bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A critical overview of work‐related injury and illness in aquaculture workers from Brazil
Authors: Cavalli Lissandra Souto , Marques Flavielle Blanco , Watterson Andrew 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis review outlines the available data on aquaculture injuries and diseases in Brazil along with the deficiencies in some official data. The information was obtained from the official statistical sources of Brazil, and in part, complemented by some of the few scientific studies in the area. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of injuries and work diseases in Brazilian aquaculture totalled 873 cases. The total injury claims between 2015 and 2017 were 477 cases, of which 31 are related to requests for medical aid; 345 work leave cases for less than 15 days and 96 cases for more than 15 days; and 4 fatal injuries. However, official statistical data for aquaculture may be underreporting, limited and fragmented, and the real picture may be even larger. Nevertheless, the available data provide a means to prioritize both ways of improving such statistics and, more importantly, to identify tentatively those diseases and injuries that require urgent preventative action. Also, this paper proposes some measures that may help to achieve further progress on the working conditions to reduce potential dangers.
Trade, educational costs, and skill acquisition
Authors: Ma Shihui , Liu Yue , Zhou Mohan 
Published: August 2019

AbstractA model of heterogeneous agents is built to study the effects of trade and educational costs in shaping individual educational outcomes and their aggregate distribution. In a two‐country model, trade has nonmonotonic impacts on individual education choices and causes education and job polarization for both countries. We use this model to evaluate the effects of reductions in educational costs. A reduction in educational cost has no impact on occupational choice in a closed economy. In the open economy, however, it creates an expanded middle class in the home country, whereas the opposite happens in its trading partner.
Exchange rate uncertainty and import prices in the euro area
Authors: Blagov Boris 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis paper analyzes the effects of exchange rate uncertainty on the pricing behavior of import firms in the euro area. Uncertainty is measured via the volatility of the structural shocks to the exchange rate in a nonlinear vector‐autoregressive model framework and is an important determinant of import prices. An increase in exchange rate uncertainty is associated with a fall in prices on average, which suggests that the exchange rate risk is borne by the importers. Controlling for the origin of imports (within or outside the euro area) is important for assessing the impact of exchange rate movements on prices.
Soft power and exports
Authors: Rose Andrew K. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis paper seeks to help establish a stylized fact: a country’s exports rise when its leadership is approved by other countries. I show this using a standard gravity model of bilateral exports, a panel of data from 2006 through 2017, and an annual Gallup survey that asks people in up to 157 countries whether they approve of the job performance of the leadership of China, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Holding other things constant, a country’s exports are higher if its leadership is approved by the importer—“soft power” promotes exports. The soft power effect is statistically and economically significant; a 1% increase in leadership approval raises exports by around two‐thirds of a percent. This effect is reasonably robust, and different measures of soft power deliver similar results. I conservatively estimate that the >20 percentage point decline in foreign approval of American leadership between 2016 (the final year of Obama’s presidency) and 2017 (Trump’s first year) lowered American exports by at least U.S.$3 billion.
Degree‐based goodness‐of‐fit tests for heterogeneous random graph models: Independent and exchangeable cases
Authors: Ouadah Sarah , Robin Stéphane , Latouche Pierre 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe degrees are a classical and relevant way to study the topology of a network. They can be used to assess the goodness of fit for a given random graph model. In this paper, we introduce goodness‐of‐fit tests for two classes of models. First, we consider the case of independent graph models such as the heterogeneous Erdös‐Rényi model in which the edges have different connection probabilities. Second, we consider a generic model for exchangeable random graphs called the W‐graph. The stochastic block model and the expected degree distribution model fall within this framework. We prove the asymptotic normality of the degree mean square under these independent and exchangeable models and derive formal tests. We study the power of the proposed tests and we prove the asymptotic normality under specific sparsity regimes. The tests are illustrated on real networks from social sciences and ecology, and their performances are assessed via a simulation study.
Argument Ellipsis and Scope Economy in Japanese
Authors: Maeda Masako 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn this article, I show that in Japanese, while some focus elements obligatorily take wide scope with respect to scope‐bearing predicative heads, argument ellipsis reverses this scope possibility, so that narrow‐scope interpretation of the focus element is obligatory. I further show that Scope Parallelism (Fox 2000) overrides this narrow‐scope requirement for elided arguments; when the antecedent clause exhibits scope interaction, the elided clause shows the parallel wide‐scope option. I argue that such scope possibilities fall out from the interaction of the derivational‐PF‐deletion analysis of ellipsis (Takahashi 2013, 2017), the Morphological Merger of predicative heads (Shibata 2015), and Scope Economy and Parallelism (Fox 2000).
Adult mortality in sub‐Saharan Africa: cross‐sectional study of causes of death in Zambia
Authors: Chisumpa Vesper H. , Odimegwu Clifford O. , Saikia Nandita 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the age–sex pattern and socio‐economic differentials in causes of death among adults between the ages of 15 and 59 years in Zambia.MethodsUsing data from the 2010–2012 Zambia sample vital registration with verbal autopsy survey, we calculated the percentage share of causes of death, the age‐/sex cause‐specific death ratio and cause‐eliminated life expectancy at age 15.ResultsHIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death across all socio‐economic subgroups contributing 40.7% of total deaths during the study period. This was followed by deaths due to injury and accidents (11.2%). Cause‐specific death ratios due to HIV/AIDS increased by age and peaked in the 35–39 age group and were higher among females than males. The second‐leading cause of death was injuries and accidents for males and tuberculosis for females. The third‐leading cause of death was cardiovascular diseases for females and tuberculosis for males. Cause of death patterns varied notably by socio‐economic characteristics. Deaths attributable to non‐communicable diseases were more evident in adults aged 45–59 years. Eliminating HIV/AIDS in Zambia as a cause of death could raise life expectancy at age 15 by 5.7 years for males and by 6.4 years for females.ConclusionHIV/AIDS‐related health programmes and interventions should be further supported and strengthened, as they would significantly contribute to the reduction in adult mortality in Zambia.
Further analyses on the evolutionary “key‐protist”Halteria(Protista, Ciliophora) based on transcriptomic data
Authors: Wang Chundi , Yan Ying , Chen Xiao , Al‐Farraj Saleh A. , El‐Serehy Hamed A. , Gao Feng 
Published: August 2019

AbstractConsiderable discordance between morphologies and molecules, which can be caused by convergent morphologies, cryptic species or plastic phenotypes, has been frequently detected, especially in microbes. One of the best examples could be the well‐known halteriid ciliates, whose systematic position remains highly unresolved, because it resembles oligotrichs in terms of morphology while associates with hypotrichs in phylogeny based on maker genes. In the present work, we report the deep sequencing and analyses of RNA‐seq data from the representative halteriid,Halteria grandinella.The results indicate that: 1) the transcriptome includes 92,114 genes (aa ≥ 50) with the N50 of 957 bp, which is much better than the single‐cell transcriptome; 2)H. grandinellashares more homologous genes in higher sequence identity with hypotrichous oxytrichids than with oligotrichs; 3) the codon usage bias ofH. grandinellais much more similar with that of oligotrichStrombidium sulcatum, and UAA and UAG are reassigned to encode glutamine, which is a common feature of oligotrichs and hypotrichs; and 4) phylogenomic analyses based on 132 orthologs and 47,263 amino acid sites placeH. grandinellaas a sister to hypotrichs while other oligotrichs cluster together. Based on all the information so far available, we thus suggest thatH. grandinellacould be an extremely specialized “oligotrich‐like” hypotrich. The similar morphology between halteriids and oligotrichs results from convergent evolution to adapt to the planktonic lifestyle. We hypothesize the evolutionary relationship of the core spirotrichs that halteriids and oxytrichids share the most common ancestor, followed successively by other hypotrichs, oligotrichs/choreotrichs, and euplotids.
Model-based control strategies for anaerobic digestion processes
Authors: Dimitrova Neli , Krastanov Mikhail 
Published: August 2019

In this paper we consider a four-dimensional bioreactor model,В describing an anaerobic wastewater treatment with methaneВ production. Different control strategies for stabilizing theВ dynamics are presented and discussed. A general andВ practice-oriented bounded open-loop control is proposed, aimed toВ steer the model solutions towards an a priori given set in thephase plane.
Interventions available to adolescents and young adults bereaved by familial cancer: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ing Veronica , Patterson Pandora , Szabo Marianna , Allison Kimberley R 
Published: August 2019

ObjectivesTo assess the availability and efficacy of interventions open to adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 15-25 years) bereaved by a parent’s or sibling’s cancer.MethodsA systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on interventions available to AYAs bereaved by a parent’s or sibling’s cancer was conducted through searches of six online databases (PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, Embase, SWAB and Web of Science Core Collection).ResultsDatabase and reference searches yielded 2985 articles, 40 of which were included in the review. Twenty-two interventions were identified that were available for bereaved young people. However, only three were specific to young people bereaved by familial cancer, and none were specific to AYAs. Interventions primarily provided opportunities for participants to have fun, share their experiences and/or memorialise the deceased; psychoeducation about bereavement, grief and coping was less common. Only six interventions had been satisfactorily evaluated, and no intervention targeted or analysed data for AYAs separately. Overall, some evidence suggested that interventions (especially those that were theoretically grounded) had positive effects for bereaved young people. However, benefits were inconsistently evidenced in participants’ self-reports and often only applied to subgroups of participants (eg, older youths and those with better psychological well-being at baseline).ConclusionsConsidering the very limited number of interventions specific to bereavement by familial cancer and the lack of interventions targeting AYAs specifically, it is unclear whether currently available interventions would benefit this population. The population of AYAs bereaved by familial cancer is clearly under-serviced; further development and evaluation of interventions is needed.
Contemporary biochemical analysis of normal pericardial fluid
Authors: Imazio Massimo , Biondo Andrea , Ricci Davide , Boffini Massimo , Pivetta Emanuele , Brucato Antonio , Giustetto Carla , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria , Rinaldi Mauro 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveBiochemical analysis of pericardial fluid (PF) is commonly performed for the initial assessment of PF, and the results are usually interpreted according to Light’s traditional criteria for the differential diagnosis of transudates versus exudates. However, Light’s criteria have been formulated for the biochemical analysis of pleural fluid. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the normal composition of PF in candidates for cardiac surgery.MethodsCohort study with analysis of PF from candidates for cardiac surgery. Exclusion criteria were previous pericardial disease or cardiac surgery, prior myocardial infarction within 3 months, systemic disease (eg, systemic inflammatory diseases, uremia) or drug with potentiality to affect the pericardium.ResultsFifty patients (mean age was 67 years; 95% CI 64 to 71, 29 males, 58.0%) were included in the present analysis. Levels of small molecules were similar in blood and PF. Total proteins in PF was, on average, 0.5 times lower than corresponding plasma levels (p=0.041), while the level of pericardial lactate dehydrogenase was, on average, 1.06 times higher than plasma (p=0.55). Moreover, mononuclear cells were more concentrated in PF than plasma (p=0.17). Traditional Light’s criteria misclassified all PFs as exudates.ConclusionsTraditional Light’s criteria misclassified normal PFs in candidates for cardiac surgery as exudates. This study suggests their futility for the biochemical analysis of PF in clinical practice.
Sudden cardiac death in families with premature cardiovascular disease
Authors: Bruikman Caroline , de Ronde Maurice W J , Amin Ahmed , Levy Sonja , Lof Pien , de Ruijter Ursula , Hovingh Kees , Tan Hanno L , Pinto-Sietsma Sara-Joan 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveSudden cardiac death (SCD) in families with premature atherosclerosis (PAS) is generally attributed to lethal arrhythmias during myocardial infarction. Yet, such arrhythmias may also arise from non-ischaemic inherited susceptibility. We aimed to test the hypothesis that Brugada syndrome is prevalent among families with PAS in which SCD occurred.MethodsWe investigated all patients who underwent Ajmaline testing to screen them for Brugada syndrome because of unexplained familial SCD in the Amsterdam University Medical Centers between 2004 and 2017. We divided the cohort into two groups based on a positive family history for PAS. All individuals with a positive Ajmaline test were screened for SCN5A-mutation.ResultsIn families with SCD and PAS, the prevalence of positive Ajmaline test was similar to families with SCD alone (22% vs 19%). The number of SCD cases in families with SCD and PAS was higher (2.34 vs 1.63, p<0.001) and SCD occurred at older age in families with SCD and PAS (42 years vs 36 years, p<0.001), while the prevalence of SCN5A mutations was lower (3% vs 18%, p<0.05).ConclusionsBrugada syndrome has a similar prevalence in families with SCD and PAS as in families with SCD alone, although SCD in families with SCD and PAS occurs in more family members and at older age, while SCN5A mutations in these families are rare. This suggests that the SCD occurring in families with PAS could be related to an underlying genetic predisposition of arrhythmias, with a different genetic origin. It could be considered to screen families with SCD and PAS for Brugada syndrome.
Outcomes of patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation and congestive heart failure
Authors: Kadri Amer N , Menon Vivek , Sammour Yasser M , Gajulapalli Rama D , Meenakshisundaram Chandramohan , Nusairat Leen , Mohananey Divyanshu , Hernandez Adrian V , Navia Jose , Krishnaswamy Amar , Griffin Brian , Rodriguez Leonardo , Harb Serge C , Kapadia Samir 
Published: August 2019

ObjectivesA substantial number of patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are medically managed without undergoing corrective surgery. We sought to assess the characteristics and outcomes of CHF patients who underwent tricuspid valve surgery (TVS), compared with those who did not.MethodsRetrospective observational study involving 2556 consecutive patients with severe TR from the Cleveland Clinic Echocardiographic Database. Cardiac transplant patients or those without CHF were excluded. Survival difference between patients who were medically managed versus those who underwent TVS was compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables associated with poor outcomes.ResultsAmong a total of 534 patients with severe TR and CHF, only 55 (10.3%) patients underwent TVS. Among the non-surgical patients (n=479), 30% (n=143) had an identifiable indication for TVS. At 38 months, patients who underwent TVS had better survival than those who were medically managed (62% vs 35%; p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, advancing age (HR: 1.23; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.35 per 10-year increase in age), moderate (HR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.90) and severe (HR: 2; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.80) right ventricular dysfunction were associated with higher mortality. TVS was associated with lower mortality (HR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.71).ConclusionAlthough corrective TVS is associated with better outcomes in patients with severe TR and CHF, a substantial number of them continue to be medically managed. However, since the reasons for patients not being referred to surgery could not be ascertained, further randomised studies are needed to validate our findings before clinicians can consider surgical referral for these patients.
In vivo alpha-V beta-3 integrin expression in human aortic atherosclerosis
Authors: Jenkins William S , Vesey Alex T , Vickers Anna , Neale Anoushka , Moles Catriona , Connell Martin , Joshi Nikhil Vilas , Lucatelli Christophe , Fletcher Alison M , Spratt James C , Mirsadraee Saeed , van Beek Edwin JR , Rudd James HF , Newby David E , Dweck Marc R 
Published: August 2019

ObjectivesIntraplaque angiogenesis and inflammation are key promoters of atherosclerosis and are mediated by the alpha-V beta-3 (αvβ3) integrin pathway. We investigated the applicability of the αvβ3-integrin receptor-selective positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer 18F-fluciclatide in assessing human aortic atherosclerosis.MethodsVascular 18F-fluciclatide binding was evaluated using ex vivo analysis of carotid endarterectomy samples with autoradiography and immunohistochemistry, and in vivo kinetic modelling following radiotracer administration. Forty-six subjects with a spectrum of atherosclerotic disease categorised as stable (n=27) or unstable (n=19; recent myocardial infarction) underwent PET and CT imaging of the thorax after administration of 229 (IQR 217–237) MBq 18F-fluciclatide. Thoracic aortic 18F-fluciclatide uptake was quantified on fused PET-CT images and corrected for blood-pool activity using the maximum tissue-to-background ratio (TBRmax). Aortic atherosclerotic burden was quantified by CT wall thickness, plaque volume and calcium scoring.Results18F-Fluciclatide uptake co-localised with regions of increased αvβ3integrin expression, and markers of inflammation and angiogenesis. 18F-Fluciclatide vascular uptake was confirmed in vivo using kinetic modelling, and on static imaging correlated with measures of aortic atherosclerotic burden: wall thickness (r=0.57, p=0.001), total plaque volume (r=0.56, p=0.001) and aortic CT calcium score (r=0.37, p=0.01). Patients with recent myocardial infarction had greater aortic 18F-fluciclatide uptake than those with stable disease (TBRmax1.29 vs 1.21, p=0.02).ConclusionsIn vivo expression of αvβ3integrin in human aortic atheroma is associated with plaque burden and is increased in patients with recent myocardial infarction. Quantification of αvβ3integrin expression with 18F-fluciclatide PET has potential to assess plaque vulnerability and disease activity in atherosclerosis.
Left atrial dimension and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with and without atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Froehlich Lorin , Meyre Pascal , Aeschbacher Stefanie , Blum Steffen , Djokic Daniela , Kuehne Michael , Osswald Stefan , Kaufmann Beat A , Conen David 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveThe prognostic value of left atrial (LA) dimensions may differ between patients with and without atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsMEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies that investigated the association between LA echocardiographic parameters measured by transthoracic echocardiography and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with or without AF. Data were independently abstracted by two reviewers and pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. The primary outcome was incident stroke or thromboembolic events. Secondary outcomes were heart failure, all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).ResultsTwenty-three studies of patients with AF (14 939 patients) and 68 studies of patients without AF (50 720 patients) in this systematic review. Increasing LA diameter was significantly associated with stroke and thromboembolic events in patients without AF (risk ratio (RR) 1.38, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.87; p=0.03), but not in patients with AF (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.07; p=0.27; p for difference=0.05). Increasing LA diameter index was significantly associated with MACE in patients with AF (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.17; p<0.001) and in patients without AF (RR 2.98, 95% CI 1.90 to 4.66; p<0.001), with stronger effects in non-AF populations (p for difference <0.001). Greater LA volume index was significantly associated with the risk of MACE in patients with AF (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02; p=0.03) and in non-AF populations (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.10; p<0.001), the association being stronger in individuals without AF (p for difference <0.001).ConclusionsLarger LA parameters were associated with various adverse cardiovascular events. Many of these associations were stronger in individuals without AF, highlighting the potential importance of LA myopathy.