bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On a Criterion of Local Invertibility and Conformality for Slice Regular Quaternionic Functions
Authors: Gori Anna , Vlacci Fabio 
Published: August 2018

AbstractA new criterion for local invertibility of slice regular quaternionic functions is obtained. This paper is motivated by the need to find a geometrical interpretation for analytic conditions on the real Jacobian associated with a slice regular function f. The criterion involves spherical and Cullen derivatives of f and gives rise to several geometric implications, including an application to related conformality properties.
Co-occurrence of swine cysticercosis due toTaenia soliumandTaenia hydatigenain ethnic minority villages at the Thai–Myanmar border
Authors: Chaisiri K. , Kusolsuk T. , Homsuwan N. , Sanguankiat S. , Dekumyoy P. , Peunpipoom G. , Khiriphattharaphon S. , Sako Y. , Yanagida T. , Okamoto M. , Ito A. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAs part of the international joint projects working towards the control of taeniosis/cysticercosis in Asia Pacific, epidemiological studies onTaenia soliumcysticercosis have been carried out in high-incidence populations, such as minority groups in Thailand. To assess the epidemiology of cysticercotic infections in pigs in the hill-tribe minority villages (Karen) in Tak province, Thailand, we conducted serological screening and necropsies. The patterns of antibody response toT. soliumantigens were then investigated using immunoblot assays. Of the 188 pig serum samples tested for antibody responses to partially purified low-molecular-weight antigens ofT. soliumcyst fluid, positive responses were detected in 37 samples (19.7%). Based on these results, 16 pigs (10 seropositive and 6 seronegative) were necropsied for investigation of cysticerci and intestinal parasites. All seropositive pigs were coinfected with bothT. soliumandTaenia hydatigenacysticerci, except one, which was infected withT. hydatigenaalone. Three of the six seronegative pigs were confirmed to be infected withT. hydatigena.Pigs infected withT. soliumshowed much stronger antibody responses than those infected withT. hydatigena. Our results demonstrate the co-occurrence of two swine cysticercoses due toT. soliumandT. hydatigenain the studied areas. This study also reveals the importance of direct confirmation of the presence of cysticerci by necropsy after serological screening. In addition to the prevalence of swine cysticercosis in these endemic areas, our findings also reveal potential implications for the development of serological diagnostic assays for swine cysticercosis.
Taking War Seriously
Authors: Blattberg Charles 
Published: August 2018

AbstractJust war theory − as advanced by Michael Walzer, among others − fails to take war seriously enough. This is because it proposes that we regulate war with systematic rules that are comparable to those of a game. Three types of claims are advanced. The first is phenomenological: that the theory's abstract nature interferes with our judgment of what is, and should be, going on. The second is meta-ethical: that the theory's rules are not, in fact, systematic after all, there being inherent contradictions between them. And the third is practical: that by getting people to view war as like a game, the theory promotes its ‘aestheticization’ (play being a central mode of the aesthetic) such that those who fight are encouraged to act in dangerous ways. And war, it goes without saying, is already dangerous enough.
Depression across pregnancy and the postpartum, antidepressant use and the association with female sexual function
Authors: Galbally Megan , Watson Stuart J. , Permezel Michael , Lewis Andrew J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundThere is an established relationship between depression and sexual functioning in women. However, there is limited research examining the relationship between perinatal depression and sexual functioning.MethodsThis study draws on the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study and reports on 211 women recruited in early pregnancy and followed to 12 months postpartum. Women were assessed for depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, repeated measurement of depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and sexual functioning using the Female Sexual Functioning Inventory. Data were also collected on antidepressant use, mode of delivery, history of childhood trauma, breastfeeding and partner support.ResultsWomen showed a decline in sexual functioning over pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum, which recovered by 12 months. For women with depression, sexual functioning was lower throughout pregnancy and continued to be lower at 6 months postpartum than those without depression. Ongoing depressive symptoms at 12 months were also associated with lower sexual functioning. Sexual functioning was not predicted by mode of delivery, antidepressant use or childhood trauma. Breastfeeding predicted lower sexual functioning only at 6 months. Higher partner support predicted higher female sexual functioning.ConclusionsPregnancy and the postpartum are a time of reduced sexual functioning for women; however, women with depression are more likely to have lower levels of sexual functioning and this was not predicted by antidepressant use. In women with perinatal depression, consideration of the impact on sexual functioning should be an integral part of care.
Human, social and cultural predictors of productive activities in later life
Authors: Kim Seoyoun 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWhile considerable scholarly attention has been given to factors influencing productive activity, less is known about how multiple forms of resources predict the maintenance or initiation of such activity over time. Using two-wave panel data of older adults from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), the study investigated the relationship between measures of capital and changes in multiple types of productive activity. Findings showed that all three types of capital were associated with volunteering in cross-sectional analyses, but only education, neighbourhood socialisation and religious service attendance remain significant predictors of continued volunteerism. Human capital strongly influenced employment both cross-sectionally and over time. Aspects of social capital – marital status and network size – were linked to participation and initiation of care-giving activities. The findings demonstrate that different patterns emerge in cross-sectional and two-wave panel data of multiple productive activities, adjusting for baseline activity level and selective attrition. The project also suggests factors that promote or hinder continued engagement in productive activity.
Larger Chinese text spacing and size: effects on older users’ experience
Authors: Hou Guanhua , Dong Hua , Ning Weining , Han Lianghao 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWith declining vision ability, character spacing and size on smartphones designed for the general population are not accessible for older adults. This study aimed to explore how larger Chinese character spacing and size affect older adults’ user experience (UX). An orthogonal experiment was conducted. The optimal range of font size (FS), word spacing (WS) and line spacing (LS) were proposed utilising subjective evaluations to investigate the correlation of eye movement data with participants perceived UX. The results showed that improvement in different aspects of UX varied when FS, WS and LS increased. Overall, participants preferred larger FS, WS and LS, however, the larger FS, WS and LS values are more likely to cause errors and slower reading speed. These results suggest that the distinct combination of size and spacing depends on the motivation, needs and situation of older people when reading on a smartphone. These findings will help designers to provide better design for the older people.
Promises and pitfalls of integrating home-based health services into Shanghai's elder-care system
Authors: Chen Yan-Yan , Chen Honglin , Song Priscilla 
Published: August 2018

AbstractFaced with the dramatic pace of population ageing, the Shanghai municipal government launched a pilot programme in 2013 designed to address this and to strengthen ageing-in-place arrangements by providing basic in-home medical services for residents above the age of 80. Yet after a two-year trial run, the ‘Home-Based Medical Care Scheme for the Oldest-Old’ (HBMCSOO) policy remained significantly under-utilised despite the increasing demand for medical services. Our multi-disciplinary research team of social workers and anthropologists identified two key factors impeding the implementation of home-based medical care services: (a) the distortion of policy implementation and (b) the inadequate professionalisation of community-based elder-care workers. Based on our evaluation of the pilot programme, the Shanghai municipal government made several practical adjustments to improve the subsequent city-wide policy implemented in 2016. While these changes mostly focused on minor adjustments to improve in-home medical services for the oldest-old, they represent an encouraging first step towards our call for a holistic integrated care system whose design and delivery takes into account local political and social contexts, including existing institutional infrastructure and cultural expectations about care-giving responsibilities. The challenges of implementing Shanghai's HBMCSOO policy ultimately provide instructive lessons on best practices for integrating medical and social services in order to improve ageing-in-place measures in diverse local settings around the world.
A methodology for part classification with supervised machine learning
Authors: Rucco Matteo , Giannini Franca , Lupinetti Katia , Monti Marina 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we report on a data analysis process for the automated classification of mechanical components. In particular, here, we describe, how to implement a machine learning system for the automated classification of parts belonging to several sub-categories. We collect models that are typically used in the mechanical industry, and then we represent each object by a collection of features. We illustrate how to set-up a supervised multi-layer artificial neural network with an ad-hoc classification schema. We test our solution on a dataset formed by 2354 elements described by 875 features and spanned among 15 sub-categories. We state the accuracy of classification in terms of average area under ROC curves and the ability to classify 606 unknown 3D objects by similarity coefficients. Our parts’ classification system outperforms a classifier based on the Light Field Descriptor, which, as far as we know, actually represents the gold standard for the identification of most types of 3D mechanical objects.
Excess mortality in Guadeloupe and Martinique, islands of the French West Indies, during the chikungunya epidemic of 2014
Authors: Freitas A. R. R. , Alarcón-Elbal P. M. , Donalisio M. R. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn some chikungunya epidemics, deaths are not completely captured by traditional surveillance systems, which record case and death reports. We evaluated excess deaths associated with the 2014 chikungunya virus (CHIKV) epidemic in Guadeloupe and Martinique, Antilles. Population (784 097 inhabitants) and mortality data, estimated by sex and age, were accessed from the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques in France. Epidemiological data, cases, hospitalisations and deaths on CHIKV were obtained from the official epidemiological reports of the Cellule de Institut de Veille Sanitaire in France. Excess deaths were calculated as the difference between the expected and observed deaths for all age groups for each month in 2014 and 2015, considering the upper limit of 99% confidence interval. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed a strong correlation between monthly excess deaths and reported cases of chikungunya (R= 0.81,p< 0.005) and with a 1-month lag (R= 0.87,p< 0.001); and a strong correlation was also observed between monthly rates of hospitalisation for CHIKV and excess deaths with a delay of 1 month (R= 0.87,p< 0.0005). The peak of the epidemic occurred in the month with the highest mortality, returning to normal soon after the end of the CHIKV epidemic. There were excess deaths in almost all age groups, and excess mortality rate was higher among the elderly but was similar between male and female individuals. The overall mortality estimated in the current study (639 deaths) was about four times greater than that obtained through death declarations (160 deaths). Although the aetiological diagnosis of all deaths associated with CHIKV infection is not always possible, already well-known statistical tools can contribute to the evaluation of the impact of CHIKV on mortality and morbidity in the different age groups.
A Detailed View on the Seasonality of Stable Carbon Isotopes Across the North Atlantic
Authors: Becker Meike , Steinhoff Tobias , Körtzinger Arne 
Published: August 2018

The North Atlantic Ocean plays a major role in climate change not the least due to its importance in CO2 uptake and thus natural carbon sequestration. The CO2 concentration in its surface waters, which determines the ocean's CO2 sink/source function, varies on seasonal and interannual time scales and is mainly driven by air‐sea gas exchange, temperature variability, and biological production/respiration. The variability in stable carbon isotope signatures can provide further insight and help to improve the understanding of the controls of the surface ocean carbon system. In this work, a cavity ringdown spectrometer was coupled to a classical, equilibrator‐based pCO2 system on a voluntary observing ship line that regularly sails across the subpolar North Atlantic between North America and Europe. From 2012 to 2014, a 3‐year time series of underway surface δ13C(CO2) data was obtained along with continuous measurements of temperature, salinity, and fCO2. We perform a decomposition of thermal and nonthermal drivers of fCO2 and δ13C(CO2). The direct measurement of the surface ocean δ13C(CO2) allows us to estimate the mass flux and also the stable carbon isotope fractionation during air‐sea gas exchange. While the CO2 mass flow was in the range of 1–2 mol CO2·m−2·year−1 on the shelves and 2.5–3.5 mol CO2·m−2·year−1 in the open ocean, the isotope signature of this CO2 flux with respect to the sea surface ranged from −2.6 ± 1.4‰ on the shelves to −6.6 ± 0.9‰ in the western and −4.5 ± 0.9‰ in the eastern part of the open ocean section.
Characteristics of Water‐Heat Exchanges and Inconsistent Surface Temperature Changes at an Elevational Permafrost Site on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Luo D. L. , Jin H. J. , He R. X. , Wang X. F. , Muskett R. R. , Marchenko S. S. , Romanovsky V. E. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIncrease of surface temperatures has long been recognized as an unequivocal response to radiative forcing and one of the most important implications for global warming. However, it remains unclear whether the variation of ground surface temperature (GST) and soil temperatures is consistent with simultaneous changes of the near‐surface air and land (or skin) surface temperatures (Ta and LST). In this study, a seven‐year continuous observation of GST, Ta, and surface water and heat exchange was carried out at an elevational permafrost site at Chalaping, northeastern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Results showed a distinct retarding of warming on the ground surface and subsurface under the presence of dense vegetation and moist peat substrates. Mean annual Ta and LST increased at noteworthy rates of 0.22 and 0.32 °C/a, respectively, while mean annual GST increased only at a rate of 0.057 °C/a. No obvious trends were detected for the four radiation budgets except the soil heat flux (G), which significantly increased at a rate of 0.29 W · m−2 · a−1, presumably inducing the melting of ground ice and resulted in much higher moisture content through the summers of 2015 and 2016 than preceding years and subsequent 2017 at the depths between 80 and 120 cm. However, no noticeable immediate variations of soil temperatures occurred owing to the large latent heat effect (thermal inertia) and the extending zero‐curtain period. We suggest that a better protected eco‐environment, particularly the surface vegetation, helps preserving the underlying permafrost, and thus to mitigates the potential degradation of elevational permafrost on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.
Large‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Origin and Propagation: Case Study of the December 2015 Geomagnetic Storm
Authors: Cherniak Iurii , Zakharenkova Irina 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWe investigate the origin, occurrence, and propagation of large‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) over the European region during the 19–21 December 2015 geomagnetic storm. Analysis of the total electron content (TEC) perturbation component is supported by the ground‐based Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLONASS (In Russian: GLObalnaya NAvigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema) observations. The high spatial‐temporal resolution mapping approach provides a very detailed specification of the ionospheric small‐ to large‐scale disturbances associated with two major sources of the LSTIDs generation: the solar terminator passage during the quiet time and auroral activity caused by auroral particle precipitation and field‐aligned currents (FACs) intensification during geomagnetic disturbances. For the first time, the joint analysis of the ionospheric plasma irregularities, FACs, and LSTIDs reveals that a zone with the intense FACs and ionospheric irregularities occurred at the same region that represent the most probable source of LSTIDs excitation. During the main phase of the storm, the LSTIDs propagated equatorward from European high latitudes to middle latitudes (35–40°N) with the horizontal velocities of ~700–800 m/s. The LSTIDs as deduced from the TEC‐disturbed component had a much larger magnitude and propagate much longer distances during the daytime (sunlit part) than in the night. We found that an equatorward expansion of the strong ionospheric irregularities zone and an increase of the FACs magnitude led to a simultaneous intensification of the LSTIDs occurrence at high latitudes. The GPS ROTI (rate of TEC index) technique, a sensitive one for detection of the rapid ionospheric gradients and irregularities, could not recognize any signatures of the TIDs structures.
Examining the Potential of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network for Monitoring the Space Weather Impact of Solar X‐Ray Flares
Authors: Fiori R. A. D. , Koustov A. V. , Chakraborty S. , Ruohoniemi J. M. , Danskin D. W. , Boteler D. H. , Shepherd S. G. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIncreased electron density in the ionosphere due to photoionization by radiation emitted during a solar X‐ray flare impacts high‐frequency (HF) radio wave propagation. Shortwave fadeout (SWF) due to the enhanced D region absorption that results is characterized by the level of cosmic radio noise attenuation derived from riometer measurements. SWF impacts HF radio propagation and has been identified in the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) data. An X2.1 solar X‐ray flare that erupted on 11 March 2015 is examined to determine its effects on HF radio propagation. Riometer data indicate a sharp enhancement in absorption, which falls off with increasing solar zenith angle. SuperDARN radars observed a suppression of both ground scatter and ionospheric echoes. Ground scatter data indicated a rapid weakening of signal from far to near ranges followed by a ~20‐min interval of complete signal loss. Recovery lasted ~30 min and proceeded from near to far ranges. Prior to the complete signal loss, an apparent sharp velocity impulse (Doppler flash) lasting 1–2 min was observed in the ground scatter data. The peak of this flash preceded the onset of enhanced absorption. The onset of signal loss by SuperDARN preceded the onset of enhanced absorption observed by riometers. Both data sets observed a positive correlation between increasing delay in onset and increasing solar zenith angle with onset progressing at an average rate of 16.7°/min (0.060 min/°). Agreement between riometer and SuperDARN indicates the possibility of using a joint data set for improved monitoring of the space weather impact of solar X‐ray flares.
Seismic Tomography of Eastern Tibet: Implications for the Tibetan Plateau Growth
Authors: Zhang Fengxue , Wu Qingju , Li Yonghua , Zhang Ruiqing , Sun Lian , Pan Jiatie , Ding Zhifeng 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions have gentle to moderate topographic gradients, contrasting the steep margins in northern and southern Tibet. The mechanisms for plateau growth in eastern Tibet are uncertain so far. Here we present a new shear wave tomography model of the Tibetan Plateau derived from S wave traveltimes from teleseismic waveforms recorded by the dense ChinArray seismic network. The model reveals the deep structures beneath the eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions, showing clear velocity contrast boundaries roughly along the eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau. We interpret the slow velocity anomalies beneath the Tibetan Plateau as soft lithosphere, which absorbed most of the northeastward push of the Indian Plate, while the fast velocity anomalies beneath the region surrounding the plateau represent craton‐like rigid block roots. The deformation of the soft/weak lithospheric mantle beneath the Tibetan Plateau is constrained by the convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates, and the framework of the surrounding rigid blocks. We suggest that weak lithosphere deformation (horizontal shortening and vertical stretching) accounts for the plateau growth in eastern Tibet.
PRMT1 mediates RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and contributes to bone loss in ovariectomized mice
Authors: Choi Joo-Hee , Jang Ah-Ra , Kim Dong-il , Park Min-Jung , Lim Seul-Ki , Kim Myung-Sun , Park Jong-Hwan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractProtein arginine methylation is a novel form of posttranslational modification mediated by protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMTs). PRMT1, a major isoform of the PRMT family, is responsible for various biological functions, including cellular differentiation. Although the important function that PRMT1 plays in various tissues is being increasingly recognized, its role in receptor activation of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis or osteoporosis has not yet been described. Here, we show that PRMT1 is essential for RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and for bone loss in vivo. RANKL treatment increased the expression of PRMT1 and its nuclear localization in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) in a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent manner. Silencing PRMT1 attenuated RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by decreasing tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells and inhibiting F-actin ring formation and bone resorption, which was confirmed in a separate experiment using haploinsufficient cells fromPRMT1+/-mice. Our results also revealed that PRMT1 regulates the transcription activity of NF-κB by directly interacting with it in RANKL-treated BMDMs. An in vivo study showed that the haploinsufficiency of PRMT1 reduced the enzyme activity of TRAP and increased the bone mineral density in the metaphysis of ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Finally, treatment with estrogen (E2) downregulated the RANKL-induced expression of PRMT1, suggesting that estrogen may exert an inhibitory effect on osteoclastogenesis by suppressing PRMT1 expression. Our results suggest that PRMT1 plays an important role in the progression of osteoporosis and that it might be a good therapeutic target for postmenopausal osteoporosis.