bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adventures in shape and space – and time
Authors: Roper Tom 
Published: October 2018

As a youth entering the sixth form to study Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics I enjoyed the riches of the school's mathematics library and in particular three books which appealed to me, A mathematician's apology [1], A book of curves [2] and On growth and form [3].Hardy's book [1] is one that an impressionable, young mathematician should not read unguided. It left me with the impression that the proper pursuit of mathematics was as a pure subject, of no use or application, to be studied for its own sake; to my regret, I held to this view for several years before finally being able to shake it off through teaching Newtonian mechanics. Looking across mathematics teaching today I seem to observe great interest in geometry, number and algebra ‘curiosities’ that are rooted entirely in mathematics. This in itself is no bad thing, since it clearly draws us and our students into the fascinating world of mathematics. But what of the applications of mathematics? Might they be equally fascinating? Surely we do not want to lure our students into Hardy's trap?
On obtaining limiting values of a class of infinite products
Authors: Kaczkowski Stephen 
Published: October 2018

Difference equations have a wide variety of applications, including fluid flow analysis, wave propagation, circuit theory, the study of traffic patterns, queueing analysis, diffusion theory, and many others. Besides these applications, studies into the analogy between ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and difference equations have been a favourite topic of mathematicians (e.g. see [1] and [2]). These applications and studies bring to light the similar character of the solutions of a difference equation with a fixed step size and a corresponding ODE.Also, an important numerical technique for solving both ordinary and partial differential equations (PDEs) is the method of finite differences [3], whereby a difference equation with a small step size is utilised to obtain a numerical solution of a differential equation. In this paper, elements of both of these ideas will be used to solve some intriguing problems in pure and applied mathematics.
Effect of stocking rate on grazing behaviour and diet selection of goats on cultivated pasture
Authors: Wan L. Q. , Liu K. S. , Wu W. , Li J. S. , Zhao T. C. , Shao X. Q. , He F. , Lv H. , Li X. L. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractCultivated pastures in southern China are being used to improve forage productivity and animal performance, but studies on grazing behaviour of goats in these cultivated pastures are still rare. In the current study, the grazing behaviour of Yunling black goats under low (5 goats/ha) and high (15 goats/ha) stocking rates (SRs) was evaluated. Data showed that the proportion of time goats spent on activities was: eating (0.59–0.87), ruminating (0.05–0.35), walking (0.03–0.06) and resting (0.01–0.03). Compared with low SR, goats spent more time eating and walking, and less time ruminating and resting under high SR. Goats had similar diet preferences under both SR and preferred to eat grasses (ryegrass and cocksfoot) more than a legume (white clover). The distribution of eating time on each forage species was more uniform under highv.low SR. Bites/step, bite weight and daily intake were greater under low than high SR. Results suggest that the SR affects grazing behaviour of goats on cultivated pasture, and identifying an optimal SR is critical for increasing bite weight and intake.
Genetic characterization of human-derived hydatid fluid based on mitochondrial gene sequencing in individuals from northern and western China
Authors: Cao M. , Chen K. , Li W. , Ma J. , Xiao Z. , Wang H. , Gao J. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThis study investigated Echinococcus genotypes in patients with hydatidosis that reside in Inner Mongolia, Tibet or Qinghai Province by partially sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (nad1) genes. Cyst fluids were collected from 23 patients with hydatidosis and DNA was extracted. Portions of the cox1 and nad1 genes were amplified and subsequently sequenced. Sequencing analysis determined that one of the isolates contained Echinococcus multilocularis, and the other 22 isolates contained E. granulosus sensu lato. The isolates were then further classified based on genotype, and E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) G1 (n = 20), E. granulosus s.s. G3 (n = 1) and E. canadensis G6/7 (n = 1) were identified. Additionally, the sequences were concatenated (pcox1 + pnad1) and 11 haplotypes were identified among the E. granulosus s.s. isolates (G1 and G3), with a shared common haplotype (H1) identified. Overall, these findings provide further understanding of the genetic patterns of Echinococcus in western and northern China.
If anyone is in Christ – new creation!
Authors: PAGE BEN 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThis article investigates the metaphysical transformation that occurs when a believer becomes a new creation, something which hasn't yet been explored in the literature. I start by setting out what this ontological transformation involves, and then provide two models as to how it might go. The first is a type of substratism, based on a theory of mixing, while the second thinks about this transformation in terms of replacementism. Throughout the article I seek to resolve difficulties that both of these models bring, while also showing how other aspects of Christian thought can be explained by these models.
COST, CONTEXT, AND DECISIONS IN HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Culyer Anthony J. 
Published: October 2018

Objectives:This study is an attempt to demystify and clarify the idea of cost in health economics and health technology assessment (HTA).Methods:Its method draws on standard concepts in economics. Cost is a more elusive concept than is commonly thought and can be particularly elusive in multidisciplinary territory like HTA.Results:The article explains that cost is more completely defined as opportunity cost, why cost is necessarily associated with a decision, and that it will always vary according to the context of that decision: whether choice is about inputs or outputs, what the alternatives are, the timing of the consequences of the decision, the nature of the commitment to which a decision maker is committed, who the decision maker is, and the constraints and discretion limiting or liberating the decision maker. Distinctions between short and long runs and between fixed and variable inputs are matters of choice, not technology, and are similarly context-dependent. Harms or negative consequences are, in general, not costs. Whether so-called “clinically unrelated” future costs and benefits should be counted in current decisions again depends on context.Conclusions:The costs of entire health programs are context-dependent, relating to planned rates of activity, volumes, and timings. The implications for the methods of HTA are different in the contexts of low- and middle-income countries compared with high-income countries, and further differ contextually according to the budget constraints (fixed or variable) facing decision makers.
First Results From Sonification and Exploratory Citizen Science of Magnetospheric ULF Waves: Long‐Lasting Decreasing‐Frequency Poloidal Field Line Resonances Following Geomagnetic Storms
Authors: Archer M. O. , Hartinger M. D. , Redmon R. , Angelopoulos V. , Walsh B. M. ,   Eltham Hill School Year 12 Physics Students
Published: October 2018

AbstractMagnetospheric ultralow‐frequency (ULF) waves contribute to space weather in the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. The monitoring of these waves by space‐ and ground‐based instruments, however, produces big data, which are difficult to navigate, mine, and analyze effectively. We present sonification, the process of converting an oscillatory time series into audible sound, and citizen science, where members of the public contribute to scientific investigations, as a means to potentially help tackle these issues. Magnetometer data in the ULF range at geostationary orbit have been sonified and released to London high schools as part of exploratory projects. While this approach reduces the overall likelihood of useful results from any particular group of citizen scientists compared to typical citizen science projects, it promotes independent learning and problem solving by all participants and can result in a small number of unexpected research outcomes. We present one such example, a case study identified by a group of students of decreasing‐frequency poloidal field line resonances over multiple days found to occur during the recovery phase of a coronal mass ejection‐driven geomagnetic storm. Simultaneous plasma density measurements show that the decreasing frequencies were due to the refilling of the plasmasphere following the storm. The waves were likely generated by internal plasma processes. Further exploration of the audio revealed many similar events following other major storms; thus, they are much more common than previously thought. We therefore highlight the potential of sonification and exploratory citizen science in addressing some of the challenges facing ULF wave research.
Assessing the Quality of Models of the Ambient Solar Wind
Authors: MacNeice P. , Jian L. K. , Antiochos S. K. , Arge C. N. , Bussy‐Virat C. D. , DeRosa M. L. , Jackson B. V. , Linker J. A. , Mikic Z. , Owens M. J. , Ridley A. J. , Riley P. , Savani N. , Sokolov I. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIn this paper we present an assessment of the status of models of the global solar wind in the inner heliosphere. We limit our discussion to the class of models designed to provide solar wind forecasts, excluding those designed for the purpose of testing physical processes in idealized configurations. In addition, we limit our discussion to modeling of the ambient wind in the absence of coronal mass ejections. In this assessment we cover use of the models both in forecast mode and as tools for scientific research. We present a brief history of the development of these models, discussing the range of physical approximations in use. We discuss the limitations of the data inputs available to these models and its impact on their quality. We also discuss current model development trends.
Facile metagrating holograms with broadband and extreme angle tolerance
Authors: Deng Zi-Lan , Deng Junhong , Zhuang Xin , Wang Shuai , Shi Tan , Wang Guo Ping , Wang Yao , Xu Jian , Cao Yaoyu , Wang Xiaolei , Cheng Xing , Li Guixin , Li Xiangping 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe emerging meta-holograms rely on arrays of intractable meta-atoms with various geometries and sizes for customized phase profiles that can precisely modulate the phase of a wavefront at an optimal incident angle for given wavelengths. The stringent and band-limited angle tolerance remains a fundamental obstacle for their practical application, in addition to high fabrication precision demands. Utilizing a different design principle, we determined that facile metagrating holograms based on extraordinary optical diffraction can allow the molding of arbitrary wavefronts with extreme angle tolerances (near-grazing incidence) in the visible–near-infrared regime. By modulating the displacements between uniformly sized meta-atoms rather than the geometrical parameters, the metagratings produce a robust detour phase profile that is irrespective of the wavelength or incident angle. The demonstration of high-fidelity meta-holograms and in-site polarization multiplexing significantly simplifies the metasurface design and lowers the fabrication demand, thereby opening new routes for flat optics with high performances and improved practicality.
Malignancies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Frequency, Incidence and Risk Factors—Results from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study
Authors: Scharl Sylvie , Barthel Christiane , Rossel Jean-Benoit , Biedermann Luc , Misselwitz Benjamin , Schoepfer Alain M. , Straumann Alex , Vavricka Stephan R. , Rogler Gerhard , Scharl Michael , Greuter Thomas ,   on behalf of the Swiss IBD Cohort Study Group
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND:
Malignancy may occur as long-term complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) due to different risk factors. We assessed prevalence and incidence of malignancy, and predictive factors in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study (SIBDCS).

METHODS:
All IBD patients in the SIBDCS were analyzed from a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective. Patients with malignancies were compared to controls. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated based on age-specific and sex-specific background rates.

RESULTS:
Malignancies were identified in 122 of 3119 patients (3.9%). In a logistic regression model, age (OR 1.04 per year), intestinal surgery (OR 3.34), and treatment with steroids (OR 2.10) were the main predictors for the presence of malignancy, while treatment with 5-ASA (OR 0.57) and biologics (OR 0.38) were protective. From a longitudinal perspective, 67 out of 2580 patients (2.6%) were newly diagnosed with malignancy during a follow-up of 12,420.8 years (median 4.9 years). While there was no increased risk for malignancy overall (SIR 0.93, 95% CI 0.72–1.18) and colorectal cancer (SIR 1.55, 95% CI 0.71–2.95), IBD patients had an increased risk for lymphoma (SIR 2.98, 95% CI 1.36–5.66) and biliary cancer (SIR 6.3, 95% CI 1.27–18.41). In a Cox regression model, age and recent use of immunomodulators were the main predictors for development of malignancies, while 5-ASA, biologics were protective.

CONCLUSIONS:
IBD patients showed increased risk for lymphoma and biliary cancer, but not colorectal cancer and cancer overall. Age and recent use of immunomodulators were the main risk factors for malignancy, while aminosalicylates and biologics appear to be protective.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Acinetobacter baumannii Infections in Patients with HIV: A Matched Case-Control Study
Authors: Yang Junyang , Tang Qi , Qi Tangkai , Chen Jun , Ji Yongjia , Tang Yang , Wang Zhenyan , Song Wei , Xun Jingna , Liu Li , Shen Yinzhong , Zhang Renfang , Lu Hongzhou 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAcinetobacter baumannii (AB) infection is an increasing global threaten to hospitalized patients, especially those with impaired immune function. Still, few studies addressed the disease burdens and outcomes of AB infection in HIV patients. We aimed to describe characteristics and outcomes of AB infections in patients with HIV, measure the impact of AB infection on 28-day mortality in HIV patients, as well as assess the predictors of 28-day survival among HIV patients with AB pneumonia. A retrospective study with HIV/AB co-infected patients was conducted at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center (SPHCC), China. Patients with AB pneumonia were further analyzed for predictors of mortality, as well as an additional 1:1 case-control study to determine the fatality of AB pneumonia compared with pneumonia of other pathogens. We found the incidence of AB infection was 17.4 cases per 100 person-years among all hospitalized HIV patients. Hospital mortality rate was 37.5% (21/56). There was a higher 28-day mortality rate in HIV patients with pneumonia due to AB than other pathogens (34% vs 16%, P = 0.03). APACHE II score was independently associated with 28-day survival by multivariate logistic regression (P = 0.031). Our findings indicate that AB infection is incident and can be fatal in HIV seropositive population. AB infection is an independent risk factor of mortality in patients with HIV and pneumonia. A lower APACHE II score on admission predicts a higher 28-day survival rate among HIV/AB co-infected patients.
Fecal microbiota transplantation confers beneficial metabolic effects of diet and exercise on diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Lai Zi-Lun , Tseng Ching-Hung , Ho Hsiu J. , Cheung Cynthia K. Y. , Lin Jian-Yong , Chen Yi-Ju , Cheng Fu-Chou , Hsu Yao-Chun , Lin Jaw-Town , El-Omar Emad M. , Wu Chun-Ying 
Published: October 2018

AbstractDiet and exercise are conventional methods for controlling body weight and are linked to alterations in gut microbiota. However, the associations of diet, exercise, and gut microbiota in the control of obesity remain largely unknown. In the present study, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), normal fat diet (NFD), exercise and their combination resulted in improved metabolic profiles in comparison to sedentary lifestyle with high fat diet (HFD). Moreover, diet exerted more influence than exercise in shaping the gut microbiota. HFD-fed mice receiving FMT from NFD-exercised donors not only showed remarkably reduced food efficacy, but also mitigated metabolic profiles (p < 0.05). The transmissible beneficial effects of FMT were associated with bacterial genera Helicobacter, Odoribacter and AF12 and overrepresentation of oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis genes. Our findings demonstrate that the beneficial effects of diet and exercise are transmissible via FMT, suggesting a potential therapeutic treatment for obesity.
Tranexamic acid blocks the thrombin-mediated delay of epidermal permeability barrier recovery induced by the cedar pollen allergen, Cry j1
Authors: Nakanishi S. , Kumamoto J. , Denda M. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe previously demonstrated that Cry j1, the major pollen allergen of Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar), transiently increases protease activity and intracellular Ca2+ concentration in cultured human keratinocytes, and delays recovery after stratum corneum barrier disruption in human skin ex vivo. Topical application of tranexamic acid or trypsin-type serine protease inhibitors accelerates barrier recovery. We hypothesized that tranexamic acid might prevent the transient protease activity increase and the barrier recovery delay induced by Cry j1. Here, we tested this hypothesis and examined the mechanism involved. In cultured human keratinocytes, knock-down of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) reduced the transient increase of calcium induced by Cry j1, whereas knock-down of PAR-2 did not. Knock-down of thrombin significantly reduced the transient increases of calcium concentration and protease activity. Tranexamic acid, soybean trypsin inhibitor, or bivalirudin (a thrombin inhibitor) also reduced the calcium elevation induced by Cry j1 and/or thrombin. Co-application of tranexamic acid or bivalirudin with Cry j1 to human skin ex vivo blocked the delay of barrier recovery. These results suggest that thrombin and PAR-1 or PAR-1-like receptor might mediate the adverse effects of Cry j1 on human epidermal keratinocytes, and could open up a new strategy for treating inflammatory skin diseases.
Quantum synchronization of two mechanical oscillators in coupled optomechanical systems with Kerr nonlinearity
Authors: Qiao Guo-jian , Gao Hui-xia , Liu Hao-di , Yi X. X. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe investigate the quantum synchronization phenomena of two mechanical oscillators of different frequencies in two optomechanical systems under periodically modulating cavity detunings or driving amplitudes, which can interact mutually through an optical fiber or a phonon tunneling. The cavities are filled with Kerr-type nonlinear medium. It is found that, no matter which the coupling and periodically modulation we choose, both of the quantum synchronization of nonlinear optomechanical system are more appealing than the linear optomechanical system. It is easier to observe greatly enhanced quantum synchronization with Kerr nonlinearity. In addition, the different influences on the quantum synchronization between the two coupling ways and the two modulating ways are compared and discussed.
Ionic and cellular mechanisms underlying TBX5/PITX2 insufficiency-induced atrial fibrillation: Insights from mathematical models of human atrial cells
Authors: Bai Jieyun , Gladding Patrick A. , Stiles Martin K. , Fedorov Vadim V. , Zhao Jichao 
Published: October 2018

AbstractTranscription factors TBX5 and PITX2 involve in the regulation of gene expression of ion channels and are closely associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia in developed countries. The exact cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility to AF in patients with TBX5/PITX2 insufficiency remain unclear. In this study, we have developed and validated a novel human left atrial cellular model (TPA) based on the ten Tusscher-Panfilov ventricular cell model to systematically investigate how electrical remodeling induced by TBX5/PITX2 insufficiency leads to AF. Using our TPA model, we have demonstrated that spontaneous diastolic depolarization observed in atrial myocytes with TBX5-deletion can be explained by altered intracellular calcium handling and suppression of inward-rectifier potassium current (IK1). Additionally, our computer simulation results shed new light on the novel cellular mechanism underlying AF by indicating that the imbalance between suppressed outward current IK1 and increased inward sodium-calcium exchanger current (INCX) resulted from SR calcium leak leads to spontaneous depolarizations. Furthermore, our simulation results suggest that these arrhythmogenic triggers can be potentially suppressed by inhibiting sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium leak and reversing remodeled IK1. More importantly, this study has clinically significant implications on the drugs used for maintaining SR calcium homeostasis, whereby drugs such as dantrolene may confer significant improvement for the treatment of AF patients with TBX5/PITX2 insufficiency.
A highly stable laccase obtained by swapping the second cupredoxin domain
Authors: Pardo Isabel , Rodríguez-Escribano David , Aza Pablo , de Salas Felipe , Martínez Angel T. , Camarero Susana 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe robustness of a high-redox potential laccase has been enhanced by swapping its second cupredoxin domain with that from another fungal laccase, which introduced a pool of neutral mutations in the protein sequence without affecting enzyme functionality. The new laccase showed outstanding stability to temperature, pH (2–9) and to organic solvents, while maintaining the ability to oxidize high-redox potential substrates. By engineering the signal peptide, enzyme secretion levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were increased, which allowed to purify the engineered enzyme for further characterization. The purified domain-swap laccase presented higher activity in the presence of ethanol or methanol, superior half-lives at 50–70 °C, improved stability at acidic pH, and similar catalytic efficiency for DMP albeit a lower one for ABTS (due to a shift in optimum pH). A new N-glycosylation site and a putative new surface salt-bridge were evaluated as possible determinants for the improved stability by site-directed mutagenesis. Although neither seemed to be strictly responsible for the improved thermostability, the new salt bridge was found to notably contribute to the high stability of the swapped enzyme in a broad pH range. Finally, the application potential of the new laccase was demonstrated with the enzymatic treatment of kraft lignin, an industrially relevant lignin stream, at high temperature, neutral pH and short incubation times.