bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neither friend nor big brother: China’s role in North Korean foreign policy strategy
Authors: Zhang Weiqi 
Published: February 2018

AbstractNorth Korea has defied the international community on its nuclear program despite diplomatic and economic pressure. Why has the country been willing and able to defy and resist the international community? What should we do about it? Many stress China’s ties with North Korea and believe that the question of whether China is willing to use its leverage on North Korea is the key to the solution to the Korean nuclear issue. This paper draws from international relations theories and the history of China–North Korea relations to analyze North Korean foreign policy strategy. Two arguments are made, namely: first, that North Korea does not view its relationship with China as highly as many would think; and, second, that China’s role in North Korea’s strategic planning is not significant enough to change its behavior. Therefore, it is argued, asking China to use its leverage on North Korea would not solve the Korean nuclear crisis. On the contrary, the more China puts pressure on North Korea, the more likely the latter would resist. A possible way ahead in dealing with the Korean nuclear issue is proposed.
Translation description for assessment and post-editing
Authors: Ramón Noelia , Gutiérrez-Lanza Camino 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
This paper presents a corpus-based descriptive research procedure for the identification of significant divergences between original Spanish and Spanish translated from English. When considering the language pair English-Spanish, personal pronouns seem to be good markers of significant differences (anchor phenomena), since they must obligatorily occur in English, but not in Spanish. To test this hypothesis, empirical data have been extracted from a large reference corpus in Spanish (CREA) and from an English-Spanish parallel corpus (P-ACTRES), in both cases from the fiction subcorpora. Statistically significant differences have been found in some of the uses of personal pronouns, having textual and pragmatic implications in the target texts. The aim is to use the results obtained in the case of personal pronouns, together with results from other linguistic areas, to build a semi-automated tool for the post-editing of Spanish translations of texts written originally in English.
Cortical Afferents of Area 10 in Cebus Monkeys: Implications for the Evolution of the Frontal Pole
Authors: Rosa Marcello G P , Soares Juliana G M , Chaplin Tristan A , Majka Piotr , Bakola Sophia , Phillips Kimberley A , Reser David H , Gattass Ricardo 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Area 10, located in the frontal pole, is a unique specialization of the primate cortex. We studied the cortical connections of area 10 in the New World Cebus monkey, using injections of retrograde tracers in different parts of this area. We found that injections throughout area 10 labeled neurons in a consistent set of areas in the dorsolateral, ventrolateral, orbital, and medial parts of the frontal cortex, superior temporal association cortex, and posterior cingulate/retrosplenial region. However, sites on the midline surface of area 10 received more substantial projections from the temporal lobe, including clear auditory connections, whereas those in more lateral parts received >90% of their afferents from other frontal areas. This difference in anatomical connectivity reflects functional connectivity findings in the human brain. The pattern of connections in Cebus is very similar to that observed in the Old World macaque monkey, despite >40 million years of evolutionary separation, but lacks some of the connections reported in the more closely related but smaller marmoset monkey. These findings suggest that the clearer segregation observed in the human frontal pole reflects regional differences already present in early simian primates, and that overall brain mass influences the pattern of cortico-cortical connectivity.
GeneSeqToFamily: a Galaxy workflow to find gene families based on the Ensembl Compara GeneTrees pipeline
Authors: Thanki Anil S , Soranzo Nicola , Haerty Wilfried , Davey Robert P 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Background
Gene duplication is a major factor contributing to evolutionary novelty, and the contraction or expansion of gene families has often been associated with morphological, physiological, and environmental adaptations. The study of homologous genes helps us to understand the evolution of gene families. It plays a vital role in finding ancestral gene duplication events as well as identifying genes that have diverged from a common ancestor under positive selection. There are various tools available, such as MSOAR, OrthoMCL, and HomoloGene, to identify gene families and visualize syntenic information between species, providing an overview of syntenic regions evolution at the family level. Unfortunately, none of them provide information about structural changes within genes, such as the conservation of ancestral exon boundaries among multiple genomes. The Ensembl GeneTrees computational pipeline generates gene trees based on coding sequences, provides details about exon conservation, and is used in the Ensembl Compara project to discover gene families.

Findings
A certain amount of expertise is required to configure and run the Ensembl Compara GeneTrees pipeline via command line. Therefore, we converted this pipeline into a Galaxy workflow, called GeneSeqToFamily, and provided additional functionality. This workflow uses existing tools from the Galaxy ToolShed, as well as providing additional wrappers and tools that are required to run the workflow.

Conclusions
GeneSeqToFamily represents the Ensembl GeneTrees pipeline as a set of interconnected Galaxy tools, so they can be run interactively within the Galaxy's user-friendly workflow environment while still providing the flexibility to tailor the analysis by changing configurations and tools if necessary. Additional tools allow users to subsequently visualize the gene families produced by the workflow, using the Aequatus.js interactive tool, which has been developed as part of the Aequatus software project.
On the time growth of the error of the DG method for advective problems
Authors: Kučera Václav , Shu Chi-Wang 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
In this paper we derive a priori $L^{\infty }(L^{2})$ and L2(L2) error estimates for a linear advection–reaction equation with inlet and outlet boundary conditions. The goal is to derive error estimates for the discontinuous Galerkin method that do not blow up exponentially with respect to time, unlike the usual case when Gronwall’s inequality is used. While this is possible in special cases, such as divergence-free advection fields, we take a more general approach using exponential scaling of the exact and discrete solutions. Here we use a special scaling function, which corresponds to time taken along individual pathlines of the flow. For advection fields, where the time that massless particles carried by the flow spend inside the spatial domain is uniformly bounded from above by some $\widehat{T}$, we derive $\mathcal{O}$(hp+1/2) error estimates where the constant factor depends only on $\widehat{T}$, but not on the final time T. This can be interpreted as applying Gronwall’s inequality in the error analysis along individual pathlines (Lagrangian setting), instead of physical time (Eulerian setting).
Timing of Operative Intervention in Traumatic Spine Injuries Without Neurological Deficit
Authors: Kim Elliott J , Wick Joseph B , Stonko David P , Chotai Silky , Freeman Jr Thomas H , Douleh Diana G , Mistry Akshitkumar M , Parker Scott L , Devin Clinton J 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of early decompression and stabilization in unstable spine injuries with incomplete neurological deficits. However, a clear consensus on timing to operative intervention still does not exist in those with a normal neurological exam and unstable spine.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the optimal timing of operative intervention in traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit.

METHODS
Retrospective chart review at a single institution was performed including patients with traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit admitted from December 2001 to August 2012. Estimated intraoperative blood loss (EBL), in-hospital complications, postoperative hospital length of stay (HLOS), intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS), and ventilator days were recorded. Delayed surgery was defined as surgery 72 h after admission.

RESULTS
A total of 456 patients were included for analysis. There was a trend towards statistical significance between the time to operative intervention and EBL in bivariate analysis (P = .07). In the risk-adjusted multivariable analysis delayed vs early surgery was not associated with increased EBL or complications. Delayed surgery was associated with increased ICULOS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-3.51; P = .001), ventilator days (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.28-3.43; P = .004), and increased postoperative HLOS (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.22-2.76; P = .004).

CONCLUSION
Earlier operative intervention was associated with decreased ICULOS, ventilator days, and postoperative HLOS and did not show a statistically significant increase in EBL or complications. Earlier operative intervention for traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit provides better outcomes compared to delayed surgery.
Alterations in Cortical Thickness and Subcortical Volume are Associated With Neurological Symptoms and Neck Pain in Patients With Cervical Spondylosis
Authors: Woodworth Davis C , Holly Langston T , Mayer Emeran A , Salamon Noriko , Ellingson Benjamin M 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Advanced cervical spondylosis (CS) can cause structural damage to the spinal cord resulting in long-term neurological impairment including neck pain and motor weakness. We hypothesized long-term structural reorganization within the brain in patients with CS.

OBJECTIVE
To explore the associations between cortical thickness, subcortical volumes, neurological symptoms, and pain severity in CS patients with or without myelopathy and healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS
High-resolution T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 26 CS patients and 45 HCs were acquired. Cortical thickness and subcortical volumes were computed and compared to the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores.

RESULTS
Cortical thinning within the superior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate, precuneus, and reduction in putamen volume were associated with worsening neurological and pain symptoms. Among the strongest associations were cortical thickness within the left precuneus (R2 = 0.34) and left and right putamen (R2 = 0.43, 0.47, respectively) vs mJOA, and the left precuneus (R2 = 0.55), insula (R2 = 0.57), and right putamen (R2 = 0.54) vs NDI (P ≤ .0001 for all). Cortical thickness along Brodmann areas 3a, 4a, and 4p were also moderately associated with mJOA. Preliminary evidence also suggests that patients with CS may undergo cortical atrophy at a faster rate than HCs.

CONCLUSION
Patients with CS appear to exhibit cortical thinning and atrophy with worsening neurological and pain symptoms in specific brain regions associated with sensorimotor and pain processing.
Outcomes and Complications Following Laminectomy Alone for Thoracic Myelopathy due to Ossified Ligamentum Flavum
Authors: Osman Nebiyu S. , Cheung Zoe B. , Hussain Awais K. , Phan Kevin , Arvind Varun , Vig Khushdeep S. , Vargas Luilly , Kim Jun S. , Cho Samuel Kang-Wook 
Published: February 2018

Study Design.
Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective.
Examine the functional outcomes and complications following laminectomy for thoracic myelopathy due to ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF).

Summary of Background Data.
OLF is a rare condition that can cause thoracic myelopathy. Laminectomy is a procedure that can be performed to decompress the spinal cord in patients with thoracic myelopathy due to OLF. Few studies have examined postoperative outcomes and complications following laminectomy for thoracic myelopathy secondary to OLF.

Methods.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. Literature search yielded six studies that met our selection criteria. Study characteristics and baseline patient demographics were extracted from each study. Primary outcomes included pre- and postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores and perioperative complications including dural tears, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, neurological deficits, surgical site infections, and other complications. We calculated pooled proportion estimates for JOA scores and complications using a random effects model.

Results.
A total of 137 patients were included. The pooled pre- and postoperative JOA scores were 5.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.70–7.47; I
2 = 98%) and 8.29 (95% CI, 7.73–8.85; I
2 = 18%), respectively, with a mean improvement of +3.03 points (95% CI, 1.08–4.98; I
2 = 88%). Pooled proportion estimates for dural tears, CSF leaks, infections, and early neurological deficits were 18.4% (95% CI, 12.6–26.1; I
2 = 0%), 12.1% (95% CI, 6.6–21.2; I
2 = 0%), 5.8% (95% CI, 2.1–15.4; I
2 = 0%), and 5.7% (95% CI, 2.2–14.3; I
2 = 0%), respectively.

Conclusion.
Thoracic myelopathy secondary to OLF can be treated with laminectomy. However, despite some improvement in JOA score, functional status remains poor postoperatively. Perioperative complications are common, with dural tears and CSF leaks occurring most frequently. OLF is an uncommon condition and more research is needed to better understand how we can improve the outcomes of laminectomy alone for the treatment of thoracic myelopathy due to OLF.

Level of Evidence: 3
Exploration of the Inter-Relationships Between Obesity, Physical Inactivity, Inflammation, and Low Back Pain
Authors: Hashem Lukas E. , Roffey Darren M. , Alfasi Abdulghader M. , Papineau Gabrielle D. , Wai Denise C. , Phan Philippe , Kingwell Stephen P. , Wai Eugene K. 
Published: February 2018

Study Design.
Retrospective analysis wherein 103 patients were considered, and 76 patients were included: 49 were classified as chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) (Study group) and 27 had identifiable cases of specific chronic low back pain (LBP) (Control group).

Objective.
Elucidate markers of systemic inflammation in patients with CNSLBP.

Summary of Background Data.
Mechanisms of LBP are poorly understood. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are increased in obesity and involved with pain modulation; we previously proposed a theoretical model of their mediating role in LBP.

Methods.
Demographic information was acquired via questionnaire, chart review, and blood test data. Univariate analysis identified factors associated with CNSLBP and markers of systemic inflammation. A receiver operating curve and Youden Index were used to select optimal cut-off points for elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Multivariable logistic regression analysis calculated the adjusted strength of relationship between factors that were proposed in our theoretical model for CNSLBP.

Results.
Unadjusted CRP was significantly correlated with ESR (R = 0.63, P < 0.0001) and body mass index (BMI) (R = 0.38, P = 0.0015). Physically inactive patients had significantly higher CRP (6.1 vs. 1.2, P = 0.0050). ESR was significantly correlated with number of comorbidities (R = 0.34, P = 0.0047), BMI (R = 0.38, P = 0.0014), and age (R = 0.36, P = 0.0026). Physically inactive patients (10.4 vs. 3.6, P = 0.0001) and females (11.2 vs. 6.4, P = 0.0422) had significantly higher ESR. Adjusted analyses indicated significant relationships between physical inactivity and markers of systemic inflammation (adjusted odds ratios for ESR and CRP: 15.9, P = 0.0380; 15.2, P = 0.0272, respectively), and between elevated CRP and CNSLBP (adjusted odds ratio: 8.0, P = 0.0126).

Conclusion.
Systemic inflammation may act as a mediator for physical inactivity and obesity in the pathogenesis of CNSLBP.

Level of Evidence: 2
Authorship Trends in Spine Publications From 2000 to 2015
Authors: Haws Brittany E. , Khechen Benjamin , Movassaghi Kamran , Yom Kelly H. , Guntin Jordan A. , Cardinal Kaitlyn L. , Shoshana Noah B. , Singh Kern 
Published: February 2018

Study Design.
Literature review.

Objective.
To examine changes in authorship characteristics for Spine publications from the year 2000 to 2015.

Summary of Background Data.
Scientific publications are considered an indication of academic achievement for physicians. Recently, authorship trends have been investigated; however, limited information is available on this topic within spine-specific literature.

Methods.
Original research articles published in Spine in the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 were evaluated. Authorship characteristics were collected for each article, including the number of authors and institutions per publication, first and last authors’ sex, publication origin, and highest degree held by the first and last author. Trends over time were analyzed using numeric and visual descriptive analyses including percentages, means, standard deviations, and graphs.

Results.
An average of 506 articles per year was published in Spine during the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. The number of articles written by 10 or more authors increased during this time (0.9%–14.4%). There was a substantial increase in the number of multiple institutional affiliations (33.6%–68.7%) and articles originating from outside North America (47.6%–55.7%) from 2000 to 2015. The percentage of first authors with bachelor's degrees was higher in 2015 (6.6%) as compared to 2000 (1.4%), and more last authors were identified as MD/PhDs in 2015 (19.2%) than in 2000 (10.0%). Similar female representation was noted for first and last authorship for all years evaluated.

Conclusion.
The results of this study demonstrate increases in authors per article published in Spine from 2000 to 2015. In addition, first authors were more likely to hold bachelor's degrees over time. This may be attributed to increasing competition in spine-related fields, necessitating earlier research exposure to aid in academic achievement. Interestingly, the percentage of female authorship has not changed significantly over time, in contrast with much of the previous literature.

Level of Evidence: 2
The Efficacy of Brace Treatment for Thoracolumbar Kyphosis in Patients With Achondroplasia
Authors: Xu Leilei , Li Yetian , Sheng Fei , Xia Chao , Qiu Yong , Zhu Zezhang 
Published: February 2018

Study Design.
A retrospective study.

Objectives.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of brace treatment in the correction of thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK) for patients with achondroplasia and to determine the factors associated with bracing efficacy.

Summary of Background Data.
Brace treatment has been used to correct TLK in patients with achondroplasia. However, there was a paucity of knowledge concerning its effectiveness.

Methods.
A total of 33 achondroplasic patients treated by bracing were included in this study. Radiographic parameters including TLK, lumbar lordosis, curve magnitude, apical vertebral translation (AVT), percentage of apical vertebral wedging, pelvic tilt (PT), and pelvic incidence were recorded for each patient at the visit. Comparison of these parameters between the initial visit and the final visit was performed using the Student t test. Factors associated with the correction of TLK were evaluated using the logistic regression analysis.

Results.
The mean age at presentation was 27.5 ± 13.4 months. The mean period of treatment was 32.2 ± 15.7 months, and the mean period of follow-up was 25.7 ± 11.3 months. At the initial visit, the mean value of TLK and the percentage of apical vertebral wedging were 41.7 ± 15.4° and 61.4% ± 16.2%, respectively. At the final visit, the TLK and apical vertebral wedging were remarkably reduced to 29.5 ± 20.8° and 52.1% ± 18.7%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed that initial TLK, AVT, percentage of apical vertebral wedging, and PT were independent factors associated with the correction of TLK.

Conclusion.
Brace treatment can effectively correct TLK and restore the morphology of apical vertebral body for patients with achondroplasia. Large TLK, severe apical vertebral wedging, presence of AVT, and low PT may be indicative of an unfavorable outcome, which should be taken into account at the initiation of bracing.

Level of Evidence: 4
Development and Evaluation of an Automated Machine Learning Algorithm for In-Hospital Mortality Risk Adjustment Among Critical Care Patients*
Authors: Delahanty Ryan J. , Kaufman David , Jones Spencer S. 
Published: February 2018

Objectives:
Risk adjustment algorithms for ICU mortality are necessary for measuring and improving ICU performance. Existing risk adjustment algorithms are not widely adopted. Key barriers to adoption include licensing and implementation costs as well as labor costs associated with human-intensive data collection. Widespread adoption of electronic health records makes automated risk adjustment feasible. Using modern machine learning methods and open source tools, we developed and evaluated a retrospective risk adjustment algorithm for in-hospital mortality among ICU patients. The Risk of Inpatient Death score can be fully automated and is reliant upon data elements that are generated in the course of usual hospital processes.

Setting:
One hundred thirty-one ICUs in 53 hospitals operated by Tenet Healthcare.

Patients:
A cohort of 237,173 ICU patients discharged between January 2014 and December 2016.

Design:
The data were randomly split into training (36 hospitals), and validation (17 hospitals) data sets. Feature selection and model training were carried out using the training set while the discrimination, calibration, and accuracy of the model were assessed in the validation data set.

Measurements and Main Results:
Model discrimination was evaluated based on the area under receiver operating characteristic curve; accuracy and calibration were assessed via adjusted Brier scores and visual analysis of calibration curves. Seventeen features, including a mix of clinical and administrative data elements, were retained in the final model. The Risk of Inpatient Death score demonstrated excellent discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.94) and calibration (adjusted Brier score = 52.8%) in the validation dataset; these results compare favorably to the published performance statistics for the most commonly used mortality risk adjustment algorithms.

Conclusions:
Low adoption of ICU mortality risk adjustment algorithms impedes progress toward increasing the value of the healthcare delivered in ICUs. The Risk of Inpatient Death score has many attractive attributes that address the key barriers to adoption of ICU risk adjustment algorithms and performs comparably to existing human-intensive algorithms. Automated risk adjustment algorithms have the potential to obviate known barriers to adoption such as cost-prohibitive licensing fees and significant direct labor costs. Further evaluation is needed to ensure that the level of performance observed in this study could be achieved at independent sites.