bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
17β-Estradiol as a New Therapy to Preserve Microcirculatory Perfusion in Small Bowel Donors
Authors: Vieira Roberta Figueiredo , Breithaupt-Faloppa Ana Cristina , Correia Cristiano Jesus , Armstrong Roberto , Coutinho-e-Silva Raphael dos Santos , Ferreira Sueli Gomes , Moreira Luiz Felipe Pinho , Sannomiya Paulina 
Published: April 2020

Background.
Intestine graft viability compromises retrieval in most brain-dead donors. Small bowel transplantation is a complex procedure with worse outcomes than transplantation of other abdominal organs. The hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) has shown vascular protective effects in lung tissue of brain death (BD) male rats. Thus, estradiol might be a treatment option to improve the quality of intestinal grafts.

Methods.
Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 10/group): rats that were trepanned only (sham-operated), rats subjected to rapid-onset BD, and brain-dead rats treated with E2 (280 µg/kg, intravenous) (BD-E2). Experiments performed for 180 minutes thereafter are included: (a) laser-Doppler flowmetry and intravital microscopy to evaluate mesenteric perfusion; (b) histopathological analysis; (c) real-time polymerase chain reaction of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and endothelin-1; (d) immunohistochemistry of eNOS, endothelin-1, P-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 expression; and (e) ELISA for cytokines and chemokines measurement.

Results.
17β-Estradiol improved microcirculatory perfusion and reduced intestinal edema and hemorrhage after BD. The proportions of perfused small vessels were (mean ± scanning electron microscope) BD rats (40% ± 6%), sham-operated rats (75% ± 8%), and BD-E2 rats (67% ± 5%) (P = 0.011). 17β-Estradiol treatment was associated with 2-fold increase in eNOS protein (P < 0.0001) and gene (P = 0.0009) expression, with no differences in endothelin-1 expression. BD-E2 rats exhibited a reduction in vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 expression and reduced cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 and interleukina-10 serum levels.

Conclusions.
17β-Estradiol was effective in improving mesenteric perfusion and reducing intestinal edema and hemorrhage associated with BD. The suggestion is that E2 might be considered a therapy to mitigate, at least in part, the deleterious effects of BD in small bowel donors.
Multi-chain Fudan-CCDC model for COVID-19 in Iran
Authors: Pan Hanshuang , Shao Nian , Yan Yue , Luo Xinyue , Ahmadi Ali , Fadaei Yasin , Cheng Jin , Chen Wenbin 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19 has been deeply affecting people’s lives all over the world. It is significant for prevention and control to model the evolution effectively and efficiently.MethodsWe first propose the multi-chain Fudan-CCDC model which is based on the original Fudan-CCDC model to describe the revival of COVID-19 in some countries. Multi-chains are considered as the superposition of distinctive single chains. Parameter identification is carried out by minimizing the penalty function.ResultsFrom results of numerical simulations, the multi-chain model performs well on data fitting and reasonably interprets the revival phenomena. The band of ±25% fluctuation of simulation results could contain most seemly unsteady increments.ConclusionThe multi-chain model has better performance on data fitting in revival situations compared with the single-chain model. It is predicted by the three-chain model with data by Apr 21 that the epidemic curve of Iran would level off on round May 10, and the final cumulative confirmed cases would be around 88820. The upper bound of the 95% confidence interval would be around 96000.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with a high risk of mortality in critical COVID-19 patients receiving heparin-involved treatment
Authors: Liu Xuan , Zhang Xiaopeng , Xiao Yongjiu , Gao Ting , Wang Guangfei , Wang Zhongyi , Zhang Zhang , Hu Yong , Dong Qincai , Zhao Songtao , Yu Li , Zhang Shuwei , Li Hongzhen , Li Kaitong , Chen Wei , Bian Xiuwu , Mao Qing , Cao Cheng 
Published: April 2020

SummaryBackgroundCoronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed into a global pandemic. It is essential to investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and uncover potential risk factors for severe disease to reduce the overall mortality rate of COVID-19.MethodsSixty-one critical COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 93 severe non-ICU patients at Huoshenshan Hospital (Wuhan, China) were included in this study. Medical records, including demographic, platelet counts, heparin-involved treatments, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia-(HIT) related laboratory tests, and fatal outcomes of COVID-19 patients were analyzed and compared between survivors and nonsurvivors.FindingsSixty-one critical COVID-19 patients treated in ICU included 15 survivors and 46 nonsurvivors. Forty-one percent of them (25/61) had severe thrombocytopenia, with a platelet count (PLT) less than 50×109/L, of whom 76% (19/25) had a platelet decrease of >50% compared to baseline; 96% of these patients (24/25) had a fatal outcome. Among the 46 nonsurvivors, 52·2% (24/46) had severe thrombocytopenia, compared to 6·7% (1/15) among survivors. Moreover, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) could induce a significant decrease in PLT in 81·3% of critical CRRT patients (13/16), resulting in a fatal outcome. In addition, a high level of anti-heparin-PF4 antibodies, a marker of HIT, was observed in most ICU patients. Surprisingly, HIT occurred not only in patients with heparin exposure, such as CRRT, but also in heparin-naïve patients, suggesting that spontaneous HIT may occur in COVID-19.InterpretationAnti-heparin-PF4 antibodies are induced in critical COVID-19 patients, resulting in a progressive platelet decrease. Exposure to a high dose of heparin may trigger further severe thrombocytopenia with a fatal outcome. An alternative anticoagulant other than heparin should be used to treat COVID-19 patients in critical condition.FundingThis investigation was supported by grants 2016CB02400 and 2017YFC1201103 from the National Major Research and Development Program of China.
AD-NET: Age-adjust neural network for improved MCI to AD conversion prediction
Authors: Gao Fei , Yoon Hyunsoo , Xu Yanzhe , Goradia Dhruman , Luo Ji , Wu Teresa , Su Yi ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe prediction of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients who are at higher risk converting to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is critical for effective intervention and patient selection in clinical trials. Different biomarkers including neuroimaging have been developed to serve the purpose. With extensive methodology development efforts on neuroimaging, an emerging field is deep learning research. One great challenge facing deep learning is the limited medical imaging data available. To address the issue, researchers explore the use of transfer learning to extend the applicability of deep models on neuroimaging research for AD diagnosis and prognosis. Existing transfer learning models mostly focus on transferring the features from the pre-training into the fine-tuning stage. Recognizing the advantages of the knowledge gained during the pre-training, we propose an AD-NET (Age-adjust neural network) with the pre-training model serving two purposes: extracting and transferring features; and obtaining and transferring knowledge. Specifically, the knowledge being transferred in this research is an age-related surrogate biomarker. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, AD-NET is compared with 8 classification models from literature using the same public neuroimaging dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed AD-NET outperforms the competing models in predicting the MCI patients at risk for conversion to the AD stage.
The value of security cooperation in Sino–South American relations
Authors: Jenne Nicole 
Published: April 2020

PurposeRelations between the People's Republic of China and Latin America have gradually expanded from commerce and finance to cover different aspects of security. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview over security cooperation between China and South America. Specifically, it analyses the motivations for security cooperation on both sides and its value added for Sino–South American relations.Design/methodology/approachThe article describes four dimensions of security cooperation between China and South America: functional cooperation, defence diplomacy, long-term cooperation initiatives and arms sales. For each dimension of security cooperation, the main motivations on the two sides are discussed, together with the value added of security cooperation to the “comprehensive and cooperative partnership” China's policy papers on Latin America and the Caribbean have called for.FindingsSecurity and defence considerations have not caused the development of Sino–South American security cooperation. Instead, it were the rapidly growing economic links from the 2000s on that facilitated China's broader political engagement with South America, including in the field of security. There are a number of important motivations that indicate security cooperation between China and South American states will further expand in the future.Practical implicationsSecurity cooperation should not only be practiced as an end in itself but also serve tangible outcomes to reduce insecurity.Originality/valueIn the context of Sino–Latin American relations, security cooperation has received relatively little attention beyond a comparatively small group of pundits despite the fact that military diplomacy has become increasingly important in bolstering China's growing international profile. This article makes an original contribution in discussing four dimensions of security cooperation between China and South America.
Current trends in China's international development cooperation to Latin America: potential opportunities and challenges with the belt and road initiative
Authors: Gélvez Rubio Tatiana Andrea , Gachúz Maya Juan Carlos 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis paper enquires into general trends of China's International Development Cooperation over the past decade in Latin America and provides insights into the challenges with the Belt and Road Initiative.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses quantitative data for Chinese Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Other Official Flows (OOF) for projects in Latin America based on recent data contributions including Bluhm et al. (2018) and Gallagher & Myers (2019).FindingsBased on the data available, it can be concluded that the cooperation between China and Latin America has been increasing. For instance, the value of China's cooperation increased by 4.5% per year on average from 2000 to 2014. Moreover, China's economic and political motivations in the region indicate that the cooperative relationship has been changing from a South–South to a North–South framework. Two main factors are involved in this transition: the evolution of China from a developing country to a global emerging power and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen political and economic ties with the governments of the region.Practical implicationsThis investigation suggests that the increasing number of loans in the region and Beijing's growing interest in trade and natural resources are structural factors that guide the Chinese foreign policy.Originality/valueThere are few analyses of China's cooperation for development in Latin America that involve the evaluation of concessional and non-concessional loans for projects in the region in the last decade. This paper also analyses the challenges and opportunities that the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative represents for the region.
Italian millennials' preferences for wine: an exploratory study
Authors: Nassivera Federico , Gallenti Gianluigi , Troiano Stefania , Marangon Francesco , Cosmina Marta , Bogoni Paolo , Campisi Barbara , Carzedda Matteo 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the wine consumption among young people belonging to the so-called millennial generationDesign/methodology/approachThis study uses a questionnaire and a choice experiment (CE) with a multinomial logit model (MNL), implementing a random parameter logit model (RPL), to investigate the attitudes of millennials towards wine consumption, their purchasing behaviours and their willingness to pay for attributes of the products; in particular regarding the follwing: region of origin, “winescape”, certification, carbon footprint claim and price.FindingsMillennials appear to drink wine less frequently; they consume it more often in social on-premise settings, having a slightly higher willingness to pay and preferring carbon-neutral brands when choosing wine.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this research was the analysis of a simulated situation where consumers declared their intention to purchase and not the effective purchase behaviour in the market.Further research should investigate wider millennials groups, also using the new media communication tools that characterise the communication behaviour of Generation Y. In this way, it would be possible to interview a millennial group at the national or international level.Practical implicationsThe research identifies some characteristics of millennials’ habits that can take into account the strategies of wine companies in order to develop a constructive relationship with Generation Y in Italy.Social implicationsThis research contributes to knowledge regarding the wine consumption habits of Italian millennials.Originality/valueThis paper applies discrete choice models to consumption situations in order to analyse millennials' preference and their willingness to pay for some innovative attributes of wine, in particular the carbon footprint.
A simulated annealing algorithm for the allocation of production resources in the food catering industry
Authors: Tufano Alessandro , Accorsi Riccardo , Manzini Riccardo 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis paper addresses the trade-off between asset investment and food safety in the design of a food catering production plant. It analyses the relationship between the quality decay of cook-warm products, the logistics of the processes and the economic investment in production machines.Design/methodology/approachA weekly cook-warm production plan has been monitored on-field using temperature sensors to estimate the quality decay profile of each product. A multi-objective optimisation model is proposed to (1) minimise the number of resources necessary to perform cooking and packing operations or (2) to maximise the food quality of the products. A metaheuristic simulated annealing algorithm is introduced to solve the model and to identify the Pareto frontier of the problem.FindingsThe packaging buffers are identified as the bottleneck of the processes. The outcome of the algorithms highlights that a small investment to design bigger buffers results in a significant increase in the quality with a smaller food loss.Practical implicationsThis study models the production tasks of a food catering facility to evaluate their criticality from a food safety perspective. It investigates the tradeoff between the investment cost of resources processing critical tasks and food safety of finished products.Social implicationsThe methodology applies to the design of cook-warm production. Catering companies use cook-warm production to serve school, hospitals and companies. For this reason, the application of this methodology leads to the improvement of the quality of daily meals for a large number of people.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a new multi-objective function (asset investment vs food quality) proposing an original metaheuristic to address this tradeoff in the food catering industry. Also, the methodology is applied and validated in the design of a new food production facility.
Relocalisation for degrowth and disaster risk reduction
Authors: Ajulo Oluwadunsin Moromoke , von Meding Jason , Tang Patrick 
Published: April 2020

PurposeVulnerability is understood as susceptibility to hazards born out of the complex interaction within the system scales. The current global economic system focuses on persistent growth and a top-down approach to wealth distribution, which not only puts a strain on the Earth's resources but also on communities by increasing vulnerability. Localised economy, on the other hand, uses a bottom-up approach to wealth distribution, whereby local resources are harnessed for sustainability of the local economy. Localising economies facilitate degrowth by shifting our focus to the quality of economies and the redefinition of growth and prosperity. The purpose of this study is to highlight the potentials of localisation and degrowth for vulnerability reduction.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors conducted a case study of the Lyttelton community in New Zealand, their local initiatives and how these efforts have been used to build capacities and reduce vulnerabilities in the community. Data were sourced from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were sourced through observation of the day-to-day running of the community and interviews with community members, while secondary data were sourced from existing literature on the community and related concepts.FindingsLyttelton community provides a good example of a community where bottom-up initiatives are particularly felt, and there is very limited dependence on the conventional economic system to solve their problems. The study shows that degrowth initiatives within the community have gained momentum because initiators see the value in their coming together as a community and doing what is right for themselves and the environment. Furthermore, localisation fosters innovation, personal growth and development and care for the environment.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the existing knowledge by discussing some local initiatives that serve an underlying purpose for degrowth based on a study carried out in Lyttelton, New Zealand. The study findings established that there is need for more focus on sensitisation about the risks of growth mania and the potential for degrowth in bringing about actual prosperity, for saving the environment and disaster risk reduction. Also, the encouragement of local production and existing institutions like the timebank, which give members access to the needed resources and skills contribute to vulnerability reduction.
Adaptive anisotropic response surface method based on univariate dimension-reduction model and its high-order revision
Authors: Fan Wenliang , Zhang Wentong , Li Min , Ang Alfredo H.-S. , Li Zhengliang 
Published: April 2020

Purpose
Based on univariate dimension-reduction model, this study aims to propose an adaptive anisotropic response surface method (ARSM) and its high-order revision (HARSM) to balance the accuracy and efficiency for response surface method (RSM).

Design/methodology/approach
First, judgment criteria for the constitution of a univariate function are derived mathematically, together with the practical implementation. Second, by combining separate polynomial approximation of each component function of univariate dimension-reduction model with its constitution analysis, the anisotropic ARSM is proposed. Third, the high-order revision for component functions is introduced to improve the accuracy of ARSM, namely, HARSM, in which the revision is also anisotropic. Finally, several examples are investigated to verify the accuracy, efficiency and convergence of the proposed methods, and the influence of parameters on the proposed methods is also performed.

Findings
The criteria for constitution analysis are appropriate and practical. Obtaining the undetermined coefficients for every component functions is easier than the existing RSMs. The existence of special component functions is useful to improve the efficiency of the ARSM. HARSM is helpful for improving accuracy significantly and it is more robust than ARSM and the existing quadratic polynomial RSMs and linear RSM. ARSM and HARSM can achieve appropriate balance between precision and efficiency.

Originality/value
The constitution of univariate function can be determined adaptively and the nonlinearity of different variables in the response surface can be treated in an anisotropic way.
Policy instrument choice for construction and demolition waste management: the case study of Shenzhen, China
Authors: Li Jingru , Zuo Jian , Jiang Weiping , Zhong Xizeng , Li Jinggang , Pan Yulun 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis study aims to identify and quantitatively evaluate the factors that influence the construction and demolition waste (CDW) policy instrument choice, and provide a systematic framework for local governments to select the appropriate policy instruments with a consideration of their specific situations.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review and expert interviews were conducted to identify the key factors. These factors were quantitatively evaluated via a questionnaire survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to explore the underlying structure of these variables and organize the factors into a systematic framework.FindingsResource, clarity of policy problem and goal, legitimacy, acceptance of targeted group and environmental concern of public are the five top variables, which should be emphasized in the selection of CDW policy. The respondents with experience in policymaking and those without experience had slightly different views on the importance of these variables. A total of six latent factors were identified and organized into a framework.Research limitations/implicationsThe questionnaire survey was conducted with government staff via a snowball sampling method, which may affect the representativeness of conclusions to a certain extent.Practical implicationsThis study provides a useful reference for local government to choose appropriate policies to address the CDW problem. Matching attributes of policy instruments with the policy goal and the problem is the starting point in choice of the CDW policy. The matched instruments will be further narrowed by social context, i.e. environmental concern and socioeconomic situation. The final selection must undergo bargaining between policymakers and targeted groups.Originality/valuePolicy instruments choice is a complicated process, which is shaped by the interaction of many influential factors. However, the impact of these factors on CDW policy choice is largely overlooked. This study will contribute to the knowledge body pertaining to policy selection in the CDW field.