bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Phenotype and Outcome of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Between UK and Japanese Cohorts
Authors: Furuta Shunsuke , Chaudhry Afzal N. , Arimura Yoshihiro , Dobashi Hiroaki , Fujimoto Shouichi , Homma Sakae , Rasmussen Niels , Jayne David R. 
Published: November 2016

Objective.There are differences in the frequencies of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)–associated vasculitis subgroups between different geographic regions, and we have reported differences in the phenotype of microscopic polyangiitis between Europe and Japan. In this retrospective observational study, we compared phenotypes and outcomes of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) between the United Kingdom and Japan.Methods.We identified 128 UK and 82 Japanese patients with GPA diagnosed between 2000 and 2012. We evaluated baseline characteristics including ANCA status and organ involvement, treatment, patient and renal survival, and time to first relapse.Results.Median age at onset was higher in Japan than in the UK (62.2 yrs vs 57.5 yrs, p < 0.01). The proportion of patients with proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA was lower in Japan than in the UK (61.0% vs 85.2%, p < 0.01), while the proportion of myeloperoxidase-ANCA was higher in Japan than the UK (34.1% vs 8.6%, p < 0.01). Serum creatinine at diagnosis was lower in Japan than the UK (68.1 μmol/l vs 101.0 μmol/l, p < 0.01). Respiratory involvement was more frequent in Japan than the UK (69.5% vs 40.6%, p < 0.01). In both countries, most patients received both glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. At 60 months the cumulative survival rates were 87.6% and 94.3% in Japan and the UK, respectively (p = 0.03). At 60 months the cumulative relapse rates were 37.1% and 68.1% in Japan and the UK, respectively (p < 0.01).Conclusion.Japanese patients with GPA were older at disease onset, with less PR3-ANCA positivity, milder renal dysfunction, and more frequent respiratory involvement than UK patients. The relapse-free survival rate was higher in Japan than the United Kingdom.
Rate of Comorbidities in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Population-based Study
Authors: Mohammad Aladdin J. , Englund Martin , Turesson Carl , Tomasson Gunnar , Merkel Peter A. 
Published: November 2016

Objective.To compare the rate of occurrence of comorbidities, including severe infections, in a population-based cohort of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a reference population in Southern Sweden.Methods.The study included a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven GCA cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 from the Skåne region in Southern Sweden (population: 1.2 million). For each patient, 4 reference subjects were identified from the general population and matched for age, sex, area of residence, and date of diagnosis of GCA. Using the Skåne Healthcare Register, comorbidities and severe infections (requiring hospitalization) diagnosed after GCA onset were identified. The rate of the first occurrence of each comorbidity was the result of dividing the number of subjects with a given comorbidity by the person-years of followup. The rate ratio (RR; GCA:reference population) was also calculated.Results.There were 768 patients (571 women) with GCA and 3066 reference persons included in the study. The RR were significantly elevated for osteoporosis (2.81, 95% CI 2.33–3.37), followed by venous thromboembolic diseases (2.36, 95% CI 1.61–3.40), severe infections (1.85, 95% CI 1.57–2.18), thyroid diseases (1.55, 95% CI 1.25–1.91), cerebrovascular accidents (1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.74), and diabetes mellitus (1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.56). The RR for ischemic heart disease was elevated, but did not reach statistical significance (1.20, 95% CI 1.00–1.44).Conclusion.Patients with GCA have higher rates of selected comorbidities, including severe infections, compared with a reference population. Several of these comorbidities may be related to treatment with glucocorticosteroids, emphasizing the unmet need to find alternative treatments for GCA.
Development, Sensibility, and Validity of a Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Case Ascertainment Tool
Authors: Armstrong Susan M. , Wither Joan E. , Borowoy Alan M. , Landolt-Marticorena Carolina , Davis Aileen M. , Johnson Sindhu R. 
Published: November 2016

Objective.Case ascertainment through self-report is a convenient but often inaccurate method to collect information. The purposes of this study were to develop, assess the sensibility, and validate a tool to identify cases of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) in the outpatient setting.Methods.The SARD tool was administered to subjects sampled from specialty clinics. Determinants of sensibility — comprehensibility, feasibility, validity, and acceptability — were evaluated using a numeric rating scale from 1–7. Comprehensibility was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Self-reported diagnoses were validated against medical records using Cohen’s κ statistic.Results.There were 141 participants [systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome (SS), inflammatory myositis (polymyositis/dermatomyositis; PM/DM), and controls] who completed the questionnaire. The Flesch Reading Ease score was 77.1 and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 4.4. Respondents endorsed (mean ± SD) comprehensibility (6.12 ± 0.92), feasibility (5.94 ± 0.81), validity (5.35 ± 1.10), and acceptability (3.10 ± 2.03). The SARD tool had a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88–0.94) and a specificity of 0.99 (95% CI 0.96–1.00). The agreement between the SARD tool and medical record was κ = 0.82 (95% CI 0.77–0.88). Subgroup analysis by SARD found κ coefficients for SLE to be κ = 0.88 (95% CI 0.79–0.97), SSc κ = 1.0 (95% CI 1.0–1.0), PM/DM κ = 0.72 (95% CI 0.49–0.95), and SS κ = 0.85 (95% CI 0.71–0.99). The screening questions had sensitivity ranging from 0.96 to 1.0 and specificity ranging from 0.88 to 1.0.Conclusion.This SARD case ascertainment tool has demonstrable sensibility and validity. The use of both screening and confirmatory questions confers added accuracy.
The Minimal Free Resolution of Fat Almost Complete Intersections in ℙ1 × ℙ1
Authors: Favacchio Giuseppe , Guardo Elena 
Published: November 2016

AbstractA current research theme is to compare symbolic powers of an ideal I with the regular powers of I. In this paper, we focus on the case where I = IX is an ideal deûning an almost complete intersection (ACI) set of points X in ℙ1 × ℙ1. In particular, we describe a minimal free bigraded resolution of a non-arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay (also non-homogeneous) set 𝒵 of fat points whose support is an ACI, generalizing an earlier result of Cooper et al. for homogeneous sets of triple points. We call 𝒵 a fat ACI.We also show that its symbolic and ordinary powers are equal, i.e, .
Quadrature Weights on Tensor-Product Nodes for Accurate Integration of Hypersingular Functions over Some Simple 3-D Geometric Shapes
Authors: Zinser Brian , Cai Wei , Chen Duan 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn this paper, we present accurate and economic integration quadratures for hypersingular functions over three simple geometric shapes in ℝ3 (spheres, cubes, and cylinders). The quadrature nodes are made of the tensor-product of 1-D Gauss nodes on [–1,1] for non-periodic variables or uniform nodes on [0,2π] or [0,π] for periodic ones. The quadrature weights are converted from a brute-force integration of the hypersingular function through interpolating the smooth component of the integrand. Numerical results are presented to validate the accuracy and efficiency of computing hypersingular integrals, as in the computations of Cauchy principal values, with a minimum number of quadrature nodes. The pre-calculated quadrature tables can be then readily used to implement Nyström collocation methods of hypersingular volume integral equations such as the one for Maxwell equations.
Telemedicine for Developing Countries
Authors: Combi Carlo , Pozzani Gabriele , Pozzi Giuseppe 
Published: November 2016

SummaryBackground Developing countries need telemedicine applications that help in many situations, when physicians are a small number with respect to the population, when specialized physicians are not available, when patients and physicians in rural villages need assistance in the delivery of health care. Moreover, the requirements of telemedicine applications for developing countries are somewhat more demanding than for developed countries. Indeed, further social, organizational, and technical aspects need to be considered for successful telemedicine applications in developing countries.Objective We consider all the major projects in telemedicine, devoted to developing countries, as described by the proper scientific literature. On the basis of such literature, we want to define a specific taxonomy that allows a proper classification and a fast overview of telemedicine projects in developing countries. Moreover, by considering both the literature and some recent direct experiences, we want to complete such overview by discussing some design issues to be taken into consideration when developing telemedicine software systems.Methods We considered and reviewed the major conferences and journals in depth, and looked for reports on the telemedicine projects.Results We provide the reader with a survey of the main projects and systems, from which we derived a taxonomy of features of telemedicine systems for developing countries. We also propose and discuss some classification criteria for design issues, based on the lessons learned in this research area.Conclusions We highlight some challenges and recommendations to be considered when designing a telemedicine system for developing countries.Citation: Combi C, Pozzani G, Pozzi G. Telemedicine for developing countries: a survey and some design issues.
Remote sensing algorithm for surface evapotranspiration considering landscape and statistical effects on mixed pixels
Authors: Peng Zhi Qing , Xin Xiaozhou , Jiao Jin Jun , Zhou Ti , Liu Qinhuo 
Published: November 2016

Abstract. Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in surface–atmosphere interactions and can be monitored using remote sensing data. However, surface heterogeneity, including the inhomogeneity of landscapes and surface variables, significantly affects the accuracy of ET estimated from satellite data. The objective of this study is to assess and reduce the uncertainties resulting from surface heterogeneity in remotely sensed ET using Chinese HJ-1B satellite data, which is of 30 m spatial resolution in VIS/NIR bands and 300 m spatial resolution in the thermal-infrared (TIR) band. A temperature-sharpening and flux aggregation scheme (TSFA) was developed to obtain accurate heat fluxes from the HJ-1B satellite data. The IPUS (input parameter upscaling) and TRFA (temperature resampling and flux aggregation) methods were used to compare with the TSFA in this study. The three methods represent three typical schemes used to handle mixed pixels from the simplest to the most complex. IPUS handles all surface variables at coarse resolution of 300 m in this study, TSFA handles them at 30 m resolution, and TRFA handles them at 30 and 300 m resolution, which depends on the actual spatial resolution. Analyzing and comparing the three methods can help us to get a better understanding of spatial-scale errors in remote sensing of surface heat fluxes. In situ data collected during HiWATER-MUSOEXE (Multi-Scale Observation Experiment on Evapotranspiration over heterogeneous land surfaces of the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research) were used to validate and analyze the methods. ET estimated by TSFA exhibited the best agreement with in situ observations, and the footprint validation results showed that the R2, MBE, and RMSE values of the sensible heat flux (H) were 0.61, 0.90, and 50.99 W m−2, respectively, and those for the latent heat flux (LE) were 0.82, −20.54, and 71.24 W m−2, respectively. IPUS yielded the largest errors in ET estimation. The RMSE of LE between the TSFA and IPUS methods was 51.30 W m−2, and the RMSE of LE between the TSFA and TRFA methods was 16.48 W m−2. Furthermore, additional analysis showed that the TSFA method can capture the subpixel variations of land surface temperature and the influences of various landscapes within mixed pixels.
Reflective properties of white sea ice and snow
Authors: Malinka Aleksey , Zege Eleonora , Heygster Georg , Istomina Larysa 
Published: November 2016

Abstract. White ice (ice with a highly scattering granular layer on top of its surface) and snow-covered ice occupy a large part of the sea ice area in the Arctic, the former in summer, the latter in the cold period. The inherent optical properties (IOPs) and the reflectance of these types of ice are considered from the point of view of the light scattering and radiative transfer theories. The IOPs – the extinction and absorption coefficients and the scattering phase function – are derived with the assumption that both the snow cover and the scattering layer of white ice are random mixtures of air and ice with the characteristic grain size significantly larger than the wavelength of incident light. Simple analytical formulas are put forward to calculate the bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF), albedo at direct incidence (the directional–hemispherical reflectance), and albedo at diffuse incidence (the bihemispherical reflectance). The optical model developed is verified with the data of the in situ measurements made during the R/V Polarstern expedition ARK-XXVII/3 in 2012.
Beleid voor de irrationele mens
Authors: van Putten Marijke , van Dijk Wilco , van Dijk Eric 
Published: November 2016

Policies for irrational man
Policy is often based on the assumption that people are rational decision makers. Rational decision makers search all relevant information before they make a decision. They list the pros and cons of relevant options and make a well thought choice that best fits their fixed preferences. However, research from amongst others psychology and behavioral economics shows that people decide differently and that they are irrational, emotional decision makers instead. Policy therefore fits people’s decision making strategies worse than expected. It is important for policy makers to gain insight into situational influences on decisions and the influence of the so-called choice architecture on decisions. In this article we discuss research that tested when policy was more efficient, based on behavioral insights and the view of man as an irrational, emotional being.
Establishing the Content Validity of Palpatory Examination for the Assessment of the Lumbar Spine Using Ultrasonography: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shaw K. Aaron , Dougherty John J. , Treffer Kevin D. , Glaros Alan G. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractContext:Practitioners of manipulative medicine have long sought to prove the intra- and interexaminer reliability of palpatory examinations in assessing somatic dysfunction. However, decades of research have yet to achieve the level of reproducibility needed to satisfy evidence-based criteria.Objectives:To examine the content validity of segmental motion evaluations using ultrasonographic measurements and to investigate the implication of these results for understanding the effects of an osteopathic manipulative treatment technique—high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA)—applied to somatic dysfunction in the lumbar spine.Methods:A repeated-measures design was used, with the ultrasonographer blinded to the findings for each participant. The study was divided into 2 phases: (1) palpatory and ultrasonographic examination with no treatment and (2) palpatory and ultrasonographic examination with HVLA treatment. During phase 1, measurements were taken of tissue depth corresponding to bony landmarks of the dysfunctional vertebrae. Dysfunction was identified by means of palpatory examination and captured in sequential (ie, test-retest) ultrasonographic images. Content validity of somatic dysfunction was addressed by comparing palpatory examination with ultrasonographic data. During phase 2, the same protocol for tissue depth measurements was applied to the pre- and posttreatment images for comparison.Results:Twelve young, healthy, asymptomatic students with no contraindications to HVLA treatment were recruited at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. The test-retest reliability, as determined by a Pearson correlation coefficient, was 0.997. For all participants, objectively identified side of dysfunction correlated with palpatory evaluation of segmental motion. A within-subjects analysis of variance was performed on the raw data, corrected for lumbar lordosis, showing statistical significance for main effect for side of measurement (P<.001) and interaction of side and time (P<.001), and showed no statistically significant effect for time (P=.259).Conclusion:Ultrasonography is a reliable instrument for the assessment of somatic dysfunction of the lumbar spine. The data also establish the content validity of palpatory examinations. In addition, this study provides the first objective evidence, to our knowledge, of the effect of a thrusting manipulative treatment on dysfunctional lumbar vertebrae.
Efficient flexible inverted small-bandgap organic solar cells with low-temperature zinc oxide interlayer
Authors: You Hailong , Zhang Junchi , Zhang Chunfu , Lin Zhenhua , Chen Dazheng , Chang Jingjing , Zhang Jincheng 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
In this work, we employ an aqueous solution-processed ZnO layer on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as an electron-selective layer in a flexible inverted organic solar cell (OSC) based on poly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexy)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}):[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB-7:PC71BM) blends. The electron-selective ZnO layer is prepared in a low-temperature process so that it can be compatible with a flexible substrate. An efficient flexible OSC with the configuration PET/ITO/ZnO/PTB7:PC71BM/MoO3/Ag with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) above 7.6% is obtained. The flexible device could maintain 85% of its initial PCE after 240 h when exposed under air ambient condition without any encapsulation and with a humidity of around 40%. This flexible device shows superior mechanical properties and could keep 93% of its original efficiency after 1000 bending cycles with a curvature radius of 0.8 cm. The results show that the ZnO layer deposited as the electron-selective layer through the aqueous solution is suitable for flexible OSCs.
Habit control during growth on GaN point seed crystals by Na-flux method
Authors: Honjo Masatomo , Imanishi Masayuki , Imabayashi Hiroki , Nakamura Kosuke , Murakami Kosuke , Matsuo Daisuke , Maruyama Mihoko , Imade Mamoru , Yoshimura Masashi , Mori Yusuke 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
The formation of the pyramidal habit is one of the requirements for the dramatic reduction of dislocations during growth on a tiny GaN seed called a “point seed”. In this study, we focus on controlling the growth habit to form a pyramidal shape in order to reduce the number of dislocations in the c-growth sector during growth on GaN point seeds. High temperature growth was found to change the growth habit from the truncated pyramidal shape to the pyramidal shape. As a result, the number of dislocations in the c-growth sector tended to decrease with increasing growth temperature.
Design, theoretical analysis, and experimental verification of a CMOS current integrator with 1.2 × 2.05 µm2 microelectrode array for high-sensitivity bacterial counting
Authors: Gamo Kohei , Nakazato Kazuo , Niitsu Kiichi 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
In this paper, we present the design and experimental verification of an amperometric CMOS-based sensor with a current integrator and a 1.2 × 2.05 µm2 bacterial-sized microelectrode array for high-sensitivity bacterial counting. For high-sensitivity bacterial counting with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), noise must be reduced because bacterial-sized microelectrodes can handle only a low current of the order of 100 pA. Thus, we implement a current integrator that is highly effective for noise reduction. Furthermore, for the first time, we use the current integrator in conjunction with the bacterial-sized microelectrode array. On the basis of the results of the proposed current integration, we successfully reduce noise and achieve a high SNR of 30.4 dB. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed CMOS-based sensor, we perform two-dimensional counting of microbeads, which are almost of the same size as bacteria. The measurement results demonstrate successful high-sensitivity two-dimensional (2D) counting of microbeads with a high SNR of 27 dB.
Seasonal regulation of herbivory and nutrient effects on macroalgal recruitment and succession in a Florida coral reef
Authors: Duran Alain , Collado-Vides Ligia , Burkepile Deron E. 
Published: November 2016

Herbivory and nutrient enrichment are drivers of benthic dynamics of coral reef macroalgae; however, their impact may vary seasonally. In this study we evaluated the effects of herbivore pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on seasonal recruitment and succession of macroalgal communities on a Florida coral reef. Recruitment tiles, replaced every three months, and succession tiles, kept in the field for nine months, were established in an ongoing factorial nutrient enrichment-herbivore exclusion experiment. The ongoing experiment had already created very different algal communities across the different herbivory and nutrient treatments. We tracked algal recruitment, species richness, and species abundance through time. Our results show seasonal variation in the effect of herbivory and nutrient availability on recruitment of coral reef macroalgae. In the spring, when there was higher macroalgal species richness and abundance of recruits, herbivory appeared to have more control on macroalgal community structure than did nutrients. In contrast, there was no effect of either herbivory or nutrient enrichment on macroalgal communities on recruitment tiles in cooler seasons. The abundance of recruits on tiles was positively correlated with the abundance of algal in the ongoing, established experiment, suggesting that propagule abundance is likely a strong influence on algal recruitment and early succession. Results of the present study suggest that abundant herbivorous fishes control recruitment and succession of macroalgae, particularly in the warm season when macroalgal growth is higher. However, herbivory appears less impactful on algal recruitment and community dynamics in cooler seasons. Ultimately, our data suggest that the timing of coral mortality (e.g., summer vs. winter mortality) and freeing of benthic space may strongly influence the dynamics of algae that colonize open space.
An adaptive iterative learning algorithm for boundary control of a flexible manipulator
Authors: Liu Zhijie , Liu Jinkun , He Wei 
Published: November 2016

SummaryIn this study, we consider the boundary control problem of a flexible manipulator in the presence of system parametric uncertainty and external disturbances. The dynamic behavior of the flexible manipulator is represented by partial differential equations (PDEs). Based on the Lyapunov method, we propose an adaptive iterative learning control scheme for trajectory tracking and vibration suppressing of a flexible manipulator. The proposed control scheme is designed using both a proportional‐derivative feedback structure and an iterative term. The learning convergence of iterative learning control is achieved through rigorous analysis without any simplification or discretization of the PDE dynamics. Finally, the results are illustrated using numerical simulations for control performance verification. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.