggest that air pollution is one of the residual risk factors of CAD.
The poor long-term outcomes of owl’s eye pulmonary reconstruction technique after arterial switch operation
Authors: Dedemoğlu Mehmet , Korun Oktay , Coşkun Gültekin , Özdemir Fatih , Yurdakök Okan , Çiçek Murat , Biçer Mehmet , Yurtseven Nurgül , Şaşmazel Ahmet , Aydemir Numan Ali 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aims to compare the early- and long-term outcomes of patients who undergo owl’s eye pulmonary artery (PA) reconstruction to those of patients who undergo conventional PA reconstruction.

METHODS
From January 2016 to January 2017, 64 consecutive patients underwent an arterial switch operation. The patients were divided into 2 groups in terms of neo-PA reconstruction method: 30 patients who underwent neo-PA reconstruction by owl’s eye technique were defined as group 1 and 34 patients who underwent neo-PA reconstruction by the conventional approach were defined as group 2. In the final model, after propensity matching, 23 patients from each group with similar propensity scores were included in the study.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the groups regarding patient characteristics and operative findings. In the early period, the duration of intensive care unit and hospital stays and the rate of mild neo-pulmonary stenosis (neo-PS) were significantly higher in the owl’s eye group (P = 0.04, 0.04 and 0.03). In the late period, the rate of severe neo-PS and reintervention was significantly higher in the owl’s eye group (P = 0.02 and 0.04). Furthermore, the rates of 3-year freedom from pulmonary reintervention and freedom from moderate–severe neo-PS were significantly lower in group 1 (P = 0.04). In addition, the owl’s eye reconstruction was the only factor independently related to moderate–severe neo-PS in the long term (hazard ratios = 11.2, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS
We have abandoned the owl’s eye method for neo-PA reconstruction of the neo-PA because of serious complications. According to our series and the literature, reconstruction of the neo-PA with an oversized, pantaloon-shaped fresh autologous pericardial patch is still superior to the other techniques.
Reliability analysis of a system with two-stage degradation using Wiener processes with piecewise linear drift
Authors: Dong Qinglai , Cui Lirong 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
We study a model of a two-stage degradation process in a dynamic environment. The two stages, the normal stage and the defective stage, are separated by the first hitting time of the alarm threshold by the degradation level. Wiener processes with piecewise linear drift are used in each stage to describe the degradation level in a dynamic environment. System failure is triggered in two ways: the system degradation level reaches the defect-based failure threshold; the duration in the defective stage is larger than the duration-based failure threshold. Explicit expressions for the system reliability for different duration-based failure thresholds are obtained. These include when the duration-based failure threshold is zero, when it is a positive constant and when it tends to infinity. A simulation procedure is described for the case in which the duration-based failure threshold is a random variable. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed reliability assessment method. The modelling method and the results can be used for reliability evaluation, residual life prediction and maintenance decision optimization of a system with two-stage degradation in a dynamic environment.
Actionable, Revised (v.3), and Amplified American Burn Association Triage Tables for Mass Casualties: A Civilian Defense Guideline
Authors: Kearns Randy D , Bettencourt Amanda P , Hickerson William L , Palmieri Tina L , Biddinger Paul D , Ryan Colleen M , Jeng James C 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Burn care remains among the most complex of the time-sensitive treatment interventions in medicine today. An enormous quantity of specialized resources are required to support the critical and complex modalities needed to meet the conventional standard of care for each patient with a critical burn injury. Because of these dependencies, a sudden surge of patients with critical burn injuries requiring immediate and prolonged care following a burn mass casualty incident (BMCI) will place immense stress on healthcare system assets, including supplies, space, and an experienced workforce (staff). Therefore, careful planning to maximize the efficient mobilization and rational use of burn care resources is essential to limit morbidity and mortality following a BMCI. The U.S. burn care profession is represented by the American Burn Association (ABA). This paper has been written by clinical experts and led by the ABA to provide further clarity regarding the capacity of the American healthcare system to absorb a surge of burn-injured patients. Furthermore, this paper intends to offer responders and clinicians evidence-based tools to guide their response and care efforts to maximize burn care capabilities based on realistic assumptions when confronted with a BMCI. This effort also aims to align recommendations in part with those of the Committee on Crisis Standards of Care for the Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences. Their publication guided the work in this report, identified here as “conventional, contingency, and crisis standards of care.” This paper also includes an update to the burn Triage Tables- Seriously Resource-Strained Situations (v.2).
South Sudanese Perceptions of Justice
Authors: Lavery Kirsten 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
During an outbreak of violence in July 2016, a South Sudanese journalist was killed and international aid workers were brutally raped by government soldiers at the Terrain compound in South Sudan. Following intense international pressure, 11 soldiers were found guilty of various crimes by a specially created military court martial in 2018. As the first widely reported case in which perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence were held accountable in South Sudan, this verdict is an important milestone. However, for the other countless South Sudanese victims of rampant sexual violence, the path to justice remains uncertain. This article explores the current pursuits of accountability for sexual violence in South Sudan and why they have failed to advance justice. After considering the factors that led to the Terrain prosecution in a military court, this article explores the impact of this case on South Sudanese perceptions of justice. The trial intensified the desire of many South Sudanese for accountability and increased knowledge of conflict-related criminal prosecutions. The justice system also marginally built its capacity and independence. However, there were serious due process concerns that led many to question the impartiality and credibility of the proceedings. This article argues that this case set a precedent that shows the international community will demand accountability in the wake of attacks on international aid workers. The threat of accountability may deter perpetrators from committing violence against this group, but will not necessarily protect South Sudanese victims. Finally, the article identifies lessons learned from the Terrain case and provides recommendations on how South Sudanese and others impacted by sexual violence can benefit from accountability efforts in the future.
Argument corpus development and argument component classification: A study in academic Spanish
Authors: García-Gorrostieta Jesús Miguel , López-López Aurelio , Rico-Sulayes Antonio , Carrillo Maya 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Academic writing is a complex task that requires an author to be skilled in argumentation. The goal of an academic author is to communicate ideas clearly and to convince the reader of the veracity of their claims. However, few students in lower level courses are good arguers, as this is a skill that takes time to master. With the aim of contributing to the development of this skill, we introduce a freely available annotated corpus to support research on argumentation in Spanish. To build the corpus, we developed an annotation guide to identify argumentation in paragraphs. The guide also outlines how to annotate segments of sentences as either claims or premises and how to indicate relations (support or attack) between such components. Then, an annotated corpus of 444 sections was created, and an almost perfect interannotator agreement rate was achieved for a number of its components. After its construction, the corpus was used to perform an exploratory analysis, which aimed to identify the amount of argumentation in each section as well as the patterns commonly used for argument identification. Thereafter, experiments were conducted to automatically classify argumentative components using lexical, semantic, discourse, structural, and sentiment features. A Document Occurrence Representation was also tested on the corpus constituting a novel approach in the representation of documents for automatic argument detection. The results of these experiments to automatically classify argumentative components in Spanish are very promising and seem to support the idea that linguistic feature engineering plays a crucial role in text classification.
The Cost of Job Loss
Authors: Burdett Kenneth , Carrillo-Tudela Carlos , Coles Melvyn 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
This article identifies an equilibrium theory of wage formation and endogenous quit turnover in a labour market with on-the-job search, where risk averse workers accumulate human capital through learning-by-doing and lose skills while unemployed. Optimal contracting implies the wage paid increases with experience and tenure. Indirect inference using German data determines the deep parameters of the model. The estimated model not only reproduces the large and persistent fall in wages and earnings following job loss, a new structural decomposition finds foregone human capital accumulation (while unemployed) is the worker’s major cost of job loss.
The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2019—Britain and the Making of Global Order after 1919
Authors: Clavin Patricia 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
On the centenary of the Paris Peace Conference, the lecture explores Britain’s pivotal role in the development of a rules-based global order. It reveals how Britons fashioned the practices and norms of new international institutions, including the League of Nations, to manage relations between states, markets, and civil society. The lecture uncovers why economic, social, and environmental issues took on as much importance as the more familiar concerns of border protection and weapons’ control. It draws on the correspondence of key internationalists, including women and student activists, who wanted to institutionalize global order in a way that advanced the needs of women, children, and the family as the concern of global security, and shows how preference was given to business groups and central bankers. The lecture exposes the connected history of the First World War with the global order forged to build peace, underlining the important role of the blockade, and the multilateral relationships it engendered. It reveals how British dominance after 1919 encouraged it to use the League of Nations a multilateral hub to manage Britain’s relations with Europe and with its empire, and the legacy of this history for international relations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
COVID-19 in Canada: Predictions for the future and control lessons from Asia
Authors: Christian Cornelius , Christian Francis 
Published: March 2020

AbstractCOVID-19 has spread with unequal efficiency in various parts of the world. In several European countries including Italy, the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases has followed a consistent, exponential pattern of spread. However, some countries, notably Taiwan and Hong Kong, have achieved a different outcome and have managed to bring the COVID-19 outbreak in their countries rapidly under control, without entering the exponential pattern and with very few cases. They have used several different approaches to COVID-19 outbreak control, including the innovative use of smartphone technology and the widespread use of surgical face masks. We show through our models, that Canada has followed the same, consistent COVID-19 exponential growth pattern that is seen in Italy. Both nationally and in its most heavily affected provinces, there is exponential growth of COVID-19 cases, making it possible to make predictions for the future, if no further interventions are made in public health policy. In particular, we argue for the urgent introduction of surgical face masks in health care and other settings and the harnessing of the power of smartphone technology on a national scale.
Itinerant complexity in networks of intrinsically bursting neurons
Authors: Venkadesh Siva , Barreto Ernest , Ascoli Giorgio A. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractActive neurons can be broadly classified by their intrinsic oscillation patterns into two classes characterized by periodic spiking or periodic bursting. Here we show that networks of identical bursting neurons with inhibitory pulsatory coupling exhibit itinerant dynamics. Using the relative phases of bursts between neurons, we numerically demonstrate that the network exhibits endogenous transitions among multiple modes of transient synchrony. This is true even for bursts consisting of two spikes. In contrast, our simulations reveal that identical singlet-spiking neurons do not exhibit such complexity in the network. These results suggest a role for bursting dynamics in realizing itinerant complexity in neural circuits.
The Effect of Large-Scale Anti-Contagion Policies on the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hsiang Solomon , Allen Daniel , Annan-Phan Sébastien , Bell Kendon , Bolliger Ian , Chong Trinetta , Druckenmiller Hannah , Huang Luna Yue , Hultgren Andrew , Krasovich Emma , Lau Peiley , Lee Jaecheol , Rolf Esther , Tseng Jeanette , Wu Tiffany 
Published: March 2020

AbstractGovernments around the world are responding to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic1with unprecedented policies designed to slow the growth rate of infections. Many actions, such as closing schools and restricting populations to their homes, impose large and visible costs on society, but their benefits cannot be directly observed and are currently understood only through process-based simulations.2–4Here, we compile new data on 1,717 local, regional, and national non-pharmaceutical interventions deployed in the ongoing pandemic across localities in China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, and the United States (US). We then apply reduced-form econometric methods, commonly used to measure the effect of policies on economic growth,5,6to empirically evaluate the effect that these anti-contagion policies have had on the growth rate of infections. In the absence of policy actions, we estimate that early infections of COVID-19 exhibit exponential growth rates of roughly 38% per day. We find that anti-contagion policies have significantly and substantially slowed this growth. Some policies have different impacts on different populations, but we obtain consistent evidence that the policy packages now deployed are achieving large, beneficial, and measurable health outcomes. We estimate that across these six countries, interventions prevented or delayed on the order of 62 million confirmed cases, corresponding to averting roughly 530 million total infections. These findings may help inform whether or when these policies should be deployed, intensified, or lifted, and they can support decision-making in the other 180+ countries where COVID-19 has been reported.7
A Review of Dosages of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 in registered Clinical Trials during First Quarter of 2020
Authors: Rana Divya RSJB , Dulal Santosh 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been causing a massive global public health havoc. Use of quinolones for treatment of COVID-19 was a matter of huge discussion in scientific community. Falsified data about efficacy of the drug against COVID-19 disseminated. This review was designed to study the dosages of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine planned to be administered in clinical trials registered up to March 2020.SummaryInclusion of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment in Chinese national treatment guideline in the early days of the pandemic prompted numerous clinical trials in many countries to authenticate the efficacy of the drugs. Trials were designed to include chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine singly or in combination with other drugs. Almost all of the trials planned oral administration except few which used aerosol inhalation. In the later half of 2020, systematic reviews and results of those clinical trials point out the inefficacies and inadvertent adverse events due to the use of these quinolone drugs for COVID-19.ConclusionThis study reviews the various dosages of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine utilized in published and under-study clinical trials as assessed during the end of March 2020. Specifically, clinical trials registered in Chinese and US trial registries were examined.