bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of tectonic geomorphology and crustal structure across the active obliquely collisional zone on the island of Hispaniola, northeastern Caribbean
Authors: Sun Lei , Mann Paul , Bird Dale E.
Published: May 2020

Active tectonic deformation and seismicity of Hispaniola define a 250 km-wide, oblique collisional zone between the Bahamas, the island arc of Hispaniola and the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP). To reflect how collision is accommodated within Hispaniola, we calculate river normalized steepness and terrain surface roughness to reveal the areas of the most active uplift within central and western Hispaniola compared to eastern Hispaniola. We use gravity modelling to show thickness variations in the main crustal types in the obliquely convergent zone: (1) 33–45 km-thick arc crust in central and western Hispaniola; (2) 15–25 km-thick oceanic crust beneath the Bahamas north of Hispaniola; (3) 5–8 km-thick Atlantic oceanic crust NE of Hispaniola; and (4) 6–16 km-thick CLIP south of Hispaniola. Intermediate to deep earthquakes beneath eastern Hispaniola indicate active southwestward subduction of normal oceanic crust and northward subduction of the CLIP. We interpret that the west-to-east geomorphological and crustal variations within Hispaniola to be the result of an along-strike transition from crustal shortening without subduction between the Bahamas and arc crust in central and western Hispaniola to subduction of the North American and Caribbean plates beneath eastern Hispaniola. Crustal shortening in central and western Hispaniola produces thrust-fault-bounded basins with sufficient clastic sedimentary infill to produce hydrocarbon maturity.
Regional thermal maturity modelling of hydrocarbons along the deep-water Yucatan margin, southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Kenning J. J. , Mann Paul
Published: May 2020

The stratigraphy, structure and hydrocarbon potential of the deep-water Yucatan margin remains less understood than other margins of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), as Yucatan has not been systematically mapped and has few well penetrations. Despite the presence of widespread oil slicks along the continent–ocean boundary, the maturity and distribution of source rock kitchen areas have not been well defined. This study uses a grid of 2D post-stack depth migration (PSDM) seismic profiles covering an area of approximately 120 000 km
2
to map the structure and stratigraphy, and to model thermal maturities of three potential Mesozoic source horizons. Thermal 1D modelling of six pseudo-wells, positioned along a dip profile, was performed using estimates of lithospheric thickness and thermal properties. Integrated 3D model results indicate that the principal Tithonian-age source rock reached the oil window within the diapiric salt province during the Oligocene–Miocene. Inherent model uncertainty was addressed using a range of thermal scenarios. The result of modelling was that deeply-buried, salt-related minibasins along the outer marginal trough are low risk and the uppermost slope is high risk for maturity. Large, salt-related structural traps are directly adjacent to oil kitchens within deeply-buried minibasins. Normal faults bounding minibasins provide effective vertical migration pathways as supported by the clustering of overlying oil slicks.
Third-Party Data Providers Ruin Simple Mechanisms
Authors: Cai Yang , Echenique Federico , Fu Hu , Ligett Katrina , Wierman Adam , Ziani Juba
Published: May 2020

Motivated by the growing prominence of third-party data providers in online marketplaces, this paper studies the impact of the presence of third-party data providers on mechanism design. When no data provider is present, it has been shown that simple mechanisms are "good enough'' -- they can achieve a constant fraction of the revenue of optimal mechanisms. The results in this paper demonstrate that this is no longer true in the presence of a third-party data provider who can provide the bidder with a signal that is correlated with the item type. Specifically, even with a single seller, a single bidder, and a single item of uncertain type for sale, the strategies of pricing each item-type separately (the analog of item pricing for multi-item auctions) and bundling all item-types under a single price (the analog of grand bundling) can both simultaneously be a logarithmic factor worse than the optimal revenue. Further, in the presence of a data provider, item-type partitioning mechanisms---a more general class of mechanisms which divide item-types into disjoint groups and offer prices for each group---still cannot achieve within a $łog łog$ factor of the optimal revenue. Thus, our results highlight that the presence of a data-provider forces the use of more complicated mechanisms in order to achieve a constant fraction of the optimal revenue.
User-level Threading
Authors: Karsten Martin , Barghi Saman
Published: May 2020

An important class of computer software, such as network servers, exhibits concurrency through many loosely coupled and potentially long-running communication sessions. For these applications, a long-standing open question is whether thread-per-session programming can deliver comparable performance to event-driven programming. This paper clearly demonstrates, for the first time, that it is possible to employ user-level threading for building thread-per-session applications without compromising functionality, efficiency, performance, or scalability. We present the design and implementation of a general-purpose, yet nimble, user-level M:N threading runtime that is built from scratch to accomplish these objectives. Its key components are efficient and effective load balancing and user-level I/O blocking. While no other runtime exists with comparable characteristics, an important fundamental finding of this work is that building this runtime does not require particularly intricate data structures or algorithms. The runtime is thus a straightforward existence proof for user-level threading without performance compromises and can serve as a reference platform for future research. It is evaluated in comparison to event-driven software, system-level threading, and several other user-level threading runtimes. An experimental evaluation is conducted using benchmark programs, as well as the popular Memcached application. We demonstrate that our user-level runtime outperforms other threading runtimes and enables thread-per-session programming at high levels of concurrency and hardware parallelism without sacrificing performance.
The Efficacy of Contrast Transthoracic Echocardiography and Contrast Transcranial Doppler for the Detection of Patent Foramen Ovale Related to Cryptogenic Stroke
Authors: Yang Jing , Zhang Huiqin , Wang Yumeng , Zhang Shiquan , Lan Tingyu , Zhang Meng , Li Yuanzi , Huang Wenyan , Zhang Hongxia , Wang Anxin , Xiao Yang , Du Lijuan
Published: May 2020

Background. Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been linked to the pathophysiology of cryptogenic stroke. Contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE) is the current gold standard for PFO diagnosis, but it has the disadvantage of being semi‐invasive and does not exempt from risks. As a diagnostic test, the efficacy of contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE) and contrast transcranial Doppler (cTCD) is controversial. This study is aimed at investigating the efficacy of cTTE and cTCD versus cTEE in PFO detection, exploring a more cost‐effective and reliable method for the diagnosis of PFO related to cryptogenic stroke. Methods. From August 2019 to January 2020, a total of 213 patients with suspected PFO were included in our study. All patients underwent cTEE, cTCD, and cTTE examinations. cTTE3 was named for using a cutoff of 3 beats to detect PFO during cTTE, and cTTE5 represented a cutoff of 5 beats. A cutoff of cTCD grade III was named cTCD III. A cutoff of grade IV was named cTCD IV. cTTE3+cTCD IV was used for the combination of a cutoff of 3 beats during cTTE with grade IV of cTCD. cTTE5+cTCD III combined a cutoff of 5 beats during cTTE with cTCD grade III. Taking cTEE as the gold standard, we compared the sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (‐LR), and misdiagnosis rate for PFO detection among the above methods. Results. A total of 161 of 213 (76%) patients had PFO confirmed by cTEE. With the spontaneous Valsalva maneuver, the sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (‐LR), and misdiagnosis rate of cTTE3 in PFO diagnosis were 60%, 90%, 44%, and 10%, respectively, and those for cTTE5 were 76%, 78%, 31% and 22%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (‐LR), and misdiagnosis rate of cTCD III were 80%, 71%, 29%, and 29%, respectively, while those for cTCD IV were 55%, 90%, 49%, and 10%, respectively. When cTTE and cTCD were combined to diagnose PFO, the specificity and misdiagnosis rate were significantly improved, especially cTTE3+cTCD IV, with 100% specificity and a misdiagnosis rate of 0. Conclusion. cTTE or cTCD can be used for preliminary PFO related to cryptogenic stroke findings. The combination of the two methods can improve the specificity of PFO diagnosis, especially using the cutoff of cTTE3+cTCD IV.
Test of Association in the Presence of Complex Environment
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Arif Osama H.
Published: May 2020

A new test of independence under neutrosophic statistics for testing the association between two criteria of classification is presented in this paper. The necessary contingency tables for the neutrosophic population and the neutrosophic sample are presented. The test statistic of the proposed test is introduced under neutrosophic statistics. A real example from education is selected to explain the proposed test. From the real example, it is concluded that the proposed test of independence is more informative, flexible, and suitable to be applied under uncertainty as compared to the existing test under classical statistics.
Identifying Methamphetamine Dependence Using Regional Homogeneity in BOLD Signals
Authors: Yu Hufei , Huang Shucai , Zhang Xiaojie , Huang Qiuping , Liu Jun , Chen Hongxian , Tang Yan
Published: May 2020

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug of abuse, which will cause a series of abnormal consequences mentally and physically. This paper is aimed at studying whether the abnormalities of regional homogeneity (ReHo) could be effective features to distinguish individuals with methamphetamine dependence (MAD) from control subjects using machine-learning methods. We made use of resting-state fMRI to measure the regional homogeneity of 41 individuals with MAD and 42 age- and sex-matched control subjects and found that compared with control subjects, individuals with MAD have lower ReHo values in the right medial superior frontal gyrus but higher ReHo values in the right temporal inferior fusiform. In addition, AdaBoost classifier, a pretty effective ensemble learning of machine learning, was employed to classify individuals with MAD from control subjects with abnormal ReHo values. By utilizing the leave-one-out cross-validation method, we got the accuracy more than 84.3%, which means we can almost distinguish individuals with MAD from the control subjects in ReHo values via machine-learning approaches. In a word, our research results suggested that the AdaBoost classifier-neuroimaging approach may be a promising way to find whether a person has been addicted to methamphetamine, and also, this paper shows that resting-state fMRI should be considered as a biomarker, a noninvasive and effective assistant tool for evaluating MAD.
The Effects of Sidt2 on the Inflammatory Pathway in Mouse Mesangial Cells
Authors: Sun Hui , Ding Jia-ming , Zheng Hui-hao , Lv Kang-jia , Hu Yun-fei , Luo Ying-hui , Wu Xue , Pei Wen-jun , Wang Li-zhuo , Wu Ming-cai , Zhang Yao , Gao Jia-lin
Published: May 2020

In patients with chronic kidney disease, the abnormal activation of inflammatory pathways is usually an important factor leading to renal fibrosis and further deterioration of renal function. Finding effective intervention targets of the inflammatory signaling pathway is an important way to treat chronic kidney disease. As a newly discovered lysosomal membrane protein, the correlation between SID1 transmembrane family member 2 (Sidt2) and the inflammatory signaling pathway has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Sidt2 on inflammation by inhibiting the expression of the Sidt2 gene in a mouse mesangial cell line mediated by a lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9 vector. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and microscopy found that the mesangial cells lost their normal morphology after inhibiting the expression of Sidt2, showing that the cell body became smaller, the edge between the cells was unclear, and part of the nucleus was pyknotic and fragmented, appearing blue-black. The expressions of IKK β, p-IKK α/β, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, IκBα, and TNF-α in the NF-κB pathway of the Sidt2-/- group were higher than those of the Sidt2+/+ group. p-Jak2 and IL6 increased in the Jak/Stat pathway, and p-ERK and p-P38 increased in the MAPK pathway. The expressions of IKK β, p-IKK α/β, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, IκBα, and TNF-α in the NF-κB pathway of the Sidt2+/++LPS group were significantly higher than those in the Sidt2+/+ group. The expressions of IKK β, p-IKK α/β, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, IκBα, and TNF-α in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2-/- group. The expressions of p-IKK α/β, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, IκBα, and TNF-α in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2+/++LPS group. In the Jak/Stat pathway, the protein expressions of p-Jak2 and IL6 in the Sidt2+/++LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2+/+ group. The expressions of p-Jak2 and IL6 in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2-/- group. The expressions of p-Jak2 and IL6 in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2+/++LPS group. The expressions of p-JNK, p-ERK, p-P38, and ERK in the MAPK pathway in the Sidt2+/++LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2+/+ group. The expressions of p-JNK, p-ERK, p-P38, and ERK in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2-/- group. The expressions of p-JNK, p-ERK, p-P38, and ERK in the Sidt2-/-+LPS group were higher than those in the Sidt2+/++LPS group. These data suggested that deletion of the Sidt2 gene changed the three inflammatory signal pathways, eventually leading to the damage of glomerular mesangial cells in mice.
Effect Study of Continuous Monoculture on the Quality of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge Roots
Authors: Liu Hongyan , Niu Min , Zhu Shu , Zhang Fang , Liu Qian , Liu Yang , Liu Ruohan , Zhang Yongqing
Published: May 2020

High‐efficiency monoculture severely inhibits the growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge and decreases the yield and quality of crude drug, thus resulting in serious economic losses in China. Here, we selected four replanted field soils with 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of monoculture history to investigate the influence of continuous monocropping soil on the property of medicinal materials by pot experiments. Results showed that the commodity appearance and active ingredient contents of Salvia miltiorrhiza were significantly affected by soil with different continuous monocropping years. Along the time series of plantation soil, the diameter of main roots, weight of fresh roots, and total contents of hydrophilic and lipophilic components demonstrated a decline tendency. With the method of PCA, the property of medicinal materials affected by continuous monocropping soil was evaluated by the following formula: F = (0.3762 × F1 + 0.2320 × F2 + 0.1913 × F3 + 0.0994 × F4)/0.8989. Eventually, crude drug properties ranked according to comprehensive scores were as follows: CK (0.380) > 1 year (0.360) > 2 years (0.348) > 3 years (0.337) > 4 years (0.245). For the medicinal plant of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge, continuous monocropping soil had significant effects on the property of Salvia miltiorrhiza and should be ameliorated by some measures. The results provide support for the optimal continuous cropping year selection and continuous cropping obstacle abatement of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.
A Case Report of Suicide Attempt Caused by Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder during the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Zhang Kai , Shi Yudong , Liu Huanzhong , Hashimoto Kenji
Published: May 2020

We reported a case of suicide attempt caused by acute and transient psychotic disorder during the COVID-19 outbreak, which broke out in December 2019 in Wuhan. An epidemic of infectious diseases brought great psychological pressure to the public. During this period, a 20-year-old man went to the hospital repeatedly because he suspected that he was infected, with suspicious auditory hallucinations, self-laughter, primary delusions, victimization delusions, relationship delusions, and suicide attempts. He was diagnosed with Acute Transient Psychotic Disorder. 0.1 g bid Quetiapine was given orally, then gradually increased to 0.4 g per day, supplemented by cognitive therapy. The patient was discharged from hospital in relief of symptoms on February 9th. Conclusion. During the epidemic period, in addition to strengthening the protection work, we should also monitor the mental and psychological state of the population to prevent mental illness caused by coronavirus.
Change-Oriented Risk Management in Civil Aviation Operation: A Case Study in China Air Navigation Service Provider
Authors: Yuan Le-ping , Liang Man , Xie Yiran
Published: May 2020

Change-oriented risk management is the key content of civil aviation safety management. Hazard identification is considered as one of the most difficult and flexible parts. To address the risk management due to changes introduced in existing systems, in this paper, a system change-oriented hazard identification (SCOHI) model is firstly proposed. The SCOHI model identifies hazards by integrating “5M” (mission-man-machine-management-medium), and hazard and operability (HAZOP) techniques specify changes in a system and the associated impacts on the surrounding environment. Compared with the traditional brainstorm process, the SCOHI model provides an explicit way for hazard identification in a dynamic environment. Then, taking an air navigation service provider (ANSP) in Northwest China as an example, a case study of system changes from nonradar control operations to radar control operations is analyzed. The effectiveness and applicability of the SCOHI model are tested with a risk assessment. The results from the preliminary evaluation show that the four key system change-oriented hazards are air traffic control (ATC) skills, staff capacity, control procedures, and airspace structure. In addition, the “Man” category accounts for around 55% of the total risk, ranking number 1, followed by “Management,” “Medium,” and “Machine” categories. Finally, a sound risk control strategy is provided to the ANSP to help in controlling the risk and maintaining an acceptable level of safety during system changes.
The Efficacy of Processing Strategies on the Gastroprotective Potentiality ofChenopodium quinoaSeeds
Authors: Mariod Abdalbasit Adam , Salama Suzy Munir
Published: May 2020

The current study has been conducted to evaluate the effect of different processing techniques on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity and the gastroprotective potential ofChenopodium quinoared seeds in acute gastric injury induced by absolute ethanol in rats. Seven groups of female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to normal and absolute ethanol (absolute EtOH) groups, given distilled water, reference control omeprazole (OMP, 20 mg/kg), pressure-cooked quinoa seeds (QP, 200 mg/kg), first stage-germinated quinoa seeds (QG, 200 mg/kg),Lactobacillus plantarumbacteria-fermented quinoa seeds (QB, 200 mg/kg), andRhizopus oligosporusfungus-fermented quinoa seeds (QF, 200 mg/kg). One hour after treatment, all groups were given absolute ethanol, except for the normal control rats. All animals were sacrificed after an additional hour, and the stomach tissues were examined for histopathology of hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Stomach homogenates were evaluated for oxidative stress parameters and prostaglandin E2(PGE2). Gene expression was performed for gastric tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappa of B cells (NF-kB). QB and QG recorded the highest DPPH scavengers compared to QF and QP. The gastroprotective potential of QB was comparable to that of OMP, followed by QF, then QG, and QP as confirmed by the histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression assessments. In conclusion, differently processed red quinoa seeds revealed variable antioxidant capacity and gastroprotective potential, while the bacterial fermented seeds (QB) showed the highest potential compared to the other processing techniques. These results might offer promising new therapy in the treatment of acute gastric injury.
Restoring Force Model of an Energy‐Dissipation Joint in Hybrid Frames: Simplified Skeleton Curve and Hysteretic Rules
Authors: Wang Yanhua , Feng Yan , Huang Dongsheng , Huang Zirui , Chen Zhongfan
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a restoring force model, composed of a trilinear skeleton curve and hysteretic rules, is proposed based on nine pseudostatic tests of the energy‐dissipation joint under horizontal low cyclic loading. The critical points of the simplified skeleton curve are obtained via theoretical derivation and FE simulation. The hysteretic rules for the joints are simplified as a concave hexagon, where the parameters of the critical points are optimized by the genetic algorithm (GA). Using the established trilinear skeleton curve, three different working stages, i.e., elastic, hardening, and softening, were divided by the critical points and the moment stiffness of three stages can be calculated. The proposed hysteretic rules of each stage can reveal and explain the “pinching” in the cyclic loading, which make it easier to understand the mechanism of the energy‐dissipation joint. The comparison between the restoring force model and the tests shows that the simplified skeleton curves, the established hysteretic rules, and the ductility and the damping ratio are consistent with the experimental results. Finally, the effectiveness of the established restoring force model is verified.
Behaviour of TiC Particles on the Co50‐Based Coatings by Laser Cladding: Morphological Characteristics and Growth Mechanism
Authors: Pham Nga Thi-Hong , Nguyen Van-Thuc
Published: May 2020

H13 steel surfaces are covered by coatings of Co‐based alloy with 0, 10, 20, and 30 wt. % TiC using the laser cladding (LC) method. The morphological characteristics, growth mechanism, and the mechanical properties of TiC on the microstructure of the coatings were studied. The results show that TiC in the TiC/Co50 composite coating is composed of two parts: incompletely melted TiC and in situ TiC. TiC content has a great effect on the morphology of TiC, and it exists in different shapes: original TiC, fine‐particle TiC, segregated TiC, petal‐shaped TiC, and branch‐shaped TiC. Additionally, the morphology of TiC in different areas of the coating is different, while TiC size gradually increases from bonding zone to surface. In the 10% TiC+Co50 coating, TiC mainly appears as undermelted, fine particles, precipitates, and having shapes of polygons and petals. From the bottom of this coating, the number of petal‐shaped TiC has increased, and the particle size is also enlarged. In the 20% TiC+Co50 coating, the TiC in the coating mainly presents as undermelted, fine particles, and dendritic morphology. From the bottom of this coating to the surface, the particle size of the undermelted TiC shows a clear gradient change. Finally, the 30% TiC+Co50 coating does not have in situ TiC, and there is no obvious gradient change in the particle size of undermelted TiC. After coating by the LD method, the surface hardness is strongly enhanced. The average hardness of Co50 alloy, Co+10% TiC, and Co+20% TiC composite coatings is 499 HV0.2, 552 HV0.2, 590 HV0.2, and 824 HV0.2, respectively. These values are 2.4–4.0 times harder than that of the H13 substrate. The wear resistance of Co50 alloy, Co+10% TiC, and Co+20% TiC composite coatings is greatly higher than that of H13 steel, showing excellent wear characteristics. The friction coefficient of the coatings which have TiC is very stable. Therefore, the coatings can satisfy the requirement of tool steels applications. Additionally, the wear mechanism of the coating at room temperature is mainly brittle spalling, adhesive, and ploughing. At 700°C, the wear mechanism is mainly oxidation and fatigue.
Clinical Trials of Probiotic Strains in Selected Disease Entities
Authors: Dudek-Wicher Ruth , Junka Adam , Paleczny Justyna , Bartoszewicz Marzenna
Published: May 2020

Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Although their mechanism of action is not clearly explained, it is known that they positively modulate the immune system, which leads to immunity potentiation. A number of studies prove that probiotics strengthen cognitive functions, reduce anxiety, and regulate the lipid metabolism in the human body. Probiotics used in humans are most often of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. However, as more research is conducted, new species with beneficial, probiotic properties are being discovered. This paper provides a review of available information about the influence of probiotics on human health. It summarizes the current knowledge on the mechanism of action of probiotics as well as clinical trial results proving their efficacy in allergic, neurodegenerative, and cardiac diseases. This review also discusses the data concerning the safety of probiotics in clinical treatment.
Price Regulation Mechanism of Travelers’ Travel Mode Choice in the Driverless Transportation Network
Authors: Wu Jianhui , Ji Yuanfa , Sun Xiyan , Xu Yan
Published: May 2020

To study the guidance method of driverless travel mode choice from the perspective of traffic supply-demand, we assume that all vehicles are driverless and establish a multimodal travel market model to depict the supply-demand relationship of multimodal driverless transportation network. To regulate the disequilibrium multimodal travel market, an optimal price regulation law is proposed, which aims to minimize the supply-demand deviation and the amplitude of price regulation. Then, the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the optimal price regulation law are confirmed. In the calculation process of a numerical example, the travel prices of driverless car and driverless subway are realized by congestion fee and subway fare, respectively. The results indicate that the optimal price regulation law can reduce the supply-demand deviation of the multimodal travel market and guide travelers to choose a reasonable travel mode to travel in the driverless transportation network.
Apexification with Calcium Hydroxide vs. Revascularization
Authors: Boufdil H. , Mtalsi M. , El Arabi S. , Bousfiha B.
Published: May 2020

Treatment of necrotic immature teeth has always been a real challenge for the clinician due to the open apex and weak root structure, which does not allow a conventional endodontic treatment. Several therapeutic options are possible to treat those teeth. Calcium hydroxide apexification is the oldest and most studied therapeutic option, but it has some disadvantages, including the long term of treatment, the possibility of reinfection, and the weakness of the wall. To solve these problems, several authors recommend the revascularization technique. This therapy allows the continuation of root edification with apical closure and thickening of the walls. The aim of our work is to compare the two therapeutic procedures, apexification with calcium hydroxide and revascularization, through a clinical case treated and followed up for 24 months at the pediatric dentistry department in Casablanca, Morocco.
Leveraging Genome and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to Investigate Genetic Risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Semmes Eleanor C. , Vijayakrishnan Jayaram , Zhang Chenan , Hurst Jillian H. , Houlston Richard S. , Walsh Kyle M.
Published: May 2020

Background:

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of childhood cancers remain limited, highlighting the need for novel analytic strategies. We describe a hybrid GWAS and phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) approach to uncover genotype–phenotype relationships and candidate risk loci, applying it to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Methods:

PheWAS was performed for 12 ALL SNPs identified by prior GWAS and two control SNP-sets using UK Biobank data. PheWAS-traits significantly associated with ALL SNPs compared with control SNPs were assessed for association with ALL risk (959 cases, 2,624 controls) using polygenic score and Mendelian randomization analyses. Trait-associated SNPs were tested for association with ALL risk in single-SNP analyses, with replication in an independent case–control dataset (1,618 cases, 9,409 controls).

Results:

Platelet count was the trait most enriched for association with known ALL risk loci. A polygenic score for platelet count (223 SNPs) was not associated with ALL risk (P = 0.82) and Mendelian randomization did not suggest a causal relationship. However, twelve platelet count-associated SNPs were nominally associated with ALL risk in COG data and three were replicated in UK data (rs10058074, rs210142, rs2836441).

Conclusions:

In our hybrid GWAS–PheWAS approach, we identify pleiotropic genetic variation contributing to ALL risk and platelet count. Three SNPs known to influence platelet count were reproducibly associated with ALL risk, implicating genomic regions containing IRF1, proapoptotic protein BAK1, and ERG in platelet production and leukemogenesis.

Impact:

Incorporating PheWAS data into association studies can leverage genetic pleiotropy to identify cancer risk loci, highlighting the utility of our novel approach.
Adolescent Personality Pathology and the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders: Self Development as Nexus
Authors: Sharp Carla
Published: May 2020

This paper reviews maladaptive trait development (DSM-5 Section III Criterion B), the development of DSM-5 Section II borderline personality disorder, and research on the development of identity, self-direction, empathy/mentalizing, and intimacy (DSM-5 Section III Criterion A). Combined, these previously disparate literatures begin to point to an integrated developmental theory of personality pathology, which suggests that Criterion A concepts (identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy) coalesce around the development of self, marking a discontinuous (qualitative) developmental shift. This developmental shift is a function of the demands placed on individuals to take on independent adult role function, combined with biologically-based maturational cognitive and emotional advances during adolescence. Section II personality disorder ensues when an integrated and coherent sense of self fails to develop, resulting in nonfulfilment of adult role function. In this sense, Criterion A self function can account for the onset of Section II personality disorder in adolescence, while Criterion B provides a useful descriptive account of continuous aspects of personality function over time.
Sex-Specific Regulation of Inflammation and Metabolic Syndrome in Obesity
Authors: ter Horst Rob , van den Munckhof Inge C.L. , Schraa Kiki , Aguirre-Gamboa Raul , Jaeger Martin , Smeekens Sanne P. , Brand Tessa , Lemmers Heidi , Dijkstra Helga , Galesloot Tessel E. , de Graaf Jacqueline , Xavier Ramnik J. , Li Yang , Joosten Leo A.B. , Rutten Joost H.W. , Netea Mihai G. , Riksen Niels P.
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Metabolic dysregulation and inflammation are important consequences of obesity and impact susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Anti-inflammatory therapy in cardiovascular disease is being developed under the assumption that inflammatory pathways are identical in women and men, but it is not known if this is indeed the case. In this study, we assessed the sex-specific relation between inflammation and metabolic dysregulation in obesity.

Approach and Results:

Three hundred two individuals were included, half with a BMI 27 to 30 kg/m
2
and half with a BMI>30 kg/m
2
, 45% were women. The presence of metabolic syndrome was assessed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-ATPIII criteria, and inflammation was studied using circulating markers of inflammation, cell counts, and ex vivo cytokine production capacity of isolated immune cells. Additionally, lipidomic and metabolomic data were gathered, and subcutaneous fat biopsies were histologically assessed.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased inflammatory profile that profoundly differs between women and men: women with metabolic syndrome show a lower concentration of the anti-inflammatory adiponectin, whereas men show increased levels of several pro-inflammatory markers such as IL (interleukin)-6 and leptin. Adipose tissue inflammation showed similar sex-specific associations with these markers. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from men, but not women, with metabolic syndrome display enhanced cytokine production capacity.

Conclusions:

We identified sex-specific pathways that influence inflammation in obesity. Excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines was observed in men with metabolic syndrome. In contrast, women typically showed reduced levels of the anti-inflammatory adipokine adiponectin. These different mechanisms of inflammatory dysregulation between women and men with obesity argue for sex-specific therapeutic strategies.
Tick parasitism is associated with home range area in the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis
Authors: Wieczorek Magdalena , Rektor Robert , Najbar Bartłomiej , Morelli Federico
Published: May 2020

The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) is a common species in Europe that inhabits a wide range of habitats, including anthropogenic environments. It is a frequent carrier of common ticks (Ixodes ricinus), which poses a severe threat to the lizards’ health. We determined the living space used by lizards in a rapidly changing environment and ascertained the number of parasitic ticks found throughout the reptile’s active season. We conducted telemetry research on a dynamically developing housing estate located on the outskirts of the city of Zielona Góra (western Poland) in 2016-2017. We obtained data from 16 adult lizards, from which we collected 2529 ticks. Using generalized linear models (GLMs), we determined the relationships among the number of transmitted parasites, size of occupied areas (minimum convex polygon, MCP), the weight of lizards, and sex of lizards. Results indicated that the number of ticks was negatively correlated with lizard body mass, but positively correlated with home range. Sex was not significantly associated with the number of ticks. Additionally, the parasite load was lower during the lizard’s non-breeding season than during the breeding season and was lower for males than for females during the non-breeding season. Males have larger home ranges than females.
Context-dependent agonistic response to neighbours along territory boundaries in a cichlid fish
Authors: Matsumoto Kazunori , Okamoto Yuki , Tsurumi Yuka , Kohda Masanori
Published: May 2020

In many territorial animals, the level of aggression exhibited toward conspecifics depends on the magnitude of the threat they pose and/or their familiarity. We conducted aquarium experiments to investigate whether the territorial cichlid fish Julidochromis transcriptus has a context-dependent agonistic response to neighbouring conspecifics. The attacking rate of territory-holding males decreased against neighbour males in an adjacent aquarium over time but increased when stranger males replaced the neighbours in the same aquarium, indicating that males displayed the ‘dear enemy effect’ toward familiar neighbours. Females were not aggressive and the dear enemy effect was not apparent among them. Interestingly, territory-holding males also increased their attacking rate against neighbour males shifted to the opposite aquarium. Territory-holding males will modify their agonistic response to conspecific males according to the relative threat of their opponents in the context of the ‘correct-incorrect boundary paradigm’.
Multisensory Integration of Emotion in Schizophrenic Patients
Authors: Lin Yi , Ding Hongwei , Zhang Yang
Published: May 2020

Multisensory integration (MSI) of emotion has been increasingly recognized as an essential element of schizophrenic patients’ impairments, leading to the breakdown of their interpersonal functioning. The present review provides an updated synopsis of schizophrenics’ MSI abilities in emotion processing by examining relevant behavioral and neurological research. Existing behavioral studies have adopted well-established experimental paradigms to investigate how participants understand multisensory emotion stimuli, and interpret their reciprocal interactions. Yet it remains controversial with regard to congruence-induced facilitation effects, modality dominance effects, and generalized vs specific impairment hypotheses. Such inconsistencies are likely due to differences and variations in experimental manipulations, participants’ clinical symptomatology, and cognitive abilities. Recent electrophysiological and neuroimaging research has revealed aberrant indices in event-related potential (ERP) and brain activation patterns, further suggesting impaired temporal processing and dysfunctional brain regions, connectivity and circuities at different stages of MSI in emotion processing. The limitations of existing studies and implications for future MSI work are discussed in light of research designs and techniques, study samples and stimuli, and clinical applications.
Ethical and Welfare Implications of Genetically Altered Non-Human Primates for Biomedical Research
Authors: Prescott Mark J.
Published: May 2020

Breakthroughs in gene editing technologies have made it feasible to create genetically altered (GA) non-human primate (NHP) models of disease. This area of research is accelerating, particularly in China, Japan and the USA, and could lead to an increase in NHP use globally. The hope is that genetic models in animal species closely related to humans will significantly improve understanding of neurological diseases and validation of potential therapeutic interventions, for which there is a dire need. However, the creation and use of GA NHPs raises serious animal welfare and ethical issues, which are highlighted here. It represents a step change in how these highly sentient animals are used in biomedical research, because of the large numbers required, inherent wastage and the sum of the harms caused to the animals involved. There is little evidence of these important issues being addressed alongside the rapidly advancing science. We are still learning about how gene editing tools work in NHPs, and significant added scientific and medical benefit from GA NHP models has yet to be demonstrated. Together, this suggests that current regulatory and review frameworks, in some jurisdictions at least, are not adequately equipped to deal with this emerging, complex area of NHP use.
Fabrication visible-blind ultraviolet photodetector based on ZnS/GaN heterostructure with fast response
Authors: Wang Yong , Yu Naisen
Published: May 2020

In this paper, visible-blind ultraviolet (UV) detectors based on a ZnS/p-GaN heterojunction structure were fabricated. The heterojunction structure was composed of a ZnS nanostructure deposited on a p-GaN/sapphire substrate. The ZnS nanostructured component was obtained
via radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The device based on this ZnS/p-GaN heterojunction structure showed a reproducible, stable, and fast response speed. Therefore, the results demonstrated that the ZnS/p-GaN heterojunction was successfully fabricated using this relatively
low-cost method.
Nacre crystal growth as a paradigm of island growth mode: Hydrophobic substrate is one of the keys to the biomineralization
Authors: Wang Rize , Gao Ruohe , Feng Xin , Zhang Gangsheng
Published: May 2020

Nacre is a multilayered film material consisting of alternating layers of aragonitic tablets and organic membranes (OMs). However, at this time, no authors have discussed the growth mode of nacre from the perspective of the science of typical film materials. Here, for the first time,
we focus on measuring the contact angles of the nacre growth surface (GS) using the contact angle meter. Additionally, we also investigate the GS's structure and phases using field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometer, respectively. We firstly found that: (1) The
contact angles of the GS are always greater than 90°, with a maximum value of 113° and minimum value of 91°, indicating that the GS is hydrophobic. (2) The growth mode of GS is similar to the island growth mode (V-W) of the typical films. (3) The hydrophobicity of OMs plays an
important role in the nucleation and growth of nacre. This research may provide new insights into the mechanism underlying nacre formation. In the field of thin-film, this conclusion will provide a new direction for the preparation and research of hydrophobic substrates, and a new idea for
the development of thin-film technology.
Testing Measurement Invariance Across Unobserved Groups: The Role of Covariates in Factor Mixture Modeling
Authors: Wang Yan , Kim Eunsook , Ferron John M. , Dedrick Robert F. , Tan Tony X. , Stark Stephen
Published: May 2020

Factor mixture modeling (FMM) has been increasingly used to investigate unobserved population heterogeneity. This study examined the issue of covariate effects with FMM in the context of measurement invariance testing. Specifically, the impact of excluding and misspecifying covariate effects on measurement invariance testing and class enumeration was investigated via Monte Carlo simulations. Data were generated based on FMM models with (1) a zero covariate effect, (2) a covariate effect on the latent class variable, and (3) covariate effects on both the latent class variable and the factor. For each population model, different analysis models that excluded or misspecified covariate effects were fitted. Results highlighted the importance of including proper covariates in measurement invariance testing and evidenced the utility of a model comparison approach in searching for the correct specification of covariate effects and the level of measurement invariance. This approach was demonstrated using an empirical data set. Implications for methodological and applied research are discussed.
Factors Related to Suicidal Cognitions of Academically Gifted Students in the Chinese Social–Cultural Context: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Chen Xinjie , Fan Xitao , Wu Joseph , Cheung Hoi Yan
Published: May 2020

From the perspective of positive psychology, this study examined the variables in four domains of personal resources under the broaden-and-build theory concerning their relationships with suicidal cognition among academically gifted students. A total of 386 academically gifted secondary school students in China participated in the study. First, the descriptive analysis results indicated that the mean score of suicidal cognition was below average, but these students were experiencing sleep deprivation problem in their daily lives. Second, based on the broaden-and-build theory, correlational analysis results suggested that most of the variables from the four domains of resources were significantly related to suicidal cognition. Most important, regression results showed that cognitive and psychological resources appeared to be the most influential for suicidal cognition. Furthermore, parents should be alerted that, for academically gifted students, parental relationship (social resource) is important, as lack of such a positive relationship (i.e., parents’ alienation) showed strong negative effect on suicidal cognition of these students. This was the first study that used the framework of broaden-and-build theory to study and compare the predictive effects of resources on suicidal cognition of academically gifted secondary school students in the Chinese social and cultural contexts.
Investigation on the microstructural characteristics and quasi-static puncture resistance of both domesticated and wild silkworm cocoons
Authors: Zhou Xuanxuan , Song Wenfang , Lu Yehu
Published: May 2020

The very thin and lightweight silkworm cocoon has outstanding mechanical properties attributed to its specific composite microstructure. However, the microstructures of the cocoons have not been studied quantitatively, and their anti-puncture performance has not been examined as well. In this study, both domesticated ( Bombyx mori) and wild silkworm cocoons ( Antheraea pernyi, Antheraea mylitta and Samia canningi) were investigated for their microstructures using fractal theory, and their quasi-static puncture resistance was tested and compared. In addition, the effects of cocoon layers and hot-press treatments on the puncture resistance of two cocoon types ( B. mori and A. pernyi) were investigated. The three wild cocoons demonstrated significantly higher fractal dimensions, higher fiber intersectional densities and low porosities, indicating their structures are more optimized. They also displayed better puncture resistance than B. mori. Increased layer numbers could significantly increase the puncture resistance of both cocoon types and A. pernyi showed more remarkable increases. Moreover, the two cocoon types showed optimum puncture resistance after heat treatment with hot-press temperature of 135℃ and pressure of 25 MPa, and A. pernyi showed better puncture resistance after such treatment. Finally, both the maximum puncture force and puncture energy of cocoons displayed a linear increase with the increasing fractal dimensions. The new insights can guide the development of novel protective fiber composites with desirable and predictable anti-puncture performance.
Toward a Culturally Robust Measure to Assess Marital Relationships
Authors: Lee Hyanghee
Published: May 2020

Despite the increased use of measures developed in the United States in countries with different cultural value orientations, researchers often do not examine whether scales show invariance across cultures. The goal of this study was to discuss the importance of measurement invariance when conducting research with cultural groups that differ from U.S. populations. As an illustration of this issue, the Marital Comparison Level Index (MCLI; Sabatelli, 1984 ) was revised in a culturally relevant way to be used to study Korean couples and the measurement properties of the scale was explored in samples drawn from the United States and Korea ( N = 676). Results showed that there was a second-order factor, which is marital complaints, that underlies the five first-order factors (i.e., emotional intimacy, sexual intimacy, marital conflicts, intergenerational relationships, and complaints about partner’s lifestyle). The identified second-order factor structure showed an adequate level of measurement invariance, indicating the potential for using the measure to examine marital issues within and between couples from these two countries. Taken together, the present study serves as an impetus for international scholarship that could promote cultural and racial diversity in relationship research.