bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Machine learning friendly set version of Johnson–Lindenstrauss lemma
Authors: Kłopotek Mieczysław A. 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
The widely discussed and applied Johnson–Lindenstrauss (JL) Lemma has an existential form saying that for each set of data points Q in n-dimensional space, there exists a transformation f into an $$n'$$n′-dimensional space ($$n'<n$$n′<n) such that for each pair $$\mathbf {u},\mathbf {v} \in Q$$u,v∈Q$$(1-\delta )\Vert \mathbf {u}-\mathbf {v}\Vert ^2 \le \Vert f(\mathbf {u})-f(\mathbf {v})\Vert ^2 \le (1+\delta )\Vert \mathbf {u}-\mathbf {v}\Vert ^2 $$(1-δ)‖u-v‖2≤‖f(u)-f(v)‖2≤(1+δ)‖u-v‖2 for a user-defined error parameter $$\delta $$δ. Furthermore, it is asserted that with some finite probability the transformation f may be found as a random projection (with scaling) onto the $$n'$$n′ dimensional subspace so that after sufficiently many repetitions of random projection, f will be found with user-defined success rate $$1-\epsilon $$1-ϵ. In this paper, we make a novel use of the JL Lemma. We prove a theorem stating that we can choose the target dimensionality in a random projection-type JL linear transformation in such a way that with probability $$1-\epsilon $$1-ϵ all of data points from Q fall into predefined error range $$\delta $$δ for any user-predefined failure probability $$\epsilon $$ϵ when performing a single random projection. This result is important for applications such as data clustering where we want to have a priori dimensionality reducing transformation instead of attempting a (large) number of them, as with traditional Johnson–Lindenstrauss Lemma. Furthermore, we investigate an important issue whether or not the projection according to JL Lemma is really useful when conducting data processing, that is whether the solutions to the clustering in the projected space apply to the original space. In particular, we take a closer look at the k-means algorithm and prove that a good solution in the projected space is also a good solution in the original space. Furthermore, under proper assumptions local optima in the original space are also ones in the projected space. We investigate also a broader issue of preserving clusterability under JL Lemma projection. We define the conditions for which clusterability property of the original space is transmitted to the projected space, so that a broad class of clustering algorithms for the original space is applicable in the projected space.
Inhibition of NADPH Oxidase-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species Decreases Expression of Inflammatory Cytokines in A549 Cells
Authors: Wieczfinska Joanna , Sitarek Przemyslaw , Skała Ewa , Kowalczyk Tomasz , Pawliczak Rafal 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Various experimental models strongly support the hypothesis that airway inflammation can be caused by oxidative stress. Inflammatory airway diseases like asthma and COPD are characterized by higher levels of ROS and inflammatory cytokines. One of the sources of ROS is NADPH oxidase. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate influence of NADPH oxidase inhibition on the expression of IL-6, IL-8, TNF, TSLP, CD59, and PPAR-γ in vitro. A549 cells were incubated with apocynin in three concentrations (0.5 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml, and 3 mg/ml). Cells were trypsinized and RNA isolated after 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h of apocynin incubation at each concentration. Afterwards, reverse transcription was performed to evaluate mRNA expression using real-time PCR. The time-response and dose-response study showed that apocynin significantly influenced the relative expression of chosen genes (IL-6, IL-8, TNF, PPAR-γ, TSLP, and CD59). Apocynin decreased the mRNA expression of TNF-α at all concentrations used, and of IL-6 at concentrations of 1 and 3 mg/ml (p < 0.05). TSLP mRNA expression was also reduced by apocynin after 1 h and 2 h, and CD59 mRNA after 1 h, but only at the highest concentration. The expression of PPAR-γ was reduced after apocynin in the highest concentrations only (p < 0.05). The results might suggest that proinflammatory agents’ expression levels are strongly connected to the presence of oxidative stress generated by NADPH oxidase and this might be at least partially eliminated by anti-oxidative action. Apocynin, as an effective inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, seems to be useful in potential anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory therapy.
Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Disaster Medicine
Authors: Duan Yu-yu , Zhang Jia-yao , Xie Mao , Feng Xiao-bo , Xu Song , Ye Zhe-wei 
Published: October 2019

SummaryThe occurrence of major emergencies often leads to environmental damage, property damage, health challenges and life threats. Despite the tremendous progress we have made in responding to the many challenges posed by disasters in recent years, there are still many shortcomings. As an emerging technology widely used in recent years, virtual reality (VR) technology is very suitable for many fields of disaster medicine, such as basic education, professional training, psychotherapy, etc. The purpose of this review article is to introduce the application of VR technology in the disaster medical field and prospect its trend in the future.
The design of a laboratory apparatus to simulate the dust generated by longwall shield advances
Authors: Shahan Michael R. , Reed William Randolph 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
A laboratory apparatus (shield dust simulator) was designed and constructed to simulate the dust generated during the advance of longwall hydraulic roof supports, or shields. The objective of the study was to develop a tool that could be used to test the hypothesis that foam applied to a mine roof prior to a shield advance could be used to reduce the respirable dust generated during shield advances. This paper will outline the design parameters for the development of the system, as well as describe baseline testing of coal and limestone dust. Results show that the average instantaneous respirable dust concentrated during simulated shield advance. Confidence intervals were calculated from the instantaneous respirable dust data to determine the repeatability of the data produced by the device.
U.S. Grass-Fed Beef Producers: Goal Structure and Reasons for Enterprise Selection
Authors: Sitienei Isaac , Gillespie Jeffrey , Scaglia Guillermo 
Published: October 2019

AbstractWe examine the relative importance of eight goals U.S. grass-fed beef (GFB) producers have for their farms and the relative importance of nine reasons for selecting the GFB enterprise. We further analyze factors affecting goal structure and reasons for selecting the enterprise. The data used for this study are from a 2013 mail survey of U.S. GFB producers. The most important reasons for selecting the GFB enterprise included “producing healthy beef” and “GFB is good for the environment,” classified in the study as social and environmental sustainability reasons, respectively. Reasons such as “profitability” and “strong demand for GFB” were generally of lower importance.
Nervous System Hemangiopericytoma
Authors: Cohen-Inbar Or 
Published: October 2019

Abstract:The management of patients harboring central nervous system (CNS) hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) is a partially answered challenge. These are rare locally aggressive lesions, with potential for local recurrence, distal neural metastasis (DNM), and extraneural metastasis (ENM). Resection, when feasible, remains the initial treatment option, providing histological diagnosis and immediate relief of tumor-related mass effect. Patients receiving surgery alone or surgery and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) show improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival as compared to those undergoing a biopsy alone (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Yet, in many instances, patient and tumor-related parameters preclude complete resection. EBRT or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) shares a significant role in achieving local tumor control, not shown to impact OS in HPC patients. The benefits of SRS/EBRT are clearly limited to improved local tumor volume control and neurologic function, not affecting DNM or ENM development. SRS provides acceptable rates of local tumor volume control coupled with treatment safety and a patient-friendly apparatus and procedure. Single-session SRS is most effective for lesions measuring <2 cm in their largest diameter (10 cm3 volume), with prescription doses of at >15 Gy. Systemic HPC disease is managed with various chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, and anti-angiographic agents, with limited success. We present a short discussion on CNS HPCs, focusing our discussion on available evidence regarding the role of microsurgical resection, EBRT, SRS, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy for upfront, part of adoptive hybrid surgery approach or for recurrent HPCs.
A comprehensive unit-based safety program for the reduction of surgical site infections in plastic surgery and hand surgery
Authors: Lenherr Ramos Laura , Weber Rainer , Sax Hugo , Giovanoli Pietro , Kuster Stefan P. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractObjective:To reduce surgical site infection (SSI) incidence in plastic surgery and hand surgery.Design:Uncontrolled before-and-after study.Setting:Department of plastic surgery and hand surgery of a tertiary-care teaching hospital.Patients:Patients undergoing surgery between January 2016 and April 2018.Intervention:A comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) consisting of a bundle of evidence-based SSI prevention strategies and a change in safety culture was fully implemented after a 14-month baseline surveillance and implementation period. SSI surveillance was performed over an intervention period of another 14 months, and differences in SSI rates between the 2 periods were calculated. Adherence with bundle components and risk factors for SSI were further evaluated in a case-cohort analysis.Results:Of 3,321 patients, 63 (1.9%) developed an SSI, 38 of 1,722 (2.2%) in the baseline group and 25 of 1,599 (1.6%) in the intervention group (P = .20). The CUSP was associated with an adjusted relative SSI risk reduction of 41% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4%–65%; P = .048) in multivariable analysis, whereas the need for revision surgery increased SSI risk (odds ratio [OR], 2.63; 95% CI, 1.31–5.30; P = .007). During the intervention period, the proportion of checklists completed was 62.4%, and no difference in adherence with bundle components between patients with and without SSI was observed.Conclusions:This CUSP helped reduce SSI in a surgical specialty with a low baseline SSI incidence, even though adherence with checklist completion was moderate and the main modifiable risk factors remained unchanged over time. Programs that include safety culture change may more effectively promote SSI reduction than prevention bundles alone.
Do all aspects of learning benefit from iconicity? Evidence from motion capture
Authors: SATO ASHA , SCHOUWSTRA MARIEKE , FLAHERTY MOLLY , KIRBY SIMON 
Published: October 2019

abstractRecent work suggests that not all aspects of learning benefit from an iconicity advantage (Ortega, 2017). We present the results of an artificial sign language learning experiment testing the hypothesis that iconicity may help learners to learn mappings between forms and meanings, whilst having a negative impact on learning specific features of the form. We used a 3D camera (Microsoft Kinect) to capture participants’ gestures and quantify the accuracy with which they reproduce the target gestures in two conditions. In the iconic condition, participants were shown an artificial sign language consisting of congruent gesture–meaning pairs. In the arbitrary condition, the language consisted of non-congruent gesture–meaning pairs. We quantified the accuracy of participants’ gestures using dynamic time warping (Celebi et. al., 2013). Our results show that participants in the iconic condition learn mappings more successfully than participants in the arbitrary condition, but there is no difference in the accuracy with which participants reproduce the forms. While our work confirms that iconicity helps to establish form–meaning mappings, our study did not give conclusive evidence about the effect of iconicity on production; we suggest that iconicity may only have an impact on learning forms when these are complex.
Evaluating pictorial charts as a means of collecting participant-recorded data on household dietary diversity in low-literacy communities in Tanzania
Authors: de Bruyn Julia , Msuya John , Ferguson Elaine 
Published: October 2019

AbstractInnovative methods to collect dietary data at multiple times across the year are needed to better understand seasonal or temporal changes in household diets and measure the impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural programmes in low-income countries. The present study aims to validate a picture-based research tool for participants to self-record their household’s dietary diversity each month in villages of Manyoni District, Tanzania. Pictorial record charts were developed to reflect local food resources. In 113 randomly selected households, the person responsible for food preparation was trained to mark all items consumed by any household member within the home, or prepared for consumption outside the home, for a single recording day. The next day, an interview-based household 24-h food recall (H24HR) was collected for the same period. Separate analyses tested agreement (a) between picture charts and H24HR and (b) between H24HR following chart completion and on an alternative day. Concordance between methods differed between food groups and items but was high to very high for all cereals, vegetables, pulses, legumes and nuts and almost all fruits. Recording of ten items (including non-cultivated fruits and ingredients of mixed dishes) differed significantly between H24HR assessments, all of which were reported by more households in interviews following chart completion. Results suggest potential for visual prompts and the contemporaneous nature of data collection to improve the accuracy of interview-based recall. With adequate investment in developing and implementing context-adapted tools, pictorial charts may also offer an effective standalone method for use at multiple time-points in agricultural programmes.
Tillage and crop rotations enhance populations of earthworms, termites, dung beetles and centipedes: evidence from a long-term trial in Zambia
Authors: Muoni T. , Mhlanga B. , Forkman J. , Sitali M. , Thierfelder C. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractMacro-organisms contribute significantly to soil fertility improvement. The influence of conservation agriculture (CA) in southern Africa on their populations has not yet been fully understood. Thus, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of CA and conventional tillage on below ground biological activity in a CA long-term trial in Monze, Zambia from 2011 to 2013. The study had ten treatments which differed by tillage systems (conventional ploughing, planting basins and direct seeding) and crop diversification intensity (sole cropping, 2- or 3-year crop rotations) involving maize, cotton and sunn hemp. These factors were combined to create rotation-tillage (RotTill) treatments. Sampling of macrofauna was done once per year using a metal frame measuring 0.25 m2, hand-sorted to 30-cm depth. RotTill treatments had a significant effect on earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris), termites (Coptotermes formosanus), dung beetles (Scarabaeus viettei) and centipedes (Lithobius forficatus). Earthworms and termites were more abundant in CA treatments than in conventionally ploughed (CP) treatments. Biota diversity was generally higher in CA treatments than in CP controls. Conventional mouldboard ploughing generally reduced macrofauna, thus affecting biological soil fertility and the beneficial effect of the interactions of these organisms with the soil. CA treatments had the highest maize grain yields throughout the study period. Based on the results, reduced tillage systems and crop rotations increase biological activity shown by increased densities of termites and earthworms.
Temporal changes of the fish community in a seagrass bed after disappearance of vegetation caused by disturbance of the sea bottom and sediment deposition
Authors: Yoshikawa Kentaro , Tomiyama Takeshi , Shoji Jun 
Published: October 2019

AbstractTo investigate the response of the fish community structure to a natural disturbance in their habitat, fish abundance, biomass and species composition were analysed in relation to temporal variability of environmental conditions in a seagrass Zostera marina bed. A total of 3024 fishes belonging to 46 taxa (22 families) were collected by quantitative sampling for 10 years from 2007 to 2016 in the Seto Inland Sea, south-western Japan. Seagrass shoot density decreased to less than 1/20 of its original density after disappearance of vegetation caused by heavy rain in the autumn of 2011 and the area did not recover for the next five years. In order to analyse temporal changes of fish community, the fishes were divided into three groups depending on their habitats or lifestyles: pelagic or migratory species (PM), sand or mud bottom-associated species (SM) and seagrass (Z. marina) – or substrate (rocky bottom including macrophytes) – associated species (ZS). Multiple regression analysis showed seagrass shoot density had the most significant effect on biomass of ZS among the three groups, with higher fish biomass under higher seagrass shoot density. Fish community composition changed after the disappearance of the seagrass vegetation coverage with an increase in abundance of SM during the five years of the post-disturbance period. Seagrass vegetation was concluded to affect temporal change of fish community structure through a stronger influence on fish species that are more dependent on seagrass beds as habitat.
Spanish-speaking English learners’ English language and literacy skills: The predictive role of conceptually scored vocabulary
Authors: Hwang Jin Kyoung , Mancilla-Martinez Jeannette , McClain Janna Brown , Oh Min Hyun , Flores Israel 
Published: October 2019

AbstractVocabulary represents a key barrier to language and literacy development for many English learners. This study examined the relationship between Spanish-speaking English learners’ conceptually scored Spanish–English vocabulary, academic English proficiency, and English reading comprehension. Second- and fourth-grade English learners (N= 62) completed standardized conceptually scored vocabulary measures in the fall and state-administered standardized measures of academic English proficiency and English reading comprehension in the spring. Conceptually scored vocabulary measures are designed to tap knowledge of the number of known concepts, regardless of the specific language (Spanish or English) used to label the concept. Regression analyses revealed that academic English proficiency and English reading comprehension were not predicted by the conceptually scored measure of receptive vocabulary. However, both academic English proficiency and English reading comprehension were predicted by the conceptually scored measure of expressive vocabulary. In addition, the relationship between conceptually scored expressive vocabulary and English reading comprehension remained after controlling for academic English proficiency. Results underscore the utility of measures that incorporate English learners’ first and second language skills in understanding the vocabulary knowledge English learners bring to English language and literacy learning tasks.
Risk factors and patterns of household clusters of respiratory viruses in rural Nepal
Authors: Scott E. M. , Magaret A. , Kuypers J. , Tielsch J. M. , Katz J. , Khatry S. K. , Stewart L. , Shrestha L. , LeClerq S. C. , Englund J. A. , Chu H. Y. 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Viral pneumonia is an important cause of death and morbidity among infants worldwide. Transmission of non-influenza respiratory viruses in households can inform preventative interventions and has not been well-characterised in South Asia. From April 2011 to April 2012, household members of pregnant women enrolled in a randomised trial of influenza vaccine in rural Nepal were surveyed weekly for respiratory illness until 180 days after birth. Nasal swabs were tested by polymerase chain reaction for respiratory viruses in symptomatic individuals. A transmission event was defined as a secondary case of the same virus within 14 days of initial infection within a household. From 555 households, 825 initial viral illness episodes occurred, resulting in 79 transmission events. The overall incidence of transmission was 1.14 events per 100 person-weeks. Risk of transmission incidence was associated with an index case age 1–4 years (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40–3.96), coinfection as initial infection (IRR 1.94; 95% CI 1.05–3.61) and no electricity in household (IRR 2.70; 95% CI 1.41–5.00). Preventive interventions targeting preschool-age children in households in resource-limited settings may decrease the risk of transmission to vulnerable household members, such as young infants.
A randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a peer-based social mobile game intervention to reduce smoking in youth
Authors: Scholten Hanneke , Luijten Maartje , Granic Isabela 
Published: October 2019

AbstractSmoking is a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. Almost no evidence-based intervention programs are available to help youth quit smoking. We argue that ineffective targeting of peer influence and engagement difficulties are significant barriers to successful youth smoking cessation. To address these barriers, we developed the mobile game intervention HitnRun. A two-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT; n = 144) was conducted and young smokers (Mage = 19.39; SDage = 2.52) were randomly assigned to either play HitnRun or read a psychoeducational brochure. Prior to, directly following the intervention period, and after three-month follow-up, weekly smoking behavior, abstinence rates, intervention dose, and peer- and engagement-related factors were assessed. Results indicated similar reductions in weekly smoking levels and similar abstinence rates for both groups. Yet, we found a dose effect with HitnRun only: The longer participants played HitnRun, the lower their weekly smoking levels were. In the brochure group, a higher dose was related to higher weekly smoking levels at all measurement moments. Exploratory analyses showed the most powerful effects of HitnRun for participants who connected with and were engaged by the intervention. Future work should build on the promising potential of HitnRun by increasing personalization efforts and strengthening peer influence components.