bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thoracic Endometriosis: a Clinical Review and Update of Current and Evolving Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques
Authors: Velagapudi Ravi Kanth , Egan John P. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and clinical management of thoracic endometriosis (TE), as well as highlight our personal experience with TE workup and management.

Recent Findings
TE can present in a wide range of clinical manifestations. Without high clinical suspicion, diagnosis can be delayed. Since no specific laboratory testing is available, diagnosis is often based on careful history taking, imaging, and direct visualization of endometrial lesions through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Medical thoracoscopy (MT) may also be a useful tool in the diagnostic workup of TE.

Summary
The diagnosis and management of TE require a multidisciplinary approach and a high index of clinical suspicion. While VATS remains the gold standard for diagnosis, we share our experience using MT to diagnose and manage a case of TE-related hemothorax.
IR-transparent MgO-Gd2O3 composite ceramics produced by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and spark plasma sintering
Authors: Permin Dmitry A. , Boldin Maksim S. , Belyaev Alexander V. , Balabanov Stanislav S. , Koshkin Vitaly A. , Murashov Atrem A. , Ladenkov Igor V. , Lantsev Evgeny A. , Smetanina Ksenia E. , Khamaletdinova Nadia M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA glycine-nitrate self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was developed to produce composite MgO-Gd2O3nanopowders. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the SHS-product consists of cubic MgO and Gd2O3phases with nanometer crystallite size and retains this structure after annealing at temperatures up to 1200 °C. Near full dense high IR-transparent composite ceramics were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1140 °C and 60 MPa. The in-line transmittance of 1 mm thick MgO-Gd2O3ceramics exceeded 70% in the range of 4–5 mm and reached a maximum of 77% at a wavelength of 5.3 mm. The measured microhardness HV0.5 of the MgO-Gd2O3ceramics is 9.5±0.4 GPa, while the fracture toughness (KIC) amounted to 2.0±0.5 MPa·m1/2. These characteristics demonstrate that obtained composite MgO-Gd2O3ceramic is a promising material for protective infra-red (IR) windows.
In Pursuit of an Effective Treatment: the Past, Present and Future of Clinical Trials in Inclusion Body Myositis
Authors: Snedden A. M. , Lilleker J. B. , Chinoy H. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Purpose of review
No clinical trial in sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) thus far has shown a clear and sustained therapeutic effect. We review previous trial methodology, explore why results have not translated into clinical practice, and suggest improvements for future IBM trials.

Recent findings
Early trials primarily assessed immunosuppressive medications, with no significant clinical responses observed. Many of these studies had methodological issues, including small participant numbers, nonspecific diagnostic criteria, short treatment and/or assessment periods and insensitive outcome measures. Most recent IBM trials have instead focused on nonimmunosuppressive therapies, but there is mounting evidence supporting a primary autoimmune aetiology, including the discovery of immunosuppression-resistant clones of cytotoxic T cells and anti-CN-1A autoantibodies which could potentially be used to stratify patients into different cohorts. The latest trials have had mixed results. For example, bimagrumab, a myostatin blocker, did not affect the 6-min timed walk distance, whereas sirolimus, a promotor of autophagy, did. Larger studies are planned to evaluate the efficacy of sirolimus and arimoclomol.

Summary
Thus far, no treatment for IBM has demonstrated a definite therapeutic effect, and effective treatment options in clinical practice are lacking. Trial design and ineffective therapies are likely to have contributed to these failures. Identification of potential therapeutic targets should be followed by future studies using a stratified approach and sensitive and relevant outcome measures.
Wie Friedrich List (1789–1846) den Brexit und den Verhandlungsmarathon zwischen Großbritannien und der EU kommentieren würde
Authors: Wendler Eugen 
Published: February 2021

ZusammenfassungIn buchstäblich letzter Minute haben sich die englische Regierung und die Europäische Union auf ein umfangreiches Abkommen geeinigt, um einen ungeregelten Brexit zu verhindern. Nach dem jahrelangen zähen Verhandlungsmarathon fällt der Jubel verhalten aus, dennoch herrscht auf beiden Seiten des Ärmelkanals Erleichterung, weil ein Modus Vivendi gefunden wurde, auf dem sich die künftigen Beziehungen aufbauen und fortführen lassen. Ob sich die englischen Blütenträume, die an den Brexit geknüpft wurden, erfüllen werden, wird die Zukunft erweisen.Die Strategie und Taktik der englischen Regierungen zum Brexit und bei den Austrittsverhandlungen spiegeln sich in den Erfahrungen wider, die Friedrich List vor genau 175 Jahren bei seinen Bemühungen um eine deutsch-englische Allianz machen musste. Wegen der von England schon damals strikt befolgten Insular‑ und Handelssuprematie musste er sich eingestehen, dass England diese Position hartnäckig verteidigt und deshalb frustriert und ernüchtert seine Pläne aufgeben. Deshalb setzte er seine Hoffnung auf eine „Kontinentalallianz“ der europäischen Nationen, wie sie nun nach dem Austritt Großbritanniens aus der Europäischen Union entstanden ist. Vielleicht werden wir uns nun an den Begriff „Kontinentalallianz“ gewöhnen müssen und dabei an die Weitsicht von Friedrich List erinnert.Andererseits gilt auch für die englische Politik das Motto von Lists zweiter Pariser Preisschrift: „Le monde marche – Die Welt bewegt sich“, allerdings mit völlig anderen Vorzeichen als vor 175 Jahren: Die Welthandelsachse hat sich von der westlichen auf die östliche Halbkugel verlagert; das britische Weltreich ist Geschichte, die Fließgeschwindigkeit des globalen Wandels hat sich dramatisch beschleunigt und trotz der Lingua Franca erscheint England, vor allem aus asiatischer Sicht, nur noch als kleiner Fleck auf der Weltkarte. Falls die schottische Regierung ihre Absicht durchsetzen und die Unabhängigkeit vom Vereinigten Königreich erreichen sollte, würde sich der Brexit als verhängnisvoller Bumerang erweisen.
Estimation of software quality parameters for hybrid agile process model
Authors: Neelu Lalband , Kavitha D. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis study aims to motivate a new hybrid agile methodology is a combination of agile models from Scrum, Extreme Programming, and Lean Software Development. The main aim of the hybrid agile model is the timely delivery of projects to clients with high quality at a reduced rate. But the main difficulty in hybrid agile model to effectively reflect the software quality attributes. Basically, the failure of a software project is mainly not because of inefficiency of functional features but due to inefficiency of quality attributes, like performance, reliability and effective usability. The work presents the introduction of Hybrid Agile Quality Parameter Analysis (HAQPE) that is a quality attribute driven agile development method. The outcome of developed quality attribute HAQPE was evaluated through hybrid agile process assessment by applying it to a commercial project of software industry. The results demonstrated that the developed quality attribute model is more efficient than the legacy agile development process.
Research on laser stripe characteristics and center extraction algorithm for desktop laser scanner
Authors: Shi Xiaoquan , Sun Yazhou , Liu Haitao , Bai Linqi , Lin Chonghao 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis study presents laser stripe center extraction algorithm for desktop-level 3D laser scanners. The laser stripe center extraction accuracy is an important factor affecting 3D scanning result. Desktop-level devices should have adaptability of a wide range of scanning objects. In this paper, laser stripe energy distribution characteristics with different laser stripe width, ambient light, materials and colors are obtained by experiments. Experiment results show that waveforms of bright spot, low brightness stripe and stripe with large width are complex or easily disturbed, so the center extraction algorithm of them are studied. The extraction effects of extremum method, gradient method and gray centroid method under different conditions are compared. Based on traditional grayscale value, a weighted grayscale value is proposed to extract laser stripe center. Standard deviations of extracted pixel position and fitting pixel position are calculated by different method with different weighted grayscale value. For different conditions, especially for different ambient light intensity, weight matrix plays an important role to extraction result.
Cyber Terrorism and Public Support for Retaliation – A Multi-Country Survey Experiment
Authors: Shandler Ryan , Gross Michael L. , Backhaus Sophia , Canetti Daphna 
Published: February 2021

AbstractDoes exposure to cyber terrorism prompt calls for retaliatory military strikes? By what psychological mechanism does it do so? Through a series of controlled, randomized experiments, this study exposed respondents (n = 2,028) to television news reports depicting cyber and conventional terror attacks against critical infrastructures in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. The findings indicate that only lethal cyber terrorism triggers strong support for retaliation. Findings also confirm that anger bridges exposure to cyber terrorism and retaliation, rather than psychological mechanisms such as threat perception or anxiety as other studies propose. These findings extend to the cyber realm a recent trend that views anger as a primary mechanism linking exposure to terrorism with militant preferences. With cyber terrorism a mounting international concern, this study demonstrates how exposure to this threat can generate strong public support for retaliatory policies, depending on the lethality of the attack.
Multilingual toddlers’ vocabulary development in two languages: Comparing bilinguals and trilinguals
Authors: CÔTÉ Stephanie L. , GONZALEZ-BARRERO Ana Maria , BYERS-HEINLEIN Krista 
Published: February 2021

AbstractMany children grow up hearing multiple languages, learning words in each. How does the number of languages being learned affect multilinguals’ vocabulary development? In a pre-registered study, we compared productive vocabularies of bilingual (n= 170) and trilingual (n= 20) toddlers aged 17–33 months growing up in a bilingual community where both French and English are spoken. We hypothesized that because trilinguals have reduced input in French and English due to time spent hearing their third language, they would have smaller French–English vocabulary sizes than bilinguals. Trilinguals produced on average 2/3 of the number of words in these languages that bilinguals did: however, this difference was not statistically robust due to large levels of variability. Follow-up analyses did, however, indicate a relationship between input quantity and vocabulary size. Our results indicate that similar factors contribute to vocabulary development across toddlers regardless of the number of languages being acquired.
Acoustic cues to coda stop voicing contrasts in Australian English-speaking children
Authors: MILLASSEAU Julien , YUEN Ivan , BRUGGEMAN Laurence , DEMUTH Katherine 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWhile voicing contrasts in word-onset position are acquired relatively early, much less is known about how and when they are acquired in word-coda position, where accurate production of these contrasts is also critical for distinguishing words (e.g.,dogvs.dock). This study examined how the acoustic cues to coda voicing contrasts are realized in the speech of 4-year-old Australian English-speaking children. The results showed that children used similar acoustic cues to those of adults, including longer vowel duration and more frequent voice bar for voiced stops, and longer closure and burst durations for voiceless stops along with more frequent irregular pitch periods. This suggests that 4-year-olds have acquired productive use of the acoustic cues to coda voicing contrasts, though implementations are not yet fully adult-like. The findings have implications for understanding the development of phonological contrasts in populations for whom these may be challenging, such as children with hearing loss.
DNA fragmentation and morphometric studies in sperm of stallions supplemented with maca (Lepidium meyenii)
Authors: D’Anza Emanuele , Albarella Sara , Galdiero Giacomo , Tafuri Simona , Del Prete Chiara , Cocchia Natascia , Ciani Francesca , Mastellone Vincenzo , Pasolini Maria Pia , Carotenuto Domenico , Selvaggi Maria , Ciotola Francesca , Peretti Vincenzo 
Published: February 2021

SummaryThe reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameters such as DNA fragmentation and shape, which are two predictive indexes of spermatozoa functionality. For this purpose, ejaculate volume, semen gel-free volume, sperm concentration and motility, total sperm count, sperm DNA fragmentation and sperm head parameters (length, width, perimeter, area, shape factor, roughness) were measured in four stallions. Maca food supplementation in stallions during breeding reduced the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA, increased significantly sperm concentration and exerted an elongation of the spermatozoa head, a condition that is believed to improve spermatozoa functionality, suggesting that food supplementation of maca could be useful in horse breeding during the breeding season.
Using classification and regression tree modeling to investigate appetite hormones and proinflammatory cytokines as biomarkers to differentiate bipolar I depression from major depressive disorder
Authors: Huang Kai-Lin , Chen Mu-Hong , Hsu Ju-Wei , Tsai Shih-Jen , Bai Ya-Mei 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Background
Altered immunity and metabolic profiles have been compared between bipolar depression (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed at developing a composite predictor of appetite hormones and proinflammatory cytokines to differentiate BD from MDD.

Methods
This cross-sectional study enrolled patients with BD and those with MDD aged 20 to 59 years and displaying depressive episodes. Clinical characteristics (age, sex, body mass index, and depression severity), cytokines (C-reactive protein, interleukin [IL]-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, P-selectin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein), and appetite hormones (leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and insulin) were assessed as potential predictors using a classification and regression tree (CRT) model for differentiating BD from MDD.

Results
The predicted probability of a composite predictor of ghrelin and TNF-α was significantly greater (for BD: area under curve = 0.877; for MDD: area under curve = 0.914) than that of any one marker (all P > .05) to distinguish BD from MDD. The most powerful predictors for diagnosing BD were high ghrelin and TNF-α levels, whereas those for MDD were low ghrelin and TNF-α levels.

Conclusion
A composite predictor of ghrelin and TNF-α driven by CRT could assist in the differential diagnosis of BD from MDD with high specificity. Further clinical studies are warranted to validate our results and to explore underlying mechanisms.
Effectiveness of a nutrition education and intervention programme on nutrition knowledge and dietary practice among Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University’s population
Authors: Alzaben Abeer Salman , Alnashwan Noha Ibrahim , Alatr Afnan Abdullah , Alneghamshi Nourah Abdullah , Alhashem Anwar Mohammed 
Published: February 2021

AbstractObjective:The study sought to assess the influence of nutrition education and intervention programmes on nutrition knowledge and dietary practice among both students and staff (including faculty) of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia.Design:A pretest–posttest, non-randomised experimental study design was implemented at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh City between September 2019 and February 2020.Setting:Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University is the largest women’s university in the world and has eighteen colleges and institutions and around ninety academic programmes.Participants:The survey was completed by 1824 participants (1350 students and 474 staff/faculty) before the intervention and by a different cohort of 1731 participants (1317 students and 414 staff/faculty) after the intervention. In total, an independent sample of 3555 staff and students participated. Participants were asked about dietary knowledge and practices. Dietary knowledge entailed food variety and nutrients, fast food and its poor nutritional value, and the influence of cooking style on the nutritional quality of food. Dietary practices involved eating breakfast; consuming salt/sugar, eating high-salt food; eating pre-packaged food and consumption of vegetables, fruits, supplements, water and caffeine.Results:The majority of the sample consisted of students (75·1 %) and had not been diagnosed with any disease (73·7 %). The result of the current study showed that nutrition knowledge improved after completion of the nutrition programme.Conclusions:The nutrition awareness programme improved students’ nutritional knowledge; however, there was no significant effect on their dietary practices. Future nutrition awareness programmes should separate activities for students and staff, focusing on one target population at a time.
Detection of a Bolide in Jupiter's Atmosphere With Juno UVS
Authors: Giles Rohini S. , Greathouse Thomas K. , Kammer Joshua A. , Gladstone G. Randall , Bonfond Bertrand , Hue Vincent , Grodent Denis C. , Gérard Jean‐Claude , Versteeg Maarten H. , Bolton Scott J. , Connerney John E. P. , Levin Steven M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instrument on the Juno mission recorded transient bright emission from a point source in Jupiter's atmosphere. The spectrum shows that the emission is consistent with a 9600‐K blackbody located 225 km above the 1‐bar level and the duration of the emission was between 17 ms and 150 s. These characteristics are consistent with a bolide in Jupiter's atmosphere. Based on the energy emitted, we estimate that the impactor had a mass of 250–5,000 kg, which corresponds to a diameter of 1–4 m. By considering all observations made with Juno UVS over the first 27 perijoves of the mission, we estimate an impact flux rate of 24,000 per year for impactors with masses greater than 250–5,000 kg.
Local and Regional Modes of Hydroclimatic Change Expressed in Modern Multidecadal Precipitation Oxygen Isotope Trends
Authors: Putman Annie L. , Bowen Gabriel J. , Strong Courtnay 
Published: February 2021

AbstractStable isotope ratios of precipitation trace mechanisms of hydroclimatic change in the modern and paleoclimate record. Patterns and drivers of isotopic change at multidecadal timescales have remained unclear, however, due to limitations in the observational record. Here, we use a 65‐year global data compilation to estimate solstial season δ18Op trends. Spatially organized regions of change suggest divergent controls, and we propose that changes in atmospheric water balance dominate trends in moisture‐limited areas, whereas changes in upwind source region conditions drive trends where atmospheric water flux is large relative to precipitation. Positive trends on windward coasts suggest the latter effect, whereas we attribute the dipole patterns in trends over North America and Europe and decreasing trends in southern Australia during boreal winter to the former. Simulations from the isotope‐enabled Community Atmospheric Model match predictions for water balance, implying that the model may underrepresent the effects of changing vapor source conditions.
An Evaluation of the Constant Flux Layer in the Atmospheric Flow Above the Wavy Air‐Sea Interface
Authors: Ortiz‐Suslow David G. , Kalogiros John , Yamaguchi Ryan , Wang Qing 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe constant flux layer assumption simplifies the problem of atmospheric surface layer (ASL) dynamics and is an underlying assumption of Monin‐Obukhov similarity theory (MOST), which is ubiquitously applied to model interfacial exchange and atmospheric turbulence. Within the marine environment, the measurements necessary to confirm the local ASL as a constant flux layer are rarely available, namely: direct observations of the near‐surface flux gradients. Recently, the Research PlatformFLIPwas deployed with a meteorological mast that resolved the momentum and heat flux gradients from 3 to 16 m above the ocean surface. Here, we present an assessment of the prevalence of the constant flux layer within the ASL, using an approach that accounted for the role of wave‐coherent motion in air and evaluated each observed flux gradien. Our analysis revealed that only 30%–40% of momentum flux gradients were approximately constant; for the heat fluxes, this increased to 50%–60%. For low winds, the stationarity of local turbulence was critical to the constant flux layer's validity, but resulted in excising a large proportion of the observed profiles. Under moderate wind speeds, swell‐wind alignment was associated with momentum flux divergence. Our findings suggest that the constant flux layer, as it is conventionally defined, is not generally valid over the ocean. This holds significant implications for measuring air‐sea fluxes from single point sources and marine applications of MOST.
Modeled Atmospheric Optical and Thermodynamic Responses to an Exceptional Trans‐Atlantic Dust Outbreak
Authors: Miller P. W. , Williams M. , Mote T. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractLong‐range aerosol transport is an important physical mechanism for ecological, biological, and hydrological elements of the earth system. Regarding the latter, regional climate models have no way of assimilating future aerosol concentrations, so dust aerosol emissions must be parameterized using local landscape and meteorological conditions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of different dust emission settings within the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF‐Chem) to facilitate future dynamical downscaling work. This study performs nine WRF‐Chem hindcasts, each utilizing a different dust emission configuration, from 1 March to 31 May 2015, coinciding with a Saharan air layer (SAL) dust outbreak during the 2015 Caribbean drought. WRF‐Chem aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Gálvez‐Davison Index (GDI), a convective forecasting parameter, are validated against analogous MODIS, AERONET, and ERA5 products. In aggregate, the GOCART dust emission scheme with Air Force Weather Agency modifications (GOCART‐AFWA) achieved the best balance between AOD and GDI accuracy when employing the default tuning constant (1.00). As the schemes emitted dust more aggressively, WRF‐Chem produced warming at 500 hPa, reducing GDI over the central and eastern Atlantic near the modeled dust trajectory. Though AOD was generally too low over the southwest Atlantic, the eastern Caribbean occupies a transition zone between negative and positive AOD biases where this field was hindcast with relative accuracy. Meanwhile, areas with positive AOD biases were associated with negative GDI biases (and vice versa) indicating the covariability between SAL dust loadings and thermodynamic conditions in the tropical north Atlantic.