bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Helicobacter pylori and the risk of dementia: A population‐based study
Authors: Fani Lana , Wolters Frank J. , Ikram M. Kamran , Bruno Marco J. , Hofman Albert , Koudstaal Peter J. , Darwish Murad Sarwa , Ikram M. Arfan 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIntroductionHelicobacter pylori infection might increase risk of dementia, but available evidence is inconsistent, and longitudinal studies are sparse. We investigated the association between H. pylori serology and dementia risk in a population‐based cohort.MethodsBetween 1997 and 2002, we measured H. pylori serum IgG titers in 4215 nondemented participants of the Rotterdam Study with a mean age of 69 years. We determined the association between H. pylori at baseline and dementia incidence until 2015, per natural log (U/mL) increase in titer, and for seropositive/seronegative, using Cox models adjusting for cohort, sex, age, education, and cardiovascular risk factors.ResultsDuring a median follow‐up of 13.3 years, 529 participants developed dementia, of which 463 had Alzheimer's disease. H. pylori was not associated with risk of dementia (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] for antibody titer: 1.04 [0.90–1.21]; for seropositivity 1.03 [0.86–1.22]), or Alzheimer's disease.DiscussionIn this community‐dwelling population, H. pylori was not associated with dementia risk.
Prognostic factors of patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Authors: Huang Pao‐Yuan , Tsai Kai‐Lung , Liang Chih‐Ming , Tai Wei‐Chen , Rau Kun‐Ming , Wu Keng‐Liang , Huang Chao‐Cheng , Chuah Seng‐Kee 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThere is an increasing trend in the incidence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP‐NENs) worldwide. The aim of the present study was to identify the prognostic factors of patients with GEP‐NENs. A cross‐sectional, retrospective chart review study was conducted among patients with pathologically proven GEP‐NENs between January 2003 and December 2016 at Kaohsiung Chung‐Gung Memorial Hospital. A total of 97 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included (male/female = 56/41, age: 57.7 ± 15.4 years). The presentation, clinical characteristics, and disease outcomes were reviewed and analyzed. The most common primary site of the GEP‐NENs was the rectum (49.5%), followed by the pancreas (17.5%), duodenum (11.3%), stomach (10.3%), colon (6.2%), and appendix (5.2%), and most GEP‐NENs were hormonally nonfunctional (94.8%). There were 56 tumors classified as G1 neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), 9 as G2 NETs, and 14 as G3 neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Metastasis was found in 15 patients (15%). Curative treatments, such as surgery or endoscopic resection, were performed in 83.5% of patients (n = 81). The mean overall survival duration was 107.2 ± 7.8 months. The estimated 3‐ and 5‐year overall survival rates for all patients were 84% and 82%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that large tumor size, non‐rectal NENs, high histopathological grading, lymphatic metastases and distant metastases were associated with poor survival. This study suggested that the presence of lymphatic or distant metastases at diagnosis is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with GEP‐NENs.
On value and using of TAWS/FMS alert data in examination of air accidents, the case of Warsaw-Smolensk flight on 10 April 2010
Authors: Ziółkowski Andrzej , Skłodowski Marek 
Published: June 2018

ABSTRACTThrough an analysis of TAWS/FMS data collected and registered during the last minute of TU-154M aircraft flight from Warsaw to Smolensk, we show the value and existence of space for undertaking research works on enhancing standard functionality of TAWS/FMS systems to enable their effective use in examination of the course and causes of air accidents. The flight ended up in the total destruction of the aircraft and the death of all passengers and crew on board. The TAWS/FMS flight altitudes and spatio-temporal data, i.e. geographical location and speed of the aircraft motion, were inspected for their internal and external consistency with the data from the ATM QAR service recorder. Using the data from ATM QAR, records from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), jointly with data from the TAWS/FMS systems, it was possible to reconstruct the most probable horizontal and vertical trajectory of the TU-154M aircraft during the last minute of flight before its complete destruction, as well as the likely scenario of accompanying events. The data available from recorders enabled the authors to gain information on the preliminary stage of the course of accident, and the first phase of the aircraft's destruction, resulting in serious damage of the left wing of the aircraft. Enhanced standard functionality of TAWS/FMS systems, incorporating use of their data in the post-accident situations examination, would have improved results and simplified the present analysis considerably.
The effects of organizational controls on innovation modes: An ambidexterity perspective
Authors: Wang Ting , Yang Jianjun , Zhang Feng 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSome critical limitations of prior research on organizational controls stem from the scant theory identifying the coexistence of contradictions and interrelations between differing organizational controls and exploring how the contradictory but interrelated controls affect innovation modes. To address this gap, this research links Hitt’s internal control system framework and the ambidexterity perspective by building on their focus on the interplay and tensions between different organizational controls. Using survey data from 182 Chinese firms in innovation-intensive industries, the results show that besides the independent use of strategic control, both the combined and balance use of strategic and financial controls are important for internal innovation. For firms specializing in cooperative innovation, however, financial control is more effective, and the combined use of strategic and financial controls has negative effect on cooperative innovation. These findings contribute to our understanding of organizational control itself and its connection to the ambidexterity perspective and innovation theory.
Late Glacial and Holocene aeolian deposition and soil formation in relation to the Late Palaeolithic Ahrensburg occupation, site Geldrop-A2, the Netherlands
Authors: Kasse C. , Tebbens L.A. , Tump M. , Deeben J. , Derese C. , De Grave J. , Vandenberghe D. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe lithostratigraphy, age and human occupation of the Late Glacial and Holocene aeolian succession of a Late Palaeolithic Ahrensburg site in the excavation Geldrop-A2 (municipality of Heeze-Leende) have been investigated. The exposure revealed a stacked sequence of aeolian sand units and intercalated soils (Older Coversand II, Younger Coversand I (YCI), Usselo Soil, Younger Coversand II (YCII), Holocene podzol, drift sand). Fourteen optically stimulated luminescence dates on quartz and three radiocarbon dates provide the age control of the aeolian deposition (coversands, drift sand), landscape stability (soils) and human occupation. The upper part of the YCI unit was dated to the early Late Glacial. The well-developed Usselo Soil was formed during a phase of landscape stability during the late Allerød interstadial and onset of the Younger Dryas stadial. During the Younger Dryas, low aeolian dunes were formed locally (YCII), as a response to landscape instability due to cooling and vegetation decline. In the fine-grained lower part of the YCII unit an initial soil testifies to a decadal to centennial period of landscape stability. An Ahrensburg site in the upper part of this initial soil was dated at 10,915±35 BP (c. 12,854–12,789 cal BP). The lithostratigraphic position, radiocarbon dates of the underlying Usselo Soil and a possibly old-wood effect of up to 200 years suggest that Ahrensburg occupation of the dune environment occurred during the early Younger Dryas, shortly afterc. 10,750 BP (12,750 cal BP). Landscape stability and podzol soil formation dominated the early and middle Holocene periods. Drift-sand deposition, probably related to human land use and vegetation decline, occurred in a 200-year period from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Effects of SCFA on the DNA methylation pattern of adiponectin and resistin in high-fat-diet-induced obese male mice
Authors: Lu Yuanyuan , Fan Chaonan , Liang Aimin , Fan Xiuqin , Wang Rui , Li Ping , Qi Kemin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractSpecific adipokines, such as adiponectin and resistin, are secreted from adipose tissue and are associated with the development of obesity. Supplementation of dietary SCFA can prevent and reverse high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity. However, it is not clear whether SCFA ameliorate abnormal expression of adiponectin and resistin in the obese state. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of SCFA on adiponectin and resistin’s expressions in diet-induced obese mice, as well as the potential mechanisms associated with DNA methylation. C57BL/6J male mice were fed for 16 weeks with five types of HFD (34·9 % fat by wt., 60 % kJ) – a control HFD and four HFD with acetate (HFD-A), propionate (HFD-P), butyrate (HFD-B) and their admixture (HFD-SCFA). Meanwhile, a low-fat diet (4·3 % fat by wt., 10 % kJ) was used as the control group. The reduced mRNA levels of adiponectin and resistin in the adipose tissue of the HFD-fed mice were significantly reversed by dietary supplementation of acetate, propionate, butyrate or their admixture to the HFD. Moreover, the expressional changes of adiponectin and resistin induced by SCFA were associated with alterations in DNA methylation at their promoters, which was mediated by reducing the expressions of enzyme-catalysed DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1,3a,3b) and the methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) and suppressing the binding of these enzymes to the promoters of adiponectin and resistin. Our results indicate that SCFA may correct aberrant expressions of adiponectin and resistin in obesity by epigenetic regulation.
OBSERVING AND PRODUCING PITCH GESTURES FACILITATES THE LEARNING OF MANDARIN CHINESE TONES AND WORDS
Authors: Baills Florence , Suárez-González Nerea , González-Fuente Santiago , Prieto Pilar 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThis study investigates the perception and production of a specific type of metaphoric gesture that mimics melody in speech, also calledpitch gesture, in the learning of L2 suprasegmental features. In a between-subjects design, a total of 106 participants with no previous knowledge of Chinese were asked to observe (Experiment 1) and produce (Experiment 2) pitch gestures during a short multimodal training session on Chinese tones and words. In both experiments they were tested on (a) tone identification and (b) word learning. Results showed the positive effect of a training session with pitch gesture observation compared to a training session without it (Experiment 1) and the benefits of producing gestures compared to only observing them and repeating the words aloud (Experiment 2). A comparison of the results of the two experiments revealed that there was no significant difference between the simple observation of pitch gestures and the production of speech accompanied by pitch gestures in facilitating lexical tone identification and word learning. Thus, both perception and production tasks with pitch gestures can be regarded as beneficial learning strategies for the initial stages of tones acquisition in the Chinese as a Second Language classroom.
Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance in the Age of Intellectual Property
Authors: Pautz Carolyn Renée 
Published: June 2018

Abstract:This article analyzes drafts put forth by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to examine the gaps that are created when institutions attempt to assign authorship of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions to individuals and communities and how these gaps impact the use of folkloric dance in cultural institutions. The analysis produced via anthropological mappings of policy is underpinned with an examination of terminologies that circulate between fields of discourse, spiraling their way into public policies concerning marginalized peoples’ rights, economies of art, and intellectual property. This is followed by ethnographic accounts of Afro-Cuban folkloric dance classes, for it is in the dancing bodies that gaps between policies of authorship and the reality of unstable streams of transmission and reception materialize. By reproducing and circulating these unstable streams, combined with various legal doctrines put forth by WIPO, cultural institutions appropriate Afro-Cuban folkloric dance to commodify individuals and communities.
Poorer Visual Acuity Is Associated with Declines in Cognitive Performance Across Multiple Cognitive Domains: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study
Authors: Dearborn Peter J. , Elias Merrill F. , Sullivan Kevin J. , Sullivan Cara E. , Robbins Michael A. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectives: Prior studies have found associations between visual acuity (VA) and cognitive function. However, these studies used a limited range of cognitive measures and did not control for cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVD-RFs) and baseline function. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the associations of VA and cognitive performance using a thorough neuropsychological test battery. Methods: This study used community-dwelling sample data across the sixth (2001–2006) and seventh (2006–2010) waves of the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (n=655). Wave 6 VA as measured by the Snellen Eye Test was the primary predictor of wave 6 and wave 7 Global cognitive performance, Visual-Spatial Organization and Memory, Verbal Episodic Memory, Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking, and Executive Function. Additionally, VA was used to predict longitudinal changes in wave 7 cognitive performance (wave 6 performance adjusted). We analyzed these relationships with multiple linear and logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, ethnicity, depressive symptoms, physical function deficits in addition to CVD-RFs, chronic kidney disease, homocysteine, continuous systolic blood pressure, and hypertension status. Results: Adjusted for demographic covariates and CVD-RFs, poorer VA was associated with concurrent and approximate 5-year declines in Global cognitive function, Visual-Spatial Organization and Memory, and Verbal Episodic Memory. Discussion: VA may be used in combination with other screening measures to determine risk for cognitive decline. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1–9)
Diabetes management in the primary care setting: a comparison of physicians’ performance by gender
Authors: Buja Alessandra , Fusinato Riccardo , Claus Mirko , Gini Rosa , Braga Mario , Cosentino Mimma , Boccuzzo Giovanna , Francesconi Paolo , Baldo Vincenzo , Bellentani Mariadonata , Damiani Gianfranco 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackgroundA major shift in the gender of the medical-doctor workforce is now underway, and all over the world it is expected that an average 65% of the medical workforce will be women by 2030. In addition, an aging population means that chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are becoming more prevalent and the demand for care is rising. There is growing evidence of female physicians performing better than male physicians.AimOur study aimed to investigate whether any differences in diabetes process indicators are associated with gender, and/or the interaction between gender and different organizational models.Design and settingA population-based cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a large data set obtained by processing the public health administration databases of seven Italian local health units (LHUs). The seven LHUs, distributed all over the Italian peninsula in seven different regions, took part in a national project called MEDINA, with the focus on chronic disease management in primary care (PC).MethodsA total score was calculated for the average performance in the previously listed five indicators, representing global adherence to a quality management of patients with diabetes. A multilevel analysis was applied to see how LHUs affected the outcome. A quantile regression model was also fitted.ResultsOur study included 2287 Italian general practitioners (586 of them female) caring for a total of 2 646 059 patients. Analyzing the performance scores confirmed that female general practitioners obtained better results than males. The differences between males and females were stronger on the 25th and 75th percentiles of the score than on the median values. The interaction between gender and LHU was not significant.ConclusionOur study evidenced that female physicians perform better than males in providing PC for diabetes independently by the different organizational models. Further research to understand the reasons for these gender differences is needed.
From Christian anti-imperialism to postcolonial Christianity: M. M. Thomas and the ecumenical theology of communism in the 1940s and 1950s
Authors: Reynolds Justin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThis article uses the early thought and career of the Indian Mar Thoma Christian and Marxian theologian M. M. Thomas to investigate the connections between ecumenism’s theology of communism and its engagements with anti-colonial politics and decolonization in the 1940s and 1950s. The article situates Thomas’ efforts to reconcile Marxian doctrine with Christian faith within the movement’s institutional practices for combating the entropic effects of modern secular civilization and Cold War polarization. Tracing Thomas’ ascent from Christian Marxist youth circles in south India to leadership positions in the World Student Christian Federation and the World Council of Churches, the article highlights the central role of his theology in establishing ‘revolutionary’ postcolonial social transformation as the object of Christian global governance in the post-war era.
Between context and conflict: the ‘boom’ of Latin American Protestantism in the ecumenical movement (1955–75)
Authors: Schilling Annegreth 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe article looks at the entanglement of the international ecumenical movement and Latin American Protestantism in the ‘long 1960s’. It investigates the influence and significance of Latin American liberation theology for the churches and theology around the world. During this period, it was particularly the World Council of Churches (WCC), a worldwide fellowship of Christian churches, which strengthened the efforts of churches from the ‘Third World’ to identify their own theological issues and questions. In this way, the WCC strongly supported Latin American Protestant church leaders and theologians in giving specific attention to their own context. The article argues that the ‘boom’ of Latin American Protestantism within the WCC in the 1960s and early 1970s brought into the global ecumenical movement both new theological concepts, such as revolution and liberation, and individuals exiled from Latin America. Yet this contextual and emancipatory approach revealed at the same time fundamental differences and conflicts between churches of the North and South.
Wideband filtering power divider with deep and wide stopband
Authors: Zhang Pengcheng , Lin Xianqi , Tang Cong , Jiang Yuan , Fan Yong 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn this study, wideband bandpass power divider with good out-of-band performance is proposed. Two bandpass filters (BPFs) are utilized to substitute the quarter-wavelength transmission line in conventional Wilkinson power divider. A resistor is specially arranged between two BPFs for a good isolation. Four transmission zeros (TZs) are found to be distributed in the lower and upper stopband of the power divider. Moreover, the locations of two TZs can be shifted by tuning the impedance ratio of the center-loaded open stub, which is propitious to improve the frequency selectivity. Even- and odd-mode methods are applied to analyze the proposed power divider and closed-form design formulas are obtained. Finally, two prototype power dividers with measured rejection level in the upper stopband larger than 29.1 and 32 dB till to 2.7f0 and 2.69f0, respectively, are designed and fabricated to testify the proposed design concept. Good agreement between the simulated and measured results is observed, validating the validity of the proposed design principle.
Responses of the East Asian Summer Monsoon in the Low‐Latitude South China Sea to High‐Latitude Millennial‐Scale Climatic Changes During the Last Glaciation: Evidence From a High‐Resolution Clay Mineralogical Record
Authors: Zhao Shaohua , Liu Zhifei , Colin Christophe , Zhao Yulong , Wang Xingxing , Jian Zhimin 
Published: June 2018

AbstractHigh‐resolution clay mineral assemblage combined with Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Core MD12‐3434 located in the northern South China Sea was investigated to reveal terrigenous sediment response to the East Asian monsoon evolution during the last glaciation. Clay mineralogical variations indicate clear millennial‐scale oscillations that are mainly due to rapid changes in the proportion of smectite to illite and chlorite. Smectite is derived predominantly from rapid chemical weathering of volcanic rocks in Luzon under strong summer monsoon, while illite and chlorite are mainly sourced from Taiwan through reinforced physical erosion. Thus, the smectite/(illite + chlorite) ratio is adopted to reconstruct the East Asian summer monsoon evolution during the last glaciation. Rapid increases in the smectite/(illite + chlorite) ratio imply strengthened summer monsoon occurred during Dansgaard‐Oeschger and Bølling‐Allerød interstadials. In contrast, rapid decreases in the ratio indicate relatively weakened summer monsoon happened during Heinrich and Younger Dryas stadials. These millennial‐scale climatic signals documented by clay mineralogical compositions of deep‐sea sediments in the South China Sea can be better preserved in calm deeper‐water sedimentary environments. Our study highlights the prompt responses of the East Asian monsoon system to millennial‐scale climatic changes occurred in high‐latitude Northern Hemisphere through contemporaneous chemical weathering of volcanic rocks and/or sediment supply variations under strong physical erosion in the low‐latitude South China Sea, implying an atmospheric teleconnection from the North Atlantic to the Asian monsoon region.