bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of prognostic factors to predict cognitive decline of patients with early Alzheimer's disease in the Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study
Authors: Yagi Takuya , Kanekiyo Michio , Ito Junichi , Ihara Ryoko , Suzuki Kazushi , Iwata Atsushi , Iwatsubo Takeshi , Aoshima Ken ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,   Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: August 2019

AbstractIntroductionThe objective of this study was to determine the factors including neuropsychological test performances and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers which can predict disease progression of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a Japanese population.MethodsThe group classification on early AD population in both Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (J‐ADNI) and North American ADNI (NA‐ADNI) was performed using the inclusion criteria including brain amyloid positivity on positron emission tomography or CSF. Participants with early AD from each cohort were stratified into two groups based on a cutoff 1.0 of Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR‐SB) change at month 24 (m24): participants in “progress group” have CDR‐SB change ≥ 1.0 and participants in “stable group” have CDR‐SB change < 1.0. Then, we performed identification of prognostic factors from baseline items including neuropsychological scores (Assessment Scale‐Cognitive Subscale[ADAS‐cog 13], Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), CDR, FAQ, and Geriatric Depression Scale), CSF markers (t‐tau, p‐tau, and beta‐amyloid 1‐42), vital signs (body weight, pulse rate, etc.,), by using two statistical approaches, Welch's t‐test and simple linear regression by ordinary least squares. Comparisons between participants with J‐ADNI and participants with NA‐ADNI were also performed.ResultsTrends of CDR‐SB changes were very similar between J‐ADNI and NA‐ADNI early AD population enrolled in this study. Baseline levels of CSF t‐tau, p‐tau, Mini‐Mental State Examination, FAQ, and ADAS‐cog13 were identified as prognostic factors in both J‐ADNI and NA‐ADNI. Based on a detailed subscale analysis on ADAS‐cog13, four subscales (Q1: word recall, Q3: construction, Q4: delayed word recall, and Q8: word recognition) were identified as prognostic factors in both J‐ADNI and NA‐ADNI.DiscussionCharacterizing population with early AD can provide benefits for promoting efficiency in conducting AD clinical trials for disease‐modifying treatments. Thus, implementing these prognostic factors into clinical trials may be potentially a good method to enrich participants with early AD who are suitable for evaluating treatment effects.
Multi-objective optimisation of semi-closed cycle engines for high-altitude UAV propulsion
Authors: Tacconi J. , Visser W. P. J. , Verstraete D. 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTThe maximum attainable performance of small gas turbines represents a strong limitation to the operating altitude and endurance of high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Significant improvement of the cycle thermal efficiency can be achieved through the introduction of heat exchangers, with the consequent increase of the overall engine weight. Since semi-closed cycle engines can achieve a superior degree of compactness compared to their open cycle counterparts, their use can offset the additional weight of the heat exchangers. This paper applies semi-closed cycles to a high-altitude UAV propulsion system, with the objective of assessing the benefits introduced on the engine performance and weight. A detailed model has been created to account for component performance and size variation as function of thermodynamic parameters. The sizing has been coupled with a multi-objective optimisation algorithm for minimum specific fuel consumption and weight. Results of two different semi-closed cycle configurations are compared with equivalent state-of-the-art open cycles, represented by a recuperated and an intercooled-recuperated engine. The results show that, for a fixed design power output, engine weight is approximately halved compared to state-of-the-art open cycles, with slightly improved specific fuel consumption performance. Optimum semi-closed cycles furthermore operate at higher overall pressure ratios than open cycles and make use of recuperators with higher effectiveness as the mass penalty of the recuperator is smaller due to the lower engine mass flow rates.
First passage problems for upwards skip-free random walks via the scale functions paradigm
Authors: Avram Florin , Vidmar Matija 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn this paper we develop the theory of theWandZscale functions for right-continuous (upwards skip-free) discrete-time, discrete-space random walks, along the lines of the analogous theory for spectrally negative Lévy processes. Notably, we introduce for the first time in this context the one- and two-parameter scale functionsZ, which appear for example in the joint deficit at ruin and time of ruin problems of actuarial science. Comparisons are made between the various theories of scale functions as one makes time and/or space continuous.
Reliability analysis of k-out-of-n systems based on a grouping of components
Authors: Ding Weiyong , Fang Rui , Zhao Peng 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn this paper we treat a two-stage grouping procedure of building a k-out-of-n system from several clusters of components. We use a static framework in which the component reliabilities are fixed. Under such a framework, we address the impact of the selecting strategies, the sampling probabilities, and the component reliabilities on the constructed system’s reliability. An interesting finding is that the level of component reliabilities could be identified as a decisive factor in determining how the selecting strategies and the component reliabilities affect the system reliability. The new results generalize and extend those established earlier in the literature such as Di Crescenzo and Pellerey (2011), Hazra and Nanda (2014), Navarro, Pellerey, and Di Crescenzo (2015), and Hazra, Finkelstein, and Cha (2017). Several Monte Carlo simulation experiments are provided to illustrate the theoretical results.
Chinese ‘Case Law’ in Comparative Law Studies: Illusions and Complexities
Authors: LIU Qiao 
Published: August 2019

AbstractChinese court cases have attained increasing importance in recent studies of Chinese law, but remain insufficiently understood. In this article, I demonstrate why Chinese court cases should be given more weighty consideration in comparative studies involving Chinese law as a comparator, and how such cases, particularly ‘Guiding Cases’ and ‘Gazette Cases’ (which are published in the official Gazette of the Supreme People's Court), should be properly dealt with and assessed in view of the complexity of the court case system in China.
Evaluation of a co-facilitated information and learning programme for service users: the EOLAS programme
Authors: Higgins A. , Downes C. , Monahan M. , Hevey D. , Boyd F. , Cusack N. , Gibbons P. 
Published: August 2019

Background:The co-production and co-facilitation of recovery-focused education programmes is one way in which service users may be meaningfully involved as partners.Objectives:To evaluate the impact of a clinician and peer co-facilitated information programme on service users’ knowledge, confidence, recovery attitudes, advocacy and hope, and to explore their experience of the programme.Methods:A sequential design was used involving a pre–post survey to assess changes in knowledge, confidence, advocacy, recovery attitudes and hope following programme participation. In addition, semi-structured interviews with programme participants were completed. Fifty-three participants completed both pre- and post-surveys and twelve individuals consented to interviews.Results:The results demonstrated statistically significant changes in service users’ knowledge about mental health issues, confidence and advocacy. These improvements were reflected in the themes which emerged from the interviews with participants (n = 12), who reported enhanced knowledge and awareness of distress and wellness, and a greater sense of hope. In addition, the peer influence helped to normalise experiences for participants, while the dual facilitation engendered equality of participation and increased the opportunity for meaningful collaboration between service users and practitioners.Conclusions:The evaluation highlights the potential strengths of a service user and clinician co-facilitated education programme that acknowledges and respects the difference between the knowledge gained through self-experience and the knowledge gained through formal learning.
The dynamic relationship between pain, depression and cognitive function in a sample of newly diagnosed arthritic adults: a cross-lagged panel model
Authors: James Richard J. E. , Ferguson Eamonn 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundPain and depression are common in the population and co-morbid with each other. Both are predictive of one another and are also associated with cognitive function; people who are in greater pain and more depressed respectively perform less well on tests of cognitive function. It has been argued that pain might cause deterioration in cognitive function, whereas better cognitive function earlier in life might be a protective factor against the emergence of disease. When looking at the dynamic relationship between these in chronic diseases, studying samples that already have advanced disease progression often confounds this relationship.MethodsUsing data from waves 1 to 3 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (n = 516), we examined the interplay between pain, cognitive function and depression in a subsample of respondents reporting a diagnosis of arthritis at wave 2 of the ELSA using cross-lagged panel models.ResultsThe models showed that pain, cognitive function and depression at wave 1, prior to diagnosis, predict pain at wave 2, and that pain at wave 1 predicts depression at wave 2. Pain and depression at wave 2 predict cognitive function at wave 3.ConclusionsThe results indicate that better cognitive function might be protective against the emergence of pain prior to an arthritis diagnosis, but cognitive function is subsequently impaired by pain and depression. Furthermore, higher depression predicts lower cognitive function, but not vice versa. This is discussed in the context of the emerging importance of inflammation in depression.
Brains of a feather flocking together? Peer and individual neurobehavioral risks for substance use across adolescence
Authors: Kim-Spoon Jungmeen , Deater-Deckard Kirby , Brieant Alexis , Lauharatanahirun Nina , Lee Jacob , King-Casas Brooks 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAdolescence is a period of heightened susceptibility to peer influences, and deviant peer affiliation has well-established implications for the development of psychopathology. However, little is known about the role of brain functions in pathways connecting peer contexts and health risk behaviors. We tested developmental cascade models to evaluate contributions of adolescent risk taking, peer influences, and neurobehavioral variables of risk processing and cognitive control to substance use among 167 adolescents who were assessed annually for four years. Risk taking at Time 1 was related to substance use at Time 4 indirectly through peer substance use at Time 2 and insular activation during risk processing at Time 3. Furthermore, neural cognitive control moderated these effects. Greater insular activation during risk processing was related to higher substance use for those with greater medial prefrontal cortex activation during cognitive control, but it was related to lower substance use among those with lower medial prefrontal cortex activation during cognitive control. Neural processes related to risk processing and cognitive control play a crucial role in the processes linking risk taking, peer substance use, and adolescents’ own substance use.
Triage in Complex, Coordinated Terrorist Attacks
Authors: Pepper Matt , Archer Frank , Moloney John 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIntroduction:Terror attacks have increased in frequency, and tactics utilized have evolved. This creates significant challenges for first responders providing life-saving medical care in their immediate aftermath. The use of coordinated and multi-site attack modalities exacerbates these challenges. The use of triage is not well-validated in mass-casualty settings, and in the setting of intentional mass violence, new and innovative approaches are needed.Methods:Literature sourced from gray and peer-reviewed sources was used to perform a comparative analysis on the application of triage during the 2011 Oslo/Utoya Island (Norway), 2015 Paris (France), and 2015 San Bernardino (California USA) terrorist attacks. A thematic narrative identifies strengths and weaknesses of current triage systems in the setting of complex, coordinated terrorist attacks (CCTAs).Discussion:Triage systems were either not utilized, not available, or adapted and improvised to the tactical setting. The complexity of working with large numbers of patients, sensory deprived environments, high physiological stress, and dynamic threat profiles created significant barriers to the implementation of triage systems designed around flow charts, physiological variables, and the use of tags. Issues were identified around patient movement and “tactical triage.”Conclusion:Current triage tools are inadequate for use in insecure environments, such as the response to CCTAs. Further research and validation are required for novel approaches that simplify tactical triage and support its effective application. Simple solutions exist in tactical triage, patient movement, and tag use, and should be considered as part of an overall triage system.
The accuracy of measures in screening adults for spiritual suffering in health care settings: A systematic review
Authors: Bahraini Sayna , Gifford Wendy , Graham Ian D. , Wazni Liquaa , Brémault-Phillips Suzette , Hackbusch Rebekah , Demers Catrine , Egan Mary 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectiveGuidelines for palliative and spiritual care emphasize the importance of screening patients for spiritual suffering. The aim of this review was to synthesize the research evidence of the accuracy of measures used to screen adults for spiritual suffering.MethodsA systematic review of the literature. We searched five scientific databases to identify relevant articles. Two independent reviewers screened, extracted data, and assessed study methodological quality.ResultsWe identified five articles that yielded information on 24 spiritual screening measures. Among all identified measures, the two-item Meaning/Joy & Self-Described Struggle has the highest sensitivity (82–87%), and the revised Rush protocol had the highest specificity (81–90%). The methodological quality of all included studies was low.Significance of ResultsWhile most of the identified spiritual screening measures are brief (comprised 1 to 12 items), few had sufficient accuracy to effectively screen patients for spiritual suffering. We advise clinicians to use their critical appraisal skills and clinical judgment when selecting and using any of the identified measures to screen for spiritual suffering.
Burning postharvest sugarcane residue for control of surface-deposited divine nightshade (Solanum nigrescens) and itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) seed
Authors: Spaunhorst Douglas J. , Orgeron Albert J. , White Paul M. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBurning postharvest sugarcane residue is a standard practice to remove extraneous leaf material before spring regrowth. Live-fires were simulated from field-collected postharvest sugarcane residue and seeds of divine nightshade and itchgrass were exposed to dry and moistened postharvest residue (PHR) at four densities (6.1, 12.1, 18.2, and 24.2 Mg ha−1) and a nonburned control. The moisture content of residue exposed to simulated rainfall was 14% more in Experiment 2 than Experiment 1; however, burning PHR with 44% moisture when wind speeds were lower allowed the fire to continue and created a smoldering effect that reduced weed emergence by 23% when compared with burning PHR with 30% moisture during breezy conditions. The moistened 6.1 Mg ha−1 PHR treatment resulted in 53% more divine nightshade and itchgrass emergence when compared with dry 6.1 Mg ha−1 PHR after burning, and greater emergence was attributed to more seed survival for divine nightshade than itchgrass. The PHR moisture condition failed to influence the burn duration; however, the burn duration increased 103% and 56% as the amount of PHR increased from 6.1 to 12.1 Mg ha−1 and 12.1 to 18.2 Mg ha−1, respectively. The combination of high wind speeds and moistened PHR did not enhance the maximum burn temperature near the soil surface, but surface-deposited divine nightshade and itchgrass seeds were susceptible to prolonged exposure times at 100 C. Burning PHR from fields with poor stands or older ratoon, especially when PHR is abundantly wet, will not produce temperatures lethal to divine nightshade and itchgrass seeds. The fluid-filled and fleshy content that comprises divine nightshade fruit protected seed from short durations of high temperatures, but may not insulate seeds long enough when exposed to a smoldering fire.
Parametric Sensitivity of Vegetation Dynamics in the TRIFFID Model and the Associated Uncertainty in Projected Climate Change Impacts on Western U.S. Forests
Authors: Hawkins Linnia R. , Rupp David E. , McNeall Doug J. , Li Sihan , Betts Richard A. , Mote Philip W. , Sparrow Sarah N. , Wallom David C. H. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractChanging climate conditions impact ecosystem dynamics and have local to global impacts on water and carbon cycles. Many processes in dynamic vegetation models (DVMs) are parameterized, and the unknown/unknowable parameter values introduce uncertainty that has rarely been quantified in projections of forced changes. In this study, we identify processes and parameters that introduce the largest uncertainties in the vegetation state simulated by the DVM Top‐down Representation of Interactive Foliage and Flora Including Dynamics (TRIFFID) coupled to a regional climate model. We adjust parameters simultaneously in an ensemble of equilibrium vegetation simulations and use statistical emulation to explore sensitivities to, and interactions among, parameters. We find that vegetation distribution is most sensitive to parameters related to carbon allocation and competition. Using a suite of statistical emulators, we identify regions of parameter space that reduce the error in modeled forest cover by 31±9%. We then generate large initial atmospheric condition ensembles with 10 improved DVM parameterizations under preindustrial, contemporary, and future climate conditions to assess uncertainty in the forced response due to parameterization. We find that while most parameterizations agree on the direction of future vegetation transitions in the western United States, the magnitude varies considerably: for example, in the northwest coast the expansion of broadleaf trees and corresponding decline of needleleaf trees ranges from 4 to 28% across 10 DVM parameterizations under projected future climate conditions. We demonstrate that model parameterization contributes to uncertainty in vegetation transition and carbon cycle feedback under nonstationary climate conditions, which has important implications for carbon stocks, ecosystem services, and climate feedback.
Changes in HCFC Emissions in China During 2011–2017
Authors: Fang X. , Yao B. , Vollmer M. K. , Reimann S. , Liu L. , Chen L. , Prinn R. G. , Hu J. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractHydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the main substitutes of chlorofluorocarbons, are regulated by the Montreal Protocol. Chinese HCFC emissions increased fast from the beginning of this century. However, limit reports based on atmospheric measurement are available for years after 2011, an important period when significant changes are expected. Combining atmospheric observations at seven sites across China with a FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model‐based Bayesian inversion technique, we estimate emission magnitudes and changes of four major HCFCs in China during 2011–2017. The emissions of all four HCFCs reached peaks before 2015. Our results agreed well with the reported bottom‐up inventories. The Chinese ozone depletion potential (ODP)‐weighted emission of the three most abundant HCFCs accounted for 37% of global totals from 2011 to 2016. The total emission of HCFC‐22 from China, the European Union, and the United States accounted approximately a half of the global totals, suggesting large HCFC emission emitted from the rest of the world.
Effect of Rapid Changes of Solar Wind Conditions on the Pickup Ion Velocity Distribution
Authors: Bower J. S. , Moebius E. , Berger L. , Farrugia C. , Keilbach D. , Lee M. A. , Quinn P. R. , Schwadron N. , Taut A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWe performed the first systematic analysis of pickup ion (PUI) cutoff speed variations, across compression regions and due to fast fluctuations in solar wind (SW) speed and magnetic field strength. This study is motivated by the need to remove or correct for systematic effects on the determination of the interstellar flow longitude based on the longitudinal variation of the PUI cutoff. Using 2007–2014 STEREO A PLASTIC observations, we identified SW compression regions and accumulated the contained PUI velocity distributions in a superposed epoch analysis. The shift of the cutoff in velocity, interpreted as PUI energization, varies systematically across the compression region and increases approximately linearly with the speed gradient of the compression. Additionally, the shift remains positive into the negative speed gradient at the beginning of the rarefaction region. A similar response is found when PUI distributions are sorted according to the strength of fast fluctuations in SW speed, density, and magnetic field strength. These parameters remain high in the first part of the rarefaction region, suggesting a possible PUI energization through compressive turbulence. Based on these results, we removed the strongest compression regions from the interstellar flow analysis, finding no significant change in direction or uncertainty. Thus, we have revealed the influence of adiabatic compression and compressive turbulence, increasing the PUI cutoff energy, and we have demonstrated that the determination of the interstellar inflow direction via analysis of PUI distributions is robust for a multiyear data set, even in the presence of SW interaction regions.
Linear Relationship Between Aftershock Productivity and Seismic Coupling in the Northern Chile Subduction Zone
Authors: Hainzl S. , Sippl C. , Schurr B. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe aftershock productivity is known to strongly vary for different mainshocks of the same magnitude, which cannot be simply explained by random fluctuations. In addition to variable source mechanisms, different rheological properties might be responsible for the observed variations. Here we show, for the subduction zone of northern Chile, that the aftershock productivity is linearly related to the degree of mechanical coupling along the subduction interface. Using the earthquake catalog of Sippl et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB015384), which consists of more than 100,000 events between 2007 and 2014, and three different coupling maps inferred from interseismic geodetic deformation data, we show that the observed aftershock numbers are significantly lower than expected from the Båth's law. Furthermore, the productivity decays systematically with depth in the uppermost 80 km, while the b value increases. We show that this lack of aftershocks and the observed depth dependence can be simply explained by a linear relationship between the productivity and the coupling coefficient, leading to Båth law only in the case of full coupling. Our results indicate that coupling maps might be useful to forecast aftershock productivity and vice versa.