bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of left and right prefrontal cortex anodal transcranial direct current stimulation during probabilistic sequence learning
Authors: Greeley Brian , Seidler Rachael D. 
Published: March 2019

Left and right prefrontal cortex and the primary motor cortex (M1) are activated during learning of motor sequences. Previous literature is mixed on whether prefrontal cortex aids or interferes with sequence learning. The present study investigated the roles of prefrontal cortices and M1 in sequence learning. Participants received anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to right or left prefrontal cortex or left M1 during a probabilistic sequence learning task. Relative to sham, the left prefrontal cortex and M1 tDCS groups exhibited enhanced learning evidenced by shorter response times for pattern trials, but only for individuals who did not gain explicit awareness of the sequence (implicit). Right prefrontal cortex stimulation in participants who did not gain explicit sequence awareness resulted in learning disadvantages evidenced by slower overall response times for pattern trials. These findings indicate that stimulation to left prefrontal cortex or M1 can lead to sequence learning benefits under implicit conditions. In contrast, right prefrontal cortex tDCS had negative effects on sequence learning, with overall impaired reaction time for implicit learners. There was no effect of tDCS on accuracy, and thus our reaction time findings cannot be explained by a speed-accuracy tradeoff. Overall, our findings suggest complex and hemisphere-specific roles of left and right prefrontal cortices in sequence learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Prefrontal cortices are engaged in motor sequence learning, but the literature is mixed on whether the prefrontal cortices aid or interfere with learning. In the current study, we used anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to target left or right prefrontal cortex or left primary motor cortex while participants performed a probabilistic sequence learning task. We found that left prefrontal and motor cortex stimulation enhanced implicit learning whereas right prefrontal stimulation negatively impacted performance.
Uric Acid Provides Protective Role in Red Blood Cells by Antioxidant Defense: A Hypothetical Analysis
Authors: Song Yunxiao , Tang Li , Han Jianping , Gao Yanting , Tang Binghua , Shao Mingxi , Yuan Wenhua , Ge Wen , Huang Xiaofeng , Yao Tianyue , Bian Xiaobo , Li Shengjie , Cao Wenjun , Zhang Haichen 
Published: March 2019

Uric acid (UA) is a major antioxidant molecule in the human blood, and it has been linked with cell longevity. However, it is unclear whether serum UA levels are associated with red blood cell (RBC) indexes. This cross-sectional study included 10,759 Chinese subjects, recruited from the Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017. The participants were categorized into gender groups and then further divided into three different subgroups according to their UA reference range as follows: low (male (UA<0.202 mmol/l), female (UA<0.143 mmol/l)), normal (male (0.417 mmol/l>UA≥0.202 mmol/l), female (0.339 mmol/l>UA≥0.143 mmol/l)), and high (male (UA≥0.417 mmol/l), female (UA≥0.339 mmol/l)). The associations of UA levels with RBC parameters were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multivariate linear regression. The levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, RBCs, and hemoglobin were lowest in the low UA group, followed by the normal UA group and high UA group (p<0.001). Pearson analysis showed that there was a statistically significant correlation between UA levels with mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations, mean corpuscular volumes, RBC counts, and hemoglobin (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that there were statistically significant positive correlations between UA levels and RBC counts (B=0.245, p<0.001, 95% CI=0.003 to 0.092), as well as UA levels and hemoglobin concentrations (B=0.138, p<0.001, 95% CI=0.002 to 0.082). Furthermore, similar results were observed in both the male and female subgroups. The serum UA levels may be independently associated with RBC parameters, regardless of sex, and UA may protect RBCs owing to its antioxidant effect.
Efficacy and Safety of Bempedoic Acid in Patients With Hypercholesterolemia and Statin Intolerance
Authors: Laufs Ulrich , Banach Maciej , Mancini G. B. John , Gaudet Daniel , Bloedon LeAnne T. , Sterling Lulu Ren , Kelly Stephanie , Stroes Erik S. G. 
Published: March 2019

Background

Inability to tolerate statins because of muscle symptoms contributes to uncontrolled cholesterol levels and insufficient cardiovascular risk reduction. Bempedoic acid, a prodrug that is activated by a hepatic enzyme not present in skeletal muscle, inhibits
ATP
‐citrate lyase, an enzyme upstream of β‐hydroxy β‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.

Methods and Results

The phase 3, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled CLEAR (Cholesterol Lowering via Bempedoic acid, an ACL‐Inhibiting Regimen) Serenity study randomized 345 patients with hypercholesterolemia and a history of intolerance to at least 2 statins (1 at the lowest available dose) 2:1 to bempedoic acid 180 mg or placebo once daily for 24 weeks. The primary end point was mean percent change from baseline to week 12 in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. The mean age was 65.2 years, mean baseline low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol was 157.6 mg/dL, and 93% of patients reported a history of statin‐associated muscle symptoms. Bempedoic acid treatment significantly reduced low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol from baseline to week 12 (placebo‐corrected difference, −21.4% [95% CI, −25.1% to −17.7%];
P
<0.001). Significant reductions with bempedoic acid versus placebo were also observed in non–high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (−17.9%), total cholesterol (−14.8%), apolipoprotein B (−15.0%), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (−24.3%;
P
<0.001 for all comparisons). Bempedoic acid was safe and well tolerated. The most common muscle‐related adverse event, myalgia, occurred in 4.7% and 7.2% of patients who received bempedoic acid or placebo, respectively.

Conclusions
Bempedoic acid offers a safe and effective oral therapeutic option for lipid lowering in patients who cannot tolerate statins.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
02988115.
Optimal Rivaroxaban Dose in Asian Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Normal or Mildly Impaired Renal Function
Authors: Lee So-Ryoung , Choi Eue-Keun , Han Kyung-Do , Jung Jin-Hyung , Oh Seil , Lip Gregory Y.H. 
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose—
Although rivaroxaban 15 mg (R15) was only given to patients with creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≤50 mL/min in the pivotal clinical trial, this dose has been commonly prescribed in Asian patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation regardless of renal function. There is a paucity of information on the clinical outcomes of R15 compared with rivaroxaban 20 mg (R20) in patients with CrCl ≥50 mL/min. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and safety of 2 doses of rivaroxaban in Asian patients with atrial fibrillation and CrCl ≥50 mL/min.

Methods—
Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, patients with atrial fibrillation and normal or mildly impaired renal function (CrCl ≥50 mL/min) and naive to rivaroxaban or warfarin were included from January 2014 to December 2016. Three separate 1:1 propensity score–matched cohorts were conducted: R20 versus warfarin (n=15 584), R15 versus warfarin (n=11 554), and R20 versus R15 (n=10 392). Hazard ratios for ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, major bleeding, all-cause death, and composite clinical outcome were analyzed.

Results—
Compared with warfarin, both R20 and R15 showed significantly lower risk for ischemic stroke, major bleeding (mainly through reduction of intracranial hemorrhage), and all-cause death. Compared with R15, R20 showed better results for the composite clinical outcome (hazard ratio, 0.852; 95% CI, 0.735–0.988). This benefit was consistently observed in patients aged ≥80 years and those <50 kg. R20 was associated with higher risk of major bleeding than R15 in patients with marginal CrCl (50–60 mL/min).

Conclusions—
Among Asians with atrial fibrillation and CrCl ≥50 mL/min, both R20 and R15 were associated with reduced risk of ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, major bleeding, and all-cause death without significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding compared with warfarin. In patients with CrCl ≥50 mL/min, on-label R20 showed better results for the composite clinical outcome compared with off-label R15.
Flowers Disguised
Authors: Kang Soo Y. 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
Since the late twentieth century, Latina artists have used Catholic images, such as depictions of altars and the Virgin of Guadalupe, to speak both for themselves and for women’s issues at large. Maria Tomasula seems far from that norm, since she focuses on tightly constructed, dramatic still life, painted in the traditional European illusionistic manner. She reveals, however, Catholic influences and feminist messages in her flower paintings. This article aims to unveil the woman’s voice in the works of still life by Tomasula, as communicated through embedded Catholic symbolism and references. It will examine how her works evoke the home altar tradition as well as images of saints in martyrdom to speak for the Mexican American woman. This article also applies the concept of the abject, as espoused by Kristeva to denote a woman’s realm, to Tomasula’s art. Tomasula’s still lifes thus ultimately delineate a woman’s space and her discrete experience.
The Omani-Zanzibari Family
Authors: Abusharaf Rogaia Mustafa 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThrough a multi-sited ethnological lens, this article highlights the influences of political and economic dynamics on the Omani-Zanzibari family construction. It explores the fluid nature of the Omani-Swahili identity, the role of the family institution in regulating morality and sexuality, and the impacts of political events and forces on the development of multiple family configurations. It further analyzes key societal concepts such as marriage, legitimacy, succession, post-forced-displacement adaptation, and evolutionary identity. Through a qualitative study, the author uses fieldwork in Oman and Zanzibar, a range of primary archival sources, dialogues with prominent Omani-Zanzibari personalities, and published and private personal memoirs reflecting key historical periods in the development of Omani-Zanzibari identities to speak to the themes of the Omani polity that are unique to the Gulf.
Teacher Professional Collaboration in China: Practices and Issues
Authors: Liu Peng , Xiu Qi 
Published: March 2019

Fostering higher-order thinking skills of students is important aim for 21st century education. Teachers, as important elements in a positive learning environment, are the key to high quality education. As for the importance of teacher professional collaboration in teacher development, Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) pointed out that teachers’ professional collaboration will benefit not only students but also the whole school community, and even society at large. In Chinese context, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (2010) issued a policy in 2010 promoting teacher professional collaboration and development as a background of this study, implying that teachers must be collaborating actively with colleagues in daily professional life to achieve collective growth for the purpose of improving student learning.
Based on the policy reality, this study explored teacher professional collaboration in the Chinese education context. It looked in particular at practices and issues in teacher professional collaboration. This article begins with the definitions of teacher professional collaboration, followed by a detailed exploration of this type of collaboration in Chinese education and issues related to its implementation. This study will provide holistic picture of teacher collaboration in China for contributing to theoretical development and educational practice.
Nine new species of Agromyzidae from North Carolina, USA, with new host and distribution records for additional species
Authors: EISEMAN CHARLES S. , LONSDALE OWEN , FELDMAN TRACY S. 
Published: March 2019

We present novel rearing records of Agromyzidae (Diptera) from three years of collecting in North Carolina, USA. These include the first reported host for Calycomyza novascotiensis Spencer (new to the USA) and new host records for Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel) (new to North America), Liriomyza helianthi Spencer, L. schmidti (Aldrich), and Phytomyza plantaginis Robineau-Desvoidy, all of which are reported from North Carolina for the first time. We review host and distribution data for each of these species and describe their leaf mines. We describe the following nine new species: Agromyza arundinariae, A. indistincta, Calycomyza chrysopsidis, Cerodontha (Butomomyza) enigma, Cer. (Poemyza) arundinariella, Cer. (P.) saintandrewsensis, Liriomyza carphephori, L. polygalivora, and L. triodanidis. Seven host plant genera are new for world Agromyzidae: Carphephorus Cass., Chrysogonum L., Chrysopsis (Nutt.) Elliott, Krigia Schreb., Pyrrhopappus DC. (Asteraceae), Triodanis Raf. ex Greene (Campanulaceae), and Arundinaria Michx. s.s. (Poaceae). Host plants of the new species also include Bidens L., Mikania Willd. (Asteraceae), Dichanthelium (Hitchc. & Chase) Gould (Poaceae), and Polygala L. (Polygalaceae).
Verification of Heat Stress Thresholds for a Health-Based Heat-Wave Definition
Authors: Di Napoli Claudia , Pappenberger Florian , Cloke Hannah L. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHeat waves represent a threat to human health and excess mortality is one of the associated negative effects. A health-based definition for heat waves is therefore relevant, especially for early warning purposes, and it is here investigated via the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). The UTCI is a bioclimate index elaborated via an advanced model of human thermoregulation that estimates the thermal stress induced by air temperature, wind speed, moisture, and radiation on the human physiology. Using France as a test bed, the UTCI was computed from meteorological reanalysis data to assess the thermal stress conditions associated with heat-attributable excess mortality in five cities. UTCI values at different climatological percentiles were defined and evaluated in their ability to identify periods of excess mortality (PEMs) over 24 years. Using verification metrics such as the probability of detection (POD), the false alarm ratio (FAR), and the frequency bias (FB), daily minimum and maximum heat stress levels equal to or above corresponding UTCI 95th percentiles (15° ± 2°C and 34.5° ± 1.5°C, respectively) for 3 consecutive days are demonstrated to correlate to PEMs with the highest sensitivity and specificity (0.69 ≤ POD ≤ 1, 0.19 ≤ FAR ≤ 0.46, 1 ≤ FB ≤ 1.48) than minimum, maximum, and mean heat stress level singularly and other bioclimatological percentiles. This finding confirms the detrimental effect of prolonged, unusually high heat stress at day- and nighttime and suggests the UTCI 95th percentile as a health-meaningful threshold for a potential heat-health watch warning system.
Increased Predictability of Spring Precipitation over Central East China around the Late 1970s
Authors: Zhang Mengqi , Sun Jianqi 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
The predictability of spring (March–May) precipitation over East China is investigated, based on the February-start hindcasts of eight coupled models from DEMETER and ENSEMBLES during 1960–2001. Five out of the eight models exhibit significantly increased predictability of central East China spring precipitation (CECSP) after the late 1970s. The mechanism analysis indicates that CECSP variability is closely related to a meridional dipole vorticity pattern at 200 hPa and southerly wind at 850 hPa over East Asia, whose prediction skill increased significantly around the late 1970s, consistent with the changes in CECSP predictability. Observational analysis indicates that the sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans experienced a notable decadal change around the late 1970s. After the decadal change, the tropical SST has an enhanced impact on the CECSP-related East Asian dipole vorticity pattern at the upper level and on the western North Pacific anticyclone at the lower level. The five models can adequately reproduce the observed enhanced connection between the tropical SST and East Asian atmospheric circulation after the late 1970s, consequently showing higher predictability of East Asian atmospheric circulation and CECSP. However, the other three models cannot reproduce the relationship between the tropical SST and East Asian atmospheric circulation; therefore, CECSP predictability in these models remains low during the entire period. The increased predictability is valuable for current dynamical seasonal prediction for central East China.
The Effect of El Niño on Flood Damages in the Western United States
Authors: Corringham Thomas W. , Cayan Daniel R. 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
This paper quantifies insured flood losses across the western United States from 1978 to 2017, presenting a spatiotemporal analysis of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) daily claims and losses over this period. While considerably lower (only 3.3%) than broader measures of direct damages measured by a National Weather Service (NWS) dataset, NFIP insured losses are highly correlated to the annual damages in the NWS dataset, and the NFIP data provide flood impacts at a fine degree of spatial resolution. The NFIP data reveal that 1% of extreme events, covering wide spatial areas, caused over 66% of total insured losses. Connections between extreme events and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that have been documented in past research are borne out in the insurance data. In coastal Southern California and across the Southwest, El Niño conditions have had a strong effect in producing more frequent and higher magnitudes of insured losses, while La Niña conditions significantly reduce both the frequency and magnitude of losses. In the Pacific Northwest, the opposite pattern appears, although the effect is weaker and less spatially coherent. The persistent evolution of ENSO offers the possibility for property owners, policy makers, and emergency planners and responders that unusually high or low flood damages could be predicted in advance of the primary winter storm period along the West Coast. Within the 40-yr NFIP history, it is found that the multivariate ENSO index would have provided an 8-month look-ahead for heightened damages in Southern California.
The Validity of an Oculus Rift to Assess Postural Changes During Balance Tasks
Authors: Marchetto Jonathan , Wright W. Geoffrey 
Published: March 2019

Objective: To investigate whether shifts in head position, measured via an Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD), is a valid measure of whole-body postural stability. Background: The inverted single-link pendulum model of balance suggests shifts in whole-body center of mass can be estimated from individual body segments. However, whether head position describes postural stability such as center-of-pressure (COP) remains unclear. Method: Participants ( N = 10) performed six conditions while wearing an HMD and performing a previously validated virtual reality (VR)-based balance assessment. COP was recorded with a Wii Balance Board force plate (WBB), while an HMD recorded linear and angular head displacement. Visual input was presented in the HMD (stable scene, dark scene, or dynamic scene) and somatosensory information (with or without foam) was varied across each condition. The HMD time series data were compared with the criterion-measure WBB. Results: Significant correlations were found between COP measures (standard deviation, range, sway area, velocity) and head-centered angular and linear displacements (roll, pitch, mediolateral and anteroposterior directions). Conclusions: The Oculus Rift HMD shows promise as a measure of postural stability without additional posturography equipment. These findings support the application of VR HMD technology for assessment of postural stability across a variety of challenging conditions. Application: The human factors and ergonomic benefit of such an approach is in its portability, low cost, and widespread availability for clinic and home-based investigation of postural disturbances. Fall injury affects millions of people annually, so assessment of fall risk and treatment of the underlying causes has enormous public health benefit.
Rates and correlates of employment in patients with schizophrenia: A multicenter study in Turkey
Authors: Yıldız Mustafa , Kaytaz Yılmaz Beyza Nur , İncedere Aysel , Abut Fatma Betül , Aydın Azize Özgül , Sarandöl Aslı , Örüm Tuna Güzide Yener , Kurt Aydın , Erşan Etem Erdal 
Published: March 2019

Background: There is not enough information regarding the participation in the working life of the patients with schizophrenia in Turkey. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the occupational experiences of patients with schizophrenia before and after the illness and to investigate the factors that predict work participation. Methods: The data on occupational life of the patients with schizophrenia, which were treated as outpatients in six different centers, were examined. The rates of participation in working life before and after the disease were evaluated. Patients with and without occupational life history after the disease were compared in terms of demographic characteristics. Factors predicting participation in work life after the disease were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Out of the 587 patients evaluated in the study, 73% were males, 73% were single, the mean age was 42, mean level of education was 9 years and the average duration of illness was 18 years. The duration of the employment before the disease was higher than that after the disease regarding expected working time. The rate of employment was 11% currently, 14% in the last year, 62% after the disease and 83% for the lifetime. While the factors that predicted to be in working life after the illness were male gender (odds ratio (OR) = 2.9), diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder (OR = 2.6), high level of education (OR = 1.2) and employment history before the onset of the illness (OR = 1.0), only the shorter duration of illness (OR = 1.1) predicted the current working status when the gender variable was excluded. Conclusion: Rate of employment of patients with schizophrenia living in Turkey was low as in other countries. Good premorbid functioning seems to determine participation in occupational life after the illness.
Design of acoustic foam wedge panels by finite element frequency domain acoustical analysis
Authors: Tsay Huoy-Shyi , Yeh Fung-Huei 
Published: March 2019

Acoustic foam wedge panels provide good sound absorption qualities in the mid and high frequency ranges. In this study, a finite element frequency domain acoustical analysis is used for analysis. Such a numerical method is more efficient than the earlier studies by saving the calculation time on the elements of the incident acoustic field. During the design of a wedge panel, the cross-sectional width and the area of one section of the wedge panel are kept the same throughout the study. By varying the wedge angle, the maximum sound absorption capability of the wedge foam can be found. It is concluded that in the interested frequency regions, 100–4000 and 2000–4000 Hz, the wedge foam with wedge angle of 31° has the excellent sound absorption capability.