bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Moldova: Institutions Under Stress—The Past, the Present and the Future of Moldova’s Higher Education System
Authors: Bischof Lukas , Tofan Alina 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe Republic of Moldova has a long history of shifting borders, and a short history as an independent state. The real development of higher education started only after 1944, in the form of an integral part of the Soviet system of education and research. After independence, its development was shaped strongly by market forces, a demographic decline, alternative study options abroad and last but not least, the all-too-often contradictory policy preferences of changing governments and ministers for education. As a result, on the one hand, the country perpetuated many of the Soviet institutional arrangements in the higher education system, especially the centralised governance arrangements and the academy of science system. On the other hand, the political will to break with the Soviet past and to orientate the country towards Romania and the European Union has spawned a number of policy initiatives, including the ascension to the Bologna Process, greater institutional autonomy, governance democratisation and the implementation of a quality assurance framework along European models. Their implementation, however, has often been hampered by relatively weak institutions and political factionism. As a consequence, the differentiation of the HE system of the Republic of Moldova takes the shape of a dynamic, often contradictory process in which instable institutions are attempting to cope with growing pressures of global, European and local origins.
Uzbekistan: Higher Education Reforms and the Changing Landscape Since Independence
Authors: Ruziev Kobil , Burkhanov Umar 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis chapter is the first study that carefully documents higher education (HE) reforms in Uzbekistan since the demise of the former Soviet Union. It analyses evolution of the sector with clear emphasis on government policy and its impact on changing the country’s higher education landscape since independence. The study highlights complex interactions between the distinct pre- and post-independence contexts, policy legislation and its implementation on the one hand, and the demands of the new market-based economic system and the requirements of building and strengthening state institutions to support the transition process on the other hand. The paper will show why the country’s peculiar ‘strictly top-down’ approach to reforms has not been successful in improving a number of key areas including access to higher education, and human as well as physical capacities of higher education institutions which ultimately determine the quality of higher education provisioning.
Institutional Strategies of Higher Education Reform in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan: Differentiating to Survive Between State and Market
Authors: Shadymanova Jarkyn , Amsler Sarah 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBetween 1991 and today, the Soviet system of state-funded and Communist Party controlled higher education institutions (HEIs) in Kyrgyzstan has been transformed into an expansive, diverse, unequal, semiprivatized and marketized higher education landscape. Drawing on national and international indicators of higher education in Kyrgyzstan and data about the history and substance of these changes in policy and legislation, this chapter examines key factors which have shaped patterns of institutional differentiation and diversification during this period. These include the historical legacies of Soviet educational infrastructures, new legal and political frameworks for HE governance and finance, changes to regulations for the licensing of institutions and academic credentials, the introduction of multinational policy agendas for higher education in the Central Asian region, changes in the relationship between higher education and labor, the introduction of a national university admissions examination, and the adoption of certain principles of the European Bologna Process. The picture of HE reform that emerges from this analysis is one in which concurrent processes of diversification and homogenization are not driven wholly by either state regulation or forces of market competition, but mediated by universities’ strategic negotiations of these forces in the context of historical institutional formations in Kyrgyzstan.
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Treatment for Benign Sporadic Insulinoma Comparison of Short‐Term and Long‐Term Outcomes
Authors: Belfiori Giulio , Wiese Dominik , Partelli Stefano , Wächter Sabine , Maurer Elisabeth , Crippa Stefano , Falconi Massimo , Bartsch Detlef K. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBackgroundBenign insulinoma is the most common functioning neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas, and its incidence is estimated at 0.4%. The treatment of choice is organ‐preserving resection. The aim of this study was to compare short‐term and long‐term outcomes of minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic enucleation (MIC‐EN) and open enucleation (O‐EN) for sporadic benign insulinoma.MethodsA retrospective bi‐institutional analysis of 71 patients who underwent an enucleation for sporadic benign insulinoma between 2003 and 2016 was performed. Patients were analyzed according to intention‐to‐treat principle.ResultsFifteen (21%) patients underwent MIC‐EN (three robotic and 12 laparoscopic) and 56 (79%) patients O‐EN. In all MIC‐EN patients, the insulinoma was localized by preoperative imaging compared to only 62.5% (35 of 56) patients in the O‐EN group (p = 0.005). Three of the MIC‐EN patients (20%) with insulinomas in the pancreatic head had to undergo a conversion. Excluding conversions, MIC‐EN procedures were shorter (145 vs 180, p = 0.036) compared to O‐EN surgery. Late complications and pathological data did not differ between groups, excluding margin status R1 MIC‐EN (26.7%) compared to O‐EN (10.7%, p = 0.115). After a median follow‐up of 75 (range 1–151) months, all patients were alive, but four (5.6%) patients (one after MIC‐EN and three after O‐EN) developed a functional recurrence. No patient with a R1 resection had a disease recurrence.ConclusionsMIC‐EN for benign sporadic insulinoma is a safe procedure with at least similar short‐term and long‐term postoperative outcomes as the open technique. Thus, preoperatively localized benign insulinoma should be approached laparoscopically, if technically feasible.
A Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial of a 0.5% Timolol + 0.2% Brimonidine + 2.0% Dorzolamide Fixed Combination, Preservative-Free Ophthalmic Solution vs. 0.5% Timolol + 0.2% Brimonidine + 2.0% Dorzolamide Fixed Combination in Patients with Controlled Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Gómez-Aguayo Francisco , Paczka José A. , Leñero-Córdova Rubén , Jiménez-Román Jesús , Davila-Villarreal Jaime , Hartleben Curt , Baiza-Durán Leopoldo , Olvera-Montaño Oscar , García-Velez Francisco , Muñoz-Villegas Patricia 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this prospective crossover study was to evaluate the non-inferiority of PRO-122 (a preservative-free fixed combination) compared with 0.5% timolol + 0.2% brimonidine + 2.0% dorzolamide fixed combination (KOF) by evaluating its efficacy, tolerability and safety in subjects with controlled primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) previously treated with KOF for at least 2 months.

Methods
In a prospective, crossover, randomized, double-masked multicenter study, patients previously treated with KOF were randomly assigned to receive either PRO-122 or KOF for 30 days. On day 31, the A sequence changed to KOF, while the B sequence received PRO-122. All patients remained in the protocol for 30 additional days for a total of 60 days. The main efficacy endpoint was maintaining the controlled intraocular pressure (IOP). The safety and tolerability of both products were assessed by the presence of adverse events (AEs), ocular findings, a questionnaire on ocular comfort and the VF-14 index.

Results
A total of 51 patients participated. After application of PRO-122 twice a day, its efficacy was demonstrated through maintenance of the controlled IOP in patients previously controlled with KOF. The crossover between PRO-122 and KOF and vice versa, after 30 days of use, did not affect IOP control. PRO-122 was shown not to be inferior to KOF in maintaining IOP at control levels. The safety of both drugs is similar, as neither presented drug-related AEs or differences regarding safety issues. The tolerability of the two medications—evaluated by ocular findings, the questionnaire on ocular comfort and the VF-14 index—was also determined to be similar.

Conclusions
The controlled IOP in patients with controlled POAG treated with PRO-122 was maintained both in relation to the initial controlled IOP of the study and when compared with KOF in the B sequence. Finally, the treatment with PRO-122 demonstrated similar safety and tolerability to KOF.

Funding
Laboratorios Sophia, S.A. de C.V. (Zapopan, Jalisco, México).

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03257813 (registered retrospectively).
Development and validation of a salivary tau biomarker in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Pekeles Heather , Qureshi Hamid Y. , Paudel Hemant K. , Schipper Hyman M. , Gornistky Mervyn , Chertkow Howard 
Published: April 2018

AbstractIntroductionTotal tau (t‐tau) and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) are abnormally elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau is also present in the salivary gland tissue and saliva, and salivary measures might produce an accurate, accessible, and inexpensive biomarker.MethodsUsing unstimulated saliva and Western blot analysis, we quantified the p‐tau/t‐tau ratio at different phosphorylation sites.ResultsWe found that for one phosphorylation site, S396, p‐tau/t‐tau ratio was significantly elevated in patients with AD compared with normal elderly control subjects. The elevation in saliva, however, did not correlate with cerebrospinal fluid tau or with brain measures such as hippocampal volume.DiscussionThere is significant elevation of p‐tau/t‐tau ratio for the S396 phosphorylation site. Large variation in the AD salivary tau levels, however, limits the utility of this test as a clinical biomarker.
Tenotomia do glúteo máximo em artroplastia total do quadril como prevenção de lesão do nervo ciático
Authors: Paiva Leonardo , Oliveira Karina , Macedo Souto Diogo , Macedo Neto Sílvio , Kircov Nicolay , Freitas Anderson 
Published: April 2018

ResumoOs autores relatam um único caso de artroplastia total de quadril primária complexa em uma paciente do sexo feminino de 34 anos, com dismetria de membros inferiores de 5,5 cm, na qual foi feita tenotomia do glúteo máximo a fim de prevenir lesão do nervo ciático. Tal cirurgia foi feita sob monitoração eletroneurofisiológica dos ramos fibular e tibial do nervo ciático. Foram coletados dados pré-tenotomia, pós-tenotomia e pós-redução artroplástica. Os achados demonstram que a tenotomia do glúteo máximo melhorou a reposta motora do componente fibular do nervo ciático.
O impacto da histologia do carcinoma pulmonar na frequência das metástases ósseas
Authors: Oliveira Marcelo Bragança dos Reis , Souza Larissa Costa , Sampayo Ermides Javier Garcia , Carvalho Gustavo Sobral de , Mello Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz , Paschoal Marcos Eduardo Machado 
Published: April 2018

ResumoObjetivo O câncer de pulmão é a principal causa de morte por neoplasia, e os ossos são os principais locais de metástases desse tipo de câncer. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do tipo histológico do carcinoma de pulmão na frequência das metástases ósseas.Métodos Foram avaliados retrospectivamente os registros médicos de 407 pacientes diagnosticados com câncer de pulmão entre 2003 e 2012. A prevalência de metástases ósseas e suas associações com os subtipos histológicos foram avaliadas com o teste qui-quadrado, razão de probabilidade (RP), e intervalos de confiança (IC) de 95%. A sobrevida global foi avaliada com o método de Kaplan-Meier.Resultados A prevalência das metástases ósseas foi de 28,2% (n = 115), e a coluna vertebral foi o local mais frequente (98 metástases: 32,1%). O adenocarcinoma foi o subtipo histológico mais comum de carcinoma pulmonar (46,7%) e foi significativamente mais frequente entre os pacientes com metástases ósseas (13,0% versus 29,8%; p = 0,0004; OR = 0,35; 95% IC: 0,19–0,64). O tempo médio de sobrevida após o diagnóstico da primeira metástase óssea foi de 4 meses.Conclusão O adenocarcinoma foi o subtipo histológico mais comum de carcinoma pulmonar e foi significativamente associado a um maior risco de desenvolvimento de metástases ósseas.
The art of mapping IoT devices in networks
Authors: Bajpai Pranshu , Sood Aditya K , Enbody Richard J 
Published: April 2018

Improperly secured Internet of Things (IoT) devices have been commandeered by bot herders and other malicious attackers. Organisations need a way to identify and track these IoT devices, which are often brought in unofficially by users. But network administrators face a number of challenges in tracking IoT devices across their organisation. Improperly secured Internet of Things (IoT) devices have been exploited by bot herders and other malicious attackers. So organisations need a way to identify and track these devices. Pranshu Bajpai, Aditya Sood and Richard J Enbody look at the difficulty of defining identifying characteristics of IoT devices due to their immensely diverse nature. They offer a model to identify IoT devices in networks using a variety of scanning techniques and they discuss the pros and cons of discovery techniques, presenting results from actual scans.
Resting Heart Rate Variability Predicts Inhibitory Control Above and Beyond Impulsivity
Authors: Ottaviani Cristina , Zingaretti Pietro , Petta Anna Maria , Antonucci Gabriella , Thayer Julian F. , Spitoni Grazia Fernanda 
Published: April 2018

Abstract. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been linked to effective functioning of prefrontal-subcortical inhibitory circuits. Despite the recognized role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in executive functions linked to inhibitory capacity, studies linking HRV to executive functions are inconsistent, likely due to potential confounders. The present study sought to examine this relation in a sample of 50 healthy participants (31 females; Mage = 24.2 years) who underwent assessment of resting HRV and two executive tasks assessing inhibitory control, namely the Rule Shift Cards and the Hayling Sentence Completion Test. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that HRV predicted performance on both tasks (i.e., time taken to inhibit a strongly activated response) above and beyond the role of sex, body mass index, and impulsivity. Present results disconfirm that the HRV-executive function association is only due to confounders, and corroborate such relationship with the use of two ecological tasks assessing inhibitory control. Current findings support the Neurovisceral Integration Model and provide plausible explanation for previous inconsistent results.
Polar Liquid Cloud Base Detection Algorithms for High Spectral Resolution or Micropulse Lidar Data
Authors: Silber Israel , Verlinde Johannes , Eloranta Edwin W. , Flynn Connor J. , Flynn Donna M. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractLiquid layers in clouds affect their microphysical processes, as well as the surface energy budget. Studies focusing on these and other areas of research are often in need of skillful estimation of liquid‐bearing cloud layer boundaries. The bases of these layers are predominantly determined by ground‐based lidar instruments. Most studies requiring liquid cloud base height (LCBH) information use either fixed lidar parameter (depolarization and/or backscatter cross section) thresholds or cloud base height data products that do not distinguish between ice and liquid, all of which might introduce inconsistencies and errors in the resolved LCBH. In this paper, two explicit LCBH detection algorithms are presented. The first algorithm uses the high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) data. Examination of this algorithm in multiple cases and scenarios during numerous days and first‐order comparison with microwave‐radiometer data show satisfactory results. The second algorithm incorporates widely available micropulse lidar (MPL) data for the LCBH detection. A 1‐year long comparison of data gathered at Barrow, Alaska, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica, which includes other cloud base detection methodologies (ceilometer, MPL value‐added product cloud base height, and LCBHs detected using a fixed MPL depolarization threshold), emphasizes the merits of the presented MPL algorithm. Examination of several unusual LCBH configurations suggests that the current practice of operating lidar at a tilting angle of 4° off zenith may not be sufficient to avoid specular reflection from oriented ice crystals. Data collected at Madison Wisconsin are used to show that specular reflection may impact measurements even at 4°.
Twentieth Century Seawater δ18O Dynamics and Implications for Coral‐Based Climate Reconstruction
Authors: Stevenson S. , Powell B. , Cobb K. M. , Nusbaumer J. , Merrifield M. , Noone D. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe oxygen isotopic composition of tropical coral skeletons (δ18O) is a crucial source of information on past El Niño/Southern Oscillation behavior. Both temperature and the δ18O of the surrounding seawater (δ18Osw) affect coral δ18O; a linear proportionality with δ18Osw is often used to infer past salinity variations, but the degree to which dynamical influences on δ18Osw may affect that relationship is still unclear. Here we use the isotope‐enabled Regional Ocean Modeling System to investigate the dynamics of δ18Osw and salinity variations in different twentieth century climate regimes. The dominant modes of δ18Osw variability are the background trend and eastern/central Pacific El Niño, similar to salinity; likewise, budget analysis reveals a strong impact of ocean dynamics (both advection and vertical mixing/diffusion) on δ18Osw variations during El Niño and La Niña events. These dynamics lead to alterations in the δ18Osw:salinity relationship across the Pacific: the linear approximation is most accurate near the eastern edge of the western Pacific warm pool but with nonlinearities due to large δ18Osw excursions during El Niño. At other sites, the δ18Osw:salinity relationship has substantial scatter and explains relatively little δ18Osw variance. Strikingly, interannual variability can lead to site‐specific δ18Osw:salinity regression coefficient changes of up to 0.4‰/psu on multiyear time scales. This calls the reliability of coral‐based estimates of El Niño/Southern Oscillation extremes into question and highlights the need for increased dynamical understanding as well as sustained in situ observations of δ18Osw and salinity variability.
Data‐Driven Experimental Evaluation Method for the Safety Assessment of Implants With Respect to RF‐Induced Heating During MRI
Authors: Yao Aiping , Zastrow Earl , Kuster Niels 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSmall (mm size) distal electrodes of active medical implants can cause localized radio frequency (RF)‐induced power deposition with extreme spatial gradient (5–6 dB/mm). We propose a method that aims to improve the accuracy of the traditional experimental evaluation, which relies solely on hardware instrumentation. A numerically derived local deposition distribution is used to assist the estimation of power deposition. The method was successfully validated against numerical simulations, considering three different generic implants with a single electrode. The power deposition in the surrounding region of the implant electrodes estimated with the proposed method was validated with less than 1 dB (30%) of uncertainty.
A Stakeholder‐Science Based Approach Using the National Urban Water Innovation Network as a Test Bed for Understanding Urban Water Sustainability Challenges in the U.S.
Authors: Bolson J. , Sukop M. C. , Arabi M. , Pivo G. , Lanier A. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractUrban water systems across the United States are struggling to adapt to an evolving set of threats. Understanding specific pressures and the regional responses to those pressures requires input from practitioners with knowledge of sociotechnological aspects of urban water systems. The Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN), a consortium of academic institutions and partners supported by the National Science Foundation Sustainability Research Network program, provides a unique opportunity to engage stakeholder and research communities across the U.S. Interactions between UWIN researchers and water stakeholders from five regions (Southeast Florida, Sun Corridor, Mid‐Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, and Front Range) form the basis for case studies on transitions toward sustainability. Analysis of qualitative data on pressures, states, and responses collected during interactions provides insight into the challenging context of urban water management. Top pressures identified include climate change, aging infrastructure, water quality impairments, and funding limitations. Additionally, stakeholders described resistance to change and short‐term perspectives among elected officials, limited understanding/awareness of water systems among decision makers, and lack of leadership on water issues as contributing to pressures. More than technological solutions, practitioners call for improved coordination in water management, strengthened communication with elected officials, and behavioral change among citizens. Regarding stakeholder‐scientist interactions, participants sought practical outcomes, such as the organization of seemingly abundant scientific products into usable products. The utility of the pressure‐state‐response model as a framework for data collection and analysis in the context of understanding transitions toward urban water sustainability is discussed and recommendations for future studies are presented.
Conjoint Analysis of Surface and Atmospheric Water Balances in the Andes‐Amazon System
Authors: Builes‐Jaramillo A. , Poveda G. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSurface and atmospheric water balances analysis for Amazon River basin at monthly time scale are performed with an emphasis on the linkages between the Andes and low‐lying Amazonia. Analyses are performed using observational and reanalysis data covering five different periods of analysis (depending on length of evapotranspiration data sets) for the entire basin, major subcatchments, and for the Andes and low‐lying Amazonia. Results for the entire basin show a state close to balance within tolerance, while the spatial disaggregation produced a less clear picture, presenting major discrepancies between observations and reanalysis data sets. The atmospheric budget exhibits no closure and positive residuals regardless of data set, with the magnitude of residuals for the entire Amazon basin highly dependent on evapotranspiration data source. The imbalance between the two water budgets (14%–16%) is driven by higher values of runoff and by an abrupt change in runoff when changing from dry to wet seasons in the Amazon. We unveil two shortcomings of the available data, namely poor quality in the representation of surface processes by reanalysis, and flaws and scarcity of information in the high Andes that induce uncertainties and errors in both water budgets. The results of the present study highlight the importance of the Andean region for the hydrological integrity of the entire Amazon River basin. Our results confirm the paramount importance of the joint analysis of atmospheric and surface water budgets at the basin level with respect to achieving a complete understanding of the whole hydrological cycle at the continental scale.