bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Designing a Simple Loss Function for Central Banks: Does a Dual Mandate Make Sense?
Authors: Debortoli Davide , Kim Jinill , Lindé Jesper , Nunes Ricardo 
Published: July 2018

AbstractYes, a dual mandate makes a lot of sense. This article studies how to design simple loss functions for central banks, as parsimonious approximations to social welfare. We show, both analytically and quantitatively, that simple loss functions should feature a high weight on measures of economic activity, sometimes even larger than the weight on inflation. Two main factors drive our result. First, stabilising economic activity also stabilises other welfare-relevant variables. Second, the estimated model features mitigated inflation distortions due to a low elasticity of substitution between monopolistic goods and a low interest rate sensitivity of demand. The result holds up in the presence of measurement errors, with large shocks that generate a trade-off between stabilising inflation and resource utilisation, and also when imposing a moderate degree of interest rate volatility.
Blue panic‐alfalfa combination as affected by irrigation water regimes and forage mixing ratio under subsurface drip irrigation in arid regions
Authors: Al‐Shareef Abdulmohsin R. , Ismail Saleh M. , El‐Nakhlawy Fathy S. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractA field experiment designed in a split plot with four replications was carried out at the Agriculture Research Station of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to study the response of blue panic (Panicum antidotale L. cv. Australian‐110) ‐ alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Cuf 101 USA) forage production, quality and land and water use efficiencies to three irrigation water regimes and six intercropping mixing ratios. The main plots were 100, 80 and 60% of crop water requirement (WR). Under each water regime six intercropping ratios: IC1 (1 row alfalfa: 1 row blue panic), IC2 (2 alfalfa: 1 blue panic), IC3 (3 alfalfa: 1 blue panic), IC4 (4 alfalfa: 2 blue panic), IC5 (alfalfa sole crop) and IC6 (blue panic sole crop) were investigated. Results revealed that difference in fresh and dry forage yields between the 100% WR and 80% WR treatments were minimal in all cuts. The IC5 produced the least forage yield while IC6 produced the highest compared to all treatments. The IC1 produced the highest forage yield compared with IC2, IC3 and IC4. Irrigation water use efficiency of 80% WR was higher than in 100% WR but fewer than in 60% WR. The highest land equivalent ratio was obtained from IC1. Intercropping ratios increased protein content in forage compared to blue panic sole plantation. Applying 80% WR reduced dry matter yield by 10% while saving 20% of irrigation water. Applying 60% WR reduced dry matter yield by 20.7% while saving 40% of irrigation water.
Homocysteine supplementation ameliorates steatohepatitis induced by a choline‐deficient diet in mice
Authors: Minami Shinichiro , Miura Kouichi , Ishioka Mitsuaki , Morimoto Naoki , Isoda Norio , Yamamoto Hironori , Iijima Katsunori 
Published: July 2018

AimHigh concentrations of homocysteine are believed to induce lipid synthesis and cell injury through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in metabolic syndrome. However, homocysteine could be used to improve steatohepatitis induced by choline deficiency, in which methyl donors are decreased. The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of the physiological concentration of homocysteine in the development of steatohepatitis induced by choline deficiency.MethodsWild‐type mice were fed a choline‐deficient amino acid‐defined (CDAA) diet with or without homocysteine supplementation for 24 weeks. Liver cells isolated from mice were exposed to homocysteine under choline‐deficient conditions.ResultsWild‐type mice fed the CDAA diet developed steatohepatitis with increased ER stress and decreased S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM), a methyl donor. Homocysteine supplementation reduced ER stress and restored hepatic SAM, leading to the improvement of steatohepatitis. In in vitro experiments using primary cultured hepatocytes, the physiological concentration of homocysteine decreased the lipid accumulation and ER stress induced by the choline‐deficient conditions. However, hepatocyte death was not induced by a physiological concentration of homocysteine or in choline‐deficient medium. Interestingly, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α promoted hepatocyte death under choline‐deficient conditions, which was suppressed by homocysteine supplementation. Hepatic macrophages increased the production of TNFα under choline‐deficient conditions whereas supplementation of SAM reduced the TNFα production.ConclusionsHomocysteine supplementation ameliorates steatohepatitis by reducing ER stress and increasing SAM in mice fed a CDAA diet. These results were opposite to those of previous reports, which showed that homocysteine induced cell injury.
Finding variation: assessing the development of syntactic complexity in ESL Speech
Authors: Vercellotti Mary Lou 
Published: July 2018

This paper examines the development and variation of syntactic complexity in the speech of 66 L2 learners over three academic semesters in an intensive English program. This investigation tracked development using hierarchical linear modeling with three commonly‐used, recommended measures of productive complexity (i.e., length of AS‐unit, clause length, subordination) and three exploratory measures of structural complexity (i.e., syntactic variety, weighted complexity scores, frequency of nonfinite clauses) to capture different aspects of syntactic complexity. All measures showed growth over time, suggesting that learners are not forced to prioritize certain aspects of the construct at the expense of others (i.e., no trade‐off effects) across development. The unexplained significant variation found in these data differed among the measures reinforcing notions of multidimensionality of linguistic complexity.
Retrospective analysis of a single‐center clinical experience toward development of curative treatment of 123 pemphigus patients with a long‐term follow‐up: efficacy and safety of the multidrug protocol combining intravenous immunoglobulin with the cytotoxic immunosuppressor and mitochondrion‐protecting drugs
Authors: Grando Sergei A. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackgroundPemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a life‐long IgG autoantibody‐mediated blistering disease affecting the mucosal surfaces lined by the stratified epithelium (oral, nasal, genital) and sometimes also the skin. While corticosteroid treatment is life saving, the high dose and prolonged courses required for disease control are associated with significant adverse effects, including death. Although introduction of rituximab (RTX) provided for a favorable outcome, the high relapse rate, that is, up to 80%, precludes successful use of RTX as a monotherapy. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is being increasingly utilized as off‐label therapy for a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including PV and pemphigus foliaceus (PF).AimsThe goal of pemphigus research is to develop an effective treatment modality that would allow patients to achieve and maintain a stable clinical remission without the need for additional treatments, or cure.Materials and MethodsThis article summarizes clinical outcome of 123 pemphigus patients treated with a combination of IVIg, an immunosuppressive cytotoxic drug (ICD) and mitochondrion‐protecting drugs in the Blistering Disease Clinic at the University of California, Irvine from 2007 to 2017.ResultsThe mean time to disease control was 0.2 months and time to complete remission – 1.7 months. Duration of complete remission on drugs until relapse or end of treatment was 19.3 months. The mean duration of complete remission off drugs until relapse was 15.8 months. That until end of follow up was 48.4 months, with a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 91 months. The overall complete remission rate off all drugs was 100%, with 12% overall relapse rate. Most relapses, 8.1 vs. 3.3%, occurred during the time of treatment, compared to posttreatment. No patients had more than a single relapse. The duration of the posttreatment follow‐up ranged from 9 to 97 months with a mean of 64.8 months, or 5.4 years. The total number of IVIg cycles ranged from 26 in patients without a relapse to 37 in patients with a relapse. The clinical outcome in patients that received IVIg with RTX or another ICD were found to be very similar.DiscussionThus, the multidrug IVIg regimen allowed to achieve three principal treatment objectives: (i) rapid control of pemphigus symptoms; (ii) stable disease remission; and (iii) overall safety of treatment.ConclusionsWhile the individualized therapeutic approaches to eradicate the autoreactive B cell clones causing disease in each particular PV or PF patient are being developed, all pemphigus patients can benefit from the treatment protocol described in this study.
The clinical utility of new reticulocyte and erythrocyte parameters on the Sysmex XN 9000 for iron deficiency in pregnant patients
Authors: Levy Shani , Schapkaitz Elise 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIntroductionIron deficiency (ID) is a major cause of morbidity in pregnancy. Antenatal clinics use a hemoglobin to screen for ID, which delays the diagnosis of subclinical ID. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of the percentage of microcytic red cells (%Micro‐R), percentage of hypochromic red cells (%Hypo‐He), and reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret‐He) on the Sysmex hematology analyzer in pregnant patients.MethodsFor this study, 102 nonanemic patients in the first trimester of pregnancy presenting for the first time to antenatal clinic were screened for ID. There were 50 (49.02%) patients with ID as defined according to iron studies. The independent t test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were applied.ResultsThere was a significant difference in the Ret‐He, %Micro‐R, and %Hypo‐He between the ID and non‐ID groups (P < 0.001). The area under curve (AUC) for the Ret‐He (0.81, 95% CI 0.71‐0.88) indicates that the Ret‐He at a cutoff <31.2 pg is the best discriminator of ID (P < 0.0001). The AUC of %Hypo‐He (0.78, 95% CI 0.69‐0.86) was not superior to the mean cell hemoglobin (0.78, 95% CI 0.69‐0.86). The %Micro‐R (0.79, 95% CI 0.70‐0.87) showed improved diagnostic accuracy compared to mean cell volume (0.75, 95% CI 0.65‐0.83).ConclusionThe new reticulocyte and erythrocyte parameters are reliable tests for the diagnosis of subclinical ID in pregnant patients. Further studies, however, are required to confirm the diagnostic utility of the erythrocyte parameters in pregnant patients. These tests will benefit the management of pregnant patients attending antenatal clinic.
A learn‐and‐construct framework for general mixed‐integer programming problems
Authors: Adamo Tommaso , Ghiani Gianpaolo , Guerriero Emanuela , Manni Emanuele 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a new framework for finding an initial feasible solution from a mixed‐integer programming (MIP) model. We call it learn‐and‐construct since it first exploits the structure of the model and its linear relaxation solution and then uses this knowledge to try to produce a feasible solution. In the learning phase, we use an unsupervised learning algorithm to cluster entities originating the MIP model. Such clusters are then used to decompose the original MIP in a number of easier sub‐MIPs that are solved by using a black box solver. Computational results on three well‐known problems show that our procedure is characterized by a success rate larger than both the feasibility pump heuristic and a state‐of‐the‐art MIP solver. Furthermore, our approach is more scalable and uses less computing time on average.
The concept of patient satisfaction in adolescent psychiatric care: A qualitative study
Authors: Biering Páll , Jensen Valgerdur H. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractProblemFew studies have asked how adolescents perceive the quality of psychiatric care. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore adolescents’ perception of quality of care and of satisfying treatment outcomes.MethodsFourteen adolescents participated in this hermeneutic study.FindingsSeveral concepts describing adolescents’ perspective of quality of care were found: secure place, tough love, peer solidarity, self‐expression, and person not patient. Concepts describing satisfying treatment outcomes fell into four categories: improved mental health, personal development, strengthening of the self, and improved family relations.ConclusionsBy casting light on users’ perspectives, the study offers guidance for improvement of quality of care and for the development of patient satisfaction instruments.
Sustaining a culture of practice development in an acute adolescent inpatient mental health unit
Authors: Vella Natalie , Page Laura , Edwards Clair , Wand Timothy 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTopicIt is recognized that facilitating change in workplace culture is a significant challenge in healthcare service delivery. Practice development strategies and principles provide a framework for initiating and sustaining programs focused on enhancing patient‐centered care by concentrating on the therapeutic attributes of nursing. However, little literature exists on explicating “what worked” in practice development programs.PurposeThis paper details the processes, people, resources, and relationships that enabled the successful implementation, and led to the sustainability, of a practice development program employed in an acute adolescent mental health unit in Sydney, Australia.Sources usedFollowing an external review of the unit, a meeting of key stakeholders was convened and subsequently an advisory panel formed to address specific issues facing nursing staff. This process resulted in the development of an educational package and adoption of the tidal model as the framework for mental health nursing practice in the unit. Clinical reasoning sessions and journal article presentations were incorporated to consolidate and maintain the change in nursing care.ConclusionsA planned, structured, and inclusive practice development programhas transformed the nursing culture and vastly improved the care provided to adolescents presenting in acute states of distress to this mental health unit.
Pharmacokinetic changes of cefdinir and cefditoren and its molecular mechanisms in acute kidney injury in rats
Authors: Wang Hepeng , Sun Pengyuan , Wang Changyuan , Meng Qiang , Liu Zhihao , Huo Xiaokui , Sun Huijun , Ma Xiaodong , Peng Jinyong , Liu Kexin 
Published: July 2018

Abstract

Objectives
Acute kidney injury (AKI) was a common organ damage that often occurred after cisplatin. This study was aimed at investigating the pharmacokinetic changes of cefdinir and cefditoren in AKI rats, and elucidating the possible molecular mechanisms.

Methods
The renal injury model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (12 mg/kg). Plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, the mRNA expression of Kim-1, hematoxylin and eosin staining and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay were used to measure the degree of renal damage. On this basis, the pharmacokinetic changes of cefdinir and cefditoren were investigated in normal and AKI rats. RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to clarify the molecular mechanisms for the changes in the related transporters expression.

Key findings
The cumulative urinary excretion of cefdinir was significantly decreased and the plasma concentration was remarkably increased in AKI rats. The expression of organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) and Oat3 in kidney was decreased. However, pharmacokinetics of cefditoren was not influenced. The expression of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1a1 (Oatp1a1), Oatp1a4, Oatp1b2 and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2) in liver was unchanged in AKI rats.

Conclusions
The molecular mechanism of decreased expression of Oat1 and Oat3 was achieved through activating p53, and then increasing the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and down regulating Bcl-2 in AKI rats. On this basis, the cumulative urinary excretion of cefdinir was significantly decreased and the plasma concentration of cefdinir was remarkably increased in AKI rats. However, the pharmacokinetic changes of cefditoren were not observed. Accordingly, cephalosporin antibiotics such as cefditoren should be firstly selected for the treatment in patients with AKI in clinic.
Urine marking in male domestic dogs: honest or dishonest?
Authors: McGuire B. , Olsen B. , Bemis K. E. , Orantes D. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractScent marking is a common mode of communication in mammals. Such marking is thought to communicate information about the signaler's size and corresponding competitive ability and accurately reflect the signaler's attributes (i.e., an honest signal). However, new data suggest that scent marking can be dishonest in certain circumstances. Via two studies, we tested the hypothesis that urine marking is a dishonest signal in adult male domestic dogs, which raise a hindlimb when marking vertical objects. In Study 1, we tested whether raised‐leg angle (i.e., during a urination, the angle between a dog's raised leg and the axis normal to the ground) is a proxy for urine mark height (n = 15 dogs) and, in Study 2, we tested whether small dogs exhibit larger raised‐leg angles than large dogs (n = 45 dogs). We videotaped urinations of adult male dogs and, afterwards, measured height of urine marks (Study 1) and degree of raised‐leg angles (Studies 1 and 2). In Study 1, we found significant positive relationships between both raised‐leg angle and height of urine mark and body size (using either body mass or height at withers) and height of urine mark; raised‐leg angle was a stronger predictor than either measure of body size. In Study 2, we found a significant negative relationship between body size (using either body mass or height at withers) and average raised‐leg angle. Our findings support raised‐leg angle as a proxy for urine mark height and provide additional evidence that scent marking can be dishonest. Assuming body size is a proxy for competitive ability, small adult male dogs may place urine marks higher, relative to their own body size, than larger adult male dogs to exaggerate their competitive ability. We did not control for over marking, which also may explain our findings.
Estimating the sediment trap efficiency and lifespan of cascaded reservoirs in the Upper Yangtze River Basin, China
Authors: Li Jian , Li Wenjie , Yang Wenjun , Mu Lin , Jin Zhongwu , Zhang Dawei 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe cascaded reservoirs in the Upper Yangtze River Basin (UYRB) are subject to sediment inflow and deposition, resulting in reduction in their effective capacity. The sediment trap efficiency (TE) of the cascaded reservoirs was estimated using several empirical methods, and the factors affecting the TE also were analysed. A new empirical formula was obtained to calculate the TE of the small reservoirs (storage capacity C < 0.5 km3) in the UYRB. Further, four zones were partitioned to describe the relationship between the sediment trap effect and the service function of the reservoirs. The TEs of Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba and Ertan Reservoirs in the UYRB were investigated and compared between stand‐alone and combined operation modes, indicating the TE will be underestimated without considering the cumulative sediment trap of the cascaded reservoirs. Finally, the lifespan of the Xiluodu Reservoir, considering different water storage schemes and different capacity loss percentages, was estimated using the TE method and exhibited good agreement with the results calculated by the mathematical model. The derived TE calculation method under the combined operation of the cascaded reservoirs can be used to assess the sediment trap from the complex hydroelectric project system in the UYRB.
Surplus killing by pumas Puma concolor: rumours and facts
Authors: Lucherini Mauro , Guerisoli Maria de las Mercedes , Luengos Vidal Estela M. 
Published: July 2018

Abstract

Surplus killing (i.e. predation in which predators kill more prey than necessary to satiate their hunger) appears to be widespread in carnivores and has the potential to exacerbate human–carnivore conflict. Nevertheless, little is known about the frequency of surplus killing or about its impact on livestock.

We review the information available on surplus killing by pumas Puma concolor and use data from central Argentina to quantify its impact on ranching and to analyse both its causes and its implications for puma–human conflicts.

We reviewed 73 publications and found nine mentions of surplus killing events from six countries. The sheep was by far the most commonly affected livestock species. In central Argentina, surplus killing was reported by 25–33% of the ranchers. In this region, the number of livestock killed during each event ranged from seven to 160 (median = 23) for the literature reports and from two to 70 (median = 7) in the records we personally collated. The number of individual animals killed per event was greater for interview‐based second‐hand reports than for first‐hand reports and verified events.

Our results indicate that although surplus killing by pumas is uncommonly reported in the literature, it may be locally recurrent. Although surplus killing may be overestimated in interview‐based reports, it can produce significant losses for sheep and goat ranchers, may strongly exacerbate puma–human conflicts, and should be considered in puma–human conflict mitigation strategies.

Ranchers typically attributed surplus killing to female pumas teaching kittens to hunt. However, there is little evidence supporting this interpretation. Surplus killing by pumas may be more likely to occur in situations where the predator's ‘normal’ hunting sequence is disrupted by the accessibility of large numbers of easy prey. Confinement, stormy weather and poor antipredator behaviour may favour the occurrence of surplus killing events on livestock.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene practices mediate the association between women's empowerment and child length‐for‐agez‐scores in Nepal
Authors: Cunningham Kenda , Ferguson Elaine , Ruel Marie , Uauy Ricardo , Kadiyala Suneetha , Menon Purnima , Ploubidis George 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn Nepal, more than one‐third of children are stunted. Prior studies have shown that women's empowerment in agriculture is associated with child (<2 years) length‐for‐agez‐scores (LAZ) in Nepal. This study tests whether child dietary diversity (DD) and household water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and practices mediate the associations between women's empowerment and LAZ. With a cross‐sectional dataset of 4,080 households from 240 rural communities across 16 districts of Nepal, we used ordinary least squares regression models to first estimate the associations between women's empowerment and LAZ for children 6 to 24 months (n = 1,402; our previous published analysis included all children <24 months of age), using the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index's Five Domains of Empowerment subindex. We used standardized structural equation models to test whether child DD and/or household WASH mediated the association between women's empowerment and child LAZ. Overall, women's empowerment was positively associated with child LAZ (β = 0.24,P = 0.03), as found in our previous analyses. In the mediation analysis, women's empowerment was positively associated with WASH (β = 0.78,P < 0.001), and in turn child LAZ (β = 0.09,P < 0.001). Women's empowerment was not associated with DD, but DD was associated with LAZ (β = 0.06,P = 0.05). Empowered women had better WASH practices than nonempowered women, which translated into higher child LAZ. Child DD was not a mediating factor in the association between women's empowerment and child LAZ. More research is needed to explore other pathways by which women's empowerment may affect child nutrition outcomes.