bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reference values for N-terminal Pro-brain natriuretic peptide in premature infants during their first weeks of life
Authors: Fritz Agnes-Sophie , Keller Titus , Kribs Angela , Hünseler Christoph
Published: November 2020

The aim of our study was to observe the temporal distribution of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in premature infants of ≤ 31 weeks of gestational age (GA) during the first weeks of life. NT-proBNP values of 118 preterm infants born ≤ 31 weeks GA were determined during the first week of life, after 4 ± 1 weeks of life, and at a corrected GA of 36 ± 2 weeks. Infants were divided into two groups: those without relevant complications and those with complications related to prematurity. NT-proBNP values of infants without complications define our exploratory reference values. The Median NT-proBNP level of these infants was 1896 ng/l (n = 27, interquartile range (IQR): 1277–5200) during the first week of life, 463 ng/l (n = 26, IQR: 364–704) at 4 ± 1 weeks of life, and 824 ng/l (n = 33, IQR: 714–1233) at a corrected GA of 36 ± 2 weeks. Infants born < 28 + 0 weeks GA had significantly higher NT-proBNP values (n = 9, median: 5200, IQR: 1750–8972) than infants born ≥ 28 + 0–31 weeks GA (n = 18, median: 1528, IQR: 838–3052; p = 0.017). Growth restriction or PDA status could not account for the difference in NT-proBNP values between GA groups.

Conclusions: The results of our observational and cross-sectional study describe exploratory reference values for NT-proBNP levels in preterm infants of ≤ 31 weeks GA according to postnatal age. NT-proBNP levels during the first week of life are high and widely distributed in preterm infants and decrease subsequently to reach a distinctly lower and stable plateau at around 1 month of life. Our results suggest an influence of GA on NT-proBNP values in the first week of life.

What is Known:• Several complications related to prematurity, e.g., hemodynamically significant PDA, pulmonary hypertension, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity, have been associated with a temporary rise in NT-proBNP values in preterm infants during their first weeks of life.What is New:• This observational study provides reference values for NT-proBNP levels of very and extremely preterm infants during their first weeks of life.• In premature infants without complications, NT-proBNP values during their first week of life depend on gestational age at birth.
On incorporating warping effects due to transverse shear and torsion into the theories of straight elastic bars
Authors: Lewiński T. , Czarnecki S.
Published: November 2020

By endowing El Fatmi’s theories of bars with first-order warping functions due to torsion and shear, a family of theories of bars, of various applicability ranges, is effectively constructed. The theories thus formed concern bars of arbitrary cross-sections; they are reformulations of the mentioned theories by El Fatmi and theories by Kim and Kim, Librescu and Song, Vlasov and Timoshenko. The Vlasov-like theory thus developed is capable of describing the torsional buckling and lateral buckling phenomena of bars of both solid and thin-walled cross-sections, which reflects the non-trivial correspondence, noted by Wagner and Gruttmann, between the torsional St.Venant’s warping function and the contour-wise defined warping functions proposed by Vlasov. Moreover, the present paper delivers an explicit construction of the constitutive equations of Timoshenko’s theory; the equations linking transverse forces with the measures of transverse shear turn out to be coupled for all bars of asymmetric cross-sections. The modeling is hierarchical: the warping functions are numerically constructed by solving the three underlying 2D scalar elliptic problems, providing the effective characteristics for the 1D models of bars. The 2D and 1D problems are indissolubly bonded, thus forming a unified scientific tool, deeply rooted in the hitherto existing knowledge on elasticity of elastic straight bars.
Nonnegative forms with sublevel sets of minimal volume
Authors: Kozhasov Khazhgali , Lasserre Jean Bernard
Published: November 2020

We show that the Euclidean ball has the smallest volume among sublevel sets of nonnegative forms of bounded Bombieri norm as well as among sublevel sets of sum of squares forms whose Gram matrix has bounded Frobenius or nuclear (or, more generally, p-Schatten) norm. These volume-minimizing properties of the Euclidean ball with respect to its representation (as a sublevel set of a form of fixed even degree) complement its numerous intrinsic geometric properties. We also provide a probabilistic interpretation of the results.
Scheduling coupled tasks with exact delays for minimum total job completion time
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhang Xiandong
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we fill in a conspicuous gap in research on scheduling coupled tasks. We draw a full complexity picture for single-machine scheduling of coupled tasks with exact time delays in between with the objective of minimizing the total of job completion times.
Back to WHAT? The role of research ethics in pandemic times
Authors: Solbakk Jan Helge , Bentzen Heidi Beate , Holm Søren , Heggestad Anne Kari Tolo , Hofmann Bjørn , Robertsen Annette , Alnæs Anne Hambro , Cox Shereen , Pedersen Reidar , Bernabe Rose
Published: November 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic creates an unprecedented threatening situation worldwide with an urgent need for critical reflection and new knowledge production, but also a need for imminent action despite prevailing knowledge gaps and multilevel uncertainty. With regard to the role of research ethics in these pandemic times some argue in favor of exceptionalism, others, including the authors of this paper, emphasize the urgent need to remain committed to core ethical principles and fundamental human rights obligations all reflected in research regulations and guidelines carefully crafted over time. In this paper we disentangle some of the arguments put forward in the ongoing debate about Covid-19 human challenge studies (CHIs) and the concomitant role of health-related research ethics in pandemic times. We suggest it might be helpful to think through a lens differentiating between risk, strict uncertainty and ignorance. We provide some examples of lessons learned by harm done in the name of research in the past and discuss the relevance of this legacy in the current situation.
The two-stage interaction of Ebola virus VP40 with nucleoprotein results in a switch from viral RNA synthesis to virion assembly/budding
Authors: Wu Linjuan , Jin Dongning , Wang Dan , Jing Xuping , Gong Peng , Qin Yali , Chen Mingzhou
Published: November 2020

Ebola virus (EBOV) is an enveloped negative-sense RNA virus and a member of the filovirus family. Nucleoprotein (NP) expression alone leads to the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs), which are critical for viral RNA synthesis. The matrix protein, VP40, not only plays a critical role in virus assembly/budding, but also can regulate transcription and replication of the viral genome. However, the molecular mechanism by which VP40 regulates viral RNA synthesis and virion assembly/budding is unknown. Here, we show that within IBs the N-terminus of NP recruits VP40 and is required for VLP-containing NP release. Furthermore, we find four point mutations (L692A, P697A, P698A and W699A) within the C-terminal hydrophobic core of NP result in a stronger VP40–NP interaction within IBs, sequestering VP40 within IBs, reducing VP40–VLP egress, abolishing the incorporation of NC-like structures into VP40–VLP, and inhibiting viral RNA synthesis, suggesting that the interaction of N-terminus of NP with VP40 induces a conformational change in the C-terminus of NP. Consequently, the C-terminal hydrophobic core of NP is exposed and binds VP40, thereby inhibiting RNA synthesis and initiating virion assembly/budding.
Renal epithelial and stromal tumor with a multiple cystic lesion localized in the upper portion of the right kidney
Authors: Sawamura Masato , Sawa Naoki , Yamanouchi Masayuki , Ikuma Daisuke , Sekine Akinari , Mizuno Hiroki , Suwabe Tatsuya , Hoshino Junichi , Kono Kei , Kinowaki Keiichi , Ohashi Kenichi , Nagashima Yoji , Ubara Yoshifumi
Published: November 2020

A 60-year-old Japanese woman was admitted because of the polycystic mass with right flank pain localized in the upper portion of the right kidney. Right nephrectomy was performed because the mass lesion had continuously increased in size over the past 10 years. A surgical specimen showed histology consistent with a mixed epithelial and stromal tumor, which is closely related to multilocular cystic nephroma, and was diagnosed by a defined capsule between the cystic mass lesion and normal renal tissue by CT and MRI, and histology. Localized renal cystic disease that does not have a capsule was excluded from differential diagnosis.
Ist mehr besser? Politische Implikationen der disparaten Daseinsvorsorge in Deutschland
Authors: Diermeier Matthias
Published: November 2020

Die Covid-19-Krise verschärft die bereits lebhaft geführte Diskussion um regionale Disparitäten in der Daseinsvorsorge. Insbesondere im dünnbesiedelten, ländlichen Raum hatten viele Kommunen schon vor der aktuellen Ausnahmesituation Schwierigkeiten, attraktive medizinische Versorgung, Bildungsinfrastruktur, öffentlichen Personennahverkehr oder Breitbandinternet bereitzustellen. Während einerseits die weitere Stärkung urbaner Zentren zur Diskussion steht, wird den Menschen im ländlichen Raum andererseits ein Gefühl des Verlassenwerdens attestiert, das auf einen kulturellen Stadt-Land-Konflikt hinzudeuten scheint. Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet den Auftakt für die kleinräumige empirisch fundierte Debatte um Daseinsvorsorge und die Entfremdung von etablierten Parteien in Deutschland. Die Analyse beruht auf einem zu diesem Zweck aufgebauten Datensatz, der neben einem Index der Daseinsvorsorge auch eine Auswertung der Distanz zum nächstgelegenen Bahnhof und der Erreichbarkeit des nächstgelegenen Krankenhauses auf Gemeindeebene für die Bundestagswahl 2017 sowie die Europawahl 2019 erlaubt. Wie aus anderen westlichen Demokratien zu erwarten, geht auch in Deutschland ein besseres AfD-Ergebnis mit einer schwächeren Daseinsvorsorge einher. Ein Teil dieses Effektes ist jedoch schlicht auf die Divergenz zwischen ländlichem Raum und urbaner Agglomeration zurückzuführen und zeigt sich entgegen der Erwartungen weniger deutlich oder gar nicht zwischen kleineren ländlichen Gemeinden. Zudem steigt die Zustimmung zum Rechtspopulismus weder mit zunehmender Distanz zum nächstgelegenen Bahnhof noch mit einer höheren Kommunalverschuldung. Trotzdem deutet auch in den kleineren Gemeinden einiges auf Erfolge der AfD in Räumen politischer Entfremdung und wirtschaftlicher Schwierigkeiten hin. Robust schneidet die rechtspopulistische Partei umso besser ab desto geringer die vorherrschende Wahlbeteiligung desto stärker die Gemeinde von Abwanderung betroffen sowie desto angespannter der Arbeitsmarkt ist. Eine innovative Wirtschaft vor Ort hat hingegen das Potenzial, die Zustimmung zu den Rechtspopulisten abzumildern.
Forces of Reproduction
Authors: Barca Stefania
Published: November 2020

The concept of Anthropocene has been incorporated within a hegemonic narrative that represents 'Man' as the dominant geological force of our epoch, emphasizing the destruction and salvation power of industrial technologies. This Element will develop a counter-hegemonic narrative based on the perspective of earthcare labour – or the 'forces of reproduction'. It brings to the fore the historical agency of reproductive and subsistence workers as those subjects that, through both daily practices and organized political action, take care of the biophysical conditions for human reproduction, thus keeping the world alive. Adopting a narrative justice approach, and placing feminist political ecology right at the core of its critique of the Anthropocene storyline, this Element offers a novel and timely contribution to the environmental humanities.
Dynamical incoherence for a large class of partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms
Authors: BARTHELMÉ THOMAS , FENLEY SERGIO R. , FRANKEL STEVEN , POTRIE RAFAEL
Published: November 2020

We show that if a partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism of a Seifert manifold induces a map in the base which has a pseudo-Anosov component then it cannot be dynamically coherent. This extends [C. Bonatti, A. Gogolev, A. Hammerlindl and R. Potrie. Anomalous partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms III: Abundance and incoherence.Geom. Topol., to appear] to the whole isotopy class. We relate the techniques to the study of certain partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms in hyperbolic 3-manifolds performed in [T. Barthelmé, S. Fenley, S. Frankel and R. Potrie. Partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms homotopic to the identity in dimension 3, part I: The dynamically coherent case.Preprint, 2019, arXiv:1908.06227; Partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms homotopic to the identity in dimension 3, part II: Branching foliations.Preprint, 2020, arXiv: 2008.04871]. The appendix reviews some consequences of the Nielsen–Thurston classification of surface homeomorphisms for the dynamics of lifts of such maps to the universal cover.
Periodic point free homeomorphisms and irrational rotation factors
Authors: KOCSARD ALEJANDRO
Published: November 2020

We provide a complete characterization of periodic point free homeomorphisms of the

$2$
-torus admitting irrational circle rotations as topological factors. Given a homeomorphism of the

$2$
-torus without periodic points and exhibiting uniformly bounded rotational deviations with respect to a rational direction, we show that annularity and the geometry of its non-wandering set are the only possible obstructions for the existence of an irrational circle rotation as topological factor. Through a very precise study of the dynamics of the induced

$\rho $
-centralized skew-product, we extend and generalize considerably previous results of Jäger.
Perros indígenas en el Noreste argentino
Authors: Castro Juan Carlos , Bonomo Mariano , González Venanzi Lucio , Cornero Silvia
Published: November 2020

El registro deCanis familiarisen contextos arqueológicos resulta cada vez más frecuente en Sudamérica. En este escenario, este trabajo discute su rol económico y social dentro de las sociedades indígenas prehispánicas. Se presentan nuevos hallazgos de perros procedentes de cinco sitios arqueológicos del Noreste argentino. La muestra estudiada incluye siete especímenes craneales y uno poscraneal correspondientes a individuos jóvenes y adultos, de tamaños medianos (13-23 kg). Algunos de los especímenes presentan huellas de corte y marcas de carnívoros. Tres nuevas fechas taxón ubican a la muestra entre aproximadamente 2500 y 900 cal aP. Se concluye queC. familiarispresenta edades y tamaños ligeramente mayores a los registrados previamente. Asimismo, la evidencia antrópica indica procesamiento y consumo de esta especie. Las dataciones extienden el rango cronológico conocido previamente para este taxón en Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay. Su presencia se vincula a cazadores-recolectores-pescadores y horticultores, con una marcada adaptación fluvial durante el Holoceno tardío.
REAL-TIME PROBABILISTIC NOWCASTS OF UK QUARTERLY GDP GROWTH USING A MIXED-FREQUENCY BOTTOM-UP APPROACH
Authors: Galvão Ana Beatriz , Lopresto Marta
Published: November 2020

We propose a nowcasting system to obtain real-time predictive intervals for the first-release of UK quarterly GDP growth that can be implemented in a menu-driven econometric software. We design a bottom-up approach: forecasts for GDP components (from the output and the expenditure approaches) are inputs into the computation of probabilistic forecasts for GDP growth. For each GDP component considered, mixed-data-sampling regressions are applied to extract predictive content from monthly and quarterly indicators. We find that predictions from the nowcasting system are accurate, in particular when nowcasts are computed using monthly indicators 30 days before the GDP release. The system is also able to provide well-calibrated predictive intervals.
USING RADIOCARBON DATA TO CHRONOLOGICALLY CONTROL POPULATION DENSITY ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTED INTRA-SETTLEMENT DISTRIBUTIONAL DATA
Authors: Ritchison Brandon T
Published: November 2020

Population density is an important variable in the development of social complexity. Estimating population densities from the archaeological record requires combining estimates of population, area, and time. Archaeological population estimates tend to be reported as a maximum population derived from the total accumulation of discrete archaeological material types, usually ceramics or radiocarbon (14C) dates. However, given the palimpsest nature of the archaeological record at recurrently occupied archaeological sites, these maximal, total estimates are, at best, a poor reflection of contemporaneous populations. I present a method for calculating average yearly population densities for occupations at a large, multicomponent site using a combination of distributional data and 60 14C dates. By employing this method at other sites in the same region, modeling intra-regional population dynamics at fine time scales will be possible.
Race politics research and the American presidency: thinking about white attitudes, identities and vote choice in the Trump era and beyond
Authors: Buyuker Beyza , D'Urso Amanda Jadidi , Filindra Alexandra , Kaplan Noah J.
Published: November 2020

Heeding the call of the special issue, we look at the past decade's advances in public opinion studies of our understanding of the relationship between white racial identities, attitudes, and presidential voting preferences. Following a short review of developments in the literature during the Obama years, we critically evaluated four theories explaining whites' support for Trump: racial resentment, xenophobia, sexism, and white identity. Using data from three ANES studies, we test the relative explanatory power of all four approaches in predicting a vote for Trump during the 2016 Republican primary, the 2016 election, and intent to vote for him in 2020. The results suggest that xenophobia had the most consistent effect across all models, followed by racial resentment and sexism. White identity appears to have influenced voting for Trump in the primary and it could also have an impact in the 2020 election, but its effect in the 2016 general election does not appear to have been consistent with theoretical expectations. Finally, we use these results to think critically about the state of the field and propose new questions and challenges for research.
Ecological niche modeling (ENM) ofLeptoglossus clypealisa new potential global invader: following in the footsteps ofLeptoglossus occidentalis?
Authors: Olivera Leonela , Minghetti Eugenia , Montemayor Sara I.
Published: November 2020

The introduction of alien species is one of the main problems in conservation. Many successful invaders cause severe economic and ecological damage. Such is the case ofLeptoglossus occidentalis, a phytophagous true bug native to North America, which has become a pest in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Within the genus, another species whose distributional range is expanding toward the east of North America isLeptoglossus clypealis. As climate determines the successful establishment of insects, the identification of climatically suitable areas for invasive species based on ecological niche models (ENMs) offers an excellent opportunity for preventing invasions. In this study, ENMs were built for both species and their native climatic niches were compared. Their niche breath was also measured. The climatic niches of both species are identical and the niche breadth ofL. clypealisis broader than that ofL. occidentalis. In view of the great ecological resemblance between these two species, we believe thatL. clypealiscould became a major pest thus it should be carefully monitored. The results of the present worldwide ENMs showed numerous regions with suitable conditions for the establishment of both species. The future ENMs exhibited a retraction in the suitable areas in North America, Europe and Asia.
THE FINITISTIC DIMENSION AND CHAIN CONDITIONS ON IDEALS
Authors: ZHENG JUNLING , HUANG ZHAOYONG
Published: November 2020

Let Λ be an artin algebra and $0=I_{0}\subseteq I_{1} \subseteq I_{2}\subseteq\cdots \subseteq I_{n}$ a chain of ideals of Λ such that $(I_{i+1}/I_{i})\rad(\Lambda/I_{i})=0$ for any $0\leq i\leq n-1$ and $\Lambda/I_{n}$ is semisimple. If either none or the direct sum of exactly two consecutive ideals has infinite projective dimension, then the finitistic dimension conjecture holds for Λ. As a consequence, we have that if either none or the direct sum of exactly two consecutive terms in the radical series of Λ has infinite projective dimension, then the finitistic dimension conjecture holds for Λ. Some known results are obtained as corollaries.
Foxconn, Ciudad Juárez, and the Trials of Solidarity
Authors: Solis Gabriel
Published: November 2020

In San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez, a beige monolith of placid architecture hovers over the newly reconstructed US-Mexico border wall. Looking like a mix between a prison and a city built entirely of suburban Walmarts, this is in fact Foxconn's largest assembly plant at the US-Mexico Border; a shrine of sorts to over fifty-five years of low-cost export manufacturing in the region. And in 2010, it was where a decade of labor struggle was about begin. On a cold night in February 2010, around three hundred night workers at Foxconn's San Jeronimo factory on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, anxiously waited for company buses to finally deliver them home after a long shift. Soon enough however, managers filed out of the factory to inform the workers that the due to technical issues, the buses were not coming. According to worker accounts, the managers explained that the best thing these workers could do was work an extra shift, and wait for the buses to arrive later in the morning. Realizing that they were essentially being held against their will at the remote factory, and perhaps fueled by recent lay-offs on the assembly line and consistent pressure to work extra shifts, anger erupted in the crowd. By the end of the night, workers had set fire to the cafeteria, smashed the managers’ dormitory windows, and collided more than once with security guards. Days later, despite Foxconn's assurance to the press that there would be no reprisal, around 75 night-shift workers were identified and fired from the company.
Dynamic Assessment and second language development
Authors: Poehner Matthew E. , Wang Zhaoyu
Published: November 2020

This timeline is concerned with Dynamic Assessment (henceforth, DA) as it has been taken up and elaborated in contexts involving the teaching, learning, and assessment of learners of second languages (L2s). DA is distinguished by its insistence that an individual's independent performance of assessment tasks reveals only part of his/her abilities, namely those that have completed their development at the time of the assessment; insights into abilities that have begun to emerge but have not yet fully developed can be determined according to an individual's responsiveness to particular kinds of support, referred to as mediation (e.g., reminders, leading questions, hints, provision of a model, feedback), offered during the assessment as difficulties arise (Haywood & Lidz, 2006). In this respect, DA differs from more conventional distinctions in assessment, such as that between assessments concerned with the results of previous learning (‘summative assessment’) and those intended to provide information relevant to subsequent instruction (‘formative assessment’). Instead, the embedding of an interactive, instructional element within the assessment procedure allows for the possibility of expanding the evidential basis upon which summative interpretations of learner abilities are made; that is, the results encompass previous learning that has resulted in both complete and partial understanding of relevant concepts. At the same time, DA serves a formative function in so far as interaction allows insights into the underlying sources of learner difficulties and the kind of support to which they are most responsive (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2002).
Crystal structure of hyoscyamine sulfate monohydrate, (C17H24NO3)2(SO4)(H2O)
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: November 2020

The crystal structure of hyoscyamine sulfate monohydrate has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional techniques. Hyoscyamine sulfate monohydrate crystallizes in space group P21 (#4) with a = 6.60196(2), b = 12.95496(3), c = 20.93090(8) Å, β = 94.8839(2)°, V = 1783.680(5) Å3, and Z = 2. Despite the traditional description as a dihydrate, hyoscyamine sulfate crystallizes as a monohydrate. The two independent hyoscyamine cations have different conformations, which have similar energies. One of the cations is close to the minimum-energy conformation. Each of the protonated nitrogen atoms in the cations acts as a donor to the sulfate anion. The hydroxyl group of one cation acts as a donor to the sulfate anion, while the hydroxyl group of the other cation acts as a donor to the water molecule. The water molecule acts as a donor to two different sulfate anions. The cations and anions are linked by complex chains of hydrogen bonds along the a-axis. The powder pattern has been submitted for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
Cognitive Phenotypes of Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Czech Brain Aging Study
Authors: Jester Dylan J. , Andel Ross , Cechová Katerina , Laczó Jan , Lerch Ondrej , Marková Hana , Nikolai Tomás , Vyhnálek Martin , Hort Jakub
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To compare cognitive phenotypes of participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), estimate progression to MCI/dementia by phenotype and assess classification error with machine learning.

Method:

Dataset consisted of 163 participants with SCD and 282 participants with aMCI from the Czech Brain Aging Study. Cognitive assessment included the Uniform Data Set battery and additional tests to ascertain executive function, language, immediate and delayed memory, visuospatial skills, and processing speed. Latent profile analyses were used to develop cognitive profiles, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of progression. Random forest machine learning algorithms reported cognitive phenotype classification error.

Results:

Latent profile analysis identified three phenotypes for SCD, with one phenotype performing worse across all domains but not progressing more quickly to MCI/dementia after controlling for age, sex, and education. Three aMCI phenotypes were characterized by mild deficits, memory and language impairment (dysnomic aMCI), and severe multi-domain aMCI (i.e., deficits across all domains). A dose–response relationship between baseline level of impairment and subsequent risk of progression to dementia was evident for aMCI profiles after controlling for age, sex, and education. Machine learning more easily classified participants with aMCI in comparison to SCD (8% vs. 21% misclassified).

Conclusions:

Cognitive performance follows distinct patterns, especially within aMCI. The patterns map onto risk of progression to dementia.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND HUMAN JOBS
Authors: Lu Chia-Hui
Published: November 2020

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) does influence human jobs but not necessarily in a negative way. Although labor force participation rates and firms’ job vacancies for human labor decline, the unemployment rate may be lower than that in an economy without AI. In an economy with heterogeneously skilled workers, the invention of AI usually has a negative effect on the skilled labor market but a positive effect on the unskilled labor market. The overall unemployment rate may decline as AI develops.
Breaking Bad? How Survey Experiments Prime Americans for War Crimes
Authors: Carpenter Charli , Montgomery Alexander H. , Nylen Alexandria
Published: November 2020

What affects Americans’ sensitivity to international laws and norms on the use of force? A wealth of recent IR literature tackles this question through experimental surveys using fictional scenarios and treatments to explore precisely when Americans would approve of government policies that would violate the laws of war. We test whether such survey experiments may themselves be affecting public sensitivity to these norms—or even Americans’ understanding of the content of the norms themselves. We show that being invited to express a preference regarding war crimes in survey settings has a negative impact on Americans’ understanding of US legal and ethical obligations in war and that reporting previous findings can inflate support for war crimes. We conclude with suggestions for future experimental survey design in international relations and international law.
TRANSIT AFFINITIES
Authors: Purifoye Gwendolyn Y. , Brooms Derrick R.
Published: November 2020

Much of the scholarship on poor Black urban communities focuses on social disorganization at the neighborhood level and how Blacks experience various institutional inequalities that impact their access to quality education and housing, jobs, and equitable public transportation. But Black social life is not a monolith of chaos, subjugation, and inequalities, nor is it confined to stationary neighborhoods. Black urban life is in fact vibrant, celebratory, and communal. Using two years of ethnographic observations on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses and trains, we highlight the sociality of Black mobile experiences within Black spaces. Specifically, we examine how Blacks, while traveling into and through majority Black communities, form positive intraracial relationships that we refer to as Black transit affinities, which are a type of actively developed, temporal, meaningful interactions that take place on mobile systems. These transit affinities move beyond linked fate and solidarity but are actively formed and have four distinctive features, they are: 1) personal; 2) mutually engaged; 3) actively maintained although interrupted by stops on the bus or train; and, 4) particular to majority-minority areas of the city. These transit affinities are intraracial and were not observed, as defined, interracially or in majority White areas of the city. We do not argue that they are exclusive to Blacks but that they took place among Blacks in Black spaces that have often been ascribed a narrative of disorganization, violence, and social fragmentation.
Postimplantation syndrome in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair – a systematic review
Authors: Bradley Nicholas Andrew , Roxburgh Campbell , Khan Faisel , Guthrie Graeme
Published: November 2020

Summary: Postimplantation syndrome (PIS) following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a poorly understood phenomenon occurring in the early post-operative course. The underlying aetiology, risk factors, clinical sequalae, and treatment options, are largely unknown. The lack of any standardised diagnostic criteria limits current research in this field. The MEDLINE database was interrogated using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search strategy. Five search terms were used; “postimplantation syndrome” AND “aneurysm”, AND “infection”, AND “complications”, AND “biomarkers”, AND “outcomes”. 19 studies were included in the review process, reporting a 17.4%–39.0% incidence of PIS. IL-6 was the most commonly elevated biomarker in PIS vs. non-PIS patients. There was a higher incidence of PIS in patients who received polyester rather than expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts. There was a lower rate of type 2 endoleaks observed in patients who developed PIS. Early major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were higher in PIS patients, however there were no studies reporting long-term MACE. Length of stay was higher in PIS patients. Current data support the role of IL-6 as being key to the development of PIS following EVAR. Further work describing the effect that PIS has on long-term clinical outcomes is needed. Lack of standardised diagnostic criteria limit the reporting of PIS between centres, the criteria proposed by this review may resolve this.
Prüfungsangstprofile von Schülerinnen und Schülern und deren Zusammenhänge mit verschiedenen Schülermerkmalen
Authors: Lohbeck Annette
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Querschnittsstudie mit 696 Schülerinnen und Schülern zwischen 10 und 18 Jahren untersucht anhand latenter Profilanalysen, ob sich die Prüfungsangst von Schülerinnen und Schülern in Profilen klassifizieren lässt, wie sich diese Profile hinsichtlich verschiedener Schülermerkmale voneinander unterscheiden und ob spezifische Lernverhaltensmerkmale (Ausdauer, Konzentration, Selbstständigkeit, Sorgfalt) durch diese Profile erklärbar sind. Basierend auf den zwei zentralen Prüfungsangstfacetten Besorgtheit und Aufgeregtheit ließen sich fünf Prüfungsangstprofile identifizieren: die „Prüfungsängstlichen“, die „Unbesorgten“, die „Unauffälligen“, die „Gelassenen“ und die „Besorgten“. Diese fünf Profile unterschieden sich hinsichtlich des Geschlechts, des Selbstkonzepts und der Zielorientierung sowie der Erklärung des Lernverhaltens. Multinomiale logistische Regressionsanalysen zeigten z.B., dass Mädchen häufiger den „Prüfungsängstlichen“ angehörten als Jungen und sich das Selbstkonzept, die Lernzielorientierung und die Vermeidungs-Leistungszielorientierung als bedeutsame Prädiktoren der Profilzugehörigkeit erwiesen. Schülerinnn und Schüler mit geringeren Werten in der Besorgtheit und durchschnittlichen Werten in der Aufgeregtheit („Unbesorgte“) berichteten die ungünstigsten Lernverhaltensweisen.
A Hybrid Lister‐Outrigger Probe for Rapid Marine Geothermal Gradient Measurement
Authors: Hornbach Matthew J. , Sylvester Joshua , Hayward Chris , Kühn Michel , Huhn‐Frehers Katrin , Freudenthal Tim , Watt Sebastian F. L. , Berndt Christian , Kutterolf Steffen , Kuhlmann Jannis , Sievers Carina , Rapp Sophia , Pallapies Kilian , Gatter Ricarda , Hoenekopp Leonie
Published: November 2020

We have successfully constructed and tested a new, portable, Hybrid Lister‐Outrigger (HyLO) probe designed to measure geothermal gradients in submarine environments. The lightweight, low‐cost probe is 1–3 m long and contains 4–12 semiconductor temperature sensors that have a temperature resolution of 0.002°C, a sample rate of <2 s, and a maximum working depth of ~2,100 m below sea level (mbsl). Probe endurance is continuous via ship power to water depths of ~700 mbsl or up to ~1 week on batteries in depths >500 mbsl. Data are saved on solid‐state disks, transferred directly to the ship during deployment via a data cable, or transmitted via Bluetooth when the probe is at the sea surface. The probe contains an accelerometer to measure tilt, internal pressure, temperature, and humidity gauges. Key advantages of this probe include (1) near‐real‐time temperature measurements and data transfer; (2) a low‐cost, transportable, and lightweight design; (3) easy and rapid two‐point attachment to a gravity corer, (4) short (3–5 min) thermal response times; (5) high temporal/spatial resolution; and (6) longer deployment endurance compared to traditional methods. We successfully tested the probe both in lakes and during sea trials in May 2019 offshore Montserrat during the R/V Meteor Cruise 154/2. Probe‐measured thermal gradients were consistent with seafloor ocean‐drilling temperature measurements. Ongoing probe improvements include the addition of real‐time bottom‐camera feeds and long‐term (6–12 months) deployment for monitoring.
Effect of Geometry and Fluid Viscosity on Dynamics of Fluid‐Filled Cracks: Insights From Analog Experimental Observations
Authors: Cao Haitao , Medici Ezequiel F. , Waite Gregory P. , Askari Roohollah
Published: November 2020

Fluid‐filled volumes in geological systems can change the local stress field in the host rock and may induce brittle deformation as well as crack propagation. Although the mechanisms relating fluid pressure perturbations and seismicity have been widely studied, the fluid‐solid interaction inside the crack of a host rock is still not well understood. An analog experimental model of fluid intrusion in cracks between planar layers has been developed to study stress conditions at the margins and tips. A combined high‐speed shadowgraph and a photoelasticity imaging system is used to visualize the fluid dynamics and induced stresses on the solid matrix. Cavitation, as well as bubble growth and collapse, occurs along the sawtooth crack margins, which produces a highly localized stress concentration to initiate new subcrack systems. The presence of the bubbles at the crack tip during fluid pressure perturbation can enhance crack propagation.
Causes of the Widespread 2019–2020 Australian Bushfire Season
Authors: Deb Proloy , Moradkhani Hamid , Abbaszadeh Peyman , Kiem Anthony S. , Engström Johanna , Keellings David , Sharma Ashish
Published: November 2020

The recent bushfires (2019–2020) in New South Wales (NSW) Australia were catastrophic by claiming human and animal lives, affecting ecosystems, destroying infrastructure, and more. Recent studies have investigated relationships between hydroclimatic signals and past bushfires, and very recently, a few commentary papers claimed drought and fuel moisture content as the probable causes for the widespread 2019–2020 bushfires. Therefore, in this study, a novel work of encompassing a wide range of factors attributing to the recent bushfires is presented. Empirical evidence‐based statistical methods are used to identify the hydroclimatic variables and geomorphic characteristics contributing to the 2019–2020 bushfires. The results highlight that ongoing drought, surface soil moisture (SSM), wind speed (WS10), relative humidity (RH), heat waves (HW), dead and live fuel moisture, and certain land cover types create favorable conditions for fire ignition and aid in fire propagation in different regions of the NSW state. The findings suggest that accounting for the above‐identified variables in bushfire prediction and monitoring system are crucial in avoiding such catastrophes in the future. The overarching application of this study is developing robust and more versatile fire protection planning and management.
Quantifying Dynamic Water Storage in Unsaturated Bedrock with Borehole Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Authors: Schmidt Logan , Rempe Daniella
Published: November 2020

Quantifying the volume of water that is stored in the subsurface is critical to studies of water availability to ecosystems, slope stability, and water‐rock interactions. In a variety of settings, water is stored in fractured and weathered bedrock as rock moisture. However, few techniques are available to measure rock moisture in unsaturated rock, making direct estimates of water storage dynamics difficult to obtain. Here, we use borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at two sites in seasonally dry California to quantify dynamic rock moisture storage. We show strong agreement between NMR estimates of dynamic storage and estimates derived from neutron logging and mass balance techniques. The depths of dynamic storage are up to 9 m and likely reflect the depth extent of root water uptake. To our knowledge, these data are the first to quantify the volume and depths of dynamic water storage in the bedrock vadose zone via borehole NMR.
Microwave Retrievals of Soil Moisture Improve Grassland Wildfire Predictions
Authors: Rigden Angela J. , Powell Robert S. , Trevino Aleyda , McColl Kaighin A. , Huybers Peter
Published: November 2020

Statistical analyses of wildfires demonstrate that vapor pressure deficit (VPD) allows for skillful predictions, likely because it reflects fuel moisture content. Soil moisture provides a potentially complimentary measure of water availability but has been less explored because of sparse measurements. Using measurements from the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite, the predictive skill afforded by using VPD and soil moisture together is explored across the Western United States. Receiver operating characteristic curves estimated from 1,907 fires indicate that inclusion of soil moisture in addition to VPD observations permits for more skillful prediction (p < 0.05). When VPD already signals high risk, the addition of soil moisture reduces the false positive rate grasslands (from 75% to 62%), shrublands (76% to 67%), and forests (74% to 68%) for a true positive rate of 75%. These results show potential to improve daily fire risk models with the addition of remotely sensed soil moisture.
Atmospheric Processing of Nitrophenols and Nitrocresols From Biomass Burning Emissions
Authors: Wang Hongli , Gao Yaqin , Wang Siyuan , Wu Xiaokang , Liu Ying , Li Xin , Huang Dandan , Lou Shengrong , Wu Zhijun , Guo Song , Jing Shengao , Li Yingjie , Huang Cheng , Tyndall Geoffrey S. , Orlando John J. , Zhang Xuan
Published: November 2020

We present the analysis of the atmospheric budget of nitrophenols and nitrocresols, a class of nitroaromatics that raise great ecosystem and health concerns due to their phytotoxic and genotoxic properties, during the spring wheat harvest season in Eastern China. Significant quantities with maximum concentrations over 100 pptv and distinct diurnal patterns that peak around midnight and maintain low levels throughout the day were observed, in coincidence with the extensive open crop residue burning activities conducted in the vicinity. An observationally constrained zero‐dimension box model was constructed to assess the relative importance of various production and removal pathways at play in determining the measured surface concentrations. The NO3‐initiated dark chemistry, in concert with meteorological variations predominantly dilution and entrainment, exerts major controls over the observed diurnal behaviors of nitrophenols and nitrocresols. Structural isomerism is predicted to have a significant impact on the multiphase partitioning and chemistry of nitrophenol isomers. Furthermore, simulations show that an appreciable amount of nitrophenols is present in the aerosol water, thereby representing an important source of water‐soluble brown carbon in atmospheric aerosols under the humid subtropical weather prevailing during the campaign. Sensitivity analysis performed on the model parameterizations of reaction schemes helps to further understand the chemistry underlying the diurnal cycles. Implementing NO‐dependent yields of cresols from toluene photooxidation improves the model predictions of nitrocresols at low NO ranges (<1 ppb), thereby underscoring the complexity of the peroxy radical reaction pathways from toluene photooxidation under atmospheric relevant conditions.
Deep brain stimulation for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): emerging or established therapy?
Authors: Wu Hemmings , Hariz Marwan , Visser-Vandewalle Veerle , Zrinzo Ludvic , Coenen Volker A. , Sheth Sameer A. , Bervoets Chris , Naesström Matilda , Blomstedt Patric , Coyne Terry , Hamani Clement , Slavin Konstantin , Krauss Joachim K. , Kahl Kai G. , Taira Takaomi , Zhang Chencheng , Sun Bomin , Toda Hiroki , Schlaepfer Thomas , Chang Jin Woo , Régis Jean , Schuurman Rick , Schulder Michael , Doshi Paresh , Mosley Philip , Poologaindran Anujan , Lázaro-Muñoz Gabriel , Pepper Joshua , Schechtmann Gaston , Fytagoridis Anders , Huys Daniel , Gonçalves-Ferreira Antonio , D’Haese Pierre-François , Neimat Joseph , Broggi Giovanni , Vilela-Filho Osvaldo , Voges Jürgen , Alkhani Ahmed , Nakajima Takeshi , Richieri Raphaelle , Djurfeldt Diana , Fontaine Philippe , Martinez-Alvarez Roberto , Okamura Yasushi , Chandler Jennifer , Watanabe Katsushige , Barcia Juan A. , Reneses Blanca , Lozano Andres , Gabriëls Loes , De Salles Antonio , Halpern Casey H. , Matthews Keith , Fins Joseph J. , Nuttin Bart
Published: November 2020

A consensus has yet to emerge whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be considered an established therapy. In 2014, the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN) published consensus guidelines stating that a therapy becomes established when “at least two blinded randomized controlled clinical trials from two different groups of researchers are published, both reporting an acceptable risk-benefit ratio, at least comparable with other existing therapies. The clinical trials should be on the same brain area for the same psychiatric indication.” The authors have now compiled the available evidence to make a clear statement on whether DBS for OCD is established therapy. Two blinded randomized controlled trials have been published, one with level I evidence (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score improved 37% during stimulation on), the other with level II evidence (25% improvement). A clinical cohort study (N = 70) showed 40% Y-BOCS score improvement during DBS, and a prospective international multi-center study 42% improvement (N = 30). The WSSFN states that electrical stimulation for otherwise treatment refractory OCD using a multipolar electrode implanted in the ventral anterior capsule region (including bed nucleus of stria terminalis and nucleus accumbens) remains investigational. It represents an emerging, but not yet established therapy. A multidisciplinary team involving psychiatrists and neurosurgeons is a prerequisite for such therapy, and the future of surgical treatment of psychiatric patients remains in the realm of the psychiatrist.
Broad genic repression domains signify enhanced silencing of oncogenes
Authors: Zhao Dongyu , Zhang Lili , Zhang Min , Xia Bo , Lv Jie , Gao Xinlei , Wang Guangyu , Meng Qingshu , Yi Yang , Zhu Sen , Tomoiaga Alin S. , Lee Min Gyu , Cooke John P. , Cao Qi , Chen Kaifu
Published: November 2020

Cancers result from a set of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Most known oncogenes were identified by gain-of-function mutations in cancer, yet little is known about their epigenetic features. Through integrative analysis of 11,596 epigenomic profiles and mutations from >8200 tumor-normal pairs, we discover broad genic repression domains (BGRD) on chromatin as an epigenetic signature for oncogenes. A BGRD is a widespread enrichment domain of the repressive histone modification H3K27me3 and is further enriched with multiple other repressive marks including H3K9me3, H3K9me2, and H3K27me2. Further, BGRD displays widespread enrichment of repressed cis-regulatory elements. Shortening of BGRDs is linked to derepression of transcription. BGRDs at oncogenes tend to be conserved across normal cell types. Putative tumor-promoting genes and lncRNAs defined using BGRDs are experimentally verified as required for cancer phenotypes. Therefore, BGRDs play key roles in epigenetic regulation of cancer and provide a direction for mutation-independent discovery of oncogenes.