bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complexities in the Exchange of Private Information in Inter-Organisational Networks: The Challenge of Justification
Authors: Van Haute Dorien , Roets Griet , Vandenbroeck Michel 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn this contribution, we focus on the question of how social workers actually deal with the complexity of sharing private information in three local networks of social provision that aim to combat child poverty. Building on the existing body of social work research, we discuss how practices for exchanging private information are enmeshed in a field of tension between both regulation and discretion. This complexity reveals a major challenge for social workers to justify their interventions. Based on a combination of qualitative semi-structured interviews with social workers in the network and participant observation during the network meetings, we examine the strategies of discretion, considerations and potential justifications of social workers in dealing with private information. Our analysis reveals three major themes: (i) legitimacy to act, (ii) deserving versus undeserving families and (iii) powerlessness to collectively act. We conclude that a rights-based approach can be crucial as a normative value orientation and as a point of reference to enable social workers in justifying how and why they exchange private information about families in poverty situations.
Quantification and In Silico Toxicity Assessment of Tazarotene and its Impurities for a Quality and Safe Drug Product Development
Authors: Nagulakonda NVVSS Narayana Murty , Ananthula Ravi Shekar , Krishnamurthy T , Rao Muguda Ravi Prasada , Rao Gollapalli Nageswara 
Published: April 2019

AbstractTazarotene is internationally accepted common name for ethyl 6-[(4,4-dimethylthiochroman-6-yl)ethynyl]nicotinate. It is a synthetic retinoid used for the topical treatment of mild to moderate plaque psoriasis, acne vulgaris and photo aging. To ensure the quality of drug product and drug substance, a LC–MS compatible UHPLC method was developed for quantification of drug and its related substances. Stationary phase with fused core particle technology is used for the separation of impurities. Limit of quantification and limit of detection of the method are 0.1 and 0.03%, respectively. Precision of the method for Tazarotene and all its related substances is less than 2.2% RSD. The correlation coefficient is >0.999. Accuracy of method is ranged from 95.3% to 107.0%. Application of this method in stability analysis has been demonstrated by analyzing stressed samples. Experimental design is used for the verification of robustness of the method. To ensure the safety, an in silico toxicity of the drug and its related substances were determined using TOPKAT and DEREK toxicity predictions Both UHPLC and in silico methods were validated as per the ICH Q2 and ICH M7 guidelines, which will enable a rapid product development of Tazarotene topical formulations while ensuring the safety and quality of product.
Mycoplasma genitalium in Symptomatic Male Urethritis: Macrolide Use Is Associated With Increased Resistance
Authors: Li Yang , Su Xiaohong , Le Wenjing , Li Sai , Yang Zhaoyan , Chaisson Christine , Madico Guillermo , Gong Xiangdong , Reed George W , Wang Baoxi , Rice Peter A 
Published: April 2019

Abstract

Background
Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) causes symptomatic urethritis in men, and can infect alone or together with other sexually transmitted infection (STI) agents.

Methods
The prevalence of MG and other STIs was determined in 1816 men with symptomatic urethritis. Resistance of MG to macrolides and fluoroquinolones was determined by sequencing; the impact of recent antimicrobial usage on the distribution of MG single or mixed infections was determined.

Results
Overall, prevalence of MG infection was 19.7% (358/1816). Fifty-four percent (166/307) of MG infections occurred alone in the absence of other STI agents. Men with single MG infection self-administered or were prescribed antibiotics more often in the 30 days prior to enrollment than subjects with urethritis caused by MG coinfection (P &lt; .0001). Higher rates (96.7%) of infection with macrolide resistance in MG were identified in men who had taken macrolides prior to enrollment (P &lt; .03). Overall, 88.9% (303/341) of 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes contained mutations responsible for macrolide resistance; 89.5% (308/344) of parC and 12.4% (42/339) of gyrA genes had mutations responsible for fluoroquinolone resistance. Approximately 88% (270/308) of MG had combined mutations in 23S rRNA and parC genes; 10.4% (32/308) had mutations in all 3 genes.

Conclusions
MG was the single pathogen identified in 11% of men with symptomatic urethritis. Overall, nearly 90% of MG infections were resistant to macrolides and fluoroquinolones. Men who took macrolides in the 30 days prior to enrollment had higher rates (97%) of macrolide-resistant MG. Resistance was associated with numerous mutations in 23SrRNA, parC, and gyrA genes.
Friendship Bias in Ethnic Categorization
Authors: Boda Zsófia 
Published: April 2019

AbstractInterethnic friendships are highly beneficial for decreasing ethnic prejudice. However, this is not true when friends identifying with different ethnic groups perceive each other as of the same ethnicity. We investigate the extent to which people categorize their friends “incorrectly”, that is, not matching these friends’ self-identifications. We thus move beyond the established practice of conceptualizing ethnic categorization as an individual characteristic (“who is categorized into which ethnicity”), and define it on the level of pairwise relations (who categorizes whom into which ethnicity), which enables us to model the effect of friendship on ethnic categorization. Using dynamic social network models, we also disentangle this effect from the simultaneous effect of categorization on friendship, taking characteristics (e.g. self-identifications) of both the observed and the observing individual into account. On data of 12 Hungarian high-school classes with one minority group, the Roma, we find that students of the majority group tend to select and keep friends whom they observe as majority members. In contrast, students of the minority group do not prefer other minority members when choosing friends, but tend to categorize their existing friends as minority peers. We conclude that these are two different manifestations of the preference for same-ethnic friends.
The experience of transitions in care in very old age: implications for general practice
Authors: Scheibl Fiona , Fleming Jane , Buck Jackie , Barclay Stephen , Brayne Carol , Farquhar Morag 
Published: April 2019

Abstract

Background
It can be challenging for general practitioners to support their oldest old patients through the complex process of relocation.

Objective
To provide a typology of the experiences of moving in very old age that is clinically useful for practitioners navigating very old people’s relocation.

Methods
Qualitative analysis of data from a mixed-methods UK population-based longitudinal study, Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C), from Year 21 follow-up onwards. Interviews with participants aged ≥95 years old and proxy informants (Year 21: 44/48, 92%, subsequent attrition all deaths). Thematic analysis of qualitative data available from 26/32 participants who moved before they died.

Results
Individuals who moved voluntarily in with family experienced gratitude, and those who moved into sheltered house or care homes voluntarily had no regrets. One voluntary move into care was experienced with regret, loss and increased isolation as it severed life-long community ties. Regret and loss were key experiences for those making involuntary moves into care, but acceptance, relief and appreciation of increased company were also observed. The key experience of family members was trauma. Establishing connections with people or place ahead of moving, for example through previous respite care, eased moving. A checklist for practitioners based on the resulting typology of relocation is proposed.

Conclusions
Most of the sample moved into residential care. This study highlights the importance of connections to locality, people and place along with good family relationships as the key facilitators of a healthy transition into care for the oldest old. The proposed checklist may have clinical utility.
Three Doses of Vitamin D and Cognitive Outcomes in Older Women: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Castle Monica , Fiedler Nancy , Pop Lilliana Claudia , Schneider Stephen J , Schlussel Yvette , Sukumar Deeptha , Hao Lihong , Shapses Sue A 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
Vitamin D may affect cognitive performance, but previous studies are either short term or observational. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation on domain-specific cognitive measures in postmenopausal women. Overweight/obese women with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels less than 30 ng/mL were recruited. Vitamin D3 supplementation (600, 2,000, or 4,000 IU/d) was randomly assigned in a double-blinded manner for 1 year. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, osteocalcin (total and undercarboxylated), amyloid beta, parathyroid hormone, and estradiol were analyzed before and after supplementation. Cognitive tests were administered after treatment. The women (58 ± 6 years; body mass index, 30.0 ± 3.5 kg/m2) had a baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 22.6 ± 5.8 ng/mL that increased to 30.2 ± 5.6, 36.0 ± 4.9, and 40.8 ± 7.0 ng/mL in the 600, 2,000, and 4,000 IU/d groups, respectively (p &lt; .001). Participants taking 2,000 IU/d compared to other doses performed better in learning and memory tests (p &lt; .05), yet the 4,000 IU/d group had a slower reaction time compared to the 600 IU/d group. Multiple regression indicated that serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin predicted tasks associated with reaction time and executive function, whereas body mass index and parathyroid hormone negatively predicted reaction time and executive function (p ≤ .01). These data suggest that vitamin D has differential effects on domain-specific cognitive measures and that a higher dose may negatively affect reaction time.
The Role of Maternal Relationship in the Persisting Effect of Combat Exposure
Authors: Carr Dawn C , Taylor Miles G , Meyer Alex , Sachs-Ericsson Natalie J 
Published: April 2019

Abstract

Background and Objectives
The veteran population is aging. Combat exposure is associated with negative health and psychological outcomes in some, but not all veterans; others even appear to experience gains. One mechanism driving these varied responses might be early life relationships. This study investigated the extent to which the quality of early maternal relationships influences the association between combat exposures and life satisfaction (LS) among older male veterans.

Research Design and Methods
Data were drawn from a pooled sample of male veterans in the Health and Retirement Study who completed the 2013 Veteran Mail Survey (N = 1,160). We used ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between combat exposures (with and without exposure to death) and LS, and the moderating effect of maternal relationship quality on this association.

Results
We found a significant positive association between maternal relationship quality and LS, and a significant association of combat that was dependent on maternal relationship quality. Specifically, combat-exposed veterans with poor maternal relationship quality reported lower LS, whereas combat-exposed veterans with high relationship quality reported higher LS—relative to their noncombat-exposed counterparts. The effects of exposure to death of hazardous toxins did not mediate or moderate this relationship.

Discussion and Implications
Findings indicate that maternal relationships had a lasting influence on whether combat contributed to a positive, negative, or neutral long-term effect on wellbeing. Findings support previous studies that suggest early life factors may play an important role in the fostering of resilient health outcomes over the life course. Implications for preventative strategies in soldiers are discussed.
Industry evolution in Varieties of Capitalism: a comparison of the Danish and US wind turbine industries
Authors: Menzel Max-Peter , Kammer Johannes 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn this study, we combine Klepper’s framework on the evolution of industries with the Varieties of Capitalism approach to argue that industry evolution is mediated by institutional differences. We expect that new industries will evolve with a stronger connection to established industries in coordinated marked economies than in liberal market economies. Our assumptions are supported by a survival analysis of USA and Danish wind turbine manufacturers from 1974 to 2014. Yet, the emergence of a dominant design biases the results.
Reverse Contributors? African State Parties, ICSID and the Development of International Investment Law
Authors: Akinkugbe Olabisi D 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
International investment disputes involving African States before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) have generated significant critical inquiry. Yet, not enough academic literature has been devoted to accounting for the implications that arise from the disputes involving African States to the development of the ICSID case law and international investment law in general. This article addresses this gap by conceptualizing African States parties before ICSID tribunals as reverse contributors. While the article acknowledges the critiques of ICSID vis-à-vis African State parties, it contends that, over time, the involvement of African States in ICSID disputes has generated opportunities for the clarification, confirmation and development of ICSID jurisprudence. Although the article is not a case for African exceptionalism, it contributes to the dearth of materials that revisit the participation of African States before ICSID, while simultaneously acknowledging the need for reforms.
Comparison of short- and long-term outcomes between 3-field and modern 2-field lymph node dissections for thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Fan Ningbo , Yang Han , Zheng Jiabo , Chen Dongni , Wang Weidong , Tan Zihui , Huang Yuanheng , Lin Peng 
Published: April 2019

AbstractOBJECTIVESOur goal was to compare short- and long-term outcomes between 3-field lymphadenectomy (3-FL) and modern 2-field lymphadenectomy (2-FL) in patients with thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.METHODSWe reviewed clinical outcomes for 298 patients with thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent 3-FL or modern 2-FL from March 2008 to December 2013 at a major cancer hospital in Guangzhou, southern China. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline differences, and 83 pairs of cases were selected. Postoperative complications, recurrence patterns and survival outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.RESULTSCompared with modern 2-FL, 3-FL led to higher overall operative morbidity rates [78.3% vs 61.4%, odds ratio (OR) 2.266, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.143–4.490; P = 0.019], with higher recurrent nerve palsy rates (47.0% vs 19.3%, OR 3.712, 95% CI 1.852–7.438; P < 0.0001), more respiratory failures (18.1% vs 6.0%, OR 3.441, 95% CI 1.189–9.963; P = 0.023) and longer postoperative hospital stays (23 vs 17 days, P = 0.002). The 5-year overall survival rate (58.5% vs 59.4%; P = 0.960) and the 5-year disease-free survival rate 50.1% vs 54.5%; P = 0.482) were comparable between the 2 groups. Multivariable analysis showed that additional cervical lymph node dissection was not associated with overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 1.039, 95% CI 0.637–1.696; P = 0.878] and disease-free survival (HR 0.868, 95% CI 0.548–1.376; P = 0.547). The overall recurrence rate and cervical nodal recurrence rate were not significantly different between the 2 groups.CONCLUSIONSAdditional cervical lymphadenectomy did not lead to added survival benefit when compared with modern 2-FL in patients with thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Recurrence was similar in patients undergoing 3-FL and modern 2-FL. 3-FL resulted in more postoperative complications.
The effect of smoking intensity on all-cause and cause-specific mortality—a Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Vie Gunnhild Åberge , Wootton Robyn E , Bjørngaard Johan Håkon , Åsvold Bjørn Olav , Taylor Amy E , Gabrielsen Maiken Elvestad , Davey Smith George , Romundstad Pål Richard , Munafò Marcus R 
Published: April 2019

Abstract

Background
Smoking is an important cause of mortality and recent studies have suggested that even low-intensity smoking might be associated with increased mortality. Still, smoking is associated with lower socio-economic status as well as other potential risk factors, and disease onset might motivate smoking cessation, thus residual confounding and reverse causality might bias results. We aimed to assess the evidence of a causal relationship between smoking intensity and cause-specific as well as all-cause-mortality using Mendelian randomization analyses.

Methods
We included 56 019 participants from the Norwegian HUNT2 Study and 337 103 participants from UK Biobank, linked to national registry data on causes of death. We estimated associations of self-reported smoking as well as the genetic variant rs1051730 as an instrument for smoking intensity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. We subsequently meta-analysed the results from the two cohorts.

Results
Each effect allele of the rs1051730 was associated with a 9% increased hazard of all-cause mortality [95% confidence interval (CI) 6–11] among ever smokers. Effect alleles were also associated with death by neoplasms [hazard ratio (HR) 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.15], circulatory diseases (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.11) and respiratory diseases (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05–1.26) among ever smokers. The association was stronger among ever than never smokers for all-cause mortality (p < 0.001), neoplasms (p = 0.001) and respiratory diseases (p = 0.038).

Conclusions
Our results indicate a causal effect of smoking intensity on all-cause mortality and death by neoplasms and respiratory diseases. There was weaker evidence of a causal effect of smoking intensity on death by circulatory diseases.
Comparative validation of an epigenetic mortality risk score with three aging biomarkers for predicting mortality risks among older adult males
Authors: Gao Xu , Colicino Elena , Shen Jincheng , Just Allan C , Nwanaji-Enwerem Jamaji C , Wang Cuicui , Coull Brent , Lin Xihong , Vokonas Pantel , Zheng Yinan , Hou Lifang , Schwartz Joel , Baccarelli Andrea A 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundA ‘mortality risk score’ (MS) based on ten prominent mortality-related cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites was previously associated with all-cause mortality, but has not been verified externally. We aimed to validate the association of MS with mortality and to compare MS with three aging biomarkers: telomere length (TL), DNA methylation age (DNAmAge) and phenotypic age (DNAmPhenoAge) to explore whether MS can serve as a reliable measure of biological aging and mortality.MethodsAmong 534 males aged 55–85 years from the US Normative Aging Study, the MS, DNAmAge and DNAmPhenoAge were derived from blood DNA methylation profiles from the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, and TL was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).ResultsA total of 147 participants died during a median follow-up of 9.4 years. The MS showed strong associations with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. After controlling for all potential covariates, participants with high MS (&gt;5 CpG sites with aberrant methylation) had almost 4-fold all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 3.84, 95% confidence interval: 1.92–7.67) compared with participants with a low MS (0–1 CpG site with aberrant methylation). Similar patterns were observed with respect to CVD and cancer mortality. MS was associated with TL and DNAmPhenoAge acceleration but not with DNAmAge acceleration. Although the MS and DNAmPhenoAge acceleration were independently associated with all-cause mortality, the former exhibited a higher predictive accuracy of mortality than the latter.ConclusionsMS has the potential to be a prominent predictor of mortality that could enhance survival prediction in clinical settings.
Robust 1-bit compressed sensing via hinge loss minimization
Authors: Genzel Martin , Stollenwerk Alexander 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
This work theoretically studies the problem of estimating a structured high-dimensional signal $\boldsymbol{x}_0 \in{\mathbb{R}}^n$ from noisy $1$-bit Gaussian measurements. Our recovery approach is based on a simple convex program which uses the hinge loss function as data fidelity term. While such a risk minimization strategy is very natural to learn binary output models, such as in classification, its capacity to estimate a specific signal vector is largely unexplored. A major difficulty is that the hinge loss is just piecewise linear, so that its ‘curvature energy’ is concentrated in a single point. This is substantially different from other popular loss functions considered in signal estimation, e.g. the square or logistic loss, which are at least locally strongly convex. It is therefore somewhat unexpected that we can still prove very similar types of recovery guarantees for the hinge loss estimator, even in the presence of strong noise. More specifically, our non-asymptotic error bounds show that stable and robust reconstruction of $\boldsymbol{x}_0$ can be achieved with the optimal oversampling rate $O(m^{-1/2})$ in terms of the number of measurements $m$. Moreover, we permit a wide class of structural assumptions on the ground truth signal, in the sense that $\boldsymbol{x}_0$ can belong to an arbitrary bounded convex set $K \subset{\mathbb{R}}^n$. The proofs of our main results rely on some recent advances in statistical learning theory due to Mendelson. In particular, we invoke an adapted version of Mendelson’s small ball method that allows us to establish a quadratic lower bound on the error of the first-order Taylor approximation of the empirical hinge loss function.
Complementary Asymptotically Sharp Estimates for Eigenvalue Means of Laplacians
Authors: Harrell II Evans M , Provenzano Luigi , Stubbe Joachim 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
We present asymptotically sharp inequalities, containing a 2nd term, for the Dirichlet and Neumann eigenvalues of the Laplacian on a domain, which are complementary to the familiar Berezin–Li–Yau and Kröger inequalities in the limit as the eigenvalues tend to infinity. We accomplish this in the framework of the Riesz mean $R_1(z)$ of the eigenvalues by applying the averaged variational principle with families of test functions that have been corrected for boundary behaviour.