bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Management of people with Type 2 diabetes shared between a specialized outpatient clinic and primary health care is noninferior to management in a specialized outpatient clinic: a randomized, noninferiority trial
Authors: Munch L. , Bennich B. B. , Overgaard D. , Konradsen H. , Middelfart H. , Kaarsberg N. , Knop F. K. , Vilsbøll T. , Røder M. E. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractAimTo evaluate whether management of people with Type 2 diabetes shared between a specialized outpatient clinic and primary health care has noninferior HbA1c outcomes compared with mono‐sectorial management in a specialized outpatient clinic.MethodsA randomized controlled, noninferiority study. People with moderate hyperglycaemia, hypertension and/or incipient complications were eligible for the study. All participants had annual comprehensive check‐ups at the outpatient clinic. Quarterly check‐ups were conducted by general practitioners (GPs) for the shared care group and by endocrinologists at the outpatient clinic for the control group. The primary outcome was the mean difference in HbA1c from baseline to 12 months of follow‐up. The noninferiority margin for HbA1c was 4.4 mmol/mol.ResultsA total of 140 people were randomized [age 65.0 ± 0.9 years, HbA1c 52 ± 0.8 mmol/mol (6.9 ± 0.1%), systolic BP 135.6 ± 1.1 mmHg; all mean ± sem]. Peripheral neuropathy was present in 68% of participants and microalbuminuria in 19%; 15% had history of a previous major cardiovascular event. Among study completers (n = 133), HbA1c increased by 2.3 mmol/mol (0.2%) in the shared care group and by 1.0 mmol/mol (0.1%) in the control group, with a between‐group difference of 1.3 mmol/mol [90% confidence interval (CI) −1.3, 3.9] (0.1%, 90% CI −0.1, 0.4). Noninferiority was confirmed in both per protocol and intention to treat analyses.ConclusionWe found that our shared care programme was noninferior to specialized outpatient management in maintaining glycaemic control in this group of people with Type 2 diabetes. Shared care should be considered for the future diabetes management of Type 2 diabetes.
Everything is clear: All perceptual experiences are transparent
Authors: Gow Laura 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe idea that perceptual experience is transparent is generally used by naïve realists and externalist representationalists to promote an externalist account of the metaphysics of perceptual experience. It is claimed that the phenomenal character of our perceptual experience can be explained solely with reference to the externally located objects and properties which (for the representationalist) we represent, or which (for the naïve realist) partly constitute our experience. Internalist qualia theorists deny this and claim that the phenomenal character of our perceptual experience is internally constituted. However, my concern in this paper is not with the metaphysical debate but with transparency as a phenomenological feature of perceptual experience. Qualia theorists have presented a number of examples of perceptual experiences which, they claim, do not even seem to be transparent; these experiences involve objects or properties which seem to be internally realized. I argue, contrary to the qualia theorist's claim, that the phenomenal character of perceptual experience can in fact be characterized solely with reference to externally located objects and properties, and the sense in which some features of our perceptual experiences do not seem external is due to cognitive, not perceptual, phenomenology.
Does trade credit really help relieving financial constraints?
Authors: Cosci Stefania , Guida Roberto , Meliciani Valentina 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe European Union introduced a directive aimed at reducing trade credit due to its supposedly negative effect on the European economy. This contrasts with the redistribution view arguing that trade credit could facilitate the financing of credit‐constrained firms by more liquid suppliers. But does trade credit mainly flow from relatively unconstrained suppliers to more financially constrained buyers? To answer this question, we look at the characteristics of net borrowers with respect to net lenders and then estimate the substitutability between trade and bank debt separately for the two groups of firms. Overall, the results show that, in Italy, efficient redistribution does not tend to prevail in the trade credit market.
Patterns of cross‐resistance and collateral sensitivity between clinical antibiotics and natural antimicrobials
Authors: Colclough Abigail , Corander Jukka , Sheppard Samuel K. , Bayliss Sion C. , Vos Michiel 
Published: January 2019

AbstractBacteria interact with a multitude of other organisms, many of which produce antimicrobials. Selection for resistance to these antimicrobials has the potential to result in resistance to clinical antibiotics when active compounds target the same bacterial pathways. The possibility of such cross‐resistance between natural antimicrobials and antibiotics has to our knowledge received very little attention. The antimicrobial activity of extracts from seaweeds, known to be prolific producers of antimicrobials, is here tested against Staphylococcus aureus isolates with varied clinical antibiotic resistance profiles. An overall effect consistent with cross‐resistance is demonstrated, with multidrug‐resistant S. aureus strains being on average more resistant to seaweed extracts. This pattern could potentially indicate that evolution of resistance to antimicrobials in the natural environment could lead to resistance against clinical antibiotics. However, patterns of antimicrobial activity of individual seaweed extracts vary considerably and include collateral sensitivity, where increased resistance to a particular antibiotic is associated with decreased resistance to a particular seaweed extract. Our correlation‐based methods allow the identification of antimicrobial extracts bearing most promise for downstream active compound identification and pharmacological testing.
Higher Moments and Exchange Rate Behavior
Authors: Khademalomoom Siroos , Narayan Paresh Kumar , Sharma Susan Sunila 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThis paper uses 15‐minute exchange rate returns data for the six most liquid currencies (i.e., the Australian dollar, British pound, Canadian dollar, Euro, Japanese yen, and Swiss franc) vis‐à‐vis the United States dollar to examine whether a GARCH model augmented with higher moments (HM‐GARCH) performs better than a traditional GARCH (TG) model. Two findings are unraveled. First, the inclusion of odd/even moments in modeling the return/variance improves the statistical performance of the HM‐GARCH model. Second, trading strategies that extract buy and sell trading signals based on exchange rate forecasts from HM‐GARCH models are more profitable than those that depend on TG models.
It is a Sweetheart of a Deal: Political Connections and Corporate‐Federal Contracting
Authors: Ferris Stephen P. , Houston Reza , Javakhadze David 
Published: January 2019

AbstractWe examine whether political connections measured by political contributions influence the choice of terms included in government contracts awarded to firms. We construct an index of four “sweetheart” contract terms and find that firms making larger political contributions more frequently have these favorable terms included in their contracts. We also find that political contributions have explanatory power for contract design after controlling for lobbying, negotiation power, and the employment of former government employees. These results are robust to alternative model specifications, different estimation techniques, various variable measurements, and adjustments for possible endogeneity.
River habitat homogenisation enhances trophic competition and promotes individual specialisation among young of the year fish
Authors: Latli Adrien , Michel Loïc N. , Lepoint Gilles , Kestemont Patrick 
Published: January 2019

Abstract

In large rivers, fish ontogenic development success is mainly influenced by resource availability and by the possibility of species to adapt their diet (i.e. trophic niche). Humans have drastically modified freshwater habitats, notably for navigation purposes. Such modifications may reduce food availability for young of the year (YOY) fish and, consequently, influence their ability to reach the adult age.

In the Meuse River, decrease of fish abundance is thought to be linked to a drastic reduction of phytoplankton biomass. In this context of decreasing phytoplankton biomass, we studied trophic niches of three cyprinid species (common bleak Alburnus alburnus, chub Squalius cephalus, and roach Rutilus rutilus) and one percid species (European perch Perca fluviatilis) at various stages of development, using stable isotope analysis in order to compare intra‐ and interspecific competition between sites differing in degree of channelisation.

Two reaches of the Meuse River differing by their degree of regulation were investigated. We hypothesised that habitat homogenisation would (1) decrease food resource availability and diversity and (2) increase trophic competition, particularly among earlier ontogenic stages, and promote individual specialisation.

Our study provides evidence that in the context of low planktonic biomass, most YOY relied on benthic food sources. Furthermore, the Meuse River flow and depth regulation significantly impacted the abundance and species richness of YOY. In the heavily channelised reach, between‐stages competition and low resource diversity lead to an increase in diet partitioning between cyprinid larvae, as well as consumption of non‐optimal energetic food sources such as aquatic vegetation by some individuals.

By contrast, in the less channelised reach, larvae displayed a generalist feeding habit focusing on high energy content prey such as different taxa of macroinvertebrates, suggesting that the diversity of habitat reduces the food competition within and between stages.

Intraspecific resource repartition is a key point for YOY fish having to cope with plankton‐depleted conditions. Younger cyprinid stages seem more affected by intra‐ and inter‐specific competition in the more channelised reach. YOY fish communities were also less diversified and abundant in the more altered site, which highlight the importance of limiting channelisation to better conserve fish communities.
Valuing urban green spaces in mitigating climate change: A city‐wide estimate of aboveground carbon stored in urban green spaces of China's Capital
Authors: Sun Yan , Xie Shuai , Zhao Shuqing 
Published: January 2019

AbstractUrban green spaces provide manifold environmental benefits and promote human well‐being. Unfortunately, these services are largely undervalued, and the potential of urban areas themselves to mitigate future climate change has received little attention. In this study, we quantified and mapped city‐wide aboveground carbon storage of urban green spaces in China's capital, Beijing, using field survey data of diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height from 326 field survey plots, combined with satellite‐derived vegetation index at a fine resolution of 6 m. We estimated the total amount of carbon stored in the urban green spaces to be 956.3 Gg (1 Gg = 109 g) in 2014. There existed great spatial heterogeneity in vegetation carbon density varying from 0 to 68.1 Mg C ha‐1, with an average density of 7.8 Mg C ha−1. As expected, carbon density tended to decrease with urban development intensity (UDI). Likely being affected by vegetation cover proportion and configuration of green space patches, large differences were presented between the 95th and 5th quantile carbon density for each UDI bin, showing great potential for carbon sequestration. However, the interquartile range of carbon density narrowed drastically when UDI reached 60%, signifying a threshold for greatly reduced carbon sequestration potentials for higher UDI. These findings suggested that urban green spaces have great potential to make contribution to mitigating against future climate change if we plan and design urban green spaces following the trajectory of high carbon density, but we should be aware that such potential will be very limited when the urban development reaches certain intensity threshold.
Establishment of a diabetic myocardial hypertrophy model in Mus musculus castaneus mouse
Authors: Zhang Jie , Qiu Hongmei , Huang Jiajun , Ding Shumei , Huang Bo , Wu Qin , Jiang Qingsong 
Published: January 2019

SummaryThe aim of this study was to establish a robust model of diabetic myocardial hypertrophy in Mus musculus castaneus mice. Mice were fed a high‐fat diet for four weeks and then given streptozotocin (STZ, 40 mg kg−1 d−1 for 5 days, intraperitoneally) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were tested after seven days. Mice with FBG levels above 11.1 mmol/L were considered diabetic. Diabetic mice continued to have access to the high‐fat diet until cardiac hypertrophy developed. FBG and body weight (BW) were measured weekly. Myocardial hypertrophy was confirmed by left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy index (LVHI), LV/BW, LV histopathological observation and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) mRNA expression. Serum insulin and plasma haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, total cholesterol (TCH) and triglyceride (TG) were measured, and then an insulin resistance index (HOMA.IR) was calculated. The level of FBG in the model group remained above 11.1 mmol/L, and the BW showed significant weight loss, compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The high levels of HbA1c, HOME.IR, TCH and TG, and the low level of insulin suggested that glucose metabolism was not balanced with insulin resistance; meanwhile, higher TCH and TG showed that dyslipidaemia had also developed. After the diabetic mice were kept on the high‐energy diet for another four weeks, histopathological observation showed myocardial injuries, much more surface area and collagen fibres, higher LVHI and LV/BW, and elevated expression of ANF mRNA (P < 0.01), suggesting that myocardial hypertrophy had appeared in Mus musculus castaneus mice under the current experimental conditions. Thus a robust model of diabetic myocardial hypertrophy was established four weeks after confirmation of diabetes, which was induced by feeding a high‐fat diet for four weeks combined with a repeated low‐dose STZ exposure, in Mus musculus castaneus mice.
Investigation of production parameters in fracture behavior of hot‐pressed Al2O3–SiC/graphite fibrous monolithic ceramics: Fibers orientation and cell boundary fraction
Authors: Akbari Elaheh , Ghassemi Kakroudi Mahdi , Shahedifar Vahideh 
Published: January 2019

AbstractFibrous monoliths (FMs) exhibit graceful failure in flexure and have higher toughness values. In this research, a mixture of Al2O3and SiC as the core and graphite as the shell material of fibers were produced by extrusion‐molding technique and after aligning along intended directions (0°, 90°, and 0°/90°) were sintered using the hot‐pressing method at the temperature of 1500°C under pressure of 35 MPa for 1 hour. The significance of fibers orientation angle and the cell to cell boundary volume ratio in defining the fracture behavior of theFMs was detected. Because of the extensive crack interactions with graphite cell boundary such as crack deflection and delamination, with increasing cell boundary content from 25 to 30 vol%, the fracture toughness was enhanced. The highest flexural strength (184.8 ± 0.61 MPa) obtained from samples with 0° fibers orientation compared to 0°/90°. Since in the transverse plies (layers with 90° aligning), the properties of matrix phase are dominant, hence the strength in specimens with 0°/90° fibers orientation decreased considerably due to weak graphite matrix phase. In addition, the fracture toughness value increased up to 8.35 ± 0.74MPa·m1/2for the unidirectional architecture of (0°) in comparison with cross‐ply (0°/90°) architecture.
Impact of processing on polysaccharides obtained from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
Authors: Radzki Wojciech , Ziaja‐Sołtys Marta , Nowak Jakub , Topolska Jolanta , Bogucka‐Kocka Anna , Sławińska Aneta , Michalak‐Majewska Monika , Jabłońska‐Ryś Ewa , Kuczumow Andrzej 
Published: January 2019

SummaryAgaricus bisporus fruiting bodies were subjected to processing: blanching, boiling in water and blanching followed by lactic acid fermentation. Water soluble polysaccharides were obtained from fruiting bodies, quantified and analysed in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity towards cancer cell lines (MCF‐7 and T‐47D). The content of water soluble polysaccharides ranged from 7.35 ± 0.12 to 6.90 ± 0.17 mg g−1 fresh weight of sample. Boiling in water and blanching followed by fermenting caused minor decrease in the content. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy of the extracted polysaccharides showed that both α‐ and β‐linkages are present in the samples. Size exclusion chromatography confirmed the presence of 163.3 and 1.9 kDa molecules. The processing caused changes in chemical composition (protein and phenolics content decreased). The isolated polysaccharides exerted antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Both the activities were slightly lowered as the result of the processing.
Three‐dimensional myocardial scar characterization from the endocardium: Usefulness of endocardial unipolar electroanatomic mapping
Authors: Bazan Victor , Frankel David S. , Santangeli Pasquale , Garcia Fermin C. , Tschabrunn Cory M. , Marchlinski Francis E. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractEpicardial ablation may be required to eliminate ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with underlying structural heart disease. The decision to gain epicardial access is frequently based on the suspicion of an epicardial origin for the VT and/or presence of an arrhythmogenic substrate. Epicardial pathology and VT is frequently present in patients with nonischemic right and/or left cardiomyopathies even in the setting of modest or no endocardial bipolar voltage substrate. In this setting, unipolar voltage mapping from the endocardium serves to help identify midmyocardial and/or epicardial VT substrate. The additional value of endocardial unipolar mapping includes its usefulness to predict the clinical outcome after VT ablation, to determine the irreversibility of myocardial disease, and to guide endomyocardial biopsy procedures to specific areas of intramural scarring. In this review, we aim to provide a guide to the use of endocardial unipolar mapping and its appropriate interpretation in a variety of clinical situations.
Exit sites on the epicardium rarely subtend critical diastolic path of ischemic VT on the endocardium: Implications for noninvasive ablation
Authors: Bhaskaran Abhishek , Nayyar Sachin , Porta‐Sánchez Andreu , Haldar Shouvik , Bokhari Mahmoud , Massé Stéphane , Liang Timothy , Zehra Nawazish , Farid Talha , Downar Eugene , Nanthakumar Kumaraswamy 
Published: January 2019

AbstractBackgroundNoninvasive electrocardiographic mapping of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ablation using stereotactic radiotherapy was recently reported. This strategy does not directly evaluate the critical diastolic components and assumes that the epicardial exit site of VT subtends closely over the endocardial mid‐diastolic isthmus.ObjectiveTo determine if the epicardial exit site of VT spatially corresponds to the critical diastolic components of ischemic scar‐related VT.Materials and methodsIntraoperative simultaneous endocardial and epicardial mapping were performed during VT using a 112‐bipole endocardial balloon and 112‐bipole epicardial sock array. In eight patients, nine VTs having entire diastolic circuit mapped were included in the study. The diastolic path and VT‐exit sites (epicardial and endocardial) were determined.ResultsThe diastolic path was mapped in the endocardium for all nine VTs (median length, 50; interquartile range [IQR], 28 mm). The tachycardia cycle length ranged from 210‐500 ms. The VT‐exit site was early in the endocardium for six VTs and on the epicardium for three VTs. The mid‐diastolic isthmus and endocardial exit site of the six endocardial VTs were spatially distant from their epicardial exit site by a median distance of 32 and 27 mm, respectively. For the three VTs with an early epicardial exit, the isthmus and endocardial exit sites were distant from the epicardial exit site by a median distance of 34 and 38 mm, respectively.ConclusionThe epicardial exit site and the mid‐diastolic isthmus sites were spatially distant and discrepant. Surface electrocardiography (ECG)‐derived strategy in identifying epicardial exit site to select noninvasive ablation targets is prone to identify epicardial exit sites and may not identify critical targets in ischemic scar VT.
The MNC‐Coalition Paradox: Issue Salience, Foreign Firms and the General Data Protection Regulation
Authors: Kalyanpur Nikhil , Newman Abraham L. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractWhile the EU takes on an increasingly global regulatory role, we have only a limited understanding of how or when foreign firms influence EU regulation. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have many of the power resources that determine lobbying success. We argue, however, that high salience blunts foreign corporate power. High salience generates legitimacy concerns for EU institutions, creating a political opportunity structure that favours pluralistic participation. Civil society can point to the instrumental power of foreign firms as a means to contaminate business interests, amplifying consumer voices in the process. We label this the MNC‐Coalition paradox. We investigate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation to assess our argument, as the revelations made public by Edward Snowden created an exogenous shock in salience. Highlighting the presence of MNCs – such as Google and Facebook – in the lobbying process allowed civil society leaders to delegitimize business preferences and bolster consumer protection. In addition to the theoretical contribution, our evidence sheds light on the policy process behind legislation that will shape fundamental civil liberties and privacy rights not only for Europeans but globally.
Organizing Transmission Belts: The Effect of Organizational Design on Interest Group Access to EU Policy‐making
Authors: Albareda Adrià , Braun Caelesta 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe European Commission's outreach to interest groups implies that they function as ‘transmission belts’ that aggregate and articulate interests as policy‐relevant information for policy‐makers. Operating as a transmission belt, however, requires an organizational design fit for this purpose. We offer one of the first systematic analyses of how organizational design affects interest group access to public officials. We draw from a novel dataset of 248 EU‐level interest groups including data on several dimensions of organizational design. One of our key findings is that qualified majority and consensus‐facilitating decision‐making procedures help interest groups gain access to administrative and political officials, whereas functional differentiation is important to get access to administrative officials, but not to political officials. Our findings thus demonstrate the relevance of organizational design in gaining access as well as the need to incorporate varying informational demands of public officials to properly explain interest group access to public decision‐making.